June in Review

In some ways, June felt more transitional than May. At the end of May, I went out to dinner with my friends for the first time in over a year, I returned to the movies and I switched schedules at my job. But this month was about settling further into the idea that life is kind-of for real happening again. It feels good.

I got a tattoo I've wanted for half my life. I had lunch alone at a restaurant and went thrifting after. I bought a concert ticket for August. I went to a dinner party at my friends' house and basked in the din of multiple conversations happening in the same room. And finally – finally – I got to see my family. I hadn't since Christmas 2019. I'm still processing my emotions but suffice it to say, I definitely cried when I got off the plane and when I got back on.

All this venturing out is reflected in a shorter watchlist than normal. That also feels pretty good.

Stoker

I had this on my to-watch list when it first came out eight years ago, so I gave it a chance. I didn't really like it, but it was visually interesting and it kept me engaged. I don't consider the watch a waste of time, which is better than I can say for some movies.

Burn After Reading

I expected this to be a lot funnier than it was, but it was still alright. It gets by on its star-studded cast and it picks up steam toward the end. So far, my definitive ranking of Coen Brothers movies that I've seen is: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (first by a landslide), Fargo, No Country For Old Men and The Big Lebowski (pretty much tied), Burn After Reading, Blood Simple (though, to be fair, I had to watch this one for class).

In The Heights*

First: I saw this in theaters because I wanted the big screen for a big musical spectacle, but I have HBO Now so I could've (and should've) saved my money and watched it at home. That's on me. But I also just didn't really like it. I love musicals and there were moments of this that really worked ("96,000" in particular; also Corey Hawkins). But most of it felt cheesy and familiar (West Side Story meets Rent). That being said, I'm all for representation and I love that people love it.

Dog Day Afternoon

I really liked this. Extremely interesting and surprisingly pretty progressive. Al Pacino also acts more with just his eyes than half of Hollywood. 

Dinner Is Served (short)

The first short I watched from Disney's "Launchpad" series. So good! A well-crafted, well-shot drama with just enough tension to almost be a thriller. A short that could easily be adapted into a feature.

The Little Prince(ss) (short)

This was very soft and I'm glad it exists.

Scoob!

I thought this was pretty cute and, more importantly, it’s a HUGE hit in the household that consists of my nephew (4), niece (almost 2) and dad (almost 55). My nephew is the biggest Scooby-Doo fan and it was cool to watch my dad geek out with him about all the cartoons that were on when he was a kid. Plus, Jason Isaacs voices the villain. 

I casually watched quite a bit of TV this month. Tim and I finally finished Game of Thrones and are almost done with Mare of Easttown. I tried to make my way through FX's Pride docuseries and Angels in America (still haven't finished either). I started Loki (jury's still out), re-started New Girl and rewatched The Bold Type to prepare for the final season, which has now finished. I'll miss that show and especially my emotional support character, Sutton Brady.

Tim and I also finished The ABC Murders (Agatha did it again) and I devoured One Last Stop, which was everything I wanted it to be. Casey McQuiston is now two-for-two for making me sob, specifically about something not related to the central romance. Now I'm reading Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion because I am who I am. Shockingly, I actually don't know everything there is to know about glam metal. Who knew?

Anyway, it's July now, which means I'm eating a minimum of one popsicle a day. Headed to Philly in two weeks to trade the Texas heat for the milder northeastern version. Just a few days before, I'll return to the KVUE station for the first time since March 2020. It's a very surreal summer so far.