Revisiting the Rocketeer

I recently re-watched The Rocketeer, a film that still stands up and I've always enjoyed. Though the movie never quite manages to kick into high gear, it's fun and well done, nicely capturing the spirit and charm of creator-writer-artist's Dave Stevens' original comic book series. (The movie turned out to be director Joe Johnston's calling card for Captain America: The First Avenger, which shares a similar milieu.)

I followed it by pulling the graphic novel collection of the original comic book series off my bookshelf to re-read and savor Stevens' great writing and art.

It also turned out to be the perfect time to watch the documentary, Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection, a great overview of his life and career, which recently became available on Prime. Though I know many of the talking heads in the documentary and often saw Stevens at his booth at San Diego Comic-Con, I never found the opportunity to meet Stevens personally (he tragically passed away in 2008 due to a rare form of leukemia).

An interesting side note: in December 1991, following The Rocketeer's release in June, I went to see Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country at the Mann National Theater in Westwood (in L.A., now closed and torn down)—actors Bill Campell and Jennifer Connelly, who were dating at the time, sat in the seats in front of me!

Visit to Capitol Records

For the first time since moving to L.A. more than 40 years ago, I visited the storied Capitol Records building in Hollywood, located on Vine Street, near the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine.

Late last year, while I happened to be driving past the iconic structure in the middle of the work day, on a sudden impulse, I decided to stop and check it out up close. It helped that I immediately found a metered parking spot across the street, making the visit pretty easy and straightforward.

Although I learned there's no public street entrance into the building—access appears to be through a private garage with a security entrance—I was thrilled to discover the Hollywood Walk of Fame Stars for the individual Beatles all in a row, appropriately placed near the building's base, as seen in the video at the bottom of this post. Nearby were stars for Joan Crawford, Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly.

I reside less than 10 miles from Hollywood (and only need to take local streets), but going there sometimes feels like a big production and hassle due to traffic, parking, and because it's so touristy.

That said, I've visited Hollywood many times for shows (such as at the Pantages and Kodak Theaters), dinner (including Musso and Frank's), movies (the original Graumann's Chinese Theater), and drinks (with my wife); and shopped at Amoeba Records. In all those years, however, it never really registered with me how close I'd often been to the building, since it's just around the corner from the Pantages and a block from Amoeba. So I'm glad I finally swung by!

REVIEW: The Boys in the Boat

Saw The Boys in the Boat in the movie theater this past week. I read the book last year (by Daniel James Brown) and learned afterwards that George Clooney was directing the movie adaptation. So I made a point to see it in a theater. The book and film tell the inspiring story of the underdog junior varsity 8-man crew team from the University of Washington that came out of nowhere to win the West Coast regional college championship and then the national championship regatta on the East Coast (beating national powerhouses like Penn State and the Ivy League schools), earning the right to compete in the 1936 Olympics—the games held in Berlin that Hitler used as a propaganda showcase.

Like the book, the film is primarily told from the point of view of real-life rower Joe Rantz. A true product of the Depression, he was abandoned by his family when he was around 14 and forced to fend for himself. Many of his fellow rowers faced similar tough challenges, in contrast to those programs with athletes from more affluent families and better funded programs and schools. Rantz’s personal story is incredibly harrowing and amazing, making the success he found as a rower and later in life all the more inspiring.

While the film doesn’t follow the details of the story closely, it certainly does in spirit, through scenes that touch on or hint at the backstories. The book provides fuller portrayals of the other individuals who took part in these events, including the other rowers and the coaches, but they nevertheless are touched upon here and the actors (particularly Joel Edgerton and James Wold as the coaches) do great jobs bringing them to life. As I watched the film, I actually thought the full story might have worked better as a limited streaming series. The film also makes great hay in the climactic final race as the underdog American rowers face off against the competing teams from other countries, including the favored Germans, egged on by chants of "Deutschland! Deutschland!" (And, yes, the Fuhrer attends the race.)

As an aside, a few years back, I read Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, about the harrowing story of World War II POW survivor Louis Zamperini (Angelina Jolie directed the film adaptation, but I’ve never seen it). For me, the two books are complementary—like Rantz, Zamperini also competed at the 1936 Olympics, in track and field, where Zamperini had quite the personal experience (he was nearly arrested trying to steal a Nazi flag on display lol). Presumably because of this, Zamperini is briefly mentioned in The Boys in the Boat book as one of the passengers aboard the ship carrying the U.S. Olympics Team to Europe. So I wondered whether, as a nod, he might have a cameo in the film—he doesn't, but the ‘36 Olympics breakout star, Jesse Owens, is acknowledged, as he is in both books. Owens even has a line in the film when the crew team encounters him during the Games' opening ceremony.

Though I'm a fan of Clooney, I've always found his work as a director to be competent, though not exceptional. But it's hard to miss with such an underdog, inspirational feel-good story that hits the expected notes for these kinds of inspirational sports biopics, so I greatly enjoyed the film, particularly since I had read the book. I also thought it was beautifully shot, which made me glad I saw it on the big screen! I also learned that the lead in the film, Callum Turner, will be appearing in another period piece around the same era, as he’s billed as the co-lead with Austin Butler in the upcoming Masters of the Air mini-series set to stream soon on Apple+, another series under the Band of Brothers mantle.

First Roundup of Capsule Reviews for 2024

Below are mini-reviews of some of the series I’ve watched or binged over the past year, or am watching currently. For some reason, I’ve gotten into the habit of juggling several series at once and not binging any straight through unless they’re exceptionally compelling. Although I recently posted my year-end entertainment wrap up for 2023, what follows is a data dump of sorts of mini-reviews. I’ve been meaning to write more full-length reviews but fell behind, so hopefully these will allow me to catch up and clear the slate as we enter the new year…

Doctor Who Specials 1–4 (Disney+)

At the risk of losing some of my geek cred, I’ve never watched a full episode of Doctor Who, though I’m familiar with the series. But when I heard that Ncuti Gatwa had been cast as the new Doctor—an actor with boundless exuberance and charisma who I first encountered on the Netflix series Sex Education—I made it a point to keep an eye out for the new series since it seemed like perfect casting. Come the holidays, I was surprised to discover that four Doctor Who Specials dropped on Disney+. The first three specials featured the return of a popular past Doctor Who, David Tennant, which included a fun turn by Neil Patrick Harris as a villain in the third special. The fourth and final special was the Christmas Show, which featured Gatwa’s first full adventure as the new Doctor. I’m now a convert—the episodes were fun, funny, thrilling, and emotional and full of heart. I look forward to the first full season with Gatwa this spring.

Spy X Family (Hulu)

This anime series was recommended by a friend, because the lead character reminded him of my own comic-book character, Rob Hanes. The superficial resemblance is obvious, with the lead character—a super-spy codenamed Twilight—being a sort of anime version of my character. But the two series, if I can say with some modesty, share somewhat similar tones too, as seemingly high gloss adventures on the outside with humor and tongue in cheek underneath. In the series, based on a manga series of the same name, Twilight is given a mission that requires him to create an instant family to use as a cover—this leads to a kindergarten-aged girl at an orphanage to pose as his daughter and a young woman in need of a companion to get her family off her back. However, unbeknownst to him, his new “daughter” is a telepath (due to some sort of government experiment) and the “wife” a highly trained assassin. Along with Twilight’s role as a super spy, these are secrets each keeps from the others, while also leading their double lives. Hijinks ensue.

Though the series on the surface seems to be a high stakes spy drama with plenty of twists and turns, it’s also a sly comedy with over-the-top characters. While Twilight must “act” the role of devoted father and husband in the same way the others must play traditional roles in the family, the series ironically also shows them actually coming together as a family. But who knows how this will come to a head....

This series frequently made me laugh aloud and featured characters like a a school headmaster obsessed with “elegance” and a dodgeball game portrayed as a life-and-death epic battle in the minds of the student players. My daughter is the big anime fan in the family and she told me that this is a well known, popular series. I may have to check out the manga next!

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple+)

This was one of my favorite series this year, based on the book of the same name, that was both moving and immensely entertaining. Set in the 1950s, it follows the life of a brilliant young woman named Elizabeth Zott who’s dream to be a research chemist is sidetracked when she meets a young man, falls in love and, despite not wanting to marry or have children so that she can focus on her career, soon finds herself a single mother. Though the social mores and institutional sexism of the era close the doors to a career in scientific research, her skills as a culinary artist—perfected by her scientific approach to cooking—leads to her becoming the successful host of a television cooking show, á la Julia Child. Overcoming grief and obstacles, Elizabeth eventually gains happiness, fulfillment and even a new family of sorts in her journey. 

Though Elizabeth is very much the focus of the series, the show features a diverse cast and widens its scope to explore the inequities of the era faced by women and people of color, both in the workplace and in the community. The show is incredibly moving as Elizabeth (and others on the show) challenges the system to forge a career path and be a single mom. I must admit I found the final episode a bit of a letdown relative to the rest of the series, but this was a story that stayed with me nonetheless. Full credit to Brie Larson, in a wonderful turn as Elizabeth, and the entire cast and production for a terrific show.

Julia (Max) - Season 2

This is a wonderfully written and acted series about the life and career of tv personality, author and chef Julia Child. Like Lessons in Chemistry, the show features a large, talented ensemble cast (even broader than Lessons) that are similarly deployed to explore a wide range of issues, such as the growing desire of women to advance in the workplace and to be heard and respected, the sexual revolution, civil rights, McCarthyism, and more. Though the figure of Child is the anchor, the series features a rich cast of characters (including David Hyde Pierce as Julia’s husband Paul Child, Bebe Neuwirth, Isabella Rossellini, Judith Light and more) as they navigate their careers and the changing culture, as well as evolving and complex personal and professional relationships. This description doesn’t do justice to the depth of the show and its characters and the excellence of the writing—like many outstanding shows, I continue to be surprised and delighted by the series. Highly recommended.

Ms. Marvel (Disney+)

Although the Marvel film, The Marvels, was considered a box office disappointment (and a target for those who engage in the culture wars), I very much enjoyed it. So much so, that it encouraged me to watch the Ms. Marvel series. I tried the show when it dropped, but initially couldn't get past the first episode, for some reason turned off by the teen energy of the show, lol. But I’m glad I gave the series another try because I loved it and ended up binging the entire series over a few days—in fact, I consider it one of my favorite Marvel series to date. As the child of immigrants myself, I identified with Kamala (who soon becomes Ms. Marvel, played with great enthusiasm by newcomer Iman Vellani) and her efforts to reconcile her East Asian and first-generation American identity. I also appreciated the show’s efforts to integrate the character’s Pakistani and East Asian roots and history into the series, while also offering viewers with a suspenseful adventure that offered a Home Alone vibe at the end, as Ms. Marvel and her school friends grapple with rogue federal agents. It was great fun and a tribute to Marvel's efforts to appeal to different audiences.

The Deuce (Max) - Season 3

This show ran for three seasons from 2017-19. I loved and binged the first two seasons in 2021 then took a break…two years later in 2023, I finally picked up and finished where I left off. It’s a sprawling series that fictionalizes the colorful history of Times Square in the 1970s (located in the general area of Manhattan known as “the Deuce”). I grew up in New York City during this time—a period I describe as the “Ford to City: Drop Dead” years—though, as a preteen during most of much of this time, I was comfortably sheltered in a very suburban outer borough, though I still have some memories of Times Square from those days. It was an area rife with drugs, prostitution, brothels and sex shops and the series portrays this era in its gritty, sordid glory, touching on the involvement of organized crime and the rise of the golden age of porn, including the industry's transition from dirty loops, to feature-length x-rated movies, to home video. Though the cast is led by actors James Franco (playing twin brothers) and Maggie Gyllenhaal, the show features a large, talented ensemble who portray the denizens of Times Square and their dreams, both broken and fulfilled. (Ralph Macchio has a small recurring role as a somewhat shady but amiable vice cop who knows how to play both sides of the street.)

While it’s hard to feel nostalgic for a time rife with crime, drugs and prostitution, the show nevertheless exposes the downside of gentrification. The area may have been cleaned up and made family friendly (and Disneyfied), but it also lost some of its color and character—and of course became less affordable and hospitable to the working class and disenfranchised inhabitants who populated the area. Indeed, the show makes clear that this transformation was achieved through a somewhat shady partnership between land developers and city officials, who made sure they procured those properties—many admittedly distressed and some run by "slum lords"—at a bargain without paying existing property owners a fair market rate for properties that would eventually be developed and become valuable real estate in one of the priciest markets in the world. As the series shows, Times Square was ignored and allowed to fester until the city and its real estate barons saw money in it (it should be noted that Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York at the time, played a role in cleaning up the area and is name-checked in the series). In the last season, the series time-jumped to the 1980s to portray the final throes of sordid Times Square and sticks the landing in its finale episodes.

Minx Starz) - Season 2

Like The Deuce, Minx covers the same era of the sexual revolution through the lens of the rise of a fictional Playgirl–like magazine called Minx, founded by an uptight feminist and a dirty magazine publisher of the old Larry Flynt school. (I reviewed the first season here.) However, while The Deuce is gritty and doesn't shy away from showing the underbelly of the porn world, Minx is a playful comedy of manners that's both sex-positive, and even more graphic in its portrayal of sex and nudity (including the most full-frontal male nudity I’ve ever seen anywhere!). Like many of the other top shows I’ve listed here, such as Lessons in Chemistry and Julia, the show gets better, richer and broadens its scope with each episode. After a somewhat critically acclaimed first season run on the streaming platform Max, the show was cancelled following Warner Brothers’ merger with Discovery, but then was picked up by Starz. I found the second season just as well done and fun, but alas, shortly after the season dropped, Starz announced that it too was ending the series. Which is a shame since the season clearly had set the table for another season.

My Adventures with Superman (Max)

Some have decried this “anime” version of the iconic character, featuring a Black Jimmy Olsen and an Asian Lois Lane, but I found it incredibly fun and engaging. At first I thought the series was simply episodic, but though the episodes feature stand alone stories, the first 10-episode season builds an engaging arc for both the series and the characters, among them being Superman/Clark Kent trying to find out more about his alien identity—unlike the comics, he has no awareness yet of his origin as the last son of Krypton. It’s an entertaining series that feels like a good welcoming entry point to the character and I look forward to the next season.

How Long I've Toiled in Comics

On the Beat

Hey, I was included in the The Beat's 2024 annual creator survey! 

Here's a screenshot of the top part of my entry—go to the link to see the full entry and my predictions for 2024!

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Entertainment Roundup for 2023

Though the streaming services industry seemed to have hit a wall given the rising costs of the content race while profits and the numbers of subscribers have flatlined or declined, there continued to be great series both old and new available. And though films seem to end up on streaming faster than ever, I nevertheless saw more films in the theater this year (12) than I did the year before (10). 

Among my favorite films in the theater, Godzilla Minus One was a real standout—among streaming films, my favorites were Air, Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Tetris, Empire of Light, and See How They Run. See the films and other projects below for my other favorites. My least liked film was Babylon—if this is intended as a love letter to Hollywood, as its director Damien Chazelle asserts, then it was a serious misfire that missed the mark. For what it's worth, I also felt Barbie was a bit overrated (I say that as a fan of its director, Greta Gerwig). Keep in mind that some of these films were released in 2022, but I didn't watch them until 2023.

Television and streaming series seemed especially strong this year. Among the most outstanding: Lessons in Chemistry, the Doctor Who Specials, Julia (season 2), Ms. Marvel, Mythic Quest (season 3), Spy X Family,  the Gilded Age (season2), Loki (season 2), Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the Deuce (season 3), Minx (season 2), My Adventures with Superman, Gaslit, White House Plumbers, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (season 5), Powerless, and Ghosts. Honorable mentions include For All Mankind (season 3), Ted Lasso (season 5), the Diplomat Lucky Hank (cancelled after its first season), Single Drunk Female, the Outlaws (season 2), Slow Horses (season 1).

Though I didn't read as many books as I would have liked, in 2023, I greatly enjoyed L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy, the Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (now a motion picture) and Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino. 

I got a bit backed up and overwhelmed in organizing and posting reviews this past year, so may soon do a quick dump of mini-reviews. Meanwhile, here's a list of my entertainment consumption in 2023.

Films:

Wonka – Culver Theaters (12/25/23)
Godzilla Minus One – Regal at L.A. Live (12/2/23)
The Marvels – Culver Theaters (11/10/23)
Dumb Money – Culver Theaters (10/1/23)
A Haunting in Venice – Culver Theatres (9/16/23)
Oppenheimer – Village Theatre (70mm) – Village Theatre (7/30/23)
Barbie – Howard Hughes Theater (7/26/23)
Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part I – Howard Hughes Theatre (7/16/23)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - Village Theatre (7/1/23)
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse – Culver Theater (6/19/23)
The Flash - Village Theatre (6/16/23)
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - Village Theatre (2/18/23)

Streaming Films/DVD/BluRay

The Man Who Invented Christmas – Prime (12/28/23) – rewatch
The Awful Truth – TCM (12/22/23)
John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial Eps 1–4 – AppleTV (12/12/23)
Still: A Michael J. Fox Story – AppleTV (12/12/23)
Clear History – Max (12/12/23)
Hollywood Ending – Tubi (12/10/23)
Confess, Fletch – Paramount+ (12/8/23) Walk, Don’t Run – Tubi (12/8/23) - rewatch
Wackiest Ship in the Army – Tubi (12/8/23)
Bell, Book and Candle – Tubi (12/8/23)
Fred Clause – Hulu (12/5/23)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – Disney+ (12/4/23) - rewatch
Blue Beetle – Max (11/25/23)
Blackberry – AMC Series (11/16/23)
It Ain’t Over (Yogi Berra documentary) – Netflix (11/15/23)
Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King – Netflix (11/14/23)

Tetris – AppleTV+ (11/13/23)
After the Thin Man – Max (11/5/23)
No Hard Feelings – Netflix (11/1/23)
Pain Hustlers – Netflix (10/30/23)
The Thin Man – Prime Rental (10/27/23)
Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood – Starz (10/26/23) - rewatch
Clerks 3 – Starz (10/25/23)
Spy Game – Netflix (10/22/23) - rewatch
The Out-Laws – Netflix (10/22/23)
Only in Theaters – Prime Purchase (10/20/23)
Othello – National Theatre/YouTube (10/19/23)
Toy Story Hawaii Vacation – Disney+ Pixar short (10/12/23)
Auntie Edna – Disney+ Pixar short (10/12/23)
Dug Days–Carl’s Date – Disney+ Pixar short (10/12/23)
Loki S2 Eps1–2 – Disney+ (10/12/23)
36 Hours – YouTubeTV (10/9/23)
Heartbreakers – Max (10/7/23)
The Swan – Netflix (10/2/23)
Poison – Netflix (10/2/23)
The Ratcatcher – Netflix (10/2/23)
The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar – Netflix (10/2/23)
Midway – Netflix (10/1/23)
Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent – Starz (9/15/23)
Dragnet – Netflix (9/15/23)
Ghosted – Apple+ (8/31/23)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – Amazon Rental (8/31/23)
The Nice Guys – Netflix (8/30/23) – rewatch
The Flash - Max (8/25/23) – rewatch
Puppy Love – Freevee (8/22/23)
Dog Day Afternoon – YouTubeTV (8/20/23)
Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case – Netflix (8/19/23)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Roku (8/19/23)
Babylon – Prime (7/26/23)
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion – YouTube (7/25/23)
Rogers: The Musical – YouTube (7/9/23)
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story – TCM (7/9/23)

The Adventures of TinTin – Paramount+ (7/8/23) – rewatch
Wham! – Netflix (7/8/23)
Ford Vs. Ferrari – Hulu (7/3/23) – rewatch
Reacher – Paramount+ (7/3/23)
Celluloid Closet – TCM (7/3/23)
Mandalay – TCM (7/2/23)
Tea and Sympathy – TCM (7/2/23)
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed – Max (7/2/23)
A League of Their Own – Netflix (7/1/23) – rewatch
Air – Prime (7/1/23)
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael – TCM (6/28/23)
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life – TCM (6/28/23)*
Downfall – YouTube (6/22/23) - rewatch
BBC David Hockney’s Secret Knowledge – YouTube (6/22/23)
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl – Netflix (6/22/23) - rewatch
Dungeons and Dragons – Paramount+ (6/19/23)
Greenberg – Netflix (6/17/23)
Henry V – Prime (6/17/23) – rewatch
Justice Society: World War II – Max (6/27/23)
Hot Fuzz – Prime (6/12/2023) – rewatch
MacArthur – Prime (6/12/2023)
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring – Max (6/10/23) - rewatch
A Man Called Otto – Netflix (6/9/23)
Tar – Prime (6/8/23)
Band of Brothers series – Max (6/6/23)
Being Mary Tyler Moore – Max (6/3/23)
Dave – YouTube (6/3/23) - rewatch
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind – HBOMax (5/5/23)*
17 Again – YouTubeTV (5/4/23)
Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood – YouTubeTV (5/4/23) - rewatch
Whip It – HBOMax (4/28/23)
Whiplash – Prime (4/26/23)*
Guys and Dolls – Prime (4/26/23) - rewatch
Jobs – Netflix (4/23/23)
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal – Netflix (4/21/23)
Marnie – Netflix (4/21/23)

The Enforcer – Prime rental (4/20/23) - rewatch
Magnum Force – HBOMax (4/19/23)
Dirty Harry – HBOMax (4/19/23) - rewatch
Lethal Weapon 4 – HBOMax (4/18/23)
The Hating Game – Hulu (4/16/23)
The Brothers Warner – TCM (4/12/23)*
Jack Warner: The Last Mogul – TCM (4/12/23)*
Bullitt – TCM (04/09/23)
Good Night Oppy – Prime (03/31/23)*
You Only Live Twice – HBOMax (3/30/23) - rewatch
Reggie – Prime (03/29/2023)
Role Models – Prime (03/27/2023) – rewatch
Horrible Bosses 2 – HBOMax (03/27/2023) – rewatch
Hot Tub Time Machine – HBOMax (03/26/2023) – rewatch
We’re the Millers – Prime (03/26/2023) – rewatch
Goldfinger – HBOMax (03/20/23) - rewatch
Judgment at Nuremberg – Prime (03/20/23) – rewatch
Dr. No – HBOMax (3/18/23) – rewatch
Police Squad 33-⅓ – Paramount (03/18/23)
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – HBOMax (3/16/23)
Spotlight – HBOMax (3/15/23)
The Wrecking Crew – Prime (3/13/23)
The Oscar – TCM (3/7/23)
Easy A – Netflix (3/1/23)
Behind Enemy Lines –YouTubeTV (3/1/23)
Red Dust – TCM (2/26/23)

Godzilla vs. Kong – HBOMax (2/25/23)
The Apartment – TCM (2/22/23) – rewatch
Batman – HBOMax (2/22/23) – rewatch
Tower Heist – Prime (2/20/23)
Driven – Tubi (2/20/23)
Dirty Weekend – Hulu (2/14/23)
The Storied Life of A.J. Filkry – Hulu (2/13/23)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Prime (2/11/23) – rewatch
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – Prime (2/11/23) – rewatch
Empire of Light – HBOMax (2/8/23)
The Journey – TCM (2/5/23)
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger – Netflix (2/4/23)
This is Where I Leave You – HBOMax (2/1/23)
See How They Run – HBOMax (2/1/23)
Cradle Will Rock – Prime Purchase (1/30/23) - rewatch
Amadeus – Prime Purchase (1/30/23) - rewatch
Julia Misbehaves – TCM (1/30/23)
Wedding Crashers – Netflix (1/27/23)
You People – Netflix (1/27/23)
Bridesmaids – Prime (1/26/23)
Morning Glory – FreeVee (1/24/23) – rewatch
Juliet, Naked – Prime (1/23/23)
Mindhorn – Netflix (1/23/23)

Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King – Netflix (1/20/23)
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1/17/23) - rewatch
Night Shift – TCM (1/15/23)
Four Seasons – Netflix (1/15/23)
Annie Hall – TCM (1/14/23) - rewatch
Abe Lincoln in Illinois – TCM (1/13/23) – rewatch
Leap Year – Netflix (1/13/23)
A Nice Girl Like You – Hulu (1/12/23)
Looking for Lulu – Documentary on Louise Brooks – YouTube (1/9/23)
The Sting - Prime purchased (1/7/23) - rewatch
Pandora’s Box – TCM (1/8/23)
Florence Foster Jenkins- Prime purchased (1/3/23) - rewatch

TV/Streaming Series

Julia S2 Eps 3-5 – Max (12/30/23)*
Doctor Who Specials 1–4 – Disney+ (12/30/23)*
For All Mankind S3 Eps 1–7 - Apple+ (12/27/23)*
Monarch eps 4-6 – Apple+ (12/26/23)
Spy X Family Eps 1–10 – Hulu (12/22/23)
Such Bad Girls S1 Eps 1-2 (Hulu) (12/19/23)
Gilded Age Eps 3–6 – Max (12/7/23)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Eps 1–3 – Apple+ (12/6/23)

Ms. Marvel – S1–2 – Disney+ (11/13/23)*
Lessons in Chemistry Eps 6–8 – Apple+ (11/9/23)*
Gilded Age S2 Eps 1–2 – Max (11/9/23)
Lessons in Chemistry Ep 5 – Apple+ (11/9/23)
Loki S2 finale – Disney+ (11/9/23)
Lawmen: Bass Reeves – Paramount+ (11/9/23)
Quiz Girl – Hulu (11/5/23)
Toast of Tinseltown Eps 3–6 end – Roku (11/4/23) - rewatch
Lessons in Chemistry E1–3 – AppleTV (10/20/23)
Joe Schmo S3 E2 – YouTube (10/9/23)*
Joe Schmo S1 E1 – YouTube (10/9/23)
Murder in the Building S3 Finale – Hulu (10/3/23)
The Deuce S2–3 Finale – Max (9/29/23)
Minx S2 Finale – Starz (9/27/23)
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields Eps 1–2 – Hulu (9/19/23)
Toast of Tinseltown Eps 1–2 – Roku (9/17/23)
100 Years of Warner Bros Eps 1–4 – Max (9/4/23)
Superpowered: The DC Story Eps 1–3 – Max (8/27/23)
My Adventures With Superman S1 Eps 1-9 – Max (8/25/23)
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me – Netflix (8/24/23)
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story – Netflix (8/23/23) - rewatch
Captain Falls – Netflix (8/23/23)
Trailer Park Boys eps 1–3 – Netflix (8/23/23)
Gaslit Eps 3–8 – Starz (8/18/23)*
Minx S2 Eps 3–4 – Starz (8/11/23)
Party Down Seasons 1–3 (8/6/23)
Minx S2 Eps 1–2 Starz (8/3/23)
Party Down eps 1–3 (8/1/23)
Gaslit Eps 1–2 – Starz (7/29/23)*
Superpowered: The DC Story – Max (7/29/23)
The Outlaws S2 Eps 3-6 – Prime (6/27/23)
My Adventures with Superman – AdultSwim (7/7/23)
FUBAR – Netflix (7/7/23)
Hot Wet American Summer: Ten Years Later – Netflix (7/5/23)

Pan Am S1 Ep 1 – YouTube (7/3/23)
Monty Python Almost the Truth – Netflix (6/22/23) – rewatch
The Diplomat Ep 7 – Netflix (5/31/23)
Ted Lasso Series Finale – AppleTV (5/30/23)
White House Plumbers Eps 3-4 – HBOMax (5/26/23)
The Diplomat S1 E4 – Netflix (5/25/23)
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5 Eps 7-8 – Prime (5/25/23)
Ghosts season finale – (5/24/23)
Ted Lasso Ep 9 – AppleTV (5/24/23)
WKRP (random episodes) – YouTube (5/11/23) - rewatch
White House Plumbers Ep 2 – HBOMax (5/6/23)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5 E6 – Prime (5/9/23)
Lucky Hank, S1 E8 – AMC (5/9/23)*
White House Plumbers Ep 1 – HBOMax (5/4/23)
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5 Eps 8-10 (4/28/23)
The Outlaws S2 Eps 3-6 – Prime (4/27/23)
The Crown S5 Eps 8-10 – Prime (4/27/23)
The Diplomat Eps 1–2 – Netflix (4/24/23)
Ted Lasso Ep 5 – AppleTV (4/18/23)
Lucky Hank S1 Eps 4-5 (4/18/23)
Powerless Eps 5-11 – CW (4/18/23)
The Trial of Mary Astor – YouTubeTV (4/17/23)
Powerless Eps 1–4 – CW (4/16/23)
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S5 Ep1-3 – Prime (4/16/23)
Single Drunk Female – S1–2 (4/14/23)
Schmicago –S2 Eps 1–2 – Hulu (4/14/23)
Succession S4 Ep 3 – Max (4/14/23)
Lucky Hank S1 Eps 2-3 – AMC/YouTubeTV (4/8/23)
Ted Lasso S3 Ep 4 – AppleTV (4/11/23)
Lucky Hank S1 Eps 2-3 – AMC/YouTubeTV (4/8/23)
Outlaws — HBOMax S2 Ep 1
Vice Principals S1 – HBOMax (3/28/23)
Lucky Hank S1 Ep 1 – AMC/YouTubeTV (3/20/23)
Great News S1-2 – Netflix (3/11/23) - rewatch
Duchess Eps 1–6 – Netflix (3/8/23)
History of the World Part II – Hulu (3/7/23)
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Cancal Eps 1–3 – Netflix (3/5/23)
Shrinking Eps 4–6 – Hulu (2/28/23)

Better Off Ted – S1–2 (2/19/23) - rewatch
Dick Tracy Zooms In – YouTube (2/12/23)
Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence - Hulu (2/12/23)
Ghosts S2 eps 11–12 (2/3/23)
Loudermilk S3 Finale – Prime (2/3/23)
Shrinking Eps 1–3 – Hulu (2/2/23)
Eat the Rich: The Gamestop Saga – Netflix (1/28/23)
Mythic Quest S3 (1/15/23)
New Girl S1 – Netflix (1/14/23)
Just a Boy from Tupelo: Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen – HBOMax (1/14/23)
Bernie Madhoff – Netflix
Slow Horses S1 – AppleTV (1/11/23)
Hogan’s Heroes – S1 (1/4/23)
Mythic Quest – S1-2 – AppleTV (1/6/23)
MASH S4 – Hulu (1/3/23)
Welcome to Chippendales Eps 6–8 – Hulu (1/3/23)

Podcasts

Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra Eps 5–6 (9/5/23)
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra Eps 1–4 (9/1/23)
Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast (of note):
      Tim Matheson (3/11/23)
      Drew Friedman (9/5/23)
YouTube (of note):
     The Beatles - Now And Then - The Last Beatles Song (Short Film) (11/1/23)
     SBF Trial summaries – Overpriced JPEGs – YouTube (10/15/23)
     Task & Purpose – YouTube (10/15/23)
     The SCTV Guide to Showbiz (2021 Documentary) – YouTube (10/4/23)
      Out of the Inkwell: The Fleischer Story – Technology for Storytelling (7/10/23)
      BBC David Hockney's Secret Knowledge – Göktuğ Demir (6/22/23)
      In Discussion with Paul Pope – Alex Toth in Depth Episode 022 (4/24/23)
      Why Britain Fought for the Falklands (5 parts) – Imperial War Museums (4/24/23)
      Eva zu Beck
      The Making of Casino Royale – Mister Peter Sellers (3/4/23)
     Voices of the Past Channel (3/4/23)
           Horrified Soviet Tourist Describes California and Hollywood (1936) // US Road Trip
           Early Japanese Visitor Describes "Competitive and Unhealthy" European World (1872)
           First Japanese in Europe: Incredible Story of the Tensho Embassy (1582 - 1590)
          Putin’s Road to War – Frontline PBS (1/26/23)

Theatre/Live Performance:

Peter Pan Goes Wrong – Ahmanson Theatre (8/16/23)
Much Ado About Pooh – Actor’s Gang (8/13/23)
Disneyland (5/15/23)
Les Miserables – CCHS Robert Frost Theatre (3/4/23)
Hollywood Babble On – Flappers (2/25/23)
Ubu the King – The Actor’s Gang (1/28/23)

Books/Comics

Star Wars Memories by Craig Miller (12/20/23) - reread
L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy (10/27/23)
Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino (4/26/23)
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (2/16/23)

Halina Filipina: A New Yorker in Manila by Arnold Arre (2/25/23)