Netflix cracked the Hallmark Christmas movie code — and somehow broke the mold while they were at it. I loved this.

Yes, yes… my half-Italian bias is definitely showing, but still: Christmas in Rome is a Hallmark-style movie that isn’t made by Hallmark, and that alone feels like a small miracle. It walks a familiar path without blindly following the checklist we’ve all grown used to playing bingo with.

The characters are believable, the charm feels earned, and the film smartly dances around the usual clichés instead of tripping headfirst into them. I kept holding my breath, waiting for the inevitable “Hallmark misunderstanding” — the one that sends the newly star-crossed lovers spiraling apart until the final 10-minute reconciliation.

It never fully goes there. And for that, I was genuinely delighted.

Quite possibly my new favorite Christmas movie. 🎄

-follow me on Letterboxd!

https://letterboxd.com/s0bad/

The Secret of Secrets is your next Page Turner

 

A surprisingly refreshing return to the Robert Langdon universe. After finding the post–Da Vinci Code sequels only “fine,” this one felt like a genuine rejuvenation of the character. Dan Brown strikes a better balance of adventure, history, and pacing, with far less of the usual “I’m Robert Langdon — the expert!” energy. The real cleverness is in shifting the emotional focus to the secondary character, letting Langdon support rather than dominate. It makes the story feel fresher, tighter, and more engaging than the last few outings.

Running Man meets 1984

 

Is it good? Yes.
Worth seeing in a theatre? Absolutely.
Am I familiar with the 80s Arnie movie? Yep.
Does it compare? Not really—this is its own thing.
Have I read the book? Not yet.

---

Edgar Wright’s adaptation is tight. Exposition lands cleanly, and the pacing never drags. Glenn Powell is perfectly cast as the relatable everyman, Lee Pace is straight-up kick-ass, and Josh Brolin brings a charismatic charm to a very likable “bad guy.”

PMG’s 80s version took huge swings—because it was the 80s. Wright’s take is far more grounded, which somehow makes it even eerier because it gets so many details uncomfortably right. Will this version hold up in 20 or 30 years? Hard to say—but the future feels close enough that it might.

I got shades of Children of Men and Andor in the bleak, bureaucratic hellscape of the co-ops. What really struck me was how much of the movie happens in broad daylight. I’ve walked grey, empty big-city streets in the fall, and it was easy to imagine this world bleeding into ours.

The “future tech” is refreshingly understated. Nothing glossy or over-designed—more knobs and tactile hardware, with the occasional SpaceX-style sleekness sprinkled in. Nothing felt sensationalized.

What did stand out was the frictionless TikTok-style social media layer. It’s disturbingly natural—everyone casually participating in tracking and identifying runners. It’s 1984 meets influencer culture: a surveillance state turned up to 11, not through force but through engagement and normalization.

On the surface, it’s a fast-paced action romp. Beneath that, it’s a sharp commentary on the near future—one we’re inching toward if we’re not paying attention.

I’m looking forward to reading Stephen King’s novel, written over 40 years ago, to see how his nightmare stacks up against today’s world. And I’ll definitely be rewatching Wright’s version to catch the little nods and Easter eggs I know I missed.

Greyhound

They did it!

I was just having a conversation about the state of films and how everything needs a crazy exposition or twists and turns.

I've been beating the drum that we need 'sometimes' to be given a bare bones story. "Here's the plot laid out in the first few minutes... character x needs to accomplish y. Go!"

Audience now on edge of seat/couch glued to screen to see if character can pull it off.

Done.

This Tom Hanks character is a first time captain charged with escorting a convoy. Guard it against u-boats across the Atlantic to supply the war effort. Will he succeed?

Bravo! You did Apple! Tight one act story full of action!

Did Some Great Waterfall Chasing

 Managed to put on some miles this past weekend.  My foray into the USA since the pandemic, then north of Thunder Bay to Terrace Bay.   For more:  @thunderbaylandscapes on Instagram,  of ThunderBayLandScapes on Facebook 

City Of Thunder Bay Bus Art

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Thunder Bay Landscapes (@thunderbaylandscapes)

Best Free Recording Software for your Kitchen Studio - Protools First with Mbox 2 Mini

So finally after a few years of pushing Protools 8 on an older Windows 7 computer with an Mbox2 Mini, I made the jump to Protools First.   I had tried casually a few times last year to see if I could use 'First' but ran up against problems with legacy drivers for Mbox. 

I just wrapped up production on my latest project (https://cosmicseam.bandcamp.com) and really noticed my trusty PT 8 wasn't cutting the mustard.   The production sounded good, but I finally decided now was the time.  I debated whether buying new hardware and interface would be the best solution, but it came with a price tag I just can't afford.  I am after all just a 'kitchen studio' writing and recording songs for the pure love of it.

Free 99.99 was the goal and last night I succeeded!  So the Achilles heal to this is the driver for the Mbox.  If you're not careful you will BSOD your Windows 10.  I'm currently on 2004.  I did a scratch install of Protools First on a laptop with Windows 10 1903 and it worked and the Windows Update surprisingly found the driver.   However on a anything newer than 1903 there's a major issue with the driver. 

So "robertomurta" in the Avid forums found a work around to install a specific driver set with instructions here: https://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?p=2595552  

Prior to finding this gem of a resource I managed to Blue Screen my newer PC 2x.   Luckily I had created restore points prior to installing and was able to recover both times. 

So a night of installing to my 'better' Windows 10 PC and I managed to fully jump from Protools 8 to Protools First.   My first impressions on First is so far are really good.   It's free 99.99!  The new Expand 2 plugin samples are sounding awesome!  I managed to get my old Radium 49 Keystation working flawlessly.   The only thing missing from First is the Eleven Rack guitar amp simulators.  But those weren't great in the old version, so using an Orange Micro with the headphone out seems to work nicely to give my guitar tracks a better sounding guitar amp.