Hello, and welcome to October’s round-up of TV and movies to watch. I would like to tell you that Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor is on this list, but unfortunately, I am a total wuss (who force quit Stranger Things when the walls bent out on Winona), so I can’t watch. However, I’ve been told it’s great and that it will haunt you…emotionally?! Anyways, enjoy. I’ll be watching the scare-free supercuts. Here are some things I did, however, make it through.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is an Aaron Sorkin spectacular full of fast-paced dialogue and frantic background music. After watching, I learned that this movie was meant to be made more than 10 years and has gone through a slew of directors and actors before finally being filmed in 2019. Now, with the pandemic, its theatrical release was moved to Netflix. The movie tells the true story of the trial of seven defendants who led peaceful protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention that escalated into riots. The government wants to throw the book at them, and charges them federally for crossing state lines to incite the riots. Watch for quick dialogue and an impressive ensemble of actors, including Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Rylance, Frank Langella, and Sacha Baron Cohen (who steals the show.)
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
This documentary follows how a diver (and disillusioned filmmaker) builds a relationship with a wild octopus off the shores of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula. On the surface, it sounds a bit “meh”, but once you dive in (heh.heh.heh.), the filmographer uses his wiles to cleverly lure you into the story, and invest you in this experience. While I did have some ethical qualms while watching – namely about a human imposing a “bond” on a wild creature – there are some beautiful shots of underwater life in the kelp forests that are worth the watch.
Blackpink: Light Up The Sky (Netflix)
Hahaha – I didn’t expect to make it through more than 5 minutes of this, but it turned out to be a really interesting look into the K-Pop industry. I had listened to a Radiolab podcast a few years back, which highlighted an American-Korean girl’s experience of moving to Korea to pursue stardom. Recruits essentially enter a “K-Pop high school”, where they practice 14 days on, 1 day off for years at a time to perfect synchronized dance routines, musicality, and more. This ultimately leads to the creation of one of today’s best selling K-Pop groups – Blackpink – who have achieved an impressive international following.
Dolly Parton: Here I Am (Netflix)
As my sister said, “I’ve never known more about Dolly Parton than I have in the last 5 years.” Here I Am is the latest addition to her extensive media rolodex, and chronicles her rise from small town Tennessee to movie and music fame. She’s definitely an entertaining cat, and this movie does a good job of highlighting her quick wit and insightfulness.
The Right Stuff (Disney+)
I haven’t watched this yet, but if you’re looking to exercise your Disney+ membership for more than just Star Wars and Hamilton, they recently released The Right Stuff, which stars Patrick J. Adams (of Suits) as John Glenn and other key American members from the the early days of the space race. I’ll likely write it up next month!
What have you been watching?
