TODAY’S FILM

The Twentieth Century, dir. Matthew Rankin (2019)

This one goes to those who like their cinema colourful, daring and WEIRD. The Twentieth Century is a Technicolor dreamscape that’s both sexual and political. Matthew Rankin’s debut feature reimagines the rise of Mackenzie King, the longest-serving Prime Minister in Canadian history. This Canada, however, is an otherworldly fantasia that bears little resemblance to our reality, rendered in a style that connects it to both German Expressionism and Soviet agitprop. The whole thing plays out like a offbeat comedy with decidedly queer undertones and is a must-see. I can’t find it streaming anywhere and to be fair, I’m not really sure if it has received a wide release yet (it was still doing the festival circuit when the pandemic hit). When it does, be sure to check it out!

TODAY’S RECORD

Flesh Tone by Kelis (2010)

Kelis has had many lives. At different points of her biography, she could be described as a R&B juggernaut, neo-soul chanteuse and sauce chef. She collaborated with everyone from Björk to Calvin Harris and from Danger Mouse to David Guetta. Even in this variety, Flesh Tone feels like an outlier: an album that casts Kelis as an animatronic disco diva. It turns out the role suited her impeccably: from the moment “22nd Century” kicks in, the album is a relentless party. With perfect segues connecting the tracks, it was the rare mainstream pop album that asked to be taken as a sonic and conceptual unity. At 37 minutes, every track works (really) and not a single beat is missed: perfect for a Friday night. Dance to it via Spotify.