New Bloggy Update! 12/27/23

Guess which house is now, finally, Covid-free?

THIS ONE!

Yes, we have come out from underneath the darkness and into the light of the living again. Charlie and I both tested negative and are running at about a 90%. We do have a bit of lingering congestion (mostly dry cough once in a while), but other than that, we have returned.

Obviously, there isn’t anything to mention in the way of events (although, in another week or two, I’ll probably start poking around for one or two in early spring), nor on the writing front. I did do an article for ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors group) that should appear sometime in January. I’ll link it here when it does come out. I also still plan on diving into draft #2 of In a Corner, Darkly: Volume 3, my NanoWriMo project from November ’23. That will most likely happen in late February/March.

So, as promised, here is an abbreviated list of movies/series that kept us company during the dark days (and nights) of Covid:

Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis (2022) – Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell form the iconic album art design studio Hipgnosis and become rock royalty during the 1970s. They create some of the most recognizable album covers of all time, including Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” (Google) Pretty much spot on description of this documentary. Charlie dug it more than me, although I gave it a rousing 8.0 out of 10. If you are a music fan, you’ll like this. If you like historical 70s grooviness, this, too, will fit into your wheelhouse. Strong recommend for the rock/music/70s/band loving crowd.

A Man Called Otto (2022) – When a lively young family moves in next door, grumpy widower Otto Anderson meets his match in a quick-witted, pregnant woman named Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world upside down. (Google) Where are my Tom Hanks fans? Yes, this leans a little cliche. By the time you’re ten minutes in, you can pretty much see where it’s going. BUT…it’s still a poignant, feel good, wipe a tear away film that’s solid and worth a watch. High recommend.

The Beasts (2022/2023) – A French couple move to a Galician town in search of a closer relationship with nature. However, a conflict with their neighbours, the Anta brothers, causes tensions to grow until the situation reaches a point of no return. (Google) There are a NUMBER of movies with this title, so if you are looking for this one, make sure you have the one from France. This is the kind of story that might have lost something in the translation. It “claims” to be a horror, edge of your seat thriller, but I didn’t see that at ALL. It’s more about exacting vengeance against “an outsider among them” and then plays around with the question of retaliation vs. going along to get along. I was frustrated with the second half of the film, but your mileage may vary. I couldn’t do better than a 6.7.

The King of Clones (2023) – King of Clones is a documentary released on Netflix and directed by Aditya Thayi which examines the Hwang affair involving human cloning by South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk. (Wiki) Somewhat interesting documentary about cloning and how far is too far. It’s accessible (doesn’t get too technical and complicated), but it didn’t pull me in. If you are interested in different points of view regarding cloning of animals and humans, this is your jam. Otherwise, if you pass on it, we’ll all understand. We both ranked it in the mid 6’s.

Pain Hustlers (2023) – After losing her job, a woman who’s struggling to raise her daughter takes a job out of desperation. She begins work at a failing pharmaceutical startup, but what she doesn’t anticipate is the dangerous racketeering scheme she’s suddenly entered. (Google) There are apparently a LOT of opioid movies going around these days. Not sure why this one tanked on Rotten Tomatoes, but we thought it was pretty good. Exceptionally good, actually. I ended up giving it an 8.0, and Charlie came in at a healthy 7.4. This film, based on the Evan Hughes’ book, was decent and well-crafted.

Mutiny in Heaven/The Birthday Party (2023) – Nick Cave and his first band, The Birthday Party, offer an unfiltered, intimate, and immersive exploration of their post-punk success onto the global stage. (Google) When Charlie introduced me, musically, to Nick Cave, it was through his newer group, The Bad Seeds. I liked a number of those songs and thought pretty darn highly of Mr. Cave. What I came to learn was that this gentleman’s roots basically started in a way-too-rough, way-too-gruff for me band called The Birthday Party. Heroin, screaming, partying, addiction, all with an outlay of brash and disgusting behavior are the cornerstones of this punk group. I was not amused. I’m sort of glad that I was able to watch in my Covid stupor as that was probably the redeeming quality of this hour and thirty-eight minute endurance festival. If you really want to appreciate Nick Cave in all of his quality musicianship, seek out the Bad Seeds records (or his solo work).

Reptile (2023) – Following the brutal murder of a young real estate agent, a hardened detective attempts to uncover the truth in a case where nothing is as it seems, and, by doing so, dismantles the illusions in his own life. (Google) What’s hilarious about this new movie is that for most of its run time, I was like, “what the heck is going on????” Who’s the good guy? Who’s the bad people? What does that ending mean? (lol) Yeah, it eventually comes around to where everything makes sense (for the most part), but be ready to hang on in order to connect the dots. It’s a bit of a crap shoot as to whether I can even recommend this one. Having said that, it’s entertaining enough.

Okay – one more for now. (Hey, let me know if you hate these or like them. I enjoy sharing my take on what we see, but if people are like, BORING, and NOBODY CARES, then I’ll refrain in the future)

When Evil Lurks (2023) – When the residents of a small rural town discover that a demon is about to be born among them, they desperately try to escape, but it may be too late. (Google) Horror movie that might have been really creepy had it not relied on gross out stuff and cliches. Yeah, it was…okay. The most hilarious part was the telling of the “seven rules” which must be obeyed, lest the demon take over the town – and then pretty much everyone in the entire cast proceeds to break them all. I mean, come ON, people. Stop. We gave it low 6’s for some laugh out loud moments and an interesting enough plot to see if anyone would end up being smart enough to do what they were actually supposed to do. (spoiler: they don’t)

And that is a wrap!

I hope everyone has the grooviest and best New Year’s. Read some books. Leave some reviews. Chill. Eat cookie dough. Celebrate however you wish. See you in 2024!!

Sue