My first thought looking at this picture is the shirt I am wearing, which I still have and, in fact, wore it last Wednesday, but after 23 years it is time to let it go!
Okay, back to the post on hand. My 15th Leap Year birthday was on a Thursday and was held at the ZanZbar, a South African restaurant and would consist of 15 various desserts shared among the 6 of us. I had the 7 pictured above.
One of the most memorable parts of the celebration was that Nancy, Teacher Mike’s sister, was here from Michigan to be part of my birthday party.
There is a certain magic that takes place in a theatre between the cast on stage and the audience sitting in the auditorium. It happened last night without any explanation or understanding what happened.
Being familiar with Chazz Palminteri’s one-man show about growing up in the Bronx, which was made into a movie starring Robert De Niro, this Broadway musical was based on the former’s play and is directed, with Jerry Zaks, by the latter. Alan Menken who wrote the music and Glenn Slater the lyrics are both professionals who have written many hit songs for other shows. Sergio Trujillo, who won the 2019 Tony Award for best choreography for the musical “Ain’t Too Proud” this past Sunday, did the choreography for this show and has won awards for other Broadway shows and there was a certain curiosity of what he would do with the dancers ‘in da Bronx’.
The show opened with a 10-year-old Calogero, alternately played by Shane Pry and Brigg Liberman, and a decade older Calogero played by Joey Barreiro. I was sort of outside the show, not getting involved, and I can’t quite say when I lost awareness of how the audience was reacting and knew I was watching something special but, I think, it was around the time Barreiro and Brianna-Marie Bell, playing Jane, sang “Out of Your Head” and I didn’t want the first act to finish but it did. The second act flew by and before I knew it the show was over!
Joe Barbara as the leader of the neighborhood gang Sonny, Richard H. Blake as Calogero’s father, Michelle Aravena, as the mother, and Bell originated their roles on Broadway, along with a few others of the cast members, bring a professionalism to the show that makes what could have been an ordinary show something special. And, yes, Trujillo, puts the ensemble, especially Antonia Beverly, through steps and dances that make you understand why he has won many awards.
“A Bronx Tale” is a show with heart, humor and emotions with a cast that knows what they are doing and does it the best they can which is everything you can ask for!
“A Bronx Tale” runs 2 hours including a 20 minute intermission and will be at the Fort Lauderdale Broward Performing Arts Center until June 23.
(ARGH!! I DON’T BELIEVE I DELETED THIS WHOLE POST BY HITTING THE WRONG KEY WHEN I WAS FINISHED!) 1) It had been a long time since I was to the Cafe Vico–one of my favorite restaurants where I had one of my best Leap Year Birthday parties in 2016!–so when Emir asked for a suggestion for my unbirthday dinner when he was visiting I suggested we go there and, as always, we had a winner!Marco and his wife were running around helping everyone in making their customers happy! I will admit I was shocked—which happens often these days–by the prices ! If I am not mistaken the Shrimp Scampi was double the pre-covid price BUT as delicious as ever as were the garlic rolls, with the oil and garlic dip served on the side. Emir ordered a Little Neck clam appetizer that was tasty and, for a change, I decided to order dessert and had the homemade orange sherbet that melted in my mouth. All in all a great meal and it is on my list for Thursday, February 29, 2024, as a contender! 2) For a change instead of having a pizza we ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and Ziti special for lunch at Big Louie’s and, along with their garlic rolls, as always, lunch was a winner.3) It has been a long time since I was in Wilton Manors and, consequently, The Lotus restaurant, which has now moved closed to me up by Oakland Park Boulevard and Federal Highway, so we decided to go to the new place and I had the Seafood Lo Mein which was excellent. I did play the fortune cookie lottery numbers on Thursday but didn’t win. I won’t hold that against The Lotus and certainly will go there more often.4) As a creature of habit when I am down around 17th Street I will usually suggest either The Quarterdeck or Outback Steak House but this time I suggested Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill because I can always go for a good cheeseburger BUT this time I ordered their wings which was delicious!5) (Okay Chuck, you can skip this and go to #6!) After the Friday movie it is either Arby’s or Subways for a bite of lunch and since Allen wanted a Rueban off we went to Arby’s! Again I sort of deviated from my usual choice and had the French Dip lunch with fries and a soft drink. It was tasty but next time back to the Rueban!6) Down again on 17th Street this time we decided back to the Outback Steak House and, once again, (who said an old man can’t learn new tricks?) instead of a steak I decided to have one of their new dishes–Aussie Choo Ribs–which were chicken wings topped with Fresno Chiles and a smokey Aioli and BBQ sauce. The Outback Steak House is not known for taking it easy with their spices and I should have known better, consequently, a rarity, I ate 3 ribs and LEFT THE REST ON THE PLATE! (Didn’t even take them home!) Lesson learned that if you go to a STEAK HOUSE order steak—and tell them easy on the spices! LOL
1) “Operation Fortune–Ruse De Guerre”–In movie Theatres–1 hour & 54 minutes–Synopsis: special agent Orson Fortune and his team of operatives recruit a Hollywood Star to help them on an undercover mission–but don’t take my word for it==I got lost after the first 5 minutes of technology BUT it was fun, funny, scenery outstanding and the cast excellent with Aubrey Plaza a standout–sit down, lean back & enjoy!2) “Complete Strangers”–Prime Amazon–movie==1 hour & 45 minutes–Synopsis: recovering alcoholic returns to his hometown & falls in love with a man who turns his world upside down–Gay psycho trash! 3) “Freeridge”–Netflix–series==season 1–8 episodes–3 hours & 40 minutes–Synopsis: 4 teen friends work to reverse a curse after a particular old box seems to bring misfortune and more into their lives–Netflix seems to have as many shows about teenagers as they have about true crime documentaries and, in most cases, they aren’t good–there are a few emotional moments but not enough and no humor at all. 4) “Bridge of Destiny”–Freevee–Vietnam film–1 hour& 30 minutes–Synopsis: Cvong is an admirable man with a successful business, a beautiful wife and a good son until he discovers Thang, a friend of his son, is related to Trung–his gay lover in the past–it took me awhile to get into the story and I got ‘lost’ at the end but my initial reaction was: “WOW! They made this movie in Vietnam!”–different & interesting. 5) “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”–Netflix–movie–2 hours & 7 minutes–Synopsis: Unhappily married woman begins a torrid affair with the gamekeeper on their country estate–I had never read the book not even in school when everyone read the ‘dirty’ pages–never saw the original movie–I loved this movie, especially the ending–I’ll have to read the book and see if it ended this way also which is why this is a ‘classic’! 6) “Invisible Thread”–Netflix–Italian movie–1 hour & 30 minutes–Synopsis: A teenage son of 2 fathers makes a documentary about his parents but is surprised when a real life plot twist occurs in his family–as I watched this thought I hadseen it before and yet I also felt I was experiencing for the first time–I am too lazy to see if I have reviewed it but I don’t care–I LOVED IT!7) “Murdaugh Murders”–Netflix–documentary–3 episodes–2 hours & 22 minutes–Synopsis: tradagies shatter a South Carolina community– this was made and shown too soon–they should have waited for the trial and verdict that ended this week but watching this might make you more aware of the background behind the trial.8) “Peridot”–Prime Amazon–movie–1 hour & 3 minutes–Synopsis: a young male prostitute forms a friendship with a world reknown author–pretty bad–the camera and story on the wrong person–a lot of bad shots, acting, etc. but most of all not believable.9) “Somebody I used to Know”–Prime Amazon–movie–1 hour & 46 minutes–Synopsis: on a return trip home Ally reminisces with how ex Sean and questions her life–a smart romantic comedy with a twist–enjoy10) “More The Merrier”–Netflix–Madrid Movie–1 hour & 50 minutes–Synopsis: a night of sex and possibilities in which nothing goes as planned but everyone gets what they want–just shows that a sex movie can be boring–one of the unintended funniestendings ever in the world of movies!11) “The Law According to Lidia Poet”–Netflix–Italian series–6 episodes–4 hours & 12 minutes–Synopsis: when a ballerina turns up dead her alleged stalker is accused of murder–based on the true story of the first female lawyer in Italy–a grade A series–Matilda De Angeles is a beautiful, accomplished actress–good, fun, interesting series with a twist–MUST SEE,12) Okay, I goofed–the second picture of “Complete Strangers” should have been another photo–will review it in Part 2.
1) “Magic Mike’s Last Dance”–at AMC Coral Ridge–movie–1 hour & 52 minutes–Synopsis: Mike takes to the stage again–heads to London with a wealthy socialite who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse–SIMPLY PUT—AWFUL!2) “Of An Age”–at The Gateway Theatre–movie–1 hour & 39 minutes–Synopsis: Part 1 1999–Part 2 2010–a 17 year old Serbian born Australian amateur ballroom dancer experiences an unexpected and intense 24-hour romance with a friend’s older brother–they meet again 10 years later–I couldn’t understand half of what was being said because of very heavy accents which is why I’ll say wait until it comes to streaming and you can use closed captions to know what is being said–I never thought I would’d recommend TV over a movie screen!3) Tom Segura, Jim Jeffries, Joel Kim Booster and Bert Kreisoher–stand up comics–each about an hour–all on Netflix–Synopsis: all are crude, rude, vulgar, disgraceful and not funny–why do I bother watching standup comics?!4) “In Love All Over Again”–Netflix–series–8 episodes–6 hours–Synopsis: Director Irene and movie star Julio can’t resist each other BUT–fun, funnier, boring, juvenile–Irene & Julio get it on with each other and others–can this end happily ever after? Worth a watch while doing something else.5) “Operation Finale”–Netflix–movie–2 hours & 2 minutes–based on real events–Synopsis: in 1960 Israeli spies undertake a mission to capture notorious war criminal Adolph Eichman–not easy to watch but with all the recent antisemitism attacks going on should be watched so we don’t forget what happened and can happen again with many different groups being hated today.6) “Sunshine Hotel”–Prime Amazon–documentary–1 hour & 38 minutes–Synopsis: a journey into the last flophouse on New York’s infamous skid row, The Bowery–a world that has stood still for more than 8 decades–a very hard movie to watch as men waste their lives with all having excuses meaning nothing–a world you will be lucky to never know about or live in.7) “Farzi (Fakes)”–Prime Amazon–India series–season 1–8 episodes–5 hours & 29 minutes–Synopsis: Sunny is catapulted into the high world of counterfeiting even as Michael, a task force officer wants to rid the country of counterfeiting–after 2 episodes I couldn’t take anymore and, rare for me. I stopped watching something before it was over! 8) “Hachiko Hachi”–Netflix–movie based on a true story–1 hour & 33 minutes–Synopsis:–after a professor discovers a lost puppy they form a deep bond even after a tragedy–always a pleasure to see Richard Gere in a movie and he is good in this but is second fiddle to Hachi and if you don’t cry at the ending I don’t want to know you!9) “Pamela, a Love Story”–Netflix–documentary–1 hour & 52 minutes–Synopsis:–Pamela Anderson shares the story of her rise to fame, her rocky romances and the infamous sex tape scandal–I really know very little about this woman and a lot about her life really surprised me.10) “Operation Hyacinth”–Netflix–movie–1 hour & 52 minutes–Synopsis:–an officer in 1980s communist Poland resolves to uncover the truth about a gay murder in Warsaw–gays being blackmailed, police lying, a policeman finds out he is gay, cover-ups, etc. A VERY SHARP FILM!
I’ve been eating out for years–well decades–on Thursdays and Fridays–mostly with restaurants I am familiar with but every once in a while I’ll try a new place and surprise! Surprise! It becomes a regular stop. It happened last year with Jalisco a Mexican restaurant that I saw/passed for about 12 years before finally stopping in and I haven’t regretted it since. The food is good and the choices are many, not to mention the size of the portions–an example is the third photo from the left on the top row. Little by little I have been going through their lunch specials and this one was their Chimichanga, one of the best I have ever had! Little by little, we have been coming here more often than going to Tequilla Sunrise as this is closer—right across from Winn-Dixie where we do our grocery shopping every Thursday not to mention just as good plus lower prices and a complimentary cup of soup which is WOW!
Another new place we tried was Mario’s Catalina Restaurant which primarily serves Cuban food. There was nothing wrong with the food or the service but neither was outstanding enough to make us want to come back and $20 per person for lunch more is expected.
Talking about restaurant prices if you haven’t been to a restaurant in a year or so get ready for sticker shock as prices are almost double what they used to be! In many cases, the portions are smaller and you have to be careful of ‘hidden’ charges like if you are paying by credit card they will charge you the cost to the restaurant for your using the credit card or you will see a tip already added but called by another name or nothing is explaining what it is. The worst is when you see an ‘8% inflation’ change or even a “Covid” charge!
In the case of the Red Lobster, I hadn’t been there in years, and after this trip, I won’t go back again! The atmosphere is dreary, the service less than it should/could have been and the food a failure. I had the shrimp trio (see the second picture down on the right or the second picture from the left) served lukewarm which made the pasta and shrimp just a ‘clump’ of food. The only thing still good is the biscuits but $70 for lunch??? No thank you.
I do have a friend (not naming names, Chuck) who seems to find it very funny that I like the Ruebans at Arby’s but they are good! No, it isn’t a New York Rueban but still a good-tasting meaty sandwich, and for $4 a good deal! It is at least a once-a-month stop–usually after the Friday movie!
Have a few new places to try in March but Big Louie’s, The Quarterdeck, Outback, among others are still on the list!
One of the many joys of living in Fort Lauderdale in February is that the temperature might have been in the 60s yesterday you know today it will be in the 80s, and the sky will be blue with a few wisps of clouds here and there while the water will be still and like glass reflecting the boats and homes.
It’s beautiful outside with the sun, sky, water, boats, trees, green grass, birds flying by and squirrels running up and down trees and I can sit at my desk and see it all but then I can just look around my apartment. The cacti are in bloom as are the pink, red and white geraniums not to forget the blooming yellow plants. I added a purple hydrangea plant (see the middle picture in the right column) as a present to myself after getting some negative news from my vascular surgeon because I knew it would put a smile on my face–and it did!
To me the most fun plants are the pepper plants I started from seeds a few years ago and always add more seeds when I buy a pepper now and then. I never know whether I will be seeing yellow, red or green peppers ready to be picked!
The older I get the more I depend on Mother Nature to put and keep me in a good mood!
Otherwise, known as how did you spend Valentine’s Day? Usually I get a crewcut every 6 months as I really don’t like to ‘mess’ with my every day!The beard is another story–I usually shave it every Wednesday but every once in awhile I will say the heck with it and just let it grow a few months until it annoys me and then I shave it off.The only thing I don’t play around with is the mustache except to trim it once every now and then—sadly I can’t grow a real full mustache When I got up this past Tuesday the beard and the hair growing on the back of my neck really bothered me so I called Nora—who runs the beauty parlor/barber shop–asked if she had an opening and she said she did at 1 PM and off I went!Next appointment is sometime in September and then my Leap Year birthday haircut in February 2024!
1) “Go For Brady”–1 hour & 38 minutes–in theatres–Synopsis: based on the true story of a group of friends who made it their lifelong mission to go to the Super Bowl and meet Tom Brady–that and the fact that the friends are Jane Fonda, Lilly Tomlin, Rita Moreno and Sally Field are all that you need to know–sit back and watch the pros do their job–it is fun, silly, ridiculous, even vulnerable at times and these 4 pros elevate the material for you to sit back and have a good time! 2) “Descendant”–Netflix–Documantary–1 hour & 49 minutes–Synopsis: Descendants of the enslaved Africans on an illegal ship that arrived in Alabama in 1860 seeks justice and healing when the remains of the craft are discovered–an interesting guide to a world most of us don’t know and our government doesn’t think we should.3) “As I Am”–Prime Amazon–movie–1 hour & 1 minute–Synopsis: a young man running from the truth discoveries a side of him that surprises him–takes place in Scottsdale, Arizona–there is a hint of what is to come but it still took me by surprise–short, moving and effective film. 4) “I Am Thinking Of Ending Things”–Netflix–movie–2 hours & 14 minutes–Synopsis: nothing is as it seems when a woman experiences misgivings about her new boyfriend joining him on a trip to meet his parents–someday I might figure out what this movie is about but I don’t have the time nor do I care!5) “Shotgun Wedding”–Prime Amazon–movie–1 hour & 41 minutes–Synopsis: Darcy & Tom gather their families for a destination wedding but the entire party is taken hostage–they must save their loved ones before they kill each other–it’s Jennifer Lopez showing off her body, her humor, her game as an actress–it is fun, quick moving, corny, impossible rom-com worth seeing just to relax and smile.6) “Argentina 1985”–Prime Amazon–Documentary–2 hours & 21 minutes–Synopsis: inspired by a legal team of unsung heroes in the David vs. Goliath battle to prosecute Argentina’s bloodiest military dictatorship–OSCAR NOMINATED FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM–GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER–A MUST SEE!7) “Your Place or Mine”–Netflix–movie–1 hour & 51 minutes–Synopsis: best friends, and complete opposites, for 20 years swap homes for a week and then–not a bad rom/com but you have seen it a 100 times and you can skip this.8) “A Private Affair”–Prime Amazon–season 1–8 episodes–6 hours & 22 minutes-Synopsis: a bold upper-class girl with the soul of a detective decides to trap the killer who has been terrorizing the city–A VERY FUN, FUNNY, VERY BRITISH DETECTIVE SERIES–THRILLS, CHASES, LOVE, BRIGHT RED CARS THAT DON’T GET DIRTY–ENJOY9) “Memories of a Teenager”–Netflix–Argentina film-1 hour & 37 minutes–Synopsis: to cope with a friend’s death a teen blogs about his daily life but falls further into crisis–based on a true story–no matter where they live teens don’t have it easy and this may help you understand why they commit suicide—or not.10) “Stutz”–Netflix–Documentary–1 hour & 36 minutes–Synopsis: in candid conversations actor Jonah Hill, lead by his psychiatrist Phil Stutz, explores his early life experiences through unique visual models of therapy–one glaring error was bringing the mother to the set–THIS IS A FILM FOR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH THERAPY OR ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN THERAPY ITSELF AND HOW IT WORKS!11) “Class”–Netflix–season 1 series–8 episodes–7 hours & 11 minutes–Synopsis: 3 poor students attend an exclusive high school– based on another series “Elite” which is much better.12) “Funny Boy”–Netflix–Siri Lanka movie–1 hour & 49 minutes–Synopsis: a student must navigate issues of sexual identity and family amid the social turmoil of the 1970s & 1980s–class versus class, sex versus sex, countryman against countryman killing each other, killing friends–NOT EASY TOO WATCH! 13) “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided To Go For It”–Netflix–Documentary–1 hour & 30 minutes–Synopsis: the title tells it all and shows how she went for it and got it–70 plus years in show biz and winner of all kinds of awards and, in many cases, ‘the first’ to do so–IT IS A JOY TO WATCH! 14) “When You Finish Saving The World”–movie theatres–1 hour & 28 minutes–Synopsis: Evelyn and her oblivious son Ziggy seek replacements for each other–each family member is too interested in themselves to be interested in each other– Julianne Moore excellent as always, Finn Wolfhand as the son is annoying as the film is.15) “You”–Netflix–series–season 4–part 1–4 episodes–4 hours (part 2 starts March 9)–Synopsis: a dangerously charming intense young man goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by–originally seen on Lifetime channel it has now transferred to streaming of Netflix–I’ve watched it from the beginning and really like it–this new season seems to have taken a sharp change–you can start by watching this season or start with the first.16) “From Zero To I Love You”–Prime Amazon–movie–1 hour & 46 minutes–Synopsis: a gay man, whose fear of intimacy leads him to continuously fall for married men, meets a closeted married man forcing both men to confront what they really want–touching on many topics THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST GAY THEMED MOVIES I HAVE SEEN.17) “Those People”–Prime Amazon–movie–1 hour & 29 minutes–Synopsis: on Manhattan’s upper east side a young painter finds the man of his dreams in an older pianist from across the globe–a good look at what love and friendship really is–it is basically young adults approaching manhood–I REALLY LIKED IT!
A man decided to give himself a big treat for his 70th birthday by staying overnight in a really nice hotel.. When he checked out the next morning, the desk clerk handed him a bill for $250.00. He demanded to know why the charge was so high “I agree it’s a nice hotel, but the rooms aren’t worth $250..00 for just an overnight stay – I didn’t even have breakfast!” The clerk told him that $250.00 is the ‘standard rate,’ and breakfast had been included had he wanted it.
He insisted on speaking to the Manager. The Manager appeared and, forewarned by the desk clerk, announced: “This hotel has an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference center which are available for use.”
”But I didn’t use them.”
’Well, they are here, and you could have.”
He went on to explain that he could also have seen one of the in-hotel shows for which they were so famous.
“We have the best entertainers from the world over performing here.”
“But I didn’t go to any of those shows..”
“Well, we have them, and you could have.”
No matter what amenity the Manager mentioned, he replied, “But I didn’t use it!” and the Manager countered with his standard response. After several minutes discussion, and with the Manager still unmoved, he decided to pay, wrote a check and gave it to him. The Manager was surprised when he looked at the check.
“But Sir, this check is for only $50.00” “That’s correct. I charged you $200.00 for sleeping with me.”
And the New Year is already flying by–I guess that is what happens when you are having ‘fun’ if fun is defined as doctor visits such as my going to a psychiatrist today and he didn’t know why I was there and I didn’t know why I was there!! After a half hour, he prescribed Bupropion and said he will see me next month or we could do a ‘meeting’ on the computer! (Definitely not my thing!) Seems my primary told him I was sleeping way too much, no energy, etc., and it seems I am doing that because I am depressed so I now have 19 meds a day to take and I won’t be depressed?!?? My immediate reaction was to go a block down the street and go to the Hollywood casino Guitar Hotel but the driver said he isn’t allowed to make any stops! :O) After googling Bupropion I decided definitely not for me and it is time to sit down with my primary and go over all the meds I am taking and what is happening with my legs which have involved going to see 2 vascular surgeons, my cardiologist, a urologist, my pulmonary doctor, an infectious disease doctor and a foot and ankle specialist. I go see the second vascular surgeon on Monday and we will go over the scans I took 2 weeks ago. Meanwhile, my first vascular surgeon (who is responsible for the 4-5 stents in EACH leg) called me last Saturday and said I have blood blockage on my left side between my groin and knee and on my right side between my knee and thigh. He made a few suggestions but said I should wait until after Monday—I don’t need Bupropion–I NEED Carrot and/or Chocolate cake!!!January 2023 hasn’t been a complete loss–did go out to eat a few times. For the third and last time I went to Shuck-N-Dive and for the third time I had their ‘special’ Jambalaya which tastes like a pot of glue! That’s it for them–when I want Jambalaya I will go to the Quarterdeck!Did get to go to two regular places where the food is consistently good and the prices are reasonable. I never get tired of Big Louie’s food—especially the pizza and garlic rolls. Last year I really discovered Jalisco after eating there now and then. They have about 20 lunch specials which I am slowly working down the list as so far each meal has been good and lunch runs around $10 with a wide range of dishes from Fajitas to chicken to pork plus all served with a delicious cup of soup! Last, but not least, tried a new place which is part of the trend of ‘bowl’ meals. It is a lot of work unless you know what you want before you go in plus it is a lot of work for the 1 person behind the counter and I can easily see a big problem if 5-6 people come in not knowing what they want! Quick example: first you have to pick a base from 4 items, then 2 dips from 6 items, followed by 1 protein from 9 choices and then 4 toppings from a selection of 14 plus 1 of 8 dressings! I had a pita ‘bowl’ with shrimp (don’t ask me what else I chose!!) It was good but with a lemonade it cost $18+ a bit much for a lunch where you get your own drink, serve yourself, eat with plastic utensils and (should) clean the table when you are finished. (Oh yes they do suggest 15-20% tips on the check you get which sort of threw me as the person behind the counter was basically the chef and had to be making decent money plus this was basically ‘fast food’ not fine dining but that’s another story!)And that was my January 2023 plus my flowers blooming every month and a new friend–one of my neighbor’s dogs. Oh yes, not that I am keeping count but only 1 year and 28 days to go before I reach my 22nd birthday so I have to get ready for the party (and lose the 26 pounds I have found since my last birthday!)
1) “Break Point”–Netflix–Documentary–4 hours & 9 minutes–Synopsis: travel along with some of the world’s most talented athletes–an action paced documentary–action packed–there is an excitement watching champion players!2) “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker”–Netflix–Documentary–1 hour & 25 minutes–Synopsis: a happy go lucky nomad’s ascent to viral stardom and his deep spiral into imprisonment–becoming a ‘star’ can make you crazy even if you weren’t before!3) “Kaleidoscope”–Netflix–8 episodes-6 hours & 18 minutes–Synopsis: a master thief and his crew attempt an epoch heist worth 7 Billion Dollars–betrayal, greed and other threats undermine their plans–suspenseful, exciting, all kinds of twist– another twist–you can watch 8 episodes in any order you want and you will wind up in the same solution every time!4) “Leap Year”–Netflix–movie–1 hour & 40 minutes–Synopsis: a real estate worker heads to Ireland to ask her boyfriend to marry her–a young Irish innkeeper is hired to take her to her boyfriend in Dublin–do I have to tell you how it and where it ends? I didn’t think so–it’s a Leap Year love story–how could it not be fun & sweet? Wait until next year when MY Leap Year birthday comes out on Thursday, February 29, 2024 when I will be 22 and my party will be sweet, funny and exciting!5) “Copenhagen Cowboy”–Netflix–Danish series–season one–6 episodes–5 hours & 15 minutes–Synopsis: being sold as a human good luck charm a woman with supernatural abilities seeks revenge against those who wronged her–complete disaster–weird story, awful music, sets–some scenes directed horribly.6) “Living”–Gateway Theatre–1 our & 55 minutes–Synopsis: a humorless civil servant decides to take time off to explore life–Bill Nighy earned a well deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his understated performance in this very British film. 7) “Madoff–The Monster of Wall Street”–Netflix–documentary–1 season–4 episodes–4 hours & 9 minutes–Synopsis: rise and fall of Bernie Madoff who orchestrated the biggest ponzi scheme in in Wall Street history–watch the 4th episode and see what destruction this man did in search of wealth and how little he seemed to care!8) “The Makanai–Cooking for the Maiko House”–Netflix–Japanese series–9 episodes–about 6 hours–Synopsis: two inseparable friends move to Kyoto to chase their dreams of becoming Maikos (apprentice geishas ) but Nana Mori finds a new calling as a cook for the house while Natsuki Deguchi goes through geisha training–EXCELLENT LOOK INTO A WAY OF LIFE MOST OF US WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT–REALLY ENJOYED IT–HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE A MOVIE THAT LOVES FOOD–WATCHING MORI PREPARE, MAKE AND SERVE FOOD IS SEEING LOVE COME ALIVE.9) “Dog Gone”–Netflix–movie based on a true story–1hour & 35 minutes– Synopsis: when a beloved dog goes missing a young man embarks on an incredible search with parents–you know there will be fun, tears and joy–oh, did I mention the dog gets lost after running out and needs to take some medicine to stay alive–oh yes, did I mention tears? A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED FILM!10) “Mammals”–Prime Amazon–series–season 1–6 episodes–2 hours & 40 minutes–Synopsis: revelations and secrets come to light as the complexity of modern marriage & fidelity are explored–the wife cheats, the husband doesn’t– James Corden as the husband and restaurant owner is a surprise as is the last scene.11) “The Rig”–Prime Amazon–Scottish series–season 1–8 episodes–5 hours & 8 minutes–Synopsis: an oil rig finds themselves cut off from all communication– it’s all here plus add a little sci-fi, fights among the crew, human ashes, –sorry all boring!12) “Trial By Fire”–Netflix–Hindu documentary–7 episodes–5 hours & 19 minutes–Synopsis: after the deadly fire at the Uphaar Cinema 2 grief struck parents navigate the loss of their kids and a fight for justice–EMOTIONALLY HARD TO WATCH BUT NO GRATUITOUS SCENES.
greatmartin 