Periodic losses of power, some pool gatherings, and three weeks of travel basketball cut my list a little short last month. Movies, Shows, etc They Shall Not Grow Old I’ve been waiting for this to hit a streaming service for a couple years. Peter Jackson took footage from World War I, colorized it, and overlaid it with interviews given by British veterans of that war to offer a limited view of what that conflict was like. It is amazing and brutal. While we have a few modern WWI movies that are hyper-realistic – 1918 and the updated All Quiet on the Western Front the best examples – there’s something about…

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…

Movies, Shows, etc Ted Lasso, season two Got S caught up. She enjoyed it. I don’t think my second viewing changed my opinion of it. It was funnier, deeper, and more emotional than season one. But it also lacked the magic of that first year. Season one wins in a nose because it didn’t have the two extra episodes that messed with the momentum of the rest of the season. A- Ted Lasso, season three I shared lengthy thoughts here. An uneven season that ended on a high note. B+ Slow Horses I’m not sure why I go back and watch shows when I’ve already read the book. This got…

Movies, Shows, etc Argo It had been several years since I watched this. Still holds up, even with all the historical inaccuracies. A MH370: The Plane That Disappeared Maybe the biggest mystery of our time is what happened to this Boeing 777 when it disappeared in 2014. This three-episode series dives into all the theories. Not sure it gets us any closer to an answer, which makes sense given how the plane has never been found. The show focuses on three major theories, and all have massive holes in them. So not sure this really answers anyone’s questions. I did make sure to watch this after we flew over the…

Slow month between lots of basketball early in March, watching one show exclusively for a week, and then spring break. Movies, Shows, etc From Paseo To Pembroke: Kansas City’s Golden Era I had heard of this but didn’t realize it was on YouTube until KC buddy Newman sent it my way. A great look at the golden age of Kansas City high school basketball, from 1988 to 1998. I was at a few of the games featured. Terry Nooner was robbed by that ref in 1995. A Luther, seasons 1–5 Luther: The Fallen Sun I saw some buzz about the Luther movie in early March but didn’t know a thing…

Shortest month of the year, but I was not short-changed on the media tip. Movies, Shows, etc A Cook’s Tour, season one As I said last month, I recently discovered these were on YouTube. Which is awesome because I’ve never seen them. Anthony Bourdain’s first TV show, and you can see the seeds of what No Reservations and Parts Unknown would become. You see a host with a clear point of view trying to establish his voice but being a little off what we got used to later in his career. The production is pretty rough; portable video equipment was apparently not great in 2000–01? And the film crew tried…

Movies, Shows, etc Wednesday This was on constantly in our house over the holidays. I think the girls and S all watched it on their own, then we had several episodes on the main TV while we had guests. I sat and partially watched a few of them. I thought it was funny, clever, and generally good. Doubt I’ll check out the entire series on my own, though. B+ The White Lotus, seasons one and two I probably should have taken some time between these seasons, and then written down my thoughts separately for each. However, I knocked them both out in about 10 days and loved just about every…

Holiday Shit The Classics Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Vacation, A Elf, A Four Christmases, B+ SNL Christmas Special, A- I did not watch this the past two years, instead catching my favorite sketches on YouTube. That was a good decision. They’ve made some updates and a couple of the new adds were quite good. Still say “Consumer Probe” needs to be dropped. SNL – Christmas in Australia, A+ This is the perfect replacement for “Consumer Probe.” I showed it to my sister-in-law who lived in Australia for a few years. She had never seen it before. I think I made her holiday season! The Office…

I think I broke my media consumption habits in October and have yet to get them right. A lot of basketball (on TV and in person) and another week away from home didn’t help. Thus, another rather short list of things to share this month. Movies, Series, Shows Halloween Baking Championship I wrapped up the most recent season on November 2. Blayre was a deserving winner in a season filled with super-talented bakers. Seriously, any of six bakers could have won and I wouldn’t have been mad. Also I forgot to mention last month that L no longer watches these shows with me. Sad. A My Next Guest Needs No…