Aria and David Griffey

So… it’s been a little while.

After kicking our first joint novel out into the world with a lovely launch party and very little other fanfare, we all but dropped off the face of the internet, pretty much failing in the whole “post launch hype” department of marketing the book. There are a couple of very good reasons for that, the first of them being that in July we shuttered our used bookstore after three long, grueling, exhilarating years of trying to Make It Work (spoiler alert: it Did Not Work… this time). Then I (Aria) was at home full time with our daughter for the first time since she was born, which I thought would give me some more time for marketing and writing, but since I was also working part time in digital marketing for someone else while being increasingly pregnant and therefore constantly on the verge of spontaneous couch naps, that didn’t end up happening.

Then a couple of weeks ago we welcomed our son into the world, and things were a bit topsy-turvy while David was on paternity leave and I was trying to figure out how to do the whole newborn thing again, this time with an energetic toddler to boot.

Now David is back to work, and I’m settling into a new routine at home with two under two, which is actually going fairly well at the moment, much to my surprise. I even have time to write this belated blog post while the two gremlins (affectionate term) are napping.

While we were on parental leave together, David and I had a lot of time to watch or finish watching some shows and movies that were on our list, and David felt inspired to write little reviews of a bunch of them. The initial few reviews ended up being quite funny, so I encouraged him to write more and document our thoughts, good and bad, on the media we are consuming. In the end, we thought it would be fun to share these reviews with you! So here is Volume One of our Review Roundup, featuring witty reviews by David (with a few contributions from yours truly) on the books, movies, shows, and music we’ve been into lately. Perhaps this will help make up for our recent radio silence…

Review Roundup Vol. 1

Books

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
(Review by Aria)

A classic I never read in school, but one which David is partial to. He read it aloud to me and we finished reading it in the hospital after our son was born 🙂

I enjoyed it a lot, but you can definitely see that this is a story which walked so others could run, so to say. David pointed out that the Scarlet Pimpernel is basically a very early “superhero” type character, complete with a bumbling secret identity and almost superhuman cunning and strength. The story sometimes feels unoriginal, but that’s only until you remember that it was the first to do a lot of these ideas and tropes. I found it to be fairly melodramatic at points, and you can definitely see the author’s biases against certain types of people on full display. However, it’s a fun adventure story with some great characters, and definitely a classic I’m glad I’ve read now.

The reading experience was much enhanced by David’s dramatic reading and rather terrible French accents 😂

Movies

Tenet (2020)
(Review by David)

Wow, that was a lot. This highly-produced action thriller from 2020 by auteur Christopher Nolan is a quite a movie. Starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, the movie takes us through what can only be described as a time-twisting James Bond. The spectacle is amazing to see unfold, and the concept of people moving through time in reverse is gripping. A and I watched it with subtitles, which helped to comprehend nearly incoherent dialogue, but still had a difficult time following the action, if not the plot itself. A also pointed out that the characters (purposefully) had no character, really, and felt more like stock pieces or props. We enjoyed it, but felt as though its reach exceeded its grasp when it came to its high-flying concept. While it is thoroughly entertaining, it is often confusing, and elements of the narrative can arrive wooden or flat.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (TV movie, 1982)
(Review by David)

This TV film, aired on CBS on November 9th, 1982, is a lush period drama, mixed with an air of adventure. Starring Anthony Andrews as the titular character, Jane Seymour as his bride Marguerite, and Ian McKellen as the villainous Chauvelin, the main cast truly carries this adaptation. A says that it is actually more enjoyable than the novel, and I tend to agree. The pacing and plotting is better, and the stakes are higher, leading to more drama. But truly, the performances, especially of Andrews as Percy Blakeney/The Scarlet Pimpernel, carry it to a higher level than is typically found in TV productions of that time. Andrews, on this watch, actually wowed me with the subtlety and nuance of a performance wherein a man repeatedly exclaims “Odd’s Fish!” Overall, I would recommend this adaptation to anyone who likes the book, or has any interest in classic adventure media.

Notting Hill (1999)
(Review by David)

This was pleasantly surprising in how good it was, even though A and I had very high expectations. It has been recommended to us by my father as one of the premier romantic comedies to watch, and after seeing it, I wholeheartedly agree. It follows the love life of a very British travel bookstore owner, who falls in love with a famous actress who happens into his bookshop one day. While you may have a clean-cut Hallmark image in mind of what the plot may entail, I am sure you are not expecting the zany family antics, British humor, and the Welsh flatmate who can only be described as an agent of chaos. A hard recommend, since it handles romance and comedy both with finesse and style, with great performances not only from the leads, but from the supporting cast as a whole. 

Aria’s Note: I thoroughly enjoyed this film, but some of the content and humor is rather shocking, as my mom would put it 😅 Definitely not a clean-cut Halmark-type movie! Use your own judgement and maybe look up a content guide if you’re concerned.

Ladyhawke (1985)
(Review by David)

In my love of 1980s fantasy films, we stumbled across this oddball of a movie, starring, I kid you not, Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film follows a slightly annoying thief played by Broderick as he is Shanghaid into helping cursed knight Navarre, played by Hauer. The plot struggles to get going, but once it is going it is a fun romp, with likeable leads and serviceable support, the highlight being the monk played by Leo McKern. Unfortunately, the momentum is not kept for the third act, which devolves into a slightly nonsensical climax that is only somewhat satisfying. The landscapes and sets are beautiful, the props so-so, the costuming questionable, the tone uneven, the soundtrack abysmal (you won’t believe it unless you hear it.) Overall 10/10 would recommend. 

Shows

Arcane: League of Legends (Netflix)
(Review by David)

Technically we only finished this series this month, having taken a while to watch it. It is a story of several different plotlines that only occasionally cross paths in a steampunk fantasy world. Sound familiar? Well honestly, besides the broad strokes, this series doesn’t actually have much in common with our debut novel The Heart of Resistance 🙂 It is an interesting watch though!
The production of Arcane is unmatched, with stylish and fluid animation and action, lovingly bringing the steampunk world of League of Legends to life. The characters, which are clearly the focus, are a mixed bag. Victor, the scientist-turned-cosmic mage is the standout of season 1, with a Shellian arc of ambition gone too far. Vi and Jinx, estranged sisters, help to round out the cast in season 1, though the other leads left something to be desired in terms of development. Season 2 was the best of times and the worst of times. Jayce, who A and I hated in season 1, came into his own as a great counter to Victor’s growing madness. Vi, however, with her unconvincing entanglement with detective-turned-fascist-puppet Caitlin, really took a step back. The conclusion of Jinx’s character was baffling. [Spoiler: it isn’t a sacrifice play if the character already wants to kill themselves. It’s wish fulfilment]. Ekko was a surprisingly good character, with the Alternate Universe episode being our collective favorite in the series. These are only a few observations; one day I may write a full dive into my thoughts, but it’s really too much to put here. I give a reserved recommendation. It is a great show, and a good show, though not altogether greatly good, with middling pacing and plotting. 

Aria’s Note: I once again have reservations about this show due to its content, which is unfortunate considering the beautiful animation and several very compelling characters and plotlines. The show is rated TV-14 but runs much closer to TV-MA in my opinion. Do your due diligence!

Stranger Things 2 (Netflix)
(Review by David)

I thoroughly enjoyed this season’s twists and turns. Though not as tight a plot as season 1’s masterpiece, season 2 follows the characters through even more cosmically horrifying adventures. Will Byers is once again beset upon, leaving his mom, played by Winona Ryder, to do much of the emotional heavy lifting. The loser’s club is given less to do, since the adults are all in on the plot. The arrival of a new girl, Max, gives Lucas and Dustin an interesting angle, but Mike is left to simply be moody, which is hardly interesting. Nancy and Jonathan develop their relationship, but ironically Steve’s character benefits most from this. The most interesting plot, by far, is between Eleven and Hopper. Their surrogate father-daughter bonding is hard to watch emotionally, but enthralling. The only issue with this is episode 7, which derails the story’s momentum with an Eleven side quest that never amounts to anything that couldn’t have been accomplished either offscreen or in a five minute montage. Also Sean Astin is a nice addition to the cast, hope he sticks around!! 😉

Music

Plastic Beach (Gorillaz album)
(Review by David)

For a long time I’ve seen Gorillaz as a concept and have been unable to comprehend them. I still don’t really get them. I’ve heard “Feel Good Inc.” and “Clint Eastwood” around enough, but those singles don’t really fulfill the need I had to understand the band. After listening to the album, I still don’t get the concept of the virtual band, but I did get to listen to an interesting album. No I didn’t hate it, and I tolerated the experimental segments far more than A did. Of course the standout tracks, “Rhinestone Eyes” and “On Melancholy Hill”, wowed us both. The rapidly shifting genres and guest appearances always kept us on our toes. “Pirate Jets” was an odd place to end the album, but overall, if you don’t mind a bit of the experimental in your music, I’d give this one a spin. 

Aria’s Note: Not sure if “Rhinestone Eyes” in particular “wowed” me, but I can tolerate it at least 😉 Overall this album is too experimental for my tastes, but if you like that sort of thing it’d probably be right up your alley.

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And there you have it folks! Our very first Review Roundup. We’d love to keep doing these, since they’re honestly a lot of fun. We read, watch, and listen to tons of media, even when we’re not on parental leave, and we always have opinions about everything 😛
Please let us know what you think. Lord willing, we’ll be back soon with more reviews, writing updates, and whatever else is on our minds.

Sincere regards,

Aria and David Griffey (A. D. Griffey)