What's on Screen? : Lucifer

We all spend time watching different shows and films once in a while. Recently I had a few days where I actually had a chance to spend some time doing nothing or watching tv. I did watch a few different things, and maybe I'll share them with you. Today I'm going to admit to a little bit of binge watching.

Lucifer, is a rather interesting show playing with the ideas of divinity and religion in a variety of forms. Angels, demons, gods, goddesses and all that. It sort of combines CSI and Supernatural, only not so many monsters. There's a huge amount of comic relief, and a lot of interesting plot lines.

I've binged through season one and have begun watching season 2. There's a sort of satisfaction in seeing the varied interactions. Life is full of complicated  situations, and these are often emulated by film and entertainment. It's fun to see a variety

I've really enjoyed what I've seen so far. I don't regret choosing this as a binge watch.

What's on Screen? The Real Ghostbusters

Alright so today we're going to be looking at something old. Thanks to the wonderful internet and Netflix, we're able to watch a lot of shows and things that were on TV when we were younger. This past weekend we had the pleasure of watching a handful of episodes of The REAL Ghostbusters.

This is a show that I vaguely remember, in the best ways from when I was younger. I'm sure a number of us remember everything that came with the The Real Ghostbusters. Awesome weird toys, and of course the Ecto Cooler!

The Real Ghostbusters played with the ideas that were made when the movies came out. It extended the realm of the stories. There were more ghosts and ideas explored. They mentioned ghosts and things that people might try to look up. Voodoo, european folklore and all kinds of interesting things even genies!

It might lack continuity, but it has a lot of creative spooks and it makes tons of pop culture references that may escape younger kids, but as a chance to remember and enjoy something more or less mindless was nice.

What's on Screen? Goblin

I have to admit when a friend of mine messaged me and recommended that I watch a show that is currently being shown in Korea I felt a little bit of skepticism. I worried that the subtitles might distract from the action on the screen. I worried that there might be missing subtitles. I worried that it wouldn't be something of interest.

But I decided to go ahead and started watching the first episode. A week later and I've seen every episode that has been aired so far. (13) Which is an accomplishment since I'm not always interested in keeping up with a show.

If you're not interested in spoilers and simply want to explore the show blindly, please go here : Goblin, otherwise continue below. I'll try not to write too much.

image from http://www.hancinema.net/

To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect. But I have to admit that the show pulled on my heartstrings frequently enough that I was shocked. It's been a while since anything I've been watching moved me so. I cried a lot, I laughed a lot.

I have to say the storylines are entwined, and it's amazing that the depth isn't distracting. I love the layers of the characters. there's a lot of curiosity, and mystery. Tons of things to be interested in learning about,

I recommend it if you're in love with the idea of how different fantasy ideals are represented in the media. I suppose if you watch Supernatural, Grimm, or remember Charmed and Buffy you may find it interesting.

I'm babbling but I don't want to ruin it for you. But I give it a great big approval stamp.

EDIT: As of 1/24/2017 I've seen all 16 episodes. When I wrote this there had only been 13 available on the site I watched on. But again, totally worth watching the whole thing. The last 3 episodes provided all the closure I needed. I'm much happier (and soggier, I cried so much).

Music Monday 9

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

In Search of A Rose : Rebel Town

Pugwash : It's Nice To Be Nice

This Club : I won't Worry

The Divine Comedy : A Drinking Song

Wonder Villains : TV

What's on TV?

How many times have we been asked that question? Probably more times than we want to admit, but the answers have always varied. Over the years the shows the people I've been around have varied. There was the years of Walker Texas Ranger, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and Paranormal. Sometimes they were funny, sometimes dramatic or scary. But there was always something that was common ground to talk about.

Every season there's something different and new that is brought on. I'm not a fan of the reality tv  genre. And am not really all that certain how I feel about some of the drama's. But now that there's cable I've been introduced to a variety of new shows. Not all of them are as enjoyable as others. But there's no harm in finding some to watch.

One of the first ones that came up this fall was Sleepy Hollow. The commercials for it caught my eye, as it's a twist on a story most of us know well. The way they have it set up makes it fresh and appealing to a wide audience. It has the appeal of the crime shows, as well as the ones who enjoy the paranormal mysteries. It hasn't been predictable so far, and offers some interesting glimpses into possibilities of demons and the apocalypse.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is another show that we're enjoying. It crosses some of the comic moments of Bones with the comedy of friends. There are some amazing moments where things are unexpected and I find that appealing. It isn't the kind of thing I was expecting, and with one of the main characters being openly gay and working to prove something I wonder how it will be taken as a whole over time. I find it a charming point, but it's almost like they're trying too hard.

The Blacklist was a surprise. I didn't know what to expect when we sat down to watch it, I hadn't seen any commercials for it. It had me on the edge of my seat, and not in a scared way. The entire episode I saw seemed to be a whirl of possibilities. The idea that there would be someone with that much information and those kind of contacts is fascinating. I had been expecting a horror show when they started describing to me what it was set up as, but it's more of an action or drama. Very nicely done I must admit.

American Horror Story Coven started recently. The first two seasons were amazing, and from the premiere episode I have to say this one is going to be amazing as well. Each one has been a stand alone series, though am guessing there will be some point where things will overlap in the future. For the momentary gore dished out occasionally will only be met by the audience without a wince for so long. We don't want an audience so detached from the human existence that they don't pause to help others. But the premiere implies that it will be interesting in the long run. Am unsure how I feel about how they're showing witches, but at least it's not all glitter and broomsticks.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is on my to view list yet. I haven't made my decision on how I feel about it yet. But once I make up my mind on how I feel about Alice I will let you know. I haven't watched the previous series of Once Upon a Time, so this is a new thing to me. But I look forward to giving it a chance.

In any case, that's a little side note about what's on TV here where I am. It's not like we watch a LOT of TV. But it's nice to have something to view that is entertaining. I'm sure you all have shows that you're enjoying. What do you think we should give a shot to? What are you enjoying? Let me know, we've got open minds around here.

Late Night TV or...

What's On The Tube When You Can't Sleep.

So to be honest, I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately. Which means I've been trying a few different solutions. I've tries counting sheep. Tried sleeping aids. Now am trying TV.

Sunday night I watched The Black Dahlia.  I flipped it on because the title sounded interesting. I've always been interested in crime, and I have my own morbid interest in seeing how people look at the unsolved ones. This movie surprised me on multiple levels. The costumes were done well, and the characters presented were believable.

But what surprised me more than anything else was the lesbian undertones in the film. Not only that it was there, but in the way that the film showed this as being accepted. It was an interesting thing to see considering how some people react to the idea now. But as with many films that are made these days about crime, it was full of fiction. There are a number of websites devoted to debunking the fictions around the crime, and many believe that the crime will never be solved. Which is unfortunately likely the sad truth.

Monday night I watched a movie from 1941 called Dive Bomber. It was a good movie, even if it was old. To be honest I didn't realize it was as old as it turns out to be. The colors in it are wonderful, and the story does provoke curiosity. Is it a fact or fiction film?

According to what I can find it's fiction. There's a number of different statements about the film that indicate this. Dive Bomber was not the usual type of film that I would watch. But it does fit in with the things that I have been writing about on the blog recently. It does reflect some points of  naval history, as well as look at some interesting concerns about flight. I think a lot of us take the secure safety of flights now for granted.

The planes in the film were really interesting, some of them were very colorful. According to what I've read there are a number of people that enjoy the film because of the planes that are shown in it. They were interesting to see. Planes are always interesting, a little more so than cars. I mean, after all, they fly.

Beyond that I've been watching a show on Animal Planet about River Monsters. I am not one that enjoys fishing, but it's fascinating to see the types of creatures that live underwater. Some of them really are monsters. But they're real. I guess in some ways that's the scariest part.

But on the most part, I'm watching a little bit of TV now and then... I wonder if it's going to do anything more than rot my brain.

Comparing Commercials

So one of the things that I have noticed since getting here is that there are some commercials that are the same. State Farm, Binder & Binder, and some of the restaurant commercials are the same. But one thing that I have really noticed is that while in Buffalo there are a good number of commercials about cruises and trips to go to warm places. Here in San Diego there are a lot of commercials showing snowy places, skiing, and snowboarding.

Just thought I'd let you know about that observance. (I still don't miss the snow though, just so you know.)