Tag Archives: what have i been watching

What Have We Been Watching? Scary Movies Edition

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What Have We Been Watching? Scary Movies Edition

Hello!! Johnny and I have been watching scary movies pretty much exclusively since the last week of September to prepare ourselves for spooky season. Of course, we do make exceptions for Lego Masters, Impractical Jokers, and Last Week Tonight! This month long scary movie marathon has been a hoot and I thought I would share a few of the ones that stood out for good or bad if you plan on watching some horror flicks this weekend. Now, let’s get to it:

Scream:

Very surprisingly to my husband, I have never seen the original Scream before and it was a really fun watch. This is the perfect flick to turn on for people who aren’t huge scary movie fans because, although it is a slasher, there is so much humor incorporated into it. Scream straight up makes fun of horror franchises as Ghostface does his thing and it achieves a nice balance of scary and silly. I would say Johnny and I watched more of the Scream movies but literally every single one BUT the second was on streaming services. *Face palm*

Old People:

This is a German Netflix movie that I put on while Johnny was taking a snooze and it was pretty good. As you can surmise, the old people are the villains and this was an interesting twist since it’s almost always a youngster lol. I can’t say that I would watch it again but it was worth the watch for what it was. Some parts were freaking nasty so be wary!

Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight:

The plot of this Polish horror film on Netflix intrigued Johnny and me. In the summary, it says it’s about a group of technology addicted teenagers who go on a retreat where no cell phones can be used. The movie was about this for maybe ten minutes and then it turned super weird thanks to two ogre looking men who were transformed by a meteor. The first one was good and we were excited that there was a sequel. Don’t bother with it, however, because it sucked on ice and we turned it off before we even finished it.

Random Acts Of Violence:

Shudder is a streaming service that only has horror movies and TV shows. Random Acts Of Violence is a Shudder original and it was one of mine and Johnny’s favorites. Basically, a comic book writer begins to notice similarities of real life killings inspired by the serial killer in his books. The movies on Shudder can be hit or miss so we were surprised by how good it was. The artwork was also amazing and we loved when it would go from real actors to comic book style animation.

Dreamcatcher:

Dreamcatcher was another movie that we watched on Shudder and it was a bust. Actually, let me restate that. It was alright until the grand reveal began unfolding and *then* it was a bust. Long story short, there is a killer amongst a DJ, his management, and his fans. For a while, we had a good enough time trying to figure out who it was. Then, we did find out who it was and it was so stupid lol don’t bother with this one.

Last Shift:

This movie was on Netflix and it was one that actually scared me and Johnny. It’s about a rookie cop who is working a late shift alone at a rundown police department. What should be an easy night turns nightmarish when the lights go out and a cult leader and his followers appear to be making a comeback. This one was a wild ride and I would definitely watch it again.

The Collector/The Collection:

The Collector series is your basic booby trapped setting film but it’s done so well and Johnny and I have watched these movies a few times. Is the Saw-esque style the most original? No. But, the overall plot was good, the visuals were insane, and we also love Josh Stewart a la Criminal Minds who plays the main character. If you’re looking for a more fast paced horror movie and aren’t scared of some gore, then this is a great option.

Creep 1 & 2:

The Creep movies are on Netflix and Johnny and I are HUGE fans of them. It isn’t a jump out and scare you movie but it is so unsettling. In a found footage style, it covers whomever the “bad guy” feels like being on a given day and the person he hired to film him. Part hilarious, part plain weird, the Creep franchise definitely lives up to its name and we wish there were more of them!

Johnny and I have watched so many scary movies this month that I have forgotten some of them lol. However, the ones above were the first ones that stuck out to me for this post as a green light or a cautionary tale to not watch. Regardless of what you choose, enjoy your movie night!

Have you seen any of the movies that I mentioned? What did you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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What Have We Been Watching?

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What Have We Been Watching?

Hi!! After a long day at work, there is nothing better than sitting down in front of the TV with Johnny and watching all of our favorite shows. We haven’t been watching a huge variety of programs lately because we have been completely addicted to the following:

Criminal Minds:

There was a point in time when Johnny and I couldn’t get enough of Law & Order: SVU. However, we got burnt out from it very quickly and haven’t watched any type of crime related drama since. Fast forward to this past month and change and we are all about Criminal Minds! This show follows the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI and their profiling of the worst of the worst. Each member of the team has their own unique skill set and when put together, they are an unstoppable force.

While this might not be the most uplifting show in the world, there is enough comedic relief to help lighten things up. Not to mention that all of the characters are just so darn likeable! Johnny is partial to David Rossi while I am all about Doctor Spencer Reid. We are about to be four seasons into the show with a whole lot more to go and we have yet to grow tired of it. Every episode is completely different than the last and it keeps us tuning in every evening. There is also nothing more satisfying than figuring out the grand reveal while the BAU solves crimes! πŸ˜€

LEGO Masters:

Season two of LEGO Masters has been a hoot and Johnny and I love watching it on Hulu every week. This week’s episode is the series finale and to say we are excited is a severe understatement. The final three consists of all insanely talented teams of brothers and I can’t wait to see who comes out on top. I am really rooting for Caleb and Jacob – they are the absolute sweetest!

My favorite challenge of this season has to be when the teams had to create wearable LEGO fashion in the form of hats. It combined two of my favorite things so what could be better?! The challenges this season have been even bigger and better than the last with suspended builds, withstanding wind, withstanding earthquakes, and a LEGO puppet show. Everyone on the show from competitors to hosts are so likeable and totally hilarious. Will Arnet keeps Johnny and I in stitches! We also love to see such friendly competition among all of the newfound friends. ❀

Impractical Jokers:

To have a laugh before going to bed, Johnny and I always watch Impractical Jokers. Although we have seen every episode multiple times, it seriously never gets old! We are constantly quoting the show and love sporting our Impractical Jokers T-shirts whenever we get the chance. Although each of the four Jokers are really funny, Johnny and I like Joe the best – that man is fearless! My favorite challenge is when they are receptionists at a focus group and have to call out ridiculous names to the waiting room. Is there a Crangis McBasketball here?!

Black Clover:

My current anime of choice, as per my brother’s recommendation, is Black Clover. I am almost done with season one and every time I finish an episode, I am itching to see what happens next. Black Clover reminds both me and my bro of an anime version of Harry Potter. The different squads use magic to help defend the Clover Kingdom from enemies and each character has their own special form of magic. This anime is intense, hilarious, and oh so cool… In fact, I am going to watch an episode as soon as I finish this post. πŸ˜€

All of the above shows have kept Johnny and I highly entertained and we can’t wait for more of all of them. We are also very much looking forward to new seasons of What We Do In The Shadows, The Last Kingdom, and You. Okay – I am looking forward to You and best believe I am going to make Johnny watch it! πŸ™‚

What are you currently binge watching? What is one of your favorite shows? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

What Have We Been Up To?

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What Have We Been Up To?

Hello! When we’re not making preparations for our wedding, Johnny and I have been enjoying lots of new games and TV shows in our downtime. Once we are both home from work and dinner is made, we like to spend our evenings with video games or laughing hysterically to old and new favorite shows. We’ve been super into the following:

Stupid Deaths:

Johnny and I purchased the party game Stupid Deaths on one of our date days and I finally had the chance to play it with a lot of people when my brother and his family visited from Georgia. It was so much fun and super easy. The point of the game is to vote on if a unique death read from a card actually happened or not and to avoid the Grim Reaper on the board. Stupid Deaths was a hit with my whole family and, despite Johnny and I being downright awful at it, it was a blast and is sure to be a hit for your next game night. I want to buy Stupid Criminals next!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe:

Johnny recently purchased Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch and it quickly became our new favorite video game to play together. The race tracks are awesome, the character and car selection is massive, and the battle games are a hoot too! I consider myself to be highly proficient at Mario Kart 64 and Double Dash but Johnny gives me a run for my money every time we play Deluxe. It’s fun to get competitive and the first time we played it, we raced for four hours straight without even realizing it. Time flies when you’re having fun. πŸ˜€

The Promised Neverland:

While I am still looking forward to seeing the Demon Slayer movie in theaters, my attention has turned to a new anime as per my brother’s suggestion called The Promised Neverland. I just started season two and it is EXCELLENT. I can’t say much about it without giving the major surprise of the first episode away but it is a dark, fast paced show that is both gorgeous and exciting to watch. I have never seen anything like it and I just adore the kids whom the show revolves around. I have to laugh because, for the most part, I can’t stand child actors but anime children are just fine by me lol!

Schitt’s Creek:

My brother, Peter, and his wife, Megan, highly recommend Schitt’s Creek when they visited so Johnny and I decided to give it a try and I am so glad we did. It is absolutely hilarious and we were in stitches minutes into the first episode. We have only watched three episodes so far and I am itching for more. Eugene Levy and his son Daniel as well as the incomparable Catherine O’Hara are a match made in comedy heaven and it’s a trip to watch an uber rich family gone broke try to make it in the not so glamorous real world.

Ever since Daniel Levy’s amazing Saturday Night Live debut, Johnny and I have been interested in watching Schitt’s Creek. Peter and Megan’s recommendation was just the push we needed to begin watching what I have a feeling will be our new favorite comedy.

What have you been watching recently? How do you like to spend your evenings? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

What Have I Been Watching?

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What Have I Been Watching?

Hi! In pandemic times, there has been nothing better than finishing up the day’s work and sinking into the couch to watch TV or play video/board games with Johnny. Whether together or separately, we have been watching a lot of feel good shows lately… Minus one insane documentary we watched on Hulu! Let’s discuss:

Superstore:

Johnny and I are huge fans of Superstore and, although we are both saddened by the show’s completion about a month ago, we agreed that it ended on a really solid note. We looked forward to new episodes every week and miss it so much that we just decided to watch it in its entirety again. Superstore is an amazing show to try out if you are looking for a laugh and every character is funny in their own way. My favorite characters are Dina, Marcus, and Glenn and Johnny freaking loves Sandra lol!

My 600 Lb. Life:

When Johnny is at band practice, I normally settle in with Animal Crossing and an episode or two of My 600 Lb. Life. This has been one of my favorite shows for years and if you’re friends with me on Facebook, then you know I am constantly posting about it! Dr. Now is my freaking hero and My 600 Lb. Life really inspires me when someone succeeds in their weight loss journey. I spend each episode rooting for the patient and it makes me proud to see people trying to turn their lives around for the better.

One Punch Man:

My brother gives me lots of great suggestions for animes to watch and while I continue to look forward to season two of Demon Slayer, I have been working on finishing One Punch Man. I am currently halfway through season two and really enjoy it! Although it is not as dark as Castlevania or Demon Slayer, I like the Dragon Ball Z-esque vibes that it gives off with all of the insane monsters and fighting and I am obsessed with cool as a cucumber Saitama. He is so funny! I plan on watching Death Note or The Promised Neverland once I am all done with One Punch Man.

Shrek 1 & 2:

I have actually never seen the other movies in the Shrek franchise and that’s fine because the first and second movies are my favorite and that is enough for me. This past month, I watched both Shrek one and two and laughed just as hard as I did when seeing it for the first time. My dad took me and my siblings to the first Shrek in theaters and we all loved the Shrek 3D ride at Universal Studios so I have a lot of happy memories attached to both movies. Shrek never gets old and the soundtracks simply slay!

Q: Into The Storm:

Q: Into The Storm is a documentary on QAnon that aired on HBO and is currently on Hulu. Johnny really likes documentaries and wanted to check it out because he heard it was crazy so down the rabbit hole we fell. Other than very basic knowledge, I knew absolutely nothing about QAnon and Into The Storm was an investigative piece on who Q might be.

This documentary legitimately gave me nightmares and I had to shield my eyes and cover my ears during a fair amount of it. It is not for the faint of heart in any way shape or form but it was highly educational and eye opening because I really had no idea about any of it. After having watched it, I never want to hear anything on the subject again and trust and believe I had to watch like ten episodes of Superstore to get myself back to baseline once the six part series was finished.

What have you been watching recently? Which TV shows or movies do you recommend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Thoughts On The Elisa Lam Documentary

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My Thoughts On The Elisa Lam Documentary

Hey! So yesterday, we discussed various forms of my lock down entertainment but I left out one major talking point in the TV section. I had just watched the Netflix documentary, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel and it was all news to me. Despite the Elisa Lam story apparently being huge in 2013, I had no idea about any of it – the haunting viral video, the dark past of the Cecil Hotel (American Horror Story even based Hotel off of The Cecil!), and all of the conspiracy theories of what could have happened to Elisa even though her death was ruled an accident.

Because I had no past recollection of the Elisa Lam story, I devoured the four part under four hour long documentary in one evening. It took me a while to digest all of the information because the “elevator” video was playing on a loop in my head. However, after thinking about it for a few days, there is still something about the Elisa Lam story that just doesn’t sit well with me. At the end of the day, we have no firm idea of what her last few days were like which makes the case feel severely lacking in closure. I don’t believe in any of the far fetched conspiracies about the case but I have a feeling that the management of the Cecil Hotel knew more than they were letting on. The hotel manager didn’t seem particularly trustworthy to me and she had an extremely defensive standpoint throughout the documentary.

Speaking of conspiracies, I thought that this documentary focused way too much on them. I was completely shocked to learn at the very end of The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel of Elisa Lam’s struggle with her mental health as well as her family’s confirmation of it. Instead of starting a conversation about mental health, the documentary almost encouraged the Internet Sleuth sensation while only briefly glazing over a life that these “detectives” ruined – Pablo Vergara’s. Elisa Lam’s story just felt like it got added in after the fact.

This is the third documentary that I have watched recently on Netflix and I can’t say that I have been very impressed with any of them. Each documentary has just had so much extra crap muddled in that I feel like it doesn’t do the actual story any justice. While the first two episodes of Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel were really gripping and informative the remaining two indulged heavily in conspiracy theories which was a missed opportunity for more meaningful conversation.

What are your thoughts on the Elisa Lam story? What was the last documentary you watched? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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My Lock Down Entertainment

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My Lock Down Entertainment

Hi! My lock down entertainment has mostly consisted of watching movies and TV and playing video games with Johnny as well as practicing Duolingo and reading at my leisure. Prior to the pandemic, Johnny and I already had a majority of the available streaming services and I was thankful for all of them then and I’m even more thankful for them now because we will never hurt for something to watch! Here is the latest of what we have been enjoying lately:

TV Shows:

Johnny has currently been making his way through a couple of Ken Burns documentaries and if I don’t feel like watching, then I might pop on an anime on my computer. Johnny and I recently watched Castlevania on Netflix and, despite season three not being the best, it was overall really good. My brother recommended Parasyte and Demon Slayer to me and I absolutely loved Parasyte and finished it in a matter of days! I am now working my way through Demon Slayer and plan on giving Death Note a try next.

When we are not watching our shows separately, Johnny and I love tuning into the new episodes of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Superstore, and Saturday Night Live every week. We also just binged The Mandalorian in a week! I am absolutely obsessed with The Child and already can’t wait for season three. Since The Office has been taken off of Netflix, we are watching King Of The Hill as our comedy and I am absolutely obsessed with Bobby too, lol. I am also very much looking forward to Netflix’s Sandman series which should be coming out at the end of 2021!

PS: For my fellow French speakers, La Mante on Netflix was excellent. πŸ™‚

Movies:

Johnny and I really haven’t been watching too many movies lately. We watched Mad Max: Fury Road on Valentine’s Day at Johnny’s request and it was whatever, haha. It was just a two hour long car chase! Other than that, we watched Casablanca a few weeks ago which was fun because I had never seen it and Johnny has only saw it once. Trust and believe we said “we’ll always have Paris” like five hundred times while Johnny built his LEGO Paris skyline set. Obviously, we thought it was pretty funny lol!

Other than that, I watched a couple of French movies on Netflix in the past few months and both of them were awesome! If you like foreign films, then definitely check out Mon Frere and The Most Assassinated Woman In The World.

Reading:

The last book that I read was The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher which was not only crazy AF but fairly disturbing. I definitely needed a palette cleanser after that so I am just in the process of finishing The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley. It is a charming, weaving tale of how one little book ended up bringing together a group of unlikely friends. I only have a little over one hundred pages left so be on the lookout for a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club soon.

Duolingo:

On my last Duolingo update, I had just reached my one hundred day streak and I am currently past one twenty-five. I am so proud of my commitment to learning French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Czech as well as all of the progress that I have been making because I can definitely tell a difference. I also still can’t recommend Duolingo Plus enough. It is so nice to have unlimited hearts during a difficult lesson and also ad free which speeds up the process immensely.

Video Games:

For Valentine’s Day, Johnny got me Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for the GameCube and I have been having so much fun playing it! I have been on a huge Mario kick during the pandemic and beat Paper Mario: The Origami King and Super Mario Galaxy which were both a blast. I have basically dropped off of Animal Crossing but will pop back on once they do an update for spring. You can only catch the same fish and bugs so much, ya know? Johnny and I play a lot of Diablo III together and we are also about to inherit our friend’s Nintendo 64 so we are really looking forward to that!

While going out would be nice, it’s just not safe right now. But you know what is nice for me? Ample time to watch all of the shows I never had time for, read all the books, and improve on my favorite hobbies – all while helping slow the spread of COVID-19. Enjoy your time in and make the most of it!

What has been your lock down entertainment? Which streaming service do you use the most? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

What Have I Been Watching? Pt. 4

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What Have I Been Watching? Pt. 4

Hello!! With COVID cases spiking dangerously in Ohio, Johnny and I are more hunkered down than ever. So, obviously, we have been getting a lot of use out of our streaming services of Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and Shudder. Here is the best of what we have been watching recently:

Ils (Them):

First things first, sorry to my mom if she’s reading this because this French horror movie scared her so bad but it is one of my favorites. If you have Shudder, then you can watch Ils too. This crazy twist of a home invasion movie is what began my fondness for foreign films. I can remember when I first started learning French and I would watch this movie to practice, as the dialogue is quite limited. It felt so good to watch this several years later, completely understand it, and enjoy it just as much as the first time I saw it. Highly recommend for horror fans!

Slasher:

Johnny and I recently finished up the Canadian horror anthology Slasher and it was very good! So far, there are three seasons all with a different plot but some of the same cast members (like American Horror Story) and a fourth season is currently in the works. Slasher is equally entertaining as it is bloody and disgusting, drawing inspiration from lots of different… Well, slasher movies! I will say that season one was my favorite followed by season two, then three. However, each season was unique in its own way and it is a must for horror fans.

Letterkenny:

Another Canadian show that Johnny and I absolutely love is Letterkenny. Named after the small, fictional town in Canada the show is based in, Letterkenny follows a group of pals and all of their nonsense. From getting hammered, getting in fights, and participating in talent shows and adult spelling bees, there is literally never a not hilarious moment in this show. Each and every character is so funny and likeable in their own way but I am particularly fond of Stewart, Jonesy, and Riley! #ferda

Dancing With The Stars:

Finally, I am still going strong on watching Dancing With The Stars. Back in the day, I was an avid fan of the show but lost interest and haven’t seen it in several years. But, when I heard that Johnny Weir (one of my favorite figure skaters) was going to be competing, I was happy to step back into the ballroom.

Although I am enjoying DWTS, I am ready for it to be over lol. Don’t get me wrong, I love the performing, music, and costumes. However, I just can’t stand Tyra Banks as a hostess – she is so awful! I don’t plan on watching the next season unless there is someone who I really like on – but I am looking forward to seeing who comes out on top this season!

Which shows have you been binge watching? Do you have any movie or TV recommendations for me? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah