Monday, August 31, 2020

(Mini) Monday Spotlight: Aluna


All I can say is wow! I have loved AlunaGeorge for years now. Since I heard You Know You Like It back in 2012 I was hooked on Aluna's vocals.

Now Aluna has shared her debut album Renaissance via Mad Decent. Like Aluna's work with AlunaGeorge with their many collaborations, it's guests galore! Princess Nokia, Jada Kingdom, SG Lewis, Scott Storch, KAYTRANADA, Rema, and more.

The debut solo album features the singles Envious, Body Pump, Warrior with SG Lewis, and Get Paid, featuring Nokia and Kingdom.

In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Aluna discussed how she decided on the name Renaissance.

“It is really about who inspired me. I wasn't the first. I followed,” she explained. “I watched people breaking boundaries. I really felt like there was a Black renaissance going on, especially in film and at that kind of grassroots level where the writing all the way to the directing was being done by Black women.”

AlunaGeorge are iconic working with Skrillex, local boys Peking Duk, Disclosure and getting DJ Snake to rework their tune You Know You Like It. Now it's time for Aluna to shine.

This is a quality release from last Friday. Get amongst it below. This is a perfect Monday gee up record!







Saturday, August 29, 2020

COVID-Cinema 2020 - Baby Teeth


Babyteeth is my first Australian film I have caught at the cinemas since they shut back in March.

The film has an all star cast including Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Emily Barclay, Eugene Gilfedder, Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn.

Unlike other coming-of-age comedy-dramas this film has a tough topic at the centre of it. A dying young schoolgirl.

Directed by Shannon Murphy the film is based upon her stage play of the same name. Getting its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 4 September 2019. The film came out here in Australia on 23 July 2020. I was lucky enough to catch it this week.

One of my main reasons for checking the film out was the positive reviews from critics as well as Ben Mendelsohn saying it was his favourite film.



Film in and around Sydney (as well as my local shopping centre, Broadway Shops) the film spent some time on our famous Sydney Trains.

Whilst the film was raw and tough to watch at times, the acting was wonderful.

With very few local films set for release with all the uncertainty around us, it's good to go out and support local cinema.

Hopefully today I will catch a Chinese war film to really spice things up.

For now Babyteeth was a solid Australian family drama with Ms Fisher (Essie Davis) playing a very different role. 3 Stars.

Friday, August 28, 2020

Yellowstone Concludes, Season Three


WOW is all I can say. For a show I only discovered this year, Yellowstone really helped fill the void of Claws, Animal Kingdom, The Handmaids Tale and other missing summer series.

Who knew Kevin Costner could rise like a Phoenix following his 90's Bodyguard days!

So this show got a whopping 5 million plus viewers for episode ten of the third season. This is huge. This is Game of Thrones big, well not quite as big as the later seasons.

The show has been lucky to have a pre season three opener renewal. This is good news for those who have watched the closing episode of season three. The massive cliffhangers and entire Dutton family in danger.



Highlight for me was Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton. From that foul mouth to some of the best scenes this season.

Some of the best moments of the season have been broken down here.

So Stan has literally struck gold in Australia with this drama. Yes it's no HBO mega hit but it's actually rating five times as many viewers as recent hit Perry Mason.

So fingers crossed next June (following the past three years trend) Yellowstone will be back for its fourth season. No doubt it will definitely be back for a fifth and maybe sixth season.

Yellowstone was a mega binge for me, watching all three seasons back to back, being right up to date ahead of the third season.

Until tomorrow when we head back into the COVID Cinema for something local.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Australia, Not so All Over: Wollongong


Following Goulburn x Canberra it's time for part II, Wollongong!

Wow NSW we do have a bit to offer if you leave the rats race city centre. From the Central Coast to Wollongong, forget Bondi and Manly we truly have some stunning coastal areas.

Newcastle is also less busy whilst being picture perfect.

Wollongong was part II of my NSW all over tour. Next stop maybe the Blue Mountains but we will see.

Lee & Me was my breakfast dining option on day one in the Gong. This cafe is cozy, cute and walkable from the beach and the Crown Street, Wollongong Central shopping district.

Greater Union (yes not rebranded to Event Cinemas) is a cute three screen cinema also located centrally in the "downtown" precinct.

Tickets are dirt cheap there (I saw Tenet, an advance screening for $11!) the cinema is clean and old school. Reminds me of my days growing up at Avoca Beach Theatre.

Wollongong is only a little over one hour from the city. The drive over the Sea Cliff Bridge home is simply beautiful. Just follow Lawrence Hargrave Drive back to Sydney. Travel through Coledale, Austinmer and Thirroul.

Beautiful.

Go on if the borders permit go see some of NSW. OMG I sound like Destination NSW.


Monday, August 24, 2020

(Mini) Monday Spotlight: Alex The Astronaut


Alexandra Lynn is Alex the Astronaut, her debut album The Theory of Absolutely Nothing was released on Friday.

The single from the album, I Think You're Great was released in January, where it found itself in the Top 200 on Shazam.

Lynn graduated from Pymble Ladies' College in Sydney before studying maths & physics at Long Island University, New York. Pymble and New York, wow that is a contrast!

Alex's debut EP: To Whom It May Concern which features the single Already Home was released in 2017. In the same year, her second EP, See You Soon featured the single Not Worth Hiding came out. Following the release the song reached No. 23 on Triple J Hottest 100.

The song continued to have a life of its own being described as an unofficial anthem for the "Yes" campaign in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey. What a cluster fuck that was. At least the end result was positive, after months of negativity.

So let's start off the week with a promising new voice. Alex The Astronaut is a name you may all be familiar with, however with a debut album now out. It's time to discover more of Alex below.

The (Mini) Monday Spotlight returns next week.








Sunday, August 23, 2020

COVID-Cinema 2020 - Tenet


THE FIRST BIG blockbuster since COVID broke the cinemas is here....



Australia is getting sneaky first advance screenings this weekend. I got FOMO and needed to see it ASAP, as in the first day of the advance screenings.

Today is the last day to see the film before it officially opens on Thursday.

Now Tenet has been a hot topic. Is it safe to open a blockbuster in a pandemic? What is Tenet? Why is John David Washington (from HBO's Ballers) so damn good looking?

So many questions, not that many answers.

Aussie superstar Elizabeth Debicki stars as Kat, Sator's estranged wife, a mysterious but beautiful woman. Just cast as Princess Di in the Crown seasons 5 & 6, Debicki is on a role!

This film cost Christopher Nolan's studio between $200-$225 million! In a COVID time will this film make back any of its big budget?

With the film set to get a China release in September along with its hype, the film may do OK.

Now as this is so early I won't give anything aside from the fact it's long. It's engaging from the opening scene, the soundtrack and booming sound system is AMAZING.

It looks spectacular and honestly I think I will try and see Inception again. I know thats a throwback film out at cinemas at present.

It's a weird time for the cinema business. My session in Wollongong was fairly well attended, however other films I have seen have less than 10 in attendance.

Checkout the trailer above, avoid spoilers, get set for a post Twilight Robert Pattinson.

This will easily feature on my (second) end of year cinema list. I may not have got all the plot points but Nolan makes going to the cinema a must for his big idea, big budget films.

4.5 Stars.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

#COVID-19 CATCH UP TV - The House of Flowers / La Casa de las Flores


Ready for some bat shit crazy Mexican TV drama, get your Netflix log in ready, it's to look at the three seasons (plus the random funeral special) of The House of Flowers / La Casa de las Flores.


Where does one begin with this Mexican family drama where the family owns a famous flower shop as well as a cabaret named The House of Flowers / La Casa de las Flores.

It begins super Desperate Housewives of Mexico, with a suicide a female narrator who hangs herself at the end of episode one, season one.

The family goes from one drama to the next, with a daughter returning from New York with her African America boyfriend, a bisexual brother whilst the older daughters husband goes from Jose Maria to Maria Jose.

Yep there is a lot going on.

Season one was fun, season two went bat shit crazy and season three tried to tell us the origin story of how this family become so crazy.

It's worth a look, the episodes vary from 25 minutes to just over 30 minutes. If you want to learn Spanish some of the characters also speak slow enough to pick up a few words here and there.

Drag queens, gay adoption, family dramas, affairs, insane sisters who impersonate each other all get a look in over the three seasons of The House of Flowers / La Casa de las Flores.

It's a true Netflix original series with three seasons and in between seasons two and three is a funeral episode, which I ended up just watching at the end of season three.

Is it the best series I have watched over this lockdown/iso times? No but it had fun moments and some seriously camp acting.

Friday, August 21, 2020

#COVID-19 CATCH UP TV - Vice Principles


How on earth did I miss Vice Principles when it first aired. One it was on HBO, thats my jam. Two it is funny and rude as hell and three it is a thirty minute crude comedy.

So after watching The Righteous Gemstones I was informed by a coworker Vice Principles featured a large number of the same cast.

Edi Patterson as Jen Abbott is outstanding. She also had some of the best lines in The Righteous Gemstones as Judy Gemstone.

Walton Goggins as Lee Russell also does steal most scenes he is in.

Look it's grim out there right now, the news is fucked, so for me it's dramas and comedy all the way. If like me you missed Vice Principles, it's on Binge in Australia, if you are elsewhere it's where you get your favourite HBO films.

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ends


Towards the end of May when their were hardly any new (USA) summer shows starting. Animal Kingdom, The Handmaid's Tale, Claws and Queen of the South were all unfinished, it was a miracle Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. filmed its seventh and final season before the production lockdowns commenced.

I reviewed the first episode HERE when things were bad, not great, but iso was new, something fresh, now the period is boring AF.



Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been humming along this season with close to 2.5 million USA viewers a week. Probably more after a while, however with seven day viewing, warm summers and a show that maybe should of ended a season or two ago not bad, given the current climate.

Started out going through many different time era's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finally concludes it's long run this week. In total the series has aired 136 episodes! Crazy right! The last two seasons have been super short in comparison to the first five. Each had 22 long drawn out seasons.

Agent Coulson of course is the most famous of all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as he appeared firstly in Iron Man (2008), followed by Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), and Captain Marvel (2019).



So it's another long running show coming to a close. In a few weeks/month or so The 100 will also conclude it's seventh season.

The two shows have run since 2013/2014. To get seven seasons in this day and age for a network US season is huge.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had some big moments over the years. To remember it here are the title cards from seasons 1 through to 7.



Still to come this week, most likely more TV reviews, the countdown to our next (Mini) Monday Spotlight, next Monday it's local singer/songwriter, Alex the Astronaut. If only we could feature her this week for science week.

Until then, peace out!

Monday, August 17, 2020

(Mini) Monday Spotlight: Wilaris. K


Willaris. K (aka Jack McAllister) is today's (Mini) Monday Spotlight. So let's get super electronic!

Since the release of his first single, ‘Alchemy’, back in 2017, Wilaris. K has been building his fanbase over three solid EPs.

This year along Wilaris. K has given us two EPs, one in April and one last month. It's taken a while for me to give Wilaris. K the time he deserves.

The Full Noise EP features lead single ‘Chapel’, featuring Virginia rapper WaveIQ, whilst on Full Circle Paul Mac takes us deep into the rave cave.

So it's Monday, let's get into the focus zone, with some top notch Australian electronica.








Saturday, August 15, 2020

COVID-Cinema 2020 - Force of Nature


Force of Nature is the latest film to be released in Australia. With so little film s being released mixed with classics, it's refreshing to get some new content even if the film has been receiving extremely negative reviews from critics.

Force of Nature stars Emile Hirsch, Kate Bosworth, Mel Gibson, David Zayas, Stephanie Cayo, Will Catlett, Swen Temmel, Tyler Jon Olsen, and Jorge Luis Ramos, and follows a gang of thieves in Puerto Rico who plan on executing a heist during a hurricane.

Sounds like a crazy plot? You are dead right, it was random AF.



I couldn't pass this film, however it was good to see Dexter star David Zayas play John the Baptist. Mel Gibson however is looked tired and old AF.

It's a bit of a 2 star film, I find it hard to see if it will recoup it's twenty three million dollar budget.

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Stargirl Concludes, Season One


Following an early renewal (and move solely to The CW for season two) Stargirl has concluded it's first big budget season. I reviewed the opening episode of the season/series back in May. Oh May how long ago that feels now!

The double finale Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Parts One and Two started last week, concluding this week.

Keeping audiences amused whilst very little screens week to week, Stargirl has been a fairly big success story on The CW and demand. DC Universe which initially produced the series does not release viewer data so true numbers will never be known.

Production values have been praised compared to other DC series like The Flash and Supergirl which have progressively getting more and more lame.

Whilst this series is based on a high school student, the series does feel a whole lot more engaging than recent The Flash seasons.

With a Wilson brother and then the Joel McHale bombshell at the end of the episode....

The season ender didn't leave us with too many cliffhangers (were the producers not super confident for a second season?) but there is more than enough for this show to continue in 2021? Currently there are no plans to screen the show in January with the other returning The CW shows. So I am guessing its staying in the summer (USA) months.

Stargirl will air in Australia on Binge soon I believe. I guess better late than never...

Monday, August 10, 2020

(Mini) Monday Spotlight: Miiesha


The NIMA Awards were on over the weekend, Baker Boy had a second year of dominating the awards, whilst Woorabinda neo-soul wonder Miiesha won this year's New Talent of the Year award.

This is following the release of her first mini-album Nyaaringu earlier this year. The album was in fact was also a feature album over on my other blog, Flashing off the Record.

Released late May, 2020 the album came as the world struggled with boredom and #STAYHOME. You can view some of Miiesha's earlier work on her Triple J Unearthed profile as well as stream her debut Nyaaringu below.

Miiesha is a proud, fabulous Pitjantjatjara/Torres Strait Islander woman. It's time to discover one of Australia's brightest talents right now. Until next Monday, later x








Sunday, August 9, 2020

COVID-Cinema 2020 - Peninsula


Also know as Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula, this is the follow up film to Train to Busan from 2016. Yes I only saw it Thursday (and loved it, get the goss HERE) so it was good timing to see Peninsula today.



The film was meant to be screened at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, however due to 2020 sucking, it was just given a soft open in South Korea in July and now Australia in August.

Following all the stress and drama of Train to Busan fast forward 4 years and South Korea is still in loads of trouble.

Like the current global situation, South Korea is packed with loads of deadly zombies. IRL its kinda of like being in Florida currently.

I enjoyed this second film in the series (not really a direct sequel though) whilst Gang Dong-won as Jung-seok is handsome AF.

If The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead is your bag, this is for you. The car chases, the zombie kills, there is a load going on here.

Peninsula is a fun distraction from day to day life. 3.5 Stars.

Saturday, August 8, 2020

#COVID-19-BINGE-FEST - Ramy (Season 1 & 2)


The #COVID-19-BINGE-FEST continues before I start phase two of my TV lists, COVID-19 CATCH UP TV. Which would have been a perfect place for Ramy Seasons 1 & 2. The show debuted in April 2019, the second season recently appeared on Stan in Australia (Hulu internationally) in May of this year.


Emmy nominated, this is a truly fabulous show. The show has already won a Golden Globe and a couple of other awards.

Ramy Youssef is outstanding as the lead Ramy whilst in season two Mahershala Ali joins as Sheikh Ali Malik.

The entire cast is awesome, the show explores many themes while also feeling exceptional honest.

I feel like it's a male version of Insecure. Main changes Ramy is on the East Coast, Insecure the West Coast, Ramy is Muslim and Issa on Insecure is a strong black independent woman.

I enjoyed both seasons a lot. I probably to be honest enjoyed the second more and have to say I am extremely happy Hulu have renewed the show for a third season.

Where will Ramy go in season three? I am excited to find out!

Thursday, August 6, 2020

COVID-Cinema 2020 - Train to Busan {RETRO}


Original Release date -
13 May 2016 (Cannes)
20 July 2016 (South Korea)

The cinema is doing something a little different at present to try and get folks back to the cinema. One thing is showing old favourites. Train to Busan was originally released in 2016, however a new film Peninsula (a film set in the same universe as Train to Busan) is set to open in Australia this weekend.

I only heard good things about this film, I could have seen it on Netflix, but I wanted to support my local cinema.

Yes the cinemas are doing it mega tough right now. Nostalgia is popular too right now so this should work? On paper yes, but my session was really poorly attended.



Now to the film, I really enjoyed this South Korean zombie picture.

It was way more edge of the seat stuff than recent The Walking Dead seasons.

The film moved fast, the characters died even faster, so I am interested to see the direction the next film goes in.

If you want a double South Korean zombie film fest this weekend Train to Busan x Peninsula might just be what you are after.

As this will not be in the running to make my end of year list I will give it a very generous but compelling 4 stars.

The South Koreans are killing it right now in the arts TV/film world!

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

#COVID-19-BINGE-FEST - Crash Landing on You


I have always wanted to get into K Dramas, so why not start out with a huge hit like, Crash Landing on You.

Or in Korean: 사랑의 불시착. Starring Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Kim Jung-hyun, and Seo Ji-hye.

The story revolves around a totally believable plot,  a South Korean chaebol heiress paragliding in Seoul, gets swept up in a sudden storm and crash-lands in the North Korea.

The show is available now to stream on Netflix, following it airing in native South Korea as well as China. It was a runaway hit in China, the hashtag for the drama's finale received over 460 million views on China's Weibo.



If you are keen on a romantic drama from abroad this could be for you. Warning the episodes are super long, some episodes feature a lot of crying and yelling, however the comedy mixed in is good to balance it all out.

Whilst it's a little South vs North Korea, it was a fun start to my no doubt love of Korean dramas during the binge/catch up TV time.

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

#COVID-19-BINGE-FEST - Hanna (Season 1 & 2)


Hanna is the latest Amazon Prime series I have given a go. Based on the 2011 film of the same name, the series was created and written by David Farr whilst starring Esme Creed-Miles as lead and title character of the show Hanna.

The series was recently renewed for a third season, good news for me as I have just binged season one and two.



Here is a brief synopsis of the series -

Hanna is a 15-year-old girl living with Erik, the only man she has ever known, as her father, in a remote part of a forest in Poland. Erik once recruited pregnant women into a CIA program, code name UTRAX, where the children's DNA was enhanced with 3% wolf in order to create super-soldiers. When Erik falls in love with Johanna, Hanna's mother, he rescues baby Hanna and they flee. The CIA then orders their on-site agent, Marissa, to shut down the project and eliminate all the babies.

My option? Hanna is a bold female lead action series. Esme Creed-Miles is wonderful as lead role Hanna whilst Mireille Enos (The Catch) is great as Marissa Wiegler.

Dermot Mulroney & handsome AF Joel Kinnaman also star.

The action sequences are wonderful however the story does begin to feel a little tired by the end of season two. The movie did so well to wrap a lot up in it's under two hour running time.

Who knows in this current climate when season three will air, however I will be waiting around for it. It's been a tasty treat thus far (despite some pacing issues) so this is one to stay on my list post COVID restrictions.

Monday, August 3, 2020

(Mini) Monday Spotlight: Dominic Fike


It's a rather BIG (Mini) Monday Spotlight this week, with the debut album from Dominic Fike now streaming!

Dominic Fike on Friday released What Could Possibly Go Wrong, at a time like this this album total could not be more ironic.

14-track debut album from Fike follows on singles like 3 Nights, Acai Bowl and features with artists like Bakar, Halsey and more.

From Fike's youth from Naples, Florida the 24 year old is already globally recognised.

From the catchy tune of 3 Nights to one of his recent Chicken Tenders, if you are not across Dominic Fike yet, get on it.

Stream his debut below via Apple Music or Spotify as well as some previous singles.

More BIG (Mini) Monday Spotlights coming at you each and every Monday in August!









Sunday, August 2, 2020

Emmys 2020 Nominations | Predictions


My predictions (or in some cases bias picks) in red and bold.....

Drama Series

Better Call Saul (AMC)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Killing Eve (BBC America/AMC)
The Mandalorian (Disney Plus)
Ozark (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Succession (HBO)

Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Dead to Me (Netflix)
The Good Place (NBC)
Insecure (HBO)
The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video)
Schitt’s Creek (Pop TV)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Limited Series

Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Mrs. America (Hulu)
Unbelievable (Netflix)
Unorthodox (Netflix)
Watchmen (HBO)


Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman (Ozark)
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Steve Carell (The Morning Show)
Brian Cox (Succession)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Jeremy Strong (Succession)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)
Olivia Colman (The Crown)
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve)
Laura Linney (Ozark)
Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)
Zendaya (Euphoria)


Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Don Cheadle (Black Monday)
Ted Danson (The Good Place)
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek)
Ramy Youssef (Ramy)

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate (Dead to Me)
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me)
Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek)
Issa Rae (Insecure)
Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Jeremy Irons (Watchmen)
Hugh Jackman (Bad Education)
Paul Mescal (Normal People)
Jeremy Pope (Hollywood)
Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Cate Blanchett (Mrs. America)
Shira Haas (Unorthodox)
Regina King (Watchmen)
Octavia Spencer (Self Made)
Kerry Washington (Little Fires Everywhere)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul)
Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)
Mark Duplass (The Morning Show)
Nicholas Braun (Succession)
Kieran Culkin (Succession)
Matthew Macfadyen (Succession)
Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Laura Dern (Big Little Lies)
Meryl Streep (Big Little Lies)
Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown)
Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve)
Julia Garner (Ozark)
Sarah Snook (Succession)
Thandie Newton (Westworld)

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
William Jackson Harper (The Good Place)
Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method)
Sterling K. Brown (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Mahershala Ali (Ramy)
Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live)
Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Betty Gilpin (GLOW)
D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place)
Yvonne Orji (Insecure)
Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Marin Hinkle (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live)
Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek)

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Dylan McDermott (Hollywood)
Jim Parsons (Hollywood)
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend)
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen)
Jovan Adepo (Watchmen)
Louis Gossett Jr. (Watchmen)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Holland Taylor (Hollywood)
Uzo Aduba (Mrs. America)
Margo Martindale (Mrs. America)
Tracey Ullman (Mrs. America)
Toni Collette (Unbelievable)
Jean Smart (Watchmen)

Reality Competition

The Masked Singer (FOX)
Nailed It (Netflix)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)

Variety Talk Series

Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Television Movie

American Son • Netflix
Bad Education • HBO
Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones • Netflix
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie • Netflix
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend • Netflix

Children’s Program

Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance • Netflix
Star Wars Resistance • Disney Channel
We Are The Dream: The Kids Of The Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest • HBO

Documentary Or Nonfiction Special

The Apollo • HBO
Beastie Boys Story • Apple TV+
Becoming • Netflix
The Great Hack • Netflix
Laurel Canyon: A Place In Time • EPIX

Documentary Or Nonfiction Series

American Masters • PBS
Hillary • Hulu
The Last Dance • ESPN
McMillion$ • HBO
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem And Madness • Netflix

Saturday, August 1, 2020

COVID-Cinema 2020 - Unhinged


So let's restart 2020 cinema reviews with a new look review style, COVID-Cinema 2020. Following my misstep of seeing the woeful Follow Me last weekend, I was pleasantly surprised by the simplistic Unhinged.

Okay now simplistic is not a sledge, I like a movie that takes something simple like road rage, builds on this idea, drops the special effects and over the top drama and rolls with the one simple idea.

For this film, it's Russell Crowe as Tom Hunter, a down and out (most likely Trump voter) who has lost his job, wife and now a younger mother has caught him on a "bad day"

Whilst I admired Russell Crowe's wicked side in the series The Loudest Voice, I never really liked him that much. However like Nicole Kidman I am getting more and more keen on Crowe.



The film is fast and furious in all the good ways. It is roughly ninety minutes and straight to the point. Caren Pistorius as Rachel is Hunter's latest victim.

The film starts out dramatic and ends equally as dramatic.

Look the cinemas are really not back to their hey day yet, however this was a welcome return to the cinema. I strongly recommend seeing this film, supporting your local cinema and seeing the film before it opens in the USA later this month. Well maybe it's been pushed back multiple times!

Unhinged rates 3 100% unhinged stars.