The Cheese Stands Alone

 Tu 1/30/24- Agnes Fenner: 1130am; The Brandenburgs; 1 gummy; called Body Quest 7am (2-B). {1230pm: 1- gummy}. 105pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Cloudy & breezy with temps to about 40. Finished 'THE BEQUEATHED' (Netflix). Plot: A woman inherits a parcel of land that includes the family burial plot. It could be worth a lot because the area is slated to be turned into a golf course. However, somebody is killing off the potential owners. The killer is an old woman (with a cleft palate) who had a son with her brother. 'Incest' issues ramp up the drama and enhance the dreary setting. I gave the series 'two thumbs' even though it was more than a little confusing.  Bergan 'THE BANK OF DAVE' (Netflix). DEF LEPPARD & GOA EXPRESS save the day. I saved the last fifteen minutes for later...'Financial Regulation Board'- FRB. Set in Burnley, UK which is north of Manchester and west of Leeds.  1030am: PC is 'Off' and preparing fo...

Mo 1/29/24- Buddy to Vet: 1130am 620am (2-B). 1150am (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 535am: Cloudy throughmid day, then bright & sunny with temps to lower 40's.  Oiled treadmill ***Because of Buddy's morning appointment with the vet I began the day on the treadmill, but lost the will to continue. I'll walk outside after I get back from the vet. Watched 'DANIKA' (Amazon Prime). This was a clever idea, but the execution was lacking. Marisa Tomei stars as a suburban mom with a caring husband and three young children. She seems under stress from random fears and concerns that threaten to overwhelm her, but later we learn that none of her stable life is real and it's all a symptom of complete madness. She is actually a homeless woman alone and living on the streets. This seems like a 'made for TV' movie and would have worked better if they went full on 'Art House'.   Watched 'FILLING IN THE BLANKS' (Amazon Prime). A man takes a random...

Su 1/28/24 720am (2-B). 835am (2-B). 1215pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Another day with patches of fog and clouds with temps to upper 30's.  ***Buddy coughed up a hairball outside my bedroom door during the night. He hasn't had a hairball incident in a long time.  Watched 'THE KITCHEN' (Netflix). Set in a not too distant dystopian London where squatters have taken control of tenement high rises called 'The Kitchen'. At his mother's funeral a boy meets a young man who turns out to be his dad. The funeral service 'burns' the client and then the ashes are placed into a container where a seedling is placed. 'The Lord of The Kitchen' runs a 'pirate radio' station that broadcasts via speakers in the market area of the complex. Interesting scenes where the cops 'invade' the housing complex and then the motorcycle gangs from 'The Kitchen' raid the rich side of town.  It's a moving and original storyline and I really li...

 Sa 1/27/24 725am (2-B). 1225pm (2-B). 220pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  ***When I fed Buddy early this morning I stepped on his tail and he bit me on the lower right calf. As far as I can remember this is the first time he has reacted this way and it seemed that he acted purely by instinct. I used a couple of bandaids and we're still friends. Up 615am: Another cloudy day with patches of fog and temps to upper 30's.  Watched 'THE POSTCARD KILLINGS' (Netflix). There are a series of brutal killings of couples across Europe and  NYC detective jumps on the case. His daughter was one of the victims and authorities think that they are looking for a husband and wife killers when the actual perps are brother and sister. This could have been great, but only registered as mediocre; with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Famke Janssen, and Naomi Battrick, and Ruairi O'Conner.  "29" Metascore. Based on a novel by James Patterson.  More 'DETECTIVE FORST' (Netflix). Th...

 Fr 1/26/24 725am (2-B). 1225pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  I noticed traces of dried vomit in a couple of places, but he seems fine now. ***Registered for 'Renew Active' and this might have changed the password to United Healthcare, but the new info is in 'EZ Recipes'. Up 555am: Cloudy with temps to 41.  Watched 'THE PASSENGER' (Amazon Prime).  It's about a hostage situation that occurs at a fast food joint in the middle of the American wasteland. A bully forces a coworker to eat a mouldy cheeseburger, and another member of the staff goes to his car, gets a shotgun and kills three employees. He takes 'cheeseburger guy' as his passenger and they go on a kind of 'bloody moral reclamation'. For a low-budget Independent filmed near New Orleans, LA with no movie stars this was definitely a cut above. "62" Metascore. Watched 'BORN IN CHICAGO' (Amazon Prime). An excellent history of the Chicago style of Electric Blues and ho...

 Th 1/25/24 725am (2-B). 1245pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 545am: Patchy fog with rain beginning later this afternoon with temps just over 40.  Watched 'THE CIRCLE' (Netflix). A morality play about 'Privacy vs. Full Disclosure' set in Silicon Valley.  A young woman hires on to an 'Apple-like' company and realizes that unlimited sharing of personal experiences can be rewarding and enriching, but it can also create an environment that fosters totalitarianism. The question at the end of the film: If workers are 'on camera' during all of their workday, why can't the bosses be just as transparent? The hidden 'Waste & Theft' occurring at the top has a more negative effect than anything that the workers might do; with  Watched 'OPEN WIDE' (Netflix). A father and son have new and controversial ideas about the practice of orthodontics. Is it a scam or a legitimate method? After watching the film I am not sure. In the opening scen...

We 1/24/24 730am (2-B). 1220pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Light drizzle this morning and then overcast with temps to about 40. Foggy in the afternoon and 'dense fog warning' for tonight through noon tomorrow.  Watched 'MY BROTHER, MY SISTER' (Netflix). A fifty year old windsurfer and his sister learn that their father has left them joint custody of the family home. He is a reprobate and she has been overprotective of her schizophrenic & depressed son for a decade. They must learn to become a family again.  And, the mentally ill son is a world-class cello player. The film was shot in Rome, Italy and almost too weird to be corny. I started 'KUBRA' (Netflix) by mistake and finished episode #6, but I meant to finish ''SELF MADE: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C.J. Walker' (Netflix). I was surprised to learn that the company is still around and its products are even sold at Walmart.    1130am: PC is 'Off' and will do the weight...

Tu 1/23/24 645am (2-B). 930am (1-B). 1240pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 545am: Cloudy with temps almost to 40. Temperatures will be rising all week and more rain is predicted beginning late this evening.  Watched 'THE LESSON' (Kanopy). A young author takes a tutoring position at the estate of a legendary writer and becomes ensnared in the family's conflicting grievances and buried resentments. It's a very clever story and keeps you guessing to the very end of the film; with Richard E. Grant, Julie Delpy, and Daryl McCormack. "62" Metascore. More of 'SELF MADE: Inspired By The Life of Madam C.J. Walker' (Netflix). A rather bland tale of Black Female Empowerment that could do with a little more edge, but still well worth a look.  1210pm: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a walk on the treadmill. At noon it's still a slick & treacherous mess on the streets and sidewalks. It's only beginning to melt. 1245pm: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE ...

 Mo 1/22/24 720am (2-B). 920am (1-B). 540pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Light freezing rain for most of the day with temps hovering near 32. A 'Winter Weather Advisory' is in effect until midnight. Westview is a moist sheet of wet gray ice, but it would be much worse if it were only a few degrees colder.  I wrote up 'THE SINS OF THE FATHERS' by Lawrence Block for the blog.  Watched 'THE JOKER' (Netflix). A mentally ill man lives with his mother in a garish urban nightmare. He's obsessed with stand up comedy, goes off his meds, and mayhem results. One of the darkest films I've ever seen about a person experiencing severe mental health issues; with Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Shea Whigham, Marc Maron, and Sam Morill can be heard telling a joke..."I just hope my death makes more 'cents' than my life." In the middle of the film I called ATT Benefits about the billing change that they will no longer deduct $51 from my a...

 Su 1/21/24 645am (2-B). 930am (1-SB). 1225pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 515am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to about 25.  ***Buddy seems fine and is about as close to normal as he gets.   Weekly Cleaning Watched 'FATHER STU' (Netflix). A small-time boxer from Montana travels to Hollywood to become an actor. He later decides to become a priest and when he learns that he's dying, it doesn't diminish his faith. The film is not exactly Catholic propaganda, but close; with Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Jacki Weaver, and Teresa Ruiz. "40" Metascore; 2 wins & 2 nominations.  Began 'NARCO FINANCE: How Cartels Have Taken Over The World Banks' (Amazon Prime). A low- budget examination of the situation and not the least bit nuanced or informative. "Drugs and Drug profits- BAD....Law Enforcement- GOOD". 1145am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do the weights and then hit Esporta. Weights: 3 sets/ 15 reps.  1235pm:  To Esporta......

Sa 1/20/24- Buddy Sick 645am (2-B). 1215pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 520am: Sunny & frigid with 'Dangerous Wind Chills' until noon today and temps to low teens.  ***Buddy threw up breakfast next to the water heater and I didn't notice it until I went downstairs before Morning Movie. He is lethargic and doesn't seem hungry- highly unusual.  ***He threw up again a couple of hours later on the hallway rug and was still acting very quiet. ***He threw up a little later at the edge of the kitchen and the hall.  I'm going to feed him again when I leave for the gym and hope that he can keep it down.  ***Clear liquid vomit in the kitchen later. ***Treadmill today  Watched 'DESTROYER' (Amazon Prime). A female detective on the skids gets dragged into a case from her past. She and her boyfriend worked undercover to nail a crew of bank robbers and it looks like this group are at it again. Nicole Kidman's character looked worse than warmed over death fo...

Fr 1/19/24 905am (2-B). 1230pm (2-B) 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).   Up 730am: {Thanks, Buddy!} Mostly sunny & breezy with a high of only ten degrees. We got between 2 and 3 inches on Westview last night. 8am- 820am: Shoveled the walk & driveway.  Called Brewer to schedule Buddy's kidney checkup: Mo 1/29/24 at 1130am.  Watched 'THE WEEKEND AWAY' (Netflix). A 'Sub-B Movie' about two young women who indulge in a 'girls weekend' in a Croatia seaside village. One girl is murdered and her friend is charged. At first it looked like one of the cops was the killer and then we learned that the husband was having an affair with her best friend and he did the deed. Silly, but almost worth a look for the locations in Split, Croatia.  The film was shot in Split and Zagreb, Croatia. Began 'THE AMERICAN MEME' (Netflix). I shut it down at 31 minutes and I'll finish on the treadmill. "Privacy is Dead. Live With It".  ***1150am: The old couple across...

 Th 1/18/24- New Batch! HIGH SUPPLY Indica Popcorn 720am (2-B). 1205pm (2-B). 225p(1-B) [the end of 'Sweet Georgia Pie']. 550pm (2-B) [HIGH SUPPLY Indica Popcorn]. 810pm (2-B).  ***Around 4am. Buddy threw up in the hallway just outside my bedroom door. He ate normally when I got up and seemed fine.  Up 545am: Cloudy with temps to about 32 degrees, but temperatures will barely break single digits on Friday and Saturday. Watched 'ALONERS' (Hoopla). A young woman works as a service rep and realizes that she has become a ghost in her own life. Sub-Plots: 1) Her apartment neighbor died after being crushed under an avalanche of porn magazines. She has a couple of conversations with his ghost.  2) She installs a secret recording device in her father's living room to find out if he was decent to her mother. He was, and much more. I thought this was a very moving tale and like nothing else.  "72" Metascore; 10 wins & 10 nominations. Shot in South Korea. Watched...

 We 1/17/24 8am (2-B). 1245pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 630am: Sunny & breezy with temps to upper 20's and the wind made it feel much colder. ***Aprehensive about Buddy. Watched 'SECRET OBSESSION' (Netflix). Another clinker that no one over the age of seven could possibly believe. A man is obsessed with a woman from work. We don't learn the details of his attraction, but he takes her to a remote stately mansion. She has lost her memory because he botched her kidnapping and she was run over by a passing motorist. After committing numerous felonies the guy still can't make her remember things the way he wants her to; with Brenda Song, Mike Vogel, and Dennis Haysbert. The film was set in California, but shot near Boulder, Colorado. {IMDB says the film was shot in Pomona, CA and Malibu, CA, but this has got to be a mistake. The only saving grace of the film was the mountainous scenery and that is definitely NOT Malibu, California}.   Finished 'THE JOU...

 Tu 1/16/24- Buddy Sick 725am (2-B). 1230pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).   Up 610am: Bright & sunny with today's high only in the high single digits. The 'Dangerous Wind Chill Warning' is in effect until early this afternoon. High temperatures below freezing until next Monday. ***I ordered another bottle of treadmill belt lubricant at Amazon. Watched 'TRAPPED' (Netflix). A kidnapping plot goes awry. The plot was so unbelievable that it was more laughable than thrilling. Landing the seaplane on an interstate was so over the top that it seemed laughable; with Kevin Bacon, Charlize Theron, Courtney Love, Stuart Townsend, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Dakota Fanning. "42" Metascore. Filmed in British Columbia, Canada but set in the Eastern Cascades of California, Washington, and Oregon. More 'THE JOURNALIST' (Netflix). I shut it down 33 minutes into episode #4. The female journalist has been asked by management to stop covering the story and she can...

 Mo 1/15/24- Dr. Garg: 1pm 645am (2-B). 855am (1-B). 540pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 550am: Bitterly cold and breezy and today's high will be '4'. I did the Five Miles before the 'Morning Movie' because I have a 1pm appointment with Dr. Garg.  650am:  FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; watched more of 'WORKING' (Netflix)- This is a distressing series. I don't know what I'd do if I was a young person today. Do today's youth have unrealistic dreams or is the government not doing enough to meet the needs of the citizens? It's probably a little of both and I hope we also see what it looks like from the owners' side of this economic equation. Watched 'NOBODY KNOWS I'M HERE' (Netflix). An obese man lives with his uncle on a remote Chilean sheep farm.  When he was a boy he was 'the voice' of a young pop star. The 'star' would lip sync to the boy's incredible vocalizations and he became famous. A young woman visi...

Su 1/14/24 730am (2-B). 1235pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Cloudy and today's high is only 'Zero' and a 'Wind Chill Warning' is in effect until 3pm this afternoon. The Weekly Cleaning Watched ''JOHN WICK: Chapter 3- Parabellum' (Netflix). Another 'Chop-Socky Delivery System' and not much else, but the dialogue was a cut above (slightly); with Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, and Anjelica Huston. "72" Matascore; 18 wins & 29 nominations. "If you want peace, prepare for war"...'Parabellum'- translates as "Prepare for War". Finished 'CIGARETTE GIRL' (Netflix). A better than average 'epic' love story set in the Kretek business of Java, Indonesia. It was definitely a foreign perspective, yet very romantic and I enjoyed it.   1145am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to hit Esporta. I want to shovel the walk & driveway, warm up the ...

Sa 1/13/24 720am (2-B). [735am- one gummy]. 1205pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 550am: Frigid with gusty winds and temps to mid teens- wind chills below zero. The coldest day of the season...so far.  Paid Visa- (including the car insurance which is pending: $355). ***735am- I ate one gummy: 20 THC and a lot of CBD.   Watched 'BEAU IS AFRAID' (Hoopla). An Absurdist tale about the insanely out-of-control life of a middle aged man with 'Mommy Issues'. The opening setting is a cityscape of 'madness & murder & mayhem' and from that chaos it gets even worse. I haven't laughed this hard at a film in ages; with Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, and Parker Posey. "63" Metascore. 1130am: PC is 'Off' 1205pm: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; watched 'ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST' (Netflix). Finished 'THE WINDCHIME LEGACY by  A.W.MYKEL. 450pm:  TWO MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; more of THE...

Fr 1/12/24 715am (2-B). 9am (1-SB). 1225pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 550am: Cloudy and periods of rain with temps to about 40, but temps dropping 40 degrees and strong winds later today. Tomorrow's high is only sixteen degrees! ***I ran an 'Updates' and got the prompt to 'Restart'. I swept the gumballs off the front porch and the 'Restart' was complete. As usual, no discernable difference in performance.  Watched 'SHOWING UP' (Hoopla). This low budget Independent is weirdly funny and transports you into a completely different world. This film is designed to enrage any right-of-center or conservative American. A mildly satirical, yet a somewhat genuine portrait of 'working' artists in contemporary Portland, Oregon; with Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, and Judd Hirsh. The film was inspired by Black Mountain College in North Carolina and filmed on the old campus of the Oregon College of Art and Craft. More 'CIGARETTE GIRL' (Netf...

 Th 1/11/24 720am (2-B). 1130am (2-B). 140pm (1-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B). Up 620am: Cloudy with temps to upper 30's. Frigid temps & snow is on tap for this weekend.  Watched 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE' (Netflix). A male nurse in a Spanish hospice forms a relationship with an elderly mobster. The nurse is slowly killing him with drugs because the mobster was pushing drugs and his brother OD'd. I had seen this before, but I remembered very little. It was released in 2019 and I've seen a few thousand or more films since then; with Luis Tosar. 8 wins & 20 nominations. Filmed in Galicia Spain which is in the extreme northwest corner of the country.   Watched 'FOOL ME ONCE' (Netflix). I shut it down 25 minutes into episode #7. I'll be able to finish the series tonight.  1035am-: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do the weights and then walk Washington Park. Tomorrow begins winter weather and temps in the zero range by Friday. I want to get the grocery...

We 1/10/24 750am (2-B). 1235pm (2-B). 550pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 615am: Partly cloudy with temps to mid 30's. Frigid weather is on the way for the weekend. The first real coldspell of the year with temps in the teens and lower.   ***I changed the furnace filter and it hadn't been changed since last January 22nd.  ***Buddy was sick very early this morning in the living room near the phone charger, but he seems normal.  Watched 'QUEEN & SLIM' (Tubi). A Tinder date turns into a nightmare when a black couple are forced to flee after killing a cop in self-defense at a traffic stop. The couple become social media sensations as they run from Ohio to Florida, and hope to catch a flight to Cuba. But in the end, they are gunned down by police on the tarmac. A great Independent film; with Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloe Sevigny, and Flea."74" Metascore; 13 wins & 44 nominations.   Finished 'YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: A Twin Experi...

 Tu 1/9/24 720am (2-B). 12pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 545am: Just a light dusting of snow last night and light rain early today with temps in the 30's. Then,  changing to snow and falling temps later today. ***Allmusic was down for a couple of hours early this morning. I noticed it back online at 9am. Watched 'SUBURBICON' (Kanopy). The film is a Black Satire set in a 'typical' American white suburban community in the late  1950's. "Blacks should not be oppressed, but they can't be granted full equality until they change through education and self-reliance".  Racist ideas presented as fair and reasonable points of view makes the tone of the film a bit uncomfortable. And I guess that was the point; with Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, and Oscar Isaac. Directed by George Clooney and written by The Coen Brothers and George Clooney. "42" Metascore; 4 wins & 8 nominations.   Began 'WHITE RIOT' (Kanopy). In the late 70's ...

Mo 1/8/24 705am (2-B).  1225pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 540am: Cloudy with a wintry mix beginning late this afternoon & tonight with temps to about 40. Two to four inches are possible.  Watched 'MAESTRO' (Netflix). The slump is over! A terrific 'Morning Movie' about the complicated relationship between Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. The first hour of the movie is in black and white and this section highlights how easy it was to adjust to Leonard's bisexuallity. The second half addresses how very difficult this became. The dialogue was very lively and created an intriguing character study of Leonard Bernstein the man and his art; with Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Silverman. "77" Metascore; 17 wins & 108 nominations. Directed by Bradley Cooper and co-produced with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.  I called United Healthcare and my Fitness ID is A772-596-219 Wrote The Chat Finished 'TH...

 Su 1/7/24 715am (2-B). 1245pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 540am: Occasional snow showers early and then cloudy with temps to low 30's. The lawns and roofs are still lightly snow covered from yesterday's snowfall.  Weekly Cleaning Watched 'THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD' (Netflix). Another mediocre film and this one was set in the wilds of New Mexico and is about a father and son who are on the proverbial 'run'. Dad was a 'forensic accountant' and uncovered some shady dealings involving senators and various corrupt 'one percenters'.  The 'rich & powerfully connected' (we never meet them or learn of their transgressions) send out a two-man hit team to kill the man and boy. Meanwhile, a forest fire is raging and it gets dumber and dumber from there; with Angelina Jolie, Jon Bernthal, Jake Weber, and Patrick Hoult."59" Metascore although Washington Post gave it a "25" and I agree. *** Zero sum game: One player's ...

 Sa 1/6/24 705am (2-B). 820am (1-B). 1230pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 540am: We got about an inch of very wet snow last night. It looks like a winter wonderland and the first measurable snow on Westview. Today it will be cloudy with a chance of snow showers and temps in the mid 30's. Wrote up 'NATIVE SON' by Richard Wright for the blog.  Watched 'THE TRANSPORTER REFUELED' (Netflix). Just a vehicle for lots of mediocre 'chop-socky' and car & boat chases that could not happen on planet Earth. It involves the French Riviera , three prostitutes in blonde fright wigs, a conflicted father & son relationship, and the Russian Mafia. It's a French production that was plausible only to the level of a third rate comic book.  Watched 'MAN ON THE RUN' (Netflix). The Malaysian government established a large fund that was designed to beef up investments in the country's long term investments and infrastructure. Jho Low was a shifty global...

Fr 1/5/24 725am (2-B). 820am (1-SB). 110pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 610am: Partly cloudy with temps to upper 30's. Watched 'WE OWN THE NIGHT' (Tubi- Leaving soon). A classy Police Procedural with  a dysfunctional 'brothers & fathers' theme. The 'bad' brother runs a disco in early 80's Manhattan and his brother and father are high ranking members of the NYC Police Department. Lots of high drama & scenery chewing, but it works; with Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, and Danny Hoch. "59" Metascore; 1 win & 5 nominations.  More of 'THE LORENSKOG DISAPPEARANCE' (Netflix). I watched enough so that I can finish it tonight.   1230pm: PC is 'Off' and will do the weights and then hit Washington Park.  Weights: 3 sets/ 15 reps.  120pm- 245pm To Washington Park...[street all the way]. Parkview,  Wash.Pk southside, up the hill on the road to northside,  Walnut,  Wash.Pk southside, up the road,...

 Th 1/4/24 715am (2-B). 850am (1-SB). 1210pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 610am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to upper 30's. Watched 'GRAN TURISMO: Based on a True Story' (Netflix). Premise: Gamers who are excell at video game racing can carry that excellence to competing in actual LeMans car racing. Sub-Plot: People no longer associate thrills and excitement with driving. Uber is the way that many get around. The movie is based on real events.  Finished 'HIGH TIDES' (Netflix).  'Glamor Boy' killed the black boy's aunt. It was an accident as 'Glamor Boy' was in a fist fight with his father and trying to protect the woman when she fell over the railing. And 'The Hot Girl' leaves the 'Lovable Black Boy' and runs alone along the beach. Fade to Black... {Season 2 is filming this year} Began 'THE LORENSKOG DISAPPEARANCE' (Netflix). I shut it down 15 minutes into episode #1. Filmed entirely in Norway where the se...

 We 1/3/24 730am (2-B). 825am (1-SB). 1240pm (2-B). 210pm (1-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 605am: Cloudy with temps to mid 30's.  Watched 'ABANDONED' (Netflix).  A female detective is set to eat her gun, but the discovery of a dead female 'illegal' makes her quit the suicide and focus on some unsolved homicides. The plot involves: *** the grief stricken detective over the suicide of her partner*** a young man's connection to an illegal operation to settle immigrants into the country*** How the photographer of the operations was murdering young immigrant females on their birthdays. An interesting Police Drama. Set in Taichung City, Taiwan. Watched 'THE FALL OF '55' (Amazon Prime). In the late Fall of 1955 the city of Boise, Idaho conducted a 'Moral Decency Campaign' that targeted Boise's gay population. It was done under the guise of 'protecting the children'. The film fails to mention that according to the American Psychiatric...

 Tu 1/2/24 705am (2-B). 815am (1-SB). 1225pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Partly sunny and temps to about 40.  Watched 'SALTBURN' (Amazon Prime).  A brilliant and 'dark as night' satire that really turns evil in the final act. A young lad goes to Oxford and tries to ingratiate with English High Society. His target family lives in a sprawling mansion and they are rich and powerful, yet clinically insane; with Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, and Richard E. Grant. Pike & Grant deliver the best portrayal of upper class nitwits that I've ever seen. Equal parts silly & sinister.  "The 3 Things I Learned In Boarding School: 1) Latin. 2) Water Polo. 3) Child Abuse.". What is a spag bol in British slang? Spaghetti Bolognese in British English. "61" Metascore; 3 wins & 45 nominations. Finished 'THE SPIDER-MAN OF PARIS' (Netflix)- Vjeran Tomic's (Spider-Man) fence claims that he destroyed the five paintings f...

 Mo 1/1/24 650am (2-B). 745am (1-SB). 1235pm (2-B). 550pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 540am: Partly cloudy with temps to mid 30's. Watched 'THE NEXT THREE DAYS' (Netflix). A woman is sentenced for a murder she didn't commit and her husband develops an elaborate plan to spring her from the Pittsburgh City jail. The film works only if you suspend belief completely; with Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, and Liam Neeson (for a single scene). "52" Metascore. Shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  An interpretation of the theme of 'DON QUIXOTE' by Cervantes and the theme of the film:  "Rational thought destroys your soul."..."What if we chose to live in a reality of our own making. Does that render us insane? And if it does, isn't that better than a life of despair?" Watched 'THE SPIDER-MAN OF PARIS' (Netflix). I shut it down at 37 minutes. A burglar specializes in stealing from rich Parisian apartments by entering from t...

Su 12/31/23 730am (2-B). 820am (1-SB). 1215pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Overcast & breezy with temps to low 30's. Weekly Cleaning Watched 'THE SILENCING' (Netflix). ***CHANGE OF PLANS***I decided to save this one for the next trip to Esporta or Planet Fitness.  Watched 'LA CONFIDENTIAL' (Netflix). {From an excellent novel by James Ellroy} Corruption is endemic in the LA police force after mob boss Mickey Cohen is jailed and crooked cops try to take control of the rackets. A major player is in the escort business and he pays for plastic surgery so that his girls look like particular movie stars. Then he entices important men to date his 'stars', gets photographic evidence, and blackmails them; with Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Strathairn, and Ron Rifkin. Won 2 Oscars; 91 wins & 86 nominations. "91" Metascore.   Watched an episode of 'I AM A KILLER' (Netflix...