January media diet

Introducing a new monthly feature for 2022 here at Merrilly Yours.  Because at the ripe old age of 50 I  am now a self-appointed "tastemaker," that is, an arbiter of pop culture -- given my seven years holding microphones on red carpets or telling prettier people who were holding the microphones what questions to ask celebrities -- I am keeping track of all the books I read, the movies I watch, and the "TV" shows I stream this year.  It goes without saying that live sports is its own category and should probably be its own blog, but The Ringer beat me to it. Since Tweet-length reviews are a real thing, I will endeavor to summarize my thoughts on each, though I am not going to count characters.  Another note: I will only feature shows that are finished in any given month.  So while the family is midway through season 2 of "Superstore" as I write this, it probably won't make the media diet until February or March.  And to be clear -- these aren't all family shows.  They include all the family entertainment we watch together, plus the stuff I do on my own time.   Enjoy.

“TV”

Community — Netflix | Lost a little shine when Chevy Chase left, and a little more when Donald Glover did, but each season’s paint gun episode(s) kept me coming back until the end.

Station Eleven — HBO | Not as good as the 2014 novel by Emily St. John Mandel, despite the widespread critical acclaim, but a powerful statement about the importance of human connection and the enduring power of art.

Normal People — Hulu | The kind of story that used to make for an excellent drama on the silver screen, but that Hollywood simply won’t make anymore. Twelve 30-minute episodes, basically three movies. Bit melodramatic at times and more than a little porn-ish, but great acting and an emotional story.

MOVIES

Spider-Man: No Way Home — in the theater! | Four other brave souls joined the kids and I for a 615pm Saturday screening, a couple months after the rest of the world saw it. I think we all generally give it at least one thumbs up, though I easily could have cut 30 minutes off it. Spoiler alert: Was great to see Tobey Maguire again. Looking good in a skin suit at 46!

The Watch — IMDB | Made when Ben Stiller’s name on a project could just about get anything made, this spoof of neighborhood watches veers a little too far into a gross-out comedy, but it was worth a few Thursday night yuks. Whatever happened to Vince Vaughn?  He just got old? 

The Tender Bar — Amazon | Ben Affleck is done being Batman. He prefers low key supporting roles these days and is the star of this film, adapted from the memoir of journalist J.R. Moehringer. Touching enough story as directed by George Clooney, but won’t make my Top 10 list of 2022.

Don’t Look Up — Netflix | They paid every movie star in the world (Leo! J-Law! Meryl Streep! Cate Blanchett!) to be in a satire about the end of the world that, while very funny, could all too easily be true. Best line — spoiler alert! — just before the world ends: “We really did have everything, didn’t we?

Spencer — Redbox | Not sure Kristin Stewart deserves such vociferous praise for her portrayal of the late Lady Diana, but if there’s a crumb of truth to it, it just makes me hate the whole concept of royalty even more. The “discordant” soundtrack, as our closed captioning kept calling it, probably wins an Oscar.

The Power of the Dog - Netflix | An odd and moody prestige picture with Sherlock/Doctor Strange playing a mean ol’ cowboy with identity issues. I enjoyed Kirsten Dunst’s performance more and Jesse Plemons ("Friday Night Lights," one of those "Fargo" seasons) steals every movie he’s in. Beautiful cinematography.

BOOKS

The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality — In case you ever wondered whether elite athletes were always driven to win at all costs, the answer is yes.

What the Fireflies Knew — A debut novel from a creative writing professor that tries a little too hard to be impactful. Difficult for this reader to get past the 11-year-old narrator’s Ebonics.

Black Cake — A time jumping tale of identity and love and what it means when the people we thought we knew turn out to be someone else. Another first time author I reviewed for the AP.  Much more promising than “Fireflies.”