THE LORD OF THE RINGS Fellowship of the Ring – Is there anyone who hasn’t seen the LOTR trilogy? Yes. Kelly and me, to name two. So when it dropped on NetFlix we watched it. Kelly and Van loved it. I liked it, but not enough to sit through two more 3-hour films to see the heroic finish. Michael has always loved the entire trilogy. And Ryan left the theatre halfway through the first picture bored to tears. Watching it so many years after its initial release, I discovered it launched many careers. It was fun to see some now well-known actors in their youth and all delivering solid performances. Cheers! Boyfriends – 2; Girlfriends – 0.

TÁR – And the Best Actress Oscar goes to Cate Blanchett for her masterful command of an extremely challenging role. She had to learn to speak German and French fluently, conduct an orchestra realistically, utter obscure symphony terminology and composers’ names in long pieces of dialogue…and she did it all with such proficiency I believed her from start to finish. The film itself, however, is another matter. First off, I thought Lydia Tár was a real person. She is not. Second, the film is long and gets bogged down in all the symphony terminology. That extra time could have been used to flush out the situations more. So much was glossed over I was left confused about their resolution. Some scenes made no sense and quick snippets could have been eliminated altogether. Third, I hated the ending. The last twenty minutes had me moaning “WTF?” I never got an answer. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

ANGELYNE – During the many years we lived in Los Angeles, the boys and I would see billboards of Angelyne all over town. Occasionally we would pass her pink Corvette on the 101 freeway. We would always remark, “Who is this chick?” It was the same question many Angelenos were asking and rumors abounded, but no one knew anything for sure. So naturally, I had to watch the mini-series on Peacock to satisfy my curiosity. Turns out Angelyne doesn’t want anyone to know anything for sure. She wants her life before she created Angelyne to remain a mystery. She is famous for being famous way before the Kardashians. The five episodes are told in a somewhat surreal fashion which I suspect is meant to symbolize Angelyne’s fantasy world, but were exceedingly boring. I was impressed, however, at her ability to draw people into her orbit with her genuine belief in positive energy in order to accomplish her goals. And accomplish them she did. She’s no bimbo. But she always ended up sucking the life right out of those same folks, leaving chaos in her wake. In the last episode, we finally get a glimpse into her childhood and her life before Angelyne, which was traumatic. That, coupled with her fantasy world, created the alter ego who apparently still cruises around L.A. to this day. In the end, my verdict is the same as what I suspected all those years ago when we first spotted those billboards…this chick is whacked! It is ironic, though, having moved to Westport directly from L.A. that a resident here drives a pink mini cooper with the license plate Lollypop. That’s so Angelyne. And I have to admit I think of her still whenever I spy her counterpart around town. I wonder what Angelyne would say about that! Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

GOOD OMENS – As delightful and entertaining as the book, a cult classic! Neil Gaiman’s apocalyptic TV tale is loaded with the same irreverent humor, and brought to life by a cast gleefully embracing their roles. Like the book, it’s convoluted at times. Doesn’t matter. It’s a wild romp of good vs. evil and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride! Cheers! Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 0.

GUNTHER’S MILLIONS – Wealthy heiress dies and leaves fortune to her German Shepherd. Four hundred million to be exact. Or maybe not. After all, a human needs to manage the funds, right? This dog has more folks on the payroll than Elon Musk…with a lifestyle much more decadent and depraved I presume! The only requirement (according to the Will) – the dog must be present in this lifestyle at all times. Translation: the dog is exploited, many Gunther heirs must be bred to keep the bloodline (and millions) flowing and there must be a stand-in canine at events for security reasons. If you’re already nauseous, it gets better. The whole heiress story is a pack of lies to avoid taxation and worst of all, in the end, many of Gunther’s heirs were kept in horrid conditions and had to be rescued by police. Heartbreaking. Cheers to the producers for exposing the truth is this documentary! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

THE LIGHTHOUSE – Another disturbing, confusing film. Two lighthouse caretakers in 1890 go slowly mad from isolation and abuse. Filmed in black & white, and featuring only two actors for the entire piece (Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson), the work is terrific and the mood foreboding. Horrific two hours! Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

THE MAYFAIR WITCHES – Anne Rice’s novel comes to life in this mysterious tale of black magic within a New Orleans coven of sorceresses. This one is right up my alley and I’m enjoying it. The only issue is it airs on AMC which means it’s short on show time and long on commercials. Exceedingly frustrating. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

THE LAST OF US – Peeps are losing their minds over this show! Kelly says it’s sensational. Mike has a regular Sunday night viewing with his Boston friends. Ryan and Krista are blown away. Christine rushes home from work to watch it. Me – I agree the acting is quite good and the relationships engaging. But – I can’t get into the zombie/apocalypse storyline. It’s never been my thing. Plus this disaster is caused by a virus which coming out of a pandemic has zero interest for me. The show is based on a video game and it consists of endless running, hiding, shooting and whiny screeching zombies..most of which takes places in the dark. Boring! The two leads, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, both featured in Game of Thrones and I’ve enjoyed their performances in both shows. Unanimous toasts from the peeps. A sip from me. Cheers! Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 1.