No, I am not writing this essay from a marijuana dispensary.
This month I am focusing on the latest kitchen gadget that I just HAD to buy, the Instant Pot. The presentation on QVC was so compelling that I called a friend and made her buy one, too. Every dish the hosts took out of this modern-age pressure cooker looked so completely yummy that I was instantly hooked. And the cooking time? Next to nothing, they touted, even when frozen chicken was used. (Damn QVC and the Today's Special Value!)
But what they didn’t mention was more than what they said. Let’s start with the fact that the name is a real misnomer and only partially correct. It is a pot. Instant? Not by a long shot. Since this device is an updated pressure cooker, I followed the instructions to steam up a batch of water to make sure it wouldn’t blow up under pressure. Just the term “pressure cooker” is enough to evoke fear in many people, although this appliance is capable of slow cooking, baking and other feats of culinary magic, not just pressure cooking. However, let’s not forget that people have used pressure cookers to make bombs.
Before I attempted to make food in this contraption, I first had to do the “water test.” In this case, I’m pleased to say that it did not detonate. It takes at least 10 minutes just to get up to full pressure, and then you have to release the pressure by turning a valve, or you can let it release naturally. Both take time.
Next, I followed the advice of the entire Instant Pot Community group I joined on Facebook, where the IP vets (I’m into the lingo now) said to stick to a recipe. I chose chicken, scouring the internet for a recipe that would be simple to follow. It WAS simple, but it took much more than an instant.
I had to first brown the chicken using the sauté feature. Although my Viva model is a sizable 6-quart unit, much of the space in it is vertical, so having enough room to brown the boneless chicken breasts (which I cut in half to fit better) was a challenge. I cooked them for considerably more than the time recommended because I had thick pieces of chicken. Nobody wants to eat rare chicken, right?
Then I removed the chicken and added liquid – not the water the recipe called for (too blah), but a 14-oz can of chicken stock. And I threw in some lemon juice (which I never did taste in the final product) for flavor. You put the chicken back in on the trivet provided, and then comes the important part – you lock the lid on the device (which is like locking the astronauts into a space capsule, but on a smaller scale) turn it on and wait for it to get up to steam. There’s a little float that bounces around until the steam level is reached, when it locks into an upright position. Again, Instant is not exactly accurate. This whole process is easy enough – you set the timer and when the pot reaches steam level, it starts the countdown to the time you set – but just getting to this point took more than 10 minutes. I set the time for 9 minutes (remember, the 9 minutes starts AFTER the pot reaches the steam/pressure level) instead of the recommended 5 minutes – again, because the chicken was so thick.
Here’s the thing – once the pot gets up to steam, you can’t just lift the lid and check the progress. You have to let it finish its cycle and then wait until the steam is released naturally (which took another 5 minutes) or release the rest manually, taking care not to get scorched by the steam coming out of the venting valve. I don’t recommend trying this for a facial.
So, mine went through the cycle, and I followed the directions to let it “naturally” release its steam, which is somewhat like waiting for Mount Vesuvius to blow up. That’s 5 minutes, followed by another 5 minutes after manually releasing the steam. Then there was another 5 minutes of waiting time to let it sit and retain the juices.
Let’s face it, I could have browned the chicken on the stove top and popped it into the oven, or I could have cooked the whole thing on top of the stove much FASTER than the so-called INSTANT pot. But the chicken was tasty and tender, and there was a lot less clean-up because nothing splattered all over the stove, which is my usual MO.
Feeling flushed with success over my first attempt with the IP, next I tackled an even simpler recipe – buttered noodles. I used a half of a stick of butter melted in the bottom of the pot on the sauté setting. The recipe called for chicken stock, but I used vegetable instead and threw in a can of cream of chicken soup to add thickness. The noodles were broad noodles that get even broader when they are cooked. I used half of the bag (and it lasted me for three days).
Once the pot came up to full pressure, it took just a mere 5 minutes to turn the dish into fully-cooked, tasty noodles, which is much less time than it would have taken to boil the water and cook the noodles conventionally, so I marked this one a win. The end product had too much liquid – it looked like soup with a boatload of noodles in it – but I can adjust that.
My third experiment was a modest attempt. I had 2 turkey tenderloins, about ¾ of a pound each, that I seasoned and sautéed in the IP. I then added chicken stock (which I am running through at an alarming pace) and I threw in some baby carrots. The turkey was tender and the carrots overcooked after 15 minutes, so next time I’ll use less liquid and cut the cooking time a bit.
So far, so good. I haven’t blown up the kitchen, and the cleanup is easier because all of the food is in one pot. There’s no sautéing on the stove and cleaning up the splatters. Amazon has already delivered the cake pans I ordered that fit in the Instant Pot and allow you to not only bake, but to steam things stacked up, so you can cook more than one thing at a time. Then I remembered that I don’t bake, and that I sure don’t need to eat cake! I’m not sure Weight Watchers will approve my use of this device. I’m cooking and eating more these days, which is very un-WW-like of me.
I’m curious about other recipes. It looks like it will be good for making soup, although my current recipe for butternut squash soup only takes less than 30 minutes from prep through cooking. The idea here is to replace the crock pot with this device, which takes a lot less time than a slow cooker. But I know I can’t walk out the door with the Instant Pot going like I can with the crock pot, and what’s better than walking into the house to the fragrant smell of a dinner cooking, just waiting for you for serve and enjoy? Let’s try a pot roast to see how the house smells after that.
I’m willing to keep experimenting. But I will get an earlier start and make sure that I factor in the extra time and that I don’t start out this process when I am already starving. Otherwise this gadget will sit comfortably in the pantry, next to the Air Fryer that I just HAD to have when I saw that gadget on QVC and have used just once – with disastrous results. So far, the score at Casa Gordon is Instant Pot 3, Air Fryer 1.
Monday, October 15, 2018
Monday, October 1, 2018
Tina's September 2018 Movies
This month's dirty dozen movies included quite a few I had not seen previously (marked with an asterisk), including a documentary about the always interesting and controversial Jane Fonda, one about the NY Fire Department and a classic musical that was great to watch again. Movies are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 being the top rating. Numbering picks up from previous months.
104. The Wife* (2018) – He is a renowned author who has just won the Nobel Prize for Literature. She is the wife, the woman who carries his extra glasses and reminds him to take his pills. He publicly professes his love for her. And then he hands her his coat to hold. Underneath her placid exterior is an intelligent, talented woman simmering with disappointment bordering on rage. There were moments when I thought she (Glenn Close) would start to display some of the character she played in “Fatal Attraction.” Close gives an outstanding performance as the wife. Jonathan Pryce plays her renowned but hapless (in so many ways) husband, a proud and priggish man who thinks public proclamations of his adoration of his wife Joanie are enough. Christian Slater is a man trying to win both of them over so he can write the writer’s biography. Slater can be a smarmy sort, which fits this character perfectly. I can’t say more without giving away the plot, but I will reveal that no rabbits were boiled in the making of this film. 4 cans.
105. Slap Shot (1977) – What “Bull Durham” is to minor league baseball, “Slap Shot” is to minor league hockey – minus the rom-com aspects and with more comedy. This a raucous movie about the trials and tribulations of a minor league hockey team about to fold. Newman is Reg Dunlap, the aging player-coach of the Charlestown Chiefs, a horrible hockey team in a crappy league full of has-beens and never-weres. The team is headed to oblivion when management decides to bring back brawling, led by the bespectacled Hanson brothers. When the three brothers arrive on the scene (complete with their toys) and are let loose on the ice, mayhem ensues and the team succeeds. Ah, but enough to make them an attractive franchise for another town to purchase? Newman is terrific, skating enough to seem credible as a hockey player. Michael Ontkean is the brainy player who won’t fight, and Strother Martin, Newman’s nemesis in the great “Cool Hand Luke,” is the general manager of the hockey club. 4 cans for a lot of laughs and the great Maxine Nightingale song, “Get Right Back to Where You Started From.” And Newman.
106. The Captive* (2014) – This apparently little-known movie is an intriguing one. (I found it on Netflix but could not find information online about it because it shares its title with a 1959 film.) Ryan Reynolds is a desperate dad following the disappearance of his nearly 10-year-old daughter from his truck while he quickly ducked into a store to get her ice cream. Eight years pass, with police still on the case but gathering no clues. Who would have abducted her and why? Detectives Rosario Dawson and Scott Speedman have a theory and begin to eek out info and details, but they think the father may be involved. Meanwhile, on the marital front, the relationship is deteriorating since mom blames dad for leaving their daughter alone in the truck. There were times I was transfixed and other times that I thought this is never going to end. Never leave kids alone in the car is the message here. 3½ cans.
107. My Fair Lady (1964) – THIS is a musical. It has a book, lovely songs with memorable lyrics, plenty of dancing, and STARS – Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins and Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle. It is based on the classic Pygmalion story by George Bernard Shaw about a professor of linguistics who makes a bet with his colleague that he can take a lowly flower girl with a Cockney accent and make her into a lady. In today’s climate, I had to overlook the misogynistic tone and the Professor’s impervious manner, but it is a joy watching as Eliza transforms from a shrinking violet to a self-assured woman. You know the saying, “They don’t make them like that anymore?” Well, they don’t. I can understand the outrage of replacing Julie Andrews, who starred in the stage version, with Hepburn, a bigger star whose voice was dubbed, but the musical succeeds quite nicely, with credit to Harrison – who, ironically, speaks his numbers but does it so well that you don’t mind. Since I am going to see the revival at Lincoln Center, I thought I should brush up on my proper English first. 4 cans. PS – The stage version I saw at Lincoln Center was outstanding. I highly recommend it.
108. The Gift* (2015) – Joel Edgerton gave himself a gift with this suspenseful movie, serving as writer, director and a star. Gordo (Edgerton) and Simon (the always watchable Jason Bateman) are former high school classmates who meet as Simon and his wife move into town for his big promotion. Gordo seems nice enough, but there are shades of stalking in his repeated contacts with Simon and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) – showing up unannounced, bearing gifts so the young couple has to respond, etc. It seems Simon and Gordo were more than classmates, and Simon may not be the great guy he appears to be, making Robyn uncomfortable with her hubby as well as his strange friend. 3 cans.
109. The Group* (1966) – As someone who graduated from a women’s college, I thought this movie about a group of women from an unnamed but Ivy League-type college in 1933 would be more appealing. Instead, it is overwrought, badly acted, stilted and it reinforces men’s bad behavior (I’m not saying it is inaccurate, mind you). The story follows the young women as they leave college, meet and marry (or try to) men and establish careers. The eight characters are all relatively wealthy and privileged, but that does not translate into happiness in this soapy drama. The cast is a good one on paper (Candace Bergen, in her feature film debut, gets the least amount of screen time but her character’s name is mentioned most often), Jessica Walter, Joanna Pettit and a bunch of others who seem virtually interchangeable. Maybe it was more relevant when it was released in the mid-60s, but now it seems too melodramatic. One point in its favor is the strength of the bond between the women, which definitely resonates with me. 3 cans.
110. All the Money In the World* (2017) – This is the film notorious for editing out actor and accused sexual molester Kevin Spacey, who originally played billionaire J. Paul Getty, and replacing him with Christopher Plummer as the aging oil mogul whose 16-year old grandson Paul (Charlie Plummer) is kidnapped. You may remember the story, so I’ll skip the details. Getty refuses the pleas of Gail, his former daughter-in-law (Michelle Williams) to pay the $17 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers. Getty states publicly that if he were to pay, the bad guys would abduct all 17 of his grandchildren. The action goes between negotiations with Getty and Gail, aided by Getty advisor Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), who is clearly on the side of the distraught mother. Getty wants to find a way to pay less – if anything – and do it in a way that he can deduct it from his taxes. He is a stubborn old miser, collecting art and furnishing grand mansions while his family is nearly destitute. Meanwhile, the poor kid’s life hangs in the balance while the bad guys ramp up their threats of harming the teenager. Not a fun movie to watch, but kudos for excellent performances. 3½ cans.
111. Searching* (2018) – Too many people live their lives online these days, where everything you do or say can be consumed by friends or enemies. John Cho is David Kim, whose relationship with his 16-year-old daughter Margot (Michelle La) is largely conducted online, even though they live in the same house. They text, Facetime, send emails and do everything except actually sit and talk, for the most part. So, when she goes missing one day and he is asked by Detective Vick (Debra Messing in a rare dramatic role) for names of her friends and for her activities, David is at a loss. He turns to the computer for clues, and most of the movie is shown on a screen, with Facetime, videocalls and lots of clicking on the keyboard as he constructs a life for his daughter that he knew nothing about. The movie has plenty of intrigue as the detectives, aided by the distraught dad, pursue all the leads to find Margot. One of the best movies I have seen this year. 4 cans.
112. The Proposal* (2009) – New York book publisher Margaret (Sandra Bullock) matches up with all of the stereotypes we have seen portrayed in movies about intelligent and powerful women. She is cold, unyielding and cunning and she treats everyone – especially her thoughtful and loyal assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) – with no appreciation and a healthy dose of disdain. But when Margaret, a Canadian, is threatened with deportation, she coerces Andrew into agreeing to say they are engaged so she can stay in the US and retain her position. Andrew isn’t quite the milquetoast he seems, bargaining for a promotion as he goes along with the scheme. Things get complicated when the two, in an attempt to fool the determined immigration agent, end up going to Alaska for the weekend to attend Andrew’s grandmother’s birthday party, and they have to pretend they are engaged. His family – who only knows Margaret through Andrew’s caustic references to her brow-beating of him as her assistant – is shocked that the pair are now a couple, but they welcome her into the family. Come on, now, we all know exactly where this is heading, and it would be a TV movie at best except for the warm and wonderful performances by the entire cast, including Betty White as Gammy and Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenbergen as Andrew’s parents. This is not “Citizen Caine,” but it has substantial merits, and I really like Bullock and Reynolds. 3½ cans.
113. Step Up* (2006) – In the pantheon of post-Fred, Ginger and Gene dance movies, this film will inevitably be compared to the more modern “Saturday Night Fever” with John Travolta, “Dirty Dancing” with Patrick Swayze and “Footloose” with Kevin Bacon. All of them have the same basic plot: Bad boy meets good girl, they dance, they fall in love, something bad happens, dancing redeems them. Here Channing Tatum is a naturally talented hip-hop dancer assigned to community service at the arts high school he trashed, and while mopping floor and cleaning windows, he spots dancer Nora (Jenna Dewan) and “steps up” to be her partner in a dance showcase when her original partner is injured. They dance and become entranced, but there is no point in dwelling on the plot. This film modernizes the previous ones (granted, “Dirty Dancing” was set in the 1960s) with more current music and character types, and it largely pulls it off. Like Travolta and Swayze, Tatum is completely captivating on the dance floor, oversized clothes and all. This isn’t a great movie by any means, but it celebrates the exuberance and beauty of dance, and that’s enough for me. 3½ cans.
114. A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY* (2014) – I cannot begin to understand the strength, bravery and skill required to fight fires, especially in a turbulent, crowded city like New York. This documentary by actor Steve Buscemi (“Boardwalk Empire”), a former firefighter in NY, takes viewers behind the scenes with rare footage and revealing interviews with New York’s Bravest. Men and women, black, white and all ethnicities, these heroes tell why they joined the Fire Department and what the bonds they build really mean. What they do is so important, and you can’t help but admire them for doing it. 3½ cans.
115. Jane Fonda in Five Acts* (2017) – What actress has had more acts than Jane Fonda? From Henry’s daughter to his co-star (in “On Golden Pond”), from Vietnam War critic and social activist to the fitness icon responsible for an entire video industry, from “Barbarella” to “Coming Home” and from Oscar-winning actress to mogul Ted Turner’s trophy wife? In this HBO documentary Fonda reveals it all. She cops to being subservient to her various husbands and she regrets that picture of her in Hanoi that gave her the moniker “Hanoi Jane” and stirred the hatred of millions. But despite the controversies surrounding her life, she has turned out exceptional movies like “Klute,” “Coming Home,” – both Oscar-winning for her – and a few she used as vehicles to speak out about important issues, such as “The China Syndrome,” about a nuclear meltdown, and “9-5,” a call for equality in the workplace. Neglected by her mentally-ill mother (who committed suicide when Jane was 12) and her detached, emotionless father, Jane carries plenty of emotional baggage. I know there are people who still harbor resentment for her antiwar activism, but this is the same woman who fought for veterans and ran summer camps for kids at her home. And at 80, even Jane admits that she looks pretty damn good. Those Jane Fonda workout tapes had a long-lasting effect. 4 cans.
104. The Wife* (2018) – He is a renowned author who has just won the Nobel Prize for Literature. She is the wife, the woman who carries his extra glasses and reminds him to take his pills. He publicly professes his love for her. And then he hands her his coat to hold. Underneath her placid exterior is an intelligent, talented woman simmering with disappointment bordering on rage. There were moments when I thought she (Glenn Close) would start to display some of the character she played in “Fatal Attraction.” Close gives an outstanding performance as the wife. Jonathan Pryce plays her renowned but hapless (in so many ways) husband, a proud and priggish man who thinks public proclamations of his adoration of his wife Joanie are enough. Christian Slater is a man trying to win both of them over so he can write the writer’s biography. Slater can be a smarmy sort, which fits this character perfectly. I can’t say more without giving away the plot, but I will reveal that no rabbits were boiled in the making of this film. 4 cans.
105. Slap Shot (1977) – What “Bull Durham” is to minor league baseball, “Slap Shot” is to minor league hockey – minus the rom-com aspects and with more comedy. This a raucous movie about the trials and tribulations of a minor league hockey team about to fold. Newman is Reg Dunlap, the aging player-coach of the Charlestown Chiefs, a horrible hockey team in a crappy league full of has-beens and never-weres. The team is headed to oblivion when management decides to bring back brawling, led by the bespectacled Hanson brothers. When the three brothers arrive on the scene (complete with their toys) and are let loose on the ice, mayhem ensues and the team succeeds. Ah, but enough to make them an attractive franchise for another town to purchase? Newman is terrific, skating enough to seem credible as a hockey player. Michael Ontkean is the brainy player who won’t fight, and Strother Martin, Newman’s nemesis in the great “Cool Hand Luke,” is the general manager of the hockey club. 4 cans for a lot of laughs and the great Maxine Nightingale song, “Get Right Back to Where You Started From.” And Newman.
106. The Captive* (2014) – This apparently little-known movie is an intriguing one. (I found it on Netflix but could not find information online about it because it shares its title with a 1959 film.) Ryan Reynolds is a desperate dad following the disappearance of his nearly 10-year-old daughter from his truck while he quickly ducked into a store to get her ice cream. Eight years pass, with police still on the case but gathering no clues. Who would have abducted her and why? Detectives Rosario Dawson and Scott Speedman have a theory and begin to eek out info and details, but they think the father may be involved. Meanwhile, on the marital front, the relationship is deteriorating since mom blames dad for leaving their daughter alone in the truck. There were times I was transfixed and other times that I thought this is never going to end. Never leave kids alone in the car is the message here. 3½ cans.
107. My Fair Lady (1964) – THIS is a musical. It has a book, lovely songs with memorable lyrics, plenty of dancing, and STARS – Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins and Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle. It is based on the classic Pygmalion story by George Bernard Shaw about a professor of linguistics who makes a bet with his colleague that he can take a lowly flower girl with a Cockney accent and make her into a lady. In today’s climate, I had to overlook the misogynistic tone and the Professor’s impervious manner, but it is a joy watching as Eliza transforms from a shrinking violet to a self-assured woman. You know the saying, “They don’t make them like that anymore?” Well, they don’t. I can understand the outrage of replacing Julie Andrews, who starred in the stage version, with Hepburn, a bigger star whose voice was dubbed, but the musical succeeds quite nicely, with credit to Harrison – who, ironically, speaks his numbers but does it so well that you don’t mind. Since I am going to see the revival at Lincoln Center, I thought I should brush up on my proper English first. 4 cans. PS – The stage version I saw at Lincoln Center was outstanding. I highly recommend it.
108. The Gift* (2015) – Joel Edgerton gave himself a gift with this suspenseful movie, serving as writer, director and a star. Gordo (Edgerton) and Simon (the always watchable Jason Bateman) are former high school classmates who meet as Simon and his wife move into town for his big promotion. Gordo seems nice enough, but there are shades of stalking in his repeated contacts with Simon and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) – showing up unannounced, bearing gifts so the young couple has to respond, etc. It seems Simon and Gordo were more than classmates, and Simon may not be the great guy he appears to be, making Robyn uncomfortable with her hubby as well as his strange friend. 3 cans.
109. The Group* (1966) – As someone who graduated from a women’s college, I thought this movie about a group of women from an unnamed but Ivy League-type college in 1933 would be more appealing. Instead, it is overwrought, badly acted, stilted and it reinforces men’s bad behavior (I’m not saying it is inaccurate, mind you). The story follows the young women as they leave college, meet and marry (or try to) men and establish careers. The eight characters are all relatively wealthy and privileged, but that does not translate into happiness in this soapy drama. The cast is a good one on paper (Candace Bergen, in her feature film debut, gets the least amount of screen time but her character’s name is mentioned most often), Jessica Walter, Joanna Pettit and a bunch of others who seem virtually interchangeable. Maybe it was more relevant when it was released in the mid-60s, but now it seems too melodramatic. One point in its favor is the strength of the bond between the women, which definitely resonates with me. 3 cans.
110. All the Money In the World* (2017) – This is the film notorious for editing out actor and accused sexual molester Kevin Spacey, who originally played billionaire J. Paul Getty, and replacing him with Christopher Plummer as the aging oil mogul whose 16-year old grandson Paul (Charlie Plummer) is kidnapped. You may remember the story, so I’ll skip the details. Getty refuses the pleas of Gail, his former daughter-in-law (Michelle Williams) to pay the $17 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers. Getty states publicly that if he were to pay, the bad guys would abduct all 17 of his grandchildren. The action goes between negotiations with Getty and Gail, aided by Getty advisor Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), who is clearly on the side of the distraught mother. Getty wants to find a way to pay less – if anything – and do it in a way that he can deduct it from his taxes. He is a stubborn old miser, collecting art and furnishing grand mansions while his family is nearly destitute. Meanwhile, the poor kid’s life hangs in the balance while the bad guys ramp up their threats of harming the teenager. Not a fun movie to watch, but kudos for excellent performances. 3½ cans.
111. Searching* (2018) – Too many people live their lives online these days, where everything you do or say can be consumed by friends or enemies. John Cho is David Kim, whose relationship with his 16-year-old daughter Margot (Michelle La) is largely conducted online, even though they live in the same house. They text, Facetime, send emails and do everything except actually sit and talk, for the most part. So, when she goes missing one day and he is asked by Detective Vick (Debra Messing in a rare dramatic role) for names of her friends and for her activities, David is at a loss. He turns to the computer for clues, and most of the movie is shown on a screen, with Facetime, videocalls and lots of clicking on the keyboard as he constructs a life for his daughter that he knew nothing about. The movie has plenty of intrigue as the detectives, aided by the distraught dad, pursue all the leads to find Margot. One of the best movies I have seen this year. 4 cans.
112. The Proposal* (2009) – New York book publisher Margaret (Sandra Bullock) matches up with all of the stereotypes we have seen portrayed in movies about intelligent and powerful women. She is cold, unyielding and cunning and she treats everyone – especially her thoughtful and loyal assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) – with no appreciation and a healthy dose of disdain. But when Margaret, a Canadian, is threatened with deportation, she coerces Andrew into agreeing to say they are engaged so she can stay in the US and retain her position. Andrew isn’t quite the milquetoast he seems, bargaining for a promotion as he goes along with the scheme. Things get complicated when the two, in an attempt to fool the determined immigration agent, end up going to Alaska for the weekend to attend Andrew’s grandmother’s birthday party, and they have to pretend they are engaged. His family – who only knows Margaret through Andrew’s caustic references to her brow-beating of him as her assistant – is shocked that the pair are now a couple, but they welcome her into the family. Come on, now, we all know exactly where this is heading, and it would be a TV movie at best except for the warm and wonderful performances by the entire cast, including Betty White as Gammy and Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenbergen as Andrew’s parents. This is not “Citizen Caine,” but it has substantial merits, and I really like Bullock and Reynolds. 3½ cans.
113. Step Up* (2006) – In the pantheon of post-Fred, Ginger and Gene dance movies, this film will inevitably be compared to the more modern “Saturday Night Fever” with John Travolta, “Dirty Dancing” with Patrick Swayze and “Footloose” with Kevin Bacon. All of them have the same basic plot: Bad boy meets good girl, they dance, they fall in love, something bad happens, dancing redeems them. Here Channing Tatum is a naturally talented hip-hop dancer assigned to community service at the arts high school he trashed, and while mopping floor and cleaning windows, he spots dancer Nora (Jenna Dewan) and “steps up” to be her partner in a dance showcase when her original partner is injured. They dance and become entranced, but there is no point in dwelling on the plot. This film modernizes the previous ones (granted, “Dirty Dancing” was set in the 1960s) with more current music and character types, and it largely pulls it off. Like Travolta and Swayze, Tatum is completely captivating on the dance floor, oversized clothes and all. This isn’t a great movie by any means, but it celebrates the exuberance and beauty of dance, and that’s enough for me. 3½ cans.
114. A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY* (2014) – I cannot begin to understand the strength, bravery and skill required to fight fires, especially in a turbulent, crowded city like New York. This documentary by actor Steve Buscemi (“Boardwalk Empire”), a former firefighter in NY, takes viewers behind the scenes with rare footage and revealing interviews with New York’s Bravest. Men and women, black, white and all ethnicities, these heroes tell why they joined the Fire Department and what the bonds they build really mean. What they do is so important, and you can’t help but admire them for doing it. 3½ cans.
115. Jane Fonda in Five Acts* (2017) – What actress has had more acts than Jane Fonda? From Henry’s daughter to his co-star (in “On Golden Pond”), from Vietnam War critic and social activist to the fitness icon responsible for an entire video industry, from “Barbarella” to “Coming Home” and from Oscar-winning actress to mogul Ted Turner’s trophy wife? In this HBO documentary Fonda reveals it all. She cops to being subservient to her various husbands and she regrets that picture of her in Hanoi that gave her the moniker “Hanoi Jane” and stirred the hatred of millions. But despite the controversies surrounding her life, she has turned out exceptional movies like “Klute,” “Coming Home,” – both Oscar-winning for her – and a few she used as vehicles to speak out about important issues, such as “The China Syndrome,” about a nuclear meltdown, and “9-5,” a call for equality in the workplace. Neglected by her mentally-ill mother (who committed suicide when Jane was 12) and her detached, emotionless father, Jane carries plenty of emotional baggage. I know there are people who still harbor resentment for her antiwar activism, but this is the same woman who fought for veterans and ran summer camps for kids at her home. And at 80, even Jane admits that she looks pretty damn good. Those Jane Fonda workout tapes had a long-lasting effect. 4 cans.
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