All programs are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 the highest ranking. Asterisks mark movies I had not seen previously and numbering picks up from previous months.
131. Telemarketers* (2023, HBO) – For every one of us who despises those dinner-time cold calls from telemarketers trying to extract money for us for what sounds like a good cause, this documentary series shows that the practice is even worse than you thought. It makes no sense that one young telemarketer would decide to record the questionable activities at Civic Development Group, a key player in the telemarketing field, but he did, documenting bad practices, bad behavior and fraud. CDG was hired by various police and other groups to do telemarketing on their behalf, but if they received 10% of what gullible people sent to CDG, the organizations were lucky. CDC was scamming people with good intentions out of money and the practice went on for more than 20 years. Beware when you get one of those calls. Your suspicions are well-founded. 3½ cans.
132. Made You Look* (2020, Netflix) – I don’t know much about art. I know what I like when I see it. And so do much more sophisticated art connoisseurs, wealthy people and prestigious galleries who were duped into believing that some of the artworks they purchased were real when they were actually magnificently done fakes. There is a precise and arduous process of establishing “provenance” to document the origin and life of a painting or sculpture. There are various art experts, color and paint experts and others who examine a work to authenticate its origin. Even with these practices, a good forger with the right connections can fool the pros. This is a fascinating documentary about art and artisans, collectors and con men (and women). Worth watching even if you are not an expert. 3½ cans.
133. Sour Grapes* (2016, Peacock) – And speaking of fraud, this documentary examines the passion for wine that drives up the price of vintage bottles and stimulates the passion of collectors and connoisseurs. But like the art in the film above, is it all genuine? Rudy Kuriawan was a wine savant, describing the characteristics of many wines with knowledge and flair and sharing or selling his collection with many collectors and investors. But since Rudy was unknown to the collector community, some people, including European vintners, began to question the authenticity of the bottles he was selling en masse for millions of dollars. What was the source of his funding? What was his personal background? I know less about wine than I do about art, but I found this movie very interesting. But I think the filmmakers did a disservice to the viewers and the topic by not exploring the mystery in more depth. It seems unlikely that one man could figure out exactly how to replicate the taste, bottles, labels, seals, etc., of many different types of wine without extensive help. This topic deserves a more in-depth look. I’ll drink to that. 3 bottles.
134. Crazy About Tiffany’s* (2016, Prime Video) – Those ubiquitous blue boxes are the trademark of the world’s most famous jewelry store, Tiffany’s. This documentary follows the development of the landmark brand with interviews with everyone from actresses readying for the red carpet to jewelry designers, stylists, color experts, Tiffany executives and purchasers of the acclaimed jewelry. Tiffany’s may well be considered the face of luxury in our society, from Queens and Presidents, Hollywood stars to the rich and famous. I have a new appreciation for their work after watching this movie. 4 cans.
135. Beckham* (2023, Netflix) – This 4-part documentary series chronicles the life of David Beckham, English football player and internationally famous man. He is a superb footballer, making remarkable shots and dedicating himself from an early age to not only be the best he can be but to willing his team to win. After he marries Victoria, the famous Posh from the Spice Girls, his media coverage is constant. He markets himself well; while Victoria is about to give birth, David is posing with Beyonce and JLo. He seems like a really nice guy who just by making one mistake or losing a game or changing teams can conjure up hatred of monumental proportions. I know little about soccer outside the US but I now understand the level of fervor it creates for fans and whole countries. All I know is that David Beckham was outstanding as a player and is certainly easy on the eyes. 4 cans.
136. Dumb Money* (2023, Manville Cinema) – Keith (Paul Dano) is a bit of a nerd, someone who enjoys broadcasting over social media from his basement. What he especially likes is to tout one particular stock that he has invested in and that he feels is undervalued by the stock market – Game Stop. Based on a true story, this movie shows David (Keith and his social media followers) taking on Goliath – the hedge funds and institutional investors who have no faith in the stock and have shorted it. Lots of Wall Street nomenclature here, but the important thing to know is that one person with a broad outreach can drive up the price of a relatively unknown stock. Keith’s followers include ordinary people who are nurses, college students, even one guy who works in a retail Game Stop store. Their investments are considered “dumb money” by Wall Street, but once they get hooked on investing in Game Stop, they suddenly find they have a positive and growing net worth. Should they sell, hold or buy? That is the question, even as the US Government gets involved in the game. 4 cans.
137. Book Club: The Next Chapter* (2023, Peacock) – Why is it that Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood and other older actors still get offered good parts in movies of substance, while Jane Fonda, Mary Steenbergen, Candace Bergen and Diane Keaton are left to perform in this kind of fluff? The ladies are part of a book club – though there is no mention of any books here – who decide to take a trip to Italy to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of never-married Vivian (Fonda, who has had so much cosmetic surgery that cracking a smile takes on whole new meaning). They have predictable adventures – their luggage is stolen, yet they always look well-dressed – but you know it will all work out in the end. There were a few times I managed a smile, mostly over snarky comments made by Bergen’s character Sharon. I relish movies that celebrate true friendship between women, and this one was marginally better than “*80 for Brady,” another senior ladies’ road trip. But do not pay to see this. Wait until you can watch for free, as I did. If there is yet another sequel, I won’t be checking it out of the library. 2½ cans.
138. Fair Play* (2023, Netflix) – There’s nothing fair in this movie. It is a dark and demented story of man vs. woman, with the smarter female devalued and demeaned by the men in her life, particularly by her fiancée. Emily and Luke work in the same investment office, and when someone is unceremoniously dumped, she thinks he’s moving up into that job. She is shocked and amazed that the promotion is hers, even though it requires late night meetings with an enigmatic boss. Of course, Luke is thrilled for her, his intended – but is he? I would say see for yourself, but I can’t recommend this movie. In addition to the cringeworthy story and abundance of sex scenes, it is one of those movies where nothing on set is appropriately lit, so you have a tough time following the action. In one scene that takes place in the office afterhours, the lights are off but the cleaning crew is cleaning the office. I worked late plenty of times, and when the cleaning staff was working, every single light was on. We want them to see and clean the dirt, right? Not in this movie – literally or metaphorically. 2½ cans.
139. The Burial* (2023, Prime Video) – When is a deal not a deal? The honor of the handshake between two businesspeople goes unrecognized when the operator of a chain of funeral homes does not live up to the bargain. Financially-troubled funeral home owner Gerry O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), decides to sue. His regular lawyer doesn’t seem quite up to the task, so he hires Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx), a tough, Johnnie Cochran-type attorney, to represent him in court. Willie is more than ready and able to face off with an equally prominent lawyer (Journee Smollett) in a big and nasty courtroom brawl between formidable foes. This entertaining movie is based on a true story of two stubborn men refusing to give in. 4 cans.
140. No Accident* (2023, HBO) – The violent, racist, antisemitic incident in Charlottesville, VA, in 2017 is documented in this film about a lawsuit brought against the leaders of the protest. The alleged purpose of this violent march was to “unite the right,” in which white nationalist leaders encouraged a mob shouting antisemitic chants, “Jews will not replace us.” Many people were injured and one killed when the protestors drove a car directly into the counter-protestors. Two attorneys sued the leaders and organizers of the protest on behalf of those people harmed in the incident. It was very interesting to hear the accused, some of whom represented themselves, downplay the events and their roles. The whole demonstration turned my stomach, but this movie made me feel that there was justice served. 3½ cans.
141. Nyad* (2023, Montgomery Cinema) – Distance swimmer Diana Nyad was determined to swim from Cuba to Key West, a distance of 110 miles, with no shark cage and no physical contact with her team. And she was 60 years old. In her 20s, Nyad had the same goal and failed to achieve it. After 30 years of not swimming (she became a commentator for ABC Sports), she decided to once again try to live her dream. Annette Bening gives a remarkable performance as the determined Diana, clad mostly in a bathing suit while in her 60s, a brave feat of its own. This is not a glamour role; her face and lips are swollen, her eyes puffy and she spends the majority of her time swimming. This feat could not even be attempted without the loyal support of her best friend Bonnie (Jodie Foster) and the professional navigator with the boat (Rhys Ifan) and others who teamed up to help over an extended time. Diana is determined and prickly, pushing herself and her team with equal fervor. I’m glad I saw this one in the movies instead of on TV. It was something to be experienced on a large screen. Bening and Foster deserve Oscar nominations. 4 cans.
142. Milli Vanilli* (2023, Paramount +) – The infamous lip-synching musical duo get a touching tribute in this documentary about their rise and fall. Rob Pilatus and Fab Morven were talented dancers and performers when they signed a “recording” contract with German producer Frank Farian in 1988. Had they read it, they might have realized that they were just the front men, expected to dance and exploit their good looks, braided hair and generally cool vibe. More talented singers actually recorded their hits, such as “Blame It on The Rain.” The scandal about the non-singing duo broke after they received a Grammy as Best New Artist, and it launched them into the realm of the obscure. This documentary explains how this situation could possibly have happened, how the duo was exploited and ultimately ruined. I got my money’s worth out of my Paramount+ subscription this month. 3½ cans.
143. Painkiller* (2023, Paramount+) – This 5-part documentary on the TYLENOL crisis of 1982 really hits home for me since I was part of the J&J PR Department at that time. There were 7 deaths that took place when someone tampered with bottles of TYLENOL (a product made by J&J’s McNeil subsidiary), removing the contents of the capsules and relacing them with deadly cyanide, where they were ingested by innocent people in the Chicago area. Three of the victims were from a single family, causing the first nurse on the case to immediately recognize that the TYLENOL each of them ingested was to blame. This series focuses on the victims and the attempts by a huge task force to investigate and identify the culprit. No one was ever charged. One man, James Lewis, was arrested and convicted of extortion for sending J&J a letter demanding one million dollars to stop the deaths, but he was never convicted of the crime (he did serve 12 years for extortion). If you like police procedurals, you might appreciate this true-life story. I found it too long and somewhat repetitive. Four parts would have been better than 5. But a fascinating story even at that length. And I remember it well. It was the seminal event of my 34-year career. 4 cans.
144. Race to the Summit* (2023, Netflix) – I guess it is true that men climb mountains because they are there. But here, the star climbers sprint up mountains in record-setting pace to reach the summit. The visuals of a tiny figure running up a snow-covered mountain or inching along a completely vertical rock wall with no ropes or safety apparatus is stunning. Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold travel to the Alps and beyond in their rivalry to get to the top. Only one thing will prevent them from reaching their goals and besting each other. Amazing cinematography and bravery. 3 cans.
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