Howdy friends! For those of you who have asked over the last four months when I’d be back in the newsletter game — and those who haven’t, you’re still getting this email — I’m excited to announce that I am launching a new Substack newsletter, Marshall and the Movies (the name of the WordPress blog I launched twelve years ago today that started this all).
Below is the launch post for the new newsletter! I have decided to set up a new site and new feed because, well, maybe you want to hop off. Subscribers to The Distancer will not be automatically signed up for Marshall and the Movies. If you want to continue receiving my emails, now on a twice-weekly cadence, please sign up below.
“Seems like old times, having you to walk with / seems like old times, having you to talk with / and it’s still a thrill, just to have my arms around you / still the thrill, like it was the day I found you…”
- Diane Keaton, Annie Hall
“People keep asking if I'm back and I haven't really had an answer. But now, yeah, I'm thinkin' I'm back.”
- Keanu Reeves, John Wick
Hello again, friends. I’ve missed talking with – er, at – you!
It was 12 years ago tonight that I attended that fateful early screening of Julie & Julia and decided that, like the first of the two titular characters, I could write a blog because I had thoughts. Assuming if you’re reading this now, you don’t need to know where it went from there. But, suffice to say, it was beyond my wildest dreams.
When it became clear that the pandemic was about to upend every aspect of life, I felt helpless and uncertain of how to make sense of anything. Rather than mill about in that dread, I turned to my perpetual source of comfort and connection – the movies – and started a daily Substack newsletter called The Distancer. I assumed it would last for a few weeks, maybe a month or two at most. On March 13, 2021, with vaccines rolling out and COVID-19 in retreat, I called it quits after a year of sending out a recommendation along with other resources every day.
(If you weren’t following along then, the entire newsletter still lives on Substack’s site – and the list of films is conveniently archived on Letterboxd by yours truly.)
Unlike Julie Powell, who in Julie & Julia mentioned having trouble starting things, I find myself with the opposite problem. It’s often tough for me to finish things. At one year, I saw the opportunity to make a clean break on something that was rewarding but also taxing. With some semblance of normalcy on the horizon (and a big move back to New York imminent), I decided to take a temporary break from the newsletter grind – full well knowing I’d be back soon.
And after months of ideation and germination, it’s time to launch Marshall and the Movies on Substack. (And hey, how about this logo? My thanks to friend Caitlyn Owen for her amazing work on this.)
Here’s what you can expect from the latest evolution:
Everyone will get an email every Monday. This newsletter will be much more utility-focused with an emphasis on streaming lists. This is the “news you can use” piece of Marshall and the Movies.
The first Monday of every month will be the best movies added to popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus. The last Monday of every month will be the movies you have to catch before they depart streaming sites. This will not change!
What will you get in between? Here’s a sampling of what I have planned (all subject to change):
The best movies of 2021 already available to watch from home
Streaming services you’re sleeping on
A guide to the best films of Humphrey Bogart
The best books and podcasts to consume if you want to grow your appreciation of movies
Every Best Picture winner ever, ranked (this is largely to tie myself to the mast and get cranking on this long lead assignment)
You’ll also get a window into what I’m watching and writing. For anyone who’s asked how they can keep up with my freelance pieces across the web – and doesn’t want to be on Twitter – the newsletter will help fill that distribution void in your life.
Paid subscribers will get an additional email every Thursday – as one of many perks. These will be the dealer’s choice, so to speak. You might get a deep dive into a favorite movie, an emerging trend, or an obscure sidebar on streaming. Maybe it will be a piece based on a pitch that I couldn’t get picked up for another outlet. Consider it a mystery box that will land in your inbox at the end of each week and provide enlightenment as well as a bit of surprise.
For fans of The Distancer, this paid component of Marshall and the Movies on Substack will be a new feature. This work involves a significant amount of my time and labor, and I humbly ask that if you derive a benefit from this product/service, you treat it as worthy of compensation.
Subscriptions will be $5/month or $50/year (a 17% discount for people who commit early!). Consider that, for roughly the cost of renting a movie online right now, you are investing in getting more value from the services for which you already pay – and often let go underutilized. Subscriptions will allow me to continue devoting the time and doing the work I love to do of connecting this virtual community to new ideas, content, and resources.
For the first month, all posts will be free so you can get a sense of whether or not you’ll find the Thursday posts worthwhile. Starting in September, the Thursday newsletters will go to subscribers only.
In terms of topics covered by the Thursday newsletter, here’s a look at some of what I’m plotting for the paying crowd (again, subject to change):
What we can learn about movies – and life – from the filmography of Mike Nichols
How I prepare for and navigate film festivals
Why movies are so bad at portraying the Internet
The HBO Max syllabus, a potentially recurring column selecting 10 classic films on the streaming platform and presenting them with the context you need to enjoy them – plus the resources to go deeper into understanding why they’ve endured through the years
A deep dive into Asghar Farhadi, the dramatist of our times
You’ll also get more even more insight into what’s bouncing around my mind – what I’m reading, what I’m listening to, what’s inspiring me, and anything else random that I think merits a mention. You’re paying for it, so I’ll grant you a deeper glimpse into my thought processes. (I can’t promise you’ll like what you see but hope you’ll appreciate the transparency and access to show what’s on the other side of the screen.)
The paid crowd will also receive exclusive access to sporadic Q&A posts. Wondering what you should watch this weekend? What did I think about that popular movie you hated? What to make of a set of nominations for movie awards? Something else entirely? You’ll have the chance to have (even more) direct access to me, not to mention the entire community of Marshall and the Movies subscribers, through these posts.
For those living in New York, paid or free subscribers, you’ll also be the geographic beneficiaries of Marshall and the Movies screenings! The city has such an incredible range of theaters showing movies old and new, classic and cult, rowdy and somber … and I want to curate a series of meet-ups for us around the vibrant film scene.
So if you’re NYC-based, join me for Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt on Tuesday, August 10 at 8 pm at Film Forum. More details to come for those interested, but let me know ASAP if you’re interested in joining for this lesser-seen (but absolutely thrilling) gem by the Master of Suspense – projected on luscious 35mm film, to boot! I have no idea what kind of response a school night event will garner, but for those who come and can stick around for a bit, would love to grab a drink and discuss it across the street from the theater at The Brooklyneer.
Just like 12 years ago sitting before my computer, I have a head and heart full of passion … and little idea of how this will all go. But at least today, I’ve got a little bit more of a roadmap along with the knowledge that so many of you are ready to go along the journey with me because you’ve been there all along. Whether you’ve joined the ranks from the WordPress blogging days, my freelancing pieces, Twitter (I hope not for your sake), or The Distancer, I hope you’re ready to join me on the next step.
The first newsletter hits your inbox on Monday, August 2 if you sign up now.
Yours in service and cinema,
Marshall