What I Enjoyed in December

Books, TV, Movies!

December was a blur of media consumption. When it’s dark at 4 pm, the snow is here to stay for the next few months, and the temperatures are below freezing, it’s hard to want to do much else.

I’m still on my western kick. I started watching the limited TV series The English and I’m enjoying the slow pace. A lot of westerns are fast moving and action packed, so the slow, creepy vibe of the show is enjoyable. It reminds me more of the Man With No Name trilogy, with its long, artsy shots and close ups.

My husband and I watched a few Jimmy Stewart movies (‘twas the season). One of them was Winchester ‘73. I was intrigued because I couldn’t recall if I’d seen him in a western before, although I knew he’d done a few. The concept was inspirational, something I’d like to try, though I’m not sure if it would only work as a screenplay. It followed around a coveted rifle, the Winchester 1873, as it changed hands through violence, power, and bribery. It was as if the item was cursed. I’m not sure what item I’d use to attempt writing something similar. Maybe just a person over time.

Another Jimmy Stewart movie we watched was After the Thin Man. We didn’t realize until halfway through that it was a sequel, but it worked just as well as a standalone. It followed a detective and his rich wife as they solved a murder. The mystery part was entertaining enough, but the chemistry of the husband and wife, played by William Powell and Myrna Loy, was hard to look away from. It showed that strong character development, chemistry, and dialogue can make an average movie really pop.

Speaking of mysteries with strong chemistry and characters, I’ve been reading Dead Men Don’t Chew Gum by Nina Cordoba, and the humour and internal dialogue of the main characters (it’s two person POV) is worth studying.

Another book that I got excited about in December was A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson. This was a thriller that was interesting enough for me to keep going. It felt like it was going to have an obvious ending, but it changed dramatically in the 3rd quarter, picking up the action even more, and I raved about it to my husband after. I usually only do that if I really like or am intrigued by what I’ve read. This book really showed how effective a crazy twist and ending can have on the reader. If it had a predictable ending I probably would’ve given it 3/5, but that ending really notched it up for me to a 5/5.

Last but not least, in our horror movie club we watched The Primevals. It was a stop-motion and real-time mix that reminded me of a more gruesome and bizarre Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I’m not sure I learned anything from it, or took inspiration from it, but I sure enjoyed the heck out of it.

Currently, I’ve been watching The Judge From Hell and I’m absolutely enthralled. If there are any other book/TV/movie recommendations you have, please post them below! I’m pretty much open to any genres.