“It’s just one of them days!
When I wanna be all alone.
It’s just one of dem days, when I gotta be all alone…”

Monica’s smooth, honey-soaked vocals keep running through my head in anticipation of actually sitting in a movie theater.  As the Issa Rae produced movie, One of Them Days, makes its media rounds, my Beanie Pie friends, when I tell you I couldn’t wait to see it?

Couple of points to consider, family:

I think the casting of Keke Palmer and Sza is absolutely brilliant. 

Keke’s a GOAT at this acting thing and she’s experienced a cross-over success that makes Keke Palmer loved and relatable by all kinds of folks.

Sza stole our hearts with her music.  Now, years later, seeing SZA in this new movie role that mirrors her eccentric, fun and free spirit. Perfect!

Girl (and guy). I just knew this movie was going to be a winner. Perfect formula of talent and energy.

Initially, my thought is that One of Them days was going to take a seat comfortably perched next to LA movie classics such as “Friday” or “The Wood.”

High expectations and a chance to get out the house? I’m game! So, let’s go! 

 

Atlanta: A Different Movie Going Experience

There are so many things to do in Atlanta, but let me tell you, the movie watching experience is just different.

Scratch that; it’s excelsior.

Catching a flick in Atlanta is a different movie-going experience, than anywhere else.

Yes, I said it and I’m from NY.

The last time I went to see the Color Purple with my cousins in Brooklyn, the movie going experience hadn’t at all changed or even slightly evolved to keep pace with the new way of watching a movie in say, this decade?? We had to first hit the liquor store to smuggle hooch into the movie theater. Damn shame. 

Shawty.

In Atlanta, we got bars – not lyrics honey, but actual spaces to serve you a nasty ole drink ahead of a movie.

I’m thinking about, as a young mom, having to take my little boys to the countless animated movies I had zero interest in. A nice glass of Chardonnay would’ve taken both the edge and annoyance off.

Not only are bars standard in Atlanta theaters, but the movie theater eats are beyond comparison.  No dry, nachos with fake cheese sauce, rather, dining in an Atlanta movie theater is a culinary experience.

Knowing that I wanted to watch One of Them Days opening weekend; I went with IPIC theater and when I tell you it didn’t disappoint! My word!

In short – maybe not so short. Going to the movies in Atlanta is a different movie going experience and quite frankly, I’m glad I made the move from NY to enjoy it.

 

Movie Night – We Outside!

This is my chance to get out the house!

Listen, working from home, it’s easy to get into a rut and transitioning into the hermit life. I don’t want that: I wanna be outside.

As such, I have to budget for bi-weekly outings, otherwise, I’d rot behind my computer screen for an employer who doesn’t value me anyway.

What does Queen Maxine say? Bitch. I’m reclaiming my time.

I head down to Target to pick up a cute pair of jeans for movie night. 

I couldn’t find any; so, I purchased the one pair of jeans that hugs my frame.  I don’t know if it’s baggy season, but both Levi’s and Universal Thread (Target’s women’s clothing line) are pushing looser fitting jeans. 

Side Note: This year, I’m making a commitment to thank Jehovah- Jireah for my cute figure by wearing clothing that showcase my Coca-Cola frame.

God is Good. All the time.

This is the finished look. Very simple. Demure.  Low cut body suit from Lulu’s. Jeans by Target.  A trench coat and knee-high spiked heel boots rounded out my look (not pictured though).

 

 

IPIC is Epic 

 

This is my first time visiting an IPIC theater.  The one I visit is in Midtown ATL.

IPIC, nestling the High Museum of Art amongst other landmarks, stays true to its creative proximity by surrounding movie patrons with amazing artwork.  An Andy Warhol painting of James Dean is one of the many pieces that adorn the walls of the IPIC movie theater.   I’m an art nerd. I lived.

But? First stop, the bar.

The Espresso Martini had been a highly recommended new cocktail experience for me, from a very handsome friend.  His recommendation, plus watching the Salt Lake Housewives down the drink like antacids made me want to try – though I’m not a fan of mixing coffee flavor with alcohol.

I mean, as far as taste. It gave, sweet, cold brew coffee. Good.  But where’s the alcohol?  The drink was weak.  However, I’m having cocktails at a movie theater, maybe I’m expecting too much?

As I make my way to theater #6 my jaw drops; albeit, just a bit.

One – the theaters at IPIC are smaller, cozier. But it’s really the seats that got me. The padding and the way they were sectioned off, providing the movie goer with comfortable little nooks. The seating reminds me of a Delta business class flight I took to London a few months back.

IPIC movie theater creates an elevated movie watching experience. In terms of the movie-watching – IPIC is truly EPIC.

Thanks to IPIC, I’m a bougie movie watching bee now.  I make no apologies.

 

 

One of Them Days – The Movie Review

 

See how I tried to distract y’all with my cute outfit and pretty drinks?  Purposely designed to delay getting into to the movie review. Play time is over; let’s get on with it, shall we? 

Let me start by saying that I simply adore Issa Rae. 

Issa’s ability to start on YouTube and become one of the top names in Hollywood should be studied. 

Keke’s been that girl from day one and I’ve been SZA’s biggest (maybe even oldest?) fan from the moment I hit Ctrl-Z. 

Point is: One of Them Days is permeated with the biggest players but unfortunately falls flat.  Damn. Damn. Damn.  It hurts my heart to write, I mean, type. 

So, OK, I get it.  Just One of Them Days is clearly an homage to the Friday movies series. 

However, I feel the writers of the movie do a disservice by not exploring a more complex telling of a story already told before. 

There are so many different ways to use its predecessor, the movie Friday, to create a richer, more robust tale of LA-hood-hijinks.   The writers leaned in too heavily on the success of the Friday franchise and ultimately gives lazy writing to One of Them Days. 

Absolutely no ingenuity incorporated into the script. 

For instance:
I remember watching Friday many moons ago.

When Big Worm rolled up in the ice cream truck on Craig and Smokey, I knew they were in trouble.  The mere fact that a grown assed man had courage enough to pull up in Crenshaw with foam rollers meant that Big Worm is a dangerous, dangerous man.

I was so scared for them.  Anxiety bubbled up into heartburn wondering how Craig and Smokey were going to get out of that pickle with Big Worm.

Fast forward – 2025:

One of Them days, watching Dreux and Alyssa trying to evade eviction gave me a little giggle, because at the end of the day, I’m old enough to know that a stay of eviction process is a lot more involved than paying a landlord one month’s back rent.

Girl. What?

The writing was, say, just a little weak.  So Alright.

By the time I get to the half-way movie mark, I resigned myself to accepting that One of Them Days will never see the light of an Academy Award nomination.

That being said – I was looking for laughs. 

You know, those hearty moments when you’re laughing so hard that a slight tear sneaks past your left eye.  Didn’t get a one.  Just light giggles and most of those giggles came from giggling in cue with the rest of the audience and not because I was genuinely tickled. 

While Keke Palmer and SZA deliver great performances; the writers weren’t witty enough to produce memorable, viral scenes. 

In fact, when one of the antagonists, King Lolo (portrayed by Amin Joseph) faces that pinnacle confrontation with the leads and a piece of ceiling falls on top of his head; this is when I accepted the nagging confirmation that followed me from the moment the movie started: “Damn, this movie is stupid as hell.”

In fact, from Amin Joseph, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Katt Williams, Lil Rel, Gabrielle Dennis, Janelle James…I mean the list can really go on; One of Them Days had at its disposal the creme de la creme of Black actors and actresses.   

The failure to write dialogue worthy of their amazing talents is quite disappointing to watch.

However, by far the biggest failure of the movie is not buying the rights to use Monica’s One of Those Days as a backdrop for the movie.

Using Monica’s song would’ve created a bridge between us 40-somethings and the 20-somethings watching. Incorporating it would’ve help gel the movie together in a way the depthless writing simply could not.

That being said. I enjoyed my night out. But, If I had to rate, definitely a solid 4 out of 10.  Ultimately, I expected a lot more from a project tied to Issa Rae. 

Alright Beanie pies. Until the next night out …

 

Blissfully Single and Yours,