Tina's August 2020 Movies & More

 August may have been my most eclectic collection ever, with 22 movies and TV series, documentaries, dramas, and even a Rubix Cube competition.  Programs not previously seen are marked with an asterisk and numbering picks up from previous months. Ratings go from 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 being the best.

118.  Spotlight (2015) – How could 90 priests molest young boys in Boston and get away with it? That’s what the “Spotlight” team from The Boston Globe sets out to investigate in 2001 in this dramatization of the real story. The background is simple: Boston is a city full of practicing Catholics and nobody questions the church. But the Globe discovers a few victims of sexual abuse by priests and delves into the records to find numerous priests who were reassigned, on sick leave or simply moved from one parish to another without being stopped for their misdeeds. The reporters (Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Brian D’Arcy James, led by editor Michael Keaton) keep peeling back the onion to find the corruption, and it isn’t all in the church. You can blame the system and the lawyers, too. This is a solid film and an indictment of the practice of passing along problems instead of facing and solving them, much to the detriment of the many victims of this despicable behavior.  4 cans.
119.  Frank Sinatra: All or Nothing at All* (2015) – Netflix offers up this two-part (4 hours), in-depth look into the life and times of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra. A Jersey boy from Hoboken, Sinatra rose to fame as a big band singer, a solo artist with “bobbysoxer” fans, a movie star and Oscar winner, a leader of the “Rat Pack” who practically built Las Vegas and a friend to politicians and mobsters. “The Chairman of the Board,” Ole Blue Eyes led a fascinating life that is well-documented here with plenty of music, footage and interviews. If you are a Sinatra fan, you will love it as I did. He sure did it his way. 4 cans.
120.  Speed Cubers* (2020) – Of course this 40-minute Netflix documentary would be fast: It is a look at young people who compete in Rubik’s Cube Tournaments, where they solve the ubiquitous cubed puzzle in unbelievably fast times – say, six seconds.  I still don’t understand how they do it (the narrator mentions something about algorithms, so of course I’m not going to get it) or why they do it, but they ALWAYS do it. You never see the main competitors without a Rubix Cube in their hands. They can solve the puzzle with one hand; some even do it blindfolded, which I will never understand. But this little gem is more than a sporting competition, if you can call it that. It is also about the friendship that develops between Australian champion Feliks Zemdegs and Californian Max Parks, who is his heir apparent. What gives the film its soul is Feliks’ kindness toward his younger competitor, who has autism. Max has to learn socialization skills in order to be able to compete and succeed; his interest in the cube began as a way for a little boy to strengthen his fingers. This movie flies by as fast as the fingers fly around the cube, so check it out. 3½ cans.
121.  Most Likely to Succeed* (2019) – Start by considering true meaning of success.  Is it career success, wealth, personal success? Those are the questions the four high school students voted “Most Likely to Succeed” as they graduated from high school faced over the next 10 years, as a camera crew followed them through college, careers, relationships and their road to adulthood. The four (two males and two females) were from different areas of the country and different backgrounds. They had different goals and aspirations – or none that they could define. They were thoughtful and introspective, and they had to deal with challenges they didn’t anticipate. This film, on Amazon Prime, may remind you of yourself or family members. Adulting is tough for us all. 3½ cans.
122.  Harold and Lillian* (2015) – This heart-warming documentary traces the work of Hollywood stalwarts Harold and Lillian Michelson. Harold started as a sketch artist, making drawings for storyboards, and moved up the ladder of various studio art departments, where he worked on such classics as “The Ten Commandments,” “Ben Hur,” “West Side Story” and many more. He was lauded by directors for his understanding of camera angles, with his drawings reflecting the vision of the director (Alfred Hitchcock and Francis Ford Coppola among them) and providing inspiration for the frames to be shot. Lillian became a researcher and had her own film and resource library. If a filmmaker needed to know what clothes drug kingpins wore for “Scarface,” or what New York cars looked like in the ‘30s, or which birds should attack Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” they would go to Lillian. The two were married to each other and their work for decades, during which they raised three sons, one of whom was autistic at a time that doctors had no diagnosis for the condition. If you like movies and appreciate the production design and the authenticity of the sets – down to the era-appropriate moldings – this one’s for you.  You can find it on Netflix. 3½ cans.
123.  Laurel Canyon* – This two-part documentary on Netflix covers much the same territory as the 2019 movie, “Echoes in the Canyon,” with a look at the raft of musicians who lived in the Laurel Canyon area near Hollywood in the 1960s-1980s. Everyone was there, from the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield to their successors, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; from the Turtles and The Monkees to The Doors and The Mothers of Invention. The richness of the neighborhood and the casual times meant that one artist driving up Laurel Canyon Boulevard would hear a guitar being played and stop to play along. Mama Cass was like the housemother, Joanie Mitchell was everyone’s dream girl, and the collaborations and music were magic. There’s Jackson Brown and Frank Zappa and the Eagles in their original form as a back-up band for Linda Ronstadt. If you like this music, you will be thrilled to see true artistry in action. 4 hours and 4 cans.
124.  Luce* (2019) – Luce (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) is the perfect son. He is respectful, intelligent, an outstanding student and athlete and clearly destined to go places. But a surface look at this young Black man is not enough. He was adopted by a loving, white American couple (Tim Roth and Naomi Watts) from war-torn Eritrea and required a lot of therapy and adjustment to settle in. Maybe he was just a little too programmed, too loved, because his relationship with his history teacher is just a little too passive-aggressive and willful. This becomes a bit of a psychological thriller, as the teacher (Octavia Spencer) begins to doubt Luce’s authenticity and sees some potential evil under the veneer of a polished young man. 3½ cans. Available on Hulu.
125. The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1975) – Before he was Tony Manero in “Saturday Night Fever” and while he was still Vinnie Barbarino, one of the Sweathogs in Mr. Kotter’s class, John Travolta tackled this serious role as Todd, a boy born with no immune system who must live indoors in a climate-controlled, germ-free environment. He can’t leave the house unless he is either in a space suit or rolled around in what looks like a big aquarium to socialize with other 16-year olds. And what’s a boy to do when he has a crush on his pretty next-door neighbor (Glynnis O’Connor)? The school concocts a remote-learning experience for him – long before the days of the internet and today’s Zoom environment – so he can learn with his classmates and feel a little more normal. The poor kid misses out on so many rituals of growing up, locked in his little space camp experiment, waiting for a treatment or a cure. Travolta won the Emmy for this performance, but, more importantly, he won the heart of Diana Hyland, the actress who plays his mother in the film. They were together despite their significant age difference until she died of breast cancer before the Emmys. I recall his moving tribute to her as he accepted his award. 3½ cans.
126. Selling Sunset* (2018-2020) – Including this Netflix series here is really stretching the scope of entertainment, unless you like shows about attractive, overdone, catty women who keep the drama on the high burner. And sell real estate. These women look like they are straight out of casting for contestants for “The Bachelor,” “The Real Housewives” franchise or possibly cousins to the Kardashians. Their prime job is to sell real estate in the Los Angeles market, where they work for twin brothers and get to sell some of the most stunning homes in the area. In between, they gather at the office, argue with each other when they aren’t emotionally explaining their latest dating/marriage/baby/children drama, have office parties, go to lunch and wear the highest heels I have ever seen. (I never saw any of them shopping, cooking, doing laundry – you know, what real people do in life.) But this pack of wolves is pretty darn effective at their trade, so I can admire them for that – just not the constant bitchiness and bickering.  I only watched the 24 episodes of the three seasons as a distraction from all of the gloomy news about the virus, the election, the suspension of collegiate fall sports and the weight of the world in general. This did the trick. 3 cans, mostly for the gorgeous homes.
127.  Million Dollar Beach House* (2020) – This Netflix series is the male counterpart to “Selling Sunset,” with a nearly all-male cast of handsome men who look like they could be competing on “The Bachelorette” selling houses in the Hamptons. The testosterone level here is off-the charts, and it is clear that some of these lunkheads got their breaks solely based on their looks, because sometimes they know little about the gorgeous homes they are trying to peddle. The lone woman in the brokerage is your standard overachiever with a chip on her shoulder (translation = bitch), which means no disagreement will be resolved in fewer than 4 episodes. Considering this limited series (filmed last summer in the Hamptons) only had 6 episodes, that’s a lot of nastiness. Why did I watch this? The homes are spectacular. Would I watch a second season if there is one? Probably. 3 cans.
128.  Skyscraper (2014) – No, this isn’t one of those blockbuster action-adventure movies. It is a 4-part documentary that originally aired on PBS years ago. It is centered on the building of a 46-story building called Worldwide Plaza on the west side of Manhattan. The action here starts with the plans and permits, with blasting rock, buying and placing steel beams, flying to Italy to select just the right marble for the lobby, and, along the way, surviving countless project delays, cost overruns and the other obstacles typically faced by builders. The project began in 1986, so long ago that the managers didn’t even have cellphones. I thought the most remarkable part of this gigantic effort was watching the iron workers climb up the structure with no safety gear and no hesitation, despite working hundreds of feet off the ground. If you are interested in how things are made, this show is for you. I caught it on Amazon Prime Video.  3½ cans.
129. Streit’s Matzo and the American Dream* (2016) – Speaking of making things, this documentary is not just about mixing flour and water to turn out the famous Streit’s Matzo. It is about a family business passed down through five generations, a part of the fabric of the lower East Side of Manhattan. The matzo baking started in one building on Rivington Street and eventually expanded into four adjacent buildings – none of which exactly fit the bill for a modern factory. The family that runs it to this day employed families of their own, with some workers on the job for 30 years or more, even in father and son teams. Family here is more than just the Streits themselves. But not being able to expand in their location and having to coax 90-year-old ovens to do the job eventually proved too much to allow them to stay in their original location, where, at one time, lines to get a box of matzo for Passover stretched for blocks. I’m not trying to make matzo any more than I’m trying to build a skyscraper but watching people who are so dedicated to their craft and loyal to their people gives my heart a little tug. Although the competition can underprice Streit’s, the next time I buy matzo it will be only theirs.  3½ cans.
130.  The World Before Your Feet* (2018) – Matt Green likes to walk. And while he walks, he takes pictures of what he has seen. This unusual documentary follows Green on his quest to walk all of the streets, alleys, parks, paths and walkways of New York City, from the Bronx to Battery Park, from Coney Island to Queens. Unencumbered by the usual complexities of life, he bunks with friends or people he meets in his travels, eschewing a permanent residence and living below what could be described as modestly from money he earned while working as an engineer. We get to see his delight as he finds a 400-year-old tree in Queens, or random 9/11 memorials – official and unofficial – and a plethora of barber shops and hair salons who use the term “cutz” or “kutz” in their titles. He is a white man, and he acknowledges that he looks unthreatening and can move about freely – although he obviously goes everywhere with a camera crew documenting his every move. By the time we pick up his story, he has already covered more than 3000 miles, and by the time the movie ends, he’s up to 8000 miles with no real end in sight. He lives each day to see what he can discover. He does extensive research (clearly on someone else’s wifi) so he not only can look for things but he can also find out about the things he has spotted along the way. If this kind of simple life can bring a man joy, who can argue his success?  3½ cans.
131. The World’s Toughest Race – Fiji* (2020) – If you think climbing up a mountain next to a waterfall in the dark while carrying your gear is a fun challenge, then adventure racing may be for you. I had no idea this type of event existed, but I am a loyal viewer of both “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” so I tuned in to Prime Video to check it out. This is a 10-part series that requires teams to traverse more than 400 miles – hiking through jungles, biking uphill and down over mud-laden trails, stand-up paddling, white water rafting, climbing and repelling down cliffs, and much more. And the reward for this herculean (and, to me, impossible) effort? Just $100,00 to the winning four-person team. Please. The winner of an old “Jeopardy” tournament of Champions walked away with a cool $1 million, and I promise that was not nearly as arduous as this race. Since the winning team finished the race in episode 7, there was really no reason to continue watching, despite the interesting backstories about the competitors (one woman was an Army vet who lost her hearing in an explosion; working in the dark with her teammates made it impossible for her to lip read). Adventure racing may be a thing, but get me to the nearest 5-star hotel. 3 cans.
132.  Just Between Friends (1986) – When Holly (Mary Tyler Moore) and Sandy (Christine Lahti) meet in exercise class, they strike up an instant friendship. But they don’t know that they have something in common – Sandy is dating Holly’s husband Chip (Ted Danson). Sandy soon discovers this awkward situation but feels it is better left unspoken with Holly, but accidents happen and…well, see the movie if you want to know the rest. Good cast (throw Sam Waterston into the mix), decent story and oh, those exercise clothes from the 80s!  3½ cans.
133.  The Trial* (2010) – Attorney Mac (Matthew Modine) is a grief-stricken widower whose family has been wiped out in a horrific accident. He is ready to end his own life when he gets a call from a judge asking him to defend a young man accused of murder. Surprisingly, he agrees to take the case, and the young man denies his guilt. The prosecutor (Bob Guynton) is certain of his guilt, and there is only a modicum of evidence to keep him from getting the death penalty. This is a plodding movie, agonizingly slow-paced at times. There are no courtroom histrionics, no sense of urgency, no big deal when something new turns up. Just doing what he does best as an attorney was enough to keep Mac alive.  Don’t waste your time with a trial of The Trial.  2 cans.
134.  Boys State* (2020) – This Apple TV+ documentary spends a week at Texas’ Boys State, an annual convention of top high school boys (there is a separate one for girls, and both are run in every state) who vie for “positions” in state government. They are divided into two parties – the Federalists and the Nationalists – with no prescribed platforms. Developing the platforms and running for every office from party chair to the top one, Governor, is their responsibility. It isn’t long before the students assert their interest and begin trying to convince their counterparts to become their constituents. They quickly realize that their own personal beliefs in such issues as gun control or abortion might need to be cast aside to win the election, just as in real life. It comes down to a contest for governor between an unassuming young man who is genuinely interested in learning what voters want and a much more vocal and easily compromised candidate. I wasn‘t sure whether to applaud this exercise in civics and discourse or worry about the future of the political process.  3½ cans.
135.   The High Note* (2020) – When this movie first came out on demand, the cost was $20, far more than I would pay to see it in a theater. But now that it was just $5.99, that’s less than going to the 10 AM show, so I ordered it.  Tracee Ellis Ross does a great job playing fictional music legend Grace Davis, a middle-aged woman at the top of her game, still singing her biggest hits, who is not ready to be put out to pasture (translation: agree to a “residency” in Vegas) just yet. Her trusty and beleaguered assistant Maggie (Dakota Johnson), who is there to pick up after her, get her food, pick up the cleaning and do those chores that we all wish we had someone to do for us, is more restless. A lifelong devotee of music – and of Grace – she is ready to venture out as a producer and she has some clear ideas on how to better the product that is Grace. When she meets young, talented singer-songwriter David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.), she wants badly to collaborate with him as a producer, but who will take someone with no experience seriously? I saw a little bit of “The Devil Wears Prada” here, although Grace Davis has much more heart than Miranda Priestly could ever muster. Ross plays the diva with style and flair, and she has the advantage of a built-in role model in her real-life mother, Diana Ross. 3½ cans.
136.  Maddman: The Steve Madden Story* (2017) – Shoe entrepreneur Steve Madden, the designer of many a platform shoe and notorious for his styles, is a self-made man.  Truly: He made himself rise from a mere salesman in shoe stores to a designer, entrepreneur and shoe tycoon. He also took enough shortcuts and did enough financial shenanigans to go to jail. If you have seen the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street,” you will see the guys who backed him and put him on the skids – old childhood friends, at that. But America loves the arc of the rise and fall, especially when there is a redemption, and Madden delivers, as his team continued to design, produce and market shoes while he was in prison, and he jumped right back in after serving his time – along with some new friends he made among the inmate population – and moved back to the top of the shoe game, bigger than ever. This guy, like his shoes, is about as over the top as it gets, but he truly loves designing shoes and looking for the latest trends – and setting them. There’s no business like shoe business, right?  3½ cans.  Catch it on HBO.
137.  The Kid from Coney Island* (2018) – New York City basketball history is full of local legends, guys who played their ball in the streets and whose reputations were larger than life. Stephon Marbury, the last in a line of five basketball-playing sons, not only lived up to the hype, he was the chosen one, the one destined to lift his family out of the projects on Staten Island with a stellar career in the NBA. Drafted in a class of All-Stars, Marbury had a decent career and even played for his hometown Knicks, but personality clashes and the pressures of being in front of his hometown audience did him no favors. This documentary (Netflix) traces his career, his dreams, and how he resurrected a moribund career by becoming the biggest star in China. Sure, professional sports can make someone a millionaire, but players are still at the mercy of their teams, traded on a moment’s notice, and often left to be the star without a supporting cast. They sure didn’t call him “Starbury” for nothing; he was magic on the court. 3½ cans.
138.  Get On Up (2014) – I have seen this biopic of The Godfather of Soul” previously, so I won’t review the movie itself. I watched it for the sole purpose of experiencing the late Chadwick Bozeman, who died this week at the age of 43, do some of his best work. James Brown was a complicated, talented, driven man, with incredible musicality and a streak of cruelty. Bozeman catches every nuance. The role requires him to age from a teenaged boy to a man in his 60s, and you can see the subtleties in every movement, whether he is dropping to the stage in one of Brown’s signature splits, walking with swagger as he commands respect from his band members or fleeing from police. Bozeman, whose other movies included “Black Panther,” “Marshall” and “42,” dominates the screen but somehow doesn’t seem like he is acting. He is gone far too soon, and it is painful to think of how much he contributed to American film, his loss from colon cancer and all the great work that he would have done.  5 cans to Chadwick Bozeman, and the “Wakanda Forever” salute!
139.  Black Panther (2016) – This is the first and only superhero movie I have seen since the late Christopher Reeve brought comic book hero Superman to the screen – and it was worth the wait.  Chadwick Bozeman is T’Chala, the Black Panther, elevated to be the ruler of Wakanda after his father dies. But he isn’t completely sure he is ready to take on that role and he is challenged by Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who is ready to fight him. On T’Challa’s side are a bevy of kick-ass women (Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira) and the tradition of the homeland. The significance here is that the Black Panther, with its cast of all Black actors, finally provided audiences with a Black superhero.  The action, settings and production design make the movie jump off the screen – in this case, right into my living room. But Bozeman provides its heart and soul with his humble but courageous portrayal of the Black Panther. Wakanda forever.  4 cans.

Cruel, Cruel Summer

It is good to set yourself some goals. My current goal is to sit on every chair in this house. I have been living here for nearly five years and I haven’t done that yet. I already reached my previous goal, which was to figure out how to turn the overhead fan in the family room on and off. I have modest goals.

I recently had tests for COVID and antibodies right here in my town. The tests were free and the lines not long. Having someone stick the swab up my nose was ok, and the blood draw was fine, but no one told me I would have to divulge my height and weight! I also had my temperature and blood pressure taken and my heart and lungs checked. I waited a week to find out that I am a negative person, and I’m positive I want to stay that way!

In my next life I am coming back as someone rich enough to have a chef AND a nutritionist, people to plan, cook and serve my meals and then someone to clean up afterwards so all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the wonderful, healthy food. "Tina’s Diner" is getting really old after so many months of taking inventory, planning, shopping, storing, cooking and cleaning up. My mother used to get mad at us when we nagged her, “What’s for dinner?” in those whiny, annoying kid voices. “What am I running here, Sylvia’s Diner?” she would reply. I get it now, Ma, I get it.

I hardly ever use mustard. I don’t even like it on my hotdogs. So every time I do use it, I have to check the expiration date to make sure it is still good (and stop telling me that date is just the “sell by” date and not the “use by” date; I know, I know). I squirted a few dollops into my egg salad the other day, opening up a new jar to do it. When I checked the expiration date, I realized I had five whole days to use up this container. “Alexa, put mustard on my shopping list.”

We are six months into the quarantine (or semi- at this stage), and I am still counting out squares of toilet paper, rationing paper towels and coaxing the very last bit of toothpaste out of the tube. Don’t ask me why. I can’t even answer that question.

Remember when you could go to the produce aisle in the supermarket and paw your way through the bin with cherries to find the darkest and firmest ones? Now they are all in plastic bags that weigh way more than the amount of cherries one person can eat. I usually tote a few bags to the scale for comparison purposes to try to find the smallest, lightest bag, but they are all too heavy, which means I either buy a bag and end up throwing half away or just don’t buy them at all. I miss cherries.

Two people recognized me at ShopRite recently despite the fact that I was wearing a mask and a hat. My powers of observation are not nearly as keen.

I had yet another Zoom call the other day. I changed my top, brushed my teeth and was about to give myself a spritz of perfume when I realized no one would know. And I actually put on a necklace and a pair of earrings – which meant the holes in my ears haven’t closed up yet!

I keep thinking of the Bruce Springsteen song, “Dancing in the Dark,” and the lyric, “Man, I’m so tired and bored with myself.” I’m not sure I will remember how to interact with people once restrictions are lifted across the board. And I’m pretty sure there are a few people I won’t want to interact with even when I can.

I know a few people who have been social distancing for decades. Are they introverts, recluses or just happy to avoid people? I guess they consider themselves ahead of the curve.

I have the annoying habit of jotting down a phone number but not the name associated with it or a link that I want to access without noting why. I need to work on that. 

Even Alexa is getting bored. The other day, out of the blue, she mentioned that I had not asked her to set an alarm in quite a while. I guess she hasn’t quite figured out that I’m not going anywhere.

Sometimes I feel like I spend half my time unsubscribing from emails that I didn’t subscribe to in the first place. I haven’t had a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens in a few years, but today I randomly received an email from them with recipes and an opportunity to get even more email from them. Where’s that UNSUBSCRIBE button?

Of course, if you order something – anything – and provide your email info, you can count on getting updates on the order and regular promos and messages from the company daily/weekly/monthly until you unsubscribe. 

If I did have to travel now, it would take me even longer than usual to pack. I’m not sure I would remember how.

Not that I plan to go on a cruise in the near future (or maybe ever again), but gone are the days of the all-you-can-eat buffet. I cannot imagine standing on a line with people grabbing food randomly. And at my next birthday, no candles in the cake, please!

I am not even wearing a watch anymore. I’m home most of the time, surrounded by clocks, with the time displayed on my phone, and does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?

My kitchen clock stopped working a few months ago and I took it off the wall, intending to find a place to have it repaired (it was my 25-year gift from J&J, so it has sentimental value), but I don’t know if anyone is providing that service right now. I wish I had a dollar for every time I looked at that blank space on the wall – because then I would have enough money to buy a new and better clock, one that works, assuming that I will feel safe enough to leave the house and venture into a store other than ShopRite, where I know they sell sheets and towels and where I bought my new TV (at a bargain price), but where I doubt they have a selection of clocks from which to choose. 

My ability to concentrate has improved from the initial shock of the lockdown, so I am reading more now. There is something truly wonderful about finding a book that you really love and can’t put down. “One more chapter,” you tell yourself as you squeeze out extra time to read. It could be the story, the characters or the setting, no matter. You savor every page even as you rush through it to see what happens, and then you are sorry when you have finished. Settling down with an engrossing book is just such a pleasure!

I always buy striped sheets so I don’t have to figure out which way they go on my bed.

You know what is annoying? You search for ONE THING online and you see a torrent of Facebook ads for that or similar items. And the ads often say, “Last Chance,” “Only a few left,” or other things to get you to buy NOW. And yet they run the same ad with the same “special discount price” for weeks or longer. 

I’m so happy to have real sports back on the air (no more Cornhole Tournaments for me), but I had to watch three different channels to see three different WNBA games on opening day, and I had trouble finding the Yankees game. I wish they still had all of their games on one network and that Michael Kaye was the announcer for every Yankee game. It is sure strange to watch sports with no live spectators in the stands. Will every foul ball remain where it lands for eternity?

I never realized how many stupid and racist people there are in this country. It’s like being pregnant – until you show, no one knows, and it’s not like someone is going to say, “Guess what? I’m really stupid,” or “I’m a racist,” although most people who are either will deny it. Now it’s right out there for everyone to see.

By the way, if you believe that coterie of quack doctors who advocate the use of hydroxychloroquine and talk about demon sex, I suggest you follow their advice completely, take their supposed cure, down a big gulp of bleach, shine a flashlight up your butt and serve as the guinea pigs for this kind of treatment of COVID-19. And make sure your will is up-to-date.

I’ll end on a serious note. Here we are, well into our sixth month of mostly quarantine, enduring a long, hot summer, and still facing restrictions on social gatherings (and I’m not blaming the governor for that call). The tennis courts and pool in my what used to be my “active” adult community remain closed, as does our clubhouse, with the gym, indoor pool, billiards and card rooms. You can go to the town library – but you can only stay for 15 minutes. Movie theaters are closed, and while Kohl’s and the mall are open, I would not venture to either place. My neighbors and I have had an outdoor book club meeting once but are using Zoom most of the time to discuss what we have read. I am personally still leery of doing anything as simple as dining outside – although I know many people have switched to that model. Yes, plenty of people have loosened their personal restrictions, but we each have to do what makes us feel comfortable, and I’m not ready yet to go out for anything other than takeout and necessities. I just can’t put a trip to Chico’s in that category. I’m still afraid we will be on lockdown again because the idiots at the shore who have 500-person parties usually cause infection rates to spike. I’m staying busy with my alumnae work, and I’m reading and writing, going to webinars and watching plenty of TV shows and movies, but I’m missing the joys of life as I spend so much time alone. I worry about my friends who are teachers, about other’s children, and about myself. I mourn the 160,000 people who have died from COVID and my heart breaks for their families. I miss my friends and their hugs. Like everyone else, I wish I knew when this will end.

 

Tina's July 2020 Movies & More

July was my month for documentaries, and I watched a bunch of them, including one 13-part series that I binged in a single day. From the paintings of Van Gogh to football at a community college to Jews being funny, this month had it all. Programs not previously seen are marked with an asterisk and numbering picks up from previous months. Ratings go from 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 being the best.

95.  The Morning Show* (2020) – Jennifer Anniston does outstanding work in this Apple TV+ series, along with co-star Reese Witherspoon, as the anchors of a morning news TV program. The series centers around what happens to the show and all of the people responsible for its production when co-anchor Mitch (Steve Carell) is suddenly fired for sexual misconduct (a la Matt Lauer), and popular co-anchor Alex Levy (Anniston) is left to pick up the pieces. I don’t want to give away the plot of this 10-parter, but it is not a light and frothy look at TV. It gets behind the scenes and under the covers with people who manipulate, cajole and seize power. It also shows the enormous impact TV performers have and the massive fortunes they are paid. I really liked it and look forward to Season 2 next year. 4 cans and one big caveat: Unless you have an iPad or an actual Apple TV, this show is tough to watch. I tried two tablets, two smart TVs and even an app to “cast” from my phone to my brand new LG Smart TV, and nothing worked. I could watch it on my laptop, but I could not hook that up to my big TV. It was such a pain that I broke down and bought an iPad – but I finished watching the show on my phone before it arrived. So just know that if you watch it on your phone it will gobble up your data. I actually had to change my plan because I had exceeded my data limit for the month in less than a week. Consider yourself warned! 
96.  50-50 (2011) – Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays 27-year old Adam, who finds out that the persistent pain in his back is caused by a rare form of cancer in his spine, as his unfeeling doctor reveals. He takes the news well, trying to make things more palatable for the people who care about him – his girlfriend Rachel (Bryce Dallas Howard), his mother (Angelica Houston) and his BFF, a dude named Kyle (Seth Rogen). But his research reveals that his prospects for survival are only 50-50, and, with that knowledge and the chemo treatments he suffers through, he begins to understand his reality. Anna Kendrick plays a young, inexperienced therapist who works with Adam on anxiety and coping mechanisms. Gordon-Levitt plays the role with good humor and equanimity, while Rogen is the hyper friend urging him to use his condition to get sympathy and sex from other women (after his girlfriend dumps him because his cancer is too hard on her). The movie’s charm is a direct result of Gordon-Levitt. The story is based on a real-life case that involved a writer who was a friend of Rogan’s.  3½ cans.
97.  If You’re Not in the Obits, Eat Breakfast* (2017) – That is sage advice from eternal funnyman Carol Reiner, who passed away this month. This is Reiner’s tribute to the importance of vitality in keeping people in their 90s active and happy. Included are some of Reiner’s famous friends and contemporaries, like still-dancing Dick Van Dyke, hilarious Mel Brooks, Norman Lear, Betty White, Tony Bennett, and a bunch of ordinary folks who do extraordinary things in their 90s, from competing in running races to sky-diving. You can only hope to live out your days doing what you love to do and still have friends and family to share their time with you. Van Dyke, Brooks, White and the others are national treasures, and we are blessed to have enjoyed so many of them for so long. Thanks, Carl Reiner, for the funny memories.  4 cans.
98.  The Whole Truth* (2016) – Keanu Reeves plays Richard, an attorney with a tough case to try. He represents Michael (Gabriel Basso), a teenager accused of killing his father with a knife. But Michael won’t talk to Richard to tell him what happened. Was the father (Jim Belushi) abusing his wife, Michael’s mother Loretta (Renee Zellweger)? Is there any evidence? Were there any witnesses? A young attorney joins the defense team (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), but she causes tension with Richard, whose strategy might be failing. A tense drama and worth a look. I can’t say more without revealing the plot.  3½ cans. I found it available for free in the On Demand movies on Xfinity.
99.  Hamilton* (2020) – The long-awaited video of the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” recorded with the original cast in 2016, finally makes it to the home theater – and it was worth the wait. Created by the crazy-talented Lin-Manuel Miranda, the hip-hop musical tackles the unlikely subject of its namesake, Alexander Hamilton, and his role as a founding father of the US, all done with music and dancing and minimal but brilliant staging. I detected hints of “Les Miserables” in the story-telling, but this theatrical bombshell is a far cry from conventional Broadway entertainment. The plot is way too complex to rehash here; just know that there is revolution and betrayal and, oh yes, a famous duel. The actors are almost exclusively people of color, and each one is given a chance to excel. Of course, seeing it at home cannot replicate the excitement of a live performance in a big theater, but it does have the advantage of no lines for the restroom at intermission. And I watched with closed captioning on because the lyrics tell the entire story and they and the action are hard to follow. I thought it was too long in giving everyone a chance to shine, but that’s quibbling – like saying the champagne had a few too many bubbles. It is certainly not everyone’s taste, but “Hamilton” provides a musical civics lesson unlike anything we learned in school.  4 cans. Only available through the subscription service Disney Plus, but paying $6.99 for a month (and you can cancel any time) is a bargain compared to getting – if you can and if Broadway ever reopens – tickets to the Broadway show.
100.  David Foster: Off the Record* (2020) – If you have heard songs by Celine Dionne, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Earth Wind & Fire, Barbra Streisand, you are probably familiar with David Foster’s work as a music producer. Nominated for something like 47 Grammys as a producer or songwriter, Foster has amassed his share of wins. When I think of his work, one song comes to mind: “I Will Always Love You,” a Dolly Parton song performed in the movie “The Bodyguard” by Whitney Houston. It created an unforgettable moment, starting with the first verse sung a capella – something Foster initially opposed. He has discovered talent (he saw Buble perform at a wedding and hired him on the spot) and coaxed the best performances out of each performer. This Netflix documentary reminded me of how prolific he has been and how much I have loved his work. 4 cans.
101.  All of Me (1984) – After Carl Reiner’s death, I wanted to watch one of my favorite Reiner movies. This comedic romp is amusing, silly and lighthearted, a great representation of Reiner’s work. Steve Martin is boring lawyer Roger Cobb, who would rather be doing his side gig – playing in a band – than be in his law office. He is dispatched to the deathbed of haughty millionaire Edwina Cutwater (Lily Tomlin), a woman who is too angry at life to die. She has decided that her soul will live on in the attractive body of her stablemaster’s daughter Terry (Victoria Tennant) with the help of a madman mystic played by Richard Libertini. The plan goes awry when her soul is instead transported to Roger’s body, where the two must somehow share the space. Martin’s tremendous physical comedy gifts are on full display as he tries to control both sides of his body, and the results are hilarious. The dance at the end shows two comedy legends at their best, directed by the deft hand of Carl Reiner. 3½ cans.
102.  Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway* – Now that I have seen the movie of the play “Hamilton,” I decided that this documentary on Prime Video would be a good accompaniment. The film showcases Hamilton’s creator Lin-Manual Miranda, starting when he was a student of musical theater, leading though his debut production of the Broadway show “In the Heights” and through the development and smash hit “Hamilton.” It took him a year just to write the title song. Just when Broadway was settling for “jukebox” musicals, using a band’s music and creating a story told through the songs (such as “Jersey Boys” and “Mamma Mia”), along comes Manuel and a totally original concept using hip-hop music and predominantly Black and Latinx actors to tell the story of the birth of the United States. This film gives the show great context and background. And it is free to watch if you have Prime Video as part of your Amazon membership. 3½ cans.
103.  The Painting Life of Vincent Van Gogh* (2008) – This languorous look at the work of Vincent Van Gogh traces his travels, from his birth in The Netherlands to his death in France. At all of the stops in between, he created first drawings, then paintings – some 1900 works – in a mere 37 years of life. He was largely supported by his younger brother Theo and few of his works sold in his lifetime. Those same paintings today are worth millions, hang in museums and bring acclaim to a troubled artist. The folklore around Van Gogh’s cutting off his own ear may not be accurate; he lived with fellow artist Paul Gauguin at the time and the two frequently clashed, so Gauguin may have had something to do with the errant ear. This film has a wonderful technique, positioning the camera in the spot where you can see precisely what is in the paintings (in locations where the original buildings and scenes still exist). Van Gogh may have been suffering mental problems and spent time in an insane asylum, but even that didn’t affect his prodigious output. Sometimes he produced a painting a day. I couldn’t help but wonder where the paintings went, because he moved around too often to carry them with him. This film turned out not to be the Van Gogh movie I wanted to see, but I am glad I watched it. Available on Prime Video. 3½ cans.
104.  Footloose (1984) – I couldn’t resist another go-around with Ren McCormick (Kevin Bacon) and the kids in a small, midwestern town where dancing is not allowed.  But Ren teaches his awkward friend Willard (Chris Penn) to dance, romances the daughter of the preacher (Lori Singer and John Lithgow), and gets the whole, dull town (including Sarah Jessica Parker) to kick up their heels again. Considering that these kids were banned from dancing, they are damn good at it when the Big Dance comes along. This is a fun, music-filled movie that makes me smile every time. 4 cans.
105. Country Strong* (2010) – Gwyneth Paltrow plays Kelly Canter, a revered country singer trying to make a comeback after a stint in rehab for her alcohol issues. She had met Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedlund), an aspiring country star and rehab employee, during her time there and sees a big career for him, even though he is content playing honkytonks.  Her manager/husband James (Tim McGraw) wants her out on the road, even though she is clearly not ready for primetime. But he has his eye on young singer Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester) as a possible replacement. When the quartet hit the road, the question is whether Kelly can stand up to the spotlight, resist her budding relationship with Beau, tolerate the young erstwhile replacement and her husband and get over the death of her unborn child from an accident she had on stage while drunk.  The description is more interesting than the movie. The country songs are just OK and I figured out the ending. Overall, I’d say that “Country Strong” is a little weak. 3 cans.
106.  The Paper* (1994) – Director Ron Howard races through 24 hours in an NYC tabloid newspaper. The publisher (Glenn Close) is interested in cutting costs while the editor (Michael Keaton) is interested in landing a big story on the front page that he stole from another paper – where, ironically, he was offered a better, more stable job. He is also waiting for the birth of his new baby with his wife (Marisa Tomei), a reporter who understands the business but is still ticked off that hubby is never around for dinner. Along the way, the combination of drama and comedy intended here morphs into silliness that includes firing a gun in the office and at a bar, fist fights between unlikely combatants, and the assignment of a key story to a rookie staff photographer who looks 14. The acting is good, the direction is appropriately frenetic, but the story seemed a little over the top to me (as did Keaton, who had that tendency earlier in his career). Not one of Howard’s bests.  3 cans.
107.  The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story* (1996) – If you have ever been in Sardi’s, or if you read about movies and theater in The New York Times, you probably have seen the iconic artwork of Al Hirschfeld. His distinctive line drawings, while appearing simple, were complex portraits of celebrities and notable figures whose main characteristics he was able to capture in his unique ability to create art. I have one of his prints – of Lucille Ball – hanging in my house. Although he had the ability as an artist to paint, he preferred the field of caricature, and NOBODY did it better. His work, replete with hidden “Ninas” – a bow to his daughter whose name he worked into all of his pieces – is instantly recognizable. The Department of Defense studied his “Ninas” to see how to identify objects that were camouflaged. He was a prodigious artist with a very long career that began back in the 1920s and continued until his death at age 100. He was able to capture the essence and energy of a person or a huge assemblage of performers with black lines on a white paper in a way no one will be able to replicate.  3½ cans. You can find this documentary on Amazon Prime Video.
108.  In & Out – Greenleaf, Indiana, is shaken to its mushy core when beloved English teacher Howard Brackett is outed by a former student during his Oscar acceptance speech. After all, Brackett (the immensely talented Kevin Kline) is just about to marry his long-time love Emily (the underrated Joan Cusack), so he can’t possibly be gay. Or can he? There is his Barbra Streisand fetish, the fact that he picked out Emily’s bridal gown, and the three-year engagement and wait before, well, never mind. When TV reporter Peter Malloy (Tom Selleck) comes to town to cover the story, Howard is less sure about himself than ever. I don’t want to reveal the plot of this comedy gem, but Cusack gets off two of the best lines. There is a treasure trove of supporting actors – Debbie Reynolds, Wilfred Brimley, Bob Newhart and Matt Dillon as the actor who gets the rumor mill cranking. I think this movie is hilarious.  4 cans.
109.  Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story* (2020) – Last year, USA Network introduced “Dirty John” starring Connie Britton and Eric Bana and based on the true story of a man who deceived, married and abused women. This year they have franchised the name to include another drama based on a true-life incident. Betty Broderick (played by Amanda Peet) was a supportive wife and mother who helped put her husband Dan (Christian Slater) through medical and law school while having babies and miscarriages. When he finally became wealthy, Dan resented Betty’s spending and constant jealousy. He finally left her for the office receptionist, which literally drove her crazy. Betty was selfish and driven to the brink by Dan’s actions (or inactions) toward her.  She harassed her former husband and the woman who became his wife and wouldn’t give them a moment of peace. Betty and Dan used the children as pawns in their game to outwit each other. This multi-part series was intriguing in what it says about relationships and mental illness. SPOILER ALERT: She broke into Dan’s house and shot and killed him and his wife in their sleep (which you find out early on). So: Is she a mentally abused woman, a deranged woman or a premeditated murderer?  3½ cans.
110.  Showbiz Kids* (2020) – Director Alex Winter – who was either Bill or Ted in “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” eons ago (Keanu Reeves played the other one) – delves into the lives of mostly young adults who started as showbiz kids. Idolatry is not all it is cracked up to be, folks. These kids started in show biz very young, some bearing the burden of being the breadwinner for their families, and never had a chance for a normal life. Instead of being in school or playing with friends, they spent their time going to auditions and being judged on every aspect of their looks and appeal. Some went on to successful show biz careers as adults, but others tell of being molested by adults in their lives and suffering from substance abuse issues. The familiar faces are Henry Thomas (“ET”) Evan Rachel Wood (“13” and “Once & Again”), Todd Bridges from “Different Strokes,” and Mara Wilson of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” among others. Imagine being 15 and being eviscerated by a nasty review of a bad movie by the esteemed Siskel & Ebert. It’s a hard knock life. 3½ cans. Available on Netflix.
111.  The Staircase* (2018) – It all started at the end of 2001 when author Michael Peterson entered his home to go to bed and found his beloved wife Kathleen lying dead at the foot of the staircase, her body contorted and her blood splattered on the walls around her. Stunned, he called 911. The EMTs arrived and confirmed her death, and thus began a 16-year ordeal in which Mike battled authorities over his innocence in what the DA called a homicidal beating and not an accident. This documentary starts at the beginning of the story and follows the case through its conclusion so many years later. If you have 13 hours to binge-watch a program (and let’s face it, I don’t have much else to keep me busy these days) and you like real crime dramas, I recommend this one. It is too long, too detailed, too repetitive – and totally addicting. It was this year’s “Making a Murderer.” You can watch it on Netflix.  4 cans.
112.  American Murder Mystery: The Staircase* (2017) – In case the 13-part Netflix series I just watched wasn’t enough for me on this subject, I found this 3-part documentary from the ID Network on Hulu to view as a follow-up. I usually take points off for programs that contain recreations and which cast actors who resemble the original characters, but this one had enough actual footage from the case (the trial was televised) to make up for the cheesy recreations. Yes, the same story is told here, but with a few twists and some information I did not glean from the previous version. When they got to the part where the possibility of death by owl attack became a theory, I had to say “Hoo, hoo.” When I am interested in something, I go all in. 3 cans.
113.  When Jews Were Funny* (2013) – Writer-director Alan Zweibel (of “Saturday Night Live” fame) poses questions to a host of Jewish comedians about being Jewish and being funny. Some insist that their humor is not meant to be directed to a Jewish audience, and most of them celebrate the work of the comedians who came before them. If you watched Alan King, Jackie Mason and Henny Youngman on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” you can identify with the older generation of Jewish comedians. They have been supplanted by Howie Mandel, Jerry Seinfeld, Judy Gold and others in this documentary, but they strongly believe that the suffering Jews have endured in not having a homeland and surviving the Holocaust made them stronger as a people – and people who can find humor in anything (I couldn’t help thinking of Mel Brooks’ “The Producers” and its hilarious premise of a musical about Nazis). Many pointed to their grandparents with their constant kvetching (complaining) and tendency to answer a question with a question. There were stories about comics performing in the Catskills, the accents the families retained after arriving in the US from Eastern Europe and largely settling on the Lower East Side of New York, and how walking into a good Jewish deli can make one feel more Jewish. I thought Howie Mandel said it best in his broad generalization: “We complain, we eat and we’re funny.” And yes, we still are. I laughed out loud at some old jokes I had never heard. 3½ cans. On Prime Video.
114.  How Do You Know?* (2010) – I expected so much more from a film with this kind of pedigree. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson in a blustering, obnoxious role as the businessman father of Rudd, and it was written and directed by James L. Brooks of “Broadcast News,” “Terms of Endearment” and “As Good As It Gets” (all featuring Nicholson). Yet the romantic comedy was so lightweight that I was disappointed. In a nutshell, Witherspoon is Lisa, a softball player whose career has just ended. Wilson is a new love interest, a wealthy baseball player and a real ladies’ man. Rudd is a nebbishy (but endearingly cute) employee of his father’s firm who has been accused of securities fraud (he is innocent) who reaches out to Lisa for a blind date at the worst possible time, and although she is seeing Wilson, she goes anyway and they barely exchange a word. She ends up torn between the two men – hence the title. You know as soon as she meets Rudd’s character in the beginning that he will end up with her. The cast does the best they can with this material, but I knew right away that this film was going nowhere. 2 cans and a truckload of disappointment.
115.  Father Soldier Son* (2020) – This Netflix documentary was shot over a 10-year period, starting when Brian Eisch was a young father serving in the Army in Afghanistan. He was carrying on the family tradition of serving in the military and he was also raising his two young sons (staying with their uncle during his deployment) to whom he was fiercely devoted. He doted on them as much as they worried about and missed him. But when he is severely injured, everything changes for the young family. This Netflix original movie brings the war home, making the viewer have a renewed respect for the people who served in the Armed Forces and the sacrifices they and their families make. 3½ cans.
116.  The Weight of Gold* (2020) – Olympic swimming hero Michael Phelps is the force behind this HBO special on the mental health issues encountered by some of our most celebrated Olympians. These athletes train most of their lives to compete in an event that happens just every four years. Some events last 10 seconds. Imagine spending every single day of your life swimming laps in a pool, to the exclusion of practically any other activity. Imagine not winning your event or getting a last-minute injury. No wonder these dedicated athletes have trouble assimilating back into society when their time as Olympians is done. If they have won the gold medal (or multiple gold medals), they may have had lucrative contracts and endorsement deals, but if you are the silver or gold medalist or didn’t get a medal at all, who pays attention to you once your moment has passed? Phelps says he lacked any real identity for himself outside the pool and competition. A number of athletes have committed suicide, while others seek help from their governing bodies, who don’t know how best to assist them. As one bobsledder said, if she had an injury, the best doctors and therapists would be there to treat her, but when she asked for help coping with her mental health, there were multiple approvals necessary and no real plan for treatment. This documentary is very thought-provoking, as you see well-known Olympians explaining that they have no pension, no stipend, no health insurance and no resources once their competitions are over. If you are a fan of the Olympics, you may want to see this honest look at the people who compete.  3½ cans.
117.  Last Chance U* (2020) – This Netflix series is in its 5th season, and I think this is the best one yet. It is a documentary about community college football, the last chance for some players to achieve their post-high school dreams of getting a football scholarship and perhaps even going on to the NFL as pros. John Beam is the head coach at Laney College in Oakland, California, defending state champs, and a guy known for a remarkable 40-year record as a high school and now CC coach. His job extends well beyond the Xs and Os, beyond the wins and losses, to reach these young men, serve as a surrogate father, teacher and role model as he kicks their asses and makes them understand the importance of this last chance opportunity. Unlike the previous seasons of the series, where the squads were comprised of many high potential players who had flunked out or had been kicked out of prestigious college football universities, the Laney players are mostly local guys who don’t want to work at Home Depot and are giving this level of college football a shot. As with previous seasons, the show focuses on a few key players and provides in-depth looks at their backgrounds. There is the big offensive lineman who already has a wife and two young daughters, the highly skilled defensive back who commutes two hours to Laney, and the wide receiver who sleeps in his car most nights (Laney has no dorms). They are poor, hungry (literally and figuratively), and much of their success depends on being part of a winning team. It is definitely a winning series. 4 cans.