Hotter Than Hot

Good morning Consumers. This is Please Consume, the newsletter that loves movies more than Harrison Ford loves crashing planes.

This is what we’ve got for today 👇️ 

• Caleb gives us the final pick for our favorite 24 Hour Films!

• The staff gives you their picks for what you should be watching this weekend.

• News and Notes.

Let’s get rolling…

This week we want to talk to you about a very simple concept. The 24hr movie. Movies that all take place in a 24hr period. This concept has lead to some of the most entertaining and beloved films in history, and here are just a few in that grand tradition.

 Do The Right Thing (1998)

Written by Caleb Madden

In the canon of movies that take place over the course of one day, there are so many amazing options.

But one that has stuck out to me for a long time as one of the greats is Do The Right Thing.

That’s right, the third feature film from acclaimed director Spike Lee! Let’s dig in!

Cooler Than Cool

If you haven’t seen Do The Right Thing stop reading this newsletter right now and go watch it.

Okay, maybe don’t do that but you should put it at the top of your list immediately.

I think that what makes “Happened in a Day” movies so great is the shock that it all takes place in 24 hours. I mean think about it: Groundhog Day, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dazed and Confused, and so many more are comical in the amount of stuff they put into one day. But what makes Do The Right Thing so special is the amazing setting, characters, and narrative.

One of the best examples of all of these pieces coming together so wonderfully is the local radio. The movie starts with the sweet and soothing voice of a young Samuel L. Jackson, aka Mister Señor Love Daddy, who plays a radio host for the neighborhood's radio station. Jackson’s character does an excellent job of communicating the tone of the rest of the movie.

It’s Getting Hot in Here

Not only does Do The Right Thing take place in one day, it also just so happens to take place in the middle of a brutal heatwave. This heatwave is masterfully used to increase the tension of the story. Not only do you feel the pressure from the narrative, you also feel it from the anger of the people in the neighborhood because it’s too damn HOT.

Spike Lee does masterful work directing the characters in this story to feel real, not only in the way they behave like Brooklyn natives, but also in their exhaustion from all the heat. Every single character is just so angry, frustrated, and exhausted by the end of the movie and it makes for an explosive ending.

Boiling Point

There are two more characters in this movie that I think truly make it a wonderful film (although every character is amazing). One is Mookie, played by Spike Lee himself, whom the story revolves around. Mookie is relatable, lazy, and loves fresh sneakers! But he isn’t ignorant or blind to the hate around him. I think what makes Mookie even more interesting is that he works at the pizzeria of known racists, although he isn’t apologetic for their behavior. There is this dissonance in Mookie; he knows the hate felt towards him but he also has a great deal of love for Sal’s shop and his son Vito.

The other character that makes this movie work is Radio Raheem, played by Bill Nunn. Raheem is a disenchanted resident of the neighborhood who walks around blaring Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” from his shouldered boombox. He represents the weariness of many who are tired of the racism and oppression that plagues most of America even today. However, Raheem is not belligerent or rage filled, he’s just speaking his mind. That is, of course, just too much for Sal and his family to handle. The resulting fight is a harrowing depiction of what police brutality and racism looks like in America, and all of this 30 years before the murder of George Floyd.

All of these elements, from the heat wave to the incredibly compelling characters, create a wonderfully powerful, funny, and prescient movie that is a must watch if you haven't seen it.

Today’s Scene

Here are some selections from our staff for what you should watch this weekend.

Stop the endless Netflix scroll and let us pick for you.

Christian’s Pick

The Squid and the Whale - on Netflix

I’m a sucker for Jeff Daniels.

Oftentimes you can find me standing outside bars, confronting strangers, saying something along the lines of “Jeff was the most underutilized actor of his generation.”

If you don’t believe me, watch this movie and you will.

WATCH NOW

Tom’s Pick

American Graffiti - Netflix

George Lucas’s only film he directed that isn’t a Star Wars movie or a short film, American Graffiti makes you really sad that he didn’t do more.

It stars Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss as upcoming college freshmen, contemplating their future and their past in a myriad of dope cars.

Plus, Harrison Ford!

WATCH NOW

Tyler’s Pick

Big Time Adolescence - Hulu

A wonderfully late millennial/early Gen Z work with a fantastic Pete Davidson performance that leans into the thing about him that rubs people the wrong way. It’s funny, clever, well shot, performed, directed, and blessedly only 87 min.

WATCH NOW

Caleb’s Pick

The Woman King - Netflix

This is Gina Prince-Blythewood's most recent film. It has a banger story (if not a little historically inaccurate) and just rips from front to back.

Not to mention the incredible characters and acting! Just a great weekend watch for anyone.

WATCH NOW

Here is some of the latest news that we found interesting…