Be Kind, Please Rewind.

“Never judge things by their appearance... even carpetbags. I'm sure I never do.” - Mary Poppins

Greetings!

In the past few weeks, I have been reminded of the importance of being kind. This sentiment has made me think of Mary Poppins. Since Miss Poppins first floated into my life as young child, I have always seen her as the epitome of a model citizen: a person that exudes poise, empathy and grace. As she tells Mr. Banks when applying for the job of Nanny to his children, “I am kind, but extremely firm.”

During my time at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), me and my fellow mentors were asked to share one piece of advice with the group of mentees. I shared that it is important to ask questions, even if you think it is silly, ask. It is hard to navigate a film fest, particularly one has large as TIFF, and there is no harm in seeking advice or help. It is not a sign of weakness… others have been through this and can often help you find a way through it too. One of the other mentors mentioned the importance of being kind with every person you interact with, whether it be fellow writers, publicists or talent, for you never know where someone will end up and the role they will play in your future.

In case you did not know… I am back on the road and have landed in Austin, Texas for the 2024 Fantastic Fest. I am extremely excited to have this opportunity. This is the first time I am covering the fest in person as my previous coverage was done from the comfort of my sofa, virtually during the pandemic. Fantastic Fest boasts itself as the largest genre film event, offering an eclectic mix of motion pictures. Over at MovieJawn, I shared some of my most anticipated flicks here.

It was during my first night at the festival that I had another run-in with the concept of kindness. Geoffrey Rush was introducing the movie he starred in, The Rule of Jenny Pen and mentioned a lovely interaction he had with a woman at the airport. He went on to explain that the simple act of being kind can really touch a person. I believe that sometimes the world is trying to tell you things. Typically I wait for things to come in threes, but this time around I am not hesitating. I am going to practice a kinder way of living and being.

Since being in Austin, I have had such lovely interactions with people and it has really lifted my spirits. A simple smile or holding the door for someone goes a long way. However, it is not just activities such as this. In practicing kindness, one also needs to be less judgemental. I want to stop making such quick decisions about situations or people. Instead, give things the benefit of the doubt. Allow the situation to play out and give things a chance before making an uniformed decision or opinion. I am finding that, by practicing kindness, I am not only making a fellow human being feel good, but I do too.

I am so thrilled to share with you the Fall 2024 print issue of MovieJawn, available in glorious color and featuring Cinematic Slashers. From wacky weaponry and gratuitous gore to sexy slashers, this issue is sure to make you scream!

I had a lot of fun working on the layout and design of this issue, as I adore spooky season. I truly believe each print issue of MovieJawn gets better and, with this latest edition, we truly knocked it out of the park.

Before heading to Austin, my partner in crime and I sent them out for delivery to our subscribers. I am so excited for these to land in people’s mailboxes. If you would like to find a copy in your postal box, consider supporting MovieJawn as a Patreon here or purchase a single issue here. Each zine also includes a slew of wonderful goodies such as a Sophisticated Slasher, Halloween themed activity sheet and a spooky watchlist calendar! Shout out to my mom for assisting with making the Sophisticated Slashers and Hunter Bush and MJ podcast Hate Watch Great Watch for designing the calendars.

This week I am proud of… conducting an interview with the writers from the film, Apartment 7A.

While here at Fantastic Fest, I had the chance to meet and chat with them for a future article on MovieJawn. This was a thrilling experience for me, as it is something that I have been pining to do since my days of writing for the student newspaper during middle school. It took a lot to put myself out there, but I reminded myself of something a friend recently told me after reading my newsletter from last week. I need to make the commitment to myself that I will do the best job that I can possibly do and, as long as I know I’ve done that, this is all that really matters and not if someone else could do it better.

I arrived to the interview prepared and confident… I even gave the duo a copy of MovieJawn. Afterwards I left feeling incredible, not just because I thought I did a great job but because I put myself out there, followed through and showed up. It is such an amazing feeling to challenge yourself in new ways.

Apartment 7A, is a prequel to the famed horror picture Rosemary’s Baby and will be released on Friday, September 27th via Paramount Plus and available to purchase digitally. I adored this film and can’t wait to write about it. I’ll be sure to share my review and write-up from my interview with the writers when it is posted on MovieJawn.

This week I recommend… taking a nap. I say this as someone who, after attending two film festivals in a row, needs to have some serious coffin time when I get home. And well, maybe you need to slow down a bit too.

Happy you are here. xx. goodbye.

Tell a friend.