Summer Days and Entertainment

No, no book reviews to be found here folks, but I have been watching some TV and even saw a movie in theater! Here is how I've been entertained lately:

TV

MTV's Teen Wolf--This thing cracks me up. It's really ridiculous, fairly sexist, super cheesy, and yet I'm still watching because it has a feel to it that reminds me of the kind of horror book I would have enjoyed before I ever made it into high school. It entertains me with its cliches so I'm still watching.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King--I had high hopes for this show because I liked Skyler Samuels on The Gates (RIP) and I love girl-centric shows but so far it's hasn't really ~spoken to me. Again, I'm still watching because it's summer and there isn't much else on and it's entertaining enough, but I don't know there's just something about ABC Family shows...the never really inspire addiction and obsession for me.

Switched at Birth--Surprisingly I probably like this one the best out of all the new shows because it has a lot of potential to really explore ideas of identity and family, what makes us who we are, how much we base our self-perception on where we came from, etc. The first two episodes were just alright for me, but the most recent one made me all teary, darn it. The basic idea is that two girls were switched at birth, they discover it in high school and their families end up living next door in order to get to know their daughters.

Falling Skies--A bit heavy handed and not entirely original, but interesting enough to keep me with it. I already wrote more about this one here.

Wilfred--Tried to watch this one, but the main character tries to commit suicide in the opening sequence and that kind of depression is too close to home for me right now, any kind of harsh realism in comedy generally doesn't work for me, so I gave up.

Pretty Little Liars--Now in its second season. I hate the pairing of Ezra/Aria and that manages to detract from my enjoyment EVERY SINGLE WEEK but the show got a bit more interesting lately, and I love Spencer.

On Netflix, I started watching Greek, but it's a bit take it or leave it for me and I'm going to try to finish at least the first season of Battlestar Galactica.

BUT FRIENDS!! If you have Amazon Prime, they have many videos available to you, and I'd like to point out that Mister Rogers is available to watch. Isn't that wonderful? I have it on right now as I wrote this post. it gives me many warm fuzzy feelings of my childhood.

MOVIES

I went to see Super 8 in the theater. I thought it was a nice fun summer film, full of nostalgic feel, but it wasn't anything spectacular to me. It wasn't really scary, the monster was kind of...strange, the best part was the cute and fun banter between the friends.

On DVD, I've recently watched Battle: Los Angeles (a war movie! with aliens!), Megamind (kind of cute) Secretariat (so much love this was fabulous), Skyline (too ridiculous for life), and I am Number 4 (lost interest when Timothy Olyphant got killed off)

I also watched Hal Ashby's The Landlord which I thought was a really intersting film. It's only on DVD recently for the first time and it's about a wealthy guy that buys an apartment building in Park Slope Brooklyn pre-gentrification. Of course he's really naive and when he first shows up they take advantage of him and steal his things and threaten his life, but he's rather eager to make his own way and he kind of bonds with him. I don't know I thought this movie was really interesting in the way it was put together and dealt with racism and privilege. And the story was at times really amusing. I have a feeling it was a movie before its time.



OTHER STUFF

Pixar is finally going to have a girl main character in next year's Brave. I'm so excited! I love Pixar but it's sad they haven't had a girl for a main character before and saying that's because they are story driven doesn't really make me feel better. Sometimes we need to be pushed to look at why we are conceiving stories the way we are but whatever not going to be too mad at the moment. She's an expert at archery as well, sound like another favorite heroine?

Comic-con is coming soon!! If you are a book blogger or author planning on going please let me know! Maybe we can all get together and stand in line for something together. :)

So...recommended movies? TV I should catch up on over the summer? Best beach reads? Tell me all.