TWITL - week forty - fall break
We’re in the middle of fall break here, which is why I’m writing this post on Monday morning. I decided to take the Mondays and Fridays off, which meant a four day weekend last weekend (because I took the Friday off for the concert), a four day weekend for this weekend, and a three day weekend for next. Glorious time!
MOVIES
buttery popcorn
No Time to Die - I like James Bonds films in passing but as the years have passed, I’ve watched movies in the same vein that appeal to me more. James Bond harkens back to a different time and putting him in modern settings necessitated a change in his character that worked well but it could be said that other films are doing his kind of character better. Perhaps it’s time to appreciate him as a relic of the past instead of constantly rebooting him for another generation. All that said, I wasn’t planning on seeing Daniel Craig’s last outing as Bond in the theatre. I was going to wait until it hit one of the streaming services and watch it from the comfort of home. T-Mobile, however, changed my plans by offering $4 movie tickets to the movie and who am I to resist such an offer? So I bought a $4 ticket to the IMAX showing and sat at the top corner of the middle section without anyone around me and enjoyed the nearly three hour showing of this Bond’s last hurrah.
I kinda loved it. I’m sure I would have liked it more if I had remembered more details from the previous films but as it was, I understood well enough the plot line and I enjoyed it. The cinematography was GORGEOUS. It was really a beautiful film, a feast for the eyes. Are Daniel Craig’s eyes really that blue? Is Ana de Armas’ hair really that shiny? Speaking of de Armas, she was woefully underused but I LOVED her time on screen. She was altogether goofy and cute and gorgeous and sweet and kickass. They could do a whole little short film on her adventures as Paloma and I would absolutely watch it. (And why am I just now remembering Knives Out? LORD.)
Daniel Craig was a good Bond, even if he did not physically match the Bond in my head (I think physically, Pierce Brosnan was my ideal even if I can’t remember ever watching his Bond movies). DC was a good Bond for these modern times and I’m sure I’ll appreciate him more when I go back and watch his Bond movies again. He certainly made me believe he was more than the womanizing, martini drinking, spy with a license to kill.
If you’re a James Bond fan, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to watch this movie. If you’re a Daniel Craig fan, same bit. If you’re a movie fan in general, this one is a good one to sit and enjoy. I certainly did.
FANGIRL MUSINGS
So here’s my chance to say that Ben Barnes’ EP Songs for You comes out this Friday. The first single, “11:11” is already out and has been streamed over 1million times on Spotify. Good for Ben! I do love the song and I’m sure I’m going to end up loving the EP. I’m sort of easy like that.
I still very much ADORE Sullivan Stapleton. He continues to demonstrate his good heart and always puts out positivity and hope in his IG posts. Also, his dog is adorable. I don’t think I’ll ever be indifferent to him and I really do love how he takes the time to read and like the comments to his posts. Definitely keeps me hooked. And after our fangirl kerfuffle with his former co-star, I appreciate Sully’s good nature and openness even more. At least I feel like he would be super sweet if we ever met. His co-star? Yeah, not so much.
TV
What If…? (Disney+) - I enjoyed this first season very much. Is it getting as second season? I hope so! I’d love to revisit those versions of familiar characters again. I think they series plays very well for all kinds of fans but fans who have a good recollection of the films probably get a bit more out of it. And if you’re comic book fan, you probably get even more out the stories…
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) - The second season has ended and I think it was a good one. I loved getting to know the characters even more and even though I’m a little bummed about the turn of one of the characters, I understand it too. My favorite episode was the Christmas episode, which even now makes me smile a little.
Foundation (Apple TV+) - I read the first three books before the series premiered and I definitely understand the show more than I did the books. (Perhaps I should re-read them? I want to finish all of them first before I go back.) I’m definitely enjoying the show and the latest episode had me a bit on the edge of my seat. And lo, Lee Pace has mesmerizing voice.
RANDOM MUSINGS
Facebook and Instagram went down last week for SIX hours. I’m lucky because for me, it was just a nuisance and a little bummer but for others, it was likely a stressful time. From businesses and professionals to folks who use FB as a way to communicate with family and friends- I can see how the services going down for six hours was very jarring. Some people were too easy to dismiss what was an inconvenience for them without seeing how it could be a lifeline cutoff for others. Be nicer, people. If you’re the kind to mock and say things like, “Oh, just go outside,” maybe you should take your own advice and step away before you willfully hurt someone who might read your words.
We had our CPN chat this past weekend. It was our Zoom-aversary! We had our first group video chat a year ago. It was a way to socialize during the lockdown and it turned into so much more. I simply LOVE and ADORE those ladies so much and am so grateful that the wonderful Aleks Paunovic is the reason we fell into each others’ orbits.
We have so much fun, especially when Amanda samples her Universal Yum box. We get to vote on what she gets to taste, which is always a delightful moment in our hours long chats. We missed Rachel and Naye this time around. Susan dropped in later (she’s the one missing in the shot above). Thank you Paula, Rikke, Amanda, Kim, and Susan for another wonderful night of chatting. You all make me smile and I love hearing about life in your parts of the world.
And now to enjoy my day off by watching another episode of The Crown…
Originally published at Kiari's Corner. You can comment here or there.