ft. ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ & Crunchy Roll Bowls
Only 11 sleeps until June 15th! There are tons to celebrate this June: Pride Month, Father’s Day, and CA extending to-go cocktails through at least the end of the year. Thanks Gavin! Also worth getting excited about — now that things are, well, a thing, again, I have a lot more actual happenings to suggest in this newsletter, from a mini music festival to kick off Pride to a spring soiree to kick off the warm weather. If you’re like “Whoah, this is happening too fast, I haven’t even gotten my maskne under control yet,” don’t worry! I’ve still included some of the hottest streams and a very hot read to keep you busy, indoor style.
However you’re planning on spending your weekend, enjoy these quarantivities!
Quarant-streams
‘A Quiet Place Part II’
Watch this if you miss movie theaters:
Going into this pandemic, the thought of being confined to our homes was daunting, to say the least. But now, a year and however many months in (what year is it again??), we have continuously surprised ourselves at just how good we can be at this whole staying indoors thing. Work from home? No shoes, no shirt, no problem. Not having to interact with your Postmate when they drop off takeout for the third day in a row because “you just don’t feel comfortable going to the grocery store right now”? A dream come true! However, there are just some things that, while can be done at home, are just not as good when done so. A vax-only music festival, for example. (Terrible clean-up and your landlord won’t be thrilled — even when you offer them a VIP wristband…) Or, more importantly, watching a horror movie.
Like countless other flicks, A Quiet Place Part II‘s release date got delayed due to COVID-19. However, unlike many others, John Krasinski refused to push his film straight to streaming, instead waiting until last weekend to give it the theatrical release it deserved. If you missed the first one, the film followed the Abbott family who — in the wake of a deadly alien invasion — are forced to live their lives in complete silence, as the monsters hunt by sound and even the smallest noise made could mean a death sentence. Or an eviction, if you ask my landlord after that aforementioned at-home apartment music festival! Sorry Forrest! The sequel picks up right when the first left off, with the family venturing outside their farm in search of fellow survivors. However, in a post-apocalyptic world, they might find that the people they encounter almost make those blood-thirsty aliens look good. Sure, watching this at home is fine and all. But would it beat sitting in a dark theater, AC blasting, nearly spilling your $15 popcorn when the person in front of you audibly screams from a jump scare? I am willing to bet not!
See it in theaters now.
‘Pose Season 3’
Watch this if you love Billy Porter (does anyone not love Billy Porter?):
Ryan Murphy’s FX drama about the undergound ball scene in NY during the late 80’s will strike one final “pose” this weekend, with the series finale airing Sunday night. Over its three seasons, the show has been a triumph of fashion, culture and, most predominantly, community, as it catapulted not only the ball world into the mainstream spotlight, but also the Black and Latinx trans actors/actresses who helped make it so great. Beginning as a battle for power between the two dueling “houses,” the reigning House of Abundance and newcomer House of Evangelista, in its final season the show has shifted its focus to tell a less glamorous story: one when AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for Americans ages 25 to 44.
Despite funerals being at the forefront of the final season, Pose never lets you forget that this show is meant to be a celebration. Its opulent costumes are still worthy of Billy Porter’s excellence and the wedding that takes place in the penultimate episode challenges Jim and Pam’s for Best TV Wedding of All Time. And I wouldn’t make that claim lightly. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wish you were brave enough to wear that many sequins, but most importantly, you’ll fall in love with these characters whose stories Hollywood took far too long to properly tell. Category is: We Will Miss You Pose!
Stream Seasons 1-3 via FX.
Quarant-reads
‘Malibu Rising’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read this if you loved Daisy Jones & the Six:
Watch out — this book is on fire! You may recognize Taylor Jenkins Reid from her bestseller Daisy Jones & the Six, and now she’s back and better than ever with a book begging for your beach bag. Malibu Rising takes place in one night, but spans generations, telling the story of four famous siblings gearing up for what is bound to be the party of the year. Dreamy beachside mansion? Check. Family secrets revealed? Also check. Mysterious fire set by an even more mysterious arsonist? Also check. I told you this book was on fire!
Purchase via Amazon or Barnes & Noble (save the bookstores!).
Quarant-eats
Crunchy Roll Bowls via Pinch of Yum:
Make this bc it’s a roll, it’s a bowl, it’s a crunch roll bowl! (Then say that five times fast.):
Strawberry Shortcake Cobbler via Alison Roman:
Bake this if you don’t know what to do with all the strawberries you keep buying at the farmer’s market:
Bake along with Alison here!
Spanish Gin & Tonic via NYT Cooking:
Make this bc it’s not a regular gin & tonic, it’s a cool gin & tonic:
Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 drink
2 ½ ounces gin
8 juniper berries, lightly crushed
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 to 3 strips lemon peel (about ½ lemon)
4 ounces good-quality tonic water, chilled
1. Half-fill a large stemmed wine glass with ice. Add gin, juniper berries and bitters; stir.
2. Twist lemon peels over the glass to release the oils and drop them in. Add tonic water, stir and serve.
Quarant-memes
& Some Other Fun Stuff …
Buy tix to this to reserve your spot to picnic with pride:
Pride Picnic @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Stroll through this to enjoy a rainbow road that won’t cause you to throw your controller at your TV:
Santa Monica Rainbow Road Art Walk
Go to this celebrate pride AND the comeback of live events (we missed you!):
RSVP to this to usher in warm weather the right way (with floral bouquets, natural wine, & dumplings, duh!):
Listen to this to kick off pride with Casita del Campo:
PRIDE: Casita del Campo Playlist
Visit these bc cocktails at dinner are still more fun than to-go cocktails:
12 Great Restaurants With Cocktails As Good As The Food
Go here to shop, dance, eat, and dance your heart out bc we’ve earned it, people!:
Get these bc “Zoom From Your Couch” season is over and “Zoom From Your Porch” has commenced:
10 Products That’ll Upgrade Your Outdoor Space
Plant these bc who said your quarantine hobby had to just be a quarantine hobby??:
18 Things You Can Plant in June, Whether You Have a Tiny Patio or a Huge Garden