Movie #1923 ........................."Sex Education" - t.v. series Season 2

Movie #1923 "Sex Education" - t.v. series Season 2 - netflix streaming -- this season was even better than the first season  --- each of the characters has his/her own story we follow:  one of them is sent to military school, a couple of  them work at a local convenience store, there are the budding relationships and the closing of them, one girl has a creepy bus ride that leads into PTS, another joins the Scholastic Bowl, a mother who uses drugs comes back with her little child to live off her eldest who happens to be trying to do well in school, the sex therapist tries to help the school with the misunderstandings they have on the subject of sex and problems abound there as a result, and all the while a musical of "R omeo and Juliet" is being rehearsed, and, of course, we have to see parts of the end production of that...... the episodes still have naughty bits (a few too much for some of you readers, I suspect --- I get it;  ordinarily, I am squeamish with teen sex shown so flagrantly on the screen) but these are meant to shock us, I think, into the realization of a changing world of acceptance of all kinds of ideologies and actions  we've chosen to hide from before... and in the whole vast scheme of things, aren't  acceptance and tolerance the themes we should be studying now?  There's one particular episode here that shines over all the others --- it's kind of in homage to Breakfast Club when a group of females get together to talk about sexual harassment that's a must see, in my opinion.  It's eye opening and very thought provoking  --- and maybe a surprise for those who'd dismiss the show by just looking at its surface; i.e. teen sex.  Bottom Line? -- the show is worth checking out, if it doesn't offend you on  the subject of sex. 4.5 out of 5 for this season.

"SEX EDUCATION"   2020    8 episodes, about 45 minutes each  -- I am guessing R rated

A teenage boy with a sex therapist mother teams up with a high school classmate to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school.

Creator:

 Laurie Nunn

Stars:

 Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa 

Movie #1922 ........................."The Stranger" - netflix streaming

Movie #1922 "The Stranger" -- netflix streaming , limited series -- 8 episodes, each with about 45 minutes each.  I liked this series -- someone had recommended it,  and I found it a bit frustrating at first because there were several people to keep track of.  It's the kind of show you have to stick with because evidence just keeps mounting and mounting in a few cases (not just one), and you assume the whole thing will be put together by the end, so you have to have patience with it --- you watch it differently than other shows.  This is getting to be the format now, though, because they are stretching stories into 8 -12 episodes.  So I try to evaluate if it was all worth the time spent watching it all the way until the end --- because each of these series is worth maybe 4 movies --- depending on how many episodes there are.  Anyway, this one was worth it because it had lots of action scenes along the way --- lots of chases, cliffhanger endings to each episode, one through line that had a family involved, and you got to care for the family so you wanted to know what happened to them.  And not too much violence to put up with  ---- There were a couple of characters I didn't think were needed, and it seemed stretched just a tad too much (but I usually feel that way) but the opening premise of someone coming up  to you and revealing secrets of a loved one that can be proved --- and the person not asking for anything in return --- is a good set up to me, and it kept me watching.  I would give this a 4 out of 5 stars, and I recommend it if you are looking for a good mystery with lots of action and running around.

"THE STRANGER"   2020    8 episodes, each about 45 minutes

Follows the lives of suburban families whose secrets and lies are made public by the appearance of a stranger.

Stars:

 Richard Armitage, Shaun Dooley, Siobhan Finneran 

Movie #1921 ........................."Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu)

Movie #1921 "Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu) -- limited series.  I really enjoyed this limited series, and there was so much to like.  First,  the cast was  very strong  in the acting from Kerry Washington as Mia and Reese Witherspoon as the matriarch of the family.  All the kids were more than capable, as well.  A special shout out to Izzie --- I just couldn't take my eyes off of her --- she was that good!  Then, the Shaker  Heights location shooting --- the Big house on fire in the opening and the smaller, cheaper housing that Mia and her daughter were living in --- all were beautifully found and shot so well to get across the descriptions in the equally good book written by Ng.(our book club read it, and I highly recommend it, too).  I overall liked how the movie followed the  book --- however, I felt the movie gave more time to some lesser characters and less time to some of the bigger characters to make the performances pretty even here, except for the two lead women.  So as a result, I didn't feel as close to Lexie as I did after I read the book --- and I felt closer to Izzie and Trip.  Trip was more of a jerk, as I remember him, because we didn't spend as much time with him in the  book as we did in the film. (the book was divided up in people's different pints of view)    Then, there is the matter of the ending which is a bit changed from the book ---- and it deals with the opening fire, so  I am not giving anything away here.  I can see why there was a change  (added more dramatic tension, gave more for the actors to  do, etc.) , but for those of us who read the book, I don't think the characters in the family would have done what they did at the end of the movie.  But then the addition of the fantasy ending for Izzie in the movie was a good change to  me because it seemed more of  a deserving end for her wonderful character.  In both the movie and the book,  the conflict with the Eurasian woman who had given up her baby vs. the caucasian woman who has raised the child her first year  was a tough conflict.  I found it equally difficult to take sides clearly on  that issue  in  both the  book and  movie--- the issue  demanded a lot of thought by the viewer and hopefully some discussion  on the matter in their homes (and this sheltering  is offering us that time, so this is a fitting watch during this pandemic)  Not to mention the immigration issue pops up, and so many other "little fires" everywhere that we find the need to put out and deal with in life.  All around, and excellent show and I highly recommend :  4.5 out of 5.  (there were just a couple of soap opera moments I could have done without and would have wanted to know more about Mia's past life - there was more info in the book, as I recall)


"Little Fires Everywhere"   8 episodes , about 50 minutes each       2020

Based on Celeste Ng's 2017 bestseller, "Little Fires Everywhere" follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.

Creator:

 Liz Tigelaar

Stars:

 Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Rosemarie DeWitt 

Movie #1920 ........................."Kim's Convenience" - Season 4 - netflix streaming

Movie #1920 "Kim's Convenience" Season 4 - netflix streaming.  This wasn't the best season (I think 1 probably is), but there are some surprises here , esp. toward the end of the season, that will shakes things up a bit for Seasons 5 and 6 (yes, it was announced recently that this comedy has been renewed!)  So I am thankful, there will be more of this show.  Still enjoying the humor and the character ---I like that they just run about 20  minutes, so we use it as a buffer in between some other heavy stuff we have been watching lately.  Highly recommended!

"KIM'S CONVENIENCE"     2020  Season 4

The misadventures of a Korean-Canadian family running a convenience store.

Stars:

 Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Jean Yoon, Andrea Bang 

Movie #1919 ........................."Some Kind of Beautiful" (netflix movie, streaming)

Movie #1919 "Some Kind of Beautiful " - netflix movie, streaming, is some kind of bad movie.  Ugh!  It is supposed to be a comedy.  The only reason I decided to watch this is that I am a Pierce Brosnan fan (Remington Steele, actually) and I enjoyed a movie he did with Selma Hayek years ago (Before the Sunset) and this movie was putting them back together again.  The premise is dumb (see below) and as I watched it it just got worse and worse.  And it has some [pretty good people in it -- besides the leads above, Marlee Matlin, Jessica Alba, and Malcolm McDowell, and I oftentimes pick movies by their cast).  Well, I am here to tell you, do not see this one at all!  The scenery is okay, but this one is a stinker.  1 out of 5.

"SOME KIND OF BEAUTIFUL  1 hr and 39 mins    2014

An aging professor with a bad-boy libido makes for a surprisingly good dad.  But , of course, there's always growing pains.

Director;  TOM VAUGHAN

Movie #1918 ........................."Sex Education" - Season 1 ( t.v. show - netflix streaming)

Movie #1918 "Sex Education" - season 1 (t.v. show - netflix streaming) - it took me two shows to get into this one,  but I'm glad I stuck with it because it turns out to be very funny.  Disclaimer:  see the title?  there's tons of sex in this show, lots of awkward, cringing kind of stuff, but the cast is so competent with winning personalities, that it's fun to watch anyway.  Lots of "Naughty bits" as the Brits would say, and this show is terribly British.  That being said, it deals with a mother (Gillian Anderson, better known as Scully from "X-Files") who is a sex therapist of a high school boy who is just one big hormone named Otis, played beautifully by Asa Butterfield ("Boy with the Striped Pajamas, and "Hugo").  Because his mother is no holds barred, he has picked up a lot of info on sex (also he is a very empathetic, caring person to boot) so he and one of the most popular girls at school offer sex clinics in the morning for other h.s. students to becomes more informed on their individual problems.  But that's just explaining part of the show --- it's stuffed full of "mean girls," bullies, various sexual hangups, a Trumpian principal, and the list goes on. Not to mention all the themes dealing with sex, relationships, tolerance,  etc, We can't wait for season 2.  But once again, we only recommend it to people who are willing to turn  away from the screen once in a while but still would appreciate the overall effect. I give it 4 out of 5. (some of the shows  run a little longer than I would like  them to, but I don't mind it when they are funny or poignant.) This show achieves funny and poignant, and  it makes it better than a whole lot of  others.

"SEX EDUCATION"  8 episodes, about 40  minutes each      2019

A teenage boy with a sex therapist mother teams up with a high school classmate to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school.

Creator:

 Laurie Nunn

Stars:

 Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa

Movie #1917 ........................."Phoenix, Oregon" (streaming - Phoenix film festival)

Movie #1917 "Phoenix, Oregon" (streaming - Phoenix film festival) -- since the phoenix film festival was postponed indefinitely for this year, they are starting to put some of the films on line -- so for $6 I rented this one to watch on my computer and they gave me a few days to do that, and added a digital copy of it someday in the future, and a Q  and A after the streaming live presentation.  I missed that, but watched it on  line afterwards, and I found it quite enjoyable, but very definitely what I would term an "indie" film --- in this case, I mean that the editing could have been a tad slicker, so there were gaps periodically -- a  camera  too long on something, a scene that went a bit too long for the info it was giving, etc.  The whole feel of the film is kind of "slice of life" and very definitely focused on the characters rather than the story, and that's why it appeared to drag at times.  Another big aspect that made it drag is that the lead guy is very quiet, cerebral, and a loner --- kind of just moving from  one job to the next, with very little plan for his  life, until a co-worker of his suggests a dream of his.  He seems to be in limbo .   In that way, it's kind of like some of us are reacting to the sheltering we are doing -- not sure how long it is going to be, so kind of in a limbo, like this guy.  It was great to see Lisa Edelstein as a lead (she is the druggie daughter of Arkin in "Kominsky Method" and  in a ton of other shows like "House" - his girlfriend, etc.  She plays  a complex woman whom he would like to see featuring more prominence in his life but he isn't willing to do anything about moving that along.  The movie had a satisfying ending,  and I would recommend it, but not sure how you would ever see it.. unless it is picked  up by netflix, or .....  I would give this 3.8 out of 5.


"PHOENIX, OREGON"      1 hour and 48 mins      2020    

Two longtime friends battle mid-life crisis by opening a bowling alley/pizzeria in their small hometown.

Director:

 Gary Lundgren

Writer:

 Gary Lundgren

Stars:

 James Le Gros, Jesse Borrego, Lisa Edelstein 

Movie #1916 ........................." The Kominsky Method" (netflix streaming) Season 2

Movie #1916 " The Kominsky Method" (netflix streaming) Season 2 is more about the physical and mental health of the two main guys, Douglas and Arkin.  I especially like the time spent in this season on the studio itself --- with the students oftentimes doing monologues/scene work and being critiqued by the other students and the teacher.  I like that Arkin's wife appears occasionally and his daughter quite a bit in this season, along with a new possibility for love for Arkin  at age 84.   The Scientology grandson is a hoot, too  (played  by "I see Dead People" guy from sixth sense --- his real life sister is one  of the students in Douglas' class, too)   Douglas' daughter Mindy is focused  on more here, along with the intro of her boyfriend, Paul Resier (who adds so much to this show with his type of humor and a very unique character).  All in all, I might have enjoyed this season even more than the first, but looking forward to the next one already.  I'd give this 4.5 out of 5 --- special high points are the discussions between Arkin and Douglas on a variety of subjects, usually scatological, and the elderly man who delivers the drinks to them in their friendly bar.


" THE KOMINSKY METHOD"   30 min each, 8 episodes    2019   Season 2

An aging actor, who long ago enjoyed a brush with fame, makes his living as an acting coach.

Creator:

 Chuck Lorre

Stars:

 Michael Douglas, Alan Arkin, Sarah Baker 

Movie #1915 ........................."Killing Eve" (Hulu) Season 1

Movie #1915 "Killing Eve" (Hulu) Season 1 --Wow!  When you look at the plot summary of this show, and then you watch it, there's so much more to it.  I have never seen such a well constructed show in its turns and surprises....and the editing and photography.  The production value is A+.  The script is also so well written (not s surprise here if you are a fleabag fan because Phoebe Walter-Bridge is the writer).  This was our first pick on Hulu because we had heard so much about it, and we were not disappointed.  I wrote to a friend, though, after seeing the 2nd episode (not giving a lot away here because there are a lot of characters you get close to in the first couple of episodes) that our favorite character had died, and she replied:  "Don't get attached to anyone in this show."  A telling statement here, and it's all I want to say about this cat and mouse show, with a great sense of humor to boot.  It gets a bit crazy in the last episode --- I'm sure they are setting us up for season 2, but some tough stuff to digest and believe as it takes you down a rabbit hole.  That being said, I'm not sure my viewing partner of this will continue to the second season.  I just might, but I am going to ruminate on what I've experienced this first season for a while before I return.  I'd give this a 4,.5 out of 5.  Why?  Like all of these t.v. shows, it seems to be stretching a story which I would have liked have watched in a 2 hour film, but took 8 episodes of some 360 minutes to get through!  I guess I am a movie person at heart, and I feel there's some timewasting on these shows with 8 or more episodes.  I'll see if that changes....... but for now, it's the way I feel.

"KILLING EVE"      2018   R -rated (it's about an assassin who kills every episode)
     8 episodes, about 45 mins each

After a series of events, the lives of a security operative and an assassin become inextricably linked.

Creator:

 Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Stars:

 Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh, Fiona Shaw 

Movie #1914 .,........................"Hampstead"

Movie #1914 "Hampstead" --  streamable on HBO on demand --- I had mixed feelings about this film --- I liked the leads (Keaton and Gleeson), and the scenery was beautiful, but I wasn't crazy about the story.  I liked what he stood for ---- freedom to live how he wants to  --- he built a shack on what was non designated land but now a corporation wants to build condos on it so they want to move him off --- and he puts up a fight --- and I applaud that, but he was so reticent to explain his feelings that it became boring for Keaton to try to get to know him better --- their meet ups were up and down like a rollercoaster and so the script came across a bit manipulative --- She is unsure where her life is going, but it seems clearer to the audience than to her and her phony, shallow "friends" she has.  But the ending was satisfactory, and I enjoyed that.  I would give this a 3.8 out of 5.  Somewhat recommend, if you have patience to see them work out their problems in a slow manner.


"HAMPSTEAD"      2017

An American widow finds unexpected love with a man living wild on Hampstead Heath when they take on the developers who want to destroy his home.

Director:

 Joel Hopkins

Writer:

 Robert Festinger

Stars:

 James Norton, Brian Gleeson, Diane Keaton, Alistair Petrie

Movie #1913 ........................."Fundamentals of Caring" (netflix streamable)

Movie #1913 "Fundamentals of Caring" (netflix streamable)  I have seen this on my netflix list for a long time and I finally watched it last night and found it most enjoyable.  It reminded me of "The Intouchables" or the  remake "The Upside," (not near as good as the French one mentioned first), where the film focuses on the relationship between the caregiver and the disabled.  In this case, Paul Rudd is a newbie at caregiving, and he is hired to deal with a young man  who has MD and is confined to a wheelchair.  He is also belligerent at times, and pretty snarky --- which adds to the humor of the film.  The plot gets to be a road trip, so it isn't that original of a film, but it is a good film that says a lot about  good people --- something we could use in this pandemic time.  The boy has dreams that the caregiver tries to help him with, but what they learn about each other and about life and others is worth so much more.  The feel goodness of this film is like that in a film I just saw a few weeks ago , "The PeanutButter Falcon" but this has more to it, I thought, and kept me interested throughout the entire film.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5 because, in spirit, it has the  slow pacing of an indie film --- but I really liked that, too!

"FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING"  2016       1 hour and37 mins    PG-13

In this inspirational buddy comedy, a young shut-in and his caregiver take broad trip in search of landmarks, but end up finding hope and friendship.


Starring:  Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez

Movie #1912 ........................."Father is a Bachelor"

Movie #1912 "Father is a Bachelor" was on TCM tonight, and I had never watched it --- I thought I saw most of Bill Holden's films, since he was my favorite actor growing up, but this one I didn't see --- It looks to be the precursor of Cary Grant's "Father Goose" which was going to come much later.  A story of a loner guy  a grifter who surprisingly sings in black face in the opening ; it's the reason I watched it because I was checking on this station and saw him performing like this and sat with my mouth opened and wondered why TCM would show such an inappropriate movie --- and then when I looked closely under the black cork on his face, I recognized Bill Holden....and from then on, I wanted to see where this film was going.  Well, he's a drifter  who falls into a family of 5 kids and no folks (parents had died) who are trying to not go to an orphanage, and they latch on to him as their Uncle Johnny ,and he starts to take care of them, gets them to school, gets them clothes and shoes, gets a job.....but things aren't as simple as they seem --- he's always been a drifter and singer (actually it isn't Holden singing --- didn't think it would be but rechecked on line and he wasn't). so it's hard for him to get an ordinary job and be  there for the kids when they need him.  It's obvious he  could use help --- a possible wife?   The conflict of who he was going to marry is taken so lightly that it becomes kind of silly that the winner depends on a toss of a coin.  In IMDB this is billed as the worst Holden film ---- hmmmm.  I find that hard to believe, but I do know he didn't like to play roles like this --- "Smiling Jim" he would call it --- a character who just smiles when he gets cornered ---- After this movie, though, Holden was soon cast  in "Sunset Boulevard" which opened unlimited doors to him to play more complex characters.    So maybe this character wasn't much of a challenge for him, but the kids were cute, the music was fun, and I always find it fun to watch Holden..........and pretending to sing rather convincingly helped  make this film more  likable to me. (but without the blackface)   I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

"FATHER IS A BACHELOR"    1950   1 hour and 23 minutes

William Holden plays a drifter who comes to a small town and discovers a cabin in the forest where five kids: January, February, March, April, and May are living without parents. Their parents died a whole ago, and they want to keep that a secret from the townspeople, especially the young school teacher (Coleen Gray) because they don't want to end up in a children's home and then eventually separated. William's character moves in with the kids and poses as their uncle to take care of them while romancing the school teacher. In order to keep the children, however, he has to get married.

Directors:

 Abby Berlin, Norman Foster

Writers:

 Aleen Leslie (screenplay), James Edward Grant(screenplay)  | 1 more credit »

Stars:

 William Holden, Coleen Gray, Mary Jane Saunders

Movie #1911 ........................."Self Made" (Netflix streaming)

Movie #1911 "Self Made" (netflix streaming)  This is a limited series (only 4 episodes, 45 minutes each) about the first female entrepreneur starring Octavia Spencer -- she had Blair Underwood who plays her hubby really do a fine job bringing these people to life on the screen.  There's good music in the background, and interesting casting with Tiffany Haddish playing her daughter.  It's nice to see her in this kind of role (instead of the broad comedy we usually see her doing), but I wasn't totally convinced that this was a bit too challenging for her in her first step out into drama --- she seemed not to work through the moments, but it's a smaller part than some of the others, so it didn't ruin the film at all --- and her smile is reassuring throughout.  But what a story --- the viewer can gain so much information on the place women had at the time (eg, when she is trying to persuade a room full of men to lend her money so she can make a factory, they won't listen to her and insist on talking to her husband because he's a man).  Also we see Booker T. Washington (hm, he wasn't very supportive) .  The show makes you think of the place women's hair has with their identify, esp. black women's hair which needs different styling and its own products. And no one had really offered that before.  Madame C. J. kind of falls into the job when she is judged as not good looking enough to sell hair products for another woman --- she is so brave, relentless, independent, confrontational, etc.  Fun character to watch.  And the love story is interesting when the conflict concerns love vs. both of their egos.  Finally, the importance of a legacy if you have built something from the ground up --- that was found in this series, as well.  I'd give it 4 stars out of 5 and recommend it.  Good story, and good production value of the show, including sets, costumes, wigs and makeup, etc.

"SELF MADE"   3 hours ands 11 mins     2020

The inspiring story of trailblazing African American entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker who built a haircare empire that made her America's first female self-made millionaire.

Stars:

 Octavia Spencer, Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo , blair underwood

Movie #1910 ........................."Wedding Palace" (HBO on demand)

Movie #1910 "Wedding Palace" (HBO on demand) this film was pretty broad in its comedy --- it opens with a tiny south korean baby celebrating his first birthday, and he's supposed to pick something from the table in front of him that will foretell what is in store for his life --- like money, jewels, etc.  But this kid gets something out of his mother's purse right next to the table and the family yells("cursed")  And the curse is he has to marry by age 30 --- well, by age 29, he hasn't found anyone and his parents have been working on it fast and furious, and on one of these dates, he mets a wonderful girl.  They spend time talking (they have minimal time because he is in Seoul for just a short time)  he goes back to work and they date on the internet and because he needs to bet married (remember the curse?) he proposes rather quickly on line and she comes to visit ----- with a surprise that throws a hitch in the marriage ceremony plans.  The surprise that is thrown at us in the last 20 minutes or so is a bit controversial, esp. with the casting -- I don't want to say too much more about it, but I was uncomfortable watching the last part --- Yes, like Hallmark movies, the guy learns that the surprise thing isn't all that important because of being in love with her, so the theme is strong, but for that reason and that it was a bit too silly for me, I'd only give it 3 out of 5.  And I don't recommend it. (unless I piqued your interest and you want to see what the surprise is!  ahah!)

'WEDDING PALACE"    2013    1 hour and 38 mins

After being abandoned at the altar, Jason courts the girl of his dreams in cyberspace. When she arrives in LA for their wedding, she turns out to be completely different than expected.

Director:

 Christine Yoo

Writers:

 Derek Draper (story), Robert Gardner (screenplay)  

Stars:

 Brian Tee, Hye-jeong Kang, Bobby Lee

Movie #1909 ........................."Always" (Amazon Prime streaming)

Movie #1909 "Always" (Amazon Prime streaming)  this was a really nice love story between a blind girl and a very quiet guy with a violent (boxing) background.  When she needs an operation, he goes to extreme to get that for her.  The film proves the quote:love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.  These two have good chemistry together and really talk a lot with each other without saying one word.  The film, once again, could have had some scenes edited a bit more , but really this is the best film/t.v. show I have seen so far in the south korean romance genre.  I give it 4 out of 5.  (warning --- there's a very violent scene and I turned away from watching it)

"ALWAYS"     2011   1 hour and 45 minutes

A love story centered on ex-boxer Chul-min and a blind telemarketer Jung-hwa.

Director:

 Il-gon Song

Writers:

 Il-gon Song (screenplay), Roh Hong-Jin (screenplay) (as Hong-jin No) 

Stars:

 Ji-seob So, Hyo-joo Han, Shin-il Kang

Movie #1908 ........................."Tune in for Love" (streamable Netflix)

Movie #1908 "Tune in for Love" (Netflix streaming) This is the first south Korean  romance MOVIE that I saw (in comparison to the two t.v. shows I experienced) , and I liked it.  It was a bit long (again, could use better editing like the t.v. show episodes), but it had a strong theme --- it reminded me that everyone needs at least one person in his/her corner for life --- in this case it is a girl he met when he was a teenager, and he keeps running into her the rest of his life, until he can't live without her.  It's a haunting story, and it was very believable how they kept running into each other --- the bakery and the woman who works in it are the constants; they keep in touch through her or the place.  Once again, a couple of moments I missed, and again not sure why, but for the most part the story was easy to follow, but not handed to you on a platter --- sometimes you have to work for the meaning behind the scene, and I like that about the style.  I would give this a 4 out of 5 and recommend this, esp. as an example of this south korean romance genre.


"TUNE IN FOR LOVE"    2019     2 hours and 2 mins

In 1997 during the IMF crisis, two people meet while exchanging stories on a radio program. They fall in love, but can't quite seem to get the timing right.

Director:

 Ji-woo Jung

Writer:

 Ji-woo Jung

Stars:

 Go-eun Kim, Hae-In Jung, Hae-Joon Park

Movie #1907 ........................."Crash Landing on You" (streamable Netflix)

Movie #1907 "Crash Landing on You" (streamable Netflix) So this is South Korean t.v. show #2 --- this one I found silly from the beginning.  I once again sat through 2 episodes , and I just didn't warm up to either of the leads at all --- She was some shallow Ivanka Trump kind of person who ran a  makeup and accessories -type corporation and not sure why, but she decided to hang glide and ended up in North Korea (from S. Korea) --- that part was interesting to me knowing how big of a difference that is --- but instead of seriously showing the problems, the story plays out like a farce --- she running in her expensive clothes and shoes, trying to hide from (of course) the good looking No. Korean soldier who is supposed to capture her.... Once again , I had enough after  the two episodes.  Her family was all stereotypical and played like big broad characters who are hard to believe  -- she is a smart alec you want to slap in the face sometimes - she , of course, will change her ways, but I saw very little to like after the first two episodes.  I''d give this one 3 out of 5, and will continue my search for something better to recommend.

"CRASH LANDING ON YOU"   2019 --- again 16 episodes, these run mostly 85 mins. each

Plot is above

Creators:  Lee Jeony -hyo, Park Ji-eun

Actors:  Hyun Bin, Son ye-Jin

Movie #1906 .........................Chocolate

Movie #1906 "Chocolate"  (streamable on Netflix)  this is not the wonderful French film "Chocolate" with Juliette Binoche, but the South Korean t.v. show.  Why am I all of a sudden studying  South Korean films?  Okay, so I made a bet with an ohs alum that I would watch at least 6  South Korean romance films (because they are supposed to be a lot like the Hallmark xmas movies that are my guilty pleasure to watch ) --- anyway, I took to netflix and found that there are tons of choices. When I went back to the alum, she suggested several titles --- but when I went back to Netflix, I found they were t.v. shows with at least 16 shows in each season, and each show runs about 75 mins or so.  This all of a sudden became an overwhelming undertaking --- I don't read series books usually, I don't support movies in a series (except for "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars" ) and I just don't do well with watching one after another after another.  But I thought I would try, and I picked the show "Chocolate" mostly because I like chocolate, and it seemed to be a series that might be sustained because the guy and girl meet as kids and their love story had a lot of time to  develop as they grow up.  I watched episode 1 and 2  and must say, I wasn't ready for the differences in this genre from our Hallmark romance films.  1) they are much faster (and even more so if you think that everything for me has to be  read in subtitles) 2) I don't know one actor from another and their names are so different from ours that I had trouble following who was who, along with the rather detailed plot with lots of what I would call soap opera curves along the way.  3)  acting is very broad --- there's a brother in this show that screams and yells on all his entrances and flails his arms...... kind of silly.  But I must say, I see glimpses of   Hallmark a lot ---the sweet opening scene between the high class little girl and the lower class little boy who feeds her homemade noodles and esp. chocolate , their separation, their constant meetups periodically in their lifetime, him not recognizing her, but her recognizing his name on his Dr. shirt when she sees it, etc... His best friend falls in love with her, and the plot marches on.  But slowly, because I am convinced at this point that editing is not fine tuned in these films.  So, overall, by the end of episodes one and two, I really didn't care all that much about them or the story .  I have to admit, I got lost in some parts (and that's been consistent in all this watching of South Korean cinema),  but I haven't figured out what that is yet --- it could be me.  So after about 150 minutes (more than one film), I decided to move on to another one.  I give this 3.5 out of 5.

"CHOCOLATE"  16 episodes on Netflix --2019  ( ca 74 mins each episode)

Story of  Lee Kang (helps mom in restaurant as sous chef as a little boy) and Moon Cha-young and the ups and downs of their relationship through the years.

Creators:  Lee Hgung-min, Lee Kyeong-hee

Cast:  Ha Ji-Won, Yoon Kye-Sang

Movie #1905 .........................Films in Competition 3 (

Movie #1905 Films in Competition 3 -- bundle of short films....... Due to the virus, the Ann Arbor Film Festival offered their films live streamed on line and I got to see this bundle.  I picked this one because one of the films was put together by Alison Nguyen, but not the ohs theatre family Alison Nguyen, but it motivated me to pick this one out.  When I am choosing films at a festival, I don't look for the ones way out there --- I look for good, original storytelling.  This would not be a festival I would probably go out of my way to attend, because the films seemed really what I would call "arty" and way out there.  Some of these films in the bundle, were just plain strange.  I took notes, well, just to keep me from nodding off, to be honest,.

1) "Darwin's Nightmare" Part 1 and 2.  Here's what I saw:  two guys dressed like turtles , annoying sound in the background ; they make minimal movements on a beach, while a man with a black costume walks out of the water and around them as they hide.  okay ---- missed me.

2) "Bearing" (3 minutes)  a drone in the shape of a bearing shows the reflection off of the land and buildings, etc. that it travels by.  The first few seconds, I said --- well, that's kind of cool --- but to me, it didn't go anywhere --- to meaning, I mean, not to land and buildings.  I got that! The whole time I felt if a viewer stared at it, the film could hypnotize you.

3) "Feminism in a browser" -- I don't get this one at all ---- graphics people made a woman in her environment and try to materialize her ------ ?  I am not technologically advanced enough to understand this or appreciate the film...

4) "Mirage" -- 6 mins. - just Black and white shots of things you'd see going up a mountain and coming down --- juxtaposed with up and down a skyscraper, a billboard ad , a marquis, hotel sign. And that was kind of it --- when the guy was asked in a Q and A afterwards, he said he was trying to show rural vs. city life ---

5) "Every Dog has its day " 7 minutes and this was the Alison Nguyen one --- it was a film  that showed how various people have made films in the past and present --- underdog theme was the focus --- this film was way too scattered for me  --

6)  "Goldfish" -- this is one of those films that if I were teaching, I would like to show it to a bunch of students and have them write or speak on what they thought the theme was.  Here is what I thought from the ink drawings shown one after  another:  we are all goldfish in the bowl/internet.

7)"The Lake" - 39 minutes -- this was a waste of celluloid --- just shots of lakes --- I think there must have been a point --- after all, it was 39 minutes, but it didn't sustain my interest at all.

8)  "I'm not a robot"  - 2 mins --- when the Q and A came on, I was upset that I had missed this one --- but then as they  talked about it , I realized I had seen it and thought it was asking us to log in and put our names  and email addresses and an extensive list of those robot testings  --- mark off the boxes that have street signs, or whatever --- too funny because it was actually the show film --- so it fooled this viewer!