The Reel Dr. Bob

OCTOBER 11, 2018

DEAR FRIENDS-

YOU CAN ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND PAST ISSUES AT MY WEBSITE- www.thereeldrbob.com

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) PRIVATE LIFE– Netflix Streaming

2) THE FINAL YEAR– Netflix Disc.

3) A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN– Amazon Prime

4) THE BOY DOWNSTARIS– Comcast On-Demand

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER- NONE

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) THE FINAL YEAR– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Enjoying rare access to Barack Obama and some of his top aides during the last year of his presidency, filmmaker Greg Barker captures the urgency of White House foreign policy experts as they hasten to cement Obama’s global legacy.”

1/19/17- Very good reviews from the critics and poor ones from audiences. TRDB.

10/17/18- I enjoyed the movie especially seeing the intense work done by Obama’s subordinates. TRDB. Netflix Disc.

2) PRIVATE LIFE– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “The struggle to start a family has nearly derailed Richard and Rachel, who’ve pursued everything from fertility treatments to adoption to become parents. But the couple sees a new option when their stepniece pays a surprise visit.”

10/4/18- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

10/6/18- I agree. This movie was excellent- both the acting and the screenplay. A very good handling of an emotional subject. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

3) A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this fact-based drama, boxer Billy Moore travels to Thailand to start a new life but quickly lapses back into old habits that land him in prison. To survive the ordeal, he must learn the deadly sport of Muay Thai boxing.”

8/10/18- Excellent reviews by both audiences and critics. TRDB.

10/7/18- The beginning of this movie was just so violent that I could not continue watching. Maybe you will have better luck. TRDB. Amazon Prime

4) FINDING YOUR FEET– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Smugly confident, Sandra Abbott gets a shock when she learns that her longtime husband is sleeping with her best friend. Taking refuge with her free-spirited sister, Sandra grudgingly tags along to a dance class — where she experiences an awakening.”

3/30/18- Good reviews by the critics and weak ones from audiences. TRDB.

10/8/18- This movie was fun at times and worth viewing. Not great by any stretch. TRDB. Netflix Disc.

5) THE BOY DOWNSTAIRS– 2018- Synopsis by Netflix. “Returning to New York City after living in London, aspiring writer Diana begins the nightmarish effort to find an apartment. When she finally finds the ideal digs, there’s one catch: The man whose heart she broke lives one floor below.”

2/15/18- Mixed reviews at best but I’d give it a try. TRDB.

10/9/18- The movie was fair but had enough good parts to make it enjoyable. TRDB.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, OCT. 16-

1) NOVEMBER- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in a pagan Estonian village, this surreal tale centers on a love triangle among a peasant girl, a cocky stable boy and a sleepwalking baroness. Meanwhile, the approach of winter prompts the inhabitants to steal food and supplies from one another.”

2/22/18- Excellent reviews for this movie that I usually wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole. TRDB.

2) SOLLERS POINT– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Out of prison but under house arrest, petty criminal Keith is living at his dad’s Baltimore house while waiting to rejoin the community. But as Keith tries to get on the right track, past connections keep drawing him back to his former life.”

5/18/18- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

3) BOUNDARIES– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “With her teenage son in tow, single mom Laura embarks on a road trip she knows will be hellish: picking up her pot-dealer dad from the nursing home he’s been kicked out of and driving him cross-country to her sister’s house.”

6/19/18- Weak reviews but I love road movies and I will try to see this one, starring Christopher Plummer. TRDB.

4) WHITNEY– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Whitney Houston’s stunning voice made her a pop-world icon and spawned a career that lasted from the mid-1980s through her tragic death in 2012. This comprehensive documentary charts the singer’s triumphant career and turbulent private life.”

7/4/18- Very good reviews by the critics and fairly good ones from audiences as well. TRDB.

5) GENERATION WEALTH– 2018.  Synopsis by Netflix. “For many, the American Dream has become a nightmare, with the quest for material possessions outpacing people’s earning potential. Using her 25-year body of work, photographer and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield examines our wealth-obsessed society.”

7/19/18- Poor reviews. TRDB.

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

NEW ON DEMAND-

1) RBG– Excellent! Don’t miss it

2) DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET THAT FAR ON FOOT– Very good reviews

3) A CROOKED SOMEBODY– Fair reviews (see new openings below)

REPEATS-

1) TEA WITH THE DAMES– Very good reviews

2) WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR– I saw this and liked it very much

3) LOVE, GILDA– Very good reviews

4) DAMSEL– I enjoyed it

5) THE CHILDREN ACT- I liked this very much

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OPENED LAST WEEK-

1) MOYNIHAN– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “A four-term U.S. senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan was also a policy specialist and a venerated social thinker. This insightful documentary looks at Moynihan’s humble Depression-era roots, his singular career and his evolution of ideas.”

10/3/18- Just 1 review noted today and it sounds OK. TRDB.

2) THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION– Synopsis by Netflix. “This engaging documentary charts the life of one of cinema’s great creative forces: Buster Keaton. Beginning his career in vaudeville, he was later hailed as a master director whose talent for physical comedy and optical trickery changed filmmaking.”

10/3/18- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

3) THE HATE U GIVE– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Though Starr Carter lives in a lower-income black neighborhood, she attends a largely white prep school. When she sees a longtime friend shot by a white police officer, Starr finds herself caught between two worlds as she tries to do the right thing.’

10/4/18- Excellent reviews!! TRDB.

4) STUDIO 54– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “This riveting documentary charts the rise and fall of New York City’s Studio 54, the nightclub of choice for countless celebrities in the late 1970s. But the venue’s three years of glory came to an end when its founders were indicted for tax evasion.”

10/4/18- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

5) WAJIB- 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Abu Shadi (Mohammad Bakri) is a divorced father and a school teacher in his mid-60s living in Nazareth. After his daughter’s wedding in one month he will be living alone. Shadi (Saleh Bakri), his architect son, arrives from Rome after years abroad to help his father to hand-deliver the wedding invitations to each guest, which is the local Palestinian custom. As the estranged pair spend the day together, the tense details of their relationship come to a head challenging their fragile and very different lives.”

9/20/18- After a somewhat tedious first half this movie came alive and I enjoyed it very much. Seen as part of the Arab Film Festival at the Jacob Burns Film Center. TRDB.

6) WOBBLE PALACE– Synopsis by Netflix. 2018. Just before the 2016 election, millennial couple Eugene and Jane decide that their open relationship isn’t open enough and begin splitting up their shared household, which leads to a series of misadventures — amorous and otherwise.

10/4/18- Reviews were basically good from most critics. TRDB.

7) AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix.” For the Milgram family enclosed by a strange black substance. As tensions rise, the clan starts to act on their worst impulses.”

10/4/18- Great reviews for this horror movie– so great that I might have to see it. TRDB.

8) PRIVATE LIFE-2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “The struggle to start a family has nearly derailed Richard and Rachel, who’ve pursued everything from fertility treatments to adoption to become parents. But the couple sees a new option when their stepniece pays a surprise visit.”

10/4/18- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

10/6/18- I agree. This movie was excellent- both the acting and the screenplay. A very good handling of an emotional subject. TRDB.

9) BAYOU CAVIAR– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Once a boxing champion, Rodney Jones is now a nightclub bouncer — who resorts to partnering with a photographer and an ambitious starlet to make a compromising sex tape of a married real-estate magnate.”

10/4/18- Just 2 reviews so far and neither is particularly favorable. The premise sounds interesting. TRDB.

10) ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’s JOURNEY TO TOMORROW– 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. ” ABOVE AND BEYOND celebrates NASA’s many accomplishments in space and catapults viewers forward to where it’s headed in the future.”

10/4/18- Just 2 reviews noted so far and they are fair at best for this documentary. TRDB.

11) TROUBLE– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Estranged for years, middle-aged siblings Maggie and Ben renew their bitter rivalry when they begin a battle over the family estate. Before long, Ben resorts to skullduggery as he hatches a scheme to get back his half of the property.”

10/4/18- Fair reviews. TRDB.

12) A CROOKED SOMEBODY– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Phony psychic Michael Vaughn specializes in convincing audiences that he can contact their dead friends and relatives. But when a man desperate to reach beyond the grave kidnaps Michael, he sees an opportunity for nationwide media fame.”

10/5/18- Fair reviews. TRDB.

13)  SHINE– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Salsa is the tie that binds in this tale of two brothers — both acclaimed dancers from Spanish Harlem — who become estranged after their dad’s death. But when they later reconnect, they end up on opposite sides of a gentrification battle.”

10/4/18- Just 2 reviews– 1 poor and 1 fair. Sounds OK to me. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) VIKING DESTINY– Awful reviews. TRDB.

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) FIRST MAN– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury. 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “When America needed a hero, test pilot turned astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped up to the plate, becoming the first person to walk on the moon. This absorbing biopic recounts his extraordinary journey and the sacrifices demanded of him along the way.”

10/9/18- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

2) THE SAMUEL PROJECT– Cinema 100. 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “While dreaming of becoming a professional artist, high school senior Eli begins working on a project to animate the story of his estranged grandfather, Samuel. In the process, Eli uncovers a surprising tale of survival and heroism.”

10/9/18- Just 2 reviews so far and they are fair. TRDB.

3) FREE SOLO– Jacob Burns. 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this “cliff-hanging” documentary, rock climber Alex Honnold prepares for and undertakes the most daunting challenge of his life: becoming the first person to free-solo climb (without ropes or safety gear) the face of Yosemite’s El Capitan.”

9/29/18- Excellent reviews and I look forward to seeing this movie. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) THE OLD MAN & THE GUN– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Cinema 100. Very good reviews

2) COLETTE- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Cinema 100. I liked this movie very much

3) TEA WITH THE DAMES– Cinema 100. Very good reviews

4) THE WIFE– Cinema 100. A great movie

5) A STAR IS BORN– Bethel, Danbury

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-

1) A STAR IS BORN– Very good reviews

2) TEA WITH THE DAMES-Very good reviews

3) A SIMPLE FAVOR– Not really my type of movie but it did get pretty good reviews. 

B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY-

1) FIRST MAN– Very good early reviews

2) A STAR IS BORN– Very good reviews

3) TEA WITH THE DAMES– Very good reviews

4) THE SAMUEL PROJECT– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “While dreaming of becoming a professional artist, high school senior Eli begins working on a project to animate the story of his estranged grandfather, Samuel. In the process, Eli uncovers a surprising tale of survival and heroism.”

10/9/18- Just 2 reviews so far and they are fair. TRDB.

5) COLETTE– I saw this and liked it very much

6) THE OLD MAN & THE GUN– Very good reviews-

C) THE STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) TEA WITH THE DAMES– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Acclaimed actresses Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Eileen Atkins — all Dames of the British Empire — gather for a captivating conversation that includes reminiscences, gossip and untold tales about their stage and film careers.”

9/21/18- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

2) ALL ABOUT NINA– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “As fearless as she is onstage, edgy stand-up comic Nina Geld is a mess when it comes to her personal life. But after Nina moves to Los Angeles, she meets quiet contractor Rafe, who promptly upends most of her assumptions about life.”

9/28/18- Very good reviews. TRDB.

D) THE LIVING ROOM THEATERS AT FAU IN BOCA RATON-

1) A STAR IS BORN– Very good reviews for this remake of the classic

2) COLETTE- I liked this movie very much

3) NO DATE, NO SIGNATURE- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “When forensic pathologist Kaveh Nariman injures a young boy in a vehicle mishap, his father declines Kaveh’s offer of medical assistance. But after the child turns up dead days later, seemingly from botulism, Kaveh’s conscience begins to gnaw at him.”

10/3/18- Excellent reviews for this Iranian drama. TRDB.

4) TEA WITH THE DAMES– Very good reviews

5) THE WIFE– I really liked this movie very much

LOVE, GILDA and MEMOIR OF WAR ARE BEING SHOWN HERE WITH LIMITED SCREENINGS