Story Stream: 12/12 - 12/18

It's the most wonderful time...of the week! Okay, not really. But it is time for this week's round up of movies, tv shows, books, music, podcasts, etc.! I'm working hard to meet a bunch of (mostly self-imposed, but still important) deadlines by the end of the year, so my streaming time is down a bit, but I still got through my fair share of stuff this week. Here we go!
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MOVIES

Fred Claus (2007)

Well, we were feeling like a Christmas movie, and figured we'd try something we'd never seen before. I figured "It's Vince Vaughn. He's funny sometimes. Plus Paul Giamatti? He's brilliant. How bad could it be?... Pretty bad, friends. Pretty bad indeed. Vince Vaughn is a little TOO Vince Vaughn in this one, and while Paul Giamatti actually has a great Santa look, his execution leaves a fair amount to be desired. Not to mention the whole new Santa mythology the movie tries to pass off. There's a reason this didn't follow in Elf's footsteps and become an instant classic. It's a one-time viewing at best. I would rate it much lower except that there is one truly brilliant scene. If you want to see just the one scene, fast forward to the 1:14:56 mark. Streaming on HBO Max. (5/10 - Not Recommended)

Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)

I had high hopes about this one, as it's the original source of my favorite Christmas song, at least for the last couple years, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. And I'm not going to say it wasn't good. It was good...ish. It just isn't really a Christmas movie. I didn't know that. And I don't really understand why it lands in Christmas movie lists outside of the one song. It has nowhere NEAR as much Christmas in it as Die Hard or Die Hard 2: Die Harder. Also... it's a little weird... That being said, I do recommend it, but save it for the Summer or early Fall where it belongs. Streaming on HBO Max. (6/10 - Recommended)

Holiday Affair (1949)

PROBLEMATIC. Like... majorly problematic. Again, I had high hopes for this one. And, while it WAS very, very Christmas-centric, it was loaded with blatant misogyny. What was I'm sure at some point a very sweet, maybe even romantic holiday story, has aged even worse than "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Wow. Very uncomfortable to watch. Plus, I sort of despise Robert Mitchum for the way he ruined the character Philip Marlowe in several of the Neo-noir films I reviewed earlier this year, so this movie didn't have a great shot at winning me over to begin with. Streaming on HBO Max. (4/10 - Not Recommended)

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018)

I have had very, very little interest in this movie since it released, as the last thing I thought the world needed was another Spider-Man origin story. But I knew I wanted to see Spider-Man: No Way Home when it released, and had a feeling I may need to see this one first, just in case they were connected in any way. It turns out that wasn't necessary, but I'm not exaggerating in the least when I tell you this may be the best superhero movie I've ever seen. I mean... EVER. This is an absolutely masterpiece of storytelling, and I can't wait to watch it again. And again. And again. And just marvel (no pun intended) at how truly perfect it is. Streaming on FXNow. (10/10 - Most Highly Recommended)

Spider-man: No Way Home (2021)

I've been super, super excited for this movie, so I went to see it solo on opening day. If I'm honest, it took a bit for me to get into it, surprisingly. But, by the mid-way point I was completely hooked. I loved this SO much. Slightly less than Into The Spiderverse, but more than probably every other Spider-Man movie. They did a phenomenal job. I won't say much though, as I wouldn't want to spoil anything for those of you who may share my excitement, but haven't gotten to see it ye. Currently in theaters. (10/10 - Very Highly Recommended)
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PODCASTS

Here Lies Me - Episodes 1-6

This week's Listening Session was with the creator of this show, Hillary Frank. We were encouraged to listen to at least one episode before the session. I listened to one, and then couldn't turn it off. It's an audio-fiction about the experience of being a middle schooler. It's acted by actual middle schoolers, and I was shocked when, during the closing credits of the first episode, I learned that they were middle schoolers from Houston's School for the Performing and Visual Arts! I know kids who go (or have gone) to that school. This is a VERY fun story, in a similar style as TV shows like Big Mouth, Pen15, etc. Definitely for mature audiences. (Mom, you won't like it.) Streaming on the various podcast listening apps. (9/10 - Very Highly Recommended)
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That's it, friends! I always ask, but so rarely hear from you! What are you watching, reading, listening to? What do you recommend? I'd love, love, love to know. I'm always looking to build out my various streaming queues, so don't hold back!

More soon!