Red Dwarf Season XI and XII

Red Dwarf Season XI (Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, 2016)

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Rating: CSQ=10, CSS=8 / Double Whoopee

Scale F=4, Scale G=3, Scale H=3, Scale I=4, Scale J=4

British Comedy, Science Fiction, Science Fantasy

I finally watched the two latest seasons of one of my favorite TV shows of all time. How did I go three years without watching? Well...I was preoccupied with a new relationship and a new niece when this season came out. What a fantastic season--"Twentica" is probably my favorite episode but they were all wonderful. I especially enjoyed the character Butler in "Krysis" and the hilarious polymorphing shenanigans in "Can of Worms."

Red Dwarf Season XII (Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, 2017)

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Rating: CSQ=10, CSS=8 / Double Whoopee

Scale F=4, Scale G=3, Scale H=3, Scale I=4, Scale J=4

British Comedy, Science Fiction, Science Fantasy

Grant and Naylor never seem to run out of ideas for Red Dwarf and I'm so glad. Each episode of each season has something to offer and Season XII was a delight. "Mechocracy" was my favorite episode but the scary relevance of "M-Corp" and the multiverse commentary of "Skipper" were brilliant, too. I love this show so much. Can't wait to see the film that came out in 2020!

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Judy

Judy (Rupert Goold, 2019)

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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Biopic, Judy Garland, Music, 1969, Complex relationships

I have always loved Judy Garland, in fact she was probably one of the first female singers I heard as a young child. Her charm and joyful presence is infectious and her voice was simply larger than life. This story of her final months is revealing and tragic. It shows how her life as a child star in the 1940s led to eating disorders, drug addiction, insomnia, many broken marriages, and depression. Renee Zellweger does a truly impressive job portraying her and singing, too. She so desperately wanted happiness and never failed to stop reaching and dreaming for it.

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2018)

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Rating: Q=7, P=5 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Western, Tall Tales, Vignettes, Philosophical

Growing up, I heard and read lots of fairy tales and folk stories. It's no surprise that I grew to love them, since my mother taught folklore classes and studied the traditional European stories that were told through the ages, around a campfire, on a journey... In America they are tall tales or, in this case, ballads. I also enjoy westerns and stories about the frontier, so The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was a delight for me. This film is actually a collection of vignettes, all with a rather dark or sobering mood, but all beautiful and poignant. The artistry combined with the stories is admirable--very captivating and makes you think.

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Ford v Ferrari

Ford v Ferrari (James Mangold, 2019)

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Rating: Q=7, P=5 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

1966, Car Racing, Le Mans, Complex Relationships, Drama

 This was a total surprise to me and I was even more surprised in how much I enjoyed the story. Car racing? Me? But this film is so much more than a story about Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles and the 1966 Le Mans. It's a story about competition, taking risks, following a dream, doing the so-called impossible, and living every moment to the fullest. It's also a story about the complexity of friendship. Matt Damon and Christian Bale are great together. A very feel-good film.

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