1917 Shines in Small Moments

January 20, 2020 Kelli

If you’ve been following the Oscars race, you’ve no doubt noticed Sam Mendes’ 1917 pushing its way to the front of the pack. Just this past weekend, the film won the top prize at the Producers Guild of America awards, which often indicates what will go on to win big at the Oscars. As usual, the discourse is hostile; while many critics have praised the film’s technical achievements, others insist there is a hollowness at the center of its spectacle. While 1917 is certainly not my personal pick for best film of the year, I would not say that it lacks emotional depth. For me, this film’s best moments are the small ones.

(Spoilers ahead)

YOU Season 2: Am I Hate Watching or Love (Quinn) Watching?

January 17, 2020 Emily

October 2018 was a simpler time. Our president hadn’t yet been impeached. Full House actress Lori Laughlin was still just Aunt Becky. Colton’s season of The Bachelor hadn’t aired yet, which means we had yet to meet Hannah B(east), the most famous Bachelorette of all time and mirror ball winner. We still hadn’t seen the last season of Game of Thrones, which means there was still a chance it wasn’t going to be complete crap. We were full of hope for so many things. Including a little show that had just started airing on Lifetime: You.

Back in October 2018, I wrote a reflection on the brand new show starring Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, and Shay Mitchell. At the time, a lot was still up in the air, and I wasn’t sure if the show I was watching was good terrible or just terrible terrible. Now that it’s 2020, a lot has changed. You has moved to Netflix, and we’ve all binge-watched the most recent season (right? right). So now it’s time to look at where we are. Is this show good, or is it really, really bad? Let’s take a look and find out.

The Bachelor S24E2: I'm Not A Champagne Stealer

January 15, 2020 Susan & Emily

Episode 2 of The Bachelor has arrived! Champagne bottles were popped. Accusations were thrown. Whose team came out on top? Read on to find out!

Emily: We enter this episode where we left off last week, and much like a champagne bottle that’s been left open for an entire week, this drama fizzled out. Hannah B. is still on the couch with Peter, but nothing really comes of it. In fact, after it was all over, I had to turn to Ben and ask if Hannah ever actually said whether she would or wouldn’t come back on the show. Of course, we all knew she would have to say no because (if for no other reason) she is under contract with Dancing with the Stars, and we know she goes on to win the season. But no dramatic declarations? Nothing? I was a little surprised.

Susan: Meanwhile all of Peter’s contestants are hanging out in an empty auditorium writing awkward sex stories. The start of every good date.

DC Ink: YA Superhero Bliss

January 9, 2020 Mary

Last year, DC Comics--one of the two biggest comics publishers in the world--began releasing titles under it’s DC Ink imprint. This specialized line of graphic novels feature one-shot tales about some of DC’s biggest heroes and antiheroes, like Catwoman and Harley Quinn, with a special twist: they’re aimed at younger readers.

The Bachelor S24E01: The Flight Reasons

January 8, 2020 Susan & Emily

Security check: Who let Hannah Beast in? (We’re ok with it.)

New year, same airplane puns. We’re back to recap Hannah Brown’s – er, I mean Pilot Peter’s – season of The Bachelor! We’ve picked our teams, and we’re ready to rack up the points for crying, kissing, screaming, and of course, windmilling. And since ABC gave us a three hour premiere, the competition between Team The Book Club (Emily’s team) and Team Risk It for the Biscuit (Susan’s team) starts NOW. Let’s go.

Charli XCX Starter Pack

January 3, 2020 Todd & Mary

Mary: Following in Susan and Kelli’s footsteps, we present to you another important artist you should be listening to on repeat. Every day. In all stages of life.

We present, Charli XCX.

Chances are, like CRJ, you probably already know some of Charli’s work, but you may not know you’re familiar with her. We’re here to reintroduce you to some of those older songs you may know while also exploring her more experimental pop bangers.

Todd: Truly, Charli XCX (aka Charlotte Aitchison) is one of the most influential pop artists of the last decade, and while she is not necessarily a household name, she has still had a hand in shaping the sound of pop music.

His Dark Materials S1E8: Parents Are More Trouble Than They're Worth

January 2, 2020 Emily

His Dark Materials picked a hell of a time to air its final episode of the season.

I mean… the week of Christmas? They expected me to go to this dark place when I was already having to deal with my relatives and traveling and food comas? Well. I didn’t watch this episode last week because of all of the aforementioned reasons, so I apologize that this final recap of the final episode is coming a week late. This one is going to be less of a recap of this episode and more of a reflection of this first season. With, yes, many thoughts about the final episode. Our journey has been a long one. Let’s wrap up season 1.

Susan's #PodSquad: The Last Days of August

December 30, 2019 Susan

August Ames and her husband, Kevin Moore, an adult film producer. Photograph: Ethan Miller / Getty Images — August Ames and her husband, Kevin Moore, an adult film producer.
Photograph: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

The inner workings of the porn industry are largely misunderstood or unknown to outsiders, despite the ubiquity of porn itself. Jon Ronson's latest project — the second of his about the porn industry — is a podcast that uncovers tough truths about the porn world as he investigates the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of 23-year-old porn star August Ames. My final #PodSquad post of the year is about one of my favorite podcasts of 2019. The Last Days of August is an outstanding podcast that tackles difficult issues in a unique industry and humanizes the people who work in it.

Late to the Game: Mutazione

December 28, 2019 Mary

IT’S BEEN A WHILE, BUT I’M BACK. The holidays are usually a perfect time to take a break and play some video games, but this year it didn’t work out that way for me. I’m stretched between two states and three cities for celebrations, I have tons of work to do on my dissertation, and lugging around a game console (even the Switch) is not my idea of fun.

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