Love Life, Homecoming and How to Build a Girl

My Top Three This Week 

Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. We have now entered the new normal of sheltering in place. Zoom meetings, un-highlighted hair and unmitigated bread baking. But I am catching up with  some classic movies, art projects and reading. I have just finished reading If it Bleeds the new Stephen King offering and if you loved The Outsider you will want to read this book of novellas.All that aside this is what I am watching this week.


1) Love Life  an HBO Max original series with 3 episodes dropped a few days ago. This has all the earmarks of a binge worthy watch.  Filmed in New York like so many classics this follows the love life of Darby Carter ( Anna Kendrick) from first love to everlasting love. The premise of this is novel as Darby and her  long time friends Sara and Mallory embark on love in the big apple with all the pitfalls and broken hearts. The focus is mostly on Darby as she has her first kiss as a teen ager and each episode  marks a new period of her life with a new love interest as she learns the painful lessons of love and self confidence. Paul Feig and Kendrick are executive producers so you know it is going to be good. This has the heart of some of our favorites like Sex and the City and Younger. This is the perfect showcase for Kendrick's most endearing qualities . There are some fine performances from Zoë Chao, Sasha Compére , Stephan James and Hope Davis as Darby's distant mother. Watch this!

2) Homecoming the 2nd season on Prime is missing Julia Roberts but we have a highly taut thriller with a great performance from Janelle Monáe  as Alex who wakes up in a rowboat  with no memory of who she is or what happened. The episodes roll backwards like last season to reveal how she got there and who she is. This might even be more compelling than last season with some strong acting from Chris Cooper and Hong Chau as Audrey Temple. Those two have some of the best scenes together and Joan Cusack as wacky Bunda. This whole  premise is so far out there it feels that it could be happening somewhere in the world right now.

3) How to Build a Girl now available for rental is the perfect vehicle for Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) as Johanna Morrigan a high Schooler living in a blue collar neighborhood in England who reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde, a snarky music journalist who works for a music review journal to make money to help her family survive. Her vivid imagination and talent takes a long way but her lack of maturity as she tries to be a femme fatale make this a sweet coming of age movie . Special shout out to Laurie Kynaston as her brother Krissi and to Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) her closest ally John Kite.

Bonus: Space Force now on Netflix is the newest series from Greg Daniels who brought us The Office and Parks and Rec and Upload. this premise could not be more timely . The series opens with General Mark Naird (Steve Carell) who is tasked with opening a 6th branch of the military Space Force. This has potential to be up there with all of Daniel's hits and with a cast of some high wattage stars it shines brightly. General Naird moves with his family to a military base to get "Boots on the Moon" .  The humor is a little dry but I am watching anything with this cast of Lisa Kudrow, Carell, John Malkovich, Fred Willard, Don Lake, Diedrich Bader (who I love), Jane Lynch and a host of stars.

Hollywood, Upload, the Baker and the Beauty and Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist

My Top Three This Week 

Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. The saga continues as we all do our part to keep the sanity in this insane world. With that in mind watch Jerry Seinfeld special 23 Hours to Kill - you can thank me later. So many new series are dropping in May and new seasons are starting ( cant wait to dig into Dead to Me) that I feel that along with that is the hope that we can all go to concerts, movies, plays one day and until then I am here for you.

1) Hollywood streaming on Netflix is the perfect What/If fairytale we didn't even know needed. Set in the era of glamorous post war Hollywood , Ryan Murphy introduces us to the notion of what would  have happened if Rock Hudson got to live his truth , a woman ran a studio and a woman of color opened a big film. Murphy has long favored people on the fringe and that is what gives this mini-series its heart. Floating fictional characters along with the very real stories of the famed gas station that served more than gas , the legendary  story of Peg Entwistle who committed suicide by jumping off the Hollywood sign. The all star cast has some Murphy regulars and few new faces - all outstanding performances. The standouts are Dylan McDermott at his best as Ernie West proprietor of said gas station and David Corenswet as Jack Costello . Joe Mantello, Jeremy Pope , Jake Picking, Jim Parsons and national treasure Holland Taylor give thoughtful performances full of longing. But Patti Lupone steals every scene. Just Watch this!!

2 Upload from creative genius Greg Daniels now on  Amazon Prime is a smart, sci -fi dark comedy mystery that will hook you from the very beginning. The premise of the story is that for those who can afford it when they  are nearing end of life they can be uploaded into Lakeview a virtual landscape where their every wish is catered to as they live their best life in a 3-D printed body. Nathan is on the brink between life and death after a self driving car accident and his girlfriend uploads him into Lakeview where she will join him whenever her life is over  thus binding him for afterlife where every convenience is charged to her account. The mystery of his crash,  his business deal that was on the verge of happening and a very absent business partner plus  some memory gaps has a very hilarious sleuth trying to find out what happened. Some great acting from Robbie Amell, Andy Allo and Allegra Edwards.

3) There are several choices I recommend if you are looking for something heart warming, sweet or has great musical dance numbers I have some guilty pleasures for you. I bundled them together so you can just enjoy with no spoilers, no plots just all the feels, The Baker and the Beauty an American version of the Israeli hit with lots of eye candy. Never Have I Ever a sweet sweet story from creator Mindy Kaling and one of my favorite hybrids - Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist the tale of a young woman who sees people's heart songs with full dance numbers and a variety of music styles. This cast is a dream cast. The amazing Jane Levy, Alex Newell( a showcase performance), Peter Gallagher , Mary Steenburgen and Lauren Graham. Skyler Astin and John Clarence Stewart provide some of the best dance/music sequence with the exception of Newell who can do anything as far as I am concerned.

Belgravia, Unorthodox and Mrs. America

My Top Three This Week 

Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. Sheltering in place for the second month and we are all adjusting to the new normal. Indoor entertainment, cooking, zooming, watching a lot of TV has been on the rise. But most important is reaching out by phone or facetime to talk to friends and family. A text or email  does not replace voices and the laughter of someone you love. I already have some new content - new to me anyway.So here goes:

1) Belgravia on Epix is the Julian Fellowes fix we have been waiting for since beloved Downton Abbey has departed. Set in 1815 the story follows a Sophia the daughter of James and Anne Trenchard as she and Edmund Bellasis the son of a very wealthy English family have an ill fated passionate evening that marks the beginning and the end. Edmund is killed tragically at war and Sophia gives birth to a baby boy. Twenty-five years later in the fanciest part of London -Belgravia , Lady Brockenhurst , Edmund's mother finds out a secret from Anne Trenchard that threatens to rock society. Tamsin Greig gives an epic performance as Anne  and Harriet Walter as Lady Brockenhurst are the perfect arch rivals. Great acting from Alice Eve and Tom Wilkenson round out a perfect cast. #Belgravia

1) Unorthodox on Netflix is a four episode  dramatic  series that explores the world of a New York Hasidic community of arranged marriages and surviving traditions that are practiced in this tight knit group. A young Esty revolts against the expectations of her new husband Yanky and his overbearing family and flees to Berlin for a new life. But her husband and a henchman  Moishe chase after her as she starts a new life and a possible connection with her mother who also escaped the sequestered life. Rich cinematography and wardrobe along with a inside perspective make this a must watch. Great performances from Amit Rahav as Yanky and Jeff Wilbusch as the ominous Moishe  as well as Alex Reid as Esty's mother. The standout performance is from the fabulous Israeli actress Shira Haas as the heartbreaking Esther (Esty) Shapiro . She is an actress to watch for 2020 and should win an Emmy for this performance. #Unorthodox

3) Mrs. America , a miniseries now streaming on FX/Hulu is tailor made for the acting chops of all the fine actresses starring in this drama centered around the ERA movement of the 70s. The attention to the finest detail, wardrobe and cinematography gives this an additional edge that make this on my must watch list. The finest nuanced role of course goes to the treasure that is Cate Blanchett as the indomitable  Phyllis Schlafly. The power struggles between powerful men  and the woman trying to reclaim their own is a fascinating watch. Each episode centers around a particular strong woman who was part of the STOP ERA or the ERA itself. Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm and Gloria Steinem to name a few. As the fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment rages, the heat is turned on during an embroiled battle that is so timely during this political climate we now live in. The role /roll call of famous women appearing on this is mind boggling - Tracey Ullman, Margo Martindale, Rose Byrne, Sarah Paulson, Jean Tripplehorn, Elizabeth Banks and the ever fabulous Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm. #MrsAmerica

Bonus: Work in Progress on Showtime will make you laugh , break your heart and educate you all at the same time. Mental illness is a very tough subject in the comedy world but creator and star Abby McEnany does just that . Abby is a 45 year old lesbian on the brink of suicide. Dealing with Depression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. she has given herself a timeline before she commits the actual act based on 180 almonds she has carefully laid out to mark the countdown. But then she meets someone who changes who she thinks she is and who she might become. The tight-wire act between laughing and crying is what makes this so special . There are some fine performances here - Julia Sweeney playing herself is a great story line and she is also the executive producer and Celeste Pechous a best friend anyone would want and Theo Germaine as Chris the trans man who turns Abby's life around. The Chicago locale is an added bonus that is almost a character in the series. #Workinprogress

Home Before Dark, I See You and Vivarium

My Top Three This Week 

Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. If you can not get enough Tiger King check out the podcast Joe Exotic:Tiger King  for many of the crazy details that were not included in the Netflix series and look for an upcoming production miniseries with Kate Mckinnon  as Carole Baskin I keep getting so many recommendations from people and it is so great to get turned on to something new and that is why I keep looking for some gems  that might have been missed. I am sure many of you have binge watched the fantastic Gentefied, the third season of Good Girls and Ozark like me arguably some of the best shows on the small screen.I have a few of my new favorites below

1) Home Before Dark on AppleTV+ is one of the most interesting series I have watched in awhile. The story of a journalist's family who leave Brooklyn after a tragic news story and move back to Eerie Harbor his hometown. His nine year old daughter Hilde , a budding reporter herself  also self publishes her own newspaper and uncovers clues for a 30 year old kidnapping cold case that rocked the town and also happened to involve her own father. Jim Sturgess, Kylie Rogers, Abby Miller and Brooklynn Prince as Hilde turn in well thought out performances and Prince is a star on the rise. Is it coincidence that this budding  reporter earns her name from another famous reporter on His Girl Friday ( Hildy played by Roselind Russell. This is captivating television. #Homebeforedark

2) I See You streaming on Netflix is a twisty turny movie that keeps getting better the further it goes. If you don't know what phrogging is you will find out in this movie and it is super creepy and a real thing. Starring Helen Hunt, Jon Tenney , Judah Lewis and Owen Teague (IT), this is a tale of a town dealing with a disappearance of a young boy and the apparent haunting in the house of the lead detective Tenney and his wife and son. (Hunt gives a solid performance and Owen Teague proves again that he can play anything from his role in Mrs. Fletcher and the bully in IT. This was a nice treat to find. #ISeeYou

3)  Vivarium , available for rent is a  creepfest told in such clever way it seems to integrate dark humor and a slowly building quiet terror . Imogeen Poots and Jesse Eisenburg  star in this film  of a young couple looking for a new home , wanting to start a family who find themselves in a cookie cutter neighborhood with no visible neighbors or a way out. A small baby is left for them to raise along with daily food dropped off in front of their door. The young couple slowly go insane as they try to escape and find the secret of their new world.  #Vivarium

Bonus: And now for something wacky. Watch Lazy Susan starring Sean Hayes as Susan the epitome of a narcissistic , lazy woman who lives off of her family and shops in the stores using motorized shopping carts and uses  her belly button as a reservoir  for ketchup to dip her fries versus getting up for a dish. Starring some great comedy costars such as Allison Janney, Matthew Broadrick, Carrie Aizley , Margo Martindale and the hilarious Jim Rash. This almost feels like a Kristin Wiig vehicle. Hayes is excellent as Susan as well as a great supporting cast.
#LazySusan

                                                                               

Devs, Tiger King and Freaks

My Top Three This Week 

Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. It has been a traumatic time since I last posted. The news is terrible and we are in a global panic. Many of us are now sheltering and working from home or self quarantining .  With so much time on our hands and the need to take a break from the news here a few of my favorites right now.

1) Devs on FX and streaming on Hulu  is a fantastic and cautionary tale about playing God and technology. Set in a Google like campus in Silicon Valley the story focuses on a couple  Sergei and Lily who work in research for a tech company called Amaya. Sergei gets transferred into development and becomes one of the "Devs" and mysteriously commits suicide within days of his new post. Amaya is run by an obsessed Forest played  by Nick Offerman who is secretly housing some of the world's biggest  terrifying innovations. Lily played by the amazing Sonoya Mizuno goes into full investigation mode while enlisting an ex boyfriend and trying to escape the greatest villain in recent history -Kenton perfectly cast Zach Grenier. One of the creepiest visions in this whole series is the 50 foot statue of a little girl overlooking the campus of Amaya.  #Devs

2) Tiger King is the WTF of the week for me in the best possible way. This Netflix original documentary series is the most outrageous show on television right now and I am watching it like a treat -A little dessert every night . This is a tale of murder, big cats, mullets, country music and not just a couple of toothless characters. Joe Exotic a zookeeper known as Tiger King runs a animal park with over 200 big cats and various other exotic animals and two husbands. His story connects with a host of other eccentric characters who seem broadly drawn cartoons. Even Carole Baskin who runs Big Cat Rescue seems like some drugged up earth mother who is Joe's nemesis . This has something for everybody. #Tigerking

3) Freaks on Netflix is such a wild movie I don't know how I missed it. Starring Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Grace Park and Lexy Kolker , this film opens with a young girl  who is confined to her room by a survivalist father (Hirsch) who seems intent on keeping his daughter  Chloe safe after the death of her mother. This is such an artfully directed film that you are kept guessing what is real  and is what is inside of Chloe's vivid imagination. When all is revealed in a twist it becomes a completely different story. Hirsch and Kolker as well as the amazing Bruce Dern show us an authentic world where people are a "little" different. #Freaks