October 2019 – TV Quick Hits & Misses

Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019) – Full disclosure, I was never a big fan of the original “Funny or Die” interview shorts that starred Zach Galifinakis, largely because the interviews were so purposely painful to watch. And while the film is no different, it hilariously pushes through the awkwardness, and manages to keep the laughs rolling throughout.

Written and directed by Scott Aukerman, the film uses a mix of “The Office”-type interviews and hand-held camera work to sell its early get-to-know-your characters and later its cross-country tripping. And while it’s not a grand road trip of a film, the celebrities that show up all appear to have been good sports. Special “Thanks” to everyone involved with this film because I watched this when I really needed a laugh, and in that regard, it didn’t disappoint.

Note: Be sure to read the celebrity names and descriptions when they’re presented for each celebrity interview. They’re all pretty rich and are worth the Pause or Rewind to fully catch, as are the interview bloopers that play during the closing credits.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) – First and Foremost: !!!Warning! “Breaking Bad” Spoilers!”

In my opinion, the “Breaking Bad” series ended Jesse’s story arc just fine. It certainly wasn’t flashy nor, I believe, characteristically out of line; i.e. run first figure it out later. I also believe that it was absolutely a creative choice, with any questions or answers surrounding his immediate or long-term future solely in the eyes, hands, or minds of the beholding audience. I actually dig that, from an inquiring minds perspective. I think it keeps the wondering mental gears turning and ultimately bolsters a prolonged interest and fascination with the series.

With the above in mind, “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie”, can be a difficult thing to talk about. Broaching the subject gets one awful close to spoiler territory, so I’m going to skip any specifics of the movie itself and simply say that, as a cap to the “Breaking Bad” series, it’s fine. It feels familiar and plays out much like an extended episode of the original series, albeit one with a bit of finality and after thought for its central character. It’s certainly worth the watch if you’re a fan of the original show but it’s not something that breaks new ground, doesn’t offer up any major revelations, and while good for what it is, it can ultimately be lived without. But hey, it’s more “Breaking Bad, Yo!”

Note: The film has a great soundtrack including hits from Dr Hook (“Sharing the Night”), England Dan and John Ford Coley (“I’d Really Love to See You Tonight”), and Jim White feat. Aimee Mann (“Static on the Radio”).

In the Shadow of the Moon (2019) – Boyd Holbrook and Bokeem Woodbine star as two Philadelphia police officers, who along with a detective played by Michael C. Hall, hunt a possible serial killer. A killer who’s somehow managing to slay multiple people in different locations of the city at exactly the same time.

I originally thought that the trailer had ruined this one for me, but after watching it I was rather surprised at just how wrong I was. Not that the film is all that much better than I originally thought it might be, but I was welcomingly unprepared for the film that I got. Which was a decent sci-fi movie that mixes a few well-known ideas into something not wholly unappreciable. Ultimately, drawing a finished product comparison, but not a narrative one, to NETFLIX’s own “Bright”.

The Righteous Gemstones (HBO) – Concerning the lives and times of a globally dominant televangelist family. John Goodman stars as the family patriarch who along with his adult children, played by Danny McBride, Edi Patterson, and Adam Devine, work to financially, and possibly secularly, dominate the market. The rub comes when an incriminating video appears that has the potential to bring the Gemstone empire down.

Credit to McBride, and his behind-the-camera- partners, David Gordon Green and Jody Hill, for putting together a show that’s typically self-centered and crude, but also demonstrates an inkling of heart. And while it’s nowhere near as good as “Eastbound and Down” it’s certainly better than “Vice-Principals” and sits comfortably within the wheelhouse of both series. It also sees the return of Walter Goggins, and the welcome addition of Scott MacArthur to the cast, and has been renewed for a second season.

Note: The “Misbehavin’” song is so catchy that even after only one listen the dang thing is stuck like a splinter in my skull.

Succession: Season 2 (HBO) – The series returns, almost quietly, and appears to take all season long to make its one perfect point. Initially, I really wasn’t all that jazzed about the goings on of this second season, but in retrospect, there appears to have been much ado about the getting there. As expected, there’s a lot of typical familial back and forth concerning succession, and how each potential candidate deals with the buildup of crisis’. But what almost felt like an ultimately frustrating season turns out to be, and leads to, exactly the mic-drop this show needed.

#BreedingKillersandSacrifices

The Deuce: Season 3 (HBO) – The eight-episode final season sees the series principals coping and fracturing in the New York and Los Angeles scenes of 1985. While it’s not the best season of the lot, it still manages to hit home in several ways; most effectively with the 2019 coda detailing the current state of The Deuce and acting as a final bow for many of the series characters.

It should be noted that a few of the series characters that we’ve followed for two seasons are outright gone from this final season with no mention of their exits. A similar lacking coda of note concerns one of the principals and I felt a little bummed by the ignorance. Even noting that the principals are not all such close friends, that a “Goodbye” would be guaranteed in the real world, but it feels a bit dismissive of these characters that the series’ audience has come to connect to.

Note: The third and final season opening credit track is Blondie’s, “Dreaming”, and feels absolutely perfect.

-m-