What I Watched: The Lincoln Lawyer – good stuff. I’ve read the books and surprisingly like the television show better than the printed word. The LA background is fun, the soundtrack is superior. And the cast clicks. If I had any complaints, it would revolve around diction and vocal tonality – but that is my hang-up, it probably won’t bother you. As per the Guardian:
Netflix’s car-based legal drama is utter nonsense from axle to axle … but it’s worth it to watch the stars heroically deliver ludicrous lines with a straight face.
The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix) will do you no harm, as certainly as it will do you no good. People say things like, “You know Michael – the only thing he likes more than a fight is a fight with one hand tied behind his back,” and they manage exchanges such as “Can you work with that?” “I can win with that,” with straight faces. Haller is frequently told he must be across town in court to defend an innocent man “in 41 [or a similarly precise number of] minutes”, but it’s OK because he can read the brief in the car, you see? Absolute nonsense, of course, from axle to axle. But you can work with it, even if no one’s winning here.
What I Read: A bunch of stuff, including,
- The Secrets of Wycliffe Manor: Gravesyde Priory Mysteries Book One by Patricia Rice, a classic gothic cozy mystery with a tinge of romance;
- Hunted: The Grey Gates – Book 3 by Vanessa Nelson, totally my jam with kick-ass female leads, light romance, and all sorts of paranormal creatures (including smelly monkeys;
- Archmage: A Montague & Strong Detective Novel (Montague & Strong Case Files Book 20) by Orlando A. Sanchez. If for no other reason read the series for the personification of death as a deli owner, the hell hound puppy, and a mage in an affair with the three versions of the Morrigan;
What I Listened To: Skinshape – Amnesia, a summer afternoon tune perfection; PVA – Bad Dad; and Hiss Golden Messenger – Shinbone.
Thank you for playing Brain Drain! How are you, dearest ones? Darling DeadSplinterites, what’s going on? Please do share with us!
Watched: The Lost City. This is a truly stupid, yet fun and enjoyable movie–the best kind for a Saturday night at home. It has borrowed extensively from the Romancing the Stone films, but those were ages ago, so the kids today don’t know the material in this movie is stolen. Anyway, it’s worth watching.
Listened: Lance Lopez just put out a new album.
@butcherbakertoiletrymaker Lance Lopez is smokin’. Just what I need for planning annual budgets for 40+ categories. I work well to loud sound, working from home allows me to do so.
His look, and his movements, are clearly heavily influenced by SRV, even though his sound is quite different.
I loved The Lost City !
I think himbos are underappreciated characters in film and life and Channing Tatum played one exceptionally well.
Saw Spider Man Across the Spiderverse with a visiting friend this week.
I enjoyed the movie. I liked the Spiderverse series much better than the live action movies. Mostly because the animation fits Spiderman more than live action as well as the fact that the plot is compelling and still had elements of fun in it.
I think one can get away with comic book movie being serious depending on the subject matter like the Watchmen, but with making everything being so “serious” ruins it (see DCU.)
Lord and Miller get comic book movies. As much as I get all grumpy about comic book movies, I don’t mind good ones just can’t stand them being the only movies Hollywood wants to make… variety is the spice of life or in my case “life.”
I liked Spiderverse 2 a lot too. The animation was incredible, although there are reports the Producer, Phil Lord, was pretty harsh to the animators blaming a lot on “his seeming inability to conceptualize 3-D animation during the early planning stages and his preference to edit fully rendered work instead.”
https://www.vulture.com/2023/06/spider-verse-animation-four-artists-on-making-the-sequel.html
A lot of CGI grunts have said the same thing about ehat they do. Directors and/or execs constantly demand last minute changes because they can’t plan ahead, and effects go weird due to short revision times, lack of staff, or employee burnout.
I just watched Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and bad planning was definitely going on there. Way too much bad design and overloaded scenes, and you know they were changing everything along the way.
@bluedogcollar how was the soundtrack? IIRC, the first one had pretty good tunes? Also, who doesn’t like a space raccoon!?
The songs themselves were good, but as far as the how they were connected to the movie, they seemed kind of tacked on.
No wonder they unionized.
What an asshat. If he can’t conceptualize the material without it being fully rendered, he’s in the wrong line of work. I know second hand how soul crushing it is to pour all your time and energy into a creative project only to have it axed at the end stages (see video game development). He has zero respect for his employees and the work they do.
Oh my, I remember the original Spiderman cartoons. I hear what you mean by preferring him as animation. @manchucandidate.
Kinda, but the story (Spiderverse saga) itself fits an animated universe.
i regret to inform you that i have no book review for you yet….mostly coz i am a chaos monkey thats been bouncing off the walls all week and doing anything but reading
ive only read the first few pages to make sure the style of writing pleases me…which it does
but you’ll have to bare with me till my ass calms down enough to sit down and read….beg pardon
and for similar reasons havent watched anything…tho a man called otto turned up on netflix and ive been meaning to watch that
likewise on the to do list….when i stop bouncing off the walls
and listening to yard act
@Farscythe love that; sometimes my entire life resembles a chaos monkey 🐒. Glad to hear that the writing style will work for you.
now listening to the new song by durry
oh man….blowing on the cartridge
hit me right in the childhood that did
tho admittedly mine was a nes…not a 64
Another nice set of tunes @Elliecoo!
I’ve been very busy this week, started a new book but haven’t finished it yet.
I watched Beef on Netflix. I had decided that due to the David Choe controversy, I wasn’t going to watch it. But I caved. I’m a bad feminist. But damn, it’s a good show, suspenseful, sad, and funny. Ali Wong and Steven Yeun are fantastic as the leads making me sympathize with their characters in spite of how unlikable they both are. I hope there’s a second season and that Choe isn’t part of it.
@Hannibal, thank you!
The Lincoln Lawyer novels by Michael Connelly are actually pretty good. He’s the same guy who writes the Bosch novels. He really gets the LA crime vibe.
@Luigi-Vuoto he does and they are both excellent book series. I think Titus Welliver does a superior Bosch. I am patiently away the new season of Bosch Legacy.
I watched season 2 of Good Omens and the ending fucking gutted me.
welp…i actually watched a man called otto now
took me 7 hours to watch a 2 hour movie…but dont mind that…its a cant sit still thing
its really good….fucking rough to watch in places if you have any kind of experience with suicide….which is probably why it starts with a disclaimer
but you know…it held my attention the whole time…and nothing exploded
thats saying something
at its core its just a bitter old man sees the light again story….but its done really well
i thought id seent it all zombiewise
i was wrong