Fewer entries this month as college basketball and spring break sucked up a lot of my time.
Shows and Movies
Don’t Look Up
Reviews for this were so mixed, with some people loving it and others straight-up hating it. I was finally encouraged to watch by two different friends who told me they really enjoyed it.
It’s certainly not high cinema, and there is nothing subtle about it. But overall I think it was well done, and we, honestly, aren’t too many steps away from it actually happening. Applied to other situations, of course. I did enjoy the nod to the terrific end-of-the-world The Last Policeman series, which I loved, in the final scene.
A-
Mountain of Storms: A Legendary Road Trip
An old school travel movie covering the 1968 ascent of Cerro Fitz Roy in Argentina by a group that included the founder of the Patagonia gear company.
A
Occupied, season one
This popped up on a list of shows that were suddenly topical after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is a Norwegian series about a “soft” invasion of their country by the Russians after Norway attempts to shut off its oil production and shift to clean energy. There is some Scandinavian weirdness to it – there are a ton of scenes where two characters say “Hello,” to each other and then share an awkward pause before starting their actual conversation – and the story is a little nutty. There are more seasons but I think one was enough for me.
B
Killing Eve, season one
I’ve heard great things about this for years and finally took a crack at it. As with Barry, I was completely blown away. What a terrific show in every aspect. Fantastic writing. Amazing acting. Jodie Comer in particular was completely mesmerizing. A near-perfect last episode. I see that the reviews slip in succeeding seasons, so I’m debating whether to continue.
A+
Shorts
Audi E-Tron GT vs. the RS 6 on ice
I’ve heard about these winter driving experience courses. I was hoping to see more wiping out and sliding around. Missing that, still cool to see another way that EVs are better (and cooler) than gas-powered vehicles.
B+
The Wreck of Shackleton’s Endurance
117 years after it sank, researchers found The Endurance, the ship that carried Ernest Shackleton’s legendary polar expedition.
A
Bill Hader Celebrity Impressions
Brilliant.
A
Will Ferrell | Hilarious and Epic Bloopers, Gags and Outtakes Compilation
One of those “It’s late but I’m not quite ready for bed” finds. Feels like this could be better, I’m guessing it’s just an access issue.
A-
GoPro Inside a Dishwasher
You’ve always wanted to know what goes on inside your dishwasher, right?
B+
How Saturn Got Its Rings
Science!
B+
The U.S. Rangers at Pointe du Hoc | History Traveler Episode 53
A YouTube algorithm rec. What amazes me about these types of videos is how much damage the bombings before/during D-Day did to the earth. Massive shell craters remain even after nearly 80 years of wind, rain, and other weather. This has a cheesy musical interlude in the middle and gets a little judgey of a young girl who wasn’t super interested in the site at the end, so I knock it down a notch.
B-
How ‘No Time To Die’ Pulled Off James Bond’s Opening Chase
Dope!
A
What Intercepted Russian Radio Chatter Reveals
I have taken every piece of evidence of how the war in Ukraine is going with a heavy grain of salt. But this is a fascinating peek into how the Russians are communicating.
A