Movies, Shows, etc
Severance
OK, this was the strangest, most messed up show I can recall watching. The way the finale ended – SPOILER ALERT – without resolving anything and instead setting up the next season was maddening. As a lover of the color blue, I did enjoy how many different gorgeous shades were integral to the show’s aesthetic.
B
The Hateful Eight
I didn’t like this as much as Tarantino’s other Western, Django Unchained, mostly because it felt a little long (and I did NOT watch the extended version). But the final chapter pulled all the parts together and made it worth the time.
B+
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Faaaaaaaaantastic. One of the most jaw-dropping visual experiences I’ve ever viewed in the theater. I hadn’t read anything about the movie before we saw it – or rewatched the original – so I was floored when I got to the final moment of the movie.
A
Tour de France Unchained
This, errr, formula worked for F1, why not try it with the biggest bike race in the world. I wonder if this year’s Tour de France will get more interest thanks to this insider look at last year’s edition. I expect to watch more than I did last year, which was less than I had in other recent years. Even with me having to pony up for a month of Peacock+ to watch. If NBC owned Netflix I would say this was brilliant marketing.
B+
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
This has only been on my DVR for three months? Four? Not sure why I even record stuff anymore, since it tends to sit there for months before I get to it.
This was really good, although it was less about music the closer it got to the present day. Which is ok since I’m way more into old school hip hop than the new. But it felt like they kind of missed the point talking about how the modern political age and how hip hop has reacted without sharing a lot of music from this era.
B+
For All Mankind, season three
Looking back, season one was an A-, season two an A. In season three we jump to the mid–90s, with the US, USSR, and a private company racing to be the first to land on Mars. A former astronaut is elected president and has a big secret, which eventually comes out to the shock of the nation, especially their supporters. The huge twist at the end of season two was actually kind of slow-played through this season. Until the very last scene of the year when, holy shit!
In between all that I thought this season meandered a little too much. But, once again, the final two episodes make up for any shortcomings in the first eight. The writers are not afraid to go big when it comes to twists and surprises. Looks like we jump to 2003 for season four. I wonder what they’ll come up with for that.
A-
The Bear, season two
Best show of the year (so far).
A+
Shorts, YouTubes, etc
Italy on Film
Again, I’m super satisfied with how I documented our trip to Italy last year. But if I ever go back, I wouldn’t mind taking a camera a little more technical than whatever iPhone I’m rocking at that moment.
98 Family Members Fly to Italy for 10 Days
This is not related to the video above, although this guy also has a short called “Italy on Film.”
Travel is hard enough. Imagine flying to Italy, hitting three cities, and doing so with nearly 100 of your relatives. Somehow these folks pulled it off.
Bill Hader discusses cut Casey Kasem sketch with Kevin Pollak
I probably would have thought this sketch was pretty funny.
Brian Lagerstrom
I haven’t updated the foodies I’ve been getting recipes from in awhile. We’ve had a few things from this guy’s collection of recipes lately.
Perfect One-Pot, Six-Pan, 10-Wok, 25-Baking Sheet Dinner
How To Make Slow-Cooked Russet Potatoes That Fall Right Off The Bone
And then there are these, a perfect parody of so many online cook accounts.
Line & Air
Towers Of Tigray
North Face content of the month. Maybe I should buy some more of their gear. It’s been awhile since I have.
Lisa: Steve Jobs’ sabotage and Apple’s secret burial
Weird how much content there has been lately about Apple’s Lisa computer system. This piece is about the development of the line and then how a Utah business took them over when Apple had largely abandoned them, only to be forced by Apple to send them to a municipal dump.
Where Were the U-Boats on D-Day?
Interesting history augmented by fantastic stock footage of submarine warfare from that era. There’s even the obligatory scene of stuff flying off a table as a sub does a quick dive.
Colleen Ballinger Is Running Out of Excuses
This was featured on Vulture’s What to Watch This Weekend section one Friday. C was really into Ballinger’s videos at one point so I decided it was worth 20 minutes of my time. My big takeaway is it confirms pretty much all of these internet famous people that make random videos are total weirdos.
Why every radio station sounds the same
Corporate radio sucks.
How “The Bear” Filmed An Entire TV Episode in One Take
10 Things The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White Can’t Live Without
’The Bear’ Star Chef Matty Matheson’s Brutally Honest Opinion on What’s In and What’s Out
The Bear content.
Pic du Midi de Bigorre – Cycling Inspiration & Education
Looks like a nice, easy, Sunday morning bike ride to me.
Bodysurfing Mavericks with Kalani Lattanzi
Yikes.
This is how it sounds WITHOUT the sample // Bitter Sweet Symphony
I’ve needed to hear this for 25 years.
Music/Podcasts
60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s
I’ve known about this podcast for ages but never listened to it, mostly because my pod queue is already so deep that I can barely get to everything in it. I was finally sucked in when I saw there was a new episode about Prince in the ‘90s. Fascinating stuff.
The best tidbit garnered from that show was that Prince’s infamous “assless” pants worn at the 1991 VMA’s were not, in fact, assless. Rather they featured flesh-colored fabric panels. There was a fabric designer in Minneapolis who was on retainer to occasionally color fabrics to match Prince’s skin tone. And this women never met Prince face-to-face! Just awesome, esoteric stuff there.
I’ve been digging into the show’s back catalog. One of my other favorite nuggets was the host’s lines about Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich on the “Enter Sandman” episode. He said that Ulrich is the Derek Jeter of drummers: if he’s on your team/in your band, you love him and think he’s an all-timer. If not, you think he’s overrated, gets far too much credit for making easy things look difficult, etc. I loved that.
He also said on one of Metallica’s albums, Ulrich’s drumming sounded like “30 minutes of someone falling down the stairs.” That is an incredible description.
A