Saw THE BLACK BAG (Stephen Soderbergh), which sort of left me cold. Spy dramas often do except for SLOW HORSES and a few of the Smiley books. Both leads are pretty aloof, as in most of their films, and I also had some hearing issues as did all four of us who went.
Loving THE RESIDENCE on Netflix. And LUDWIG on BRTIBOX. About to finish SEVERANCE. THE WHITE LOTUS seems too much like the first two seasons to be very enjoyable. ADOLESCENCE on Netflix was amazing although very dark. Stepen Graham is an amazing actor but so were the two teen actors.
Not so dark the movie EVERY LITTLE THING, on Kanopy.
About to start THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whittaker.
Went to a lecture on the BLACK BOTTOM and PARADISE VALLEY, areas of Detroit that were vibrant centers for black life in the early 20th century. There were hundreds of Black businesses there until they figured out how to push them out by crisscrossing freeways. Also heard a great jazz guitarist. Both of these were at our great senior center. Here is the website of the historian/photographer Rod Arroya https://city-photos.com/detroit-history/
For Tracy's Glen, a book called SICK HOUSES (Leila Taylor) reviewed in the NYT today might be of interest to you.
What about you?
(Sorry this one got away from me early)
28 comments:
I'm waiting until tomorrow to post because something exciting might happen between now and then.
A teaser!
Do you have any way of finding/sharing the guitarist's name, Patti? Glad this was mostly a good weekend/week (theater had the film turned down too low? Used to be that the opposite problem was the default, but in art houses...).
Ted Gioia made an interesting point about THE WHITE LOTUS in his Substack blog today...all the spoiled clients of the resort chain (and, as Gioia doesn't quite note, also some of the staff) are so wrapped up in their material desires that the dharmic implications of a White Lotus are lost on them, and their discontent messes them over. I can see the argument, but it's also a pretty easy means of excusing injustice, at least in the hands of those prone to, to suggest that disharmony with one's fate is the reason for so much sadness...much as those who suggest that predestination of other sorts, or grace or the lack of same and unwillingness to accept One's Place are the drivers of misery, as opposed to the desire to seek more justice, even when foiled to even a great extent, can also help one find peace, when does at least some of what one can. Leaving aside the potential smugness of those who hold what they are quite certain is greater wisdom. Such as certain clowns of the worst kind we can name.
Slowly, even if too slowly, striving for improvements...
What Jerry said. But one comment...we were watching REBUS on Britbox last night. This was Series 3, Episode 3, "A Question of Blood" based on a book I haven't read. One of the supporting players was one of George's favorite redheads, Karen (Dr. Who) Gillian, here about 19 in her first credit ever.
George has many favorite redheads, Jeff. Karen Gillian is probably number 2 on the list.
Gillan, oddly perhaps--a one-I'd Karen...
His name is Michael Jenkins. He has an incredible sound system that makes it feel like there's an band backing him up. Re: WHITE LOTUS-I guess there is a similarity in the people who can afford these places. But it is hard to feel much sympathy for whatever there woes are.
Dang! Nothing exciting happened between then and now. Go figure.
My back has been acting up big time and basically has decided it wants a divorce from my body, so I spent most of the week flat on my back trying to convince it not to do so. I lucked out because it is school vacation week so I did not have to ferry Jack back and forth to school.
I did, however, hobble my way out of the house on Thursday. My niece Becky from Indiana was in town and stopped by. We seldom see each other and it was great to get together. Christina, Jessie, and I took her to one of the seafood restaurants on the beach for lunch, which provided me with my one major hobble of the week. Becky has several food allergies, including all grains and gluten, so it was interesting to see her navigate the menu. I have no food allergies, so I joyfully devoured anything that swam or floated.
Finished streaming the Michael Gambon MAIGRET, which I enjoyed far more than the Rowan Atkinson version. Beyond that, all I watched was the new episodes of DEATH IN PARADISE, FATHER BROWN, HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU, and the Iate night comics (several of whom were off this week).
Books. I read HOLMES IS MISSING, the second Holmes, Marple, and Poe mystery by James Patterson and Brian Sitts (although the series is now called "Holmes, Margaret, and Poe"; why the change? Don't know). Charles Grant's collection of linked Oxrun Station horror stories, THE BLACK CAROUSEL (my FFB; also this one was signed "Charles Grant" rather than "Charles L. Grant" as all the other were. Why the change? Don't know). Horseman was the first volume in YA The Hollow series by Christopher Golden & Ford Lytle Gilmore; it takes place in Sleepy Hollow and involved the Headless Horseman. Daniel Krauss's BLOOD SUGAR was a surreal and inventively interesting take on a concussed psychopath and three disaffected children who decide to poison Halloween candy -- a far much better read than it sounds.
I hope you have a fantastic week, Patti! Stay safe and stay involved.
Western NY is being buffeted by 50 mph winds right now. I plan to hunker down until the the weather moderates. Diane and I had a nice ZOOM session with Patrick and Katie last night. Katie has arranged for our Broadway musicals tickets. Patrick has arranged dinners at swanky restaurants around Times Square where Diane and I will be staying during our Mothers' Day trip to NYC.
I'm still watching REACHER. The violence is amping up! We DVRed the new WOLF HALL. THE WHEEL OF TIME is still compelling. I've been focused on reading the stack of review books before it causes an avalanche! Stay safe!
Yes, global warming has certainly meant high winds. The Whittaker book is great so far.
Megan is off to NOLA this week for the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival. She is giving a craft talk and on a panel with Gillian Flynn, Alafair Burke and Laura Lippman. If you are in the area...They have all won the same award for female crime writers.
I did not care for Rowan Atkinson as Maigret at all.
Agree with you about LUDWIG and THE RESIDENCE. On the latter, I keep hoping Isiah Whitlock, Jr. will give out with a "Sheeeee-it" as he did on THE WIRE. The Whitaker was very long but very good.
Got a head cold this week that suddenly turned into a upper respiratory infection/bronchitis on Saturday. Every time I tried to lie down I started choking so ended up sitting up all night. Went to a treat & release place yesterday and got antibiotics and cough stuff, and it is much better today. I hate being sick in general, but this was particularly debilitating for a minor illness.
We watched the first episode of THE DOC AND THE VET (MHz) last night. This French series has elements of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, NORTHERN EXPOSURE without the zany elements (the doctor has to do three years in a rural area with no doctors), VIRGIN RIVER, and other "fish out of water" things like DOC HOLLYWOOD. The doctor ends up living across the hall from the vet in an old school, with both having their offices downstairs. This is set in the Auvergne region in east central France. Seems to be a lot of sheep farming. What was most interesting (there are 6 90 minute episodes) was that star Michel Cymes is not just an actor, he is a doctor - an ENT surgeon - as well as a well know TV presenter in France. Of course, he is playing a vet here. Incidentally, no romance - he's mid-60s, divorced with a son, and she is mid-30s, apparently single, though I'd guess both are playing younger.
Another show with 90 minute episodes is A REMARKABLE PLACE TO DIE (Acorn, I think), about a cop who leaves her high-flying career in Sydney to return home to Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand, where her sister died in a mysterious accident two years ago and her widowed mother seems surprisingly not happy to see her back. Her former fiancé (she dumped him) is married to her former best friend. I assume as the four episodes progress, she will investigate her sister's death.
One more REACHER episode to go, on Thursday.
On SUITS, Wendell Pierce turned up as Meghan Markle's father, which was an interesting turn of events. Enjoyed seeing Lili Taylor as Nate's ex in an episode of SIX FEET UNDER, especially watching her try to "talk" ants into leaving her kitchen.
Jackie has been reading more, but with the way I felt this week, did not get much done, though library books keep coming in. For those who like (or, at least, don't mind) reading ebooks, let me recommend again the Cloud Library. The New York Public Library is in their system, but the Brooklyn Public Library isn't, but fortunately we have a card from the Palm Beach Public Library system, which is. All you have to do is go on and do search. I've found that they have books available sooner and much faster than the other systems, and things they say will be available in three weeks have turned up THE NEXT DAY, and "available in two months" turned into a week. Jackie is reading the new HUNGER GAMES prequel from the Cloud Library now. You need to see if your system is involved.
/end unsolicited endorsement.
It's been a really good 12 weeks down here (except for the last few days, health-wise). The weather has been great for the most part, and we've enjoyed our time here and this apartment. It's the third year we've stayed here and Jackie has already made reservations for the next two winters. We're planning on packing up this weekend and will be leaving next Monday morning, another reason I was concerned about getting healthy. We'll be home April 3 and have our first concert (The Mavericks) on April 10 and our first show (DEAD OUTLAW) on April 23.
have a good week.
I forgot to mention that Mark's zoo is sponsoring March of the Penguins Madness, where people can vote for their favorite penguins. Ike the penguin (Mark's favorite) has made it to the second round! But now he is up against a one-flipper penguin, so he is going to need all the help he can get! Anyone wishing to vote can go to https://www.penguinsinternaational.org/motpm-votting/. Ike and Mark both would appreciate any love you can throw their way!
Thanks! Will check his work online! No, no surfeit of sympathetic characters in THE WHITE LOTUS...
Sympathies in re: the back, Jerry...I have my own post furniture-moving/building fun thus. Though foolish attempts to carry in all the groceries all at once repeatedly might've been the initial trigger for me.
Marple would be the only name with a trademark attached, I suspect, or the threat of litigation otherwise raised.
HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU (US, as opposed to the BBC original) is my favorite of the news-driven comedy series. CNN chooses to run repeats of Bill Maher's ego-fest before it on Saturdays, which only reflects accurately and poorly on his series. One can catch HIGNFY US repeats on Max.
Excellent panel news...wonder if that will be recorded/posted.
I ended up trying to watch DARK WINDS last night at 9pm, but AMC, which has been acting oddly on my system, decided halfway through it couldn't work with my browser, something no other station/network has had a problem with. Ah, well, will catch up with both in time. (I watched the season premiere of DARK WINDS on BBC America, which simulcast it.)
Our cat got very sick all of a sudden last week and this weekend we had to take her to an emergency pet hospital. The vet there recommended euthanasia, and we agreed that was best. She has had hyperthyroidism for a few years and that led to renal failure. I think the symptoms had been getting worse for a while but we did not recognize them. It is hard getting used to not having her around the house.
Patti, Thanks for suggesting SICK HOUSES. Glen thinks that it might be his type of book. When we are buying books later in the year, he will look into it more.
This weekend we watched two films: THE HUDSUCKER PROXY and THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVERA. Both were rewatches, and fun. So many good actors in THE HUDSUCKER PROXY.
Glen finished reading THE LAST TRAIN by Michael Pronko, and I will read it sometime, maybe this year. He is now reading EREBUS: THE STORY OF A SHIP by Michael Palin and is about 50 pages in.
Since I just finished THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley, I am interested in trying Glen's book, EREBUS, sometime. I knew very little about the Franklin expedition before I read that book, but one of the characters in THE MINISTRY OF TIME was on that expedition and there were flashbacks to the expedition in the book so my interest is piqued.
I am now reading A GOD IN RUINS by Kate Atkinson. I have read about half the book, and I am liking it a lot. It has an interesting structure, the story is not told in a linear fashion. The main character is Teddy Todd, the younger brother of Ursula Todd, from Atkinson's LIFE AFTER LIFE.
Deepest sympathies about your cat, Tracy. Been there, done that, and it never gets easy.
I notice you mention the good actors in THE HUDWUCKER PROXY but not the actors in THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVERA...wonder why? Yeah, CADAVERA was a really cheesy flick, but it was so much fun!
Personally I would take CADAVERA over HUDSUCKER any day of the week. I hated the latter.
Thanks, Jerry. I do enjoy some of the actors in LOST SKELETON, but we watch that one and DARK AND STORMY NIGHT more often, so I see them frequently. We had not seen HUDSUCKER PROXY in a while and I had forgotten much about the cast. I liked Bill Cobb and Bruce Campbell and John Mahoney especially.
Jeff, I have some quibbles with HUDSUCKER PROXY, but I do like it overall. The Larry Blamire films we watch very often.
Tracy, it was Tim Robbins I couldn't stand.
Further condolence on the loss of your cat, Tracy...we have two at the moment, both inherited (one was my parents' last cat, the other one of a good friend's sister's last two cats). I don't look forward to missing them, either...
Another friend just finished A GOD IN RUINS. I suggested LIFE AFTER LIFE, which I loved.
So sorry about the cat. I have more friends with deep relations with their cats. Wish I had had one.
So many really nasty illnesses making the rounds!
Jeff, It was Jennifer Jason Leigh I had a problem with.
Sorry to hear about your upper respiratory infection/bronchitis, which sounds horrible to me. Hope that things continue to get better.
Thanks. After two days of antibiotics, it is much, much better.
Thanks for the condolences, Todd and Patti. Rosie the cat was a sweetie and brightened our lives in many ways.
Patti, I plan to reread LIFE AFTER LIFE soon because I think it would be good to see how Teddy fits into that story. I have forgotten much about it but I remember how much I liked it.
Yikes, Jeff, missed that on previous pass...I've had that kind of predicament before, as well...bargaining with the invaders just doesn't work: "If you kill me, whom will you pester, you fools?"...glad the meds helped...those first nights, and one is enough, are no damned good.
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