While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!
Serena’s Picks
Every once in a while I remember that I also have Amazon Prime for shows to watch other than just Netflix. And while browsing recently, I decided to check out “The Widow” on a whim. It’s the story of one woman’s search to get answers behind her husband’s seeming death several years earlier. When she thinks she spots him on video footage, her trek through the dangers of central Africa uncover more secrets than she could ever have imagined. I really enjoyed this how. It told a compact and compelling story with enough mystery to keep me wondering right up to the end. One warning, however: watching this as a new mom with a little baby made some aspects of this show incredibly hard to watch. The story definitely delves into some dark places, so all around, be prepared for a gripping, but tough, story.
Movie: “Spiderman: Into the Spider Verse”
I’ve watched most if not all of the live action superhero movies that came out in the last 20 years or so. But as much of a fan as I am of comic movies brought to life in this way, I’ve never really delved into the animated versions (other than kiddy cartoons as a kid). But there was a while there where I couldn’t seem to stop hearing people gush over “Spiderman: Into the Spider Verse.” I mean, I was hearing things like it was the best Spiderman ever and other supremely high praise. So I checked it out. And yup, it’s pretty amazing. Fans of Spiderman overall will definitely love it as it brings in so many aspects of the different Spidermen/women who have had their own runs. And at the heart of it you still have the story of what it means to be a superhero, but told in a new and refreshing way, with just enough self-deprecating humor about the “with great strength…” yada yada stuff. If you’re like me and don’t check out animated films too often, definitely make an exception for this one!
Stand-Up: Aziz Ansari “Right Now”
Aziz Ansari has had a challenging go of things in the last few years. I’m not going to get into the whole thing, but a quick internet search will catch you up if you missed it somehow. But that being the case, I was really curious what he would come up with for his first real appearance since events went down. And I thought it was really good. He had a really narrow tight rope to walk with this show, addressing his history, his take on things, and how he has come out of it as a person. All while avoiding the plethora of landmines of things that can go wrong with this type of rebuilding procedure. People will have different reactions and will want different things from a person whose gone through something like this, but for me, I thought it was a very honest, compelling look at his experience. And then he tied it into some larger points about “right now” that I found not only humorous but also almost “too true.” It’s definitely a different performance and different Aziz than we’re used to seeing. But I think that’s not only understandable, but almost the only option. Had he come out trying to be just as he was before, it would have felt dishonest and caricaturish. As it was, it feels as we are getting more of an insight into the “real” Aziz, and I think it’s definitely worth checking out, especially if you were a fans of his before all of this.
Kate’s Picks
Live Show: “Last Podcast On The Left”
I’ve been downright obsessed with the true crime/supernatural/alien podcast “Last Podcast on the Left” for about a year and a half now, so when I had the chance to go see them in person, I obviously leapt at it. My friend Mark and I went together, and while we had no idea what to expect, we knew it was going to be a treat. Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski bring their dark humored, irreverent, and sometimes crude style to the stage, and give fun and informative presentations on various topics. Cryptids, aliens, conspiracies, and more are covered at their show, and I was laughing hysterically the entire time. What I like about these guys is that while they are definitely pushing envelopes and sometimes taking it to gross extremes, at the heart of their show (podcast and live both) are three guys who like to share knowledge, make statements about society, and entertain people. I haven’t gone to many podcast live shows, but this was by and large the most impressed I’ve been. Hail Yourselves, everyone!
Netflix Show: “GLOW” Season 3Our favorite lady wrestlers are back, and they are now performing in Las Vegas!! I had been waiting so long for “GLOW” to return to Netflix, and while I had to wait a little longer for my husband to get home from out of town, it was worth the wait. “GLOW” continues to showcase complex and interesting female characters, and shows how they function and try to make it in the wrestling world in the 1980s. This season things get a little heavier, dealing with eating disorders, the mental load of trying to have a career and a child, and having to live up to the standards of doing incredibly physical performances every night with little to no breaks or support. Alison Brie, Marc Maron, and Betty Gilpin continue to showcase their wide and deep emotional ranges. But it’s Chris Lowell’s Bash Howard who really stole the show this season, as he tries to live a normal married relationship with Rhonda, in spite of the fact that his attractions are more towards men. I love everyone on this show, and I’m already waiting anxiously for the next season!
TV Show: “The Terror: Infamy”I didn’t watch the first season of “The Terror”, as while I heard it was really good I had tried to read the book and just wasn’t that into it. But when I saw that season two was going to take place during the Japanese-American Internment during World War II, that got my attention. “The Terror: Infamy” focuses on the Nakayama family, Japanese Americans who see their community turn on them after Pearl Harbor, and are then sent to an internment camp, like more that 100,000 Japanese Americans during this time period. But along with the all too realistic (and frankly, timely) horrors of government sanctioned imprisonment based on bigotry and fear, there is also the fact that some kind of spirit is haunting the Nakayama family. The first scene of the series involves a woman dressing in a beautiful kimono, walking down a dock, and then killing herself. And given her strange bodily contortions right beforehand, something is amiss. “The Terror: Infamy” strikes a balance between the real horrors of the world, and the cultural ghost stories that can be reflections of said horrors.
What non book things have you been enjoying this month? Let us know in the comments!
The Library Ladies 