MR. HARRIGAN’S PHONE – Filmed throughout Fairfield County, CT, including here in Westport, this NetFlix original movie is based on Stephen King’s novella. I have been eagerly awaiting its drop. It was worth the wait. The young actor playing the lead character, Craig, reminds me of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and his acting chops are equally impressive. Donald Sutherland, who plays Mr. Harrigan, may be old but he continues to deliver excellent work. Beware this cautionary tale of cell phone evils just in time for Halloween! Cheers! Boyfriends – 0; Girlfriends – 0.

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE – I expected to completely dislike this new series on AMC. Who can replace Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise as Louis and Lestat, right? And even bolder, who would have the effrontery to turn a beloved film into a TV show? Turns out AMC does, and it works. It’s been slightly modified using people of color in principal roles, and the implied sexual relationship between Louis and Lestat in the film is pronounced in the show. The cinematography depicting old New Orleans is beautiful, as are the two actors playing the leads (Jacob Anderson & Sam Reid). The only misstep may be the casting of Eric Bogosian as the interviewer. He’s a decent actor, but I don’t think he’s right for the part. That aside, the work is first-rate, the sets are gorgeous, the ambience is hauntingly alluring and I can’t wait for the second episode. Cheers!! Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 0.

HOCUS POCUS 2 – The peeps gathered for the release of this sequel to Hocus Pocus in honor of Halloween and our tradition of watching the first one every year since 1993. None of us were expecting much, and that’s what we got. The original had its flaws, but it was charming. This one – awful. The biggest problem is Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are too old to play characters who would not have aged because they died at the end of the original thirty years ago. And they didn’t just die, they completely disintegrated into dust so it’s a ridiculous scenario to bring them back. Sarah Jessica (always one of my favorites) is especially disappointing. Her portrayal of Sarah Sanderson is nothing like the original. She turned a once silly, bouncy, fun, dim witted wild child into a flat, subdued, lackluster character. The dialogue is corny, the situations are stupid and I hated the ending. Mike had the same reaction. Kelly pretty much concurred, but she thought younger kids who weren’t familiar with the first film might like it. The three actors portraying the Sanderson witches in their youth were decent. But even then, we were distracted because we kept wondering “where are their parents?” as the scene played out. Skip it. No toasts, no boyfriends, no girlfriends.

INSIDE THE MIND OF A CAT – Fun facts about felines which you may not know. That is to say, facts that cats would not allow you to know! This hour-long peek into cat behavior may give you a clue as to why cats do what they do….or don’t. Let’s face it…they’re still cats…and cats are most definitely in charge. Kelly, Aidan & Alex loved it. Mike enjoyed it. My take – it was cute. If you’re a cat lover, it’s probably worth a view! Cheers. No boyfriends/girlfriends.

ELVIS – this HBO film chronicles the career of Elvis Presley from humble beginnings at Sun Records until his death in 1977. The focus of the film is his unfortunate relationship with his manager, Col. Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. I have no idea if Hanks’ performance is an accurate portrayal of Parker since my familiarity with Parker is limited, but knowing the quality of Hanks’ work, I assume it is. That said, due to the makeup and fat suit, I kept seeing the Penguin from Batman (which I guess is okay since the Penguin is a villain!) The standout gem in this piece is unknown actor Austin Butler who plays Elvis. He was superb! His face doesn’t look much like Elvis, but everything else was spot on – mannerisms, speaking voice, singing, showmanship. He captured it all flawlessly! Toast glass raised high – Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

THE CARD COUNTER – Slow-paced film that turned on a dime about three quarters of the way through and kept me riveted from that point on. Incarcerated for atrocities he committed in the military police at Abu Ghraib, William Tell becomes expert at card counting and puts this skill to good use once released from prison. Always haunted by the sins of his past, he manages to keep them simmering just below the surface until a young man unexpectedly enters his life, unleashing the ghosts with an explosive force that sets William on a path of no return. Some truly brutal, disturbing action takes place in the Abu Ghraib scenes that I couldn’t watch. Martin Scorsese was involved with this picture which should give you a clue as to the intensity of the violence. Overall, an interesting delve into humanity, karma and redemption. Cheers. Boyfriends – 0; Girlfriends – 0.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON – this much anticipated prequel to Game of Thrones takes place 172 years before the original series. It’s chock full of recognizable actors – Matt Smith (Prince Philip in The Crown), Graham McTavish and Bill Paterson (Dougal & Ned Gowan in Outlander) and Eva Best (Dr. Eleanor O’Hara in Nurse Jackie). Naturally, it’s pretty much the same format, characters and turmoil as its predecessor. I especially liked the way the two series were linked together in the first episode when a prophecy is revealed foretelling the coming of the white walkers and the requisite union of fire and ice in order to prevent the total destruction of humanity. I was expecting much more dragon action since apparently there are 14 in this era of the Targaryen reign. Always my favorite characters, I was disappointed at their lack of screen time. The peeps are somewhat divided on the show so far. Kelly said it was too brutally violent and graphic for her to continue watching. I didn’t see any difference between this and the original. Van liked it a lot and is already a fan. The rest of the peeps are on the fence until more episodes air. Cheers! Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 0.