Movie #2075 ........................."Bathtubs Over Broadway" (Netflix streaming)

 Movie #2075 "Bathtubs Over Broadway" (Netflix streaming)  Looking for an unusual documentary to stream on Netflix?  Check out this one --- it focuses on a late night comedy  writer who comes across a little known corner in the history of Broadway musicals --- the industrial, workplace musical --- The synopsis is below, but my immediate reaction was:  hmmmm, this looks interesting.  But I have to say, it started a bit slow and quite documentary-ish; then, about halfway through, it took a turn and it became more about what musicals do for people, and then it takes off from there and becomes wonderfully entertaining.  I don't know how else to explain it, but we really liked it and recommend it. 4

"BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY"   2018    PG-13      1 hour and 27 mins

A Late Night comedy writer stumbles upon a hilarious, hidden world of corporate entertainment and finds an unexpected connection to his fellow man.  Tribeca and WGA award winner.

Director:  Dava Whisenant

Writers:  Ozzy Inguanzo, Dava Whisenant

Stars:  David Letterman, Martin Short, Chita Rivera

Movie #2074 ........................."The Perfect Pairing" (Hallmark)

 Movie #2074 "The Perfect Pairing" (Hallmark)  Wine!  A great subject for a film, and I felt I learned a lot about it, especially ice wine, which I had never heard of.   Anyway, I normally like this Hallmark girl but not the guy, but in this film, she actually brought more of the human side out of him and made him work more --- or maybe the script did.  Anyway, it was one of those amnesia movies, you know the ones who make you believe that you can forget even your name when you hit your head -- that kind of film.  Not only do you have to believe she has forgotten her name but that she happens to be the ONE critic who wrote a scathing review of this wine guy and he hates her!  But then you have to believe when he gets to know her, and she gets to know him and learn about the ice wine and how much toiling it takes to get it just right, that they would fall in love -- and make beautiful wine together!  And wouldn't you know that I actually fell for all of this and would give it a 4?  Go Figure.  My favorite quote from this film finally gave a reason for all the amnesia films that Hallmark makes --- it's for this theme:  It takes amnesia to really remember what is important..... or something like that --- sorry, I am having a bit of amnesia myself as I write this.

"THE PERFECT PAIRING"      2022    1 hour and 22 mins

A food and wine critic  hits her head and loses her memory while accidentally visiting a winery she panned in the past, owned and operated by single dad Michael .

Director:  Don McBrearty

Writers:  Rickie Castaneda, Megan Hocking, Jules Sherman Wolfe

Stars:  Nazneen Contractor, Brennan Elliott, Zarina Rocha 

Movie #2073 ........................."The Eyes of Tammy Faye" (netflix DVD)

Movie #2073 "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" (Netflix DVD) Let me start first with a disclaimer:  I would never have watched this film if it weren't for Chastain and Garfield being  in it, and now Chastain is nominated for AA and so I am glad that I got to see it.  She does a great job --- she actually made me feel sorry for this woman (whom I wouldn't give the time of day to because of who she was) --And Garfield is amazing no matter what he does --- can either of these actors do badly in a part that is given to them?  I think not.  And Cherry Jones was the cherry on the top   Now, as far as the movie, I have mixed feelings about it --- As I watched, I couldn't believe it --- it seemed all very pretentious to me, like the people.  If that was the design of the director, he accomplished it.   Overall, I wasn't sure on the tone --- was I supposed to like these people because they were so holy?  feel sorry for them?  think they deserved all that they got?  liked them because of their passion?  or just watched in awe of how their story unfolded --- I did the latter.  The tone was almost jokey-hokey.  For that reason, I'd give it a 3.8 and I wonder how anyone else felt about this particular film because this is definitely an "iffy" review from me.

PS --- it wasn't really all that intimate --- I felt I was just watching the glitzy outside of these two characters......like the joke was on us if you followed them?

"THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE"           2021          PG-13                2 hours and 6 mins

An intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye  Bakker.

Director:  Michael Showalter

Writers:  Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Abe Sylvia

Stars:  Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones

Movie #2072 ........................."Sherlock Ghomes" (dvd)

 Movie #2072  "Sherlock Gnomes" (dvd)  -- Wow!  This one left little impression on me -- all I wrote in my notebook was:  "Cute Voices but convoluted story" --- I remember not liking this one near as much as the first one ("Gnomio & Juliet")  so my recommendation is to see that one --- this one was just one of those movies that's just busy enough to keep kids quiet for a while, in my opinion.  I'd give it 3.5.  It was a disappointment to me after seeing the first one.

"SHERLOCK GHOMES"       2018        PG     1 hour and 26 mins

Garden gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet, recruit renowned detective Sherlock Ghomes to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ghomes.

Director:  John Stevenson

Writers:  Ben zazove, Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil

Stars:  Johnny Depp, James McAvoy, Emily Blunt

Movie #2071 ........................."The Wedding Veil" (Hallmark - oh no, not another one?)

 Movie #2071 "The Wedding Veil" (Hallmark - oh no, not another one?)  okay, I thought I was done for the season, but then I saw that three of my favorite women from the Hallmark cult films were in one movie!  NO way!  Yep, it is a wonder these three are together in one film....  Lacey Chabert, Alison Sweeney and Autumn Reeser (the fact that I just now could type all their names without looking them up but can't find my car keys is a wonder in itself, right?)  So I sat down to watch this and about halfway through, I think:  wait a minute.  The three were in the opening, but now it has just been about Lacey --- this can't be!  A trilogy?  So not only do I watch this one, but I get a bonus of 3 more hours (actually 2 hours and 48 mins Hallmark time)  to watch the other two in their single films!  Hazzah!  Okay, anyway, this one is Lacey's film -- the premise is a shared veil by these three female friends who take a trip yearly but stay close throughout the year (sound familiar?  like Traveling Pants --- the adult version? ) Thank god, though, there wasn't a scene with each one wearing the same pair of jeans and the audience trying to figure out how they all fit into one size....the veil, surprisingly would fit anyone.  The premise is that with the veil one finds true love --- oh, it is that simple?  Hopefully, they are selling copies of the veil on Amazon as I write this!  The couple the couple here is winsome --- that's no surprise because Lacey could probably talk to a wall and make that wall look good --- the story  easy to follow (esp. for us oldsters) ,the mixup is "unveiled" (get it?) at a good time, with a minor conflict that is believable and entertaining...... I just copied that from my notes and I can't for the life of me remember what the conflict was ---- my  head is too full of Hallmark movies I guess.  Anyway, I would give this a 4.  And the second part of the trilogy for anyone who cares is on Feb. 12 (oops, coming up) "The Wedding Veil Unveiled" --- I'd give this one a 4. Autumn Reeser, you're next!

"THE WEDDING VEIL"     HALLMARK     2022       1 hour snd 24 minutes

Follows longtime friends who find a mysterious, antique veil fabled to unite its bearer with her one true love.

Director:  Terry Ingram

Writers:  Sandra Berg, Judith Berg, Lori Wilde

Stars:  Lacey Chabert, Kevin McGarry, Autumn Reeser, Alison Sweeney

Movie #2070 ........................."The Other Two" (t.v. series, Amazon, Season 1)

 Movie #2070 "The Other Two:" (t.v. series, Amazon, Season 1) We found this one because we like "superstar" Molly Shannon and the premise sounded interesting to us --- both worked and that is probably why we saw all of season 1 in a couple of days.  It is funny, but raunchy .  The idea of the baby of the family ,getting all of a sudden famous because of his you tube performance, outshining the two older siblings who appear to be "losers" to the rest of the world is funny --- they both react in their own glib fashion, and that is also funny, but oftentimes raunchy.  Molly Shannon just steamrolls ahead with her naïveté and passion in supporting ALL of her kids, bad or good.  Disclaimer:  the characters are sometimes hard to like, esp. in the beginning.  But when you get to know them, you aren't surprised at some of their attitudes and behaviors they exhibit.  I'd give it 3.8, not recommended for everyone.

"THE OTHER TWO"    season 1, 10 episodes, 30 mins each     2019    (R-rated, for sure)

An aspiring actor and his sister Brooke, a former professional dancer, try to find their place in the world while wrestling with their feelings about their 13-year-old brother Chase's sudden rise to internet fame.

Creators:  Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider

Stars:  Helene Yorke, Drew Tarver, Ken Marino, Molly Shannon

Movie #2069 ........................."Boundaries" (DVD netflix)

Academy Award Nominations were announced today --- If you want to know what they are, here is a link: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/movies/2022-oscars-nominees-list.html

Looking at the list, as a movie watcher, I am a bit behind in seeing a majority (if not all) the nominees before the Academy Awards ceremony March 27.  But first, I have movies to blog that I have been watching un until this time, so here's the first one......

Movie #2069 "Boundaries" (DVD netflix)   I watched this because I thought it was Plummer's last film, but I found out it wasn't.  However, I am glad to see him in this to remind me (and every moviegoer) just how wonderfully good he was as an actor, and we shall miss him.  That being said, this movie was pretty meh to me.  Even with the great Vera Farmiga lending a hand in support to the film, it failed to interest me much.  The characters wore on me, but the film offered an interesting take on dysfunctional- road- trips- with -an -80 -year -old- trying- to -sell- weed -from- the- back- of- his -truck- when -his -daughter -and- grandson -are- in -it genre ---  it needed more to the story and more humor.  I don't recommend it unless you are maybe a fan of either Farmiga or Plummer.  Casting the boy a bit better might have helped - he left no impression on me.  3.5 out of 5.

BOUNDARIES                      2018              1 hour and 44 mins        rated R

Laura and her son Henry are forced to drive her estranged, pot-dealing carefree father Jack cross country after being kicked out of a nursing home.

Director: Shana Feste

Writer:  Shana Feste

Stars:  Vera Farmiga, Christopher Plummer, Lewis MacDougal