Welcome again to We Have Always Lived in the Kraken, a pop culture blog transmitted directly to you from the belly of the beast. Here in the Notes we’ll show you this week’s posting schedule, but first, a little Seafood for Thought.
Embrace the chaos. Let’s get rolling with Captain America: Civil War.
With May being upon us, the summer movie season begins in full swing. Sure, we have had films like the Jungle Book or Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice which show that Hollywood is always widening the net of its summer movie season, but May is when things really start happening. There is something new every weekend, especially as the network television season comes to an end. It can be a bit overwhelming, as once you miss a film, it gets very hard to both catch up and stay current. So what should you do? Obviously, watch everything. Kidding, kidding, the big key is not to sweat it and just watch what you want, and if you miss something don’t worry about it. If you are not at the cutting edge of pop culture discussion for a couple of days, you will live, especially considering by the end of the week, last weekend’s movies will now be old news. So figure out what it is you want to watch, and then plan accordingly. A ranking system is key to ensuring the most efficient viewing experience. This will allow you to achieve the most enjoyment out of everything you see. Because in the end this is supposed to be fun. So get ready for Captain America: Civil War, but don’t fret if you fall behind. The summer of 2016 looks to be a lot of fun, so embrace the chaos and see what you can when you can. When the summer’s over, see where you’re at, and as long as you stay organized you won’t be disappointed. If all else fails, there is always Game of Thrones, because even in the summer movie season Game of Thrones is still king.
David Robertson
From the depths of the Kraken, here is what we are bringing you this week.
Monday: The seventh episode of the Life in the Kraken podcast is here, and Sam is missing! The search for him will begin another day, however, because David and Kyu are too busy talking about Syfy’s The Magicians (based on the trilogy by Lev Grossman), and then special surprise guest Matt Morris jumping in to discuss anime in yet another “Nothing But Trash.”
Tuesday: Nothing new, today because the Kraken is nursing a major hangover after he time traveled to Cinco de Mayo so he could party twice. Everything is spinning, and this won’t end well for anyone.
Wednesday: The Screening Room returns this week with a very personal review of a film near and dear to Kyu’s heart, the classic 90s indie romance Before Sunrise, by Richard Linklater. Will this be followed soon by reviews of Before Sunset and Before Midnight, the film’s sequels? We’re going to leave the answer to that one ambiguous.
Thursday: Keskel returns to talk about anime in Nothing But Trash, and this time he is covering Super Lovers. Let’s just say this may redefine what trash is for a long, long time.
Friday: Nothing new today, due to extreme technical difficulties, a phrase which here means “the Kraken is listing sideways at an alarming angle and nobody knows why.” Service will resume as soon as we are upright.
Saturday:
- Baturdays are here again, as we delve deeper into the third issue of Batman. This time, Robin goes undercover at “The Crime School for Boys.”
- Game of Thrones‘ second episode is out, and your humble Krakenhabitants are here to talk about it in our own second episode of the Life in the Kraken podcast: Westeros Edition. Join David, Kyu, and Matt Morris as they discuss Season 6, Episode 2, “Home.”
- TV Roulette returns this week with Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This show is heading towards the end of the season’s run, and is in full event mode just before it reacts to the events of Captain America: Civil War. The last time this show dealt with a Captain America movie it fundamentally shifted the kind of show it was going to be. So how will the show prepare for the upcoming changes this time? Find out as David looks at the calm before the movie release storm.
Catch of the Week:
Each and every week the residents here in the Kraken will offer one recommendation for the week that we think you all would enjoy. It might be a movie. It might be a book. Who knows? This is your… Catch of the Week.
Keskel: I recommend this absolutely spoiler-filled Youtube video, which explains an intricate fan theory as to some of the “metaplot” of Rick and Morty, and hints at a resolution to the cliffhanger that ended season 2. This spoils absolutely every aired episode of Rick and Morty in one way or another, so instead of skipping this if you haven’t seen Rick and Morty, you should just watch all of Rick and Morty (preferably in one sitting) so you can see this video. It’s Dan Harmon at his finest.
David: This week marks the return of Penny Dreadful, which is one of the best shows on television. This show grew from a character showcase for Eva Green into a tour de force of mood and performance. The atmosphere of the show is stunning, and it really embraces the idea of using a visual style to set it apart from other shows. Game of Thrones is good and all, but this show is well worth watching too while you wait for more Thrones–and who knows, maybe you’ll like it even more.
That’s it for this week. Brief reminder: echoes work differently in the Kraken, so if your echo says hello to you, don’t respond. That’s how we get echo people.