greetings!

Let’s Catch Up….

Pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage, or snack and let’s shoot the breeze shall we? I did not mean to stay away for so long… However, life happens and I’ve been keeping busy since we last spoke.

Since you read about my travels to Columbus, Ohio in May for the Columbus Moving Picture Show, I’ve been to Rochester, New York for Nitrate Film Festival, and have taken various trips to Mahoning Drive-in and Gap Theatre. On top of all this, in June, I hosted a release party for MovieJawn’s Summer 2025 print zine featuring Cinematic Cats & Dramatic Dogs with my pal, Christina from Girls Like Horror. The event was held at Philly Film Society East Theater and was a huge success… we sold out a screening of HOUSE (1977). My mom made these awesome Blanche masks (pictured below) for attendees and they were a huge hit. I am already scheming about our Fall print zine release party. Stay tuned!

More recently…

Last week I got back from Maine, where I had the opportunity to attend a Silent Film Festival. This trip ended up being extremely important for me and was rather restorative. I fell in love with Maine. I had not traveled there since I was a child and it remains everything I had pictured in my mind. One day I hope to find myself living at a place by the sea in Maine with Benjamin just like in The Uninvited (1944) or The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947). We belong there. (Shout out to Kate Beach who believes in my dream of having a place by the sea and has sent me a listing for a Church for sale in Maine. Remember Cinema Church? It will happen in due time.)

Before this trip, I had been feeling lost with a bit of melancholy. This trip to Maine served as a reminder to keep moving forward. I must continue to trust that I am exactly where I need to be and that things that are meant to be will come to fruition at the exact time they are meant to. All that stuff they say about being in the right place at the right time… yep, I believe this to be true as well. The world is magic after all, so why wouldn’t there be truth to this type of sentiment?

While on the road with my mom she asked me: “What do you want to be?” To put it frankly: I have no idea. Even before my mother asked me this question, it has been something weighing on me. Am I destined to be a dabbler extraordinaire? By the time we met up with a dear friend of mine in Maine for our lunch date, I could not help but bring up this topic to her. It was short, yet meaningful conversation that helped me realize a few things. For over a decade I was laser focused on the escape, aka quitting my corporate job. Together with the help of my partner in crime and a few select others, I devised a scheme, to free myself. Once I enacted this plan, I suddenly started to feel alive once more. Suddenly, I felt as if I shed a skin and removed a mask. In many ways I did. I felt lighter than ever before.

The month of May marked one year since I escaped, and so much has been accomplished. MovieJawn is growing and seems on the brink of something incredible. This quarter will mark the first time in which we will start to initiate payment for our writer’s work, due to a inventive way I devised with selling merchandise. All while doing this, I am learning more about myself each day. I finally understand the difference between burnout and fulfillment. There is no doubt in my mind that I have never felt happier before in my life. Yet, I can’t shake this feeling lost at sea.

Upon returning home this past week, I had a deep conversation with my therapist about where I presently find myself. And the gist is this: It’s OK to feel lost. I am on a path, that in many ways has never been tread before. With each step I decide which way I want to go. People are following me too, which is something I never really expected to happen, but I can’t help but find it thrilling. Maybe by showing them the way, I make things a little easier for them, and that feels really great. I still am figuring out if I like being a leader. I seem to be pretty good at it and I think the reason for that is because I don’t especially like doing it. The only way I can make sense of this statement is to say: control terrifies me. I believe that people who love to be in control, often enjoy it for all the wrong reasons. Call it an ego trip, if you will.

I say all of this because it is part of me figuring it out. I am baring my soul to you, my readers, simply to say: I am very excited for where I find myself. Sure, there are some exhausting moments, but I have learned the power of taking a break. Naps are really good. I understand the need to stay rested, so that I can be ready to pivot when necessary. With my current situation, it is important to stay on guard. I am in what I am referring to as THE MARSHMALLOW PHASE. I call it this because, as much as it is sweet, it is rather gooey and I often feel that I am stuck in the gelatinous confection of it all.

With each step I take, I get closer to figuring out my purpose. Sure, things don’t always go as planned… Such as the fact that I have still not started to bank episodes of my podcast, Cinematic Crypt like I have been aiming to do. Or that I have not been doing as much writing as I thought I would be. THAT IS OK. There is only so much time in the day. It has only been a year since I embarked on this new life and I’ll figure it out. Things will get done when they get done and I have to learn to be OK with this. However, I also have to understand that prioritizing myself over others’ needs is OK as well. I am responsible for my own destiny, I write the job description and, most importantly, I am the boss of me.

To my pal in Maine: thank you for listening to me and most importantly for being my friend and mentor. I am happy that you are in my life and grateful for our future adventures. I promise to stay in better touch or, as I put it, pester you. Can’t wait for our next adventure!

What’s next…

Even after all this, my summer adventures are not yet finished. This coming week I will be headed to Rome, New York for Capitol Fest and the following week to Canton, Ohio for a Ghost Film Festival. And why am I going to these festivals you ask? Well, it is simple! Because Movies are All That Matter.

what’s the latest scoop?

The Telephone Game

While in Maine, I did some exploring with mom. We went to several bookstores and antique shops. I was rather pleased to find several old movie magazines.

However, one of the most prized possessions from the trip was a book I procured entitled The Telephone Tales.

The artwork inside is absolutely exquisite, and I can’t wait to dive in once I finish my current read: a biography of Margaret Hamilton. More on that soon.

Telephone Tales was written by an Italian author, Gianni Rodari and is illustrated by Valerio Vidali. Each night, a father who is required to travel for his occupation, calls his daughter to tell her a bedtime story. Given that he is contacting her from a payphone, his time is limited to the amount a coin buys him. Each story is a whimsical yarn that takes place in a different time and place.

More to come on this… Despite not having read the book yet, it got me thinking already, and I had an idea about how it could help me keep up with Sundae Matinee. I too could have Telephone Tales of my own. Much like being on a payphone, I could limit the time I spend writing this to the length the coin provides and this way I can have this newsletter go back to its regularly scheduled frequency. Something to think about…

this week i am proud of…

so much sweet stuff

Catch up on all my writing here at MovieJawn.com 

Here are three pieces of work that I am most proud of:

TCM Summer Under The Stars: This is my favorite time of year and I love catching all these wonderful motion pictures on Turner Classic Movies. Check out my picks here for week one.

Check out the great interviews I have been doing. These two recent ones I am most proud of.

This week I recommend…

That you check out some of the videos I have been making. The majority of them can be found on MovieJawn’s Instagram here and it is of me asking people what movie they would take with them on a deserted island. I love hearing people’s responses… The one below from David at Mahoning was an especially good one. It is so awesome to hear people’s stories and how movies have impacted their lives.

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Making this video content has really forced me to come out of my shell and put myself out there. Each time I make one I get a bit more comfortable in doing so. No longer am I two separate entities. Before there was Rosalie Leonard (HR Professional) and Rosalie Kicks (my true self: a piece of film). It was exhausting playing a dual role. Now that I can simply just be me, I am so much less exhausted. Plus, it is really fun showing the world who I truly am.

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For the most part I like making the video content and have found that I enjoy the challenge of facing my fears. Besides, I have already faced the most terrifying thing in this world: being placed in a cubicle. This is something I keep in mind as I try new things… I never want to end up back in that 9-5 world and am pretty much willing to do whatever it takes to not end up back there. Plus, if I was there, I wouldn’t have the chance to talk to Joan Crawford’s grandson!

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The videos in particular really seem to be helping with getting MovieJawn’s name out there, which thrills me. I look forward to making more video content with my movie pal, Shayna Davis. In fact, in a couple weeks some pals and I will be filming a series on Cinema Etiquette starring… my dolls! I can’t wait to share them with you. Until then, hope you enjoy checking our our current content.

That’s it for this week.

Happy you are here. xx.
goodbye.