August media diet

Let's start with the books this time. They don't get enough attention in this TikTok world. Look out this fall. I have some whoppers to read for the AP -- including new novels from John Irving, Ian McEwan and Barbara Kingsolver!

BOOKS

The Given Day by Dennis Lehane | I had this on our shelf for years and finally found the time to pick it up. Glad I did. He’s a helluva writer, with some more familiar novels to his credit that readers will recognize as movies: “Gone Baby Gone,” “Mystic River” and “Shutter Island,” to name just a few. This one is set during the Boston Police Union strike of 1919, focusing on a few characters, including Babe Ruth! Engaging stuff.

Sh*tshow by Richard Russo | Sought out more Russo writings on the Libby app and found this one, published in 2019 as an audiobook exclusive.  Carey listened with me on a recent drive to Syracuse. It was interesting how my interpretation of the story differed from hers, based on our gender. Also another frustrating example of just how deeply the terrible “orange man” has pervaded our consciousness, artistic or otherwise.

Trajectory by Richard Russo | Different voices read the four short stories in this collection, none of which blew me away. All feature men coming to terms with some slight life presented them — be it a college student with Asperger’s or two brothers estranged because they loved the same woman.

MOVIES

Didn't get to a theater last month. Just as I thought, it's going to take a super-hyped film to draw me back in. Almost got out to see "NOPE" a couple times, but never pulled the trigger. Though I do think in retirement, should theaters still exist with creative people still making art to showcase in them, I'll be a prime candidate for that $30/month, all-you-can-watch pass. 

Me Time - Netflix | Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg got some of that Netflix money before the stock price dropped.  In return, the audience gets a few laughs, but not too many. Plot centers around Kevin Hart trying to recapture some of his youthful vigor, before he chose to become a stay-at-home dad.

Look Both Ways - Netflix | This 50-year old father of two teenagers is not ashamed to say that when nobody is home, I like to watch cheesy movies featuring much younger and more beautiful people navigating life. This one starts at a Univ. of Texas graduation party as one of those aforementioned beautiful people sits on the toilet waiting for her pregnancy test results. From there, the narrative splits and we’re treated to two stories — one in which she’s a 21-year-old mom, the other where she chases her dream of being an animator in Hollywood. Two thumbs up.

Prey - Hulu | I’ll watch all “Predator” franchise films until they stop making them, but this one was quite a stretch. Spoiler alert: A young Comanche woman in the early 18th century hunts and kills one of the futuristic alien warriors, long before Arnold Schwarzenegger was born.

TV

This Fool - Hulu | My friend Gardner recommended this one and it was not awful. Two Latino comedians star as cousins, one just out of jail, the other working at a nonprofit called “Hugs Not Thugs” helping the formerly incarcerated lead productive lives. Michael Imperioli from “The Sopranos” (he played cousin Christopher Moltisanti) is the nonprofit’s exec director. More comedy than drama. And only 22-28 minutes per episode.

Loot - Apple TV | Gave this one a shot simply because of Maya Rudolph. It’s pretty formulaic, but she’s a talented comedic actress, so it has its moments. Basic plot: She’s the divorced wife of a Mark Zuckerberg type, worth more than $100 billion, but suddenly on her own. In an effort to move beyond the tabloids and make a name for herself, she devotes time to her namesake charity, which helps the homeless in L.A. That introduces her to a cast of characters and hijinks ensue.

For All Mankind, S3 - Apple TV | We made it to Mars! We have a female president! But same-sex marriage is not the law of the land and the Cold War never ended. This season was more soap opera-y than the first two, but space-set dramas still thrill me and this one is certainly original.

Alone: Grizzly Mountain, S8 - Netflix | This popped into our Netflix suggestions and I couldn’t resist. The whole family watched season 7, aka The One Where Roland Killed a Musk Ox with his Bare Hands, but it was just Carey and me for this one. Not quite as engaging, mostly because it was a battle against starvation more than the elements. Still, fantastic videography and an intriguing concept — drop seasoned survivalists into the remote wilderness with 10 pre-approved items of their choosing (no guns, but a bow and a knife and some fishing gear is permitted), and then leave them completely alone with camera gear to document their experience. This one lasted just under 80 days. Not all seasons are on Netflix. It’s a History Channel franchise that shows up occasionally.

Peaky Blinders, S6 - Netflix | The final season of this perennial Netflix favorite about a gypsy gang’s rise and fall in post-WWI England was darker and moodier than the others. But a feature film is in the works, so the story isn’t over. Soundtrack is amazing — the theme song is the incredible Red Right Hand by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — and lead Irish actor Cillian Murphy with his blazing blue eyes is a delight.