By the time many of us reach the confusingly contradictory, dark and difficult, joyful and not messy wilds of unpredictable adulthood, we have been well and truly disabused of the notion that life is always going to be a smooth and easy ride. With that warm and cosy slice of Continue Reading
TV
Goodbye Star Trek – Lower Decks: Review of S5, E4-10) + thoughts on the series
(courtesy IMP Awards) Saying goodbye to any series you love is always a desperately sad affair. Sure, you could argue, if you’re head was made of Romulan stone, that the end of any series is hardly the end of the world, and yes, in the grand scheme of things, that’s Continue Reading
Stream, stream my televisual dream: Top 25 TV / streaming shows of 2024
(via Shutterstock) In many ways this was a very good year for my consumption of TV/streaming shows. I got to watch a lot more than 2023 but while lists were ticked off and shows enjoyed, it also began to feel, not for the first time, like watching TV is now Continue Reading
Merry pop culture Christmas to all … and to all a good streaming-reading-listening night! (Bonus The Penguins of Madagascar Christmas Special)
(courtesy Pinterest (c) Peanuts) Merry pop culture Christmas everyone! Another year has somehow zoomed right through, around and past us, offering up far too many books and movies and TV/streaming show and songs and graphic novels to consume in one lifetime, but reminding us as we gobbled what we could Continue Reading
On 11th day of Christmas … I watched new The Simpsons festive special “Oh C’mon All Ye Faithful”
(courtesy IMDb (c) Disney+) The Simpsons are known for their irreverence and willingness to skewer all the weird and strange and bombastically expressed pomposities of life. But for all the propensity of the 36-season-long, Matt Groening-created show to parody and satirise and push the critical envelope, it has demonstrated over Continue Reading
How do you make a dream? Find out with four-part limited series from Pixar, Dream Productions
(courtesy IMP Awards) Dream Productions is another triumph for Pixar, an animation powerhouse that knows full well the power of marrying whimsy with emotional impact, of being silly and serious in one flawlessly execute package. Position as an interquel, and yes, apparently it is a word, the four-part miniseries, developed Continue Reading
On 7th day of Christmas, I added 15 more ornaments to my Christmas tree … The Sound of Music + Winnie the Pooh’s Rabbit, Linus + Snoopy, Nemo, Frozen, Snoopy, Big Hero 6 + more!
(via Shutterstock) More ornaments?! Did you really buy more than 15 ornaments in one year? Readers, I bought close to 60 and while that likely suggests a tad too much compulsive purchasing by someone who’s reached an age when they should be making more sensible buys, I love how happy Continue Reading
Family Guy Christmas special 2024: “Gift of the White Guy” review
(courtesy IMDb) SNAPSHOTPeter must recover Lois’ Christmas brooch after gifting it away in a White Elephant exchange. Stewie changes his attitude upon learning he’s on Santa’s ‘Naughty List’. (courtesy Variety) The first thing out of the prettily wrapped Christmas present box is that Family’s Guy’s 25th anniversary festive special, “Gift Continue Reading
“It’s good for me. It makes me feel useful” – thoughts on A Man on the Inside
(courtesy IMDb) Ask most people what sitcom should make you do, and you’ll likely to be told it’s to make you laugh. And while you can’t really argue with that as an outcome – it’s all in the abbreviated of “situation comedy” after all – the really good sitcoms should Continue Reading
Happy Christmas ads to all! John Lewis, Aldi Australia, Barbour, M & S Christmas Food, Sainsbury’s + Deutsche Telekom
(via Shutterstock) Yes, yes, I know, I know, Christmas os commercialised, we’ve lost the true spirit of the season etc etc blahedy-blah-blah and on and on … But honestly? I love Christmas ads. The good ones anyway. Sure, they’re trying to get you to buy something but they are often Continue Reading