April 2023 Movies & More

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. Numbering picks up from previous months.

39.  Pretty Baby – Brooke Shields* (2023, Hulu) – I can’t think of anyone who has spent her entire life in the public eye and been more exploited than Brooke Shields. This two-part documentary traces her career from being a baby model to being a pre-pubescent film star in movies like “Pretty Baby,” where she played a prostitute, and through today. She was delivering lines and performances that she wasn’t old enough to understand, and her manager/mother took full advantage of every opportunity to put her young breadwinner to work. She may be best remembered for her TV and print ads for Calving Klein Jeans, where the designer had her pose provocatively, claiming that “nothing comes between me and my Calvins.” The good news here is that despite questionable choices for her career by her mother, today Brooke comes across as pretty normal, a wife and mother who understands what happened to her and has survived it all. Any shame here belongs to her now deceased mother, who used beautiful Brooke as a meal ticket for far too long. 3½ cans.
40.  Crazy Heart (2010, HBO) – We have seen characters like Bad Blake before. Bad is a broken-down country singer who scrapes by playing bowling alleys and bars, drinking and smoking too much and with no one special in his life. But Jeff Bridges delivers an Oscar-winning performance here, bringing dimension to the character and performing country tunes like a true pro. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a young writer who interviews him and falls for his charm. 3½ cans.
41.  Air* (2023, Manville Cinema) – There’s no business like shoe business. This is the story about the deal that changed everything. As North Carolina phenom basketball player Michael Jordan prepares to turn pro, all the shoe companies are after him. Nike’s basketball division isn’t as big or rich as Converse or Adidas. But Nike has Sonny Vaccarro (Matt Damon), a basketball junkie who is convinced that Jordan is something special and who is ready to do anything he can to convince Jordan to sign. But first he has to work on the formidable Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis), Michael’s mother (who carries much more influence than his obnoxious agent). Making a movie about a business deal is risky, but Nike took a risk in signing Jordan in real life and the movie actually is suspenseful (even though that we all know what happened). In the first year, the branded Air Jordan shoes brought in $162 million in sales, an unprecedented success. Ben Affleck, who directed, plays arrogant Nike founder Phil Knight, and Jason Bateman is the Nike head of marketing. 3½ hoops.
42.  A Wing & A Prayer* (2023, Prime Video) – Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham star in the story of a man and his family flying home from the funeral of his brother when the pilot of their private plane suddenly dies. The father is forced to try to fly the plane, with lots of help from air traffic control and an aircraft expert (Jesse Metcalf). This is a faith-based drama based on an actual event, but there are so many cliches that make the concept trite. Quaid has one expression through most of the flight: Terror. Although I didn’t know the story was real, I somehow knew what the ending would be. You can miss this flight. 1 can.
43.  Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of World War II* (2010, Prime Video) – Like “Hidden Figures,” this documentary reveals the role women had in using their mathematical abilities as human computers to support the military effort in World War II. There were no electronic computers; these women did the job in calculating ballistics for bombing Europe. They were human computers – people who computed. While the men were off to the front lines, women math majors were hired for their expertise and trained for the job. Later, the same women were used as the first programmers of the government’s ENIAC computers. They were not Rosie the Riveter but rather a part of a top-secret engineering corps whose work was critical to the war effort. This is why we need to study ALL of history, so we understand the contributions of people in every field, as well as the consequences of those people doing evil. 3½ cans.
44.  The Captive* (2014, HBO Max) – Matthew (Ryan Reynolds) is the father of a nearly 10-year-old daughter, Cassandra, a figure skater whom he dutifully takes to practice at a local rink. On the way home, Matthew calls his wife, Tina (Mireille Enos), to say they are stopping off to pick up a pie at a local diner. He goes in to get the pie and comes out to find that his daughter has disappeared from the back of his truck. That is the beginning of a search that takes years, with the police (Rosario Dawson and Scott Speedman) sometimes on the trail of the kidnapper and sometimes looking accusingly at Matthew himself. Is Cass still alive? Who could have taken her and why? This is a suspenseful drama, though a bit confusing at times, that held my interest. Check it out for yourself. 3½ cans.
45. The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) – I enjoyed watching this old favorite recently. Cousins Charlie (Mickey Rourke) and Paulie (Eric Roberts) aren’t exactly criminals, but neither are they upstanding citizens. Paulie is the schemer with no qualms about making a big score as long as it doesn’t really hurt anyone. “It’s only money,” he pleads to Charlie. Charlie is the dreamer who looks forward to scraping together enough money to run his own restaurant, but who can’t keep up with the demands of his ex-wife and the bills for his expensive suits and shoes. Paulie is certain they can pull off a heist that will benefit them both, but the twitchy would-be mini-mobster can’t get out of his own way. This movie depicts the streets of New York, the cops, the crooks and the schemers with great verve. The Sinatra song “Summer Wind” only enhances it all. 4 cans.
46. Mafia Mamma* (2023, Manville Cinema) – Toni Colette is a harried, married mother of a college bound son who catches her husband cheating on her, so she takes off for Italy, where she has been summoned to settle the affairs of her recently deceased grandfather. She thinks she has inherited a winery. Before you know it, she’s sampling delicious gelato and running a Mafia family there in the midst of a mob war. She has bodyguards, enemies who shoot, dismember and destroy, and she starts seeing a handsome man whom she met at the airport. This is an over-the-top comedy caper, with bullets flying and some pretty nasty mayhem and gruesome deaths (I had to cover my eyes for one scene, even as I wondered how this innocent suburban mom could become so vicious so fast). This is not the typical comedy and sometimes it seemed too campy and ridiculous, but it was different and moderately entertaining. 3 cans
47.  Judy Blume Forever* (2023, Prime Video) – I have never read a book by well-known young adult and children’s author Judy Blume. Her period of popularity didn’t coincide with my adolescence. Until I watched this documentary, I wasn’t aware how prolific an author she was and that she switched from books for growing children and young adults to adult fiction. Blume tackled the realities of life that kids face – questions about their personal development, bullying, sex and everything in between. In addition to writing books, Judy Blume also wrote letters, thoughtfully answering many of her ardent young fans who trusted her enough to ask the kinds of questions they should have asked their parents but felt uneasy discussing personal topics. I am looking forward to seeing the movie based on one of Blume’s most popular books, “Are You There, God, It’s Me, Margaret.” 3½ cans.
48.  The Diplomat* (2023, Netflix) – Keri Russell is the US Ambassador to England in this 8-part Netflix series that encompasses international diplomacy, intrigue, ambition and a failing marriage. Russell’s Kate is a career diplomat unexpectedly assigned to England at a critical time, just after a British ship has been attacked. She knows her stuff and has plenty of connections, but this position is just a temporary stop on her path to a higher post that is not one she is seeking. Her career diplomat husband comes along for the ride as kind of a “buy one, get one free” equal who is unassigned at the moment. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get all of the diplomatic nuances and honestly, I didn’t want to work that hard to understand it all. Russell is really good in this part, with the right level of competence, confidence and disdain while staying “approachable.” Her husband, played by Rufus Sewell, is an interesting operative and about to get the marital boot. The series is clearly bound for season 2 since the loose ends were not wrapped up by the end of episode 8. 3½ cans.
49.  Champions* (2023, Peacock) – Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Good-hearted but stern coach takes over rag-tag basketball team (substitute any sport) and leads them to victory. Here, Woody Harrelson is an NBA minor league assistant coach who drinks too much and who, after an arrest, is forced to choose between going to jail or spending 90 days coaching a team of young people with intellectual disabilities. There are special challenges for him with this group but they are enthusiastic and receptive (for the most part). The ultimate goal is for the team to win the Special Olympics and for the coach to get back to the NBA. Will they make it? Will the bond they build be enough to get him to forsake a better job? There are a lot of genre cliches in this movie but the aspect of featuring a cast comprised of actors with intellectual disabilities makes it more palatable. 3 cans.
50.  King of Collectibles* (2023, Netflix) – If you are looking for a game-worn Jackie Robinson jersey and you have a couple of million dollars available, Ken Goldin and his crew would be happy to help you. Goldin runs a NJ company that hunts down valuable items from collectors willing to part with them and is available to collectors ready to put their treasures up for auction with Goldin. This 6-part documentary shows the thrill of uncovering a treasure trove of Olympic jerseys signed by all of the Dream team that Karl Malone owns. But it is not all sports collectibles. The series includes Beanie Babies, Gucci clothing and bags and more. A trip to the attic in one man’s house revealed complete baseball card sets in their original boxes going back for decades. So, before you toss that old Apple computer, you may want to think twice. 3½ cans.
51.  Longest Third Date* (2023, Netflix) – This documentary movie brings a different perspective to the pandemic that resulted in a worldwide lockdown beginning in March 2020. But for Matt Robertson and Khani Le, it started as just their third date. After meeting online and going out twice, the couple decided on a whim to fly to Costa Rica for their third date in March 2020. Matt, an obsessed video blogger, recorded everything and his footage is used extensively to show their adventures and challenges as the world around them shuts down. They realized things were becoming a problem when their flights home were cancelled and their hotel shut down after only a few days. While moving from one AirBNB to another, they got to know each other very well and still managed to have fun despite the uncertainty of their plight. When would they finally be able to leave their island paradise and go home? No spoilers here – just watch the movie to see how things turned out. 3½ cans.

Spring Things

Ah, Spring! The flowers are starting to bud, the cherry blossoms are out and the smell of mulch is in the air. God, I hate the smell of mulch!

I wish I could wrap gifts as neatly as the guy at the deli wraps my turkey sandwich. I also wish I could make a turkey sandwich that neatly.

The guy in the bagel store who came in after me was there to pick up an order of French fries. From the bagel store? I know they sell sandwiches, but who gets French fries from a bagel store? At 9:45 AM, no less? While wearing a suit and tie?

Speaking of the bagel store, when did bagels increase to the size of a wagon wheel? I have to squish them down after cutting them just to get them into my wide slot toaster. 

I have found recent episodes of “Jeopardy” dull and unengaging. What we need is an interesting champion who we can love or dislike while they sustain a streak. I suggest a new senior version of the show with one less category so we have a little more time to wade through all the stuff clogging our brains and come up with the answer. They could add categories like Medical Ailments and Music Only From the 60s that we would know. I could see my friend Linda Caldwell Epps running the History of NJ category. Martha Boughner will handle John Philip Sousa Music, I'll take Mickey Mantle and TV, and we'll assign Psychology to Debbie Lunch. I can see seniors loving this new format. What do you think?

My neighbor bought a white Ford Bronco and now, of course, I can’t stop thinking of OJ Simpson and the slow-speed chase. 

I long for the days when I could just turn on WPIX 11 and watch the Yankee game. Now you practically need a detective to find the games. Some are on the YES Network (which you might not get, depending on your cable company), while others air on the Amazon Prime streaming service. Fox might pick up a game or ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball might air one. You can watch some games on the MLB network or subscribe to MLB.com. If you’re lucky, your game won’t be blacked out in your market. Why does following your favorite team have to be such an ordeal?

Does anybody want to fold the laundry for me? I’m tired of it.

We have become stat-happy as a society, particularly in sports. Is there any real significance to having two lefthanders named Bob face each other on the mound in a Tuesday night game? Does it matter that this is the first time since 1987 that a quarterback has thrown two touchdowns to a man whose brother plays on the opposite team? I could go for fewer facts here, sports media, though I suppose this is all driven by the betting world, who will place a wager on just these kinds of tidbits.

I hate scheduling. I do fine on my own; I can balance out my medical appointments and my meetings just fine. But introduce other people to the mix for planning lunch or just a visit, and you get every reason why they can’t commit. “My neighbor’s going to drop off her dog that day”. “We have a wedding in Ethiopia the following week and I have to pack.” “We might be picking up a new car that week.” “My granddaughter is trying out for the soccer team and I might have to pick her up.” I’m not saying these reasons are phony, just that it is tough to schedule anything with other people, and the more people involved, the tougher it is. Even when something is a recurring event, like my book club meetings, people can’t seem to get it together. We meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month, and we never end a meeting without someone asking, “When is the next meeting?” Why is this SO HARD?

I had such a large stash of Bed Bath & Beyond coupons that I thought I might have to leave them to someone in my will. I never suspected that I would outlive the store! I drove past the Bridgewater store recently and almost cried out loud when all I could see in the space were a few empty display shelves. I like to see the towels in person, check out the colors and feel the fluffiness. I will miss rifling through the Fieldcrest bath towels, wondering what the “Hotel Collection” means, and picking up an extra long hair towel for my far-from-long hair. I’ll miss looking at the sheets and comforter sets. Sure, I can shop online AND use the coupons, but it’s not the same. I haven’t even recovered from the demise of Linens & Things yet, so this one really hurts. 

And speaking of size, who can possibly figure out whether the roll of toilet paper is “ultra” or “mega-sized” and what that means. Toilet paper math is perplexing: ”6 rolls = 48” boasts one package. One thing we must agree on is that the paper should always go OVER the top of the roll. If your opinion differs, just move along, and know that if I am at your house and see it placed UNDER the roll, I WILL switch it to place it correctly OVER!

I haven’t yet seen this year’s Oscar-winning Best Picture, “Everything, Everywhere All at Once yet because life is keeping me hopping with Anything, All Over the Place, All the Time.

I’m at the point now that between arthritic knees and old age, it is tough for me to pick things up off the floor. Now if I drop something and it rolls under the furniture, I have to ask myself how much I really need it and when is the cleaning woman coming in? Can this wait a week or two? 

In an attempt to reduce spending money buying books for my Kindle, I went to my local library in Manville, NJ, where the nice people allowed me to get one of their cards and download books on my Kindle. I was about 75% through with the book I borrowed and it simply disappeared on the due date. But the good library folks walked me through how to sign on and borrow the same book again, and, when I did, it opened up to exactly where I stopped reading.

I finally understand why guys are outside wearing shorts in the coldest weather: They are coming from the gym. The new gym I joined is like Grand Central Station, with people of all ages coming and going all day (the place is open from 4 AM to midnight), toting bags and yoga mats and wearing shorts or yoga pants so they can bend and stretch and pedal in a class that would probably kill me. Or they are using equipment that looks like medieval torture devices or lifting what looks like their bodyweight in dumbbells. Some of these people may want my help in explaining rotator cuff surgery years down the line. I’m not there for Pilates or hot yoga or a class called “Shred,” which I don’t think has anything to do with getting rid of my old tax returns. I’m there for aqua aerobics, a brisk class filled with my kind of people – mostly senior women who can “sweat it out” in the pool for 45-60 minutes while moving to my generation’s classical music – like “Build Me Up Buttercup” or anything Motown. Disco works, too. It is fun, motivating and you work up enough of an appetite to eat in the gym’s café once you’re done. You can buy all kinds of smoothies there, but nary a carbonated beverage. I go to my new aqua aerobics now three times a week and I think I’m ready to be named to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness (does that still exist?). 

Exactly how many times do I have to convince the internet authorities that I am not a robot? Not now, nor have I ever been.

Ah, the dulcet tones of Dateline’s Keith Morrison. I could listen to Keith all night – and sometimes I do. Just find Dateline on the Oxygen Network and he’ll be there slightly more often than Dennis Murphy or Josh Mankiewicz, just enough to lull me to sleep and stay asleep.

I was looking for something one morning that I couldn't find. Instead, I found my proportional wheel in case I feel the need to crop some pictures. Then, a week later, looking for something else, I found my old slide rule, still tucked neatly in its case. I will defy the admonitions of organizer Marie Kondo and keep both, even though neither has or will ever bring me joy. I have had the slide rule for about 60 years and I’m not getting rid of it now! I don’t know why I kept these things on the first place. I haven’t felt the urge to use any of these tools for decades. That goes for anything else related to math, aside from figuring out the tip at a restaurant. Maybe I should bring an abacus for that chore.

My favorite nephew turned 30 on March 30. It’s funny how he has gotten older while I have remained timeless. I treasure every memory I have of him, of the things we did together, of the conversations we have had and of seeing his accomplishments. His next big milestone comes next year, when he marries the most perfect young woman, who happens to be his ideal match. I look forward to many more memories of times together.

March 2023 Movies & More

Marching on to more entertainment! Everything here is rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 at the top. Things I have not seen before are marked with an asterisk. Numbering picks up from previous months.

27. The White Shadow (1978-1981, Me TV Too) – If I had to pick my favorite fictional coach, Ken Reeves (Ken Howard) would be at the top of the list. In this series, Reeves, a former pro basketball player for the Chicago Bulls, takes a job as the basketball coach of Carver High in Los Angeles. His squad is diverse and talented, but what they need is a good coach and role model. Reeves never pretends to have all the answers, as he and his team bond over some pretty good on-screen basketball and are forced to deal with the issues of the day – racial discrimination and targeting, drugs, mental health issues, sexual abuse, homosexuality, guns in schools – all of the issues still prevalent today. I love this show. Howard is excellent, as are co-stars Joan Pringle and Ed Bernard as the school administrators. And then there is that cast of loveable players, several of whom became noted directors (Tim Van Patten of the Sopranos, Kevin Hooks and Thomas Carter) and all of whom could actually hoop. Me TV Too doesn’t show all of the episodes, but I have seen everything aired and fell in love once again with this heart-warming series. 4 hoops.
28.  Chris Rock: Selective Outrage* (2023, Netflix) – In case you were wondering about comedian Chris Rock’s reaction to being slapped by Will Smith at last year’s Oscars, he’s only too happy to share his cleverly worded outrage. This raucous hour sees him slinging mud at dating women his own age, his spoiled kids, the Kardashians, Meghan Markle and a host of others, with a special emphasis on Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett. Lots of swearing and use of the N word, but always clever and on point. 3½ cans.
29.  Glitch: The Rise & Fall of HQ Trivia* (2023, CNN) – I’m amazed and appalled that I had never heard of the cell phone app HQ Trivia, which was apparently all the rage – until it wasn’t – until I saw this documentary on CNN. After all, I play “Wordle” every day and have shared “Words with Friends.” But this app, developed by two young entrepreneurs whose first tech venture was the short video app Vines, offered players a daily quiz, hosted by a stand-up comedian who became a star for as long as it lasted, and the app built a following of almost 4 million daily viewers. Tech bubbles burst, as we know, and the bad behavior, mismanagement and lack of a viable long-term future brought this one crashing down. Like the doomed Frye Festival, this doc is a study in what goes up must come down. 3 cans.
30.  Living* (2023, Montgomery Cinema) – Living is boring – the movie, that is. Maybe I’m just not approaching this film from an intellectual standpoint, where I might understand the deeper meaning of a very ordinary man who changes his ways once he finds out that he is dying. Or maybe I just think that the story wasn’t compelling enough to make me care. All I know is that when I fell asleep I must have missed the best part of the movie because what I did see was boring – without an intellectual analysis of the story. I can’t imagine what the pitch meeting for this one was like. Bill Nighy does a good job portraying the boring lead character. 2½ cans.
31.  A Futile and Stupid Gesture*(2018, Netflix) – The comic and somewhat demented mind of bad boy funnyman Douglas Kinney is recounted in this biopic about the founder of The National Lampoon. Kinney (played by Will Forte, with the elder version played by Martin Mull) was surrounded by clever and funny classmates at the Harvard Lampoon. But when he graduated, Kinney only had eyes for creating a national magazine with his steadier friend Henry Beard. Once the magazine achieved critical mass, books and movies weren’t far behind. Kinney ran The National Lampoon Lemmings, a sketch show with previously unknown talents like John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Gilda Radner, all of whom morphed into a non-Kinney vehicle, Saturday Night Live. So Kinney made memorable, hilarious movies, like “Animal House” and “Caddyshack,” to keep his comic chops alive. You may not know Kinney’s name, but I’m pretty sure he made you laugh. 3 cans.
32.  Ordinary Love* (2019, Hulu) – Liam Neeson has stepped away from the plane/train/automobile action genre to play this ordinary husband of a woman (Lesley Mann) who is diagnosed with breast cancer. They have been together for decades in a loving relationship that is occasionally punctuated with a bit of mostly good-natured harping from each of them. When Joan first feels a lump in her breast, the whole litany of tests and waiting for results that every cancer patient must endure begins. This poignant drama is not for people currently going through this situation, which is entirely too familiar to many people. The couple are the parents of a daughter who died suddenly (no circumstances are provided) and they are still coping with that terrible loss. They are forced to tackle this new challenge together, each giving and drawing strength from the other. Not exactly a pick-me-up, but the reality of how cancer effects the patient and the family is well told here. 3½ cans.
33.  Jared from Subway: Catching a Monster* (2023, ID Channel) – Remember Jared? He was the nerdy guy who lost 200 pounds by eating sandwiches from the Subway chain every day and who became a spokesman for the brand. He seemed like a normal, likeable guy who was dedicated to helping other people. But this docuseries digs deeper, revealing a man addicted to child porn and acting on his impulses with children. This is a disturbing story, with warnings about material being offensive at every commercial break. Journalist Rochelle Herman is the hero, taking cues from her early encounters with Jared as signs of his more prurient interests and building a long relationship with him so that she could gather enough evidence (through recording their phone calls) to have him charged. It took years. Jared’s not eating Subway sandwiches anymore; he’s in prison and will be there for a very long time. 3½ sandwiches.
34.  The Boston Strangler* (2023, Hulu) – Kiera Knightly is reporter Loretta, who is determined to bring down the Boston Strangler in this new look at the famous case. Relegated to the lifestyle pages of her newspaper, Loretta is the first person to note similarities in the unsolved deaths of women in Boston, and she pitches the story to her editor. Working with experienced investigative reporter Jean Cole (Carrie Koons), Loretta tracks down every lead and keeps asking the cops for information on the case. The movie is a little creepy (consider the subject matter) as it seems no one is safe in the area with the murderer on the loose. I won’t reveal what happens, but Knightly does an excellent job portraying the dogged journalist. 3½ cans.
35.  Alone Together* (2023, Hulu) – We all remember what it was like in the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. You couldn’t go anywhere, buy anything or appear in public without fear of catching Covid, even as people were dying in staggering numbers. So when June (Katie Holmes, who also produced, wrote and directed the movie) winds up at an upstate New York rental for which her boyfriend arranged, she is shocked to see the property is already occupied by Charlie (Jim Sturgiss). With nowhere to go and no way to get there, she sticks around and begins to fall for Charlie despite her relationship with another man. This rom-com feels current because of the pandemic, which is in the forefront (they make masks together and you can hear the dire warnings of then-New York Governor Cuomo playing in the background) of an otherwise pretty predictable movie. I kept wondering about the practical things, like getting toilet paper, food and haircuts, that we all had to deal with, especially in the first six months of uncertainty. If I had landed at that house, I would not have been greeted by a handsome stranger. With my luck, he would have been the Boston strangler. 3 cans.
36.  Dear Edward* (2023, Apple TV+) – Whenever a story is adapted from a book, the filmmakers have an opportunity to expand on the original, even to introduce new characters and plotlines. That’s what the producers did with this interesting book – and not entirely successfully. The story is about Edward (Colin O’Brien), a 12-year old boy who is traveling with his parents and older brother to California when their plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor. After a stint in the hospital to recover physically, Edward goes to live with his aunt (Taylor Schilling) and has to deal with the trauma and guilt of why he is the one person to make it out alive. This mini-series introduces new characters – too many characters who were not in the book (although Connie Britton is a welcome addition to almost any story) – and I found their plots meandering. There is a grief group for families of those killed where people reveal their own stories while trying to understand the tragedy that has linked them all. Unlike the book, the title “Dear Edward” doesn’t come into play until the next-to-last episode. But at the conclusion of the 10-part series it was clear that another season will follow. I’m not sure I’ll be along for the ride. 3½ cans.
37.  Starting Over (1979, Cable TV) – Burt Reynolds escapes from his “Smokey & the Bandit” wise guy persona in this charming rom-com. His Phil Potter is devastated when he and his would-be musician wife (Candice Bergen) break up. He tries to find his footing by moving to Boston and joining a group of equally depressed but supportive divorced men and then meets Marilyn (Jill Clayburgh), a school teacher with whom he tentatively starts a relationship. But nothing is easy, and the ex-Mrs. Potter shows up again in a barely there blouse to entice Phil to return? To sleep with her? To restart their marriage? Candice Bergen is an icy princess in this part, and she excels. When she tries to seduce Phil by singing him her outrageously bad rendition of her song, “Better Than Ever,” you can’t help but wonder how she can do it with a straight face. Reynolds’ face goes between wondering the same thing and surviving the torture of listening to her sing. Look for the scene in Bloomingdales with a paper bag and Valium for a memorable laugh. 3½ cans.
38.  Emergency NYC* (2023, Netflix) – This absolutely engrossing 8-part docuseries focuses on the heroic emergency staff, ambulance drivers and helicopter pilots specially trained for emergencies. There are nurses, surgeons and other doctors who do their best to care for severely ill or injured patients in NYC, shuttling them by helicopter and ambulance to Lenox Hill Hospital or to Cohen Children’s Hospital on Long Island. We meet people waiting for transplants, people with brain and eye tumors, young gunshot victims, and several staff people giving birth. If guts and gore don’t bother you, you will appreciate and fresh, healthy liver and a newly received heart, cutting through the skull and removing various tumors. Not everyone survives, but that just makes the reality hit home. The medical problems and techniques are fascinating, but so are the people, including the dedicated Chief Neurosurgeon who barely survives a skiing accident. I’ve seen series like this before and I would watch another one tomorrow. Well done! 4½ cans.