Media Diet: June 2024

It feels like summer has finally arrived in earnest after months of slowly peaking its head out and hiding again. Time for bike rides, reading books on the patio, and enjoying as many soccer games as possible!

🎥 Wild Things - Classic 90s thriller with Kevin Bacon that I somehow hadn’t seen before. Great popcorn watch. (A)

📚 Aurora by David Koepp - I really enjoyed Koepp’s previous book, Cold Storage, so wanted to give this a read. Was solid but not as good as Cold Storage. Writing this I discovered he’s a prolific screenwriter too, I had no idea! Jurassic Park, Indian Jones, Mission: Impossible. So many films that I love! (B+)

🎥 Hit Man - Another classic from Richard Linklater that I am sure I am going to be rewatching for years to come. So far my favorite film of the year. (A+)

🎥 Road House - Ooph. I am not sure who thought this reboot was a good idea. (C-)

📺 The Jinx Season 2 - A docuseries that I never expected to get a second season, but it pays off! Great way to wrap up the insane story of Robert Durst. (A-)

🎥 All of Us Strangers - Continuing my love affair with both Andrew Scott and especially Paul Mescal. Mesmerizing from start to finish. (A)

📚 Upgrade by Blake Crouch - Did a re-read because I completely forgot the book and wanted to try the Netflix show out. Not the best of Crouch’s books but still a fun one. (B)

📺 Welcome to Wrexham Season 3 - A new format and a shorter season leads to middling returns. I understand why they’re going to run out of stories to tell outside of the football season, but hopefully, they can do more next season. (B-)

📺 Clarkson’s Farm Season 3 - It’s amazing what this show has managed to become. Originally just Clarkson being a moron starting a farm but developing into a heartwarming and insightful show. I love the side of Clarkson you get to see that isn’t apparent on Top Gear. (A+)

📺 Shoresy Season 3 - Could basically copy/paste the description of Clarkson’s Farm but replace it with Shoresy references. I always enjoyed Letterkenny but I think Shoresy has managed to surpass it. Something special about it. (A)

🎥 May December - Natalie Portman & Julianne Moore make a fantastic team. It’s a film that sits with you and makes you think. (A-)

🎥 Self Reliance - Had high hopes for a Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick combo. Was an easy to forget film after watching it. (B-)

📺 Colin from Accounts Season 2 - Continues to be a solid Australian comedy series, but it definitely waned a bit in its second season. (B)

🎥 Ramy Youssef: More Feelings - Ramy continues to be one of my favorite standup comedians. I can’t wait for his upcoming TV series “Golf.” (A)

🎥 Wicked Little Letters - Fun that it’s based on a true story, but that’s about as fun as it gets. (B)

🎥 A Family Affair - Was in the mood for a lowkey romcom. This was bad. Do not watch. (C)

🎥 Lisa Frankenstein - Marginally better than A Family Affair but still a stinker. (C+)

📚 Thursday Murder Club Books 1-4 by Richard Osman - I didn’t love the first book but kept reading, and the series gets much better from there. I really enjoyed Osman on Taskmaster and had no idea he had created this series! (A)