As I mentioned in part 1, one can’t always be up and doing. Sometimes more sedentary pursuits are called for.
Having already discussed book favorites at some length, I’ll move on to other media:
Movies
Movie theaters had a rough pandemic, although for the most part they were dead to me already.
I remember the last time I went to a regular multiplex movie theater: we arrived early, spent more than the cost of the tickets, which weren’t cheap, on two boxes of popcorn and a couple of sodas.
Then we were packed into a cattle chute like those you see in front of popular amusement park rides, which we dared not leave for fear of not being able to find seats together.
When we were finally allowed into the theater and fought our way to adjacent seats, we still missed the first ten minutes of the movie due to latecomers crawling over us, and–blinded by the cellphones of people in front of us texting their opinion of the film thus far–strained to hear the dialog over the continuing chatter of our neighbors for the rest of the movie.
Never again, I swore, and kept my oath until the evil geniuses at Harkins built a theater just down the street, one with a bar, reserved seating in recliners spaced far enough apart to allow traffic to pass unimpeded, a superior sound system, and one of the largest movie screens in Arizona.
The ridiculous concession prices remained (and the tickets were even worse), but consoled by a fine IPA and an excellent red sangria, sprawled far from our fellow moviegoers in spacious recliners, we didn’t particularly mind.
However, there remains much to be said for watching movies in the comfort of one’s own home. This fact has driven the rise, in turn, of VHS, DVD, Blu-ray–and now, video streaming.
I suspect that my own DVD collection may soon go the way of my VHS collection–although at least the DVDs can be used as coasters. Or targets.
As a result, the links I provide to recommended faves in this part of the journal will reflect the times we live in, and–where possible–take you to a streaming service that offers the title in question instead of a place to buy physical media.
I’m also going to go out on a limb and exclude box office smashes that you’ve probably seen, including–but not limited to–Alien, The Bourne Identity, the many outstanding DC Comics Movies, including Christian Bales’ Batman in The Dark Knight (with Heath Ledger’s terrifying, Oscar-winning turn as The Joker) and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (all outstanding, but I especially enjoyed watching Chris Pratt as Starlord in Guardians of the Galaxy), Raiders of the Lost Ark, the various incarnations of Star Trek, ditto Star Wars, The Terminator, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (and of course, Gran Torino), The Untouchables, etc., etc.
Several other outstanding entries were already mentioned in part 1 and will not get a repeat here.
With that said, here are some favorites for your consideration.
Break out the popcorn!
Black Hawk Down. Directed by Ridley Scott, this film adaptation of Mark Bowden’s book features a an impressive cast. The movie depicts a painful episode in which US forces were committed in Somalia without sufficient support, but does not detract from the heroism of the troops on the ground.
A Bridge Too Far. Based on Cornelius Ryan’s book, this is another war film with an ensemble cast. It tells the story of Operation Market-Garden, Field Marshal Montgomery’s attempt to drive British XXX Corps from Belgium through the Netherlands into northern Germany and end the war by Christmas of 1944.
The Departed and Goodfellas are Martin Scorsese gangster movies, both based on true stories. Both earned Oscars and critical praise; Scorsese won Best Director for The Departed. I loved The Godfather and Reservoir Dogs, of course, but I have a soft spot for these two Scorsese genre staples.
Kingsman. If you felt Roger Moore’s take on 007 was a little too campy and tongue-in-cheek, wait until you see Kingsman, a spy movie based on a comic book.
I expected non-stop silliness, but was pleased to find that the movie also had real heart. Kingsman: The Secret Service and the sequel are both definitely worth your time.
O Brother, Where Art Thou is the Coen brothers’ hilarious take on Homer’s Odyssey. Actor Tim Blake Nelson gets a legitimate singing credit, but George Clooney’s “Man of Constant Sorrow” was a voiceover by Dan Tyminski of Alison Krauss and Union Station. I heard Dan remark in concert: “…my voice and George Clooney’s face–my wife said it was her perfect fantasy.” Speaking of the music, the bluegrass/gospel soundtrack is a keeper, too.
Raising Arizona is another uproarious Coen brothers film, this one starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. Cage’s narration is pitch perfect, and the supporting cast puts the movie over the top.
Road To Perdition was adapted from a graphic novel and won an Oscar for cinematography. You’ll be mesmerized by the story of Tom Hanks as a mafia hitman, betrayed by his mentor (Paul Newman) and the mentor’s jealous son (Daniel Craig, of recent 007 fame). Jude Law plays an exceptionally creepy villain.
Secondhand Lions tells the story of a boy (Haley Joel Osment) sent by his horrible parents to live with a couple of bachelor uncles (brilliantly played by Robert Duvall and Michael Caine) who live life to the fullest.
Silverado. Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover and a young Kevin Costner band together in this hugely entertaining Western.
Space Cowboys. Clint Eastwood stars in and directs this story in which old–emphasis on the old–rivals work together to save the earth from a Cold War relic. Speaking of Cold War relics, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner, and Donald Sutherland round out the geezer astronaut team.
True Grit and True Grit. John Wayne won an Oscar for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in the 1969 version. The gunfight–and preceding wordplay–between Wayne and villain Robert Duvall is epic. The 2010 Coen brothers version hews more closely to Charles Portis’ book, so don’t look for Jeff Bridges to jump a fence and ride off waving his hat at the movie’s end.
True Lies won Jamie Lee Curtis a Golden Globe. It’s clear throughout the movie that she, Tom Arnold, and Arnold Schwarzenegger are enjoying themselves hugely in this over-the-top spy action/comedy–you will, too.
Where Eagles Dare. Alistair MacLean wrote the book and the screenplay: both were hits. Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood parachute into Nazi Germany to infiltrate a castle accessible only by cable car. The book’s labyrinthine plot twists made it into the movie; the heros’ reluctance to kill their enemies, except as a last resort, did not. Both the book and the movie are excellent.
3:10 to Yuma, the 2007 remake of Elmore Leonard’s short story, is darker than its 1957 predecessor. Christian Bale and Russell Crowe will grab your attention and keep it. Ben Foster as Crowe’s psychotic gang lieutenant is worth the price of admission all by himself.
Series
Again, some of the best of this category appeared in part 1 and won’t get a mention here.
As with the movies, I also tried not to belabor obvious choices like the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Band of Brothers, Breaking Bad, Deadwood, and The Sopranos; or crowd favorites like The Mandalorian, Narcos, Peaky Blinders, and Yellowstone, none of which require an introduction from me.
However, these lesser-known titles are not to be missed:
Mr. Bean. Rowan Atkinson is hilarious in this ITV series as the bumbling, inarticulate Mr. Bean. (Nearly) silent comedy at its finest: Bean’s solutions to everyday difficulties will have you crying with laughter.
Black Adder Goes Forth is another, darker and more satirical, Rowan Atkinson comedy. Fourth in a collection of stories about the Black Adder family throughout history, this one is about WWI trench warfare. Co-starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, Black Adder Goes Forth will also bring tears to your eyes, but in the end, not necessarily from laughter.
Firefly, a Joss Whedon series that was cancelled after only one season, earned a huge posthumous fan base. It’s the story of the crew of a “Firefly”-class space freighter trying to make a living while staying clear of past entanglements. It inspired a Hugo and Nebula award-winning movie sequel, Serenity.
Horatio Hornblower stars Ioan Gruffudd as the eponymous Hornblower. Based on C.S. Forester’s beloved novels, this excellent ITV series brings the stories vividly to life.
Justified. The story of Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens who, after dealing rather abruptly with a mafia hitman in Miami, is exiled to a U.S. Marshal’s Office in eastern Kentucky. Givens grew up in Harlan County and had hoped never to return…
Tim Olyphant is brilliant as Raylan, an Elmore Leonard creation who could have been written with him in mind. Walter Goggins was nominated for an Emmy for his superior portrayal of Boyd Crowder, Harlan County villain. The soundtrack is as evocative as the stories are engrossing. Beware: I lost a couple of nights’ sleep watching “just one more episode” of Justified.
YouTube Channels
I tend to use YouTube as a reference: e.g., Google “how to replace a dryer heating element,” then click a link to a YouTube tutorial (there are lots of do-it-yourself electrical repairs and home gunsmithing projects I would never have attempted otherwise).
These channels, however, I’ll watch just for my own education and entertainment:
Backwater Boat Rehab covers “boat restoration and mods.” I referred to it extensively while working on my own boats. Chris is a highly skilled amateur who makes me laugh while “learning stuff the hard way, usually.”
TheFritz423 covers “Ranching, family, fishing and shooting. Basic Texas stuff.” This fascinating channel will sing you the song of my people.
GunBlue490 is a New England gunsmith who really knows his stuff. Watching the channel is like a master class in the care and feeding of firearms. He covers his material in depth, so relax and take some time to learn.
Panhandle Precision. Sam from northern Idaho walks you through all aspects of precision reloading best practices, as well providing hands-on gear reviews. These videos have been a huge help to me.
Smarter Every Day. Dustin uses a science-based approach to teach us about topics from why cats always land on their feet to how the US Coast Guard optimizes search patterns for those lost at sea. Good-natured, enthusiastic, and endlessly curious, Dustin’s created a must-subscribe channel.
Ultimate Reloader. Gavin’s channel is an outstanding source for reloading information, providing unbiased reviews and how tos. Anyone interested in learning more about reloading, from basic equipment setup to advanced techniques, would benefit from a subscription.
Videogames
The first videogame I played was Zork on my brother-in-law’s TRS-80, and I’ve been playing games on the PC ever since. Having gotten in on the ground floor, as it were, I’ve spent a lot of hours over the years happily adventuring in these fantasy worlds.
As you’ll note, I favor the role playing/action role playing (RPG/ARPG) genre. To spare you an excess of nostalgia, I’ve brutally culled this list to include only games that are still playable, look good, and can hold a modern audience’s attention.
Baldur’s Gate 2. The original Baldur’s Gate was excellent, so I had my doubts when the sequel was released two years later: I thought there was nowhere to go but down. I was wrong: Baldur’s Gate 2 is better-looking and more user-friendly, while still featuring the great storytelling of the original. The versions shown here are enhanced editions released by Beamdog Studios.
Batman: Arkham Asylum was released in 2009 by Rocksteady Studios to widespread acclaim. The main storyline is highly immersive, and if you’re a “completist” there are enough side quests to keep you engaged almost indefinitely. However, you’ll want to finish eventually and move on to the excellent sequel, Batman: Arkham City
Borderlands is an over-the-top “space western” shooter that’s all about the loot; that said, there is an underlying plot that keeps you hustling along.
The game doesn’t take itself too seriously, with a sense of humor that helps keep the stress levels down as you face hordes of enemies. Between battles, you’ll blow off steam by leveling up weapons and gear. Gearbox software and publisher 2K Games created a winner with the Borderland series.
Diablo is a third-person, isometric view point-and-click dungeon crawler that inspired numerous copycats (including the excellent Grim Dawn and Pillars of Eternity) and two sequels. The levels and quests shuffle randomly so no two playthroughs will be alike, allowing you to arm and equip your character with new and different loot each time through.
Blizzard Entertainment’s reputation has suffered of late, but there’s no denying the genius behind Diablo.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is third in a series, and combines the best of both its predecessors. I found that it took awhile to get used to the game’s combat mechanics, which–for me–require copious use of the “pause” feature. Bioware provides plenty of backstory to the plot, but leaves it up to the player whether to do his/her homework or just charge on ahead. The game world is open enough that you never feel like you’re on rails, and as with many of this company’s offerings, you need to be careful–your in-game choices have far-reaching consequences.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is Bethesda’s smash-hit action RPG, with a wide-open world and a “have it your way” character-development process that doesn’t shoehorn the player into a particular class up front. The story will grab you and keep you glued to your screen for way too many hours. You’ll want a good graphics setup to fully enjoy the immersive scenery, and the excellent soundtrack justifies a decent set of speakers/headphones, too.
Fallout 3. Interplay’s Fallout series was composed of clever isometric, point-and-click RPG games (like the original Diablo) until Bethesda changed gears with this epic first person ARPG. The gamble paid off well, outselling Bethesda’s previous titles and inspiring an even more popular sequel. The grim, post-apocalyptic environment is balanced by dark humor, and the gameplay is outstanding.
Mass Effect is another great franchise from Bioware. You equip and lead a party that travels across space to save the galaxy. As with the Dragon Age series, your dialog choices and in-game decisions will affect the final outcome. The game’s atmosphere will keep you immersed in the story; when it ends, you’ll rush to play the sequels.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. I liked Monolith Productions for their campy spy shooter No One Lives Forever, but was leery of Shadow of Mordor when it came out in 2014.
There seems to be a curse on movie-to-game projects (and vice versa) that only a few manage to avoid–fortunately, Shadow of Mordor proved to be one of the few. It features an innovative approach to gameplay that meshes well with Lord of the Rings-inspired lore: I spent many happy hours traveling across Middle-earth and dispatching orc bosses.
Wing Commander: Privateer. I’m pushing the envelope here, listing this golden oldie: WC: Privateer was released 29 years ago, in 1993. I remember buying a separate speech pack to make it into a “talkie.”
However, Good Old Games resurrected the whole Wing Commander series so that you can play them today without all the tweaking of autoexec.bat and sys.config files that was once an intrinsic part of PC gaming–oops, please excuse Grampa, his mind is wandering again…
Anyway, they work great on current PCs and hold their playability: of all the games in the series, I recommend Privateer as an ideal entry into Origin’s beloved Wing Commander universe.
One thing about those ancient computer games: given a hex editor and a little time, anyone could modify key parameters to suit their preferences.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is Machine Game’s entry to the Wolfenstein franchise, following previous efforts by Muse Software, id Software, and Raven Software. The Nazis won the war and you put your commando skills to use helping the resistance. None of the Wolfenstein games are for the squeamish, but you won’t waste time feeling any sympathy for your opponents.
The sequel ably follows the footsteps of The New Order; I started the series back with id’s Wolfenstein 3D, and so far I’ve enjoyed them all.
So there you have it, a compendium of recommendations for lazily whiling away the leisure hours. Let me know if I missed any of your favorites.
Meanwhile, I have things to do.
(note: some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you click the link and buy the associated product, the vendor may pay me a fee–your cost is unaffected)