runlikejoy

Displaced Stay At Home Californian in rural N. Carolina

The Many Faces of Joy

The Many Faces of Joy

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Losing Count at 22

I am losing count on how many Pandemic posts I have done but if feels like a thousand. That having been said, I will say that there is so much great stuff out there that even if I watched 20 hours of television a week I would not run out of great content. We are enjoying such a wealth of fantastic shows, I many times don't want to choose because they are all so good. 

We have decided to take a break from Anime and Animated shows now that Avatar the Last Airbender is done but I am sure we will start the latest season of My Hero Academia so standby for a review of that in the near future.  Here are some goodies and not so goodies that I spend my last couple of weeks on:

Friends Reunion: HBO Max  Ahhhh Friends. I remember the early 90's, I remember Thursday night Must See TV Lineups, I remember girls grouping together in the dorm that i frequented but did not live in, I remember finding Chandler hysterical but Joey so attractive. I was sad the special reunion show was not longer and that they didn't go in to more back story but I will say that I am no longer attracted to shows about 6 white friends who live in colorful and large NYC apartments and spend tons of time sleeping around with each other. Don't get me wrong, it was good when I was 18 to 21 but then I got a boyfriend, I got a job, I grew up a bit and it lost its appeal. What did you think?

The Kominsky Method: Season 3 Netflix  I love Michael Douglas and always have since the first time I saw him in Romancing the Stone with Kathleen Turner so imagine my delight when Kathleen Turner is featured in the majority of Season 3, husky, smokers rattle and all. This is a great series, funny and heartfelt, witty and hilarious and did I mention that Paul Riser is in it as well? Yes, there is a lot of dying. Yes, it is like Grace and Frankie but for dudes. Yes, I'm starting to reguarly get letters from AARP. But all that aside, I enjoy a show that gives jobs to older actors regardless as to their age and I love when they make me laugh and cry and wish there were more episodes. Not for all ages.

Dear Chelsea: Podcast  What will Chelsea Handler do next? I have to say that this girl has some hustle. She went from a pretty trashy and tabloid infused talk show to writing some chuckle books about her alcohol infused 20's and 30's to doing some stand up, then having a Netflix talk show, then a travel/docu series and now a podcast. It was pretty good - she is trying to help people and do good things. I don't like the calling in portion - too Doctor Drew and is he even a doctor? Anyway - if you like Podcasts, which I generally do not, check it out. Not as good as Fremdlauschen but that is because she hasn't talked about Hilaria Baldwin yet.

Expecting Amy - HBO Max  WOW - I am an Amy Schumer fan but this 3 part docu-series is really really good. It follows Amy and her career and life as she navegates a stand up tour and a highly dangerous pregnancy while struggling with hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition where you vomit throughout your pregnancy and struggle with dehydration. I have to say that if this woman chooses not to ever have children again based on this condition, I will totally understand - I can't believe that she had this condition for a week let alone for 10 months and also she was on a comedy tour with shows at least once a day, sometimes twice. Anyway - this woman is a true comedienne, she tells a joke at the same time she is throwing up, and then she uses the vomit episode as comedy fodder, only a professional could pull that off. Check it out, you will find yourself cringing and laughing at the same time.

Abortion: Stories Women Tell - HBO Max  This documentary packs a punch - very powerful stories told here. Before you freak out and buy an orange vest and take a day off work to go kneel in front of the local Planned Parenthood - take the time to see stories from both sides of the fence and see what those stories sound like, what they have to say and how choices affect the people who make them. I can't judge these women because I am only in charge of myself and I can only make choices that affect myself. These women are brave and strong and made the choices they made and they have to live with those choices. I am happy that these types of documentaries exist because it denotes a cultural change, it means that we can tell these stories and let them rest somewhere, instead of hiding, petrified that someone will find out what we did and we will forever be labeled as "one of those women". Watch it with your sons and daughters, open up dialogue, create safe space. 

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Remakes and Retakes #21

 I was irritated to read today that Another Round which I reviewed in my last blog is being remade with Leonardo Di Caprio playing the role held by Mads Mikkelsen. Why do Americans think that everything has to be remade in a splashy and over the top sort of way? I've already decided it will be crap and I won't watch it. They did this to Force Majeure and remade it into Downhill starring Julie Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell and as much as I love Will Ferrell I can't bring myself to see it. Leave well enough alone and on that note - here are some things you might like to watch or not watch:

Greenland - HBO Max  I love a good apocalyptic, armageddon style end-of-times film. Being raised in an Evangelical faith based environment, this movie is the stuff of dreams and nightmares, fire and brimstone, hell and damnation. I didn't say the film was good but it is entertaining and stars Gerard Butler who had to jump through multiple hurdles to save his wife and child from imminent danger by way of an asteroid hurtling toward earth, breaking up and causing an ice age type destruction that wipes out over 75% of the planet. If you are looking for Oscar type performances, this is not your film but if you are looking for mindless entertainment, look no further.

Wild Mountain Thyme - Hulu  With the Pandemic winding down I have less and less free time and so I really do not like to muddle through a film that is as painful as this one was. Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm and Christopher Walken couldn't pull this script out of the shite as they say in Ireland so let me save you 2 hours and just recommend that you skip this one. HARD PASS. I'd explain what the film is about to give you a picture but it wound around and around and made no sense and I was never able to nail down a plot.

Lucy The Human Chimp - HBO Max  Why do humans think that taking a chimp and raising it as a human child is a good idea?  Why do humans think that missionaries are still something that is needed? Why do humans like to blame others for climate change when they are all basically to blame? This documentary tells the story of 2 morons who tried to raise Lucy the Chimp as a human baby, the disaster that ensued and how someone else had to then take her to Africa and introduce her to the wild and the many years it took for her to become independent, sort of. This film is well done and leaves you with the sense that human beings are mostly idiots but Chimps are amazing. A great film for the whole family!

My Love: 6 Stories of True Love - Netflix  This show is why I watch television. It was beautiful, slow, moving, gentle, lovely and heartfelt. It takes a couple that has been married for many years and tells the story of them, their lives, their work, their children, their struggles and their triumphs.  Each episode is an hour and showcases a story of an American couple, Japanese couple, S. Korean couple, Indian couple, a Brazilian couple and a Spanish couple. Each story has insightful nuance of culture, language and lifestyle and is such a poingnant reminder that finding the right person is such a gift and that growing old together can be a nurturing journey. I would watch this again it was that good.

Movie theaters are open - but before you go, remember to get your vaccine!


Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Camping and #20

 This last weekend we went camping and it was so nice to disconnect and spend 2 days without screens, phones, computers, televisions, radios and all that crap. But guess what? I'm back from camping and here are some new show and movies and crap from the Boob-Tube as my Grandma used to call it for you to waste your life on as we wind our way in to summer and warmer weather.

Won't You Be My Neighbor - HBO  This documentary is about Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, the show and the man behind the show. It is so very good and gentle and soft and comforting. Fred Rogers was a gentle and kind soul who dedicated his life to children and to helping shelter them through the difficult things in the world and in doing so also helped shelter adults through the world as well. And as you watch this documentary you realize that he also comforted and helped himself by helping others. If you don't watch any other documentary films this year, this is the one that helped me and I think it will also help you.

Another Round - Hulu  When I watched this film it had not won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film but obviously it is very good and very depressing. This film stars Mads Mikkelsen who is of my all time favorite actors - he has an actors face and can emote 20 emotions with just one stare, oh and he is HOT but I am getting off track. This movie tells the story of 4 men and how they all approach mid life crisis and the doldrums of life by drinking more and more until something tragic happens. The film was presented to me as an homage to male bonding and a triumphant hurrah by 4 best friends when in actuality it delves in to what happens when you combine a depressant like alcohol with 4 men who are depressed and it made me want to never have another drink as long as I live which isn't really hard since I don't drink. Regardless as to how depressing this film is, it is very well done and worth watching. 

Tina - HBO  One of the things I have discovered about myself during this Pandemic is that I love Rockumentary films - and this one is no exception. You do not have to love Tina Turner to love the story of Tina Turner and this documentary digs in to her early life with Ike Turner and then how she transitioned to a solo artist freeing herself of him in the 80's and early 90's and then her transformation to selling out stadiums and huge concerts until her retirement to France where she currently lives. And there is music and who doesn't love music? Just a warning, if you are triggered by domestic or spousal abuse stories, you will want to avoid this film.

Avatar The Last Airbender - Netflix  After My Hero Academia and Haikyu! the girls convinced us to watch one of their all time favorite cartoon shows and so we gave in. This is the story of Ang, the last Avatar who was frozen for 100 years and comes to help save the world from the evil grasp of the Fire Nation. I have to say that I was skeptical but we are well in to season 2 and I am really enjoying the plot, the animation and the characters and the story line. I am not sure where our anime watching girls will take us after this show but I can say that I am really glad that we have watched the 3 shows that they've recommended to us. I'm not sure they've enjoyed all the shows/movies we have made them sit through however!  

Summer is nearly here - what will you be watching?


Tuesday, April 13, 2021

#19 and Dreams of Summer

 In North Carolina something happens every spring that always is a surprise to me - one day it is 30 degrees and freezing and then the next day is 70 degrees and spring is here. I like to tell the story that when we moved here, the first two or three years I dreaded summer like you dread having to break up with someone or pay your student loan bills but in the last 3 years I have come to eagerly look forward to spring because I know that summer is right around the corner. The thought of warm weather, tank tops, walking in flip flops, swimming pools, watermelon and seeing family is enough to embrace summer in NC no matter how hot, hot muggy or how long. As I enjoy spring, pollen and all, here are some new shows and movies I watched recently.

Ammonite - Hulu  This film is starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, two of my favorite actors, and so I expected more. Don't get me wrong, it is dingy, dirty, cold, unpleasant and stuffy, all the things that I imagine life was like for a working class, poor woman in the 1840's. I hoped for something along the lines of Portrait of A Woman on Fire which if you have not seen, you are missing out! It was ok, the best performance by for to me was by Gemma Jones who plays Molly Anning, the mother of Mary Anning, played by Kate Winslet. She was dry, unpleasant, grouchy, lumbering and irritating and totally perfect. What I did love about this film is that it opens our eyes to what it must have been like to be LGBTQIA in the 1800's, what was life like, how did people live, who were their confidants, how did they survive, where did they go for help? If you are wanting explosions and bombs and action, this is not your film but if you want to see 2 women circumnavigate the patriarchy in more than one way and survive, this is the film for you.

Fleabag - Amazon Prime  OHHHHH BOYYYYYY let me just start by saying that this was the break out show of the year for me and where was I when it came out and when can I see more episodes?  WOW this is a great show and for so many reasons. If Phoebe Waller-Bridge - the actor who plays the main role of Fleabag (she is never named outright as far as I can remember) is not given a Peabody, a Congressional Medal of Honor, A Nobel Peace Price and a Pulitzer Prize then what is the point of doing this kind of work?!?! (Actually Rush Limbaugh got a Congressional Medal of Honor so that award is total crap now but I'm getting off topic) I always say when I watch shows like this, that fiction comes from the retelling of real stories but with the changing of names and places and maybe dates but all great fiction has someone at the root who is not only a great story teller but also great at embellishment. Not for the faint of heart and not for kids but like I said, break out show of the year for me!

Operation Varsity Blues The College Admissions Scandal - Netflix  With a child wrapping up the 11th grade and sights set on college in less than 2 years I knew that I would be angry/pissed off/frustrated after watching this but I had to watch it nonetheless. I will begin with privilege and just put here that all the rich and privileged parents who paid for their children (some academically gifted and some not) to get into top schools around the nation and then served 14 days, 2 months, 4 months, house arrest for using money and influence to put their kids in spots that could have been given to other kids who worked their asses off and were denied - disgusting. I think what made this really disgusting to me is that we had someone high up in our country who coasted off his name and prestige and privilege and basically did nothing and this documentary substantiated how this was made possible and was indicative of something much larger that was wrong in our country - much larger than college admissions and much larger than scams and much larger than serving 2 weeks in fancy pants jail. In other news, you can get a GREAT education anywhere - it doesn't have to be Ivy League - it can be at your local community college and it can be online and it can be at a small 4 year college and it can be at a parochial school, if you want an education you can get it through hard work, determination and study and yes money because nothing is free. If you have kids that are going to go to college or in college or have gone to college - watch this documentary! It was very well done.

Minari - Amazon Prime Movie Rental  Movies like this should be sponsored by the Kleenex company in all honesty because there will be tons of crying happening. If you see only one movie this year, make it this movie. It tells the story of a Korean family that moves to Arkansas in the 80's to start a farm because the father has had a series of failed jobs/businesses. I cannot tell you how this movie touched me from the immigrant experience in this country to living in a place where you do not look like anyone else to keeping cultural values alive and growing up Korean/American in the United States. The guy who plays the crazy neighbor in this film is outstanding - his name is Will Patton. As for the name Minari - it is water celery or waterdropwort - and can be found in Korean dishes and is native to East Asia. This movie has to be rented on any streaming service but it totally worth it and you will be glad you learned something about another culture and you will be glad that your neighbors don't all look the same and that we are a country of immigrants. 

Happy watching and happy spring!



Thursday, March 25, 2021

Vaccines and Post #18

 By now if you are reading this you probably have had your vaccine or are very close to getting it - because only old people read blogs and all the old people I know are getting vaccines including me (on Saturday) so here's to science!  If you don't believe in science or vaccines then you should probably join a cult and move to an island and ask for a refund on the smallpox, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and all the other shots you got as a child and didn't have a conspiracy theory leg to stand on yet.  There - I've said it. Anyway, if you like vaccines however, here are some more reviews that I have rustled up for you to enjoy!

The Great - Netflix  I had seen this show pop up over and over in my feed but scrolled past because I didn't think I would like it, but I am happy to say that I was so wrong. This show is a period piece and so well done, it is like what would have happened if Jane Austen had collaborated with Orange Is The New Black and it is delightful. It is loosely based on historical facts and when I saw loosely it is very loose but at least they got the names right. Throughout history there have been women who did not lose their heads but outsmarted the men they were forced to marry and this show is what that would look like in Russia after Emperor Peter married Catherine on her way to becoming Catherine The Great - hence the name.  I binged it - it was that much fun.

Crip Camp - Netflix  When the names Michelle and Barak Obama are put together to produce/create a documentary - you just have to know that it will be a masterpiece and powerful and politically poignant and worth watching. I don't care what kind of politics you trend towards, quality is quality. This documentary is about Americans with Disabilities and how in the 70's there was a camp in upstate New York and how all these kids went there to be able to have a summer camp experience, just be kids, swim, smoke, stay up late, sing, dance, kiss, love, cry, and grow and what happens when change needs to be made and then they made it. It is not good, it is great and I love that the Obamas have put their name to quality stuff like this - making me believe that good wins. Remember, when someone shows you who they are - believe them the FIRST time. 

The Sound of Metal - Prime Video  This is Oscar season whether or not I want to admit it and while I no longer care about who wins awards and who wears De La Renta, I sometimes will watch these blockbuster films when they look good, great or excellent. This film falls in this category - and tells the story about a drummer played by Riz Ahmed who is losing his hearing and how that affects his life, career and more. As you get into the film you also find out that the main character is a recovering addict and so he is dealing with that and there is a relationship as well, many layers to be uncovered. I would be interested to hear from someone who is hearing impaired or deaf and ask what they think about this film - representation, acting, accuracy and more. We have so many deaf actors why not choose someone who really cannot hear to portray this character? All valid questions. Great film, great acting and worth the watch in my opinion.

Audrey - Netflix  For many years my favorite film of all time was Breakfast At Tiffany's only to be followed up by Roman Holiday which can only mean that my favorite actor of all time is the incomparable Audrey Hepburn.  This documentary does not uncover anything new or surprising about this person but only concretes what I already knew about her, she was timeless, graceful, kind, introspective, professional, compassionate and fantastic at everything she touched. Two For The Road doesn't get near enough acclaim but is also an amazing film, the witty repartee between herself and Albert Finney makes this film smart, savvy and entertaining. Sabrina is also a wonderful film as long as you ignore all the remakes that have come after as well as Love In The Afternoon which while starring an aged Gary Cooper, you focus more on the outstanding performances of Maurice Chevalier and Audrey Hepburn than the age difference between her and Mr. Cooper. If you love dancing, and Audrey was a dancer, there is Funny Face with Fred Astair, with some all time classic dancing and singing, only to be outdone by her performance with Peter O'Toole in How to Steal A Million. And my final shout out for a scary and sinister Charade starring alongside the timeless Cary Grant but again, Audrey steals the limelight and makes this film a smash hit. See what I did there?  You now have 11 movies you need to watch! 

Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Pandemic Picks - Guest Reviewer - Attack on Titan

 Welcome to the 16th edition of Pandemic Picks - and today I have a guest contributor and reviewer who put in the time and energy to watch the show Attack on Titan and brings you a review so unique and lengthy that it gets its own post.  This review was written by the great Gabe McKeon - so sit back, relax and enjoy this read.


Attack on Titan - Crunchyroll  


Being a "light" fan of anime as a young kid (I watched my share of Robotech in the 80's and who can forget "Akira"?!), I was a little apprehensive to revisit the genre with my kids. I officially classify them as super fans of anime, consuming pretty much all episodes of Naruto (believe me - there are too many!) as well as the other staples including Demon Slayer, Haikyu!, My Hero Academia and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. I am a bit biased seeing them waste countless hours on the monotonous inner monologuing that plagues Naruto, leading to battle scenes that span multiple episodes. Ain't nobody got time for that . . . 


My kids finally broke me. The COVID slowdown opened some TV watching windows I had shut previously. It started with My Hero (a lot of fun, but still with the excessive monologuing!) We completed the available seasons and my kids were still thirsty. I held firm on Naruto but let them convince me to begin the series "Attack on Titan". This show is another manga-based series that has achieved high acclaim among anime fans. What follows is my revue coming from a not-very-serious-anime-fan perspective - a side note, always watch the sub, no dub.


My immediate reaction to the opening episodes of season 1 were pretty positive. There is action from the start and despite their inherent violence, you want to know more and figure out why the things are you seeing on screen are happening (note that if you don't like gore, there are a lot of large, naked, androgynous beings - titans - trying to eat as many people as they can). Throughout the first season it becomes evident that these characters are in it for the long haul and there is marked development of personalities - sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.


Seasons 2 and 3 continue the trend. Each season is rich with character development addition of new personalities, plot twists that throw you for loops, and downright stunning quality animation. One thing to note is while many animation series tend to sacrifice a bit on smoothness and quality to their action sequences, AOT does not seem to do this. Action and battle scenes are smooth and retain all the quality of the slower scenes. A real bonus in my view.


Season 4 starts out and I immediately noticed a change in both animation style as well as soundtrack. All series tend to use different opening tracks for each season/arc, and AOT is no exception. By and large, I consider theirs to be some of the best I have heard. In every aspect, I took about 2 to 3 episodes to fully warm to season 4. The opening track and scenes intro were in stark contrast, but once I understood the current arc a bit better, it has become my favorite track. Visual symbolism using themes that remind me of WW11 and the Third Reich begin to make a bit more sense as the plot develops.


I won't provide any spoilers, but rest assured, throughout the series there are many ups and downs. Characters you like will get killed and maimed, people you thought were good may not be as good as you think. I do enjoy shows a bit more when there is no clear hero and things tend to be gray. AOT revels in this grayness and in my opinion, the show stands out because of it. Enjoy the mess it leaves behind.


Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Round #15 - Pandemic Picks

 I have added Podcasts to this weeks movies and show reviews! If you are the type of person that enjoys music while you work or play, why not replace it with a podcast for 20 or 30 minutes while you take a break from Abba? Here are this weeks picks and I hope that you are still enjoying these Pandemic Picks!

Don't Read This On The Plane - Amazon Prime  This film is about a writer who finds out as she is checking in to her first hotel on her book tour that her publisher has gone out of business and she is stranded with nowhere to stay but since her flights are all paid for she can either abandon the tour or find her own accommodations and still show up to her readings and signings. She decides to continue her tour and she does book readings and signings but every night she has to find a new place to stay.  She learns of an app that will help her find free accommodations sometimes nice sometimes terrible but always free. I really enjoyed this movie because I did my share of hitchhiking and relying on the kindness of strangers in my life and sometimes things have a way of working out in all the right ways even in the worst of situations.

Podcast - Fremdlauschen - Facebook/Spotify/Podcast places  Let me start by saying I am not a podcast listener but a friend who lives in Germany started a podcast about all things American and so I decided to have a listen and I loved it. Because she lives in another country she dedicates each podcast to something inherently American and I learned things about the Superbowl that I never knew before. She also devotes 45 minutes to explaining Qanon and it is super interesting. Thanks Nicole!

Haikyu!! - Netflix  Yup, another anime review - I cannot believe the kids talked me in to watching this because I thought My Hero Academia was the end of anime for me. This show is often referred to as Volleyball Anime because it is about high school boys and their volleyball team. It took me more than 5 episodes to get in to this show but we are now on season 2 and I quite enjoy it. If you get a chance, find a show that your kids like, if you have kids, and sit down and watch it together. 

There Is No "I" in Threesome - HBO Max  First of all don't let the title of this movie scare you away. This film is shot from a telephone, so it aesthetically fits the YouTube style of video and very appealing.  It is about a couple that is poly amorous and what happens to a committed relationship when others are invited in to the most private part of a relationship. What happens when someone falls in love with more than the person they are engaged to? How does polyamory work? What are the rules? What are the deal breakers? This movie is thought provoking and intelligent, exhilarating, adventurous and sad.

Hiro's Table - YouTube  This documentary was shot over 16 years and is about Master Chef Hiro Obayashi and his life work and his family and his restaurant. It tells the story of how he and his wife emigrated from Japan to Southern California and opened a restaurant in a Hollywood strip mall. It is so well done, it makes me wish I had eaten at his restaurant before he retired and moved to Oregon. This film is a reminder that what makes this country great is everything that comes from other places to make it what it is. And it made me want to live in a place that has good Asian food restaurants. 

What are you watching right now? What are the kids watching? What are you going to watch on the weekend? I can't wait to see Coming 2 America this weekend and also Minari - I'll let you know what I think about them next week. And go get those shots if you qualify - trust science and scientists!