LIZZIE – Another version of the Lizzie Borden story, and not a very good one. I have seen many documentaries and films about Lizzie, and none have portrayed Lizzie as a lesbian who is in love with her maid, her maid being sexually abused by Lizzie’s father or the maid being complicit in the murder. (I guess they needed some juicy scenes for Kristen Stewart who plays the maid). It’s long been suspected Lizzie committed the crimes in the nude. In this version, she murders her step-mother this way and then enlists the maid to murder her father in the nude as well. When the maid is unable to complete the task, Lizzie steps in (fully clothed) and finishes the job. Preposterous. In addition to these ludicrous liberties, the piece is slow and doesn’t answer any pertinent questions. You guessed it….skip it! Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

FEUD: CAPOTE & THE SWANS – Mini series chronicling Truman Capote’s peak accomplishment as the central character in the lives of New York’s high society women (his swans) and his brutal downfall when he betrays their confidences and spills all their dirty secrets in a book. He is quickly and viciously ostracized. He spent the rest of his life trying to claw his way back in, drinking himself to death in the process, but never again granted favor with the “in” crowd. I was just a kid, but I vaguely remember hearing about his black & white ball, his antics and his swift ousting from his coveted social circle of high profile friends. This series is like a story out of the Enquirer in the 1960s and 1970s (which my mother read religiously). The work is great! Tom Hollander is extraordinary as Capote. It was a delight to see Calista Flockhart playing Jackie Kennedy’s sister, Lee Radziwill. She was marvelous and she looked great (haven’t seen her since Ally McBeal). Other well-known cast members like Demi Moore (who I also haven’t seen in awhile), Diane Lane, Naomi Watts and Chloë Sevigny complete the swans. Rounding out the ensemble is Jessica Lange as Capote’s mother and Molly Ringwald as Johnny Carson’s wife, Joanne. Treat Williams plays Bill Paley, Head of CBS and husband of one of the swans, in what was to be his last role. Sadly, he died last year. Watching this show is like spending eight hours in a gossip session. Mika thought so, too. She couldn’t wait for the finale. So grab a martini and settle in for the drama. Cheers!! Boyfriends – 0; Girlfriends – 1.

McCARTNEY321 – Die-hard Beatles fans like Mike and me will probably find this six-episode documentary fascinating. We did. Paul, accompanied by music producer Rick Rubin, delves into little known facts about how certain songs came into being. Along the way he shares interesting anecdotes from the time. As Rick plays specific tracks, Paul seems transported back to the studio once again with his mates, discussing the work with us and explaining the birth of unique sounds. His delight and fondness for the music is still evident sixty years later. It’s clear the Beatles’ embrace of spontaneity and serendipity in the studio enabled them to produce magical results unmatched by other bands at the time. Love them or hate them, they still reign supreme as a musical beacon inspiring others. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

DEATH AND OTHER DETAILS – Fun murder mystery on board a yacht starring Mandy Patinkin and a host of ethnically diverse characters. The use of cinematography to insert flashback scenes into current scenes allowing the overlap to play simultaneously is my favorite bit. Clever and interesting. Pacing is great, too, as we endeavor to discover who the culprit is in not one murder, but two, before all is revealed at season’s end. Cheers! Boyfriends – 1; Girlfriends – 0.

THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR – is indeed wonderful! This short film written and directed by Wes Anderson, based on a Roald Dahl story and starring A-list actors is truly a work of art. Told in what I call video book, the actors are actually reading you the story while portraying the characters. The whole concept is unique (I’ve never seen anything like it). The cinematography is refreshingly clever and bursting with color and creativity. The characters are endearing, delivering fast-paced story telling that immediately engages us and keeps us enthralled until the very end. Well-deserved Oscar nomination. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

PRISCILLA – Priscilla Presley’s memoir about her life with Elvis brought to the screen by Sophia Coppola. A sad tale of a naive young girl trapped in a dysfunctional relationship with the King of Rock ‘n Roll. It’s perplexing why her parents, stationed in Germany, would allow their underage daughter, who was still in high school, to move in with Elvis at Graceland in Tennessee. Beyond that, most of this story has been told in many books and films over the years. Nothing new to see here. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Well that was four hours we can’t get back! Linette and I agree the scenes were dreadfully long and repetitious making this film woefully tedious to watch. Very few dates were provided so we had no idea exactly when these monstrous events occurred or how much time passed between events. I started to check out around hour three and left to feed the cat. I didn’t miss anything except a few minutes of sleep. In the final scene, Scorsese uses an old-time radio show to wrap up all the loose ends. (I guess he figured four hours wasn’t enough). It’s completely out of place with the film and doesn’t work at all. Linette and I just looked at each other, dumbfounded. The performances were good, but not enough to save this picture. Skip it…or bring a pillow! Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.

THE POWER OF FILM – Six episode documentary on Turner Classic Movies exploring character and relationship dynamics in popular films and how we relate to them in our own lives. For those of us in the entertainment industry, this deep-dive exploration by Howard Suber, Professor of Theatre and Film at UCLA, is informative and useful. Other folks may find it dull and boring, but worth a peek. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0. 

HACKS – Jean Smart is a terrific actress so I tuned in to see what the fuss was about (it’s been awarded Emmys in the past). After two episodes, I can’t get into it. Both characters are too unlikeable and I don’t care about them. Skip it. Cheers! Boyfriends/Girlfriends – 0.