If You Like Documentaries... (2026)

[I review the Academy Award winning "All The Empty Rooms" as well as the true crime documentary "Murder in Monaco" and "Naked Ambition," the story of pin-up photographer Bunny Yeager]

All the Empty Rooms (2025)

News essayist Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp memorialize the untouched bedrooms of children lost to school shootings.

Steve Hartman is an American broadcast journalist best known for his coverage of human interest stories for CBS News.  He is often called in for a "feel good" moment to end the broadcast, especially after bad events so that viewers can feel positive about the world again. 

However, with the ever increasing number of school shootings and usually sensationalized news about the shooter, Hartman felt we were becoming numb to it all. Hartman decided his feel good optimism was no longer enough.  He came up with the idea to highlight the dead children instead of the shooter, so he and photographer Lou Bopp embarked upon a trip across the country memorializing the bedrooms of children lost to school shootings. He has been doing this for seven years and this film, directed and produced by Joshua Seftel, highlights the last four children and their bedrooms on this journey of his, and the film won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short at this year's Academy Awards. 

The children featured in the film are:

• Nine-year-old Hallie Scruggs, a victim of the 2023 Covenant school shooting in Nashville.

• Dominic Blackwell, 14, killed at the 2019 Saugus High School shooting in Santa Clarita, California

• Gracie Anne Muehlberger, 15, also a victim at Saugus High School

• Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, 9, died in the Uvalde school shooting in Uvalde, Texas 2022

The parents of these children had left the rooms exactly as they were when the children last left for school feeling that as long as the room exists, so do they in a way.  There is a tube of toothpaste with the cap left off; hair ties on the knob of the bedroom door; dirty clothes in a basket. Gracie Anne Muehlberger's parents shared that she put on shows for them in her room.  Her dad read a letter she wrote to her future self when she started high school. He could barely get through it.  I couldn't either. Videos and recordings of the children are shared as they lived their lives without a care in the world.

Hartman and Bopp are also featured with their own children.  Bopp photographs his daughter every year at the beginning of a new school year and the film ends with Hartman's daughter painting his nails.

I became teary almost immediately upon starting to watch this 34 minute film that attempts to capture the devastation of these childrens' parents. And it is devastating to see those untouched rooms just as those children left them before leaving for school the very last time, but it is important to see this film, to honor these children and their brief lives, so that we don't accept these shootings as a regular part of our lives. There is not preaching here. Not much needs to be said. The pictures tell it all. 

The film ends with the names of every child killed in school shootings since Columbine.  Too many names.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a reminder to hug and say "I love you" to your children, because "these could be your children." (Netflix).

Naked Ambition (2023)

Bunny Yeager might just be the most-famous photographer you have never heard of!  This documentary biopic attempts to change that.

Bunny Yeager had a stellar career - first as a model, then a photographer of models but not just any models - we are talking pin-ups, cheesecake, nudity.  Yeager shot the very first "Playboy" centerfold (January 1955) as well as that famous photo of Ursula Andress in her bikini for the James Bond movie, "Dr. No." She single-handedly popularized the bikini and was an early adopter of "selfies (she was a model herself after all)." Yeager also went on to discover Bettie Page as well as publishing 20 books. 

So why is it that someone so prolific and famous in the photographic industry is unheard of today?  

Well, I guess it's not a shock that a woman in a male dominated industry would be ignored. And Yeager was ambitious, something that was taboo for a woman back in the day.  But writer/director Dennis Scholl and fellow director, Kareem Tabsch, want to right that wrong with this documentary and make sure everyone remembers Bunny Yeager. 

Bunny Yeager began her career as a model, but as she became a wife and mother, she decided to step away from modeling and pursue photography instead as a way to earn money with a more flexible schedule. She was dubbed "The World's Most Beautiful Photographer."  She was noted for her high standards, her interesting choices of location and she could work fast.  She was able to highlight the personalities of her subjects, probably because she was working woman to woman. She had a successful career as a photographer, but it was her collaboration with Bettie Page and "Playboy" that brought both her and Page success and changed both of their lives. Page had just been considered a fetish model until Yeager elevated her. But then along came porn and feminism and pin-ups fell out of fashion and things went downhill for Yeager, forcing her to regroup.

At only 73 minutes, the film does a good job of covering Yeager's career and showcasing her work (hundreds of photos are displayed as well as home videos), but I wish the film had gone deeper into her motivations and what she had to go through as a woman photographer specializing in pinups and nudes, having to deal with the obscenity laws of the time, the ensuing popularity of porn and the negative view feminism had for pin-up photography.

But the conversations with Yeager's daughters, Lisa Irwin and Cherilu Duval, did yield some insight into Yeager's personal life. Daughter Cherilu was particularly embarrassed by her mother's photographic choices while Lisa felt her mother empowered other women. One can't help but wonder how her daughters' differing opinions of her affected her relationships with them.

"Talking heads," which included Dita Von Teese, Hugh Hefner, photographer Bruce Weber and Larry King and others weigh in, as well as Bettie Page herself via a recording, whose voice strangely did not match her photos, but probably that was the voice of a very old Bettie Page.

The film does a good job of highlighting Yeager's achievements as a pin-up girl photographer and as the first woman photographer for "Playboy." She captured the times.  I just wish it had gone deeper into what it must have been like for her to do this work in a "man's world" in the rather prudish time of the 1950's.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Yeager was ambitious and portrayed the power of female sexuality in her photographs, and this is a fitting tribute to a woman who was an ironic feminist. It was an amazing life that I am surprised has not been made into a dramatic biopic. Maybe now it will. (Netflix)

Murder in Monaco (2025)

An examination of the mysterious murder of billionaire Edmond Safra in Monaco in 1999.

Billionaire Edmond Safra died along with one of his nurses in 1999 in a fire in his Monaco penthouse.  Authorities were initially led to believe by his other nurse, Ted Maher, that the 67-year-old billionaire was the victim of a bungled burglary, but as this documentary plays out, the circumstances surrounding Safra's death and the aftermath just got "stranger and stranger."

Edmond Safra, one of the richest men in the world, was a Lebanese-Brazilian banker living in a 10,000 square foot penthouse in Monaco with panic buttons, bullet-proof windows and a safe room. He had Parkinson's Disease and was on medications that made him paranoid.  He had full-time nursing care and was surrounded by bodyguards.  His death caused a media storm giving way to various conspiracy theories about who was responsible.  Safra was found dead of affixiation in his safe room along with his nurse, Vivian Torrente.  His other nurse, Ted Maher, escaped with stab wounds and said the assassins got in and attacked them. But how did intruders get into an apartment that appeared inpenatrable?  

The suspicious circumstances surrounding Safra's death created an international media storm giving way to various conspiracy theories about who was really responsible.  Was it Russian mobsters?  Safra conducted business with Russian oligarchs until he informed the FBI that they were trying to launder money through American banks.  Or was it his wife, Lily, a woman with some rich dead husbands in her past who yearned to be a famous socialite and who stood to inherit billions? Or was it Maher himself, the nurse who was accused of starting the fire to set the stage to rescue Safra and become a hero? And did Safra die because the authorities took too long to put out the fire and was there a cover-up, using Maher as a scapegoat?  Monaco relies on its reputation as a safe and secure haven for the very rich, so when someone is murdered there, not good. So many questions in this crazy murder mystery.

And then things get really crazy.

Written by Sam Hobkinson and directed by Hodges Usry, this true-crime documentary explores the various conspiracies surrounding Safra's death.  It's a murder mystery with a trial and a prison escape and some judicial corruption and much more.  The film features interviews with reporters, Safra's banking associates, lawyers, cell mates and exclusive interviews with Maher, whose life was a whole crazy story on its own. He eventually went on trial for Safra's death and it was the O.J. Trial of Europe. But the story doesn't end there.

The moral of this story?  Sometimes it's not that much fun being a billionaire.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like true crime about the rich and famous with all kinds of real life twists and turns, this is for you. (Netflix)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

Do You Like True Crime Mysteries? Then These Compelling Documentaries Are For You!!

[I review the documentaries "Amy Bradley is Missing," "Death in Apt. 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg," and "The Perfect Neighbor"]

Amy Bradley is Missing (2025)

A three-part docuseries about a 23-year-old woman who went missing during a Caribbean cruise enroute to Curacao in 1998. 

This intriguing documentary explores the case of Amy Bradley, who on March 24, 1998, was last seen by her father sleeping on the deck chair of her room's balcony on the Royal Caribbean "Rhapsody of the Seas" cruise ship at 5:30am.  By 6am, she was missing.

A thorough search of the ship was done and when authorities were alerted, the Netherlands Antilles Coast Guard, thinking she may have fallen overboard or jumped, conducted a four-day search in the surrounding waters. Nothing was found.

At the time of her disappearance, Amy was 23 and a graduate of Longwood University. She was known for her strong swimming abilities as well as having previously worked as a lifeguard. She came out as gay to her family while in college, and though her parents were not happy about that, they acknowledged it was her life and they loved her unconditionally.

Amy's dad, Ron, had won an all-expenses-paid family cruise from his employer; and Bradley joined her family on that fateful trip on the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas en route for Curaçao.  They were joined by Amy's brother, Brad. Amy had a full-time job as a waitress, but was planning to start a new job at a computer consulting firm after her return from the cruise.

Using interviews with fellow ship's passengers, Amy's family members, FBI and others as well as re-enactments and film footage, this three-part docuseries directed by Phil Lott and Ari Mark details the efforts to find Amy, descriptions of the many sightings that have been reported over the years and speculation about what could have happened to her. 

• Did Amy commit suicide by jumping off her balcony?
• Was Amy pushed off the balcony?
• Did Amy fall from the balcony by accident?
• Did Amy leave the ship of her own accord?
• Was Amy abducted by sex traffickers

A case is built for each theory.  See what you think.

As an aside, the series also notes some dangers associated with cruising.  Out on International waters, you are on your own.

In the many years since her disappearance, several people have claimed to have seen Amy in Curacao, Barbados and other locations but authorities have been unable to corroborate the sightings though this has fueled speculation that Amy was a victim of human trafficking.  Amy's whereabouts are still unknown, though tips and sightings continue to come in.  Will the mystery of her disappearance ever been solved?

As they say, it's not the destination, it's the journey.  This journey is a fascinating mystery.

Rosy the Reviewer says...this stranger than fiction real life story is highly addictive but also highly disturbing.  I won't be taking a cruise anytime soon. (Netflix)

Death in Apartment. 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg? (2025)

School teacher, Ellen Greenberg, was found dead in her apartment with over 20 stab wounds and her death was initially ruled a suicide and the case was closed!  What!?

Produced and directed by Nancy Schwartzman, this 3-part mini-series explores the death of Ellen Greenberg whose gruesome death was ruled a suicide.  Later it was ruled a homicide and then changed back to a suicide. No one could believe that was possible and her parents fought to keep the case open.

On January 26, 2011, Ellen Greenberg's fiancee, Sam Goldberg, left the apartment he shared with Ellen and went down to the gym in their Philadelphia apartment building. When he returned, he found the apartment door latched from the inside. He asked the apartment concierge for help and called Ellen repeatedly.  He eventually broke down the door and found Ellen's body with 20 stab wounds and a knife sticking out of her heart.  He called 911 and when the police came, Ellen's death was ruled a suicide because the door had been latched from the inside, the apartment was not disturbed and she had no defensive wounds.  Because it is not a crime to kill yourself in Pennsylvania, the case was closed, the apartment was cleaned and Sam's attorney uncle removed Ellen's phone and computer.  And that was that.

But wait a minute.  Later, the coroner ruled it a homicide but basically it was too late for much of an investigation since the scene had been cleaned and electronics removed.  What did the police have to go on?  But c'mon. Something to go on would be 20 stab wounds, some of those stab wounds in the back of her neck! And what about those bruises? And was Sam's testimony to be believed? But, later, after what appeared to be pressure from the police, the coroner changed his ruling back to suicide. 

To everyone who knew her, Ellen was a charming, happy person.  Yes, she was depressed about her teaching job and it was observed that she often didn't wear he engagement ring. But there were no indications that she wanted to kill herself. After her death, Sam went on with this life but Ellen's parents, Josh and Sandee Greenberg, weren't having it and began a crusade to find out the truth, and six years after Ellen's death, Stephanie Farr, a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote Ellen's story.  She put Ellen's story all together and no one had really seen the full story until then. It became a cause celebre and this mini-series is a result of that. In fact, Elle and Dakota Fanning are two of the producers. Taking a case to the media is often the only way to get some movement. 

Through archival materials, crime scene photos interviews with friends, relatives and Ellen's parents as well as with the coroner, police officers, a private investigator hired by Ellen's parents, the district attorney, Farr and others, Ellen's story is told and the errors in the investigation of her death and the bureaucratic failures are revealed.

This story is important and amplifies something that could touch any of us - the sometimes difficult task to get justice.

Rosy the Reviewer says...suicide or homicide? You decide.  But, c'mon, 20 stab wounds? (Hulu)

The Perfect Neighbor (2025)

On June 2, 2023 in Ocala, Florida Susan Lorincz shot and killed her neighbor, Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens through the door as Owens, angry that Lorincz had been antagonizing her son, knocked on her door. So much for a perfect neighbor.

The title of this documentary is, of course, ironic.  Lorincz was a white woman living in a predominantly black neighborhood and was the neighbor from hell calling the police multiple times on the kids in the neighborhood, accusing them of noise, stealing, messing with her truck and on and on.  And Lorincz could not understand why this was happening to her because she thought of herself as "the perfect neighbor."

Using mostly bodycam footage from the many times sheriff's deputies responded to her 911 calls, security tapes and recordings of her calls as well as her questioning after the shooting, this film directed by Geeta Gandbhir is like an elevated version of "Cops" with "The Blair Witch Project" thrown in. There are no talking heads and no narration which gives the film a "you are there" feel and  the film is very real and disturbing. This is reality TV.

This was an important case because it brought the controversial "Stand your ground" laws to light.

Florida has a "Stand your ground" law meaning, if people feel threatened, it's okay to defend themselves.  And that's what Lorincz did. She said she was in fear for her life and that she was afraid that Owens would break through the door and kill her. However, the film is an indictment of "Stand your ground" laws and states that those laws play a part in over 700 deaths a year with a higher rate of black people being killed by whites.

On one side, gun critics argue that “stand your ground” is less a law than a "license to kill. They call it a “shoot-first, think-later” doctrine that magnifies America’s ugliest reflexes around race, fear, and power. They say, in the wrong hands, it turns prejudice into justification, allowing fear itself to be used as a weapon.

Second Amendment enthusiasts say the law is clear.  The right to bear arms is sacred and defending your life is a right. 

So what happened to Susan Lorincz?

That's the mystery you will have to solve by watching this film, but for me the greater mystery is how Susan Lorincz ended up being such a miserable and hateful person, not to mention a monster of a neighbor and how many more like her are out there? 

Rosy the Reviewer says...a disturbing experience that makes me wonder about my neighbors. (Netflix)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" and the Month in Movie Reviews

[I review the new movie "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" as well as "Woman of the Hour" and "Jackpot!"]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

After 36 years, Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz are back!

I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. Einstein supposedly said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."  I guess I am insane because I keep watching movie sequels thinking they will be good and they never are.  And this one is no exception.

Yes, it's fun to see Michael Keaton chewing the scenery again, and yes, Tim Burton is a fine director, and yes, Winona Ryder is aging well, and yes, the production values are first rate as is Danny Elfman's music. You would think all of that would make for a fine movie, right? Wrong.  Even though I saw the first film, it's been 36 years, and with little exposition to remind me what went on that long ago, I didn't know what the hell was going on most of the time. It was a mess.

But here is what I think was going on.

Michael Keaton is back as Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder is back as Lydia Deetz and Catherine O'Hara is back as Delia Deetz, Lydia's stepmother. Winona is no longer the goth teen that the demon, Beetlejuice (Keaton), was obsessed with.

Lydia now hosts a supernatural TV talk show called Ghost House. While taping an episode, Lydia hallucinates seeing Beetlejuice in the audience.  He was not just obsessed with her 36 years ago, he tried to marry her and it looks like he is back. (If I have already lost you, best to see the first Beetlejuice movie).

Then Lydia's stepmother, Delia, informs Lydia that her father, Charles, has died in a gruesome accident. They and Lydia's daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), return to Winter River, Connecticut, the site of the first film, to attend the funeral. Sadly, Astrid and Lydia are not getting along, reprising the same mother/daughter theme in the first film. At the wake, Rory (Justin Theroux), Lydia's boyfriend and producer, pressures her to marry him on Halloween and she reluctantly agrees. Meanwhile, Astrid meets a local boy named Jeremy Frazier (Arthur Conti), who invites her to spend Halloween with him but Jeremy is not all he seems.

Meanwhile, Beetlejuice is still obsessed with Lydia.  He currently runs an office filled with shrunken-headed ghosts, most particularly his assistant, the overworked and disrespected, Bob (one of my favorite characters, by the way).

Then there is a murderous woman on the loose who turns out to be Delores (Monica Bellucci), Beetlejuice's former wife, who sucks the souls of the dead as she searches for Beetlejuice for revenge.  She supposedly tried to kill him back in the day, but he killed her first, but if that was ever explained in the film, I certainly missed it.  I didn't know what that was all about and her character seemed an unnecessary distraction. Willem Dafoe is also on hand as Wolf Jackson, a ghost detective who is another character trying to track down Beetlejuice and was also an unnecessary distraction.

But then Astrid becomes endangered and Lydia must summon Beetlejuice to help her save Astrid. There is an ascent into the Afterlife with a funny bit regarding "The Soul Train" - get it?  In the Afterlife you get on the Soul Train?  Yuck, yuck.  (but does anyone remember that show?), but that was actually a highlight.  But then it all went to hell, literally. 

Still with me?

Rory also turns out to be something other than what we thought; Beetlejuice coerces Lydia into a marriage ceremony; Delores arrives to seek revenge and, then, what? A huge sandworm shows up. Sigh. And there is a sort of a cliffhanger at the end of the film, which could spell another sequel?  Please stop.

Like I said, Tim Burton is a wonderful director and the film has great special effects and a wonderful fantasy look to it. Keaton is fun to watch but he doesn't appear as much in the film as you think he would since it's Beetlejuice times two (though he is in it more than he was in the first one). But the screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is a chaotic mish-mash that is often hard to follow, even if you could remember the first film. Remember, it's been 36 years since the first film, and for those who missed that one (some potential viewers weren't even born yet), there was really little explanation about who Beetlejuice actually was and why he was obsessed with Lydia. Add to that all kinds of plot elements, there was so much going on, I found myself saying "Huh?" a lot. 

Here is my final word on sequels (or let's hope it's my final word. You never know).  

For a sequel to work, the audience needs some exposition about what happened before, if necessary, and then the story should be able to stand on its own. I should be able to enjoy the film and know what is going on even if I had not seen the earlier film(s)?  But that said, god save me from the insanity of watching another sequel expecting it to work!

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a huge Michael Keaton fan or you need a Halloween distraction, you might enjoy this, but better yet, save your money, skip this one and watch the first one again. (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and Apple+)

Woman of the Hour (2023)

Who knew you could meet a serial killer on a dating show?

This may come as a shock to you but many of the contestants on dating shows and other "reality" TV shows are often aspiring actors.  Duh.  I am being sarcastic.  Of course you know that.

Well, Cheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick) was just such a woman, living in L.A. in the 1970's trying to make it as an actress but with little success. She could barely pay her rent and had a creepy neighbor, her only friend in L.A., sniffing around. So when her agent booked her to make a little money and get some exposure on "The Dating Game," she jumped at the chance. 

Now you young-uns out there have probably never heard of that show but during the 60's and 70's it was a big prime time hit. It was the first of many shows created by Chuck Barris (who was probably more famous for "The Gong Show") and possibly the beginning of the wave of dating shows we now have such as "Love is Blind" and "Love Island (I could go on and on because I watch them all)." 

On "The Dating Game," a young attractive woman would question three eligible bachelors who were hidden from her view.  She would ask silly questions like "If I were a flavor of ice cream, what flavor would I be?" -  and the guys would answer provocatively. At the end of the questioning period, she would choose one to accompany her on an all expenses paid date. Occasionally, the roles would be reversed with a guy questioning three women.  Believe it or not, Sally Field, Farrah Fawcett, Burt Reynolds and many other famous folks appeared on the show before they became famous.

And then along came Rodney Alcala, a real life serial killer.

In 1978, Alcala, played here by Daniel Zovatto, was a contestant on "The Dating Game" and host Jim Lange introduced him as a "successful photographer...Between takes you might find him skydiving or motorcycling." No mention that he had already murdered a couple of women. He was Bachelor #3. Little did Lange know that Alcala used his photography persona to lure young women and kill them. Alcala was already on the road to become one of our most famous serial killers, eventually convicted of seven murders but believed to have been responsible for the deaths of over 100 women. Guess game shows didn't do background checks in those days.

During the show, Cheryl isn't taken seriously and encouraged to be sexy and brainless.  In the audience is Laura (Nicolette Robinson) who recognizes Alcala as the last man to see her friend alive before she was murdered.  She tries to report Alcala but, like Cheryl, isn't taken seriously.

And wouldn't you know.  Alcala wins the date with Cheryl and the date is a visit to Carmel (my local friends will appreciate that). So does Cheryl go on the date?  Was she Alcala's next victim?

Written by Ian McDonald, in addition to starring in the film, this is Anna Kendrick's directorial debut, and it is Cheryl Bradshaw's true story. The film begins with Alcala's murderous path before making it on the show and then the aftermath. There is some scary insight as to how these serial killers lure young women. They can appear normal, charming even. 

Kendrick is a wonderful actress, but she also shows promise as a director. Her directorial choices were very interesting with dramatically framed close-ups and interspersing Cheryl's journey with Alcala's until they connected on the show produced a taut, engrossing drama. Other performances were also great, especially Daniel Zovatto creepily perfect as Alcala, showing that serial killers often have a certain charm that allows them to lure their victims. And the 70's retro vibe will bring back memories to Baby Boomers. 

Where most true crime thrillers focus on the killer, and we learn little about his victims, this film focuses on some of the women.  It is a comment on how young women, especially back in the day, were/are often discounted, surrounded by misogyny, even potential violence and made to shut-up and play nice.

Rosy the Reviewer says...the dark side of a game show and here it's a metaphor for the often scary world women have to "play nice" in. True crime aficionados and those who just like good movies will enjoy this fast-moving inside look into the mind of a real-life serial killer. Recommended. (Netflix)

Jackpot (2024)

It's 2030 and California is having money problems so the government initiates a "Grand Lottery" that allows losing ticket holders to go after the winner and if they kill the winner before sundown they get the jackpot!

So this is a sort of comedy version of "The Purge," but I wish it had been more of a comedy.  You know, a comedy is supposed to be funny.  But to be fair, after the first hour, it got better. Not really funnier, but better. 

So like I said, it's 2030, California is in financial trouble so the government creates the Grand Lottery, where each Lottery Day, the winner must survive until sundown to win the prize while anyone with a losing ticket can kill that person to claim the prize.  But no guns!

Former child actor Katie Kim (Awkwafina) is not doing well making it in show biz and inadvertently enters and wins the lottery. Suddenly she is being attacked everywhere she goes until she meets Noel Cassidy (John Cena), a freelance Lottery protection agent, who offers his services in exchange for ten percent of her winnings. Noel is actually a good guy.  He gives what he earns away to victims. This is how Katie describes him: "He looks like a bulldog a witch put a spell on and turned him into a human against his will." Okay, that was kind of funny. Cena does kind of look like that.

But then Noel and Katie run into some problems, so Noel calls a fellow lottery winner protector, Louis Lewis (Simu Liu), who has a very big company and who agrees to protect Katie in exchange for him and Noel each receiving 30% of Katie's winnings.

But as happens in these kinds of films, Lewis is not what he appears.  He is a bad guy and the rest of the movie involves Katie and Noel trying to extricate themselves from Lewis while at the same time keeping Katie alive from the hoards of people trying to kill her for her prize money. 

Written by Rob Yescombe and directed by Paul Feig ("Bridesmaids"), what I thought was a funny premise proved to be a one note idea that was too weak to carry a 103 minute film, but because I was an Awkwafina fan ever since she made a big splash in "Crazy Rich Asians," and I was happy she got a starring gig, I decided to suspend disbelief and go with it. The film meant well, and even though the first hour was non-stop violence, mayhem and wisecracks (and did I say, not funny?), the second part of the film got better and there was actually a bit of character development, but not enough to save this movie. And I got weary of the butt jokes. Likewise, if you hang for the credits, there are bloopers that also get wearying.

Rosy the Reviewer says...there is a moral here: there are good people in the world who don't just care about money (good to know in this divisive era), but there is also a moral here when it comes to comedies.  They should be funny. I was disappointed, but if you like silly violence, this is for you, but otherwise, make a run for it! (Amazon Prime)

Thanks for reading!

See you next time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

"Top Gun: Maverick" and The Week in Reviews

[I review the movie "Top Gun: Maverick," as well as the TV series "WeCrashed," and "The Andy Warhol Diaries." The Book of the Week is "Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders" by Kathryn Miles]

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Thirty-six years later, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is back and still pushing the envelope.

I have to confess at the outset that I have been a big Tom Cruise fan from the very beginning, ever since I saw him playing the bad guy, or kid, in "Taps." That was only his second movie, but I knew he had something special.  This was before he danced in his undies in "Risky Business," before "Mission Impossible," before "You complete me."  I knew he had that star quality early on, and he was a handsome devil too!  I have been a fan ever since, despite Scientology, despite his occasional irritability with reporters who ask him questions he doesn't like (don't ask about Nicole!), despite my disappointment when I found out he was short. 

I have seen every movie Tom has ever made (I get to call him Tom because I have been a fan for so long), so naturally I had to see this one.  Not to mention, I had heard it was really good.  

It's been 36 years since the first "Top Gun," so you might want to watch that one again before seeing this sequel.  But if, like me, you aren't going to, here is a bit of a synopsis: 

U.S. Naval Aviator Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Cruise) and LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), stationed in the Indian Ocean, fly the F-14A Tomcats.  They are sent to attend TOPGUN, the Naval Fighter Weapons School in San Diego, where Maverick turns out to be a bit of a, er, maverick, and flies recklessly, putting him at odds with the other pilots, especially his fellow pilot, the Iceman (Val Kilmer). Goose dies in an accident for which Maverick is blamed and later cleared but he feels guilty and considers quitting.  But we know he won't, because he's Tom Cruise, I mean, Maverick.  He eventually redeems himself during a tense international crisis where amazing aerial acrobatics occur and, at the end, when given a choice of assignments, Maverick chooses to become a TOPGUN instructor.  

So...now you are caught up.

What's next for our Maverick?

Over thirty years later, Pete has shown himself to be a top aviator.  He is now a test pilot but in true Maverick fashion he has pushed the envelope once again, and instead of being disciplined, he is sent back to TOPGUN, this time to help the new and young fighter pilots complete a very difficult mission.

One of the enemies of the U.S. (you can pick which one) is working on a uranium enrichment plant and that's a no-no so we have to take it out.  However, it's in a very difficult place, between two mountains with all kinds of rockets and faster jets protecting it, so the Iceman, who is now Maverick's friend and an Admiral, has called upon Maverick to train and decide which of the best of these best young pilots is up to the task.  However, there is a slight problem.  One of the pilots is Rooster (Miles Teller), who just happens to be Goose's son, and he has not forgiven Maverick for the death of his Dad.

I probably didn't really need to give you a synopsis of the first one. With a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie and direction by Joseph Kosinski, this is basically a 21st Century rehash of it: two brash, young pilots once again competing against each other, throwing smack around, just as Maverick and Iceman had done, but this time it's Rooster and Hangman (Glen Powell). There is also the requisite romance for Maverick and, once again, a beach volleyball game under the guise of team building, but we all know it's just a way to see those handsome, fit bodies running around on the beach. The "Danger Zone" theme music is even on hand. 

I have to admit that this is not necessarily my kind of movie.  

I am not particularly into military stuff or airplanes, and I definitely am not into macho posturing and overdramatic dialogue like "The end is inevitable, Maverick.  Your kind is headed for extinction." "Maybe so, sir. But not today." There is a lot of that. There is also the requisite romance with the beautiful Penny (Jennifer Connelly), because Tom has to have someone to flash those pearly whites at and there are also some far-fetched plot choices.  But I give the film props for its depiction of friendship and loyalty, and I have to say, despite my reservations during some of the film, the last thirty minutes, as the pilots tried to complete their mission, was heart pumping and exciting due to the aerial acrobatics, slick editing and "practical effects." That made up for any criticism I had before that. And it didn't hurt when Tom showed up in his Navy whites. That was spectacular too! 

When I use the term "practical effects," I am referring to the fact that most of those exciting aerial sequences were actually real planes flying around with the actors in the cockpits, though they were not flying the planes. It was not CGI. Tom is known for doing his own stunts and required the actors to have grueling training to take part and it certainly worked.  It's very much a "you are there" feeling during those scenes.

Speaking of Tom, he just doesn't seem to age, and it is mind bloggling that he is still doing his own stunts at 60.  Nor does Jennifer Connolly look any older than I remember her from her earlier films.  Sadly, she doesn't have much to do here except look beautiful and flirt with Tom, but she is still a welcome presence. I am always glad when 50-year-old actresses get work and actors like Tom romance age-appropriate women. Miles Teller and Glenn Powell do a good job of picking up the reins left by the young Cruise and Val Kilmer.  And speaking of Kilmer, so glad to see him here but bittersweet considering what has happened to him.  

Rosy the Reviewer says...I usually hate sequels but I'm going to give this one a break because, for one thing, it's been 36 years, and for another, the editing and aerial sequences lived up to the hype. I was on the edge of my seat. (in theatres)

***Now Streaming***

WeCrashed (2022)

The story of the rise and fall of WeWork.

I feel like I am the only one in the world who didn't know about WeWork but this eight-part miniseries created by Drew Crevello and Lee Eisenberg now streaming on Apple+ gave me an education in a most enjoyable way.

WeWork was a company that offered coworking space and under the leadership of Adam and Rebekah Neumann, was valued at $47 billion in 2019 before famously crashing.  Based on the podcast "WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork" by Wondery, the series stars Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway as the Neumanns, two narcissists who through shear force of will made WeWork work...until it didn't.

Adam Neumann's gift was to talk so much and so fast that he would get his way.  He was one of those people so sure of himself that he was able to convince everyone else he knew what he was doing.  He thought big and went for it.  Rebekah was more of a whiney New Age girl who wanted to "elevate the world's consciousness." She also wanted to be an actress, so Adam bought her a theatre.  Then she wanted to have a more important role in the company so Adam gave her the title of Chief Branding Officer.  Then she wanted to start a school so... voila!  The two were madly in love but they were also madly mad and that was ultimately what brought them down.  That and some under the desk machinations.

Jared Leto as Adam Neumann is just astounding. He never ceases to amaze me. Is there nothing Jared Leto can't do when it comes to acting?  He was unrecognizable in "The House of Gucci" - in a good way - and here he embodies Adam Neumann in looks and accent.  But just saying that doesn't seem like enough.  Whatever Jared Leto does he goes all in and I go with him.  Hathaway is also wonderful here playing a rather unlikable character but making her real and vulnerable.  The acting alone is the reason to watch this miniseries but the story  is also fascinating.  It's an inside look into the world of startups and how quickly it can all go wrong.

Rosy the Reviewer says...at times this show was above my mental pay grade when it came to the ins and outs of the business financial world e.g. IPO's, S-1's, etc. but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.  I did.  The story is engrossing and the acting is phenomenal. (Apple+)

The Andy Warhol Diaries (2022)

Andy Warhol speaking from the grave.

Does anyone remember what happened to artist Andy Warhol after he was famously shot in 1968? I realized watching this six-part mini-series that I really didn't.  I didn't have the slightest idea what he was up to after that.  And he was up to a lot.

One of our most successful contemporary artists, Warhol was famous for his Campbell's soup cans and portraits of celebrities. He embraced silkscreening, film, photography and sculpture and commented on celebrity culture through his work. He said "In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes," a profound statement considering he said that before the rise of the Internet where that has actually happened.  But for all of his fame, Warhol remained a rather enigmatic figure, more of an observer than a participant, but after the shooting, Warhol was feeling vulnerable and less relevant, so he started to reinvent himself in some very odd and interesting ways.

This docuseries directed by Andrew Rossi does a brief overview of Andy's early life and then concentrates on his life after the shooting. Often thought to be asexual, the series explores Warhol's long-term relationship with Jed Johnson, which eventually failed, and then his obsession with Paramount executive Jon Gould.  Andy explored the club scene, modeling, drag, went on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Love Boat," forged a relationship with the young artist Basquiat and took on his last commission honoring The Last Supper, all in the shadow of the AIDS epidemic.  And then Andy died unexpectedly at the age of 58.  And no, he didn't die of AIDS.

Practically everything in this docuseries was news to me, and I was actually a Warhol fan. From executive producer Ryan Murphy and based on the 1989 book edited by Pat Hackett, Andy "narrates" his own diary entries as his personal life plays out on screen with additional insight provided by experts, associates and others who knew him. Andy's "voice" is actually produced through artificial intelligence (voiced by Bill Irwin) and the use of AI was approved by the Andy Warhol Foundation, something which the series is careful to remind us during each episode.

Does this series shed light on the real Andy Warhol?  Maybe not.  But hearing his own words is probably as close as we will get.

Rosy the Reviewer says...whether you were a fan of Andy Warhol or not, this is a fascinating documentary focusing on a fascinating life played out during that fascinating time called The 80's. (Netflix)

***The Book of the Week***

Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles (2022)

The true crime story of the unsolved murders of Lollie Winans and Julie Williams, who were both murdered in the Shenandoah National Park in 1996.

Lollie Winans and Julie Williams were two young women who met and fell in love over their mutual love of backpacking in the wilderness.  In May of 1996, the two went on a week-long backpacking trip to the Shenandoah National Park where they pitched their tent in a remote spot. When the pair did not return home as planned, park rangers discovered their campsite, their tent slashed and the women dead in their sleeping bags.

Miles, an award-winning journalist and outdoorsperson herself, became obsessed with the case, and during her research, uncovered conflicting evidence, a botched investigation and a suspect who was hounded his whole life as the person who murdered Lollie and Julie. Miles became convinced he didn't do it. Then who did?  Along with her one-woman investigation, Miles does a good job of presenting Lollie's and Julie's stories. You care about these women and you want to find out why they were murdered.

It's difficult to believe that as late as the 1990's there were still laws in the books in many states against homosexuality.  Was the murder of Lollie and Julie a hate crime?

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like true crime nonfiction, this is for you.  It's a page-turner.

Thanks for reading!

See you again soon!

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And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critic Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

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