Beginning on the new season of Bojack Horseman now. I was trying to do some artwork, so more listening than watching really. I still got my share of chuckles out of it, though.
Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on DeviantArt! Drop by and tell me that I sent you. *updated often!*
Just starting binge-watching iZombie, and it's hilarious. I've only finished the first season, but the writing is super-snappy and the characters are fun, like early Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I just saw Dunkirk (in IMAX 70 mm). I really, really enjoyed it. IMO it was pretty much flawless, although my viewing partner said he thought Saving Private Ryan (a film I found OK but a bit too sentimentally sappy and generic) was better, so take that for what you will.
I liked Saving Private Ryan but agree it was sentimental, sappy, and generic. Which I can say for most Spielberg films...yet I like them as well. I am really excited about Dunkirk. I don't go to the theater often. Waiting for it come out so I can watch at home. I'm a Nolan fan so I was expecting something great.
Welcome back Jorge! Long time!
It's a shame you missed Dunkirk on the big screen because it's one of the few movies that takes full advantage of the large format I think (there are some breath-taking shots of a small plane or boat against the vastness of the ocean for example), but at least you won't have to put up with annoying patrons! I rarely go to the movies these days either because of all the talkers and texters.
Almost caught up on Gotham, which I lost track of earlier this season. I know a lot of folks don't like it, but I've always loved the combo of the over the top 60s Batman style performances with dark violence, black humor and broken personalities.
I know there's a queerbaiting debate about last season's Penguin/Riddler story, but I am on the creators side of this one. Penguin was unambiguously in love with Ed and that dynamic was central to their storyline.
I'm now done watching all the Columbo episodes. Starting on Murder, She Wrote: another old favorite that I've really only ever seen bits and pieces of.
(I only just realized today that both series have the same two co-creators. I really need to pay better attention.)
Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on DeviantArt! Drop by and tell me that I sent you. *updated often!*
I am watching lots of documentaries lately. I am currently watching ones about the Minoans, an ancient civilization on Crete. I also highly recommend PBS's Eons channel on Youtube, which talks about paleontology.
Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
Finished binge-watching the first three seasons of iZombie, and it rocked. The characters and dialogue are very fun. I can't wait for season 4.
Also saw the first three episodes of The Orville, Seth McFarlane's Star Trek spoof and it's not for me. I've never found him terribly funny, and the show can't seem to decide whether it's going to be a comedy or quasi-serious, and it's kind of failing at both, at the moment. I've given it enough chances, I think, and I'm gonna skip the rest, unless I hear that it's radically changed in quality.
Dark Matter, over at Syfy, seems to have died, which is a shame. Killjoys looks on-track to being picked up for another season, at least. Neither of them have been game-changers, IMO, but both are decent popcorn sci-fi, and on par with Syfy shows like Eureka (and a cut above Warehouse 13, IMO).
I've been captivated by "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," a documentary series by the former scientologist exposing their practices.
There are a few shockers in there, but by and large it's material I've read in other CoS pieces. What really captivates me is the chemistry and different viewpoints of Remini and her cohost Mike Rinder. Leah Remini was a rank-and-file Scientologist until her celebrity status raised her high enough to see the insanity at the upper levels, at which point she left. Mike Rinder was a high-ranking Scientologist who was instrumental in many of the church's abuses until he left. Sometimes their guests are people he terrorized in the name of "fair game" before his departure. It's interesting to watch her shock and outrage at each new story contrasted with his quieter sadness, as he alreadty knew about all of these practices, even if he didn't know all of the specific cases.
The episode regularly cites excerpts of the church's attack letter against Remini, and directs viewers to a website where they can read all of the church's responses to the stories and people on the show. When a guest has an individual attack letter against them, Remini will read parts of it to the viewers. Apparently this is part of some "balance" policy meant to protect them from the litigious church, but it has the added benefit of showing how awful the church is in its own words.
I just watched the second season premiere, which focused on former scientologists who were abused as children. It was a had episode to get to. And apparently it sparked a backlash from the church, as well as a cascade of other people contacting them with their stories. So there's going to be more rough going on that front in future episodes.
I actually had no idea who Leah Remini was before I went down this rabbit hole, but I liked her enough that I am also checking out her new sitcom "Kevin Can Wait." It's a fun if forgettable and pedestrian sitcom. I mostly enjoy it for watching Remini basically be herself. I don't think this latest fad of mine is going to be big enough to wade through 9 seasons of King of Queens, though.
^^I know almost nothing about her, but for some reason started getting the CoS attack ads against her showing up on my Facebook feed. They definitely have the opposite effect of what they intend on me.
I've sort of half-watched Stranger Things a few times since last year. mr_cleome loves it, so he'll watch it at his computer in our shared workspace, on his laptop. I'll be working on collages across the room with my back to the screen, so I end up listening more than watching.
The performances are good. However, I agree with one online critic who feels like the constant product references and homages to pop culture of the past sometimes get in the way of characterization and story. Granted, there are long expanses where you're relying on visuals rather than dialogue. (Unlike, say, Bojack Horseman: a show that's very dialogue-dense. Even with my back turned to the screen I can be mesmerized by the goings-on. B.H. also seems to take a more jaundiced (sometimes even savage) view of the 1990s than S.T. does of the 1980s.)
Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on DeviantArt! Drop by and tell me that I sent you. *updated often!*
Also hoping to check out the adaptation of Alias, Grace on Netflix. I've mentioned before that as revered as it is, Atwood's Handmaid's Tale has always left me pretty cold. A.G., on the other hand, was a dynamite read. Some of her best work. I'm very anxious to see if the TV version lives up to it, or just focuses on the more gory, sensationalistic aspects. This one, I'll have to give my full attention to.
Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on DeviantArt! Drop by and tell me that I sent you. *updated often!*
We are once again postponing the final two episodes of orphan black because I got an invitation to watch the extended cut of Batman versus Superman tomorrow night. In my friend circles, my analysis that "I enjoyed it and found it very interesting, but acknowledge that it is deeply flawed" has turned me into "the big Batman versus superman fan."
I just saw Thor: Ragnarok and it was the best movie I have seen this year. It is full of fights and lots of obscure references (and costumes!) for the comic book fans. I know there a lot of fans of 70s/80s Marvel Sci-Fi here who would be pleased.
Go with the good and you'll be like them; go with the evil and you'll be worse than them.- Portuguese Proverb
I watched the first couple of episodes of this season of Once Upon a Time, the "soft reboot." It was pretty entertaining, and fulfilled the promise of not having to know anything about the seasons I've missed. Only three cast members carried over, plus the teenage Henry has been recast as an adult, becoming the series lead many years after last season. None of the traditional romantic pairings made it through, and those tiresome, endlessly circling lovers were one of the main reasons I quit. With a new concept that harkens back to the pilot while feeling like there's lots of fresh opportunity, I can't say I'm raving about it, but if you liked the early seasons of the show, it might be worth a gander.
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