Movies and Television, 2023 > Likes and Comments

Time to start again! Post your thoughts on any movies or TV shows you've recently watched.

"Old Enough" - This is a cute Japanese documentary-type series. In each episode, cameras follow a child (from toddlers up) as they're sent to do their first errand alone.

On Netflix

Magpie Murders, a screen adaptation by Anthony Horowitz of his novel by the same name. If you've read the book there is no mystery here. However, I think the most impressive aspect of this 6-part presentation is the way in which Horowitz "deconstructed" his novel in order to present it in an interesting and seamless way.
In fact, I am so intrigued by what I imagine to have been his process that I am scheduling a re-read of the novel while the teleplay is fresh in my mind.

Laurence wrote: "Magpie Murders, a screen adaptation by Anthony Horowitz of his novel by the same name. If you've read the book there is no mystery here. However, I think the most impressive aspect of this 6-part p..."

I very much enjoyed the smooth transition from past to present and vice-versa. Very nicely done.

Does anybody enjoy the Inspector Ganache novels by Louise Penny? They have been filmed with Alfred Molina, the TV series is on Roku and called "Three Pines". We watched the first 2 episodes yesterday and enjoyed it.

Christine wrote: "Does anybody enjoy the Inspector Ganache novels by Louise Penny? They have been filmed with Alfred Molina, the TV series is on Roku and called "Three Pines". We watched the first 2 episodes yesterd..."

Just finished the series - brilliant but never read the book but.

Christine wrote: "Does anybody enjoy the Inspector Ganache novels by Louise Penny? They have been filmed with Alfred Molina, the TV series is on Roku and called "Three Pines". We watched the first 2 episodes yesterd..."

I liked it. The acting is very good, and the focus on the disappearances of indigenous women is what kept me hooked. The focus on the same topic is also why we watched the first season of a show called Alaska Daily (hulu).

the books are definitely worth reading but I think the continuing story is handled better in the series than in the books where I eventually got tired of it

Mike wrote: "Christine wrote: "Does anybody enjoy the Inspector Ganache novels by Louise Penny? They have been filmed with Alfred Molina, the TV series is on Roku and called "Three Pines". We watched the first ..."


I plan to read the first Louise Penny book in German, put it already in my amazon.de market basket for the annual order.

CBRetriever wrote: "the books are definitely worth reading but I think the continuing story is handled better in the series than in the books where I eventually got tired of it"


I will request the other sequels from our library.

Nancy wrote: "Christine wrote: "Does anybody enjoy the Inspector Ganache novels by Louise Penny? They have been filmed with Alfred Molina, the TV series is on Roku and called "Three Pines". We watched the first ..."



Nancy, I'll check for "Alaska Daily". - I just finished reading a great new crime novel by Audrey J. Cole called "The Final Hunt" which takes place in the Pacific Northwest and in Alaska (near Tok). I can highly recommend it.

Watched both Knives Out movies. The less you know going in the better it is, so I will keep this short. Both feature dogged detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigating murder amid the ultra rich. Convoluted mysteries with a bit of camp and a lot of poking fun at the wealthy. The whodunits are really well thought out and I enjoyed both the movies. Bring on the next installment. 8/10

Nancy wrote: "Laurence wrote: "I think the most impressive aspect of this 6-part presentation is the way in which Horowitz "deconstructed" his novel in order to present it in an interesting and seamless way. ..."

I very much enjoyed the smooth transition from past to present and vice-versa. Very nicely done.


Neat little visual tricks like Susan's sporty RED car passing Atticus' old BLACK car. The opening credits kind of assured me that the people behind the adaptation had taken the book seriously by also adopting the color scheme of the book's early covers.

Aditya wrote: "Watched both Knives Out movies. The less you know going in the better it is, so I will keep this short. Both feature dogged detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigating murder amid the ultra..."

Probably the most enjoyment I've had watching movies over the last couple of years.

The Dog Lover’s guide to Dating (2023) - I really liked that movie and I’m a huge fan of Rebecca Dalton and I’m a huge fan of Corey Sevier and I’m a huge fan of Emily Stranges

I watched the 2019 four episode series THE ACCIDENT. A small Welsh town that has been hit hard economically, is excited when a Japanese firm decides to construct a plant in the town. But when a terrible explosion rips through the site, killing many of the towns teenagers (who had trespassed on the site) -- the accident devastates the community. The daughter of the local politician who pushed for business is left with paralysis. The only one who seems to be able to bring the town together is the politician's wife!

Sarah Lancashire, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Eiry Thomas, and Joanna Scanlan are some of the stars of this series.

Catfish Killer (2022) - I thought that movie was pretty good and I’m a huge fan of Rene Ashton and I’m a huge fan of Elliott Rush and I’m a huge fan of Anthony Carro and I’m a huge fan of Anthony Fanelli and I’m a huge fan of Erin Anne Gray and I’m a huge fan of Daniel Grogan and I’m a huge fan of Jordan Hubbard and I’m a huge fan of Nicolette Langley and I’m a huge fan of Jason Marrs and I’m a huge fan of Casey O’Keefe and I’m a huge fan of Perry Laylon Ojeda and I’m a huge fan of Emary Simon and I’m a huge fan of Jordan James Smith and I’m a huge fan of Alicia Leigh Willis

Engaged to Be Murdered (2023) - I thought that movie was pretty good and I’m a huge fan of Erin Boyes and I’m a huge fan of Sarah-Jane Redmond and I’m a huge fan of Madison Smith and I’m a huge fan of Artie Tony Browne and I’m a huge fan of Lydia Campbell and I’m a huge fan of Tanis Dolman and I’m a huge fan of Enrique Garcia and I’m a huge fan of Malaika Jackson

Watched the 2022 Disney Pixar movie, Turning Red. Have some serious reservations about this movie. While I did laugh, there were many things I was troubled by. This felt very deep and adult to be a children's movie. Overall, I didn't enjoy it.

"Elvis" - The life of Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a megastar and beyond. The story is told largely from the POV of manager Colonel Tom Parker.

The story is rather sad as it largely depicts how Elvis - so talented - was manipulated by Parker and taken advantage of by his hangers-on. I don't know how true to life the movie is, but it seems rooted in reality.

The movie is too long (2.5 hours) and drags in places. But the parts where Elvis is singing and doing shows are good.

Fine acting by Austin Butler (Elvis) and Tom Hanks (unrecognizable as Colonel Parker).

Barbara wrote: ""Elvis" - The life of Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a megastar and beyond. The story is told largely from the POV of manager Colonel Tom Parker.

The story is rather sad as it large..."

I'll search for it on Roku, Hulu etc.

Groundswell (2022) - I really liked that movie and I’m a huge fan of Lacey Chabert and I’m a huge fan of Ektor Rivera and I’m a huge fan of Tracy Yamamoto and I’m a huge fan of Omar Bustamante and I’m a huge fan of Darren Darnborough and I’m a huge fan of Walter S. Gaines and I’m a huge fan of Katie Lee and I’m a huge fan of Napoleon Tavale and I’m a huge fan of Christina Souza and I’m a huge fan of Bernard Aderhold-Lindsey and I’m a huge fan of Chris Costanz and I’m a huge fan of Mike Cabrera and I’m a huge fan of Anuhea and I’m a huge fan of Darny Chau and I’m a huge fan of Andrea Elizabeth Sikkink

Fly Away With Me (2022) - I really liked that movie and I’m a huge fan of Natalie Hall and I’m a huge fan of Peter Mooney and I’m a huge fan of Melinda Michael and I’m a huge fan of Joseph Kathrein and I’m a huge fan of Kathryn Kohut and I’m a huge fan of Paul Constable and I’m a huge fan of Chris Zamat and I’m a huge fan of Gabriel Hudson

for all of you CJ Sansom fans (Dissolution etc) , evidently there is now a tv series in the works:

https://deadline.com/2023/01/disney-a...

"The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" (2022) - This is an action comedy in which Nicolas Cage plays himself.

The premise: When Nick attends a party in Majorca the CIA asks Nick to spy on the host, who's thought to be head of a criminal organization. Meanwhile the host wants Nick to star in a movie he wrote.

Lots of references to previous Nick Cage movies in this fun film.

Stars Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish, Sharon Horgan, and a good cast.

Pumpkin Everything (2022) - I really liked that movie and I’m a huge fan of Taylor Cole and I’m a huge fan of Corey Sevier and I’m a huge fan of Michael Ironside and I’m a huge fan of Paula Boudreau and I’m a huge fan of Paul Essiembre and I’m a huge fan of Brenda Gorlick and I’m a huge fan of Amy Groening and I’m a huge fan of Rachael McLaren and I’m a huge fan of Jay Koensgen and I’m a huge fan of Ciera Fredborg and I’m a huge fan of Dutchess Cayetano and I’m a huge fan of Hazel Wallace and I’m a huge fan of Heath Vermette and I’m a huge fan of Dan De Jaeger and I’m a huge fan of Tracy Penner and I’m a huge fan of Kerri Webster and I’m a huge fan of Susan Loewen

I watched the 2019 film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom. What an amazing movie. It tells the story of a young man who has just finished earning his teaching degree in college and is doing his 5 years of mandatory government service.

He's called into a meeting with his boss to discuss his lack of desire to teach. He longs to move to Australia and be a bar singer. The head of teaching assignments tells him that since teaching in a city does not meet his needs, perhaps he should go to Lunana to teach. Lunana is the most remote city, with no electricity, internet, modern conveniences. He cannot turn down the assignment.

He must make an eight day trek by foot to reach the village. When he gets there, he is disgusted by the rustic conditions he will be forced to live and work in. He tells the village elder he wants to return to the city and break his contract. He then meets the children of the village, and the story continues from there.

Beautiful scenery and a touching story.

Secrets in the Building (2022) - I thought that movie was pretty good and I’m a huge fan of Shemeka Wright and I’m a huge fan of Kia Dorsey and I’m a huge fan of Justin Berti and I’m a huge fan of Katelin Chesna and I’m a huge fan of Noah Fearnley and I’m a huge fan of Alexander Harris and I’m a huge fan of Rob LaColla and I’m a huge fan of John J. Jordan

"Don't Worry Darling" - The movie - which has a Stepford Wives vibe - is about an upscale community in the desert where the husbands go off to work and the beautifully groomed wives take care of the home and hang out at the pool, etc. One of the wives senses something wrong here and the film takes off from there.

The movie feels a little derivative but it's worth a look if you like this kind of mild horror.

Stars Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde (who also directed the film), and a good cast.

Barbara wrote: ""Don't Worry Darling" - The movie - which has a Stepford Wives vibe - is about an upscale community in the desert where the husbands go off to work and the beautifully groomed wives take care of th..."

Liked this one right up until the Big Reveal which needed more detailed explanation to really work. Olivia Wilde is a weirdly good director. Quite stylish.

Watched Knives Out: The Glass Onion. It was strangely predictable, unlike the first movie. I caught many of the "clues" and got the storyline pretty quickly. Don't want to give too much away, but if you've watched or read anything based on Agatha Christie, you will get the whole plot right away!

Laura wrote: "Watched Knives Out: The Glass Onion. It was strangely predictable, unlike the first movie. I caught many of the "clues" and got the storyline pretty quickly. Don't want to give too much away, but i..."

I love Knives Out. We laughed so much watching that movie -- and my husband is so bloody picky about what he watches that I enjoyed him enjoying it.

Nancy wrote: "Laura wrote: "Watched Knives Out: The Glass Onion. It was strangely predictable, unlike the first movie. I caught many of the "clues" and got the storyline pretty quickly. Don't want to give too mu..."

I loved the first movie. Not that HUGE of a fan of the second movie. Have you watched the second one yet?

Laura wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Laura wrote: "Watched Knives Out: The Glass Onion. It was strangely predictable, unlike the first movie. I caught many of the "clues" and got the storyline pretty quickly. Don't want ..."

My bad. I didn't read carefully enough.

Glass Onion I didn't like as much as the original; then again, I think this time around it was all about the satire. As a matter of fact, at the very beginning I actually said "OMG. They've (expletive deleted) ripped off Agatha Christie." Plus, plotwise, waaaaay too easy to figure out.

Nancy wrote: "Laura wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Laura wrote: "Watched Knives Out: The Glass Onion. It was strangely predictable, unlike the first movie. I caught many of the "clues" and got the storyline pretty quickl..."

Yes! It was so obviously based on Christie! My SO was like, how are you predicting all of this? I said, well I'm rather well read HA>

Laura wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Laura wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Laura wrote: "Watched Knives Out: The Glass Onion. It was strangely predictable, unlike the first movie. I caught many of the "clues" and got the storyline..."

Actually, if you think about it, a LOT of books & films have shamelessly copied Christie over the years.

Watchmen (2019) by Damon Lindelof – Set in alternate reality version of USA where cops wear masks and vigilantism is a crime, this mini-series is a sequel to the seminal Watchmen comics. Cop Angela Abar (Regina King) gets dragged into a massive conspiracy when her murdered friend is exposed as a white supremacist and her hundred year old wheelchair bound long lost grandfather claims to have killed him. The series like the comic before it is ambitious. It has a lot to say about racism, heroism and trauma. I especially liked the episodes that focus on single characters like the first superhero Hooded Justice or a returning character from the comics. Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers) struggles with endings and here also the final episode ties things up too neatly where the villains are treated like an afterthought. The acting as it is in most HBO series is uniformly great. King shines in a lead role after years of supporting turns in high profile movies and TV shows. My favorite performances were Jeremy Irons as narcissistic Ozymandius who mixes hubris and genius in equal measure and Jean Smart as resourceful cop Laurie Blake. I consider the original comics to be among the best books I have ever read, this is not that good but it is still a worthy addition to the Watchmen canon. 8/10

The Menu (2022) by Mark Mylod – Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and Margot (Anna Taylor-Joy) are among a dozen guests who travel to a remote island for a meal at a fine dining restaurant. Tyler is a foodie and fawns over chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). Margot finds the food and the airs Slowik puts on ostentatious. Slowik has murder on his mind. He is tired of serving the super-rich and has handpicked the guests he wants to kill. The script is bad - it never explains why Slowik’s cooks follow the madman like a cult. Or why Tyler still behaves like a fanboy after Slowik had started physically assaulting other guests. When characters stop behaving like sane, reasonable people, the central premise feels weak to me. Triangle of Sadness recently skewered the ultra-rich in a much more believable way. The Menu does not work as a satire or a dark comedy. It is a thriller where neither the situation nor the characters feel real. 5/10

Laura wrote: "Watched Knives Out: The Glass Onion. It was strangely predictable, unlike the first movie. I caught many of the "clues" and got the storyline pretty quickly. Don't want to give too much away, but i..."

I liked Glass Onion as much as the first. Both of them are a lot of fun.

Aditya wrote: "I liked Glass Onion as much as the first. Both of them are a lot of fun."

Me, too, largely because of Craig at the beginning and, as the movie progressed, more and more for Janelle Monae. I've only seen her in a couple of things, but more and more I'm thinking she can handle most any role tossed her way. I also thought Norton and Hudson were outstanding.

Also over the holidays, caught up with Wednesday, which was great fun. Jenna Ortega also seems able to handle most anything tossed her way, and was obviously committed to the role. She was solid in X and arguably the best thing about the latest Scream movie. I look forward to seeing her in more and different roles.

"The Pale Blue Eye" (2022) - In 1830, a detective is hired to investigate the murder of a West Point cadet whose heart was cut out. Fellow cadet Edgar Allan Poe helps with the search for the killer.

Good mystery movie. Streaming on Netflix.

Stars Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Timothy Spall, Gillian Anderson, and a good cast.

Scarecrow (1973) by Jerry Schatzberg – Quintessential 70s movie. It is character driven and has great performances with an episodic, meandering plot. Max (Gene Hackman) recently released from prison meets sailor Lionel (Al Pacino) recently away from sea. The drifters dare to dream and embark on a road trip to Pittsburgh. Max wants to open a car wash with Lionel as partner. Lionel wants to meet the child he deserted. They are an odd pair. Max is short tempered and gruff, Lionel is a goofball. They meet Max’s sisters and get jailed for a while. It reminded me strongly of Midnight’s Cowboy except this is not as good. Midnight Cowboy was both funnier in its lighter moments and sadder in its graver moments. I have seen Hackman play a tough guy before but I have not seen Pacino play such a lightweight. Pacino plays against type to great effect there is none of the intensity that is usually associated with him. The central performances from two all timers remain the main reason to watch this. 7/10

The Pale Blue Eye (2022) by Scott Cooper – Slow mystery where sad private eye Landor (Christian Bale) teams up with an young Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) to find the killer brutally murdering cadets. Bale and Melling are both good but the movie is twenty to thirty minutes too long. It has two endings - the first one feels it went down the most obvious path, the second one is shocking but fails to land the emotional punch. It could have chosen one direction and stuck to it. 6/10

Aditya wrote: "The Pale Blue Eye (2022) by Scott Cooper – Slow mystery where sad private eye Landor (Christian Bale) teams up with an young Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) to find the killer brutally murdering ca..."


I had this on my "maybe" list, but sounds like it might not be worth the watch.

Laura wrote: "I had this on my "maybe" list, but sounds like it might not be worth the watch."

I thought it was average rather than outright bad. Watch it if you have nothing better to do, give it a pass if you are busy.

Have you guys read the book? I loved the book.

Aditya wrote: "The Pale Blue Eye (2022) by Scott Cooper – Slow mystery where sad private eye Landor (Christian Bale) teams up with an young Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) to find the killer brutally murdering ca..."

I watched this and thought it was pretty good. But as you say.....the ending, not so satisfying.

Randy wrote: "Aditya wrote: "I also thought Norton and Hudson were outstanding..."

I think Norton is always outstanding.

Barbara wrote: "I watched this and thought it was pretty good. But as you say.....the ending, not so satisfying."

Glad you liked it Barbara.

Avatar (2009) by James Cameron – Paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) goes to distant moon Pandora where war between man and native humanoid species - Na'vis seem imminent. Jake gets a chance to mind control a humanoid avatar that looks like the blue natives. He falls for Na'vi woman Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and starts doubting his allegiances. The CGI was revolutionary when it was released. I watched this on a PC screen in anticipation of the sequel and Pandora still remains fascinating, expansive and immersive. Men come across as cruel and brutal, Na'vis comes as vulnerable and thoughtful. It is a critic of colonialism. The themes are not exactly subtle but it need not be when it is this entertaining. The old joke about Cameron since Titanic is he spends so much on VFX, he has nothing left for scripts. Partly harsh partly true. But the other truth about Cameron is he is the best blockbuster director of all time with the first two Terminators, Aliens, True Lies and now Avatar. The characters lack depth but they are good enough for an action movie. The third act all out warfare is beautifully shot, no choppy editing here and I loved the aerial combat. It is an epic where the stake feels personal, the technological leap seems monumental and the story though simple works well. 9/10

That was a great film. Did you see it in 3-D? I may go see the sequel in the theatre since there’s no other way to see it in 3-D.