I’m not really much for TV. Seriously. I’m actually more of a video game person. First-person shooters were my game of choice. My preference, in order, would be: the Tom Clancy “Vegas” games, the Battlefield series, then the Call of Duty franchise. I was never any good, but I always enjoyed playing with a group of people online. For me, these games were like an interactive choose your own adventure story where the story fought back.
Nevertheless, television is one of those things (like professional sports and social media) that bring people together even though they are apart. Well, it’s either that or people think that I just sit around watching TV all day so they asked me about it.
Whatever the case may be, I got to thinking about putting together a list of some of the nonsense I’ve watched on the tube over the last ~24 months. I really have no idea where this is going to go. So let’s just have at it. The lists are in no particular order.
Movies
- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance | 1965 | HBO/Max
What’s not to like? Jimmy Stewart. John Wayne… Okay, I’m not actually a huge John Wayne fan… Okay, I actually don’t like John Wayne. I don’t care for his mannerisms or the way he talks. I think he’s a goof and how he became a movie star I will never understand. However, in this movie he’s perfect for the role of Tom Doniphon. Great story, brilliantly written, beautifully filmed, and wonderfully acted. What’s really crazy though is that it’s as politically relevant today as it was 50 years ago. - The Morning After | 1986 | Tubi
Jane Fonda is a washed up alcoholic actress who wakes up one morning next to a dead body. Jeff Bridges is a young retired (disabled) cop who takes interest. It’s nothing special. However, it appears to be the basis for The Flight Attendant (see below.) - Klute | 1971 | Tubi
Jane Fonda is a New York City call girl who is somehow involved in the disappearance of an executive at a large Pennsylvania company. Donald Sutherland is the small-town cop hired by the company to figure out what happened. Not bad actually. I enjoyed it much more than I expected. - Bombshell | 2019 | Peacock
I just watched this recently. It stars Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie as the real life staffers at Fox News who were (allegedly?) victimized by Roger Ailes. It’s probably more entertaining today than it was when released as it covers how Ailes was on “Team Trump” and the owner of the network, Rupert Murdoch, was not. (For those that don’t know, the Murdoch family has never backed The Donald. In fact, all last year, in 2023, the news anchors were barred from even mentioning Trump’s name on the air. The policy had to change when he was indicted. The new post-Ailes Fox News is not pro-Trump. I know that’s what they want you to believe; but it’s just not true.) - The Assignment | 2016 | Tubi
No. Just no. It’s actually a pretty good story, and could have been a decent movie. It has plenty of star power with Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub, Michelle Rodriguez, etc., but they can’t make up for terrible directing. - Asteroid City | 2023 | ??
Very quirky & hard to explain. Very cute, and has Scarlett Johansson and aliens. Worth viewing. - Babylon | 2022 | MGM+/Paramount+
1920s Hollywood is moving from silent films to talkies. Ambition drives producers and actors to their limits. There is also a bacchanal. Thoroughly enjoyable. - Chinatown | 1974 | Netflix
Jack Nicholson is a private detective who sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong in 1930s Los Angeles. The story involves who’s going to control water rights within the now exploding metropolis. It’s perennially on critics’ top 10 lists. - Office Space | 1999 | HBO/Max
Three tech workers are burned out by middle-management. And if you ever worked in restaurant will appreciate Jennifer Aniston’s role as the Chotchkie’s waitress. It didn’t win any Oscars, but it is a cult classic. - Alien | 1979 | Hulu
Ridley Scott filmed this three years before he did Blade Runner (1982). Sigourney Weaver and a cat are the sole survivors of a deep space mission. It’s scary and beautiful at the same time. - Aliens | 1986 | HBO/Max
This time it’s James Cameron behind the camera. Sigourney Weaver reprises her role as Ripley. She goes alien hunting and returns with a kid. The story is not quite as thrilling as the original, but it carries its own weight. - Sin City | 2005 | ??
Based on the graphic novel, the movie deals with gangsters, corrupt politicians, and pedophilia. Not for the faint of heart, but outstanding for what it is. - Sin City: A Dame to Kill For | 2014 | Hulu
The story continues. Not quite as good as the original but very close. - The French Connection | 1971 | HBO/Max
There is a scene in this movie where Gene Hackman drives around NYC chasing an elevated subway train. To say it’s famous would be an understatement. It’s been copied probably a dozen times in other movies and video games. Anyway, the NYPD is on the hunt for a drug importer, and their methods can be brutal. Easily considered one of the best ever. - Casablanca | 1942 | HBO/Max
Meh. I must be missing something cuz I don’t see the allure. Is it good? Yes, of course. It’s very good. But is it one of the best movies ever made? I don’t know about that. - Death on the Nile | 2022 | ??
A modern remake of Murder on the Orient Express. The scenery is beautiful. The actors are beautiful. The story is well written. If you like murder mysteries this is worth seeing. - The Wizard of Oz | 1939 | HBO/Max
First movie ever filmed in color. Audiences were not told in advance. Naturally they were blown away by the ruby slippers, yellow brick road, and Emerald City. Let’s not forget the color changing horse. I’m not one for musicals, but if I have to sit through one I choose it to be this. - Knives Out | 2019 | Netflix
Another remake of Murder on the Orient Express. The rich old man has died and the detective interviews the ne’er-do-well members of his family to figure out who-done-it. Star-studded cast does not disappoint. It did so well that they made sequel called Glass Onion. - Three Days of the Condor | 1975 | MGM+/Paramount+
Robert Redford is a CIA analyst who reads books for the agency. One day he returns from lunch to find everyone in his office murdered. Naturally he has to shack up with Faye Dunaway for a few days while he figures out what’s happened.
Television, Series, & Documentaries
- Colombo | 1968, 1971-1978, 1989-2003 | HBO/Max
Is it television or is it a movie? It’s both! And it’s outstanding. The best part is all of the guest stars. A (very) young Kim Cattrall, Bruno Kirby, Elliott Gould, Betty White, Robert Wagner, etc. One of the things I like about Colombo is that you know who did it. You don’t have to sit there and try and figure anything out. It’s entertainment for the sake of entertainment. I got enough puzzles in my life; I don’t need to watch another. - Love, Death, & Robots | 2019- | Netflix
Short quirky cartoon vignettes that are part Edgar Allen Poe short story, part Twilight Zone. This was actually recommended by my hospitalist. Specifically, in season one there is an episode called “Zima Blue”. It’s both timely and clever. - The Larry Sanders Show | 1992-1998 | HBO/Max
I like Garry Shandling. Great writing. Great cast. I love the show within a show concept and the mockumentary format. What truly sets it apart – at least by today’s standards – is the lack of a laugh-track. The funniest parts of the show are when something painfully awkward has occurred. A laugh-track would just ruin it. It seems that everyone working in Hollywood in the mid-90s has at least one guest appearance. Absolutely great television. - Better Call Saul | 2015-2022 | AMC
Brilliant! The transformation of “Slip’n Jimmy” James McGill into Saul Goodman is the kind of story you would read in a high school literature course. The characters are deep and complex. The story arcs are long and involved. In 100 years this will still be regarded as some of the best television ever created. (Yes, I watched Breaking Bad as well. But it predated the accident.) - The Sopranos | 1999-2007 | HBO/Max
I tried. I really tried. I got about 1/2 of the way through the second season before I drifted off. Every episode was the same. I just couldn’t take it. Maybe I’ll try again later this year. - Miami Vice | 1984-1989 | Tubi
Several weeks ago I texted Bob, “Miami Vice really holds up.” He replied, “No one has ever said that before.” But it’s true. The show is shot – mostly at night – beautifully, on location in Miami. It has awesome music and a never-ending list of guest stars from Phil Collins and Melanie Griffith, to Ed O’Neill (Al Bundy) and Bruce Willis. It’s also dark. It’s not a “happy ending” kind of show. Detective Crockett doesn’t always get his man and sometimes good people get shot and die. Another fun fact, starting in season three Dick Wolf became one of the writers/producers. You might not know him by name, but I’m pretty sure you will have heard of “Law & Order”. Ya, that guy got his start on Miami Vice. - Charlie’s Angels | 1976-1981| Tubi
Okay, I admit it. This is really just a guilty pleasure. It’s formulaic and entirely predictable. But that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. If you want to turn your brain off and just chill out for 42 minutes you can’t do better than this. - The Flight Attendant | 2020-2022 | HBO/Max
Kaley Cuoco stars as an alcoholic flight attendant who wakes up next to a dead body. Hilarity ensues. It’s intense and neurotic. It’s decent, but if you’re prone to anxiety it might not be for you. - Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller | 2020-| Netflix
A series of one-hour documentaries were Mariana investigates the criminal worlds dealing with drugs, guns, body parts, stolen cars, and several other criminal enterprises. Some of it seems downright unbelievable. But it is enjoyable viewing. - Rotten | 2018-2019 | Netflix
After watching a few of these, you may never eat anything again. Your honey is fake. Your “wild” fish is farm raised. And those avocados on your toast are enriching the cartel. If you care about what you eat you should check this out. But you have been warned. - Nikita | 2010-2013 | Tubi
A secret government agency kidnaps prisoners off of death row and trains them to be assassins. One of them escapes and makes it her mission to bring the agency down. Based on a previous series La Fem Nikita, which itself was based on the original French movie. If very good-looking people fighting each other is your thing, you should enjoy this. - Narcos | 2015-2017 | Netflix
Not quite a reenactment, but a fairly factually accurate portrayal of the rise to power of Pablo Escobar. If you’re unfamiliar with his story is really quite amazing. He actually built his own prison when he got convicted in Columbia so he didn’t have to serve time with other – common – criminals. - Narcos: Mexico | 2018-2021 | Netflix
The origin story of the Guadalajara Cartel. These guys were the biggest gangsters you’ve never heard of. Seriously. They dug a well in the middle of the Mexican desert and grew 1000 acres of marijuana under the nose of the Mexican government. Things really got out of hand after they murdered a DEA agent. If you want to understand how and why Mexico has become a failed narco-state, this is required viewing. (Hint: there is an elaborate scheme to control the outcome of a presidential election.) - Dopesick | 2021 | Hulu
Limited miniseries detailing the role of Perdue Pharma in America’s opioid epidemic. It details the problems with the revolving door between the FDA and Big-Pharma, and how Perdue managed to get OxyContin approved despite it being highly addictive. Have you ever been to the doctors office or in the hospital and they show you the chart with all the different faces and ask you what your pain level is? That page was invented by the marketing department at Purdue in order to sell more Oxy. Highly recommend. - Jack Ryan | 2018-2023 | Prime Video
Based on the Tom Clancy novels, CIA analyst Jack Ryan has quite the adventure working for the agency. - Dollhouse | 2009-2010 | Hulu
Imagine if you could take all your memories, skills, and personality and put them in a hard drive. And then what would happen if you could be someone else for a while, and then get yourself back afterward? This series originally aired on Fox and was way of its time. It can be a little campy at times, but the storyline is just brilliant. - Mad Men | 2007-2015 | AMC
Now this here is outstanding television. The life and times of advertising executives on Madison Avenue in the 1960s. It’s nearly perfect in every way. This, like Better Call Saul, will still be remembered in 100 years. Seriously, I watched the entire series several years ago, I recently watched it again. I enjoyed even more the second time around. - The Crime of the Century | 2021 | HBO/Max
Miniseries on the role of Big-Pharma in today’s ongoing heroin/fentanyl epidemic. - Agents of Chaos | 2020 | HBO/Max
While technically a documentary, this is a straight up propaganda trying to convince the viewer that Russian agents influenced the 2016 election and got Trump elected. - The Perfect Weapon | 2020 | HBO/Max
While technically a documentary… This one is a little more nuanced. It doesn’t come out and say that foreign agents got Trump elected, but it does lean heavily on the viewer suggesting foreign entities are controlling everything we see that is not the establishment media. The walkaway is that we can only trust the New York Times and the Washington Post. - Kill Chain: the War Cyber on America’s Elections | 2020 | HBO/Max
You guessed it. Dominion voting machines are easily hacked and that’s how Trump won the 2016 election.
I’m sure I’m missing something, or several somethings. But that is certainly enough for now. Maybe I’ll start another post and add to it over the next several months; have a follow-up in July or August.
You have any recommendations? Let me know. Also let me know if you see anything on the list that you loved or hated.
Quick Medical Follow-Up:
For those keeping score at home, I had bilateral wounds on the ischium. The wound on my right side has healed. Hooray! The wound on the left side is about 1/2 as deep as it was two months ago. So there’s progress. I still do a little coughing, particularly right after eating. Don’t know why that is, but that’s what happens.
Until the next time my friends, please be kind to each other.
Be well.
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