The culty content keeps coming with HBO's The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin, a new docuseries that investigates the Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, and its strange leader. The "church" evolves from a weight loss-focused workshop to an evangelical Christian spinoff to an full-fledged cult. The Way Down traces the rise and fall of Gwen Shamblin, the cult's body-obsessed leader, as she transforms Remnant Fellowship into the dangerous high-control group that it still is today. Some spoilers for The Way Down to follow.
Read moreOthersode #56: Uber for Rooms / WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn
Othersode #56: Uber for Rooms / WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn
It’s time to work till you drop! Just kidding, we’re not about that life. But we are all about discussing the new documentary WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn. We are joined by special guest “Nicole,” who has some real-life experience with WeWork, to talk about hustle culture, cult-like workplaces, toxic positivity, and the many things that went wrong with WeWork. Next we get into some listener feedback and catch up with what’s on the blog, including Bachelorette recaps, Gossip Girl recaps, and more. Read along with us for our next Bookpisode on Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Then watch Dev Patel in The Green Knight for our next Othersode, featuring special guests Mac and Zoe from The Maniculum podcast! Don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe, and send us your feedback on this or any other episode!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreReflections on Allen v. Farrow
via HBO
Allen v. Farrow is a four-part documentary series on HBO which covers the abuse allegations against Woody Allen by Dylan Farrow, his adopted daughter, who was seven years old at the time. The allegations and subsequent custody trial were highly-publicized when they took place in the 1990s, but Allen was never formally charged because experts were concerned that a trial re: abuse allegations would be too traumatizing for Dylan. Thus, Allen has continued to enjoy great success in Hollywood. This documentary aims, in part, to correct that.
Read moreDisclosure: Trans Lives On Screen is Necessary Viewing
On June 19th, Netflix released the documentary film Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen. Acquired by Netflix just after its premiere at Sundance in January, Disclosure is an in-depth examination of the representation of transgender people in media, specifically on film and TV. All of its interview subjects are trans, nonbinary, and/or queer people in media who reflect candidly on the impact these representations of trans people have had not just on their own lives, but on society’s perception of trans and nonbinary people at large.
This film was released during one of the most difficult Pride Months in recent history, amid a global pandemic that prevented people in the LGBTQ+ community from celebrating their queerness in the streets, and amid another epidemic — the murder of countless Black people, including trans man Tony McDade, by police — which has forced Black people into the streets to defend their right to simply be alive in this country. The film came out just days after author JK Rowling released a firestorm of anti-trans tweets, then published an essay on her website doubling down on her “opinions.” All of this is to say that Disclosure is an incredibly timely and important film, perhaps in more ways than even the filmmakers could have anticipated.
Read moreOthersode #41: Black Lives Matter / Atlanta's Missing and Murdered / Interview with Mary Kay McBrayer
Othersode #41: Black Lives Matter / Atlanta's Missing and Murdered / Interview with Mary Kay McBrayer
Join the Book Squad as we discuss Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children, an HBO docuseries that is more relevant than ever. We discuss the nature of the crimes, the racial tensions and violence plaguing Atlanta in the 1970s and 80s, the questionable “evidence,” and how well the series works as a whole. Next, Susan interviews Mary Kay McBrayer, author of the new book America’s First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster. Then we dig into some listener feedback on Devs and update you on all the good stuff on the blog! Read Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett for our next #bookpisode on June 15, and watch Shirley on Hulu for our next #othersode on June 29!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read moreThe House In Between: I Have 1,000 Questions
I’ve been in documentary mode after watching the incredible Icarus a few days ago, so when I saw a new documentary recommendation by one of my favorite podcasters (Ben Kissel of Last Podcast on the Left) this morning, I was so excited to watch The House In Between. The House In Between is a film covering the decade-long investigation of the unexplainable happenings in a house in Florence, Mississippi, and for fans of the paranormal, this film is well worth the watch. Some spoilers for The House In Between to follow.
Read moreJesus Camp: Why This 2006 Documentary Is More Urgent Than Ever
I wanted to write something Easter-themed for today’s blog post, but after typing “easter,” “bunny,” and “rabbit” into all of my streaming apps and finding nothing even remotely appealing to watch, I decided to search “Jesus.” That was when I came across 2006’s Jesus Camp, which despite its acclaim, I’d never seen.
Just a couple of weeks ago, President Donald Trump said he wanted to have our country “reopened” by Easter, saying, “So, I think Easter Sunday, and you'll have packed churches all over our country. I think it would be a beautiful time.” Watching Jesus Camp for the first time in 2020, I was surprised by how much the film resonates with the current moment, especially when it comes to the role Christianity plays in politics.
Read more