October 28, 2015

Let's talk pop culture

First, have you seen The Martian?  Travis surprised me by rounding up five of his NHS students, getting them to come over to babysit in exchange for volunteer hours, and taking me to see the movie. I think it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and is definitely one of the best sci-fi type movies I've ever seen. The acting - across the board - was outstanding, the pace of the movie was perfect, the characters were wonderful.

I loved the disco jokes, and Watney's humor, and the Council of Elrond reference. I cried a little, I had to brace myself and grab Travis because I was so invested during the tense parts, and I laughed. It was brilliant. Matt Damon + Ridley Scott 4ever.



Second, I want to talk The Walking Dead. A friend with some kind of subscription to something brings his laptop to our home on Sunday nights, attaches it to the tv, logs in, and so Travis and I are finally able to watch the current season during the current season.

SO, let's talk about what happened last week. So SPOILER ALERT! Jump down to the songs if you don't want to know what I'm going to say!

First, I loved the conversation Michonne had with that married Alexandria guy who had gotten bit. Loved it. And all I could think was, "Rick! Rick is your Betsy!" Does anyone else think they are maybe in love? I mean, I know there's that dumbness with the hairdresser... but Rick, seriously, Michonne!

Then, if you haven't read what Cari Donaldson said about Nicholas and Glenn go read it. Her thoughts on Glenn are so wonderful. I'm going to put my favorite lines here, but there are some more great considerations so please go over and read everything she had to say.

You can read it clearly in Glen’s face- it’s not Nicholas he doesn’t want along, it’s the giant PTSD monkey riding on Nick’s back that’s not welcome. ... This was the real nature of Glen’s sacrifice- he knew that the chances were good of he, alone, getting to the feed store, setting it on fire, and meeting back up with the group; he used to be a pizza delivery guy, after all! ... Nicholas was a time bomb, and Glen deftly, so deftly Michonne didn’t even realize what he was doing, took that time bomb away from the group, and shackled himself to it.

And what happened next: All I could do for the rest of the episode, after stupid Nicholas stupidly killed himself was say "nuh-uh." I am holding out hope that Maggie is not a widow because I loved Glenn so much and I will be so mad at the show if they killed him. Seriously, there has to be a way that while the zombies were eating Nicholas Glenn scootched under the dumpster and then someone comes along and saves the day. Right?

Right?





Let's move on to music. 
Have you heard Downtown by Macklemore? I love the way they sing that word, "Downtown!" and the music in the chorus is so great. Too bad the lyrics are stupid and the verses and so poorly done. Ugh. Don't listen to it if you haven't heard it - there's some pretty dirty lyrics there and that catchy, so-much-potential-it's-even-more-disappointing chorus is pretty infectious.

But Ryan Adams' cover of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" is just about perfect. My 7 year old daughter said she prefers T Swift's version better, and I do like the original a lot, but this one is so beautiful. And I never would have called Swift's version "beautiful."



Then if you like something a little more pop-punk, listen to Tear in My Heart by twenty one pilots. I am a fan of this song (and their song House of Gold) and just wanted to throw it out there, see if anyone else was jamming in the mini van to this one.



Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - I love this song. There is language, and not just a little bit, and I know there's a chance I will scandalizing some with this choice. But that humming and clapping, and those powerful vocals, and that fabulous, old-time rock n' roll chorus is just too good. So darn good.



Then this song, which our local indie station has been playing a lot, totally fits the grey, rainy weather with the golden maple leaves blowing down, which is what Autumn is currently looking like in my neck of the woods. And that cello! Don't you just love the beauty of a deep, rich cello?




And what about you? What music are you loving right now? And is there anything I should be checking out on tv or movie trailers? Give me the scoop!

24 comments:

  1. I am really hoping Glenn isn't dead too. But I also kind of believe that's me being blindly optimistic. Tears. :(

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  2. The Martian is the first book my husband read in its entirety since college. He wouldn't put it down; he read it in one day! If you haven't read it, he highly recommends it. :)

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    1. I tried to get it from the library but the librarian basically told me that the wait list was so long I should just read a bunch of other things in the meantime! ha!

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    2. I can always mail our copy for you to borrow! :-)

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    3. I can always mail our copy for you to borrow! :-)

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  3. I'm definitely in the "denial" stage of grief when it comes to Glen. I mean, I know he does die in the comics (but in a completely different way), but, um, no. I frantically Google searches every article I could about theories on why Glen is not really dead, and I'm really hoping one of those theories pans out. Nick, on the other hand, is not so optimistic. He just thinks he's gone, zombie food. I'm really hoping I get the chance in the future to wag my finger in Nick's face while saying "See! I told you so! Glen can't die!" Because.. Ugh poor Maggie. :(

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  4. Okay, I think the Downtown song is kinda funny. I don't know why I think the moped thing is kinda hysterical. I know there's a little bit of inappropriateness but are there insinuations or stuff I'm not getting that makes it dirty? (Sigh. Probably. There always are!) That's my only contribution. I think I'm the only person left in the country that hasn't watched Walking Dead!

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    1. I haven't either! We don't have Netflix or even a DVR. (Is DVR a noun or is it only a verb now?)

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    2. Foze you should def. start watching the Walking Dead. @christine, you can rent it from the library.

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    3. Mary, there are definite, clear references to oral sex in Downtown. Maybe it's edited on the radio version?

      And to kind of go with what Mary said about taste in music - the moped stuff, I think, is SO DUMB! lol I can't stand it.

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    4. Once I looked up the lyrics (because there were so many I couldn't understand) and thought, "This is as bad as an LFO song."

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  5. I have so many things to say about this...
    Walking dead- he is totally under the dumpster. Also, earlier in the episode, when Michon says to the one guy, 'You haven't been where we've been where you don't know if the blood is yours, your friends, or a walker' (or something like that...TOTAL foreshadow of Glenn's non death but roll under the dumpster.

    Moving on.
    Blank Spaces- it's so funny how people can be so different because I am all about the pop and hip hop music and not so much about the indi music. So I love me some blank spaces by TSwift and the one you posted made my ears bleed.

    That is all.

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  6. Ahh! I want to love The Night Sweats- everything about it- the clapping, the chain-gang rhythm- but the language, I just can't get over it :(. Unfortunately an edit would take away the whole point! :)
    Have you listened to any of Anchor + Bell's cover sessions? Very Civil Wars and I am loving them right now!

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  7. Ahh! I want to love The Night Sweats- everything about it- the clapping, the chain-gang rhythm- but the language, I just can't get over it :(. Unfortunately an edit would take away the whole point! :)
    Have you listened to any of Anchor + Bell's cover sessions? Very Civil Wars and I am loving them right now!

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  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6zfbOH6W1Q&feature=youtu.be

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  9. Ugh, the hairdresser. Rick and Michonne should totally be a couple.

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  10. The hairdresser- you mean, Little Miss Plaid Shirt. If they get "together" in any kind of "romance" I'm gonna scream/stop watching the show....I swear....

    Ok, that is so sweet that Travis got you babysitting for a movie date! That's such a big deal! Or am I just really impressed because we go to a movie once a year? Either way I'm so glad the movie was awesome because is there anything more disappointing than finally getting babysitting, actually getting to the movie theatre, then having a movie suck? I thought the book was so good that I made Paul read it so now we both want to see the movie so much.

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  11. I love Glenn, and I totally think he got out. I was so puzzled during the scene as to why he didn't look like he was getting eaten alive; his facial expressions looked more like he was upset about Nicholas. We turned off The Talking Dead right after they announced who was going to be on the show, and I told Chris that it was weird they didn't have Glenn on. Then we started googling, and I'm still reading everything about theories! What if Maggie is pregnant and he really is dead though?!!?! This show ...

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  12. I've wanted a Richonne matchup for EVER. C'mon, writers! Make that happen!

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  13. I love your taste in music! Thanks for sharing these songs.

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  14. I think it's so great you got a movie date, but even greater that it takes FIVE people to do your job when you're out :)

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  15. I love your taste in music! If we had gone to school together we would totally have made each other mix CDs :)

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