December 2019 – TV Quick Hits & Misses

Fractured (2019 / NETFLIX) – An unfortunate accident sees a man and his small family rush to a local hospital where their already frightening situation turns sinister as the man’s wife and daughter disappear inside the hospital…as though they never even existed.

With a pedigree that includes director Brad Anderson (“Session 9”, “The Machinist” and assorted genre TV) and screenwriter Alan B. McElroy (“Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers”, “Wrong Turn” franchise), “Fractured” plays out like one long “Twilight Zone” episode. The film is effectively tense and appropriately uncomfortable, with Sam Worthington turning in an exceptional performance as a man, father, and husband who is losing control of his emotions and just might be losing his mind.

The only real issue with the film is whether or not audiences will buy the film’s ending. I think it works well enough but clearly feel that it isn’t as engrossing or fulfilling as the film is in bringing the audience to it.

Note: Yeah, I wrote “film” above, and though it may be, it’s garnered a TV-MA rating, so its review lands here.

 

 

 

The Mandalorian (Disney+) – Cute and Trite do not a Star Wars series make, but I’m having trouble recognizing any other materials used here. To clarify, “Cute” is reflective of the meme-worthy Baby Yoda, and “Trite” references the remainder of “The Mandalorian” series, which is unoriginal in its concepts, themes, plot devices, and delivery.

Briefly summated, “The Mandalorian” attempts to wedge a Star Wars universe story into a spaghetti western outline. Not a bad idea per se, but unfortunately the season plays itself out like a bad 70s sci-fi/kung fu/buddy/action series, one with one-line catch phrases and where any expected ambiguity of the anti-hero is narratively D.O.A. from the outset. So, if ‘Kwai Chang Caine meets “B.J. and the Bear” in Space’ is your thing, then maybe this is the show for you.

For me however, the series lacks the palatable conviction of a greater depth that the Star Wars films almost inherently encapsulate. So, when compared to the other entries in the Star Wars universe, “The Mandalorian” legitimately feels like TV. I realize that I may be part of a silent minority here, but I find that excruciatingly upsetting, as Star Wars has always felt larger than TV was ever capable of being. And in today’s era of quality streaming content, a subpar throwback, whether intentional or not, is to me, reflective of the damning direction Disney looks to take, or you could argue, has taken, the IP.

Regardless of my overall personal take, I can’t completely disparage the series because it has a few things worth acknowledging. For one thing, the Baby Yoda is cute. Another is director Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok”, “Jojo Rabbit”), who helms the final and most interesting episode of the season. There are even casting choices of note that include Werner Herzog (“Rescue Dawn”), Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”) and Nick Nolte (“48 Hrs.”) who each deliver better performances than the material provides them with.

And then there’s Oscar winning composer Ludwig Goransson’s score, which I thought was awful while watching the series, but later found it to be quite impressive when listened to on its own. The score employs effective musical themes that are both tribal and driving, which you’d expect to marry very well with the narrative themes of “The Mandalorian”, but unfortunately any fulfilling connection is overshadowed by the inherent triteness of the far more visually frustrating material.

And although it may sound like it, I’m not ready to put any nails in the coffin of “The Mandalorian” just yet, but I’ve certainly got them in my hands. We’ll see what season two has in store, but after the surprising vocal support, if only for Baby Yoda, I’m expecting more of the same.

Note: Series writer/director, John Favreau (“Swingers”, “Elf”, “Iron Man”, 2019’s “The Lion King”) has stated that he’d like to make another Star Wars Holiday Special, but I’d argue that he’s already done so with “The Mandalorian”.

 

 

 

The Movies That Made Us (NETFLIX) – The new series, from creator/director Brain Vol-Weiss (executive producer of “The Toys That Made Us”), does much the same thing for films that it did for toys, but with a much more serious credit sequence; though the narrator, Donald Ian Black, remains the same. Covering 4 films, “Dirty Dancing, “Home Alone”, Ghostbusters”, and “Die Hard” the series is an informative, fun, and often times emotional look behind the scenes of these iconic films with the individuals who had the desire, drive, and insanity to see each of them made.

Dirty Dancing (1987) – Actually made by film distributor, Vestron Video…err, Pictures, as their first feature film. The episode includes a surprisingly emotional return to one of the film’s locations with Producer Linda Gottlieb, that transitions into a memorial for a number of those involved in the film who have since been away.

Home Alone (1990) – A mini-history of screenwriters/directors, John Hughes and Chris Columbus, and their little movie that could.

Ghostbusters (1984) – Much ado about Coca-Cola and Columbia Pictures that includes interviews and memories from writer/actor Dan Aykroyd, ghostbuster Ernie Hudson, dickless EPA Agent William Atherton, theme song write Ray Parker Jr., and director Ivan Reitman.

Die Hard (1988) – The sequel to Frank Sinatra’s 1968 film, “The Detective” ...Say What?

 

 

 

Mrs. Fletcher (HBO) – Author and television series creator, Tom Perrotta (“Election”, “The Leftovers”) returns to the small screen with an adaptation of his own 2017 novel. “Mrs. Fletcher” is a welcome dramedy about a divorced empty-nester who’s just shipped her bully of a son off to college and is arguably forced to explore a new frontier, that of her adult and solely-responsible self. Kathryn Hanh gives a seemingly fearless performance as a woman who’s completely unsure of who she is and what she wants for herself, but even while afraid, embraces an excited willingness to explore what’s calling to her.

Adult in almost most every respect, “Mrs. Fletcher” is not for the kiddies or even roommates listening through the walls, as it displays more than a fair amount of nudity, sexual situations, graphic dialogue, and deals heavily with adult themes. The series finds almost all of its characters exploring strange and somewhat frightening new worlds. With each character tending to the embarrassing situations and discomforting consequences that feel most appropriate to their growth.

And while I really like the show, especially Hanh’s performance, I remain concerned about the series’ future. I’m unsure, although hopeful, of its ability to sustain long-term interest but this feels like a story with a short life; something that ends naturally after a three-season run, maybe. Be that as it may, even at only seven-first season episodes, I think “Mrs. Fletcher” is a way more interesting show than HBO’s other SNL Alum series, “Barry”, by a long shot.

 

 

 

Star Wars: Holiday Special (1978 / YouTube) –By 1978 the world was caught in the grips of a full-blown Star Wars Fever. In order to alleviate the ever-increasing symptoms, somebody thought it would be a good idea to inoculate the masses with a holiday/variety special that would be injected via television. The result is the abominable, “Star Wars Holiday Special”.

I don’t know who came up with this horrendous idea, but it begins with a simple enough story premise that sees Chewbacca and Han Solo escaping an Imperial pursuit in order to return Chewbacca to his home world of Kashyyyk in time for Life Day; aka, Christmas. While that’s fine enough, it unfortunately only takes up about one-third of the special’s proceedings.

The remainder of the special focuses on Chewbacca’s wife (Malla), son (Lumpy), and father (Itchy), who along with a passable Art Carney, uncomfortably await Chewbacca’s arrival amidst a slew of Imperial assholes and a number of horrible variety-style skits and musical numbers that pad out the special’s runtime.

The actual Star Wars bits, which include cameos from the main cast, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, and the voice of James Earl Jones are not terrible by any stretch but they’re grossly limited and stand, almost awkwardly, head and shoulders above the remainder of the special.

That remainder delivers a series of horribly conceptualized and horrendously cast variety skits that include three different acting efforts from Harvey Corman and musical numbers from Diahann Carroll, Bea Arthur, Carrie Fisher and Jefferson Starship. Additionally, there’s an odd but passable animated segment that includes Star Log Entries (Wrong Franchise, Yo!) and introduces a seemingly friendly Boba Fett to the Star Wars universe a full two years before his appearance in “The Empire Strikes Back”.

Dude, this is some of the most painful television I have watched in years.

Note: The “Star Wars: Holiday Special” was never aired a second time nor has it ever received a home video release, in any fashion or format. I stumbled across a “good quality” version on YouTube, where you can locate it for yourself if you’re feeling…frosty.

 

 

 

A Very Murray Christmas (2017 / NETFLIX) – Directed by Sofia Coppla this variational throwback to holiday variety specials is just as full of celebrities and holiday standards as those from a bygone era. “A Very Murray Christmas” utilizes the premise that a blizzard has kept Murray’s guests from attending his live Christmas special. His depression and general moroseness, which motivates the proceedings, turns to harmless and mildly entertaining eclecticness.

Guest stars include: Paul Schafer, Amy Prohler, Michael Cera, Chris Rock, Jenny Lewis, Rashida Jones, David Johansen, Jason Schwartzman, Mya Rudolph, George Clooney, Miley Cyrus.

 

 

 

Insatiable: Season 2 (NETFLIX) – This #Winning second season of the dark comedy, opens with a cover version of Gun N’ Roses, “I Used to Love Her” and closes with the band’s original, “Welcome to the Jungle”, while in between are ten glorious episodes of Murder, Mayhem, and Recovery.

The flippant and vapid Georgia-set dark comedy continues to be wickedly fun, gleefully discomforting, and outrageously quotable. Absurd for sure but also appropriately-emotional, making at least one strong and thought-provoking point in its final episode.

Note: There’s an awful lot about Recovery in this season.

Quotes of Note:

1. The local news channel uses the call letters: “WVJJ”
2. “Cast in one’s own ‘Gays Anatomy’ episode”
3. “I’m a killer, not a murderer.”
4. “Your family hates me like I hate condoms”
5. “Oh my God. This is straight out of a horror movie.

  Haven’t you ever seen “Friday the 13th…? She is Jason.”
 “Is that the the guy with knives for hands?”
 “No, that’s Wolverine.”

 

 

 

Goliath: Season 3 (AMAZON) – A mellower Billy McBride leads the absolute weirdest season of the legal drama. Feeling weirdly like a frustrating “True Detective” knock-off, this third season of “Goliath” painfully delivers a ton of overhead shots, odd creepy supporting characters (including a crow and a goat) and involves more than just a hint of hallucinogenic storytelling.

And while it heralds a strong supporting cast that includes: Dennis Quaid, Beau Bridges, Griffin Dunne, Illeana Douglas, Sherilyn Fenn, Graham Greene, Amy Brenneman, Paul Williams, and William Hurt, it chooses to spend way too much time being weird rather than working on a consistently interesting legal case. As such, it stands as a surprisingly difficult season to watch, even as it leads to a very welcome season ending cliffhanger.

Note: Episode 4 “Full Circle”, has a “Dances with Wolves” joke that almost sneaks by you.

 

 

 

The Toys That Made Us: Season 3 (NETFLIX) – The docuseries returns with four new episodes detailing the histories of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, My Little Pony, and Professional Wrestling. And while the product lines of this season weren’t toys I ever bought or played with, the stories behind each remain informative and entertaining. However, I think it’s about time to mix it up some and cover some other topics, like classic board games or early electronics, i.e. Simon, Speak & Spell, Electronic Sports (Football & Baseball), and/or Merlin, Yo!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Bears a striking resemblance to the Masters of the Universe story including some of the same creative craftsmen; plus, the songwriting skills of both Chuck Lorre (creator of “The Big Bang Theory”) and Vanilla Ice. This is actually the most emotional episode of the three seasons.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – Cartoon theme song writer, Haim Saban, along with the Bandai toy company, the #1 sidewalk chalk producers in America, work together to create a new line of toys and a hit television series by marrying a Japanese property to some American teenagers, and adding the same number of syllables as those pizza loving sewer turtles. Other unheard-of industry firsts ensue.

My Little Pony – In the wake of the death of the oversized GI Joe figures, Hasbro needed a new driving force. Enter the exploration of “…shrinkage” and its colorful behind the scenes history.
#CrackPipePony

Professional Wrestling – So wild that your company’s initiation involves a licensee taking a shit in the toy maker’s bed.

Note: During the closing credits of each episode, a series of still shots are displayed that showcase private toy collections of each episode product.

 

 

 

The Man in the High Castle: The Final Season (AMAZON) – What has been a burdensome and somewhat difficult series to follow, “The Man in the High Castle” finally delivers some credible depth and emotion to its alternate world fantasy in a focused and streamlined final season. Though it’s still plagued with vaguely initiated and summarily abandoned storylines, this final season, unlike the previous seasons, moves forward with a focus and determination that establishes its destination as thankfully imminent; and it deserves particular praise for Rufus Sewell’s performance as John Smith.

 

 

 

Mr. Robot: The Final Season (USA) – Sam Esmail’s split-personality drama begins its fourth and final season almost as brutally as its third one ended. The difference this season is that it refuses to lighten up as it brings its dramatic story threads to their final, blistering, and emotional conclusions. Making an arguably powerful statement about mental health, the series ends on what could have easily felt like a cliché in weaker hands, but Esmail, proves himself to deft to let the message, or “Mr. Robot”, ever feel so trite.

The series writing, directing, acting, and music (by Mac Quayle) all continue to be exceptional, with this season being arguably the series’ best. It’s absolutely award-winning television, Yo!

 

-m-