By Darren Johnson
Campus News
Here’s my take on a bunch of new offerings on streaming services, etc.:
“The Many Saints of Newark” is an HBO production now in theaters; somewhat the prequel/origin story of how Tony Soprano of the classic mafia series “The Sopranos” came to be. James Gandolfini, the actor who played Tony in the 1999-2007 series, has since passed, but “Saints” uses his son, Michael, who looks like his late father, to play much of the teenage Tony role (there’s a capable child actor, Alan Taylor, who plays younger Tony for the earlier half of the movie). Obviously an amateur actor and a bit too smiley – Michael Gandolfini reminds me of when Quentin Tarantino puts himself in his movies – it’s not that important that the teenage Tony role isn’t executed – so to speak – flawlessly. The overall movie can’t stand alone for a viewer who does not have knowledge of the TV series, but does give “Sopranos” fans a riveting trip down memory lane. There is a lot I would have done differently if I were creator David Chase – why focus so much on the character who is Christopher Moltisanti’s father, Dickie – who had never made an appearance in the TV show? I would have preferred the focus on Tony – and Carmella. We don’t even get much of Tony’s father, but a lot of his mother. Most of the male actors are kind of stiff, or goofy, and rely on stereotypes. But, alas, I am not David Chase, and this movie is still quite nice and worthy of rewatching – once it’s “free” on a streaming service.
“Nine Perfect Strangers,” starring Nicole Kidman, is a passable series that moves like a magic-mushroom induced dream sequence on Hulu. Melissa McCarthy, who plays a writer who visits a find-yourself resort run by Kidman’s character, actually shows excellent acting ability.
McCarthy is also great in the at-times heavy-handed “Starling,” an otherwise poignant look at what it’s like for parents to lose a baby due to SIDS. It’s on Netflix, and I don’t think this topic has been addressed before. About 1 in 1000 babies die of SIDS every year, so obviously this is a topic that affects many.
“The Squid Game” is a wild South Korean limited series with a cliffhanger ending that portends a coming sequel, but a sequel would be deserved because this Netflix show is riveting. No subtitles – it uses well-done voiceovers, and you get used to them rather quickly. Give your brain about five minutes of watching to sync. Not to give away too much of the plot, but think “Hunger Games,” where poor people are made to compete to save themselves. But this isn’t science fiction, but more so a fictional social commentary on how debt shackles and alienates society. No one will miss these people because they are deadbeats. But they are also, for the most part, real people with souls who deserve our sympathy.
“Y – The Last Man on Earth” – a Hulu series about a virus that kills anything with a Y chromosome – I wish were better. It just has the bad acting and stiff writing of a B-series, and, focusing on the one man not affected by this disease is othering. The one guy isn’t even all that likeable of a character.
I had not subscribed to Apple TV, but decided to because “Ted Lasso,” about an upbeat American football coach (Jason Sudeikis) who somehow is charged with coaching a UK soccer team, even though he knows nothing about the sport, won so many Emmy nominations recently. However, while the show is a fun watch, it kind of goes nowhere and loses its gimmick after awhile.
I kind of regret ponying up the $4.99/mo. for Apple TV because I had been looking forward to its “The Problem With Jon Stewart” – who had once trailblazed Comedy Central’s game-changing faux news “The Daily Show” – but his new show is lifeless and awful.
I’m going to dump Apple TV once my month is up. There are few things there that are not available elsewhere. Why HBO Max and other streaming services succeed is because the people in charge curate with taste. I’m not sure if Apple TV has anyone imaginative running the show. They can call me to help – I’m not David Chase, but…
Funny thing is, we all were encouraged to “cut the cord,” get rid of cable, and just stream, man, and save money. But all of these various apps add up, and, if you’re not careful, before you know it, the month is up and you’re automatically charged $4.99 – and higher – again and again.
It’s like that long neglected Planet Fitness membership I can’t seem to shake.
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