1
Nov

Streaming Picks: November 2019, Part 1

With two new streaming services launching this month, I figured I’d break this preview out into two parts. The first will cover the usual services (Netflix, Hulu, Prime) and the second will cover Disney+ and AppleTV+. December will be back to normal, but I’ll revisit in January which services to cover.

FILMS
Top Picks
A Simple Plan – Hulu 11/1
The Souvenir – Prime 11/14
Booksmart – Hulu 11/18
The Irishman – Netflix 11/27
The Report – Prime 11/29
First, I have to spotlight A Simple Plan, one of the greatest crime films ever. Bill Paxton and Brent Briscoe have sadly passed on, but their career-best work lives on. As I’ve written before, Billy Bob Thornton should have won the Oscar for playing Paxton’s pathetic brother, a portrait of loneliness and neediness that feels even more special today.

Then we’ve got two of the year’s best films: the riotously funny Booksmart and the absolutely devastating The Souvenir. I would recommend the latter first, and then rinsing the bitter taste out with the former.

Finally, Netflix and Prime have dueling Oscar hopefuls. The Irishman is Martin Scorsese’s $200 million crime epic, featuring De Niro, Pacino and Pesci together at last. The Report is Scott Z. Burns’ directorial debut, a docudrama about the publication of the report on the CIA’s use of torture in the years after 9/11. Neither will be a feel-good movie, but one is much more likely to be post-Thanksgiving fare.

Recent Selections
Overlord – Hulu and Prime 11/1
Framing John Delorean – Hulu 11/5
Undercover Brother 2 – Netflix 11/5
The Biggest Little Farm – Hulu 11/6
Burning Cane – Netflix 11/6
Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story – Hulu 11/6
Shadow – Netflix 11/6
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open – Netflix 11/7
Anna and the Apocalypse – Hulu and Prime 11/13
Romans – Prime 11/13
UglyDolls – Hulu 11/13
Instant Family – Hulu and Prime 11/14
Creed II – Hulu and Prime 11/15
Bottom of the 9th – Prime 11/15
The Tomorrow Man – Hulu 11/18
The Quiet One – Hulu 11/19
Dream Killer – Netflix 11/20
The Fanatic – Prime 11/20
Vita & Virginia – Hulu 11/22
Astronaut – Hulu 11/26
Meeting Gorbachev – Hulu 11/27
Mike Wallace Is Here – Hulu 11/28
Low Tide – Prime 11/30

Originals
American Son – Netflix 11/1
Drive – Netflix 11/1
Fire in Paradise – Netflix 11/1
Holiday in the Wild – Netflix 11/1
The King – Netflix 11/1
The Man Without Gravity – Netflix 11/1
The Devil Next Door – Netflix 11/4
Tune in for Love – Netflix 11/5
Let It Snow – Netflix 11/8
Paradise Beach – Netflix 11/8
Maradona in Mexico – Netflix 11/13
Earthquake Bird – Netflix 11/15
House Arrest – Netflix 11/15
Klaus – Netflix 11/15
Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power – Hulu 11/19
No hay tiempo para la verguenza – Netflix 11/19
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator – Netflix 11/20
Lorena, la de pies ligeros – Netflix 11/20
The Knight Before Christmas – Netflix 11/21
Mon frere – Netflix 11/22
Broken – Netflix 11/27
Holiday Rush – Netflix 11/28
Atlantics – Netflix 11/29
I Lost My Body – Netflix 11/29
The Christmas Prince: A Royal Baby – Netflix TBD

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Previews, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Streaming Picks: November 2019, Part 1
28
Oct

What I Watched This Week: 20 Oct 2019

NEW SHOWS
The Simpsons – “Treehouse of Horror XXX” (B)
I actually enjoyed each of the segments, even as I acknowledge this will never be as good as the old days. Put another way: I only rolled my eyes once or twice.

Watchmen – “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice” (A) / series premiere
One of the best pilots I’ve seen in a long time. It establishes an entirely new world, while still leaving you with tantalizing questions. Regina King is excellent as usual, but the rest of the cast is terrific in each of their roles. I have no idea where this will go next, and that’s truly exciting.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “The Gang Texts” (A-)
The best episode of the season so far. Filled with great verbal and visual gags, it’s also the funniest. It also, kinda sorta, has a message to share. Nothing as profound as last season’s finale, of course, but there’s something there.

The Good Place – “Employee of the Bearimy” (A-)
Michael faces down his deepest fears in his biggest gambit yet, freeing Good Janet in the process and getting to gooify Vicki. As things go awry in the “Good Place,” the friendship between Eleanor and Tahani deepens. Fooooolllllleeeesssssss!

CURRENT SHOWS & SPECIALS
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (B+)
While a lot of the episode is, well, episodic, it’s ultimately extremely satisfying to see Jesse finally get a happy ending. Also, Scott MacArthur is 2019’s best dirtbag thief, between this and The Righteous Gemstones.

BINGEING
Better Call Saul – Season 3 (A- average)
The show finally, completely clicks for me, in some ways exceeding Breaking Bad. The strained relationship between Jimmy and Chuck is the real reason for this show to exist, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. And, of course, there’s the greatness of Rhea Seehorn, who’s even better than usual as Kim Wexler.

Schitt’s Creek – Season 5 (A- average)
I’m finally all caught up with the warmest, most delightful show on TV. I think Season 4 is probably still the show’s greatest batch of episodes, but this has the only moment that’s actually made me tear up: Patrick’s proposal to David, which comes at the end of a frustrating day, which makes it feel even more real.

Posted in Reviews, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What I Watched This Week: 20 Oct 2019
20
Oct

What I Watched This Week: 13 Oct 2019

NEW SHOWS
The Righteous Gemstones – “Better Is the End of a Thing than Its Beginning” (A) / season finale
A genuinely moving finale that also provided the biggest laughs of the season. The story Edi Patterson tells about Judy’s one past relationship enters the pantheon of great TV monologues, right up there with Jason Alexander’s story of George rescuing a whale on Seinfeld. This was a self-contained season, but it ended so strong that I’m excited to see where they take it next year.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “The Gang Chokes” (B+)
There’s a fucked-up O. Henry vibe to this episode, as the put-upon waiter they frequently encounter saves the life of both Frank and Dee and the former repays him in a way that completely derails the semi-peaceful life he had. But there’s also a Phantom Thread parody going on in the background between Mac and Dennis that’s pretty amazing as well.

The Good Place – “Tinker, Tailor, Demon, Spy” (A-)
The first great episode of the season, as Glenn arrives from the Bad Place to sow discord among the group by trying to convince the gang that Michael is actually Vicky in a Michael suit. We may never know the real answer, but the Michael that’s present proves himself worthy, and Jason and Michael are now headed off on an adventure to the real Bad Place to try to level the playing field that Shawn has tried to screw with yet again.

BINGEING
Schitt’s Creek – Season 4 (A- average)
The show’s best season yet, as David and Alexis finally find true love. To quote the great Tina Turner, it’s simply the best.

Posted in Reviews, Television | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on What I Watched This Week: 13 Oct 2019
14
Oct

What I Watched This Week: 6 Oct 2019

NEW SHOWS
Saturday Night Live – “Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift” (B+)
A mostly successful episode thanks to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s deft maneuvering in playing all different types of characters. “Mid-Day News” was probably the best non-political/non-game show sketch they’ve done in a very long time.

The Righteous Gemstones – “But the Righteous Will See Their Fall” (A-)
My favorite episode since the big reveal at the end of Episode 2. Gideon chooses not to implicate his dad in the robbery, leaving Jesse to confess on his own, which sets off a whole string of chaos. Judy goes apeshit after B.J. refuses to reconcile, and Kelvin sinks into a drunken state of depression. It’s a bad time for everyone, but makes for a great episode.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “Dee Day” (B)
One of the grosser episodes the show has done, leaning hard into offensive stereotypes (on purpose). But it’s all worth it for the last five minutes, when Dee reveals herself as a mastermind.

South Park – “Shots!” (A-)
One of the show’s best episode in a while, this one takes on anti-vaxxers in its typical absurdist way. That ending is absolutely perfect.

The Good Place – “Chillaxing” (B+)
The Soul Squad has to adjust on the fly, as their tactics fail to work on the new foursome. Tahani has to have genuine connection with her earthly archnemesis, and Eleanor has to put Chidi in an uncomfortable position despite her affection for him. But those decisions put half the new group on the path to becoming a better person.

CURRENT SHOWS
South Park – “Band in China” (B+)
The best part of South Park has been its ability to instantly react to the news of the day. But in a rare turn of events, an episode ends up anticipating the news of the day. Airing just before Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of Hong Kong protestors ended up costing the NBA millions of dollars, this feels like an extremely savvy take

BINGEING
Schitt’s Creek – Season 3 (A- average)
The show grew even more delightful and heartfelt in its final stretch, as Alexis finally graduates high school and David finally opens his store, and kisses Patrick.

Posted in Reviews, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What I Watched This Week: 6 Oct 2019
13
Oct

Too Early for This: Oscar Picks – 13 Oct 2019

BEST PICTURE
1917
The Farewell
Ford v. Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Just Mercy
Marriage Story
Once upon a Time in Hollywood
Queen and Slim

Falling off: The Goldfinch, The Laundromat, Little Women
Rising star: The Two Popes
The skinny: The Goldfinch famously flopped. The Laundromat got mixed reviews and some mild controversy for a scene in which Meryl Streep dons brownface. And then there’s Little Women. It’s only problem seems to be premiering too late in the game. It won’t premiere at any festivals, and its Christmas Day opening might be a death sentence as far as awards are concerned, unless they get some early critics screenings going. It’s a problem that may also befall Queen and Slim, which will premiere at AFI Fest in November, only a couple weeks before its wide release. I’m leaving it as a major contender for now, but a month could really change things.

BEST DIRECTOR
Sam Mendes, 1917
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Quentin Tarantino, Once upon a Time in Hollywood
Melina Matsoukas, Queen and Slim

Falling off: Lulu Wang
Rising star: Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
The skinny: This seems like a mostly concrete lineup. If Queen and Slim doesn’t hit like I’ve been predicting, Bong Joon-ho could certainly take Matsoukas’s spot, even if Parasite doesn’t have any other major nominations. It’s certainly past time for Bong to get serious stateside recognition.

BEST ACTOR
Antonio Banderas, Pain & Glory
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once upon a Time in Hollywood
Daniel Kaluuya, Queen and Slim
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Falling off: Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks (moved to supporting)
Rising star: Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
The skinny: Another line-up I’m feeling strong in, despite a long list of guys just below this initial five. And while Uncut Gems has gotten mostly raves, it still feels super weird to talk about Academy Award nominee Adam Sandler. While this certainly has a higher profile than Good Time, that got a whopping zero nods. The Safdies are an acquired taste, and I don’t think it’s one voters will acquire any time soon. A24 will have to campaign hard for this to happen.

BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Jodie Turner-Smith, Queen and Slim
Renée Zellweger, Judy

Falling off: Brie Larson (moved to supporting)
Rising star: Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
The skinny: Feeling like an oddly thin year for lead actress performances, so I’m not expecting much movement here. Saoirse could still get in if the film gets more momentum. She’s clearly well-liked, as she’s already gotten three nods before the age of 25.

Continue reading →

Posted in Awards, Film, Oscars, Previews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Too Early for This: Oscar Picks – 13 Oct 2019
5
Oct

What I Watched This Week: 29 Sep 2019

NEW SHOWS
Saturday Night Live – “Woody Harrelson/Billie Eilish” (C+) / season premiere
All my hopes of new cast members and Alec Baldwin’s public threats to quit the show were dashed in the cold open, which was just a bunch of pathetic impersonations, plus references to Ray Donovan and the “Wasssssupppppppp” ads from 20 years ago. At least the Democratic debate was better, and a couple goofy sketches worked for me. But it seems like we’re in for a long season. At least Phoebe Waller-Bridge is up next week.

The Righteous Gemstones – “And Yet One of You Is a Devil” (B+)
The emotions are more pronounced this week, and the show wimps out on the heist, instead giving us an intense armed robbery. Yet I can’t help but wondering how much better the show would be if there were 20 percent more jokes.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “Thunder Gun 4: Maximum Cool” (B-)
Goes back to the Thunder Gun well one too many times, as they try to “fix” the reboot of the film. A few funny lines, but it can’t help but feel like “been there, done that.”

The Good Place – “A Girl from Arizona, Part 2” (B+)
Eleanor has a crisis of confidence, as her attempts to snap Brent out of his extreme entitlement fail. But even after telling off her pals (“Stick your fat grumps up your snorkbox!”), she’s persuaded to continue by Michael. He doesn’t understand humans; she does. They’ll all have to learn to persevere this season.

OLD SHOWS
Breaking Bad – Season 5
“Ozymandias” (A+)
“Granite State” (A)
“Felina” (A)
Rewatched the final three episodes of the series in preparation for El Camino. Even though I hadn’t seen them since their original broadcast, I still remembered a ton of details about each episode. “Ozymandias” is probably the greatest single hour of television this decade, and the finale was still extremely satisfying. But I was completely turned around on “Granite State,” which I found a bit boring at the time. But it’s absolutely brilliant in its depiction of a broken man, who has more money than he could ever spend, and absolutely no way to spend it on something he actually wants. In the end, so thin his wedding ring has fallen off his finger, he’s paying his fixer $10,000 just to spend one hour with him and play cards. “I guess I got what I deserved” indeed.

Posted in Reviews, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What I Watched This Week: 29 Sep 2019
1
Oct

Streaming Picks: October 2019

It’s an extremely jam-packed month, so let’s dive in.

FILMS
Top Picks
High Life – Prime 10/3
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie – Netflix 10/11
The Laundromat – Netflix 10/18
Dolemite Is My Name – Netflix 10/25
Amazing Grace – Hulu 10/2
Little Monsters – Hulu 10/11
Wounds – Hulu 10/18

With such an insanely large selection this month, I’m choosing to write only about 2019 movies. All the services are adding plenty of spooky selections for Halloween, but I don’t know when you’ll have time to watch all of those when there’s this much primo content from the last few months.

High Life is Claire Denis’ English-language debut, a disturbing psychological thriller about the bright idea to stick a bunch of violent felons and an obsessive scientist (Juliette Binoche) on space mission.

Netflix is coming for all the awards (well, Oscars, Golden Globes and Emmys) with a sequel to Breaking Bad and two tongue-in-cheek true stories. The Laundromat is the latest from Steven Soderbergh, about the Panama Papers, while Dolemite Is My Name is the crowd-pleasing festival favorite featuring a plugged-in Eddie Murphy as comedian and filmmaker Rudy Ray Moore.

Amazing Grace instantly vaulted itself into the upper echelon of concert docs, as the previously unseen footage was finally restored and synced with the audio of Aretha Franklin’s legendary gospel album. And Hulu also picked up two horror flicks from Sundance and SXSW: Little Monsters is a dark comedy about a teacher trying to save her students on a field trip from a zombie apocalypse. Wounds features Armie Hammer and Dakota Johnson and shit-ton of creepy crawlies.

Recent Selections
Miami Group Murder – Hulu 10/1
The Killer Next Door – Hulu 10/1
Pegasus: Pony with a Broken Wing – Hulu 10/4
Missing Link – Hulu 10/7
After – Netflix 10/9
Megan Leavey – Hulu 10/9
Trespassers – Hulu 10/11
The Last Face – Hulu 10/13
Little Woods – Hulu 10/14
Dark Crimes – Netflix 10/15
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am – Hulu 10/17
Kill Chain – Prime 10/18
The Ladybug – Hulu 10/20
Echo in the Canyon – Netflix 10/21
Benjamin – Hulu 10/22
Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy – Netflix 10/22
Revenge of the Pontianak – Netflix 10/24
Assimilate – Netflix 10/25
Nobody’s Fool – Prime 10/28
In Search of Greatness – Prime 10/30

Originals
Ready to Mingle – Netflix 10/2
In the Tall Grass – Netflix 10/4
The Forest of Love – Netflix 10/11
Fractured – Netflix 10/11
La influencia – Netflix 10/11
The Awakenings of Motti Wolenbruch – Netflix 10/11
Banlieusards – Netflix 10/12
Eli – Netflix 10/18
Seventeen – Netflix 10/18
Upstarts – Netflix 10/18
Rattlesnake – Netflix 10/25
A 3 Minute Hug – Netflix 10/28

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Previews, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Streaming Picks: October 2019
28
Sep

What I Watched This Week: 22 Sep 2019

NEW SHOWS
71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (B-)
Not sure if this was as successful a hostless endeavor as the Oscars, but it didn’t drag and they ended on time, so that has to count for something.

The Righteous Gemstones – “Now the Sons of Eli Were Worthless Men” (B)
Now that the show seemingly has no more tricks up its sleeve, it’s settled into a groove. Edi Patterson is on fire this episode, but everything around her is strangely muted.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “The Gang Gets Romantic” (B) / season premiere
A predictable but full-bore demented meta commentary on romantic comedies. I knew where it was going immediately, but how can you not enjoy Mac calling Dee “a diversionary subplot at best” or Charlie and Frank running to the bus depot to reunite with their Airbnb guests set to Bruce Springsteen’s “Secret Garden”?

The Good Place – “A Girl from Arizona, Part 1” (B+) / season premiere
A strong return for the show, as the new fake Good Place is almost immediately thrown into chaos with the absolute worst humans (and Simone, who refuses to accept that she’s dead). We also learn the Bad Place theme song is the 1-877-Kars4Kids jingle, an incredible bit.

Sturgill Simpson Presents Sound & Fury (A-)
I am not now, nor have I ever been an “anime guy.” But this “visual album” is a 41-minute trip. Extremely unsubtle but extremely effective, and also extremely violent. The album’s even better, but I’ll probably fire this up every now and again when I need to just throw something on.

Posted in Reviews, Television | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on What I Watched This Week: 22 Sep 2019
22
Sep

The List: Top 10 ‘The West Wing’ Episodes

Aaron Sorkin’s seminal White House drama premiered 20 years ago today. I had never watched it until Trump began his clumsy reign of terror, so seeing an extremely intelligent fictional president was even more jarring, especially as he actually compromised with his political opponents and even admitted when he was wrong. So here are my top 10 episodes, with even some latter seasons represented.

west_wing-in_god_we_trust
10. “In God We Trust” (Season 6, Episode 20)
Could America have a non-Christian president, or even a non-religious one? Technically we do now, but he had to convince the Evangelical Christian base of the Republican Party that he was, even though he’s about as far away from Christ as you can get. But if the candidate was a decent person, just not into going to church? We certainly could, but both parties would have a hard time nominating that person. Arnold Vinick is a rare “good Republican” that Aaron Sorkin, Joe Biden and some others still believe exists. But as he has to navigate the treacherous waters of a party that demands not only just religious fealty, but also rabid anti-abortion views, he feigns duty, but swipes back at the end, telling reporters he’ll answer any question they have honestly, as long as it’s not about his faith or lack thereof. That should be the gold standard for any politician.

west_wing-debate
9. “The Debate” (Season 7, Episode 7)
An hour-long debate that Parks and Recreation lifted wholesale for its fourth season, this was a riveting subversion of format (see also: “Access”) that was more than a gimmick. It revealed nearly everything each character believes. What’s made it age so well (in an upsetting way) is how many topics brought up in this episode we’re still debating, nearly 15 years later.

west_wing-an_khe
8. “An Khe” (Season 5, Episode 14)
The very best episode from a transitional Season Five finds Leo in the midst of a personal crisis. His best friend (Jeffrey DeMunn), who saved his life in Vietnam, is in hot water with Congress after low-balling a bid for a defense contract. Leo rushes to his defense, but then has to deal with the immense betrayal when he realizes it’s not partisan politics that’s caused the scandal, but simple greed. Meanwhile, Bartlett has to activate a covert rescue mission to recover five pilots from North Korea, and C.J. beats down a “gotcha” journalist (played by Jay Mohr).

west_wing-celestial_navigation
7. “Celestial Navigation” (Season 1, Episode 15)
Told in a flashback structure favored by Sorkin, Josh reveals a day at the White House in which everything goes wrong. It all starts when C.J. has to have an emergency “woot kuh-now,” causing Josh to fill in at the press briefing, where he jokes about the President’s “secret plan to fight inflation.” But the heart of the story is Josh and Toby heading to Connecticut to bail out their Supreme Court nominee after he’s pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving. It features an exceptional performance of quiet dignity from guest star Edward James Olmos, touching on systemic racism in our nation’s police forces.

west_wing-take_this_sabbath_day
6. “Take This Sabbath Day” (Season 1, Episode 14)
One of the best aspects of the show, especially in its Sorkin-led years, is how deftly it blended humor with deeply serious topics. Smelly, hungover Josh constantly running into people at work (on a Saturday, no less) is comedy gold. But the show’s debate over the death penalty (even when it’s for a guilty person) brings out the best in many of its characters. And then the show really brings it home in its final scene, featuring Karl Malden as a priest (in what I have to assume is a nod to On the Waterfront), to whom Bartlett confesses his sins.

Continue reading →

Posted in Best Of, Television | Tagged | Comments Off on The List: Top 10 ‘The West Wing’ Episodes
21
Sep

What I Watched This Week: 15 Sep 2019

NEW SHOWS
The Righteous Gemstones – “Interlude” (A-)
A crazy ’80s fever dream of an episode, one that doesn’t have many laughs. But it contextualizes every character and relationship effectively. I’m no Sugarland fan, but Jennifer Nettles is extraordinary as Aimee-Leigh. And I’ll have “Misbehavin'” stuck in my head the rest of the year.

CURRENT SHOWS
The Righteous Gemstones – “Wicked Lips” (B+)
The show’s going to have to clarify the relationship between Kelvin and the Nancies’ wayward daughter, or else it’s going to get icky, but for now it’s a sweet subplot in a crass show. Keefe is rapidly becoming my favorite character, one of the few people on the show actively trying to become a better person.

BINGEING
The Boys – Season 1 (A- average)
A deeply cynical superhero satire that found its black heart along the way. Antony Starr’s performance as Homelander is one of the best of the year. The show hit on everything: terrorism, corporate greed, hypocritical churches, government corruption, drug addictions, racism, sexual assault and environmentalism, and more, and still managed to be hilarious and thrilling. And by gradually revealing its cheeky co-protagonist (a terrific Karl Urban) as a bottomless well of rage and nothing else, constantly flipped our expectations.

Schitt’s Creek – Season 2 (B+ average)
Even sweeter as it adjusts to a more typical sitcom from the fish-out-of-water first season. Just a total delight.

Posted in Reviews, Television | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on What I Watched This Week: 15 Sep 2019