ZOLA | ALL THE STREETS ARE SILENT

Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 23/07/2021

This week’s newsletter has some thoughts on two films coming out this Friday. ZOLA will be available on VOD and ALL THE STREETS ARE SILENT will be available in some select theaters. I’m also super excited for the second season of TED LASSO. But unfortunately, I did not receive any advance copies of the episodes and therefore I cannot say if it’s worth watching it or not. But I’m looking forward to checking out the first episode later today. And as always I’m also sharing a playlist of five songs that I listened to this week.

ZOLA

ZOLA is based on a viral Twitter thread, posted by the real “Zola” (a.k.a. Aziah Wells) back in 2015. The epic 148 tweetstorm caught the attention of many people and now it was turned into a film.

Directed with wicked humor and incisive precision by Janicza Bravo (who also wrote the script) ZOLA mostly follows the narrative of its source material. But, it also has some additional investigation of darker themes in the film adaptation. Bravo Created an experience that is genuine to the era of social media in every way; I mean, nothing defines Twitter as much as immediate friendship laced with mistrust.

The movie depicts the tumultuous story of two exotic dancers, Zola and Stefani, who embark on a club tour to Florida to make some extra cash. But they wind up getting caught up and wrangled into prostitution and unpleasant shenanigans involving dangerous thugs, an insane boyfriend, and ruthless pimps.

Overall, Zola is a chaotic flick with quirky, and interesting characters. A weird film that will make you feel intentionally uncomfortable. Fans of the Twitter thread may be stunned by this interpretation of Zola's narrative, but they will most likely find something fresh to like in the movie. I can say that I found myself really hooked on the hectic journey and totally enjoyed it.

ALL THE STREETS ARE SILENT: THE CONVERGENCE OF HIP HOP AND SKATEBOARDING (1987-1997)

ALL THE STREETS ARE SILENT, a documentary by Jeremy Elkin, is a depiction of a time, showcasing the pivotal moment when hip-hop and skateboarding culture collided in New York City in the late 1980s and early ’90s. It features new interviews with significant players such as Fab 5 Freddy and pulls on archival footage of influential personalities such as Justin Pierce and Harold Hunter, among many others.

There was so much packed into this. The early performance clips from Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z alone would be enough to like the film. But an endless amount of fascinating old footage paired with an amazing soundtrack makes this documentary a must-see for or fans of hip hop and skateboarding. Others may feel differently, however, the filmmakers have created a film that is also fun to watch for those unfamiliar with these worlds. 

I  really like how ALL THE STREETS ARE SILENT sustain an infectious feeling of passion and excitement for the subject matter. Even with some heartbreaking details in the final seconds, there's a decent degree of specificity here that gives a compelling dive into the culture. Hip hop and skateboarding fans will find much to like. And the film is definitely worth seeing.

Top 5 songs

These were the 5 songs on my heavy rotation this week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.

1 - Dirty Heads feat. Travis Barker & Aimee Interrupter - Rage

2 - WILLOW + Avril Lavigne feat. Travis Barker  - G R O W

3 - LANY - up to me

4 - NEFFEX - REVOLUTION

5 - CHVRCHES - Good Girls