Weekly Reviews Archives – Page 2 of 76

11May

The Weekly Review: May 5 – 11

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The news is awful, again, this week. But you already knew that. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels, repeating the same gripes week after week. My complaints, in general, can be summed up in two words: “Biden bad.”

We are planning a new category for The Grouchy Editor. It will be called “The Male Gaze.” The male gaze is in the doldrums these days, having fallen into disfavor with the “woke” and disappearing from reliable havens of the past like Hollywood movies. In mainstream films today, you are more likely to see a bottomless male than a topless female.

We’re going to do our small part to rescue the male gaze. This week’s “Review” is a taste of what’s to come.

You should never, ever grab or pinch a young woman’s bottom. Unless she asks you to. Or unless she is a Hollywood starlet hoping to impress and you are a famous director.

I thought of this when I learned of 25-year-old TikTok star Natalie Reynolds, who pushes the envelope — to put it mildly — for hits, views and likes. Reynolds is the “naked woman” referred to in the New York Post headline above.

Her videos range from cringe-inducing to borderline illegal. In one, she infiltrates a Florida neighborhood for convicted sex offenders. In another, she apparently harms (kills?) small animals. I’m not sure about the legality of these videos, but I do know I have no intention of watching them.

On the other hand, I can’t resist a good ass-grabbing video, which seems to be Reynolds’ specialty:

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Above, random dude grabs a piece of Natalie’s ass

Above, Natalie asks a stranger if he will take pictures of her butt

It’s hard to say who gets off more on this focus on Reynolds’s derriere, the random dudes or Reynolds herself. How else to explain her post below, in which her bottom takes a two-minute beating?

All of this ass-grabbing put me in mind of famous ass-grabbing from the past. Like the scene below from David Lynch’s Wild at Heart, in which starlet Charlie Spradling allows Nicolas Cage to, uh, examine her rear end:

Below, Cage and Laura Dern discuss the Spradling grab:

Spradling appeared in a number of mainstream movies in the 1980s-90s. Below, a screen capture from Mirror Mirror, in which she showers before succumbing to a gruesome murder, followed by her first video appearance in a soft-porn thing called High Seas Fantasy, when she was about 20.

That’s our tease for “The Male Gaze,” which in the future will take a periodic look at the objects of male ogling, past and present.

04May

The Weekly Review: April 28 – May 4

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Gaza Madness

I’m trying to follow all of the recent media uproar: the student protests, war in Gaza, D.C. politics, etc.

I am trying. But it’s hopeless. Somebody’s not telling me the truth. Or everybody’s not telling me the truth.

I was told, I believe, that there would be “no American boots on the ground” in Gaza:

But American boots on a pier that’s attached to Gaza ground? Doesn’t count, I guess.

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Meanwhile, House Republicans, I was told, “control the purse-strings” of government expenditures. Yet Republicans seem more than happy to fund whatever military misadventure — Ukraine, Gaza, wherever — Biden chooses to initiate.

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Now they say Biden would like to invite Gazan refugees to come live with us in the U.S. — just like the millions of “newcomers” moving in from our southern border.

Well, we didn’t really want Gen Z to inherit any of the country’s wealth, did we?

Poor Gen Z.

Poor all of us.

*

Now that we’ve decided Kristi Noem is a puppy-killing villain, can I please get un-banned from Twitter for saying that she has “nice tits”?

Just curious.

27Apr

The Weekly Review: April 21 – 27

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Best TV shows of the 21st century

Disclaimers: A) This list is fiction only; no news, no documentaries, no reality TV. B) There are some conspicuous titles missing, not because I think they are undeserving; I simply haven’t seen them. These include shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, and Mad Men. C) Most shows on the list were superb from start to finish. A couple (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Black Mirror) are on the list for their early seasons only. D) These are my preferences — not a critics’ consensus, not your list, just my favorites. Here’s my list, in no particular order:

The Shield

The Shield: Two scenes stick with me, 20 years after I first watched them, on this cop drama that aired on FX at the beginning of what we now call Peak TV. The first scene is the rape of an authority figure (Captain Aceveda), who is forced to literally bend the knee to a very bad man (“Mum,” season three). The second scene is the defilement of an innocent little girl, which we don’t see but can imagine simply from seeing a dove tattoo inked onto her cheek (“The Quick Fix,” season two). The scenes are a reminder that evil can touch anyone, the weak and the powerful — which also happens to be the show’s main theme.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The best comedy I saw in the 2000s — although after the first few seasons, it gradually lost its sharpness. My comments here.

Game of Thrones: See my recent review here.

Breaking Bad: There have been many great crime dramas. This is the best of the best. My review here.

The Crown: It’s soap opera, sure, but delicious soap opera about Britain’s royal family.

Doc Martin

Doc Martin: Here we have The Andy Griffith Show for the 21st century. By the way, that’s a compliment.

Black Mirror: When it transitioned its creative base from England to Netflix, its quality dropped. So, its deterioration is Netflix’s fault. But when it was good, early on, it was very good.

Rectify

Rectify: This wouldn’t be much of a list if it didn’t include at least one great show of which you probably haven’t heard. Aden Young starred as an ex-convict who attempts to adjust to life on the outside after serving his sentence. The adjective “absorbing” was invented just for this drama. My review here.

Honorable Mention

Shows with flashes of genius, but which were not consistently great: Peaky Blinders, Ozark, Rescue Me, Louie.

**

Sometimes you feel like taking a break from the real news, and instead becoming TMZ:

I realize that the incident on a New Mexico film set was deadly business. But aside from that, I always find hothead Alec Baldwin’s misadventures with paparazzi and the public oddly entertaining. Possibly it’s the enraged expression on his face.

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It’s got to be culture shock for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes when he has to go from placing his hands on wife Brittany’s shapely derriere (orange bikini, above) to placing his hands between the legs of some beefy center on the line of scrimmage.

*

I’m not at all sure to whom these pictures are meant to appeal. Sydney Sweeney fans? Man haters? Clothed Female Naked Man fetishists? At any rate, she seems to enjoy ogling this dude’s nutsack and/or ass.

20Apr

The Weekly Review: April 14 – 20

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So Many Questions …

I recall being told, back when Republicans took the House of Representatives, that it was great news for the right because the House “controls the purse strings.” Theoretically, the House could shut down any cockamamie proposals pushed by Democrats by simply refusing to pay for them.

Uhhh … that doesn’t seem to be happening.

My question: Is House Speaker Mike Johnson just as bad (or weak, or corrupt) as predecessor Kevin McCarthy when it comes to reining in the left?

**

It seems that Republicans in Congress are no better than the Democrats. It seems that we are royally screwed. Especially if the country votes to re-elect this delusional clown:

**

If Trump is convicted in New York and ordered not to leave the state, does that mean that one presidential candidate will be campaigning from Trump Tower and the other from Biden’s basement?

**

I waited five years after the conclusion of HBO’s Game of Thrones, but due to popular demand, here at last is my review of it. (Spoiler alert: the dwarf does not end up on the throne.)

**

Just in case you were wondering whatever happened to the crazy lady who alarmed fellow airplane passengers about a man who “wasn’t real.”

That’s what I call milking your 15 minutes of fame.

13Apr

The Weekly Review: April 7 – 13

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Many years ago, when I was a lowly college student, I was walking with my roommate to a bar in downtown St. Cloud, Minnesota. As we progressed, we approached a group of people, two men and their two female dates.

As we passed the foursome, I was suddenly stopped in my tracks. My glasses went flying. Without halting and without any exchange of words, one of the dudes had punched me in the nose.

To say I was stunned would be an understatement.

So, I can relate to the women being randomly punched on city streets.

However, aside from our gender, there is one key difference between my random assault and theirs: I didn’t vote for it.

These young women, living in New York City and most likely liberal, probably voted for policies like sanctuary cities and jail reform. Now they are learning the consequences of their votes.

**

Like much of America, I got caught up in the hype over Caitlin Clark and wound up watching not one, but two women’s college basketball games.

It was entertaining.

Because I am an avowed dirty old man, I couldn’t help but notice Clark teammate Gabbie Marshall and a former player named Kelsey Plum, who was watching one game from the stands.

Marshall and Plum might not have Clark’s star power, but I discovered that they do have Instagram pages:

Gabbie Marshall

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Kelsey Plum watching the game

When a girl poses for a photo like the one above, she does realize that the focus of attention is her bum, does she not?

April must be camel-toe month at The Weekly Review (see last week).

**

Israel versus Everyone Else in the Middle East

Like most people on the Internet, I like to have opinions on current events.

But as for Israel and its enemies in the Middle East … I don’t have a clue.

I give up. You tell me.

06Apr

The Weekly Review: March 31 – April 6

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For most of my life, I’ve wondered about the good fortune of living in America. How could we have it so good, when so many parts of the world were so miserable? I always thought that the solution — or at least some semblance of a solution — depended on a combination of two things: charity to those countries most in need of it, and determined, results-driven diplomacy. In other words, raise the rest of the world up to the West’s standard of living.

Never in my wildest dreams did I suspect that there was such a powerful force, the global elites, plotting to achieve world parity by lowering the West’s standard of living to match the rest of the world. But that seems to be where we are.

**

Ranking The Traitors

I haven’t gotten this addicted to a TV show since I discovered Pawn Stars 12 years ago. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I have now watched all available (on Peacock) episodes of the first two seasons of The Traitors — British, United States, and Australia versions. I am currently immersed in season one of Traitors New Zealand.

For the uninitiated, all versions of this global phenomenon follow a similar formula. The format is basically Clue mixed with courtroom drama. Each night, one player is murdered; each evening, the Faithfuls attempt to unmask and banish Traitors at a contentious round-table meeting.

This is how I rank the versions:

Best — the U.K. version. I realize that many viewers love their reality-TV stars, but there is nothing quite like the genuine emotions expressed by the cast of “normies” on England’s Traitors. The potential prize money affects them more; their fellow contestants affect them more. They are not jaded celebrities playing the game just to get airtime. The result is television gold.

Second Best — United States version. If you’re unfamiliar with the “real housewives” on Bravo, or the stars of shows like Survivor or Big Brother, you might be underwhelmed by the cast. But the setting (a Scottish castle) and challenges are near-identical to its British cousin, which is a good thing. Host Alan Cumming has a large fan base, but to me he’s second to the U.K.’s Claudia Winkleman, who is Morticia Addams come to life.

Third Best — Australia version. The setting is different (an elegant, country hotel), but the host, players, and challenges are consistently amusing. What sets it apart the most, in my opinion, is that Australia’s Faithfuls are often mind-numbingly stupid — but endearingly so.

Worst — New Zealand’s version. The setting, a country lodge, is unimpressive. The players, who all seem to be radio hosts who know each other, are uninteresting. I dislike the pompous host. Everything seems to be a cheap knockoff of the shows from England, U.S., and Australia.

**

No question about which version of The Traitors has the hottest winner. (Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen Australia’s season one.)

Twenty-six-year-old Alexandra Duggan (above), a lesbian, took home the grand prize in Australia’s first season by, in part, charming the pants off her male castmates.

In the videos below, Alex charms the pants off The Grouchy Editor by sporting a string bikini and … oh, my. That looks like a camel toe in the first video, does it not?

**

Perhaps J.K. Rowling could avoid social-media squabbles with progressives if she would simply sign off on her posts with her initials.

For example: “You people are nothing but a motley collection of boobs and arses — JK!”

30Mar

The Weekly Review: March 24 – 30

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I glanced back at last week’s “Review,” and it struck me that the whole post was essentially a parade of horrors.

Let’s take a break from that unceasing misery and enjoy something that hasn’t really changed that much: celebrity T&A.

Above, Donald Trump’s pal looking fetching on a Caribbean beach. The girl, Trump attorney Alina Habba, looks good, too.

**

I’ve never thought Taylor Swift was particularly attractive, but she does nicely fill out (almost) a bikini.

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This is Amandla Stenberg, who stars in Bodies Bodies Bodies and, I hear, an upcoming Disney+ show called The Acolyte:

Posting pictures like the ones above has always been a not-so guilty pleasure here at The Grouchy Editor.

It’s a bummer to realize that with the increasing prevalence of A.I. and “deep fakes,” soon we won’t be able to tell whether these kinds of pics are the real deal … or fake.

23Mar

The Weekly Review: March 17 – 23

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“Civil War”

The early reviews are in for this much-anticipated film, and most of them are glowing.

I am of two minds about this. On the one hand, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a crackerjack thriller, and this sounds like a good one.

On the other hand, the movie’s protagonists are reportedly … members of the media.

If there is one profession that decidedly does not deserve the hero-treatment in 2024, it’s the media.

**

“We’re on the verge of insanity” — Victor Davis Hanson

If I didn’t know better, I would suspect that the Democrats, sensing a November election loss to Donald Trump, are doubling down on the insanity, hoping to inflict as much permanent damage as possible to the country in the months they have left in power. Some recent outrages:

Outrage 1

Terrorists, for sure. But don’t forget the child sex-traffickers.

Outrage 2

More evidence that whatever Joe Biden touches turns to shit — including Supreme Court appointments. This one believes, apparently, that government should rule with an iron fist over its citizens. You know, because the citizens work for government, not the other way around.

Outrage 3

Yeah, Biden, this one’s on you, too.

Outrage 4

Biden’s America. Sorry if that sounds like a broken record, but there it is.

Outrage 5

I live in Minnesota, which has a friendly rivalry with neighboring Iowa. But hats off to you on this one, Iowa.

**

Overrated Movies

Typically, when I see “click-bait” articles like this one, I just roll my eyes and move on. But I read this one about overrated movies and, to my surprise, I agreed with most of its conclusions.

**

Who was it that said, “Women acquire wisdom when, as they age, they realize the importance of logic; men acquire wisdom when, as they age, they realize the importance of compassion”?

Wait … that was me.

Aren’t I smart?

**

Some pundits on the political right also seem to have gone crazy:

Or does Candace Owens know something about the First Lady of France that we do not?

**

Too much doom and gloom. Let’s end this week on a more pleasant note. Like this picture of bathing beauty Riley Gaines.

16Mar

The Weekly Review: March 10 – 16

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I don’t know a whole lot of Gen Z people. I work with some of them. That’s about it.

But from what I have read about members of Gen Z, I suspect they might be a bit like Gen X.

Both groups followed flamboyant, frequently self-centered generations. Gen X came of age in the shadow of Boomers, and Gen Z is trailing the Millennials.

Gen Z and Gen X don’t get all the attention, but they don’t seem to mind. They appear more grounded to me, more level-headed than Boomers and Millennials. Also, some of my best friends are Gen X.

My heart goes out to Gen Z. It’s hard for them to buy a house or start a family. Society is crumbling. Institutions are untrustworthy. The so-called government “safety nets” are either gone or going to other people (or countries).

Of course, there is always the possibility that I am full of shit.

Let’s hope so, for Gen Z’s sake.

**

Oh, goodie. Can’t wait to see this.

Just kidding. The last time I watched a special Halloween broadcast involving ghosts and such, it was Britain’s “legendary” (100% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes) Ghostwatch — which has not aged well and wasn’t remotely scary.

But can the esteemed critics at Rotten Tomatoes all be mistaken? The short answer: yes.

09Mar

The Weekly Review: March 3 – 9

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(British) TV Tidbits

Sad news: I watched the series finale of Doc Martin (above) a few weeks ago. If there was an Andy Griffith Show for the 21st Century, this was it. I will miss the curmudgeonly doctor and everyone else in the picturesque village of Portwenn.

Good news: Peacock is finally showing the second season of The Traitors, British version. I continue to believe that this is superior to the American show because, instead of spoiled, camera-hungry reality-TV stars, we get regular folk (who could really use the cash prize) competing and displaying genuine emotion.

U.K. Traitors

Bad news: If the final “mission” on season two of the American Traitors is any indication, the physical competitions are clearly rigged.

The challenges nearly always come down to the final seconds, with our heroes emerging triumphant. The final mission of season two, in which contestants amazingly rappelled down a steep cliffside and swam through a water-filled cavern — all of this, according to the clock, in less than 15 minutes — was ridiculously unrealistic. If the missions are staged, what else about the show is fake?

Uncertain news: The return of Downton Abbey. Could be a welcome thing, could be a colossal mistake.

**

“Deadnaming”

What are we to call Elliot Page in his old movies? Because Page identified as, looked like, and played female characters in films like Inception, the logical thing to do is to use “Ellen Page” when talking or writing about those older movies.

If that makes certain people unhappy, tough shit.

IMDB rewriting history for us

**

Maher the Mockster

The venerable host prides himself on calling out conservative bullshit. So why does he so often become the butt of his own jokes? You know, like laughing at Ann Coulter when she (correctly) predicted that the Super Bowl shooter would not turn out to be a white male. Or mocking guest Dennis Prager for (correctly) stating that progressives insist that men can menstruate. Or generating big laughs from his audience when Maher failed to recognize the satire in Jack Prosobiec’s speech about “the end of democracy” at CPAC.

Maher clearly needs to drop politics and do what he really wants to do: get stoned on Club Random and shoot the breeze with his celebrity pals.

**

OK, I’ll swallow that. Because The Washington Post “fact checkers” are about as reliable as Bill Maher.