Verified by VERB

Episode 6, by Kate Bray

VERB Interactive
Sep 4, 2018 · 7 min read

It’s time for a new Verified by VERB post! On the first Monday of each month, a member of the VERB team shares the content they’ve been into. This month, we dig into Content & Social Media Influencer Manager Kate’s favourite things.

TV & Movies
As I write this, I’m in week 3 of recovery from major surgery, which has had me stuck in both a hospital bed and then glued to my couch and temporarily away from my desk. As such, I’ve watched more TV & movies in the past 21 days than I have in all of 2018.

While I still have lots of dramas that I’ve wanted (and still plan to) binge watch, my current state has inspired a desire for lighthearted, fun, exciting, and upbeat content.

Right before my surgery, I saw the newest Mission: Impossible instalment, Fallout. This film, the sixth in the long-running series, completely lived up to my expectations. I’ve always loved the series and started watching the films when I was quite young, with my Dad. They hold a special place in my heart and I know I’m always guaranteed a fun, exciting, thrilling time at the movie theatre. Like its predecessors, Fallout is filled with drama, intrigue, jaw-dropping stunts (all performed expertly by one of the greatest movie stars of our time, Tom Cruise, don’t @ me!) twists and disguises all set against exciting, worldly locations. Fallout prominently features Paris–my favourite city in the world–and Berlin (haven’t made it there yet, but it’s high on my list). If you like action films and travel, this movie is a must-watch.

My first outing after surgery was straight back to the movie theatre, where I saw what is probably the film of the summer, Crazy Rich Asians. Based on the best-selling book of the same name, this movie is receiving accolades for being a game changer for representation: it’s the first film in 25 years to have a predominantly Asian cast. In addition, it’s simply a really well-done story that will hit you right in the lovey-dovey feels. If you’re looking for a rom-com and love all things luxury, high-fashion, and over-the-top, this movie is for you. Don’t blame me if you have a mad craving for dumplings and an urge to book a one-way ticket to Singapore as soon as you leave the theatre (speaking from experience).

If you know me at all, you probably know by now that I’m obsessed with the HBO series, Big Little Lies. I’m watching it for my third time through. I know, I know, I have literally all the time in the world right now to watch EVERYTHING else, but it’s just. that. good. I’m also reading the book, which inspired the series, and it’s just as good, and the TV adaptation has followed it very closely, aside from a few small changes. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you haven’t watched it, you MUST. The 7-part series (with season 2 premiering in 2019!) is about a murder in posh Monterey, California. The interesting twist is that it’s not revealed who has been killed, or by whom. As each episode unfolds, secrets about each character are revealed and more mysteries appear. If you’re not intrigued yet, the cast should be enough to get you excited. Big Little Lies stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoe Kravitz with MERYL STREEP JOINING THE CAST IN SEASON 2. I KNOW. Finally, the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve ever heard in any TV show or movie. In fact, I spent my first 3 months at VERB listening to it all day everyday, and now it fully motivates me and gets me in work mode. It’s full of mellow, folky-indie rock and you can listen to it here.

I also recently watched one of Netflix’s latest originals, the teen rom-com To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, based on the novel of the same name by Jenny Han. I’ll be 80 years old and I’ll still be loving teen rom-coms. This movie was a fun, adorable, nostalgia-inspiring flick with beautiful cinematography. The story centres on main character, 16 year-old Lara Jean whose private letters to her various crushes over the years get mailed out. Chaos and romance ensue. Enjoy!

A friend of mine recently introduced me to a really fun YouTube series, called Hot Ones. In these 15–30 minute episodes, host Sean Evans sits down with a celebrity and interviews them while they both eat their way through 10 chicken wings, with each wing dressed in a spicier sauce than the last. Stay with me — it’s a weird concept, I know. There are two main ingredients that really make this series work: 1) Sean’s impeccable interview skills. He asks extremely thought-provoking and well-researched, interesting questions that allow you to learn very intimate and intriguing details about the celebrity’s life and/or thoughts. 2) The intensity of the hot sauce incites raw, honest, personal responses from the celebrity. It’s really quite a spectacle to watch and I’ve been so entertained with each and every episode. Also, I’m craving chicken wings more than ever before.

Music & Podcasts
In July I went to Montreal to see Radiohead in concert with my boyfriend and two of our best friends. It was the best live show I’ve ever seen and I’ve honestly been thinking about it on a near daily basis. Much to my delight, they played songs from their whole discography, but the majority of their (25 song) line-up consisted of selections off of their 2016 album, A Moon Shaped Pool. We have music playing nearly constantly in our household, and this album gets played on repeat more than any other these days. It features lots of strings, piano, art rock, and ambient music. To me, this is one of their “spookier” sounding albums (that’s the best way I can describe it), and while many of the songs are haunting, it’s not in a frightening way.

Another one of my favourite bands, Death Cab for Cutie, released a brand new album (Thank You for Today) just a few weeks ago! I took an unintentional break from them for a few years and only really listened to their penultimate album, Kintsugi, for the first time earlier this year. That album quickly replaced the Big Little Lies soundtrack as my work playlist for at least a month, so I feel like I got two full Death Cab albums this year. While Transatlanticism will probably always be my favourite DCFC collection, I’m really enjoying Thank You for Today. It feels like a familiar return to some of their older stuff and makes me feel a lot of ~feelings~.

I really enjoy listening to podcasts and I have two faves that stand out from the rest. The podcast that got me into podcasts is Stuff You Should Know from the How Stuff Works brand. Josh and Chuck have been educating listeners on an extremely vast variety of topics for ten years now, so as you can imagine, their library is MASSIVE. The hosts have a fantastic rapport and I always feel like I’m listening to old friends teaching me something new. Some of my favourite episodes include: ‘Are there Undiscovered People?’, ‘North Korea: What’s the Deal?’, and ‘How the Antikythera Mechanism Works.’

My other favourite podcast is Sickboy. This podcast, recorded right here in Halifax by 3 best friends, has become a worldwide hit. Jeremie, Brian, and Taylor find humour and humanity in the experience of being sick. Jeremie, one of the hosts, has Cystic Fibrosis, and his experience inspired him and his buds to interview others with a vast array of chronic, terminal, and mental illnesses. I live with a chronic illness and have made telling my story and being a patient advocate a huge part of my life. I know firsthand how important humour can be to healing and just getting through the tough times, and I admire the Sickboys for helping to tell so many unique stories honestly and compassionately.

I haven’t been reading nearly as much as I thought I would during recovery. As you can imagine, I’m sleeping a lot more than usual, and unfortunately, the TV has been keeping my attention a lot more than books or magazines these days. That said, my favourite brand of all-time, the luggage brand Away, has their own magazine called Here. They include a print version with every suitcase and they also publish much of their content in their online edition on their website. I keep my one and only copy of Here (they’re $25 each, okay?!) on my desk at work and I flip through and admire their dreamy photography whenever I’m in need of some motivation. Traveling is my reason for being, so I love reading their city guides and interviews to get inspiration for my next adventure and life in general. One of my favourite pieces from Here is their recent feature on one of my most adored human beings on the planet, Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye fame, here.

VERB Interactive is a leader in digital marketing, specializing in solutions for the travel and hospitality industry. Find out more at www.verbinteractive.com.

re:VERB

All the social media, digital marketing, content strategy and pop culture news you could possibly need written for your reading pleasure and enjoyment.

VERB Interactive

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VERB is a conversion-focused agency, bringing real revenue to your travel business through digital marketing.

re:VERB

re:VERB

All the social media, digital marketing, content strategy and pop culture news you could possibly need written for your reading pleasure and enjoyment.

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