Documentaries

The Muppets were dark enough to count some of the cartoonists at NatLamp as fans.

Watched Let the Canary Sing on Paramount+ last night. It was...slight in some ways. I've been a fan since the 80s and have always loved her voice and creative edge.

 

For those who grew up in that generation, the documentary on LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow (now on Netflix) was also very well done.

But you don't have to take my word for it.

 

I watched the Apple doc on the Lennon murder. I don't recommend it. Highly irresponsible.

 

Recommend "I'm Just Here for the Riot," a look at what happened in downtown Vancouver after the loss in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. Interesting to me as a hockey fan and Canada-phile.

Lets the police off a little too easy (seems an expectation of something closer to worst-case scenario would have been wise). And the final 15 to 20 minutes, when some of the prominent bad actors are given the podium to talk about the butt hurt they suffered from social-media backlash, left me shaking the noggin.

 

Far too sympathetic to the meathead rioters for me.

 

When one person said the comments on social media were as bad as what they’d done I started yelling at the TV like Archie Bunker.

 

Watched "Game Changers" on a flight. On the history and hosts of game shows.

Really enjoyed it. It's hosted by Alex Trebek, and was made 5-6 years ago.

 

Wow, can I avoid going back to watch Chuck Woolery/Bill Cullen/Wink Martindale/Richard Dawson/Gene Rayburn/Monte Hall??

 

Lots of great clips. And everyone on that list who was alive in 2018 was interviewed. I found it to be an enjoyable 90 minutes.

 

I watched a minute— literally— and it looked like Alex Trebek interviewing other game show hosts, many of whom are Trumpists. So fuck that.

 

Just watched HBO’s four parter on Pete Rose. That dude is his own worst enemy. They asked him about the allegations that he was having sex with teenagers and his answer went from denial to “well, they were legal at the time right? And it wasn’t like I was 50 years old then.”