Weekly Geek Outs - 01/29/16

Greetings!

Hope all is well with everyone out there! I'm happy to give this weekly post of mine a little bit of a refresh, courtesy of the excellent design work of Alice Rugoletti, She was kind enough to whip this up for me (as well as my new main logo) to allow for an image unique and custom-made that is solely my own. You'll see something new for my movie reviews as well, so get excited for that.

Without further ado, here's what is going on in my world this week:

• The Man in the High Castle

I've been checking out this Amazon Original Series that depicts an alternate 1960s America where we lost World War II and the country is divided between Japan and Germany. Based on an acclaimed novel of the same name, we follow a small resistance that is trying to fight their overlords from the shadows. It's pretty grim and dark, but as a history major, I enjoy this intriguing setting for a show. I haven't finished the first season but I am going to finish it soon, unlike other shows I've invested time in lately, like Heroes Reborn, of which I will not be wasting any more time with.

• Parenthood

I've been slowing working my way through this show with my partner, and we just began season 3. I geeked out about this show several months ago, and while it has been slow going so far, we have really enjoyed it. The drama and comedy are great as well as the emotional family moments, which never fail to warm my heart. It's another great show to share with my partner too, so I look forward to continuing to watch it with her. You can find it all on Netflix if you want to check out the entire series yourself.

• 7 Days in Hell

This one-off comedy event came out a little while on HBO, and before my trial expired, I checked it out since I had remembered hearing good things about it. It stars Andy Samberg and Kit Harrington (of Game of Thrones fame) in a sports mockumentary about this epic, never ending tennis match. It is silly, smart satire that is also just ridiculous enough without being over the top. I'm a pretty big Andy Samberg fan and this is true to form for him, so if you get the chance to watch it, definitely do so!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 01/15/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• True Detective, Season 1

My partner and I blew through this over this past weekend, and we really enjoyed it. We had friends who had recommended it to us for a bit, and with my trial of HBO Now that I was playing around with (more on that later) we decided to check the show out. It's a slow burning, haunting, journey into a dark world of crime and mystery. Led masterfully by the two main actors, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, the show pulls you in and takes you on this long, winding journey towards the truth about what happened in this bizarre fictional case that took place several years before. We haven't checked out season two yet (I've heard conflicting reports of its quality) but at the very least, I'm glad we checked out season one.

• Silicon Valley

This was another show that I had heard some good things about. I am a fan of some of the actors and creative people behind this show, but unfortunately, I am not a huge fan of this show. It isn't bad or off-putting in any way, it just felt bland to me. Granted, I only watched the first handful of episodes, but still, there is so much good, scripted television out there that I don't feel the need to invest a bunch of time into a show that just doesn't feel like it is worth my time. Maybe the show gets better, but I gave it a chance and am going to move on. It doesn't feel like it is groundbreaking in any way or at all doing anything terribly creative so I don't feel like I am missing much. It had a sort of Big Bang Theory vibe to me, which while it at times celebrates geeks and nerds, sometimes it is laughing at us rather than with us.

• HBO Now

I've been playing around with the free trial of HBO Now for the past month, and I've enjoyed what it has to offer. You get your pick of all of HBO's past shows, documentaries, and their current selection of both modern and classic movies. The quality is good and the interface works pretty well too. It works on my Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku Stick, and a myriad of other devices like my iPhone, iPad, or laptop. While the price tag of $15/month is a little steep, I do feel like it is staking a claim to a pretty robust, unique, and competitive viewing library. Nowhere else can I instantly stream Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies unless I am deliberately paying to rent or buy just that movie.

Thanks for stopping by!