tv series

All about ‘You’

March 1, 2019March 4, 2019 KarlLeave a comment

you-1-920x518

Finally finished watching You on Netflix. Never thought I’d enjoy the show this much.

Admittedly, I had very little interest in the series when it started making waves early this year. Not even when Penn Badgley and Shay Mitchell came to town to promote the show. My impression was that it’s Riverdale with less characters. Something for yuppies and millennials to sink their teeth into.

Then one by one friends whose taste I trust started coming up to me to hype the show. “Try it,” they said. “It’s like Dexter.” The comparison with my favorite serial killer show got me. So I decided to give it a whirl. After all, if anything, I could always enjoy a couple of hours gawking at Shay Mitchell.

But then it turned out You, despite its short, decidedly simplistic title, is more than Shay’s pretty queen bitch-y face. As early as the pilot episode I knew my preconceptions for the show were unwarranted if not unjustified.

Sometimes, it’s good to be proven wrong.

Weekend report 0007

February 18, 2019March 4, 2019 KarlLeave a comment

nailbiter-vol-2-bloody-hands-tp_59e0dae728 These days, it’s all Nailbiter. Finished Vol. 1 (“There Will Be Blood”) in one day, currently enjoying Vol. 2 (“Bloody Hands”), and looking forward to reading the succeeding volumes. Serial killers and comics, man. Welcome to my world.

So I missed several days last week, so what? There are really times when writing about how my day went seems like too much effort. A kind of dumb self-imposed pressure I can do without. Why force myself to write, when I can enjoy some additional free time instead? So I said fuck it and that was that. Who gives a shit, anyway?

Speaking of free time: I just had a three-day weekend where I just kicked back and relaxed after three long weeks of grueling shift and equally grueling commute. I don’t expect things to be better now, but at least I had that period of rest to nurse myself back to fighting condition. Hell yes, mentally and physically I am now ready for whatever curve ball life decides to throw at me.

And so much for that. During my three-day break from work I did the following (aside from reading Nailbiter, that is): started watching You on Netflix, caught up on the latest True Detective and Gotham seasons, watched BlackKKlansman and Gimme Danger, and continued reading Mick Wall’s biography of Metallica. There was also a trip to the mall with the girls, and to the gym with the wifey. For all this I had to skip Komiket at ETON Centris. Still, it was a great weekend, all in all.

DC Comics · tv series

Tried something new & chill

January 18, 2019January 21, 2019 KarlLeave a comment

hellblazer_vol_1_34 Picked this old John Constantine comic from the to-read pile today hoping for some dark magic voodoo vibe and angst-ridden witticism (duh, look at that grim-looking cover), but turned out there was little of that in “The Boogeyman,” the issue that kicks off the Dangerous Habits volume. Penned by Jamie Delano, the story features John in his saddest sad sack form, reentering the lives of Marj and Mercury and inadvertently causing a rift between them. Drunk and obviously wrestling with inner demons, John’s a hard dude to love, much more welcome to your home. One can’t help but pity the bastard.

Realizing that resistance is futile, I tried Netflix for the first time today (I know, I know, sue me). Didn’t sign up yet despite the one-month free trial. Instead, I used my Hong Kong-based sister-in-law’s account. With her permission, of course. She’s offered it to us last year because she said it’s “underused” as both she and her husband were too busy to enjoy frequent TV time, but I only took her offer today because I was itching to watch the second season of The Punisher. Also, admittedly, my curiosity has grown through the months since Netflix started making waves. Now, it seems like everyone I know is addicted to it. And today I knew exactly why. I went to bed thinking of availing the free one-month trial.

Especially now that, according to various news reports, Netflix is about to wage war on freeloaders by putting a stop to the practice of account sharing.

books · marvel · tv series · work

An invitation

January 8, 2019January 21, 2019 KarlLeave a comment

Read me some Thunderbolts today, starting with issue #152, the issue that kicked off the Violent Rejection TPB. I ended the day with two issues short of finishing the collected edition. What can I say? Life interfered.

A friend just off her graveyard shift invited me through Facebook to an early morning drink today. She may only be half serious — indeed, one can’t, or shouldn’t, take anything they read on social media lock, stock and barrel — but I had this feeling we could’ve made it happen. Anyway, I didn’t press for it, and she went home to catch some zzzz’s. Still, I nursed the beautiful thought until it died a natural death, and then got busy with work, and that was that. Morning drinks can wait for another day.

Down to the last 100 pages of Bill Bryson’s brilliant Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe now. Hopefully I can finish this before the week ends so that I can move on to the year’s Book No. 2, which I haven’t quite figure out yet (Neil Strauss’ Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life is a strong candidate). Indeed, between the Thunderbolts TPB and Bill Bryson’s travelogue, I’m on a roll!

Also watched first episodes of Gotham S05 and Deadly Class S01.

image · tv series · weekend

Weekend report 0001

January 6, 2019January 9, 2019 KarlLeave a comment

51JabnlWLPL._SX323_BO1204203200_ So despite a busy weekend I was still able to finish Deadly Class Vol 1: Reagan Youth. The SyFy series will drop this month and I intend to dive into it with background not culled from Wikipedia. I’m not lazy like that to the things that matter.

Turned 40 on Saturday. Spent it at the Venice Piazza, that fake Italy that is Taguig’s latest tourist attraction located at the posh McKinley Hill Town Center. Had lunch at Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, and tried the gondola ride at the canal that was complete with a singing boatman. It was all very nice. My in-laws shouldered the hefty bill, so there was that.

Then we checked in at F1 Hotel Manila for another night of “staycation.” After resting a bit we trooped to Uptown Place Mall for some hours of window shopping and aimless wandering. The place is very beautiful and comely at night. There were surprisingly few people frolicking about, so crowd was not a problem. At Filbar’s I bought Volume 1 of Fables as a birthday gift to self. Back at the hotel I tried watching cable TV, but was just too sleepy for it.

Sunday: Late breakfast at Army Navy (my first time), a couple more hours at the hotel just soaking up the place, then we checked out. Was at home by noon. Nap and comics and a creepy-ass movie called Mandy, and finally I called it a day.

Great birthday weekend, all in all.