July 10th, 2023

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: Can you imagine what the pitch was for this picture? So we have a board game from the 1970s which everyone over 40yo will know some geeks who used to play this on weekends and throughout the summer, ensuring that they don’t get any sun. I note that Stranger Things have had the main players playing Dungeons and Dragons. The producers cannot blame the cast, as they have acquired the talents of some A-list actors like Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Bradley Cooper and Rege Jean Page from Bridgerton fame. So what happened? Because this is an utter mess. You would think that a movie with a title that is WAY too long, but has Dragons in it would have more dragons! The first dragon on my count shows up at 52 mins!! Huh? You also have Michelle Rodriguez singing. Yes, you read that right. Chris Pine’s singing, if it is actually his voice, will be challenging Pierce Brosnan (Mama Mia) and Russell Crowe (Les Mis) for most cringe-worthy. But this is a sidelight to the main plotline. Basically, Pine plays a smart-mouthed, charming rouge who has a daughter for whom he has been separated. His wife had passed away earlier for reasons that Pine feels responsible. Pine then meets up with other random characters who must make his tiny band which has at least a modest tie into the game (where a group of players with various skills would take on a task, they using various skills like warrior, fighting, magic, thieving etc).

There are of course bad people, seeking power and looking to gain with others losing. Enter the cad Hugh Grant who has taken care of Pine’s daughter, acting as an “uncle” while poisoning her mind about her father.

All this to say that this movie was way too long, way too convoluted, and simply silly. If you are a fan of the game, you will be disappointed, because it really doesn’t have anything to do with the game. If you like medieval fantasy, you will also be disappointed because this is non-sensical and silly. If you hope to see some good acting with stars who are capable of doing so, you will also be disappointed because there isn’t any story or writing provided that gives these performers any opportunity to show what they can do. So overall, an effort that is a head-scratcher and not really surprising to be on Netflix so close to its theatrical release. Don’t be fooled by the Top 10 viewing as listed by Netflix. I would say, take a pass.

The Black Phone: sometimes watching movies and reviewing can be pleasant, and one feels as though you are able to suggest watchable and memorable content for viewers who don’t always watch a lot of movies. The question can come up from time to time from people to me as to “what should I watch out there?” After a week like this, I am saddened that I don’t have much positive news to respond to that. In this instance, Crave is showing this thriller which is reminiscient of other movies notably Silence of the Lambs, or even Stranger Things, but not nearly as good despite the reference. The premise is one of young people disappearing with regularity from a local high school in Colorado. There has been a black van that has been rumoured to be involved, but there haven’t been any witnesses. They kids are calling him The Grabber. The intrigue begins.

Underlying this background is a young male student and his sister with just a Dad, as Mom had passed away earlier and Dad (played by creepy Jeremy Davies) is often drunk and abusive towards his children. There is a supernatural angle to this story as the younger sister has dreams that sometimes come true. Our young man, who has been friends with one of the boys who was just taken, seems to have a connection with a number of the other missing teens.

So what’s with the title? Well, without giving away too much, the old style dial phone is in a room and we are told by the bad guy “it hasn’t worked in years”. It rings and brings in another supernatural element to the story which is more than a little bit strange. Ethan Hawke is also in this movie. He is one of the more versatile actors of this age. He can play a variety of characters and this one is quite different for him. In the end, there were aspects of this that didn’t make a lot of sense, like if there was a black van involved, perhaps the police would be better able to track down a black van parked in an open garage on an ordinary suburban street. Go figure. Perhaps setting this in the late 70s with the accompanying music would explain the lack of technology used by the police. Overall, I cannot recommend, and found the end quite disappointing. I think that there has to be a better way for a young man to assert himself, and grow in character that doesn’t involve a set up like this. Oh, and if you’re wondering, if you choose to engage in this anyway, you would be pardoned in wondering why on earth the pattern of the bad guy was interrupted by the pattern he had established with this situation from before. The movie is a pass for me.

Tom Segura: Sledgehammer: I am a Tom Segura fan. I really like his humour and I think that he is hilarious. He is married to comedian Christina P who I also think is hilarious. Both have a number of specials on Netflix and Youtube. I think that Segura’s earlier work in specials like Completely Normal, Disgraceful and Ball Hog are all very funny with many laugh-out-loud moments. For me anyway, and humour is a very personal thing. I like Jim Jeffries, Jimmy Carr, Daniel Tosh, George Carlin and others who are similar,and all of whom I have seen live. I have been to Just for Laughs, and other comedy festivals.

Maybe it was me anticipating this so much, and building it up in my mind, but this special fell flat for me. There was a discussion about his two young boys, and another chat about his father, but none of them had me in stitches with his familiar delivery. I have laughed more on his more recent appearances on his wife’s podcast Your Mom’s House which can be very funny as well. So feel feel to catch it. It isn’t all that long. I do think that there are other things that he has done, or his wife, that are funnier.

July 3rd, 2023

Being Mary Tyler Moore: Crave has put out a new HBO documentary entitled Being Mary Tyler Moore. For those of us who grew up in the 1970s, it seems I was always aware of the show Mary Tyler Moore. In it, the single Mary is working for a newsroom in Minneapolis MN, as an associate producer. There is a memorable ensemble cast, with notable stars like Ed Asner, Betty White, Ted Knight, Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman. Ed Asner plays Lou Grant. Valerie Harper plays Rhoda Morganstern. There were numerous spin offs from the original show which aired from 1970 to 1976. But this documentary is more than about this show.

Mary Tyler Moore of course was also the star of the show, The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966). She was brought on as a newcomer because she had pluck and worked well with Dick. She had very good comedic timing in her previous TV work. She had been working steadily since finishing college. Born in 1936, she was 25yo when she landed the role on the very influential comedy show with Dick Van Dyke and blossomed from there.

This documentary was well done and shows the context in which made Mary a poster woman for her generation. Moving from the dutiful wife as Laura Petrie, she transitioned in the early 70s with the women’s lib movement in full swing with protests and Gloria Steinam in full force. Mary was the smart, single woman on her own in the big city without the need for a man. She dated. She worked. She had a male boss. Juggling it all. She showed all of America in her show that the balance was possible. Her personal life reflected her TV life, as she divorced her first husband, for whom she had a son, and then later married again. She was an Emmy award winning actress but also a mother and a wife. And what a full life that she led. She was nominated for an Oscar, in Ordinary People, directed by Robert Redford. She like everyone has had her challenges like losing her son long before any parent would ever want. She had divorces. She had health challenges. She died at the age of 80yo in 2017. But her impact on TV, and the body of work that she left behind made her a one of a kind.

Full Swing – a Netflix series: Talk about timing for a Netflix series. They’re first foray into the golf world just happened to be the year when there was a rival league to the PGA tour that came into existence. LIV is a rival league that was the brain child of ex-PGA player Greg Norman. He managed to get backers from controversial Saudi Arabia government. In turn, they set up a rival league and then threw around millions of dollars to star PGA players for them to switch allegiances. Some switched and others as we see, were in the middle of contemplating in doing so.

Early on players like Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka are the focal point. You note that Koepka who had suffered from injuries and his game had tailed off (in his results). They both fly around in private jets and live in lavish properties that most ordinary watchers won’t even have a frame of reference on. All for being able to hit a little white ball better than anyone else in the world. It is a skill for which they are dearly compensated. It is difficult to have sympathy for a group of millionaires who fight over whether they should be accepting more millions from a dubious source. For me, I like the idea that the party which generates the revenue (the players), gets to keep more of the revenue. Why was it that this is the one major sport where the participants are only paid in the event IF they reach the final two days (make the cut). If they don’t, they get nothing; no flights paid for, no hotels, no health insurance, no guaranteed appearance money. Does that make sense when TV networks pay billions of dollars to the organizer of the touraments?

The more compelling story for me was with John Dahmen, who seemed to be quite accepting of the fact that he wasn’t in the upper echelons of the game. He never expected to win, especially in the majors, because he didn’t think that he was as good. Naturally on the way to the PGA tour and obtaining his card he would have won many tournaments. He is a winner. But this episode shows him as being willing to be 30th in the world. All of this background then leads to him being the third round leader at the 2022 US Open. Maybe he can be a top player. He finished 10th. What this series doesn’t show is the guy who struggles for his card, and lives out of his car driving from event to event. The LIV discussion is interesting to be sure. Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Bryson Dechambeau, and then Cam Smith (Number 2 of the world) all got paid by LIV. If you are a golf fan, you get to see some behind-the-scenes views with some of the best players. You hear Rory McIlroy bad mouth Phil Mickelson. You hear Dustin Johnson feel strongly that his legacy isn’t in any way impaired because he was a Number 1 for a lot of weeks and has already won his majors. It is also interesting that post filming that in the past few weeks that Brooks Koepka has won the PGA Championship and then the PGA Tour and LIV have merged, a decision that was undertaken by PGA leadership without any discussion or direction from its loyal members. The plot thickens and Season 2 should be even more compelling as the fall out from all these things come to light from the players themselves.

June 26, 2023

Still: A Michael J Fox Movie: Canadian Michael J Fox became a household name on television in his breakout role of Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties. We learn in this engaging documentary with the star that he was nearing the end of his commitment to pursuing his dream of being an actor before that role. He had no money. He had no jobs coming in, despite having some roles when he was younger, but none of them paying very well. But then the world turned in his favour. Despite the producer Gary David Goldberg and the studio NOT wanting Fox, he went onto the stage in an Eninem moment, and slayed the crowd, convincing them with his wit and charm. He landed the job. Like winning the lottery, his life then turns around completely.

Then while filming Family Ties, he is offered the film role in Steven Speilberg’s Back to the Future of Marty McFly. It turns out that Speilberg’s first choice Eric Stolz was not working out, and Spielberg wanted to reshoot every scene that Stolz had completed. Goldberg wasn’t prepared to let Fox take a hiatus in order to film it, so instead Fox filmed both the movie AND the TV series at the same time. He admits that he felt that both roles suffered and he didn’t think that they were very good. He was wrong. His already soaring star left the galaxy, and he was one of the most bankable and successful stars. All from this small of stature young man (then 24yo) with the killer smile and likeable personality.

Life doesn’t always follow any set rules. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Fox has Parkinson’s disease. He first learned about it when he was 29yo in 1991. He kept working all the while movie after movie and show after show. The movies included two sequels for Back to the Future, Casualties of War and Doc Hollywood. He met and married Tracy Pollan from Family Ties, and when first diagnosed had son Sam in 1989. Twin girls arrive in 1995, and then youngest daughter in 2001. He went public with the disease in 1998. He worked on Spin City. In total he did 172 episodes of Family Ties and a further 103 episodes of Spin City.

What struck me most in this very watchable film was his gait. He struggles with walking and balance. He must fall an awful lot, and that is reflected in the physio sessions he is taking throughout the film, and the myriad of injuries and broken bones he has suffered. He is sporting a puffy left eye which is explained. The other thing that comes across loud and clear is his love and devotion to Tracy. He has a tight family, and the children rally around him. For Tracy she, I am certain, never signed up for this when she wed a mega-star. I will imagine that they have had many challenging days. But when told she said to Fox “in sickness and in health”. She is remarkable. From early on when the diagnosis was first given, Fox was hitting the bottle pretty hard and she challenged him. He has been sober since. All of this is detailed in this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed and I learned a few things about him and his family. When you know he has the Parkinson’s you can see him not moving his left arm in Spin City. But he was very good at hiding it. He keeps plugging away, while answering directing a question early on about “why make this movie now?” A Delorean won’t fix the diagnosis and he has already far surpassed the initial guidance that he could only work a few more years. Fox fights the good fight, and I hope that he can keep it up.

The Courier: Benedict Cumberbatch is telling the true cold war story dramatized of Greville Wynne as a UK business man who is asked to become a conduit between a high ranking Soviet government worker who is concerned about Nikita Kruschchev the Soviet leader. Set during the late 1950s and early 1960s the Soviets are increasing their nuclear arsenal, but want to have first strike capability with the US, as their present Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) aren’t able yet. Cuba is the answer. Rachel Brosnahan plays the American CIA agent looking to enlist the help of Wynne.

Wynne reluctantly agrees but successfully makes contact with this Soviet worker, Oleg Penkovsky. The stakes couldn’t be higher. The information that Oleg is sharing reveals details of the missiles and the locations of them within Cuba before they are capable of a launch. Soviet KGB are not easily fooled and the web around these two begins to collapse. There is plenty of intrigue and thrills. If you read ahead and cheat with a google search or two you will spoil the ending that the movie sticks to accurately. I give away nothing to say that the US and President Kennedy were able to successful stand up to the Soviets and their plans to increase their war machine. I will mention in passing that in the third act, Cumberbatch does a very credible job of matching the skills of other actors like Christian Bale and Robert DeNiro. All this to say that I like war movies, historically accurate movies, and all the intrigue surrounding those uncertain times with not much goodwill between the two main victors from the Second World War. The new Super Powers. So many resources were spent to spy on one another and prove that their system of governement/philosophy is better than the other. I enjoyed this movie with good performances. Two very brave men chose to do the right thing in their eyes and for their own good conscience, along with their young families. We across the globe and fortunate that they did.

Vengeance: After writing about two movies that I enjoyed, it is more difficult to write about one that I didn’t enjoy nor can I recommend. I know that in the past it was often more fun to read Roger Ebert when he did not like a film, rather than those that moved him positively. He was an excellent writer, and was able to fully articulate why he was annoyed that two hours (or less) or his precious time on the planet was lost to an inane movie. Now I can say that Vengeance isn’t completely inane, in the same way that Jack Frost was for Roger. But still, it seems that there are movies so intent on delivering a message or a comment on today’s society that they lose sight of trying to put together an entertaining story. It should have been apparent early on when I saw John Mayer as himself that this wasn’t going to be a notable film.

Writen, Directed and Acting is BJ Novak. You may know him from the US version of The Office. I was not, but I did recognize Boyd Holbrook from Narcos. It also has Ashton Kutcher in it. Told simply, writer and blogger Ben is told of a woman he had hooked up with in Texas who had passed away. He is asked to come to the funeral. He barely knows her. But the family thinks he was a boyfriend. He meets them, and gets to know a little more about the departed woman, who the family maintains was murdered. The official story is that she overdosed. The family wants answers. Meanwhile, Ben is looking to move ahead in his career and trying to sell a story to a publisher/newspaper editor. He is told by the editor to keep digging and writing about his findings.

Things happen. Ben finds some things out that he was not altogether surprised about, and this colours his view of the family. Other things are uncovered with a more detailed discussion which is, I suppose, a social commentary. Do we really need to hear in detail about the short sightedness of people these days, and how the trial of public opinion sways back and forth as lies are taken as truth? Or hear about a divided America and how on any issue there will always be some group taking the contrary opinion just to be contrary. Will people actually care about a young girl and which way she met her untimely end? The commentary then trumps the story, and you realize that it wasn’t all that important anyway. People just want to deliver speeches. But they aren’t adding anything to the discourse other than to hold a mirror up to it. So in summary, I can’t recommend it and don’t find it much of a commentary. I find most of the family characters are really caricatures and cliches. For me, the ending was not very satisfying, because it turned out to be much ado about nothing. A hard pass.

June 19th, 2023

The Graduate (1967): On Netflix, I noted in their Awards section that they were showing the classic 1960s movie with a young Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. It was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress but only a win for Mike Nichols as Best Director. In the Heat of the Night won, with other nominees that included Bonnie & Clyde and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. A good year.

So why is it memorable? Why does it still remain relevant? Funnily enough I had seen bits and pieces of this over the years, including the wedding window scene with Hoffman yelling “ELAINE!!” but also the stocking clad leg of Bancroft with Hoffman in the background saying “you are trying to seduce me, Mrs Robinson”. Of course the other aspect of the film that is most memorable is the soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel.

It’s memorable because this is an excellent acting performance for both young Hoffman, and also Bancroft. In reality, Hoffman was 30yo playing a young college graduate at age 20yo, named Benjamin and Bancroft was only 36yo, six years Hoffman’s senior. Bancroft is married to husband, with a daughter Elaine who is Benjamin’s age. Benjamin has returned to his parents home, and they are anxious to hear about what Benjamin’s plans are for next steps. They are expecting him to look towards post-graduate work or enter into his job. The men surrounding Benjamin want him to “sow his wild oats”. Through all this, Benjamin himself is confused. He doesn’t know what he wants to do. He has no plan. He is pressed by his parents, and everyone else. Then early on Mrs Robinson makes a sexual advance towards young Benjamin and gives him something to do and focus on. The relationship is purely sexual as Mrs Robinson shows no interest in talking about anything. When pressed she expresses out of the blue her determination that Benjamin stays away from her daughter Elaine. Things happen.

This was for the time the beginning of a rebellion of young people against their parents and a society that they questioned and didn’t agree with. Of course the sixties already had its fair share of challenges with the civil rights movement, the assassination of JFK, and Viet Nam war. It also had birth control and the sexual revolution. This movie became a reflection of the times, but was bold enough to put a mirror against the backdrop. Audiences cheered for the young Benjamin and his struggle to find love and purpose in his life. Watching this movie with a 2020s state of mind, raises some questions about how Benjamin acts during a trip to Berkeley, among other things. There is much drinking and smoking. The parental assistance for the young graduate is not unusual for the place with a new car. But it is unfair to judge in my view with a more modern lens. On its face, I think that Bancroft is excellent. She remains strong, in control, unflinching in her desire to please herself. We don’t know much about her marital relationship but for her it doesn’t matter. She never shows any guilt or feelings of any kind. Benjamin is the well brought up young man, who is a deer in the headlights without the life experience to handle this delicate situation. This is definitely worth a watch. It is tame by today’s standards in terms of being sexual and showing nudity. But that isn’t necessary to make the point. The key is how the players interact amongst each other as things unfold.

A Man Called Otto: This has been recently released on Crave. It is an easy vehicle for the aging but likeable Tom Hanks. A vehicle because he gets to have his one son, Truman Hanks, play a role of his Dad as a younger self. I would describe this movie as a compilation of a number of simialr movies. I see elements of Grumpy Old Men, Gran Torino and the animated Pixar movie UP. The movie certainly knows how to try and pull the heart strings and it plays them on a number of fronts. For those who get engaged you may want to have a Kleenex nearby since it can be effective. The movie opens with Otto as a man in the local hardware store and he argues with the young cashier about the cost for a length of rope. It is pennies that he squabbles over. He is protective of his gated street, and is vigilant about parking and keeping the street NOT a through street. He lives alone in the same semi house that he and his wife shared. The movie looks back into the relationship with his future wife. Of course they are delightful. Of course you want them to succeed. Life happens to them in much the same way as the old man in UP.

We learn Otto’s story over time. New neighbours move in. A young family with two young girls, a husband and a pregnant Mexican wife. Otto reluctantly assists them on occasion while the wife tries very hard to be generous, friendly and welcoming. We are introduced to other neighbours in and out of the neighborhood. As I mentioned, this movie tries very hard to bring in the emotional side. It helps with Hanks in the role as opposed to Clint Eastwood who also could play the grumpy neighbour. But Clint acts differently and provides different lessons.

Did I like this? Meh, it was okay. It wasn’t overly memorable. The performances are decent but nothing stands out. I think the young wife was the best of them. Certainly the other neighbours and their stories are not as fully told. It becomes readily apparent why some characters are brought into the equation, like the spectators at the train station (you’ll know what I am talking about when you see it). If there was a second viewing, you would note immediately why this occurred, and it would feel a little contrived. A little too cute to close out the story on other fronts. But, be that as it may, it didn’t suck. I don’t feel that I wasted my time, but I won’t rush out and recommend it with any enthusiasm. Sorry Tom, but you have done other roles better. Perhaps your son, like you did, should look to get roles on his own merit.

June 12, 2023

Love and Death: Crave through HBO Max is retelling the true story of Candy Montgomery, a small town housewife in rural Texas town, was accused of killing her friend and the wife of the man with which she had had an affair. Played by Elisabeth Olsen, this is another version of the same story that was starring Jessica Biel called Candy back in 2022. In this version Olsen is joined with fellow cast, Jesse Plemons, Patrick Fugit (from Almost Famous) and Elizabeth Marvel who was also in Mrs Davis recently. It is seven episodes so about a seven hour commitment.

This story, created by TV guy David E. Kelley from LA Law, Chicago Hope and Ally McBeal.

Without giving too much away, this 1980 case shows the characters involved, in this small religious town with the two families who knew each other very well. They went to the same church, they had the same friends, and sang in the church choir. Candy and her husband, with two young children, were not very well connected. She was bored. Her husband didn’t pay much attention to her, and would rather focus on network TV comedy shows. She noticed another choir member Allan Gore played by Jesse Plemons. She waited for Allan one night after choir to tell her of her intentions of wanting a relationship. It ensues rather clumsily, but certainly well planned. Allan’s wife, in this story is lacking in confidence and a little uncertain when her husband heads away on frequent business trips. The story continues and then gets into a court room drama with some colourful legal characters. Notable is the local lawyer, played by Tom Pelphrey, who ends up representing the accused, Candy but isn’t a criminal lawyer.

I think that those involved do a credible job of bringing forward this story. The lawyer in me had plenty of questions about the actions of the characters, more especially Candy in all that she does. Back in the day, legal defense work relied, it appeared, on lie detector tests, as well as hypnotizing the accused to better understand their defense. It flies in the face of traditional criminal defense work where you didn’t want to know whether the accused was guilty or not. But it was interesting the strategy involved, where a lot of the defense exercise was to position your client in the media (in that day on the TV and newspapers).

If you know the story or google it, you will learn what the result is. The post-script tells what happen to a number of the principal characters after it ended. Some are more surprising than others. Is it compelling TV that is something to watch? Sometimes. I like Elizabeth Olsen and think that she takes on good roles for her. I can ignore the superhero stuff, which for her is hard to do, but liked what she did in Wind River. I still marvel at the hypocrisy of these small towns and their strong religious beliefs all the while having the extra-marital affairs and justifying the killing. If you like a court room drama and are interested in real life crime, then this could be a story for you. Two separate TV stories about the fact situation would suggest that there is a demand for this story.

In and Of Itself: I rewatched this 2020 film which was the taping of a number of performances of this off-Broadway play with Derek Delgaudio.

Having re-watched it, I am still struggling to describe it accurately. It is a number of different things all packed together. It is magic, it is story telling, it is illusion, it is card tricks among other things. It is also interactive with its audience. But more importantly for me upon second view is that it has emotional impact. Both for him, but also for his audience members who he invites on stage. Random encounters that are impactful on both participant and performer. I won’t say more than that. But I think it is about being seen. It is about reflecting back how others perceive you, but why? Is that it? Is that the sum of us all? I think that there are really good obervations of people and how we interact. I recommend this highly. I saw it was available on Hulu, it was on YouTube and was on PLEX for me. If you can find it, have a viewing.

June 5th, 2023

The timing of my blog, and when I started writing reviews, which was in the 1990s has meant that there were many films which I watched an enjoyed in my earlier years that were never reviewed. From time to time I will provide a retrospective review and re-watch and do a fresh review of an older film. In this instance I saw that Netflix has some of the Monty Python films, and I decided to watch Life of Brian once again. It was a toss up between Holy Grail and Life of Brian but I decided that I really wanted to see a few scenes again. I can almost recite most of Holy Grail without seeing it, but I will return to it again. So here below is Life of Brian, a movie that I was told that my Dad left the theatre back in the day when it was released.

Monty Python Life of Brian: This classic comedy film was released back in 1979. Interestingly it has been in the news lately because John Cleese has gone on record saying that a scene in which one of the Judean People’s Front members, played by Eric Idle, wants to be a woman and have a child and be called “Loretta” from that point forward, would not be removed in this upcoming stage play. Incidentally that’s NOT the People’s Front of Judea; Splitters!!!

There is a stage adaptation coming for the parody film, and 83yo Cleese stated that despite the new world sensitivities to trans-issues and those in transition, this scene remains. When thinking about this, I have to say that there is so much more offensive material in this film which could be attacked using the 2023 sensibilities. I think that factually the Loretta scene is correct in that the male character doesn’t have a womb, and therefore cannot have a child naturally, despite the group acknowledging that Loretta can have right to fight for her right to have a child. Other sensitive topics can include the overarching parallel life ark for Brian with Jesus Christ could of course be challenged. So much humour is brought forward against people with challenges like stuttering, or lisping or other speech challenges. The entire scene with Michael Palin, who just this week turned 80yo, playing Pontious Pilot and the discussion about his friend Biggus Dickus is simply comedy gold. But scene after scene for me strikes a chord.

From the sermon on the mount scene with the people in the back getting into a fight about having a big nose. To later the stoning scene with the local women all wearing beards to attend, women weren’t allowed at stonings. To the Roman centurion who spends the time with Brian to correct his grammar, by conjugating verbs with him, for the graffiti being put all over the walls. Later the stuttering of Eric Idle in the crucifiction line. You see, this troupe of six men (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Graham Chapman) played most of the various roles in the movie for both men and women. They were cutting edge for their time in both TV and movies.

I am hard pressed to find another movie that I find funnier. Yes, Something About Mary also had me laughing in the theatre as loud and hard as I have ever done, but this movie and Holy Grail hold a special place in my heart. It isn’t for everyone, I will admit. Like my Dad. But this blog isn’t for everyone either, and it is my opinion about a given film. I would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a good laugh.

This bring me to the Easter Egg for this week. It’s funny that I have stumbled on two in the last two weeks. First one was in Jurassic Park when Jaws was streaming on Nedry’s computer. This one in Life of Brian happens after Brian’s Mom tells the crowd to “go away” and stop following Brian who has been a naughty boy. As she is walking through the crowd with Brian you can see this:

On the right next to John Cleese is Beatle George Harrison. He famously gathered up funds for Life of Brian when the comedy troupe couldn’t get funding. For Holy Grail bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, who liked watching the TV show and were good friends with Eric Idle, had wanted to see the movie. Harrison was approached for Life of Brian, and then was made part of the film. Fun!

Review bombing: I read an article about review bombing on CBC and I think it’s an interesting perspective of this modern world and internet connectivity that we share when it comes to entertainment. I will admit that I have not watched the live-action, remake of the The Little Mermaid, the classic 1989 animation film from Disney, which was the beginning of the resurgence of Disney back into making animated films. I use the words “live action” loosely as obviously we don’t have live action fish singing or speaking or Sebastian the crab for that matter.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/little-mermaid-review-bombing-1.6864613

The article speaks to Rotten Tomatoes and other review sites that provide a number for the viewers to decide the overall rating of a film. Since the announcement of a dark skinned Ariel, played by Halle Bailey, there has been this uproar from the same types of people who get upset that Bud Light has a spokesperson who is a transgender influencer. But as you can see, the impact can be very real. In the review world, according to the news item there have been an influx of 1-star reviews for The Little Mermaid, bringing the overall scores down, and prompting Rotten Tomatoes to adjust the scoring for those who have actually seen the film. That brings about a number of issues about reviews, their authenticity, their value and whether they can be trusted overall. Of course people can make their own decisions about whether to watch a movie or not. But critics and reviewers can have an impact, especially with the cost of attending a movie in the theatre. People want to see something that is regarded as “good”, or at least worth the money.

I am firm believer in that people should make up their own minds. Writing about it is a choice. I do this because it is an outlet for me. I also like movies and discussions about movies, TV shows and entertainment generally. I am not racially motivated, and I certainly don’t want to punish Disney or others for their choices in what they choose to fund. I have bigger problems with Disney in the troubling trend of doing cash grabs for previous animated films by making these live-action versions like with Aladdin (don’t get me started about Will Smith trying to play Robin Williams as the Genie) or Jungle Book, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, Dumbo or others. They have done this with mixed success. Or talk about what they have done with the Star Wars franchise, which just makes me shudder! Oh, and by the way, there is a Snow White live action film coming for 2024! While I don’t see these movies in a theatre (my way of protest) I choose not to falsely downgrade them in my review when I eventually do see them for free somewhere.

In a world that is connected more than ever, we must also recognize and critically think about where the source of some of the negativity can come. For me, I will see what I choose, write about it, and despite being someone who does reviews, I won’t put too much weight in the views of others who I don’t know or trust. Roger Ebert you are sadly missed to be an independent film critic voice for those out there these days.

May 29th, 2023

Whitney Houston: I Want To Dance With Somebody: We lost a legendary voice this week when Tina Turner passed at the age of 83yo. She had battled a long series of illnesses including a kidney replacement. This news made me revisit the shortened life of another legendary voice, Whitney Houston. Say what you want about whether you liked her songs, there was no denying the quality of her voice. Born into a singing family, where her Aunt was Dionne Warwick and Godmother was Aretha Franklin. Sadly we all know how this ends, and we can see the steps that slowly brought this upon the pop superstar, and make no mistake that she was a superstar.

For this movie, the performance of the lead will begin and end how the audience accepts it. Naomi Ackie plays Whitney really well. According to news sources, she doesn’t do most of the singing in the movie. That was Whitney’s voice mostly. But the songs were of course well done. I imagine that the Music Director, may have done as in Amadeus, with Sir Neville Marriner at St Martin In The Fields, said I will do the music ONLY if you don’t change a single note. This must be an intimidating role for anyone to take on. Whitney Houston has a range of singing, and a story that most people know pretty well. We know about Bobbi Brown and that influence that he brought into her life. A life of excess and drugs where the money generated just seems to disappear, whether in the hands of her father or others. She battled her father according to this movie all the way to him to his grave.

Some things that were highlighted which I had no idea about included her relationship with her best friend, Robyn Crawford. I also didn’t realize that it was Kevin Costner who made the suggestion for The Bodyguard, for her to sing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You”. He made a brilliant choice as well for her to sing the acapella for the introduction of the song. Life is about choices though, and for whatever reasons that she had, Whitney made choices that weren’t always in her best interest. From smoking, to the drugs, to her relationships, it seems that being someone who isn’t your own authentic self (as you see it) tends to lead to some destructive behaviour. The world lost a great talent far too soon. Like so many before her, there was something missing, and a void that could not be filled with earthly experiences. In the end, like Jim Morrison before her she perished in a bathtub. In her system was cocaine, and she had heart disease. But add her name to artists like Prince, Tom Petty, Judy Garland, Sam Cooke, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin and the list goes on and on. Whitney died at age 48, on Feb 11, 2012 a night before the Grammy’s were to take place.

Did I need to see this movie? It didn’t suck. I learned a little and revisited some songs that she performed. It is a story of excess for someone with a talent who was undeniable. Maybe the candles that burn the brightest, burn out the soonest. I would like to think that Whitney could have matched Tina Turner and reached her 80s, and shared her gift for longer. There is no doubt that Tina would have also lived an extraordinary life, but one with all the trappings of fame and success. They are both missed. Their voices will carry on long after I am gone and most of us.

Succession The Final Season: The final episode was last night. I have to admit then when I began watching this episode I wasn’t sure which of the offspring of Logan Roy would survive. I regarded this series as a tragedy, and that with the King lacking a formal succession plan and their being a potential acquisition in play that we would see the true colours of the adult children, Kendall, Shiv and Roman.

So things, as expected are coming to a head. A board meeting is to take place where the fate of the empire, Daddy’s company, is going to be decided. The parties involved are gathering their respective teams for the big vote. On the one side you have those trying to keep the company in the hands of the family, and in the other the European team looking to acquire it. This has been the basis for the entire final season. Within that parameter, the fight lines have been drawn. As things proceed the respective family members talk, and argue and figure out what their plan of action is, sprearheaded by Ken. Shiv is a survivor and is planning her own strategy. Roman and Ken each have ideas that they should be the heir to the throne. As mentioned in an earlier post, bearded brother Con, is treated as Fredo and not actively involved in the activities. Things play out to a meeting of the board about the acquisition. The vote is extremely close. Then things change in a way that could be predicted but in a satisfying way.

Unlike Game of Thrones, this popular series is ending on a positive note. An appropriate ending for those involved. Parties who have been involved in other seasons, show up from time to time to impact the plot. It seems that a reliance on a family that is dysfunctional can be at best unreliable. Changes come from places that were expected for those involved. Those who the audience had thought were in a precarious position can have their fortunes changed quickly in meetings that take place throughout. “Those who would be last, can be first….and those who would be first, would be last”. Needless to say the Roy family Christmas gathering would be an interesting affair when all is said and done. I think that this has been an excellent series, well written and acted. It was profane. It had some great laughs and soundbites. In the end, I am glad that I watched it. Well worth your time.

Adding a Jurassic Park Easter Egg: One of the things about multiple viewings of the same movie is that rather than focusing on the plot and the big things happening that you can see more of the detail. For moviegoers many people call these Easter Eggs, and I just noticed one for a film that I have seen many times.

It is the scene where Dennis Nedry is sitting at his workstation and having a conversation with John Hammond about his doing the code for the Park and automating it for a small amount of money. Hammon says that “I don’t blame people for their mistakes, but I do ask for them to pay for them”. On the screen on Nedry’s screen there is a live stream of the movie Jaws taking place during one of the scenes where the shark is making its entrance to the men aboard the Orca. I just noticed this, and it was a nice shout out to Spielberg’s earlier blockbuster.

May 22, 2023 (Victoria Day)

Mrs. Davis: I introduced this series back a couple of weeks ago when I started watching it. Now I have completed the season. For me this was quirky fun, with a fantastical story with more religious undertones than had initial expected. That shouldn’t really be too surprising since the main picture for the series shows Betty Gilpin in full habit. Still, it goes much deeper on this front than I ever expected.

The story is just as much fable as it is anything else. It lives on a couple of plains of existence, but the producers seem to make that work. There is some very clever writing. The writing has the plot have characters introduced and scenarios which at first seem to be unimportant, and then more explanation will be provided which brings context to the earlier reference. So you have to pay attention. All of this doesn’t work of course if you don’t relate to the principal character, and her plight. You need to care and want for her to succeed. Played by Betty Gilpin she has very good comic timing and her looks reveal much when she says nothing. She comes from a complicated background in the story with her parents. Dad is a magician, while Mom was a skeptical partner forced into a life that she really didn’t want.

There are themes about family, love, religion, faith, technology and the dependence of people on it, political resistence, acceptance, mothers and daughters among others. That covers quite a broad spectrum of the human experience. I enjoyed it. I laughed out loud a number of times, and openly wondered how they were going to film one aspect of the quest for Simone/Elizabeth. It appears that there are no plans for there to be a Season 2, so this is a one-shot deal. Enjoy it for what it is.

Succession: Last night was the second last episode before the conclusion of the series. It seems odd to writing about this almost weekly, but it has been a fascinating season. The focus has become the ongoing saga of this high profile acquisition of Waystar, along with the four adult children of media mogul Logan Roy. This episode is no exception, as we see each of the siblings act and react to the emotional plot as it unfolds. In many ways, this is the first time that they are showing any real emotion, which is a bit of a surprise. I can’t reveal too much as this is something to watch and experience fresh.

For me, one of the more compelling aspects of this very watchable, and well acted series is the interaction between married couple Tom and Shiv. In the past couple of episodes there have been revealing, truthful. honest moments with real pain between the two of them. Of the four siblings, this is the most complex relationship among two more-or-less capable people. Kendall is divorced and his strained relationship with his Ex doesn’t improve. Roman has his own challenges, and finally Connor Roy has always been relegated to Fredo Corleone status from The Godfather. It is an apt description since in many ways he isn’t as strong intellectually as the others, and even his wedding was a backburner celebration that none of the principal players took seriously. In truth, there was good reason for it, and if you’re curious you have to watch the series.

I thoroughly enjoy this, and I can only expect a little bit elongated last and final episode next sunday. Like Game of Thrones, it will be sad to see this go. I admit that I liked Game of Thrones MUCH more, without a doubt, but this has been quality TV from the start.

May 15th, 2023

I was off last week enjoying some time away in Europe, my happy place with a really good biddy from Germany. We went to a bucket list place for me of Portugal. In short, it was excellent, and lived up to all expectations. I would return to Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve areas. I had the benefit of many YouTube contributtions but was indebted to Netflix for the Somebody Feed Phil series which had an entire episode on Lisbon. The highlight was the Pont Final restaurant right on a jetty on the ocean. It was a very good meal at an excellent location that was one of a kind for a sunny day in May.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: So what do you do as a movie executive if you have released a hit movie, with many sequels and spin offs possible, and then all of a sudden your star of the film in real life dies? It’s not an easy choice. So many ways that the decision can go badly for you. The executive team at Marvel dealt with this situation when the lead of the original, popular Black Panther, Chadwick Aaron Boseman, passed away at the age of 43.

He was a charismatic guy, and along with challenger Michael B Jordan made the original a very watchable superhero film. As I have said many a time, I am generally not a superhero movie guy and less-so the Marvel series. I don’t find many of them compelling, even when it was one of the early superhero movie with Spiderman.

So to answer the question, one of the choices is to accept and incorporate the death into the movie. This was done thoughtfully, respectfully and tastefully with a couple of nice collages within the movie. As for the plot, there is also an amount of time to mourn the lost hero, with the family and the community. But like all things in life, the only constant is change. People move on, and families move on. It doesn’t mean that they forget. Black Panther’s Mom played by Angela Bassett takes the crown back and acts as Queen. She has her hands full because it turns out that the rest of the known world to you and I want to get there hands on the exclusive “vibranium” (or so it was thought).

It seems someone has created a vibranium detector, and there are aggressive moves made by other countries to obtain the mineral from Wakanda by force. It fails. But then things happen which take the film in two different directions. One dealing with the maker of this detection machine and the other around a new, previously unknown mystery entity. I will leave the details to the movie itself. There is a significant threat to Wakanda and the leaders look to find a new protector for the people. Ultimately I won’t quibble with the choice made and how it proceeds forward. Of course as a superhero movie there are moments of disbelief. I think that the performances were generally good. I also think that the music helped a great deal to bring forth some of the emotion. It has a heart this film. For the guy who doesn’t like most superhero movies, I didn’t hate it.

Succession: Final Season: I am one week behind in watching Succession, meaning that the May 14th episode I didn’t see yet. I caught up on the May 7th episode which dealt with the election night. With the father gone, the adult children are showing their limitations and vulnerability. Scheming and turning on each other and the staff who remained at the top with their father. Randall and Roman deal with the potential new acquirer, Matsson. Meanwhile sister Shiv is playing both sides in her professional life and in her personal life with her husband Tom. There is some compelling TV to be seen here. I anxiously await to see how it turns out. Great writing, really good acting. My favourite line in the episode is from Matsson to Greg, who he earlier calls Gary. He says “I thought you were backwash at the bottom of the gene pool…”. Priceless!

May 1st, 2023

Air: I attended this in the theatre this past weekend having heard some positive buzz about the movie about Nike signing Michael Jordan. Directed by Ben Affleck, it is also produced by Affleck and Matt Damon. It is a very nostalgic film set in the early 1980s with plenty of flashbacks of TV, commercials, music and scenes from the times.

For someone my age, I lived through this time and remember much of it. The dominant shoe companies of the day were Converse and Adidas. NBA stars like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Dr J all wore Converse. Adidas in the middle of an ownership change was targeting players who were over 7 feet tall.

The movie has an impressive cast. Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, the talent scout for basketball, asked to recommend newly drafted NBA players to wear their shoes. His challenge is that Nike is relatively unknown, and thought of as a “running shoe” and not a “basketball shoe”. He is dealing with Affleck as the flamboyant CEO of Nike who brought the company up from nothing. Nike is losing market share, and has a limited amount of money to sign some players. Jordan apparently had all but agreed to go to Adidas, because he liked the gym suits (iconic at the time) and was being promised a new red Mercedes.

Apparently when Affleck and Damon approached Michael Jordan about the film, he said that he would only allow it to go forward if Viola Davis would play his Mom. She did and she puts in a really good performance.

What is remarkable to the lay person is how so much money is offered to unproven draft picks to wear shoes. The endorsement is meant for brand loyalty and future sales. For Nike this was crucial in making them relevant in the basketball shoe market once again. There are business decisions to make, with the choice of an 18yo college basketball player making his decision which will impact so very many lives. The entire basketball division at Nike would be dependent on it. History of course shows us which decision that Michael made, with the remarkable red, black and white high top design that changed the industry in more ways than were initially anticipated.

Incidentally, the NBA had a rule at the time that shoes had to be 51% white or black and that the shoe proposed by Jordan would be contrary to the regulation and incur a $5000 fine per game. At the end there is some discussion about what this deal meant to both Nike and Jordan. Twenty plus years after finishing his career on the court, Michael Jordan is still benefiting (as he should) by Nike using his name and likeness. Few people knew exactly what Nike was investing in when this ground-breaking deal was signed. His Mom knew. He knew. And that Matt Damon’s character knew too. I am hopeful that the Damon character who risked much to make this happen, would have benefited financially with a substantial bonus from Nike.

Also incidentally, Sonny Vaccaro was fired by Nike in 1994, just 10 years after bringing Jordan to Nike. Quite a story. I liked this more than I thought I would and certainly with Ben Affleck who channeled the Nike CEO well. Generally I am not a fan.

Mrs. Davis: This is a new series on Crave. I have seen four episodes. It stars former GLOW and Gaslit star Betty Gilpin. I see a remarkable similarity between Gilpin and Killing Eve star Jodie Comer. I think that they are both very watchable, but also smart and funny at the same time. Each brings an element of her character still figuring things out, but also reacting quickly, sometimes not always thinking through the consequences of their actions. IMDB describes this series as Sci Fi. I am not sure that I agree. It plays on a number of levels, and because of one of these levels one has to say that it is more like fantasy or a fable. So far, this is quirky fun where the backstory between the characters is revealed over the episodes.

Gilpin is a nun named Simone, no joke, and she lives at a time where she believes that the Siri-like artifical intelligence presence, engaged by people through ear pieces, is after her to do something. She is looking to get off the grid. Her past reveals how she has been impacted and her experiences with magician’s and magic. Add to that as a child a chance meeting with a young cowboy, you see her impact on Wiley. Things unfold, and not necessarily as you would expect. There are some catchy lines, and good reaction shots from Gilpin. It is entertaining and I will keep watching to see where exactly it goes. I certainly expect that the ultimate goal/quest will not be completed in this first season.

The Citadel: Richard Madden has been making a tidy career out of playing in this political thriller, spy series genre since finshing up as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones. Back in 2018 he starred in the UK thriller Bodyguard which is definitely worth your time if you haven’t watched it. This series puts his in a role with Priyanka Chopra Jonas who open up borrowing heavily from both the Bourne and Bond franchises. It seems that many of these fight scenes recently are taking place on trains, but even that borrows from Bond long ago in From Russia With Love, among others.

So there is an initial scene which sets up the relationship between Mason Kane (Madden) and Nadia Sign (Jonas). Early on we learn that The Citadel is an organization that appears to be on a higher plain than MI6, CIA or KGB. Maybe think of them as a super-spy organization. Stanley Tucci is involved so that gives them instant credibility, as doesn’t he always? He plays the Alfred (Batman), Charlie (Charlie’s Angels), M (Bond) or Benji (Mission Impossible series) who coordinates efforts and can seemingly do anything with a laptop. Some early Bourne-like situations arise which may or not be believable. Same holds true with the potential resolution to cure the Bourne situation, where I just rolled my eyes. It has been said by me many times that movies require a level of suspension of disbelief. However there are times when it simply becomes ridiculous and you get into science fiction territory. That fails when there is this underlying plot which seems to take place in the present day with real elements surrounding them. Already I am feeling that the domestic set up for Mason is just a little too convenient. But that is just pure speculation. All that to be said that I was far more entertained and interested in Mrs Davis than The Citadel. I think that Madden is a compelling leading man.

Many could argue, of course, the other movies have similarly ridiculous unbelievable stunts. Mission Impossible early on I called “Ending Impossible” with a helicopter going into the Chunnel following a train and Ethan Hawke blowing himself forward from it onto a moving train. Yea, whatever!! That is but one of many such examples. But it doesn’t change my view of what was going on early in this series.

We have seen these types of stunts and storylines in other series. There have always been compelling female spy leads, most recently in the latest Bond with Ana De Armas or in Mission Impossible with Rebecca Ferguson as Isla Faust. There is so much content available these days that I think one must to pick and choose where to spend your valuable time. For me, I would pass on the Citadel, even though I was only two epiosdes in and focus on Succession and Mrs Davis.