What have I been up to this week? I’m glad you asked…
Watched:
Better Call Saul
Along with its predecessor, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul has been appointment television for years and it’s sad to see the story come to an end. I wasn’t sure if Saul would go out with a bang or a whimper — it could have gone so many different ways — but the conclusion was satisfying. It’s rare for a series finale to make everyone happy, but they did a pretty good job with this one.
Tales of the Walking Dead
I might be the only person who has stuck with the Walking Dead from the beginning, so the concept of this show was definitely intriguing. The premiere episode features Terry Crews and Olivia Munn, two preppers who have survived the zombie apocalypse fairly well until they decide to leave their bunkers. The show was light-hearted and humorous, and definitely did not feel like it existed in the same universe as TWD, but it was a fun little distraction.
The Last Dragon
The 80’s really were a special time–this movie is a gem that is a perfect time capsule of that bonkers decade. Sho’nuff! Stereotypes, samurais, and shurikens, that would make heads explode today. In true 80’s fashion, both lead actors go by just one name, Taimac and Vanity, and you can get a glimpse of a young William H. Macy before he became shameless. And of course, Ernie Reyes, Jr. was also in the mix.
Monster Hunter
Milla Jovovich is such a great action movie star –can we get her to lead a Marvel movie or something? Not a whole lot of plot in this one, but the non-stop action is pretty good. I could have done without Ron Perlman and that wig, but overall this was a fun, non-stop romp of fighting — pretty much the same as watching my kids play the game.
The Lost City
A romance novelist goes to the jungle and seeks ancient treasure — Romancing the Stone, anyone? The Lost City was much better than expected, but the ten minutes with Brad Pitt is really all you need to see. (On a side note, I really wish Hollywood would outlaw plastic surgery.)
Terminal List
It’s taken me a while to get through this series because it’s just a little too dark for a binge. Don’t get me wrong, this is the kind of show that’s right up my alley, but when families and kids get killed, it’s a little harder to “enjoy.” Leave the kids out of it.
Jurassic Park
Rewatched this one for the millionth time, but it was the first time for my 14-year old, and he loved it. As a parent, getting to experience my favorite movies for “their” first time is so much fun, but trying to figure out which movies to show is the challenge.
Pan’s Labyrinth
I’ve never watched this one before and was expecting to see a horror movie filled with that dude with eyeballs in his hands, but instead I got a subtitled Spanish wartime story about a little girl who believes in fairy tales. A thoroughly engrossing movie but again, leave those kids alone — I can’t give you two thumbs up if you hurt the kids — but wow, this one will stick with me for a while.
Grew:
Peppers!
The container plants just keep producing this year. We’re getting lots of Jalapeños and green peppers, along with plenty of tomatoes. There’s nothing better than salsa made from these freshly picked veggies.
Spotted:
Skink!
This guy was just chilling on the porch the other day — an absolute unit, easily the biggest skink I’ve ever seen, and he couldn’t care less that I walked up to him for a picture.
Played:
I got to play another couple of rounds of Brass Birmingham this week. This game was bit of a challenge to learn, but once everything clicked, it became an absolute joy to play. I love it!
Failed:
I tried to join in with the rest of the Game of Thrones fandom to watch the new House of the Dragon series, but my HBOMAX app crashed continually for three hours, so now I ave to avoid Twitter for the day until I can get the app to work.
I watched the first three seasons of Better Call Saul. Such a great show. Will have to catch up on the rest soon. I couldn’t take Walking Dead after Season 7. I do want to watch Season 10 though. Seems like it kept true to the comics. I watched the first two episodes of Tales of the Walking Dead. The first episode was good. I had trouble with the second. Very irritating. Oh well. Can’t win them all.
The Last Dragon!!!!
Sho’nuf!!!
I never made it that far in TWD comics, so this latest season is probably my least favorite. It’s been such a departure from the norm that it feels pretty forced with way too many new characters while the old ones got sidelined. At this point, I feel like I “have” to watch it, not that I “want” to watch it.