Tag Archives: horror

Couch Potato Files Vol. 18

July must have had someplace to be because we’re already closing in on the end of the month. I’m actually ok with that. That means we’re that much closer to our turrible and long hot Arizona summer being over AND that much closer to getting the fuck out of here and going on vacation. We haven’t gone much of anywhere this year, since there was a lot to take care of with my ma, so my hubby and I are hitting the road soon to sunny (and cooler) San Diego. It’s been a few years and man, I can’t wait. Plus, it’s my daughter’s maiden voyage, staying home alone, and taking care of her fur brothers. Hopefully she won’t burn the place down but honestly, if that happened, it wouldn’t surprise me. Not because she’s not responsible – she is very much so. I just wouldn’t put it past this shitastic year and being on our BINGO card. I’ve knocked on a lot of wood while writing this up so yeah, no worries. It’s all fun and games. 😉

Alight, enough about that, today is FIN-NALLY Shark Week!! Happy 37th to this great week of Discovery Channel TV (HBO Max too) and enjoy watching all the fun. It’s gonna be FIN-TASTIC! Some weeks/years have been better than others, depending on the celebrity hosts, so we’ll see how this year measures up. I’m SO READY! Along with that, here’s some other goodness to watch at home or at the theater. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty – Prime

The third and final season just started this week, dripping out two episodes and then one a week for a total of eleven through September 17. Stretching out the end of this heart-felt series as best they can and man, the love triangle is already off and running once again in just the first two episodes. I envy all the awesome authors who have had their books turned into popular shows or movies. There are so many now! Perfect material and sure beats studios just resurrecting a classic and trying to reboot it. Don’t get me wrong – some reboots are fun but the majority just feel like Hollywood’s being lazy. When you think about the mounds of books with original content that could be adapted for the screen, the sky’s the limit. 

Too Much – Netflix

I was jumping for joy that this show finally hit Netflix on July 10 and I resisted the urge to binge it. Still watching it, actually, and what I’ve seen so far is everything I hoped it would be and then some. Megan Statler is a comedy gem and bravo to Lena Dunham for recognizing her talent and writing this show just for her…and putting herself in it as a really fun cameo! It’s also nice to see Will Sharpe flex his acting muscles and be something more than Aubrey Plaza’s door knob of a husband on White Lotus. He played it well but his character in this show perfectly meshes with Megan’s crazy. 

Live Aid 40th Anniversary Docuseries – CNN

July 13 was the 40th Anniversary of Live Aid and CNN put together a great four-episode docuseries about how it all came to be. The episodes are being dripped out on Sunday nights and so far what I’ve seen has been fantastic. It’s soooo nostalgic! Seeing some of the most legendary performances, like Queen, is going to be awesome. The footage is perfect! And, fun fact: Phil Collins performed in both London AND Philly. He flew on the Concord to make it to both! If you’re a fan of music and so, SO many huge bands and musical acts, this is worth the watch.

Drop – Peacock

I missed this when it came out at the theaters back in April. Again, just a lot going on with my ma at the time. I really LOVE anything that Blumhouse produces and that the awesome Meghann Fahy starred in it too, double-bonus. It’s a lot of fun – some-edge-of-your-seat fun and some good ol’ fashion jump scares too. AND it’s only 1 hour and 35 minutes. Is it just me or have feature length movies just gotten waaayyyy too long? I mean, I get it, it’s tough to tell your story in under 2 hours but rise to the challenge and try. And maybe studios think they have to make movies pretty long so that people can justify paying to go see one at the theater? So they gotta give them their money’s worth? I think time IS money and I’d rather see a really well-produced flick in under 2 hours any day. Now, sometimes you want more and it’s justifiable. There’s just a lot of fluff to movies though that maybe could have made it on the cutting-room floor and the final product tightened up some. Just saying. Anyway, have some summer thriller fun with this one!!

Superman – at a theater near you 

I’ll admit it. I was really worried about this one but I secretly had high hopes that James Gunn wouldn’t fuck it up. There was soooo much riding on it, especially after the disappointment of finding out that Henry Cavill would no longer be part of any future DC movies…at least at this point. This movie honors the legacy so well and has just the right amount of James Gunn magic and campiness that makes it work perfectly. I couldn’t have been happier. Maybe I need to start going to movies with lower expectations – it’s just not in me though. I literally LOVE movies so I can always find something good, no matter if it was a box office bomb or not. This one just had REALLY big shoes to fill. I’m ecstatic to see it again. It was a major slam dunk for James’ reign as King of DC. 

Bachelor in Paradise – ABC & Hulu

It’s been over a decade since I’ve watched ANY of the Bachelor seasons. My daughter used to love to watch it when she was little and make fun of all the crazy girls and guys. My hubby and I decided to give this one a go and man, it’s been entertaining. Still jam-packed with drama and we still root for the heinous to be roseless and booted from the island. The “Paradise” seasons add even more crazy to the episodes – the producers are clearly working over time, making it as messy as possible. It always reminds me of UnREAL. Basically a fictionalized version of how these types of shows are made, and all the terrible things they do behind the scenes to make for great ratings, and OMG – it was sooo good. Constance Zimmer is forever my spirit animal after seeing that show. She plays such an awesome bitch. Love her!

I Know What You Did Last Summer – at a theater near you.

Slasher Summer Fun, check! Hoping to capitalize on the Scream and Final Destination reboots phenomenon, here’s another one from the same teen slasher film era. It was pretty fun, with throwbacks/Easter eggs to the originals AND of course some of the stars too, along with fun newbies. If you are a fan like me of the OG, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how they included Sarah Michelle Geller, since she of course had a really legendary death in the original. Not quite as great as Scream, since that will always win the top prize IMHO, but still a fun watch. And, no spoilers, but stick around to see the post-credit scene. They’re hoping enough people showed up to this one so they can make more.

That’s all she wrote. I gotta get back to watching some more old Shark Week episodes to prep for tonight. Remember, like SpongeBob always says, Chum is Fum. 

Leave a comment

Couch Potato Files Vol. 17

Well, it’s still hot AF here in Arizona but you didn’t come here to read about me bitching about our weather. I am missing the long 4th weekend though – can there be a long weekend on the calendar monthly? Sure is nice. 

Anywho, without further ado, here’s a round-up of some more that I’ve watched over the past couple of weeks.

Call Her Daddy Podcast with guest Charlize Theron

Prior to watching her episode, I only watched one other, when Kamala Harris was the guest. Alex is a pretty fun hostess and while listening to them talk, I looked up more about Charlize and found that her mom shot and killed her dad, an alcoholic, who was hurting them, right in front of her. Crazy! I had no idea – she was 15! She shared all this on the episode and how it of course affected her life – just wild. 

Charlize also likes to say “fuck” a lot and I like her even more now, sharing that she cusses in front of her kids. Same girl, same and I come from a long line of parents who did exactly that and I came out mostly ok, as has my daughter. She really is a badass, like her movie Old Guard, now with a sequel! Netflix should have done some more marketing for it since it felt like it just showed up out of nowhere with no real fanfare, especially for her being in it – and UMA IS IN IT TOO! And, no spoilers, but it does set up the ending for another movie, rounding out the trilogy. It also was #1 on Netflix over the holiday weekend so maybe it didn’t need any marketing? 

Hot Ones Podcast with guest Adam Levine 

Maroon 5 is going out on tour again. Love them! Adam made it through the wing gauntlet but not without some tears. I still laugh every episode when the host, Sean, never skips a beat with his list of questions for the guest and even as they’re crying and complaining, he trudges on and gets the answers. 

Southern Charm on Peacock

Thanks to Mr. Jon Hamm, I’m kind of hooked on this show. I wrote more about it on IG and plan to post more out-of-context images as I work my way through the MANY seasons. It really is a trainwreck like most reality shows. I can see the draw for viewers though – you can make fun of them all, you don’t really need to pay close attention (there’s recaps to help you if you happen to miss any “plot” points) and they’re really just funny noise to have on. 

Good Hang with Amy Poehler with guest Dakota Johnson 

I really dig this podcast the more I watch it. I mean, how can I not – it’s Amy. She recently had Dakota Johnson as her guest, promoting her new movie The Materialists, which is great BTW. Towards the very end of the funny conversation, Dakota dropped that she loved Farmer Wants a Wife. I jumped for joy! I too love it and how gloriously bad it is. 

Deep Cover on Prime

Sometimes you just need a funny and wholesome movie to watch and laugh with and this is it. I loved the cast and the premise. I think Prime has done a really great job of putting a lot of movies out like this, including the even more recent Heads of State. A little bit bigger budget for that one but you can’t beat the cast and maybe the not-so-subtle nudges at our current political landscape. It was perfectly dropped around the 4th of July holiday too.  Fun Fact about John Cena and Idris Elba. Idris was another episode of Amy’s podcast and was fantastic. Amy always invites a friend of her guest to join before she meets with the guest to help her with good questions. Jon was the friend and she reminisced with him about their time working together on Sisters. If you want to laugh until you hurt, THAT’S the movie. John had a small but memorable part and he said he had so much fun working with Amy and Tina and that it ended up being the first vacation he’d had in years, since he only had a few scenes to shoot. 

Amy then went on to talk about John with Idris and they both talked about how great he is to work with and so charming. I think the world over thinks of him as a goofy wrestler but he’s made a huge career out of that and then crossed over into movies and TV. 

Speaking of: if you don’t have Peacemaker marked on your calendar for August 21 to check out the new season on HBO Max, you’re gonna miss out. There’s plenty of time to catch up on this AWESOME show now too. It’s great and if you’re a fan of the DC universe and James Gunn, it’s not to be missed. Talk about goofy fun! 

I feel like this portion of my post just took on a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon life of its own…or I really can’t stay on task AND it’s been so long since I’ve written much fun stuff on this blog that my brain is just exploding. AND speaking of Bacon, he’s got a new(ish) show too, The Bondsman, that I need to get back to watching. I watched a little bit but moved on to helping my ma more and watching a few other things. But it was intriguing – very True Blood like. Ok, I’m really done going down this rabbit hole. On to the next!

Jurassic World: Rebirth – at theaters near you  

Summer blockbuster season and slutty little glasses. Is there anything more perfect?! Sure, it’s not the original BUT man, it gives you all the feels when that familiar John Williams score blasts through the theater speakers AND those dinos start walking through like they’re in the room. 

Takes me waaaayyyy back to seeing the original with my ma and best friend for the first time in a new stadium-style theater in Orange County, California. My aunt and her boyfriend (who she later married) had seen it prior to taking us while we were visiting them during our summer break. Mike kept looking down the row at us as the dinos walked across the screen during that famous scene when all the cast first sees them too, enjoying our reactions and giggling. Dolby surround sound was new too and I’ll tell ya, it was really, REALLY hard to go back to my little twin theater in Bishop to watch other movies. I couldn’t wait to get out of town to these new theaters. Jurassic ruined me! 

So with all that being said, get ruined too and see this flick on the big screen as Spielberg intended! It’s THE best. And about those “slutty little glasses” that would be in reference to Jonathan Bailey – give it a Google search if you’re not familiar. He’s having a moment and everyone is having it with him, men and women alike. And, ScarJo is having her own moment and was just named the highest-grossing actor of all time – that’s right, not female only – ALL ACTORS. Period. Being part of the MCU AND Jurassic franchises was a good move and people keep showing up to see more.   

Clueless – various streamers

The 30th Anniversary of this classic is on July 19 so Fathom Events brought it back to the big screen for two days on June 29 & 30. Paul Rudd truly never ages. I was 17 when it came out so it was perfectly timed for my life then and nothing like what I was experiencing in the small town of Bishop that I grew up in. Beverly Hills was just a distant dream and La La Land of sorts that I envied. I loved anything about Hollywood and still do. It’s always been my jam. But this movie – it was a moment for me for sure. Alicia Silverstone and her one liners are legendary. The cast is just so much fun. The music – all of it. I’ve seen it so many times and my bestie and I of course rolled to the theater in matching shirts and with Clueless swag too. I’m always going to drown in nostalgia! I guess now I know how my ma and pop felt! 

Back to the Future – various streamers

Great Scott! This classic just celebrated its 40th anniversary on July 3.Talk about a Summer blockbuster! I remember seeing it at the twin theater in my small town and being blown away. It was the best thing I’d experienced and I couldn’t wait to then watch it on repeat at home when it eventually was on VHS. And of course then when Part 2 and 3 came out, I beat it to the theater to see them both. The trilogy is one of my all-time favorites. 

Every time I hear rumors that studios are trying to remake it, I love Robert Zemeckis even more when he halts all those rumors. That movie is a classic to never be updated and lives on as exactly that. 

We Were Liars on Prime 

Wow, major, MAJOR plot twist towards the end and I’ll not give it away but tell you that this is a must-watch. I know there are A LOT of these types of shows now, all adapted from Young Adult novels and all wanting to be added to your must-watch list but it’s a formula that works for this Gen-Xer, let me tell you! I love them! Maybe it’s because there weren’t a ton of these types of shows when I was that age so maybe I’m making up for lost time and that’s why I enjoy them so much. Being in my late 40s, I identify with both sides of the cast too – the kids and the parents – it’s kind of weird. Or maybe I justify that to myself and my addiction with these types of shows so it doesn’t sound creepier than it maybe is? Ha! Who knows – I just know that they’re a lot of fun and this one really went there with some crazy stuff. I haven’t read the book so I likely would have known what to expect then but I’m kind of glad I didn’t – it was shocking! Have I sold you enough on watching it, all three of you that have made it to this point in my rambles?! Hope so!


Duster on HBO Max

A trip down memory lane and the setting is in Arizona…and JJ Abrams is behind it too. Really cool mix of fact and fiction or maybe it’s fictionalized fact? Either way, it’s really fun. The first season just wrapped and I really hope enough people cared like me so there’s a season 2! Ohhhh and the opening title sequence is so great! I’ll just leave it at that – must-watch!

Resident Alien on SyFy & Peacock (and I think some other streamers too)

I think Alan Tudyk is one of the funniest human beings on the planet and not just funny ha ha, his ability to nail physical comedy is next level. This show is so much about physical comedy since he plays an alien in a human body. I cry-laugh every episode. The show was truly made for him. He came to Phoenix Fan Fusion in 2024 and his “thing” is when a fan asks him a question, he gifts them random crap he has in his backpack. Typically things like old hotel keys, a shower cap, a receipt. It’s hilarious. 

Alright that’s a lot of a couch and A LOT of potato this time. Double-stuffed like Oreos because it’s been awhile and I’m getting back on the writing train slowly but surely. Enjoy and if you live in AZ, stay cool. If you don’t live in AZ and are somewhere grand that doesn’t suffer from extreme heat, fuck you, errrr, good for you! 😉

Leave a comment

Couch Potato Files Vol. 7

Happy December. I’m still dreaming of Thanksgiving. How about you?! We feasted on The Keg’s take-home meal and didn’t have to do anything except serve it up on the festive plates we picked up at our local Safeway. We did have some additional sides that I couldn’t live without, like the jelly roll cranberry. It wouldn’t be Turkey Day without it sliding out of that Ocean Spray can in its glorious gelatinous form. And, I’ve been eating green bean casserole my entire life so I made that like my ma always made for us too…not even exclusively for Thanksgiving. Since we were big fans, we ate it as a side dish for many dinners. Who doesn’t dig a nice can of Cream of Mushroom soup to make many dishes tasty?! And those French’s crispy onion strings throughout?! YUMMY CITY! 

Alright, enough about my Thanksgiving meal. Here’s some snacks of a different kind to appease your pop culture appetite. As always, if you want more, give me a follow on the Gram. AND, a bunch of cool kids are over on BlueSky too so join in the fun. I know, I KNOW, yet another social platform but trust me, it’s like the old days of Twitter but even better. Give it a try. I also created a Letterboxd account since it will expand on any of the movies I write about here so give that a follow too, if you’re interested. 

Favorite TV Shows

Based on a True Story – Now in its second season, this Peacock show is so fun. I literally laugh out loud at some of Kaley Cuoco’s lines. Her character is hilarious, as most of her roles usually are. Speaking of which, if you haven’t watched The Flight Attendant on Max it’s a must-see. It’s two seasons of awesomeness, based on a best-selling book. There are definite similarities with her new show to that especially with the writing and just on-screen mayhem that occurs. She’s such a fantastic physical comedian too.

Cruel Intentions – The 1999 movie is pretty legendary and one of those flicks that maybe you don’t mess with a good thing and try to replicate it BUT I will say this new Prime Video show is pretty fun. It follows a similar premise and storyline of the movie but adjusts to current times since it has been (GULP!) almost 26 years. 

Favorite Movies

Red One – I finally saw this with my fam over the holiday weekend. Really fun! Dug it and it was much more action-packed than the trailers showed.  I think The Rock and Chris Evans should do more movies together. The whole buddy comedy vibe works well for them. 

Hallmark Countdown to Christmas – New flicks are happening all the time and my ma and I watched quite a few. They’re always just silly fun but so festive. Like I said before, they’re perfect drinking game material too. 

Leave a comment

Couch Potato Files Vol. 4

Fuck me – what a week. If you’re like me, you’ve had enough with reading about why the election turned out like it did and all the speculation and theories. Through all the doom scrolling, I remember seeing some posts about how artists need to lean into their craft during tougher times, providing not only an escape but also hope. Hope for better and brighter. Hope to not let the darkness consume you. 

So I’m no “artist” but I do like to write and provide my Cruise Director and pop culture recommendations and don’t do it nearly enough. That will be my artistic contribution. If nothing else, if you’re reading this and I’m writing this, it keeps us both from doom scrolling, even if for a bit.

Favorite TV Shows 

Teacup – Peacock launched this spooky series in October but if you’re like me and dig horror shows year round, give it a go. It’s got some familiar faces and only 8 episodes, making it very bing-worthy. Not yet greenlit for Season 2.

Hysteria! – As you can imagine, my watch-list is long so I haven’t actually finished this Peacock series yet but what I’ve seen so far is fantastic. Campy 80s horror and humor with Bruce Campbell leading the cast. Another 8 episodes that I’ll soon wrap up. Not yet greenlit for Season 2.

Yellowstone – The VERY long awaited second half of Season 5 is finally back today on Paramount. Six glorious episodes left and Kevin Costner’s last stand…and the show’s too. There are plenty of stories about more spinoffs and shows happening soon so the Yellowstone universe will continue but man, the original show will always be my favorite. 

The Penguin – The limited series finale is tonight and if you’re a fan of DC Comics, this show is made for you. It still blows my mind every time I watch that it’s Colin Farrell. I really need to do some research about how Matt Reeves and the creators decided he would be the best to put on that fat suit. The transformation is uncanny. As of now, it’s a limited series so sadly the 8 episodes may be it…and there’s rumors that Farrell is tired of playing the villain too. Fingers crossed maybe he changes his mind and they decide to create more.

Favorite Movies

Brothers – When I saw the trailer, I couldn’t wait to see this movie on Prime. All-star cast and a hilarious ride. And yes, that’s really Glenn Close.

Caddo Lake – A spooky and mysterious movie on Max that requires you to pay attention so you don’t lose track of what’s really going on. It’s great. Really dug it.

Favorite Shopping 

Ivy and Sage – ‘Tis the holiday season and my very-favorite store to check out all year long but especially for the holidays is Ivy and Sage. They outdo themselves with the decor and it’s an experience unlike any others. Shop local and check them out. It’ll 100% lift your spirits.

Highland Yard Vintage –  Another favorite that has special monthly markets and they too go all out with the decor and merriment. It’s a ton of fun. A great opportunity to support local and enjoy!

Favorite Follows

@mrprofessor318 – My bestie and I are big yacht rock fans and this fantastic fellow uses AI to make some of your very favorite rock tunes sound like yacht rock, among other music fun. His videos are so entertaining and he even put out a full album on Spotify and other music platforms. Ton of fun!

@effinbirds – These birds get me on a regular basis. The artist is so clever and hilarious.

That’s all she wrote, folks. Follow me on the Gram for more – I post A LOT in my stories. Some doom scrolling tidbits but mostly recos for tv, movies, events, bars, restaurants, shopping and more. Keep your chin up and enjoy the season and if you’re in AZ our awesome weather! 

Leave a comment