Hey guys!
To my surprise at all, the first newsletter was kinda well received (hehe, humble brag). I was happy that people got some nice recommendation on how to spend their time. This week I only have 4 recommendations as I am hopefully graduating next week (wish me luck), but in two weeks time you can expect something special recs.
Hot Ones
Hot ones is literally the best interview show in the history of the world. Literally. The concept of the show is that the host and the guest eat 10 increasingly spicier hot wings and with every scorching wing comes an unique and well-researched question. The best thing about the show is the host Sean Evans. Regardless of the celebrity guest, he makes everyone seem so comfortable and every interview is a goddamn pleasure to watch (except for the DJ Khaled episode, that guy suuucks). The show is constantly receiving compliments on how well researched the questions are.
After skyrocketing in popularity, the show is able to invite high profile celebrities like Charlize Theron, Justin Timberlake, Scarlett Johansson, Billie Eilish; and my personal two favourite episodes with Zac Efron, and Gordon Ramsay. If you are a YouTube aficionado, you must already know about Hot Ones. If not, then give it a chance, its a breathe of fresh air.
The Boys
If you know me you know I love superheroes. Comics weren’t the main source of this love, movie and TV shows were. The MCU is the thing I grew up with and is my favorite franchise. Just to give you an idea, I went to the 7pm premiere of Endgame and then drove across the city to catch the 10:45pm show the same night. Regardless of this love, even a superhero connoisseur like me gets superhero fatigue. So, when you come across something unique in the genre, it is truly special. The Boys is exactly that.
What if the Justice League was created by a media conglomerate? What if superheroes were celebrities and influencers? What if the level of sex and violence was comparable to a Game of Thrones? The boys is a fun ride with a unique take on the superhero genre. From episode one it is apparent that this is a show is for big boys. It’s brutal, it’s vulgar, and most importantly it hits the ground running. It is very apparent that the show was a big play from Amazon and that no expenses were spared. The production value is very high and the special effects are movie-level well done. It’s impressive that even though most of the characters are riffing of characters you are already familiar with, they still come off as unique in their own way and are memorable. I don’t really want to go into specifics, because it’s best to go into the show blind. Trust me, if you enjoy the genre, you will enjoy this too.
Knives out
Knives out is one of the best murder mysteries in recent years. The movie gives you this vibe of reading an old school murder mystery by Agatha Christie. Our equivalent of Hercule Poirot is a character called Benoit Blanc played by Daniel Craig with the most over-the-top but still good american (southern?) accent. The cast is star-studded, every role filled with a great actor, which overall adds much to the overall who-dunnit atmosphere. However, what makes the film stand out is that we actually know who did it. So, the movie is more of a cat-and-mouse game, where we are constantly waiting for Benoit Blanc to discover the truth. The story is a rollercoaster ride but the ending is very satisfying, which is always a concern with these types of movies.
Even though the story is self-contained and it was resolved by the end, Netflix has apparently paid 450 million dollars to acquire the rights for two sequels with Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig coming back, lol.
Letterboxd
I like to track stuff. It gives me this feeling of completion that motivates me to do even more. Letterboxd is a great way to track which movies you’re watching, review them, create lists about them, and much more. You may know IMBD or ČSFD, but let me tell you, Letterboxd is much much better. The overall design and user experience is much more smoother. Also, it is already in a dark mode, so that is always a big plus. The feature I appreciate a lot is the integration of JustWatch which tells you where the movie is available. If I want to watch Knives Out for instance Letterboxd can tell me that it is on Netflix. Then I just click on it and start watching thee movie right away.
If you create a profile, don’t forget to follow me: https://letterboxd.com/wahy/
That is all this newsletter, but stay tuned for the next one, I may or may not have a special announcement about a new creative endeavour I am planning 😇
Until next time, yours truly,
Starboy