Screen Time

Let's face facts here, people. I have too much screen time. If my ass isn't plunked down in front of this laptop, it's parked on the couch as I stare at the TV in search of my next great watch. Or not so great. Here's a sampling of my latest views.

Lizzie Borden is the subject of the latest MONSTER series on Netflix and it's a typical Ryan Murphy production meaning overbaked, overacted and runs out of steam before the end. This go-around is fairly restrained compared to last year's Ed Gein freak show. As Lizzie, Ella Beatty (the spawn of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening) is the mellowest one in the bunch (comparatively) and has to do the heavy lifting to the end which she does quite well, fighting the flatness of the wrap-up. However, Rebecca Hall as her step-mother is an absolutely brilliant villainess with the best lines in the show. Too bad she gets chopped up so early because I missed her, but, hey, it's a true story and she had to go, right? Speaking of which, if you're looking for any sort of historical accuracy here (or any other dramatization for that matter), then you're a blithering idiot of the highest order. Just ax anyone. On Netflix

More TV vampire fun than you can shake a stake at. I went ga-ga and goo-goo over THE VAMPIRE LESTAT, my favorite show of the summer. After INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, I shouldn't have been so surprised, but it did with each episode. Superb cast (where has Jennifer Ehle been my entire life?) and stupendous execution of the material, this show had it all for me and validates my belief that vampiric lore as a genre continues to endure, much like the subjects themselves. It makes me all woozy just thinking about it. On AMC Plus.

If you haven't seen SPIDER-NOIR, the first season is pretty well-contained on its own which is a good thing since Amazon just gave it the boot. But Nicolas Cage is well worth your time in the title role as a Spiderman knock-ff set in a parallel universe in the 1930s. At first I though he might be too old for the part, but a few episodes in, he goes full blown Cage and the years drop off of him reminding us all what a lovable maniac he still is. Oh and Brendan Gleeson as well, two great tastes that taste great together. You know what I mean. On Prime Video.

One of my favorite sub-genres involves shitty people doing shitty things to one another, hence my love for SUCCESSION on HBO Max, four seasons of pitch perfect perniciousness. Since its last episode, several pretenders to that vicious throne have failed to make the grade until AMC's THE AUDACITY came out of nowhere to satisfy my bloodlust for the crashing and burning of the rich and infamous, this time taking on the elite tech scumbags. Small wonder that this show works since it was created by Jonathan Glatzer, a SUCCESSION writer/producer. As much as I enjoy the carnage, I can't help but think the future is in these pitiful, pityless fuckers hands. On AMC Plus

Other notable shows:
LANTERNS On HBO Max
DARK WINDS On AMC + and Netflix (though this season was the weakest of the four thus far)
SHRINKING On Apple TV
MARGO'S GOT MONEY TROUBLES On Apple TV
BAD MONKEY On Apple TV (sensing a trend here?)
MR. SCORSESE (take a wild guess)


Time to see what else is on.