September 5 is a film I have been dying to see. With great reviews and a film I missed due to limited sessions back in Sydney. Lucky in Okinawa, the film releases were a little behind. Allowing me to see this 2024 historical drama thriller film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Tim Fehlbaum.
September 5 stars Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, & Leonie Benesch, chronicling the Munich massacre of 1972 from the perspective of the ABC Sports crew and their coverage of the events.
Along with great reviews, the film has received several accolades, including nominations for Best Original Screenplay at the 97th Academy Awards and Best Motion Picture – Drama at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.
The tension that builds throughout the entire 90 odd minute run is intense. Mainly being set in the make shift ABC studios at the Munich games.
The pace is fast and furious. The entire cast is excellent, archive footage was specified in the script, setting the tone for onscreen playback in the control room.
Drama ping-pongs back and forth between four principal excellent characters. Peter Sarsgaard as producer Roone Arledge, John Magaro as newbie coordinating producer Geoffrey Mason, Ben Chaplin as Marvin Bader, VP of Olympic Operations, & Leonie Benesch as Marianne Gebhardt, the German assistant who larges assists the men in getting the main elements of the story pieced together.
Not only does she translate police radios and news reports, she is critical in bringing the story back to the USA, via ABC.
It is drama on large scale, with exceptional performances by all.
Ahead of the credits rolling, text reveals that the event was the first time a terrorist attack had been broadcast on live television and was viewed by an audience of approximately 900 million, making it one of the most viewed broadcasts in history. Which in this time we are in, is truly scary.
It's maybe not the best time for this film to be floating around, however it's a damn horrific tale of the world watching on in horror. Kind of like now with everyone watching the war in Gaza on their respective devices.
Oh dear god. The golden age of Marvel/superhero films is now long gone.
Three or four weeks in I decided to see Captain America: Brave New World, to a near empty cinema. People were more excited to see Anora or just not go to the cinema.
Based on, Sam Wilson / Captain America, it is the fourth instalment in the Captain America film series, a continuation of the television miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021).
This is also the 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). FUCK!
Starring legend, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America alongside Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. So the cast is damn fine, like really good, but the movie!
The plot is paper thin, with Wilson investigating a conspiracy involving U.S. president Thaddeus Ross (Ford). Honestly no even the action scenes were that good. It all felt old and done before. I left before the post-credits scene, I'd seen enough by then.
That said, this wasn't as long and drawn out as previous films, it was under two hours!
Captain America: Civil War (2016) ended the Captain America trilogy starring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, and Wilson becomes the new Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Captain America: Brave New World premiered mid last month, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, while it has currently grossed $371.2 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2025.
The film received negative reviews from critics, who took varying stances on the political commentary, story, characterisation, and visual effects, but praised Ford's performance.
Honestly that negative reaction is fairly similar to my take on the film.
The action scenes were nothing out of the ordinary, Mackie while great should maybe stick to his new found role in Twisted Metal, as this Marvel thing is getting old!
One of Them Days stars singing sensation, SZA, along with Keke Palmer & Katt Williams.
It gives Insecure vibes, which is interesting as Issa Rae is listed as one of the producers, in this buddy tragicomedy. One of Them Days follows two friends who must scramble to find rent money after one of their boyfriends blows through it.
One of Them Days has received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $48 million. That is huge when the budget was only $14 million!
SZA & Keke Palmer star as aspiring artist Alyssa & waitress Dreux Jones, live together along with Alyssa's boyfriend Keshawn in a rundown apartment complex under a strict landlord.
When the first of the month arrives, their landlord demands their rent money of $1,500, stating that they will be evicted unless they pay by 6 PM, even though both Dreux and Alyssa thought it was already paid.
We have dramas, car issues, NIKE shoe sales, a wild blood donation scene with Janelle James from Abbotts Elementary and great music along the ride.
One of Them Days was a super short, fun, fresh ride at the cinema. It was a refreshing watch after superhero and horror films dominate the big screen of late!
If you need a new film to see, give this a shot. Issa Rae can literally do no wrong. Well unless it was the random second season of Rap Sh!t. That said SZA is a total star. Anything se touches, GOLDEN!
The Way Home, the multi-generational family drama series, has just concluded its third season yesterday lunchtime on Binge.
In the USA the series streams on the Hallmark Channel & Hallmark+. Binge is lucky to retain this title with all things MAX coming soon. As the series was renewed for a fourth season right before the season three finale.
Now to the finale, titled, If You Could Read My Mind. Hello disco tune!
We began the swan song, with a montage of Alice’s trips to 1999 from the first season, mixed with snippets of her visit to 1974, as adult Colton started to become curious about the teenager who’d befriended his daughter. When Alice made a new trip to 1999 in the finale, Colton confronted her at the pond about being the same Alice that he met in 1974. She warned him not to bring up the topic with the Alice that he’ll get to know over the summer of ’99 because time travel is brand new to that earlier version of Alice, so she won’t have the answers that he needs.
We then travel to Feb. 17, 2000, Colton received an envelope with money from Evelyn to help him in his search for missing Jacob, prompting Colton to go to Lingermore.
While there, he gazed at the portrait of “My Katherine”, named just like his daughter, Evelyn noted and started to realise the truth of who Katherine/Rose was, and that Jacob fell into the pond and he’d met him in the 1800s.
Meanwhile, in their time, Alice and Kat jumped into the pond with Del, but while Kat and Del ended up witnessing Del and Colton’s wedding in 1975, Alice resurfaced in 2000 and was greeted by Colton, who wrapped her in his sweater.
Colton shared that the pond never worked for him again after 1974, and it didn’t work for the kids either, so he didn’t mention it to Del. When Jacob disappeared, he was miles from it, and his stuffed animal was found in the ocean. Alice reassured Colton that Jacob will come home one day, but Colton realised from her silence that he will not get to see him again.
In an emotionally charged moment, Colton marvelled at the fact that he got to sing with his granddaughter in two eras, and urged Alice to jump back in the pond. Once she did, he took his own dive and ended up at the Landrys’ summer kickoff party, where he told a young Jacob to remember that he loves him no matter what will happen.
As for Alice, she landed back at the night of the dinner party from the Season 3 premiere, and was the one who pushed herself into the pond that evening. When she eventually returned to her time, Alice told Kat and Del that Colton knew everything when he died.
Del realised that Colton was about to tell her the truth that fateful night, while Kat registered that Colton was on his way to grief group in the hopes of seeing her when he crashed. He knew, and he still loved her, Kat tearfully marvelled.
But what you really want to know is who is the baby that was left by the pond in the Season 3 opener, right? Well, as the finale came to a close, Elliot read a letter from his mother that Vic mailed to him, along with the Augustine ring.
A line from the letter rang a bell for Elliot: It came from a T.S. Eliot poem that was also inscribed on the clock from inside the house wall, but the wall went up before that poem was ever written.
Alice realised that she met Elliot’s mom in ’74 in last week’s episode, while Kat and Elliot theorised that his mom’s line “I jump for love” means she leaped into the pond. But she can only do that with a Landry.
Once again, we were presented with a flash of someone leaving a letter in a baby basinet, then a girl and boy jumped into the pond. A mysterious figure picked up the baby and left him at Del and Colton’s door. As the couple discovered the child and letter, Del, cradling baby Katherine.
Then Casey showed up and gave Jacob proof that Susanna left Lingermore to the Landrys, which should get Lewis Goodwin to drop the charges against him. Casey also let slip a tidbit about the threatening letters Del was getting, and after Jacob discovered them, he decided it was best if he disappeared.
Del relayed the bad news to Sam, who told her, as he stood by the pond, that he just knew it was going to OK. Curious!
Casey also ran into Alice and ruled out that Alice is their mom. But when Alice pressed Casey about being a Landry and a Goodwin, Casey didn’t want to break any more rules.
So we will now have to wait until (possibly) January 2026 to get some more pond time travelling madness.
Yes I said it, the Hallmark, Andie MacDowell as Delilah "Del" Watson Landry lead series is a bit bat shit crazy. MacDowell is supported by Sadie Laflamme-Snow as Alice "Ali" Dhawan, Chyler Leigh as Katherine "Kat" Landry Dhawan & Evan Williams as Elliot "Eli" Augustine.
I sort of get the feeling this series can only go on for so long. Maybe the fourth will be the fourth and final for this pond fantasy series.
That concludes the big week of TV finales we had last week.
With my holiday incoming there will be limited posts for the next lil' bit. I will be back early April, before Easter, however I may share some snaps, insights, or any series I manage to complete whilst in Japan.
Let's be fair, Reacher and Severance will conclude their latest runs, so maybe I will get onto those.
We also have a number of shows hanging in the balance ahead of the US networks present their Upfront presentations in May.
My shows I watch, I am predicting:
CBS:
Swings the axe on THE EQUALIZER, maybe entertains the spin-off for next season. However I think Queen Latifah's series has run out of lives.
NBC:
I am convinced with the NBA coming to NBC, FOUND will also end its run despite, Shanola Hampton being a queen.
ABC:
9-1-1 will 100% be back, with new 9-1-1 location, Nashville landing next TV season. DOCTOR ODYSSEY, could really go either way. Do ABC need Ryan Murphy to be happy or just sub in one Murphy show for the new 9-1-1. Doctor Odyssey has failed to live up to the hype. It also can't be cheap to make.
The CW:
I'm also convinced, new station owners will see ALL AMERICAN as a liability. It's the last remaining original series on the troubled network. Season six ended perfectly. This season with a bunch of randoms has been patchy at best.
FOX:
Last but not least, the other network that was on-sale. But never sold. I feel when THE CLEANING LADY returns to Vegas later this month, it'll be the last 12 episodes we see. Like All American, it felt like it could have ended nicely last season.
Poor RESCUE HI-SURF has also struggled to find it's feet, however I feel with a shorter season next year, this might live to see another day. The network has limited series now the other 9-1-1 (Lons Star) has called it a day.
Time will tell, however I think the axe is being sharpened as we speak, by the respective networks!
The Chi has finally had part 2 of the sixth series land in Australia, on Disney+. This second batch of eight episodes landed back on Showtime in May last year.
I have been eager to conclude the solid sixth season for months now. The longest of all The Chi seasons. Consisting of 16 episodes split into two parts. This was largely due to the Hollywood labour strikes. With Part 1 commending August, 2023, and part 2 the following May. Concluding late last June.
So it had been a long wait for me to check in with my favourite Emmett, and his wild ride with multiple kids to multiple baby mommas. Emmett and Kiesha underpinned a lot the final eight (short) episodes. Taking the spotlight off the crime on the Chicago streets, bringing it back to real life family struggles.
Back in May last year, the newly named Paramount+ With Showtime renewed the series for a seventh season. Production warped early October 2024, so here is hoping like previous seasons we will get it June-August like previous seasons.
Warning: This post contains spoilers from Season 6 finale from here on in....
The South Side of Chicago just got a little less populated. With the exit of three cast members, via two deaths and a long-time-coming departure from the city.
When we saw the credits rolling, two characters — Curtiss Cook‘s Otis “Douda” Perry and Iman Shumpert’s Rob — were dead, and one — Tyla Abercrumbie’s Nina — had said goodbye to friends and family and moved out of town with girlfriend LaPorsha.
Both murders were related. After a season-long battle for power between Douda and Alicia (played by Lynn Whitfield, being promoted to series seven regular this year), the former mayor/crime kingpin was taken out instead by Nuck (Cortez Smith), his former henchman.
And when Nuck announced to Douda’s staff that he was the new boss in town, Rob refused to fall in line. So Nuck shot him several times as he was walking away, then dumped his body on the steps of his mother’s townhouse for Alicia to find.
The Chi is now Showtime's longest living dramas. The show has survived the new naming of Paramount+ With Showtime, out lived Billions, Shameless and any of the former 30 minute style sitcoms from Showtime.
The Chi has a lot to offer, I just hope for season seven Disney+ delivers it to Aussie viewers in a timely manner.
