There are plenty of new movies, series and documentaries in the August collection. Some are heartwarming (Don't Say Good Luck), some are sad (Steel Magnolias), ones is a repeat visit to a favorite (Friday Night Nights) and some simply soar (Thunderbirds). There are a few that show blatant lack of concern by big companies (E-Bay and Boeing) and even a one-woman stage show that I really enjoyed. Everything is rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the top rank. Those marked with an asterisk are ones I had not seen previously. Numbering picks up from prior months. This should keep you busy over the Labor Day weekend.
86. Whatever It Takes: Inside the eBay Scandal* (2024, Prime Video) – What scandal? Did some eBay customer not receive the Beanie Babies they bought on the auction platform? No, this documentary is about a married couple of writers who reported on eBay, seeking to make it easier for buyers and sellers to do business on its platform. After a particularly critical series of reports, Ina and her husband suddenly started receiving strange packages, porn, nasty direct messages and other suspicious things and had no idea who would want to do them harm. It seems that eBay’s in-house security team objected to what they said online and took drastic action. Decisions that were made to torment the writers went up the chain of command, all the way to top of eBay, and the employees were told to do “whatever it takes” to stop their negative reporting on the company. This movie is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it very interesting. Surprise, surprise, the top execs who approved this egregious behavior got off scott free. Cyberstalking and real-life stalking are crimes, my friends. 3 cans.
87. Wordplay (2006, Prime Video) – If you do The New York Times crossword puzzle, you know that its long-time editor is Will Shortz. Every year for many years, he presided over the Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Connecticut, where devoted players gathered to compete. These people mean business and do the puzzle in PEN! Several of the champions are highlighted here as they compete for the crown. And puzzle constructor Merl Reagle shows how he comes up with these brain teasers. 3½ cans.
88. The Speed Cubers (2020, Netflix) – I can’t solve a Rubik’s Cube at all, no less in under 10 seconds. The young people who participate in Rubik’s Cube competition have some otherworldly skill to solve the puzzle – some even with one hand or while blindfolded. The stars of this documentary are very appealing characters. Champion Feliks Zemdegs is truly remarkable, not only for his ability but also for his generous nature in helping a younger contestant who is clearly a prodigy get through his social anxiety to enjoy the experience. This heartwarming documentary about Rubik’s Cubers is totally unexpected and totally wonderful. 4 cans.
89. Friday Night Lights, Seasons 2-5 (2006-2011, 76 episodes counting season 1, Prime Video) – This was my rewind of this wonderful series about growing up in a rural Texas town where high school football is the most important thing. But it is much broader than that as we experience the kids’ growth and maturity (or lack thereof), race relations, law and order, substance abuse problems, teenage pregnancy, corruption, etc., and watch them dream big dreams that are often shattered. Football Head Coach Eric Taylor and his school counselor wife Tammi (Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton) provide the moral grounding for a bunch of kids who are growing up in a single-parent household (or worse), some of whom who are poor and looking at football to get them into college or into the professional ranks. The acting is superb, the writing outstanding and, overall, this series ranks among the best ever to me. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. 5 cans.
90. The Dynasty: UConn Huskies* (2026, Apple TV) – In the first few minutes of this new 3-part series on Apple TV, famed UConn Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma comes across just as you imagined he would if you follow women's basketball. He is a dictatorial bully who coaches, cajoles, pushes, criticizes and does everything he can to make his players be the best they can be, even if he sometimes crushes their spirits. He seems to know how far he can push them without breaking them, and his formula has proved to be very successful, with 1288 wins and 12 National Championships in his 41 seasons at UConn. He's a brilliant tactician and motivator, and his overwhelming desire for his players to be the absolute best they can be is laudable. I don't know, maybe it takes a lot of yelling and swearing and being deliberately mean to get the best out of people, but I know that would never work for me. You can't argue with his success, but his methods are tough to take. There is a hard look at his relationship with the late, legendary Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt. Geno resented her success and made it a mission to beat her whenever they faced each other. The series ends with the UConn's National Championship in 2025, but I would have liked to see his ridiculous behavior versus Dawn Staley this year. That episode showed his real character, and it was not pretty. 4 cans.
91. 9/11 Reunited* (2026, National Geographic) – When the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001 struck the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in the Washington, DC, area, thousands of innocent victims were killed, including heroic rescuers, firefighters and police personnel. Some people miraculously survived, many because of the efforts of rescuers and, sometimes, thanks to the civilians who stayed with them, dug them out and gave them hope. This 3-part documentary focuses on some of the survivors and the people who saved them, most of whom are reunited here for the first time since that horrific day. The stories of that day are poignant, as the rescuers feel they had to take action and the survivors remain eternally grateful. 4 cans.
92. Marc by Sophia* (2025, HBO) – Director Sofia Coppola trains her camera on fashion designer Marc Jacobs in her first documentary. Jacobs is deep into planning his fashion show, taking inspiration from iconic designers like Yves St. Laurent and Broadway legends like Bob Fosse and his shows. Jacobs is everywhere, fussing over the volume of the eyelashes being worn by his models, checking the gap between the outfit and the hair on one model, and adjusting and creating the stage set. And then there are the clothes, where he supervises design, fabrics, cut, fit and every other detail. I didn’t always understand his explanations for his decisions, but I can respect his appreciation for and dedication to design. This is, quite literally, a backstage look at an accomplished designer and his vision of beauty. 3½ cans.
93. Don’t Say Good Luck* (2026, Netflix) – Being a teenager is tough enough without your mother dying of cancer. Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler) is a nervous wreck, trying out for the school play and ultimately winning the lead in “Waitress.” Just as she is dedicating more of her time to the play (and crushing on the male lead), her mother (Melanie Lynskey) finds out that her cancer has returned. She is getting weaker and worse, and Sophie is torn between her role in the play and her role as a daughter. When Sophie sings “She Used to Be Mine,” the song has more meaning than originally intended. Sandler (daughter of Adam Sandler) does a great job with her role and demonstrates an excellent voice. This one is a winner. 3½ cans.
94. Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing* (2026, Netflix) – This documentary may be new but the story isn’t: Just another big company skimping on the details to maximize profits. Boeing was told again and again by its quality control staff that there were problems with reused or defective parts. Management not only ignored the warnings, but the whistleblowers were penalized for mentioning them. And the planes went down and lives of innocent people were lost. Was it a training issue? A quality issue? The plant was built in South Carolina to take advantage of its loose laws on unions, and the workforce was mostly local people with no prior experience in the airline industry. One part of this story that hit home for me was when workers were asked if they would fly in the planes they helped to build, and many said they would not. The documentary does not treat top management kindly (rightfully so), pointing out their extremely high compensation and golden parachutes, especially in light of the failure of the airplanes and deaths of the people on board. This movie makes you shake your head and wonder how people can be so careless with the safety of others. 3½ cans.
95. Air Force Elite - Thunderbirds* (2026, Netflix) – This soaring documentary provides an in-depth view of the immensely talent pilots who are accepted to be Thunderbirds, the aerial unit for the Air Force. Imagine flying with such precision that these powerful flying machines and their pilots can perform such precise maneuvers that they are just inches apart. The pilots selected for this prestigious assignment train hard for at least a year and work closely with the team of people who are responsible for the care and maintenance of the planes. The flying sequences are spectacular. 3½ cans.
96. Steel Magnolias (1989, Cable TV) – In the wake of the passing of the inimitable Dolly Parton, I thought watching her performance in this sweet but sad story was the tonic I needed. Parton is in a great ensemble cast here along with Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley Maclaine, Julia Roberts and Darryl Hannah. Field has the showy part as the mother of Roberts’ ill character, but Parton plays her role as Truvy, the town beautician, with humor and warmth and a shot of cornpone. The power of female friendship helps the characters get through the ultimate heartbreak. Their bonds run thick and deep and, in the end, are what will enable them to survive true tragedy. 4 cans.
97. Leanne – Season 2* (2026, Netflix) – Stand-up comic Leanne Morgan is back with the second season of her Southern fried sitcom here, along with Kristen Johnson as her sister and Celia Weston as her mother. Leanne is hitting 60 and worried enough by her aging parents living alone that she takes them into her house. Meanwhile, she faces the fall-out of her husband’s abrupt departure in season 1 to be with another woman, deals with her own feelings for an FBI agent who wants to make their relationship more permanent, and whether or not she should change her hairstyle to have bangs. Morgan seems more at ease in front of the camera this year, though her character still has a whiny, perplexed look on her face most of the time. This sitcom is moderately amusing, with the occasional quotable line. The cast is very good, but some of the characters are more annoying than amusing (the father and the ex-husband). The season features 10 episodes, with the 10th ending with no cliffhanger or any indication that it will return next year. If it does, I’ll watch. If not, nice try, Leanne. 3½ cans.
98. Nobody Cares: Laura Benanti* (2026, George Street Playhouse) – Broadway and TV actress Laura Benanti brings her one-woman show to the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick to remind us of the excitement of live theater. Through a combination of a funny monologue and clever songs, Benanti traces her rise from ingenue to perimenopause, though misogyny, 3 marriages and childbirth with amusing anecdotes. Now in her late 40s, Benanti moves her lithe body with grace and isn’t afraid to be bawdy. I will look at her in a different way when I see her playing a part on stage or TV from now on. 4 cans.
99. Death of the Preacher’s Wife* (2026, Netflix) – For all of the true crime stories I watch, I was surprised I wasn’t aware of this tale of a young woman who marries a dynamic preacher and falls completely under his spell. His views promote obedience by the wife to anything the husband says or wants, and he quotes scripture to validate his skewed view of the relationship between married partners. He interjects his homelife into his sermons, humiliating his wife and leading to her death. There was no way she was going to get out alive. This documentary has three parts, and they fly by as her situation gets increasing tragic as he controls her medication and commits her to a mental hospital to exert his control. 3½ cans.
No comments:
Post a Comment