More Netflix Reviews (2022)
30 NETFLIX SHOWS AND 30 REVIEWS IN 30 WORDS OR LESS (OR MORE)*
It’s been a while since I posted any Netflix reviews. So, it’s time for an update. Grades are based on a 1-10 scale. Listed in no particular order:
THE VOLCANO — I watched this show last night; a documentary about an island volcano in New Zealand that erupted unexpectedly in 2019 while dozens of tourists were trapped at the crater Many suffered steam burns from the intense burst of heat. Yummy! Human lobsters! A better film than expected. Grade-6.5
INSIDE MAN — Snooty Stanley Tucci steals the show in this three-part crime thriller series about a death row inmate/former psychiatrist who helps to solve other crimes while he awaits execution. Tucci is perfect, and the writing/dialogue is crisp and staccato-like in an Aaron Sorkin sort of way. Unfortunately, the plot gets muddled about midway through and we’re stuck with an implausible breakdown after a riveting start. Worse, an interesting theme is introduced but then isn’t explored further — namely that anyone is capable of committing terrible acts; all that’s needed is a “good reason and a bad day.” That idea deserves deeper scrutiny, but this show fumbles the premise it sets forth. Grade-6 LINK
BLACK MIRROR (SEASON 5) — Following the fallout of a brilliant debut season years ago, this (once) well-written series jumped a dozen sharks. Each season gets progressively worse — more forced, ridiculously outlandish, and seemingly desperate to try and shock us, without having much of any point or plot twists. Grade-2
DOCUMENTARY NOW — A fun faux mocumentary series with a dozen takeoffs of popular docs on music, sports, politics, etc. Low budget, but pretty good with lots of insider jokes, assuming you’ve seen the originals. More hits than misses and just as many laughs as dead-air moments. Helen Mirren, cast as the ultra-serious mock host is perfect. Grade-7 LINK
EMILY IN PARIS (SEASON 2) — Season 1 of this surprisingly well-crafted rom-com series was fantastic. A cute twentysomething American woman lands a job in Paris and then plays out every stereotype about both cultures. Loved the first year, then watched the first few episodes of Season 2, and it’s not the same show. Must have lost the good writers or simply run out of good ideas. A crushing disappointment. Grade-3
COUNT ME IN — Documentary about rock drummers; pretty much hits every high note and covers all the bases. Some good stories from fellow musicians and industry insiders, most previously unseen. Interesting take on how the art of drumming is perceived and deciphered. Grade-7
MANIFEST — What a flaming pile of dead roach dung. A painful viewing experience. Wife forced me to watch this indecipherable schlock. Dystopian mystery with unlikeable characters. By the third episode, it had me yelling at the TV. Marieta got mad, left, went upstairs, and finished watching without me. Grade-0
FIREPLACE FOR YOUR HOME — I love it! 90 minutes of nothing but a burning fireplace filmed in HD, with the sounds of crackling logs, yellow and blueish flames — looks like a real fireplace but without the smoke and cleanup. Sorta’ like Dog TV, but it’s a fireplace. Far better than watching MANIFEST. Grade-10 (for what it is)
Watch:
SABASTIAN MANISCALCO (“IS IT ME?”) — Loved his previous three Netflix stand-up comedy specials. This latest performance was filmed at Wynn Las Vegas last March (I almost went, but didn’t want to shell out $190 x 2 to see a comedian). He’s one of the best stand-ups working today, but this was his weakest effort, by far. Still hysterical in parts, but far from Maniscalco at his best. Grade-5.5 LINK
PEPSI WHERE’S MY JET? — Clever documentary that will make you laugh and also leave you mad at the same time. About the true story where a young Pepsi drinker decided to try to win a real Harrier military jet advertised in a wacky 1980s “Pepsi-Challenge” ad campaign. Nobody thought he could do it, but then he did. Pepsi does what dickheaded corporations always do. I’ll let you watch and see the rest. Grade-8
FIFA UNCOVERED — Speaking of dickheads, let’s talk about FIFA. What a corrupt cabal of hammerheads. Once big money started flowing into FIFA’s coffers, soccer’s governing overseers start lining their pockets. Filthy people and organization. Part 1 is outstanding, but by Part 3, it runs out of steam. Grade-6
HARRY AND MEGHAN — Ha, I fooled you! The last thing I’d ever waste my princely time on is a 6-part series about drama queens and forced dysfunctional victimhood. So, the two royal lovebirds want a “normal life?” Great! Then, get your asses the fuck off TV and stop milking the public with 6-hour exposes loaded with bitching about all your winey-ass royal problems. I’d watch MANIFEST before I let this into the house. Grade-N/A (didn’t watch)
D.B. COOPER-WHERE ARE YOU? — Oh great! Yet another show on D.B. Cooper, the hijacker who parachuted out of an airliner at 15,000-ft. in 1971 with $200,000 tucked in a knapsack, who does a Houdini and hasn’t been seen since. Do we really need a 5-part show on the Cooper story, each episode taking us down another dead end? Spoiler: The mystery isn’t solved. Grade: 5
BANK ROBBERS: THE LAST GREAT HEIST — Terrifically entertaining, suspenseful, and funny. True crime documentary about a 2006 robbery of an Argentinian bank. Brilliant caper, in which the thieves (kinda’) got away with stealing millions. With subtitles, but one of the best shows of its kind. The thieves are so clever and honest reflecting on the heist that you can’t help but cheer them on. My highest recommendation. Note: Do not miss the ending, which has a splendid unexpected twist. Grade-10. LINK
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND — Documentary on psychedelics. Far more interesting than just a medical show, with profound revelations about consciousness, death, addiction, depression, and even transcendence. I’ve never been into the notion of mind-altering experiences, but watching this was as revealing a journey as you can take without partaking in the controversial practice. Very well done. Grade-8.5
TRUST NO ONE: THE HUNT FOR THE CRYPTO KING — Based on actual events that happened just a year or two ago, but already feels outdated given the mega crash of the funny money scam known as “crypto” and more recent tumbling dominos of scandals. This documentary traces the events surrounding the death of a scumbag named Gerry Cotten who embezzled $250 million. Delightfully joyous for those of us who love seeing nerdy greedy 26-year-olds who dream of getting rich quick without working crash and burn in a heaping pile of dead tulips. Grade-7
FANTASTIC FUNGI — Insanely clever and mesmerizing time-lapse journey about the magical, mysterious and medicinal world of fungi (what we call mushrooms) and their power to heal, sustain, and contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth. A remarkably insightful, beautiful, inspiring show–and I don’t even like mushrooms. Grade-9 LINK
THE SECRET OF SKYWALKER RANCH — Another marital dispute arose from this shitshow-series, which is painfully deceptive and manipulative. In the same vein as popular TV shows about ghosts, fortune tellers, and ancient aliens, pseudoscience gets whipped into a blender and poured over Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, who keeps feeding a susceptible audience that can’t seem to get enough of this garbage. Total fucking shit. Grade-2 (I give it 2 instead of 0 because it’s sooooooo bad, that it’s entertaining in parts).
MY NEXT GUEST — True confession….I was never a big David Letterman fan. But since he retired from CBS, he’s become “must watch” TV (Netflix) for his unscripted guests and interviews. Letterman shines in a one-on-one dialogue format where real depth can be explored, and the masses don’t need constant feeding with cheap laughs. dumbed-down manipulation, and mindless sound bites (translation-any late-night talk show nowadays). It’s as though Letterman finally gets to do what he always wanted. All the guests are interesting–the best so far might be with Jerry Seinfeld who jointly discuss the current state and future of comedy. Grade-9.5 LINK
MAN VS. BEE — I love Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson). But this was an abomination. Criminally unfunny. Gave up after sitting in stone silence and utter disbelief after just 25 minutes. Grade-1.5
HOW TO BECOME A TYRANT — Well-done history series on all the major dictators and evil dudes that did lots of bad shit in the past 100 years. You know the usual suspects — Hitler, Stalin, Mao. However, the best episodes are on lesser-covered despots including Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, and others. Show does a nice job tracing common themes that all tyrants share (Trump fits the narrative to a capital T). Grade-7
PAUL HOLLYWOOD’S BIG CONTINENTAL ROAD TRIP — I loved this show! Don’t be misled by the subject matter. It’s about cars, but is far more revealing. Paul Hollywood, better known as a haughty British celebrity chef, visits several European countries and shows how the cars they produce are reflective of the people and cultures. Hits every high point for entertainment, humor, and being informative. Only negative is–this series ran for only one season. It should have been continued and gone to other parts of the world. Grade-8.5
DON’T PICK UP THE PHONE — Slimy series about a pervert who terrorized hundreds of fast food joints and their employees over several years, posing as a policeman over the phone, and then committing sexual acts with the person unlucky enough to have taken the call (hence the DON’T PICK UP THE PHONE! title). Gruesomely car-crash entertaining if you’re in the mood for a “what the fuck were they thinking?” type of show. Grade-6
STUTZ — Actor-comedian Jonah Hill goes totally goes off script and out of character from the funny goofball we’re used to seeing in this brave and often provocative “therapy session.” Hill directed and stars in what was an apparently unrehearsed back-and-forth exchange that flips the typical doctor-patient dynamic upside down. With Hill’s actual therapist (Phil Stutz), we’re treated to a humorous, vulnerable, and ultimately therapeutic revelation. The talky duo won’t appeal to everyone, but for those who are introspective, there are several questions and moments worth pondering. Drags in some places, but this is the kinda TV we need much more of — risky, revealing, and brutally honest. Grade-8
THE REDEEM TEAM — Documentary on the 2008 U.S. Mens Olympic Basketball Team. A fuckpile of forced drama and unbearable jingoism, we’re led to believe that a basketball team comprised of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, and Carmelo Anthony was somehow going to lose to Greece at the Olympic Games. I hated that team in 2008 and despise this fawning flag-humping attempt to somehow craft a suspenseful story out of a lopsided ass-kicking. It’s like being entertained by a public execution. Grade-1 (full disclosure-I turned it off after 35 minutes)
THE MYSTERY OF MARYLIN MONROE — Good Gawd, almighty…..did we really need yet another TV show (series) about Marilyn Monroe and her so-called “mysterious” death? Late one night, I flipped it on totally out of curiosity. Big mistake. Minutes later, I woke up Marieta sleeping upstairs from laughing and arguing with the TV. Some Like It Hot? I think not. Grade-1.5
TRAINWRECK WOODSTOCK ’99 — Marvelously funny train wreck of a rock shitshow that was the attempted redux of Woodstock ’69, some 30 years later in ’99 at an abandoned air base in western New York. The story of how the rock concert gradually deteriorates into complete chaos is told in a three-part retrospective with concertgoers, musicians, and show producers. Wildly funny and entertaining. Best line (from a girl who was 19 at the time and is interviewed about the horror of the show- no food, no water, no crowd control, stage set on fire -20 years later): Question: You almost died. So, would you do it all over again? Girl: Hell yeah! Grade-8.5
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Read my other NETFLIX REVIEWS here.
