Fellow blog and friend, AEIOU and Sometimes Why has a long standing monthly post detailing what he watched in the previous month. It’s always a great read and now an idea I’m stealing. After you read my words, click over to his blog and say hi.

The 1983 Project is off and running. I have numerous files and tabs open on every device. Shelves are rearranged in the collection for easy access as I prepare for each topic. During all of this though, other entertainment is working it’s way into my life and I’m going to use this piece as a catch all to discuss them. Some of these might be full length posts later. For now, here is what I have enjoyed in January.

The Rock’s oeuvre.

This past October I discussed my son’s new love of monsters. Goosebumps, Godzilla, and more. Right when Walmart was putting all of the toys on clearance, he discovers Rampage. Giant gorilla, wolf, and an alligator. Plus the Rock. It is completely over the top and a throwback to serials. Every ten minutes at most is an edge of your seat cliffhanger. How are they going to get out of this one? All to lead up to an ending that does as much damage to Chicago as a Polar Vortex.  Which I expect to be the name of a Rock movie within the next two years. My kid has no idea this movie is based on a video game.  Couldn’t care less either. I loved not worrying about deeper meaning for two hours. It’s the Rock and giant monsters. Get some snacks and enjoy.

Now we have this movie on DVD and digital but as a child of the 21st century sometimes he just wants to watch movie clips on YouTube. Which then sends out algorithm information and suggests related videos. Out of no where my 5 year old is now asking all about this Jumanji movie starring the guy from Rampage. Off to Walmart we go, because there’s no other option for DVDs within a half hour drive. Bonus, Jumanji also stars “Mr Stine” from Goosebumps, or as the rest of us know him, Jack Black.

Again, a movie I wasn’t worried about seeing because I knew it would be big and dumb, was all that and an enjoyable then some. Great set up with video games. Well worked exposition. And Jack Black channeling a teenage girl is all the support needed for best comedic actor Academy Awards. Also, not that this movie is going to be held up as the pinnacle of acting but Karen Gillan was amazing too. From Doctor Who to Guardians of the Galaxy to this, she’s at least not playing the same character twice. But she’s always believable in every role. If only Selfie had been a good show.

The Dollmaker crossover series:

This is going to be a much, much longer post at some point. Nearly every popular family on YouTube has a series where one of their kids finds a creepy doll. The doll comes home, possesses someone, causes the family to go on adventures, is filmed on an iPhone or GoPro, and gets millions of hits. I’ve watched these numerous times and am torn between dismissing it all as ridiculous or seething envy over the money this is making.

Wrestling:

Here’s a dirty secret among wrestling fans. We don’t watch everything and sometimes we don’t watch anything. Some pay per views matter more than others, and sometimes Raw doesn’t have anything happen. But the road to WrestleMania has begun and if there’s a free moment I’m watching wrestling. NXT Takeover Phoenix had great matches. The Royal Rumble was lots of fun. Raw and Smackdown are building towards an amazing WrestleMania and I think I need to request the day off work now. This week I watched the two big Phoenix shows, Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and had to stop watching the Worlds Collide special to get this post done. Everything has been so much fun, I’m not tired of it one bit. Everyone else in my house might be, but that’s why we have multiple devices and accounts.

Music:

If the radio is on it is solely to listen to the local morning show I enjoy. Otherwise, I’m done with a purposely limited catalog playing songs I’m past tired of. Thanks to podcasts, YouTube, and more the wealth of music is akin to hunting in garage sales and flea markets.

Avatar scratches my itch for over the top comic book metal. Stage make up, costumes, and epic videos full of fantasy and science fiction.  Sign me up. Their records are concept albums somewhere between George RR Martin and Black Sabbath.

I’ve seen the ice bucket challenge, and cinnamon challenge. But to find out there was a series of YouTube videos where people react to one band, well, I was curious. Jinjer is just freaking absurd. Pisces was the first song I heard but I’ve since gone through their albums. It is jarring at first, to be sure. But the amazing level of control and voice training necessary to perform like this is unreal. I’m well aware this isn’t everyone’s tea but those into this genre will discover a new favorite.

Let me know in the comments what you’ve found so far this year. Make sure to remind me on March 1st to write about February.