Worth Watching
217 articles filed under Worth Watching.
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Worth Watching
Nice Journalist, Bad Journalist
When police want to intimidate someone into copping to a crime – regardless of whether the suspect is guilty – they use the good cop/bad cop routine because it is very effective. When people don’t understand…
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An Impressive Speech by RFK Jr
Watch Time: 50 minutes Whatever your political preferences, I urge you to watch RFK Jr.’s speech on why he left the Democratic party and took his name off the ballots in the “battleground” states. First, use…
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Kill Tony
Have You Seen the Kill Tony podcast? I hadn’t until JM recommended it to me, saying, “It’s political satire, but you’ll like it.” I did like it. It has the three necessary elements to make political satire do…
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Curb Your Enthusiasm
I am not sure whether it’s the result of being in business with more important urgencies or a shortening attention span due to watching social media, but I have been finding it difficult to read one book and…
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A Live Performance by Greenwood Rye
A great bluegrass cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Watch it here.
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Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War
A 9-part documentary series on Netflix 65 to 80 min. per episode Directed by Brian Knappenberger Released March 12, 2024 There is nothing remarkable about this series about – well, the title says it. It spans…
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Hit Man
Premiered at the Venice Film Festival Sept. 5, 2023 Released in select theaters in the US May 24, 2024 Streaming on Netflix as of June 7, 2024 Directed and co-written (with Glen Powell) by Richard Linklater…
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The Best Latin Hip-Hop of the Last Decade
I spend a fair amount of time in Latin America. So when a friend suggested that he’d never leave the US because he’s addicted to hip-hop, I pointed out that some of the best of it is being produced by Latin…
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1964: The Beatles Playing Live in Washington, DC
It was Feb. 11, 1964. At the height of Beatlemania, the Fab Four played live. They are playing with nothing but microphones and speakers – with none of the sophisticated computerized equipment that bands have…
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Of Muppets and Men: The Making of “The Muppet Show
A made-for-TV documentary Released in 1981 Watch Time: 52 min Of Muppets and Men is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of “The Muppet Show,” a TV series that ran from 1976 to 1981 and eventually became a…
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The Greatest Night in Pop
Directed by Bao Nguyen Released on Netflix Jan 19, 2024 Watch Time: 2 hrs, 37 min The Greatest Night in Pop is a documentary about the making of “We Are the World” – a behind-the-scenes look at what happened…
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Yesterday
Directed by Danny Boyle Starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Ed Sheeran, and Kate McKinnon Initially released Sept. 24, 1919 Watch Time: 2 hrs Yesterday is not a great movie in any sense, but it does not pretend…
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Climate the Movie: The Cold Truth
A documentary written and directed by Martin Durkin Released March 23, 2023 Watch Time: 1 hr, 20 min In addition to providing an impressive fact-based counter-argument to the dominant narrative about this high…
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Cuomo and Carlson on Media Ethics, Mistakes, and Moving Forward
This gives me hope for people with diverse views having civilized conversations.
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Munich, The Edge of War
Directed by Christian Schwochow Based on the book Munich, by Robert Harris Starring George MacKay, Jannis Niewöhner, Jeremy Irons, and Sandra Hüller Released in 2021 Currently streaming on Netflix Watch Time…
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All of the Academy Award Nominated Films
This may be the first time I’ve ever done this. Over the past several months, I watched all 10 of the movies that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. It may also be the first time I’ve felt that all of…
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Andrew Tate’s New “Fireblood” Commercial
Andrew Tate Andrew Tate is loathed by lefties, because he has a very old-fashioned view of the proper roles for men and women in the world today. The mainstream press has been hard on him, even circulating a…
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How the Michelin Tire Company Became Synonymous with Fine Dining
I never associated the Michelin restaurant rating system with the Michelin tire company, but they are connected. Watch the fascinating story of how the “star” system originated here.
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The Tourist
Directed by Chris Sweeney Starring Jamie Dornan and Danielle McDonald Series 1 (6 episodes) premiered Jan. 1, 2022 on BBC One; currently on Netflix Series 2 (6 episodes) launches Feb. 29 on Netflix Watch Time…
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1. Society of the Snow
Directed and co-written by J.A. Bayona Released Sept. 9, 2023 (Venice Int’l Film Festival) Streaming on Netflix Jan. 4, 2024 Watch Time: 144 min. In 1972, a Uruguayan plane, chartered to transport a rugby team…
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Griselda
A six-part Netflix miniseries Directed by Andrés Baiz Starring (and co-produced by) Sofia Vergara Premiered Jan. 25, 2024 Watch Time: 1 hr. per episode Griselda is a biographical crime series dramatizing the…
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Forgotten Love
Directed by Michal Gazda Produced by Netflix Released Sept. 27, 2023 Watch Time: 2 hrs. 20 min. Forgotten Love is Neflix’s adaptation of a 1992 classic Polish melodrama – the third adaptation of the Polish…
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BlackBerry
Released May 12, 2023 Directed by Matt Johnson Starring Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, and Matt Johnson Watch Time: 2 hours The Plot The story of the rise and fall of the first smartphone. What I Liked About It…
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Sick of Myself
Sick of Myself Watch Time: 97 minutes I wanted to watch Forgotten Love, which had been highly recommended by my Myrtle Beach buddies. But I wanted to watch that one with K, and she was not available. So, I…
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The 10 Greatest Opening Scenes in Movie History
Spend a half-hour with these clips. It will make you richer. Then, if you want to, rank them yourself by whatever criteria matters to you. My main criterion is emotional engagement. On that score, I rank the…
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For Your Possible Enjoyment — November 17, 2023
Call Me Chihiro Directed by Rikiya Imaizumi Initial release (Japan) Feb. 23, 2023 I usually recommend to you only “A” films – those that I would score at the top of my personal grading scale. But on Oct. 13…
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Born in Gaza
A documentary filmed shortly after the 2014 Israeli-Hamas war Directed by Hernan Zin Originally released Dec. 12, 2014 (Spain) Available on Netflix Born in Gaza appeared as a Netflix recommendation shortly…
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He’s Back!
If you’ve seen any of the films he’s been featured in – especially Free Solo, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary – I don’t have to tell you that he’s an amazing athlete, an astonishingly high-level…
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For Your Possible Enjoyment
Three B and B+ Netflix Mini-Series My tolerance for junk-food movies and TV dramas has ebbed over the years. These days, if it feels junky at the 5- or 10-minute mark, I shut it off. When I see things that are…
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6ixtynin9
6ixtynin9 A six-part series from Thailand, recently released on Netflix Original release date (New York) May 20, 2005 6ixtynin9 is essentially a crime drama, but it’s much more than that. It’s breathless. It’s…
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The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter Directed and co-written by Michael Cimino Starring Robert DeNiro, John Cazale, John Savage, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken Originally released (in LA) Dec. 8, 1978 I hadn’t watched The…
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Another Parent Thrown Out of a School Board Meeting in Florida
You may have seen something like this before. It’s happening in primary schools across the country. A parent comes to the podium at a PTA meeting and proceeds to read from a book that has been ordered for the…
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How Reese Witherspoon Became a Billionaire
A fascinating explanation of how Reese Witherspoon made gazillions of dollars. Not from acting, although she’s done well with that, but from her book club. The woman doing the explaining sounds like a true…
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Despite What You Think You Know
The Facts About the Transgender Therapy Suicide Argument One of the common arguments made on behalf of those that support gender transition “therapy” for young people is that, unless you give them the hormones…
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Patrice O’Neal: Elephant in the Room
Last week, on a walk to give my new fake knee a workout, he began quoting what seemed to be from a movie. He had me laughing. “What movie is that from?” I asked. “It’s from Elephant in the Room,” he said. “And…
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This Documentary Made Me Proud
Click here to watch a film that documents the history and journey of the first 25 years of Rancho Santana.
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Watching TV vs. Everything Else
I didn’t watch a ton of TV as a child. I’m sure I would have if I could have, but my parents preferred their children to spend their spare hours reading books. When I left home, I was, in theory at least, free…
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Cops Get Education on Constitutional Law
This is a new genre of video that is popping up here and there on social media. Citizens challenging police officers that are bullying citizens just because they think they can. I like this one in particular…
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Five Amazing Whale-Spotting Moments!
Five Amazing Whale-Spotting Moments! Click here.
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Written and directed by Christopher Nolan
Oppenheimer Written and directed by Christopher Nolan Based on the book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh…
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The Quiet Girl
Written and directed by Colm Bairéad Based on the book by Claire Keegan Starring Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Catherine Clinch, Michael Patric, and Kate Nic Chonaonaigh Release date (US): Dec. 16, 2022 My…
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Factotum — July 18, 2023
Matt Dillon and Marisa Tomei Factotum Adapted from the book by Charles Bukowski Directed by Bent Hamer Starring Matt Dillon, Marisa Tomei, and Lili Taylor Released Aug. 18, 2006 (US) Factotum is a good but not…
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In the Heart of the Sea
In the Heart of the Sea Based on the book by Nathaniel Philbrick Directed by Ron Howard Starring Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson Released in…
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Yizo Yizo
Yizo Yizo A TV series directed by Teboho Mahlatsi and Angus Gibson 3 seasons, 39 episodes Original release: Jan 27, 1999 to July 1, 2004 Currently streaming on Netflix I would not recommend this series to most…
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A Thousand and One
Written and directed by A.V. Rockwell Starring Teyana Taylor, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, and Aaron Kingsley Adetola Premiered Jan. 22, 2023 (Sundance) Released in theaters (US) Mar. 31, 2023 A…
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The (Rare) Cormac McCarthy Interviews
As I mentioned in my tribute to Cormac McCarthy in Friday’s issue, he was famously private, and turned down most of the interview requests that came his way. But between 1968 and 1980, when he was starting…
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How Much Do You REALLY Like Good Movies?
As an industry rule, movies should be 90 minutes long. A well-respected director can get away with 80 minutes on the downside and 120 on the upside. But viewers shy away from movies that are longer than two…
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Holy Spider
Directed by Ali Abbasi Starring Alice Rahimi, Diana Al Hussen, Soraya Helli, Mehdi Bajestani, and Zar Amir-Ebrahimi In theaters (limited release): Oct. 28, 2022 Streaming: Feb. 21, 2023 In my youth, I believed…
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The Trial
Directed by Orson Welles Screenplay by Orson Welles, based on The Trial by Franz Kafka Starring Anthony Perkins, Orson Welles, Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, Akim Tamiroff, and Elsa Martinelli Original release…
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American Graffiti
American Graffiti Directed by George Lucas Produced by Francis Ford Coppola Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Cindy Williams, Wolfman…
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