(courtesy IMP Awards) SNAPSHOT“Executive produces of Stranger Things welcome you to a new community.” In the sun-drenched expanse of the New Mexico desert lies The Boroughs, a picturesque retirement community promising its residents the time of their lives. But for new arrival Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina), paradise feels more like Continue Reading
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Death in the cheery sunshine … Thoughts on Blue Murder Motel
(courtesy IMDb) It’s all in the name. When I first came across the idea of “cosy crime”, the name didn’t seem to make sense – how could something so terrible be even remotely warm and lovely? But then I thought back to the days of Murder, She Wrote, and yes, Continue Reading
“We’re stronger together.” Trailer drops for unpredictable animated comedy Swapped
(courtesy IMP Awards) SNAPSHOTSwapped is a buddy comedy about a small woodland creature (voiced by Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple). When these two natural sworn enemies of The Valley suddenly swap bodies, they must team up, while walking in each other’s Continue Reading
Review of the rest : Shrinking S3, E7-11
(courtesy IMP Awards) Streaming riddle me this: when is a series finale not a series finale? When it’s the final episode of the third season of Shrinking which was originally scoped out for three seasons until Apple came a-calling again, says the show’s creator creator, and asked whether there might Continue Reading
How does the audition of a lifetime go? Thoughts on Bait
(courtesy IMP Awards) If you have so much as stepped out of your house at any point in your life, and the odds are good you have, you will have definitely come into contact with the socially toxic tendrils of a narcissist. You know the type – people who overwhelm Continue Reading
An unwelcome visitor … or the start of healing? Thoughts on Homebodies
(courtesy Random Management Instagram) So much is left unsaid when you’re a queer person coming out to your parents. You may have rehearsed the conversations a thousand times in your head, imagined how the discussion might go, good or bad and hoped that everything you authentically are will be far Continue Reading
Meaning and mutual understanding: A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
(courtesy First Showing) SNAPSHOTThis intimate documentary blends the remarkable story of David Attenborough’s first encounter with the baby gorilla Pablo with a deep dive into how Pablo’s direct descendants are doing today in the mountains of Rwanda. Weaving together contemporary and archival footage of the gorilla group and narrated by Continue Reading
Finding your (unexpected) people: Thoughts on Dog Park
(courtesy IMDb (c) ABC TV) When life begins to resemble a faint sparkle of its former sparkling promise and glow, the natural reaction is to withdraw from the people around you. It makes sense in one way; life has become too much to handle, and since people make up much Continue Reading
Way in over their heads: Phones ring and you answer in Big Mistakes
(courtesy IMDb) SNAPSHOTBig Mistakes is a crime comedy series created, co-written, and executive produced by Dan Levy alongside Rachel Sennott. The show follows two deeply incapable siblings, Nicky (Dan Levy) and Morgan (Taylor Ortega), who inadvertently become entangled in organized crime after a misguided theft intended to help their dying Continue Reading
Oh my, see how they grow! Final thoughts on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy S1 (E4-10)
(courtesy IMP Awards) As I wrote the review for the first three episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, I was impressed by how sophisticated a show it was so early in the piece. There are a great many shows that wobble and stumble in their first season, showing promise and Continue Reading