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Movie: The Celluloid Closet
"This documentary highlights the historical contexts that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have occupied in cinema history, and shows the evolution of the entertainment industry's role in shaping perceptions of LGBT figures." Viewable in the US for free on Tubi. Includes a lot of film clips ranging from the earliest US films to the mid 1990s (one is a deleted scene from "Spartacus"!) and interviews with a bunch of writers, directors, actors, and producers.
Hello Tomorrow!: From the Desk of Stanley Jenkins
Shirley follows her suspicions, a party turns sour, and a family drives up to a locked gate.
Hello Tomorrow!: Forms, Appropriately Filled and Filed
Lester Costopoulos has news that is unwelcome to Shirley and Jack.
Home Economics: Home Economics, full 3rd season
"Home Economics" is a sitcom currently airing on ABC in the US. It's reasonably funny, and has some fun actors and writing. The third season just finished and we don't know whether ABC will renew the show for a fourth. As English Wikipedia summarizes: "Home Economics follows the lives of three siblings. Tom, the oldest, his wife Marina, and their three children are considered a middle class family. The middle sibling, Sarah, her wife Denise, and their two adopted children live in a tiny apartment and are barely scraping by on their meager incomes. The youngest, Connor, is very well off financially but unlucky in love, as the series begins with him finalizing a divorce." The third season includes a book release, a family secret coming to light, a natural disaster, and a flashback to Marina's and Tom's wedding day.
Leverage: Redemption: The Work Study Job
A celebrity physics professor steals a grad student's research and humiliates her. The crew infiltrates a campus, makes friends with the janitorial and security staff, and grapples with the intersection of university politics and tech transfer to industry.
Leverage: Redemption: The Turkish Prisoner Job
Harry takes charge of his first job, saving an ordinary person from crooked cops, and stumbles through a few plans that go awry before Sophie inspires him to intrigue one of the cops with an irresistible puzzle.
Leverage: Redemption: The Fractured Job
Eliot backstory, fracking and poisoned water, Sophie self-doubt, and a guest appearance by Aldis Hodge as Hardison that's so lighthearted it's practically weightless.
Leverage: Redemption: The Walk in the Woods Job
An explosion in a medical clinic, a super-skeevy private security contractor, and a secretive retreat for powerful men all get the team investigating and infiltrating.
Movie: The Train
As the Allied forces approach Paris in August 1944, German Colonel Von Waldheim is desperate to take all of France's greatest paintings to Germany. He manages to secure a train to transport the valuable art works even as the chaos of retreat descends upon them. The French resistance, however, wants to stop them from stealing their national treasures. The station master, Labiche, is tasked with scheduling the train and making it all happen smoothly -- but he is also part of a dwindling group of resistance fighters tasked with preventing the theft. He and others stage elaborate ruses and more to keep the train from ever leaving French territory. JustWatch listing; leaving Amazon Prime in the US at the end of today, Nov 30.
Movie: Wyrm
In an alternative 1990s, lonely Wyrm grieves his recently-deceased older brother, and struggles to complete a unique school requirement in which students wear electronic collars that detach only upon engaging in their first kiss, with little help from his distant parents. Expanded from a 2017 short film; available to watch on Hulu and several other streaming services. Heavily reminiscent of Napoleon Dynamite, but more melancholy. Written and directed by Christopher Winterbauer. Includes a short Rhea Seehorn appearance.
Leverage: Redemption: The Debutante Job
The team helps a journalist investigating the corrupt president of a small eastern European nation, and along the way, infiltrates a high society debut and a rock star's basement.
Movie: The Wedding Banquet
Ang Lee's early dramedy-farce about a gay Taiwanese-American man, a fake relationship that threatens his real one, New York City in the early 1990s, and parental love.
Movie: Reign of Fire
Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey play two leaders who team up (in the far-future 2020) to fight off a brood of fire-breathing dragons seeking to return to global dominance after centuries of rest underground. Features a playacted re-creation of a bit of Star Wars, a fire-roasted tomato crop, an explosive arrow shot by crossbow, children in peril, a construction site that breaks several safety regulations, and dragons.
The Goes Wrong Show: Season 2
Includes a prison break drama with malfunctioning cell bars, a historical drama by not-William Shakespeare, Robert's acting masterclass, a 1970s sex comedy revival, and a short play by Dennis. Available on DVD and, in the UK, available from some streaming services.
The Goes Wrong Show: Episodes 1-6
The Goes Wrong Show, a British farce TV show (JustWatch to advise on streaming options; watch the first season free in the US on Tubi), is a spinoff of the live theater production The Play That Goes Wrong. Both the live show and the TV show depict an ambitious theatrical troupe trying valiantly to get through live performances of plays-within-a-play, despite all manner of mishap -- props and sets that fall apart, musical cues gone wrong, pratfalls, and whatnot.
Columbo: Fade in to Murder
Columbo investigates the death of a TV producer and immediately gets the attention of actor and murderer Ward Fowler (William Shatner), who plays a detective on TV. Fowler immediately sees through Columbo's aw-shucks act ("Why don't we stop pretending that I'm brilliant and you're simple for one moment?") and is among the least visibly rattled of Columbo's opponents. Episode is currently free to stream in the US via Amazon's Freevee (formerly IMDbTV), as is Columbo in general.
Movie: The Cutting Edge
Two former Olympians, one a figure skater and the other a hockey player, pin their hopes of one last shot at Olympic glory on one another. That is, of course, if they can keep from killing each other in the process...
Movie: The Man from the Diners' Club
An employee at Diner's Club issues a credit card to a well-known mobster and has to retrieve it in order to keep his job. Starring Danny Kaye. Available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Motherland: Fort Salem: All Of Season 2
Conflicts and alliances among the military, civilian oversight, new enemies, and witch society further emerge and roil our characters. Streaming on Hulu and some other services in the US. This season includes an in-universe TV ad, the introduction of nonbinary witch M portrayed by nonbinary performer Ess Hödlmoser, a mystical mycelial network, battles, romance, and the scenery-chewing villain Alban Hearst, portrayed with glee by Bob Frazer.
Magnitsky the Musical
94 minutes, free to stream from the BBC website. "Johnny Flynn and Robert Hudson bring us a musical based on the incredible story of an American venture capitalist, a Russian tax advisor, a crazy heist, the Trump Tower meeting and the very rule of law. Blending music and satire, the story explores the truths and fictions surrounding the origins and aftershocks of the Magnitsky Act; global legislation which allows governments to sanction those who they see as offenders of human rights." I found it interesting, funny, and moving -- and, in particular, a feat of exposition.
Book: Perhaps the Stars (Terra Ignota Book #4)
Alliances reshape and a new order emerges in the culmination of Ada Palmer's "Terra Ignota" series, which is on the Hugo ballot for the "Best Series" award.
Movie: Chicken People
A 2016 documentary about the world of show chickens and the people who love them. Three participants breed, raise, and care for many varieties of chickens as they prepare to compete in a US national poultry show.
Movie: Shrek 2
In the 2004 sequel to the first "Shrek" movie, we catch up with Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey, and meet a number of new characters such as a fairy godmother and Prince Charming. Voices include Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, and Jennifer Saunders.
Movie: Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
Five years after their first time-travelling adventure, Southern California rockers Bill and Ted must venture to parts they had not previously explored, including the afterlife (featuring William Sadler), to defeat a villain -- who's made impostor robots who impersonate our heroes. This film came out the same year as Keanu Reeves's Point Break, which is rather a range!
Movie: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves), high school buddies starting a band in 1980s Southern California, get help from Rufus (George Carlin) to help them complete their final history presentation. Silly time travel shenanigans ensue.
Movie: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Satirical biopic in which singer Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) overcomes adversity to become a musical legend.
Ted Lasso: The Missing Christmas Mustache
Movie: Looper
A futuristic action thriller involving time travel, mob killers, memories, regret, and bars of silver. Released in 2012. Written and directed by Rian Johnson and starring Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and featuring Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels, and Paul Dano.
Leverage: Redemption: The Golf Job
"An old friend visits, sparking a self-doubting Harry to uncover an unlikely client on the links at his exclusive golf club." Directed by Noah Wyle.
Leverage: Redemption: The Jackal Job
"The Leverage team explores the failing memory of a legendary grifter to try and find her greatest score before her abusive Elder Guardian gets his hands on it and takes over her life."
Leverage: Redemption: The Unwellness Job
"The Leverage team sets out to discredit a lifestyle and wellness guru targeting desperate people and peddling snake oil instead of actual medicine." (Directed by Noah Wyle.)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Last Day (Parts 1 and 2)
In the series finale, the precinct squad goes on one final adventure together in a two-parter (episodes 9 and 10) with guest stars, twists, and surprises.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Renewal
Rosa and Cheddar have a staredown, Terry and Amy attempt a Billy Joel memorabilia sting, and Jake and Raymond try to infiltrate a basement.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Game of Boyles
In an homage to the film Knives Out, Jake investigates possible foul play in the death of the Boyles' patriarch.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Set Up
Jake is wrong, and who could have predicted that there would be consequences for his actions? Despite unwanted support from those who would try to make those consequences disappear?
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: PB&J
A smorgasbord, a three-vehicle road trip, a rap about sandals, misdirected phone calls, and a pen. Or: a serious question about the limits of loyalty and friendship.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Balancing
It is, in fact, extremely difficult to simultaneously pursue two careers and do caretaking. Also, Rosa's temporary flatmate is having a tough time.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Blue Flu
The squad takes a multipronged approach to investigating unusual goings-on at their own precinct. Raymond Holt has two very frustrating conversations.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Lake House
The squad -- and a few people who aren't on it -- visit Kevin's and Raymond's vacation house, with interludes for birdwatching, caretaking, cardiovascular exercise, potato chip ranking, and surprisingly uninterrupted sleep.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Good Ones
Jake and Rosa team up in an unusual configuration to work an unusually difficult case; Amy suspects something odd is happening in her work relationship with Captain Holt.
Book: Black Water Sister
Zen Cho's latest fantasy novel: "A reluctant medium discovers the ties that bind can unleash a dangerous power in this compelling Malaysian-set contemporary fantasy." A closeted gay woman moves, with her mom and dad, back from the US to Malaysia, and discovers even more secrets to untangle. Suspenseful, funny, observant.
Movie: Amadeus
Lucian Msamati and Adam Gillen play Salieri and Mozart, respectively, in the National Theatre's 2017 production of Amadeus. An onstage orchestra illustrates Peter Shaffer's play about jealousy, music, and yearning. Watch for free via YouTube till 23 July.
Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream
A film of an adaptation of the Shakespeare play, performed at the Bridge Theatre in London, available via the National Theatre in the UK's NT At Home. Starring Gwendoline Christie, Oliver Chris, David Moorst, and Hammed Animashaun. Available to watch for free via YouTube till 7pm UK time on Thursday 2 July. (More about the production, including a full cast list.)
Book: Catfishing on CatNet
The AI from Kritzer's Hugo Award-winning short story "Cat Pictures, Please" is back at novel length -- along with "a group of teenagers who have found friendship and community online, never realizing that one of their online friends is actually an artificial intelligence." The author describes it as a "technothriller YA (young adult) novel about friendship, online community, AIs (artificial intelligences), robots, hacking, sex ed, and road trips". (I'd add: queerness, monstrous humans, art, dealing with cops, and being embarrassed by your parents.) Here's an excerpt (the second chapter of the book).
Movie: Blinded by the Light
In 1987 Luton, in Thatcher's Britain, confronted by National Front racists on the streets and a stressed, angry father at home, a British Asian teenager learns to live his own life, get a new perspective on his Pakistani immigrant family, and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen. Directed and co-written by Gurinder Chadha (known for Bend It Like Beckham), with music by legendary Indian composer and film score creator A.R. Rahman. Inspired by a true story.
Jane the Virgin: Chapter One-Hundred
The series finale! With closure, and laughs and tears, and final twists! And public transit!
House of Cards: Season 6
Robin Wright stars as a US president dealing with the previous President's legacy, Russia, the press, the powerful Shepherd siblings (played by Greg Kinnear and Diane Lane), a fatal chemical plant accident, and more. This is the final season of the US House of Cards.
Murphy Brown: #MurphyToo
"After Murphy attends a sexual harassment seminar for the 'Murphy in the Morning' staff, she is surprised to find herself reeling from the long-repressed memory of her own #MeToo moment."
Forged in Fire: Season 2: All Episodes (2016)
New challenges for the bladesmiths, and, for the first time, some contestants are women.
Forged in Fire: Forged In Fire, Season 1 (2015)
Knife- and sword-making blacksmiths (bladesmiths) from around the US compete to make strong, sharp, elegant weapons in this History Channel game show. In each episode, four bladesmiths each forge a knife blade under time and materials constraints. The best three then add handles to and polish/finish their blades, and the two finalists then each get 5 days at their home forges to re-create a historic weapon.
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