Fleishman is in Trouble (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Fleishman is in Trouble (TV 2022): Autopsy of a failed marriage. Lots of talking. NY doctor and their two children are abandoned by his ex-wife without a word. Is she dead? Lots of blaming and whining. Story takes a turn halfway through. True to the novel, if not quite as good. B-

Read The Wheel's review of the novel: Fleishman is in Trouble.

Who's Running? Who's Not?

Source: Town of Ayer, Massachusetts.

Local elections in Texas will be held May 6. For me, that means City Council for the City of Richardson and Board of Trustees for the Richardson ISD. Like it or not, another election cycle is underway. Candidate information packets have been available for a week now. Applications for a place on the ballot can be filed as soon as January 18. So, who is likely to run?

Wednesday (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Wednesday (TV 2022): Wednesday Addams at boarding school for "outcasts." Show lacks charm of 1960s TV show which was the interaction of the creepy, kooky family with their normal neighbors. Instead we get a trite mystery/horror story about a monster in the woods. LGBTQ subtext, if there even is one, is botched. C-

Babylon (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Babylon (2022): Saying this is a remake of "Singin' in the Rain" isn't exactly wrong. It's an over-the-top depiction of debauched parties in Hollywood's silent film era. When the talkies come (an eternity into this too-long film), things turn really black. Margot Robbie is fantastic. Brad Pitt, not. B-

POTD: Ehrenfels Castle

From 2022 07 08 Braubach and Rhine

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Rüdesheim am Rhein, Germany. It's a view of another castle. It's for those who felt shortchanged by my last POTD showing nothing but a vineyard. Some people say that sailing the Rhine River is an ABC tour, where ABC stands for "Another Bloody Castle." Sometimes it seems that way, except when the castles are broken up by a medieval cathedral and the ABC becomes "Another Bloody Cathedral." But this is the last castle pic I'll show (I think). If you haven't had enough, click on the link under the photo to see them all.

POTD: Row Orientation of Vineyards

From 2022 07 08 Braubach and Rhine

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a vineyard in Germany along the Rhine River. According to Pennsylvania Agricultural History Project, "Contour plowing follows the contours of hills and slopes, rather than orienting crop rows up and down a slope. It is a technique that was popularized during the New Deal and afterwards in response to soil erosion. Contour plowing furrows run crosswise to the slope, slowing runoff and allowing the soil to absorb rainfall rather than wash away."

Harry & Meghan (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Harry & Meghan (2022): Six part documentary, mostly in their own words to their own benefit. Little news here, but overall, a smart, polished, effective PR effort. Biggest villains, in order: paparazzi, British tabloids, royals' press teams, other royals. The system is rotten. B+

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022): The plot is hard to explain, and I tried watching this twice. (I admit I dozed off each time, so maybe that's on me.) Maybe plot details are beside the point. All the actors are having so much fun, starting with Daniel Craig and his hilarious accent. C+

Moonshot (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Moonshot (2022): Not really sci-fi and definitely not about a moonshot (try Mars), this is a standard rom-com aimed at teens. Walt stows away with Sophie as she goes to Mars to rejoin a boyfriend. Forgettable adventuresa with a predicable outcome awaits. C+

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022): Stop-motion/live-action hybrid about, well, a shell with shoes on who happens to live in an AirBnB with a human who's filming a documentary about Marcel and his quest to find his family of other shells. Original, sweet, family-friendly. B+