Chaos Curated: The 90-Minute Movie Does Pop Culture

She's startin'.

I’ve wanted to expand beyond my 90-minute movie realm for some time, but wasn’t quite sure how to approach it or if people would respond well. But like all things in life, you’ll never know if you don’t try. So, here I am, trying my hand at one of these pop culture round-ups. I love reading them, and I hope I’ll enjoy writing them just as much.

TELEVISION

Because of my propensity for shorter movies, television and I get along really well. I love a 30-minute sitcom to heal my inner child, an hour-long drama I can text my friends about, a murder documentary I can obsess over, and reality TV I can gossip about at work. All of it serves a purpose in my life. Here’s what I’ve been watching this year so far:

PART I: CRIME/MURDER DOCUMENTARIES - BECAUSE I’M SOMEHOW TWISTED AND BASIC AT THE SAME TIME

The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer
As a culture, we become transfixed by certain serial killers, giving some more time and spotlight than others (usually for some particular reason that sets them apart, like Gacy working as a clown or Dahmer eating body parts). But Herb Baumeister escaped this notorious treatment until now. After a feature on Crime Junkie and now this documentary, Baumeister is getting his shot in the limelight. This one starts out strong but then goes off the rails into some pretty wild speculation—solid reporting? Maybe not. Compelling? Definitely.

Devil In The Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke
I heard about Ruby Franke peripherally at the time of her arrest but I never did a deep dive into the story of her and Jodi Hildebrandt. I will warn you, this is primarily about child abuse, but it is a fascinating dive into the power of suggestion, religion, and control.

The Curious Case Of…
I fear I’ve gone from having a healthy interest in true crime to becoming a full-fledged gawker with this one. But if you like bizarre stories and being let down, you may enjoy this.

Part Two – The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
If there were awards for true crime docs you KNOW Andrew Jarceki’s original season of this would have swept. Part Two is good, albeit a little boring. I do like how the last episode is pointed toward his wife, teasing that perhaps there is more to come in this fascinating story of power and greed.

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace - Season Three
I can’t believe we’re all still on this journey. Every twist in this story is more surprising than the last. If you haven’t been with us on this one since the beginning, do yourself a favor and go back to season one and DO NOT watch whatever Good American Family is.

PART II: REALITY TV WHERE NO ONE TRUSTS EACH OTHER

The Traitors
I LOVE THIS SHOW. I NEED THIS SHOW TWICE A YEAR! How did an elimination-style gameshow with reality stars, “celebs”, and other notable people (usually in the form of a random member of the royal family) consume my life? Well, it’s hosted by Alan Cumming, set in Scotland, and riveting.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Salt Lake City, Atlanta
The Housewives are reality TV royalty. I’ll argue until my last dying breath that these shows are anthropological and do more to study the human condition (specifically the dynamics between women) than most other television. Salt Lake City wrapped up in February, a fireworks season that fizzled out a little at the end for me. Beverly Hills is entering the reunion phase and everyone’s at odds. Just how we like them to be. And Atlanta just kicked off. I’m watching it for the first time in YEARS. We’ll see how it goes.

Selling the City
This was an exercise in self-loathing. Do not recommend it. Do not know why I did this. My only defense is that I was traveling and had to turn my entire brain off to survive.

Love Is Blind
Whose idea was it to host theis season in Minnesota? Boring. Snooze. Couldn’t even get out of the pods. First time I’ve given up on this one since it first started airing in 2020. Are we jumping the shark?

PART III: DANNY MCBRIDE / WALTER GOGGINS VEHICLES

Vice Principals
I am celebrating the Gogginsance by watching the shows I missed out on. I find Vice Principals to be funnier than Righteous Gemstones, so I’m not sure why it didn’t make it further than two seasons. Goggins is incredible. Danny McBride is doing his McBride thing, but a slightly quieter version that I appreciate.

The Righteous Gemstones
I’m only two seasons into this so far but enjoying it. I do grow tired of Danny McBride doing his McBride thing (it’s like how most people feel about Vince Vaughn, he’s great, but you can’t watch him do his ‘thing’ for eternity without getting bored.) Goggins is a gem (pun intended) as Baby Billy and I like how weird everyone else is too. We need more weird people on TV.

The White Lotus
Ok, no Danny McBride here, but we do have our third Goggins program. A lot of longtime fans were disappointed by the third season of Mike White’s “rich people on vacation” series but there was a strong contingency of us who forged on and we’re being rewarded! Things are heating up! The finale airs this Sunday, with a 90-minute runtime, and I’ve never been more seated.

PART IV: DAD SHOWS

Jack Reacher
This one just wrapped up and it gave us another stellar season. For some reason, still unexplained to me, the only books I could stand to read during the pandemic were Jack Reacher books. I think it was the simplicity of the Reacher character mixed with the predictability of the plot. Or it was just some undiagnosed symptom of long COVID. This is a classic dad show hitting all the right beats. Bonus for all of us: Ritchson is shirtless every episode!

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BOOKS

So yes, I couldn't read during the pandemic but I’m back on track with about a book a week. I’ve been posting my round-up every month on Substack Notes but here are some notable shoutouts:

Remarkably Bright Creatures
An octopus is one of the main characters and this is NOT a fantasy novel. Beautiful and unexpected. I cried!

North Woods
Set in my birthplace of Western Massachusetts, North Woods accomplishes what Here failed to do. It follows a plot of land through time. This is still my favorite book I’ve read so far this year.

Knock Kock, Open Wide
An Irish horror that is truly terrifying! It is beautifully written and the prose is top-notch. It weaves together Irish folklore, children’s television, queer romance, and generational trauma. An incredible read for any horror fan!

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MUSIC

I love new music but because we live in a world of algorithms I easily can get sucked into listening to the same shit on repeat if I am not careful. I’ve been trying to make a conscious effort to break my Spotify algorithm as often as I can, except of course, when I am driving all over the country for work and my Spotify DJ ‘X’ and I lock-in. He and I are in such sync… it’s crazy. Anyway, here are my algorithm busters lately:

NUEVAYoL - Bad Bunny
Is it fucking summer yet?!

Wedding Photo Stranger - Matt Berry
Yes, you read that name right. Now trust me.

WASH - Jon Bellion
My guy is back like he was never gonnneeee.

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Alright! There’s my round-up. I’m thinking I’ll do these monthly so they’re not quite as long. But my comments and DMs are OPEN to feedback. I’m really here to serve you all. So if you hate this, let me know!