The Last Frontier

Jason Clarke plays a US Marshall stationed near Fairbanks. When a plane full of federal prisoners crashes near him, it sets off a manhunt. Plenty of twists and turns in this solid offering from AppleTV+. The theme music sounds like a show from the 1970's and the setting of Alaska is quite stunning. Jason Clarke does a great job as the Marshall with a troubled past. It may not be the most realistic of shows but it's good fun and I never failed to stop wanting to watch it. Recommended.

The Abandons

 

Typical western fare, with a typical western storyline, One rich and powerful family run by Gillian Anderson lords over a town and its territory, while stepping on Lena Headley's family and the commoners in pursuit of power and riches. The only thing atypical is the two main protagonists are women and they interjected a Romeo and Juliet subplot. The cast is fine, the scenery is pleasant to look at but the script is recycled from a hundred different westerns and dressed up to be original. This ended poorly. I cant tell if it was a cliffhanger or the director just chose to end it there, but either way, i didn't like his choice. I'm not sure if this is good enough to warrant a second season, so the ending could turn out to be even worse. This is watchable if you like westerns otherwise, I would pass.

Sean Combs: The Reckoning

 An absolutely fascinating documentary about Puff Daddy who was one of the most glorious pieces of shit in human history. Produced by 50 cent, the reckoning pulls very few punches as we see the rise and fall of Puff. This illuminating documentary answers many questions, some of which you didn't know you had. When I began I didn't expect to find out who killed Tupac and Biggie Smalls and why, but through conjecture and first hand accounts it's fairly easy to figure it out. Puff gets released from prison in June of 28 and this documentary ,with god's help, should be the final nail in his coffin and almost guarantees we will never see an act II from "puff daddy". Highly Recommended.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy

Michael Chernus plays Chicago contractor and infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Set in the 1970's, this gave off Zodiac vibes in the best way possible as we navigate through a missing child case, the discovery of the victims and the subsequent trial and execution of JWG. This checks most of the boxes, script, acting direction and ambiance are all on point. Michael Chernus does a fine job portraying the Jekyll and Hyde Gacy and the supporting cast is outstanding. Much to the creators credit, there was a decided focus on the victims and their families and what i have to think, was a conscious decision to not lean into the "killer clown" aspect of Gacy which is fruit hanging too low. I guess I am not alone is sharing a morbid fascination with serial killers and if you're like me, you're not going to be disappointed with Devil in Disguise. Go for it. 

Code 3

 

Wilson plays a grumpy veteran paramedic of 18 years who is completely burned out and retiring and on his last 24hr shift he has to train a new employee. Honestly, with this cast I was expecting some lame-brained comedy about an ambulance driver, but since I really enjoy Rainn Wilson I thought I'd give it a try and am I glad I did. This was an extremely well done character study about the challenges of being an EMT with just hints of humor mixed in the narrative. Wilson once again proves himself to be completely underrated as an actor as he gives a heartfelt and believable performance. An indy release, this is the type of film that can easily fly under your radar, don't let it. A unexpected gem.

Blue Moon

 

Sophisticated offering from Linklater unfolds more like a play than a film which is appropriate considering the subject matter is theatre. Blue Moon tells the story of Lorenzo Hart famous songwriter and former partner of Richard Rodgers of Rodger and Hammerstein fame, on the night of the premiere of Oklahoma! at Sardi's in NYC. This is a bit talky and there are some slow parts, but Hawke does a good job and the film has a tremendous supporting cast featuring Qualley and Cannavale. Blue Moon, if nothing else has a nice feel to it. Meeting EB White in a bar in 1943 NYC has a certain charm, however, one will get much more out of this, if they understand the background a bit more than I think the average viewer would. Therefore, there is a certain amount of sophistication needed to really get the most out of this picture. Soft Recommendation

The Age of Disclosure

 

In case you've been living under a rock, we know now we are being visited by aliens and have been for some time. We have crashed ships and alien bodies and we have been covering it up for years. The congressional hearings and multiple whistleblowers have put it on full display and everything short of the president making a special announcement that aliens exist, we know aliens exist. In this documentary, 32 government officials, tell us what they know. The first half of this is pretty standard stuff, but the second half when they start to discuss the tech and the why we haven't been told is where this shines. A Must See for believers and non believers both and if for some reason you haven't looked into UAP's this may just blow your mind.