🚫👻🥶 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - I’m a huge fan of Ghostbusters, and avoided spoilers since last week’s release of this latest instalment in the franchise, to wait until I had my sons with me and we could watch it all together. Today was that day. We all enjoyed the movie very much. A nice mix of the new team and the originals. I’m pleased we’re post-Gozer now, and I wouldn’t welcome the return of Vigo. The new big bad, Garakka is happily free of all the existing GB mythology. The team don’t exactly drop loads of ghosts in this one, but Phoebe’s storyline, and in a way Trevor’s, shows the sort of interactions between humans and ghosts that you’d sometimes see in the 80s cartoon. Sometimes they had to know when not to fire out a particle stream and throw down a ghost trap. Not my favourite in the series, not the worst - a welcome addition - fantastic opening sequence. Lovely stuff with Ray. And great to see what Winston’s been up to since Afterlife… go see it. Take all your friends and family - I want more Ghostbusters movies so we need this one to make a shit-ton of cash for Sony.
🪦 After Life - following a recommendation from one of my readers, I’ve tuned into this one on Netflix. I quite like that Ricky Gervais tends to make capsules of programs that stick around for 2-3 seasons and don’t outstay their welcome. I’m 2 seasons in, starting the third. Very emotional stuff wrapped up with some good fun. It doesn’t all land right for me. Season one had a couple of elements that seemed tonally off and one in particular seemed to have no real consequences, to the point it might as well not have happened. Overall a good show so far though.
🖥️ The Office (US) update - I finished all 9 seasons! I was really pleasantly surprised by this show. I’m always wary of US remakes of U.K. shows and movies, but this one became its own thing. There were a few key series moments that were surprisingly emotional (especially in late season 7 - IYKYK). I have a feeling this will become another Friends for me - every few years I might get a sudden urge to rewatch the lot.
Like a lot of great series, it started so well... then went downhill, as I recall. Still willing to give it another go, however, as it was stunning stuff.
And some series/season finales just suck. (What were the even thinking when they ended Penny Dreadful, for example?? Actually, I think they just ran out of ideas/time/money, because that really was 'dreadful'.)
I am hoping I'll see something different with Westworld, this time round, but I am not absolutely convinced. I'll let you know about it when I get that far! Still on Season 1 at the moment... life keeps getting in the way :-( xXx
I'm hooked on the re-run of Westworld. Again. And Mare of Easttown (both on Sky Atlantic.
Got a few films recorded to catch up with, including Quatermass And The Pit, and Dr Terror's House of Horrors (both recently on Legend (on Sky, UK)
And... That's TV2 are showing a blast from the past in the shape of the Kenny Everett Video Show. You have to be... ahem... a certain age to remember that first time round (which I am 😂) but seeing things like Gary Numan when he was a 'new' artist, catching the Boomtown Rats right at the start of their career, and other greats like Thin Lizzy in their heyday is very, very nice. All done in the best possible taste, of course. ( Fans of Cupid Stunt will know what I mean by that...). Worth it just to see a leather clad Freddie Mercury pouring a can of lager on the floor, then wrestling Kenny (as Sid Snot) to the ground. I am easy pleased in some ways, it seems.
I remember Kenny Everett, but was probably a bit too young to catch the show. I saw him on various other things. I really enjoyed Westworld when it started up, but by the end of season 2 I'd checked out. I thought that season 2 finale was awful. Is it worth me going back to it for Season 3, do you think?
Just a quick hi, and to say, as predictably as ever, 'life' has encroached on my TV time ! I am stuck on a total of 1 episode watched of Season 2 of Westworld I'm afraid, so can't yet tell you if it's worth a bit more of your time! As soon as 'stuff' stops demanding stupid amounts of my time, hopefully I'll get the rest of Season 2 (and further?) watched.
I'm not even really reading. It's insane (as, apparently, I am. Well, not technically, but I'm definitely getting there. Hey ho.) But I'm hoping for a respite from all the things still left to sort out. Who would have thought it. It's difficult enough starting 2024 as a newly made widow, but this has become such an uphill struggle. Far too many things still needing to be sorted, and I'm admitting I'm knackered, now. The grief is still terrible, and the practical stuff is a million times harder when you're exhausted. Sorry, don't mean to be a downer. Hopefully a new month will be a bit brighter in every way.
Keep cracking on with your Essay and your writing! You are amazing to be achieving so much. Have a great Easter xXx
Thank you for the kind words about the essay and writing:
You’ve been through so much, haven’t you? Who could have the mental bandwidth to focus on trivial things when the pain is still very sharp? Just try to be patient with yourself, and the mind’s ability to heal. Hopefully the sharper edges of the grief will start to blunt a little more each passing week. The books and TV shows will still be there when you’re ready to turn to them.
If you feel up to it, try a page tonight before lights out. And the same tomorrow. And each night. End the day with a little trip into another world, since this one’s not been too kind of late. Next week you’ll be on a new chapter, or a new story, and then another. And then another.
🗾 Shogun - I read James Clavell's epic novel of the same title about 18 years ago and adored the tale of the English sailor who learns to operate and survive in feudal Japan. There was a TV miniseries in the 70s/80s starring Richard Chamberlain and it was pretty good. Hulu/Disney have put a new series together based on the novel and I'm 3 episodes in at time of posting. It is excellent. Very immersive. And Hiroyuki Sanada is, as always, utterly magnetic.
👻🚫❄ - And of course you know what I'm planning to watch by the end of this month... gotta wait for the weekend after release, though, so I can watch it with my boys!
💰 Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - a bleak tale of a robbery gone wrong. Philip Seymour Hoffman is pretty much at a career best here. Ethan Hawke is great too, and Marisa Tomei is brilliant, and let's be fair, smoking hot. Relentlessly dark and definitely worth watching. Remember when not every movie was about superheroes?
Note: this movie has the bad guy from Moon Knight, and 2 different versions of Peter Parker's Aunt May in it... so it may not be about superheroes, but Marvel sure made use of the cast!
👨💼 The Office (US) - continuing to watch The Office. I'm up to season 6 now. It's easy watching in stolen 20 minute slots when I need a break from work or study.
🛸 Rick and Morty - I'm catching up with the last couple of seasons of this belter of a show. Not sure what to expect from the latest season. I think the voice actors changed, or the main guy left or something. Anyway, I'm just rewatching some of the last episodes I watched, and moving into the stuff I missed after that...
🚫👻🥶 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - I’m a huge fan of Ghostbusters, and avoided spoilers since last week’s release of this latest instalment in the franchise, to wait until I had my sons with me and we could watch it all together. Today was that day. We all enjoyed the movie very much. A nice mix of the new team and the originals. I’m pleased we’re post-Gozer now, and I wouldn’t welcome the return of Vigo. The new big bad, Garakka is happily free of all the existing GB mythology. The team don’t exactly drop loads of ghosts in this one, but Phoebe’s storyline, and in a way Trevor’s, shows the sort of interactions between humans and ghosts that you’d sometimes see in the 80s cartoon. Sometimes they had to know when not to fire out a particle stream and throw down a ghost trap. Not my favourite in the series, not the worst - a welcome addition - fantastic opening sequence. Lovely stuff with Ray. And great to see what Winston’s been up to since Afterlife… go see it. Take all your friends and family - I want more Ghostbusters movies so we need this one to make a shit-ton of cash for Sony.
🪦 After Life - following a recommendation from one of my readers, I’ve tuned into this one on Netflix. I quite like that Ricky Gervais tends to make capsules of programs that stick around for 2-3 seasons and don’t outstay their welcome. I’m 2 seasons in, starting the third. Very emotional stuff wrapped up with some good fun. It doesn’t all land right for me. Season one had a couple of elements that seemed tonally off and one in particular seemed to have no real consequences, to the point it might as well not have happened. Overall a good show so far though.
🖥️ The Office (US) update - I finished all 9 seasons! I was really pleasantly surprised by this show. I’m always wary of US remakes of U.K. shows and movies, but this one became its own thing. There were a few key series moments that were surprisingly emotional (especially in late season 7 - IYKYK). I have a feeling this will become another Friends for me - every few years I might get a sudden urge to rewatch the lot.
Like a lot of great series, it started so well... then went downhill, as I recall. Still willing to give it another go, however, as it was stunning stuff.
And some series/season finales just suck. (What were the even thinking when they ended Penny Dreadful, for example?? Actually, I think they just ran out of ideas/time/money, because that really was 'dreadful'.)
I am hoping I'll see something different with Westworld, this time round, but I am not absolutely convinced. I'll let you know about it when I get that far! Still on Season 1 at the moment... life keeps getting in the way :-( xXx
I'm hooked on the re-run of Westworld. Again. And Mare of Easttown (both on Sky Atlantic.
Got a few films recorded to catch up with, including Quatermass And The Pit, and Dr Terror's House of Horrors (both recently on Legend (on Sky, UK)
And... That's TV2 are showing a blast from the past in the shape of the Kenny Everett Video Show. You have to be... ahem... a certain age to remember that first time round (which I am 😂) but seeing things like Gary Numan when he was a 'new' artist, catching the Boomtown Rats right at the start of their career, and other greats like Thin Lizzy in their heyday is very, very nice. All done in the best possible taste, of course. ( Fans of Cupid Stunt will know what I mean by that...). Worth it just to see a leather clad Freddie Mercury pouring a can of lager on the floor, then wrestling Kenny (as Sid Snot) to the ground. I am easy pleased in some ways, it seems.
I remember Kenny Everett, but was probably a bit too young to catch the show. I saw him on various other things. I really enjoyed Westworld when it started up, but by the end of season 2 I'd checked out. I thought that season 2 finale was awful. Is it worth me going back to it for Season 3, do you think?
Just a quick hi, and to say, as predictably as ever, 'life' has encroached on my TV time ! I am stuck on a total of 1 episode watched of Season 2 of Westworld I'm afraid, so can't yet tell you if it's worth a bit more of your time! As soon as 'stuff' stops demanding stupid amounts of my time, hopefully I'll get the rest of Season 2 (and further?) watched.
I'm not even really reading. It's insane (as, apparently, I am. Well, not technically, but I'm definitely getting there. Hey ho.) But I'm hoping for a respite from all the things still left to sort out. Who would have thought it. It's difficult enough starting 2024 as a newly made widow, but this has become such an uphill struggle. Far too many things still needing to be sorted, and I'm admitting I'm knackered, now. The grief is still terrible, and the practical stuff is a million times harder when you're exhausted. Sorry, don't mean to be a downer. Hopefully a new month will be a bit brighter in every way.
Keep cracking on with your Essay and your writing! You are amazing to be achieving so much. Have a great Easter xXx
Thank you for the kind words about the essay and writing:
You’ve been through so much, haven’t you? Who could have the mental bandwidth to focus on trivial things when the pain is still very sharp? Just try to be patient with yourself, and the mind’s ability to heal. Hopefully the sharper edges of the grief will start to blunt a little more each passing week. The books and TV shows will still be there when you’re ready to turn to them.
If you feel up to it, try a page tonight before lights out. And the same tomorrow. And each night. End the day with a little trip into another world, since this one’s not been too kind of late. Next week you’ll be on a new chapter, or a new story, and then another. And then another.
🗾 Shogun - I read James Clavell's epic novel of the same title about 18 years ago and adored the tale of the English sailor who learns to operate and survive in feudal Japan. There was a TV miniseries in the 70s/80s starring Richard Chamberlain and it was pretty good. Hulu/Disney have put a new series together based on the novel and I'm 3 episodes in at time of posting. It is excellent. Very immersive. And Hiroyuki Sanada is, as always, utterly magnetic.
👻🚫❄ - And of course you know what I'm planning to watch by the end of this month... gotta wait for the weekend after release, though, so I can watch it with my boys!
💰 Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - a bleak tale of a robbery gone wrong. Philip Seymour Hoffman is pretty much at a career best here. Ethan Hawke is great too, and Marisa Tomei is brilliant, and let's be fair, smoking hot. Relentlessly dark and definitely worth watching. Remember when not every movie was about superheroes?
Note: this movie has the bad guy from Moon Knight, and 2 different versions of Peter Parker's Aunt May in it... so it may not be about superheroes, but Marvel sure made use of the cast!
👨💼 The Office (US) - continuing to watch The Office. I'm up to season 6 now. It's easy watching in stolen 20 minute slots when I need a break from work or study.
🛸 Rick and Morty - I'm catching up with the last couple of seasons of this belter of a show. Not sure what to expect from the latest season. I think the voice actors changed, or the main guy left or something. Anyway, I'm just rewatching some of the last episodes I watched, and moving into the stuff I missed after that...