My Week in Media: May 7
Everything I read, listened to, and watched
Hello and good morning!
While a shocking amount of my free time this week was spent playing Two Point Campus—a sim game where you build and run college campuses, with extremely Aardman-ish animation—I did manage to read/listen to/watch a FEW things.
Reading
Middle Grade
It Found Us, by Lindsay Currie
The Animal, the Vegetable, and John D Jones, by Betsy Byars
It’s so clear, even from the first two chapters, that John D and Clara have a LOT in common—that they have the potential to not just be great friends and allies, but a terrifying team of obnoxiousness. Byars doesn’t lampshade it until the last third, when John D recognizes that she’s just as miserable as he is, but it’s so clear in the characterization and behavior. She shows such confidence and trust in her reader, which makes for a profoundly pleasurable read.
Adult
Nothing But Blackened Teeth, by Cassandra Khaw
The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw
Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga
Measuring Up, by Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu
Watching
Movies
Witchboard
Kevin Tenney, 1986
(The above link is to Tubi bc it’s free, but we watched it on Shudder as part of The Last Drive-In)
On the surface it’s about Tawny Kitaen getting possessed via a Ouija board and wearing a cute fedora; really it’s about her former-med-student-now-construction-worker boyfriend and her occult-loving-law-school-bro who used to be best friends but now hate each other for reasons but have to Work Together to save her. Also they might want to make out. None of it really makes any sense, but here I am, having now watched it multiple times.
Prime Library Content from Witchboard
Jim: What's our first move when we get there?
Brandon: The big bad public library.
Jim: Why?
Brandon: Why not?
Jim: Oh. Well, as long as you got a reason.
What was your fave find of the week? Author, book, story, movie, show, podcast, product, Delightful Moment? On the media front, mine has been Cassandra Khaw—I’m hoping to pull something together about their books sometime in the upcoming week.
Delightful Moment goes to the morning that Josh left the house and called me not even ten minutes later… to tell me that he saw the Jauntiest Fox on the planet trotting across the road with an entire chicken dangling out of her mouth. Which was weirdly hilarious and magical: Bad day for the chicken, awesome day for the fox. [Note from Josh: It would be nice if, every once in a while, everyone could have a moment like that fox was having—a moment of feeling so proud and so good, of having a total win.]
The Devil’s Rain
Robert Fuest, 1975
(same as above)
Ernest Borgnine as the leader of a Satanic coven, and maybe the actual Devil. William Shatner wearing what looks like a wicker cowboy hat. Tom Skerritt being squinty and pensive. Eyeball-less Ida Lupino and John Travolta. Eddie Albert doing his best Fred Willard impersonation. The plotting is not super comprehensible, but from what I could gather, Shatner’s pilgrim ancestor stole a Evil Book from Borgnine and Borgnine wants it back?
Borgnine MAKES this movie. Well, him and eight gazillion gallons of lime sherbet during the endless face-melting scene. Fantastic colors and truly—face-melting aside—some really gorgeous shots, and a GREAT ending.
Television
Father Brown, Bob’s Burgers, Last Drive-In
Previously
Listening
TV/Movies
Again With This
How Did This Get Made?
Art, Culture, and History
Short Stories, Storytelling, Audiodramas, and Audiobooks
Wolf 359
Hello from the Magic Tavern
May your upcoming week be as rad as Ernest Borgnine’s eyebrows!
Talk soon,
Leila
I LOVE the Devil's Rain, it is just the apex of goofy 70sness. They've got one special effect and by golly they're gonna use it! And why is Ernest Borgnine in everything?? Who thought "Yes, the evil devil preacher -- Borgnine will be perfect!" I mean I'm not complaining from MY perspective but what a weird choice.
I should probably never read Cassandra Khaw; those covers alone will give me nightmares.
Two Point games are fun, I’ve had to play a few times for XBOX challenges before. I had fun building the science labs, LOL.