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In my quest to find something to watch today, I flitted through various Netflix shows, fell asleep during one (The Crown) and ended up becoming riveted by another (MA Rainey's Black Bottom) - both about real people.
I also reviewed a list of 50 to 100 Netflix series rec'd by internet critics, only to realize I'd tried or watched 90% of them already, and most of them hadn't made it past the first, second or fourth seasons. Some I actually made it to the fifth, sixth or tenth season - but they were also on an ungodly length of time. In short, I think I watched a portion of most of them - and remain uncertain, if I picked them up again - where to start. (The was my difficulty with both the Magicians and Chronicles of Shanara - the Magicians - I'd seen the first season, except for the last ten minutes of the last episode of the last season. Chronicles of Shanara - I'd seen the first season. Both of which about five years ago.)
Perhaps I should just leap-frog over to HBO? Can't quite figure out how to access HBO Max, although Amazon assures me that I have access to it - along with my HBO subscription.
In case you haven't figured it out via the above? I spent most of today watching television, napping, snacking, and not doing altogether much.
Which is okay - considering I've two weeks of vacation or rather staycation in my apartment and nieghborhood to fitter about with.
Yawn.
The prospect makes me tired.
I fell asleep during the first episode of The Crown S5? Or whatever the current season is - I think it's five, it may be six? I informed my mother via the phone (there really is no other way to inform her) of this.
She wasn't surprised. She said it was not the best of seasons, rather slow, and neither actor portraying Charles nor Diana worked. Nor does Gillian Anderson's Thatcher - who feels a bit like a caricature. I'd been told she was rather good in the part - but I found her take on the character annoyingly mannered, difficult to understand, and somewhat jarring. Like watching a marionette. Also, it was hard to care about any of the characters - hence the dozing.
To be fair - to the writers - this season is bound to be difficult, considering a good portion of the audience are a wee bit familiar with the events and characters from actual news reels, and other films. Armstrong has to fight Meryl Streep's take on Thatcher. And Olivia Coleman has to fight Helen Mirren's on the Queen. (And let's face it - Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep were both brilliant and won academy awards for their achievements.) Plus we have the real life Diana and Charles still clear in our heads.
At any rate from the first episode (which put me to sleep), I can sort of see why the Brits were upset by it. It may not help, that I am not a fan of Thatcher. (Kind of despised her - she set my teeth on edge. Britain's version of the Regans or Nancy and Ronald combined, and I despised the Regans.) I also remember Thatcher - better than the other British Primes. The only one who didn't set my teeth on edge was Tony Blair (I wasn't alive during Churchill). ( my personal escapades with political debates in the 1980s )
The show that did not put me to sleep and I heartily recommend is Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - although it is rough going. ( Read more... )
***
Last night I'd watched "A California Christmas" - as did Mother, and we both had the same reaction - it's basically a boilerplate Hallmark Christmas movie. About a rich playboy who is tasked with getting a gal to sell her family's ranch, but falls in love with her instead. Predictable and kind of bland. The best thing in it is the male lead, who is on a soap - mother and I watch. And the only one in the cast who will get many roles. My father tried to watch it and left the room - according to mother, stating that it was a 100 ways of pointless. True. But also fluffy like cotton candy for the brain.
I'd recommend you skip it and watch Ma Rainey's Black Bottom instead.
***
In other news? I baked pumpkin muffins today - which are okay. Breads by Anna. The best by far were the banana muffins. The pumpkin ones seem a little denser - of course I did put walnuts in them. I don't know - only had one so far - so we shall see.
Apparently Brooklyn Botantica had a Winter Solistice Walk tonight - which people who have cars and families were able to do. (It's a bit far for me to do it safely. Two friends posted pics of themselves doing it on FB. Regarding FB - why people feel the need to continuously post pictures of "themselves" and "their families" is beyond me. Granted it is called Facebook - so kind of the whole point of the platform.
I think I'm going to do a winter solistice walk around Greenwood Cemetery tomorrow when it is a bit warmer.
[I'm ignoring the news today. I'm tired of it. I need a break. There doesn't appear to be any good news...just more and more and more of the same.]
Note, if you made it thus far, and have a really good and compelling television series to recommend - feel free. Can't promise I'll try it.
I did flirt with the following:
( Read more... )
I need something higher quality than Hallmark, which is a shame - there was a time in which Hallmark was high quality, now, it feels like the television equivalent of Harlequinn Romance novels that one buys in grocery stores.
I may go back to Tiny Pretty Things and Spinning Out - because I have a very strong story kink for "Entertainment" workplace relationship drama - and in particular dance, music, and figure skating. Also may try Ghost Bride - I read the book, so may hunt down the television series - which I think is Chinese. The book took place in China. I'm tempted to try Korean Dramas again - I like Korean Dramas. I think I may be burned out on anime and cartoons, however.
Or just jumpt to HBO and watch His Dark Material and the Undoing. The problem with too many content choices - is it makes it hard to commit to and choose things.
If you have rec's, I'm open to them. I can't do anything too violent though. And I'm burned out on cartoons. I skipped away from Hannibal for example, and Mindhunters. And while I keep flirting with Kipo, I couldn't get all the way through She-Rah, I'm stuck in the third season. And I'm stuck in the first season of Steven Universe. There may be a return during the winter months, we'll see.
I also reviewed a list of 50 to 100 Netflix series rec'd by internet critics, only to realize I'd tried or watched 90% of them already, and most of them hadn't made it past the first, second or fourth seasons. Some I actually made it to the fifth, sixth or tenth season - but they were also on an ungodly length of time. In short, I think I watched a portion of most of them - and remain uncertain, if I picked them up again - where to start. (The was my difficulty with both the Magicians and Chronicles of Shanara - the Magicians - I'd seen the first season, except for the last ten minutes of the last episode of the last season. Chronicles of Shanara - I'd seen the first season. Both of which about five years ago.)
Perhaps I should just leap-frog over to HBO? Can't quite figure out how to access HBO Max, although Amazon assures me that I have access to it - along with my HBO subscription.
In case you haven't figured it out via the above? I spent most of today watching television, napping, snacking, and not doing altogether much.
Which is okay - considering I've two weeks of vacation or rather staycation in my apartment and nieghborhood to fitter about with.
Yawn.
The prospect makes me tired.
I fell asleep during the first episode of The Crown S5? Or whatever the current season is - I think it's five, it may be six? I informed my mother via the phone (there really is no other way to inform her) of this.
She wasn't surprised. She said it was not the best of seasons, rather slow, and neither actor portraying Charles nor Diana worked. Nor does Gillian Anderson's Thatcher - who feels a bit like a caricature. I'd been told she was rather good in the part - but I found her take on the character annoyingly mannered, difficult to understand, and somewhat jarring. Like watching a marionette. Also, it was hard to care about any of the characters - hence the dozing.
To be fair - to the writers - this season is bound to be difficult, considering a good portion of the audience are a wee bit familiar with the events and characters from actual news reels, and other films. Armstrong has to fight Meryl Streep's take on Thatcher. And Olivia Coleman has to fight Helen Mirren's on the Queen. (And let's face it - Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep were both brilliant and won academy awards for their achievements.) Plus we have the real life Diana and Charles still clear in our heads.
At any rate from the first episode (which put me to sleep), I can sort of see why the Brits were upset by it. It may not help, that I am not a fan of Thatcher. (Kind of despised her - she set my teeth on edge. Britain's version of the Regans or Nancy and Ronald combined, and I despised the Regans.) I also remember Thatcher - better than the other British Primes. The only one who didn't set my teeth on edge was Tony Blair (I wasn't alive during Churchill). ( my personal escapades with political debates in the 1980s )
The show that did not put me to sleep and I heartily recommend is Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - although it is rough going. ( Read more... )
***
Last night I'd watched "A California Christmas" - as did Mother, and we both had the same reaction - it's basically a boilerplate Hallmark Christmas movie. About a rich playboy who is tasked with getting a gal to sell her family's ranch, but falls in love with her instead. Predictable and kind of bland. The best thing in it is the male lead, who is on a soap - mother and I watch. And the only one in the cast who will get many roles. My father tried to watch it and left the room - according to mother, stating that it was a 100 ways of pointless. True. But also fluffy like cotton candy for the brain.
I'd recommend you skip it and watch Ma Rainey's Black Bottom instead.
***
In other news? I baked pumpkin muffins today - which are okay. Breads by Anna. The best by far were the banana muffins. The pumpkin ones seem a little denser - of course I did put walnuts in them. I don't know - only had one so far - so we shall see.
Apparently Brooklyn Botantica had a Winter Solistice Walk tonight - which people who have cars and families were able to do. (It's a bit far for me to do it safely. Two friends posted pics of themselves doing it on FB. Regarding FB - why people feel the need to continuously post pictures of "themselves" and "their families" is beyond me. Granted it is called Facebook - so kind of the whole point of the platform.
I think I'm going to do a winter solistice walk around Greenwood Cemetery tomorrow when it is a bit warmer.
[I'm ignoring the news today. I'm tired of it. I need a break. There doesn't appear to be any good news...just more and more and more of the same.]
Note, if you made it thus far, and have a really good and compelling television series to recommend - feel free. Can't promise I'll try it.
I did flirt with the following:
( Read more... )
I need something higher quality than Hallmark, which is a shame - there was a time in which Hallmark was high quality, now, it feels like the television equivalent of Harlequinn Romance novels that one buys in grocery stores.
I may go back to Tiny Pretty Things and Spinning Out - because I have a very strong story kink for "Entertainment" workplace relationship drama - and in particular dance, music, and figure skating. Also may try Ghost Bride - I read the book, so may hunt down the television series - which I think is Chinese. The book took place in China. I'm tempted to try Korean Dramas again - I like Korean Dramas. I think I may be burned out on anime and cartoons, however.
Or just jumpt to HBO and watch His Dark Material and the Undoing. The problem with too many content choices - is it makes it hard to commit to and choose things.
If you have rec's, I'm open to them. I can't do anything too violent though. And I'm burned out on cartoons. I skipped away from Hannibal for example, and Mindhunters. And while I keep flirting with Kipo, I couldn't get all the way through She-Rah, I'm stuck in the third season. And I'm stuck in the first season of Steven Universe. There may be a return during the winter months, we'll see.