December Favorites

Posted in Monthly Faves by snapcracklewatch

I feel like I have not been on here in what feels like ages. I am trying to get back into the swing of things and start posting more regularly and catching up on everyone’s blogs that I love reading. I have missed our little blogging world and feel happy to be back.

With December came the end of many great shows. Homeland was great, The Affair was one of the best, but I decided to include some other shows I loved instead. In case anyone else is going through their January wondering what the hell else to watch because everything has ended, here are some of my recommendations that I enjoyed last month.

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Master of None (Netflix)

I just finished Aziz Ansari’s new Netflix show Master of None and I have to say it is probably one of the best shows I saw in 2015. Ansari stars as Dev, an up and coming struggling Indian actor in New York City, who lives like a typical 20-something. He hangs out with his friends a lot and they talk about all kinds of random stuff from dating in a text driven world to sex to trying to figure out with your friends what to eat for lunch (we all know that the struggle is real with that one).

master

One of my favorite aspects of the show is how he discusses his relationship with his parents (played by his actual real parents) and how he tries to find that balance living as a first generation Indian in America. I really love that he explored that dynamic because it has not been seen at all almost never on TV, but it is totally relatable for anyone who has a family from another country. Also his dad is probably one of my favorite characters on the show, he’s seriously funny.

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I wish someone would do the same for Mexican-Americans or Latin-Americans. I would love to see that play out similar to Ansari’s show versus some corny mocked up version of what someone else believes to be true for our culture. Regardless, this is a great show, if you are in the mood for something fun and light-hearted to watch on Netflix, than check this one out.

Broadchurch: Season 2 (Netflix)

OMG I have been waiting on pins and needles for Season 2 of Broadchurch for what has felt like ever. Finally I saw that Netflix put it up and I watched it in two days. I think I am now having pangs that Season 3 is not here yet. This is definitely not a happy go lucky, fun show to watch, not the type of thing you watch with friends and have a jolly old time. It’s pretty dang depressing, but it’s one of the best shows on television. The acting is phenomenal and the writing is fantastic.

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Season 1 left us with the catching of Danny Latimer’s killer by DI’s Alex Hardy (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and Season 2 brings us to the trial of the killer and a new case for the detectives. Both Tennant and Colman are phenomenal actors and deserve awards for this show. The small coastal town where the murder takes place is beautiful and lends itself to the characters losing themselves in the grassy fields and staring off into the horizon. If you are a fan of murder mysteries and enjoy British dramas, then you should definitely take some time to watch this because it will not disappoint.

BR4

}}Melissa

Update and June Favorites

Posted in Monthly Faves by snapcracklewatch

Hello friends, I feel like I have been gone for so long. My last favorites post and movie review I did was in January (GEEZ) not counting the one I just posted the other day. I have had quite a lot of ups and downs recently, with my family, my mother’s health and my own health as well. For months, no one could diagnose what my mom had, they thought it was so many different things (scary things), saw so many doctors, had so many tests, was on disability and finally as of last week found out what she has and they can treat her (thank goodness). Going through that with her has left me really stressed out. I am okay too, I have had some issues that I am trying to get resolved and finally getting what I need to get better (woo hoo) as of last week. I have had zero energy to do much other go to work and come home and do the same thing all over again. I am finally starting to get back on the horse and get back to watching movies and doing what I love on here. But life happens and things are getting better and I am thankful for that. Ok that was pretty personal, but I wanted to share it because I know you guys won’t judge me.

Well I have still been watching my shows and wanted to share with you my favorites. Also, I’ll be going to Comic Con next week and I will be posting about my adventures and sharing some fun photos.

And here’s a picture of a cute puppy because he’s just too cute not to share.

Continue reading →

3Apr2015

What Would Modern Movies And TV Shows Look Like On VHS?

Posted in Monthly Faves by snapcracklewatch

I saw this the other day as I was perusing the internet and I thought I would share with you guys. I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s and when you went to rent a movie you would go through all the aisles looking at the VHS cases. Some movies you rented solely based on the cool cover. Nowadays, that has gone away and most people don’t even buy movies anymore, since you can just buy them and save them on your Amazon or Google account. The tactile sense of holding the movie in your hands and being excited to go home and watch it has gone away.

Do not fret though, artist Julien Knez created these VHS covers for April Fool’s Day. He posted on his site that he was a Parisian hipster who only watched movies on VHS. Too cool, I know some of my fellow 80’s lovers will enjoy these mock-ups.

The Walking Dead

Guardians of the Galaxy

Interstellar

Game of Thrones

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Wolf of Wall Street

Breaking Bad

Dexter

Gravity

}}Melissa

9Feb2015

January 2015 Favorites

Posted in Monthly Faves by snapcracklewatch

January is one of those months where there is not a lot of exciting stuff to watch. Some shows that I thought would be good like Marvel’s Agent Carter ended up being not that exciting. I did find a couple new things to watch though, nothing to fantastic, but nonetheless they helped pass the time until more of my favorites come back.

Hindsight (VH1)

I normally don’t watch a lot of shows on VH1, but this one I happened to catch and I am really enjoying it. The show is about a girl named Becca (Laura Ramsey) who is about to get married in the present time to a guy she has been with friends with since childhood. She has her doubts about him and this leads her to getting transported back to 1995 via an elevator. Becca gest the choice to redo her life all over again and only lets her best friend Lolly (Sarah Goldberg) is in on her time traveling secret.

She made a lot of mistakes in the past like a failed first marriage, a break-up with her bestie and lots of crappy professional failings. Imagine being in the present and going back to a time when video stores ruled (her bff works there), pagers were the “it” device and smartphones were non-existent. At first she has a hard time adjusting like when she has to search for quarters to make a call and realizing that all she owns is babydoll dresses and doc martens, but then she gives in and kind of feels free from all things that encumber people nowadays. This show is fun to watch and the music is equally reminiscent and brings me back to my teenage years (REM, Collective Soul, Gin Blossoms lol). I like the idea of what would we do if we could change our past, would we make the same mistakes or do everything that we regretted we didn’t do when we were younger?

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce (Bravo)

So now it seems that both VH1 and Bravo have taken on a new turn to scripted series versus their endless amounts of reality shows. This one is about Abby McCarthy (Lisa Edelstein) a famous author of self-help books for women and her life that seems to falling apart, yet coming back together in a fun way. After writing tons of books telling women how to be mothers and wives and handing it all together, Abby’s marriage falls apart from her husband Jake (Paul Adelstein) and she has a break down in front of millions. Once he moves out, she realizes that she has to start all over again in so many departments from dating, sex, hanging with friends and having fun.

She starts to put herself first and come to terms with her failed marriage. The show is wacky and funny and pretty much a parody of the real housewives franchise. Her friends and their drama embody the housewives to a tee, Lyla (Janeane Garafolo) is bitchy and mean and Phoebe (Beau Garrett) a former model, dabbles with threesomes and daycare. Even though this show is pretty corny, it is totally fun to watch.

Celebrity Apprentice (NBC)

Ok now this show, I cannot believe I am admitting to everyone, but I love this trashy show. As usual Donald Trump takes a big group of B-list celebrities like Ian Ziering, Kate Gosselin, housewives Brandi Glanville and Keyna Moore, Vivica Fox, Geraldo and Kevin Jonas to name a few and throws them all against each other to battle it out for the title. The one good thing about this show is that they do raise a lot of money for each of their charities and Trump tends to pitch in extra money for them as well.

The challenges that they put them through are pretty laughable and the way these people fight against each other keeps me entertained. My husband hates when I put this show on, this and all the other ones I listed to name a few. The best part so far has to be Geraldo, who has goofy ideas and is willing to do anything to win, at one point he stripped down to his underwear in an episode. Oh gosh, ew! Another wacky one is Ian, who will always be Steve Sanders in my eyes, is a narcissistic, ego maniac who thinks he knows it all and it is pretty funny to see the other people react to his comments. Does anyone else watch this? Probably not.

}}Melissa

7Jan2015

What To Watch On TV In January 2015

Posted in Monthly Faves by snapcracklewatch

I thought I would share with you guys some ideas for what to watch in January, seeing that so many new shows are starting up. Some are new seasons of old favorites and others I am going to be testing and seeing if they are any good and worth a watch. I am adding in a little bit of everything, so if you have no idea what to watch and you are itching for something new, then hopefully I can help you decide.

What will you be watching in January? Do tell.

Downton Abbey: Season 5 (PBS/Masterpiece) – Premiered Jan 4

Anyone that knows me know I am soooo obsessed with Downton Abbey. I was super happy this past weekend when it came back. This season already started out great and it looks very promising. So many questions will be hopefully answered. Who will Lady Mary hook up with this year? Will Carson and Ms. Hughes finally kiss? What about Daisy will she find love or a new career? But seriously what is going to happen with Lady Edith? I won’t even say what is going on with her, so that I will not spoil it for anyone who is not caught up yet. But if you are a fan of period dramas, then this is your show.

Marvel’s Agent Carter (ABC) – Premiered Jan 6

I think I will give this one a shot. The trailers have sold me and I just saw the lead actress in Black Mirror and she was really good. A little mystery, a little bit of intrigue and a strong female lead, I think it is worth trying out.

Empire (Fox) – Premieres Jan 7

At first I thought to myself there is no way I would watch this show, but the more I have seen the trailers the more interesting it looks. Terrence Howard is pretty good and I like that he is back with his Hustle & Flow partner Taraji P. Henson. Hmmm, this could go both ways, we will have to see!

Portlandia: Season 4 (IFC) – Premieres Jan 8

I am such a fan of Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, Portlandia is for those of you out there who have a dry sense of humor. Some of my favorite sketches are when Fred dresses up and talks like a girl, seriously he’s funny. This is perfect for when you are at home and want something relaxing to just watch and enjoy without having to think much.

Glee: Season 6 (Fox) – Premieres Jan 9

I know I am a huge nerd for liking this show, but OMG I have stuck it with it for this long I can’t give up now. I have to watch the new season. It looks cute and apparently Rachel and Kurt are going back to start a glee club at the high school. Totally lame, but I will watch it. Anyone else a gleek out there?

Man Seeking Woman (FXX) – Premieres Jan 14

I love Jay Baruchel and am so glad that he is coming over to TV. Given that he has already perfected the bumbling skinny guy who can’t get a date routine, this show takes that idea to another level. Here he is a single guy trying to date, yet we see the odd things that he thinks come to life in a surreal way like blind dates who look like monsters, sexy aliens and talking hands.

Best New Restaurant (Bravo) – Premieres Jan 21

I love Top Chef, so I guess I will watch this. See this is how easily networks like this suck me in to their TV shows! The show stars Tom Colicchio who will go around to 16 new restaurants and decide who is worthy of the infamous title and a bounty of cash.

Broad City: Season 2 (Comedy Central) – Premieres Jan

Super funny and crude, if you are a fan of this type of humor you must check out this show. Now these chicks are my kind of gals. They are basically like the Workaholics guys, but with dresses and makeup.

Black Sails: Season 2 (Starz) – Premieres Jan 24

If you haven’t had a chance, you need to see season 1 and get caught up on this show. It is definitely worth watching. I like it for the historical aspect that it brings with famous pirate stories like John Silver and Jack Rackham. In Season 2, some of the love stories look to be heating up, especially with Captain Flint and new ruthless pirates will be introduced. A must watch if you like adventure stories, pirates and sexy wenches.

PS… February is looking pretty awesome too (see below for a preview of one super cool show that despite its’ issues has me hooked), but more to come on that subject.

}}Melissa

6Jan2015

December Favorites

Posted in Monthly Faves by snapcracklewatch

Can you guys believe that 2014 is over?! Seems like it flew right by. A lot of my favorite shows ended or finished their season in December like Sons of Anarchy, Homeland, The Affair, so the rest of the month I felt like I was searching for new shows to watch. I did find some good stuff, please comment and let me know if you guys are into these shows. Nobody else I know watches any of these, so I am curious to hear people’s opinions.

Black Mirror (BBC/Netflix)

Hands down this has to be one of my favorite shows I watched all of last year. The best way to describe this show is to compare it to the Twilight Zone with a techie twist mixed with some futuristic dystopian themes. If you are a fan of that old 60’s show, then you will totally understand and “get” this one. I have recommended it to a few people already in real life and they have literally come back to me with a “WTF is this” and they either love it or hate it. Each episode is different from the last and is an original story, they are reminiscent of the way that the film Her makes a statement about society today and our obsession with our smartphones.

For example, one of my favorite episodes is from Season 1, where people have the ability with technology to recall all of their memories and with the switch of a button they can project them on TV screens. Now this could be fun to watch what happened the night before at a party, but in this one the husband wants to know if his wife cheated on him or not. Can you just imagine the kind of fights this type of device would create in society? If you find that premise intriguing, then this is the show for you. The show stars so many famous British actors like Domnhall Gleeson, Jessica Brown Findlay, Tom Cullen, Toby Kebbell and Haley Atwell to name a few. Just recently DirectTV aired their Christmas special starring my fave guy Jon Hamm. I think this is going to start gaining some traction in the US and hopefully it will become a permanent show with new episodes because seriously I am in need of more!

Christmas Special Trailer

Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond (BBC/Netflix)

Ok I am going to go out on a limb and say this is another favorite for 2014. I am ecstatic that I found this mini-series and decided to watch it. This is a 4 episode mini-series starring Dominic Cooper as writer Ian Fleming, the man who wrote the Bond series and who’s tales were inspired by his own life as a secret agent. In the series, we see how the enigma and iconic character of Bond was created as Fleming was pretty much that guy in real life.

He was a playboy who was witty, smart and cunning as a fox. Recruited by the British Naval Intelligence Division during WWII, he honed in on his experiences and lived to write about them in his novels. We see his family relationships with his brother and mother and how the character of M came to be and who she was in his life to him. Most importantly though are his loves, the beautiful and sweet Muriel (Annabelle Wallis) and the sultry and sexy Anne O’Neill (Lara Pulver). If you are a fan of the Bond series, then I think this will definitely intrigue you or if you just like a good old fashioned spy novel, then this will be right up your alley.

Fleming BBC Trailer

}}Melissa

4Dec2014

November TV Favorites

Posted in Monthly Faves by snapcracklewatch

November is already upon us friends, what the hell is going on, time is flying so fast and before you know it the New Year will be here! This past month was quite lazy for me, I have been feeling as I mentioned before so overwhelmed with everything that November was rather drab. I caught up on reading a lot, literally immersing myself and I will mention the books as a fave below, plus I want to prove to you guys that I just don’t watch TV all day because I swear I do other things! I just have a really on point schedule with my shows and my husband is worse than me and he pushes me to finish and binge watch. Yes, I just totally did that female thing and blamed him (haha). How were your holidays? Do tell! And for everyone else around the world, I commend you for saving the lives of so many turkeys out there.

Oh yes, I wanted to mention, I have a cousin Sebastian, who just started on WordPress. His blog is MyMovieVerse, so please check him out and support another movie lover.

Resurrection: Season 2 (ABC)
Not sure if anyone else out there is watching this show, so if you are I would love to discuss. I also hope that other people are watching because I do not want this to get cancelled. I need to know how it all ends. A quick synopsis if you don’t know, this show is centered on the town of Arcadia, Missouri, where people who were once dead, have returned home. They seem to be alive and well, they know who they are and how they died, but why they have returned they do not know. Can you imagine a dead ex-gf who killed herself coming back to town? Umm hello, mood spoiler for your current gf and yes that happened on the show. What about that annoying brother or mother in your life who always nagged at you, yup they come back too.

Season 2 is focused again on going even deeper into the “returned,” some town’s folk hate these returned people and think they are part of an evil scheme and some are very content with their new found family members and friends. The problem this season is that the returned are getting oddly sick. The main character Maggie Langston (Devin Kelley), is the town doctor and is trying to investigate what is going on with these people, and is very sympathetic towards them and their plight. Agent Bellamy (Omar Epps) is also charged with figuring out what to do with these returned individuals and we are finding out he has many secrets of his own. The doctor’s father and town sheriff, Fred Langston (Matt Craven), is also on the case and has many issues because not only has his mother returned, but also the wife who was cheating on him. So much is going on with different families and it is pretty fun to watch. There are many familiar actors on here like Frances Fisher, Kurtwood Smith (that 70’s show dad), Michelle Fairley (Stark momma), and they add a good mix to the show. This is no HBO created drama, but it is nonetheless entertaining. If you get a chance you can catch season 1 on Netflix right now.

I think I like this version… haha.

Top Chef: Season 12 – Boston (Bravo)
Anyone that reads my blog knows I love my Bravo shows. Please Andy Cohen let me work for you! My dream would be to be on his Watch What Happens Live show and dish about all current events, gossip and talk about bitchy stuff and hot guys because that is just the kind of stuff I love. Anyhow, I have been a fan of the Top Chef series since the beginning; in fact one of my favorite lines ever came from Season 1, when Dave Martin yelled at Tiffany Faison and said, “I’m not your bitch, BITCH.” There are so many days I want to say that to people (haha).

Season 12 brings our contestants to Boston and again we have the same competitions as usual, but this time around I feel that the judges are much meaner. Instead of talking behind their backs about the food, I noticed that they are giving the chef feedback as they eat the food in front of them. This week was actually their infamous restaurant wars episode, which always brings people down and sometimes the best of the best get cut on this round. So far the chefs this season are entertaining and seem like a good group, but honestly not some of the best I have seen. Some seasons have given us chefs like Richard Blais and the Voltaggio brothers, who really just blew everyone away, this round we have a few contenders, but no one that seems absolutely phenomenal. I do like Katsuji Tanabe so far, he is kooky and says weird stuff, I am sure he will be in the running for fan favorite this year. I love Tom Colicchio and his comments and Padma Lakshmi is so sexy and dresses on point and cute, I love seeing her outfits (gosh I am so superficial). Regardless, I am addicted to this crap, so yeah that’s my story and I am sticking to it.

Game of Thrones Book Series
I spent a lot of time catching up with my reading as I mentioned ealier; I really have been doing more reading than ever. I am now on book 4 of the Game of Thrones series and I can’t wait to be totally caught up when it starts next year.

Oh yeah, I will finally know all the deets and I have to say if you haven’t read these books, boy does the show do them justice. I felt just as emotional reading all the crazy stuff that happened in seasons 3 and 4, I felt like I was reliving that entire trauma. If you are in the mood for a new series and a fan of the show, then you should give this a shot, but you will have to commit to reading because it’s a lot of books! I have to give a shout out to Zoe, who inspired me earlier in the year when I first started reading her blog to get back into enjoying books. I know she has done the same for Eric, so we must commend her for being so freakin’ inspirational (damn you Zoe now I have no life!).

Other shows I loved in November, but I feel I have already mentioned them are:
Homeland: Season 4 (Showtime)
AHS: Freak Show (FX)
Sons of Anarchy: Final Season (FX)

(For my fellow Charlie Hunnam fans #2hot)

}}Melissa

Snap Crackle Watch!

A blog dedicated to television and movies

Category Archives: Monthly Faves

December Favorites

Update and June Favorites

What Would Modern Movies And TV Shows Look Like On VHS?

January 2015 Favorites

What To Watch On TV In January 2015

December Favorites

November TV Favorites