Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
I watched this on Netflix and completely binged it.
I had seen it on the Netflix home page but it wasn't until Hannah Witton recommended it that I started watching.
It is much darker than the original Sabrina the Teenage Witch series (which I watched as a kid), and Sabrina seems a lot younger and child-like in this new series (or maybe I just got older).
There are quite a few jumpy and creepy moments, but somehow it was on just exactly the right side of scary. I kept watching the whole series on my own, and I am a known scared-y cat.
It was really easy to get lost in this new world, it's new rules, and new aesthetics. Everything was very autumnal-creepy-American-small-town ish. Lots of pumpkins and creepy-woods-near-the-high-school scenarios. It reminded me of the vibe of the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes.
The actresses who play Hilda, Zelda and Miss Wardwell are exceptional. It is brilliant to see three strong leading ladies who really know their craft, and I am so happy that there was so much screen time given to women over the age of 40. Miss Wardwell in particular was clearly enjoying the role, and I immediately thought I recognised her as the Scottish actress from Green Wing. (She was so good at the American accent that she had me doubting myself, but a quick Google confirmed that yes indeed, she was Michelle Gomez from Green Wing.)
There is a strong feminist theme to the series, which I really appreciated. Lots of little in-jokes and nods to feminism, and played out by a really great cast of extremely talented ladies.
I was also so happy to see narratives which dealt with the trans teen experience and gay couples skillfully woven into the plot. It was made explicit and never hidden away, but also in many ways did not make a huge song and dance about it either. It was just simply made part of the story, with a stylish effortlessness.
The design of the costumes was brilliant too. A sort-of sexy 1980s gothic, with a great deal of red and navy velvet, with a good dose of high Victorian collars. It was a bit Tim Burton (it reminded me particularly of his film Dark Shadows) mixed with Stranger Things, or the Addams Family crossed with The Royal Tenenbaums.
I also got a bit obsessed with Abigail Cowen who plays one of the Weird Sisters, as she looked so cool and stylish. (I think she looks really like YouTuber Ms Rosie Bea.)
Of course like any series there are flaws, but in general I thought this was really great.
Baby Driver (2017)
I'm know I'm a bit late on this one, but the intro sequence of this film is just amazing.
I watched it with my dad and we were both blown away by the choreography of the car chase scenes, the cine-literacy, and blending of genres.
Plus I am increasingly becoming a fan of the actress Lily James. I just watched her in Mamma Mia Here We Go Again (the sequel to Mamma Mia) this evening, and had previously seen her in the BBC War & Peace series as well as in Cinderella.
Here's the opening scene I was going on about:
I'm ashamed to say that I only just got into Verso recently, but I am definitely making up for lost time.
In case you don't know, Verso was originally known as New Left Books, created by the New Left Review. It is the biggest independent radical publishing house in the English speaking world.
I got their 2019 diary, and De Colores Means All Of Us.
But there is so much more I want to read from their collection.
They have a sale on at the moment which goes on until January 1st, so I will be doing another (large?) haul post-Christmas.
This Vintage Books Podcast on Christmas in Iceland
It's very sweet and light, and I particularly love the Icelandic tradition of giving each other books and then sitting altogether in the evening silently reading them (maybe beside a log fire?).
My new flower earrings from Etsy
These are just exactly what I have been looking for.
They were handmade by Natasha in New York via her Etsy shop Wink and Flip.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
AKA my new idol.
She is the youngest member of congress in the US, with liberal politics and from a Puerto Rican background. She grew up in the Bronx, New York. She really knows how to use social media to increase participation and access to politics, as well as making it exciting and interesting.
Plus she is super stylish.
Anthology calendar
by Jade Fisher
I'm really excited to start this in 2019.
It's basically a calendar of illustrations of women activists, artists, adventurers, musicians and so on.
I don't know about you, but I go through phases with Pinterest. Right now I am very much in an addicted/obsessed phase. It's usually a really good way to know how I am feeling, by looking at my Pinterest.
Flight Radar 24
Recently got really into this app. It's very geeky. My dad showed me it when we were waiting to pick my sister up from the airport when she was coming back from Taiwan. It's basically an app (and website) that shows you where the flights above you / around the world are going and where they have come from. It also tells you what type of plane it is and what company etc. It's very nerdy but I've always been interested in aviation and this is the ultimate nerd-out.
& Increasingly obsessed with the art and lives of Frida Kahlo & Georgia O'Keeffe & Joni Mitchell
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