Netflix

Just some random thoughts on some Netflix stuff:

Midnight Mass: I watched all seven episodes of Midnight Mass on Netflix recently and after I watched the final episode last night, I wondered, What did I just watch? As with a lot of Netflix stuff, this series probably could have been cut down to 4-5 episodes and still been effective, but Netflix likes to stretch stuff out. I've got spoilers here, so read no further if you don't want to see these.  I kept wondering while watching Midnight Mass why there was so much blind trust in the priest, especially a new priest no one knew. Was everyone so charmed by him that they just ignored any warning signs? In the first episode when Father Paul showed up to take over, no one thought to check on the previous priest who was supposedly ill on the mainland? What kind of church folks are these? As the episodes went on and the whole vampire scenario was revealed, I thought about The Lost Boys movie. The vampires always need a gate-keeper, right? In The Lost Boys, that person was Max and in Midnight Mass, that person was Bev. The sixth episode was too "Jonestown-esque" for my taste. Who in this day and age who knows about Jonestown is going to willingly drink some concoction while locked in a church? Come on! Overall, the series was interesting. Some parts were slow and really talky, but I largely enjoyed the series. It was different, the acting was good, and Hamish Linklater was great as the priest. 

Passing: How are you going to have a movie about passing with two actresses who can't pass? Again, come on! I haven't watched this one yet (and I plan to), but I have real issues with the casting. 

Vacation Is Over!

I'm back home after taking a little vacation to see my father and stepmother in Alabama. I enjoyed the trip. I was scared to actually fly because I hadn't been on an airplane since February of 2020 (before COVID). My flights weren't long and everything went well. Still, I think it'll be a while before I get on another flight. Another issue was Alabama itself. Because the state has such a low vaccination rate, I was even more concerned about traveling there, but I hadn't seen my father in two years, so I wanted to see him. He and my stepmother are fully vaccinated (as am I) which helped alleviate some of my concerns. I just wore a mask when I went into any stores or anywhere else enclosed with other people. I did eat in restaurants, but that's about the most contact I had with non-family members. The weather was nice and I did get to spend some time at the beach on the gulf while I was there. Aside from seeing my family, I also went to Alabama to take over my father's time share since he and my stepmother decided they didn't want to deal with it. I plan to use it now that I own it.

Late to the Squid Game

I admit, I was late watching the Squid Game series on Netflix, but I binged all 9 episodes over a weekend about two weeks ago. I really enjoyed the series because it made me think about what I would do if faced with a situation where I had to possibly kill or be killed. When you have to put your life above anyone else's in order to save yourself, can you do it? 

On a lighter note, I loved the costumes (that I'm sure will dominate this Halloween) and the set designs. I really loved the Front Man character (and I thought his mask and ensemble looked great). 

I read that the creator of the series pitched it about 10 years ago, but no one would give him a deal. He said he believed he was able to get a deal for the series recently due to COVID. The situation of the world has changed a lot since 10 years ago and Squid Game came right on time. It's definitely the kind of must-see TV we can relate to now as we deal with and try to stay alive during the pandemic.

My only complaints (and these are minor) that I have with Squid Game were (SPOILERS) when the players attacked and killed each other. I understand why this happened. It was a way to eliminate a lot of people and get down to the core players to finish out the game. However, I thought this shouldn't have been allowed. Let the players get eliminated through the games! My second complaint was with the VIPs. These guys were so camp and a waste of space. Again, I understand why they were introduced (because the story of the undercover cop needed to move forward and they helped to do that), but their presence slowed the show down. 

The Bee Gees

When I had free HBO last weekend, I watched a documentary about the Bee Gees that was interesting. I didn't really know much about the band other than that they were brothers from Australia. I had no idea that they'd had a career before the 1970s and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I also didn't realize their younger brother, Andy Gibb, had died so young due to drug use. Watching the documentary, prompted me to get back into the music of the brothers Gibb. They really had some good songs back in the day. "Love You Inside Out" is one of my favorite Bee Gees songs. Everyone focuses on the songs from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and I love those too, but the band also made some great songs outside of that album. And I'd totally forgotten about Andy Gibb's songs. "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" and "Shadowdancing" are great. In the 1970s, the Bee Gees knew how to make funky music that people wanted to hear. Were they overplayed? Certainly, but that didn't mean their music wasn't good. It's unfortunate that there was such a backlash against them at the height of their career, but their music lives on because it was good.