Category: Not Just Books

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

Video Game: “Hades 2”

As promised, here I am back again with the second Hades game! I’m definitely glad I played the first game before this one. Not only is it fun seeing familiar faces once again, but I find that I’m better able to jump straight into enjoying the story and characters now that I’m familiar with the general set up for the game play loop. Of course, this one amps up the entire experience in every way, with a bunch of additional tasks that can be completed at the home base (like brewing potions, growing plants, and recruiting pets as familiars!). I also really enjoyed the new characters and love interests. Icarus is still playing hard to get, so I’m still going strong, even past the True Ending. But Mel needs her romantic happy ending, so we’ll see how long this goes!

TV Show: “Pluribus”

This was kind of a no brainer for my husband and I to watch! We both really enjoyed “Better Call Saul,” so a dystopian/sci-fi featuring the same actress and creator was right up our alley! We did have some debates about the side characters and their behavior, but Carol was excellent in every way. I also thought the entire premise was very creative and surprisingly hilarious, even through some of the darker moments. That said, I’m very displeased with this crazy trend of releasing short season and then taking multiple (MULTIPLE!) years to produce a second, likely also short, season. Yes, this show had excellent production value. But let’s be real here, there’s nothing going on here that justifies wait times like this between seasons, and I truly think that these sorts of delays hurts any momentum a show likes this builds with its first season. Will I check it out? Yes. But will I be as hyped as I would be if I could watch it again next fall? Probably not.

TV Show: “Ponies”

I’ve been a fan of Emilia Clarke since “Game of Thrones” (man that show did her character dirty, I AM A DAENERYS APOLOGIST, NOT SORRY), and when I saw that she and Haley Lu Richardson were in a new historical fiction thriller show called “Ponies” I decided that I was going to watch. Also the premise sounded good. Two CIA wives at the American Embassy in Moscow in the 1970s are just living their lives supporting their husbands… until their husbands die under incredibly suspicious circumstances in a plane crash. Bea and Twila are then recruited by the CIA to become operatives in hopes of getting more information about what happened to Tom and Chris. And since they are posing as secretaries, the thought is the KGB will never realize that they are agents (and will be ‘PONIes’, persons of no interest). It’s part spy thriller, part buddy comedy, and Clarke and Richardson have great banter and chemistry to help balance out the high spy suspense. I love both Bea and Twila, with Bea being intelligent and genuine and Twila being a sarcastic spitfire. I’m living for them and their hijinks.

TV Show: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

It’s back! Normally I give myself a little bit of time to warm up to “Drag Race” before highlighting it on the blog, as I’ve been burned before with lackluster seasons (Season 13, anyone?). But at this point in time I am just going to find joy where I can, because being in the Twin Cities right now is a big ol’ ball of terrible and stress due to a violent federal government occupation, and catty drag queens bring me joy. Stand outs for me at this point include Jane Don’t (the Seattle girls always go hard), Athena Dion (though she’s a bit of a diva, but I LOVE her looks), and Myki Meeks (just adorable). I haven’t gotten a REAL feel for the season yet after two really strong seasons that came before it, but hey, an escape is an escape.

Film: “Predator: Badlands”

I love the “Predator” movies. The original “Predator” is quite possibly my favorite Schwarzenegger film (“Running Man” comes close), and I have enjoyed many of the films in the series, even the ones that people don’t really like (I liked “Predators”, thanks!). I unfortunately didn’t get to “Predator: Badlands” in the theater like I had wanted, but I did sit down and watch it this month and I LOVED it. It follows Dek, a Yautja (aka the Predator species) who is determined to prove his might in spite of the fact he’s a runt and scorned by most of his clan. After a heartbreaking confrontation on his home world he is sent to a far off planet in exile, and decides instead to try and get the apex predator the Kalisk to prove his worth (as the Kalisk scares even the most skilled Yautjas). But the planet is hostile, and Dek will need help from an unlikely source: Thia, a broken Synth from Weyland-Yutani that is on a mission there of her own. So yes, this is a “Predator” Sci-Fi action film with lots of great mythos and fantastic action, but honestly? At it’s heart is a cozy found family story as Dek and Thia connect as outsiders and form a bond. I ADORE THIS TROPE and it works so well in this movie.

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

Video Game: “It Takes Two”

My husband and I have taken a very twisted journey through the three co-op games released by this company. We started with the prison break one, decided to skip/miss the one that actually won “Game of the Year” and then played the most recent entry, “Split Fiction,” this last spring. So here we are, finally getting to that acclaimed middle entry. It’s definitely been a fun ride! At this point, I think I mildly prefer “Split Fiction,” but part of that could come down to the fact that I can’t get past the fact that I feel like these two people are just terrible parents! There’s an entire mission where they destroy their kid’s favorite toy to make them cry! The game definitely is self-aware and leans into it all, so that makes it fun in the end. Plus, I’m sure it will end well. But either way, it’s definitely a blast as a couch co-op which is the most important part!

Movie: “Earth Girls are Easy”

You have Kate to thank (blame??) for this one! After the annual cooking making party, we all get together to watch some random movie. And this year Kate introduced us all to the absolute madness that is this movie, a real-life, actually exists movie that probably 99% of population has never heard of but that features a ridiculous cast of young up-and-comers, including Jeff Goldblum and Jim Carey. It’s too weird to even describe, but I’ll just say that not only does it include numerous shirtless-Golblum scenes, but it’s also a musical complete with plenty of singing and dancing. And, of course, said up-and-coming actors all dressed up as colorful, hairy aliens…so…yeah.

Film: “Wicked: For Good”

It was my birthday at the very end of November, and my husband took me to dinner and then to see “Wicked: For Good”. Which was really the best present I could have asked for! As I mentioned when “Part One” came out, I was obsessed with “Wicked” in college, and still love the play and the characters, music, and themes. In the second movie, we have Elphaba on the run being demonized by the Wizard and Oz, while Glinda is working as his propaganda mouthpiece… And they both desperately miss each other. And while “For Good”, which adapts Act Two of the musical, has some of the same pitfalls of the source material (theater kids know that Act Two is a lot weaker than Act One), as long as you have good performers for Elphaba and Glinda it’s still going to resonate and succeed. And Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are such performers, Grande especially here (as Act Two has always been Glinda’s arc). I laughed, I cried, prevented myself from singing along lest Alamo Drafthouse kick me the hell out. And now I love that the film adaptation of one of my very favorite musicals is complete, fully intending to do a double feature when I watch going forward.

TV Show: “Heated Rivalry”

Yes, I’m on the “Heated Rivalry” train, call me predictable, that’s fine. It’s soapy, it’s sweet, it’s steamy, it’s emotional, and I’m really enjoying it (I haven’t finished it yet, I’m HOPING to get the last few eps in with David while he’s in town so I’m holding off). For those unaware, it follows two hockey players on rival teams, Shane (for Canada) and Ilya (for Russia) who are both rising stars in their own right, and who have a rivalry narrative building around them because they are both incredibly talented. But they also happen to be deeply attracted to each other, falling head over heels in a sports culture that may not understand their relationship. It’s also based on a book series, that became SO popular due to the show that the printed copies of the book basically ran out, leading to a scramble and a lack of books right at the fever pitch of the show. I THEORETICALLY have a copy on the way from a local bookstore thanks to Bookshop.org, but we will see how that shakes out. Regardless, it’s been an addictive watch.

Video Game: “Stardew Valley”

I KNOW, I KNOW. I have highlighted this game so many times here, but I’m back into a hyperfixation cycle of it at the moment, and I’m going to highlight it again. I’m still farming (this time really focusing on artisanal goods like jam and cheese), I’m still pursuing friendships and love (my farmer this time is romancing Haley, and that has been more rewarding than I anticipated actually!), and I’m enjoying building up my skills, my friendships, and strategizing when to get more animals and when to try and fix up the community center. Look, we have what is probably going to be a LONG time to wait for ConcernedApe’s new game “The Haunted Chocolatier” so if I want more super cozy and chill gameplay with thoughtful and familiar storytelling (familiar is key), this is where I’m going to be focusing my needs for the foreseeable future. And I’m also helping my daughter play her own game now, which is so adorable.

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

Video Game: “Hades”

I typically gravitate toward RPG video games, but, as I discovered with My Time at Sandrock, if the game is good, I’m up to explore outside that primary genre. I’d heard about this one for a while, but I’ve never really vibed with the rogue-like format. Dying over and over again just clearing the same levels? No thanks! But I saw that Hades II was coming out this fall featuring a female main character, so I thought now was probably the time to check out the first one before just jumping straight to a sequel. And boy, am I glad I did! The voice acting and writing are so good on this one! For a game that seems like it would just be repetitive, there was so much story to explore, especially if you’re a fan of the Greek pantheon. Beyond that, there is a “god mode” that allows you to focus more on the story, which is good for those of us who spent probably 50 runs dying pointlessly. But now that I’m done, on to the sequel!

Apple+ TV Show: “Silo”

I’ve seen this one on Apple+ for a while but never checked it out. I’ll admit, I feel like I’m extra wary of science fiction shows, having seen way too many C-level series in this genre in the past. But this one has really impressed me! The story is super interesting, and they’ve done an excellent job with the production value; everything looks great! I’m into the second season now, and I feel they are managing to strike a nice balance of adding questions and mysteries while also resolving some things as we go. Of course, I’m always worried whether shows like this will stick the landing, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Video Game: “Cinderella Phenomenon”

More proof that I will play almost any game if the concept is interesting! This is pretty much just a story game, but the main concept was right up my alley! The story follows a “Cinderella”-like character who then must unravel various fairytale curses. As these are all fairytales, the stories all revolve around the different romances one can choose. Each “story” probably takes about an hour to play through, so they’re all very short. But I thought they were all well done and interesting, so this is a fun one to check out if you’re looking to sit back and just read through a story game—especially if you love fairytales like I do!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”

When I was in high school and college and beyond I really enjoyed “Law and Order: SVU” and the original “Law and Order”, but I never really got into the third series “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”. It may have been the time of the week it was on, or a disinterest in the premise, but I just kind of missed it. But as a lady who has realized she enjoys ‘quirky savant’ investigator stories (looking at you “Monk” and “Psych”), I decided to go back and give it a shot, as I heard that the main detective is very much that. Oh, and also because I am now of the belief that Vincent D’Onofrio as that detective is a goddamn SMOKE SHOW. He plays Bobby Goren, an unconventional NYPD detective who goes head to head with the criminal of the week with his brilliant observational skills and outside the box thinking, all with the help of his partner Eames, and the cases are presented partially through the eyes of the perpetrators as well (I’m mainly sticking to the Goren and Eames years/episodes, but apparently Jeff Goldblum shows up eventually?!). It feels a bit like a Sherlock Holmes kind of vibe with Goren being so odd and brilliant. Is it at times problematic copaganda as only the aughts could provide, oh sure. But man. D’Onofrio. Smoke Show.

Film: “K-Pop Demon Hunters”

Having a kid who is now in Kindergarten means that she hears a lot of pop culture stuff from her classmates. No surprise that she came home one day asking if she could watch “K-Pop Demon Hunters”, as it has become something of a cultural phenomenon. I said we could watch it together, so that if it did seem inappropriate I could just turn it off. But not only did I find it perfectly appropriate for her, I actually really liked it too! I enjoyed all the gals in Huntr/x (Mira is my absolute favorite, while Zoey holds the keys to my kid’s heart), I liked the demon lore, it’s hilarious and heartfelt, and the songs are catchy as hell. It’s also fun singing the songs with my kid in the car while we wait in the drop off line at school. I will be very curious to see if they decide to do a sequel, and what it will look like if they do (okay, more like WHEN they do). I just hope that Derpy Tiger and Sussie the Magpie show up again if/when it happens.

TV Show: “Talamasca: The Secret Order”

I really loved what AMC did with “Interview With the Vampire”, and am sitting on pins and needles to see what they do with Lestat’s story in the upcoming season (being renamed “The Vampire Lestat” after the book it takes inspiration from, SO EXCITED). But while the fandom waits to see Lestat as a preening and dramatic rock star, we have “Talamasca: The Secret Order” to tide us over/being a whole new obsession. The Talamasca has been hinted at in IWTV, and seeing as it’s such an important presence in the Vampire Chronicles and beyond it just makes sense to give this secretive group its own TV series. Guy Anatole is a successful law school graduate who has the world at his feet (as well as some strange other talents), but soon meets a woman who recruits him into the Talamasca, a secretive organization that keeps an eye on all things supernatural. Guy’s mission is to try and uncover a rogue agent who is trying to destroy the Talamasca in its entirety. It’s a little bit “X-Files”, a little bit espionage, and it has serious potential.

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

Movie: “Novacaine”

It’s been a while I feel since I’ve seen a new action movie that’s not connected to some pre-existing franchise. So, while bloodiness and gore of even the preview of this one had me flinching and covering my eyes, I was excited to check out what felt like a fresh movie experience! And, yes, it is just as gruesome as promised. But the gore is nicely balanced out by the effortless charm that Jack Quaid brings to his role. Honestly, without him so solidly holding down the core of this movie, it would have been very easy for this thing to fly off the wheels. As it is, this was a fun, funny, action-packed romp! Though definitely not for those who swoon at blood…

TV Show: “The Great British Bake Off”

It’s that wonderful time of year! It’s almost poetic, ever August I watch “Alone,” a show where people pretty much slowly starve to death over the course of a few months, full of grim thoughts on life and death. And then immediately after, in September, I watch a show that luxuriates in the wonders of baked goods and excess, full of ridiculous hosts and wholesome contestants. The juxtaposition is something else! As always, my husband and I pick our two contenders! So far, my two guys are holding steady while one of my husband’s has been a bit shaky! I feel like he’s won our little competition the last few years, so hopefully this year is my time!

Movie: “The Thursday Murder Club”

I haven’t read the book this was originally based on, but you can bet I’m now on a hold list for the audiobook version! This was pure, simple fun from start to finish. “Crime comedy” can be a tough sell to not go too far in one direction or the other, but this one managed it. The stellar cast sold these quirky characters, allowing the audience to laugh at their foibles but also become invested in their stories. The murder itself was twisty and fun (though not overly complicated) and the show avoided some of the obvious pitfalls (like when you can guess the outcome based on the casting along. If you enjoy cozy detective stories, this one is a must watch!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “Peacemaker”

When it was announced that James Gunn was going to take over the DCU and that his first film was going to be “Superman”, I knew that he was going to nail it because of his work on Season 1 of “Peacemaker”. It’s probably my favorite DC media since “Batman Returns”, and I think it’s so funny, so ridiculous, and so heartfelt. And now it’s back for season 2! Chris is having a hard time because even though he and the 11th Street Kids saved the world from Project Butterfly, he’s still not taken seriously by anyone else. On top of that, his feelings for Harcourt are still there, but she’s feeling… complicated about it. So when he mistakenly stumbles into an alternate dimension that seems like a much better world (Harcourt openly likes him! His brother Keith is alive! The public LOVES him!), he thinks that maybe it’s better there. And hey, he can just replace his double (whom he accidentally killed out of self defense… whoops). Now my husband and I have theories about what’s ACTUALLY going on (we aren’t caught up, no spoilers!), but season 2 is still hilarious, emotional, and so creative and uninhibited. John Cena is still killing it as Chris too.

Podcast Live Show: “The Last Podcast on the Left: JK Ultra Tour”

It has been an exhausting Autumn for me. For one, my third kitten (I will introduce him eventually) has ringworm, and that has been a whole thing. For another, my husband has been traveling for work a lot and that kind of out of routine occurrence is VERY hard for my daughter. And then there’s just EVERYTHING GOING ON IN THE WORLD. It’s been rough. So having a night out to see a live show of my favorite podcasters with dear friends of mine was a WONDERFUL respite. Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, and Ed Larson are on tour right now talking about the Titanic, outlandish conspiracies, exorcisms, and other wild stuff, with well researched context and hilarious commentary. I hadn’t seen Ed live yet either, so that was a lovely thing too (as I absolutely adore Ed). It was a great show, and I’m so happy I was able to go.

Film: “The Long Walk”

I reviewed the book earlier this month in anticipation of the film adaptation. I went to see it opening weekend and was basically sobbing throughout the whole movie, to the point where my friend Michael was like ‘oh my God are you okay?’. This adaptation is a gut punch, keeping in the absolute brutality of the Walk and the horrible fates of the walkers who participate. Stephen King had sold the rights only if he could have a guarantee that it wouldn’t shy away from the brutality, and it does NOT. There are also some changes from the book, but overall I thought that they worked really well and understand why they made them. I also absolutely adored both Cooper Hoffman as Ray and David Jonsson as Pete, as their chemistry and talent brought their friendship and connection to life. And contributed to my sobbing. So much sobbing. It’s so good but so sad. BUT SO GOOD.

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!

Joint Pick

Film: “Superman”

It’s finally happening. The DC Film Universe (is it the DCU now?) is BACK, baby! Because both of us saw “Superman” and it was SO, SO GOOD AND CHARMING AND THRILLING AND HOPEFUL! Everything that a “Superman” story SHOULD be! We have a Superman (David Corenswet is a delight) that feels like he is actually at his heart Clark Kent and that he just wants to help people! We have a Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan is PERFECTION) that is a spitfire reporter who uses her journalism wiles and skills to not only help Superman but to help the greater good, without apology! We have a purely unhinged Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, what on EARTH) who just feels like SUCH A HATER! And we have a fun cast of not as expected DC Superheroes to come to Superman’s assistance, from Guy Gardener’s Green Lantern (the most OBNOXIOUS Lantern!) to Mr. Terrific to Hawkgirl! And we also have Krypto being the bestest boy even if he’s so, so naughty at times too. This is the “Superman” we had both been waiting for. So punk rock. James Gunn…. Thank you.

Serena’s Picks

Video Game: “My Time at Sandrock”

As you’ll see, something about the late summer (or perhaps the onset of the coming school-related madness) has triggered both Kate and I to seek out some nice cozy video games to fill our time. Kate definitely has more experience with these types of games than me (I’m an RPG girl at heart), but now I’m soooo addicted, it’s unbelievable! Must….keep….building! Plus, there are a ton of fun characters and excellent romance options! I’m still fairly early on in the game, but I’m so excited to see how the story plays out from here!

Movie: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”

“Superman” is definitely my favorite superhero movie of the summer (and probably since a long time, since those characters are by far my favorite comic book characters!), but I’ve also been diligently keeping up with the Marvel movies. It’s not a shocking statement to say that the last few years for Marvel have been…rough. But between this and “Thunderbolts*,” it really feels like they might be finding the right track again at last! Simply put, they seem to have remembered that what made the original movies so good were the characters (and the actors they cast to play those characters.) Here, every single member of the ensemble cast knocked it out of the park. And for all that world-ending events are on the horizon, the story remains tightly focused on these characters and their personal arcs. I’m definitely excited to see them all again in the next movie!

Kate’s Picks

Video Game: “Tales of the Shire”

We all know that I am a huge “Lord of the Rings” geek. And I have started soft-launching an introduction to my daughter, as we’ve started slowly working our way through the movies (abridged a bit at my discretion) and we’ve looked at the artwork in my annotated “Hobbit” and my “Lord of the Rings” books. And most recently I got us “Tales of the Shire” on my Switch for us to play together. It’s basically “Animal Crossing” but with hobbits. It’s pretty simple, and it’s definitely cozy, and I like being able to cook meals for my neighbors, and growing a garden, and making friends with other hobbits. And it’s pretty low stakes and open sandbox, so my kid can play it and not feel any pressure or fear that she will screw up her game for her hobbit. I know that some people weren’t as impressed by it, and sure, it feels a bit repetitive at times, but as a game I can play with my soon to be kindergartner it works.

TV Show: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”

I told myself that I really REALLY needed to get back into “Star Trek”, but like usual I just kind of let it fall by the wayside because out of sight, out of mind. But when I was on my way to Las Vegas for my husband’s birthday celebration I saw that “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” was available to watch on the plane. Which was a perfect distraction on the way out west! “Strange New Worlds” is technically a spin off from “Discovery” as well as a prequel to “TOS”, as it follows the characterizations of Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock from “Discovery” as they go on the Enterprise on their own adventures before Kirk takes over in a few years. It’s pretty episodic so far (I’m not TOO far in), but I have really been enjoying seeing more Anson Mount as Pike and Rebecca Romijn as Number One. But it was also fun seeing that Uhura is on this show too, VERY early in her Star Fleet career! It’s just fun and very enjoyable, and I am truly pleased to see both Pike and Number One getting more attention as characters many many years after their initial (not too prominent) runs back on the original series.

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

Video Game: “Split Fiction”

It’s really tough to find a good couch co-op game these days. What used to be a staple of social gaming has now been almost completely consumed by a world where instead of hanging with friends you spend most of your time in a massive online world being ruthlessly hunted and killed by gangs of roaming middle graders. At least that’s been my experience. But a few years ago, my husband and I played “A Way Out,” a couch co-op game where you escape a prison. It was great fun, so I was even more stoked when I heard the same company was releasing another similar game! But this time it followed two writers, one who writes science fiction and the other fantasy. And then the game involves traversing these various fictional worlds. Could a game BE more up my alley? I think not! And this one has easily lived up to my wildest dreams! It’s bizarre, beautiful, and, best of all, endlessly clever in its way of forcing the players to work together to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, bam! Time for another twist! I highly recommend this one, especially if you have someone you can game with at home!

Sports: MN United

My husband and Kate’s husband have had season tickets to the Loons since before, well, they were even the Loons, though, we’ve definitely all used them less since we collectively introduced 3 kids into the scene! That being the case, said children are now finally getting old enough that bringing them to sporting events can be an actual good time, rather than just another form of stress and questioning life choices. The weather was nice, the soft pretzels were enormous, and fun was had all around. Yes, the Loons lost 3 to 1, but hey, you can’t have it all!

Movie: “Beauty and the Beast”

I want to start up a family re-watch of all the Disney movies with my kids, starting from the earliest and then working our way forwards. In the meantime, however, our choices have been very sporadic. But this month when debating we finally landed on “Beauty and the Beast.” I feel like it’s almost a requirement of the job that a librarian love this movie best of all the Disney fair. But, on the other hand, it’s also just that good! As I’ve been reading a lot of romantasy recently, I also recognized the early bones of many of my love story preferences in this re-watch! Always great to have an excuse to revisit classics like this!

Kate’s Picks

Album: “Mayhem” by Lady Gaga

I have been a fan of Lady Gaga since New Years Eve 2009, when I was at a house party with some friends and we were listening to “The Fame” and “The Fame Monster” and dancing about. Now I’ve passed that love onto my five year old, and we were both totally amped when her new album “Mayhem” dropped. Her because she was immediately obsessed with “Disease”, me because it feels like such a throwback to old school witchy demony weirdo Gaga. “Abracadabra” is an obvious winner (the music video is INSAAAAANE and hey, it was the finale lip sync for the crown in this season’s “Drag Race”), but I think that my favorite is “How Bad Do U Want Me”, because it kind of sounds like old school Madonna meets Cyndi Lauper but also somehow a synth-pop Taylor Swift? All I know is that I told David that it was the kind of song I’d have on a loop were I still writing fan fiction romance scenes. HONESTLY THE WHOLE ALBUM HAS SO MANY GREAT INFLUENCE IN ITS SOUND! Like Prince, and David Bowie. I love it. Welcome back Recession Era Gaga, we needed you!

Netflix Show: “You”

We have reached the end of an era. The show “You”, based on one of my favorite series written by Caroline Kepnes, has dropped its final season! Joe Goldberg’s final dance, and perhaps his comeuppance, has arrived, and he’s back in New York and still a complete psychopath. And still incredibly entertaining. After his ludicrous shenanigans in London, he and Kate are now living in NYC, as she tries to turn her nefarious father’s business empire around, and he tries to keep his darker impulses in check. But Joe is Joe, and when he isn’t being completely enraged by the ill behaved upper class (notably Kate’s jealous half sister Reagan, played by a venomous Anna Camp), he’s obsessing over yet another complicated fantasy girl, this one named Bronte. Penn Badgley is still killing it as Joe, and we also get some fun performances from the aforementioned Camp, who is actually doing double duty as both Reagan and her twin sister Maddie, who are very different from each other in some ways. Goodbye, “You”. At least we still have the books.

Film: “Sinners”

I love a well done vampire movie, and when I first saw a trailer for Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” I knew, KNEW that I needed to see it. Because not only did it seem like it was going to be a wild vampire ride, it was also taking place within the Jim Crow Era South, with a predominantly Black cast led by Michael B. Jordan playing twin brothers having to fight off bloodsuckers in a juke joint. My mind immediately went to “From Dusk Til Dawn”, but probably a bit more complex. In the 1930s in the Mississippi Delta, twins Smoke and Stack are returning home from a stint working as heavies for the Mob in Chicago, with a dream to open up a juke joint for the people in their share cropping community. They recruit friends and family to help them run the place, but on opening night their business is infiltrated by white vampires who want to be part of the fun. This movie blew me away. It’s creepy, it’s funny, it’s emotional, it’s deeply political, and it has a FANTASTIC soundtrack and a STELLAR cast. The vampire renaissance in horror media continues, and “Sinners” is possibly the best one we’ve seen.