LADY BOSS-THE JACKIE COLLINS STORY – Interesting documentary about the life of famous romance novelist Jackie Collins as told through commentary from her sister, actress Joan Collins, her children and her work associates. I never really knew much about her, nor have I read any of her novels, but I enjoyed learning about her life from people who knew her well. Recommended for any fans of her work. Cheers!

SHADOW AND BONE – This new NetFlix series is based on the book trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. Dana enjoyed it and suggested it to me because I like fantasy and magic. Unfortunately, I dislike science fiction, which is what this series is in my opinion. It’s only one season so far, but it was a chore for me to get through it. By episode five, I was finally somewhat interested in the characters, although I still don’t understand what’s going on completely. The lighting is dark and the actors speak in low tones with British accents which doesn’t help. But it was the character of Jasper, who provides the comic relief in the story, who finally captured my attention. He’s cute, too. He’s quite engaging as a dapper, wise-cracking rogue with excellent sharp shooter skills and basically a good guy. My kinda man. By the end of season one, I found the villain to be rather engaging as well. The series has been picked up for season two so there’s more adventure to be had. Whether or not I will indulge, depends on my viewing choices and mood when season two drops. Fans of the books will probably enjoy the ride! One toast from Dana. Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 0. Cheers!

THE BIG LEBOWSKI – Apparently I am the only person on the planet who has not seen this film from 1998. Everyone keeps telling me to watch it, and as I was in a state of boredom the other night and in need of a laugh, I decided I would finally give it a peek! One of the reasons I resisted for so long is I’m not a big fan of Coen Bros. films. I have to admit I was surprised to find this movie funny. Laugh out loud funny. I thought John Goodman was hilarious. I thought Jeff Bridges was funny as his foil. I loved Steve Buscemi as the long suffering third wheel (which was quite a departure from his usual roles). Of course the storyline was ridiculous, and I didn’t understand some bits, but it didn’t matter. It was funny and I was laughing all the way through to the end. So in the words of John and Mike, watch this film for some mindless comedic entertainment! Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE – Since the entertainment industry is now in the throes of shooting a TV series based on the Time Traveler’s Wife, I thought I would finally watch the film from 2009. It is a poignant love story to be sure with a large dose of fantasy (hence time travel). One of my friends considers it to be among his top twenty movie picks, but he is an incurable romantic. It certainly is a film that speaks to incurable romance. Though it doesn’t make my top twenty list, I liked it. I liked the characters, the pace and yes, the idea that an epic love affair could endure through time and space and all the challenges that presents. Oops, guess I’m an incurable romantic too! Shh…it’s our secret. A toast to true love – cheers! Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends -1.

MOVIES THAT MADE US – I thoroughly enjoy this series, partly because it is a quasi documentary on popular films we love (and you guys know how much I like documentaries), but mostly because of the behind the scenes peek at the making of these films. As an actor, I relish hearing all the juicy details and antics that occurred that we, the audience, were never aware of! Sometimes these details made the difference in getting these films made at all, and sometimes random acts ensured their success. For instance, can anyone imagine Eric Stoltz in the role of Marty McFly? No? Me either. (I am a big believer in random acts and the magic of movie making). In addition to big reveals, the producers also sprinkle in funny sound effects and visual pop ups which only make the viewing that much more fun. The four films highlighted this season are Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Pretty Woman and Forest Gump. If you are a fan of behind the scenes dramedy, you will find this series completely entertaining. Cheers!!!

SEXLIFE – If any of y’all out there are interested in soft porn, this NetFlix original new series is for you! Dana couldn’t get enough of it. Frannie watched through the first three episodes, but lost interest after that. I made it to the end, but by episode six some of the situations were utterly stupid, the sex appeal had waned completely and it was a grind to get through the remaining two installments. Even from the beginning, I was more curious than actually engaged in the storyline. I just wanted the resolution to be revealed from about episode five, but alas, no dice. The three leads are quite attractive (naturally), and the work is pretty good throughout, but falters a bit near the end. The premise is bored, exhausted housewife married to a stable, secure good guy fantasizes about her bad boy boyfriend from her glory days. A chance encounter between wife and boyfriend, plus some untoward snooping by the husband into wife’s diary, equals relationship disaster. Not much to see here. There’s plenty of soft porn sprinkled into most good shows these days. You can skip this one.

MY OCTOPUS TEACHER – this moving documentary of roughly one year in the life of an octopus warmed my heart. Filmmaker Craig Foster develops an unlikely bond with this mollusk in the South African kelp forest and takes us on an incredible journey into her world. I came away from this film having fallen in love with the octopus as much as Foster and rooting for her to overcome the many challenges of life under the sea. Both educational and touching (sometimes even poignant), this film is worth every second of the 90-minute viewing time. Unanimous cheers from the peeps! Girlfriends – 1 (the octopus of course).

STARDUST – Charming, enchanting and magical fairytale based on the book written by Neil Gaiman, who was also involved in producing this film. First released in 2007, and now streaming on NetFlix, this delightful movie boasts an all-star cast including Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro, and Claire Danes. By the way, I was thoroughly impressed by Claire’s English accent. Well done. This fun romp has everything required in fairytales – heroes, villains, enchanted stones, fallen stars, love, a moral and of course…..a happy ending! There’s even quite a bit of comedy thrown in for good measure. It’s wonderful. Cheers! Boyfriends – 2 (which includes Neil); Girlfriends – 2.

VERSAILLES – Merveilleux! The peeps are in full agreement on this three season series about the volatile reign of King Louis XIV of France. It is exceptional. Riveting story, excellent work. Sandi has been raving about it for months and happily convinced me to watch. Linette and Pat both are big fans and Dana loved it. The only issue which was a problem for me (and it was a big one) was English actors playing these roles. In my view it detracted from the authenticity of the piece. Either the actors should have been speaking in French (using English subtitles) or speaking with French accents, particularly since documents shone on camera are completely written French. This bothered me in every episode and took me somewhat out of the story. Sandi said it didn’t bother her at all, and she’s an actor too. Still, I loved the series and was disappointed it wasn’t renewed for its fourth season as originally planned. Toasts all around with delicious French wine! À votre santé! Boyfriend/Girlfriend meter: Quite a few boyfriends, zero girlfriends.

DOLLY PARTON HERE I AM – Dolly fans will enjoy this delightful documentary as charming as the country music diva herself! Commentary from folks like Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin offer some little known insight into the true Dolly Parton – and there’s even some revelation about Carl (photos and everything), Dolly’s extremely private and falsely rumored to be non-existent husband of fifty years. The girl’s got it goin’ on and it’s a fun romp through her life and times. Cheers to another seventy, Dolly!