Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, having just finished listening to Mr. Jacques Offenbach’s opera comique, La Perichole, which was light as a feather and a lovely souffle of musical delight. I cannot say the same for Flotow’s Martha – or is it Martha’s Flotow – either way, just not my cuppa, I’m afraid, one of those operas that basically navigates between two chords over and over again, which is interesting for about thirty seconds. So, I don’t think I need any more Flotow in my life. Otherwise, it was mostly viewing for me and said viewing included finishing the motion picture entitled Minari, which I must say I really kind of loved. It’s quirky, very funny at times, and always very human. While the thoroughly predictable and, to me, boring Nomadland gets the attention, especially its director, Minari’s director, who is actually really good, gets a whole lot o’ silence. And so it goes with the pretentious Academy and SAG people – it’s all so unsurprising in a completely unsurprising way. Anyway, I recommend Minari. Since I’d gotten the entire The Queen’s Gambit series as a screener yesterday, I began watching that. Of course, I couldn’t imagine it living up to the drooling adulation it’s gotten from everyone, but if the first two episodes are anything to go by, it kind of does. Episode one is all backstory after the opening sequence and all that’s very well done. The young girl who plays the lead character at nine is really terrific, and the rest of the cast are all fine. Episode two we get the older version of the character, and that actress is also terrific and quirky. The chess sequences thus far really work well even if you don’t know anything about the game. For me, the most interesting thing about this is: Why now? The novel it’s based on, by Walter Tevis, who wrote novel, The Hustler, came out in 1963. What, no one saw its potential for almost sixty years? That’s just wacky to me, especially after the success of The Hustler. But, better late than never. Of course, first editions, which you couldn’t give away prior to this series, are suddenly going for almost four hundred bucks now. The good news is in a year they’ll drop back down, because that kind of insanity is very short-lived and I’ve watched it happen over and over again – from Gone Girl and that kind of phenomenon – when the movie came out, hundreds of dollars – now, around fifty bucks. Anyway, I’m looking forward to the rest of it – I gather it’s seven episodes in all. I’ll probably watch episode three after I post these here notes, maybe even before. In other news, I put up lots of new perks last night and we even had a little action on Sunday, which is usually a completely dead day – and we got to 57%. So, check out the new perks and let’s get past 60% if we can and we can – yes, you heard it here, dear readers, we can DO this. Here’s the handy-dandy link.
Yesterday was certainly a day. I think I got nine hours of sleep – hard to tell with the time difference. Once up, I answered e-mails, did a bit of work on the computer, then went and picked up two packages – should have been three, as one was arriving yesterday – but naturally the third didn’t get delivered until right before they closed. I stopped at Taco Bell on the way home, so that’s what I had for food and it hit the spot and I enjoyed it. I started making the show order but didn’t get very far because I had a bit of a headache. I took two I Be Profane, sat on my couch, and started my viewing. After finishing Minari, I listened to the two recordings I already spoke about, and then it was The Queen’s Gambit. I was also told that the little hiccups on project two that we had to fix are indeed fixed and all is well and well is all. The rest you know.
Today, I’ll try to be up by eleven, as it’s a brand-new day and I need to cheerlead us over 60% for sure, and hopefully higher. The new perks are really cool and really rare. I’ll finish the show order and begin the commentary, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat something light but fun, and then at some point, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same – writing commentary, cheerleading us as we head to our second week on Wednesday, getting the rest of the Kritzerland videos, and then doing whatever needs doing.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, try to be up by eleven, cheerlead, finish the show order, start writing the commentary, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and then at some point, watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite limited series, like The Queen’s Gambit. You know, the ones that don’t have anything beyond the initial number of episodes. And what are your favorites of the ones that do go on to multiple seasons? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to be enjoying The Queen’s Gambit and The Queen’s 57%.