Recommendations Needed

I have been having a lot of fun working my way through the books and movies I selected for my #2020PopCultureResolution experiment. So much fun that I have decided to do it again next year.

I've decided that I have not read nearly enough mysteries/thrillers and will use this as a means to rectify this.

I am hoping to get a bunch of recommendations so I can make a make a list of possibilities to narrow down before the end of the year.

Please recommend your fave thrillers/mysteries  in the comments (or reach out on Twitter). I am looking for both older classics and new can't miss titles so feel free to suggest as many as you like.

I cannot wait to hear what some of your favourites are and to share the final list with you towards the end of the year.

Bookish Podcast Recommendations Wanted

I noticed something missing from my podcast feed recently. It is something that may seem strange due to the amount of reading I do but bookish podcasts are definitely something I have not been listening to.

I have a lot of true crime podcasts, and even a few fun movie ones that I really enjoy. I, however, want a good book driven podcast to add into the mix.

I am enjoying one bookish podcast. It is called What You Should Read.

Kelly, Julia, and Rachael are the hosts and I am enjoying getting their recommendations on what to read and just their conversations in general.

It has made me want to add a few more to my podcast rotation so tell me your absolute favourite bookish podcasts. I want to get a few to try out so the more suggestions the better.

Let me know what I should be listening to either in the comments or on Twitter (@kathycoe). Thanks, and I cannot wait to see what you all recommend.

More Social Distancing Recommendations - Movie Club Edition

As this time of social distancing/quarantine/self isolation continues we could probably all use some recommendations on what to watch to fill some of our time. I know I certainly welcome any recommendations right now, especially since I have two weeks of vacation from work coming up at the end of May and am unfortunately unable to go anywhere for it.

I thought I would share some great places to get recommendations for movies to watch from various movie clubs that I have found. Some have weekly picks, while one has a daily movie for you to watch during this time where we'll all spending more time indoors.

First up is the American Film Institute's Movie Club. 

They are recommending a movie a day for you to follow along with. All of the movies seems to be from various AFI lists and offer a wide range of selection which is sure to have something for everyone. They currently have around thirty movies listed if you want to catch up.

Next up is the It's The Pictures That Got Small podcast/movie club.

Karina Longworth and Nate DiMeo are joined by a guest each week who picks the movie they'll watch and discuss for that week's podcast. They've watched movies like Cast Away, The Grapes of Wrath and From Here to Eternity. The Eyes of Laura Mars is this week's pick with the podcast episodes releasing late Wednesday/early Thursday (so the discussion of The Eyes of Laura Mars will be on the May 7th episode). I have really enjoyed following along with this movie club and have watched movies I did not expect to as a result.

Last, is the Little Gold Men podcast's movie club.

This is Vanity Fair's Oscar podcast which has shifted into discussions about movies that are voted on by listeners. You can vote on the Little Gold Men's twitter page and watch the selected movie before listening to the podcast discussion after. They have good mix of movies included and I definitely recommend this podcast for even non quarantine times as they offer some of the best Oscar coverage out there.

Anyone else have a movie club they would recommend check out? Movies that you feel should be on everyone's watch list? Let me know in the comments.

Binge Watching Recommendations

We are all adjusting to our new (hopefully very temporary) normal of social distancing. Many of us are only leaving our homes for essentials such as food and medications.

I have been struggling with this adjustment and have been trying to cling to the things that do bring me joy such as calls with friends and family, reading, and catching up on movies and television shows.

You, like me, may be looking for recommendations on what to watch so I am going to offer a few of mine in this blog post.

Hopefully the blog will get back to normal with reviews and such next week. As you can imagine it has been hard to focus on anything production right now.

My recommendations for what to watch while social distancing/self isolating

MOVIES:

1. Stand By Me

This is one of my all time favourite (if not my favourite) movies. Everyone is perfectly cast, and the young main foursome have excellent friendship chemistry. It also boasts a Kiefer Sutherland performance that, along with his performance in The Lost Boys, still provides inspiration for villains in entertainment (look at you Billy from Stranger Things).

2. Scream

Even if horror movies are not your thing I think that you should watch this one. It has a very self aware tone, and definitely still holds up as well as it did when it was first released. 

3. Clueless

This one is for pure feel good escapism. It's a charming and has a really cute Paul Rudd performance in it. It is one of those movies I watch when I am sick , or just on a rainy day.

4. The Philadelphia Story

I have been watching a lot of older Hollywood movies recently and was entirely charmed by this one. It has some of that time periods most well known actors (Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart, Cary Grant) and a fun plot that I really enjoyed.

5. 13 Going On 30

Adorably cute is the best way to describe this one. It's a comfort watch that leaves you feeling good. Jennifer Garner is really charming in this, and it has Mark Ruffalo playing the sweetest man ever.

TELEVISION:

1. Breaking Bad

This is, in my opinion, one of the best shows to have ever aired on television. If you some how missed watching this I highly recommend you get to it now. It offers amazing performances from the entire cast (with special mention to Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul) and the kind of meticulous plotting that leaves you in awe.

2. Stranger Things

This nostalgia filled show is pretty much the perfect distraction. You'll love all of the characters (even some of the ones you start out hating) and this is a show that actually cares about character growth. I am sure everyone has already watched it, but it is a must watch if you haven't.

3. Buffy The Vampire Slayer

One of my all time favourite shows, and one that I have revisisted a few times. There are quite a few seasons so you'll have plenty to keep you busy. It mixes the supernatural with some great character stuff that makes for a compelling show.

4.  American Crime Story 

Both seasons of American Crime Story (The People vs OJ Simpson, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace) are excellent and I highly recommend both. They are some of Ryan Murphy's finest work, and the casting for his shows is always impeccable and these two seasons are no exception. Sarah Paulson steals the show as Marcia Clark, and Darren Criss captivates as Andrew Cunanan. 

5. Friday Night Lights

You do not have to like football to enjoy this. It is the characters and their connections that make this show resonate the way it does. You'll have so many favourites, and care more deeply about what happens to all of the characters than you expected to.

Those are the shows and movies I think you should add to your watch list. What I am going to be watching during this time of social distancing? Plenty of my favourites, along with the following:

1. The Sinner

The first two seasons of this are available on Netflix and I have heard nothing but good things. I have already watched the first season and am about to jump into the second.

2. On The Waterfront

I recently watched A Streetcar Named Desire and was introduced to Marlon Brando. This is apparently one of his best performances (it won him one of his Oscars) so I am looking forward to watch it.

3. Niagara

It is my April #2020PopCultureResolution pick and, sadly, I do not think we'll be out of this social distancing thing by April. It's one of the few Marilyn Monroe movies I have not seen yet.

4. A Star Is Born (1937)

I loved the 2018 version but have never seen any of the others. I am going to dive in with the 1937 version simply because I own it. I am looking forward to seeing if I love it as much as the 2018 one.

5. Schitt's Creek

I feel like a bad Canadian because I haven't seen this yet.

What are you watching right now? Let me know your recommendations and what you hope to get to in the comments.

Kelly's Guide To Surviving Social Distancing

Kelly from Kellyvision stops by the blog today to offer her suggestions on what to watch while we are all social distancing/self isolating/quarantined. 

I'll be offering up my own recommendations tomorrow.

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I've read a bunch of articles saying that you shouldn't just watch TV shows and movies all day, that you should be exercising and doing projects, maybe trying to learn French or paint your apartment or deep clean everything.

I'm sorry, but there is a literal pandemic and I am going to cope with this the way I cope with everything: by staying inside and letting pop culture distract me.

If you are overwhelmed but want to stay informed, I would advise you to only watch local news. They will tell you what you need to know (as in, exactly how your area is doing). And that gives you a lot of time for binging.

I'm pretty sure there are three main types of people: the ones who want to forget everything scary and just have an escape; the people who are leaning in and the people who just want to watch the shows and movies they already love. I'm probably that third type, though I definitely bounce around for all three. 

I'm going to recommend movies and shows, and I'll do them for Hulu, Prime and Netflix. Plus, I'll let you know what I plan on watching; please feel free to comment your suggestions and reactions or chat with me on Twitter (I'm @khager).

AMAZON PRIME: 

If you want to escape, Prime has The Spy Who Dumped Me. You may not have seen it, but it is so funny (much funnier than it has any right to be) and it's one of the most fun movie experiences I've had in a while. 

More of a lean in type? It has The Big Sick. It's not about a pandemic, per se, but the love interest has some weird disease and she spends half the movie in a coma. It's very funny and sweet, so don't put off watching it because of the illness part. 

Need some comfort food? Prime has all of Downton Abbey! Also, Pretty in Pink, Bridget Jones's Diary, First Wives Club and Clue.

I'm hoping to watch Brittany Runs a Marathon and The Report, as well as binge the TV shows Hunters (about people hunting Nazis after World War II).

HULU:

It has the first season of What We Do in the Shadows (it's so funny!) and the show Little Fires Everywhere (with Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon, based on the book by Celeste Ng) starts Wednesday. I've got approximately 11 billion things in my watch queue, including the show version of High Fidelity, so it's probably getting all my time.

Also, it's got Spin the Wheel, a game show that I absolutely love. (You can win over a million dollars, based on the wheel and your own knowledge of pop culture. And it only has the most amazing people as contestants so you really root for them to win. It's my favorite thing.

There aren't many choices for leaning in. There's a documentary on Nostradamus. 

*approximately 20 minutes later*

I just did a real deep dive into the rabbit hole of Hulu and there is a show called "Alone." Ten people are separated and left alone in middle of nowhere Vancouver. I mean, no matter how much you are slowly losing it, at least you have food and water and are indoors. So maybe that will help?

As far as old favorites go, Hulu wins the entire world as far as I'm concerned. Heathers, Say Anything, National Lampoon’s Vacation (also European and Christmas vacations), When Harry Met Sally, Some Kind of Wonderful and the original Hitcher. There's the Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas and Dawson's Creek.

NETFLIX:

If you want to escape, I cannot recommend The Good Place and Schitt's Creek enough. Both are sitcoms that will make you literally LOL, and also make you cry a little. They're the best of who we are as people.

If you want to lean in, there's Pandemic (a TV series about preventing an outbreak) and they have Outbreak. It's not maybe the best idea, but I don't judge.

And as for old favorites? Netflix is about to make your day. They have Tootsie, Gilmore Girls, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Candyman and Rosemary's Baby. And I don't know if you've seen Step Brothers, but it's so, so fun.

I'm probably going to watch Love is Blind soon, because that's been recommended to me so many times.

I feel so behind on TV so I'm excited to see how much I can catch up on. (Or, barring that, how many times I just watch Clue instead.)

It's a scary time. Hide if you need to. We're in a great age of television and movies.

Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween and that officially ends the spookiest of months. This, however, does not have to mean that you have to stop watching your favourite spooky movies or reading spooky books. I am going to share my five favourite Halloween season movies and books so that you can keep the chills going well into November.

MOVIES

My movie list is in no particular order and are filled with all of the movies I love to watch in the month of October. These are ones I return to again and again.

1. Scream                

Scream is one of my all time favourite scary movies. The infamous opening scene on its own makes this movie worth the watch, but the great cast, and smart script are also big reasons to check this one out. It also has Skeet Ulrich looking very hot. Just saying.

2. The Crow

This may not be specifically a Halloween movie, but I watch it every October. I feel the atmosphere and tone is sufficiently worthy of watching during the Halloween season. I, maybe surprisingly, find this to be an incredibly romantic movie. Eric and Shelly's romance is tragic but beautiful. Brandon Lee is freaking incredible in this. His performance gives me chills each time I watch it.

3. The Craft                    

This is another movie that perhaps doesn't scream Halloween, but is one I watch every October all the same. It's witchy and atmospheric in a way that entirely fits the season. 

4. Practical Magic

Another movie on this list due to it involving witches. It also has the best use of the song "This Kiss" in ANY movie. It's a story of sisterhood, magic, and love. It's perfect for those who don't want their Halloween movies to have too much of a scare.

5. Nightmare Before Christmas 

This movie gets to be both appropriate for the Halloween season and a perfect way to transition from Halloween to the holiday season. It's one I tend to watch towards the end when I am reading to say goodbye to the season of chills. It's charming and also a great way to introduce children to more scary fare.

BOOKS

My books list is a little different. These are ones I would recommend as perfect reads during the month of October. It'll be a mix of recent and older titles and they are, again, in no particular order.

1. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

 

This is a book filled with witches, forbidden romance, and plenty of atmosphere. It's also got a fantastic cast of characters.

2. Lizzie by Dawn Ius

Based on the true story of Lizzie Borden, this book has plenty of spooky atmosphere. It's about a woman's descent into madness and is definitely creepy at times.

3. I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara

Nothing scares me more than true crime stories. They're all the more terrifying because they are true stories. Michelle McNamara has written one of the best, and one of the most unsettling that I have read.

4. There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins 

This book is a love letter to slasher movies, and is especially influenced by Scream. It's perfect for anyone who wants Scream in book format. It's basically made to be read in October.

5. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas 

This title may not seem like a Halloween season read, but I think it totally fits. Sometimes you just want a good mystery that has some great twists and turns. Dangerous Girls is a book I STILL think about even thought I read it back in 2013. It's stayed with me, and that speaks to its power to unsettle.

There are some recommendations in case you, like me, aren't quite ready to say goodbye to the spooky reads and movies of October. What are some books and movies you like to watch in the Halloween season? Let me know in the comments.