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Wham! (2023)
This is a feel good doc!
What a refreshing look into the genesis and the rise and denouement of Wham! As George Michael's star is rising.
I laughed and sang and truly elevated my vibe. This wasn't a Behind the Music sort of exposé with dirt and infighting and backstabbing. No True Hollywood Story drama.
Hate to spoil it, but two really nice guys start writing songs together, then they put music to it, do some original dance moves, market themselves cleverly and voila! Big success that translates internationally.
I will continue to spoil it. Andrew Ridgeley very humbly and presciently could tell George had far surpassed his own songwriting abilities, and sends him off in the most gentle and supportive way. I will watch this again and again to have a little pick me up.
Elvis (2022)
Laughing so hard
We put this movie on after Banshees of Inisherin (wow, great flick), and I saw that Elvis got 8 Oscar nominations (compared to Banshees' 9 noms).
At one point in the film I turned to my husband and I said, "Eight Oscars? If one of them was for screenwriting, I will lose my mind. This dialogue is terrible. " And alas, no screenwriting nomination! Perfect. Both the Academy and I were like, Nope.
And the problematic Tom Hanks. He is unconvincing and just plain awful. I said to my husband, "No way Tom Hanks was nominated for best actor Oscar." Because you honestly never know bc the Academy worships Tom Hanks. His performance here was a bizarre caricature reminiscent of a guy I went to college with that honestly had a heart attack when he was 32. So, that's that.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich (2022)
I'm giving 10 stars
But not because this film deserves it. Why are these women not naming the names of the politicians and CEOs that they were trafficked to? Who will br brave enough to say the names? Ghislaine was on trial and the victims testified against her and yet only she and Epstein have been charged with crimes.
And so the only prominent john we know about is Prince Andrew, and only because there is a picture of an underage Virginia Giuffre with his arm around her shoulder. The only reason we don't know publicly about anyone else is because these other encounters were not documented.
That should tell you everything you need to know. Read between the lines on anything Melinda Gates has said on the topic. She essentially threw her ex husband under the bus and said he was among the same ilk as Epstein. Yuck.
Let's not forget about David Boies who represented Harvey Weinstein and attempted to smear his victims before he went to bat for Epstein's victims.
Action (2019)
Loved this, but for different reasons
My husband used to gamble when I first met him. He lost way more than he won. I was keeping track. Starting this football season, he became a bookie and slowly but surely he's netting real money every week. We just spent 6 days in Vegas. Vegas is usually a losing prospect for us. My husband used it as an opportunity to get more gambling clients. Net positive cash from that trip!
So why am I telling you this? The guys featured are total frauds. Vegas Dave is defrauding his parents. Clearly. The guy is making significant cash from selling his picks, but he is obviously still addicted to the "action" and losing more than he's making. I have to edit to add that in episode 3 near the end, the film crew does Vegas Dave dirty by showing his itty bitty, tiny little precious delicate feet in his teensy little sneakers and I was so mortified for him. That's when I realized why he never settled down.
And what about the daily fantasy guy in Chicago? Uh, delusional at best. If you pay attention to context in the program, he has roommates in his apartment. He is the #4 ranked daily fantasy player. So aspirational that the guy shares a 3/2 apartment with 2 other
guys.
Here's the unfortunate thing about Kelly. I bet she is extremely gifted with her picks and if a person were to take all of her picks every time, they'd probably be at .700. She's a woman and without a doubt completely underestimated in her field. I bet she doesn't get the credit she deserves. Start taking her picks. Bet you'll win a bunch.
The guy that stays in the Athenian-looking suite in the Westgate said the only rational thing of any of the documentary subjects: he said you don't have to bet every game. This is a guy to listen to as well.
Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet: I'm Not a Nazi (2022)
Glad other people thought the same
This reads to me very much like an advertisement for the "victim" and her nazi cronies in Identity Evropa. She's looking up, down, all around which is a sign of deception. (I'm not an expert at that, so anyone who is, please chime in.) Did you catch the fake cry after she mentioned the day of the rope? Also, did everyone need to learn about the day of the rope? Also, why are no directors or editors listed for this series? I wanted to see if there's a possible agenda.
Watch this episode again. It's different from the others. The victim has micro expressions and little laughs that show you her true intentions.
Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 (2022)
All your favorite throwbacks
All your favorite throwbacks from the 90s including a truly superb glow up from the real life Beavis and Butthead. I can't believe I'm the same age as these people.
Old (2021)
Stopped watching 5 minutes in
The children that were costars in this film were so terrible that I couldn't watch past the initial 10 minutes. I can't emphasize how terrible and unbelievable these young actors were.
Ricky Gervais: SuperNature (2022)
What you actually watched
This guy is the funniest living comedian we have, he knows it, and he is unafraid of being canceled. I think he may actually be un-cancelable. He's incredibly clever, and literally every joke hits (some hits are more groan than laugh, but I'm here for the absurdism.)
Ricky is so clever that if you made it to the end, consider yourself coached. He set the special up by essentially saying, I'm going to reëducate you and remind you what funny is. Then he proceeded to deliver a set of irreverent bits that remind us why we love to laugh.
Inventing Anna (2022)
The other side
I had read Rachel's book My Friend Anna via a Book of the Month selection which details her side of the story. It was a terribly interesting read.
I appreciated the Inventing Anna series for revealing details that I didn't yet know. The show made it evident why Anna was found not guilty concerning the theft from Rachel.
They also did Rachel so dirty in the program! At the time the events occurred she was mid-to-late 20s and was (and still is) a petite woman. The show cast a middle-aged (not tiny) person to play her and they made the Rachel character an unsympathetic, borderline-idiotic co-villain. Haha. So dirty.
In a later episode, it was clear that the journalist who provided the source material needed to clear up some details on the ignominious situation she found herself in prior to the Anna Delvey story.
It's a fascinating story that seems too bizarre to be believed, but it's true. (Except for the parts that are totally made up.)
The Dropout (2022)
Keep watching
It gets sooo good. Just finished episodes 5 and 6. The cringe is so delicious. I have consumed all the media about this case and this dramatized version has definitely been the most humorous part.
Beyond Impossible (2022)
Who is this guy?
This is on the scale of a very well-done YouTube video with alt media vibes. I was glad to see this film had been made. Lots of excellent new information and some great reminders.
Vinnie, you need to get someone to post this on the conspiracy subreddit. They will love you and buy your films, like I did. Watching Fat now.
Secrets of Playboy: The Circus (2022)
Suspension of disbelief
Sondra Theodore was a virgin when she met Hugh Hefner? The woman clearly smoked her kneecaps off, calling her credibility into question. It makes one wonder what other statements were embellished. Much scorn from women surprised that the founder of a magazine called Playboy turned out to be a playboy.
Moonfall (2022)
Synopsis
The studio that wrote the synopsis doesn't know the difference between hurdling and hurtling. If the moon were hurdling, it would be leaping over many things, like a person that runs hurdles. The moon in this movie is in fact hurtling toward earth.
The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman (2022)
Come on
You guys. What is this? How were any of these people not more skeptical or discerning? I really don't understand how this guy was able to persist with his con for so long?
Maid (2021)
It's Not for Everyone
The source material for this was a book of the month selection also entitled, "Maid." The book was just as insufferable as the show. First of all, the writing was poor and honestly the girl just clearly made terrible decisions at every turn. I couldn't relate to all the suffering for the benefit of offspring because I don't have kids. I guess I just don't care about her. This program probably didn't need to be made.
Pharma Bro (2021)
Giving 10 Stars for Exposure
Look into the journalist Christie Smythe that is one of the talking heads throughout the entire piece. Interestingly, while she was working for Bloomberg News she reported on Shkreli's court case, then she developed a relationship with him.
Shkreli petitioned the court for compassionate release directly to his girlfriend Christie's (also referred to as his fiancée's) home. She spoke up in court to say, among other things, that she deserved a shot at love with him.
Smythe went public about the relationship in an interview with Elle Magazine. Other media outlets reported on the story. When Shkreli was asked for comment from prison and he said he wished her success in all her future endeavors. Burn. He reportedly hasn't returned her calls since 2020.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
For del Toro and cinema fans
So this is based upon an old, old novel by a long dead author and is a remake of a film from the 1940s. The story was intriguing and well-told. Couple surprises! And this was a personal event for me as it was my first trip to a movie theater since covid and I'm so glad I went.
Had I streamed this movie at home I don't think it would have had the same impact on me and I don't know that I would have finished it. This is not Nightmare Alley's fault. I've just become accustomed to watching new films at my leisure in the comfort of my own home. Taking breaks, rewinding when I didn't hear something, etc.
Because I was in the theater with a girlfriend, I stayed and thoroughly enjoyed the film. Del Toro fans will love it too. The set design was truly incredible and I know someone on the crew probably had fun tracking down those old bumper cars. No detail was overlooked. Even the velvet rope in one scene was so textured and thoughtful. It was just cool to watch. This was not Pan's Labyrinth, but honestly what could top that? Great remake. Glad I watched.
Autonomy (2019)
Gladwell is a Genius
If you've never read a book by Malcolm Gladwell, then you just don't understand how rational and logical and eminently correct the man is regarding just about everything. His documentary Autonomy gives the viewer many things to consider. High caliber experts weighing in, fascinating history and meaningful connections.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Just don't think too hard
If you love sci fi like I do, even crappy sci fi is good. The Tomorrow War is better than crappy, plus the early reviews are so full of shade that I had to give 10 stars to lend some balance. It's got aliens, the future, time travel, science, guns, explosions, military, soccer, humanity banding together and your mom. What more could you want?
Synchronic (2019)
C'mon, it's great
I must preface this review by saying even the worst sci fi gets 5 stars from me. Loved this one. Broken hearted about the dog.
Sad the scientist died because I would wish to try some Synchronic.
The Nest (2020)
Reminds me of another British peculiarity...
Marmite. You either love it or hate it. I loved everything about this movie. Listen closely for the contextual clues in the dialogue to tell you everything. This whole era in the mid-late 80s had an on-the-brink feeling in real life before markets and institutions toppled. I wish this had been adapted from a book instead of being an original screenplay as I need to know more details about the O'Haras please.
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
Just an incredible ride
The filmmaker takes a nearly year-long journey into the micro environment of the kelp forest in the sea immediately adjacent to his home. It's an emotional ride that explores our deep connection to the beings with whom we share our home planet.
The Vast of Night (2019)
Not complaining but...
Pretty sure this movie was written and directed by AI. Who the heck is Andrew Patterson? Never heard of him.
Lucy in the Sky (2019)
How to make this a 10 star experience
Okay, grab a cocktail. Start streaming the movie. Google "astronaut diaper love triangle" and half watch the movie and half do google research while watching. It does not disappoint. You get the crazy, you get the sci fi, you get the bad belt placements on dresses, you get the Tex-ish accents. Truly a 21st century cinematic experience.
Hoarders: Dale (2019)
10 out of 10 for Dale
But the psychologist/consultant was really condescending and judgmental. The therapist from S10 Ep1 was more gentle and exceedingly more effective.