Spontaneous Musings

Methinks I've contracted a chest cold, or a head cold, feels like a chest cold. Lovely, I need to get blood work done on Thursday, and have a virtual appointment on Friday. I'll just wear a mask on Thursday. Also, apparently for most of this week.

I blame Breaking Bad, whose been under the weather of late. Or the subway.
God knows.

I did not go protest in the No Kings Protests yesterday, outside of the fact that I was feeling poorly and not sleeping well, so exhausted, plus digestive issues (one does not march with digestive issues in a huge city with no easily accessible bathrooms - it's just not done), and bum knees, with a sciatic nerve. The people doing it in their walkers, just protested outside of their homes on the sidewalk, not quite the same thing.

Not that I feel guilty or anything. (well maybe a little).

The official count is 12.1 million. Palantir is collecting data for the evil Empire (aka Trump Administration and his Republican cronies), so various sources have put up protections and aren't re-posting videos, photos, or addresses any longer. Things are starting to get heated in the US, and I'm not quite sure where its headed. I most likely have the same news resources that you all have, so we're kind of in it together?

Between the chest congestion, digestive issues, lack of sleep, sciatic nerve, and the news...I've fallen into a malaise of sorts and am finding it difficult to concentrate. As a result, I didn't get any of the things I intended to do - done this weekend. Oh well, I did at least do some exercises, took out the trash, and got a lot of water. (The water went out in my building on Friday night, so I went and picked up some.)

Did finish watching a few things of note:

1. Dept. Q on Netflix. Will it get a second season? Forbes thinks so, since Netflix submitted it for the Emmy's and doesn't tend to do that otherwise - also it got a good reception. But honestly, it's Netflix, so who knows?
It's a mixed bag, and I agree with the critics. Excellent performances, Mathew Good is rather brilliant in it, as is the rest of the cast. But, like most of these mystery series - it spends far too much time on the convoluted sadistic Case of the Arc or Lost Case, and not enough on the other mysteries. ( Read more... )

That said? Compelling characters, and I want to see more of them, and I liked them. Also I want more of the series. So...I was like all of the other critics willing to handwave the Lost Case.

2. Season 2 of My Buffy Re-watch

Take aways? Becoming Part II is a lot better than Becoming Part I, mainly for the Spike, Buffy, and Joyce scenes. Also the Drusilla, Jenny, Angel and Giles scenes. It's a lot more fun, and a little less on the campy/cheesy side.
( See more )

3. Murderbot I'm about five episodes in? Saw the latest at any rate, and kept falling asleep during it. It's a slow series. The books were too.
It's funny, but there's too much time spent on the space opera parody that the Murderbot is a fan of. Yes, yes, I get what the writers are doing there, but a little parody goes a long ways. I kept going to sleep.

4. Andor - it's almost too political for its own good. And convoluted. Reminds me a little of the second of the Star Wars prequels, which was also very political. I'm enjoying it, but my attention kept drifting today during it, which again may be due to an overall lack of focus on my part.

***

In the 60sF/10sC, wet and rainy. I've stayed in, since I'm a bit under the weather and tired. I'm supposed to go on a tour of Grand Central tomorrow with the big headhoncho, but I may cancel and just hide in my cubicle.
This chest cold is threatening to be annoying. Maybe it's just allergies?

Good news, is it is a short work week. I have Thursday and Friday off. So just have to somehow get through Monday through Wed.

1. Daredevil Born Again is bringing back Luke Cage, Iron Fist (who seriously needs to be recast, but whatever), and Jessica Jones to join Daredevil as the Defenders. They are all in S2 Daredevil. (Basically Daredevil is getting the Disney treatment, which works for me - since I liked The Defenders.)

2. Wheel of Time was cancelled by Amazon after the 3rd season. Cancelled due to ratings and a hefty price tag. (Amazon's head honcho got absurdly political and it has cost him.) I haven't made it past S1. I have too many television shows, and the characters didn't grab me for some reason or other. I was thinking of going back to it - but now? Probably not.

3. Finished watching:

* Etoile (on Amazon) while visiting Mother. We both enjoyed it. It's about the Paris and New National Ballet Theaters - trading lead talent in order to booster each others ticket sales. It's in French and English. And has performances by professional ballet dancers, who are also lead actors in the series. Focuses more on the running of the two theaters, and putting together the performances. It's not a relationship drama, so much as a workplace drama or dramedy? It's written by the same people who did Bunheads and Gilmore Girls - so swings towards witty comedic banter and comedic situations.

Etoile was picked up for two seasons by Amazon, so season 2 is being filmed and the entire cast is returning for it.

* The Residence (on Netflix) (finished yesterday) - it's a satirical mystery series, about an unorthodox detective, who is rather brilliant, and prefer to watch birds. ( Read more... )

Other than that - it's fun and hilarious in places, with a farcical humor, touched with light satire.

This works very well as a stand-a-lone. All the plot-threads were satisfyingly closed. I'm not sure I want a second season?

* The Four Seasons - this is a relationship comedy - it is loosely adapted from Alan Alda's 1981 film of the same name, with Tina Fey taking on the Carol Burnett role, and Colman Domingo taking on Jack Weston's role, except as a gay Black man, with his Italian husband (the original was portrayed by Rita Moreno). It's about three couples that vacation together each season. We see them only on their vacations or trips together. The first or main point of view couple is Tina Fey and Will Forte (Katie and Jack), then Danny and Claude (Colman Domingo and an Italian actor), finally Steve Carrol's Nick (and Anne (his wife) and Ginny (the girl-friend, after he divorces his wife). It reminded me vaguely of the original, but I'm not certain how close it is - because I haven't seen the original version since the 1980s. Also, now, I'm the same age as the four couples, when the last time I saw it - I was much younger.

It's okay. I found the other two television series funnier. Wales liked it better than I did. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of relationship comedy.

4. Buffy Reboot

I could be wrong about this? But I'm becoming increasingly convinced that James Marsters is involved in the Reboot, not sure how big his role will be or how he'll be involved. ( Read more... )

Yes, I'm still a fan of Buffy. It was that rare television series which had perfect casting, good writing, and blending of collaborative creative talent in various sections (makeup, stunt craft, writing, directing, production, casting, acting) that just worked and got better as it went. The first season is okay, but the second season ...was leaps and bounds better in all areas. There's a handful of television series that I've been a fan of, and 98% of them are fantasy and science fiction series.
What this says about me, I do not know.

[ETA:
Slayers, Every One of Us: How One Girl in All the World Showed Us How to Hold On by Kristin Russo (Author), Jenny Owen Youngs (Author) -

"Read by the authors and hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, this memoir reflects on heartbreak, perseverance, building community, and life lessons learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This audiobook features bonus songs, jingles, and clips from the podcast and live shows, and contributions from fans/committed Scoobies.

Kristin and Jenny’s marriage started with an ultimatum: to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny's favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the terms set, they began a journey that has led them through seven seasons of the beloved genre show, a podcast rewatching the series with their newly minted listenership of “Scoobies,” unexpected success, and a divorce. Through it all, their love for Buffy and their commitment to their community held them together against the odds."

Sigh, I feel old. Buffering the Vampire Slayer - was a podcast they did to rewatch the show in 2016. I watched the show live between 1997 - 2004, and was on the internet with people discussing as far back as the 1990s. The podcasts I listened to - you can't find now. Nor the sites for that matter. Even my own web site is long gone - although all my essays and fanfic can be found on Ao3, but I didn't write much in the way of fanfic. ]

ETA: Apparently "Slayers" the audio book did amazingly well, too well, and Disney stopped it from doing any more and pulled the rights. (Disney owns the rights to Buffy now, not Fox not Whedon. That's important.) The reason was - they were doing the Buffy Reboot and didn't want Slayers to get in the way of it.

Below is the link to the Q&A where Marsters explains it - it's at the very end of the Q&A. (Marsters Q&A's are highly entertaining, because he clearly loves Conventions and has been going to them since he was thirteen with Star Trek. Most actors at these things are kind of boring. Please note? I have NEVER been to a fan convention, I watch it all on youtube or the internet. I found the American Library Association Conventions and the E-Publishing ones to be headache inducing enough. I hate crowds, claustrophobic convention halls, etc. My idea of hell is a convention. The appeal is lost on me. If I wanted to - I could go to the big one - Comic Con in NYC, but it would kill me.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aj5esoZOi8 ]

5. Also saw two filmed theater performances on PBS (Great Performances). PBS is kind of the US equivalent of the BBC, except it doesn't have quite as much money, and is mostly locally supported by subscribers.

* Next to Normal - I saw the original on Broadway ages ago. This is the West End Revival - in London. Apparently it hadn't made it to the UK, so they revived it. What's remarkable is the entire cast is speaking with an American accent, even though they are all British. I'm surprised they didn't make it British - they could. It's a musical/rock opera about mental illness, grief, and it's devastating effects on the family dynamic- I call it a rock opera, because there's no dancing, and most of the lines are sung, and the band is on stage. It has some truly beautiful music and excellent performances.

* YellowFace - the semi-autobiographical satirical play by David
Henry Kwang about racism in the US. It's hilarious in places and overall rather well done. Danial Dae Kim (Angel, LOST, Hawaii 5-0) portrays Kwang, and Ryan Eggold (Blacklist and New Amsterdam) portrays a Russian actor who can pass as Asian. (Actually I think it's a call out to Yul Brunner and they even reference the King and I.) A lot of the play is actors talking to the audience, and sometimes to each other. It breaks the fourth wall a lot -- in that the actors are directly speaking to the audience or step outside the framework of the play - to do so in monologues. ( Read more... )

First things first - still rainy, cooler, and humid (because rain). But better mood for some reason or other. Maybe I slept better?

Cultural Items worth noting:

Music

Stumbled upon this interesting youtube podcast with a music nerd (they are always men for some reason?), and this is the top 10 70s Television Theme Songs (I clicked on it because the click-bait headline (they always have clickbait headlines) was "Director Told 14 year old Son to Write the Stupidest Song Became the Best TV Song Ever". That's a very long clickbait headline.

I figured out what it was before I clicked (but was curious to see if I was right), because I listened to the biography of Robert Altman. But he's wrong - it's not the director of the television show. It was the director of the film, who famously despised the television show and tried to block it. (He obviously didn't and would kick the Professor of Rock from the grave for indicating he was even remotely involved with it). He also joked that his son made more money off of rights to the song than he did from directing the film. Although, usually you just hear the composition. The reason the song is so good - is the achingly haunting composition by Johnny Mandel (who actually performed it in the film) and he turned it into magic.

Guess which song I'm talking about?

Met Gala

Looked at all the costumes, sorry fashions, today at work. ( I was bored.)
Then discussed with Art History Major - her favs were..

Louis Hamilton's Outfit

( photo )

Sabrina the Ring Leader

( photo )

I explained to AHM and Mother over the phone tonight - that they don't wear those outfits for as long as you think. In reality, they change in a special changing area about two blocks away, get in a limo, arrive, disembark, do the big photo shoot, then enter the lobby, another photo shoot, then change and go to the party. No cameras are allowed in the Museum itself. And only a scant few journalists. So a lot of the guests have a change of clothes. Also they don't always buy the outfits - they are wearing them to display the art, then oftentimes the outfit is either donated to the Museum or a gift. It's to show off the designer - like a runway show.

AHM: So they only wear them for 15 minutes?
Me: Yup. Usually they are wearing sweats or jeans at the party. It kind of explains a lot, if you think about it.

Another tidbit worth noting? The Gala is always chaired and hosted/put on by the Editor and Chief of Vogue, Anne Wintour, who banned Trump and his entire family from the Gala in 2017.

AHM: She should have done it for life.
ME: She did.

****

Question a Day Memage

I'm behind again:

End of April

27. If you could change one thing about your appearance, what would that be?

At the moment my hair - or rather how it parts and my forehead. But I honestly don't know how I'd change it.

No, wait, my back. I'd love to ditch the curvature resulting in rounded shoulders. I want a straight spine, damn it. (It's physically impossible without surgery and just no. Besides, everyone seems to end up with rounded shoulders by their 70s and 80s.)

28. In 1761 Marie Harel was born – a French cheesemaker credited with the invention of Camembert. Are you a fan of this type of cheese?

Yes. I like cheese. It's a guilty pleasure, I admit it. And I love Camembert. The smellier the cheese, the better.
( the rest under the cut )

I went and hunted it down..;-) So below is the first six days of April.

Weekend wasn't a complete bust. I finished a watercolor of an man who was returning home from the hospital via subway, or homeless (I couldn't figure out which).

( watercolor of homeless man on the subway )

I added the girl with the flower - she wasn't actually there. I've decided to start being a little more creative with my paintings.

Also had a nice long chat with my brother today. ( Read more... )

And asked Super to replace the bulb in my bedroom light. I told her that they can do it after they return from vacation. They are leaving for a week and a half on Wed, for Florida. I will survive. And I received my compost bin, and bought compostable bags for it. This way, I can collect weekly and dispose weekly as opposed to daily.

Finished Somebody Somewhere, it's a lovely show - basically my comfort show, and on Max, also almost done with The Pitt (on Max), and Daredevil Born Again Disney. Spent way too much time on the laptop and phone tracking protests and news on the protests and other things, also writing in my dreamwidth journal. You're probably all sick of me? Took walks. Etc.

***

APRIL QUESTION A DAY MEME

1. Have you ever been the victim of an April Fool’s Day joke? Do you remember any good stories that fooled the public back in the day (in the UK, they once fooled the public that spaghetti grew on trees!)?

Yes, although I managed to forget them. Yes, the best April Fool's Day Hoax was actually around Halloween, when Orson Wells scared the entire nation into believing that they were being invaded by Aliens, per a national radio broadcast of the War of the Worlds.

I keep wishing the fact that the Doofus is President was an April Fools Joke.

2. Do shops/stores have loyalty cards where you live which give you a better price on some items in their store? Have you got any loyalty cards you use regularly?

Yes, we call them "Rewards Cards", Foodtown and Wallgreens both do, and yes, I use the Rewards Card number. Credit cards also use them. As does the Amazon Kindle.

3. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, have you seen any Spring flowers yet? If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, what is nature doing where you live?

I live in the Northern Hemisphere, and yes, the Narcissus are in full bloom as are the Daffodiles, and Crocuses, and the trees are flowering finally. I foresee a hike through Greenwood Cemetery in my future - hopefully next weekend. I guess I could go after work - but it may be closed.

4. What was the last book you bought? Have you read it yet?

I bought a lot of books all at once? So no. I have a tendency to collect books. Possibly hoard them? I'll just picke one of them at random?

"A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine" - it's a space opera and won the Hugo Award in 2020.

5. Does your phone have the facility to store your payment cards? Do you take advantage of that instead of using your physical card?

Yes. Definitely not. I'm wary.

6. How confident are you about doing your own home renovations? What’s the biggest project you’ve tackled?

Not at all. Hence the reason I rent an apartment, where someone else can do them for me. I am not handy. If I was handy - I'd have bought a house or a condo, but alas, I am not.

Better mood today - I got sleep, and my digestive system cleared out the toxins. (Note to self - I really need to stay away from processed food, specifically french fries. I had some last week - and I think it played havoc with my digestive system. Also, no pie for me, or no Meredith's gluten-free pies, although I think it had built up over time. I had to take anti-biotics earlier in the year, and that always screws with my gut.)

Pop Culture news that is cheering me up and making me happy. It's the little things. The sky was blue today. It was cool but sunny. And there's cool pop culture news about upcoming films either newly released to streaming, or in the works to look forward to. (I'm taking a break from the national/international news for a moment for well my mental, emotional and physical well-being?)

1. Marvel Live Stream Reveal

"Earlier this month, co-directors the Russo brothers said they see Avengers 5 and 6 as a “new beginning” that will lay the foundation for whatever comes next in Phase 7 of the MCU.

“The only thing I’ll say about the movie is this: we love villains who think they’re the heroes of their own stories,” Joe Russo said. “That’s when they become three-dimensional and they become more interesting. When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a three-dimensional, well shaped character for the audience. That’s where a lot of our focus is going.”

Avengers: Doomsday is currently set to arrive in theaters on May 1, 2026, and Secret Wars arrives about a year later in May 2027. Before then, Thunderbolts* comes out in May 2025, TV show Ironheart is out in June, and Phase 6 kicks off with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.

In October, Marvel Studios added three untitled movie projects to its 2028 release schedule: February 18, 2028; May 5, 2028; and November 10, 2028. It seems increasingly likely one of these movies is X-Men."

Go Here

I also love Robert Downy Jr, although I managed to miss his one-man show at Lincoln Center - I couldn't afford it. I'm considering joining Lincoln Center, and getting discounted tickets that way.

There are ways?
( ways to get discounted Broadway tickets )

Other good entertainment news?

2. A Complete Unknown is now streaming on Hulu!!! Yay!

Sing Sing is currently streaming on MAX (this is the film about the inmate who starts a theater troupe within the prison).

More and more Oscar nominated films are popping up for free (with a subscription) on streaming platforms.

3. Doctor Strange 3 has been confirmed and has exciting casting news. Sam Rami is returning as director.

And..."Benedict Cumberbatch will return, and it’s likely that Charlize Theron will also reprise her role based on the cliffhanger from the previous film. Wong is expected to return as well. However, the report also confirms an exciting addition: Dormammu!

Yes, the villain from the first film is making a comeback, and we’re thrilled to share that he will be portrayed by Denzel Washington. This suggests we may see more than just his head in the third installment."

[The Marvel movies continue to have the best casting and directors. They cast folks I'd go watch read the phone book.]

4. Upcoming Superhero Films for 2025 and 2026

Ah, I'm right, Fantastic Four: First Steps is going retro - it's in an AU, and takes place in the 1960s. Fantastic Four Trailer - this could actually work? Fantastic 4 works better as retro - because a lot of the things that happened in the comic don't really work now, but did in the 1960s, it solves the problem.

And the Superman Trailer (Superman has a large cast)

I managed to see all the Oscar Nominated films for Best Animation, the last three over the weekend. I'm not sure you can really compare or choose between them? They are so different, and will appeal to different tastes? All have similar universal themes? But that's about it. Outside of being animated and similar on a general thematic level - they are nothing alike.

1. Memoir of a Snail was not at all what I expected. First off, this is an Australian film. It's obviously an Australian film - it takes place in Australia for one thing, and everyone sounds Australian in it. It's an independent Australian film by way of IFC (the distributor). (there's three independent entries in the Oscar race, Memoir (Australian), Flow (French), and Wallace and Grommit (British).)

After seeing all the others, I was expecting a children's film about a snail.

It is not a children's film and while it has "snails" in it - it's not about a snail. I picked up on this right before the opening credits rolled - it's R-rated. And I thought, okay, that's interesting. How are they doing an R-rated film with stop motion? It's among the few R-rated animated films I've seen, there aren't that many. Nor do I tend to (generally speaking) seek them out - because, well..if you've seen them, you will understand?

I admittedly have mixed feelings about this film.

Mother: would you recommend it?
ME: uhm, I'm not entirely sure I'd recommend it to anyone? It's admittedly innovative and brilliant in places? But also dark, kind of repulsive, a little on the offensive side, with a biting and somewhat crude sense of humor?
Mother: did you like it?
ME: I honestly don't know.
Mother: you obviously found it watchable -
Me: Oh it was compelling. I stayed up past my bedtime watching it - because I miscalculated and thought it would be shorter than it was. Also it haunts me with visuals that I'm not entirely sure I want in my head?

It was also absurdly funny in places. It has a biting sardonic adult wit. But not for the metaphor blind, the jokes will jump over your head and do the hoochie coochie and turn themselves about.

( review of Memoir of a Snail )

I say more - I'd give away the movie. And I don't want to do that. I went in blind - completely blind. See above.

Here's a trailer, so you don't have to go into blind if you don't want to:
Trailer of Memoir of a Snail

Eh, the trailer was more uplifting than the movie. I understand why it was nominated, it's innovative. I've not seen anything quite like it, and it haunts me long after it ended. It's clever, intricately animated, and different. I'm just not sure I like it or want to recommend it?

How can you watch it? It's on AMC+ free with subscription, or for $4.99 via Amazon Prime, which is how I did it. Cheaper than a subscription.

2. Inside Out 2 - this apparently was the highest grossing film of 2024 (which says a lot about the film audience in 2024 although I'm not entirely sure what?). It took me three tries to get through this film. I get why it was nominated, I'm just not sure I'm the correct demographic for it? And I liked Inside Out 1 and Turning Red (which kind of tackles the same issues this one does) better - but that's just me.

What is it about? It's much like Turning Red in that it is about female puberty. Although I thought Turning Red handled it a little better? This film is a sequel to Inside Out and while it most likely would work better if you saw the first film? You could most likely figure it out without seeing it? It does give the audience a recap.
( review, somewhat spoilery )

The animation style is familiar to anyone who has watched Pixar. But after seeing the other films, I think Pixar may need to up its game a bit? It's prettier than snail. Bright colors. The people are pretty. Most if not all the human characters are female, and well drawn. The emotions are the range and distinctive, with bright upbeat colors. If watching Snail felt like well watching through a dirty mud puddle or snail shell (which might have been deliberate and the point), Inside Out is like watching through a Rainbow of candy coated colors - which probably was also deliberate and the point. I thought it went on too long, and drug a bit. My attention kept wandering away from it. But it was moving towards the end, and delivered. I cried at the end of it - I admit that.

It's on Disney +, and recommended for ages 12 and up. It is not an independent film and was done by Pixar Studios which is part of Disney Animation Studios.

3. The Wild Robot - this is Dreamworks entry, distributor is Universal Studios.

It's a stunning film. And definitely a children's film. Ages 10 and up.
A bit long, but compelling. It concerns a robot that crash lands on an island that has no one but wild animals, birds, etc. It's science fiction.
Heartwarming. And the point of view is mainly the robot.

I think it's better to go into it blind, like I did?
( vague spoilers )

Wild Robot is available on Peacock for free with subscription.

***

So, now that I've seen all the Oscar films? Here's how I would rank them, although to be fair? They aren't really comparable. This is just a personal preference thing? Completely subjective. Because all the films are brilliant innovative pieces of animation in their own right, and artistic achievements. Of the films, I found the Memoir of the Snail and Flow to be the most surprising and innovative - they both haunt long afterwards. Flow I want to see again and adored.

On Television front, tried Poker Face created/directed by Rian Johnson, with the main show-runners being the ones who want to do the Buffy reboot. The pilot episode was okay, but didn't really blow me away. I agree with the folks who state that Natasha Lyon's character is a kind of female Columbo, but not quite as bright as Columbo, nor with the backup. I think Columbo worked better.
( vague spoilers for the pilot episode )
I don't know if I'll stick with it or not? It's a bit too episodic for my taste. It did do well apparently - it only had one season. Aired in 2023.

Then I tried Northern Exposure on Amazon Prime. Unlike Buffy, it does not hold up well. Granted it was filmed in the mid-1990s. I suppose it depends on how you view it? But the Native Americans are used as comic relief, and Joel is ...well beyond sexist in how he relates to the women in the town. We also have the whole Shelly (Miss America who is in her early twenties) being fought over by two men old enough to be her grandfather.

I looked it up? It much like Ally McBeal derailed in its final seasons (basically seasons 4-5). It is really hard for a television show to make it past five seasons or to five seasons apparently. ( Read more... )
What was that Judge smoking?

Hmmm...didn't know this existed:



And it's not what was on the Buffy DVDs. This is the full documentary of the behind the scenes of the Making of Once More of Feeling - and it goes through almost all the songs and dance numbers, including the planning, direction, etc. If you are into how television shows are made or how they do a musical on a television show - it's well done.

It also reminded me of how much work was put into this show - how brilliantly creative everyone involved was. Once More With Feeling changed television - prior to that, people didn't do musical episodes - it was considered the kiss of death. They also did it on a small budget.

This tells how they made the masks, the props, directed it, and the thinking behind it.

1. Someone on Facebook posted this statement by Virginia Woolf.

“Whatever happens, stay alive. Don't die before you're dead. Don't lose yourself, don't lose hope, don't loose direction.( Read more... )

And I thought, wait, didn't Virginia Woolf die by suicide? Yep, she ironically did. I think this was probably Woolf trying desperately to stay alive.

This is a tough time for a lot of folks. The holidays always are. Points at icon.

2. Television...

I finished watching Arcane - both seasons, on Netflix. I loved it. It worked for me, the metaphors, the characters, the relationships, and the themes. And it had a great romance between Viv and Caitlin throughout.
One of the better f/f romances I've seen on television. Usually they don't work for me. But this did for some reason or other.

Also it had fascinating relationships - which propelled the plot, as opposed to the plot propelling the relationships. It's very much a character driven piece, with some interesting themes about technology, science, hubris, and war.

After re-watching the Rankin/Bass & Ralph Bashi 1977 animated adaptation of The Hobbit on HBO Max, I decided to go back to Rings of Power on Prime. (By the way, MAX has all the Lord of the Rings films, including the Ralph Baski animated versions done in the 1970s and early 1980s. I decided to hunt it down after reading a review of the recently released Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim by Athena Scalzi (who isn't quite there yet as a film reviewer or writer. She's sloppy.) She states in her review that this is the first animated film of the Lord of the Rings series. And I thought, Scalzi? You just lost your geek and nerd creds. Seriously, you never showed your daughter the 1970s Hobbit? Or saw it yourself?

Her father is my age. The Hobbit aired on Network Television in 1977 or thereabouts, and then was re-shown in 1979, along with Return of the King Film, which was an abridged version of the Lord of the Rings, and shown as a kind of sequel to the Hobbit. ( Read more... )

Does it hold up well? Yes, and no. ( Read more... )

I tried to watch the animated version of the Return of the King - which I also loved as a child. But it doesn't hold up well at all. ( Read more... )

At any rate - I started watching S1 of Rings of Power again - its a rewatch. I can't remember most of it, and it's kind of necessary for S2. It's very odd - I can remember films I've not seen in years, but can't remember something I saw as far back as last year. I think it may have a lot to do with how much time I spent on it? ( Read more... )

3. Books...

I've completed the audiobook version of Sanctuary by Illona Andrews - while I enjoyed Brinkley's narration and voice, he didn't do a good enough job of vocalizing the other characters - I couldn't quite tell them apart. I've admittedly gotten used to the stellar "Graphic Audio Dramatizations" so that could be part of the problem. It's interesting in how it utilizes Russian folklore, myths and legends. I've learned a lot about modern and ancient Russia in the last couple of years, without intending to, and realized how many misconceptions Americans have about Russia. ( Read more... )

Illona Andrews unlike a lot of mainstream writers, writes and self-publishes side stories about their world. Sancturary is self-published or non-traditionally published. ( Read more... )

Now, I'm listening to the audio book version of the Kate Daniels Wilmington Years - "Magic Tides and Magic Claims" that is dualy narrated by a female and male narrators - in the roles of Kate and Curran. ( Read more... )

Working on "Rules of Redemption by T.A. White" rec'd by Illona Andrews fandom. But, I can't quite get into it? My focus is off. Too keyed up about things work related, I think? I may be better able to read it this week. Still struggling with a reading slump. Audio books aren't a problem, other's weirdly are. It's ironic, considering in 2019, I stated that I couldn't do audio books and didn't understand the appeal. The pandemic changed me in oh so many ways.

1. Books

* Gave up on or DNF (Did not Finish) Live Long Evil (Time of Iron - Book 1) - I may come back to it, but I don't know. The writing is sloppy for a traditionally published book and very YA, even though it feels like it is slanted towards an adult audience? It's an interesting idea - I just wish it was executed a bit better. (I'm wondering if Illona Andrews who is executing a similar idea, will fare better? They are good at world building and you kind of have to be for this to work?)

The set-up is that Rae has just turned 21 and is dying of some sort of cancer. I can't remember what it is or if I was told what it is. (Which is a problem right there. Shows the writer isn't interested in certain details.)She's stuck in a hospital, visited mostly by her younger sister, who is absolutely stunning, who is in love with a fantasy series entitled Time of Iron. To the extent that she does cosplay, and attends fantasy conventions. Each of the characters in the story have multiple names and titles..like the Lady Dipped in Blood, the Lady of Hope, The Emperor, etc and so on. Rae never really read the books, and only later editions. Her sister is reading them to her in the hospital, and she pokes fun at them.
Then one night, a woman comes to her and offers her a way to live - she just has to choose to pass through a door to the fantasy realm in her sister's favorite series and pick a flower from the Emperor's Gardens, the flower will cure her cancer or all her ills. The series's realm was made real by all the fans love of it and belief in it. She'll take on the body of one of the fictional characters best suited to her - one recently left vacant. And has such and such limited time to complete her task. (I think it is 48 hours?)

I like the idea, but the execution is on the sloppy side and a bit ridiculous? At any rate, I was bored by it. I tried to read it on the way down to Hilton Head, but found myself staring out into space most of the time. Did not hold my attention at all. The blurbs say it has great banter - I'm wondering about the source of the blurbs and the editor? Because the banter is falling flat. Also it doesn't have an interesting world or characters - too Game of Thrones light. Reminds me of what various folks tried with Harry Potter and Narnia. Not a trope I particularly like. It's rarely executed all that well.

I may come back, but not certain.

* Finished Bayou Moon by Illona Andrews - [I did it as an AudioBook via a credit. I basically get free audio books for a monthly subscription price. And since I get a lot of audio books - it's worth it. You can get these for free via other sources and the library, I've just not figured it out as of yet. Without the subscription - they would cost close a bundle a shot. So worth it.]

This is more horror novel than romance. It's urban fantasy, with a heavy dose of body horror, biological science fiction/fantasy, and mad scientist worked in. The antagonist fuses the protagonist's mother with a magical tree like creature, with tentacles and vines - it's horrific. And the sort of thing that can give nightmares. The villain is something out of a horror film. There is a romance, and because the romance is the central focus not the horror aspects - it ends happily and not with the emphasis on the horror.

It's also really long-winded. I kept thinking it was over, only to have another problem or cliff-hanger that kept it going. There are way too many characters for one person to lend their voice too - so I got confused occasionally, because some of them sounded a like. The narrator is good, but not that good. (I may be spoiled with the Graphic Audio Full-Cast Dramatizations. Because this narrator is better than most.)

Overall? I enjoyed it. It had a lot interesting side-characters. The writers are really good at writing and developing side or supporting characters. Not everyone is. It's hard to do well. I love these writers for that ability alone, that and their ability to write good dialogue. A lot of novelists suck at dialogue. They need to read more plays. (That's how you learn to write dialogue - read and see plays, not musicals, plays.)

* Currently reading two things:

- 1) Home Before Dark by Riley Sager - this is the horror novel that Joe Hill (Stephen King's kid, and the writer of the Lock & Key series, among other things) recommended on Twitter a few weeks back - and I read the synopsis on Good Reads and grabbed it.

It's selling point? It will appeal to fans of the Haunting of Hill House series by Mike Flanagan - since it has a similar vibe. (That was hands down the best ghost series that I've seen - it scared me, and I still can't forget certain images from it. Also it was endlessly fascinating.)

It is set up as your run of the mill - Haunted House book, but after about the first chapter or prologue, I realized it wasn't at all. It's two books or a book within a book - told in two separate first person points of view. ( vague spoilers )
It's the first book that has held my attention in a while - in regards to reading. And that isn't a comic book.

[Comic books are easy, they are about 30 pages, sometimes 50 if that, and mostly art. Not everyone can read them of course (folks think differently) - for some the art or visuals makes no sense at all. They don't think visually or in pictures. But I can read art well - it's actually easier for me than words. I think in visuals. So reading a comic is akin to reading a story-board, which is why comics make great films. You don't have to do all that much. The dialogue is there, along with the visual setups.]

-2 Currently listening to Fate's Edge by Illona Andrews - this is book three in their Edge series, which I'm thinking they wrote prior to the Kate Daniels and Innkeeper series, which are a whole lot better. I like it though - these stories focus on down on their luck people, with little to no money, and are struggling to make things work. This one has potentially the most interesting hero - a con artist and gambler, and an interesting heroine, who is trying to distance herself from a family of grifters. They are going after something valuable in a Pyramid in this world's version of Egypt. So it's more of an adventure story and less of a horror novel like the previous two books were. Or so it seems at this point.

Like the others it is a romance/sci-fantasy/urban fantasy hybrid. And it is the third book in the series. You don't really have to read them in order? But it helps - to understand the hero in each book and what his motivations are. I mean, the hero in book two, is in book one. And the one in book three, is featured prominently in book two and the two kids (that I'm thinking come with him but not certain) are introduced in book one.

If you've read The Innkeeper Series - this is in the same world as that series with the same sci-urban fantasy hybrid. ( Read more... )

2. Television

* Watched a lot of Dancing with The Stars (DWTS) ("Hulu") with my eighty-two year old mother (she turned 82 last Friday). Mainly because we couldn't find anything else to agree to watch together. (I have the same problem with Wales - we scroll forever and you can scroll forever on these streaming channels now. Plus they are badly indexed. The suggestions for me from Netlix are not the same as for my mother.)

Anyhow, this season is kind of fun. We even watched an episode from last season - but mother wasn't that enthralled - she's more interested in Pommel Horse guy.

We are alike in this way? We both love to watch dance. Prefer it to watching concerts. Although mother likes to watch the classical concerts and choirs, and perform herself in choirs. I need the dance element. Watching people sing kind of bores me. Listening to them on the other hand - I adore and can do endlessly. I tend to see stories or people dancing when I listen to music, or pictures. See? I think visually.

[Also watched our soap, where we agree on all the characters and storylines. It's why we watch it - because we agree. We only have a handful of shows. And with streaming - we rarely watch shows at the same time, one of us is ahead of the other. We can rec stuff to each other. But our tastes tend to vary per mood. But when it comes to GH, we agree on everything. I've watched soaps all my life for the same reasons some people watch sports or play board games - it gives me something to discuss and do with my mother, and when my grandmother was still alive - and in her right mind - it gave me something to do with her. When it comes to family? Life is easier if you can find common denominators.]

* Finished (after I got home) The Perfect Couple (Netflix) starring Nicole Kidman and Liv Schrieber finally. It's okay. It's based on a Elin Hibbrand (sp?) beach book. Wales read it and said it was similar to the series, except the book was told in the first person pov or the pov of the bride. The series kind of is too, but makes the mistake of jumping to various other points of view - and veering away from the Bride, to the point in which we kind of lose track of her and don't care all that much. I think she's more of a focal point character in the novel.

This has too many characters. And too many twists and turns (some bordering on outlandish and poorly developed). I lose a lot of characters in it, and my attention span wandered. It's also harder to figure out the murder - because of the lack of development of various integral to the plot side characters. I barely know Thomas's wife, the mistress, or the younger brother, or even Thomas. I also barely know Amelia, or her parents. It jumps around too much and doesn't develop them enough. I don't know if the book did a better job or not - haven't read it. But it reminded me, as did the Illona Andrews novels and Live Long Evil - that character development of side-characters and world building are kind of crucial. If you don't want to develop a lot of side-characters, get rid of a few or combine them.
But don't leave hanging out there like stock characters with no real purpose outside of a plot point here or there.

* Also watched three more episodes of The Great British Baking Show -(Netflix) after I got home. It's fun, they fixed the problems they had in S8-10. This season (12) is better. I think the new host really helped make the show a little warmer, like it had been previously. It's my comfort show.


* Tracker - which is now on Hulu. It's about a guy who was raised by a mentally ill survivalist father in the woods, with his mother and two siblings. His estranged older brother may or may not have been responsible for his brother's death. At any rate, Colt, played by Justin Hartley of This is Us fame, tracks down missing people or people who have been kidnapped or lost in the woods. He works with two women in an RV. One may or may not be his sister. The two women are Lesbians and very likable.
There's also a lawyer, who he previously had a relationship with, and reluctantly took his cases. She's not in the next two episodes - so this may be a one time thing. Nor is the rookie cop that he appeared to be having a romantic hook up with - but doesn't pop up again. Instead the focus is on his mother and estranged family, and what went down with his Dad. Romance is thrown out the window. (Wise move. It works better without it.)

It's set up as a kind of "help/save someone" once a week, A plot line, with
the family character centric B plot-line in the background. ( Read more... )

* Two more episodes of Season 2 of Sullivan's Crossing - it's similar to Virgin River (adapted from a series of contemporary family drama/romances by Robyn Carr. Carr appears to write contemporary family drama novels...which kind of fall somewhere between Lifetime and Hallmark. They have more edge than Hallmark (not as boring and better actors/scripts/dialogue), but not quite the edge of Lifetime (about the same in actors, better scripts/dialogue). I kind of enjoy it? I like family relationship dramas. This one takes place in Nova Scotia. Big City Doc returns to her father's lodging/campground business to see him, and deal with issues she's running away from. Think Norther Exposure and Gilmore Girls - but not quite the same level of writing. She falls for the local handyman (Chad Michael Murray of One Tree Hill), struggles with her Dad (Scott Patterson of Gilmore Girls), and has an odd-sibling/romantic rivalry with Lola. Add to the mix, the Native Canadian couple running her father's campground, the Black diner owner and his ex-model sister (and Doc's best friend), the owner's son, and the local Fire/Rescue group - and we have a series, with quirky or not-so-quirky residents, and family drama. It kind of makes me miss Gilmore Girls and Northern Exposure which did all of this ever so slightly better?

* On the plane - I watched over half of IF - the Ryan Renyolds film with I think the little girl from The Last of Us? It's much better than I expected. The Imaginary Friends are interesting and innovative, and it is heartwarming in places. I thought about going back to it on the way home on the plane, but decided against it. It made me cry. I really don't want to cry on the plane again. Also laugh in places.
( vague spoilers )

It's kind of musical, but not at the same time. It has a few - dance and song numbers which fit the story, and are realistically rendered. Very imaginative. And works well for children or families. I watched it on the plane - because when I selected Hacks (R rated raunchy LGBTQA adult comedy), it told me that this had adult "visual" content that may not work for kids or the people around me. I looked around me, and thought, okay, Hacks is so not worth the trouble, I'll pick something else. I had a small child on one side of me, a couple of kids behind, and an older gentleman next to me. He was falling asleep to a horror film, that he couldn't hear. No one could really see it. I was sitting on the aisle.

I may have to hunt for it on Prime or Hulu, to see if I can see all of it uninterrupted. It exceeded expectations. I heard it was awful, it wasn't. Helped by the fact that we're really following and in the little girl's pov not Ryan Renyolds (who I like well enough - but a little can go a long way).

1. Finished Scavenger's Reign over the weekend. It's a limited animated science fiction series by MAX, which wisely only gave it one season. While there was room for more, I'm glad it only had one - because it had a satisfying ending. Often television series go on too long, when twelve episodes is the perfect amount.



It is among the most innovative animated series that I've seen to date. It's also among the best sci-fi series that I've seen, specifically in regards to the humans stranded on an alien planet trope. The humans stranded on an alien planet trope is hard to pull off. Or settling on an alien planet, equally hard to pull off. This is both. And it pulls it off, partly by telling the story through animation.

The series reminded me of why I adore science fiction. When done well, it's brilliant. I don't want to discuss it too much, because it's best to go in blind.

***

2. Work was frustrating and depressing. ( Read more... )

***

3. Watching the Voice - because it has Michael Buble and Reba McIntyre on it. And I'm curious. We'll see how long I last, because it also has Snoop (who I can barely stand), and Gwen Stefani (who annoys me). I lasted fifteen minutes. So no, not long. Buble and McIntyre aren't worth the pain. Also my interest in both waned a while ago. I like Seth McFarlane better than Buble. I realized he also annoyed me.

( Read more... )
***

Found out a few things about Kris Kristofferson via social media that I did not know.

When Sinead O'Connor was "booed" off stage at the Bob Dylan 75th Tribute Concert in the 1990s, Kristofferson came up and hugged her. And comforted her as she cried on his shoulder. And he went on to write and sing this song about her...

Sister Sinead - which is an excellent song about artists who have the courage to stand by their convictions no matter what.



He was a kind man, who struggled with addiction and his own demons. And an excellent song-writer, known as the poet. His songs hit hard, and we often don't even realize he wrote them - since they are made famous by others. In that he's a lot like Dolly Parton. Also an actor, who was in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and Star is Born.

And toured with legends Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash.

Me and Bobby McGee - was made famous by Janis Joplin.

Sunday Morning, Coming Down - the song he wrote for Johnny Cash, but was about his own demons, which Cash identified with.

Go HERE for others...

One of my favorites is the one he wrote for the band The Highwaymen - that included Orbison, Nelson, and Cash.
( Read more... )

In addition, my mother talked to her sister about Drake Hogestern who played John Black for years on her sister's favorite soap. He did 4290 episodes of the series and was on it from 1986-2024. Everyone who knew him - mentioned how kind he was, and how much they'd miss him.

We lost a few kind souls this past week. I'm glad they were in the world, the world was made better by their presence in it.