OUTLANDER 5 – Last night’s episode (#7) was riveting and heartbreaking, keeping closely to the book. My boyfriend, Murtagh, finally meets his end. Murtagh dies during the Battle of Alamance instead of on the battlefield at Culloden, but the same book dialogue between he and Jamie is written into the scene. I always enjoy hearing lines and seeing important events taken directly from the books. I’m sure Diana Gabaldon is pleased. It was a fitting death, but I will miss the character of Murtagh and the fine actor who plays him, Duncan Lacroix, very much. I’m also grateful his character remained in the show far longer than in the books, and with much greater impact on the story. Sam Heughan did an excellent job portraying all the losses. And there was a delightful surprise. Graham McTavish who played Dougal Mackenzie returned in the role of Dougal’s son. I recognized his voice immediately, even before his younger character appeared on screen. Creative, clever casting that will make viewers smile. And Graham, too, as I’m sure he will be appearing in future episodes as the story moves forward. Frannie & I both raise our glasses to this one. And a special toast to my boyfriend who will not be seen in future episodes but served us well. RIP Murtagh. Slainte.

DR. SLEEP – Mike and I have wanted to see this film since it first opened in theatres. We were both fans of Stephen King’s book along with a few other peeps in our group. We finally had an opportunity under the coronavirus shelter-at-home orders. The film was proceeding fairly well until the end. Intended as a sequel to The Shining where Danny Torrance is now an adult and very much following in the footsteps of his tormented father, the film should have provided the same redemptive resolution found in the book. In fact, that was my favorite part of the book, and I was very much looking forward to seeing it portrayed on screen. Dan Torrance is forced to return to the Overlook Hotel, face his demons once and for all, employ them to fight the current evil force he encounters in this story, and then the coup de grace…he’s failing until his father’s spirit assists him with the final push necessary to overcome the evil energies and redeem them both. Instead, the film’s ending became a cheesy remake of the original Shining movie (with a lot of corny nods to its predecessor). Dan perishes the same way as his father, overtaken by the malevolent hotel ghosts and the exploding boiler. I would love to know what Stephen King thinks of this drastic change to his great story. I hated it. So did Mike. The film also lacked a proper depiction of the steam people. Scenes and events are pieced together quickly and disjointedly in an already very long film. It’s surprising since the film is directed by Mike Flanagan who usually churns out good stuff – most recently The Haunting of Hill House on NewFlix (although I have to say I wasn’t a fan of the ending of that one either, despite the topnotch quality of the series overall.) The actors in Dr. Sleep did a great job in spite of these major flaws. And kudos to the casting of actors who strongly resemble characters from the original film. I’m going to take this opportunity to also voice my opinion of the original Stanley Kubrick film with Jack Nicholson. I think I was the only one who completely disliked this film. I definitely was the only one of folks I know. There was a remake of it with Stephen Weber and Rebecca De Mornay delivered as a mini-series over several nights some 20 years ago. That one, which few people know about, stuck completely to the original story. It was filmed at the Stanley hotel in Colorado where King wrote the book and was the basis for the Overlook. I cared about Jack & Wendy Torrance, I believed they loved Danny and each other, I was rooting for them all they way. I love this remake and continue to watch it on dvd. In the original, Jack was a nasty jerk, Wendy was a screeching nag and I wanted the hotel to consume them both. So, zero toasts and boyfriends for Dr. Sleep (except for the cat which was beautiful), zero toasts and boyfriends to the original Shining film, and two toasts and one boyfriend in the remake. Cheers!

OUTLANDER 5 – Frannie and I are in complete agreement this is the best episode of the season so far. I find the most interesting ones are always those that focus on family, time travel and the intertwining of relationships through the centuries. The same is true of the books. Cheers!! (No boyfriends in this one though)

THE JOKER – This is not my kind of film, but Mike has wanted to watch this movie since forever, so the two of us sat down to view a few days ago. We only made it through half of the picture. The joker’s character was so disturbingly sad and pitiful, I couldn’t watch any more. For Mike, the character caused his already high level of anxiety to spike. We both saw enough to agree Joaquin Phoenix was phenomenal and deserved the Oscar.

OUTLANDER 5 – Now y’all know Outlander is my favorite show. I would pay my own way to Scotland and work background just to be a part of it. And I’ve recently read the books. I find, though, that season 4 and now season 5 get harder to appreciate as the story becomes more dense and bogged down in historic detail. I end up not liking it as well the first time around. When I view for a second time, however, I find it just as engaging. Frannie says she can only deal with one viewing….and she’s a big fan too. And where’s my boyfriend Murtagh? He adds a lot to the story, particularly since by this time in the book, he is long dead. How his storyline develops in the show will be a bit of a surprise. Also, I always suspected the writers would bring back Willie, the young Highlander who fled with his Irish lass to the colonies in Season 2. I keep waiting for Jamie to bump into him in North Carolina, but so far, nada. I’m still toasting, but Frannie’s wavering a bit….at least for this episode. Boyfriend Meter – MIA.

ECHO IN THE CANYON – A documentary spearheaded by Bob Dylan’s son, Jakob. A great slice of musicians’ lives in the Laurel Canyon area of L.A. back in the 60s. Interviews with the original musicians intertwine with excerpts of their songs as well as excerpts of Jakob and his friends performing their songs in tribute. Appearances by Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Michelle Phillips and others highlight this interesting peek into a musical LA retreat where creativity flourished and I never knew existed. Of course, the Beatles are given their due and it becomes apparent how much bands influence each other – the end result being music that remains timeless. Boyfriend meter – 1. Cheers!

OUTLANDER 5 – Not much to chat about in episode two. Frannie as disgusted as Marsali by the amount of graphic blood and violence in tonight’s story. Not me. I find it makes the scenes realistic. I’m more bothered by the fact Marsali doesn’t call Claire “Mother Claire” as she does in the books which indicates how far they have come in their relationship. Jamie dismounting his horse is still boyfriend material, but Murtagh rules! Slainte!

THE OUTSIDER – Based on Stephen King’s novel, it’s intriguing so far. I find myself noticing specifically the mood music and camera angles. The music is an ideal compliment to the scene. The camera angles – innovative and unique. Holly, a quirky character who drives the story forward, draws me in by being just that. Kelly has been trying to get me to watch for a few weeks and I have not been disappointed. Cheers!