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The Tender Bar (2021)
Of course the BOOK was better, but this is a delightful film.
John Joseph '"JR" Moehringer's memoir arrived in 2005.
It was an excellent and unforgettable read.
When I learned the movie was out, I wondered how that book was going to fit within a movie script.
Well it didn't, however don't consider that a negative thing. Not at all.
The film captured the heart of the memoir and that's what's important.
It was a nice "feel good" watch, and these days, that's a good thing.
After watching the film, do yourself a favor and read the book of the same title!
Why Women Kill (2019)
YES!! Refreshingly Unique!!
Take a great cast, excellent acting and well defined characters and combine that with an overlapping multi-era story, and wow you've got a very entertaining show that isn't a "cookie cutter" typical drama format. Based on what you see in the first episode you understand that you are watching a "whodunit" in reverse. Every episode is saturated with colorful activity, dialog and/or great scene set-up shots that are not just "filler"; holds your interest!
Lore (2017)
Season 2 w/o Manke?
I loved Season 1!!!! Couldn't wait for Season 2!! Just finished watching. (NOTE: Watched S1 originally because I love the podcast.) Was really looking forward to S2 and right off the bat... FLAT. Ruined.
Aaron Manke IS Lore. *
Without Manke narration, the magic simply didn't happen. ALL of S2 is missing the very thing that makes it stand out from other stories or historical tales: Narration by Aaron Manke. He put the "difference in with the odd connections, the twists, the references to "folklore" that were just a little bit similar to "the monster under the bed" we all feared ourselves. We the viewer/listener heard the creepy as familiar and this captured more of our attention without us even realizing it until later.
Those are the things that made/make Manke's narration essential, with his additions and sometimes seemingly random facts, as he eventually knits them all together in a neat little bundle so not only are you told the main story, but you're left with quite a few other things to ponder as well. And you might just check under the bed again. That's what S1 had that S2 doesn't.
I watched every S2 episode hoping the next one would be better than the last. I could see the writers "trying" with the final episode, but simply adding the thoughts of a character as narrative isn't the same. Season 2 of Lore became just another show telling a story about something that happened at some point in history, and as for this viewer, I was quite bored and disappointed.
* As for other reviewers who I've seen complain about the "sound" of Aaron Manke's voice or the "monotone" or "pauses", IMHO that just adds positive points to the creep level.
The Romanoffs (2018)
PAINFUL.
I'll do my best not to include any spoilers as everyone should have the opportunity to view and decide for themselves what they think of this series. First, I love quirky. Second, I love history. Third, I loved Mad Men like crazy. Fourth, OMG what an awesome cast! Here's the problem: The quirky isn't; it's just plain dumb. There's no other way to say it. It goes completely flat. Painfully so. History? You think you're gonna watch an actual cohesive story (and that never happens) that might at minimum tie into history, but from a character point of view, FEW if any in the three episodes I've watched, even acknowledge the context (leaving some things unsaid here so I don't add spoilers). While watching (in part because these are boring enough one's mind wanders), I find myself frequently distracted by the thought "the guy who gave us Mad Men wrote this crap"? And the cast, some great people are in this and I can't figure out if they are doing a good job or a terrible job because it's all just so... painful to watch. It's just awful. I feel like I'm being extremely generous giving four stars, but I'm doing so with a tiny bit of hpoe in my heart that after watching the first three episodes, maybe something amazing will happen with future episodes that will actually earn those stars. This show at this point certainly can't earn more stars from this viewer (who RARELY writes reviews). I think I feel sad for it.