Tag Archives: Netflix

Nov 23 2020
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8pm and Out

Lock down life has got me hitting the apples and pears much earlier than usual. What is there to stay up for?

Since I began in teaching in September, I can’t stay up on a school night. Then my step-dad passed away suddenly and I began to wake up at 4am, regardless at what time I went to bed. Next up on the bedtime rollercoaster, the clocks went back and as it’s dark at like 5pm, I’m done and turning in three hours later.

I’m not even making it through Bake Off! I woke last week to find Hermine has been booted out of the tent and Dave (DAVE! DAVE? OMG, why is DAVE still there?) smuggly through to the final. I blame myself, I wasn’t there for Hermine and her cube cake show stopper. I’m sorry.

I’ve fallen into this routine of falling asleep on the sofa/in the living room chair around the 8pm mark and waking up with all the lights and TV still on around 11pm. Realising this was detrimental to my decrepit spine and winter energy bills, I promised myself to hit the hay once my eyes got heavy. The issue with this is that I could genuinely go to bed at 6:15pm. My kids however, cannot.

At the weekend I try to wean myself off this infantile bedtime routine. But then there was an EPIC delivery of Berry & Rye Elder Flower Collins and Southern Belle Punch and I was more sleepy and sated than I had been all week. Cue me missing the last 20 minutes of S1 E4 of The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix. I’m having to watch everything twice.

I guess if you feel tired, you should just sleep, right? If you’ve watched everything on Netflix, drank all the gin, read all the reading books and recited all the spellings and times tables. If the dishes are done and the uniforms are ironed, just slide into bed and rest your noodle, yeah? Is there any point in fighting it?

I just want to see Peter win Bake Off. Is that asking too much?

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Jun 10 2020
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I Need New York

When I’ve had a crappy day or my head is filled with made-up scenarios and situations I’ve made ten times worse by overthinking, only a trip to New York can soothe me.

Sadly I’ve neither the money nor the physical ability to hop on a transatlantic flight right now. So the next best thing is Sex And The City. I know, I know. It sounds utterly ridiculous but losing myself in the drama of four, wealthy, successful women, living it up on the streets and Park Avenue apartments of New York, is good for my mental health.

We’ve all don’t shitty things in our lives. Lied, cheated, been selfish, whatever. But somehow, watching fabulously-dressed, no f&ks-given, women make these same mistakes, is pretty spell-binding.

Carrie is awful to Big, he can’t commit. Carrie treated Aiden even worse. He needed security. Trey can’t get it up, Charlotte just wants to be loved. Harry loves Charlotte, just like she wanted, only initially she’s ashamed of him/his appearance. Miranda wants her independence, Steve just wants to adore her, and Samantha? Samantha just has it all.

Since SATC hit UK screens back in ’99, the overriding question was always, “which one are you?” Same went for The Spice Girls. The stigma being if you were a Samantha, you were a bit of a slag. Fast forward 20 years and I’m fully admitting that I’m a little bit of all of the SATC characters – guys included. Just not Berger. Don’t be like Berger.

When everything around me feels like it spiraling out of control, the ultimate chill is a full back catalogue binge. Followed closely by Gossip Girl – although I can’t see Dan as innocent after becoming hooked Netflix series ‘You’. If you know, you know.

I have deadlines looming early next week so I can’t currently afford to lose two days to New York and high fashion. I’m going straight in with the first movie. Expect tears, but an altogether much happier me in around 2 hours time.

 

 

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Mar 29 2020
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On The Box

TV is a window into the world we’re no longer allowed to play in. Thank god for Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Cartoon Network. I’m all about that Cupcake & Dino life. 

I don’t really watch tv. Well, I don’t watch anything regularly. Soaps and reality tv shows don’t interest me. In fact, I’ve just realised I’ve seen more episodes of The Amazing World of Gumball and Apple & Onion than anything even remotely grown up.

That was until life as we knew it was blown out of the water and we were all banned from going outside for three weeks. Yes, I know we’re officially ‘allowed’ one 30 minute window for exercise, but that still leaves 23.5 hours in the day to fill. Good old telly.

I still don’t watch anything on mainstream TV. Cartoon Network is my go-to. It’s mindless, it’s fun, it totally counts as a ‘family activity’ and who doesn’t love watching UniKitty lose her shit at Puppycorn and Hawkadile for 114th time an episode?

When the kids go to bed, I’ve taken on some recommendations in the form of films and series. Here’s 7 films and series I’m watching on lockdown while awaiting the second season of The Umbrella Academy;

Ozark

Netflix series which first aired in 2017. Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. Jason plays Marty, a financial advisor who gets into some shit money laundering for a Mexican drug cartel. It’s really good. I’m 5 episodes into season one, with seasons 2 and 3 now available on Netflix too. Give it a whirl.

Pretty Woman

I know, I know. It’s ancient, it’s corny af, but it had the power to pull a bunch of us together on social media on Wednesday night to watch it and reminisce together. Work it baby! 30 years since it’s release, we were all singing and quoting along. You can rent it for £2.49 on Amazon.

Indian Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark

The hilarious Joe Heenan @joeheenan started #RaidersTweet on Twitter last week and got a shed load of strangers together to watch this absolute classic. Having tried for years to get my kids into this franchise, my 14-year-old finally sat up and paid attention when she saw young Harrison Ford in his three-piece tweed! What a style icon Marion is! Get it on Amazon Prime.

The Split

Season two of this BBC drama had me on a countdown for almost 12 months. The story follows a highly successful divorce lawyer, Hannah, her crumbling marriage, her affair with the hot, blonde America, her sisters and mum. It’s London, pre-pandemic and a woman who is in love with two men. Get season 1 and 2 on the BBC Iplayer. Brilliant drama.

Casual

I binge-watched all three seasons of Casual on Amazon Prime Video before the pandemic became a thing. It stars Tommy Dewey and Michaela Watkins as brother and sister Alex and Valerie. From their messed up childhood to raising a teen, dating, sex, relationships, the adorable Leon and the LA life. Addictive stuff.

Metro

Metro, starring Eddie Murphy and Michael Rapaport first hit cinema screens in 1997 and I love it as much today as I did then. Eddie plays another smart-mouthed cop, a la Beverley Hills cop, but this time he’s a negotiator who’s pissed off a jewellery thief. It’s got some great stunts. Another £2.49 effort on Amazon that’s worth a watch.

True Detective

I appreciate that I’m WAY behind the times when it comes to this Sky series. I’ve heard so many people rave about the first series that I’m going to treat myself to it and feast on the heady mash-up of Hollywood giants, McConaughey and Harrelson in the coming weeks. Let me get three seasons of Ozark done first! If you want to stream it, you can get it on Now TV.

What are you watching to get by? What are you thoughts on binge-watching a long-awaited series as opposed to resorting to an episode a day/week? like back in the good old days? Were those days really that good? Drop me a line with your recommendations katejamesblogs@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Jan 25 2020
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Weekend Caos

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (CAOS), part three, dropped on Netflix on Friday and having binged the whole 8 episode series, here’s why it’s well better than the 90’s original. Oh, no spoilers.

Sabrina and Harvey, Zelda and Hilda, Salem, Jenny, Mr Pool – ahh all the 90’s nostalgia as this teenage witch, played by Melissa Joan Hart, was thrust onto our TV screens. And we loved her.

If you missed it – the American kids show premiered in 1996. The former Archie Comics story focuses on the teen witch as she gets to grips with her new found powers. She’s also crushing real hard on hearthrob Harvey Kinkle, while her crazy black cat, Salem is hell bent on taking over the world – mainly with clever puns and funny one liners.

It was a class, post school show that you could stick on and watch mindlessly. She wore wacky clothes and her spells constantly went wrong – thankfully her two aunties were on it. And Hilda baked.

The Sabrina reboot which launched on Netflix in 2018 turned this, relatively innocent post-school hang out show, into a supernatural horror that has audiences chomping at the bit for a follow up instalment.

Kiernan Shipka plays Sabrina, a half witch half mortal who, in pretty much every single episode, fights some kind of evil force that theatens her family and friends. Seriously, this teen is worldly, sub worldy and other worldly wise – like never before.

Gone is the ditzy, happy-go-lucky, cheesey all American girl we knew and loved. In her place, Sabrina of the 2010’s is a bad ass. Her wardrobe is to die for, Harvey got seriously hot, and then there’s Nick, Ambrose and well, Lucifer himself! If you’re at a lose end this weekend, make a start on parts one and two and get to grips with the new Spellman layout.

There’s a whole host of amazing actors involved including; Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Michelle Gomez, Richard Coyle, Miranda Otto, Lachlan Watson and more. The storylines are dark AF and pretty jumpy at times, but part three brought a sense of urgency as the Spellmans come to realise they’re not as fearsome as they first thought.

There’s a whole load of teenage lust and angst woven through this 8 episode series. The mad happenings of Greendale make it difficult to date stamp. References to cult music, culture, films etc make you assume modern day, yet styling, vehicles and 1950’s ice cream men, mess with your head.

Talking of styling, the costume department of this show deserve an Oscar. From scores of cheerleaders to Aunt Hilda’s mismatched tights and shoes combo’s, Nick and his brooding black shirt, jeans and leather jacket look and Harvey with his all American boy check shirts and chukka boots.

By far the stand out fashion icon of CAOS part three is Prudence. Played by Tatti Gabrielle, Prudence absolutely knocks her character development out of the park this series. The Hare Moon outfit she wares would make headlines at Coachella, her Highlands get-up is surely straight off the runway at Westwood and channelling her inner Mummy heroine ‘Evie’ with twin blades, leather pants and silk shirt – comes second only to her New Orleans lingerie look, that I couldn’t get enough of. Hats off.

Part three is different. It takes Sabrina’s story to new heights. Everyone grows up a little. There’s moments of emotion that really sets Salem amongst the pigeons. If you know your Greek Mythology, your friendy neighbourhood ice cream van driver and you’re a lover of fairground rides, you’ll love this most recent instalment.

Hell needs a make-over fellas, and I’m 100% sure Sabrina’s going to be at the forefront of it.

 

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