Media Update

This weekend has been so heavy and sad that I feel the need to "talk" about light things for a few minutes before I go to bed.

So...here's my update on what I've read and seen:

DVDs
Netflix has been happy to have me as a customer for the last month or so. I haven't viewed many DVDs. I'm still working my way through Season 1 of Torchwood...and still enjoying it quite a lot. It reminds me a lot of Supernatural....except it's set in Wales, doesn't have the Winchesters and involves aliens. But other than that, they're almost identical. ;) A word of warning-- it's not rated (because it's a BBC show), but it's not for the kiddies. It would probably be TV-14 here. I'm going to take a little break from Torchwood to watch Season 2 of Dexter, everyone's favorite serial killer, now that the second season is out on DVD.

TV
TV has been quite disappointing. Now that I watch so many shows on DVD, I have little tolerance for things like commercials.

Books
My reading has slowed down a bit since the school year started, but I've read a couple of books in the past month.

*Breaking Dawn (Stephenie Meyer)-- This book is truly awful. So awful, that at times I wonder if Meyer is being ironic...but I don't think so. However, I still enjoyed reading it, and I'm not sure why. I don't normally like books that I don't see as well-written. Still, it was a guilty pleasure. I saw an icon yesterday that said, "I cried when I read Twilight because I felt parts of my brain dying." Yeah. Also, for a teen-oriented novel (written by a Mormon!) this latest installment had a surprising amount of sex. Vampire sex, no less. If I were a parent, I don't think I'd have a problem with a 7th or 8th grade student reading it (no graphic sex, mind you), but as someone who works in a school, I would not give this book to the kids or read it with them. Too close to call, and some parents will have a problem with it.

*The Complete Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi)-- A friend gave this to me last week, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It's an autobiography written in graphic novel format about a girl growing up in Iran. When I worked in the preschool autism class, I had a co-worker who was a political refugee from Iran, and while we were cutting out shapes for the next art project, she would tell me stories about her country, the war, her friends who were killed for opposing the government, how she and her husband fled to Pakistan, etc. Reading Persepolis, I was reminded of this co-worker and her love for her country...to which she cannot return while the current regime remains. Anyway, even if graphic novels aren't your "thing," I suggest you take a chance on this one.

Movies
*Pineapple Express-- This movie was described as a "stoner action film." I'd say that's a pretty accurate description. I think that a lot of pot was involved in the writing and filming of the movie. However, I thought it was fairly funny, if silly and lacking any "take-away" value.


*Hamlet 2-- Not only did I not like this movie, I found it kind of offensive. First, I didn't think it was funny. The main character became irritating so fast that I really didn't care if he succeeded or not. If I were his wife, I would have left him too. Second, making fun of rape is not my idea of amusing. Rape is not, in any way, funny. Third, some of the religious stuff offended me as well. Overall, I'd give it two thumbs down.

Music
I haven't purchased any new music lately, but I've been on kind of a Rent kick. In light of this weekend, some of the lyrics are even more poignant. "No day but today......."