🎃 Battle of the Halloween Candy
Plus, a true horror movie & reflections on my dad turning 90
The election is just 11 days away. There is still time to make a difference, whether it’s phone banking, canvassing or donating money. When people ask you what you did to defeat Donald Trump, you don’t want the answer to be that you sat on the sidelines.
On a personal note, I was at my father’s 90th birthday on Tuesday. Which, when you think about it, is a pretty rare event. I think I have only been to two others, my grandfather Martin’s and my great uncle Sol’s (all in NY, which is interesting). Other than the same genes, these men all lived very different lives, so maybe genes are actually the answer. Hopefully that means I'll see many of you at my 90th celebration. But in the meantime, I have a few life reflections and takeaways inspired by my dad that I wanted to share:
I am very lucky to have two wonderful brothers and we couldn’t be closer (as our dad reminds us, this takes work and has its peaks and valleys), but they are my best friends.
I admire how my dad’s built and maintained a close-knit group of friends, who've been by his side for as long as I can remember. There were a countless number of people at this party who have known me since I was born. Not to age myself, but that means they have all known my dad for almost 50 years, at least.
He has a handful of friends who literally have known him for almost all of his 90 years. If you are lucky enough to have some people who have been in your life since day 1, keep them close.
From art dealers, to concert promoters, to titans of Wall Street, to Broadway producers, to authors, to politicians – every walk of life was covered at my dad’s party. It was a powerful reminder that surrounding yourself with smart and interesting people from different walks of life, only makes you smarter and more interesting.
March to the beat of your own drum – and don’t stop. Some of you may know that my dad fractured his hip two weeks ago, but that couldn't stop him from having a party at Three Guys, his favorite neighborhood diner. Celebrating with 100 friends who have known him the majority of his life in a place he goes all the time (although he does complain it is too expensive) was the perfect way to celebrate this milestone. He plans to live to 114, so let’s see what he does for his 100th.
This is all to say, I am really lucky to have Alan Patricof as my father – he has basically taught me everything I know. The list of all his lessons is too long to share, but I think one of the things that rises to the top is to treat people kindly and fairly. After my first movie, he told me that the question to ask myself is will these people work with me again. I am proud to say that on the current movie I am making, almost every key crew member worked on my first film Half Nelson 20 years ago – so I guess I am doing something right.
Instead of getting him a gift, you can do one thing to celebrate his birthday – help elect Kamala Harris. He worked tirelessly to get Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden elected. Kelly and I have taken over the ground game from him for this election, and he is in a state of utter disbelief that Donald Trump even has a chance. He is phone banking and he even was trying to convince me in the hospital that he was going to come to NC for canvassing the weekend before the election. So today you can donate, make a call, or go door-to-door – and do it in honor of Alan Patricof’s 90th Birthday.
Since Halloween is around the corner, I decided to stray from my usual restaurant reviews and discuss the primary food group of every October 31st: candy.
I knew I wanted to call in my crew for this Halloween edition so I polled them on their favorites. Now this might cause some uproar, but I’m personally not a huge fan of chocolate. I’d much rather have some Sour Patch Kids, Starbursts, or Red Vines. But Halloween has become synonymous with those “fun-sized” mini candy bars, so I had to include the chocolate-based ones in my polling. Sadly for me, no gummy candy won.
Now, it’s time to let you in on the polling process. I started with a big list of candy, telling crew members they could pick a few favorites. The starting bunch was Reese’s Cups, Twix, 100 Grand, Snickers, Peanut M&M’s, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Red Vines, Starburst, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, and Twizzlers.
This of course led to a separate debate of whether Red Vines or Twizzlers reign supreme. The result was HEAVILY pro-Red Vines – which I agree with.
Here are the big winners:
#6. 100 Grand
This one did pretty well in the original poll where people could choose multiple options. But when compared to the others, 100 Grand fell flat. It’s a solid candy bar, with crispy rice and caramel all coated in chocolate – all things people enjoy.
#5. Kit Kat
When I say Kit Kat, I’m talking about the tried and true original one. Milk chocolate, crispy wafers – a true classic. I recently learned that Japanese Kit Kats come in over 300 flavors. Some of these sound pretty good: matcha, raspberry, and orange chocolate. Others, like soy sauce and apple cider vinegar, sound truly repulsive. Innovation is cool, but the classic flavor will always be elite.
#4. Reese’s Pieces
Reese’s Pieces was a late addition to the polling, but with M&M’s being knocked out (unfairly? I’ll let you be the judge) I wanted to include something similar. They’re simple, sweet, peanut butter-y – nothing terribly innovative, but nothing to turn your nose up at either.
#3. Twix
We know I’m not a big chocolate candy fan, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Twix. A shortbread biscuit, coated in caramel and then dipped in chocolate? What else could you ask for? The crunch of the cookie breaks up the chocolate flavor, and who doesn’t love a good caramel pull?
#2. Snickers
Snickers are unique in that they’re nougat based with peanuts, caramel, and chocolate. But I didn’t think they’d rank so high among my crew. Their whole “you’re not you when you’re hungry” ad campaign is clever, but as a true foodie, a Snickers bar would never cure my hunger. Sure, they’re considered the best selling candy in the world, but I happen to think there are better options out there.
#1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Coming in at #1 is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I would have never thought this would have won the top spot, but it’s hard to go wrong when you combine chocolate and peanut butter.
Apollonia’s Pizzeria with Mark Feuerstein & Ashley Sawyer; Family Style Fest with Ben Hundreds, Kate Burr, & Jordan Okun; Santa Barbara Fish Market with Ashley Sawyer; Courage Bagels with Mark Feuerstein & Ashley Sawyer; Sichuan Impression with Ashley Sawyer & Sawyer Patricof; Noble Smoke with Kirby Adams & Alex Orlovsky; Suns Kitchen solo; Milkbread with the office; 3rd & Fernwood with Darren Erman; Football BBQ with Ben Ormand, Korey Budd, Chip Carey, & Lee Streu; YUME Ramen & Sushi Bar with Derek Cianfrance & Andrij Parekh; Steak 48 with Erin Benach, Mariela Comitini, & Derek Cianfrance; Tang’s Garden with Mark Patricof.
Zurawski v. Texas
As Kamala Harris fights for reproductive freedom, it’s important to remember exactly what’s at stake if Donald Trump wins. Zurawski V Texas follows Amanda Zurawksi, Samantha Casiano, and Dr. Austin Dennard as they band together with attorney Molly Duane to sue the state in an extraordinary effort to regain their rights and reproductive futures — and to do the same for millions of other women in Texas.
From executive producers Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Jennifer Lawrence, this urgent film highlights the dire consequences of losing reproductive freedom.
The film is going to be available online for a limited window on Oct 26th & 27th, with a special live panel on Sun, Oct 27th, 7pm ET. You can sign up to gain access here. I highly recommend everybody take the time to watch this crucial film.
64 Days
Since this is the Halloween edition of With Jamie, I also wanted to share a horror movie recommendation. After some thought, I landed on the scariest thing I could think of: a documentary chronicling how the Stop the Steal movement led to the violent insurrection on January 6th.
Director Nick Quested embedded himself within the Proud Boys, highlighting how they went from a group of likeminded buddies to a full-blown militia conspiring against the United States. Everyone should watch this film to remind themselves what’s at stake in the polling booth.
Yes, this is me being political again. But how can I not be when we have witnessed firsthand that Donald Trump is willing to completely disregard the principles of democracy? I can’t think of anything more bone-chilling than this dangerous lunatic getting back in the Oval Office.
Director Nick Quested is hosting a screening of this film at CAA tomorrow October 25 at 7pm. If you’re interested in attending, email 64daysfilmsaboteur@gmail.com to RSVP.
Who: Van Jones
Where: Zoom
Why: Van has consistently been one of the most prominent voices in political media, and he’s specifically said a lot about the Middle East and the important relationship between the Black and Jewish communities.
Quote: “The other thing I'm seeing is this, which is pissing me off. I don't see that many people working…I'm not seeing that many people doing the type of stuff that we did say in 2008, going to swing states, really volunteering, doing the phone banking. A lot of people are talking. Not that many people are walking.”
Our next Lunch With Jamie is set for 10/30 and joining the conversation will be Rep. Nancy Pelosi. I will be sending out an email on this soon once the time is confirmed, so be sure to apply for Lunch With Jamie below.
And if you’d like to “walk the walk” as Van said, tomorrow (10/25) is our second to last Phone Bank Friday and will take place at 1PM PT/4PM ET. You can register here.
Aaron Michaelson, Aaron Stern, Adam Saper, Adam Smith, Alex Tse, Andy Wang, Anthony Jacobson, Ashley Sawyer, Ben Hundreds, Blake Lively, Bobby Kim, Chad Gutstein, David Geffen, David Gelb, David Katzenberg, David Nathanson, Eater, Eli Meyer, Food & Wine, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jamie Patricof, Jason Spivak, Jerry Greenberg, Jeremy Smith, Jerrold Son, Jessica Alba, Joe Varet, Jon Buscemi, Jon Shook, Jordan Okun, James Ponsoldt, Kate Burr, Katie McNeill, Kelly Sawyer Patricof, Lawrence Longo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Rosenthal, Marc Rose, Martha Patricof, Matt Haimes, Matt Karatz, Max Chow, Max Shapiro, Max Winkler, Neal Moritz, Paul Zucker, Peter Goldwyn, Phil Rosenthal, Rachel Halilej, Riley Patricof, Sawyer Patricof, Sarah Meyer, Shu Chowdhury, Todd Steinman, The Hungry Tourist, The Infatuation, Vinny Dotolo.
Today's email was brought to you by Jamie Patricof and team, including Stazy Mazo and Michaela Sullivan.