Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Amazing Grace (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes
Amazing Grace (2018): Documentary movie of Aretha Franklin's Gospel music concert from 1972. She was only 30 years old and at the top of her form. Watch it after 2021's Respect to better understand the context of the concert. Or just watch the Queen of Soul at her best. B-

#VeryTardyReview

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Respect (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes
Respect (2021): Biopic of Aretha Franklin. Broken family, strict father, abusive husband, personal demons that lead to overwork and alcohol. Aretha persists and becomes the Queen of Soul. Pedestrian start, but when it takes off, it soars. Jennifer Hudson does Aretha proud. B+

Monday, September 6, 2021

Cinderella (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes
Cinderella (2021): Modern spin on the classic fairytale with digs at society's sexism and even the role of the monarchy itself. Story-telling takes a back seat to the almost non-stop musical numbers, everything from Queen to Madonna to Salt-N-Pepa. Not original, but still fun. B-

Friday, September 3, 2021

Starstruck (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes
Starstruck (TV 2021): Romcom. Jessie, a struggling working woman in London, meets Tom, a movie star. Opposites attract. Instant chemistry. But she can't let herself be happy. Jessie is high maintenance. How you react to the series depends on your reaction to Rose Matafeo. B-

Thursday, September 2, 2021

POTD: Edfu Taxi of Sorts

From 2019 11 21 Kom Ombo and Edfu

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the the streets of Edfu, Egypt. It shows a popular way to get around, at least for tourists. I think the locals probably favor the tuktuks, the popular three-wheeled motorised mini-cabs. Notice the ribs of this poor horse. I didn't notice until after I got back home and had my film developed. (I exaggerate, but remember those days?) In any case, I didn't notice until we were back to the cruise ship from touring the ancient temple and noticed a crowd of locals gathered around one of these carriages. Apparently, its horse had collapsed and died. I'm not saying there isn't a role for horse-drawn carriages in the tourist industry in Egypt. I am saying that the government needs to tighten regulations so these horses are better fed.