Thursday, June 8, 2023

See You In My 19th Life


tags: fantasy, KDrama, Netflix streaming, reincarnation, romance
16 episodes, Saturday and Sunday starting June 17, 2023

It stars my number one favorite Korean actress, Shin Hye-sun.

Her dramas currently streaming on Netflix
Stranger, second lead
Mr. Queen, lead
Hymn of Death, lead

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Sound Of Freedom



Get Your Tickets At: https://www.angel.com/sof
Exclusively in theaters July 4th, 2023.

Sound of Freedom, based on the incredible true story, shines a light on even the darkest of places. After rescuing a young boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent learns the boy’s sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.
The film stars Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, The Count of Monte Cristo) who plays the lead role of Tim Ballard. Academy Award Winner Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite) plays Katherine Ballard and Bill Camp (Lincoln, 12 Years a Slave) plays “Batman”—Ballard’s right-hand man.
The film is produced by Eduardo Verástegui and directed by Alejandro Monteverde.
Share this film with the world by Paying it Forward at https://www.angel.com/pay-it-forward/sound-of-freedom

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Tiger And Dragon


tags: dorama, Japanese series, Netflix streaming
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From IMDB
The show revolves around Rakugo, a traditional Japanese comedy that can look back on a 400 year long history. It tells about a Yakuza who goes to a Rakugo performer to collect debts, and a talented comedian who tries to change his destiny.
This 2005 Japanese series is streaming on Netflix. It is goofy and hilarious, a true dramedy with bursts of comedy and heavy drama. I love the over-the-top acting and contrived personal stories that only the Japanese can do without the viewers rolling their eyes.

Highly recommended. 

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling


tags: 18th century, adventure, humor, romance, satire
⭐⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads
A foundling of mysterious parentage brought up by Mr. Allworthy on his country estate, Tom Jones is deeply in love with the seemingly unattainable Sophia Western, the beautiful daughter of the neighboring squire—though he sometimes succumbs to the charms of the local girls. When Tom is banished to make his own fortune and Sophia follows him to London to escape an arranged marriage, the adventure begins. A vivid Hogarthian panorama of eighteenth-century life, spiced with danger and intrigue, bawdy exuberance and good-natured authorial interjections, Tom Jones is one of the greatest and most ambitious comic novels in English literature.

The novel is loooong (my copy has over 1 thousand pages), naughty, satirical, and very very funny. I loved it. 

Highly recommended.

Friday, May 5, 2023

Felix Holt The Radical











tags: classics, politics, romantic triangle
⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads
When the young nobleman Harold Transome returns to England from the colonies with a self-made fortune, he scandalizes the town of Treby Magna with his decision to stand for Parliament as a Radical. But after the idealistic Felix Holt also returns to the town, the difference between Harold's opportunistic values and Holt's profound beliefs becomes apparent. Forthright, brusque and driven by a firm desire to educate the working-class, Felix is at first viewed with suspicion by many, including the elegant but vain Esther Lyon, the daughter of the local clergyman. As she discovers, however, his blunt words conceal both passion and deep integrity. Soon the romantic and over-refined Esther finds herself overwhelmed by a heart-wrenching decision: whether to choose the wealthy Transome as a husband, or the impoverished but honest Felix Holt.
This is the last George Eliot novel I have read, completing all 7 novels and one collection of 3 short stories. This is my least favorite but still rates 3 stars IMHO. Middlemarch is still number 1 on my list of George Eliot novels.

The story is a tad convoluted with the story of Esther and also of Harold regarding their parentage. The storytelling is fine but with almost all characters being antiheroes, it is hard to like the book. I guess not everybody is into reading about vexing characters dominating a book. This is probably the reason it is the least popular of all her novels regardless of the interesting Radicalism politics. 

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Love Village


tags: Becky, Japanese reality dating show, Netflix streaming
4 episodes every Tuesday, 30 - 35 minutes, total of 18 episodes

Becky has a new dating reality show to comment on. The dating show is for more mature unmarried people and those who have been married before looking for  a second or a third chance at love. The participants are all older than the usual romance seekers on reality TV, a version/mash-up of Terrace House and the Korean dating show Single's Inferno. The youngest is almost 40 and the oldest is 60.

The show is definitely different from other romance oriented reality shows. They help in renovating the old rundown house and grow vegetables in the garden to supplement their food allowance. The group is more open to sexual discussions because they are old and had more experience than shows with much younger people. The 2 oldest men had an argument early on which I've never seen in any Japanese reality shows. Japanese people are usually not prone to arguments.

At the end of the fourth episode the 2 oldest men left and were replaced by 2 40 year old men and one woman. There will be 5 women and 4 men next week. Interesting and addicting series, just like Terrace House and Love Wagon. Next 4 episodes will air on May 9.

BTW, Becky looks prettier and doesn't seem to age.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Pork Pie Pandemonium











Tags: British, mystery
⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads
Baking. It can get a guy killed.
When a retired detective superintendent chooses to take a culinary tour of the British Isles, he hopes to find tasty treats and delicious bakes … … what he finds is a clue to a crime in the ingredients for his pork pie.
His dog, Rex Harrison, an ex-police dog fired for having a bad attitude, cannot understand why the humans are struggling to solve the mystery. He can already smell the answer – it’s right before their noses. He’ll pitch in to help his human and the shop owner’s teenage daughter as the trio set out to save the shop from closure.
Is the rival pork pie shop across the street to blame? Or is there something far more sinister going on? One thing is for sure, what started out as a bit of fun, is getting deadlier by the hour, and they’d better work out what the dog knows soon or it could be curtains for them all. 

It is a short easy read and I enjoyed reading about a dog with attitude as a partner in detecting. The reason I cannot give it a 4 star rating is the ever present drugs as the main reason for the murders and crime. Why do modern day British authors dwell so much on drug crimes? It is getting boring. 

The recipe for Pork Pie at the end of the novel saved it from getting a low 2-star rating. I will still read the second installment because Rex Harrison, the dog, is interesting.

Friday, April 28, 2023

Democrats Hate Women

Blacks will soon find out dems will protect queers against them. Just you wait and see.

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Cover The Beatles

In 2021, Leo Sayer released an album of Beatles song covers. Most people made fun of the whole album. I downloaded one song from Freegal and deleted it after listening to it once. IMHO, it is bad. Really bad. Poor guy. Ahh Ah-ha Ahh Ah-ha. He didn't "make me feel like dancing listening" to his covers. 😝

I never liked second hand Beatles songs but there are a few exceptions. 

Jimi Hendrix, the original Idol, playing live just 2 days after the release of the album.


Peter Frampton making his guitar gently weep.


Sandy Farina in the movie Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band


Billy Preston's more than A-okay.

 
From the movie I Am Sam (I never saw it)