Happy end of summer, subscribers:
No matter what your age, the start of the school year feels like a blank slate. It’s a type of New Year’s where it feels possible to implement change in routines and start new regimes. It’s time to take off your OOO replies, stock up on new school-slash-work supplies, and try to set your alarm earlier for Fall. My hope for you this Labor Day is that you can recognize how much you hustle/ work/ organize/ chore/ care-take/ girlboss/ strive and that you find some space to add balance/ fun/ cheer/ inspiration/ beauty/ quiet/ balls-out-wild-nights to your life to keep things in equilibrium.
Don’t strive to be the worker bee; strive to be the Queen.
If you need help creating your own singular vision, let the innovative dynamo, Julio Torres inspire you. I’m late to the game on Torres, but in the past few weeks, I’ve worked my way backward through his oeuvre. I can’t say that I even understand what Torres is always trying for, but his strong vision with themes (and the band of actor friends) runs through all of his work.
FANTASMAS
OK, how to describe this show which premiered over the summer? First, it’s the story of a guy who loses his pearl earring at a dance club and spends the six-episode season searching for it through NYC. It’s also the story of a citizen on the brink of eviction, who can’t get a mole examined unless he can prove to the government he exists and get his Proof of Existence. Like any mythic quest, he encounters challenges, adventure, and wild characters along the way. Bitchy hamsters coke addicts (voiced by John Early and Cole Escola) in a nightclub, a hand walking, the invention of clear crayons, Aidy Bryant selling toilet dresses, Bowen Yang as a disgruntled elf, Emma Stone and Cole Escola as brainwashed Real Housewives, and a hilarious taxi driver who doesn’t charge a fee but also might not bring you where you need to go. Expect the unexpected and enjoy the ride.
PROBLEMISTA
I can’t believe I missed watching Problemista when it was released even though I’d been excited by the trailer. To me, this was one of the best movies to come out in 2023- and now you can stream it on Max or Hulu. Compared to earlier work, this film is extremely accessible and stays on course with a strong message. Alejandro, a hopeful toy designer, moves from El Salvador to NYC with visions of working at a major toy company like Mattel. After losing the job that was sponsoring his work visa, he has to hustle to find a new job in 30 days, make money and cut through the Kafka-esque red tape necessary to stay in the country long enough to fulfill his dream. Elizabeth (played by the undeniable Tilda Swinton), a narcissistic, abusive, art-world nightmare obsessed with FileMaker Pro, offers a potential sponsorship if he can last long enough as her assistant.
LOS ESPOOKYS
This television show premiered in 2019, and back then I watched the first episode because of Fred Armisen’s involvement. But I found the show challenging to get into and abandoned after episode one. My loss. Set in a surreal version of Los Angeles, a group of friends turn their love of horror into a business. Like most of Torres’ work, it’s hard to encapsulate the plot in a blurb, but like Michel Gondry’s Be Kind Rewind, or the short-lived The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell about a goth Martha Stewart, it’s fascinating to watch a fictional creative process take place on screen. The extremely quirky characters, offbeat humor, and emo aesthetic reel the audience into the immersive and strange world. Most of the show occurs in Spanish with English subtitles which (for a non-Spanish speaker) adds to the feeling of being dropped into a different land. It was canceled after only two seasons, but the show garnered widespread attention.
MY FAVORITE SHAPES
Over Labor Day’s long weekend, I’m planning to watch Julio Torres’ stand-up special, My Favorite Shapes, which mixes his comedy with visuals of whimsical shapes and props.
SNL
If you are still not sold on Torres’ absolute genius, take a look at some of his early work as a writer for SNL. One of the funniest and most innovative skits to come out of the show in the last decade was “Well for Boys” about a toy for dreamy boys who might chafe against playing with sporting goods, action figures, or superheroes. A reoccurring motif in Torres’ work, toys appear in much of his work- as well as robots, shapes, colors, and facial stickers/ glitter. Here’s a round-up of all his best skits.
you sure do love that "wells for boys" sketch (so do I)