Friday, May 6, 2022

What I watched in April

 


I didn’t watch nearly as much as last month but I still saw some so here we go....

1. HACKSAW RIDGE-201



Yes, this is a Mel Gibson film but, although I never cared for the man ever since I saw him interviewed by Barbara Walters way back in the 1980s, I do believe he makes some really good movies and this is one of them. I would say it is an excellent film. It is violent but that is what war is and, I believe, it is not gratuitous. This is a true story about a man that, due to his religious belief, he refuses to carry a gun but wants to be in World War 2. he faces many uphill battles from his own side to begin with but, boy does he prove his worth. If you read about the actual man, Desmond Doss, he enters the war as a conscientious objector medic who saved over 75 men (many say it was more) during a key battle and was the first conscientous objector to be awarded the medal of honour. 

2. TITANIC-1997


Yup, I watched this drivel (Dribble? Drivle?) of a flick because there was not much else on TV and I wanted to slum it. I was hoping I would change my mind about it but...nope...It's the Love Boat sinking. The costumes are excellent and the detail that went into the decor and how it showed the ship at the bottom slowly come alive as it used to be is impressive, even the acting is good but the writing and directing by that ego inflated goon, James Cameron falls into a pit of crap. He went all cutesy teenage love story where the kids fall in love and poor slob, Leo, gets invited to first class engaging the rich people to listen to what he has to say... Yeah, and I have an Oligarch yacht I want to sell you. Rose and Jack go in and out of that freezing water so many times I am surprised they didn't become prized ice sculptures surrounded by caviar. Never mind the true stories that are much more interesting than Jack and Rose, let's centre on a story that would never, I repeat, never happen in this manner. Besides, I don't care if old Rose is 100, I would bitch slap that old broad for throwing over that honking, tacky blue diamond into the sea. She hated that thing so why would she keep it all these years? Didn't her grandkids need to go to school? Where did she hide it all those years from her husband? You mean, she loved Jack more after knowing him for 3 bleeping days than her husband that she was with for probably 50?  Ughhh

3. GOON-2011


I happened across this fun flick and laughed my ass off. It is brutal, stupid (maybe moronic) and many F bombs but I laughed and laughed. It is not for many since you do see a lot of blood splatters  but I just couldn't help laughing. Obviously, the men who wrote this must have loved Slapshot (starred Paul Newman and that is a much better film) and wanted to make another hockey film. It stars Seann William Scott as a dumb bouncer who finds his dream job on the ice as an enforcer for some minor hockey league. We also have Liev Schreiber as an experienced enforcer who is adored by man fans. It is  loosely based on a man named Douglas Smith who co-wrote a book, with Adam Frattasio, about his exploits on the ice.

4. MINORITY REPORT-2002



This film stars Tom Cruise as a cop, haunted by the disappearance of his son, who captures criminals before they commit murder. Yes, it is sci-fi mixed in with thriller and a conspiracy story deftly handled by Steven Spielberg. You see there are these pre-cogs-2 men, twin brothers and a woman, who seem to spend their life in this water connected to some tv where their minds show what will happen. The problem is that is it true or can it be manipulated? Well, you have to watch the film to find out. It is well acted and I thought the story was quite original.

5. Grace Quigly-1985


This is quite a good movie bringing a hint back of the old screwball comedy but on a much darker side. Katherine Hepburn place Grace, who lives in a slumlord building and is ready to be kicked out of her apartment by the a-hole landlord when she witnesses his murder by a hitman, Nick Nolte. She follows him and decides to hire him to kill her. He is a bit put out by this request but she will not take no for an answer especially when she gives him all her life's savings-$2,000. When he meets her again, she has told a few of her old cronies that live in the same building and they want to be done in too. Before you know it, it becomes quite the business venture but not in all the ways you expect it to be. The 2 of them start forming a bond like only a demented mom and son could be. It is not a great film but it is funny and quite engaging.

TV SHOWS

1. TEMPLE-2019- PRESENT


I love Mark Strong, who usually plays a villain, but in this show, he is a doctor who does questionable services for people who wish not to have it known they need a doctor. His base of operations is in the bowels of the subway where he has a trusty sidekick who helps him and, soon, brings in a fellow doctor/scientist to help cure his wife who is in a coma. It goes on from there where he seems to sink lower and lower all for the love of his wife. It's well acted and I love the drama punched in with some good comedic bits that are played out dryly but with good effect.

2. HISTORY'S GREATEST MYSTERIES-2020-PRESENT


I love a good mystery and, when I was young, my mom always bought me books on unsolved mysteries whether they be true or fanciful or a novel...I love them. This is one show that looks deeper into some of the most famous but does not take a tacky look at things but more of a research style which is what I love. I just watched one about the famous Amber room that was looted by the Nazis  from the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg. Of course, they tackled D. B. Cooper, the convicts that escaped from Alcatraz and the Titanic but they also talk about the 5 Sodder kids that supposedly died in a fire and the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Pretty cool.

3. SECRETS OF PLAYBOY-2022


I came across this and didn't think much about it. To be honest, I rolled my eyes  thinking that it was going to be about these playboy women in fake tans, boobs and all bashing an asshole now that he's dead. Well, Hugh Hefner was an asshole and he is dead (I never liked this creepy bastard), but I was very wrong about these women and am readily admitting to it because I judged them. They stayed with him and on his place, they were in the magazine, frolicked by the pool so why didn't they just leave? Well, when you watch this, you find out how horrible this was and it is too difficult to explain in a few short sentences. These women were terrified, abused, gaslighted, drugged up and slowly stripped of their power. I always remember seeing Hefner on Larry King with Holly Madison and a couple of others and I remember a few of her looks that disturbed me. I felt she was uncomfortable and very unhappy but I didn't know what was going on. Before ye judge, watch this show. 

What did you watch this past month?

13 comments:

  1. Hacksaw Ridge was brilliant. Never a fan of Minority Report though. Been watching a lot of new series and just started the new Star Trek last night.

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  2. Hi again, Birgit!

    We need to stop meeting like this, dear friend! :)

    Like you, I don't care much for Mel. Mrs. Shady and I haven't watched anything he's done since Braveheart.

    She and I watched Titanic a few years ago. Yessum, it brought tears to my eyes to see Captain Stubing,,Julie and Gopher go down with the ship along with Victor Newman from The Young and the Restless. :) The 1953 film starring Barbara Stanwick, Clifton Webb, Robert Wagner, Audrey Dalton and Thelma Ritter is my favorite telling of the Titanic tale, and I also like the 1958 film A Night To Remember with David (Man From U.N.C.L.E.) McCallum and featuring the pre-Goldfinger pairing of Sean Connery and Honor ("Pussy Galore") Blackman.

    Goon does indeed look like a hoot. "You're not here to play hockey. You're here to fight." I'm not a fan of the crime/action genre, and I hate that music score typically used in action, adventure, sci-fi and animated fantasy films directed by Spielberg and others. Therefore Minority Report is a hard pass.

    Grace Quigly seems like my kind of movie. Over the years, Katherine Hepburn has not been a favorite of mine, but it looks like she turns in a funny performance in this picture. I very much enjoy the acting of Nick Nolte, so this film goes into my "watch" column. Temple might be a series I'd enjoy. I'll look into it.

    Wow. History's Greatest Mysteries is definitely a series that Mrs. S and I will want to watch. We love mysteries, especially those that remain unsolved. We often sit and debate each other like Siskel & Ebert after watching mystery shows like this one.

    Yessum, there's been a lot of negative press about Hugh Hefner in recent years, and Secrets of Playboy exposes his dark side. Hefner is portrayed in a much more favorable light in American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story, a 2017 Australian miniseries that I recently watched. It's very well done and I highly recommend it. Here's the synopsis: "American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story is a docuseries combining archival footage, interviews and cinematic reenactments to tell the story of Playboy magazine's charismatic founder Hugh Hefner and his impact on global culture and history. American Playboy begins in post-war America and takes us through the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953 and the next six decades of Hefner's life and career. As he built his empire, Hefner became both a social justice advocate and a target of the conservative movement, battling with the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover while becoming an outspoken defender of civil rights." So, I agree with you. Before you judge, watch the show you recommended, the show I recommended and others. Clearly Hefner was shades of gray.

    Have a safe and happy weekend, dear friend BB!

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  3. I watched the first two episodes of the Hefner story, but when folks started defending him and his actions I turned it off. As far as I am concerned, he had no redeeming values. I dont know know whose civil rights he was defending; it certainly wasn't those of the women who were virtual prisoners in his home.

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  4. Of the above, the only one I saw was Titanic and yes it was a shocker when she threw that diamond into the sea. Do you think some fisherman might have gotten a surprise if he caught a fish attracted to the sparkle?

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  5. That sequence in Hacksaw Ridge, where he's pulling the men off that cliff... I can sit and watch that over and over.

    There's a TV show version of Minority Report. It went one season. Interesting. Worth it if you're looking for something.

    Lately I've been watching Star Trek: Picard. Just saw the season finale. Wow. And I'm enjoying Superman and Lois. I found The Foods that Changed America (I may have that title wrong) on Hulu. And I just started the Lakers show on HBO. (It's a fictionalized recounting of the '80s Lakers, my local basketball team.)

    The Love Boat sinking... *snort*

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  6. Hefner's son was a friend of mine in high school, and nothing at all like his father. Never met his sister. Oh, and the brother of one of our bridesmaids was a big shot at Playboy. Hefner was a pretty talented guy; sad that the magazine was where his talents went.

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  7. 'Goon' is indeed a hilarious one! I think it's the chemistry and comic timing between Jay Baruchel and Seann William Scott that makes it so hilarious.

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  8. I've seen the Minority Report, but sadly have missed the Hefner series.

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  9. Wow, Birgit, only 2 sound familiar that I think I may have watched them. How did I ever miss some of these movies and shows?

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  10. I agree that the ’97 Titanic’s story is so much nonsensical hogwash full of impossibilities to take place during the period. However Kate Winslet, Gloria Stuart, Kathy Bates and Frances Fisher all give good performances, and the costuming and production design are impressive. Also once the ship hits the berg the film becomes captivating. Both the Barbara Stanwyck/Clifton Webb Titanic and A Night to Remember are far superior films but cut the gooey romance from this one and it has some decent parts.

    Minority Report came out before I had completely soured on Cruise and it is a decent film. He’s okay in the lead but Colin Farrell is better as his pursuer.

    Sorry to say I thought Grace Quigley was awful. I wouldn’t say it’s Kate’s worst film, it’s not Spitfire/Dragon Seed horrendous but definitely in the lower echelon of her work.

    I’ve seen bits of Goon and that was enough.

    As soon as I saw that Hacksaw Ridge starred that pig Gibson any desire, I had to see it evaporated.

    I only saw three worth mentioning in April.

    The first-And the Same to You-is a fetching bit of British whimsy with all the heft of a tissue but a lot of charm.

    The next-Bette Midler at the Continental Baths-is in deplorable condition. It was shot at that location when the Divine Miss M was just starting out and it was awesome. Despite the horrid print her star power is megawatt bright.

    4 Moons is the last. It was a Mexican drama with four interlocking stories that just meshed so well.

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  11. I love that you enjoyed Goon. I also just randomly came across it one day and laughed my ass off. I assumed it would be stupid, but I loved it. The sequel wasn't very good though.

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  12. Birgit,

    Honestly, my mind is a blur. Do you mean to tell me April has come and gone? See, didn't I tell you my mind is a blur? lol Seriously April was horrible with one home repair catastrophe after another. I'll be happy to get the last of the biggest worries knocked off our to-do list later in the week. I'm so exhausted.

    Grace Quigley looks like a great comedy. I always enjoyed Nick Nolte in the 80s. He was great with Eddie Murphy in 48 Hrs and Another 48 Hrs. Entertainment on the big screen was premium in those days! Hollywood is too political correct and has taken all the fun out of film writing and making which translates to the viewer as a horrible movie. Hacksaw Ridge sounds like a great movie but I have to be in the right frame of mind to watch a war movie that's all serious. I love Mel Gibson in the Lethal Weapon series! We saw Minority Report eons ago. Neither us really liked it but it could be that it was just too futuristic for us. I usually have a hard time wrapping my brain around those kind of films. The Matrix as popular as those movies were, we didn't care for them much. We're all different.

    You asked what did we watch in April. I'm not sure if we watched any movies but it seems like we did and I just can't remember but we are working our way through the TV series Revenge with Madeleine Stow on Hulu. It's really good.

    Thanks for sharing the movie review with us. Have a funtastic day, my dear!

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  13. Well Grace Quigly certainly has a different spin to it, doesn't it?
    I trust this work week goes smoothly. Don't worry. Hugs,

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