7 Days in Hell (movie, 2015)

7 Days in Hell

Very funny in spots, but needlessly pornographic, and the pornographic bits aren't funny.

Midnight Diner (movie, 2019)

Midnight Diner

Watched 2024.

Takes place in Shanghai, unlike the original series which takes place in Japan. The format is similar, and I liked the extra focus on the cooking. But the diner seemed to be open all the time, night and day. There were no memorable stories or characters. There is no indication that the setting was a Communist country. Sexist.

Dune: Part 2 (movie, 2024)

Dune: Part 2

Watched 2024.

Wow, this is one of the most boring movies of all time. Chalamet and Zendaya are OK as actors when the scene is dark (which is most of the movie), but once they are in the light, they look like middle school kids. It is practically impossible to tell one reverend mother from another. The best moment of the movie was when "Paul" tells one of the rev moms to shut up.

Vicar of Dibley: The Immaculate Collection (TV series, 1994-2020)

The Vicar of Dibley: The Immaculate Collection

Watched 2010-ish.

Lots of funny moments in each episode, with quirky (sometimes unrealistic) characters. Lots of racy humor and 1990s British pop culture references. Active churchgoers will find good church humor, and an occasional jab at the politics of the Church of England.

It is unclear why IMDB says this ran until 2020. Maybe there was a reunion episode or something like that.

UFO (TV series, 1970-71)

UFO

Watched reruns during the 1970s, then the full series in the 2000s.

Episode 1 showed great promise. 2-6 are OK, but many sloppy plot devices. Like, Straker complaining about security, but all locks are easily picked with a paper clip. The writers want to show the advances in race relations of the '60s, but women are treated like dirt. Still, there are some cool glimpses of the future from the eyes of the '60s, and it's so much fun to watch sci-fi TV without the Sci-Fi network's constant commercials. Final half of season 1 (there is only one season) was disappointing. 26 episodes in all. I was 12 in 1970, and all those short skirts are a schoolboy's dream.

The Walking Dead (TV series, 2010-22)

The Walking Dead

Watched 2013.

I watched season one and do not care to continue. There is no promise that the apocalypse can ever be truly resolved, only that these poor schlubs will trudge on from one zombie horde to the next, and from one useless survivor to the next. Battlestar Galactica 2004 is a better apocalypse series.

The Tudors (TV series, 2007-10)

The Tudors

Watched 2007-10.

Quite stylized with its ornate costumes and settings.

Season 1 - 6/10 - I didn't see much of peasant life outside the Court, and according to other reviews, there are historical inaccuracies. If you like soap opera melodramatics, you'll like this. Lots of fornication, but the language is not too bad. Season 1 ends as a cliffhanger with major issues unresolved.

Season 2 - 7/10 - Darker and better than season 1. Costumes remain lavish. Watch for a hilarious brief encounter between the Pope and Michelangelo (a welcome break from the grim storylines). I remain disappointed that there are no depictions of peasants and others outside of court, and it's hard to understand how much time is passing (which must be months between each episode). The season is overall 7/10, but the season 2 finale is one of the greatest hours of TV that you will ever see.

Season 3 - 8/10 - I'm glad that season 3 has many scenes with commoners, and not just nobility. Season 3 is as good as previous seasons, except nothing can compare with the final episode of season 2.

Season 4 - 7/10 - Light on the history and political intrigue, heavy on the s-e-x.