The Reel Dr. Bob

1) YESTERDAY– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “While he’s still looking for his big break, musician Jack Malik gets hit by a bus during a global blackout. But when he wakes up to find he’s the lone person on Earth who knows of the Beatles and their songbook, Jack has a huge chance at stardom.”

6/25/19- Weak reviews for this comedy/drama. TRDB.

7/21/19- Fluff with lots of Beetles music. You can safely skip it. TRDB.

1) NEVER LOOK AWAY– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this absorbing drama based loosely on the life of visual artist Gerhard Richter, an art student trying to get past the trauma of growing up in Nazi Germany falls for a fellow student. But her father — an ex-Nazi — is bent on keeping them apart.”

1/25/19- OK reviews for this very long drama. TRDB.

7/20/19- I enjoyed this movie- both the characters and the story. Some reviewers said it reminded them of a mini-series. TRDB. Netflix Disc.

2) 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.

7/23/19- I enjoyed this movie very much. Comcast On-Demand.

1) LONG SHOT– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Like many a child, journalist Fred Flarsky had an unrequited crush on his baby sitter. Years later, after she’s become one of the most famous and respected women in the world, Fred decides to make his move.”

5/1/19- Very good reviews for this comedy. TRDB.

5/3/19- Good for a few laughs and that’s about it. TRDB.

2) MEETING GORBACHEV– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Co-directed by prolific filmmaker Werner Herzog, this admiring documentary takes a look at the Soviet Union’s last leader, Mikhail Gorbachev — a charismatic statesman who initiated reforms that led to the end of the Cold War and changed the world.”

5/3/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

1) DAVID CROSBY: REMEMBER MY NAME– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this illuminating documentary, trailblazing rocker David Crosby shares — with brutal candor — a slew of personal observations and reminiscences from a 50-year musical career that’s far from over.”

7/19/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

2) THE LION KING– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this photorealistic reworking of the 1994 classic, lion cub prince Simba flees his African kingdom after falling prey to his Uncle Scar’s treachery. But years later, Simba must return to take his place as the leader of the Pride Lands.”

7/19/19- Poor reviews by the critics but audiences have enjoyed it. TRDB.

3) A FAITHFUL MAN– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “After reconnecting with Marianne — who left him nine years ago to marry his best friend — Parisian journalist Abel finds his suspicions aroused as her scheming young son plants the idea that the now-widowed Marianne poisoned her hubby.”

7/19/19- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

4) I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BABARIANS– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “This dark satire follows ambitious theater director Mariana Marin as she attempts to stage an elaborate re-enactment of the tragic 1941 Odessa massacre. But she quickly encounters opposition from a municipal bureaucrat and a rebellious cast.”

7/19/19- Excellent reviews for this foreign drama. TRDB.

5) TINY: THE LIFE OF ERIN BLACKWELL– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Thirty years in the making, Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell continues to follow one of the most indelible subjects of Streetwise, a groundbreaking documentary on homeless and runaway teenagers.

7/19/19- Just 1 review noted and it is very good. TRDB.

6) BOTTOM OF THE  9th.- Synopsis by Netflix. “Once a promising baseball player with a bright future and a beautiful girlfriend, Sonny Stano instead ended up in prison paying for a deadly mistake. Out of jail 18 years later, he’s ready to take another shot at a professional baseball career.”

7/19/19- Mixed reviews at best. TRDB.

7) CASSANDRO THE EXOTICO– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “This biographical documentary about Mexican wrestler Cassandro — known as the “Liberace of lucha libre” — captures the flamboyant, openly gay legend in the sunset of his career, as his body flags but his spirit continues to soar.”

7/19/19- Few reviews noted now but they are mostly very good. TRDB.

8) ROSIE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Already having trouble making ends meet, Rosie and John Paul are left homeless when their landlord sells their rented house. Over the next 36 hours, the couple struggles to find shelter for their family while trying to retain some sense of stability.”

7/19/19- Excellent reviews for this drama. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) SHE’S JUST A SHADOW– Miserable reviews.

2) LUZ– Not my kind of movie and probably not yours either.

1) ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Actor Rick Dalton once starred in a hit TV Western, but six years after the show’s demise, his career has faded. As Rick and his stunt double, Cliff Booth, try to reinvent themselves, all hell is about to break loose at neighbor Sharon Tate’s house.”

7/16/19- Very good reviews for this comedy/drama by Quentin Tarantino. TRDB.

2) THE OTHER STORY– Clearview 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Raised a secular Jew, Anat Abadi seems to be on the path to ultra-Orthodox zealotry when she joins a seminary and announces her upcoming marriage to a devout musician. But her relatives are having none of it, especially her grandfather.”

6/28/19– Fair to good reviews. TRDB.

1) THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Having spent his early years in a San Francisco house his grandfather built — and which the family later lost — Jimmie yearns to return to that home. So, when the residence becomes vacant, he hatches a plan to reclaim it.”

6/7/19- Great reviews from everybody. TRDB.

2) AMAZING GRACE- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “More than 40 years after Aretha Franklin delivered two spellbinding nights of gospel music at a Baptist church in Los Angeles, this documentary — long shelved because of technical problems — takes viewers back to the legendary concerts.”

12/7/18- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

4) THE SILENCE OF OTHERS– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Thanks to an amnesty law passed in Spain in 1977, the perpetrators of atrocities committed during Gen. Francisco Franco’s despotic reign have gone largely unpunished. This documentary follows a six-year quest to find justice for some of the victims.”

5/8/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.