media update: February

CONFIDENTIAL TO G:  Skip movie review #4.

Asterisks denote something I particularly enjoyed or found especially worthy of my time; double asterisks are reserved for the creme de la creme.  As always, your mileage may vary.

FICTION

1. Followers* by Megan Angelo:  Orla and her wannabe influencer roommate Floss hatch up a plan to become famous.  Thirty-five years later, after a tragedy known as the Spill, celebrities live in a California community where their every moment is captured on camera, and Marlow longs for a simpler life.  A trenchant look at our culture's obsession with fame and social media.

2. The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman:  Behind a notorious party house, a cleaner discovers a limo with four dead bodies inside, posed strangely and drenched in dog blood.  LAPD Sergeant Milo Sturgis and his friend Dr. Alex Delaware try to figure out the connection between the victims.

3. Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough:  When Marcie's husband Jason's boss marries a much younger woman named Keisha, Marcie is concerned that Jason is interested in Keisha, and she'll do anything to keep her position among the rich elite.  It was pretty good until it started to go off the rails near the end and get, uh, weird.  (The author's novel Behind Her Eyes was one of the most wackadoodle books I've ever read, but in a good way.  The wackadoodle factor didn't work as well here.  No, it's not the same type of wackadoodle, in case you think I'm spoiling something.  I love the word "wackadoodle" in case you couldn't tell.)

4. Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel:  Rose Gold Watts' mother Patty went to prison for deliberately poisoning and starving her in a classic case of Munchausen by proxy.  When Patty's released five years later, Rose Gold (her full first name, which to be honest was really annoying to read) agrees to let Patty live with her and her baby son.  It looks like Rose Gold has forgiven her mother...or has she?

Side note:  This won't be officially published until March; I had an ARC.

2020 total so far:  9



NONFICTION

1. Open Book by Jessica Simpson:  In this surprisingly candid memoir, the singer/reality star discusses her childhood sexual abuse, rise to stardom, "fairy tale turned nightmare" marriage to Nick Lachey, alcohol addiction, and relationships ranging from an emotional affair with Johnny Knoxville to John Mayer's mind games.  I didn't have much of an opinion about her either way before reading this, but now I rather like her!

2. Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There* by Tara Schuster: The only non-cheesy self-help book I've ever read, and certainly the funniest.  (The censoring is in the original title; I obviously have no problem with the F-word, considering I use it like I get paid for it, and please forward that job listing if you have it.)

3. Gone at Midnight by Jake Anderson, an investigation of the Elisa Lam case. She was a college student visiting the US from Canada, and she stayed at the Cecil, a hotel in Los Angeles infamous for suicides, unsavory guests like Richard Ramirez, and murders. (American Horror Story based a season on the Cecil.)  She disappeared, and her body was discovered in a water tank on the roof after people staying at the hotel complained that the water looked and tasted funny. (Pause for full-body shudder.)  The case gained worldwide interest because of its improbability (if it was really a suicide, how did she get into the tank and pull the heavy lid back over the opening?) and security footage of her acting strangely in the elevator.  There are plenty of theories, and pretty much all of them are plausible except for maybe the murderous ghosts.  Anyway, it's a sad and fascinating story.

2020 total so far: 4



MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! vol. 15 by Nico Tanigawa

2. The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire vol. 2 by Michael Dante DiMartino and Michelle Wong

3. Ao Haru Ride vol. 9 by Io Sakisaka

4.  Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits vols. 1-5 by Waco Ioka and Midori Yuma

2020 total so far: 11 volumes of manga and 2 graphic novels


MOVIES

1. Batman: Hush*:  A mysterious figure calling himself Hush uses Batman's greatest enemies against him.  It changes some key plot points from the iconic graphic novel, but it's still pretty good, with decent voice acting, nicely done action scenes, and some sharp dialogue.

2. Parasite*:  A poor Korean family schemes its way into the lives of a rich family with unexpected results.  A savagely funny---and occasionally just savage---movie I'm still thinking about weeks after seeing it.

3. Serenity:  A fishing boat captain (Matthew McConaughey) is shocked when a woman from his past (Anne Hathaway) asks him to kill her abusive husband.  A massive critical and commercial flop that's not as bad as you'd think, and worth watching just to see how it all plays out.

4. Birds of Prey**:  When a young pickpocket steals a priceless diamond, villain Black Mask (Ewan MacGregor) tells Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, perfection) to find it, or she's toast.  She teams up with a crossbow-wielding vigilante, a disgraced cop, and Black Mask's driver to rescue the kid.  It's got all the manic energy of a kid at a slumber party hopped up on Pixie Stix, and I enjoyed the hell out of it.  I also really appreciated the fact that it was written and directed by women, and the main cast was primarily women.  I left the theater with a big smile on my face.

5. Creed II:  Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) accepts a challenge to fight the son of Ivan Drago, who (SPOILER ALERT for 35-year-old movie) killed Adonis' father Apollo in the ring.

6. Angel Has Fallen:  A Secret Service agent (Gerard Butler) is framed for the attempted assassination of the president, and he has to go into hiding while he tries to clear his name and stop the terrorists from completing their mission.  Dumb and predictable.

7. Wonder Woman: Bloodlines:  Wonder Woman tries to protect Themyscira from a slew of threats, including an oversized Medusa.  The animation wasn't very good, one of the voice actors was legitimately terrible, and all attempts at humor fell completely flat.  I will give it props for making Etta Candy a queer woman of color, though!

8. The Lion King:  The only reason to watch this reboot of the animated Disney classic is to marvel at the CGI.  G and I were convinced that the backgrounds HAD to be live action, because they were so gorgeous and realistic, but nope; per the director, only one shot was live action, and he slipped it in there to see if anyone would notice.  A breathtaking achievement to be sure.  I was impressed by 1917's visual effects, but this should have won the Oscar for that category.

9. Jojo Rabbit**:  During WWII, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis, who's incredible) is a young German boy who has Adolf Hitler as an imaginary friend, so he's not super jazzed to discover his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.  It took about ten minutes before it found its footing, but once it did, I was captivated.  Wildly creative, funny without being disrespectful (in my opinion; I know there's some dissension), and heartbreaking.  It's just a damn good movie.

10. 6 Underground*:  Six untraceable agents, known only by numbers and led by One (Ryan Reynolds), work to depose a dictator in super stylish, balls-to-the-wall style.  The story is just serviceable for the most part, but the action is fantastic.  The opening 20 minutes rocked my face off.

2020 total so far: 23 (wow!)