Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Doctor Who (1963) 15.06.03

The Invasion of Time - Part Three

The Doctor explains to the Time Lords that the Vardans, the creatures who just materialized, are in charge now. The Doctor and Borusa meet in the Doctor's newly redecorated office. It is lined in lead which provides the barrier he needs to finally tell Borusa what's going on.

Leela and Rodan make their way out of the Citadel and into the wilderness that surrounds the city. They run into Andred as they are leaving the Citadel. They meet other people, savages, in the wilderness led by a man named Nesbin.

The Doctor speaks to Castellan Kelner and has him make a list of any Time Lords who might cause trouble. The Doctor then asks Kelner to have them rounded up and expelled from the Citadel. The Vardans express some doubt when it comes to the Doctor's plans but he explains that the expelled Time Lords won't stand a chance in the wilderness.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Paranoia Agent 1.02

The Golden Shoes

The investigation into the mysterious assailant continues. An accusatory finger gets pointed at Yuichi Taira, the most popular 6th grader in his elementary school. He goes from being the person that everyone wants to know and hang out with to a pariah. He was running for president of the student council. His only competition was Shogo Ushiyama, a new kid in school who is overweight and lousy at sports.

Yuichi starts to have a mental breakdown. He starts hallucinating. The hallucinations get worse as the episode progresses. His mother throws a birthday party for him but none of his classmates show up. On the day of the student council election he stays in bed and refuses to go to school. The episode ends with Yuichi getting attacked by Shonen Bat.

The Bigamist (1953)

The Bigamist (1953)

starring Joan Fontaine, Edmond O’Brien, Ida Lupino, Edmund Gwenn
directed by Ida Lupino

80 minutes

Harry (Edmond O’Brien) and Eve Graham (Joan Fontaine) are looking to adopt a child because they are unable to have one of their own. The adoption agency puts Mr. Jordan (Edmund Gwenn) in charge of vetting them. He discovers, in the process of looking into their background, that Harry has a second wife. Harry explains his situation to Jordan, once Jordan has cornered him. 

Harry and Eve had been married for a little over seven years when he met Phyllis (Ida Lupino), his second wife. He didn’t tell Phyllis when they met that he was already married. He kept that fact from her until she inadvertently discovered that he had been seen with another woman, Eve. He wanted to tell Eve and get a divorce but circumstances made it difficult for him to do that.

Monday, March 18, 2024

Moonlighting 2.01

Brother, Can You Spare a Blonde?

Maddie needs to come up with $35,000 in a hurry or else the IRS is going to seize her house. Richard, David's brother, comes to town. He is loaded, with cash which he found in his car. He doesn't say anything to David and Maddie about how he got the money. He lets them think that he came by it honestly.

David borrows $37,000 from Richard. The next day he gives the money to Maddie. He tells her that he found it in an old bank account that the detective agency has that he forgot. Maddie is very grateful and doesn't question David's story. Ms. DiPesto is another story. The agency only has one bank account that she knows of.

Mr. Navarone, the man who left the money ($100,000) in Richard's car, travels from Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA looking for Richard and the money. He gets the two Addison brothers mixed up. He assaults David in the bathroom outside of the Blue Moon Detective Agency's offices.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Frida (2002)

Frida (2002)

starring Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina
directed by Julie Taymor

122 minutes

This is the story of Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) from the time she was crippled in a bus crash until she died. Her husband Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) plays a big part in the story. The movie is a feast visually. The threads that run through it are Frida's relationship with Diego and her artwork.

I've seen some of Frida Kahlo's artwork here and there but I am not very familiar with it. The movie in some ways feels like it was made primarily to bring Frida's artwork to the masses. I think it stretches and tries to cover a little too much ground in terms of Frida's life. It is not in my experience uncommon for biopics to do that. It does get a little exhausting, especially in the last 30-40 minutes.

I'm glad I've seen this movie. I don't love it. It didn't give me a lot to think about. It is visually stunning. I couldn't help but feel that the scenes in Mexico should have, for the most part, been in Spanish.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Wonder Woman (1974)

Wonder Woman (1974)

starring Cathy Lee Crosby
directed by Vincent McEveety

75 minutes

Princess Diana (Cathy Lee Crosby) must track down a missing set of books that contain the names of the United States' top secret agents. Abner Smith (Ricardo Montalban), the mastermind behind the theft of the books, send some of his agents to prevent Wonder Woman from accomplishing her mission. Steve Trevor, her boss, provides assistance and guidance but leaves most of the work up to Wonder Woman.

Mr. Smith's agents aren't quite up the task of dealing with Wonder Woman so he recruits Ahnjayla, one of her sisters, to help him stop her. George, Abner's right hand man, double crosses his own subordinates (Cass and Bob) and tries to do the same to Abner. George's boss proves to be a little more resourceful than George realized. 

Friday, March 15, 2024

Un Village Français 4.02

A Jour Sans Pain
or A Day Without Bread

Most of the Jewish people at the school are hungry but a few of them have food which they refuse to share with the others. Judith Morhange is made the spokesperson for the the people being held at the school. She gets a chance to talk to Jules Bériot. He can't offer much in the way of support. He has problems of his own.

The gendarmes decide that they need to store some mechanical supplies in the basement of the school. The printing press is still there. Bériot is given three hours to get the place cleared out. He talks to Crémieux about it. Crémieux has problems of his own. He needs to get his wife out of town because she is Jewish and originally from Austria.