Remember: Coffee Break is full of odds and ends I’d like to discuss including films I’m watching, links I like, stuff I’m into and oh yeah, coffee!
Its summertime guys, let me have a little chilly refreshment via the most cliché way possible. I had to stop at Target today to pick up some last minute stuff for the FTS road trip to Chicago for the Lamb Meetup! I’m very excited to meet all the bloggers 🙂
Believe it or not I actually feel like I’ve been watching a lot of stuff lately (both movies and TV.) Here are very brief reviews of the last three flicks I’ve recently looked at:
12 O’ Clock Boys: 2013 Doc about the infamous Baltimore dirt bike gang as told through the eyes of an 11 year old admirer. I missed this when it came to the Maryland Film Festival recently but luckily for me the movie has already made its way to cable. This is one of those perfect docs that has all of the necessary checklist items covered: Interesting subject, check. Unique perspective, check. Even handed look at the two sides of a debate, check. Not only was I taken with the troubling ‘no win’ situation presented with the riders and the police but choosing to look at the issue through a young person proved to be very moving for me. It’s poignant but not preachy and beautifully shot to boot. You can hear more of my thoughts on the film on this episode of the FTS Podcast.
Deliver Us From Evil: NY cop starts seeing possessed people. I made the fatal mistake of paying money to see this in a theater. I didn’t read any reviews before going in but the very scattered marketing for the movie had me thinking that I just needed to see for myself what the hell this movie actually was. As it turns out, the confused trailers mimicked the movie’s faults fairly well. It’s part possession movie, part cop crime drama and all mess. Besides a lousy turn from Joel McHale (who I like but not here) the rest of the cast is serviceable at best and the atmosphere of the film never matches up with the jumbled plot. Skip this and see the 1999 flick with Kevin Bacon Stir of Echoes instead.
The Paper: One day in the life of a newspaper editor as he struggles to tackle increasingly difficult decisions in both his personal and professional life. This was one of those “starting on cable right when I got up in the morning” movies that turned out to be the perfect film for such an occasion. An all-star cast including Michael Keaton, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close and Marisa Tomei helps to fully flesh out the fun and fast paced environment of the newspaper office. It’s a breezy, lightweight drama that does a solid job keeping you invested throughout the run time.
Crimes of the Century: For the past few nights I’ve been taking on an episode or two of the new to Netflix miniseries Crimes of the Century. The show tackles everything from the Waco siege to the Unabomber to the DC Snipers. The show itself is edited with a little too much sensationalism but it has been fascinating to look back at the details of the crimes themselves.
Penny Dreadful: More TV! I’m behind on the show (only about midway through) but so far I’m really digging PD as a summer show. There’s a nice balance of far out concepts and genuine intrigue so far. I can’t wait to see where the characters end up at the end of season one. Plus, Eva Green is incredible!!
Here’s a shot of the FTS group (minus Nick) out celebrating Marc’s Birthday!
The first night of outdoor movies started for the group with Catching Fire.
Local spot Pitango has really delicious coffee & gelato so naturally my favorite is the menu option that combines both.
& Although we didn’t snap a whole lot of photos, FTS thoroughly enjoyed attending Jurassic Park’s 21st birthday party. Here’s a few snaps:
Coffee (well the mug in particular) plays a pivotal role in the 90 crime mystery The Usual Suspects. Chances are you already know the twist that the flick is famously known for but after a recent rewatch I still think the movie works. Forget the naysayers, Suspects is still super fun.
