This Week I Watched!

Sallie Keena
  • 4.8 (5)
  • FILM INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Weekly femme-filmmaker-led chats on cinematic gems and deep feels, featuring an array of fun guests, with a feminist perspective ✨

Episodes

  1. 10/31/2022

    I Feel Safe In My Body: My So-Called Life HALLOWEEN + actor Teko Campbell

    Celebrate your weirdness! Sallie and Teko start off a SPOOKY chat about a favorite albeit short-lived femme-created high school show by sharing feels about mindfulness and the individual journey of feeling safe and confident in ones' body. My So-Called Life is a 1994 series created by Winnie Holzman, and this episode was written by Holzman and Jill Gordon and directed by Mark Piznarski. The gals go over why this show is such a gem that hits the feels on multiple levels, and why we need more content like this, as well as: 1. The power of staying present in a moment, and how Teko uses mindfulness to be present in her relationship and let go of the to do list. 2. The Laban warmup exercise Sallie and Teko learned in an acting class and the power of feeling safe in your body after years of dissociating ✨ 3. The actual flapper dresses Sallie and Teko wore to a 1920's murder mystery party where they fully invested in their characters. 4. Surprising moments in MSCL that challenge tropes with alliances forged between unlikely characters. 5. Late 90's / early 00's prom hairdos. 6. The touching and realistic depiction of sister relationships and the importance women exploring each others bathroom cabinets. 7. The cinematic composition the gals both hit pause on. 8. Fomo and the art of creating versus waiting for something interesting to happen. 9. TEENAGE HALLOWEEN PARTY HEARTBREAK!

    1h 7m

  2. 10/18/2022

    A Neurodivergent Love Story: Amy Heckerling's Clueless + Filmmaker Jen Sommer

    This week, Sallie sits down with filmmaker Jen Sommer to chat about CLUELESS, Amy Heckerling's generation-defining confection of a Jane Austen remix that serves all the 90s feels. Jen casts new feminist and neurospicy perspective on a movie we've all seen a million times, and the gals chat about: 1. Jen's childhood dream job and the film that sparked her journey to becoming a filmmaker 2. The specific, character-shaping language of Clueless and how we'd like to see Cher grow 3. Trusting timing one's life, personally and professionally 4. How Clueless could be seen as a movie about feminism and neurodivergence! And the creative way Jen secured her own accommodations in high school, like Cher! 5. The movie you should watch next if you wish Clueless was more queer✨ You can find Jen's work on her website: sommerfilms.com Follow her on Instagram: @bluecauliflower

    1h 1m

  3. 09/23/2022

    Can You Accommodate These Melons?: Nancy Myers' Baby Boom + Rose Austin

    This week, we are CHEATING just a little bit on our all-female first season with an episode about a film *written and produced* by Nancy Meyers and directed by Charles Shyer. Sallie's comfort-watch-devoted cousin Rose Austin (always a horse woman, never a horse girl) joins to discuss Baby Boom, Diane Keaton's delightful romp from city grind to country life, and Rose's new inductee to the comfort list. Rose shares her own experience growing up on and helping to run various iterations of farms in Virginia, including raising goats for her family's goats milk soap (which sold at Whole Foods btw), and her surprise at seeing those bucolic aspects pop up in Baby Boom, as well as her delight at deeply enjoying a film about reluctant motherhood, as a currently pregnant person who did not always want to be a parent herself. Sallie pitches a unique idea for guessing one’s 3rd trimester maternity size, suggestions on how to rewrite a kiss scene in the film to make it non-problematic, and shares the simple note she offered a fellow screenwriter on re-writing problematic female characters. Follow us on instagram! @thisweekiwatched

    54 min

  4. 09/16/2022

    Scathingly Brilliant Ideas: Ida Lupino's The Trouble With Angels + Abby Powell

    Jack Lemmon, a heartthrob for the ages! (Jack Lemmon is not in this film) But do you know who is? HAYLEY MILLS and ROSALIND RUSSELL with a cameo by Gypsy Rose Lee herself! This week, Sallie chats with whimsy-embracing writer, illustrator, and lover of nun-baked breads Abby Powell about Ida Lupino's color-soaked comedy that runs deep: The Trouble With Angels. Abby and Sallie unpack why this is a deeply loved film, from Abby's first rental of it from a mom-and-pop video store (which might still exist!!) to Sallie's most recent re-watch, which sparked new revelations. The gals compare their art class experiences as Sallie recalls the SMELLS of various mixed-media studios during her academic life, and Abby shares how career burnout led her to the delicious freedom of exploring an art practice based on embracing joy and color rather than exactitude. Follow us on Instagram @thisweekiwatched! Subscribe to our show, and leave us a rating ✨

    47 min

  5. 09/09/2022

    The Beauty in The Ordinary Things We Do: Leave No Trace + Michelle Hernandez

    This week, Sallie chats Goonies, Molly Ringwald, and the Annie Potts fan fiction she wants to write with filmmaker (and t-shirt collector) Michelle Hernandez, as well as the fascinating sparkle of Thomasin Mackenzie in this week's movie: Debra Granik's 2018 drama Leave No Trace, which is based on a true story. The gals agree on the most epic 80's movie fashion moment letdown, and Michelle shares about the realization of how beautiful and special her family home is, and about the film she made there. That film is Douk - and Michelle shares her incredible tribal linguistic history, as well as the largely untold (and crucial to learn about) side of US history this film touches on. Follow Michelle and all her work (and hopefully get a glimpse of the American Girl meme I'm talking about) @shellher89 on instagram. Follow us @thisweekiwatched, and subscribe to this podcast! We'd also love a review ✨

    53 min

  6. 09/01/2022

    Accepted Into The Family of Women: Agnes Varda's One Sings, The Other Doesn’t + Julia Brekka

    Balloons! Boobies! Bodily Autonomy! This week, Sallie chats with filmmaker Julia Brekka about Agnes Varda's powerful, musical, glorious 1977 French film / love letter to female friendships, chronicling the bond of two women over spans of time, distance, and life events. Julia shares about the powerful women who shaped her upbringing, and how a recent trip to Amsterdam strengthened her relationship with herself. The gals chat about how the film resonates, the inspiring camera choices, and about the necessity of choosing a crew who 100% support your vision. Julia shares about her upcoming film, Land of Milk and Honey, which is eerily on brand with this week's film choice...coincidence? Mais non! Welcome to the hard-won magic of being female, and being a filmmaker surrounded by kindred spirits. ✨ Watch Julia's short film, Art Show Erotica: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG-fzhCN6P4&t=7sand Watch Sallie's short film, Moon Eyes:https://vimeo.com/358333713

    1 hr

  7. 08/26/2022

    SO Nice Meeting You!: Zeina Durra's Luxor + Kex Rhodes

    This week, Sallie chats with filmmaker Kex Rhodes about Zeina Durra's beautiful 2020 film, Luxor, and shares how witnessing main character Hanna's emotional processes helped her in her own journey of healing from trauma. Kex tells how her first camcorder and experiences in theater inspired her to pursue filmmaking, the TV show young Kex filmed scenes from, and Sallie confesses her deep desire to play a role in the Phantom of the Opera - it's not the one you think! Kex shares the compelling inspiration behind her upcoming short, Desolate Dreams, and how she interwove her Black and Japanese American heritage into a story honoring true events rarely seen in cinema. You can find more about Kex on her site: https://kexstudios.com and watch the Desolate Dreams trailer here: https://kexstudios.com/desolatedreams Join our Patreon Page for Perks! www.patreon.com/thisweekiwatched

    44 min

  8. 08/18/2022

    Light Stalking: Desperately Seeking Susan + KC Schomas

    Sallie chats about one of her favorite movies of all time with filmmaker KC Schomas, especially the multiple worlds created by Susan Seidelman within 80's New York City in all of its gritty magic. KC speaks on her love for stylization in movies, going against tropes and expectations, and how a magical teenhood trip to the Warner Brothers Costume department helped plant seeds for the life she lives in Los Angeles today. Sallie talks about why she felt "safe" watching KC's beautiful short film "Her Companion", and KC shares how the short was inspired by a desire to depict an Asexual love story, and the power of non-normativity in cinema. Here's a link to KC's film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtW8rMGbLw You can also follow her on instagram @theschomasgoon Join our Patreon! For $7/month you'll get fun bonus content and more ✨ https://www.patreon.com/ThisWeekIWatched

    56 min

  9. 08/11/2022 · BONUS

    Am I The Right Person To Tell This Story?: The Rider, Part Two

    This episode is a follow up to Episode 1, and we recommend listening to them in order! In Part Two of The Rider, Sallie calls her *always a horse woman, never a horse girl* cousin Rose to do some detective work around the loss of Brady's horse, and chats with Native filmmaker Michelle Hernandez about gems from her T-shirt collection, why ET is terrifying, and Michelle's thoughts around who should be telling Native stories, as well as the roles Michelle is excited to see Native actors playing. Support us on Patreon and get bonus episodes! https://www.patreon.com/ThisWeekIWatched

    39 min

  10. 08/11/2022

    Definitely Not a Western: Chloe Zhao's The Rider + Brandy Bruce

    Sallie chats with Cinematographer friend and collaborator Brandy Bruce about Brandy’s time spent learning from beautiful person and inspiring Cinematographer Bradford Young before diving into Chloe Zhao’s 2017 docu-drama The Rider, which is definitely not a western. The filmmakers talk dream lighting setups, the on-set experience of deeply feeling a scene from both sides of the camera, and Brandy shares the high-profile family story she wants to tell. A quick look at the story of Bruce's Beach: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/01/bruces-beach-returned-100-years-california Stay tuned for part 2 of this episode, where Sallie calls her *always a horse woman, never a horse girl* cousin Rose to understand the loss of Brady's horse, and chats with Native filmmaker Michelle Hernandez about 80's movies, why ET is terrifying, and Michelle's thoughts around non-Native filmmakers telling Native stories, like in The Rider, as well as the roles Michelle is excited to see Native actors playing. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ThisWeekIWatched

    57 min
  • 10 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Weekly femme-filmmaker-led chats on cinematic gems and deep feels, featuring an array of fun guests, with a feminist perspective ✨

Information

  • Creator
    Sallie Keena
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Copyright
    © 2022 Moonlight Detective