Look out, blogosphere, I've got competition for short form book reviews! Though my taste isn't quite as elevated as my cousin's. To wit:
The White Lotus, S3 — Max | One of the rare viewing experiences that I enjoyed more thanks to post-viewing podcasts. It’s not that all the Buddhist stuff went over my head, but I think I appreciated it more when things were pointed out to me. Still, it was my least favorite of the three seasons so far. More entertaining than most of the dreck on TV, however.
Dying for Sex — Hulu | Hulu promoted the hell out of this one, so I justified their marketing effort. Plus, I’ve been a Michelle Williams fan since Heath Ledger died. It’s the true story of a young woman battling cancer who is incredibly horny in the face of her terminal illness, played sometimes for laughs but mostly for heart-tugging drama.
Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind by Nate Bargatze | Not willing to break the capitalist comedian’s playbook, droll everyman Nate Bargatze wrote a book that isn’t as good as his stand-up routines you can watch on Netflix. Some LOL moments, but he delivers more on stage.
Never Flinch by Stephen King | Somewhere-on-the-spectrum private eye Holly Gibney may now be King’s most recurring character since the Man in Black/Randall Flagg/The Crimson King. This one was pretty straightforward, with parallel plots involving religious zealots trying to kill a high-profile feminist speaker and a recovering alcoholic on a killing spree, both with Daddy issues.
Into the Ice by Mark Synnott | One of the world’s most accomplished mountain climbers convinced National Geographic to fund a 112-day sail through the Northwest Passage in the footsteps of British explorer Sir John Franklin, who disappeared along with his entire crew more than 175 years ago. The history and mystery aren’t as engaging as the present day exploits on the Arctic seas. | My AP review.
Explorer: Lost in the Arctic — Disney+ | A 48-minute companion to Synnott’s book, it features stunning drone imagery as the crew hunts for Franklin’s tomb.
Venom: The Last Dance — Netflix | This is the kind of movie I watch when Carey’s not home. Tom Hardy does some incredible voice work and the plot is precisely what a movie about world-destroying aliens and their symbiotic nemeses should be.
Twisters — Prime | The rare remake that didn’t just spark nostalgia for the original. I’ve always liked natural disaster flicks and this was better than most, even if the science is pretty sketchy.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry — Netflix | This won a Sunday night round of “I don’t know, what do you want to watch?” because of its 105-minute run time. Turns out it’s the classic “was probably better as a book” movie. A little too much time jumping and not enough character development on the screen.
iHostage — Netflix | A dramatization of a real-life incident in Amsterdam that I never heard about, this was a pretty taut 100 minutes, and befitting the Netflix business model it made me want to visit the Netherlands. On a day they don’t have a hostage incident at an Apple Store, of course.
The Venom movie came and went without ceremony - I had forgotten about it completely. Good for you for watching. What podcasts were you listening to for your White Lotus watching? (Editor's note: there isn't a link on the "My AP Review".)
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