Hello. I am working my way thru NETFLIX Top 10 shows. I found this useful and interesting, I have seen shows that i would not have considered.  Some of those are below:

Previous:  

The Queen's Gambit.  I really liked it even though no one got killed and there were no car chases. Guess I am maturing?  Strange thing is that I would have like it better if it was based on true characters, the ending would have been more dramatic and less Hollywood.  History does have examples of women chess players but they never attained the height that she did during that period of time.  Good bit of film making.

Today:

Behind Her Eyes. No 1 on the Hit Parade and it should be. Another great limited series with an unexpected ending. DO NOT try to determine the last few twists, it is better seen than known before hand.  Great characters and acting, slow in parts for my taste but well worth the time.

Firefly Lane.  It is not mine to review as I did not get past the first episode. Apparently it is No 5 in the TOP 10 right now so someone is finding it interesting.  If you view it and like it please let me know why.

The CREW. No 6 and I despair for America's viewing habits.  This is reminiscent of the network "comedies" that were so popular years ago.  It can't touch Married with Children and that show is as low as I am willing to go to.  That being said, it will probably do well.

No 3, 7 and 8 are teenage shows or baby shows which are unwatchable for any thinking adult.  Must be bedtime.

The SINNER.  No 9 on the HIT PARADE.  I have tried to get into it, Bill Pullman is a good watch and Matt Boomer is easy on the eyes.  It is nice to see Matt Bomer take on a more meaty role and not just a slick handsome playboy type.  A little gray in the beard is nice. And his character drives a Prius. I knew I liked him for a reason. 

Bridgerton.  Have an aversion to this show although I have only seen the previews.  Maybe too many period dramas?  Has good ratings, should try it out.  Is there a reason I should?

DRESDEN RETURNS

 Harry Dresden is back. Lots of old friends. Some new. and tears. Never cried over a Dresden story, maybe once. I cried buckets over Battle Ground.  Not sure I want to read the next installment.  Probably will.  Harry up to now has been playing in the training ground. In this latest book he graduates to the big time.

You thought the Earl King, Nicodemus and the ghouls and demons that have hounded Dresden, destroying his car, his apartment and lab and endangering his friends were bad. you have not seen anything yet.  I wont give you any information on it. Harry is in the big leagues now and it will be interesting to see how Jim Butcher will top this one.

Read it and weep.  

Hello there. Hope everyone had a great holiday. Or at least got through it in one piece.

After a long lull (at least a week) where I could not find anything to watch anywhere, Netflix relented and provided me with helpful suggestions.

Where the Money is has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 47 which is understandable. I am glad I did not check the rating before I watched the movie. It is a matter of what you are looking for.  It will never win any awards and the action is predicable. However, it has Paul Newman and is good for those times when you don't want to think too much and just watch people make a whole bunch of bad decisions, and it has Paul Newman.  Paul Newman can make any movie better, he has such a fantastic presence.  The movie can also make you wonder what your life might be like if you just pushed a little harder, took a few more chances, tried something new.  Better maybe, or headed for prison.

I like also like the fact that the home where Paul is taken after his supposed stroke has residents with sass.  They are old and/or recovering but they are not sleeping in their wheelchairs, they have spunk, curiosity and interest in what is happening around them.  Quite a refreshing change and adds to the quirkiness.

I am watching  a limited series, also a Netflix suggestion for me, called Alias Grace. Alias Grace is worth watching on many levels.  Acting and script are outstanding. So much said and so much emotion conveyed using body language instead of words.  Plenty of words spoken as well and very well stated.  Grace has true genius for telling her story in a captivating manner.

This production feels like an authentic period depiction.  I feel like I can step into the picture if I had a big enough TV and be there on the streets and in the houses in Victorian Canada. I feel like I should be able to smell the farm animals and the outhouse and the cooking and the flowers, feel the sunlight from the windows on my skin. The lighting is a character by itself.

I am not done with the series yet, 4 out of 6 episodes finished and not sure yet how much the main character really participated in the killing spree.  My hope is that she got mixed up in it accidentally but my feeling is that she instigated it.  You will not get the answer from me.

Hello again. Back to review 2 movies that I saw this weekend - Angel Has Fallen and Fast and Furious - Hobbs and Shaw. Both are true to the franchise that it represents so if you enjoyed the previous films then you are sure to enjoy the newest installment.

Personally I enjoyed Hobbs and Shaw much more than Angel but that is probably unfair.  Although there is a fair amount of humor around Nick Nolte's character the Fallen franchise is not known for being funny.  So I was glad to see the father emerge as a character who can bring a little levity into the movie.  But I would love to take scissors to his moustache.

Gerard Butler carries his part as if he was playing at being a secret service agent to an extent that it was almost Austin Powers-ish.  Morgan Freeman, one of my favorite actors, really just phoned in his part.  The wife is forgettable, the daughter cute as a button and the talent of Jada Pinkett Smith, unfortunately, wasted.  The best part of the movie was at the very end, the immersion sequence during the credits.  Blowing up all the bad guys in the woods was also pretty amusing although the extent of the violence in this movie was unsettling.  Seemed over the top and unnecessary.

Hobbs and Shaw, on the other hand, brought the humor, the car chases, the impossible-to-escape scenarios, relationship issues, and a world crises and rolled them into a movie that I enjoyed spending my afternoon watching. It does not hurt that Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Helen Mirren and Idris Alba are in the movie.  I am now a fan of Vanessa Kirby.  She can certainly hold her own with Statham and Johnson.

The cast is a great starting point but of course the action, the script and the acting has to carry it off.  This movie was a perfect mix of all three.  The helicopter and tow truck scene is remarkable and I loved it every time that Alba, Statham and Johnson interacted. Is Alba really dead?  Can he be reactivated?

A comparison between the movies shows that both are violent, a continuing story line, and filled with A list actors. Neither film is within the borders of the believable although I am not a secret service agent or spy so what do I know.  For me Hobbs and Shaw wins hands down.  I left this movie smiling and not begrudging the money and time I spent on it.  This is what makes it a winner.

Hi, its been a while. Thinking a lot about the final season of Game of Thrones and End Game, the final Avengers movie (as if I had to tell you). Have you  noticed the similarities between these two? The final episodes of two big budget blockbuster productions that are basically the same but the audience responded with remarkably opposite reactions.  What gives?

There seems to be preordained method of handling the final episodes of a long running series, either TV or the movies.  Probably radio serials also if anyone can remember back that far. The finale has to satisfy the loyal viewers who have been patiently (?) awaiting the resolution of the hanging threads.  The viewers who have been watching for years, devoting their time, money and emotions into the series, deserve to have a finale that displays the characteristics that have kept them watching.  I feel that Games of Thrones season 8 and Avengers:  End Game both failed to deliver.

They failed for the same reason.  They failed to follow the pacing and innovation that distinguished them in the previous installments.  And yet END GAME got rave reviews and GOT finale was panned voraciously.  I don't understand.

Games of Thrones Season 8 was a yawner compared to Season 7.  To end the series with the plot holes and the bad acting is a insult to George R R Martin's tremendous novels and an insult to the audience.  Plot holes in GOT are nothing new.  There are many instances when you must suspend belief in order to enjoy the story. I noticed this was true once the series moved beyond the novels that George R R Martin wrote and became increasingly true in Seasons 6 and 7.  Remember the heroes stuck on the ice and surrounded by the dead and being rescued by a lady on a dragon who was half a continent away just the day before?

One thing that GOT did very well during its run is give the audience interesting moments.  Remember the dead dragon being pulled from the ice?  Then melting the wall?  Intense. Moments to remember.  Those moments are what kept me coming back.

I did not appreciate their handling of Tyrion who became what his father always thought he was, a loser.  He was my favorite character until he became Hand of the Queen.  Most of the decisions he made as Hand of the Queen were bad and his final one, to give the throne to Bran, was the worst, the most inexplicable.  Bran turned around and made Tyrion Hand of the King to allow him to make amends for his failures. Hopefully for Westeros Tyrion is a failure only as a "wartime consigliere" and will do better in peace time.

However, I digress.  Back to Season 8. The biggest disappointment for me in Season 8 was the manner that the strong female characters were depicted.  Sansa mostly stood around and looked disapproving.  Arya killed the Night King and got laid and tracked Cersei to kill her but that was the end of her usefulness.  Then there was Dani, poor misguided Dani, apparently misunderstood with an undiagnosed killer tendencies that no one realized was a problem until it was too late.  And Cersei who deserved so much more air time due to her status as "most evil villain".  She dies in the arms of her lover, her brother, who left his new lover to try to save his sister.  At least Brianne had two nights with the man of her dreams before he left her for his sister.

Season 8 did give us several amazing moments even it required you to ignore the plot holes.  Melisandra lighting the swords of the Dothraki and the fires on the swords going out so quickly when they fought the dead = chilling.  Arya jumping on the Night King and plunging the knife = surprising. Jon facing the anguished dragon after he killed Dani = suspenseful.  I really like the episode before the Battle of Winterfell when the heroes were preparing for the battle, how each person chose to spend what they thought was the last night of their life.  This episode was well written and acted and brought into focus the relationships between the characters.

The writers have the right, the duty, to write the story they want to tell.  The readers or viewers must decide if they want to continue to be involved if they do not agree with the direction that the writers take the story.  My overall feeling for the GOT finale is that I am glad I watched it and enjoyed many moments but feel that it fell short in the logic department and that reduced my enjoyment.  Even fantasy needs to have a toe hold on reality.

Avengers End Game, so sad.  People were crying in the theater and I did not understand why.  It was just an emotional nod to the characters and does not qualify as a legitimate end to such a spectacular series of movies.  It was like watching an episode of the "Waltons" in space. For those of you too young to know about the TV show the "Waltons" it concerns a farm family in a small town and everyone loves everyone and the Mom and Dad always understand their kids' problems and none of the kids talk back or hit their siblings.  Thor beheading Thanos was the most surprising thing in the movie.  Everything else was expected  because it follows the script for a finale movie right up to and including the scene at the funeral where each group of heroes gets a moment on screen.  Thank you, heroes, for saving us once again and here you are, proud and strong and bonded to each other so if we need you again you will answer the call.

"Infinity War" is one of my favorite movies. Having a small person play the character of a huge blacksmith and having the small person be Peter Dinklage was inspired.  Spiderman was endearing, I was so sad when he disappeared and I felt so bad for Ironman.  All the characters contributed to the overall feel of the movie, too many to list individually and you know who they all are.  Not a misstep or bad scene.  A movie I could see and have seen over and over.  I saw END GAME once and that was enough.  I need to see it again as my expectations were apparently way too high.  I may find some redeeming qualities if I see it again and do not expect much.

Was anyone else upset about the way that Thor was depicted? He was my main hero until I saw him drunk and giving up his throne to - fly away with the Guardians of the Galaxy? Really? Its Peter's ship and Peter hates Thor so why is Thor on Peter's ship?  I am not feeling a bromance building.

This should tell you something about my reaction to END GAME.  I thought the best scene was when Gamora was told that she was in a relationship with Peter after she decked him.  Hilarious and totally understandable.

Pepper Potts in an Ironman suit and out there fighting?  And brought to our attention when the girls got their chance to battle someone (I forgot who) as a team?

Then you have the final finale scene where everyone goes their separate ways, similar to the final scene for GOT.  A little comedy to lighten the emotional trauma of saying goodbye to these characters who have become so important to you over the years.  You want to know that their future, for the ones that survived, will be roses and sunshine. How else could you possibly walk away?

How about walking away with a question mark? Someone lurking in the background who you know will cause problems.  Some indication that all is not well for our heroes.  Do you remember that last scene in "Serenity"?  Where a piece of the ship flies off when they take off?  That was a great ending.

These are my thoughts on the subject.  You probably disagree, at least for End Game.  Have a great day and write a comment if you care to.

Hi. Listening to an old movie on TV and working on my blog and working on my Etsy site. Like to multi task.  I guess you will have to tell me if splitting my focus three ways was successful.

I went to see The Front Runner over the weekend, mostly to see what Hugh Jackman could do with the part. Heard it could be an Oscar contender. Personally I would like to see Hugh Jackman get an Oscar, he is such a great talent. So much fun to watch, on many levels.  Great hair, and he can sing and dance. What more do you need?

Back up a step. Hair, dancing and singing is the extent of greatness?  Not so.  Zac Efron (also very cute and great at the dancing/singing thing) was in the Greatest Showman along with H.G. and H.G. dominated.  H.G. just does.  He fills up the room, adds a spark, creates a layer of fun and sincerity that is invigorating.  He loves what he does and it shows.

The Front Runner is chock full of interesting characters who talk very fast.  Not sure it is Oscar worthy but it is worth the 2 hours.  I will watch it when it comes to Netflix.  I won't buy it. Buying it is the pinnacle that any movie can attain in my world and it is limited to those movies that I will binge watch.  To rate this movie on a scale of
1 = would smash the CD if I was offered it for free
  to
5 = I want to be buried with this movie,

I would rate The Front Runner as a 3.5 which means I will happily watch it again for free.

Now, I want to see A Star is Born because of the two stars and it appears to be a good movie and it has been in the theaters for such a long time that it must be a good movie.  My hesitation is that it is billed as a ROMANCE and I do not pay money to watch ROMANCE movies.  I do not buy ROMANCE books and I do not watch ROMANCE movies unless I am desperate for entertainment and there is NOTHING ELSE ON THE TV.  I do have other options during this, the holiday season. We will see which side of me wins.

The Girl in the Spider's Web

So I went to a movie today that I did not expect to like.  Why do I do that? Why pay money for a movie (I like going to the movie theater) that I probably won't like?

Good question.  The answer:  because I saw the first movie in the series and I am hoping the second one will be better. I love the books, I would like to love the movies also.

The Girl in the Spider's Web is not at the top of my list of favorite movies but not at the bottom either. As a 2 hour expenditure of my time it was worth while.  However, I will say that I bought only a drink and no candy or food as I did not want to spend that much money on it.

I like my movies to surprise me.  The best ones keep me guessing through most of the movie. Some plot points were interesting enough and betrayals were inevitable and you could see them coming but this was not a buzz kill.  I did expect to see James Bond come strolling through to get some pointers from Lizbeth on how to deal with bad guys but that just added to the suspense so good going there. We saw the car chase, driving the motorcycle into the river, buildings blowing up, leap from a tall building, and cool gadgets.  Lizbeth can evidently procure anything she wants in a short period of time, she asks and it magically appears. Nice to have friends.

Long story short, it was worth watching.  If you like a little mayhem and some very smart people in your movie then this is the one for you.