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⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I hadn't heard a single thing about this movie until my friend mentioned it to me, which I thought was weird, but as soon as she did I was eager to go see it. It's a really classic whodunnit mystery, set in the 50s, starring Saoirse Ronan. It's super funny, it all comes together beautifully, and I had a delightful time. Zero complaints!

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is an 80s cop movie in which Harrison Ford has to investigate a murder with the only witness being an Amish boy, and eventually gets hurt and needs to spend time hiding/recovering with the Amish community. Essentially, it's Amish The Last Samurai. At times it's slow and hard boiled, but it's also romantic with the star crossed lovers, and also a pretty interesting dive into Amish lifestyle. Any media about the Amish always kinda borders on me thinking I know more than the showrunners, yet also realizing I don't know much about my doctrinal cousins. I think this was pretty authentic and neither praised nor demonized their ways. It was a cool exploration of that culture and what could happen when things like violence and crime are at their doorstep. Not sure how I felt about the conclusions, but I thought it was a worthy endeavor. I also enjoyed them speaking of "plain" clothing when they wore what only the coolest of...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I recently read and really enjoyed this author's debut book, so I was excited to get into her latest. I think this book was actually better than the first, but for reasons I don't understand, it didn't grip me as much as that one did. Probably just a case of the plot and characters not resonating with me as much. Anyway, it's about Marlinchen and her sisters, all witches in an Eastern European-inspired world where few exist anymore. Their father is a tyrant who keeps them locked up at home, but they start sneaking out to the ballet, and eventually poverty and desperation force them to extreme measures. This is a dark, witchy fantasy with lots of horror elements. This author is really good at atmosphere and vibes, and the world is really immersive. A really good book for the start of spooky season.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I watch pretty much any movie musical that's available, and with the added draws of it starring Peter Dinklage and being directed by Joe Wright of P&P fame, I was eager to watch this. It's a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, except Cyrano is a dwarf instead of just being ugly. He's in love with Roxanne but will never confess it to her, and then when she falls in love with a handsome soldier, he agrees to help him win over Roxanne by writing letters to her for him. I'm not super familiar with the source material, but I think it sticks pretty closely to the original plot. This movie looks absolutely gorgeous, and the music fits it perfectly. The main notable thing is that Peter Dinklage is a great actor... but he obviously can't really sing. He sounds fine, but all of his singing lines are pretty much just talking in a sing-songy way. It doesn't sound bad, but it is very noticeable right away. Makes me wonder what the ...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I had a bit of a tough time getting through this one. It's world renowned, on my top 100 poster, about a precious little girl in WW2, and Jess loves it. I honestly feel bad for not loving it myself. But I was just never super into it and never loved any of the characters. Except for Hans of course. I'm not evil. The main problem for me is that it's a long, meandering book with no solid plot. I don't usually love that kind of book unless I really love the writing style, and I didn't love the writing style. I just thought it was a little too showy, and feels like my friend Markus was trying too hard without actually making me feel like I'm in the world. The book is about 40s Germany, but I never really felt like I was there, I guess. I know that's a little harsh for the score, because I did like elements of it. I think maybe I'm just tired of WW2 books, though I did appreciate the different perspective, and also I fe...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I have watched/ listened to the songs of Inside approx 2000 times so I figured it was probably time to watch some of his other stuff. This was great. Thematically the two specials are actually quite similar despite this being pre-pandemic and before he stopped performing. But still very introspective, lots of jokes on mental health, the state of the world, etc. And like Inside, the songs are beautiful while being absurd. It's only an hour, so it doesn't wear out it's welcome, but by the end I definitely felt some jokes were getting a little overdone. But still, the songs are great and I can't wait to also listen to these a million times.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) There's no point to this review except to say that I just finished this book (and series) for the 5th time in 16 months and it still goes just as hard. Oh Murderbot my beloved...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) We just took a quick break to watch, I dunno, like 6 shows mid season. And we're back on track! I'm definitely happy we have a show we can come back to any time and pick up where we left off. It remains really funny every episode, and I find it cool that they can come up with unique episodes with unique plot twists every time. Like, these episodes can't be easy to write, because all of them feature some sort of little mystery to solve within 20 minutes, and yet every episode is clever and almost always surprising. Anyways, I can't remember most of these episodes because we watched months ago, but I'll give it a high score because it was funny when we returned, and I am confident the other episodes were solid. But also I'm not giving too high a score because, you know, we stopped watching for half a year and never missed it.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) This is a near perfect season of TV for me. Carmie takes over his brother's restaurant after he commits suicide, and we learn about who he is and what their relationship was like through him running this hectic kitchen. The food looks amazing, and the love and care they show filming people cut onions or stir pots makes the kitchen feel lived in. I'm not a foodie in any way, but this restaurant serves Chicago-style beef sandwiches and that's something I can appreciate. As Gordon Ramsey has taught us, kitchens are crazy, and this one is no exception. There is this constant tension as people try to impress Carmie, he tries to keep the restaurant afloat, and his brother's best friend is convinced they are losing the spirit of what it once was. Watching tough guys break down in emotional moments will always be moving, and this show features some real knuckleheads going through some pain. I am docking half a star because of the ending...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I revisited this movie after watching it in theatres a long time ago, convinced that it is a hidden masterpiece that I didn't get on the first watch. Sad to say that isn't the case, but I do think this movie is great, with an all time space movie soundtrack. We follow Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, in a space movie that doesn't seem interested in the spectacle of space at all. Everything is done in closeups, and very rarely do we get those wide shots space movies always give us of the glorious void of space or the epic rockets bursting into flame as they enter the atmosphere. These things all happen, but we always see them from the astronaut perspective, and it gives you a real appreciation for the archaic technology they were using. Metal screams and bolts squeal as this inhuman journey happens, and it adds to the tension. Gosling is obviously great, getting another chance to do the stoic cool guy thing, only this time he is the sto...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I'll never admit to how much money I spent to obtain a copy of the full transcribed diary of Thomas Orde-lees, member of the Endurance expedition, but it was worth every penny. It took me 2 months to read all 500 pages and I loved every single one. Besides being written by a deeply strange, obviously obnoxious man, it was also an extremely fascinating look into the day-to-day life of being an polar explorer and, more importantly, some guy stranded in the Antarctic for 2 years, on a boat frozen in the ice, and then on a drifting ice floe, and then on a barren island waiting for rescue. It was deeply interesting and exactly what I was hoping for and more. My only regret is that I'm finished now. (Maggie is, I'm sure, relieved to be free of my daily retellings of Thomas' weird theories and little feuds.)

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This is probably one of the most wholesome movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a type of mockumentary that follows Marcel, a one inch shell and his grandma Connie who is also a shell. They are the only two shells left in their colony and when an amateur film maker rents the house they are living in, he posts a few videos to YouTube and Marcel instantly becomes a sensation. This movie had it all. It was cute, touching, funny, and heartwarming. Had me laughing and awe-ing and crying all in one. As the movie moves on we see the life Marcel and his grandma live and it’s so creatively done. We also learn more about our filmmaker and his relationship to Marcel and that is also incredible. I can’t recommend this enough. At the very least your heart will swell at least a time or two and over a 1:30 minute runtime it’s worth it. Jenny Slate (Mona Lisa from Parks and Rec.) voices Marcel if you needed more convincing.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I don't have a ton to add that hasn't been said already. This show is awesome, every episode is great, and it has a big cast of awesome characters for such a short show. I thought, perhaps, that a few of the emotional moments came out of nowhere, and especially the one really sad moment seemed to serve zero purpose in what is otherwise a very light show. But still, this show is clever, well-written, and despite having a cast of 30 year-olds, feels like an authentic teenage experience. My favorite character, of course, is Uncle Colm, but I also couldn't get enough of Aunt Sarah and Jenny Joyce by the end. The actual Derry Girls were all pretty good, but I admit Michelle was just too much for me. Also Sister Michael and Grandad Joe were just too mean!! It's not funny being that mean all the time! But yeah, I could go on naming the funny characters and funny scenes, but this show is like two hours long total so I'll let those who...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) What a cool, unique season of TV. As Tim mentioned, the whole show revolves around the idea that a company "servers" the mind of its employees so they have one stream of consciousness at work and another at home. This show explores all of those ramifications with lots of mystery and intrigue built in. This show is amazing in every regard. They build up a unique, unsettling environment that is a little too clean and tidy, and the employees all a little too nice and polite. This is then contrasted with the outside world that seems to always be dark, gloomy and cold. The show as a whole is funny in it's absurdity with clever writing, and awesome performances all around. My favorite characters are Milichick, the robotic supervisor who perfectly captures everything about the workplace, and Ricken who kinda personifies the absurdity of the show. Essentially a perfect season of TV, but I think I'll leave it just short of a 10. I think ...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I would say Carrie is easily one of my fave country artists. I’ve been keeping up with her pretty well since American idol. I think she has an incredible, powerful voice and I love listening to her belt out her songs. This is the first album in a long time I’ve listened to consistently from hers. While not her strongest, I still really enjoyed it. She sings about love and cheating and being confident in who you are. She always sprinkles a bit of a gospel message within her music which is actually pretty characteristic within country. One small issue I have with her though is that she always has a song on every album about a chronic cheater that needs to be dealt with in the form of violence. She is married to Mike Fisher (former NHL star) and has two kids. She has no need for this narrative! I think she is trying to recreate the magic of Before He Cheats which I don’t care what anyone says it’s an all timer song!! I would still really love to see ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This is a short documentary about an attempt to break the world record for running a marathon (42.2 kms) in under 2 hours. This group of scientists get together to try to achieve the impossible. They choose 3 very accomplished runners and get to work. They have running down to a science. From hydration to nutrition to lactation to energy output to the shoes and clothes they’re wearing to the pacers and the tracks. They thought of literally everything. All three men are from east Africa and have very, very humble beginnings. We got a small look into their lives and routine only to find out they’re pretty normal people who just have an extreme affinity to running. As a novice runner i found this extremely inspiring and unbelievable. Just to break down the numbers a bit: in order to run a 2 hour marathon you have to have a 2 minute 50 second pace per kilometre for 2 hours straight. On a good day I run a consistent 5 minute pace. It should actually be...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) Studio Ghibli is well known for their strange, out of box, almost hallucinogenic style of movies and this one is no different. Although I would say this is one of their more tame, easier to follow films. It follows our protagonist Ashitaka getting infected by a demon and needing to journey to the spirit forest to be healed by the forest god. Along the way he meets eccentric characters and friends alike. The combat and sound affects were really great in this movie. The main character is very loveable and a good peacemaker; although a few times he dismembers people! For a 1997 movie it had very strong themes of environmentalism and feminism which really surprised me. I won’t say I totally got what they’re trying to say with this film. I believe it has something to do with ecocide and industrialism and how we need to take care of our earth. It had some really uncomfortable scenes with some gore and demons that they were somehow able to make look so g...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I was super pumped to watch this when Jess chose it until I realized it was indeed not Almost Heroes featuring the late, great Chris Farley, a movie with a weighty 5% on Rotten Tomatoes. Rather, it was this award winning coming-of-age movie featuring the far less charming Kate Hudson. Well, despite the initial disappointment, this movie eventually won me over. I love coming-of-age movies, especially when the love interest is Kate Hudson, the human version of Roxanne from Goofy Movie. She is absolutely spellbinding and I totally understand the main character's inability to make good choices when it comes to her. This movie is also all about 70s rock and roll, and although I have zero interest in that era of music, i was totally into it by the end. The culture and aesthetic was portrayed in a way that was really compelling and kinda made me wish I had that love of music for myself. It certainly wasn't glorified here, yet I wished I was a ro...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I really enjoy this show just for the easy fun factor. It's not super dramatic, it's not heavy or dark or stressful. It's a murder mystery, but it's mostly just light-hearted and easy to watch. It's not super funny and it's not gripping or incredibly compelling, but I really enjoyed watching it while I folded laundry or whatever, and I liked guessing at the mystery. I watched the last episode with my friend Emily, which was really fun, and the twists were actually pretty good. Nothing incredible, but no real complaints either!

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I really liked this sequel to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, but slightly less than the first book. I just found it a little slower, and a little less fun and whimsical. I think sequels are really hard to pull off, because you have to really make those reveals worthwhile, but also not too contrived. And I do think Hank did a really good job, but part of me was a little bit disappointed by the alien reveals. Sometimes, not knowing is more fun, you know? Still, I did really love this duology, and I loved Carl so so much. As anti-feminist as it feels, Andy and Robin were my favourite characters in the first book, and I didn't love them as much in this book (Robin was just tragically under-utilized). But I loved getting multiple povs, and I was so impressed by the way multiple storylines were woven together. I loved the social commentary, and the touchingly optimistic view of humanity and the beauty of life. Again, so thought-provoking, though ...