#and bob odenkirk is just there to make everyone mad??

[jorgecrespo]

ok who the fuck is uncle j he's clearly with their mom but i think they mentioned him being related to their dad maybe who is he is he just here for the vibes if so i approve

[dhampiravidi]

hot take: I relate to Carmy Berzatto in S2 of The Bear

putting this under a read more bc of the topic (mentioned in tags):

so The Bear wasn't my favorite in S1, but S2 is very well-written, especially when it comes to its portrayal of mental illness(es). I want to start by saying that ofc not everyone experiences the same mental illness the same way. But I really relate to Carmy, so much that it hurts. I realized that I related to him when it's the focus group scene--he says something akin to, "I try to act like there won't be another shoe to drop, but there always is." Then, there's the whole X-Mas episode. And finally, the day the restaurant opens.

I have generalized anxiety, clinical depression & mild C-PTSD. Here's how I viewed the aforementioned scenes:

Focus Group: let me start by saying I've never been to group therapy (& I don't think I will; I just prefer 1-on-1). Still, I talk to myself a lot, which allows me to confront most of my inner feelings/thoughts. Anyway, it was a sad thing to realize that, over the years, I, too, have stopped believing that I have time to enjoy good moments...because there's always some new shit, some new problem to deal with.

X-Mas: if I had to be in a real-life situation similar to that episode, I'd definitely have an anxiety issue (I say "issue" to differentiate from a panic/anxiety attack). I'm a perfectionist who cares about pleasing people, even if I dislike said people. So to see Carmy in such a stressful place where nowhere is quiet enough to relax...that was hard. I desperately wanted the mom to get some mental help while someone else ordered in. I wanted Bob Odenkirk/Uncle Lee to shut up because to me, Jon Bernthal/Michael seemed to be both depressed and developing anger issues. I wanted to tell Abby Elliot/Natalie that she doesn't need to worry about her mom. & then the whole time I'm hoping that Carmy doesn't have some kind of a breakdown or anxiety issue, because then everyone will fuss over him to the point of starting a fight.

Opening Day: I knew the moment Claire was introduced that she was going to be the third point in a Claire-Carmy-Syd love triangle, one where Carmy ultimately has to choose between taking time off to cultivate his own happiness (something he doesn't do) & making sure that the restaurant is a success. I was glad that, overall, the opening night was awesome. But 1) I was scared for Carmy because apparently you can die within a couple of hours in a walk-in if you aren't careful, and 2) they had Claire be the one to hear his self-destructive rant. I'm not mad at him for ranting. He's a mentally ill/depressed person who works in an unforgiving industry. Despite the customers' happiness, he didn't have a great night. His brother, who was also in the food business, is dead (which I think adds onto Carmy's desire to be successful). Keep all that in mind. Carmy gave Claire the wrong number because he (in my opinion) didn't think he could juggle his commitment to the restaurant with a romantic commitment...& he doesn't think he deserves to be loved/happy (which he admitted in the fridge). If he doesn't end up with Syd by the end of S2, I think the writers will let him be with Claire because nothing he said was actually blaming her for anything. Depressed people love blaming ourselves.

Anyway, kudos to the writers of the show & to Jeremy Allen White.

[adultswim2021]

Home Movies #43: “Everyone's Entitled To My Opinion” | November 11, 2003 - 3:00 AM | S04E01

Home Movies is BACK! Sort of! This was actually a stealth premiere, airing on Tuesday morning at 3:00AM. This is the one where Brendon starts getting really into writing reviews for a movie review website and actually winds up getting paid for it. He’s like Lights Camera Jackson with teeth (Did LCJ have teeth in 2003? probably not). Meanwhile, Mr. Lynch is the interim principal of the school for some reason, and McGurk uses this to be bad. And thaaaat’s the frea-kin’ plooooot!!! 

I think most fans remember Home Movies season 4 as the season where the show got a little soft. In my estimation that’s probably true; season 4 does have a larger share of forgettable episodes. Also my least favorite episode is from this season. It’s the only episode of Home Movies I truly dislike, actually. We’ll get to that one eventually. This episode was pretty wonderful, though you can sense the show focusing on being a little more scripted.

Two moments stick out: A scene beginning in science class starts off with the teacher saying “wow, I didn’t expect to spend the first 25 minutes of class answering a single question!” and it cuts to Brendon looking satisfied, holding a book titled “THE WORLD’S HARDEST QUESTIONS”, and a part where Mr. Lynch does monkey bars and all of his stuff falls out of his pockets and you hear him sighing and grunting. Both of these moments seem to have scripted out the actual action happening on screen, where earlier seasons might’ve just created a largely audio-driven story, leaving all that stuff up to the animators. But those two gags seem very written in a way that would make famous rapist John K. furious.

Now, that isn’t to say that they completely abandoned letting the animators be creative. The commentary reveals that the kids’ movie wasn’t written or recorded with the idea of it being a Sopranos homage in mind. That was the work of the animators. I don’t know, maybe it’s nitpicky or a more shallow observation than I’m making it out to be. Like the monkey bars gag struck me as a gag that would be put in by the animators as an afterthought but the fact that Mr. Lynch has dialogue to support it made me think it wasn’t. What’s the fucking difference, anyway? That they put more work into the script? Big deal. This is apparently an annoyance to the creators of the show, who’ve heard this criticism over and over, and maintain that the ratio of scripting/improvising has remained pretty consistent while the show was on Adult Swim. Nonetheless, I noticed a difference. And I have to talk about SOMETHING on this blog, don’t I?

This write-up deserves to end on a less critical note: the opening scene on this one is one of my favorites. It’s the one where Brendon and Melissa are just laying in the grass talking and there’s a reveal that they’re in the middle of a game. McGurk comes over to yell at them and then winds up sitting down himself to shoot the breeze with them. Real wonderful.

MAIL BAG

Here’s the mail bag. First message is about yesterday’s Brak Show recap (which was probably bad because I forgot to do my customary editing session before it went to press):

Before you tread any further with this project, I BEG you, please watch the documentary The Problem With Sexy New Brak Show Go. It will open your eyes AND make you think for once in your (*looking up an adult swim show*) Momma Named Me Sherrif-addled life

How dare you, I’ve never watched Momma Named Me Sherrif, and I’m disgusted that there was a spin-off of Mr. Pickles (RIP Jay Johnston, who I think was in that). As for the doc, if it’s half as good as The Problem With Apu, then it’s bad

2003 Scharpling voice is freaking me out!

I used to go through Best Show archives pretty regularly, but it’s been a while. Weird to think we’re coming up on the 20th anniversary of the first Best Show. I remember when ten years seemed extreme. Mortality is nasty.

Parts of Broodwich are inspired by Don Hertzfeldt. I thought a fan of classic animation would be pressed to point that out but you must be spending too much time thinking about "the twinkies" to mess that up.

I never made this connection, damn. To be honest the first time I saw Rejected I really didn’t care for it. I’ve seen more of his work and I appreciate it a lot more. I don’t know what I was so mad about. I think as a young adult I was still hyper sensitive about what I perceived to be bad “random” comedy, and almost anything that was a quick succession of little gags would always come off that way to me. Also, fuck you. I don’t care about Tiger and the Twinkies.

Would you eat a haunted hamburger provided it had your choice of toppings (nothing). Or would you be too chicken?

I am addicted to hamburgers and would probably eat it. My soul would burn in hell’s eternal flame. But what else is new

How much of the Adult Swim cast could John Wick and Bob Odenkirk kill before they were stopped? Would it be Space Ghost with his powerful rays? Would it be Frylock with his mindbending magic? Thundercleese? Oh! Do tell! We really want to know (rolleyes).

NOTE: I misread this as John Wick Bob Odenkirk, taking “John Wick” to be a descriptor for Bob’s Nobody persona. The following answer has not been changed, because I don’t want to think of a new one:

In Bob’s current state (recuperating like a bitch), I don’t think he’d get past even FREAKING MEATWAD, lol. But it’s my sincere hope that he’d last long enough to face off against the big boss: Icelandic Ultra Blue’s David Cross, finally putting an end to him once and for all. Hey everyone, it’s Bob vs. David!

[adamwatchesmovies]

Little Women (2019)

It’s one thing to begin your directorial career with Lady Bird but to cement yourself as a writer-director we should forever paying close attention to, you need to follow-through with a great second film. Greta Gerwig brings us the 7th big-screen adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s and does a stunning job at it. More than simply translate the pages to the screen, she makes the story her own. It's a heartfelt, hilarious, heartbreaking and absolutely wonderful picture.

In New York, Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) is an aspiring writer on her way home. The trip brings back memories of growing up in 1861 when the March sisters - Jo, Beth (Eliza Scanlen), Amy (Florence Pugh), and Meg (Emma Watson), under the care of Marmee (Laura Dern) awaited anxiously for their father (Bob Odenkirk) to return home from the civil war.

The source material upon which Gerwig is basing her screenplay is obviously doing a lot of the work. Time and again, we’ve regaled in the March sister's lives. This is not a grandiose tale of peril and adrenaline but in everyone we meet, from the lonely Mr. Laurence (Chris Cooper) to the handsome Laurie (Timothée Chalamet), headstrong Jo and meek Beth, you see a piece of yourself. The trip down memory lane feels like your own warmest childhood memories brought to life once more.

Gerwig also makes key choices to make this Little Women stand out. The many flashbacks may disorient you at first but you become acclimated to them in no time due to the actresses' uncanny ability to channel the passage of time through their lines and faces. We get to know everyone in a steady, uniform way, which makes it less obvious as to what's coming next than in other adaptations.

The performances are uniformly superb. Although you’re completely invested and never think of checking your watch, deep down you know your time with the ladies is limited, making every second precious. It's as if the emotions on-screen are a reflection of what's happening in your heart, not the other way around. You're not an onlooker. You're an active participant in this journey. It's like a sad song with a catchy beat and just the right amount of harmonica that compels you to listen to it on a loop while dancing like no one's looking. When the drama hits, you’re too invested to hold back. You want to stand up and cheer. You wring your hands in anticipation and when things go bad, you want to throw a tantrum but are unable to because the person you're supposed to be mad at is also someone you relate to and have fallen in love with.

Don’t be fooled by the title. Nothing about Little Women destines it for one gender rather than the other. A great story like this one, brought to life with this astonishing of a cast, and under the tutelage of Greta Gerwig is a can't-miss movie. (Theatrical version on the big screen, January 4, 2020)

[her-culture]

Three Shows Worth Watching, If You Haven’t Already

Season after season, networks introduce us to new characters and plots, gripping us to our screens with no point of return because we crave drama. Netflix and Amazon Studios have taken notice, and now they too, are getting in on the action!

Gone are the days when we passively sat in front of our television sets watching sports and soap operas. Now, we watch them on the go and with this new era of fictitious non-fiction dramas, we are engaged and active in our watching. Thanks to Netflix and Amazon, we no longer need to bury ourselves in cable contracts in order to properly entertain our families, instead, we hook up our internet, plug in our fire sticks and behold, a new luxurious watching experience awaits. Although I'm not a big fan of watching television, I do have a select number of shows I occasionally binge watch and I think you should too! We've all heard of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Dexter and a host of other critically acclaimed dramas, and sadly all have since been canceled, however, with Netflix and Amazon you can continue reliving the experience, and it’s a wonderful one. Though these incredible shows are no longer on television, there are a wide variety of new shows that will quickly occupy your free time, as well as your heart. There's a show for everyone and for every mood, so tread lightly if you still hate your ex and his or her new partner. Now that we've established boundaries, let's take a look at the shows you should be watching right now.

Better Call Saul, AMC, Mondays @ 9 PM (Season 3 premiered April 10)

A spin-off prequel to Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan and starring Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill, America's favorite criminal lawyer. This show is brilliant because it takes you on a journey through Jimmy's life before he became Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad. It focuses mainly on his struggles to become a successful lawyer and his relationship with his brother, Chuck McGill (Michael McKean). We all saw Saul become Walter White’s accomplice in his drug empire, but to get to that level, he went through many trials and tribulations. You see, Saul have always had a way with words and he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, so because of that his brother never trusted him. However, Saul was very motivated to get into law just like Chuck, except Chuck wasn’t flattered, instead, he became bitter and jealous. Throughout the first two seasons, Jimmy (Saul) tried mercilessly to make partner at Hamlin Hamlin and McGill (HHM), but with each attempt, Chuck found a way to sabotage his efforts. The show is incredibly well written and exquisitely performed, and I love the twists and turns that make up Jimmy’s life. Although he is a complicated man, he possesses a great deal of passion and drive to rise above his failures, and I think this is what makes Better Call Saul so engaging.

Bloodline, Netflix (Season 3 premiered in May)

Bloodline takes you on an emotional thrill ride because it's so good, you'll easily forget that these characters are related. The show is set in the Florida Keys with the Rayburns, a prominent family of six, who owns a beachfront resort and is very respected in the community. Now, success doesn't always come without problems and indeed this family has a lot to go around. As with most families, there's a black sheep, but he quickly gets used to the notion that he'll always be the outsider. The show is riveting and loaded with drama! Ben Mendelsohn’s character, Danny was severely beaten by his father as a boy because he was believed to have caused the death of his younger sister, Sarah, so he grew up being the designated black sheep. Kyle Chandler plays John, a detective with the local Sheriff's office; he struggles with accepting Danny as part of the family. Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz) owns a marina, also struggles with forgiving big brother Danny for causing Sarah's death, quick-tempered and impulsive, he gives in to his vices. Meg, played by Linda Cardellini, is an attorney who uses her power for the greater good of the family, also dislikes her brother Danny. Their parents, played by Sissy Spacek and Sam Shepard just want to forget about Danny and his drama because they’ve lost hope that he’ll change his self-destructive ways. Although they’ve taken some responsibility for the way he’s turned out, there’s still a part of them that think Danny just uses his sister’s death as a way to guilt them into fulfilling his wishes. The story gets even more intense when a death occurs and then Danny goes missing...It’s very entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Stranger Things, Netflix (Season 2 premieres October 31)

Set in the 1980’s in fictional Hawkins, Indiana, a young boy goes missing and the investigation is not only conducted by the local police, but also by the boy’s friends and family. Winona Ryder plays the young boy’s mother (Joyce Byers), and she’s every kind of mother combined. It’s easy to see her pain when she realizes that her boy is gone, but it’s also incredible watching her keep the faith that he is still alive. She utilizes every angle and outlet to prove to the police that her son is somewhere close, but not easily seen with the naked eye. The supernatural theme of the show leads you to believe in the impossible and I think this is why it’s such a hit. Stranger Things tell the story of how the U.S. Department of Energy conducted experiments using human subjects, which ultimately went awry after they decided to delve into paranormal and supernatural activities. Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) friends really came through for him, especially when they came across a psychokinetic girl, who takes them on the journey of their lives in an effort to find him. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) escaped the Hawkins National Laboratory, where she was born and experimented on after her mother became a test subject and due to the experimentation, she developed these psychokinetic abilities. She ultimately becomes a very friendly foe in the search for Mike. The excitement and fear from these characters make you want to continue watching, so give it a try.