TV and Film Time

I don't know if there's an official definition of binge (TV) watching as there is of binge drinking. We watched three seasons of Homeland in two to three weeks. We would have watched more faster but other obligations intervened. I remember going through DVD's of the first season of the Sopranos over one winter weekend, while eating ziti.

Back to Homeland: I had read that some fans had problems with the third season. I wasn't one of them. The show kept me off balance--I didn't know what to expect. But I know that I want more.

I caught most of The Magdalene Sisters last week. It was intense and frightening. I think what hit me most was how recent the horrors were. The story took place in 1964; the last of the laundries closed in the 1990's.

The other night we re-watched Being John Malkovich. It's billed as a comedy, and I laughed at some of the scenes. But it's also quite dark. Definitely intriguing.

It's embarrassing to admit watching the last movie: Snowmageddon. I didn't expect much with that title, maybe a little fun escape. I liked seeing David Cubitt from Medium and Michael Hogan from Battlestar Galactica. But that was it. The plot was silly; the characters were inappropriately dressed for Alaska. Hey, the fact that I mention the clothes shows how little this movie had to offer.

We need to make better choices.

ETA: How could I forget Knuckleball! This 2012 documentary focuses on the two active knuckleball pitchers in 2011: Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox and R.A. Dickey (then) of my beloved New York Mets. Both pitchers turned to the unusual pitch to save their major league careers. In 2011, Wakefield was in his 17th year with Sox and won his 200th game. He retired in 2012.

As for Dickey, his star was ascending. He was the Mets Opening Day pitcher in 2011. He dominated the National League in 2012 and became the first knuckleballer to win the Cy Young award.

It was fun to watch some of the older footage in the film and hear from some of the earlier knuckleballers.