My Favorite Things: August
My Favorite Things is a monthly segment where I share my personal and current favorites in seasonal products, health & beauty, food, decor, movies, TV, and more. I hope you enjoy these personal picks!
Movies
Sudden Fear
Following a whirlwind courtship, acclaimed playwright Myra Hudson marries Lester Blaine, a slick actor she has just fired from her latest play. Shortly after the honeymoon, Myra overhears Lester and his lover, Irene, plotting to murder the wealthy writer for her inheritance. Shattered by the revelation, Myra pulls herself together and hatches a revenge scheme. But can she go through with her violent plans?
I love watching Crawford in thrillers and this one is no exception. This is a slow burn thriller with an excellent payoff at the end for viewers. Watching this film reminded me a bit of a Hitchcock movie as it starts out as a story of a whirlwind romance and develops into something more suspenseful and dark. It was entertaining, kept me on the edge of my seat, and the acting was so good!
Minions & Monsters
The rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters upon the world, then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they created.
I can’t remember if I mentioned it on this blog, before but I am a huge fan of the Despicable Me/Minions series (before they wore the former into the ground). I wasn’t sure how I felt about this newest Minions movie, but because its separate from the Despicable movies makes it that much better. I was surprised how much I loved this movie and that it made me smile and laugh non-stop. The plot though simple was fun and charming, pushing it to the top of the list for this franchise. This movie is silly, heartfelt, and wacky in all the best ways.
Sleepwalkers
When newcomers Charles and his mother, Mary, settle into town, the local residents do not suspect that they’re shape-shifters looking to feed on the town’s virgin girls. Charles quickly befriends innocent and chaste Tanya when he begins attending high school, hoping to take her life force in order to feed his mother. When Tanya agrees to a first date with Charles, she may learn his true intentions the hard way.
Some King adaptations are stronger than others, and this one was definitely a stand out for me. It’s been on my list for ages, but I didn’t know what to expect going into this movie blind. The concept of shapeshifter in this film were done very well in this film (especially when it came to the special effects of these creatures which thoroughly freaked me out). I didn’t feel it was scary compared to movies like IT, but the suspense was done well. This was a solid watch to end Summerween season.
Podcasts
Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén
Join Harvey Guillén every Monday as he explores crimes that seized the public’s attention, from jaw-dropping heists and devastating cons to serial murders and deadly rivalries. Each episode unfolds a single case, examining not just the events themselves, but what continues to linger beneath the surface.
I loved Guillén’s work as an actor ever since I watched him on the show What We Do in the Shadows. This true crime podcast has stories are more gripping than others, but what stands out me is Guillén’s delivery in tone of these stories and how they are approached with care.
Conbini Cult Pod
Living in another country sure can be interesting. Is being foreigners in Japan our whole personality? I guess so. Stick around for silly stories (from us and you, the listeners) about work, dating, language learning, embarrassing moments, current events, and deep dives on Japan-related topics we’re curious to learn more about.
Conbini Cult Pod is a podcast hosted by Frankie (@franklinthewoman) that explores Japanese culture, lifestyle, unique stories, and everyday experience. I love the conversation style between the hosts/guest hosts of this podcast and how they approach culture as foreigners and how they give depth to each topic.
YouTube
Welcome to AI Hell
Lex has done it again! This is a great compact video about how serious is the Artificial Intelligence threat and how fears of this technology were predicted in the past. Lex does a great job of talking about the history of AI and it’s dystopian effects on our society.
The Complete Amateur’s Guide to Moomin
If you’ve been following me over on Instagram, you know that I’ve been watching the Moomin series as my comfort show and started to read the books. This video was helpful to helping me understand the basis for the series along with Tove’s background/inspiration as a artist.
Music
Give Me The Night by George Benson
Growing up Benson’s music was always being played at family parties, especially at cookouts. This entire album has been on repeat for me this month and I love the funky sound paired with a carefree vibe that Benson’s voice gives to this energetic track.
Surfin Boy by Red Velvet
Red Velvet is back to end the summer on a sweet note! I like that the storyline mirrors one of their previous Velvet concepts for the MV Peek a Boo. Bossa Nova is a sound the group hasn’t tapped into yet, and I like how they explored this musical style on their latest summer EP. This is such a fun song!
Black Gold by Flying Lotus, Thundercat
This song was used as the opening theme for the anime, Yasuke, and it fit well with the show’s overall tone. To me this song reminds me of the Nujabees work on the anime, Samurai Champloo. I love the blend of hip-hop and R&B elements in the melody.
What are some of your favorite things from August? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
