Finally Friday
Jan. 24 — At its annual meeting and luncheon yesterday, the Buckhead Coalition announced that Jonathan Rodbell, co-founder of Atlanta Property Group, will be the organization’s new chairman.
?️ Partly cloudy with a high of 42° today. The weekend will be a mix of sun and clouds with highs hovering around 50°.
?️ Georgia lawmakers will return to the capitol on Monday after a winter weather break to take up an ambitious slate of building projects across the state.
?️ Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she is contemplating a run for Georgia governor next year.
? Georgia’s unemployment rate held steady last month at 3.7%, four-tenths of a point lower than the national jobless rate, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.
? Former Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore said she has deep concerns over proposed changes to limit the powers of the city’s Office of the Inspector General.
? Gavin DeGraw and Pop 2000 (Chris Kirkpatrick of NSYNC, LFO, and O-Town) have been added to the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival lineup.
ELSEWHERE
? Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family agreed to pay up to $7.4 billion to settle OxyContin claims.
? CNN announced a 6% workforce reduction alongside a $70 million digital overhaul, which includes a new weekday lineup. Its CEO said new positions will offset most job losses.
? President Donald Trump ordered the declassification of the remaining files related to the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations.
? Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Sundance Postcard
• Film Review: ‘Presence’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
Have a good weekend,
Collin & Sammie
? What if you could help someone’s dream of having a family come true? Join The Surrogacy Foundation at the 3rd Annual Soiree on Feb. 8 for a magical night of making dreams possible. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Postcard from Sundance
? Sammie here, with an update from the Sundance Film Festival!
I am writing this from the floor of the Double Tree in Park City, eating grocery store sushi with about an hour to kill until I must enter back into that glorious place they call the Holiday Village Cinemas. I’ve only seen the inside of theater one thus far, but for my next film I get to venture into theater three!
I don’t know what I expected from Sundance. I don’t think it was necessarily anything glamorous, but this is definitely more boots-to-the-ground, nitty-gritty than I was anticipating. I feel like a soldier doing battle: I forgot gloves, and I’m really paying for it in this cold. Today, I’ve eaten an Impossible Whopper, a box of raspberries, and roughly 12 pieces of sushi. I have three different beverages in my brand new giant tote (thanks Sundance for the swag): a half-drunk Coke, a Fiji water, and a Sparkling Ice. I’ve made this Double Tree floor my home between films, jotting down my thoughts about each movie before heading off to dutifully get in line for the next one. Film festivals! A lot of standing around, I must say.
But readers, I’m having the time of my life! I’ve seen two movies today so far: “Magic Farm” (pictured above) and “Touch Me.” I’m still under embargo for both, so watch this space next week for more thoughts.
? I’m tired, and I should probably buy more snacks (sorry to our dining editor Beth McKibben, but I foresee even more grocery sushi in my future, not one of Park City’s many wonderful restaurants), but I’m getting to do what I love in a beautiful place. And if what I love means sitting inside a dark theater in one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever seen, so be it!
Last but not least: no celebrity sightings yet. At least I don’t think so – I passed by a woman who looked a LOT like Chloë Sevigny on the street, but I don’t think I have that good of luck.
? Scene, my weekly newsletter about movies, will be filled with more Sundance tidbits, so please subscribe here!
OSCAR NOMINATIONS
? Emilia Pérez,” a Spanish musical about a drug kingpin’s gender transition, led Oscar nominations with 13 nods, while “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” followed with 10 each. The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will be presented on March 2.
Why is my dog constantly scratching and biting?
SPONSORED BY SCENTHOUND
? As a dog parent, seeing your furry companion constantly scratching, biting, or licking themselves can be concerning. Pruritus is the medical term for severe itching that leads to these behaviors.
?? Understanding what causes pruritus and other causes of itchy skin, and how to provide relief, can make a difference in your dog’s comfort and health. Take proactive steps, and when in doubt, seek professional advice.
Together, with resources like Scenthound, you can ensure your dog lives a happy, itch-free life.
➡️ Learn more here and discover the Scenthound difference at our Buckhead, Dunwoody, and Tucker locations.
2. The haunting perspective of ‘Presence’
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
? Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has long been interested in experimenting with form. From using an iPhone to shoot movies, to recutting classics like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” as silent, to black and white films – whatever the experiment, Soderbergh has probably done it – or at least thought about doing it.
All of these experiments lead to one clear, albeit seemingly obvious, conclusion – that form truly does matter when it comes to how the audience experiences a cinematic story. Dialogue is important, performance is important, music is important, of course – but the shooting style and camerawork in a film have the potential to fundamentally shift our interpretation of the story more so than most anything.
While some of his experiments might be more successful than others, the way in which Soderbergh decides to tell these stories matters as much as the story itself. And with “Presence,” he reaches new heights in proving that cinematic form is inextricably linked to the emotions of the audience. With “Presence,” Soderbergh uses the camera to unsettle us, make us empathize, make us hate – all culminating in an ending that rips the floor out from underneath your feet.
? Click here to read the full review.
3. Atlanta’s Ben Shelton falls in Australian semis, NFL Conference Championship weekend
BY: JIM BASS
♂️ The Sports Section is Sponsored by Gameday Men’s Health Buckhead, offering testosterone, weight loss, peptide, and ED therapies so you can get back in the game. Learn more today!
? Ohio State defeated Notre Dame in the CFP National Championship game in Atlanta on Monday 34-23. Despite a late-game comeback from the Fighting Irish, Ohio State held a strong 31-7 lead in the third quarter.
⚾ Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner were all inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Suzuki entered as the first Japanese-born player and received 393 of 394 votes, one shy of a unanimous selection.
? Novak Djokovic retired in his match last night, allowing Alexander Zverev to advance to the finals of the Australian Open on Sunday. in the other semifinal, Atlanta’s Ben Shelton lost to top-seed Jannik Sinner this morning 7-6, 6-2, 6-2.
? Florida-native Madison Keys will face two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka tomorrow at 3:30 a.m. EST in the Australian Open women’s final. (ESPN)
? The Eagles and the Commanders play in the NFC Championship on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Philadelphia. The Commanders are hoping to bring Washington a Super Bowl appearance for the first time since 1992 (FOX).
? The AFC Championship game between the Bills and the Chiefs is set to begin on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in Kansas City. The Chiefs are aiming to be the first team to win the Super Bowl three times in a row (CBS).
? After stumbling with three straight losses, No. 18 Georgia Tech women’s basketball has won two in a row, including beating Virginia 75-62 last night.
? The Hawks have dropped two straight, losing to the Pistons on Wednesday and the Raptors last night. The teams play again at State Farm Arena tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
? What if you could help someone’s dream of having a family come true? Join The Surrogacy Foundation at the 3rd Annual Soiree on Feb. 8 for a magical night of making dreams possible. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Top Stories of the Week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① Coverage of Atlanta’s second winter storm of the year
② Sonic the Hedgehog Cafe pop-up opens in Chamblee
③ Here are Atlanta’s 2025 James Beard Awards semifinalists
④ 18 Atlanta Public Schools honored for academic excellence
⑤ Andy Lipman, CF Warrior and author, dies at 51 (pictured)
? Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
? Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
? Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premiere undergraduate learning experience.
