Well, I was close. It's actually a heartbreaker, as I was off yesterday and had ample time to BS about film. I can't say I saw much, though; I finally saw the final Harry Potter movie yesterday, about four years after seeing the one prior. My wife ended up watching it with her parents, thinking I had seen it for some reason, so I never got around to it.
Sitting alone in my living room on a day off with the lights out, shades drawn and a movie on my new and altogether-too-high-end TV and home audio was pretty spectacular, I've gotta say. I need to work a little more of that into my life. I should probably just quit my job to catch up on cinema.
We've been watching Parks and Recreation. I can't believe no one on the WGOM has mentioned this yet. A definite lapse people. It took some cajoling for the wife to keep watching through the first season (we're completionists) and early second season. Now I think it will be able to steamroll on its own.
The first season was saved by Ron Swanson. And Leslie saying, "What I hear when I'm being yelled at is people caring really loudly at me."
After quietly waiting for the right moment, somehow I got Jane into P&R. I felt it could be tenuous, so I jumped right to the last episode of the 1st season. So far so good.
I tried earlier but it no longer being part of Amazon Prime delayed continuing it, plus season 1. Now that we finally signed up for Netflix (again), all is good.
We've been on the slow-boat with P&R for quite some time but just saw
It's fun to openly laugh while watching TV.
My first run through of the show was by myself, and there were a number of instances when I was laughing out loud like an idiot in the dark.
No movies.
* Finished binging Jane the Virgin. Funny show. Lots of cheese and heart. Rogelio is one of my favorite TV characters ever. I enjoyed.
* Almost caught up on Fear the Walking Dead, but I think the episodes that we watched last night are the last ones we're going to watch because NOTHING. EVER. HAPPENS. Splitting up the group in the mid-season finale just gave me one storyline I don't really care about and two that I have active antipathy for.
* Sorta, kinda tried to kickstart watching House of Cards again (we're halfway through season three). I'm really not sure why we're trying, because neither of us really care for anything that happened after the enjoyable first season.
The problem is...
Now, in the first season, this sort of thing happened in one episode, MAYBE two. There was certainly an ongoing arc, but every week, most mini-arcs (for the most part) wrapped themselves up.
This season, these arcs are taking six, seven episodes, so when you're stuck in one that you don't care about at all (which is, frankly, just about all of them right now), there's no forward movement or really any sort of anything. I get that it's supposed to be binged, but I don't even think I could binge through this like we did through the first season.
"Finished binging Jane the Virgin."
I misread this at first.
Don't Breathe: Really solid thriller until the final third, where there was about five false endings and it went from thriller to hilarious. Still, better than most horror movies I've seen.
Super 8: Really solid first third, reminiscent of the best of Stand By Me and Close Encounters, and then devolves into cliche and contrivance. Kids were directed well.
Starting The Office as well. Got through the difficult first season and almost done with the second. Not at Parks & Rec territory, but some genuine belly laughs.
Season 3 of The Office is excellent. Season 3 finale is one of my favorite episodes of anything, ever. Up there w/ P&R Season 6 finale.
Overall, I always think I like season 2 better, but when I think of the very best episodes that aren't "Booze Cruise", "Casino Night", or "Dinner Party", they almost all seem to come from season 3.
Saw a few movies recently that everyone else already saw a long time ago, so no bother there.
About 4 episodes into Stranger Things. So far they've jammed in about a jillion 80s tropes, but it's been good fun.
This is coming strongly recommended by about 12 people I know.
Let me say, then, that my recommendation is tenuous at best. The kids all look different but have the exact same character, and Ryder is as awful as ever.
It's just strong enough to keep me going. That's so much more annoying than if it was actively bad.
Like I said, it's good fun, though certainly no masterpiece.
My wife, 15 year old, and I watched it. I wouldn't say it is a "must watch" but is entertaining and only 8 episodes. E.T. + Goonies + Poltergeist.
I watched the first episode and told my wife it was pretty cool, but that I'd hold off on watching more b/c I think she'd like it.
/waits three weeks/
Wife: Honey! I heard about this show we should watch called Stranger Things
Me: ....cool, yeah, I think I've heard about it - sounds pretty good.
Finished up Stranger Things.
All I know about Stranger Things is that librarians have been making booklists inspired by the show.
(Oooh, I had thought booklist was two words, but that's not the case.)
I think my favorite part of watching Stranger Things was watching with my 15 year old. Watching through her eyes made it "new" instead of a retread of 80s themes.
Rewatched The Revenant (my wife hadn't seen it). Didn't believe it was possible, but I found it even better the second time.
Rewatched Snatch Couldn't tell you how many times I've seen this, but it's something I never tire of. I was introduced to Guy Ritchie via a college roommate's pirated copy of Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Unfortunately, these two are the only films of his I've been impressed with (so, nothing since ~2000).
Straight Outta Compton - pretty glossy and a little too neat, but entertaining, well-acted and very watchable, especially if you enjoyed West Coast Rap in the late-80's and early-90's, but weren't so plugged in, or old enough, to know how Dre, E and Ice Cube came together and then split apart. Saw it about a week before Jerry passed away.
Hail, Caesar! - I did not like this as much as I'd hoped I would. Some pretty funny characters, but all-in-all .... meh. I blame Philo.
London Has Fallen - It's like they took all the poorly done portions of the Die Hard movies, cast a British guy to play an American, and then sent 'em to London to blow stuff up. I chose poorly - don't follow suit.
Have you tried The Man from U.N.C.L.E. yet? Very Ritchie, and I enjoyed it.
I'll take the blame. I enjoyed the heck out of it.
Snatch is among my all time favorites. And I usually don't do favorites. I quote it in my head when cooking sausages (or anything timed, really), when I hear the word "Germans," when I've lost something...and so on...
Likewise, I am completely incapable of seeing your posts and not immediately picture Jason Statham.
We just picked up a mega-package promo on U-Verse, so I've seen/recorded a share, but not sure how well I'll remember them to list.
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead - I hit college a bit after National Lampoon's peak, but there was a lot there that resonated (and a lot I wasn't aware of). I enjoy a good documentary.
Tomorrowland - the price was right.
currently watching Black Snake Moan
Nice to see new TV seasons starting up again, but I'd really like to see Venture Bros and Rick & Morty soon.
Are you post-surgery for hip 2 already?
I still have a week in Estes Park CO and another business trip before surgery week, so no