For me holidays are always an opportunity to consume, not merely Christmas dinner leftovers and far too many Ferrero Rochers, but also culture. The books, movies and TV shows I haven't had time for during the year get their chance over the festive break. It's always a struggle, of course. There's simply too much to get through.
So how did I do this year? Not too badly actually. Here's what I managed to cram into a week and a half of public holidays and annual leave.
Movies
I made a real effort this year to grab a bunch of movies I was curious about but never got around to watching. Results were patchy.
- Housebound - I'd heard good things about this Kiwi horror-comedy and they weren't wrong. High on the creepy factor but plenty of laughs too. Haunted house meets awkward mother-daughter dynamic. Highly recommended.
- Spirited Away - Critically acclaimed Japanese animation from Studio Ghibli. I've never really been into anime and this movie didn't change my mind. Just a bit too weird and fantastical for me.
- Never Let Me Go - I really like Carey Mulligan but when the other two points of a love triangle are Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley, I'm going to struggle. A beautiful film to look at (if you like the colour brown) but quite slow paced. Do not watch if you're in a bad mood already, as it's a bit of a downer (based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguro).
- They Came Together - I really, really wanted to like this. I'm a massive Amy Poehler fan and I adore Paul Rudd but this attempt to subvert the cliches and tropes of the rom-com failed to hit the mark. I couldn't help thinking this would have worked brilliantly as an SNL sketch, but just couldn't stretch to a whole film. Some fun moments but not enough of them, unfortunately.
- Turbo Kid - Canadian/NZ co-production that had a lot of buzz at last year's New Zealand International Film Festival. A retro-futuristic post-apocalyptic wasteland, BMXs, extreme cheesiness, that guy off McLeod's Daughters, and what must have been an absolutely massive fake blood budget. What's not to love? With knowing nods to everything from Soylent Green, to Mad Max and Cherry 2000, this pastiche/homage to sci-fi was a lot of fun to watch (though sometimes through your fingers because INTESTINES).
Television
-
The White Queen - On a whim, for a bit of escapism I started watching this series based on Philippa Gregory's historical novels The White Queen, The Red Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter and ended binge-watching the whole thing. It covers the turbulent period during which the houses of York and Lancaster were battling for the throne of England, the War of the Roses. It begins with King Edward IV falling for a fetching Lancastrian widow and portrays the power grabs, manipulations and betrayals of his reign and beyond. It was this period of history that inspired George R. R. Martin's Song of ice and fire novels and this series is similar, in bloodiness, intrigue, and, er, nudity. Not a bad substitute until the next season of Game of Thrones turns up (if you're into that kind of thing).
Books
-
Truths, half truths & little white lies: A memoir by Nick Frost - Often memoirs of famous people give you the impression that from a young age they were destined for stardom and great things. Nick Frost's book has you marvelling that he managed to leave the house, let alone have a successful career, what with all the drugs and not being very confident and having a traumatic upbringing. It's the story of an ordinary man who has struggles and demons just like everybody else and not in a "oh, I'll just book into The Priory for a bit of rehab, dahling", showing off kind of way, but the unglamorous "everything's gone a bit terrible" way. This made me want to read Simon Pegg's Nerd do well again and compare flatting anecdotes. - Concrete Park vol 2 - More violence, betrayal and sci-fi adventures on a prison planet. Waiting not very patiently for volume 3.
So how did you do over the break? Get a few titles ticked off your To Read (or To Watch) list?
Add a comment to: Conspicuous consumption