December 2023 Movies & More Plus 2023 Favorites

In the last month of the year, I managed to squeeze in two dozen movies and more, ending this year just one show short of last year's 180 total. Following this compilation, take a look at the movies and shows that I thought were the best of 2023. Numbering picks up from previous months and titles with an asterisk were new to me. The ratings are based on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the best. Happy viewing!

156.  Having Our Say* (2023, George Street Playhouse) – This two-person play packs in the warmth, humor and pathos as the aging Delany sisters – Sadie, 103, and Bessie, 101 – recall the story of their lives. The history of their family mirrors that of the United States as Black women who were overlooked, undervalued and yet so accomplished; one of them was an educator and the other a dentist. I had read their book (yes, this is based on a true story) many years ago and couldn’t put it down. To see it come alive on the stage of the beautiful George Street Playhouse was a real treat. By the time you read this, the show will have closed, but make sure you check out the offerings of this gem of a theater right in New Brunswick. There’s not a bad seat in the house, there is a wide range of plays and even a few musicals, all imaginatively produced and staged. Support the arts! 4 cans.
157.  Ladies of the ‘80s* (2023, Lifetime) – I was a faithful watcher of the nighttime soaps on TV 40 years ago where the actresses starring here – Linda Gray (Dallas), Morgan Fairchild (“Falcon Crest”), Nicolette Sheridan (“Dynasty” and later “Desperate Housewives”), Loni Anderson (I loved her in her comedic role on “WKRP in Cincinnati”), and the diva of divas, Donna Mills (“Knots Landing”) – are back!  (How did they not include Joan Van Ark?) Amid a plethora of plastic surgery, coiffed in big wigs and way too much make-up, they play stars of the 80s who have reunited for a live Christmas special. It’s OK to be campy if you’re in on the joke, and that’s the case here. The ladies still harbor jealousies, grudges and a few have Emmy bragging rights. They clash and threaten to walk out, but you just know they will hang around for one more big, dramatic show (besides, they can’t walk out in the first 10 minutes or we have no show!). So buckle up, divas and diva lovers, because this will be a bumpy ride. 2 cans
158.  May-December* (2023, Netflix) – This movie is based on the true story of teacher Mary Kay Letourneaux, a 30-something wife and mother who had an affair with a 6th grade student. Here, 20 years later, Gracie (Julianne Moore) is married to Joey (Charles Melton), who was a friend of her son and only 13 when the affair began. Celebrated actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) visits the family to prepare for her role as Gracie in a new movie. There is just something so awkward and smarmy here since everyone in the movie and most viewers recall the sordid episode, which saw the real Mary Kay serve time in prison as a sex offender even as she had several children by her teenaged lover. Joey in this movie is still submissive to whatever Gracie says or wants, and her children endure insults by their mother. As Elizabeth watches Gracie, she begins to fall under her spell. 3½ cans.
159.  Bad Surgeon* (2023, Netflix) – I remember this true story about a superstar cardiac-thoracic surgeon who pioneered organ transplants by using plastic windpipes and supposedly stem cells to save his patients. He became rich and famous and got involved with a producer for a TV news show. But his research was suspect and his engagement to the producer did not result in a wedding. This is another “truth is stranger than fiction” tale about a man who is not nearly what he seems. Ask the families of the patients who died or the producer whose heart he broke. 3 parts, 3½ cans.
160.  A Good Person* (2023, Netflix) – Allie (Florence Pugh) starts out as a good person with a very happy life. She is performing music and engaged to a man she really loves. But then there is a tragic car accident and a year later, Allie is addicted to pain killers, living at home with her mother with no prospects and no plans – other than scoring her next fix. Along comes Daniel (Morgan Freeman), a bitter man whose daughter died in that car crash and who is rearing his feisty and resentful 16-year-old granddaughter. The paths of Daniel and Allie cross, but can he accept Allie? Can he care for his rebellious granddaughter? This is not a fun movie to watch, but it has its moments and excellent performances. 3½ cans.
161.  Bob & Don, A Love Story* (2023, You Tube – This adorable 20-minute movie chronicles the long-standing friendship between comedians Bob Newhart and Don Rickles. Their comedic styles could not be more different. Newhart is droll, quiet and observational while Rickles’ manic style of insult humor was pointed and sharp. But the two men and their wives formed a lasting bond. They vacationed together and did all of the things that friends do. The film features clips from their work and their travels together and is worth seeing if you are a fan. 3 cans.
162.  Quiz Lady* (2023, Netflix) – Sandra Oh and Akwafina play mismatched sisters thrown together to pay the large gambling debt belonging to their mother, who has fled her nursing home and is banned from returning. The bookies go after the sisters, even kidnapping their dog, so coming up with the money has an added air of importance. Akwafina’s Anne is hooked on watching a nightly game show (hosted by Will Farrell), and when her irresponsible sister Jenny realizes that Anne knows all of the answers, she figures a scheme to get her on the show to pick up enough money to pay off the debt and ransom the dog. Oh’s character is wacky, funny, frustrating and perfectly played. 3½ cans.
163.  Under Pressure: The US Women’s World Cup Team* (2023, Netflix) – I don’t routinely follow soccer, but sign me up for the World Cup coverage. This 4-part documentary traces the formation of the 2023 squad that consisted of such famous names as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz while blending in newcomers such as 17-year-old Alyssa Thompson, Sofia Smith and Trinity Rodman. The pressure just to make the team is enormous, and that’s before they face an opponent on the pitch. The National team feels a responsibility to continue the winning legacy that began with the 1999 World Cup Champs, and anything less than winning is unacceptable. This is an emotional experience for players and fans, and the 4 parts went by very quickly. To me, it scored! 3½ cans.
164. The Gilded Age, Season 2* (2023, HBO) – This is a series that needs multiple seasons for at least two reasons: First, it unfolds very slowly, and second, the investment in the sets and costumes needs to be amortized over time because it must be enormous. The series takes place in New York, where the wealthy old guard are being challenged for control of high society by newcomers who have made their money more recently. I like anything starring Christine Baranski, and in this series she is wealthy widow Mrs. Van Rhyn, fiercely protective of the old ways and not at all interested in the nouveaux rich represented by her neighbors, the Russells. This season centers around Mrs. Russell’s attempt to crack the inner circle by starting the new Metropolitan Opera when she cannot get a box at the existing Academy. Aside from Opera Wars, there’s also a love story between spinster sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) and a new pastor and a few other flirtations among the other characters, which sometimes cross the lines. If you’re looking for action, skip this one, but I still like it. Season 3? We will have to see about that. 4 cans.
165.  44 Pages* (2016, Prime Video) – As a kid, I considered the best part of going to the doctor’s office was the chance to do the “Hidden Pictures” in Highlights Magazine, where you would look at a black and white drawing and find a carefully hidden elephant in a tree. The magazine was started by a man and wife in 1946 and has faithfully published since that time, with its focus squarely on children between 5-12. The magazine is still family run and still accepts no advertising. This documentary carefully explains the company commitment to children that is reflected in its motto: “Fun with Purpose,” and explains the approach to the articles, puzzles, features and games that appear in each 44-page issue. I could not help but notice that the editorial staff – heavily featured in this film – is almost exclusively white women (there are several men but no people of color). And I wondered what their training was that would qualify them to determine the appropriate kinds of articles to include. The magazine receives thousands of letters from children each year on topics such as sibling rivalries and friendship, and each one is answered by staff members. I didn’t see anything to indicate their training for offering advice and comfort to their young, impressionable readers. Still, the magazine remains popular, has branched out to an online presence and is still in business after 70+ years. 3½ cans.
166.  The Morning Show – Season 3 (2023, Apple TV+) – I started my Apple TV+ subscription several years ago just to see this show, which airs so rarely that I should have dumped the app long ago. This series features Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon as the media stars of the fictional UBN Network, an overblown operation headed by the loathsome Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) and where everyone thinks that what they do is the most important job ever. This year, with UBN’s future in doubt, a white knight comes in to rescue the ailing network in the form of tech giant Paul Marks (Jon Hamm), who launches rockets into space and still has enough money to buy UBN and try to turn it around. Maybe. The beautiful sets and inside feeling of a new operation are great, but there is so much here that has no relation to reality that it is hard sometimes to accept the content. There’s plenty of animosity to go around, with potshots at online media that is happy to put out nasty stories – that have probably been leaked by the “legit” media. The performances here are all excellent and this year had pretty of twists. I don’t love the show, but I can’t stop watching. Never mind, it probably won’t be back for at least another year. 3½ cans.
167. Virgin River Season 5 Holiday Special* (2023, Netflix) – Our fictional friends at the cheery town of Virgin River are back with a holiday special filled with Christmas spirit and a side of schmaltz. No town since Stars Hollow in “The Gilmore Girls” has ever looked so ready for the holiday. This is a two-parter that is intended to hold us over until the next block of shows airs. I won’t get into the plot, but the usual cast of characters is back and there are a few hints of what is to come. Plus, we finally find out who is the father of Charmaine’s twins (we already knew it wasn’t Jack). This Christmas diversion doesn’t measure up to the rest of the season but will have to do until they are back for real. 3 cans.
168.  The Holdovers* (2023, Montgomery Cinema) – Actor Paul Giamatti teams with director Alexander Payne in this heartwarming comedy about a cranky teacher at a boys prep school who gets stuck supervising “the holdovers,” a handful of students who cannot go home during Christmas break and must remain on campus. He doesn’t get along with the leader of the pack, who constantly challenges him, but ultimately (as if you couldn’t see this coming) begins a grudging friendship with the lost and lonely teenager. He also bonds with the school cook who is stuck preparing meals for the “holdovers.” This movie is about parent-child relationships and expectations, about kids relating with and fighting with other kids, and about loneliness and loss. 3½ cans.
169.  Sleepless in Seattle* (1993, Amazon Prime) – Who wouldn’t love this lovely movie about Sam (Tom Hanks), a forlorn widower, and his adorable son Jonah (Ross Malinger) whose mission in life is to see his father once again in love and married? So he takes his story to the radio, where women across the country swoon over his tale of sorrow. One of them is Annie (Meg Ryan, queen of rom-coms), already engaged but captivated by the story. If you have ever seen the classic “An Affair to Remember,” you know there is more to the story. I hadn’t seen this movie in years, but today was the right time to relish it again. 4 cans.
170. Filling in the Blanks* (2023, Prime Video) – Growing up with two older brothers, Jon Baime had a happy life and loving parents. But he always felt there was some sort of wall blocking a deeper connection with this father. When he takes a DNA test in his 50s, he is shocked to learn the man he grew up thinking was his father is not related to him. Jon made this documentary about his discovery, as he peeled back the layers of this family history to find what he thought he knew was very little of the truth. Very interesting true story. 3½ cans.
171.  Lessons in Chemistry* (2023, Apple TV+) – Elizabeth Zott is determined to be a chemist, but, as a woman, she is in continually overlooked and passed over, referred to as a mere “lab tech” and expected to make the coffee – until she meets Calvin Evans, a chemistry wiz with the Nobel Prize just waiting for him. These two independent souls somehow end up together, although Elizabeth’s career takes a different path when she is hired to host a cooking show that she treats like a lab project. This was a satisfying limited series, with a terrific performance by Brie Larson as Zott. As usual, the book was better. 4 cans.
172.  Maestro* (2023, Netflix) – Actor Bradley Cooper plays Leonard Bernstein in this ambitious depiction of the loves and lives of the legendary conductor and composer. As immense as Bernstein’s talent, so is Cooper’s as the star, co-writer and director of this opus. Much of the story is occupied by Bernstein’s self-proclaimed love of people – which he doesn’t limit to the wife he adores, Felicia (Carey Mulligan), as he drifts to attractive men that he cannot resist. He is clearly a man of many passions, whether he is pouring himself exhaustively into writing such works as the score of “West Side Story” or conducting a symphony with such flair that I was exhausted just watching him! Outwardly, he seems happy and in love with Felicia, but you can see that he is never fully satisfied by the people or world in which he lives. Cooper brings incredible physicality to the role, adapting to the image of Bernstein smoking incessantly and coaxing the best performances out of an orchestra with hair and sweat flying that leave him spent. Kudos to Bradley Cooper for a portray of an immensely talented but conflicted man. Intense! 4 cans.
173.  Fisk, Season 2* (2023, Netflix) – This sardonic and amusing Australian comedy is back for another (short) season of action in the law offices of The Gruber group. Helen Fisk is stuck among a collection of quirky characters that can make you laugh or want to leave town. Nothing is easy for poor Helen, whether it is getting her morning coffee from a shop that no longer sells coffee to getting a key to the restroom. The six episodes run just 30 minutes each, so tune in for a few good chuckles. 3½ cans.
174.  David McCullough, Painting with Words* (2008, HBO) – I first remember seeing historian David McCullough when he became the resident voice of several Ken Burns documentaries. An accomplished author, McCullough here tells his own story about how he began writing books (on the same, old, manual typewriter in a “shed” without a phone or any other amenities). His work is deeply detailed and makes the reader feel they know such historical figures as John Adams and Harry Truman; his books on each man earned him a Pulitzer Prize. McCullough spends so much time researching them, reading their diaries and letters, that he feels he knows them, too. He does his own narration in this documentary and even sings a few songs. This is the story of a man doing what he loves and enjoying every minute. 4 cans.
175.  Gypsy (1994, Cable TV) – Bette Midler is a manic Mama Rose in this TV version of the musical about the life of entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee. Rose is desperate for her “girls,” her daughters Baby June and Louise, to have the career in show business that she never had, and she pushes them into acts on the vaudeville circuit despite their reservations or, in Louise’s case, lack of talent. This show is based on the real Gypsy Rose Lee, who became a stripper when Mama sells her out to keep the show biz dream alive. I’m a big Bette Midler fan, but here she is such a presence on the small screen that you can practically hear her chewing the scenery. Let’s just say that she plays Mama Rose to the hilt, and when she does her final number, “Rose’s Turn,” you realize it was all about Mama all along. This is a show whose songs you can come out of the theater humming (or out of the living room, since it was made for TV), such as “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Let Me Entertain You,” and “Some People,” which Midler handles with enthusiasm and aplomb. A little over the top, but worth seeing. 4 cans.
176. The Holiday (2006) – Two women with unhappy love lives decide to swap homes to get away from it all for a few days. Cameron Diaz is Los Angeles-based movie trailer editor Amanda and Kate Winslett is Iris, living in England and in unrequited love with a British cad who has just gotten engaged. The women don’t know each other but find each other’s homes online and decide to swap, with Amanda seeking refuge in a lovely English cottage while Iris lands in Amanda’s modern LA home. Do I have to tell you that they almost immediately meet men who are much better for them than the men they had been seeing? Jude Law is particularly fetching as Iris’ brother, who stops by her cottage and encounters Amanda and finds an immediate mutual attraction. For Iris, a movie music composer played by Jack Black is also coming off a bad relationship. No one here is looking for love and planning NOT to go home, but it is a movie, after all, and a very pleasant one at that, so, as Shakespeare said, all’s well that ends well. 4 cans.
177. Murphy’s Romance (1985, On Demand) – In my opinion, James Garner is underappreciated for his body of work. In this movie he plays Murphy Jones, local pharmacist and friend to all in a small Arizona town. When divorced single mother Emma (Sally Field) moves to town, they strike up a friendship; she needs help and he is a helpful kind of guy. Murphy won’t disclose his age but he is clearly much older than 30-something Emma. When her ne-er-do-well ex-husband shows up to win her back, Murphy sees right through the loser; it takes Emma a little longer. Garner is charming in a low-key way and this is another gritty version of Sally Field, full of determination and purpose. I might have to see “Norma Rae” next. 4 cans.
178.  The Iron Claw* (2023, Manville Reading Cinema) – Zac Efron is larger than life (Literally; wait until you see his physique!) in this story about a family of professional wrestlers. The father (Holt McCallany) has trained his 4 sons to dominate in the ring, even as he establishes a pecking order for who he wants to be the National Champion. Efron is Kevin, the oldest and most responsible brother, but all are extremely close. However, tragedy seems to follow them, which scares Kevin. With a bad haircut or bad wig (reflective of the time period), Efron bears no resemblance to this “High School Musical” character. All of the actors playing the brothers (Jeremy Allen White from “The Bear,” Harrison Dickinson and Stanley Simons) give outstanding performances. The women – Lily James as Kevin’s eventual wife and Maura Tierney as his mother) – have more subtle roles to play but are equally good. The movie is based on the actual Von Erich family, which makes the story sadder and realistic. 4 cans.
179. Love Actually (2003, Netflix – but leaving on December 31!) – What can I say about this movie that I haven’t said before? I’ll just say this – I love to find special little moments in a movie, and this one is full of them. Emma Thompson’s disappointment when she realizes the necklace was not for her. The BFF of the groom who is in love with the bride and she has no idea until she sees his video of the wedding and realizes it is all about her. The little boy in love with the American girl who races through the airport to say goodbye. Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister of England dancing by himself to “Jump.” This movie is an all-time favorite and a great way to end my year of entertainment. 5 cans.

My 2023 Favorites:

It Ain't Over

Maestro

Ted Lasso

The Bear

Barbie

Oppenheimer

All the Queen's Horses

Beckham

A Man Called Otto

Nyad
 

Last Random Thoughts of the Year

I’m perplexed by this whole false eyelash thing. I see so many women wearing false eyelashes that I am used to that by now. What gets me is the size and length of some of them. The nurse in my doctor’s office had a set of huge, thick eyelashes, so large that I wondered how she could either blink or see. She looked like she had caterpillars on each eye. I was so distracted that if she had taken a quart of blood out of my arm instead of just a few vials, I probably would not have noticed. This trend is extremely prevalent in women’s basketball, where I cannot figure out how a player can see the basket with those hairy awnings over her eyes!

You always hear people say that they “don’t know so-and-so from Adam,” so who is Adam and how do people know him? 

I'm so far behind on watching "The Crown" that Claire Foy is still the (young) Queen Elizabeth.

Just when you think you have seen it all, there is a news report that a bull is running down the railroad tracks at Newark Penn Station. Imagine coming home late from work and trying to get your family to buy that excuse. Attention Newark Passengers: Is there a matador in the house?

I was shopping in Home Goods recently and observed a young couple there with their toddler daughter, who was walking around the store performing “Let Her Go” with considerable flair while her embarrassed parents tried to pretend they didn’t know her. I say, let her go! She was having the time of her life!

Whenever I type the word “crockpot,” it is autocorrected to “crackpot.” I’m not sure how to take that.

Bagels have gotten out of hand. Today’s bagels are extra large, doughy concoctions that can barely fit into the toaster – even those with an extra-wide slot for bagels. When I was a kid, we would go to visit my great-aunt and great-uncle down the shore once a year, and we would always stop at a bagel shop on the way home. This was the only bagel shop around. The hot, freshly-baked bagels were the highlight of the trip (sorry, Aunt Bea and Uncle Billy), probably because you couldn’t find anything like them anywhere else. And they were not oversized versions of the Pillsbury Dough Boy!

I am so tired of being this short, having to climb store shelves to get something on top or searching the aisle to recruit someone tall enough to help me. I’m tired of asking my tall friends, Debbie and Joan, to reach the second shelf in the kitchen cabinets (that’s right, I can’t even reach the second shelf; that’s how short I am) to retrieve the gravy boat or some Tupperware – or to change a bulb. I am the owner of three, count them, three of those small, foldable step stools. And the bad news is that I am likely to get shorter as I get older. 

What’s worse than biting your inner cheek or lip accidentally? Doing it repeatedly since it now draws your teeth like a magnet.

I’m at the age where I think ALL toilets, including those in public restrooms, should be “comfort height.” 

In my opinion, we need hooks on all doors. OK, maybe not the front door (unless you like to hang wreaths), but the back of the bathroom door (in private homes and hotel bathrooms) at least so I have a place to hang my pajamas and robe. 

Normally the TV in the waiting room at the doctor’s office is set to dreadful Channel 12, NJ News. But last time, the sound emanating from the TV was the dulcet tones of Bob Ross, the late host of “The Joy of Painting.” “You can put a happy little tree right here, or anywhere, because this is your painting,” he tells you. I tend to fall asleep watching his program; in fact, I have two episodes recorded on my DVR to induce night sleeping on those bad nights. I’m glad I wasn’t in the waiting room for long or they might have had to wake me for my appointment!

I thought my eyesight had improved after my cataract surgery. But recently I was walking toward the pool for my aqua class and waved to my friend who is usually in the water before I am. It turns out that it not only was NOT my female friend, but the person I waved at was an old man with a big white beard. I hope he thought I was just being friendly. 

If you can lose weight by exercising, does jumping to conclusions count? Because I know a few people who would definitely knock off some pounds.

I have a friend who takes his pre-teen daughter to ballet lessons several times a week, during which he retreats to the local library for respite. And while he faithfully attends her dance recitals, he admits that it they consist of several hours of sitting and about 45 seconds when your kid is actually on stage dancing, although that might happen several times. I recall attending a recital with my BFF many years ago and asking her, “Which one is Krissy?” because with their hair slicked back in a bun, how could I tell? The tiny dancers all looked alike!

Visiting Las Vegas recently, my friends and I had our first encounter with a driverless Uber car. We ordered an Uber and a car pulled up with two people in the front seat. One was a “driver” and the other a trainee. We tried to get into the backseat, but there are no accessible door handles: You can only open the door using the Uber app. I guess both “non-drivers” were trying to get their customers accustomed to not getting any form of assistance, because neither of them budged to help us. We piled into the car, the three of us completely filling the backseat. As one noted, we might need the jaws of life to extricate us. But the car will not move unless all passengers fasten their seatbelts. We couldn’t even find the seatbelts, no less get them around us and buckle them. We somehow managed to get out of the car and were informed that there would be no charge “for the ride.” Ride? What ride? We barely shut the doors! If this experiment is the way of the future, a lot of us will be staying home.

I have to admit that writing tributes for people I have lost is getting tougher. These are all people who are/were important in my life and the loss of each of them is heartbreaking. But I couldn’t let the month pass without a tribute to my dear friend, Janie Paluzzi, who passed away in November. I cannot do her justice, but…here goes: 

I thought she was going to live forever.

When Janie Paluzzi was diagnosed with leukemia 20-something years ago, the doctor explained her life expectancy. Her reply? “We’ll see about that.” After her initial dire diagnosis she went on a vacation to Italy with her entire family, deciding to stick with her plans and deal with the disease when she returned. She defied the prognosis just as she defied the odds.

She fought with fierce determination and, despite having to deal with more cancer diagnoses, when she finally succumbed to the cruel hand she was dealt, she had far surpassed any expectations by reaching 69 years old. 

Janie did extensive genealogy research to try to locate any family member who might be a bone marrow match. She researched the disease, its treatments and the best place to go, eventually moving to Baltimore with her sister to be close to her chosen site, Johns Hopkins. And she beat it, with the help of every possible drug and her persistence and strength.

Despite the debilitating treatments and more heart-wrenching diagnoses, Janie continued to work, take care of her immediate family, and demonstrate her customary random acts of kindness.

She married her wonderful Joey very young and stayed loyal to her large family as she built her own.  When their daughter Lauren came along, she showed her love and care as a wonderful mother and ultimately as a grandmother, even though she drew the line at massaging baby Lauren with Gammy’s “wotion.”

I remember when Janie started at J&J, joining our Public Relations Department and working down the hall from me. She was always smartly decked out in a suit, her hair in a bun, looking like the ultimate professional woman. As she rose in the ranks working for our top execs, she kept her first friends and made many more. 

 Janie Paluzzi was beloved throughout J&J. Despite the hand she was dealt, she never complained. She always had a smile on her face and she managed to make each person feel special, like you were the most important person in her life when you were with her. I never knew when she would show up in my office with a bag of eggplants from Joey’s garden or – better yet – with a tray of delicious eggplant parm she had made for me to enjoy. 

Janie knew that I had been a Yankee fan since 1959, but that I had never been to an Old Timer’s Day, so one year Janie, Joey and Lauren took me to Yankee Stadium for that special day that only the Yankees can pull off. It was an experience I think of each year as I watch the ceremony on TV and cry. I’m sure I will be crying a little harder this year.

We all have our Janie Paluzzi stories. How lucky we all are to have had Janie in our lives. I grieve for her family and for her legions of friends, including me. No one will ever take the place of our dear Janie; no one could. She was irrepressible and she is irreplaceable. I wish she were here to read this and I hope she knew how I -- and everyone else who knew her and loved her  -- felt about her. She will live in our hearts forever.

Tina's November 2023 Movies & More

All programs are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 at the top of the ratings. Numbering picks up from previous months and asterisks mark the things I haven't previously watched.

145.  Selling Sunset* (2023, Netflix) – This addicting documentary soap opera about stunning California real estate agents returns for another season (11 episodes) of selling, infighting, gossip, 5-inch heels and arguments. There’s no point in providing a plot summary; just assume that someone is mad at someone else in every episode. It gets tiresome, yet I cannot resist; I binged the entire season in one day. I’m not proud, I’m just addicted. 3½ cans.
146.  Sly* (2023, Netflix) – A revealing documentary about Sylvester Stallone by Sylvester Stallone explains how “Rocky” came into the American zeitgeist – primarily because Stallone could not get parts as an actor. So, he wrote the script in a couple of days and then, like the character, had to fight to get himself cast in the lead. The men in suits who were in charge wanted practically anyone else, but Stallone wisely turned down tons of money to bet on himself. He continued writing, playing and eventually producing the endless sequels, becoming very wealthy and popular as an actor. He also created the Rambo franchise. Watch the movie to better understand how almost everything he did was an outgrowth of his relationship with his father. Good stuff. 4 cans.
147. Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber* (2023, Netflix) – This ride could have ended a little sooner for me rather than stretch over 7 episodes. Joseph Gordon-Levitt puts on a show as power-hungry Uber creator Travis Kalanick. Creating the popular ride-sharing service – an idea he took from a “friend” – was not enough for TK. He only wanted to outdo all of the big tech gods and change the world. He namedrops “Steve” and “Bill,” and “Larry and Sergei” as if he is on a par with Jobs, Gates and the like. There’s lots of talk about venture capital and investments, Board seats and who really runs things (in this case, Travis flies by the seat of his pants way too often). The unhappy women in the ”bro” environment are neither valued or heard. Travis is obnoxious, driven and smart and will not take advice or no for an answer, just the kind of guy you don’t want to work for – except for the promise that someday you WILL be rich. With fewer episodes, this one may have merited 4 cans, but it dragged on. 3½ cans.
148.  What Happens Later* (2023, Manville Cinema) – This movie is so forgettable that I had to look up the title just to review it. Meg Ryan gamely tries to resurrect her rep as the "Queen of Rom Coms" by writing, directing and starring in this story of two divorced people who run into each other in a small regional airport 25 years later. A giant storm has shut down the airport, which is strangely devoid of other passengers, so Bill (David Duchovny) and Willa are stuck with each other. And though decades have passed since they last met, the old stories and arguments pick right up from where they left off. There is minimal rom or com in this film. I wish Meg had been stuck in the airport with her old screen partner Tom Hanks, as in his wonderful “The Terminal.” In this case, the movie was terminal. I so wanted to like it. 2 cans.
149.  JFK: One Day in America* (2023, National Geographic Channel, now on Hulu) – This year marks 60 years since the November 22, 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. For those of us alive in that memorable time (I was 13, in Miss McBath’s home ec class in 8th grade that day) it was the equivalent of September 11, 2001. This three-part documentary features interviews with the last remaining witnesses of that horrific event, including two members of the Secret Service detail assigned to protect the President and the First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. One, Clint Hill, can be seen scrambling onto the back of the President’s car in the motorcade in Dallas after the bullet struck his head. The poor man continues to feel guilty to this day. This show includes archival footage that I have never before seen and provides a comprehensive timeline of the assassination, the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald, his murder by Jack Ruby right in Dallas police station and the iconic scenes from the funeral that remain etched in my mind 60 years later. If you are old enough to remember this seminal event in US history you may want to see it again from a more mature viewpoint. People born after 1963 may want to see it to better understand what happened at that time. 4½ cans.
150.  Albert Brooks: Defending My Life* (2023, HBO, also Max) – This is not the movie “Defending My Life” BY comedian and actor Albert Brooks. It is the documentary ABOUT Albert Brooks by his high school friend and buddy, actor/director Rob Reiner. Brooks was never a traditional comedian. His stand-up material was unconventional and clever, not topical. In this movie, Brooks and Reiner review his life and career and provide plenty of clips of his work while they converse at a table in a restaurant. I never found Brooks laugh-out-loud funny, but I have always appreciated his off-beat sense of humor and the way he zings society. Several of his movies are among my favorites: “Lost in America,” “Mother” and “Broadcast News,” which he did not write but for which he received an Oscar nomination (who can forget the scene with the “flop sweat,” which is neatly reviewed here?). There are plenty of recognizable faces on hand to compliment Brooks and lend credence to his brilliance. 3½ cans.
151. Pain Hustlers* (2023, Netflix) – I seem to be immersed in a sub-genre of movies about dangerous pharmaceutical companies and their irresponsible and pushy reps (see “Dopesick,” “Painkillers” and a few documentaries). Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is down on her luck, fired from her job as a pole dancer and the mother of a teenager who has been kicked out of school for arson, which she negotiates down to a suspension instead of an expulsion. So, you can see she has some smarts, and that makes her succeed when Pete Brenner (Chris Evans), a man she meets in a bar, offers her a job at his failing drug company. No degree, no experience? No problem! Liza is good at working with doctors to get them to prescribe the company’s latest drug to alleviate pain for cancer sufferers. It’s not addicting, according to one study, so why not find sneaky ways to appeal to the docs to get their patients on it? The drug turns out to be fentanyl, the company turns out to have huge success, and the patients turn out better – all for a while. The cast here is a good one and the story, which we have heard before, holds your interest. 3½ cans
152.  Vanishing Act* (2023, Hulu) – Melissa Caddick was an Australian woman who sold herself as an investment genius. She got her hands on the life savings (in many cases) of her family and friends, promising to make them plenty of money. Instead, she spent plenty of money on herself, squandering $40 million and providing phony statements to make everyone think their investment was growing in her wise and safe hands. This 3-part drama is based on a true story of a high roller with a Ponzi scheme. I don’t understand why people intelligent enough to pull this stuff off don’t take the money and actually invest it. She might have hit on a few winners instead of embezzling the money given to her my family, friends, friends of friends, doctors – the list goes on. When the Australian regulatory agency that handles these bogus transactions came calling, Melissa went running. There are some interesting twists and turns, but by the end of the second part, everybody was demanding that she “show me the money.” 3½ cans.
153. The Lady Bird Diaries* (2023, Hulu) – I watched this documentary about Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, on the day that we learned of the death of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Although Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson was the wife of a career politician, she had a very fast transition to the role of First Lady when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 and her husband took over as President. Her press secretary, Liz Carpenter, suggested Lady Bird keep a diary. Instead, she made many hours of audio recordings that serve as the narrative here along with wonderful archival footage. The President was a blustery type but he pushed for the passage of groundbreaking bills for civil rights and Lady Bird took up the cause of the environment and the beautification of America, issues we continue to face. Her work was important and should be remembered in a positive light. 3½ cans.
154.  The Jagged Edge (1985, Cable TV) – Jagged-edged knives, a violent murder, a handsome suspect and a “smoking gun” combine in this courtroom drama/mystery/suspense movie starring Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges. Bridges, a wealthy and charismatic publisher, hires Close, a former prosecutor who hasn’t been in a courtroom for 4 years, to defend him against charges he murdered his wife. There are plenty of red herrings here, and plenty of predictable scenarios. If you pay close attention, you can probably figure out whodunit. 3½ cans.
155.  The Intern (2015, HBO) – Robert DeNiro is in a rare comedic but subtle role as Ben, a widower who gets a position as a “senior intern” for a rising on-line clothing company. Anne Hathaway is Jules, the driven head of “About the Fit,” a company she conceived and runs. The role of top exec, creator and inspiration, combined with being a wife and mother, is overwhelming. Although she doesn’t feel she needs help, her partner does. So, enter DeNiro as Ben Whittaker, long-retired with a successful business background who is overqualified to be an intern but with the gentility to not force his opinions and will on the young executive. He graciously stands in the background and assists as needed. Before long, Jules and her family become dependent on him. Ben is old school, wearing a suit to work every day, carrying a classic briefcase and a handkerchief, and mentoring the young people in the office – including Jules. The movie overall is quite charming, but it makes Jules seem at times incapable of doing everything successfully even though she is clearly a highly capable woman (as Ben points out to her). 3½ cans.