I watched 54 movies. 16 were re-watches, mostly movies I watched on Halloween. A few were movies like the Evil Dead series, which I re-watched to prepare for the TV series.
5 stars:
Spy
Mad Max: Fury Road
4 1/2 stars:
It Follows
Going Clear
4 stars:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Inside Out
The Convent
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
All Cheerleaders Die
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Man on Fire
What We Do in the Shadows
Under the Skin
Edge of Tomorrow
The Avengers: Age of Ultron
3 1/2 stars:
Starry Eyes
Neighbors
Messiah of Evil
The Heat
Flight
Jen Kirkman: I'm Gonna Die Alone
The Equalizer
3 stars:
The Canal
Would You Rather?
Unfriended
Fast & Furious
2 Fast 2 Furious
Out of Time
Ant-Man
7 Days in Hell
Aziz Ansari Live at Madison Square Garden
2 1/2 stars:
Hocus Pocus
American Mary
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The Boy Next Door
Jupiter Ascending
2 stars:
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2 stars)
1 star:
Pacific Rim (So many people love this movie and I am baffled by it. Same with Jupiter Ascending. I really disliked this movie.)
Re-Watches:
Halloween H20
Halloween
Trick 'r Treat
Halloween 3
The Craft
House on Haunted Hill (1991)
Army of Darkness
Evil Dead II
The Evil Dead
Fast Five
Super Troopers
The Fast and the Furious
Training Day
Inside Man
Wet Hot American Summer
The Fly (Cronenberg)
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Books 2015
I read a total of 107 books this year. 5 were re-reads.
Favorites:
Americanah / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Between the World and Me / Ta-Nehisi Coates
Carry On / Rainbow Rowell
Furiously Happy / Jenny Lawson
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits / David Wong
Rat Queens, vol. 1 / Kurtis J. Wiebe
Rat Queens, vol. 2 / Kurtis J. Wiebe
Rubbernecker / Belinda Bauer
Shadow of Night / Deborah Harkness
Shadowshaper / Daniel Jose Older
The Book of Life / Deborah Harkness
The Cuckoo's Calling / Robert Galbraith
The Girl on the Train / Paula Hawkins
The Magician King / Lev Grossman
The Magician's Land / Lev Grossman
The Magicians / Lev Grossman (re-read)
The Silkworm / Robert Galbraith
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power / Ryan North, Erica Henderson
The Woman Upstairs / Claire Messud
Disappointments:
In a Dark, Dark Wood / Ruth Ware
iZombie, vol. 3 / Chris Roberson, Michael Allred
iZombie, vol. 4 / Chris Roberson, Michael Allred (I enjoyed the first 2 volumes but the second two just fell VERY flat)
Not That Kind of Girl / Lena Dunham (there were a few really funny essays in the beginning, but then the rest, not so much)
The Rest:
A Dance with Dragons / George R.R. Martin
A Dirty Job / Christopher Moore (re-read)
A Discovery of Witches / Deborah Harkness (re-read)
A Feast for Crows / George R.R. Martin
Alive / Scott Sigler
Bones and All / Camille DeAngelis
Bred to Kill / Franck Thilliez
Chew, vol. 9 / John Layman, Rob Guillory
Daredevil: Hell to Pay (v. 1) / Ed Brubaker
Daredevil: Hell to Pay (v. 2) / Ed Brubaker
Dexter is Dead / Jeff Lindsay
Drama / Raina Telgemeier
Forever Evil: Arkham War / Peter J. Tomasi, Scot Eaton
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness / Jon Kabat-Zinn
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic / Alison Bechdel
Genius, vol. 1 / Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman
Ghost House / Clare McNally (re-read)
Ghost House Revenge / Clare McNally (re-read)
Going Clear / Lawrence Wright
Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers / Nick Offerman
Hark! A Vagrant / Kate Beaton
Hawkeye, vol. 1 / Matt Fraction
Hawkeye, vol. 2 / Matt Fraction
Hawkeye, vol. 3 / Matt Fraction
Hawkeye, vol. 4 / Mat Fraction, Francesco Francavilla
iZombie, vol. 1 / Chris Roberson, Michael Allred
iZombie, vol. 2 / Chris Roberson, Michael Allred
Lumberjanes, vol. 1 / Noelle Stevenson
Lumberjanes, vol. 2 / Noelle Stevenson
Ms. Marvel, vol. 1 / G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona
Ms. Marvel, vol. 2 / G Willow Wilson
Ms. Marvel, vol. 3 / G Willow Wilson
Murder / Sarah Pinborough
Persona / Genevieve Valentine
Positive / David Wellington
Runaways, Vol. 1 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Runaways, Vol. 2 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Runaways, Vol. 3 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Runaways, Vol. 4 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Runaways, Vol. 5 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Saga, vol. 4 / Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Saga, vol. 5 / Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Secondhand Souls / Christopher Moore
Sex Criminals, vol. 1 / Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky
Sex Criminals, vol. 2 / Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky
Station Eleven / Emily St. John Mandel
Texts from Jane Eyre / Mallory Ortberg
The anxiety toolkit: strategies for fine-tuning your mind and moving past your stuck points / Alice Boyes
The Girl in the Spider's Web / David Lagercrantz, Stieg Larsson
The Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares / Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, v. 1 / Alan Moore
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, v. 2 / Alan Moore
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up / Marie Kondo
The Motherless Oven / Rob Davis
The Princess and the Pony / Kate Beaton
The queen of distraction: how women with ADHD can conquer chaos, find focus, and get more done / Terry Matlen
The Raven Boys / Maggie Stiefvater
The Reckoning / Sarah Pinborough
The Shadow Cabinet / Maureen Johnson
The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances / Matthew Inman
The Walking Dead, Book 2 / Robert Kirkman (Interestingly enough, Book 1 was on my list of Disappointments last year, but for some reason I decided to give Book 2 a go and then I TORE through the rest.)
The Walking Dead, Book 3 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 4 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 5 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 6 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 7 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 8 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 9 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 19 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 20 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 21 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 22 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 23 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 24 / Robert Kirkman
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act / Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 2 / Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie
The Wicked Girls / Alex Marwood
The Worrier's Guide to Life / Gemma Correll
Thor, Vol. 1: Goddess of Thunder / Jason Aaron
Thor, Vol. 2: Who holds the hammer? / Jason Aaron
Waistcoats and Weaponry / Gail Carriger
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life / Jon Kabat-Zinn
Why Not Me? / Mindy Kaling
X / Sue Grafton
Favorites:
Americanah / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Between the World and Me / Ta-Nehisi Coates
Carry On / Rainbow Rowell
Furiously Happy / Jenny Lawson
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits / David Wong
Rat Queens, vol. 1 / Kurtis J. Wiebe
Rat Queens, vol. 2 / Kurtis J. Wiebe
Rubbernecker / Belinda Bauer
Shadow of Night / Deborah Harkness
Shadowshaper / Daniel Jose Older
The Book of Life / Deborah Harkness
The Cuckoo's Calling / Robert Galbraith
The Girl on the Train / Paula Hawkins
The Magician King / Lev Grossman
The Magician's Land / Lev Grossman
The Magicians / Lev Grossman (re-read)
The Silkworm / Robert Galbraith
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power / Ryan North, Erica Henderson
The Woman Upstairs / Claire Messud
Disappointments:
In a Dark, Dark Wood / Ruth Ware
iZombie, vol. 3 / Chris Roberson, Michael Allred
iZombie, vol. 4 / Chris Roberson, Michael Allred (I enjoyed the first 2 volumes but the second two just fell VERY flat)
Not That Kind of Girl / Lena Dunham (there were a few really funny essays in the beginning, but then the rest, not so much)
The Rest:
A Dance with Dragons / George R.R. Martin
A Dirty Job / Christopher Moore (re-read)
A Discovery of Witches / Deborah Harkness (re-read)
A Feast for Crows / George R.R. Martin
Alive / Scott Sigler
Bones and All / Camille DeAngelis
Bred to Kill / Franck Thilliez
Chew, vol. 9 / John Layman, Rob Guillory
Daredevil: Hell to Pay (v. 1) / Ed Brubaker
Daredevil: Hell to Pay (v. 2) / Ed Brubaker
Dexter is Dead / Jeff Lindsay
Drama / Raina Telgemeier
Forever Evil: Arkham War / Peter J. Tomasi, Scot Eaton
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness / Jon Kabat-Zinn
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic / Alison Bechdel
Genius, vol. 1 / Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman
Ghost House / Clare McNally (re-read)
Ghost House Revenge / Clare McNally (re-read)
Going Clear / Lawrence Wright
Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers / Nick Offerman
Hark! A Vagrant / Kate Beaton
Hawkeye, vol. 1 / Matt Fraction
Hawkeye, vol. 2 / Matt Fraction
Hawkeye, vol. 3 / Matt Fraction
Hawkeye, vol. 4 / Mat Fraction, Francesco Francavilla
iZombie, vol. 1 / Chris Roberson, Michael Allred
iZombie, vol. 2 / Chris Roberson, Michael Allred
Lumberjanes, vol. 1 / Noelle Stevenson
Lumberjanes, vol. 2 / Noelle Stevenson
Ms. Marvel, vol. 1 / G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona
Ms. Marvel, vol. 2 / G Willow Wilson
Ms. Marvel, vol. 3 / G Willow Wilson
Murder / Sarah Pinborough
Persona / Genevieve Valentine
Positive / David Wellington
Runaways, Vol. 1 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Runaways, Vol. 2 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Runaways, Vol. 3 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Runaways, Vol. 4 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Runaways, Vol. 5 / Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona
Saga, vol. 4 / Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Saga, vol. 5 / Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Secondhand Souls / Christopher Moore
Sex Criminals, vol. 1 / Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky
Sex Criminals, vol. 2 / Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky
Station Eleven / Emily St. John Mandel
Texts from Jane Eyre / Mallory Ortberg
The anxiety toolkit: strategies for fine-tuning your mind and moving past your stuck points / Alice Boyes
The Girl in the Spider's Web / David Lagercrantz, Stieg Larsson
The Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares / Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, v. 1 / Alan Moore
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, v. 2 / Alan Moore
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up / Marie Kondo
The Motherless Oven / Rob Davis
The Princess and the Pony / Kate Beaton
The queen of distraction: how women with ADHD can conquer chaos, find focus, and get more done / Terry Matlen
The Raven Boys / Maggie Stiefvater
The Reckoning / Sarah Pinborough
The Shadow Cabinet / Maureen Johnson
The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances / Matthew Inman
The Walking Dead, Book 2 / Robert Kirkman (Interestingly enough, Book 1 was on my list of Disappointments last year, but for some reason I decided to give Book 2 a go and then I TORE through the rest.)
The Walking Dead, Book 3 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 4 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 5 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 6 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 7 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 8 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Book 9 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 19 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 20 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 21 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 22 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 23 / Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead, Vol. 24 / Robert Kirkman
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act / Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 2 / Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie
The Wicked Girls / Alex Marwood
The Worrier's Guide to Life / Gemma Correll
Thor, Vol. 1: Goddess of Thunder / Jason Aaron
Thor, Vol. 2: Who holds the hammer? / Jason Aaron
Waistcoats and Weaponry / Gail Carriger
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life / Jon Kabat-Zinn
Why Not Me? / Mindy Kaling
X / Sue Grafton
Sunday, January 11, 2015
TV 2014: Disappointments
Follow-up from last year's post: the biggie from last year was Agents of SHIELD. I was indeed very disappointed in it and might have stopped watching if not for the fact that after the episode that followed up the events in Captain America Winter Soldier, the show suddenly got pretty good. It's still not as good as I had initially hoped, but it's not something I dread watching.
Also, my note about Downtown Abbey from last year made me giggle a bit because after seeing The Guest, I am All About Dan Stevens.
American Horror Story: Coven and Freak Show
I initially listed this as just Freak Show, but it's really Coven that was the big disappointment. I gave up on Freak Show a few episodes ago and don't plan to go back, but I was kind of meh on it from the beginning of the season. But Coven! OMG. Witches and magic and glorious wonders! It started out pretty good and then just sort of fell apart somewhere. Ah, well, we'll always have season 2, Asylum.
Gotham
I so wanted to like Gotham. I love the Batman universe and I love comic book shows. Plus, Donal Logue? YES, please. And I think if the show had adhered to the original intent, which was to focus on the Gotham PD and a young James Gordon, it would have been better. Instead, they insisted on adding in yet another origin story for Bruce Wayne, which was unnecessary. We know that this show will NEVER be able to actually portray a grownup Bruce Wayne as Batman, so why even have him as a character? And some of the writing and acting was just truly atrocious. Boo.
New Girl
I was a huge 'shipper of Jess and Nick. When they got together, it added a new dimension to the characters and to the show. And when they broke up, I understood why it happened. I have no issues with the fact that the characters didn't stay a romantic couple. However, the reasoning behind Jess breaking up with Nick is why I can't watch the show anymore. In reconciling the differences between the characters, it became clear that Jess was always going to be the adult who would try to compromise and not try to change Nick to fit her standards. But Nick was always going to be the man-child who would never compromise and would just always be a man-child who expected Jess to adjust to him but would never reciprocate. And that made me not like Nick anymore. Which devastates me because I LOVED him so much. I don't object to him being a silly man-child. I object to him never trying to actually be something more, ever.
The Strain
I was so into this show when it started. I loved the books and felt it had a good shot at translating well to being dramatized. But there were quite a few mis-steps in the casting and writing departments. Mostly in the casting of Ephraim and Nora. I quite like Corey Stoll, but somehow he just did not click as Eph. Either he wasn't right for the part or the writing did him no favors, I'm not sure which. And Nora. UGH. The actress was terrible and it just kept getting worse. And her damn mother, ugh. I had to stop watching and doubt I'll ever go back to it.
Also, my note about Downtown Abbey from last year made me giggle a bit because after seeing The Guest, I am All About Dan Stevens.
American Horror Story: Coven and Freak Show
I initially listed this as just Freak Show, but it's really Coven that was the big disappointment. I gave up on Freak Show a few episodes ago and don't plan to go back, but I was kind of meh on it from the beginning of the season. But Coven! OMG. Witches and magic and glorious wonders! It started out pretty good and then just sort of fell apart somewhere. Ah, well, we'll always have season 2, Asylum.
Gotham
I so wanted to like Gotham. I love the Batman universe and I love comic book shows. Plus, Donal Logue? YES, please. And I think if the show had adhered to the original intent, which was to focus on the Gotham PD and a young James Gordon, it would have been better. Instead, they insisted on adding in yet another origin story for Bruce Wayne, which was unnecessary. We know that this show will NEVER be able to actually portray a grownup Bruce Wayne as Batman, so why even have him as a character? And some of the writing and acting was just truly atrocious. Boo.
New Girl
I was a huge 'shipper of Jess and Nick. When they got together, it added a new dimension to the characters and to the show. And when they broke up, I understood why it happened. I have no issues with the fact that the characters didn't stay a romantic couple. However, the reasoning behind Jess breaking up with Nick is why I can't watch the show anymore. In reconciling the differences between the characters, it became clear that Jess was always going to be the adult who would try to compromise and not try to change Nick to fit her standards. But Nick was always going to be the man-child who would never compromise and would just always be a man-child who expected Jess to adjust to him but would never reciprocate. And that made me not like Nick anymore. Which devastates me because I LOVED him so much. I don't object to him being a silly man-child. I object to him never trying to actually be something more, ever.
The Strain
I was so into this show when it started. I loved the books and felt it had a good shot at translating well to being dramatized. But there were quite a few mis-steps in the casting and writing departments. Mostly in the casting of Ephraim and Nora. I quite like Corey Stoll, but somehow he just did not click as Eph. Either he wasn't right for the part or the writing did him no favors, I'm not sure which. And Nora. UGH. The actress was terrible and it just kept getting worse. And her damn mother, ugh. I had to stop watching and doubt I'll ever go back to it.
TV 2014: Odds and Ends
SHOWS THAT ENDED
Boardwalk Empire
The Colbert Report
Sons of Anarchy
Treme
Wilfred
SHOWS THAT WERE CANCELLED
Almost Human
Dallas
Enlisted
Utopia (UK)
The Wil Wheaton Project
Witches of East End
SHOWS I GAVE UP ON
American Horror Story: Freak Show
Being Mary Jane
Black-ish
Black Jesus
The Blacklist
The Bridge
Constantine
Dominion
Elementary
Extant
Gotham
Hemlock Grove
The League
The Lottery
Manhattan
Murder in the First
New Girl
Salem
Scandal
Selfie
Sons of Anarchy
The Strain
Suits
The Tomorrow People
Trophy Wife
The Vampire Diaries
Boardwalk Empire
The Colbert Report
Sons of Anarchy
Treme
Wilfred
SHOWS THAT WERE CANCELLED
Almost Human
Dallas
Enlisted
Utopia (UK)
The Wil Wheaton Project
Witches of East End
SHOWS I GAVE UP ON
American Horror Story: Freak Show
Being Mary Jane
Black-ish
Black Jesus
The Blacklist
The Bridge
Constantine
Dominion
Elementary
Extant
Gotham
Hemlock Grove
The League
The Lottery
Manhattan
Murder in the First
New Girl
Salem
Scandal
Selfie
Sons of Anarchy
The Strain
Suits
The Tomorrow People
Trophy Wife
The Vampire Diaries
TV 2014: Favorite Shows
Okay, this is not a top 10. I could cull it down, but why bother? These were my favorite shows last year (in alphabetical order). If I had to choose a number one, it would most definitely be Hannibal.
The 100
The Americans
Boardwalk Empire
Broad City
Enlisted
Fargo
Getting On
Hannibal
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Penny Dreadful
Please Like Me
Rectify
Review with Forrest MacNeill
Rick and Morty
Shameless
Transparent
You're the Worst
The 100
The Americans
Boardwalk Empire
Broad City
Enlisted
Fargo
Getting On
Hannibal
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Penny Dreadful
Please Like Me
Rectify
Review with Forrest MacNeill
Rick and Morty
Shameless
Transparent
You're the Worst
TV shows watched in 2014
24: Live Another Day (limited series)
The 100
The Affair
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Almost Human
American Horror Story
The Americans
Archer
Arrow
Banshee
Bates Motel
Benched
Bitten
Black Jesus (3 episodes watched)
Blackish (2.5 episodes watched)
The Blacklist
Boardwalk Empire
Bob's Burgers
BoJack Horseman
Broad City
Broadchurch (UK)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
The Colbert Report
The Comeback
Community
Constantine (2 episodes watched)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Dallas
Defiance
Dominion (2 episodes watched)
Downton Abbey
Dr. Who
Drunk History
Elementary
Enlisted
The Eric Andre Show
Extant (1.5 episodes watched)
The Fall
Fargo
The Flash
Game of Thrones
Garfunkel and Oates
Getting On
Girls
The Good Wife
Gotham (3 episodes watched)
Grimm
Hannibal
House of Cards
How to Get Away With Murder
In the Flesh
Inside Amy Schumer
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Justified
Key and Peele
The Knick
Kroll Show
The League
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Leftovers
Looking
The Lottery (1.25 episodes watched)
Louie
Mad Men
Manhattan (5 episodes watched)
Masters of Sex
The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail
The Mindy Project
Moone Boy
Murder in the First (2 episodes watched)
Nathan for You
New Girl
Orange is the New Black
The Originals
Orphan Black
Outlander
Parks and Recreation
Penny Dreadful
Playing House
Please Like Me
Rectify
Review with Forrest MacNeill
Rick and Morty
RuPaul's Drag Race
Salem (2.5 episodes watched)
Scandal
Selfie (1.5 episodes watched)
Shameless
Silicon Valley
Sleepy Hollow
Sons of Anarchy
The Soup
South Park
The Spoils of Babylon (mini-series)
The Strain
Suits
Supernatural
Surviving Jack
Teen Wolf
The Eric Andre Show
The Tomorrow People
Transparent
Trophy Wife
True Detective
Utopia (UK)
The Vampire Diaries
Veep
Vicious
Vikings
The Walking Dead
The Wil Wheaton Project
Wilfred
Witches of East End
You're the Worst
The 100
The Affair
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Almost Human
American Horror Story
The Americans
Archer
Arrow
Banshee
Bates Motel
Benched
Bitten
Black Jesus (3 episodes watched)
Blackish (2.5 episodes watched)
The Blacklist
Boardwalk Empire
Bob's Burgers
BoJack Horseman
Broad City
Broadchurch (UK)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
The Colbert Report
The Comeback
Community
Constantine (2 episodes watched)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Dallas
Defiance
Dominion (2 episodes watched)
Downton Abbey
Dr. Who
Drunk History
Elementary
Enlisted
The Eric Andre Show
Extant (1.5 episodes watched)
The Fall
Fargo
The Flash
Game of Thrones
Garfunkel and Oates
Getting On
Girls
The Good Wife
Gotham (3 episodes watched)
Grimm
Hannibal
House of Cards
How to Get Away With Murder
In the Flesh
Inside Amy Schumer
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Justified
Key and Peele
The Knick
Kroll Show
The League
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Leftovers
Looking
The Lottery (1.25 episodes watched)
Louie
Mad Men
Manhattan (5 episodes watched)
Masters of Sex
The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail
The Mindy Project
Moone Boy
Murder in the First (2 episodes watched)
Nathan for You
New Girl
Orange is the New Black
The Originals
Orphan Black
Outlander
Parks and Recreation
Penny Dreadful
Playing House
Please Like Me
Rectify
Review with Forrest MacNeill
Rick and Morty
RuPaul's Drag Race
Salem (2.5 episodes watched)
Scandal
Selfie (1.5 episodes watched)
Shameless
Silicon Valley
Sleepy Hollow
Sons of Anarchy
The Soup
South Park
The Spoils of Babylon (mini-series)
The Strain
Suits
Supernatural
Surviving Jack
Teen Wolf
The Eric Andre Show
The Tomorrow People
Transparent
Trophy Wife
True Detective
Utopia (UK)
The Vampire Diaries
Veep
Vicious
Vikings
The Walking Dead
The Wil Wheaton Project
Wilfred
Witches of East End
You're the Worst
Friday, January 2, 2015
TV shows I caught up on in 2014
Adventure Time (season 1-4)
Black Mirror (series 1-2)
Drunk History (season 1)
Getting On (season 1)
House of Cards (season 1)
Kroll Show (Season 1)
Moone Boy (season 1)
My Mad Fat Diary (series 1-2)
Nathan For You (season 1)
Please Like Me (season 1)
The In-Betweeners (series 1, ep. 1-3)
The Peter Serafinowicz Show
The Returned (season 1)
The Walking Dead (season 1 rewatch)
The Walking Dead (season 2-4)
Utopia (series 1)
Vikings (season 1-2)
Started watching, carrying over into 2015:
Adventure Time (season 5)
Gravity Falls (season 1)
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (series 1)
The Mighty Boosh (series 1)
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job (season 5)
Re-watching, carrying over into 2015:
Animaniacs (season 1)
Broad City (season 1)
Black Mirror (series 1-2)
Drunk History (season 1)
Getting On (season 1)
House of Cards (season 1)
Kroll Show (Season 1)
Moone Boy (season 1)
My Mad Fat Diary (series 1-2)
Nathan For You (season 1)
Please Like Me (season 1)
The In-Betweeners (series 1, ep. 1-3)
The Peter Serafinowicz Show
The Returned (season 1)
The Walking Dead (season 1 rewatch)
The Walking Dead (season 2-4)
Utopia (series 1)
Vikings (season 1-2)
Started watching, carrying over into 2015:
Adventure Time (season 5)
Gravity Falls (season 1)
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (series 1)
The Mighty Boosh (series 1)
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job (season 5)
Re-watching, carrying over into 2015:
Animaniacs (season 1)
Broad City (season 1)
Movies 2014
I only watched 52 movies this year (including a few re-watches and comedy specials). Movies in bold with asterisks are the ones I saw in the theater. I actually saw one more movie in the theaters than last year!
5 stars:
Frozen
The Guest
*John Wick
4 1/2 stars:
Obvious Child
4 stars:
28 Hotel Rooms
Attack the Block
*Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*The Lego Movie
The One I Love
We Are What We Are
3 1/2 stars:
Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive
The Babadook
Bo Burnham: What
Chelsea Peretti: One of the Greats
The Conjuring
Curtains
Evil Dead
*Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Insidious: Chapter 2
John Mulaney: New in Town
Maniac (2012)
Nick Offerman: American Ham
Non-Stop
*Veronica Mars
*X-Men: Days of Future Past
3 stars:
Blue Ruin
Brave
From Beyond
Good Hair
Jasper Redd: Jazz Talk
The Loved Ones
Lucy
MacGruber
Monkey Shines
MST3K: Touch of Satan
Ninja 2
Slugs
The Pact
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
2 1/2 stars:
The Crush
The Hunger Games
Let's Scare Jessica to Death
2 stars:
Monsters
Frances Ha
Re-watches:
American Psycho
Batman
Candyman
Cannibal: The Musical
Frozen (re-watched twice)
Friday the 13th
Ghostbusters
The Incredibles
5 stars:
Frozen
The Guest
*John Wick
4 1/2 stars:
Obvious Child
4 stars:
28 Hotel Rooms
Attack the Block
*Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*The Lego Movie
The One I Love
We Are What We Are
3 1/2 stars:
Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive
The Babadook
Bo Burnham: What
Chelsea Peretti: One of the Greats
The Conjuring
Curtains
Evil Dead
*Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Insidious: Chapter 2
John Mulaney: New in Town
Maniac (2012)
Nick Offerman: American Ham
Non-Stop
*Veronica Mars
*X-Men: Days of Future Past
3 stars:
Blue Ruin
Brave
From Beyond
Good Hair
Jasper Redd: Jazz Talk
The Loved Ones
Lucy
MacGruber
Monkey Shines
MST3K: Touch of Satan
Ninja 2
Slugs
The Pact
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
2 1/2 stars:
The Crush
The Hunger Games
Let's Scare Jessica to Death
2 stars:
Monsters
Frances Ha
Re-watches:
American Psycho
Batman
Candyman
Cannibal: The Musical
Frozen (re-watched twice)
Friday the 13th
Ghostbusters
The Incredibles
Book Read 2014
I read 99 books this year. 4 were re-reads.
Favorites:
Bad Feminist / Roxane Gay
Best Served Cold / Joe Abercrombie
The First Law series: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings / Joe Abercrombie
Bossypants / Tina Fey
City of Heavenly Fire / Cassandra Clare
City of Lost Souls / Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Angel / Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Prince / Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Princess / Cassandra Clare
Cloud Atlas / David Mitchell
The Demon's Covenant / Sarah Rees Brennan
The Demon's Lexicon / Sarah Rees Brennan
The Demon's Surrender / Sarah Rees Brennan
The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit / Graham Joyce
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club / Genevieve Valentine
Great / Sara Benincasa
Is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns) / Mindy Kaling
Not My Father's Son / Alan Cumming
Oryx and Crake / Margaret Atwood
Some Kind of Fairy Tale / Graham Joyce
Unmade / Sarah Rees Brennan
Unspoken / Sarah Rees Brennan
Untold / Sarah Rees Brennan
Yes Please / Amy Poehler
Disappointments:
Bird Box / Josh Malerman (interesting premise, not well-executed)
California / Edan Lepucki (after all the buzz from my side piece Stephen Colbert, I had high hopes, but this one was just...meh)
Hannibal / Thomas Harris (THE WORST)
The Walking Dead, book one / Robert Kirkman (I'll stick to the show, thankyouverymuch)
The Rest:
A Clash of Kings / George R.R. Martin (re-read)
An Untamed State / Roxane Gay
Attachments / Rainbow Rowell
Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies / Chris Kluwe
Better Nate Than Ever / Tim Federle
Broken Monsters / Lauren Beukes
Cat Getting Out of a Bag and Other Observations / Jeffrey Brown
Catwoman: Relentless / Ed Brubaker
Catwoman: The Dark End of the Street / Ed Brubaker
Catwoman: Wild Ride / Ed Brubaker
Chew, vol. 1 / John Layman (re-read)
Chew, vol. 2 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 3 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 4 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 5 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 6 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 7 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 8 / John Layman
Claymore, vol. 1 / Norihiro Yagi
Claymore, vol. 2 / Norihiro Yagi
Claymore, vol. 3 / Norihiro Yagi
Claymore, vol. 4 / Norihiro Yagi
Contagious / Scott Sigler (re-read)
Dangerous Creatures / Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Drop dead healthy: one man's humble quest for bodily perfection / A.J. Jacobs
Egghead / Bo Burnham
Eleanor and Park / Rainbow Rowell
Fear Itself / Matt Fraction
Flora and Ulysses / Kate DiCamillo
Habibi / Craig Thompson
How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You / Matthew Inman
I Knead My Mommy: and other poems by kittens / Franceso Marciuliano
Infected / Scott Sigler (re-read)
Is it you, me, or adult A.D.D.? : stopping the roller coaster when someone you love has attention deficit disorder / Gina Pera
Lady Oracle / Margaret Atwood
Landline / Rainbow Rowell
Last Seen Leaving / Kelly Braffet
Lock In / John Scalzi
Locke and Key, vol. 6 / Joe Hill
Love Me Back / Merritt Tierce
Marbles / Ellen Forney
Mayhem / Sarah Pinborough
Men Explain Things to Me / Rebecca Solnit
Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage. / Rob Delaney
Mothers who can't love: a healing guide for daughters / Susan Forward
Mr. Mercedes / Stephen King
My Age of Anxiety / Scott Stossel
My Dog: the Paradox / Matthew Inman
Pandemic / Scott Sigler
Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1 / Kelly Sue DeConnick
Saga, vol. 1 / Brian K. Vaughan
Saga, vol. 2 / Brian K. Vaughan
Saga, vol. 3 / Brian K. Vaughan
She-Hulk, vol. 1 / Dan Slott
She-Hulk, vol. 2: Superhuman Law / Dan Slott
Skin Game / Jim Butcher
The Giver / Lois Lowry
The Killer Next Door / Alex Marwood
The Leftovers / Tom Perrotta
The new Jim Crow: mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness / Michelle Alexander
The Power of No / James Altucher
The Shining Girls / Lauren Beukes
The Silent Wife / A.S.A. Harrison
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry / Gabrielle Zevin
This is Water / David Foster Wallace
Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done / Stephan Pastis
Timmy Failure: We Meet Again / Stephan Pastis
We Were Liars / E. Lockhart
Why We Broke Up / Daniel Handler
Favorites:
Bad Feminist / Roxane Gay
Best Served Cold / Joe Abercrombie
The First Law series: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings / Joe Abercrombie
Bossypants / Tina Fey
City of Heavenly Fire / Cassandra Clare
City of Lost Souls / Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Angel / Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Prince / Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Princess / Cassandra Clare
Cloud Atlas / David Mitchell
The Demon's Covenant / Sarah Rees Brennan
The Demon's Lexicon / Sarah Rees Brennan
The Demon's Surrender / Sarah Rees Brennan
The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit / Graham Joyce
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club / Genevieve Valentine
Great / Sara Benincasa
Is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns) / Mindy Kaling
Not My Father's Son / Alan Cumming
Oryx and Crake / Margaret Atwood
Some Kind of Fairy Tale / Graham Joyce
Unmade / Sarah Rees Brennan
Unspoken / Sarah Rees Brennan
Untold / Sarah Rees Brennan
Yes Please / Amy Poehler
Disappointments:
Bird Box / Josh Malerman (interesting premise, not well-executed)
California / Edan Lepucki (after all the buzz from my side piece Stephen Colbert, I had high hopes, but this one was just...meh)
Hannibal / Thomas Harris (THE WORST)
The Walking Dead, book one / Robert Kirkman (I'll stick to the show, thankyouverymuch)
The Rest:
A Clash of Kings / George R.R. Martin (re-read)
An Untamed State / Roxane Gay
Attachments / Rainbow Rowell
Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies / Chris Kluwe
Better Nate Than Ever / Tim Federle
Broken Monsters / Lauren Beukes
Cat Getting Out of a Bag and Other Observations / Jeffrey Brown
Catwoman: Relentless / Ed Brubaker
Catwoman: The Dark End of the Street / Ed Brubaker
Catwoman: Wild Ride / Ed Brubaker
Chew, vol. 1 / John Layman (re-read)
Chew, vol. 2 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 3 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 4 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 5 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 6 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 7 / John Layman
Chew, vol. 8 / John Layman
Claymore, vol. 1 / Norihiro Yagi
Claymore, vol. 2 / Norihiro Yagi
Claymore, vol. 3 / Norihiro Yagi
Claymore, vol. 4 / Norihiro Yagi
Contagious / Scott Sigler (re-read)
Dangerous Creatures / Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Drop dead healthy: one man's humble quest for bodily perfection / A.J. Jacobs
Egghead / Bo Burnham
Eleanor and Park / Rainbow Rowell
Fear Itself / Matt Fraction
Flora and Ulysses / Kate DiCamillo
Habibi / Craig Thompson
How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You / Matthew Inman
I Knead My Mommy: and other poems by kittens / Franceso Marciuliano
Infected / Scott Sigler (re-read)
Is it you, me, or adult A.D.D.? : stopping the roller coaster when someone you love has attention deficit disorder / Gina Pera
Lady Oracle / Margaret Atwood
Landline / Rainbow Rowell
Last Seen Leaving / Kelly Braffet
Lock In / John Scalzi
Locke and Key, vol. 6 / Joe Hill
Love Me Back / Merritt Tierce
Marbles / Ellen Forney
Mayhem / Sarah Pinborough
Men Explain Things to Me / Rebecca Solnit
Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage. / Rob Delaney
Mothers who can't love: a healing guide for daughters / Susan Forward
Mr. Mercedes / Stephen King
My Age of Anxiety / Scott Stossel
My Dog: the Paradox / Matthew Inman
Pandemic / Scott Sigler
Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1 / Kelly Sue DeConnick
Saga, vol. 1 / Brian K. Vaughan
Saga, vol. 2 / Brian K. Vaughan
Saga, vol. 3 / Brian K. Vaughan
She-Hulk, vol. 1 / Dan Slott
She-Hulk, vol. 2: Superhuman Law / Dan Slott
Skin Game / Jim Butcher
The Giver / Lois Lowry
The Killer Next Door / Alex Marwood
The Leftovers / Tom Perrotta
The new Jim Crow: mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness / Michelle Alexander
The Power of No / James Altucher
The Shining Girls / Lauren Beukes
The Silent Wife / A.S.A. Harrison
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry / Gabrielle Zevin
This is Water / David Foster Wallace
Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done / Stephan Pastis
Timmy Failure: We Meet Again / Stephan Pastis
We Were Liars / E. Lockhart
Why We Broke Up / Daniel Handler
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Saturday Double Feature
Last night I watched two movies and I wanted to write up a few quick thoughts about them.
The Guest:
Holy Cousin Matthew!! I never would have recognized Dan Stevens as David (sorry, "David") if I didn't know the actor by name.
I hesitate to say much of the plot. I actually didn't know much about it going in, which sometimes is the best way to see a movie. One thing I will say is that this is not strictly a horror movie, it's more of a thriller (in terms of broad genres). It's a fun little escapist movie where you might find yourself feeling a tad bit too sympathetic towards the bad guy (and he IS bad). In real life, of course, you'd call the police and have him carted off, but in the fun of movie-watching you might rather wish you could have him carted off to your bedroom.
When it was over, I said to myself "That was a great flick." And I mean that in the best way. If you saw "You're Next" and liked it, you'd probably like this one (both from director Adam Wingard). They're both a little throw-back-y and they're both really well done. Of especial note was the '80's synth-y score.
The Babadook:
I had really high hopes for this one. All of the horror nerds were praising it up and down and right and left and it seemed tailor-made for me. Australian horror movie? Creepy house and creepy kid? YES, PLEASE. But maybe I was simply over-saturated with haunted house movies of late. I watched three on Halloween weekend, which wasn't that long ago.
And it's not that this movie is without its charms. I think upon a re-watch I will like it better. Part of the problem was simply that I was so annoyed with the kid in the movie that it took me out of the spooky realm I needed to be in to be captivated and taken away by the horrors. I just wanted him to shut the fuck up already and let his mom get some damn sleep.
Cuz DAMN. That poor mom, Amelia. And I get that the kid is supposed to be annoying. And for once he wasn't annoying in the sense of "shit, that child actor is horrible." The actor did an admirable job. I just couldn't see past it somehow.
Oh, and I cannot BELIEVE I got through the whole movie and did not realize that Amelia was played by the actress Essie Davis, who plays Phryne Fisher on Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Holy fuck. She's so glam as Phyrne and Amelia was the exact opposite (but still fucking gorgeous anyway).
The Guest:
Holy Cousin Matthew!! I never would have recognized Dan Stevens as David (sorry, "David") if I didn't know the actor by name.
I hesitate to say much of the plot. I actually didn't know much about it going in, which sometimes is the best way to see a movie. One thing I will say is that this is not strictly a horror movie, it's more of a thriller (in terms of broad genres). It's a fun little escapist movie where you might find yourself feeling a tad bit too sympathetic towards the bad guy (and he IS bad). In real life, of course, you'd call the police and have him carted off, but in the fun of movie-watching you might rather wish you could have him carted off to your bedroom.
When it was over, I said to myself "That was a great flick." And I mean that in the best way. If you saw "You're Next" and liked it, you'd probably like this one (both from director Adam Wingard). They're both a little throw-back-y and they're both really well done. Of especial note was the '80's synth-y score.
The Babadook:
And it's not that this movie is without its charms. I think upon a re-watch I will like it better. Part of the problem was simply that I was so annoyed with the kid in the movie that it took me out of the spooky realm I needed to be in to be captivated and taken away by the horrors. I just wanted him to shut the fuck up already and let his mom get some damn sleep.
Cuz DAMN. That poor mom, Amelia. And I get that the kid is supposed to be annoying. And for once he wasn't annoying in the sense of "shit, that child actor is horrible." The actor did an admirable job. I just couldn't see past it somehow.
Oh, and I cannot BELIEVE I got through the whole movie and did not realize that Amelia was played by the actress Essie Davis, who plays Phryne Fisher on Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Holy fuck. She's so glam as Phyrne and Amelia was the exact opposite (but still fucking gorgeous anyway).
All that said, I would definitely recommend this movie. Just not as heartily as I would recommend The Guest.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Returning show roundup
And now for some thoughts on returning fall shows and where I'm at with them.
American Horror Story: Freak Show -- I am aware of just how much of a mess this show can be. The first season was very mixed bag, although I mostly enjoyed it. The second season was definitely the peak for me. It had some iffy bits sprinkled throughout, but on the whole, I thought it was quite excellent and the ending was very good. That third season, though. Coven had all the elements for awesome and it just...fizzled. There were a lot of great moments, but nothing cohesive. Not that cohesion is really a thing with Ryan Murphy shows. But I was all set to watch a fourth season and see what he'd cook up.
And...I dunno. There were things I liked about the first episode. That scary clown? OMG. That's one to haunt your nightmares, for sure. Jessica Lange in Marlene Dietrich drag singing Bowie's "Life on Mars?" OMG, yaaaas. The rest? Meh. After a while it all blurs. Things that are supposed to be shocking are just old hat by now. We know all of Murphy's tricks now and nothing is shocking anymore.
The verdict? I will probably watch another few episodes. If something doesn't grab me soon, I'll be out.
Scandal -- Season three kinda lost me. I almost stopped watching but I went back and finished the season. And I was okay with it. Not excited for season four, but not dreading it either. But I watched the premiere and was just...done. If I could watch the show for the five or ten minutes with Mellie, I would. But Olivia and Fitz? They're just gross and horrible and I just can't. Send them off to Vermont so they can make jam and fuck all they want. Quinn and Huck, JUST NO.
The verdict? I'm out. I'll keep an eye peeled for good Mellie gifs, but that's it.
Sons of Anarchy -- This show is just mentally and emotionally exhausting. I already had some thoughts on the season premiere, so I won't re-hash that. But I'm three episodes behind right now because I just can't deal with these characters anymore. I hate them all and I don't care what happens to them.
The verdict? I'm mostly out. I will continue to read Zack Handlen's excellent reviews at the AV Club so I know what's going on, and I will watch the finale, but I doubt I'll watch the other episodes now or ever. I've invested enough time in this story that I want to know how it ends, but that's it.
The Vampire Diaries -- This show. I didn't watch the first season but then I Netflix'd it and watched it up in time for the second, and man, did I love this show. There was a lot to like. And then last season, it just all fell apart. Partly to blame is the continued existence of Bonnie. She was a fine character but they never really gave her anything good to do and she'd just show up and do one thing and save everyone but then go away again. And I suppose that was fine, if boring. But then they killed her off and I was so happy except then she was an annoying ghost and I started hating her more than I loved the show around her. And then there's Caroline, who at one point was my favorite character but then it was like they didn't know what to do with her anymore. Caroline should NEVER be boring, goddammit.
The verdict? I'm out. I didn't watch the fifth season premiere and I likely won't keep up with the show unless someone tells me it gets better.
American Horror Story: Freak Show -- I am aware of just how much of a mess this show can be. The first season was very mixed bag, although I mostly enjoyed it. The second season was definitely the peak for me. It had some iffy bits sprinkled throughout, but on the whole, I thought it was quite excellent and the ending was very good. That third season, though. Coven had all the elements for awesome and it just...fizzled. There were a lot of great moments, but nothing cohesive. Not that cohesion is really a thing with Ryan Murphy shows. But I was all set to watch a fourth season and see what he'd cook up.
And...I dunno. There were things I liked about the first episode. That scary clown? OMG. That's one to haunt your nightmares, for sure. Jessica Lange in Marlene Dietrich drag singing Bowie's "Life on Mars?" OMG, yaaaas. The rest? Meh. After a while it all blurs. Things that are supposed to be shocking are just old hat by now. We know all of Murphy's tricks now and nothing is shocking anymore.
The verdict? I will probably watch another few episodes. If something doesn't grab me soon, I'll be out.
Scandal -- Season three kinda lost me. I almost stopped watching but I went back and finished the season. And I was okay with it. Not excited for season four, but not dreading it either. But I watched the premiere and was just...done. If I could watch the show for the five or ten minutes with Mellie, I would. But Olivia and Fitz? They're just gross and horrible and I just can't. Send them off to Vermont so they can make jam and fuck all they want. Quinn and Huck, JUST NO.
The verdict? I'm out. I'll keep an eye peeled for good Mellie gifs, but that's it.
Sons of Anarchy -- This show is just mentally and emotionally exhausting. I already had some thoughts on the season premiere, so I won't re-hash that. But I'm three episodes behind right now because I just can't deal with these characters anymore. I hate them all and I don't care what happens to them.
The verdict? I'm mostly out. I will continue to read Zack Handlen's excellent reviews at the AV Club so I know what's going on, and I will watch the finale, but I doubt I'll watch the other episodes now or ever. I've invested enough time in this story that I want to know how it ends, but that's it.
The Vampire Diaries -- This show. I didn't watch the first season but then I Netflix'd it and watched it up in time for the second, and man, did I love this show. There was a lot to like. And then last season, it just all fell apart. Partly to blame is the continued existence of Bonnie. She was a fine character but they never really gave her anything good to do and she'd just show up and do one thing and save everyone but then go away again. And I suppose that was fine, if boring. But then they killed her off and I was so happy except then she was an annoying ghost and I started hating her more than I loved the show around her. And then there's Caroline, who at one point was my favorite character but then it was like they didn't know what to do with her anymore. Caroline should NEVER be boring, goddammit.
The verdict? I'm out. I didn't watch the fifth season premiere and I likely won't keep up with the show unless someone tells me it gets better.
New show roundup
Some quick thoughts on new teevee shows and whether or not I will stick with them.
The Flash -- I quite enjoyed this pilot. I think it will make a nice companion to Arrow and the fact that it feels like it might embrace its own silliness a bit more makes it not just a copy of Arrow with different characters. I love Arrow but considering how silly a lot of it is, it's a rather serious show at times. Oliver is more of the "tortured hero" and I think Barry Allen (partly because he's younger) will be a bit more fun.
Likelihood of watching a full season: Most definitely. Unless the quality dips considerably, I'll be sticking with this one.
Gotham -- When I first heard about this one, I was in. A show about a young Commissioner Gordon? Yes, please. But then I watched the pilot and while I mostly enjoyed it, I wasn't completely certain about it. The problem is that it starts out with the familiar killing of Bruce Wayne's parents. I'm just not sure we need to have a young Bruce Wayne in this show every week (although Sean Pertwee as Alfred is ACES). There's no chance we'll ever actually see him as Batman and I'd rather have him be a very minor character, if he has to be there at all. And my initial thoughts about the pilot had me loving Ben McKenzie as Gordon and Donal Logue as his usual awesome self. However, after 3 episodes, I'm not loving McKenzie quite as much. I'm not sure if it's the writing or the acting, but I'm not seeing a lot of range there. Plus, all the women (with the exception of Jada Pinkett Smith, who is a HOOT) are BORING AS FUCK. Well, young Selina Kyle is all right, but she's not a woman. Also, that third episode had the most awful scene at the end where I was just laughing my ass off at how bad the dialogue was. Not good.
Likelihood of watching a full season: At this point, it's not looking as likely as it was before that third episode. I'll give it at least one more, but if there's no real improvement or reason to keep going, I'll just stop watching and wait for people to tell me whether it gets better or not.
How to Get Away With Murder -- I wasn't sure about this show when I first started watching the pilot. It looked like it would just be a case-of-the-week show, which I tend to get bored with after about 2 seasons (see: Castle, Elementary). But after three episodes, it's clear that while there will be a case-of-the-week, there are also a few sub-plots that will likely be running through the entire season. And those sub-plots are intriguing enough that I'll probably keep watching.
Likelihood of watching a full season: Fairly likely, as long as Viola Davis continues to be a compelling character. The other cast around her are fairly dull, with the exception of the blonde lady whose name I don't know (I am terrible with large casts in the early goings of shows). The others are fairly generic.
Black-ish -- I liked the first two episodes this show but actually stopped halfway through the third. I just don't really like family shows. I had the same problem with Trophy Wife. I enjoyed it for the most part, but just didn't really care enough to keep watching.
Likelihood of watching a full season: Not a lot. It's possible I'll revisit it if there's a guest star I'd like to see, but I won't be watching it on a regular basis.
Selfie -- I actually thought the pilot had potential. It was problematic, and I didn't much like Amy Pond having an American accent, but I liked John Cho and I thought the two of them had interesting chemistry. However, I only got through about 8 minutes of the second episode before saying, "Nope."
Likelihood of watching a full season: The thing is, I still think this one has potential. Comedies are just difficult. They sometimes take a while to percolate before they become something good. So if this one sticks around and people tell me it's gotten better, I may go back and revisit it.
The Flash -- I quite enjoyed this pilot. I think it will make a nice companion to Arrow and the fact that it feels like it might embrace its own silliness a bit more makes it not just a copy of Arrow with different characters. I love Arrow but considering how silly a lot of it is, it's a rather serious show at times. Oliver is more of the "tortured hero" and I think Barry Allen (partly because he's younger) will be a bit more fun.
Likelihood of watching a full season: Most definitely. Unless the quality dips considerably, I'll be sticking with this one.
Gotham -- When I first heard about this one, I was in. A show about a young Commissioner Gordon? Yes, please. But then I watched the pilot and while I mostly enjoyed it, I wasn't completely certain about it. The problem is that it starts out with the familiar killing of Bruce Wayne's parents. I'm just not sure we need to have a young Bruce Wayne in this show every week (although Sean Pertwee as Alfred is ACES). There's no chance we'll ever actually see him as Batman and I'd rather have him be a very minor character, if he has to be there at all. And my initial thoughts about the pilot had me loving Ben McKenzie as Gordon and Donal Logue as his usual awesome self. However, after 3 episodes, I'm not loving McKenzie quite as much. I'm not sure if it's the writing or the acting, but I'm not seeing a lot of range there. Plus, all the women (with the exception of Jada Pinkett Smith, who is a HOOT) are BORING AS FUCK. Well, young Selina Kyle is all right, but she's not a woman. Also, that third episode had the most awful scene at the end where I was just laughing my ass off at how bad the dialogue was. Not good.
Likelihood of watching a full season: At this point, it's not looking as likely as it was before that third episode. I'll give it at least one more, but if there's no real improvement or reason to keep going, I'll just stop watching and wait for people to tell me whether it gets better or not.
How to Get Away With Murder -- I wasn't sure about this show when I first started watching the pilot. It looked like it would just be a case-of-the-week show, which I tend to get bored with after about 2 seasons (see: Castle, Elementary). But after three episodes, it's clear that while there will be a case-of-the-week, there are also a few sub-plots that will likely be running through the entire season. And those sub-plots are intriguing enough that I'll probably keep watching.
Likelihood of watching a full season: Fairly likely, as long as Viola Davis continues to be a compelling character. The other cast around her are fairly dull, with the exception of the blonde lady whose name I don't know (I am terrible with large casts in the early goings of shows). The others are fairly generic.
Black-ish -- I liked the first two episodes this show but actually stopped halfway through the third. I just don't really like family shows. I had the same problem with Trophy Wife. I enjoyed it for the most part, but just didn't really care enough to keep watching.
Likelihood of watching a full season: Not a lot. It's possible I'll revisit it if there's a guest star I'd like to see, but I won't be watching it on a regular basis.
Selfie -- I actually thought the pilot had potential. It was problematic, and I didn't much like Amy Pond having an American accent, but I liked John Cho and I thought the two of them had interesting chemistry. However, I only got through about 8 minutes of the second episode before saying, "Nope."
Likelihood of watching a full season: The thing is, I still think this one has potential. Comedies are just difficult. They sometimes take a while to percolate before they become something good. So if this one sticks around and people tell me it's gotten better, I may go back and revisit it.
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