Kevin Can Fuck Himself is my latest Binge ahead of finally catching the Rona. Yep expect a few more posts as binge watching TV, listening to the new record from The Weeknd is all I have planned for the next seven days.
Set in Worcester, Massachusetts, the show explores the life of Allison McRoberts (played by Annie Murphy, Schitt's Creek), a woman struggling to redefine her life amid an unhappy marriage to her husband Kevin, an insensitive, unambitious man-child.
The show presents contrasting perspectives of her experience: as a stereotypical sitcom wife when Allison is with her husband Kevin, shown with a multiple-camera setup and canned laughter, and as a woman navigating a difficult personal path, filmed in the single-camera setup more common to television dramas.
Last August, the series was renewed for a second season, along with confirming the series would conclude after two seasons.
I do love a two season run. PEN15, the recent AMC The Walking Dead: World Beyond, along with the unfinished FOX music drama Star all ended up after two, short season runs.
Kevin Can Fuck Himself is fun, whilst being disturbing all within the same episode. Raymond Lee (the hunk in HBO's short lived Here & Now) is great as Allison McRoberts escapism.
The show was a really easy eight episode watch. While my family didn't love the switch in tone, I slayed all eight episodes whilst loving the contrast between the US sitcom format mixed with HBO drama.
Kevin is a totally vile character/husband so you easily side with Allison (even after one episode) time and time again.
The series marks a shift from AMC being obsessed with zombies, Breaking Bad and its spin off along side new Australian vampire series, Firebite.
The drama, the struggle, the dark contrast is well done. I am looking forward to seeing the second and final series, hopefully in 2022.
West Side Story is the latest musical to hit the big screen. Directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg, they are calling in the big guns for this film. Starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler (in her feature film debut) with Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, & Rita Moreno. The film features music composed by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
The film has received critical acclaim, it has was named one of the top ten films of 2021 by the National Board of Review. While receiving four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture – Musical/Comedy and tied with Belfast for a leading eleven nominations at the 27th Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture.
While critical and awards are fine, the film has been a box-office bomb. Grossing only $10.6 million in its opening weekend. It has grossed a total of $52.7 million worldwide, against a production budget of $100 million, likely resulting in a financial loss for Disney.
However whilst Disney are doing huge business in the streaming game, Marvel movies, the odd bomb is expected.
I had never seen the musical live or listened to the songs prior to attending the film, however I actually really enjoyed it.
Whilst its slightly too long, the choreography is amazing. The songs I thought were familiar really went off with a bang.
I would recommend this if you need to escape the summer humidity. As cases rise so does the humidity factor, 3.5 Stars for this musical, turned big screen feature.
Summer Slack - streaming service multi episode drops/entire seasons/January TV finales.
Yellowstone is the biggest drama streaming right now in the USA. With spinoff prequel series 1883 also airing now, Yellowstone may have another spinoff on the way with the Texas plot lines.
Created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson on the Paramount Network. Starring Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, and Gil Birmingham. The fourth season opened with a massive bang. A double episode bang!
So despite the series airing later in the year (usually and Australian winter series) Yellowstone has now called it a day. On November 22, 2021, Coupm magazine reported that the fifth season has been renewed with a projected broadcast date set for November 13, 2022. However this is not 100% set in stone. However with the shows monster ratings this season, a fifth season is a no brainer!
So the third season finale set the bar very high for Yellowstone finales. Sadly this season did not pack so much of a punch. However there were some satisfying endings.
The spin-off to 6666 in Texas is now complete, Jacki Weaver finally got a bigger scene after weeks of next to nothing and Kevin Costner rode off into the sunset.
I really hope Yellowstone does return late 2022 as reported above. It makes for great summer, holiday viewing.
I am praying with Jacki Weavers big speech in the finale, we see more of her taking on Beth when the fifth season returns.
So as I open up my new BLOG series, Summer Slack TV Finales, expect posts about Five Bedrooms (third season which just dropped, only months after season two and moving to the Paramount Plus streaming platform), Emily in Paris, Cobra Kai, Dexter: New Blood along with any other series I smash through on these hot summer days.
House of Gucci was released back in November in the USA. However on Australia Island, it was a New Year's Day film.
Directed by Ridley Scott, based on the 2001 book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden. The film follows Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) and Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), as their romance transforms into a fight for control of the Italian fashion brand Gucci.
Along with the sensation Gaga and Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, and Al Pacino also star.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cast's performances (particularly those of Gaga and Leto) but criticised the inconsistent tone and historical inaccuracies. It has grossed over $112 million. This was against a budget of $75 million.
I really enjoyed this film. The running time was slightly off putting, at almost 2 hours 40 minutes, this was long. However Gaga lights up the screen whenever she enters the shot.
Not many singers have been able to pull off what Gaga has. A huge music career, varied genres, worked with everyone who was hot right now, whilst pulling off some random stunts along the way.
Driver is also exceptional. From his Girls days to now, he is a powerhouse. This really was a acting 101 film.
If you are looking for more drama than the current COVID outbreaks, House of Gucci is an outstanding film. The music, the costumes, the true story. Brilliant.
After some rather average films in the back half of 2021, this was a great start to the Masked Cinema for 2022.
OK another disrupted year, another spilt year in films. Back in July I gave you my January - June(ish) films of 2021. Now it's time for the second half, well fourth quarter of 2021. As the Sydney lockdown lasted until October, I saw fewer films, the quality wasn't really there. Whilst I also have including a streaming title which did get a selected cinema run.
Nitram got very little cinema screenings (particularly in Tasmania) however it was also a STAN original film. So here we go. In red you can see my picks from earlier in the year.
Tomorrow a new cinema review for my new cinema year (hopefully not interrupted this year) for House of Gucci with the queen Lady Gaga.
Until tomorrow!
BEST hyped film of 2021 (BC) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings / Cruella
BEST jump out of the seat film - Halloween Kills / The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
BEST Teen drama/coming of age/comedy blah - Licorice Pizza
BEST films (tie) of 2021 - Nitram / Licorice Pizza / Promising Young Woman & The Dry
BEST small (budget) film - Licorice Pizza
BEST Aussie Movie - Nitram / The Dry
BEST Music film - Dune (soundtrack - Hans Zimmer) / In the Heights
BEST controversial film of 2021 (BC) - Nitram / Music
BEST Drama - Nitram / Promising Young Woman / French Exit / Nomadland / The Father
Love Me is the first Binge original to land on the Foxtel branded app. The romantic six-part drama series that follows three different family members as they experience modern love at distinct times of their lives. Based in Melbourne, starring an all star cast, Heather Mitchell, Bob Morley, Hugo Weaving, Bojana Novakovic & Celia Pacquola as Sacha.
Landing on Boxing Day, this summer has proved to be an all Australian buffet of drama. Landing today on Stan is The Tourist with Jamie Dornan.
Love Me was excellent TV. A lot has to be said for this six parter (however I feel a second season is a no brainer) the script, cast, acting, plot, romance. It was great.
This for me is hands down one of the best series I binged in December. And I did binge this like the streaming title suggests. One day and a bit, over coffee's cafe breakfasts this was an easy AF watch.
I love Bob Morley, I miss him in The 100, although I don't miss The 100 in general.
This really was an excellent drama. Six episodes, to the point, no fluff, lot's of laughs with some real heart in there too.
For me this could be my series of Summer. Rankings to come later. I still have a LOT to binge.
Check out Love Me now on Binge, it's worth the free trial and then some!
Landscapers was one of two final, last minute 2021 binges, which happened to air its finale in December.
Landscapers, true crime miniseries, a black comedy drama written by Ed Sinclair and directed by Will Sharpe. It revolves around the true story of the 1998 murders of Nottinghamshire residents William and Patricia Wycherley.
Starring the sensational Olivia Coleman (recently in The Crown), this four part UK/HBO mini series is a real treat.
Like the mini series, four episodes, super short and sweet. This will be a short and sweet take on the Stan mini series which only concluded last week.
Playing out like a live theatre play, these four episodes are skilfully shot, well acted, intriguing, well done television.
It really is peak TV season with so many series landing on the streaming service for a true Hot Girl Summer.
So do yourself a favour and give this a quick viewing. You won't regret it.
Happy new year readers, happy 2022. May it be less shit than 2020 and 2021.
