#Reviews by Veronica Jorge

[mariannedonley]

FLORES AND MISS PAULA by MELISSA RIVERO—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE

A story of loss, forgiveness, and love, Flores and Miss Paula, is a down-to-earth novel of learning what it means to be family, building a new life in a new country, and the tender yet sometimes frustrating relationship between a mother and a daughter.

BOOK REVIEW: FLORES AND MISS PAULA MELISSA RIVERO Ecco Books 2023 ISBN: 978-0-06-327249-1 At thirty-something, sharing an apartment with her mother, Paula, is not Flores’ idea of adulthood, freedom or independence. But now that Paula is a widow, Flores must find a way to help her mother cope with the loss of her husband and move on. At the same time, Flores has to deal with her own grief at…

[dirtyriver]

I posted 6,155 times in 2022

That's 419 more posts than 2021!

1,569 posts created (25%)

4,586 posts reblogged (75%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@gameraboy2

@browsethestacks

@dirtyriver

I tagged 5,917 of my posts in 2022

Only 4% of my posts had no tags

#comics - 3,821 posts

#archie - 715 posts

#original art - 533 posts

#illustration - 471 posts

#betty cooper - 454 posts

#archie andrews - 398 posts

#veronica lodge - 390 posts

#private eye - 360 posts

#jughead - 346 posts

#jughead jones - 346 posts

Longest Tag: 79 characters

#got a cease & desist notice from david j. spurlock when i posted this years ago

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

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1,386 notes - Posted October 5, 2022

#4

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1,647 notes - Posted June 16, 2022

#3

So... Jorge Molina had done that cover for Hispanic Heritage Month as an homage to Jorge González Camarena's La Patria.

In this tweet he noted:

See the full post

1,893 notes - Posted August 28, 2022

#2

Maus banned by the McMinn County School Board

“I’m kind of baffled by this,” Art Spiegelman, the author of “Maus,” told CNBC in an interview about the unanimous vote by the McMinn board to bar the book, which is about his parents, from continuing to be used in the curriculum.

“It’s leaving me with my jaw open, like, ‘What?’” said Spiegelman, 73, who only learned of the ban after it was the subject of a tweet Wednesday – a day before Holocaust Remembrance Day.

He called the school board “Orwellian” for its action.

Spiegelman also said he suspected that its members were motivated less about some mild curse words and more by the subject of the book, which tells the story of his Jewish parents’ time in Nazi concentration camps, the mass murder of other Jews by Nazis, his mother’s suicide when he was just 20, and his relationship with his father.

“I’ve met so many young people who ... have learned things from my book,” said Spiegelman about “Maus.”

Begging, of course, the question: what kind of people don't want kids to learn about the Holocaust..?

1,999 notes - Posted January 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Peanuts December 31, 1970

9,398 notes - Posted January 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[rabbittstewcomics]

Episode 326

Feb 2022 Solicits

Comic Reviews:

Batman Secret Files - The Gardener by James Tynion IV, Christian Ward

Batman 117 by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Jorge Corona, Sarah Stern

Robins 1 by Tim Seeley, Baldemar Rivas, Romula Fajardo Jr.

Wonder Woman: Evolution 1 by Stephanie Phillips, Mike Hawkthorne, Adriano Di Benedetto

Darkhold: Wasp by Jordie Bellaire, Claire Roe

Amazing Spider-Man 78.BEY by Jed MacKay, Eleonora Carlini, Federico Blee

Fantastic Four Tribute

Getting Dizzy 1 by Shea Fontana, Celia Moscote, Natalia Nesterenko

Labyrinth OGN by Simon Stalenhag

We Only Kill Each Other 1 by Stephanie Phillips, Peter Krause, Ellie Wright

Vampirella 2021 Holiday Special by Vincenzo Federici, Vincenzo Carratu, Will Robson, Andrew Dalhouse, Matt Herms, Kike Diaz

Crypterns by Dustin Plantholt, Gonzalo Martinez

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Imposter Syndrome 1 by Ian Flynn, Aaron Hammerstrom, Matt Froese, Valentina Pinto

Radio Apocalypse 1 by Ram V, Anand Rk, Anisha

Riverdale Diaries Vol 2: Starring Veronica by Sarah Kuhn, Dean Rankine

Wall by Mario Alberti, Antoine Charreyron

Shangri-La by Mathieu Bablet

Desolation by Appollo Gaultier

School of Love 1 by Beka, Maya

Urbex 1 by Clarke, Vincent Dugomier, Mikl

Marry Me 1 by Bobby Crosby, Remy Mokhtar

Queen's Favorite Witch by Benjamin DIckson, Rachael SMith

Weeaboo by Alissa Sallah

99 Cent Theatre

Stranger in the Night 1 by Josh DeGrazia, Hunter Murray, Drew Denis

Additional Reviews: PAD Hulk Omni 2, Ghostbusters Afterlife, Tick... Tick... Boom, Doctor Who s13e4

News: Jace Fox moves to NYC, Super pets stuff, Avatar casting, new Sorceror Supreme, TKO and New Regency, Watcher one-shot, Marvel does something stupid, Star Wars YA at Dark Horse, new X-Men book, Groo animated adaptation, Radiant Black spinoffs, new Carnage series, Rogue Squadron problems, Miles-centric spinoff, popular webtoons coming to print

MCU pitch

Trailers: Super Pets, Turning Red, No Way Home

Comics Countdown:

Nice House On The Lake 6 by James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow 5 by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, Matheus Lopez

Clear 2 by Scott Snyder, Francis Manapul

Primordial 3 by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart

Batman 117 by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Jorge Corona, Sarah Stern

Groo vs Tarzan 4 by Sergio Aragones, Mark Evanier, Tom Yeates, Tom Luth

Radio Apocalypse 1 by Ram V, Anand Rk, Anisha

Dark Ages 3 by Tom Taylor, Iban Coello, Brian Reber

We Only Kill Each Other 1 by Stephanie Phillips, Peter Krause, Ellie Wright

Blue and Gold 4 by Dan Jurgens, Kevin Maguire, Ryan Sook, Norm Rapmund

Check out this episode!

[jokeronthesofa]

Oscar/Netflix Review - Roma: An Intensely Personal Film About Someone Else

Oscar/Netflix Review - Roma: An Intensely Personal Film About Someone Else #AlfonsoCuaron presents a story of a young maid, a family, and Mexico all dealing with their own different complex problems. #Roma

Alfonso Cuarón brings us the life of a maid in 1970s Mexico and the family that she is a part of.

SUMMARY

Cleo Gutierrez (Yalitza Aparicio) is a maid for a moderately wealthy family in Colonia Roma, a neighborhood in Mexico City. The father of the family, Antonio (Fernando Grediaga), regularly leaves for conferences in other countries, leaving his wife, Sofia (Marina de Tavira), to raise their…

[meredithsreadingchallenge]

This post is a long time coming, isn’t it? I need to hold myself accountable for not posting on here about the great books I’m reading, and how fortunate I am to be talking about the greatest excise of all time!

Excuse #3--I don’t have time. 

How many times have you told that to yourself this? I can tell you this: I think I say it too many times, and I continue to apologize for my procrastination.

I didn’t know that procrastination could be addicting, but I do know that it is a habit that can be broken over time.

In this chapter, Hollis talks about what it was like for her when she was working towards her goal to start a company. She dedicated hours to working in the entertainment industry to gain experience, she passed off relaxing activities on weekends to instead plan weddings--for free, mind you--and she also gave up invitations from friends or coworkers to continue to put in that effort, just so she could make her dream come true (pp. 21-22).

Tangent, for just a moment. I’m currently taking an economics course for a General Education requirement, and one of the big ideas we have to remember moving forward is there's always a constant trade-off, no matter what you’re dealing with: food, service, time, etc. Hollis made a trade-off to either put in the work towards a goal or put off the time and do something fun.

That’s a hard decision to make! I toast to her courage for keeping at it for so long, for she now is able to host her own conferences with her husband, encourage young women like me to be more than what we think we are, and still have time for her family, friends, and herself to be happy. I’m so proud of her, and she currently inspires me  to be myself, not who I think I should be outside my house.

The best part is Hollis gives us four steps to dedicating time to a certain goal in life, and how to make it a reality than a wish. With that, I will share with you an example of my schedule, a very small snippet. I’m home from school for three weeks, and as much as I know to take care of myself, incorporate movement, and to get my homework in on time, I want to save some time for blogging and sharing the books I’ve ready so far this year.

(I’m not going to lie, I’ve already read 11. I need to hurry and write reviews for the other nine books I have yet to rate, so let’s begin.)

For now, this is my schedule for this week, March 16-March 22, 2020, also known as Spring Break, given in hours. If you have a copy of the book of your own, or you’re wondering what these steps are and have an online version, you can find her steps on pp. 23-26.

1. Make a Timeline of Your Week:

March 16-

8 a.m.-10 a.m.: Good morning, time to get ready and get some food! (Done)

11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Work a little on homework and practice makeup. Make an important phone call.  (Done)

1 p.m.-2 p.m.: Yikes, go renew an I.D, get some food, and scan an important document! (Done).

3 p.m.-4 p.m.: Work on some homework. (Didn’t happen, sadly. I wasn’t feeling good, but my cat wanted to take a nap and snuggle with me for a little bit. She was so cute before she started biting my leg. Ouch!)

5 p.m.- 6 p.m.: Work on this blog post! Maybe work on another homework assignment.

7 p.m.-8 p.m.: Eat dinner and help around the house.

9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Get ready for bed. Goodnight!

March 17-

8 a.m.-9 a.m.: Good morning! Get ready and get food!

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Homework Time! And get some lunch at noon.

1 p.m.-3 p.m. Hmm, most likely free time. I’m considering using this time to work on creative projects just for fun, since I am on break. Also use as time to get things done if I need to leave the house.

4 p.m.- 5 p.m.: Blog time! This means time spent posting blog posts for “GSA” or writing reviews to post in the future. Who knows, maybe even completing them and editing them to post around this time.

6 p.m.-7 p.m.: Dinner and helping around the house.

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Fun time. :D

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Get ready for bed. Goodnight!

March 18-

8 a.m.-9 a.m.: Good morning! Get ready and get food!

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Homework Time! And get some lunch at noon.

1 p.m.-3 p.m. Hmm, most likely free time. I’m considering using this time to work on creative projects just for fun, since I am on break. Also use as time to get things done if I need to leave the house.

4 p.m.- 5 p.m.: Blog time! This means time spent posting blog posts for “GSA” or writing reviews to post in the future. Who knows, maybe even completing them and editing them to post around this time.

6 p.m.-7 p.m.: Dinner and helping around the house.

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Fun time. :D

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Get ready for bed. Goodnight!

March 19-

8 a.m.-9 a.m.: Good morning! Get ready and get food!

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Homework Time! And get some lunch at noon.

1 p.m.-3 p.m. Hmm, most likely free time. I’m considering using this time to work on creative projects just for fun, since I am on break. Also use as time to get things done if I need to leave the house.

4 p.m.- 5 p.m.: Blog time! This means time spent posting blog posts for “GSA” or writing reviews to post in the future. Who knows, maybe even completing them and editing them to post around this time.

6 p.m.-7 p.m.: Dinner and helping around the house.

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Fun time. :D

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Get ready for bed. Goodnight!

March 20-

8 a.m.-9 a.m.: Good morning! Get ready and get food!

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Homework Time! And get some lunch at noon.

1 p.m.-3 p.m. Hmm, most likely free time. I’m considering using this time to work on creative projects just for fun, since I am on break. Also use as time to get things done if I need to leave the house.

4 p.m.- 5 p.m.: Blog time! This means time spent posting blog posts for “GSA” or writing reviews to post in the future. Who knows, maybe even completing them and editing them to post around this time.

6 p.m.-7 p.m.: Dinner and helping around the house.

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Fun time. :D

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Get ready for bed. Goodnight!

March 21-

8 a.m.-9 a.m.: Good morning! Get ready and get food!

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Homework Time! And get some lunch at noon.

1 p.m.-3 p.m. Hmm, most likely free time. I’m considering using this time to work on creative projects just for fun, since I am on break. Also use as time to get things done if I need to leave the house.

4 p.m.- 5 p.m.: Blog time! This means time spent posting blog posts for “GSA” or writing reviews to post in the future. Who knows, maybe even completing them and editing them to post around this time.

6 p.m.-7 p.m.: Dinner and helping around the house.

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Fun time. :D

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Get ready for bed. Goodnight!

March 22-

8 a.m.-9 a.m.: Good morning! Get ready and get food!

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Homework Time! And get some lunch at noon.

1 p.m.-3 p.m. Hmm, most likely free time. I’m considering using this time to work on creative projects just for fun, since I am on break. Also use as time to get things done if I need to leave the house.

4 p.m.- 5 p.m.: Blog time! This means time spent posting blog posts for “GSA” or writing reviews to post in the future. Who knows, maybe even completing them and editing them to post around this time.

6 p.m.-7 p.m.: Dinner and helping around the house.

8 p.m.-9 p.m.: Fun time. :D

10 p.m.-11 p.m.: Get ready for bed. Goodnight!2. Once you set your new schedule, Treat Your “Five to Strive” Hours as Sacred

This means that for every time you see ‘Blog time!’, I am taking that time to work towards my goal and enforcing it. Trust me, even though this is just one week out of three away from school, I am going to do my very best to stick with it so that I can discipline myself to reach my goals. 

3. Make Sure Your Minimum Hours are Your Best Hours

Explained on its own, right?

4. Plan Your Schedule Weekly

For now, I would like to make sure I follow the schedule I have for right now. Then, there is a lot of things up in the air right now about school and what’s going to happen in the following weeks. I need to keep the next two weeks of the break open for change. After I have a clearer picture, I will start planning my schedule better!

Woo! That was a lot of typing. Now, that I’m looking at it, I think I will split this post in half and do Excuse #4 tomorrow. As you can see, I dedicated time for writing for the blog between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. everyday, so expect a post potentially by 6/7 p.m. at the latest. Thank you for sticking this long, and I will see you tomorrow!

Please feel free to comment if these steps helped you stay organized, or if you have another way of scheduling time for your goals!

What Else am I reading this year?

1. “Girl, Stop Apologizing”, Rachel Hollis: if I am being perfectly honest, I only read Excuse number 4 after trying to complete the post for this excuse. I didn’t want to get too far ahead and loose track of Posting. I will read Excuse #5 when I am back on track!

2. “IT”, Stephen King: Ironically enough, I am so close to being done with “The Summer of 1958″. I decided to make a goal of reading at least two sections from a chapter per week, and it is definitely helping me move along. I haven’t been able to read much, though, due to assignment constraints and the fear of reading his books at night. I already get interrupted during REM sleep. I don’t need another reason for not sleeping well!

3. “The Fates Divide”, Veronica Roth: I read the first book nearly two years ago, but I really do enjoy getting back into this world! One of the things that I like about it is that there is LGBTQ+ diversity. Even though it is a fictional world, it is comforting to read something that includes all kinds of relationships. It makes me feel warm inside.

I still have reviews on the list from books completed in January. Hold your horses!

*Photo Credit: this photo is a blurred version of the cover from the book. The cover is originally designed by Sami Lane from the Hollis Company, and the photo credit for the front page photo goes to Jorge Macias. Text is generated from FireAlpacca (Snap ITC).

[tuseriesdetv]

Guía de series: Estrenos y regresos de febrero 2020

Tras un enero interminable, lega un febrero más asequible en cuanto a ficción. Thrillers, comedias, dramas musicales o dramones a secas, hay de todo para hacernos el mes más llevadero.

¡Feliz febrero!

Leyenda:

Verde: series nuevas.

Rojo: series de las que haremos reviews semanales.

Negro: regresos de otras series.

Naranja: miniseries o series documentales.

Amarillo: tv movies, documentales, especiales o pilotos.

Morado: season finales.

Púrpura: midseason finales.

*

Calendario de series

2 de febrero: 

Power (series finale) en Starz

The Trial of Christine Keeler en BBC One

3 de febrero: 

Manhunt: Deadly Games (2T completa) en Spectrum

Inside No. 9 (5T) en BBC Two

Baghdad Central (1T) en Channel 4

McMillion$ en HBO

4 de febrero: The Flash (vuelve) en The CW

5 de febrero: 

Home (2T) en Channel 4

The Pharmacist en Netflix

6 de febrero: 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (7T) y Indebted (1T) en NBC

Katy Keene (1T) en The CW

Tommy (1T) en CBS

The Sinner (3T) y Briarpatch (1T) en USA Network

Interrogation (1T completa) en CBS All Access

Tell Me a Story (2T finale) en CBS All Access

7 de febrero: 

Locke and Key (1T completa), My Holo Love (1T completa) y Horse Girl en Netflix

High Maintenance (4T) en HBO

MacGyver (4T) en CBS

Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet (1T completa) en Apple TV+

8 de febrero: The Coldest Game en Netflix

9 de febrero: 

Homeland (8T y última) y Kidding (2T) en Showtime

The Pale Horse en BBC One

Endeavour (7T) en ITV

Power (series finale) en Starz

10 de febrero: 

The End (1T) en Sky Atlantic

L'amica geniale (2T) en HBO

11 de febrero: 

For Life (1T) en ABC

Cherish the Day (1T) en OWN

The Split (2T) en BBC One

Camino a Roma en Netflix

12 de febrero: 

To All the Boys: P.S., I Still Love You en Netflix

Cherish the Day (cambio de día) en OWN

White House Farm en ITV

13 de febrero: Narcos: Mexico (2T completa) en Netflix

14 de febrero: 

Las chicas del cable (5aT completa) y Isi & Ossi en Netflix

Vergüenza (3T completa) en Movistar+

High Fidelity (1T) y Utopia Falls (1T) en Hulu

15 de febrero: The Thing About Harry en Freeform

16 de febrero: 

Outlander (5T) en Starz

Duncanville (1T) en FOX

Good Girls (3T) en NBC

NCIS: New Orleans (cambio de día) en CBS

18 de febrero: Intelligence (1T) en Sky One

19 de febero: Criminal Minds (series finale) en CBS

20 de febrero: Spectros (1T completa) en Netflix

21 de febrero: 

Hunters (1T completa) en Amazon

Puerta 7 (1T completa), Gentefied (1T completa), Babies y The Last Thing He Wanted en Netflix

Fresh Off the Boat (series finale) en ABC

Cobra (1T finale) en Sky One

22 de febrero: Almost Family (series finale) en FOX

23 de febrero: 

Better Call Saul (5T) y The Walking Dead (10bT) en AMC

The Rookie (vuelve) en ABC

24 de febrero: Better Call Saul (cambio de día) en AMC

26 de febrero: 

I Am Not Okay with This (1T completa) en Netflix

SEAL Team (vuelve) en CBS

Burden of Truth (3T finale) en CBC

27 de febrero: 

Altered Carbon (2T completa) y Followers (1T completa) en Netflix

Death in Paradise (9T finale) en BBC One

28 de febrero: Queen Sono (1T completa) y All the Bright Places en Netflix

*

Estrenos de series

Manhunt: Deadly Games (Spectrum)

Manhunt: Unabomber se emitió en Discovery Channel. La segunda temporada, que cambia de cadena, contará la historia del atentado en los Juegos Olímpicos de verano de 1996 en Atlanta. Richard Jewell (Cameron Britton; Mindhunter, The Umbrella Academy) era un agente de seguridad que encontró una mochila bomba, alertó a la policía y ayudó a evacuar la zona. Posteriormente, la periodista Kathy Scruggs (Carla Gugino; The Haunting of Hill House, Jett) publicó en el mayor periódico de Atlanta que el FBI le estaba investigando como principal sospechoso. Completan el reparto Judith Light (Transparent, American Crime Story), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire, Mr. Mercedes), Gethin Anthony (Game of Thrones, Aquarius), Jay O. Sanders (Sneaky Pete, The Sinner), Desmond Harrington (Elementary, Dexter), Arliss Howard (Moneyball), Kelly Jenrette (The Handmaid's Tale, Pitch) y Ness Bautista (Sense8). Creada, escrita y producida por Andrew Sodroski (Manhunt: Unabomber) y dirigida por Michael Dinner (Unbelievable, Masters of Sex). Diez episodios.

Estreno: 3 de febrero

Baghdad Central (Channel 4)

Thriller basado en la novela de Elliott Colla (2014) y ambientado en 2003, tras la muerte de Hussein, en el que un expolicía iraquí (Waleed Zuaiter; The Spy, Altered Carbon) debe buscar a su hija desaparecida (Leem Lubany, Condor). Con Neil Maskell (Utopia, Humans), Bertie Carvel (Doctor Foster, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell), Clara Khoury (Homeland), Corey Stoll (The Strain, House of Cards), Charlotte Spencer (Glue, Line of Duty), July Namir (The Looming Tower, Collateral), Tawfeek Barhom (The Looming Tower), Youssef Kerkour (Marcella, Jack Ryan), Hisham Suliman (Fauda), Nora El Koussour, Maisa Abd Elhadi (The State) y Dipo Ola (We Hunt Together). Escrita por Stephen Butchard (The Last Kingdom) y dirigida por Alice Troughton (A Discovery of Witches, In the Flesh) y Ben A. Williams (Humans). Seis episodios. Estreno: 3 de febrero

Indebted (NBC)

Dave (Adam Pally; Happy Endings, The Mindy Project) y Rebecca (Abby Elliott; Odd Mom Out, How I Met Your Mother) están listos para recuperar su  vida tras años de pañales y noches sin dormir, pero los padres de Dave, Linda (Fran Drescher; The Nanny, Happily Divorced) y Stew (Steven Weber; Studio 60, 13 Reasons Why), se presentan sin avisar. Y arruinados. A Dave no le queda más remedio que acogerlos, y a partir de ese momento no queda claro quién debe criar a quién. Escrita y producida por Dan Levy (Schitt's Creek). Estreno: 6 de febrero

Katy Keene (The CW)

Spin-off de Riverdale ambientado en Nueva York varios años después, donde Katy (Lucy Hale; Pretty Little Liars, How I Met Your Mother), una aspirante a diseñadora de moda, conoce a Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray, Riverdale), que acaba de llegar persiguiendo su sueño de triunfar en la música. Allí les acompañarán Pepper Smith (Julia Chan, Saving Hope), una misteriosa socialite; y Jorge Lopez (Jonny Beauchamp), un intérprete amante de Broadway que actúa como drag queen. Los cuatro formarán una familia que no se detendrá ante nada para llegar a la fama. Completan el reparto Katherine LaNasa (Imposters, Future Man), Camille Hyde (American Vandal, Power Rangers Dino Charge), Lucien Laviscount (Scream Queens, Snatch), Zane Holtz (From Dusk Till Dawn), Bernadette Peters (Smash, Mozart in the Jungle) y Daphne Rubin-Vega (Smash, Tales of the City).

Escrita por Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Riverdale) y Michael Grassi (Riverdale, Supergirl). También está producida por Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Riverdale).

Estreno: 6 de febrero

Tommy (CBS)

Abigail 'Tommy' Thomas (Edie Falco; The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie) fue agente de policía en Nueva York y ahora se ha convertido en la primera jefa de policía de Los Ángeles. Su filosofía de trabajo es distinta a la de sus predecesores. Usa su honestidad y sus habilidades para lidiar con los retos políticos y sociales que le demanda su trabajo. Con Adelaide Clemens (Rectify), Michael Chernus (Manhattan, Orange Is the New Black), Russell G. Jones (The Americans, Godless), Joseph Lyle Taylor (Sneaky Pete), Thomas Sadoski (The Newsroom, Life in Pieces), Olivia Lucy Phillip, Vladimir Caamaño (Runaways, Superstore), Katrina Lenk (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Good Fight), Paul Schulze (Nurse Jackie, The Punisher) y Philip Anthony-Rodriguez (The Morning Show, Why Women Kill).

Escrita y producida por Paul Attanasio (Bull, Homicide: Life on the Street). Estreno: 6 de febrero

Briarpatch (USA Network)

La primera temporada de una antología producida por Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot, Homecoming) está basada en la novela homónima de Ross Thomas (1984). Trata sobre una investigadora (Rosario Dawson; Daredevil, Seven Pounds) que vuelve a su pueblo de Texas para encontrar al asesino de su hermana y acaba descubriendo un sistema corrupto. Con Kim Dickens (Treme, Fear The Walking Dead), Jay R. Ferguson (The Romanoffs, Mad Men), Brian Geraghty (Chicago PD, Ray Donovan), Edi Gathegi (StartUp, The Blacklist), Ed Asner (Dead to Me, The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Alan Cumming (The Good Wife, Instinct) y Sarah Minnich (Better Call Saul). Adaptada y producida por Andy Greenwald (Legion). Diez episodios. Estreno: 6 de febrero

Interrogation (CBS All Access)

Basada en la condena real de un joven (Kyle Gallner; Veronica Mars, Outsiders), que se declara inocente, por el brutal asesinato de su madre. Los nueve primeros episodios mostrarán interrogatorios apoyándose directamente en los archivos policiales y podrán verse sin un orden concreto como si fuera la investigación de un caso sin cerrar durante años. Completan el cast Peter Sarsgaard (The Killing, The Looming Tower), David Strathairn (Lincoln; Good Night, and Good Luck), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In, X-Men: Apocalypse), Vincent D'Onofrio (Daredevil, Men in Black), Frank Whaley (Luke Cage, Ray Donovan), Pat Healy (Hap and Leonard, Blunt Talk), Melinda McGraw (Outcast, The Crossing), Michael Harney (Orange Is the New Black, Weeds), Vinessa Antoine (Being Erica), Ebon Mosss-Bachrach (Girls, NOS4A2) y Autry Haydon-Wilson (Paradise Lost).

Creada y producida por Anders Weidemann (30º i februari) y John Mankiewicz (House of Cards, Bosch). Diez episodios.

Estreno: 6 de febrero

Locke and Key (Netflix)

Adaptación de la novela gráfica de Joe Hill sobre tres hermanos -Tyler (Connor Jessup; American Crime, Falling Skies), Kinsey (Emilia Jones, Utopia) y Bode (Jackson Robert Scott, It)-, que se mudan con su madre (Darby Stanchfield; Scandal, Jericho) a la casa de su padre tras su asesinato. Allí descubren unas llaves mágicas que esconden muchos secretos. También participan Sherri Saum (The Fosters), Steven Williams (The Chi, The Leftovers), Griffin Gluck (American Vandal, Private Practice), Laysla de Oliveira (The Gifted), Kevin Alves (Shadowhunters, Degrassi: The Next Generation), Petrice Jones (Step Up: High Water), Thomas Mitchell Barnet (Wayne), Asha Bromfield (Riverdale) y Felix Mallard (Happy Together, Neighbours).

Escrita por Hill y Carlton Cuse (Lost, Colony). Diez episodios

Estreno: 7 de febrero

My Holo Love (Netflix)

Drama coreano sobre una mujer exitosa (Go Sung Hee, Suits) que tiene problemas para reconocer caras y debido a esto se distancia de la gente y se encuentra sola la mayor parte del tiempo. Un día conecta con un holograma de inteligencia artificial llamado Holo (Yoon Hyun Min) de apariencia idéntica a su creador pero de personalidad muy distinta, que la entiende y se preocupa por ella, y descubre un amor que nunca esperó encontrar.

Escrita por Ryoo Yong-Jae y dirigida por Lee Sang-Yeob.

Estreno: 7 de febrero

Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet (Apple TV+)

Comedia sobre el día a día y los problemas de un disfuncional equipo de desarrolladores de videojuegos en plena creación de un juego muy popular. Protagonizada por Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), F. Murray Abraham (Homeland, Chimerica), Danny Pudi (Community, Powerless), Imani Hakim (Everybody Hates Chris), Charlotte Nicdao (Please Like Me, Camp), David Hornsby (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Six Feet Under), Jessie Ennis (Veep, Better Call Saul) y Ashly Burch.

Creada, escrita y producida por McElhenney (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Cool Kids) y Megan Ganz (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community). Nueve episodios. Ya está renovada por una segunda temporada.

Estreno: 7 de febrero

The Pale House (BBC One)

Adaptación de la novela de Agatha Christie (1961) en la que aparece una misteriosa lista de nombres en el zapato de una joven asesinada. Uno de los nombres es el de Mark Easterbrook (Rufus Sewell; The Man in the High Castle, Victoria), un anticuario viudo que ha encontrado el amor de nuevo con la joven Hermia (Kaya Scodelario; Skins, The Maze Runner) pero aún sigue obsesionado por la trágica muerte de su primera esposa. ¿Por qué está su nombre en esa lista? ¿Está destinado a morir? Su investigación le llevará hasta The Pale Horse, la casa de tres mujeres que se rumorea que son brujas. Completan el reparto Bertie Carvel (Doctor Foster, Baghdad Central), Sean Pertwee (Gotham), Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Killing Eve, Indian Summers), James Fleet (Outlander, Unforgotten), Poppy Gilbert, Madeleine Bowyer (Black Mirror), Ellen Robertson, Sarah Woodward (Queens of Mystery), Georgina Campbell (Broadchurch, Flowers), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered, Next of Kin), Rita Tushingham (In the Flesh), Sheila Atim (Harlots) y Kathy Kiera Clarke (Derry Girls).

Escrita por Sarah Phelps (And Then There Were None, Ordeal by Innocence). Dos episodios.

Estreno: 9 de febrero

The End (Sky Atlantic)

Drama familiar sobre tres generaciones de una familia de Australia que tratan de averiguar cómo morir con dignidad, vivir sin nada y hacer que la vida valga la pena. Kate Brennan (Frances O'Connor; The Missing, Mr. Selfridge) es una doctora especialista en cuidados paliativos y se opone a la eutanasia. Edie (Harriet Walkter; Flowers, The Crown), su madre, está a favor del derecho a morir y tiene miedo a las residencias de ancianos. Con Luke Arnold (Black Sails, Glitch), Morgan Davies (The Girlfriend Experience), Alex Dimitriades (Secret City, The Slap), Noni Hazlehurst (A Place to Call Home, City Homicide), Ingrid Torelli (Five Bedrooms), John Waters (Offspring, All Saints), Roy Billing (Rake, Jack Irish), Andrea Demetriades (Janet King, Pulse) o Uli Latukefu (Marco Polo, Harrow).

Creada y escrita por Samantha Strauss (Dance Academy, Offspring). Diez episodios.

Estreno: 10 de febrero

For Life (ABC)

Drama legal sobre un prisionero (Nicholas Pinnock; Counterpart, Marcella) que se convierte en abogado y lleva los casos de otros reclusos mientras trata de revocar la sentencia de cadena perpetua que le impusieron por un crimen que no cometió. Cuenta también con Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther), Joy Bryant (Parenthood, Good Girls Revolt), Glenn Fleshler (Billions, Barry), Dorian Missick (Tell Me a Story, Animal Kingdom), Tyla Harris (Six, Claws), Mary Stuart Masterson (Fried Green Tomatoes, Blindspot), Timothy Busfield (The West Wing, thirtysomething), Boris McGiver (House of Cards, Person of Interest) y 50 Cent (Power, Spy).

Escrita y producida por Hank Steinberg (Without a Trace) y producida por Isaac Wright Jr. -la serie está inspirada en su vida- y 50 Cent (Power). El piloto está dirigido por George Tillman Jr. (Men of Honor, The Hate U Give).

Estreno: 11 de febrero

Cherish the Day (OWN)

Narra el romance de una pareja de Los Ángeles durante cinco años, con cada episodio centrándose en un día significativo de la relación. Protagonizada por Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project, I'm Dying Up Here) y Alano Miller (Underground, Jane the Virgin), contará también con Cicely Tyson (How to Get Away with Murder, The Help), Michael Beach (Third Watch, Sons of Anarchy) o Kellee Stewart (Midnight, Texas; The Soul Man).

Creada y producida por Ava DuVernay (Queen Sugar, When They See Us). Ocho episodios.

Estreno: 11 de febrero

High Fidelity (Hulu)

Inspirada en la novela de Nick Hornby (1995) y la película del año 2000, esta versión nos cuenta la historia de Rob (Zoë Kravitz; Big Little Lies, Divergent), la cínica y desencantada dueña de una tienda de discos de Brooklyn. Amante de la música pop y las listas top five, decide visitar a las cinco personas que le rompieron el corazón.

Con Jake Lacy (I'm Dying Up Here, Girls), Da'Vine Joy Randolph (People of Earth, Empire), David H. Holmes, Kingsley Ben-Adir (Vera, The OA), Rainbow Francks (Jett, The Umbrella Academy), Ivanna Sakhno (The Spy Who Dumped Me) y Thomas Doherty (Legacies, The Lodge).

Creada y escrita por Veronica West y Sarah Kucserka. Producida por Zoë Kravitz. Diez episodios.

Estreno: 14 de febrero

Utopia Falls (Hulu)

Dentro de unos cientos de años, entre las ruinas carbonizadas de la Tierra, veinticuatro adolescentes de la última colonia son elegidos para competir en la prestigiosa The Exemplar, un concurso de artes escénicas. Tras descubrir un misterioso archivo que le ayuda a conocer el hip-hop, Aliyah (Robyn Alomar), la independiente y aventurera hija de un oficial del gobierno, empieza a cuestionarse todo lo que sabe y convence al resto de jóvenes para comenzar una revolución y sacar a la luz la verdad gracias al poder de la música. Con Akiel Julien (The Next Step), Robbie Graham-Kuntz (The Next Step), Humberly González (In the Dark), Phillip Lewitski (Vikings), Devyn Nekoda (Backstage), Mickeey Nguyen (Make It Pop), Kate Drummond (Wynonna Earp), Huse Madhavji (Saving Hope) o Alexandra Castillo (Mary Kills People, The Girlfriend Experience). Escrita y dirigida por R.T. Thorne (Find Me in Paris). Diez episodios.

Estreno: 14 de febrero

Duncanville (FOX)

Comedia de animación sobre la familia y los amigos de Duncan, un chico de quince años con una gran imaginación. Con las voces de Amy Poehler (Inside Out, Parks and Recreation), Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca, The Office), Wiz Khalifa (Dickinson), Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Riki Lindhome (Garfunkel and Oates, Another Period), Betsy Sodaro (Another Period) y Yassir Lester (Black Monday, Making History). Escrita por Mike y Julie Scully (The Simpsons, The Carmichael Show) y producida por Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, Broad City). Trece episodios. Estreno: 16 de febrero

Intelligence (Sky One)

Comedia ambientada en el cuartel general de comunicaciones del gobierno británico en Cheltenham y centrada en un arrogante y disidente agente de la NSA (David Schwimmer; Friends, American Crime Story) que se une a un inepto y falto de tacto analista informático (Nick Mohammed; Uncle, Drifters) para formar un equipo contra el crimen cibernético. Completan el cast Sylvestra Le Touzel (The Crown, Utopia), Jane Stanness (Sally4Ever), Gana Bayarsaikhan, Oliver Birch (In the Flesh), Eliot Salt (GameFace) y Colin Salmon (Arrow, No Offence).

Escrita y producida por Nick Mohammed. Seis episodios.

Estreno: 18 de febrero

Spectros (Netflix)

Un grupo de adolescentes del distrito de Liberdale en São Paulo, Brasil -conocido por su gran comunidad japonesa- acaban en una realidad sobrenatural en 1908, donde tendrán que enfrentarse a extraños y siniestros acontecimientos. Acaban entendiendo que alguien está trayendo de vuelta a los muertos, que quieren venganza por lo que les ocurrió en el pasado. Protagonizada por Danilo Mesquita (3 %, Rock Story), Enzo Barone (A Garota da Moto, A Voz do Silêncio), Cláudia Okuno, Pedro Carvalho (Nerd of the Dead, Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho) y Mariana Sena.

Escrita, dirigida y producida por Douglas Petrie (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Daredevil). Ocho episodios.

Estreno: 20 de febrero

Hunters (Amazon)

Inspirada en hechos reales, nos presenta a un grupo de personas que comienza una sangrienta búsqueda en Nueva York durante los años 60 para llevar frente a la justicia a cientos de oficiales nazis que viven de incógnito en Estados Unidos y planean crear allí el cuarto Reich. Jonah Heidelbaum (Logan Lerman; The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Percy Jackson), tras el asesinato de su abuela, entrar a formar parte de la banda y se convierte en el protegido de Meyer Offerman (Al Pacino; Scent of a Woman, The Godfather), un cazador de nazis retirado. Completan el reparto Lena Olin (Alias, Riviera), Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother, Rise), Jerrika Hinton (Grey's Anatomy, Here and Now), Carol Kane (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Gotham), Saul Rubinek (The Last Tycoon, Warehouse 13), Tiffany Boone (The Chi, The Following), Louis Ozawa Changchien (Kidding, Bosch), Greg Austin (Class, Mr. Selfridge), Dylan Baker (Homeland, The Americans), Kate Mulvany (Secret City), James Le Gros (The Passage, Mildred Pierce), Ebony Obsidian (If Beale Street Could Talk), Caleb Emery (Good Girls, American Vandal), Henry Hunter Hall (When They See Us, Waist Deep), Jeannie Berlin (The Night Of, The First), Julissa Bermudez (106 & Park), Becky Ann Parker (Men in Black), Josh Mostel (Big Daddy), Miles G. Jackson (The Last O.G.) y Jonno Davies (Spotless).

Creada y escrita por David Weil (Moonfall) y producida por Jordan Peele (Get Out, The Last O.G.). Diez episodios.

Estreno: 21 de febrero

Puerta 7 (Netflix)

Thriller sobre las barras bravas argentinas, los peligrosos hinchas de fútbol. En la serie, una mujer (Dolores Fonzi; Truman, La cordillera) quiere limpiar la corrupción de un equipo y el nombre de su familia, un joven se convierte en barra brava para salvar a su familia de la pobreza y diferentes facciones del mismo club se enfrentan en una guerra civil. Con Esteban Lamothe (El marginal, Estocolmo), Carlos Belloso (La odisea de los giles, Atrapa a un ladrón), Daniel Aráoz (Una especie de familia, El hombre de al lado), Juan Gil Navarro (Floricienta, La casa del mar) y Antonio Grimau (Se dice amor, Soy gitano).

Creada por Martin Zimmerman (Ozark, Narcos), escrita por Patricio Vega (Los simuladores) y dirigida por Israel Adrián Caetano (El marginal, El otro hermano). Ocho episodios.

Estreno: 21 de febrero

Gentefied (Netflix)

Dramedia bilingüe que sigue a tres primos mexicanos de Los Ángeles y sus intentos de vivir el sueño americano, incluso cuando este sueño amenaza su barrio o el negocio familiar. Protagonizada por Karrie Martin, J.J. Soria (The Oath, Animal Kingdom), Carlos Santos y Joaquín Cosio (The Strain, Narcos: Mexico). Les acompañan Julissa Calderón (Revenge), Annie González (Shameless, Good Girls Revolt), Laura Patalano (Vida), Felipe Esparza, Rafael Sigler (Ugly Betty), Jaime Álvarez (Grey's Anatomy, Shameless), Bianca Melgar, Michelle Ortiz y Alejandro Patiño.

Creada y escrita por Marvin Lemus y Linda Yvette Chávez, de la webserie del mismo nombre; y dirigida por Lemus. Producida por America Ferrera (Superstore). Diez episodios.

Estreno: 21 de febrero

I Am Not Okay with This (Netflix)

Cuenta la historia de una joven de quince años llamada Sydney (Sophia Lillis; Sharp Objects, It), enamorada en secreto de su mejor amiga Dina (Sofia Bryant, The Good Wife) y con unos poderes telepáticos que aparecen siempre en los momentos más inoportunos. Completan el reparto Kathleen Rose Perkins (Episodes), Wyatt Olef (Guardians of the Galaxy), Aidan Wotjak-Hissong (Falling Water) y Richard Ellis (Veronica Mars).

Creada por Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) y Christy Hall, dirigida por Entwistle y basada en la novela gráfica de Charles Forsman (The End of the F***ing World). De los productores de Stranger Things. Ocho episodios.

Estreno: 26 de febrero

Followers (Netflix)

Natsume Hyakuta (Elaiza Ikeda; Sunny: Tsuyoi Kimochi Tsuyoi Ai, Isle of Dogs) es una aspirante a actriz que no está teniendo demasiada suerte ni en el mundillo ni en su vida personal cuando la popular fotógrafa de moda Rimi Nara (Miki Nakatani; Ringu, Ringu 2) publica una foto suya en Instagram. El éxito de Natsume en las redes crece a pasos agigantados mientras se cruza con una serie de personas de Tokyo que desean mantener la relevancia social mientras persiguen sus sueños. Con Nobuaki Kaneko (Diner), Mari Natsuki (Vision, Isle of Dogs), Yuka Itaya, Kom I, Yutaro y Shuhei Uesugi.

La primera serie de acción real original de Netflix Japón está dirigida por Mika Ninagawa (Diner). Nueve episodios.

Estreno: 27 de febrero

Queen Sono (Netflix)

La primera serie de Netflix original de África es un thriller sobre una espía altamente entrenada (Pearl Thusi, Quantico, Catching Feelings) que trabaja para una agencia sudafricana y lidera operaciones criminales mientras lidia con una crisis personal. Con Vuyo Dabula, Sechaba Morojele (Human Cargo), Chi Mhende, Loyiso Madinga, Rob Van Vuuren (Munki and Trunk, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Kate Liquorish (Madiba), Khathu Ramabulana (Shadow), Enhle Maphumulo, Abigail Kubeka (Wild at Heart), Connie Chiume (Black Panther), Otto Nobela (Wizard) y James Ngcobo.

Creada y dirigida por Kagiso Lediga (Catching Feelings). Seis episodios.

Estreno: 28 de febrero

[doomonfilm]

Review : Roma (2018)

Word about Roma has been on my radar since right around November of 2018, and all of it was good.  Children of Men was quite the experience, and Gravity has been on my watch queue for ages, but the buzz about Roma had the film climbing up the list fast.  In the wake of its wins at the Golden Globes, my sense of urgency kicked in, and I am glad that I finally took the time to enjoy this wonderful film.

Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) is a caretaker for a group of young children born to doctor Antonio (Fernando Grediaga) and biochemist/professor Sofia (Marina de Tavira).  The children she cares for are the young inquisitive Pepe (Marco Graf), his older sister Sofi (Daniela Demesa), and the quarreling oldest boys Tono (Diego Cortina) and Paco (Carlos Peralta), and with the help of their grandmother Teresa (Veronica Garcia), Cleo does her best to shield them from the cold truth of their father’s extramarital affairs and absenteeism.  While hanging out with friend and coworker Adela (Nancy Garcia) and Adela’s boyfriend Ramon (Jose Manuel Guerrero), Cleo is introduced to Fermin (Jorge Antonio Guerrero), a young man with a penchant for martial arts, and a romantic fling evolves, leading to Cleo’s pregnancy.  Rather than face the truth, Fermin decides to flee, leaving Cleo to deal with a newborn baby on the way, as well as the problems growing with the family she cares for.  As Sofia does all that she can to keep herself and her family together, Cleo tries her best to keep her life together, all while both women attempt to protect themselves and their families from the madness of the political turmoil that surrounds them, as well as the sometimes cruel nature of the world itself.

One of the major set of themes in Roma is a focus on class systems and cultural values.  When it comes to the upper class, the focus is on the luxury of the entitled in the form of both material goods and the ability to afford time for things like vacations and extramarital escapades.  In the world that Antonio and Sofia inhabit, honking a horn brings the help to open your garage doors, and the help will put your kids to bed for you.  Cleo is shown genuine love by Sofia in tandem with the responsibility she is given... a deep trust to take care of Sofia’s kids.  Cleo becomes so connected to Sofia’s family that we only really ever hear of Cleo’s actual family rather than see them.  The family she cares for deals with mostly first world problems like a car too big for its garage or bickering kids mostly.  Luckily, Soifa and Antonio don’t go overboard with their extravagance, like their extended family and the collection of mounted dog heads they proudly display.

In contrast, the glimpses we get into Cleo’s life outside of the family are mostly somber and pensive, reflecting her blue collar life.  Cleo, Fermin and the rest of their peers seek pleasure in moments and shared experiences rather than objects and wealth, even if that pleasure is as drastically diverse as romance or governmental protest.  These people do have a unified quality despite their diverse motives : the fact that they must work for everything they have rather than accept everything being given too them.  The film provides layers of symbolism to display how problems mount in the lower social class world, sometimes to a seemingly unsurmountable degree, like the pregnancy reveal in the theater versus the onscreen symbolism in the movie theater, or the earthquake that takes place while Cleo is observing newborn babies.

Cleo and Sofia show that spited and scorned women can be found in all of the spectrums of life, be it the upper or lower classes.  Cleo finds herself an observer to many, many embarrassing and sad moments that she must remain silent about, be they examples of infidelity or secrets that could rock the family she cares for.  Cleo, by that rationale, finds herself in the impossible position of being unable to help either her blood family or her family that she cares for.  Cleo also finds herself so focused on these tasks she can never complete that the truths she learns about Fermin, the man who impregnated her, are devastating in contrast to the tender moments they initially shared.

In terms of production, Cuaron provides astounding cinematography via a fixed, observational camera that is ever scanning and surveying the surroundings.  The camera moves feel mechanical and unnatural in the 1970s surroundings of the film.  The stark black and white photography adds a timeless feel to the proceedings.  The period piece aspects are so well woven into the film that they are barely noticeable, and they only serve to further enrich the world and all of its texture and culture.  The pacing of the story allows moments to resonate and images to permeate, pulling the viewer deeper and deeper into the film.  Many moments and framings of scenes echo those of Federico Fellini.  One of my favorite, eye-opening aspects of the films was the reveal/callback to what we were really seeing in the opening credits, just as issues with the family really were beginning to reveal themselves.  The reference to Gravity nestled in one of the movie theater sequences made me laugh.  The constant juxtaposition of manmade and natural tragedies against peaceful moments that resonate the best parts of life really help bolster the emotional waves of this film.

Yalitza Aparicio shows a grace, dignity and compassion in the face of seemingly insurmountable issues and odds, carrying both her and the viewer through the mess Cleo lives in.  Marina de Tavira’s tragic portrayal of a mother falling apart in the face of an unfaithful husband is heartbreaking.  Fernando Grediaga’s carefree spirit and inability to show love for anyone other than himself paints him as protagonist in the face of the family.  Jorge Antonio Guerrero gives a dynamic performance as a seemingly high quality and high character man, and one with integrity in the face of political turmoil, but one that runs away from the responsibility of fatherhood.  Marco Graf brings innocence and childlike insight as the youngest of the cared for family, Diego Cortina and Carlos Peralta provide the quarreling and boundless energy of young boys, while Daniela Demesa is the reserved and quiet child.  Veronica Garcia’s tender but firm hand is always present as the grandmother of the cared for family.  Appearances by Nancy Garcia, Jose Manuel Guerrero and a special appearance by Latin Lover round out the top notch cast.

It’s funny how films so seemingly quiet and low key are so powerful and introspective.  This one was definitely a quiet storm, and one with enough impact to shift my top ten list for 2018.  If you’ve not done so already, carve out a couple of hours of Netflix time and check out Roma. 

[useyourrwords]

Month in Review // Christmas is Over Thank Fuck – December

Christmas is officially done and dusted and honestly, I am so fucking thankful. 

I loved Christmas day but the days leading up to Christmas? I’m good thanks, can I get Christmas without them next year?

Between the chaos that is Christmas and the extra shifts at work (plus a month-long convoluted promotion) and no longer having a best friend, because of course, I am ready to disappear for at least a year.

Sadly I can’t do that so here we are to discuss my month!

December

        Month’s TBR

I didn’t set one!

     Read

│Lady Mary│Lucy Worsley │

│

│★★★│Read Dec 18│

│ This was fine??? A little boring, but I actually didn’t mind the MC and was surprised that I got through it? Maybe only having to read it in 30 minutes spurts while I was exercising did this book, and me, a favour. 

│The Monsters We Deserve│Marcus Sedgewick │

│

│★★★│Read Dec 27│ This was confusing but I liked it??? Convinced me to read Frankenstein though!

Book of the Month

│To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before│To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before│Jenny Han│

│

│★★★★│Read Dec 26│

│ This was so stinking cute! I think I might like the film a little better but this was still a very good read and I look forward to the rest of the books in the series! 

Look at all those books.

Listen, December was tough, take pity on me, please.

│December│ARC: 2│Owned: 1│Library Loans: 0│Reread: 0│Diversity: 2/3│Average Rating: 3.5★’s│

     Haul

I was too busy to buy books!

       Film & TV

Month’s TBW

│Charmed│Season 1│

│

│Drag Race All Stars│Season 4│

│

│Boy Erased│

│

│Robin Hood│

│

│Widows│

│

│The Grinch│

│

│Wreck-It Ralph│

│

│Ralph Breaks the Internet│

│

│Elf│

│

│How The Grinch Stole Christmas│

│

│Ratatouille│

│

│Buzzfeed Unsolved│

│

I actually got through Charmed very quickly and I have no idea how???

All Stars 4 has only just started but I’m already up to date!

I kind of watched Wreck-It Ralph and by kind of I put it on and sort of paid attention. Oops.

I was planning on seeing Ralph breaks the internet with my nephews but they want to see Bumblebee instead so I guess I’ll watch it next month!

I didn’t watch Ratatouille because I didn’t end up having a movie day with my (now ex?) best friend.

And I don’t think I’ve watched any Buzzfeed Unsolved but I don’t think there has been any new episodes?

     Watched

│Charmed│Season 1│

│1998│

Constance M. Burge│

Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Brian Krause│★★★★│ Fave Sister: Isn’t everyone’s Phoebe?? So much nostalgia attached to this series! I loved it!

│Drag Race All Stars│Season 4│

│2012│

 RuPaul│

RuPaul, Michelle Visage│★★★★│ Fave One-liner This Season: “Yeah, well some of us don’t have to force story-lines to get air time” -Farrah Moan. I am living.

│Boy Erased│

│2018│

Joel Edgerton│

Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton│★★★★│ Fave Character: Gary & Cameron This was soooo good and I cried.

│Robin Hood│

│2018│

 Otto Bathurst│

 Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn │★★★★│ Fave Part: I loved all of it!  I kind of wasn’t expecting what I got from this?? But I loved it. Big on revolution and I was all for it.

│Widows│

│2018│

Steve McQueen│

Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki│★★│ Fave Character: Veronica: [to her gang] Now the best thing we have going for us, is being who we are. Alice: Why ? Veronica: Because no-one thinks we have the balls to pull this off. I hated it. That’s harsh, I didn’t hate it. I was just confused literally the whole time.

│The Grinch│

│2018│

Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mosier│

Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Rashida Jones│★★★★│ Fave Character: Cindy-Lou I went and saw this with my sister and it was good, not How The Grinch Stole Christmas good but still alright.

│Wreck-It Ralph│

│2012│

Rich Moore│

John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch│★★★│ Fave Character: Vanellope I put this on for me and mum to watch and neither of us paid any attention. Sometimes we’re just not in the right head space for a movie.

│Elf│

│2003│

Jon Favreau│

Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart│★★★★│ Fave Scene: When Buddy eats the cotton balls.   I watched this with my sister for the first time and I really enjoyed it!

│How The Grinch Stole Christmas│

│2000│

Ron Howard│

Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Kelley│★★★★★│ Fave Part: All of it.  The ultimate Christmas movie, fight me about it. I watch it every year and this year I watched it with my sister!

│Hannibal│Season 1│

│2013│

 Bryan Fuller│

 Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas│★★★★│ Fave Part: That everyone is unknowingly eating human meat.  I’m really enjoying this so far! 

│The Holiday│

│2006│

 Nancy Meyers│

Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law │★★★★│ Fave Line: “You’re supposed to be the leading lady in your own life, for God’s sake!” I forgot how much I like this movie! 

│Bumblebee│

│2008│

Travis Knight│

Hailee Steinfeld, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Cena │?│ I’m also seeing Bumblebee tomorrow but this is going up early so I’ve got no star rating yet.

     Youtube

│Meghan Rienks│

│★★★★★│ Fave Video: YULE LOG ∙| baking with meghan |∙ BAKEMAS DAY 1 I stan one (1) ADHD baking blonde. 

│Lily Marston│

│★★★★★│ Fave Video: Dressing Up As Each Other ft. KELSEY DARRAGH Since the whole Defy Media debacle, I’ve been watching a lot of the old hosts’ videos to support them! I’ve always really loved Lily and her laid-back attitude and disaster vibes.

     Music

│Camila Cabello│She Loves Control│Consequences│Into It│Something’s Gotta Give│Inside Out│In the Dark│

│Madison Beer│Say It To My Face│Dead│HeartLess│Hurts Like Hell (Feat. Offset)│

│Halsey│Without Me│

│Little Mix│Joan of Arc│Monster in Me│

│The Greatest Showman Reimagined│Never Enough (Kelly Clarkson)│This Is Me (Kesha)│Rewrite the Stars (James Arthur & Anne-Marie)│

     Podcasts

│My Favorite Murder│

 Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark│★★★★★│ Fave Quotes: “The devil made me do bad math”, “All I wanna talk about at parties is horrible, terrible things”, “He’s polite, he’s charming, and he’s calm, just like any good psychopath would be”, “It’s always raining inside of me” Fave Episode: Of recent, 145 – Live at the Mircosoft Theater in Los Angeles. They did a show for 7000 people for Halloween! Uhhhh Guys they had Cameron Britton AKA Mindhunter’s Ed Kemper on to tell his Hometown on the Halloween Live Show!!!!!

│Unsung Sluts│

 Stacie Rasmussen, Tabitha Davis│★★★★★│ Fave Quote: “If you can’t beat them, lead them.” Fave Episode: Episode 12 – Witches and Banshees

│History is Gay│

 Gretchen Ellis, Leigh Pfeffer│★★★★★│ Fave episode: Episode 8: Nazi Punks F**k Off, Pt 1: Magnus Hirschfeld & Episode 17: He’s a Real Wilde One (Oscar Wilde)

│Do You Need a Ride│

 Karen Kilgariss, Chris Fairbanks│★★★★☆│ This is a new one I’ve just started listening to and so far so good!

│88 Cups of Tea│

 Yin Chang│★★★★☆│ Fave part: Learning that Victoria Schwab is a top shelf gay. Fave Episode: V.E. SCHWAB: Bonus Full Episode Guys that episode is over three hours long! This podcast is for every author ever, aspiring or otherwise! 

     Use Your Words Highlights

Book Review // Girl Made of Stars – I Am Broken

Bookish Bits // Library Love – 2018

Grey Watches // Give Jim Cary or Nothing – How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Grey Watches // I Love Stupid Funny – Elf

Grey Watches // I Hate It So Much I Love It – A Christmas Prince

Grey Watches // It Has To Be A Shit Show – A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

Grey Watches // I Wanna Bone Jude Law and Kate Winslet – The Holiday

     Blogosphere Highlights

│Destiny @ Howling Libraries│ANNOUNCEMENT: LATE-A-THON!│

│Krystin @ Here’s The Fucking Twist│Booknerd Wednesday: My Holiday Wishlist!│

│Elise @ The Bookish Actress│THE LEGACIES WE CHOOSE TO LEAVE│

│Jamieson @ Jamishelves│T5W: BOOKS TO GIVE TO SAGITTARIUS PEOPLE│

│Aurora @ Aurora Librialis│The Most Beautiful Books of 2018 │

│Swetlana @ The Caffeinated Bookworm Life│Bloggers Recommend Their Favorite Books Part 1 // Blogmas Day 8│Bloggers Recommend Their Favorite Books Part 2 // Blogmas Day 17│Reacting To Popular Books You Guys Won’t Read // Blogmas Day 19│

│Marija @ Inside My Library Mind│The Ultimate Character Reading List feat. Blogging Friends│Character Reading Lists│Arya Stark’s Reading List│Hermione Granger’s Reading List│Nina Zenik’s Reading List│Ronan Lynch’s Reading List│

│Vicky @ Vicky Who Reads│The Double Standard Applied to POC in the Book Community│Favorite Feel-Good Reads, Why They’re Important, & Life Updates!│

│May @ Forever and Everly│To All the Books that Emotionally Wrecked Me This Year & Why I Cried Over More Books in 2018 than Ever Before│

│Taryn @ Taryn and Her Books│ON CONSUMERISM IN THE BOOK COMMUNITY & MY 2019 BUYING BAN | DISCUSSION│

│Ashley @ The Infinite Library│Let’s Talk: About Sex, Baby…in YA Fiction (Part 1)│

│Sofia @Bookish Wandress│6 Diverse YA Contemporaries That You Should Read: 2018 Edition│

│Natasha @Sapphic Solace│Discussion: The I realised I Was Queer Because of You Trope, Why I Love It, and Some of My Favourite Examples│

│Lily @ Sprinkle of Dreams│Bookish Musings & Discussion Time // “How Objective are ARC Reviews?” by Vicky Who Reads│

Month’s Goals

 Try and post 4 times a week like I have been!

 I wanna try audiobooks again???

 No Borrowing library books unless they’re holds or audiobooks

 Continue going on walks 4-5 times a week. 3 at the very least!

 Keep up with Bullet Journal because it actually helps me get shit done and be less of a mess.

 Try not to eat loads of takeaway, even though I’m gonna be super busy and tired, unless unavoidable.

 Make one of Chrissy Teigen’s recipes because they look Bomb af

I mostly kept up with my blogging schedule!

I didn’t find an audiobook I wanted to read available from my library so I just didn’t listen to any. Plus I’m annoyed at myself because Audible had like a 3 months free trial thing happening and I forgot to sign up until the day after the promotion ended. Also from what I hear the American Audible is better so I don’t know if maybe I should sign up for that one?? I know when I was signed up, I was with the UK one because it was better but I don’t know if they let you do that anymore? If anyone can help me I’d really appreciate it! Also, $17 a month is just a lot of month to me.

I haven’t been to the library unless it was to return books!

I realised that the Bullet Journaling gives me too much power! Here’s the thing, I like things to be customisable because I work out what I want and get angry when I can’t do things that way. Unfortunately, I think Bullet Journals are too customisable for me and isn’t really working?? I don’t know. I’m going to look into other diaries for the new year and see if I can find something that fits me better.

I did eat more takeaway than last month so that’s not great but I also didn’t eat more than I used to so that’s good and what I did eat of it were mostly small things. Still not great though!

I’m trying to make @chrissyteigen’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe and I’ve burnt the crust, it’s taking me ages, my arm is sore, everything is in American measurements, I thought I’d get it done in an hour like an idiot who doesn’t read recipes through properly and I wanna die.

— Greyson (@useyourrwords) December 23, 2018

I Did Things

I went to the movies with my mum twice this month!

I also went to the movies with my sister which was good! Then we came home and watched Christmas movies together and things got a little emotional and there was a little miscommunication but we worked it out and I’m hoping that we spend some more time together in the coming weeks.

My sister and I both don’t really have a whole lot of people we’re close to. We’re introverts but we also craving some socialising to a point so I think it’ll be good to have us spend some time together. It would also be nice to grow closer to her because I know we both are in need of people we can trust and talk to openly.

My mum and I babysat my Nephew this month as well and it was so much fun. He’s such an easy baby! Literally you can sit him on the couch and he’ll bounce himself off the back of the lounge for hours. He put himself to sleep doing it. Twice.

He’s very cute!

Uhhhh I Maybe No Longer Have A Best Friend?

Long story short I told my best friend of over 10 years that I was officially and legally changing my name for Christmas (it was never a secret that I wanted to change it, she’s known for years) and she didn’t react well at all.

I was firm and told her that if she wanted to continue in my life she had to respect me, and that includes respecting my name and be prepared for big changes ahead.

I’ve given her space to process and decide but haven’t heard from her since so I don’t know, it’s a bit up in the air but I’m handling it surprisingly well so maybe it’s a sign that us parting is for the best???

I don’t want to lose her, but I won’t lose myself to keep her. I won’t sacrifice pieces of myself for the sake of others anymore. All that does is validate toxic behaviour and cost me my health and happiness.

She was kind of my only actual real-life friend who I speak with outside of work so uh good thing I’m too busy to feel lonely.

But I’m super grateful for the people I’ve met through the book community, having this blog and talking to you all reminds me that I’m not really alone. I just have to reach out to people which is, um…not easy for me but I’m trying to work on it.

I hope y’all had a great month to end 2018 on!

What did you do this month? What did you read? What did you watch? What posts did you write that you’re super proud of?

│Blog│Goodreads│Instagram│Twitter│Tumblr│

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[gam3rpunk]

Film Review: ROMA: Life as Film Through the Eyes of a Master [LFF 2018] LFF 2018 Roma Review Roma (2018) Film Review from the 62nd Annual London Film Festival, a movie directed by Alfonso Cuaron, starring Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Fernando Grediaga, Jorge Antonio Guerrero, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa, Carlos Peralta, Nancy Garcia, Diego Di Cort and Veronica Garcia.

[cloudtales]

Film Review: ROMA: Life as Film Through the Eyes of a Master [LFF 2018] LFF 2018 Roma Review Roma (2018) Film Review from the 62nd Annual London Film Festival, a movie directed by Alfonso Cuaron, starring Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Fernando Grediaga, Jorge Antonio Guerrero, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa, Carlos Peralta, Nancy Garcia, Diego Di Cort and Veronica Garcia.

[mariannedonley]

Veronica Jorge: November Featured Author

Featured Author Veronica Jorge credits her love of history to the potpourri of cultures that make up her own life and to her upbringing in diverse Brooklyn, New York.

Manager, Educator, and former High School Social Studies teacher, Veronica credits her love of history to the potpourri of cultures that make up her own life and to her upbringing in diverse Brooklyn, New York. Her Work in Progress is a Young Adult Novel based on a search into her ethnic roots that explores identity, belonging, and self-discovery. Her genres of choice are historical fiction,…

[showsargentinos]

REVIEW : MI PERRO LOPEZ - #INFANTILES, #MIPERROLOPEZ, #MUSICALES, #Showsargentinos

Publicado en http://bit.ly/2rt28XD

REVIEW : MI PERRO LOPEZ

Con música de Gastón Cerana y Leonardo Stefoni Sinopsis Chico Zampaglione y su perro López se reencuentran hoy para recordar las andanzas compartidas durante la infancia del niño, que abarcó la completa vida de su mascota. Ellos serán los anfitriones de un relato que narran y representan, alternadamente. Queremos resaltar, la tematica de “Mi Perro López” es un espectáculo musical infantil dirigido a toda la familia, que revaloriza el acto de rescatar una vida. Y en afán de promover la lucha y el ejercicio de los proteccionistas, describe, didácticamente, los pasos para una adopción responsable y el cuidado de una mascota, mientras va narrando una historia de amistad. Omar Calicchio y Gustavo Monje, dos artistas que vuelven a demostrar en escena que son expertos en el género, protagonistas de emblemáticos espectáculos de Hugo Midón y Carlos Gianni (Stan y Oliver, El Salpicón, Locos ReCuerdos, Huesito Caracú, Vivitos y Coleando, La Trup Sinfín, etc.) acompañados por un elenco extraordinario del cual destacamos artistas como Andrea Lovera, Diego Sassi Alcalá. Tambien queremos destacar la musica en vivo al piano del maestro Juan Ignacio López, a esto se le suman las divertidas coreografias de Veronica Pecollo y la colorida escenografía y llamativo vestuario de Vanesa Abramovich. Hacen que MI PERRO LOPEZ sea un disfrute para los chicos y emotiva para los grandes, recomendamos que no se la pierdan. [gallery td_gallery_title_input="MI PERRO LOPEZ " link="file" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="71277,71278,71279,71280,71281" orderby="rand"] TEATRO 25 DE MAYO FUNCIONES: SÁBADOS Y DOMINGOS 14 HS. JUNIO VACACIONES DE INVIERNO: DE MARTES A DOMINGOS 14 HS. ENTRADAS: $150 $200 DURACIÓN DEL ESPECTÁCULO: 60 MINUTOS Mi Perro López Libro y letras de musicales: Gastón Cerana Música original: Gastón Cerana, Leonardo Stefoni Dirección: Omar Calicchio, Gastón Cerana Actúan: Omar Calicchio, Gustavo Monje, Diego Sassi Alcalá, Andrea Lovera, Mariano Magnífico, Romina Ruiz Músicos: Juan Ignacio López Dirección Coreográfica: Veronica Pécollo Diseño de escenografía y vestuario: Vanesa Abramovich Dirección Vocal: Andrea Lovera Diseño de luces: Juan García Diseño gráfico: Aba ideas Video y fotografía: Matías Sánchez de Bustamante Voz en Off: Verónika Silva Prensa: Varas & Otero Asistente de escenografía y vestuario: Yamila Barreira Asistente de Producción: Pachi Lucas Asistente de escenario: Germán Martins Asistente de dirección: Juan Gabriel Yacar Producción artística: Gonzalo Castagnino, Juan Bautista Sasiain Producción ejecutiva: Andrés Cipitria, Jorge Lockett, Marcelo Lombardo, Daniel Vercelli

[rabbittstewcomics]

Episode 227

Year-End Insanity; state of the industry, best comics, movies, television, creator of the year, greatest runs of all time (work-for-hire) extended run on iconic characters, state of villain redemption arcs

Additional Reviews: Middlewest, Norman, Last Christmas, Dolores Claiborne, Parks & Rec s1, Castle Rock s1

Comics Countdown, 26 Dec 2019:

Criminal 11 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Jacob Phillips

Venom 21 by Donny Cates, Mark Bagley, Andy Owens, Frank Martin, Erick Arciniega

East of West 45 by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin

Doctor Strange: Surgeon Supreme 1 by Mark Waid, Kev Walker, Java Tartaglia

Outcast 43 by Robert Kirkman, Paul Azeceta, Bettie Breitweiser

Spider-Ham 1 by Zeb Wells, Will Robson, Erick Arciniega

Incoming! by Al Ewing, Humberto Ramos, Edgar Delgado, Chip Zdarksy, Jorge Fornes, Jordie Bellaire, Kelly Thompson, Mattia De Iulis, Carmen Carnero, Rachelle Rosenberg, Jason Aaron, Andrea Sorrentino, Jay David Ramos, Matt Rosenberg, RB Silva, Israel Silva, Greg Pak, Annie Wu, Triona Farrell, Eve Ewing, Kim Jacinto, Espen Grundetjern, Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, Dono Sanchez-Almara, Ed Brisson, Aaron Kuder, Michael Garland, Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, David Curiel, Saladin Ahmed, Javier Garron, Tini Howard, Jim Cheung, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Jonathan Hickman, Marte Gracia, Dan Slott, Luciano Vecchio, Francesco Manna, Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Fonteriz, Morry Hollowell

Kill Lock 1 by Livio Ramondelli

Marked 3 by David Hine, Brian Haberlin, Geirrod Van Dyke

Sonic the Hedgehog 24 by Ian Flynn, Adam Bryce Thomas, Bracardi Curry

Red Sonja/Vampirella meet Betty/Veronica 7 by Amy Chu, Maria Laura Sanapo, Mohan

Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask 3 by Christopher Cantwell, Patric Reynolds, Lee Loughridge

Fight Club 3 12 by Chuck Palahniuk, Cameron Stewart

Check out this episode!

[saad-s-alahmad]

#Trade  #2007 فلم يطلق رصاصة من العيار الثقيل وصرخة في وجه تجار البشر .. الفلم يترجم قصة فتاة في الثالثة عشر من عمرها .. تخطف ليتم بيعها عبر الانترنت للمغتصبين والمنحرفين .. الفلم من النواحي الفنية رائع بالذات من ناحية الحبكة والسناريو والحوارات وتسلسل الاحداث .. أكثر ما يميز هذا العمل واقعيته البحته وجمال الحزن .. وقوة الايمان رغم فقد الأمان .. فلم ممتاز Adriana is a 13-year-old girl from Mexico City whose kidnapping by sex traffickers sets in motion a desperate mission by her 17-year-old brother, Jorge, to save her. Trapped and terrified by an underground network of international thugs who earn millions exploiting their human cargo, Adriana's only friend and protector throughout her ordeal is Veronica, a young Polish woman tricked into the trade by the same criminal gang. As Jorge dodges immigration officers and incredible obstacles to track the girls' abductors, he meets Ray, a Texas cop whose own family loss to sex trafficking leads him to become an ally in the boy's quest. Fighting with courage and hard-tested faith, the characters of Trade negotiate their way through the unspeakable terrain of the sex trade "tunnels" between Mexico and the United States. From the barrios of Mexico City and the treacherous Rio Grande border, to a secret Internet sex slave auction and the final climactic confrontation at a stash house in suburban New Jersey, Ray and Jorge forge a close bond as they give desperate chase to Adriana's kidnappers before she is sold and disappears forever into this brutal global underworld, a place from which few victims ever return. #فلم_مميز #فلم_يستحق_المشاهدة #أفلام #سينما #دراما #قص��_حقيقية #⁠⁠⁠Biography #drama #movies #movie #moviereview #review #moviereviewer #reviews (at Kuwait City)

[mariannedonley]

LA NOCHE BEFORE THREE KINGS DAY by SHEILA COLÓN-BAGLEY—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE

This year, Hispanic Heritage month was celebrated from September 15th through October 15th. So, even though we are not in the December holiday season yet, I thought it would be fitting to post this particular book review now in October.

LA NOCHE BEFORE THREE KINGS DAYSHEILA COLÓN-BAGLEY Harper Collins2023ISBN 978-0-06-323432-1 This year, Hispanic Heritage month was celebrated from September 15th through October 15th. So, even though we are not in the December holiday season yet, I thought it would be fitting to post this particular book review now in October. Don’t most stores already have their holiday decorations on…

[mariannedonley]

BLACK FOOD: STORIES, ART & RECIPES FROM ACROSS THE AFRICAN DIASPORA ed. by Bryant Terry—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE

Black Food: Stories, Art and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora provides much food for thought (pun intended) and is an enlightening, inspiring, delicious, and empowering read.

I recently participated in a Community Read event at my local library, (Lower Macungie Library in Macungie, PA), in partnership with Longwood Gardens of Kennett Square, PA. This year’s theme was the connection between food and people, and food and gardening. The book we read was Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, edited and curated by celebrated chef and…