Judd Apatow: The Return

Judd Apatow's comedy special, The Return, is funny in parts, interesting in parts, very pleasant to watch. But in the end pretty nothingish and underwhelming.

Insecure

HBO's Insecure created and starring Issa Rae is wonderful. She plays a vulnerable and edgy young woman dealing with work and love. Her character is so great and funny. And the scenes are marvelous. Very awkward. I can't wait for the next season.

Silicon Valley

The HBO series Silicon Valley is very funny and engaging. About the socially awkward founders of a startup, it features a mix of deadpan characters and witty dialogue. I liked them very much. As the series progresses the plot gets kind of convoluted and exhausting and I found myself wishing it were more like a traditional sitcom, like Cheers, where you can just enjoy your favorite characters interacting without having to remember a whole series of events from previous seasons and episodes. I didn't care that much about the trials and travails of the company as much as the characters.

Get Out

Get Out is a horror movie that explores racism, examining manners and hypocrisy. Sinister and creepy, it is a smart movie that exposes the brutality of racist social control.

Ryan Hamilton: Happy Face

Ryan Hamilton's Netflix special Happy Face is very fun, poking fun at the discrepancy between appearance and reality in different ways,  opening with a discussion of his face which always looks happy regardless of his mood. He makes fun of himself in a way that has complexity making it more than obvious self-deprecating humor.

Dr. Thorne

Dr Thorne is a totally enjoyable miniseries on Amazon written and produced by Julien Fellowes who did Downtown Abbey (which I wasn't crazy about). This four-part production of a Trollope novel has some cheesy aspects (mainly the music, some of the lighting, directorial things like that; and the acting isn't particularly special with one exception). Some of the plot elements are a little predictable. But really it was just what the doctor ordered (HAHAHA!) for my mood. A perfect distraction. Plus it had my favorite Allison Brie (maybe slightly miscast?). The only performance that stood out was Ian Mcshane as Sir. Roger Scratcherd.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a little ridiculous and schticky, but there is so much I enjoyed by it. I usually don't like movies/tv where the hook is finding the lead charming. Other than Annie Hall that hasn't really worked for me. So Mrs. Maisel grated slightly. But I loved the larger than life story, the exuberance of the series, the bright colors, the caricature of bourgeois Jewish life, the Forrest Gump run-ins with Lenny Bruce and Jane Jacobs. In spite of the corniness it's really something enjoyable and special.