Best of 2014: Screen Edition


Even though I spend a lot of my time reading, I also spend a good amount of time watching movies and TV. So in the spirit of year-end lists, I thought I’d share my favourite non-bookish entertainment of 2014.

Television

         

Happy Valley (BBC and Netflix) - I just finished watching this one after discovering that it was #1 on many “Best of” lists from Britain this year.  It is a fascinating crime show, set over 6 hour-long episodes, that involves a kidnapping plot and the effects the drug-trade can have in small towns.

The Wrong Mans (BBC and Hulu) - A comedy/drama about two bumbling guys who unwittingly find themselves caught up in an international conspiracy.  It may sound like it’s already been done, but trust me, this is it done right.  Best when binge-watched.

Black-ish (ABC) - One of three shows I actually sit down to watch each week when it airs, this one surpassed my expectations.  What I like about it is, while race is a central premise, it doesn’t focus solely on that.  And the episode where Dre’s mother comes to visit - my life exactly.

Panel Shows - Last year I really got into British panel shows when I discovered 8 out of 10 Cats and binge-watched every season.  Now, most of what I watch are panel shows.  This year I loved A League of Their Own, Would I Lie to You, Mock the Week, Have I Got News For You. 

I would also like to give a shout-out to The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, a yearly British comedy quiz that is on every Boxing Day.  They are hilarious and if you haven’t seen them, watch them on Youtube.  But this year was my least favourite, thanks to a certain Spice Girl.

Movies



Top Five - Easily my favourite movie of the year. This movie is all kinds of Chris Rock genius.  I haven’t laughed so hard at the movie theatres in years, possibly ever.  There were tears streaming down my cheeks a few times, and DMX gives the best performance of the year ;)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - I put this down because I’m not one of those people who must see superhero movies, but I am one of those people who goes to them because her husband loves them.  But I thoroughly enjoy the Captain America movies.


Virunga - A Netflix Original documentary about the people who protect the Virunga National Park, the refuge of the last remaining mountain gorillas on earth.  These rangers are trying to protect the park and the gorillas from poachers, armed rebels, and foreign companies looking to exploit the parks natural resources.  At the same time, it shows what life is like in war-torn Congo.  

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2015 at 11:43 AM

    Ok, so there's a show called 8 Out of 10 Cats and I don't know about it? I don't even know what it's about and it sounds like it is up my alley. Must go google.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Guestbook" by Holly Martin

Image
Welcome to Willow Cottage - throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home.  Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook! Annie Butterworth is the landlady of Willow Cottage, a beautiful cottage in the English countryside with a colourful array of guests.  Every guest is encouraged to write their thoughts in the guestbook and do they ever!  Love, loss, happiness, sadness, guilt, affairs, births, and surprises, it’s all in there.  Even Annie’s life gets caught up in the book. As a young widow, Annie herself is going through some changes.  And the appearance of her brother-in-law, celebrity crime writer Oliver Black isn’t helping.  As the guests of Willow Cottage go about their seaside vacations, Annie and Oliver must figure out how to move on in their lives, and most importantly, if they will do so together. The Guestbook by Holly Martin is a lovely, sweet, and unique book.  Written in the form...
Read more

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

Image
I am so excited to be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog . There are over 50 participants hosting giveaways on their blog between October 15 and October 19. Be sure to hop around and check out all the awesome giveaways! My Giveaway Award season is underway in the Canadian literary world and to celebrate I would like to send someone some fabulous Canadian literature. One lucky winner will be able to choose which book they would like me to send them. Here are the choices (click on title to find out more about the book): A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (bought at library sale) Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (bought at library sale) Two of the books were bought at a library sale as mentioned. They are still in good condition but are obviously well-loved and do still have the library stickers on them. The other t...
Read more

"Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home" by Esi Edugyan

Image
“But where are you from, really?” This is a question that Canadians of all walks of life are often asked.  Part of our identity as Canadians is that we all come from somewhere else, and no matter how long ago, it is a defining part of who we are.   But for many people, this question is about more than where their family came to Canada from.  For many, it brings about a question of home and belonging.  These are the ideas that Esi Edugyan explored in her 2013 Henry Kreisel Memorial Lecture, Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home .  Born in Canada to parents from Ghana, Esi Edugyan has travelled to and lived in various countries, all the while searching for her identity and coming to understand the meaning of home. As an author, Edugyan also reflects on Canadian literature and the notion of the “Canadian story.”  Her wildly successful novel, Half-Blood Blues , was set outside of Canada, and something she often heard was that it was not a t...
Read more