mysticalmum

BROTHERS BY BLOOD – Character study into childhood events affecting adult choices within the dynamics of a small-time Irish crime family in New York. Matthias Schoenerts, one of my faves, delivers his usual subtle (but intense) performance. I always find the thoughtfulness of his work interesting. I didn’t quite understand the final scene, but IContinue reading

GEORGE CARLIN’S AMERICAN DREAM – The life and times of iconic comic George Carlin are honestly revealed in this two-part HBO documentary. It’s excellent. Featuring commentary from his daughter, his first and second wives, many comics who were his peers in the industry and even George himself, we get a true picture of the humanContinue reading

GASLIT – Splendid new series on Starz revealing behind the scenes drama among major players in the Watergate scandal, both personal and political. I suspect that a decent portion of the story is fabricated, but it’s intriguing and great entertainment nonetheless. Everyone delivers stellar performances, but the three leads are exceptional. Sean Penn is completelyContinue reading

THE MYSTERY OF MARILYN MONROE: THE UNHEARD TAPES – Subpar documentary on NetFlix rehashing old news. Mike and I agree nothing to see here. Dana loved it. Y’all know what I say….skip it. Cheers. Zero toasts, boyfriends/girlfriends.

THE FIRST LADY – I’ve been looking forward to this series on Showtime for weeks. It’s an interesting depiction of three First Ladies – Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. I like the way three distinct eras are showcased in every episode allowing us to compare how each First Lady handled (or didn’t) similarContinue reading

DEATH ON THE NILE – this latest version of Agatha Christie’s who-dun-it is directed by Kenneth Branagh who also stars as Hercule Poirot. I’m not a big fan of Agatha Christie, or murder mysteries in general, but I enjoy Branagh’s films, so I watched. It’s the typical bit with the usual suspects, both the charactersContinue reading

THE NIGHT HOUSE – This film started off as a suspenseful ghost story, turned weird and ended up convoluted and subpar. The lead actress, Rebecca Hall, is quite good though. Still – skip it! Zero toasts, boyfriends/girlfriends.

#ADULTING – I am a long-time fan of Bill Maher and his show, Real Time, on HBO. His standup has never been as good. This one is no different. A few laughs, but overall, lacking the quality of his series and not really worth viewing. Sorry Bill – skip it!

THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE GREATEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH – this series began in 2016 when Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon put their collective political expertise to good use taking us behind the scenes with the presidential candidates, following them across country and venues as they vied for their party’s nomination. I don’tContinue reading

OUR GREAT NATIONAL PARKS – Marvelous documentary consisting of five episodes, each dedicated to a specific national park, mostly in other countries. Only one is in the U.S., Monterey Bay Marine Park off the coast of Monterey in northern California. Focused on conserving wildlife and environments, and narrated by Barack Obama, this piece allows usContinue reading