Are really ALL my favorite books about grief and loss? Well, no. That was a gross exaggeration in order to make the title of this post a little more clickbait-y. But that doesn’t change the fact that A LOT of them are and since I’ve promised a post like this for almost a year on social media now, I thought I should finally go ahead, sit down and actually write it.
First, I want to manage expectations! Not all of these books will necessarily be tearjerkers, not all of them will have grief or loss as a main theme, but simply as some aspect of the story. I’m going to try and do my best to categorize everything in a way that makes sense to you all.
It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for the Thursday Movie Picks feature. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.
The entirety of October is dedicated to a special Halloween Edition, meaning we’ll take a look at themes through the lens of Spooktober! This week, however, is also the week we focus on TV shows instead of movies, so the theme was kept simple with – horror! I don’t watch a lot of horror shows in general, but I already have a few in mind that I’d love to discuss with you. Here we go!
Nancy Drew
I thought I’d start off with an example of super light horror, but it still has some really creepy scenes, plenty of ghosts and hauntings and not all things end well. Still, I was never much into the whole Nancy Drew lore, but I adore this show (not at the least, because it gave me one of my comfort characters – Ace). They keep getting better each season, while also proving that they know how to write a continuous story with plenty callbacks. I’m curious about the Tom Swift spin-off!
From Dusk Till Dawn
I wrote a whole detailed post about this show, which you can check out here. I never in a million years expected to like this, but I did. I was bumbed when it ended, but I have my headcanon where they are now. That’s what matters the most.
Helstrom
You all know how obsessed I am with Marvel, so it should have come as no surprise to you that I watched Marvel’s first attempt at a horror show. It definitely was creepy in atmosphere, but I suppose it could have gone further. They also cancelled it after one season and didn’t make it part of their MCU, although TV shows are canon now, so I always should have known it wasn’t going to last long. Impeccable casting though!
SurrealEstate
I was almost going to put Wynonna Earp (it IS a supernatural western horror show), but then I figured, why not hype up Tim Rozon’s aka Doc’s new show? SurrealEstate is a mix of real estate stuff and paranormal things. Enough said. It’s cool!
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Bly Manor was the first time, I felt like I put on a horror show on purpose, fully knowing what kind of show I was getting into. I sought it out, more than feeling pressured into it. No regrets whatsoever! In the end, it was more of a love story than a ghost story, or maybe a bit of both, and I fell in love with it too. Bly Manor also paved the way for me to watch the next show…
The Haunting of Hill House
I love Hill House so much. The characters, the complexity, the end! So amazing! I will never forget the emotional journey they took me on. I can’t even say if I like Hill House or Bly Manor better, because I wouldn’t have one without it the other, even if they are two separate stories.
It’s Thursday and I’m back with a new Thursday Movie Picks feature post. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.
This week’s special theme is Natural Disasters! I can’t with good conscience say that I love watching those, simply because they stress me out a lot. They’re literally natural phenomena and could happen (or have happened in some cases), which is sad and devastating and … does not exempt them from making good movies, I suppose. Here are my examples! (which definitely won’t *all* be realistic ones)
Twister (1996)
My dad had this movie in a box set with disaster films, I suppose, and I don’t know why, but I fell in love with it. I was completely fascinated by these storms, would never ever become a stormchaser myself, but wanted to know all about them. I’ve now seen it several times and really still enjoy it.
Armageddon (1998)
When I was little, I was obsessed with this movie for no good reason at all. I think it might have been the soundtrack by Aerosmith (I know it was the soundtrack), but I have some good memories about this one.
The Core (2003)
There’s just SO many big actors in this and I thought it was an interesting concept. Mainly thought of it, because I’ve seen it on TV several times now, I suppose, but always am happy to see Stanley Tucci on my screen.
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
This documentary was one of the first to really rattle me. I was starting that age where I realized there was a world beyond my little bubble and I was just devastated to learn that we had screwed up our planet so much. There a lot of new and different information we have at this point, but I’m still glad that watching this was one of those eye-opening-moments for me.
Only the Brave (2017)
We all know I have a thing for firefighter content, so here we are. Need I really say more?
What did you think of my picks for the week? (Just as a side note, they were all classified as natural disaster movies on imdb.) What are disaster movies you enjoy? Let’s talk about it!
It’s Thursday and I’m back with a new Thursday Movie Picks feature post. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.
As it so happens, we change it up once per month and talk about TV shows instead of movies. Today is all about the topic of globetrotting, BUT only scripted, non-reality, non-travel, non-docu series, which eliminates quite a bunch of shows that might come to mind initially. Still, I got you covered and here are my picks!
Sense8
To this day, Sense8 is one of my all time most favorite shows ever! With its cast from all around the globe, it managed to create a feeling of connectedness to strangers I had rarely experienced before. I was lucky enough to meet the cast and creators during PRIDE weekend a couple years back and they are lovely, inspiring people in real life too. I wouldn’t want to miss this experience for anything in the world. Also, I low-key got captured at one of those events and ended up depicted for 2 seconds in the credits of the final episode.
The Librarians
The Librarians are the keepers of ancient (often magical) artifacts and as you may be able to guess, they aren’t all located in the good old US. Granted, I do believe that I associate the traveling more with the movie franchise the show is based on, but there’s still globetrotting involved. I liked the show, as corny as it may have been.
Tribes of Europa
This show takes place in a post-apocalyptic Europe, where borders are newly defined and areas ruled by tribes instead of countries and governments as we know it. There’s a lot of cringe that comes with this show, because what is that stilted dialogue at times, but the concept is interesting either way. I wasn’t a fan of all the violence and sexual abuse, but I would be curious to watch another season.
Doctor Who
The Doctor sure seems to favor contemporary Great Britain, but he does travel around the globe and the galaxy as well, not just in time. I can’t pinpoint a specific episode that enjoyed particularly because of its location, but I do remember them being in Pompeii, Venice, France, NYC etc.
What are some shows that you can think of that are about travelling the globe? And remember the parameters of the prompt – non-fiction or reality shows are not allowed!!
It’s Thursday and I’m back with a new Thursday Movie Picks feature post. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.
Today’s theme was suggested by Brittani and is Female Cinematographers. I am really into this, because I enjoyed doing the Female Directors list a LOT! I’m always up for celebrating women in film and TV at any hour. For those who don’t know, a cinematographer, sometimes also known as the Director of Photography, is in charge of the camera and lighting, hence dictating a lot of the visual style (framing, look, color, light, etc.) of the final product. Let’s see who my favorites are!
A Quiet Place – Charlotte Bruus Christensen
I don’t usually do horror. People who know me are aware that I tried branching out and experiencing new things these past years, but as a general rule, I don’t do horror. With A Quiet Place, I was immediately engrossed though and honestly enjoyed the whole thing. I was never too grossed out by anything, but thought that it had a cohesive look and great embodiment of that post-apocalyptic hermit lifestyle.
Further examples of her work: Molly’s Game, Fences, The Girl on the Train, Life, …
Beastly – Mandy Walker
I cannot help myself in putting one the movies that catered to my teen heart like nothing else in these posts. I stopped trying to suppress that part of myself a long time ago and it is just facts that I enjoy and adore watching teen angst filled movies and Beastly is one I have seen more times than I can count. I just think it is fascinating how Mandy Walker has done those epic gorgeous gems that often did well during award seasons, but also does teen movies like this one and Red Riding Hood. I love a woman who can do both!
Further examples of her work: Mulan, Hidden Figures, Australia, Tracks, Red Riding Hood, …
Black Panther – Rachel Morrison
Do I really have to explain the cultural significance of Black Panther? I think not. Rachel Morrison’s filmography proves that she is more than capable and she was the first woman to ever get nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography (for Mudbound at the time).
Further examples of her work: Fruitvale Station, Cake, Dope, Mudbound, …
The Pretty One – Polly Morgan
I figured why not include a little indie movie? I probably remember this one more due to Zoe Kazan’s performance than the overall cinematography, but Polly Morgan has done a lot of work since then and has moved on to far bigger projects.
Further examples of her work: A Quiet Place II, The Truth About Emanuel, Lucy in the Sky, …
Gloria Bell – Natasha Braier
Gloria Bell is not one of my favorite movies, however, to my shame, the only one I have seen of Natasha Braier YET. Still, despite the narrative not being my thing, which really isn’t her fault one bit, it was an example of just how well Braier handles color. The remainder of her filmography showcases this as well and I am really looking forward to watching some of these movies some day for the aesthetics alone. It’s also interesting to me that she is quite in demand when it comes to music videos, but with her style, it’s really no surprise.
Further examples of her work: The Neon Demon, Honey Boy, Gringo, …
Who are some of your favorite women cinematographers? Let’s talk!
Life and Other Disasters 