Media Catch-Up.

It’s that time of year here in New England, where we spend the majority of our time inside rather than out of doors. Along with spring cleaning in the winter (because, duh, once it’s nice out no one wants to be stuck inside cleaning) curling up with a good book, and eating lots of cozy comfort food, I find myself watching a lot more television and shelling out more money at the movie theater at this time of year more than any other.

Which leads me to update you on my most recent readings and watchings with the hope that you’ll drop a note in the comments if you’ve got a must-see, hear, or read to tell me about in turn. Deal? Deal.

Television:

I have to say, I’m not really one for much TV. Most of the time, nothing good is on (except The Office) and before long it all just turns into annoying chatter. Still, there are some decent series out there I’m catching up on thanks to Mr. Netflix. Forgive me if you’re rolling your eyes about the fact that these series have already been out for years. (What can I say? I’m a late bloomer with HBO.)

The Wire.

I just finished season 1 the other night. I’ll give you two quick reasons why you should watch this show: Jimmy McNulty and Stringer Bell.

In all seriousness, I am fast becoming hooked on this series. It does take awhile to get into – I say you have to give it about 4 episodes before it morphs from “just another confusing cop show” to “wow. this is a really, really smart, well written cop show.” You’ll fall in love with characters you know you shouldn’t and those you should; most of the time you’ll root for the good guys, but every once in awhile you’ll cheer for the wrong team. The corruption running rampant will boggle your mind and if nothing else, you’ll be very, very grateful you do not live in the Baltimore projects.

Band of Brothers.

Yes, I realize this series came out in 2001. ’01 also happened to be my senior year in college which meant no HBO. Over the past several years I’ve caught an episode here or there, but when my brother agreed to lend me all of the DVDs I made it my mission to watch from start to finish. Now, you should know that my father and my brother are serious WWII history buffs. Quite often, we’ll talk about a movie set during this time period and one of them will lament about how the weapons they’re holding didn’t really exist yet or how they got someone’s uniform wrong, etc, etc. When Stephen handed me this box of DVDs he remarked: “This one? They got totally, completely right.”

Movies:

If you’ve been reading me long enough, you know how I get with the cinema this time of year. Every visit is a race against the Academy Awards clock, with the hopes I’ll be the most educated voter I can be come Oscar night. (Never mind that, um, no one cares how my votes measure up against the winners except me. Minor detail.)

Precious.

W-h-e-w. This movie is beyond intense. It’s very well done, Monique deserves every minute of the best acting chatter she’s getting, and it’s worth seeing. However. It is depressing, shocking, and very, very sad. I do not recommend heading off to see it on date night or if you’re just “in the mood for an escape.”

Up in the Air.

Well, first, we’ve got George Clooney. He annoys me just a tad in real life now-a-days but I’ve been a-okay with staring at his face and listening to his gravely voice ever since his ER days. This film is directed by the same man who directed Juno and I think it’s got a similar vibe – minus a pregnant teen of course. It’s a little bit funny, a little bit ironic, a little bit melancholy. And has a killer soundtrack.

A Single Man.

Aesthetically, this is a fabulous film. It’s directed by designer Tom Ford and you can tell a designer’s mind was behind every shot. Colin Firth and Julianna Moore are just as fabulous as ever. This isn’t exactly an upper of a film either but one worth seeing on the big screen if you’re going to see it. Like I said, there are many stunningly beautiful shots. See them as they’re meant to be seen.

Books:

The Call of the Wild by Jack London.

Somehow I missed this required reading in high school. Last year, when packing a care package for my brother, I tucked this little novel inside the box with a note explaining that I hoped even just reading about the cold of the Northwest would help ease the heat he was experiencing in Afghanistan. This past Christmas, Stephen presented me with my own copy of The Call of the Wild, telling me it has become his favorite book. I plowed through it in a weekend and I have to say, it’s pretty fantastic. You’ll fall in love with Buck, I promise you that.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.

My friend and I had brunch not too long ago and she asked me if I’d picked up Peace Like a River yet.

“No, not yet,” I answered, with a mouthful of eggs benedict, “though I will, I swear.”

My friend made her angry face.

“Kelli. You must go buy that book today. You will love every minute of it. I’m sure of it.”

So off I went post-brunch to make my purchase. I’m only ½ through right now, but holy smokes, my friend was right. I’m soaking up every line. It’s the kind of book I want to hurry through because I love it so, but know I need to pace myself because I’m going to miss it once it’s over. Books like that come along once in a blue moon. I want to savor this one.

Now how about you? How are you wiling away the winter days? What can you recommend?