A Real Pain (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

A Real Pain (2024): Dramedy. Cousins take trip to Poland to visit their Jewish grandmother's homeland. A vacation from hell: one cousin (Jesse Eisenberg) exhibits OCD and the other (Kieran Culkin) is irresponsible and lacks self-control. Culkin dominates every scene. Oscar buzz is deserved. B-

Hulu

Thelma (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Thelma (2024): 93-year-old grandma gets scammed out of $10,000. Police are no help, her family are useless, so she undertakes to get the money back herself. Like Mr. Magoo, she keeps running up against obstacles, but somehow keeps going. Light-hearted comedy for the whole family. C+

Hulu

Council Recap: No Video of Charter Review

Source: h/t DALL-E.

On February 17, 2025, the Richardson City Council discussed the potential video recording of Charter Review Commission meetings. Some questioned the need. Some the cost. Some were concerned about the fairness to Commissioners who did not anticipate being recorded. Councilmember Dan Barrios argued for recording the remaining meetings due to the Commission's significance. Councilmember Jennifer Justice made a motion to leave the current situation as it is (no video), with future Commissions informed in advance of whatever was decided at that time. The motion passed 4-3, with Mayor Pro Tem Arefin, and Councilmembers Dan Barrios and Joe Corcoran opposed. Kudos to them for taking the side of increased transparency.

Read on for details of the arguments.

Kinda Pregnant (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Kinda Pregnant (2025): Woman's dream of marriage and a baby falls apart, so she hatches a fake pregnancy plan. I don't know where it goes from there because I didn't finish the movie. Full of crude jokes and what's maybe worse, unfunny. Amy Schumer is better than this. F+

Netflix

The Substance (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Substance (2024): TV fitness instructor sells her soul for a drug promising restored youth. A satire of Hollywood's treatment of women that starts small but grows increasingly over-the-top, grotesque, even comically absurd. An instant cult classic whose last 30 minutes leave you wondering WTF. It's great but is it any good? B+

Prime