Welcome back. The movies and programs included here are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the top rating. The asterisks indicate programs I had not seen previously.
1. Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over* (2023, CNN) – I started the year on a bright note with this documentary about the life and music of Jersey’s own Dionne Warwick, a legendary singer known for such hits as the title song here. She was related to Cissy and Whitney Houston, so there is a huge amount of talent in those genes. I didn’t realize what a force of nature she is, especially as an early AIDS activist with her song “That’s What Friends Are For,” which raised money for AMFAR. Early in her career she was the muse of songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David with memorable tunes like “Walk on By,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.” She used her stature to summon gangsta rappers to her house to object to the misogynistic lyrics in their songs – and Snoop Dog and others showed up and listened. Listing all of her hits would take too long, but “I Know I’ll Never Love This Way Again” can’t be left out. 4 cans and lots of hits.
2. The West Wing (HNL Network) – I binged this entire series during the Covid quarantine, so I didn’t need to watch it all over – but I mostly did as it aired on Headline News Network between Christmas and New Year. It is beautifully crafted, written and acted with such authority and skill that the characters seem real. It also reminds us of how smart you should be to occupy the office of the President of the United States, a trait that seemed absent in the real-life presidency of the last administration. Agree, disagree with me, I don’t care. This is an outstanding series. 4½ cans.
3. 9-5 (1980, HBO) – This delightful satire of the workplace in the 1980s is highlighted by the work of its triumvirate of actresses – Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton, who also wrote the catchy title tune. Though it veers into silly fantasy, it manages to convey the nature of a workplace where men who were trained by women bypass them in their careers, where women are called and treated as “girls” and servants, and where men rule. If you don’t get it, you didn’t work in a large company environment in the 1960-90s. These ladies exact their revenge on the sexist boss and everyone wins – except good old Mr. Hart (a game Dabney Coleman). 3½ cans.
4. Rudy (1993, on Demand) – This is probably the best sports picture about an underdog ever made, aside from “Rocky.” If you don’t get a lump in your throat or a tear in your eye at the end, you aren’t human. 4½ cans.
5. Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street* (2023, Netflix) – This 4-part Netflix series uses reenactments as well as interviews with the principals involved in the fraud perpetrated by investment banker Bernie Madoff on large institutions and people who trusted him with their life savings. The premise – very clearly explained here – is simple: Madoff collected the investors’ money and never invested it. Instead, through an elaborate hoax with realistic looking statements, he duped those people who trusted him, using a Ponzi scheme to pay off old investors with the money provided by new investors. This story is irrefutable evidence that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Madoff ruined the lives of many people in his nefarious dealings and destroyed his own family. It is a shameful, despicable story but very engrossing. 4 cans.
6. A Man Called Otto* (2023, At the movies) – You can’t go wrong with a Tom Hanks movie, and this one pulls at the heartstrings. Hanks is grumpy old Otto, busy patrolling the streets of his modest housing development, citing people who leave the gate open or have the temerity to drive on the streets there at all. When young mother Marisol (Mariana Trevino) and her husband and children move in across the street, they are friendly to the grouchy Otto and soon come to lean on him for help. Before you know it, the rigid widower is forced into an unlikely friendship. Hanks and his non-smiling demeanor can still bring a smile to your face. 4 cans.
7. What Happened to America’s Mayor?* (2023, CNN) – And speaking of famous people named Rudy: This mini-series addresses the life and career arc of Rudy Giuliani, once considered America’s Mayor for his leadership role in the aftermath of 9/11 and now reduced to a screeching, shrill figure so desperate to remain in the public eye that he is willing to compromise his reputation to defend Donald Trump. From a hugely successful role as a prosecutor who targeted the NY Mafia, Giuliani used his fame to run for NYC Mayor with his eyes on the Senate and the White House. Things did not work out as he planned. He never served in the Senate, never became President, never was asked to be the Secretary of State. My lasting images of him are with hair dye dripping down his cheek and standing in front of the Four Seasons Landscaping Company (not the hotel of a similar name) to denounce the 2020 election results. Like his boss, this behavior is megalomania gone wild! I wasn’t sure whether to be astounded or disgusted. 4 cans.
8. Pepsi – Where’s My Jet?* (2022, Netflix) – John Leonard was a kid just out of his teens when he saw a Pepsi campaign offering prizes for the accumulation of “Pepsi Points” that could be used to buy Pepsi apparel and other prizes. Among the things advertised was a genuine military Harrier Jet. No disclaimer, no small print, no anything appeared in the ad to indicate that the geniuses who came up with the campaign were only kidding. But John wasn’t, and when he came up with the points required, he wanted his harrier jet. He teamed up with Todd Hoffman, an eccentric businessman who liked to push boundaries and was willing to fund John’s expenses, and they started a campaign for him to get the jet. First Pepsi sued him, then he sued back, helped by the now notorious attorney Michael Avenatti, who wasn’t even through law school in the 1990s when the whole story began. I won’t spoil it, but this 4-part documentary is a brilliant indictment of the advertising industry and big business. You absolutely cannot make this stuff up. And I’m glad they brought it to the screen so I could give it 4 cans (but no fighter jet).
9. A Man Called Ove* (2015, Prime Video) – Since I haven’t read the Frederick Bachman book, I thought the least I could do after seeing the Tom Hanks version of this story (see #6 above), was to watch the original Swedish version. There is hardly a difference in the two – if you don’t count the subtitles – except that I think the Tom Hanks version has slightly more warmth and a bit more humor. Either way, this is a heartwarming story about friendship and loneliness and well worth seeing in any language. 3½ cans mostly since I had to READ the movie!
10. Masquerade (1988, on some obscure cable network I didn’t know I had) – Rob Lowe shows off his best assets as Tim Whelan, an extremely handsome young yacht skipper who meets the very wealthy Olivia Lawrence (Meg Tilly) and pursues a relationship with her. Tim has a bit of a shady past, and he is having an affair with his captain’s wife (Kim Cattral), but that doesn’t seem to hamper his pursuit of the quiet Olivia. This movie is full of suspense as their relationship deepens despite what looks like bad news for the poor little rich girl. You have to wonder if he actually loves her. Saying more would ruin the plot, but I can recommend this movie. Tilly is very bland as Olivia, and she looks almost matronly, but Rob Lowe in the 1980s was eye candy for sure (and still…). 3½ cans.
11. The Banshees of Inisherin* (2022, HBO) – I’m coining a new word to describe this odd movie – MELANCOMEDY. There’s plenty of grim melancholy here, laced with a degree of humor in some scenes and the overall premise along with some bizarre behavior and strange happenings. Colm (Brendan Gleeson) and Padraic (Colin Farrell) have been friends forever, living on a small, quiet island off the coast of Ireland. There’s nothing much to do there, so the friends meet up every day for a jaunt to the local watering hole. But one day when Padriac goes to meet up with Colm, his friend tells him the friendship is over. Did Padriac do something to offend Colm? Why the break-up? Viewers and Padriac want to know. Colm just thinks his old friend is dull (which, trust me, he is) and his time would be better spent fiddling around with his fiddle to make music. Padriac is befuddled and he is not about to accept this turn of events without further discussion – which is just what Colm refuses to have. Throw in a town witch, a brutal cop and his dim-witted son, Padriac’s supportive sister who tells him he’s really a nice guy, some beloved animals and a few stray digits and there’s the rest of the story. The acting is effortless, but there is so little dialog that the main characters’ facial expressions are everything. I’d have to side with Colm here – Padriac is a nice guy but dull. And Colm is depressed and too mean to a friend he once valued. The critics loved it. I didn’t. 3½ cans.
12. You People* (2023, Netflix) – If “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “Meet the Parents” had a baby in 2023, this would be it. Jonah Hill, star and co-writer, plays Ezra, a nice, nebishy, white Jewish guy subjected to all kinds of family mishigas by his doting mother Shelley (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and his embarrassing father (David Duchovny). No wonder he hasn’t been able to have a long-term relationship. But then there’s a meet-cute with Amira (Lauren London), an attractive Black woman who seems out of his league. They charm each other and then try to do the same thing with their respective parents, except her father Akbar (Eddie Murphy) isn’t having any of it. Ezra has a podcast and tries desperately to be cool, hip and totally into Black culture (long before he met Amira), but he’s just not making it in the eyes of the stern Akbar. This is a funny movie that skewers social mores and stereotypes, and somehow the relationship between Ezra and Amira works, though I could see him falling for her before I could accept her falling for him. Julia Louis-Dreyfus excels at trying-too-hard-to-be the with-it Mom. 4 cans.
13. The Pez Outlaw* (2022, Netflix) – Among the many things people collect that I knew nothing about is Pez Dispensers. In this quirky documentary, blue collar worker Steve is an avid collector. Although he has never left the US, he and his son take off for Europe to get to the factory where the dispensers are made and where unsold prototypes abound. Somehow Steve, who looks disheveled and homeless, not only manages to buy a large quantity of Pez dispensers, but he manages to get them through US Customs. The bigshots running the company are not fans of Steve, who outthinks them and goes bigtime into the market with his supply. I don’t know what enticed me into watching this movie, since I never like Pez candies and don’t collect anything, but I’m glad I did. This movie is not for everyone, but I liked the David and Goliath aspect of the story, even as I frowned upon the trademark infringement. 3½ cans.
14. Dog Gone* (2023, Netflix) – Fielding (John Berchtold) is graduating from college with no real plan for the rest of his life. When he goes to a dog shelter, a beautiful white dog immediately attracts his attention, so he brings him home, names him Gonker and forms a bond with the active dog. He moves back home with his parents (Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams-Paisley), who tolerate and love them both. But, as the title indicates, Gonker takes off one day and father and son hit the trail to find him while Mom maintains a command center, answering calls and getting people to put up flyers and newspapers to cover the story. In the process, the family becomes closer and more accepting. I’m not an animal lover, but I was moved by the loving relationship between the boy and his dog and how his parents came to see their son in a different light. Based on a true story. 3 cans.
15. Crazy Rich Asians* (2018, HB0) – This rom-com shows that the rich are different and there are plenty of judgmental people in every culture. When Nick (Henry Goulding) takes his serious girlfriend Rachel (Constance Wu) to his native China for the wedding of his BFF, it is Rachel’s chance to “meet the parents” – in this case Nick’s snobby mom Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). It turns out that Nick is from a famously rich family (unknown to Rachel) whose members and friends are quick to judge Rachel. After all, she’s only an economics professor at NYU and an accomplished woman herself, hardly marriage material for one of the wealthiest families in China. After the predictable staredowns and calamities, can the couple ever get the approval of the mean Mom and make it as a couple? Very glitzy and occasionally funny. 3 cans.
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