Worth Watching & Worth Reading

 

This year has been better than others in terms of quality shows at home and in movie theaters. I was starting to lose hope in this art form.  If you read one of my other posts, I told you that we went to see the movie Boys in the Boat, directed by George Clooney, and in watching an interview with him on the making of the movie,e he is quoted as saying that it is difficult to get money and making for certain types of movies when the studios believe that the movies won't be blockbusters. I find this sad because many movie genres will not be made, leaving behind great storytelling.  I honestly have no interest in seeing Marvel Movies or many high-speed chase movies where half a dozen people get shot up in the first 30 seconds.  Here are a few of my favorites and not-so-favorites of the last few months.  The Crown season 6 covered the period from Diana and Charles's divorce to the death of Queen Elizabeth.  Season 6 disappointed me, and I am not sure why.  Maybe because it was the time I was most familiar with, and thus, I pretty much knew everything that was being covered. The other seasons were less familiar, so I felt like I learned something new, though I do know not all the information is factual and that it requires further research to figure out what was what. I am also not a fan of Camilla, and the season did not make her seem like a villain. Charles was also given a lot of Grace. I am glad that they ended with the Queen's death and didn't drag the series into the years of Kate and William's children's births, nor did it cover Harry and his family.  I hear that now that this series is finished, a series about JFK will take its place. I guess we will have to wait and see. Genie is a cute holiday film about an overworked dad who forgets his family during the holiday season and his efforts to make things right.  I give it 3.5 stars.  It was cute and entertaining.  Trolls 3 for Children was obviously not very well written.  It was not nearly as good as 1 and 2, which begs the question of when one retires a series of movies. I am glad we watched this one at home and didn't pay the full price for the ticket. Love Again was a really cute romance movie.  I streamed this one, but would have been just as happy to see it in the theater.  I wish they would bring back the Rom-Con movies, as the movie lineup for this type of movie has been weak.  You also can't go wrong with a movie that has Sam Heughan in it.  He is a well-known TV Outlander. All Creatures Great and Small, found on PBS, is in its 5th season.  I love it!  It takes place during the early 1940s.  It is about a small town in the United Kingdom.  I would say England, but it could be Scotland where the show occurs. Also, don't quote me on this, but I think the show is based on a popular book series. The storyline centers on a small-town vet practice and the surrounding community. The Gilded Age, in its second year, is exactly what the title says: it takes place in New York.  It is written by the same writer who wrote the Downton Abbey series.  Also, very good! Lessons on Chemistry, which I do not think will have additional seasons, is based on a popular book with the same title.  It is about a woman who wanted to be a chemistry professor in the 1950s but did not make it due to the time.  I wish this one had additional seasons, but I read some interviews about the show, and they say it is unlikely, as the author has not written any sequels to this book.  The show does a good job of wrapping up the episodes so one can feel content that it left the watcher hanging.  The last movie review was My Fat Greek Wedding 3; in my opinion, the script was weak, and, to be honest, the time frame from movie 1 to movie 3 was too long.  I had a hard time recalling what happened in movie 2. I wanted to like this movie because I loved the first one. I can now see why this only lasted one week in the theaters, and I am glad I didn't spend full price to watch it.  Now for the book review.  This book was a total surprise to me, as my husband suggested it.  He read the book, loved it, and wanted me to read it, so he purchased the book (he reads only on his Kindle, and I love actual books).  The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War 1 by Douglas Brunt.  This book is such a good read.  It reads as if it is fiction, yet it is the true story of Rudolf Diesel, his life, discovery, and subsequent mysterious death. I won't say much more, but I had difficulty putting this book down. Well, it is late!  Happy New Year!