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Saturday, January 02, 2021

viewing reviews 2021


How would one live without a list? Well, I certainly wouldn't remember a damn thing without them, so here's to another year of keeping track of all the wonderful (and sometimes not-so-great) things I watch, so that sometime in the future, I can come back to check when I wonder, "Did I already see this?!" 

This all started way back in the year 2009 and continued through 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and for 2019 and 2020, series got added along with live performances (remember when we were able to see those?). I imagine that much of 2021 will continue to see us spending a whole lot of time at home, and what better to do than watch magic on the screen? 


83. 12/31/21
(Netflix)
Okay, today was a big hit of entertainment, because this satirical mockumentary slayed us, as well. There are so many perfect one-liners here, some that we guffawed at super loudly and others that received unanimous groans. Goddamn, 2021 was one shitshow after another. I guess all we can do is laugh, right? Right? (And props to the 15-year-old who recognized Nate (not the great!) from Ted Lasso as the unseen interviewer!)



82. 12/31/21
(Amazon Prime)
Loved it. Happy to see familiar faces and meet new ones-- I'm happy to see you now, X Mayo, who fucking killed it on the dais. A solid runner-up award to Aparna Nancherla, who remains one of my favorite stand-up comedians ever. This one gave all of us some big laughs, but maybe the most coming from me and the 15-year-old. I loved watching an all-female comedy fest that fucking rocked. 



81. 12/31/21
(DVD)
A series that we started in 2021 but won't finish until 2022 is integrating the titular characters of what is arguably one of my favorite stories ever, and it sent me down a rabbit hole of trying, for once and all, to figure out what existentialism actually means. On NYE, as I made dinner, I started this old DVD again and was reminded how much I adore the absurdity of these two. Not the most up-beat way to wrap up the year, but I loved spending time with Ros and Guil again.



80. 12/29/21
(Netflix)
Well, if I was a critic, apparently I'd have hated this flick, but I'm a just a simple movie watcher and I was entertained and even touched by many moments in this film. I know it was made with climate change in mind as the real issue in place of the comet, but then the pandemic hit and this shit got intensely realer. I'm okay with the simplistic portrayals of moronic humans, because I'm not convinced it was all that far off in reality. So, while it was depressing as all hell to watch during a pandemic, especially as heartbreaking as those final minutes of the film were, I'm glad to have seen this and giggled at the ridiculousness of it all while trying not to cry at the terror. 



79. 12/28/21
(Amazon Prime)
I watched this at the 15-year-old's request, and we giggled a bit at its Artsy Filmness, even as we cried at its beauty. I'm surprised at the lack of issue taken with the age difference between the two main characters who develop a relationship (17 years old and 24 years old) by both the characters in the film and the general critical response of the film. I guess it was the 80s and European? 



78. 12/27/21
(Netflix)
I saw this in the theater exactly four years earlier, with my oldest daughter only 11 years old. Watching it this time with my now 15-year-old daughter was a different experience. I still think this is a brilliant film in all aspects, and I believe it hit some solid notes for my teen, too. There were tears again this time around, and I'm sure that watching this again in two years or so will be an even more close-to-home experience. 



77. 12/25/2021
(Netflix)
I didn't know if I should expect an action movie or comedy, but it's clear this was both, with a heavier lean on the comedy part. Oh, Ryan Reynolds and the power of the one-liner. This was ridiculous, in a good way, and I screamed more times than my family cared for, but dang with the close calls. This was one that both teens, the 21-year-old, and the parents watched all together, laughing the whole time. 



76. 12/24/2021
(HBO Max)
Every. Year. From when I saw it in the theaters as a teenager and through every time since, I laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh. I got yelled at by a kid for reciting the lines early in this year's viewing, but I can't help myself. To traditions! 



75. 12/20/21
(Season 5, Netflix)
Well, this season was more of a disappointment than not. The holiday episode?? Jesus, I expect this show to be raunchy for raunchy's sake, but even I have a line, and that particular episode crossed it again and again. The clever bits of this season, like a real-life appearance of a certain creator, were overshadowed by the bits that fell flat and were played out, sadly.



74. 12/18/21
(DVD)
What can I say about an old fave from my own teenage years? Other than one super-offensive f-slur when the titular characters hug each other (jesus, I hate how they put that in and it didn't even phase me as a teen), and a general objectification of women (shocking, I know), this one actually didn't offend as much as I expected. The 14-year-old started watching with us but then went back on the computer, and the 21-year-old listened as he was on his own laptop, too. But, now my memory is all caught up and I can finally watch the 2020 sequel!



73. 12/18/21
The Great
(Season 1-2, Hulu)
So damn weird, so darkly funny, so beautifully shot. That's my short assessment, and I've been enjoying watching an episode at lunch almost daily. Oh, and I forgot one other important descriptor-- so, so, so profane. I think that's what I like best. Seeing these (sometimes) historical figures (and most other times fictional) act in ways that are deeply human but expressed in a modern-day way never ceases to intrigue me. Can't wait for season 3. 



72. 12/13/21
(Amazon Prime)
The 15-year-old had been asking to watch this one for a little while, and I needed some time to prepare. I'd watched this a few years ago and sobbed for just about two hours straight. Guess what, second viewing, same as the first. This film is so touching and heartbreaking and tender-- an absolute show of parental love and dedication. I'm not sure how my daughter took it all in, but at the end we were both crying nonstop and just hugged for a while. Tough watch, but so damn beautiful.



71. 12/11/21
(Netflix)
Oh, what a beautiful film. I didn't know much about Jonathan Larson's works prior to Rent, so I was happy to see how his earlier life had played out. It took me a little bit to figure out the structure of the movie, because the timeline shifts back and forth but I eventually got on board. The music, though, is what was the biggest appeal. You can hear the inspirations for Rent along with what was just Larson's style, which definitely still has appeal. I'm not the biggest Broadway fan, but even I was excited to see old familiar faces in their cameos, and I looked up to see which ones I didn't recognize. All in all, it was emotional and fun in life-affirming ways even while it was tinged with tragedies to come. 



70. 12/6/21
(FX on DVR)
Well, it's safe to say that I am much, much fonder of the show, but the show wouldn't be what it was without this original movie. Individually, the characters all have lots of potential, but there are a lot of them and it's only 85 minutes long. But, I did laugh, and Taika Waititi as a vampire 'dandy' is actually quite charming and adorable. I'm really glad that we had the chance to watch this, but it was DVR'd off cable, so I'm pretty certain we missed some accented f-bombs. 



69. 12/2/21
(Seasons 1-3, Hulu)
I really don't feel like the title of this series matches the ridiculously fun nature of the show, so in our household, we just call it Vampires. (We're not terribly creative, apparently, but it gets the job done.) I had first heard of this show when a FB friend posted about it pretty much nonstop sometime last year. My first impression was that it was just strange, and I didn't realize that it was supposed to be a comedy, I think. When I proposed watching it to Hubby after we kept seeing it pop up on Hulu, he wasn't terribly excited at first, but by the end of the first episode we both knew this was a unique show. It's safe to say that I was the bigger fan initially, but then when our 15-year-old hung out in the living room while we watched an episode, she immediately became the megafan in the family. From that point on, we very quickly binged the rest of the episodes. It's so ridiculous and hilarious, and the characters are delightfully crass and profane and idiotic and outrageously confident for such absolute ding-dongs. Our plan is to watch the original movie sometime soon to compare the show to its theatrical roots. 



68. 11/26/2021
(theater)
We went to see this on Thanksgiving Day but in honor of our friend JN's birthday, and it marked my first movie in a theater since January 2020! Unfortunately, the first time we had planned didn't work because of false advertising by the theater, but we were able to shift the day and return later in the afternoon. And, I'm so glad that we did, because this was an utter delight. There was a sweetness to the whole thing that I adored, and the music was super fun, especially the song about the character named Bruno. Beautiful animation, and solid voicing. And!! Abuela from In the Heights was the singing voice for this Abuela, and as soon as I heard her, I almost popped right out of my seat. Big fun, and I'd be down for watching again when it hits Disney+.



67. 11/20/21
(Season 3, Netflix)
Good lord, how I love this show. For the final two episodes, I just had tears streaming down my face because of all the emotions they evoked. This show is fucking brilliant, and I've encouraged our 15-year-old to watch it, as well, after she watched a few episodes with us. I've never seen adolescent-- and adult, for that matter-- emotional and sexual relationships handled in such an open and honest way. This show is more educational than anything I ever received in my life, and I can't wait for more seasons.



66. 11/17/21
(Memorial Auditorium, Ohio University)
Originally scheduled for April 2020, Hubby and I finally got to see the current tour of this AMAZING show. I had zero prior knowledge about the show beyond the fact that it would involve percussion of all kinds with atypical items. I didn't know that it was going to be funny and clever in all the ways that it truly was, and while I kept the complimentary earplugs in for the majority of the show, I loved every second of it. (And, I didn't leave with a headache!) 



65. 11/7/2021
(Amazon Rental)
I honestly can't say what it is about this movie that makes me want to return again and again, but it's just a great combination of lots of factors. Great acting-- painfully awkward teen care of Liam James and adorable and kind teen care of AnnaSophia Robb; nastier-than-usually-seen Steve Carrell; solid performances from Allison Janney, Toni Collette, and Maya Rudolph; and of course, Sam Freaking Rockwell, whose man-child character will forever occupy a space in my heart. This coming-of-age story is just one of my faves, and it was my birthday so I asked the family to watch it with me... one teen left midway through while the other played on her phone for much of the flick, but it didn't matter. I enjoyed it as always. 





64. 11/1/21
(Season 5, Netflix)
Is this the worst comedy ever made? Probably not, but it's gotta be damn close. Why have I watched every season that has come out if I actually hate it? Because there are plenty of times when you want to put something on in the background and be reminded of how bad a show can be. I cannot stand a thing about any of the main characters on this show, and they seemingly learn nothing from their previous experiences because they all just continue to be piles of shit pretending-- half-assedly-- to be parents. Vom. 



63. 10/26/21
(Season 1, Hulu)
We definitely jumped on the bandwagon with this one, and at first I thought it was going to be super annoying because, well, Martin Short. And yes, he was his usual over-the-top character, but all the other characters plus an all-over-the-place plot made him palatable and the viewing experience overall a ton of fun. A fun show about murder? Yup, I hear myself. I know. And now, with a cliff hanger of a season finale, I'm all onboard for next season. 



62. 10/23/21
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(Parsons' deck)
In all my almost 46 years of life, I'd never seen this movie in its entirety. I'd seen random images and clips and had the vaguest sense of the plot, but this was the first time I actually sat down to watch the movie. How did I have no idea at all that it involved aliens?! And WOAH, it was way more explicit than I had imagined was possible for a regular movie in the 70s!! But I did think I knew one traditional action for audiences to do during a viewing, so I brought along a piece of toast and waited until it seemed like the right moment to throw it toward the screen-- I googled afterward, and I got it right!! We watched this out on friend's back deck on a cool autumn night and it was a fantastic time!



61. 10/21/21
(Seasons 1 & 2, Netflix)
"Being a Derry Girl, well, it's a fucking state of mind."
Well said, Michelle, well said. This is the third time I've watched the series straight through, and I appreciate the girls keeping me company in my office over the last couple lunch hours. This show will always be absolute perfection in my eyes.



60. 10/9/21
(Seasons 1-2, Hulu)
I've read so many think-pieces about this show, I don't know that I have an original thought left about it. I do know that I appreciate any fictional story that portrays mental health issues realistically and thoughtfully, and this does exactly that so damn well. Ted's panic attacks were viscerally on point. I have always appreciated that the central theme I could take away was vulnerability, and as I'm not a sportsballs-of-any-kind fan, I liked having sports be the conduit for the building of relationships that encouraged vulnerability and honesty, especially among characters who would be easily assumed to be hypermasculine. The big spoiler for the finale wasn't really a spoiler for our family, as we'd been talking about Nate's arc all season and predicted much of what came to pass. My takeaway from the season 2 finale, though, is that I want to go back and rewatch the series and try to see it from his perspective more often. Not that I think his behavior and choices are justified-- not in the least-- but I do want to try to understand him a bit more, perhaps. There's a lot of pain there that he has not allowed to be revealed, and as a result, he's become the villain. I hope there's a redemption story coming next season. 



59. 10/9/21
(Seasons 1-3, Hulu)
It's been a helluva week. Thankfully, tests have shown that there isn't Covid in our house, but the kids and I were all week with one super nasty cold that knocked us out. As a result, I had a lot of time on my hands to listlessly stare at my phone, and it was a perfect time for Hulu to recommend this show. This brilliant dramedy rang true for me on several levels and perspectives. Realistically showing a teen struggling with her mental health isn't always what you get with these kinds of shows, but this hits all kinds of right notes. Characters who appear to be pretty shallow or stereotypical get fleshed out so dang well, just like the viewer is a teenager maturing in their perspective about others as they grow. I highly recommend it, as a parent and as a person for whom anxiety, depression, and obesity all play big roles.  



58. 10/2/21
(Seasons 1-2, Hulu)
Well, I thought this series got cancelled after the second season since that's all that's on Hulu and it's a couple years old already. Apparently not, as the Wikipedia page shows a third season that came out in 2017, two years after the previous one. Of course, that's not available for me to watch, and I thought it was actually kind of nice to end on such a cliffhanger! This was an absurd show that made me crack up at times and it was nice filler to watch while eating lunch alone in my office. If I get access to the final season, I'll definitely watch it. 



57. 9/23/21
(Season 1, Hulu)
With eight total episodes, I was excited for what I imagined would be like an extra-long movie. I knew nothing about the story beyond the strange and magical trailers that were shared prior to the show's release. What I didn't expect was to be utterly befuddled for seven episodes... and then to have what was ultimately an anticlimactic finale. Things were less magical than everything had intimated, and the hint at how the series will be continued came in the final minutes. I'm not sure what I would have liked to be different, but I feel like I was on the edge of my seat for hours only to have a few minutes of explanation. Perhaps I'll need to read the original book to see if the arc played out differently. 



56. 9/23/21
Casual
(Seasons 1-4, Hulu)
Well, this show was truly hit and miss for me. The storylines were interesting sometimes, but they often were so cyclical that I found myself thinking, "Jesus, this again?" I quite love narratives with complex and complicated characters who make errors and sometimes hurt themselves in the process, but these characters were way too often way too self-destructive for me to even keep caring about them. At face value, you'd think Valerie's character would be more likable than Alex's, since she had her life together in more traditional ways, but by the end, I wasn't sure she even deserved any happiness at all, as she was more insufferable than I could stand. Clearly there was talent here, actors and writers and directors all, but the end product was more miss than hit for me.



55. 9/11/21
(Drive-in)
Okay, so I'm pretty sure I understood anywhere from 67-89% of the plot details of this movie, which is to say that I squelched a lot of questions while watching it so as not to annoy Hubby. But, seriously, I'm not a gamer, so I had lots of confusion about how things work in that world. The kids, however, were hilariously laughing at some of the scenes, especially when real-life YouTubers were featured and they screamed out their names. (Thank goodness we were at the drive-in!) This was amusing enough, and Ryan Reynolds was perfectly playing goofball Ryan Reynolds, so there was that, too.



54. 9/11/21
(Drive-in)
Other than the fact that I had trouble seeing and hearing this flick at the drive-in (the subtitles were blocked unless I sat straight up and leaned forward, but then I was further from the one speaker that was working, so it was harder to hear!), I really enjoyed it! I've seen a few Marvel movies and have a basic understanding of the world thanks to a bevy of  H U G E  fans in the family, but I liked that this one was 99.9% a stand-alone film, until the final scenes. Simu Liu has such big-screen charm, and obviously, he's beautiful, so there's that. I loved the mystical elements, even if I wished many of the scenes weren't so dark. I don't know anything about the original Marvel comics of Shang-Chi, but I have heard that they were pretty racist and culturally stereotypical, and I've also heard some positive chatter about culturally relevant representation in the film. I liked that actually Asian people were playing Asian roles, and it made me happy to hear characters speaking their native languages. I imagine we'll be watching this again at home when it's available to stream, and the kids and Hubby had already seen it in the theater, and they LOVED their second viewing. 



53. 9/4/21
(Hulu)
Well, that got made, apparently. How? That's a damn good question. Was everyone on drugs from the writers to the studio execs who greenlit this hot mess of a movie? Yes, technically I laughed at times, but it was definitely laughter from a WTAF?? mindset. Honestly, this was about 102 minutes too long. (That first five minutes was at least unique...)



52. 8/22/21
(Seasons 1 & 2, Hulu)
If you're wondering who the target audience is for this show, look no further. It's me. You may indeed like it, too, especially if you think a lot about mental health. It's funny, sharp, and smart, and the acting is brilliant. I love everything about this show except for two things-- a season is only 6 episodes and a third season has yet to be announced. 



51. 8/15/21
(Season 11, Hulu)
We began to watch this season when it was airing on network TV, but then Hubby and I got a bit tired/bored of it. The kooky ways of the three family units and the hijinks they would all get into ended up being just too much, so we took it off the DVR and went our separate ways. Recently I needed to put something on that didn't need a ton of my attention while I folded laundry, so I opened up Hulu and there it was. I found where we had left off and just started what I thought was the next episode. I ended up watching a couple that were vaguely familiar and then finished the season. It had its tender moments, and while I wasn't as entertained by the schtick as I was 11 years ago, I did have to marvel at the fact that this crew were together a LONG time, especially for those kids who were so young when it all began. 



50. 8/5/2021
(Seasons 1-5, Hulu)
How did I not watch this in real-time?!?! I owe a debt of gratitude to my friends the F-Ks for encouraging me to watch (binge) this on Hulu, because this quickly became my favorite thing and a treat to enjoy on my lunch break after a morning of spreadsheeting hard. I loved these silly, ridiculous, flawed but lovable characters, even if I absolutely know I couldn't hang with them. Abbi and Ilana brought me joy over 50 episodes, and now it's time to check out the web series that came first!



49. 7/28/21
(Season 5, Netflix)
As much as I love the Kim family, this season was a letdown, and it's obvious that the troubles behind the scenes affected the quality of the show and forced it to be done prematurely. But, these characters will remain in my heart as a realistic family, and one that showed me cultural experiences different than my own. But don't even talk to me about Shannon getting a spin-off-- that's garbage.



48. 7/24/2021
(Amazon Prime)
Continuing in the psychological horror theme for a second night in the row, the teens were both pleased with this one, and remarkably, neither knew anything about the movie going into it. Upon the delivery of the infamous line, "I see dead people," our youngest said, "Waaaiitttt... Is he actually dead?!" Hubby and I tried to play it cool and say something about it being an interesting theory, and the older teen immediately dismissed it as a ridiculous idea. But, I tell you, when everything was finally revealed in the end, that kid was ecstatic about her early realization. I was impressed all over again at this flick, 22 years after its release. 



47. 7/23/21
(DVD)
It's hard to watch this multiple times and see all the now-so-obvious clues that I missed the first time through. Watched it with the 13 and 15 year olds (I know, Parent of the Year, obvi), and while the older one thought it was BORING after being conditioned by American Horror Story, the younger one had her mind blown. Jordan Peele's directorial debut will always be just fucking brilliant.



46. 7/7/21 
(Hulu)
While I don't remember enough from the book to say what may have been different in the movie adaptation, I do remember that I was taken with the characters when I first read the book, and I felt the same with the movie, just not as deep a connection. As always, I think the character development that can be done in a book is always going to be deeper than in a film, but I did enjoy watching these performances. Cate Blanchett was mesmerizing on screen, bringing a unique personality and plot to life.



45. 7/5/21
(HBO Max)
It's been years and years since I've read this novel, which will always be one my favorite ever. (It's been at least 13 years, as I've been keeping track of all books read since 2008.) I struggled to remember the details, but I immediately recalled the feelings and the characters, and damn if this wasn't a BRILLIANT adaptation. Mark Ruffalo, you, sir, are fucking incredible. I was moved by these portrayals in what is one of the emotionally heavy and dark stories I've ever known. I don't even know what to say other than this is a must watch mini-series that is hard to watch but ultimately worth every second.



44. 7/3/21
(Disney+)
Sure, this was cute enough, but what was ultimately a young, gay first romance just couldn't be acknowledged openly, and for that, I was annoyed, along with my LGBTQ kids. This article summed it up best-- https://www.insider.com/luca-lgbt-gay-queer-coded-2021-6.



43. 7/3/21
(Disney+)
Okay, technically I'd seen much of this movie before, but only in pieces and never from the very beginning, so while I knew the general plot, this was the first time I got to see it all from start to finish. I was moved by the complexity of the 'bad guy's' motives and how actually relatable they were. It was heartbreaking to see Chadwick Boseman on screen and so powerful, especially knowing all he was enduring at the time and all that was to come. I'm glad I finally was around for a full viewing.



42. 6/27/21
(Seasons 1-2, Hulu)
Josh Thomas is a special kind of performer in that I never want to take my eyes off him in any scene that he's in. I want to continue to watch him as other characters speak, because he never takes one second off, and he acts through so much more than just his lines. While I binged his first sitcom Please Like Me two times in a row, this one made me wait through season 1, as the episodes were still airing when I began the series. I love so much about this show-- its unique voice, the fact that autistic characters are played (and consulted on) by autistic actors, that adolescence is portrayed with such humor, and that every actor is just incredible. Oh, and the bugs!! This show is like nothing else on TV right now.



41. 6/25/21
(Season 4, Hulu)
THAT. FINALE. WAS. EVERYTHING. Everything I've been waiting for- all the rage, all the brutality finally going in the other fucking direction, all the release that June has needed for four years. EVERYTHING. I've just finished it, and I'm literally shaking. Putting her in a red wool hooded coat to finally dispense her own justice to the author of her torturous story was visually stunning and shocking to the core. I honestly have no idea what to expect next, but for the first time, I'm hopeful and looking forward to the continuation of June's story. 



40. 6/23/21
(Season 17, ABC)
Jesus Christ, this show. I've been with Meredith Grey since before two of my three children have been alive, and I'm kind of exhausted of the relationship. But, I compulsively have to watch as long as they keep making new episodes, so I strapped in for another season. I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I didn't say, "I hate this damn show!" this round! I was impressed with the tone they struck in portraying the Covid pandemic, and while I'm not sure that actual hospital staff would call the show overall realistic, I do imagine that the emotional impact was portrayed accurately. For those who survived another season, I'll see you in the fall.



39. 6/22/21
(Seasons 1-4, Hulu)
Wow. A friend told me she was watching this and wanted to recommend it, but she wasn't sure if I'd love it or hate it. And she was right. I do both love and hate this show, but that is a statement that needs significant clarification. I love everything about Pamela Adlon's character Sam Fox, and while we live wildly different lives, there's so much about the way she processes her life experiences that is so damn relatable. What I hate about the show-- some, but not all of the time-- are the characters of her kids. Fuck, these kids are allowed to be hurtful and selfish beyond imagine with no correction way too much for my comfort. It's been painful to watch at times, knowing how much of Sam's emotional well-being is tied into these relationships. (R-E-L-A-T-A-B-L-E) I wish she'd call out more of their hurtful behavior, but thankfully, as the kids have grown, they've become more aware of the effects of their words and behaviors. It also helps that as the series progresses, we see more episodes that focus on Sam and her relationships with other people, and the episodes with few to no appearances of her children are by far my favorites. I cannot wait for season 5!



38. 6/12/21, 6/26/21
(HBO Max)
After almost 2 years of waiting, my excitement level for this movie was OUT OF THIS WORLD. We got some good pals together for an outdoor viewing on the new projector and screen purchased for this every event! (And we had a delicious DIY grilled cheese bar beforehand, too!) The movie was everything I had hoped for-- sweet and tender, visually gorgeous, and musically beyond amazing. I danced, I sang, I whooped, I hollered. It was the best, and as I have HBO Max for a month now, I can't wait to watch it again. (And again. And again.)
*****************
The second viewing was just as fun!! I kept my singing to a whisper, as we were indoors and with my father-in-law this time, but I loved experiencing it all over again.



37. 6/11/21
(Season 3, FX)
Oh, my heart. Yes, this show is OVER THE TOP. Yes, it is DRAMATIC. Yes, it is intentionally EMOTIONALLY MANIPULATIVE. And I love every second of it. This season definitely felt rushed as they tried to wrap up storylines for each significant character, and I wish we had more time. But isn't that one of the main themes-- using the time you have to make the biggest impact? I was pulled in many different directions this season, expecting different outcomes and then being surprised when things came back around to the original expectations. Sigh. It was quite a ride.



36. 6/5/21
(Amazon)
DAMN, that was amazing. I'm thankful to learn about Ma Rainey, and while I don't have experience really listening to the blues, I think I need to spend some time exploring her old recordings. The performances in this film were beyond outstanding- Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman especially made you see nothing but them on that screen. I did not expect the ending to play out the way it did, and I was definitely left wanting more.



35. 5/30/21
(Season 2, NBC)
I'm bummed that I didn't share my prediction outline of the season finale with Hubby before we watched, because I'm pretty sure it would have hit upon every single major aspect of the episode. Yes, this show is pretty predictable and super sentimental, and not every performer has a voice I am interested in hearing in song, but I can't help but enjoy the hell out of these episodes. It's a fun show and I don't expect more from it than a couple chuckles and some catchy tunes accompanied by innovative choreography. I get exactly what I expect each time.



34. 5/28/21
(Season 3, Hulu)
While I was disappointed that the show was coming to an end with this season, I'm eerily satisfied by the fact that the ending is just like any realistic point in one's life-- some things are good, some things are not so good, and there's always room for more story. Aidy Bryant continues to be an incredible actor in this role, even if Annie isn't the best person out there. If the series had ended with neatly placed bow on all aspects of Annie's life that have been explored-- romantic relationships, enduring friendships, workplace performance-- it would have felt completely out of character for the show. Instead, we're left wanting more, but knowing that Annie is in a place that is familiar for her-- uncertainty. 



33. 5/27/21
(Amazon Prime)
Another 'weird movie' night, only this time it was just us and the F-Ks, so we watched together in their backyard. Dang, I'm so glad that I didn't have to type all my commentary into a chat box during this flick, because there was a whole hell lot of it. This was bizarre and funny and terrible, all at the same time. But mostly terrible, in the way that we groaned and laughed together at just how terrible it truly was.



32. 5/20/21
(Amazon Prime)
Our "weird movie group" got back together this week to watch this flick, that somehow I don't remember hearing anything about when it came out a couple years ago. I quite liked this roller coaster of a movie, even with a fairly slow part in the middle. Darkly funny, and a just perfect level of absurdity. Only afterward did I find out that it was based on a real person, though it seems that the filmmakers opted to make the movie Frank have some sort of mental health challenge-- or some undescribed condition-- while the real-life Frank was simply playing a character. 



31. 5/19/21
(Seasons 1 & 2, Hulu)
Woah, somehow this is both an entertaining show and one that makes me cringe and question my own parenting approaches. Over the course of these two seasons, there are many ups and downs for both Paul and Ally, the two parental protagonists, but Paul's development is the hard one to watch. Dude needs some help, yet he's also incredibly relatable. The actors portraying their kids in the second season are quite talented, too. I really hope this gets the green light for a third season, because there's so much story to tell.



30. 5/11/21, 5/23/21
(Seasons 1-4, Hulu)
Okay, I'm officially obsessed with Josh Thomas. I first discovered him via a FB ad for his current show, Everything's Gonna Be Okay, of which I binged the first season and am now waiting each week for the latest installment. But then I moved to his first sitcom, and after I finished watching all 32 episodes, I immediately started over at the beginning. *OBSESSED* I love everything about this guy- his voice, his ridiculous giggle, his comebacks, his witty delivery, everything. Is this sitcom perfect? No, there are some elements that make me cringe at times, but I can't help but embrace the messy way it portrays mental health, LGBT issues, and the young adult years. It's fucking brilliant.



29. 4/24/21
(Netflix)
In a mere twelve minutes, this animated short left me bawling. With no spoken dialogue, this devastating story is communicated visually and accompanied by soaring music, and it is heartbreaking. I can't even begin to imagine how real this tale is for so many families.



28. 4/22/21
(Amazon)
Okay, this was also a good fit for the weird movie genre, although in a different way than most of the others. I'd heard of the name of this movie before, but had zero knowledge of the content. Damn, this was not what I expected... the dark comedic nature of this film was appealing, and while it was pretty predictable what would happen in the end, seeing as they dropped a TON of hints, it was still quite a ride to watch it all play out. What a weird and wacky time.



27. 4/14/21
(Hulu)
Um, this movie was... A LOT. I definitely had loud outbursts at some scenes, because even when you know something is likely to happen, not knowing just exactly when it's going to happen still leaves you vulnerable. There was a sweetness to this flick, which sounds ridiculous to say about a movie that features randomly exploding 17-year-olds, but it's nevertheless true. I'd never heard of the book, but now I want to read it to see how it compares. (It's always an interesting experiment when I see a movie first!) Quirky, woke, rebellious teens are my favorite YA fare characters, and this was chock-full of them. Weird, but fun. And definitely GROSS.



26. 4/12/21
(Netflix)
When I think about all the holes in my education about our country's history, I often think about the lives, experiences, and contributions of people from marginalized populations-- Black, brown, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+, Asian-American, and Pacific-Islander folx, but not enough do I consider disabled people. After watching this documentary, I wish I had known more about the Disabled Rights Movement when I was younger, both the history and the parts of the movement that were happening during my own young adult life. I need to know more about what's happening right now, and I need to be a much, much, much better ally for disabled people. This documentary was so moving and powerful, and I loved seeing people with characteristics like my own family members on the screen. I wish I knew more about my own uncles' and sister's experiences. I need to be more involved in their lives.



25. 4/6/21
(Hulu)
A documentary about comedians focused on the female comic experience? Sign me the fuck up. I was intrigued by the concept and pleased with the product. So many familiar faces here, and a few-to-me ones, and I was surprised by how many female comics who didn't appear in interviews for the film. I wanted even more when it was over, with even more of the comedians who have entertained me over the years. I'm not sure that this documentary had any shattering epiphanies about gender or race or any other identity, but it was a fun ride to go along on.



24. 4/1/21
Horse Girl
(Netflix)
What started out as a seemingly perfect fit for our 'weird movie' viewing society, soon turned into a much more serious and and heavy film exploration into mental illness. I think. Or, it could have been a straightforward alien abduction story, with a more lighthearted and wacky tone, but my gut says the previous is more likely, which actually makes me regret some of the jokes I made earlier in the viewing. I don't want to go into too many details, because this is one you should definitely go into without knowing much of anything, but I would advise viewers to keep a more serious outlook.





23. 3/29/21
(Netflix)
I first saw this film in 2013, after reading the book the year before, and I enjoyed it this time around just as much as the first. Enjoy is an interesting term to use, though, because so much of this story is painful, and it was especially challenging watching it next to my 14-year-old who is struggling right now and felt a real connection to the troubled protagonist. So maybe 'enjoyed' isn't exactly it, but I did appreciate the realism of the story and the incredible performances. 



22. 3/28/21
Superstore
(Seasons 1-6, NBC)
We watched this one in 'real-time' as it aired on TV, or more specifically from our DVR recordings, for all six seasons. I think I recall it being pretty basic in the very beginning, but it did grow into a more thoughtful comedy, tackling real-world issues in its plots, but keeping a regular level of ridiculousness for genuine laughs. A couple episodes leading up to the two-part finale got under my skin, I have to admit, with some outbursts of "C'MON, ALREADY", but the finale really turned it all around for me. This ensemble worked so damn well together. I'll miss this one!



21. 3/25/2021
(Netflix)
Weird Movie Club selection this week and I quite enjoyed it-- weird enough, but still had a discernible plot. I'm not sure what to take from this examination of marriage, except that the featured 'weekend getaway' is not one that I want to be taking, because as good as it might be from one perspective, I'm afraid of what we'd find out about ourselves! The ending was somewhat expected, but still threw me for a loop thinking about the long-term implications. 



20. 3/17/21
(Netflix)
The 14-year-old watched this on her own while we were traveling in Florida earlier this month, and she declared it the "best movie ever, because it really makes you think." How could I not watch it with her when requested? I remember when this came out a couple years ago that I was interested in seeing it, and it definitely was very well crafted, but damn, it was not an easy viewing. 



19. 3/15/21
(Hulu)
When I saw the trailer for this, I kinda expected it to be a collection of clips about Hollywood teens in the 90s that would still hold some universality of what it meant to be a kid at that time, but it was really more of a snapshot of the specificity of growing up as teen in show business, and even more specifically in Soleil Moon Frye's inner circle. It's hard to not see this as more than a vanity project, especially as its release was timed to coincide with SMF's reboot of Punky Brewster. All that to say, it was a fun peek into the behind-the-scenes of actors I grew up watching, along with a darker side to their lives that I definitely did not have in common as a teen. 



18. 3/8/21
(Season 1, Netflix)
Ugh. I watched this season in fits and starts while we were traveling via RV for ten days. During that time, we also had this ridiculously huge bag of Skittles. I would grab a handful of the Skittles at times and eat them, momentarily enjoying the sweetness and tartness, and then realize that they actually aren't all that fantastic. Yet, I'd still grab another handful, because they were there. After a while, I'd acknowledge that the Skittles were going to make me sick... were currently making me sick, yet somehow I'd find my hand back in the bag again. Emily in Paris is a big-ass bag of Skittles, and even though it was making me sick, I watched all 10 episodes because they were there, and I needed a distraction. Don't bother.



17. 2/27/21
(Season 8, Amazon Prime)
When this series originally aired in the 90s, Hubby and I loved every minute-- a young couple, early in their relationship, dealing with all the things that young couples deal with. It was right there with us, even if we weren't a young couple living in NYC. When they announced the revival for 2019, and the premise was that Paul and Jamie's kid was leaving home for college, it was again right at the same stage as us, with our 19-year-old kid pursuing the next steps in his life. It got back-burnered for whatever reason, and I watched the season now on my own, and I was almost immediately disappointed. Was the show always this bad? Was Jamie always this unbearable and obnoxious? Was the series always such a simple attempt at cheap laughs? Well, not sure if I should go back and rewatch the original or not, because I'm not sure I'm ready to be disappointed again... but, this round? Nope, this was just awful. 



16. 2/18/21
An Evening with Beverly Luff Lin
(Netflix)
Another "Viewing Society" flick, and damn, this one absolutely fit the weird bill. But, it was weird in a really comical way, not in a WHAT WORLD ARE WE EVEN IN kind of way, like some of the others. I appreciated the performances, and I definitely laughed a lot, even when there was utter ridiculousness on the screen. I'd recommend this one after a drink or three, and be ready to guffaw at Craig Robinson's guttural utterances!



15. 2/11/21
(Netflix)
This musical short was really enjoyed by our group as a whole, but I didn't really dig the music and while the choreography was interesting, the film as a whole didn't grab me. I think I was looking for a straight-line narrative and couldn't follow what was actually going on. It was neat to look at, I guess, but it didn't hold my attention, and 15 minutes felt like a whole lot more.



14. 2/11/21
Some time ago, our friend (who also happens to be the mastermind behind our 'viewing society') tried to get us to watch this short film made by David Lynch. Now, I know the name David Lynch, and I'm pretty sure that he made Twin Peaks, but having never seen that, I don't have a real sense of what his work is all about. If this short film is indicative of his other work, I now definitively know that I have ZERO desire to watch any of his work at all. This was 17 minutes of my life that I will never get back, and that is a great shame, because those 17 minutes could have been spent watching my fish swim around the aquarium, which would have been infinitely more fun than watching David Lynch engage in the world's most bizarre conversation with a monkey who had DL's own mouth superimposed on his face. Yeah, you read that correctly. This was a big old NOPE for me.



13. 2/11/21
(Netflix)
At just 12 minutes long, this short introduced the beginning of what seemed to be a compelling story about a suicidal sheep that is given an intervention in the form of a "cosmos laundromat" experience, but right when something would have been revealed, it ends with an indication that there would be more to come in part two. But, tricked ya, part two wasn't meant to be. I'm not sure why, but the project was eventually scrapped, and the result is that I'm left here wondering what was supposed to happen when the depressed sheep's strange, colorful, dryer-like machine's timer went off. Was this a metaphor on mental health treatments? We'll never know, and honestly, I'm disappointed!



12. 2/11/21
(YouTube)
This week's viewing society movie night involved four movie shorts, starting with this 14 minute film from 1902, the earliest science fiction film made. I knew of this film from a side plot in the movie Hugo, which I highly recommend for fantastic family viewing, and it was fun to see what it really looked like. The version we saw was hand-colored at some point after it was originally created, and that made it even wackier than it would have been in black and white. And wacky it was... definitely a colonialist viewpoint of traveling to a new place and interacting with the native population! This was truly a unique movie viewing experience.



11. 2/4/21
(Netflix)
This was our "weird" movie for the week, and while I was excited to see it based on the trailer, I was actually disappointed by the end of this roller coaster of a flick. It wasn't "weird" in the same sense as some of the other Athens Viewing Society films. I would say it had more of an indie feel to it, and it started strong. But then it went off the rails with a side story that was misogynistic and left super unresolved, and that screen time was cringingly painful. The main story line was intriguing and fun... until it wasn't. There were some odd puzzle pieces that were never explained, and then came the ending. Jeez, that was fucking lazy. Yeah, this wasn't a win for me.



10. 2/2/21
(Netflix)
I needed a distraction to watch during my lunch break, and this fit the bill perfectly. I quite like Wolf's joke construction and delivery, and she isn't afraid to go into dark places... sex... abortion... otter rape. Yeah, that's apparently a thing, and she made me laugh uncomfortably about it. Recommend this for some laughs and to watch how tons of people used to cram into theaters-- sitting right next to fucking strangers-- all in the name of entertainment. 



9. 1/28/21
(Amazon Prime)
Another wacky movie with my wacky friends, but this time it was one that I suggested. And damn if it wasn't exactly perfect for a weird-ass movie movie night. The just-about square ratio on screen and the fact that it's in black and white were the least strange aspects about this film that explored results of extreme isolation. The performances were beyond fucking stellar-- Dafoe and Pattinson were perfectly bizarre and from what I've read about the filming, they went above and beyond what should be expected of an actor. This was not a lighthearted or fun movie in any way, but I really quite enjoyed the whole presentation of it while trying to figure it out.



8. 1/26/21
(Netflix)
In just a matter of minutes, this animated short had my tears flowing. What a tender and emotive piece on love and loss, and without any dialogue either! Everything is conveyed through expression and score, and it's really quite beautiful. 



7. 1/25/21
(Seasons 1-4, Netflix)
Okay, so this show didn't start off too well for me... we watched the first episode with friends online, and Hubby was absolutely mortified by the graphic nature of it, since it involved kids, albeit animated ones. I was a little leery of it, but I picked it up again a short time later and binged the rest of it on my own. Damn if it isn't the wackiest combination of scatalogical humor, bizarre animated nudity, and truly spot-on assessments of the hardships of adolescence. I loved it all. There's true brilliance among the cast, and I can't wait for the next season!



6. 1/21/21
(Netflix)
Another AVS group watch, and this one was less unconventionally weird, and just plain old Coen Brothers weird. I had thought it came out longer ago than it actually did (2016), and I'm happy that we watched it, because it was visually a ton of fun and the characters were wacky and perfectly performed. There was a lot going on but seemingly, in the end, very little actual plot? I'm not sure what the whole point of the kidnapping was, but in total, I had a grand time watching.



5. 1/9/21
(Netflix)
Apparently this was widely panned by critics, but I found myself laughing enough to call it entertaining. The stereotypical characters giving their perspectives on the dumpster fire that was 2020 were predictable, but the performances still had me chuckling, especially Leslie Jones' blunt and profane behavioral psychologist. 



4. 1/7/21
(Netflix)
A group of friends have begun a "viewing society" in which we will watch weird or artsy flicks, and this was our first group pick. Damn, did it ever live up to the weird status. Charlie Kaufman is the reason for the weirdness. While the vast majority of the group thought this was 134 minutes of sheer torture, I actually kinda loved it. It was so freaking weird and you never knew what was coming next. I wanted to make sense of it all, but I was okay waiting until the adventure was over to try to read whatever I could find on it all. For the time being, I was along for the ride. Apparently, if you're familiar with the musical Oklahoma!, you'll be several steps ahead of me in the understanding of it all. 



3. 1/4/21
(Season 3, Amazon Prime)
The fact that Hubby and I forgot about this season for a while after it premiered says one thing, then the fact that we actually started it and forgot again says even more. Something changed from the magic of the first season and the charm and humor of the second, and this third season was too full of drawn-out, repetitive jokes and painful dialogue exchanges. I know there's a fourth season in the making now, and I'm sure we'll watch it to see what happens next, but if it's going to keep being like this, I hope they continue with a small number of episodes per season.



2. 1/3/21
(Amazon Prime)
Quiet and lovely, this was a beautiful film about first loves and dreams, and how both can be so elusive to hold on to. I enjoyed the character development here- also quiet and slow, reflective and emotional. There's pain here, inflicted on and by the main characters, and so much a result of the time and place they find themselves in. This was perfect for a Sunday afternoon viewing on my own.



1. 1/2/21
(Amazon Prime)
Woah, what a way to start off a year! When I saw it recommended, someone said that they were surprised that they enjoyed it, and I'm in the very same boat. A movie about a wrestling family? Yeah, not so much in my entertainment wheelhouse, but I actually loved this completely. We watched it with the 13-year-old, who also enjoyed it, so I can even say it's a family-friendly flick for those with young teens!


 
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