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.
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