Asteroid City: One thing that can be said for Wes Anderson, is that he through his reputation and the quality of his film library, he encourages the best talent to work with him. This movie is no exception with a cast that includes, in no particular order, Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johannsen, Adrien Brody, Maya Hawke, Matt Dillon, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Steve Carrell, Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe among others. Many of these actors are used in multiple of his films. Often for me the Wes Anderson films are simply weird and hard to understand. There can be elements of humour, and the best of his films are quite funny. Moonrise Kingdom comes to mind as a success. Less on the mark for me included Grand Budapest Hotel, Royal Tennenbaums, and Isle of Dogs.

So generally, his films are quirky and weird and don’t connect with me. This movie was no exception. For me, I experience these films as something to just watch. Of course the answer is “well yes that what movies are meant to be”. But other movies I feel like I am more a part of it. I can connect to the character or characters and I can sometimes feel their emotions, or have my own as I watch them. The Anderson movies I don’t relate to the characters. This was a movie where I scratched my head at the end and wondered what I had watched. It didn’t make much sense, to which Alison replied “weird shit happens, you chuckle and you go home”. True that. In this instance, I cannot recommend it. Could this be a companion film as a double feature for Oppenheimer? Not for me. I don’t need to see this again, and I had actually forgotten about it for the week in which I had seen it for these reviews.

Untold: Swamp Kings: Netflix has put together a number of documentaries regarding sports. I havre reviewed a couple already. This short series addressed the football program at the University of Florida during the early 1990s, with the hiring of Urban Meyer. He came in, and began a highly structured, almost military training program with an aggressive recruiting program. New recruits like Tim Tebow joined as well as other quality defensive players.

What strikes me as a Canadian, is the level of intensity when it comes to college football. I have of course seen Texas high school football, which is just crazy, but NCAA football and more specifically SEC football is another level of intense. I could go on and on about how NCAA professionalizes players, all the while not paying them what they are worth. The Untold story about Johnny Football at Texas A&M speaks to the same issues. Players are generating enormous income from TV revenue, along with ticket sales, and then the associated souvenirs and jerseys for all those who cram the stadiums week after week. I also think that the same college programs being at the top, because of recruiting, is a league with imbalance. It is a stacked deck, with the same 5-8 teams at the top each year. A league with true balance, and a draft where the worst team selects the best players, allows for a changing of the guard. I also don’t understand why coaches get paid more than anyone on campus. Players don’t get paid but the coach does. Yes, the program pays for the entire athletic undertaking for both men, women and recreation offers, but perhaps pay those who are generating the dollars. If they are in fact student athletes, then ensure that the get an education, and a real degree. But the recent court decision and allowing the players to be paid for the likeness, like with video games, is a very good step forward.

Florida had a tremendous program. So successful. This series was intense, by the coaches and players. They won two National Championships in three years. Meyer was a very big success. Yet you can see the strain emotionally and mentally to the coach as he lives in that community that just doesn’t accept losing. This was a good insight into a college program and the work done outside what the public sees on a game day. College football is big business, with plenty at stake. But for those who won’t see the NFL, or those who have injuries who prevent the ability to make money, the flow of funds to the players would make sense. This is worth checking out.

The Ultimatum Season 2: Those who have read my blog over the years realizes that a guilty pleasure for me can be these relationship reality train wrecks. This latest installment has the premise once again with five couples and one person in the couple demands that the other party either propose or walk away. The artificiality of it comes when each of the couples has to undertake a “trial wedding” with another member in the cast. What?!

In this season there were five couples but one of these couples leave the show early after a particularly awkward night. It was obvious that someone didn’t really buy into the concept in watching their partner just speak to others. For the other four young couples left over, they proceed through the rest of the stages. They are artificial, especially the aspect in the trial marriage where they meet the parents of the new partner. How are they supposed to react? You have just met this person, on a TV show, and you will meet the parents in a week that is mostly artificial exercise, if you aren’t focused on anyone else than your partner. In this season, one of the female partners clearly has issues with her partner, and you would be certain that she would walk away. I won’t spoil the ending but I can suggest that you to the recently dropped last episode and save yourself a bunch of time. None of these couples is compelling and look so very young. So this one would be a pass for me.