Not Just Books: June 2024

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:

TV Show: “Your Honor”

Honestly, we started this one purely because Bryan Cranston was the star. And clearly whomever made this poster understood that that was probably the primary appeal for most people! The story follows a judge whose son commits a hit-and-run, accidentally killing the son of a mob boss. Shenanigans ensue as the judge attempts to save his son while actively working against his own moral judgement. It’s definitely been a tense watch, and I spend way to much of my time being angry at the son, but Cranston shines as always. If you like dark legal thrillers, than this one might be worth checking out!

Apple TV Show: “Masters of the Air”

Continuing my steady march into middle age, I’m back again with yet another WWII story! This time the story focuses on a group of flyers in the bombing unit of the air force. I haven’t watched “Band of Brothers,” but it’s from the same group of producers, which probably gives you some idea. The story is based on true stories and characters and man, it’s tough at times. But the bravery of the flyers in these situations was also incredible! For some reason, I feel like I’ve only ever really heard/watched/read about the fighter pilots in this war, so this was a unique look into the world of bomber flying, which, turns out, is very different! If you enjoy true stories about historical warfare, than this is definitely one to check out!

Movie: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

I know this one has been a bit of a let down at the box office with some fairly mixed reviews, but I still wanted to give it a chance based on the strength of the last “Mad Max” movie and the fantastic cast. And while it’s not as good as the last entry in this series, I also don’t think it’s nearly as bad as some of the reviews are saying. In fact, bizarrely, it’s biggest problem seems to come down to the effects. During the credits, they roll scenes from “Fury Road” and even these brief glimpses are a bit of a slap in the face with how much better that (older) movie looked than many of the scenes in this (newer) movie. That said, if you look past the step backwards in this area, I think this was a successful film! The acting was fantastic, the story delivers on a believable prequel arc for a fan favorite character, and the overall vibe fits well within the “Mad Max” series as a whole. I think it’s well worth a shot, even if one has to lower the standards a bit on some of the effects.

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Criminal Minds: Evolution”

Some things never change, and one of those things is my love for procedurals. And “Criminal Minds: Evolution” is back and I am hooked. After the BAU captured prolific serial killer Sicarius, immediate questions were raised about the phrase ‘Gold Star’ when he mentioned it to one of their colleagues, who was killed shortly thereafter. Now they are trying to find out what ‘Gold Star’ is, but it seems like it’s another serial killer who is even more dangerous. Now they may have to get insight from Sicarius himself, as much as they don’t want to. Because Sicarius may have the only information on this murderer who may also be government trained in his kills. This iteration of “Criminal Minds” is darker and has been doing more interesting things than the original, and while the team is still missing a few core characters, I love seeing how those who have returned have been faring. Especially Penelope Garcia! Man I love her.

Film: “Love Lies Bleeding”

I was one of those jerks that scoffed at Kristen Stewart for a long time because of “Twilight”. But lately I’ve realized that I was super wrong because she has really done some dynamic and compelling movies, as I am pretty certain that she is going to have an Oscar someday. My most recent instance of eating crow was “Love Lies Bleeding”, an erotic thriller/neo-noir tale that stars Stewart and Katy M. O’Brian as misfit lovers caught up in a violent crime that unravels them both. Stewart is Lou, a woman who runs a gym who meets Jackie, an ambitious body builder. The two fall for each other immediately and start a relationship, but an impulsive act of violence turns their world upside down as Lou tries to protect Jackie from a local gangster… who also happens to be her father. I really enjoyed the vibes of this one, it’s tense and sexy and a wild ride.

TV Show: “Frasier”

I have honestly been struggling a lot with some serious burnout as of late, with lots of things making me stress out and my emotional regulation being a lot less, uh, regulated? So what do I do in times of severe burnout? I dive into things that just bring me predictable comfort, and one of those things is the show “Frasier”. I’ve definitely highlighted it before, but I’ve started jumping around the original series again with favorite episodes, and it still manages to bring me lots of laughter and lots of comfort even when I’m feeling out of control and exhausted in my life. The cast is still perfect, the stories are still hijinks, and the heart is still beating strongly. Thank you, Crane family and friends! I needed this!