What Sarah’s Watching
It has been a while since I checked in and mentioned what I have currently been watching. Even with 2020 in our rearview, there has been a serious lack of ‘new’ content, so I have found myself mostly turning to older movies (that I adore) and new TV series (that offer a laugh or two) to fill my waking hours while quarantining. Below are just some of the many films and shows that I have currently moved to the top of my watch lists. Enjoy!
Recently Binged
Avenue 5 (2020-Present, HBO)
Hugh Laurie as the hapless, accent-changing ‘captain’ of a space “cruise ship” that keeps veering off course, and that apparently no one is actually ‘driving?’ Sign me up! Seriously, with everything that we are currently living though, I needed this sci-fi comedy series and its sardonic worldview and healthy dose of black comedy, which makes all our earthly problems feel just a little less significant within the greater scheme of the universe… You can currently catch up on the entire first season of Avenue 5 on HBO Max whilst patiently waiting for the show’s second season and eventual return.
Bridgerton (2020-Present, Netflix)
I’ll admit, I was totally expecting to dislike this series, but was presently surprised by the wit and humor that is embodied by Bridgerton. I think the one thing that truly captured me was the snarky ‘Gossip-Girl-like’ asides by Lady Whistledown, voiced by the incomparable Julie Andrews, as the narrator/author of a scandalous society newsletter. While the ‘romance’ aspects of this series leave a lot to be desired (at least by my book), and the historical accuracy is questionable at best, Bridgerton is nonetheless a fun romp and the perfect kind of distraction-filled TV.
Movie Milestones
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961, dir. Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wolfgang Reitherman)
It is always a good time for a trip down Disney-memory-lane, and the One Hundred and One Dalmatians turning 60 is certainly worth celebrating! Released on January 25, 1961 (pretty spot-on timing for this post, am I right?!), it is hard for me to pick a more enjoyable Disney ‘dogs’ film. From all the puppy antics to the Twilight Bark, to Cruella and her bumbling henchmen, Horace and Jasper, and the jazz undertones within the film’s score, what’s not to love?
The Kid (1921, dir. Charlie Chaplin)
Released on January 21, 1921, The Kid has officially turned 100 this month! The film was Chaplin’s first full-length film as a director and features a young Jackie Coogan (think Uncle Fester in the original 1960s TV series, The Addams Family) as the titular ‘kid.’ What better reasons are there for revisiting this timeless, silent Chaplin classic?
Current TV
A Discovery of Witches (2018-Present, Sky One)
This one will appeal to all you True Blood fans out there. A Discovery of Witches (based upon the “All Souls Trilogy” by Deborah Harkness) is set in a world where demons, vampires, and witches walk among us and their ‘peaceful’ alliance hangs perilously balanced upon the foundation that there shall be no fraternizing or inter-creature relationships between any members of the creature world… Then enters an untrained witch, Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), who’s uncontrollable powers ignite the interest of vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode), and the two quickly find their lives intertwined in more ways than they could possibly imagine. I binged the first season in one weekend, and am currently watching weekly episodes of season two, which are available to stream every Saturday via AMC+.
WandaVision (2021-Present, Disney+)
This limited series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of nostalgic TV nods, and I’m totally hooked! I’m not typically a fan of superhero movies (and find most of the recent Marvel movies pretty boring and uninspired), but I am quite intrigued by the building mystery and ever-changing sitcom backdrops featured in this show. We’ll have to wait and see how things ultimately pan out for Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), as new episodes of WandaVision are currently being released every Friday, streaming on Disney+.
Catching Up
A Quiet Place (2018, dir. John Krasinski)
I do like a good horror film, but was surprisingly disappointed with A Quiet Place. I got sucked into watching the film based on the trailers for the sequel, but am pretty ambivalent about watching any more films in the franchise. Release the sequel, don’t release the sequel… See if this filmbuff really cares? I just don’t really get the hype; although delaying the release of movies slated to be ‘box-office hits’ is driving me insane, I have a problem with all the plot holes in A Quiet Place, so here’s hoping the next installation fills some of them in. A Quiet Place Part II has had its wide release date pushed to September 17, 2021.
Mom (2013-Present, CBS)
So, sometimes I ‘discover’ a TV show well after its release, and Mom is one such sitcom that I have somehow managed to overlook during the last few years, but I truly don’t know how… Seriously, the show is practically an ‘anti-Gilmore-Girls,’ i.e., my kind of show. Mom is hilarious, irreverent, touching at times, and has a superb ensemble cast, including Allison Janney as Bonnie and Anna Faris as her daughter, Christy, who together are comedy gold. I’m already six seasons deep into binging the show, and will probably be watching the current season in no time…
What shows and movies have you been watching lately? What do you think of my current film and TV obsessions? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to watch our January Film Club double-feature: Three Men and a Baby and Three Men and a Little Lady!
Copyright © 2021 Sarah Crane
