Author: Ian Casselberry

Overzealous Recycling 003: They’re not all first editions, guys

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Hop in for a free ride with

Am I already falling behind on 2019? (Falling into old bad habits is more like it.) I’ve been pretty good with eating less (and better), reading more, and keeping up with TV shows. I’ve been obsessive about doing the New York Times crossword puzzle, though I still can’t get past that Wednesday hurdle. (The mini puzzles on the app, however, are totally addictive brain candy.)

But my resolve to write more can’t slide, man. So Overzealous Recycling is back after a week’s absence. Did you even notice?

Mahershala Ali as this week’s featured image seemed only appropriate. He’s starring in Season 3 of True Detective, which thus far promises to be a return to form for Nic Pizzolatto and his bizarre crime anthology. Ali also earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in Green Book (a movie I inexplicably still haven’t seen yet) and looks like a strong favorite to be a repeat winner in that category. He’s also in Alita: Battle Angel, coming out in a few weeks. It’s already a good year for him.

— 2019 Oscar Nominations: Who was snubbed? Who are the favorites? — 

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2019 Oscar nominations: Who was snubbed? Who are the favorites?

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panther_trio

The Academy Award nominations are always an exciting morning, but the 2019 Oscars seem to have a bit less juice than in previous years. Maybe because there’s not one clear front-runner that many fans are rallying around? No clear critical darling?

Also, I think there are a lot of movies that people either simply haven’t seen. That’s always the case (and Oscar nominations can change that), but feels like it’s even more so this year. Also, one of the favorites was made for Netflix, an idea people will have to get used to.

Since I typically write something about the Oscars, I figured I’d do a quick overview of the big categories, picking the favorites and noting the snubs. And there were a lot of notable snubs this year.

I’ve seen five of the eight Best Picture nominees, but there are several contenders I need to watch. (That’s one reason why I dragged my ass on putting together a Best of 2018 list.) Those include Green Book, The Favourite, Roma, Shoplifters, Can You Ever Forgive Me and The Wife. (I know!) So my opinions on any of these could change before Feb. 24. If so, maybe we’ll have some predictions.

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Amusement Park Podcast 022: Spider-Man: Far From Home, True Detective and Netflix. Get Excited!

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spidey_thumbs

On the latest Amusement Park Podcast, we respond to the first Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer which dropped this week. We also dig into the Season 3 premiere of True Detective (Chris is a newbie to the show) and discuss Netflix’s price increase for subscribers.

With news of Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters movie, the two of us also briefly debate whether Hollywood has run out of ideas. Personally, I think that’s a tired argument. But maybe you agree with Chris.

https://soundcloud.com/casselberry/spider-man-far-from-home-true-detective-and-netflix-get-excited

— Show notes for Ep. 22 are available at The Amusement Park Podcast website — 

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Overzealous Recycling 002: Nothing really matters, anyone can see

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malek_reading

This week’s cover photo alludes to Bohemian Rhapsody‘s surprising Golden Globe Awards win for Best Picture – Drama. The voters of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association thought the Queen biopic was better than Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, A Star is Born and If Beale Street Could Talk. (I haven’t seen Beale Street yet, but hope to take care of that this weekend, now that it’s opened in Asheville.)

Obviously, this is all subjective and awards don’t matter that much, but come on. Bohemian Rhapsody was fun and a testament to the greatness of Queen’s music. But the narrative was a mess and the script played with the facts more than necessary. Yes, the re-enactment of Queen’s 1985 Live Aid performance was tremendous, even more so when you compare it to the real-life footage.

— Bohemian Rhapsody reminds us Queen was great, ignores too much about Freddie Mercury — 

This isn’t even a concession to popular tastes. If so, wouldn’t Black Panther have won that award? Maybe the voters just got caught up in the music and Freddie Mercury’s story (regardless of how the movie portrayed it). Or we just chalk this up to being the Golden Globes and winners don’t linger in the memory as they do with the Academy Awards.

But if the award got you to listen to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “We Will Rock You” or “Radio Ga Ga” over the past week, that’s not a bad thing.

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Amusement Park 021: Getting pumped for 2019! Marvel, DC, Comics, TV and Movies – Oh, My

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On the latest Amusement Park Podcast, we make up for last week when we briefly touched on the geek culture we were looking forward to in 2019. So we’re circling back for a longer list and some more in-depth thoughts. Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: Episode IX, The Punisher, Game of Thrones, DC Universe and more!

Also, we discuss Bohemian Rhapsody‘s surprising Golden Globes win and what we’re enjoying this week. That’s where I express my love for Cartoonist Kayfabe, the comic book nostalgia trip hosted by Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg, which has become my favorite thing to have on while I’m working.

https://soundcloud.com/casselberry/getting-pumped-for-2019-marvel-dc-comics-tv-and-movies-oh-my

We got a review on iTunes! The seal is broken, so hopefully you’ll join in with your own review.

You can subscribe to the Amusement Park Podcast everywhere you find podcasts:

Thank you for listening! Please give us a like on our Facebook page to help grow our audience. You can also give us feedback at amusementparkpod@gmail.com and find us on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear from you!