October 2021 Movies & More

October wasn't a great month for movies & more for me, but here are 11 things to watch and one to avoid at all costs. Numbering picks up from previous months and an asterisk indicates that I haven't seen the show previously. Everything is rated from 0-5 cans (for the first time), with 5 being the top. 

131.  The Many Saints of Newark* (2021, HBO Max) – So, this is how it all began. Teenaged Tony Soprano (admirably played by Michael Gandolfini, son of the late James Gandolfini who originated the role) is a lazy punk with a lousy life and an uncle, Dickie Moltasanti (Alessandro Nivola), whom he thinks is the greatest, coolest guy. This prequel to the classic HBO series “The Sopranos” focuses on Dickie, a Mob guy surrounded by characters we all recognize from the show (assuming you watched the series). But Dickie was only referred to in the original series, and the Moltisanti name is familiar because of Dickie’s son Christopher, who was close with Tony Soprano. The action here takes place beginning in the 1960s, with plenty of Mob gunplay and beatings and a depiction of the 1967 riots in Newark that drove people to the suburbs – including the Soprano family. I can’t get into much of the plot without spoiling it, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the new actors playing such familiar characters as Pauly Walnuts, Silvio, Big Pussy and the family, as well as with Tony’s miserable mother Livia (Vera Farmiga) and his Uncle Junior (Corey Stoll). This prequel establishes much of what we saw in the series and sets up nicely for a sequel to the prequel. Leslie Odom Jr. of “Hamilton” fame has an important role as a man who collects the numbers money from Dickie and wants to go out on his own. If you liked the series and Mob movies like “Goodfellas,” this movie is for you. And maybe if you have never seen “The Sopranos,” you’ll find that this movie stands on its own merit. 4 cans. I’m afraid to give fewer cans.
132.  The Starling* (2021, Netflix) – Quick plot summary: Woman in a dead-end job suffers tragedy, visits her husband in a mental hospital, tries to garden and is stalked by a deranged starling. Melissa McCarthy brings considerable pathos and a bit of humor to her part as the beleaguered wife of Chris O’Dowd, who is detached and miserable as he carries on his life in the face of tragedy while treated by cliched doctors. Melissa starts seeing a veterinarian (Kevin Kline) who is a former therapist, mostly for therapy but also for help with the starling who keeps attacking her in her garden. This movie tugs on your heartstrings even when it seems the bird will win. 3½ cans.
133.  Diana, the Musical* (2021, Netflix) – Take everything you already know about the late Princess Diana, throw in forgettable music and limited choreography and you have this underwhelming theatrical event, originally scheduled to open on Broadway last year but delayed by the pandemic until November, 2021. In the interim, the same geniuses who devised this travesty decided to record it in a theater so we could all see it at home – and thanks for letting us realize that we need to avoid the stage version. The performers are merely adequate, even though they haven't been given challenging material, and the stage in the theater looks as small as one in a high school auditorium. I won’t rehash the plot, but it doesn’t end well for the once sweet and innocent 19-year-old who thought she was marrying Prince Charming. The only part of this production worth mentioning is how they managed to change Diana’s wardrobe right on stage, in front of our eyes the audience without being able to figure out how it was done (and I even replayed parts!). For the most part, this is a cringeworthy and cruel violation of poor Diana, who cannot even rest in peace. If this lasts a week on Broadway, I’ll be shocked. I’ll give it a noteworthy 0 cans, a first among thousands of my reviews.
134.  Ted Lasso, Season 2* (2021, Apple TV+) – Treat yourself to a trial or short-term subscription to Apple TV+ just to watch season 2 of last year’s big hit. Ted is still a fish out of water, an American, midwestern/Southern boy coaching foreign football (soccer to us) in England, but he has assimilated nicely and the formerly hapless team is winning. This season sees owner Rebecca (Waddington) in a larger role, while the others in the supporting cast do their best work. Ted proves human, as he misses his family, has a major panic attack and looks to new team sports psychologist Sharon to help. The dialog is crisp and chock full of clever cultural references. The progression of the story not only builds on season one but beautifully sets up season three. If only we wouldn’t have to wait so long to savor the new season, because this one is as sweet as Ted’s buttery biscuits. Kudos to Jason Sudeikis, the actor who also serves as a writer-producer on the show, and to writer-actor Brett Goldstein for his Emmy-winning role as irascible Roy Kent . 4 cans.
135.  Citizen Hearst* (2021, The American Experience, PBS) – The classic movie “Citizen Kane” may well have been the fictionalized story of William Randolph Hearst, though the real man loved showgirls much more than a sled named “Rosebud.” This two-party documentary is an exhaustive look at the man who took his father’s mining fortune and used it to build a publishing empire. He started with a single newspaper and expanded to papers around the US, adding magazines and broadcasting along the way. He was a blustery demagogue, always eager to use his purchased platform to promote his beliefs, which proved contradictory over time. He holed up in the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, pointedly showing off his wealth and power. This is a story of power and fortune that reinforces my belief that no one should have THAT much of either. I would have liked this documentary more if it were half as long.  3½ cans.
136.  News of the World* (2020, HBO) – Tom Hanks has been a pilot, an astronaut, an FBI guy, Forrest Gump and a castaway. Now he is convincing (isn’t he always?) in a Western as an aging Civil War veteran who goes town-to-town reading newspapers to the townfolk who want to know the almost latest news. And he gets paid 10 cents a head for doing it! In his travels he encounters a young girl who has lost her birth family and the Native Americans who took her as a child. He agrees to get her back to her family but to do so the duo must brave weather and nefarious characters on their journey. They bond despite her inability to speak English. This is a gritty tale and Hanks’ Captain Kidd is tough enough to endure the hardships without being a macho stereotype. There’s not much to enjoy in this movie but plenty to admire, including the performance of Helena Zengel as a tough but trusting young girl. And when was the last time I watched a Western? 3½ cans.
137.  The Ice Road* (2021, Netflix) – Did you know that trucks travel over frozen bodies of water in the coldest climates on what are called “ice roads?” Neither did I. But these roads become critical when there is a mine collapse in Manitoba and getting equipment to the site in time to save the trapped miners requires a truck convoy carrying cargo too heavy to airlift. Liam Neeson is one of the truckers racing against time and the distinct possibility of the ice cracking under the heavy vehicles to deliver the equipment to get the miners out. Little does he know that his mission has been sabotaged by the company that hired him and the others for reasons too convoluted to share. There is plenty, and I mean, plenty of action, with crashing bridges and bad guys hanging on to the truck doors trying to get inside, dynamite and other explosions. As action-adventure movies go, this fits into the genre and offers at least a new location for the action to take place, but it doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from other, similar films.  3 cans.
138.  The Guilty* (2021, Netflix) – This movie is Jake Gyllenhaal, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jake Gyllenhaal, so if you like Jake Gyllenhaal, this movie is for you. Here he is Joe, a police detective with something hanging over his head who has been assigned to duty as an emergency 911 operator. He catches a call from a woman who seems to have been abducted and scrambles to get information from her that he can relay to the highway patrol and figure out what has happened. It is a harrowing day for well-meaning but intense Joe, as he struggles to keep the caller on the phone and dispatch help for her and her children. The suspense is continuously amped up as Joe tries to untangle the story while dealing with family issues of his own. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat. 3½ cans.
139.  Aerial America* (2021, Smithsonian Channel) – I have never reviewed a series before seeing the entire thing (and there are over 50 episodes in this series), but since I know that many of you appreciate recommendations of what to watch, I am happy to include this series here after seeing just a handful of episodes. Whether the episode focuses on an entire state, a single city or a region, each hour is filled with fantastic aerial footage that shows roads and bridges and architecture and parks and the amazing sites of each place featured. Throw in an excellent narration and an informative history lesson (New England was a favorite episode for me) that covers how we got to this point in any place, and you have a program that would be great in an educational environment as well as compelling to watch from the couch. And yes, if you watch the New Jersey episode, you will understand why we really are called the Garden State. I truly stumbled on this series while looking for something quiet to watch that might make me fall asleep, and while this accomplished that goal, I have gone back to watch anything I might have missed. If you are looking for something informative and easy on the eyes, check this out! 4 cans.
140.  Breaking Point: Mardy Fish* (2021, Netflix) – Unless you are a real tennis fan, you have probably never heard of American tennis player Mardy Fish. Mardy started on the pro circuit just after the reign of Pete Sampras and Jim Courier ended and right before the trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic began dominating the sport. Fish and his good friend and training buddy Andy Roddick were newcomers at the same time, but Roddick was clearly the better player, more physically gifted and competitive than Fish. But while Fish was winning matches on the court, off the court he was succumbing to anxiety and mental health issues that he eventually had to address. Being told that you can never be weak and that you must always win would take a toll on almost anyone. Today the subject of mental health among athletes is much more common and accepted. But when Fish had his version of Simone Biles’ “twisties,” discussing mental health was just not done. This documentary provides a realistic look at the life of the elite athlete, what they have to sacrifice to get to the top and how the pressure makes it hard to sustain success. 3½ cans.
141. Good Night and Good Luck (2005, PBS) – The only thing worse than a bully is a bully with a pulpit. Welcome to the McCarthy Era, the period in the 1950s when Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy ruined the lives and reputations of many Americans by accusing them of having ties to the Communist Party. In hearings before the House Un-American Activities Committee, McCarthy didn’t hesitate to fling accusations about people called to testify without presenting evidence or giving them access to information on why they were being accused. The White Knights in this drama – cleverly directed in black & white by George Clooney, who also stars as CBS News chief Fred Friendly – were the broadcasters of CBS News, led by the venerable Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn in an excellent portrayal).  Their mission was to demonstrate the unfairness of McCarthy’s diatribes and methods. I probably should have revisited this movie last year, when the bully pulpit was put to extended use. Clooney expertly weaves real footage from the hearings into the movie, where the CBS execs are ensconced in smoke-filled rooms, fighting for truth, justice and the American way – or so it seemed. 4 cans.
142.  Joe Bell* (2021, Prime Video rental) – Joe Bell (a scruffy Marck Wahlberg) is a blue-collar guy with a wife and two sons. He truly loves them, but he is uncomfortable knowing that his elder son, a teenager, is being bullied at school because he is gay. When people start taunting his son, a cheerleader, at a football game, he doesn’t retaliate or respond. He simply leaves the game. When the boy is sexually assaulted and the school refuses to take action, there are dire consequences for the young man, prompting Joe to start a cross-country walk as his personal anti-bullying campaign. But even while doing that he doesn’t know how to deal with the adults who question him. You know he loves his son, but showing his love and support seems impossible for Joe. This is a morose movie but realistic in depicting one man who doesn’t know how to handle his own feelings. Based on a true story. 3 cans.

October Offerings

Let’s face it, nobody wants to pay for shipping.

The post office has declared that the price of postage will be going up and the service will be slowing down. That’s like saying, “the food is terrible and the portions are so small.”

Remember when we used to have to lick stamps? What a pleasure it was when they became self-stick! Now that we are in the throes of a pandemic, wouldn’t it be a good idea if greeting cards came with self-stick envelopes? My bill paying envelopes are self-stick, but do I really want to put my tongue on a greeting card envelope? Luckily, the Post Office is so slow these days that any germs I put on the envelope will have died a slow and torturous death by the time the card reaches its recipient, but still…

The Dollar Store announced that it will start selling things for more than a dollar. I was always amazed at how much stuff they sold for just a dollar – things like ceramic bowls, glass vases, decent quality plastic containers – and now we will have to see whether the store will begin carrying higher-priced merchandise like clothing or will simply raise their prices on existing merchandise. And will they change their name to something like “Used to Be the Dollar Store?”

It seems to me that if you use the word “nowadays” or the phrase “back in the day,” you have thrown in the towel and acknowledged that you are OLD.

I guess you have to be “of a certain age” to remember when hair salons were called “beauty parlors” and the hair stylists were “beauticians.” Personally, I always felt those terms overpromised the results.

Speaking of being old, I hit the 70-year-old milestone last October, and I was just getting adjusted to it when it occurred to me that in two weeks I will be 71. I’m not sure I’m quite ready for that!

My mind might not be the steel trap it once was (and when was that, you ask?), but I really don’t think I require two emails, two text messages and a voice mail to remind me to show up for my teeth cleaning! And then please don’t send me a survey about my visit that arrives by the time I get home!

Fall officially starts when I wash the sweatshirts. I have already done four loads.

The only positive thing about the Yankees’ failure to advance in post-season play is that I won’t have to stay up until all hours to watch the games. If the Yankees aren’t in it, I’m out!

I can’t take the pressure of walking into the nail salon and trying to pick a color. It can’t be too dark, too light, too pink or too orange and it can’t have any kind of sparkle. It can’t be blue, green or yellow and I don’t want a French manicure (I wonder if all manicures in France are considered French manicures). That leaves 812 shades of red and 682 of beige. Last time I picked a color that looked great. By the time I got home I was sure it was too dark!

Your fingers are like your tongue in that when you try to relax either because you are instructed to do so by the nail technician or the dentist, you can’t. I never think about how tense my fingers are or where my tongue is until someone tells me to do – or to not do – something with either.

If there is ever any kind of “World Championship of Slouching,” look for me among the contestants. I’ll be on top of the leaderboard, contending for the title.

There are droves of people in my “active adult” community who are really active. You find them playing pickleball or walking all around the complex day and night. What cracks me up is that many of the women carry cross-body handbags (a contradiction in terms for sure). Are they carrying wallets and credit cards? Because there’s no place to shop in this community. Trust me, if there were, I would be shopping!

Seriously, it is easier to select a new Pope than a permanent host of “Jeopardy.” I’m waiting for those white puffs of smoke to rise from the Alex Trebek stage where the show is filmed. I guess Alex really did have all of the answers. I was beginning to believe that contestant Matt Amodio would outlast all of the guest hosts and the semi-permanent ones, but his reign as champion ended after 39 days. He won more than a million and a half dollars and surpassed James Holzhauer to become the second winningest player of all time, trailing only Ken Jennings in the total number of games won. Maybe HE can be the next host!

I miss the original five flavor rolls of LifeSavers. The cherry, lemon, lime, orange and pineapple of my youth were relaunched in 2003 with my two favorite flavors – lime and lemon – replaced by watermelon and raspberry. When I see green, I think lime, not watermelon. I would even let other people take the cherry if I could have the lime. They should have left this venerable candy alone!

My friend who works for Staples reports that a person called the store to ask whether Staples sold pens. I guess the customer thought Staples could build an entire business around the sale of staples. Considering that I buy staples about every dozen years or so, they sure couldn’t stay in business because of me. The same friend recounts that she was perched on the top of one of those gigantic ladders when a customer asked her (in all seriousness): “Do you work here?” She wanted to say, “No, I just like climbing up ladders,” but she refrained.

Heard at aqua aerobics: “Where is so-and-so today?” Answer: “She had a funeral.” Comment: “Oh, did someone die?” Cue the Staples customers.

I don’t get the concept of bittersweet. Shouldn’t it be one or the other?

Have you noticed that those bags of salad we buy because we are too lazy to cut up all of the lettuce and veggies are getting smaller? What used to be enough to feed a family is now barely enough for three decent salads.

I went to bed before 10 the other night but woke up at 3 AM and could not get back to sleep. I had Alexa play me spa music, meditation music (I might have been better off with MEDICATION music) – nothing worked. So, I finally succumbed to the lure of the TV, tuning into the Smithsonian Channel in hopes of finding something very low-key and boring that would lull me back to sleep. Instead, I now know enough tell you the complete story of how milk is processed and how KitKats are made in England.

You get up, shower well, get dressed and go to the doctor’s office where they make you wait to get in and then make you strip down and put on that flimsy paper gown that barely covers up your most private areas and rips when you hop up on the examination table, where you wait some more. That’s the definition of humiliation.

I got my third Covid vaccination a week ago, so that means I have just one more week to go before I am completely, totally vaccinated. Does this mean that I will go to lots of indoor parties and shed my mask? Start singing in a choir (you all had better hope not)? Hardly, but I like my odds of survival more now than a year ago. It means I can go to basketball games – for the first time in two years – and feel safer. Since Moderna hasn’t been approved as a booster, I guess what I received was a third dose, or a half-dose, but I am glad to get whatever they gave me. My doctor said that my most recent blood worked showed that I still had antibodies from my first two shots, so I figure that we just topped off the tank! I had a slightly sore arm but no other reaction, unlike the chills and body aches I had with the second shot. So, mission accomplished – for now. If the protocol calls for a shot every year, sign me up! And if you haven't yet gotten your vaccination, I hope you will do it soon. I like your odds better with the shot!

Tina's September 2021 Movies & More

This month's list features many "& more" programs amid a bunch of movies that I had not seen before. Numbering picks up from previous months and new programs are indicated by an asterisk. The rating scale is 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 being the top rating.

119.  911/One Day in America* (2021, National Geographic Channel, Hulu) – This 6-part documentary is a sobering recount of the events of that fateful day, now 20 years in our past. There are moments of futility, wrenching sadness and times that uplift the human spirit. This is not the kind of program you can enjoy, but it is one that we all should see to remember what happened that day and to appreciate the heroics of the firefighters, police, rescue personnel, medical staff and ordinary citizens who risked or lost their lives trying to save others. 4 cans.
120.  9/11 (2015, CNN) – Two French brothers who were shooting a documentary about a young firefighter had their cameras rolling when the first plane hit the World Trade Center and kept rolling through the second plane strike, the collapse of both of the Twin Towers and even into the following day, as the heroic firefighters dug through rubble looking for survivors. The engine company battalion chief here lost his brother, but most of the firefighters in the film made it out alive. Much of the footage is used in the movie listed above. 4 cans and a giant lump in the throat.
121.  Click Bait* (2021, Netflix) – Don’t even start this 8-part series unless you have time to sit down and watch the whole thing, because you will be hooked immediately. The story centers on Nick Brewer (Adrian Grenier), a man who is kidnapped and recorded by his captors holding up signs claiming he abused and killed women. The video goes viral, with the warning that once it gets 5,000 views he will be killed. Now it is a race against time to try to track him down, with police and amateur sleuths who are experts in social media getting involved. There are plenty of suspects, red herrings and skeletons in the closets of many people on the case. The action rarely lets up. Good cast full of actors new to me, with Zoe Kazan as Nick’s sister Pia the best of the bunch. 4 cans.
122.  Titletown High School* (2021, Netflix) – Welcome to “Friday Night Lights” in the real town of Valdosta, Georgia, where the legendary high school state champs have seen their program slide. Controversial Coach Rush Probst has been brought in to turn around the once mighty program, and he is used to doing things his way. Too much of this 8-part series focuses on teenage relationship drama (is cute Morgan too much of a distraction for young quarterback Amari? Does anyone really care whether seldom used defender Grayson wants to be with Zoey or Lenley?) and there is much less actual coaching and more general exhortations to the team about their abilities. Six parts would have been better at limiting the less important stuff. High school football, whether it is in Alabama (see Probst’s last series, “Two-A-Days” from his time at Alabama’s Hoover High) or Georgia or Texas (home of FNL) is depicted as being the most important thing in the lives of all concerned, with little regard for the future of the players (the series rarely mentions college opportunities for the players until the very end). The coaching practices, the raising of money, recruiting players, the ever-present boosters, all seem unseemly – because they are – even though it is reality. If you watched “Last Chance U” or “QB1,” this series is for you. 3½ cans.
123.  Boatlift* (YouTube) – On the morning of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I was glued to the TV, watching live coverage and listening to the reading of the names of the nearly 3,000 people who died in this horrific tragedy. But this very short (12 minutes) film gave me an actual lift. It is the account of how boats in the New Yok area came to the rescue of the people who made their way to lower Manhattan to get out of the city when the buildings fell. There were party boats, ferryboats and just about anything that floated that converged to rescue the people trapped on the Island. These were people who did their part in the tragedy to help strangers and whose role in rescuing a half a million people was a story I hadn’t known, and one worth seeing. 4 cans.
124.  Once Upon a Time in Queens* (2021, ESPN) – This four-part documentary about the 1986 World Champion New York Mets is part of the ESPN “30 for 30” franchise. The lovable losers who captured the hearts of New York with their improbable 1969 World Series win had fallen on hard times in the years between then and the mid-1980s, until General Manager Frank Cashen brought in his old Orioles manager, Davey Johnson, to take the reins of a club that was suddenly flush with talent. Homegrown players Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden were baseball phenoms and key trades brought professional hitters and leaders like Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and Ray Knight to the clubhouse. No doubt this crew was ready to excel – as long as some nasty habits didn’t get in the way. According to this series, most of the team partied as hard as they played, drinking and using drugs on airplanes, frequenting nightclubs and chasing women. Davey Johnson as the manager was inclined to leave them along as long they showed up at the ballpark and played hard. But the early success, riches and pressures faced by young Gooden and Strawberry proved too much for them, and they both developed major league drug problems that shortened and interrupted what might have been Hall of Fame careers. The movie doesn’t shy away from these serious issues, but it also celebrates the team’s growth and success as they put it all together in 1986, dumping Houston and thwarting the Boston Red Sox to capture the World Series. It was fun taking a stroll down memory lane as the Mets captured the crown and the heart and soul of New York (minus the Yankee fans, of course). 4 cans.
125.  Guilt* (2021, Masterpiece Theater, PBS) – Two brothers are returning from a party when their car strikes an old man in the road, killing him. Do they call the police? Do they try to get help? No, they carry him inside his house, put him in a chair and, once they discover that he was dying of cancer, they hit the road. Sure enough, his dead body is found and the cause of death is attributed to his cancer. But then someone notices paint chips on his pants and wounds on his legs, and his American niece turns up and the nosy neighbor tries to blackmail people and there is footage from a neighbor’s security camera and the brothers keep getting sucked into the quicksand that is this case. There is black humor amid the death, beatings, infidelities, betrayals and romance. This 4-part series leaves the door open for a possible sequel, and I’ll probably watch that one, too, because Guilt is a trip. 3½ cans.
126.  The Courier* (2020, Prime Video) – Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a not-so-smart businessman who gets drafted to aid the MIG and CIA in delivering documents from the Soviet Union to the British and Americans in advance of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. This spy movie is based on a true story, where the Brit and his Russian contact Alex (Merab Ninidze) become friends as Wynne makes his frequent trips to the USSR to gather documents and information. He is actually a businessman, and not a very good one, and he knows nothing about what he is conveying. If you’re looking for a suspense movie about spies, I’d recommend “Bridge of Spies” with Tom Hanks over this one, which dragged a bit. 3 cans.
127.  Muhammad Ali* (2021, PBS) – Documentarian Ken Burns does a deep dive (eight hours) into the life of boxer Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay. Ali transcended his sport, becoming the most famous person of the century before dying in 2016 at the age of 74. Burns offers a detailed portrait that examines the youthful, brash Ali, how he got into boxing, his triumphs and his falls. And much of the story focuses on Ali’s embracing Islam as his religion, his infidelities and his preparation (or lack of at times) for his fights. Ali was a character that no one had ever seen – colorful, braggadocios and self-confident. As in many stories of athletes, there is a rise, success, and then a fall, as Ali recaptures the heavyweight championship after being banned from the sport because of his refusal to serve in the military on religious grounds. His three bouts with Joe Frazier, his fights with George Foreman (the “rope-a-dope” fight), Ken Norton and former sparring partner Larry Holmes are covered and show his deterioration as a fighter as well as his failing health. It is poignant and cruel to watch him endure tremendous punishment as he got older. His eventual diagnosis with Parkinsons, his shuffling gait and his limited speech are sad to witness from the man who could “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” He was bigger than life and his decline so sad to witness. He truly was “The Greatest.” 4 cans.
128.  The Eyes of Tammy Faye* (2021, Movie theater) – Let’s start with the fact that the heavily made-up eyes of Tammy Faye (an unrecognizable Jessica Chastain) don’t blink. Ever. Maybe she was afraid that those false eyelashes and the ton of mascara would weigh down her lids to the point where she couldn’t open them again. And then there’s that white stripe under the permanent, tattooed brows, which looked like it was applied with White Out. By the end of this movie, Tammy’s features were so exaggerated and distorted that for a minute I thought I was watching Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie.” However, none of that make-up or the wigs or the outfits can take away from the story of Tammy Faye and her holier-than-thou husband Jim Baker (Andrew Garfield), TV evangelists whose preaching and pleading for good Christians to send money to their ministry kept them on the air and living in opulence for years. They were doing the work of God, who they proclaimed loved them – and you, too, as long as you sent in money. But it didn’t start that way. Both Jim and Tammy Faye were true believers who got caught up in money and power and all that it corrupts, including infidelity and really sketchy financial records that resulted in Jim’s going to jail. Chastain plays Tammy as a petite and perky woman trying desperately to please her flock and her husband. I was reminded by Chastain’s dead-on Tammy of Renee Zellweger’s transformation into Judy Garland. Expect her name to be called when they read off the list of nominees for this year’s Best Actress Oscar. Garfield also deserves kudos for his portrayal of the smarmy con man preacher, full of wide-eyed innocence and greed. You truly can’t make this stuff up. I have never watched their PTL show, but I’m glad I saw the movie. 4 cans.
129.  Promising Young Woman* (2020, HBO) – Whoa! I can promise you that if you see this suspenseful revenge drama, you will be blown away by Carey Mulligan as lead character Cassie. Cassie is out to avenge the death of her friend Nina when both were promising young med students, before a traumatizing event resulted in both of them dropping out. I can’t say too much about the plot without spoiling the movie, so I’ll just say that Mulligan plays the character to the hilt. This is a timely story, full of suspense and a reflection on the times we live in now.  4 cans.
130.  LuLaRich* (2021, Amazon Prime Video) – Before I started this 4-part Amazon docuseries, the only things I knew about the women’s clothing company LuLaRoe were hearing news stories on major issues with product quality of their big selling leggings. That was just the beginning. The company, started by DeAnne and her husband Mark Stidham, began when she started selling a line of colorful maxi skirts. Sales soared, so she decided to expand the business by bringing in new people to sell. Thus was born a multi-level marketing business, where each person gets rewarded not only for selling products but for bringing in more people to do the same thing. If you’re thinking “pyramid scheme,” so was I. The enthusiastic founders touted the company as a way for women to be successful while still caring for their families and supporting their spouses. What started as a business grew exponentially and began taking on cult-like aspects. The company promised 100% refunds for defective merchandise and then reneged. They paid out handsome bonuses to the higher level “mentors” and then changed the process. The documentary features the founders in depositions for a lawsuit in Washington where DeAnne sounds as if she knew little about the operations of the company she founded. There are plenty of promises made and broken here. If you like a juicy business story, like “The Smartest Guys in The Room” (the story of Enron), you’ll appreciate this in-depth look at the business of pushing leggings. 3½ pairs.

See You In September

Every now and then I hear myself shouting out an answer on “Jeopardy” and wondering how I knew it. These days, I’m shouting at the TV during "Jeopardy" for entirely different reasons.

I cleaned my humidifier this morning with vinegar and now my whole bathroom smells like salad dressing.

You know what is annoying? When I am yawning like crazy and I STILL can’t fall asleep. 

I buy the “executive turkey” at the deli counter because, well, you know, I used to be one. I’ll let you decide whether that means I used to be an executive or a turkey.

For someone who hasn’t been in school in nearly 50 years and who has no children or grandchildren, why am I still so tempted to buy school supplies when the displays go up? I’m not sure why I continue to have this fascination. A neighbor of mine was collecting school supplies for local kids, so I was able to shop for pens, pencils, markers, etc., and satisfy my craving for a good cause!

When I had acne as a teenager, doctors and the general consensus at the time said that I would outgrow it. I’m 70 now and wondering how old I have to be to outgrow it. Will I outlive it? 

As I ate a piece of French toast recently, I wondered whether someone in France was eating a piece of good old plain toast and condemning Americans for their poor taste in food.

It disappoints me that there is a warning label on the package of Tide Pods that tells people not to eat them. What makes us think that anyone stupid enough to eat them would be smart enough to read and heed the warning? And if this warning is for children, the ones who might eat the pods can’t read anyway.

I have to clean out my freezer (I’ll spare you the long and boring story) so eating a single-sized pizza and cracking open a box of coveted Girl Scout Thin Mints was really only to accomplish that goal. But I also realized that if I simply downsize my ridiculously large collection of ice packs, I can probably double my usable food storage space. I have more ice packs on hand than a physical therapy place!

In any case, I could use a professional organizer to study my refrigerator and my dishwasher and show me how to use the space more efficiently. The irony is that I don’t have much food around and I hardly ever use the dishwasher, though my BFF tells me all the time that I should!

My plan in August was to go peach picking with a friend, but the peach orchard was closed. So instead, we went to the farmers market where the orchard sells their peaches and I picked up two quarts. I guess you could say I picked them myself, but in reality, they were already in a bag. No bending and gathering the peaches this way, which was fine with me!

I’m such a sucker for gadgets. I found a sandwich maker branded “Nostalgia” on display for only $8.96, and I just HAD to buy it. It makes just one sandwich at a time (which is fine), and claims to be great with pre-fab cinnamon rolls, but so far I have only used it once, for a tuna melt. Listen, for $9 bucks, I can hardly BUY a sandwich, so this gizmo is really a bargain. I have it neatly stored next to the juicer I bought last year, alongside my food sealer. No comment!

Why are there so many insurance commercials? There’s my favorite – Flo from Progressive – along with the ubiquitous Geico gecko (and a thousand other Geico iterations), the emu from Liberty Mutual, the crew of Jake and the athletes who hawk State Farm, the not-just-for-farmers Farmers Insurance, USAA for military families (but not associated with the actual military), All-State and many more who regularly appear on TV to remind us to have insurance. I don’t use any of these companies. I’m sticking with low-key New Jersey Manufacturers, which only recently started to advertise and touts the fact that they don’t have a mascot or a jingle representing their brand. And they answer the phone every time I have a question or a problem. I don’t need a gecko with a British accent to sell me insurance!

I’m FINALLY back at aqua aerobics after a two-year break because of my shoulder injury (torn rotator cuff) and subsequent surgery and physical therapy as well as COVID. Not much has changed, except people who are not vaccinated must wear masks to the poolside. The pool water is still too cold so it takes me forever to get really wet. The paper towel holder in the bathroom – the kind you are supposed to run your hands over to get a towel dispensed – still randomly spits out a towel even if no one is in the vicinity. And the soap in the shower still smells like Stella D’Oro Breakfast Treats. It’s great to be back!

Speaking of the pool, I am taking aqua Zumba once a week and I really enjoy it, which only proves you don’t have to be good at something to have fun doing it. Sometimes I want to tell the instructor that the reason I couldn’t do a particular step is because the water got in my way. Let’s just say that it is a good thing this is a “no-cut” team, or I would have to find something else to do on Fridays!

My washing machine has a dozen different settings (sheets and towels, cold and hot, delicates, speed wash, etc.) for washing and several more for rinsing and spinning. I use two. What about you?

I have heard from so many people during the pandemic, people who reached out to see if I was safe, how I was managing through the lockdown and whether I had everything I needed. But who kept in touch best? Kohl’s. Nearly every day – or at least several times a week – they would send me emails encouraging me to shop, enticing me with special sales and offers, promising to bring whatever I bought right to my door. It’s nice to know they care, right? Now send me that Kohl’s cash!

As a huge sports fan, I always watch the US Open Tennis Tournament. Years ago, I attended the event regularly, back when it was held at Flushing Meadows and then when the USTA built the Billie Jean King Tennis Center on the site of the 1964 New York World’s Fair. This year I watched in awe as two young women, aged 18 & 19 respectively, both unranked, battled it out for the championship. Anna Raducanu of Great Britain beat Leylah Fernandez of Canada in straight sets. The next day Anna got a congratulatory message from Queen Elizabeth herself – signed “Elizabeth R.” Wow! I look forward to a great rivalry between these two talented young ladies. I hope they continue to grow and find joy in the sport without overextending themselves with endorsement deals and fashion shoots and other draining obligations. 

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo: From Hero to Zero. One year he is must-see TV with his Covid briefings. The next year the attorney general of NY finds in an investigation that he sexually harassed multiple, credible women and he finally resigns from office. I have no sympathy for his fall from grace. His wounds were self-inflicted. Let this be a lesson to all men: Your teasing and touching of women is unwanted and wrong. Why don’t you get that? Cuomo has daughters in their 20s. How would he react if they were treated the same way he treated other women?

Please get vaccinated. I did it for you.

I watched so much of the coverage of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, including several documentaries, and for some reason, this occasion rattled me more this year than ever. I woke up, watched, cried, threw up, watched some more, cried some more and I can’t believe it has been 20 years since we lost nearly 3000 poor souls in those acts of terrorism. Like everyone else, I remember that day clearly, what I was doing and how heartsick I felt for the families who lost loved ones. I still marvel at the thought of the police and firefighters who ran INTO the buildings to try to save people who were trapped. And I especially appreciate the outpouring of kindness people showed to each other – whether they were friends or strangers – on that fateful day and the days thereafter. I wish we would all put aside our personal, political beliefs and unify for the greater good.

Tina's August 2021 Movies & More

We can add another 15 movies, etc., to the 2021 list, including a few good ones and a few that are better left forgotten. Numbering picks up from previous months and programs marked with an asterisk* are ones I had not seen previously. Everything is rated on a scale of one to five cans of tuna, and more is better!

104.  Poms* (2019, Netflix) – When I think of Diane Keaton, I think of “Annie Hall,” or “As Good As It Gets” or “Reds.” I hope I don’t think of this trifle of a movie, trying its hardest to be a feel-good story about ladies in a senior community who form a cheerleading squad headed by the secretly dying Martha (Keaton). Of course, they are terrible; of course, there are mean people in the community who want to stop them; and of course, they rally in the end. There’s a good cast but a story that is a pastiche of elder cliches. And Keaton herself is a lousy cheerleader. I know many of my contemporaries found this movie to be cute and entertaining, and I’ll admit that it did get better in the second half, but overall, it was a waste of my time. 1½ cans.
105.  Otherhood* (2020, Netflix) – I miss the days when you could rely on Nora Ephron or Nancy Meyers for a good rom-com or female empowerment movie. This one could have used them. When three old friends don’t hear from their sons on Mother’s Day, they decide to take matters into their own hands, leave their Poughkeepsie, NY, homes and invade Manhattan, where their sons live. Of course, not connecting with your mother on Mother’s Day is unforgivable, but these meddling mothers could drive any son crazy. Carol (Angela Bassett) is a widow, Gillian (Roseanna Arquette) is married and disapproves of her son’s girlfriend, and Helen (Felicity Huffman) has never quite forgiven her cheating husband – whom she divorced 11 years ago – even though she is married now to a genuinely nice man. So, the moms invade, move in, interfere, and wreak all kinds of havoc with their sons. I found it ironic that Huffman, who spent time in jail for her role in the college admissions scandal, would be in this kind of movie. This is a highly acclaimed cast. Too bad the material didn’t measure up to their talent. 3 cans.
106.  Lion in the House* (2006, Netflix) – This two-part, four-hour documentary focuses on several brave children suffering from cancer, on their families and on the heroic doctors of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital who try whatever measures they can to save them. The doctors and parents are constantly forced to question themselves about making the best decisions for their young patients. Will she be able to tolerate the side effects of chemotherapy? Should he be sent to the ICU? Should they have a Do Not Resuscitate order in the file? This poignant series isn’t cheery and doesn’t come with all happy endings, but it gave me a better perspective on the suffering, healing and loss experienced by the parents, families, hospital staff and the young patients. 3½ cans.
107.  All My Life* (2020, Prime Video) – This romantic drama, based on a true story, is about a young couple who meet, fall in love, move in together and try to keep the good times rolling when bad things happen. Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum Jr. (he appeared in TV’s “Glee” but mostly as a dancer with little dialog) are the attractive young couple, surrounded by devoted friends who try to support them in every possible way. Worth seeing. 3½ cans.
108. RESPECT* (2021, IN THE MOVIES, but now available streaming!) – My first time back in an actual movie theater since March, 2020, was to see the story of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and I made a great choice! This movie is a full look at the life and music of Aretha, the importance of the church in her singing career, the influence of her pastor father, the men who done her wrong and the decision to record not in Detroit, at Motown, but to capture the special magic of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The movie shows how long it took Aretha to move from underselling standards to a brand of soul that was all her own, with such hits as “Chain of Fools,” “You Better Think,” and so many more, including the title tune. Jennifer Hudson, tapped by Aretha herself to play the Queen in this movie, more than lives up to Aretha’s expectations with a wondrous performance. And then there is that VOICE! Aretha Franklin was a gift from God and Jennifer Hudson did her proud. Expect Oscar nominations. PS – Stick around for the credits to see Aretha herself sing “Natural Woman” from her salute to songwriter Carole King at the Kennedy Center Honors. If you don’t get goosebumps, you can’t be alive!
4½ cans.
109.  Here Today* (2021, rented on Demand) – Billy Crystal is Charlie, an aging comedy writer living on his own and starting to show signs of dementia. Tiffany Haddish is Emma, a struggling singer who comes into his life when her ex wins a lunch with Charlie at an auction and she takes it instead, despite not knowing who he is. Somehow, these two hit it off right away, bonding over her near-fatal reaction to eating seafood at their lunch. Confession: Tiffany Haddish is one of my favorite performers. She is brassy, hilarious and has great timing and facial expressions. The two form a friendship and she encourages him to get busy with the book he is struggling to write. I seldom rent movies, but for $5.99 – less than the cost of a ticket in the movies – this sweet and charming movie was a bargain. 3½ cans
110.  Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump* (2021, HBO/HBO Max) – If “WKRP in Cincinnati” and “News Radio” had a real-life TV baby, it would be this quirky 6-part documentary series (30 minutes a segment). Vern Van Winkle (seriously, you can’t make this stuff up) is the owner of a small TV station in the Podunk town of Pahrump, Nevada, about an hour and a lifetime away from Las Vegas. The small but dedicated staff multi-tasks responsibilities ranging from news director/editor/writer/camera operator to the very genial John, the weatherman, who dresses for business on the top with a suit and tie and shorts on the bottom when he’s not golfing with advertisers. The on-camera talent is inexperienced but happy to tackle local issues, and even to cover a political rally when a Trump son lands in town. Vern is eager to expand to the bigger Las Vegas market, and by the end of the six parts here, he is looking for space in Sin City. Stay tuned for season two of this endearing and odd little show. 3½ cans.
111.  Presumed Innocent (1990, HBO) – Our legal system is predicated on the assumption of innocence among the accused, but things look pretty grim for Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford) when he is accused of murdering his former colleague and lover (Greta Sacchi). There’s a glass with his fingerprints found in her apartment and other incriminating evidence against Rusty, who is an assistant prosecutor caught up in a political situation that makes him vulnerable to prosecution. This movie, adapted from the Scott Turow novel, combines suspense, courtroom drama, a great cast (Bonnie Bedelia, Brian Dennehy, Raul Julia, Paul Winfield) and plenty of shocks along the way. Yes, it is 31 years old, but it still holds up well. 3½ cans.
112.  Liza with a Z (1972, PBS) – Liza Minelli delivers a powerhouse performance in this filmed stage show, knocking out great numbers from her signature role in “Cabaret” and a bunch of other songs that put her unique talent in the spotlight. With her huge, unblinking eyes, iconic short haircut and ability to prance, stomp and glide around the stage, she is magnetic. The unmistakable stamp of director/choreographer Bob Fosse is as prominent as Minelli herself in this fierce performance, one that I had not seen in many years. It aired as part of the PBS fundraising drive, so I don’t know whether it is something you can find and watch there or elsewhere again, but I’m glad I caught it. 4 cans and a lot of glitter.
113. 9 to 5, The Story of a Movement* (2021, Netflix) – Before Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton teamed up on the movie “9 to 5” in 1980, there was a movement that had started in Boston among office workers who found themselves overlooked and underpaid. A few of these women (and yes, they were all women) realized they had plenty in common. They all experienced or knew of women belittled by their bosses, not paid for overtime, paid less than men and having little opportunity for training and advancement. They teamed up and the 9 2 5 movement was born, starting in Boston but eventually spreading across the US. These were women who were fed up with bosses demanding they do everything from write personal letters, peel carrots for their lunch and one whose boss made her sew his pants – while he was wearing them. There are great interviews here with the organizers of this movement, who educated themselves about discrimination and how existing laws from the National Labor Relations Act could protect and assist them. It wasn’t an easy sell, as many feared reprisals. But for change to occur, someone always has to be the leader, be brave enough to buck the system, and these women were smart and ready to take a risk. Very interesting story and one that I did not know. 3½ cans.
114.  Golden: The Journey of USA’s Elite Gymnasts* (2021, Peacock) – Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be gymnasts! This 6-part documentary takes viewers behind the scenes to show the grueling life of America’s finest women gymnasts and their families as they prepared to compete in events leading up to what became the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. These amazing athletes start young, train incessantly, endure injuries, surgeries, rehab and physical therapy while under constant pressure to be perfect in everything they do. Among those featured are some whose names you know and others who didn’t make the USA Olympic team. Those athletes are left to ponder whether they want to start their non-gymnastics lives or dedicate three more years to making the team in 2024. The series largely omits Simone Biles, the face of USA gymnastics, focusing instead on the competitors who were not locks to make the team. Former USA team member Laurie Hernandez, a star in 2016 as a 16-year old, is now a young woman whose insights add to this program. The gravity defying feats of these athletes are balanced by the many times they literally fall flat on their faces in practice, in tryouts and sometimes in competition. Compelling stuff here. 4 cans.
115.  CODA* (2021, Apple TV+) – High school student Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) doesn’t have much in common with her classmates. At 3 AM, she is up and working with her deaf parents and brother on their finishing boat before she even heads for class, where is likely to be found asleep at her desk. She loves to sing, and she has talent, but as the only person in her family who is not deaf (CODA stands for “children of deaf adults), she is the person her family relies on to communicate with the world and help maintain their business. Jones gives an outstanding performance (and she sings well, too) as a young woman torn between fulfilling her own dreams and keeping her family business afloat. When she is signing for her hippy parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur) and her stubborn brother (Daniel Durant), she brings incredible physicality to the part. Years ago, Matlin, who is excellent here, won the Oscar for her debut in “Children of a Lesser God.” I wonder if Jones will see a chance to do the same based on this fine performance. 4 cans.
116.  The Desk Set (1957, Movies Channel) – This film is one of the many Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn classics, where they meet, dislike and distrust each other, then end up together. Written by Phoebe and Henry Ephron (parents of Nora), the story is about an efficiency expert (him) brought in to install a gigantic computer to help the all-female research department she heads, a group more than capable of answering questions from the mundane to the ridiculous with startling efficiency. Hepburn’s Bunny has been dating an exec of the TV network where they work for years, but he never seems ready to pop the question, leaving room for Tracy’s guy to win her heart. This rom-com shows what offices were like back in the 1950s, complete with dancing at office Christmas parties. Granted, this movie is not the best in the Tracy-Hepburn collection, but it holds a special place in my heart. My father once played the Tracy role in an off-off-off-Broadway production (local community theater), a completely out-of-character thing for him to do. Mind you, this was so long ago that although my genius sister had memorized the entire play and ran lines with him, she was still young enough to wonder if Daddy was leaving Mommy for a new wife at the end!  I wonder if she will remember that! Dad’s production gets 5 cans, of course, but the movie only scores 3½.
117.  The History of the Sitcom* (2021, CNN) – I could have written this one, with my devotion to and extensive knowledge of the shows in this category. This eight-part documentary takes us through the socially-relevant sitcoms (All in the Family, Good Times, Maude) to the family sitcoms, the work and Friends sitcoms, the fantasy shows (Mr. Ed, My Mother the Car), the rural sitcoms (Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies) and other classics. I was surprised how many shows I never watched, particularly more recent shows, but I attribute that lack of familiarity to the fact that I’m busy watching The Golden Girls reruns instead. Some of these shows reflected and changed our culture, while others provided just pure escapism (nobody can believe that the 7 people on Gilligan’s Island could do everything but make a raft to escape). My only quibble was the inclusion of The Love Boat and Eight is Enough and the exclusion of one of my all-time favorites, The Wonder Years. I just heard that The Munsters is getting a reboot, proving that everything old is new again. 4 cans.
118.  Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed* (2021, Netflix) – The iconic PBS artist Bob Ross is fondly remembered for teaching us all how to put happy little trees on canvas, completing a full landscape picture in just the 24-minute length of his TV show. His calm voice and positive attitude assured us all that we could be artists, too. But behind the canvas, things weren’t quite so sanguine, as Bob’s partners sought to control every aspect of the empire he built with his show, selling brushes and paints and conducting live art classes. Even when he was on his deathbed, dying from the cancer that they refused to inform people about, they tried to coerce his son into getting his father’s signature on a contract that would give them rights to his name in perpetuity. I think I would have been better off missing this story and remembering Bob as someone whose shows I keep on my DVR to help lull me to sleep. 3 cans of paint.