Tag: movies

In The Rearview: February 2022

Today, with it being the second to last day of the month, I thought I’d look back at the month of February, in terms of what I read, (we) watched, and listened to this month. So here goes:

Read:

  • Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood
  • Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention–And How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
  • Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The best of the three was Stolen Focus, with the other two, okay, and I might or might not continue each series. They both were okay, but nothing I felt like I had to get the next one right now.

Not Read:

  • Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brene Brown

In progess:

  • Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
  • Atomic Lobster by Tim Dorsey

Watched:

  • The Afterparty (Apple)
  • Animal House (DVD)
  • CODA (Apple)
  • Forgetting Sarah Marshall (rent)
  • Ghosts (the British version) (BBCAmerica, HBO Max)
  • I Am Not Your Negro (Hulu)
  • I Love You, Man (rent)
  • Old School (rent)
  • The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max)
  • Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max) with
  • The Seventh Seal (HBO Max, TCM)
  • Tacoma FD (HBO Max, TruTV)
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth (Apple)

All of the series, we’re in the middle of or at the beginning. The best two of the month were CODA, deservedly up for an Oscar, and I Love You, Man, which was, and is, a hidden comic gem with Jason Segel and Paul Rudd.

Not Watched:

  • Around the World in 80 Days
  • The Good Place

Sometimes with so many other things we want to watch, there’s just not enough time and with these two, that’s the case. Kim already has seen The Good Place and said it’s really good, as have many of you. I’m just not “feeling” it, I guess. *another shrug emoji* Same for Around the World in 80 Days (which Kim hasn’t seen yet either). Maybe some day, but not right now.

Listened To:

  • Once Twice Melody by Beach House
  • Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Various Artists

Out of the two, Summer of Soul is essential listening and is the documentary, essential viewing.

So to recap, my favorites from the month:

How was your February? What did you read, watch, and/or listen to? What were your favorites of the month?

Three-day weekend at the Beach House…again, sort of

Almost every Sunday since mid-May 2020 with a few exceptions, I have been taking my own personal Sabbath, where I tune out of the news and social media and turn off my ringer and all notifications on my phone. Throughout the day and/or sometimes the next day, I share what I am reading, listening to, or watching during my Sabbath. Sometimes I extend my Sabbath by a day or two, like this weekend since I am off Monday as well, so right now I’m doing the…

At the beginning of the month, I talked about how we were going to our beach house…well, sort of, anyway. Why was the band Beach House was expected to release its latest album Once Twice Melody that Friday. However, I had the release date wrong. It’s today…

…and it fits with another three-day weekend, at least for me. Besides listening to the new album, here’s what else I have planned:

Friday night (with Kim):

  • Burger night.
  • Watch The Afterparty.
  • Watch I Love You, Man, which was produced by Ivan Reitman who died Saturday. We watched Ghostbusters, which he directed, earlier this week.

Saturday:

  • Read Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
  • Watch I Am Not Your Negro with Kim, who has been wanting me to watch this for awhile.

Sunday:

  • Read Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown.
  • Watch Animal House and Old School, both produced by Reitman, with Kim.

Monday:

  • Continue to read Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood, which I started Wednesday night and am enjoying thus far.
  • Bingewatch as much of The Good Place, that I borrowed from the library, as I can.

What are you up to this weekend? Whatchya got planned on the book, TV, and/or music front?

I’ll leave you with the aforementioned Beach House:

What the special occasion is, and why

The other day, I put up my latest blog post on my/our plans for this weekend. I was mentioning one of the things we were doing with my sister. She hadn’t seen the post and asked, “What is the special occasion?” I sent her a link to the post.

But it got me thinking, as we made plans for the rest of this weekend, specifically tonight, next weekend, and the weekend after, what and why the special occasions are. I’ll recite the what in a moment, but the why is, in part, a cold, cold winter. Over the last few weeks, it has dipped into, and stayed in, the single digits and negatives. It’s comforting mentally to have something warm and cozy to look forward to, or something to look forward to, period.

Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Pexels.com

Also the way my mind works or like to work is thematically, hence the theme of this blog of initially looking at an unfinished person through the lenses of body, mind, and soul. That has expanded or contracted to what I read, what I watch, and what I listen to. So I’m drawn to seeing the world through themes. So, for example, this month is Black History Month, and I plan to read a few books on Black history.

Close to next weekend is Valentine’s Day, and the following weekend is Presidents’ Day Weekend. My wife is off next weekend and off Monday, as am I, for President’s Day. So, Friday night, Kim and I plan on watching more of The Afterparty. We’ve only seen the first episode, but on Friday, the fifth episode arrives so we’ll catch up. Then on Saturday, we’re delving into black and white movies, with The Seventh Seal, which Kim never has seen, and The Tragedy of Macbeth with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.

We’ll end the weekend with watching a little football, no, not the Super Bowl, but Going Deep with Terry Bradshaw and, in keeping with it being Sunday, going to church (sort of) with Danny McBride and John Goodman in The Righteous Gemstones. We’ve been wanting to watch it, but just haven’t gotten there yet.

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com

On the Sunday of President’s Day Weekend, we plan on watching All the President’s Men and who knows maybe start a Ken Burns bio of a president. That’s a couple of weeks out, so plans might change.

Tonight, our plans originally were to have a PBS night, maybe watching Around the World in 80 Days, but then last night we watched a trailer for a movie on Apple+ called Coda and decided we wanted to watch that. We’re also going to watch the latest episode of Somebody Somewhere on HBO and end the night with another episode of Joe Pera Talks with You.

Here’s a playlist of all the shows and movies that we are planning to watch this month:

Do you plan things out ahead? Do you have themed weekends/days?

My Own Personal Sabbath #4 of 2022

Almost every Sunday since mid-May 2020 with a few exceptions, I have been taking my own personal Sabbath, where I tune out of the news and social media and turn off my ringer and all notifications on my phone. Throughout the day and/or sometimes the next day, I share what I am reading, listening to, or watching during my Sabbath.

Like last weekend, I am extending this weekend’s Sabbath to start today, Friday, and go through Monday. Like last weekend, it’s supposed to be cold outside, so a good weekend again for curling up under a blanket with a book and a hot beverage. Unlike last weekend, my wife Kim is off and probably will participate in at least one day with me.

This weekend’s reading selections are:

  • Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention by Johann Hari, to which I was introduced by Niall Breslin in his podcast Where is My Mind?
  • The Thursday Murder Club, which I picked up at the library after hearing how much a few patrons were enjoying the series.
  • Is It Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld, a collection of his favorite material through the years.

Like last weekend, I have created a playlist of podcasts:

Tomorrow, we are having a movie night tomorrow, but we haven’t decided what we’re watching yet. And then on Sunday, we’re having a PBS night, and we’re planning to watch Around the World in 80 Days and Endeavour.

So, that’s what I have planned for this weekend for My Own Personal Sabbath. What do you have planned for this weekend? Reading, watching TV, listening to music, spending time with family? Let me know in the comments.