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Reviews
America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation (2022)
ATK- Reduced to Game Show Level
Why? When you have a show that is as perfect as its recipes, why did they lower its standards to GAME SHOW LEVEL? One viewing was all I needed to turn off this show forever.
Now, ATK and CC have always given us new talented cooks, but they tested these folks behind the scenes before putting them in front of the camera. Think Dan of "Whats Eating Dan" segments. He is wonderful and young with great ideas and interesting dishes. His tryout was in the kitchen working with the regulars before he hit the camera ready stage.
I guess ATK wants to look cool and compete with other game show formats. Dont mess with perfect. This dish is a fail! This soufflé flopped in the oven!
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets (2023)
Glad Cult Leader's Name is Not Richard
I have never watched the TLC reality show on the Dugger family. I really have no interest in them or Reality TV- but this is an eye-opener and a reminder of the danger of cults. My lowish rating is because the doc is very repetitive. It could have easily been cut down to two episodes.
The real story here is the cult itself - their lust for political power, and of course the abuse of women and children all in the name of some God they dreamt up and of course monetary greed. Their homeschooling plan is a disgrace and another form of overt child abuse.
The former cult members that speak on camera seem saner now but I am not sure of their motives or how they got out. I have only seen three of the four episodes- so perhaps that is covered.
I am glad that Mike Huckerbee is exposed- or as I call him and his daughter HUCKSTERbee. Mike only a few years ago SOLD, via info-mercials his CURE for diabetes! Mike is a "pastor" who does not pray for people but PREYS on them. His equally deplorable daughter Sarah, now Gov of Arkansas recently weakened child labor laws, as have 9 other states.
The cult leader Bill Gothard (kicked out) is true evil. Not sure if Gothard is his true name- Got hard? Well he sure did- another child abuser.
Michele Duggar with her continual raised head gaze at her husband is vomit worthy.
The whole lot of them- crazed and dangerous.
Please dont watch this series just to gawk. Please VOTE.
Tár (2022)
WHY I WANT TO TAR AND FEATHER TÀR'S FILMMAKERS
FOUR STARS only for the great performance by Cate Blanchett, but otherwise this film left me angry, confused, and annoyed.
First off, I am a lifelong lover of classical music and opera, especially the 18th and 19th centuries so I was expecting a lush and full soundtrack. All we got we snippets and a lot of past and contemporary name-dropping. I wonder if Barenboim is pissed?
The end credits at the top of the film? Not sure how long they went on (forever!) but my question is WHY? I am normally a person who watches the credits at home or in the theatre. Weirdly, I find credit watching respectful even though no one involved knows I am being respectful. Plus there is almost always a song I want to find the title of or a composer's name or an actor's name whose face was familiar but I could not place. But no one should be forced to sit through them. So, to be honest, I was annoyed before the film got started.
Confusing to me were all the minute and mundane noises Lydia keeps hearing that rob her of her sleep. What was all that about? What was the point?
What upset me the most was the old stereotype "Misunderstood Mad Genius" got trotted out once again-I am so tired of this trope. However, at least we know lesbians can be mad geniuses as well! Really, there was nothing to like about Lydia-nothing. She seemed to love no one but herself, Mahler, and Lenny-and it is always easier to love the dead. Lydia gave me nothing to root for because she was empty, selfish, and sad, and in the end a pointless story.
Fleishman Is in Trouble (2022)
Smart Writing- The Importance of the LIVER!
Only two episodes in and I am in love with this story. Now I want to read the novel but only wish I had read it first. Some here complain about the use of narration. I love the 3rd person - God-like omniscient POV and find myself drawn to this POV in film and novels more often than not. Some of the best novels and film use 3rd person omniscient- and because of this Godly presence the viewer/ reader builds up a trust almost immediately- though, of course that may not be deserved and a plot trick. Watch out for false gods!
Fleishman, played by Jesse Eisenberg is a man who is lost at sea- his carefully planned life is upside down- note the great use of the upside down city scape as metaphor.
What I found most interesting is the the main character is a hepatologist! WHAT! A liver doctor! How odd- NOT! The ancients - Romans, Babylonians, and Greeks saw the liver as the ruler of the human body- the seat of life- the soul because it was rich with blood. Toby Fleishman, already in episode #1 waxes poetically about this once glorified organ.
The sex here is not a big deal here, and is shown in flashes not long scenes that underline Toby's yearning for connection to right his upside down world. He just needs to find his new path.
The cast is pitch-perfect, and as a New Yorker I can really appreciate the actors. I am rooting for Toby already- that's good writing!
When We Were Bullies (2021)
An Excellent Look at Why People Bully
This thoughtful short doc asks the question why a group of normal grade school kids turned into a mob that bullied a peer. Many here are upset that the victim does not get his say. The filmmaker did contact the victim and he did not want to participate. That was the victim's right and is certainly understandable. If the filmmaker had pressed him to participate that would have been harassment- or further bullying. The filmmaker explores what is behind this mob rule. This is NOT a look at one-on-one bullying- which in my view has a whole different mindset.
How the filmmaker met a fellow classmate, (decades later) who was part of the mob that horrible day is an amazing and magical look at chance. It was a "Wow!" moment for me.
The filmmaker also looks at the why within himself. What happened to him in that year (he was 10) should not happen to any child. I can see how that young boy felt angry, sad, and confused by his loss, and how that made him vulnerable to being part of that mob.
I might have some nostalgic bias here. I am about the same age of the filmmaker and grew up steps from his Brooklyn neighborhood. I do not know the filmmaker though. To be able to look back and reflect on the "bad" in you (and all of us) is a sign of growth, honesty, and maturity. Highly recommended!
Julia (2021)
Julia-A Love Story
At is core, this doc is a love story. Love between Julia and her TV audience, love of food, and the love she shared with her beloved husband Paul. Julia Child had an amazing back story. There is much to learn about her childhood and career before she went to France. She was a woman before her time. In my view she was the culinary version of Eleanor Roosevelt. Wonderful home movie footage and interviews provide color to her story. It was lovely to learn about her activism in the women's and gay rights movement. Best of all is her love story with Paul Child- a story that is heartwarming and sexy!
The Gay Dog (1954)
A Real Charmer...a Greyhound Question
A real charmer. Petula was lovely..still is. It was great to here her sing! You knew how the film would end as far as the love interests long before the end, but I had no problem with that.
I do have about a question about the greyhounds in the film. I found it odd that the two dogs, never wagged their tails. Greyhounds do have tail issues. They get, "Happy tail syndrome"...apparently their wag is so frisky it can knock things over and they can possibly injure their tails causing skin tears or fractured tail tips...OUCH!
I wonder in the film if they bound their tails somehow or were their 'all the time tail between the legs' just a sign of nervous pups. Anyone? Fun film.