Movie #3062 ........................."The Gay Divorcee" (Amazon Prime)

 Movie #31062 "The Gay Divorcee" (Amazon Prime) This movie's gain to fame is that  it won five Academy nominations and the first Oscar for Best Song: "The Continental," a 17 1/2-minute production number.  The musical number "The Continental" was  the longest number ever in a musical until Gene Kelly's 18 1/2-minute ballet at the end of An American in Paris (1951) 17 years later. It is also the longest musical number in all of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' films together.  50 minutes in  "Night and Day" is in this one --- truly a glorious number --- but the film has a dated story --Mimi Glossop (Rogers)  wants a divorce, so her Aunt Hortense hires a professional to play the co-respondent in apparent infidelity. American dancer Guy Holden (Astaire)  meets Mimi while visiting Brightbourne (Brighton) and she thinks he is the co-respondent. The plot is really an excuse for song and dance (but this is an early one -- the stories get a tad better!)  When you count up the amount of screen time dancing these two do in this one (minus the Continental) it was only about 10 minutes.   But the 10 minutes are dazzling.... I would give this one 4.5 out of 5)

The Gay Divorcee
1934
Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers
Based on the Broadway musical Gay Divorce by Cole Porter and Dwight Taylor, the story follows Mimi, who wants a divorce from her geologist husband—but the “appropriate” circumstances for her to get one need to be arranged.
Available on: Vudu, YouTube, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play

Movie #3061 ........................."Flying Down To Rio" (Amazon Prime)

 Movie #3061 "Flying Down to Rio" - Well, this movie was not a good indicated of a "their" movie  because   Fred and Ginger are secondary people (assistants) in this one.  The first number they dance together is 45 minutes in -- The "Carioca" number has a cute head to head moment, and it's very physical, but  that dance went on and on, with a huge chorus dressed in ugly costumes and they just seem to "let in" Astaire and Rogers" for a small bit... The whole movie seemed silly (other than the dancing with Astaire and Rogers)  -- silly idea to get out of their silly conflict , and ended up with the silliest movie scene I've seen in a long time -- chorus girls dressed in angel- type attire propped on tops of planes as they "fly" to Rio.  ugh!  I'd give this one a 3 out of 5.

Flying Down to Rio   1933

Starring: Dolores del Río, Gene Raymond, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers

Down in Miami, composer Roger Bond and his band play alongside singer Honey Hales. Roger becomes smitten with a woman in the audience, Belinda, and, despite his assistant Fred’s warnings, can’t help his attraction.

Available on: Vudu, Amazon Prime, iTunes

 

Movie #3060 ........................."Somebody Somewhere" (HBO) season 1

 Movie #3060 "Somebody Somewhere" (HBO)  Season 1  -- This is such a natural, easygoing show, that centers around a young woman, going through grief , trying to find her niche in life -- she has a few friends, but one in particular, who happens to be gay.  Her being a product of a very conservative (somewhat homophobic)  farm community that  doesn't recognize her love for music makes her want to be the somebody who is searching for her somewhere.  You have to put up with a lot of language and raunchy  comments and situations, but to me it is well worth it because of the universality of the major storyline.  This show has a lot of HEART along with HUMOR -- we are always laughing out loud at either what is said or the situations she and her outsider friends are  put into.  This show isn't for everyone --- I know that --- but we have enjoyed each of the episodes so much, we are now almost done with Season 2 already --- they are short episodes, and that makes it a fun watch, too.    I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5.

"SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE"      HBO      7 episodes, 30 mins each    2022

Sam is a true Kansan on the surface, but beneath it all, she struggles to fit the hometown mould.  Grappling with loss and acceptance she discovers herself and a community of outsiders who don't fit in but don't give it.  (that last line is so true --- they are outsiders, trying  to make the best of it!)

Creators:  Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen

Actors:  Bridget Everett, Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison

Movie #3059 ........................."The Last Thing He told Me" (Apple)

Movie #3059 "The Last Thing He Told Me" (Apple)  Some surprises along the way, but one that isn't giving anything away is that the last thing he told her was :  "Protect Her" ----" Her" is the step daughter of Jennifer Garner --- her husband, and the father of the young girl has disappeared, and the rest of the show is piecing the puzzle together if where ge went and why. .  Having read the book, I can say that the  book is A LOT like the show --- they changed very little, that I can remember.  The book seemed long when I read it, and the show seemed a bit stretched out, too.  But then many of these shows feel that way --- what's wrong with a 4 episode show?  why are they all 7,  8, 9 or 10?  Anyway, it's a very competent cast, and I might have stopped watching if I didn't like the two women and found out halfway through that David Morse was playing a key character in the back end of this show.  He's one of my favorite actors, someone who can play good or bad guys or one on the fence..... I said the book and show dragged a bit, but I must say that the show was better in pacing --- it seemed to have  more focus to get to the end, and once again, it could be the trimmed down script and  the two female actors in the leads.  I have always been intrigued with the mother/Stepdaughter relationship in how it works, and this one shows you how much trust must be won before it does.   The ending is a good one, , and it is well worth the wait --- esp. the last episode -- very poignant, full of surprises, I thought.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

"THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME"    Apple     7 episodes,   about 40 mins each

A woman forms an unexpected relationship with her 16-year-old stepdaughter while searching the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared.

Creators:  Laura Dave, Josh Singer

Directors:  Olivia Newman (3), Deniz Gamze Ergüven (2), Lila Neugebauer (1), Daisy Von Scherler Mayer (1)

Actors:  Jennifer Garner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Angourie Rice, David Morse

  

Movie #3058 ........................."You're Bacon Me Crazy" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3058 "You're Bacon Me Crazy"" - Hallmark -- you're kidding!  With a title like that?  Couldn't pass this one --- food truck story line --- cute couple --- stage business was a lot of cooking (my favorite!) and these two are so passionate about food  in that they live and breathe for food.  It moved along smoothly, and I'd give it a 4 out of 5.,

"YOU'RE BACON ME CRAZY"       Hallmark     2020     1 hour and 22 mins (a bit short?)

Cleo Morelli, an aspiring Portland chef, tries to win a food truck competition while the competition tries to win her heart.  (ooh!  that's called conflict!)

Director:  Allan Harmon

Writers:  Christopher Sen, Suzanne Nelson

Actors:  Natalie Hall, Michael Rady, Michael Karl Richards

Movie # 3057 ........................."Doc Martin - Season 9 "(Netflix DVD)

 Movie #3057 "Doc Martin - Season 9" (Netflix DVD)  - Well, since Netflix is going to do away with the DVD circulation part of their service, I culled about 30 DVD's from my cue of 500 (yep, it was kind of a big list) that I would like to see delivered to me in the next couple of months, mostly because they are really hard to get without paying a lot of money --- and this is one of them --- I know, I can get an Acorn subscription, but it would probably be just for this show, so season 9 was available through netflix, so we watched them.  After watching 8 seasons already, you would think there is nothing new in Port Wenn , but you are wrong --- this series has Martin's job on the line because of that blood thing with him (that is, he throws up whenever he sees blood, so being a doctor causes problems in that area) -- also, Martin and Louisa are discovering that their child James is looking a lot like Martin when he was young, being antisocial and all, so they decide he should have a sister --- that always adds humor to the show.  Of course, there are tons of medical issues in this small town -- on a daily basis!!!! -- which are hard to believe, but I feel I learn about a lot of diseases and medical problems that I don't want to ever have! (so  If you are a hypochondriac you may not want to watch this show!!!!) I love these characters, and there's one more season, and I will sadly have to say goodbye to this show, too!  Yikes!  Can you suffer grief from your t.v. watching?  is that a malady Doc Martin can fix?  I'd give this a 5 out of 5, too!

"DOC MARTIN - SEASON 9"    2004-2022       46 minutes, 8 episodes in season 9, 2 discs

The trials and tribulations of Martin Ellingham, a brilliant but socially challenged doctor who moves from London to the picturesque village of Port Wenn in Cornwall, England.

Creators:  Dominic Minghella, Mark Crowdy, Craig Ferguson

Actors:  Martin Clunes, Caroline Catz, Ian McNeice

Movie #3056 ........................." A Small Light" (Apple)

Movie #3056 "A Small Light" (Apple)  I'm afraid this month of May has been full of goodbyes to wonderful shows we have been streaming --- and there will be and have been a lot of 5's in a row, which is really different for these blogs, but here is still another one.... this was only 8 episodes, but I could have continued to watch it for days;  it was that well done.  It was the story of the Anne Frank and her family's hiding in the Amsterdam work building for several years before their capture just days before the end of the war.  Most of us know the story, but we know it from Anne's point of view because of her beautiful diary she wrote while in hiding (a staple of h.s. reading, esp.) But this point of view that is offered with " A Small Light" is different -- it is from Miep's point of view, the girl who was in charge of bringing the Frank's food and running the small business downstairs while the Franks lived upstairs in the same building.  Her story includes a bunch of other activities she engaged in working to save and shelter jews from the occupied Nazis in her country.  Most importantly, she's the reason we have the diary because she is the one that goes back upstairs and gathers it together and cleverly hides it from the Nazis, and then she gives it to Mr. Frank, who is the only survivor of the Annex.  After experiencing the Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam in April, and after walking through the Annex, and seeing the actual place Anne and her family hid, I found this even more intriguing, and I recommend very highly.  5 out of 5.  Sometimes I feel people don't watch Holocaust movies or t.v. shows because they think there's all this violence involved, but really the first time a gun is truly drawn in this show is the very last minute of episode 7 --- oh, we know what they are doing, and we see fear, but we become so learned in the tactics the dutch people used to save the jews from harm -- and it is truly inspiring!  This one is worth the watch!

"A SMALL LIGHT"        Apple 2023    8 episodes       about 50 mins each

Follows the remarkable story of Meep Gies, a Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank's family from the Nazis for more than two years during WWII

Creators:  Tony Phelan, Joan Rater

Actors:  Bet Powley, Joe Cole, Amira Casar, Caroline Catz (Dr. Martin's Louisa)