Bloggy Update 12/20/21

Tomorrow is the official start of winter. And yet, during the past week, I saw two spiders in our house. Charlie was kind enough to remove them from the premises (unharmed), but here in Central Illinois, we are dealing with temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Yep – in late December.

I had my last event of the year earlier this month. It was a great way to finish out – lots of folks and a very cool venue. I hope to do it again next year.

I will admit that I’m looking into events for 2022, but haven’t signed up for anything as of yet. With the new virus strain looming large, I’m hesitant to commit to any dates. However, I do have a few “potentials” on the list. When anything becomes more concrete, you’ll be the first to know! 🙂

The first draft of Nano sits comfortably on the computer and flash drive. I don’t plan on thinking about it until at LEAST the end of February. I haven’t done any “new” writing lately – after Nano, I always give my brain a rest.

In between exercise, practicing french horn, and doing the usual around the house, we’ve managed to watch a few things:

Lupin – (French series) – Not bad. Based on the books from the early 1900’s, it follows a man who is a “gentleman thief” who is trying to figure out who (and why) his father was killed. (no spoiler) You have to suspend belief a wee bit, but it’s entertaining enough for 10 episodes.

The Unforgiveable (2021) – Good, solid movie that made me pretty frustrated with the main character. I won’t spoil anything. I’ll leave it up to you to make your own judgment. Recommended overall.

Going Home in the Dark (2021) – Decent movie that ran about 20 – 25 minutes a bit too long for me. It was a great thriller that ended up staying well past closing time. Others may differ, but it pulled my ranking down because of it. It’s thriller/suspense, not horror, so if you’re on the fence about it being “scary”, it’s not (in that kind of sense).

Welcome to Marwen (2018) – Steve Carell can do no wrong in my book…BUT… in this drama based on the real life of Mark Hogencamp, much of the movie is done through the actions of figurines/caricatures. It’s still voiced by the actors/actresses, but because Mr. Hogencamp’s creations are such a large factor in his/this story, the filmmaker/director/producer decided to utilize this concept within the film itself. It works…kind of…but I think I would have rather seen more live action throughout. I get it – and it must have been a true labor of love to create this world within a world, but it sort of pulled me out of the story. I gave it a 5.8. Charlie gave it an 8.4.

Pig (2021) – Nic Cage restraining his crazy. Interesting movie but a little thin on plot.

His House (2020) – Decent movie about refugees from South Sudan facing new and old horrors. Recommended.

The Power of the Dog (2021) – Yeah, it’s a Western. Not my favorite genre, BUT, this was really good. Kind of like Longmire (a series) good. Lots of layers that play out over the whole movie. It’s NOT just shooting and yipping and cattle. LOL. Solid recommend.

And there we are! Have a most groovy holiday week. May it be restful and peaceful and full of cookies.

Sue