THE TURNING OF THE SCREW
October 2021
It’s October, and you know what that means: scary movie time!
“The Turning of the Screw” is a physiological horror story set in the 1920s, after World War I. Ann, played by Michelle Dockery, is a young woman just starting out in the world hoping to be a governess. She is employed by a seemingly prominent Londoner to take care of his late brothers’ kids, whom he wants nothing to do with. His creepy disposition when he interviews Ann is enough to make anyone squirm and shout at the screen “No! Don’t take the job!” but, alas, she is enchanted and goes off to his country home where the kids live.
If the uncle’s behavior wasn’t enough foreshadowing as to the presence of something odd going on behind the scenes, the kids are another matter. They go between proclaiming their love for the new governess and whispering behind her back — in an unusually sinister way for children about elementary school age.
All seems to be going as well as it can until the apparition of a man begins to appear on the estate where only women are present, with the exception of the nephew. Another figure begins to appear as well. There are whispers in rooms when there’s no one there. The unexpected secrets of the past are revealed as the mysterious figures zero in on the house and the audience. The film will keep those watching on the edge of their couches, hiding under blankets and pillows and questioning Anns’ choices.
Can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
February 2022
Phileas Fogg is a wealthy British gentleman who is fascinated with technological innovation. He reads books and articles on the subject and keeps up with the latest advancements, including the hot air balloon. The extent of his travels however, is only to Dover, on the English Channel not far from his London home.
Passepartout works as a waiter at a gentlemen's club in London, of which Fogg is a member. He works there to hide from his past in war-torn France, where the people and the French government battle over how the country should be run.
Abigail Fix Fortescue is the daughter of a prominent newspaper editor in London. She recently published an article in her father’s paper claiming that with the opening of a new railway line, it was now possible to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. Much to her dismay, her father publishes her article under a male name, as it was 1872 and he was concerned about how his readers would react.
Fix’s article and an anonymous postcard calling Fogg a coward inspired him to prove that it was possible. He would circumnavigate the globe in 80 days.
He makes a wager with another member of the club and his intentions attract the attention of Passepartout and Fix, who join him on his journey, fraught with conflict and obstacles that the three of them have to outwit at every turn. The show keeps you on edge as the trio outrun French soldiers and run a train over a broken bridge high over an Italian ravine. A more sinister hand comes in to try to influence the outcome of Fogg’s trip, and each episode ends with a cliff-hanger that cannot be satisfied until the release of the next episode every Sunday.
Can be watched on PBS every Sunday at 8 p.m. until Feb 20. Can also be streamed on the PBS Masterpiece app available on Amazon Prime, as well as the PBS website.
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL
April 2022
The long-awaited day finally came in February. After a three-year wait, season four of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” finally was released on Amazon Prime.This season follows Miriam (Midge) Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) as she is recovering from the heart-breaking finale of season three. Her career as a stand-up comedian seemed to be on the rise, but it came crashing down when she implied that a celebrity was LGBTQ during an act on stage in early 1960s New York City.
Building herself back up from the bottom, she finds work in an unusual place and struggles to make enough money to pay off the apartment she bought when she thought she could afford it. The careers of her hilarious parents Abe (Tony Shaloub) and Rose Weissman (Marin Hinkle) are beginning to take off, but not without their difficulties; the characters struggle with the decision to follow their hearts or their heads.
The new nightclub that is owned and operated by Midge’s ex-husband Joel (Michael Zegen) is hopping, but Joel is not without his own problems, which will affect the whole family. Susie (Alex Borstein) is also growing her talent managing business to more than just Midge as a client, and even has a new apartment combined with an office and a secretary – but that doesn’t come without a cost either.
Familial ties are redefined as Abe and Rose are forced to rely on their daughter; family secrets from the past are revealed and a heart-stopping event makes everyone reconsider previous grudges.
Despite the consistently on-point humor the show is renowned for, the tone is a bit more cynical than in seasons past. It’s understandable considering the end of season three, but it’s not like Midge’s life has been a cakewalk since the show began. The whole reason she became a comic in the first place was because her husband left her — which was even more life-shattering in the late 1950s than it is now, as being unmarried was a social taboo. Usually I watch seasons one through three over and over again, but season four is heavier. While it’s still bingeable, I suspect that I may not watch it as many times as I have the other three.
Overall, I would say that if you loved the first three seasons of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, season four is definitely worth watching. Loose ends from previous seasons are tied up and new ones form, leading into season five, the final season according to Amazon.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of even watching an episode of the show, I would highly recommend watching from season one. The cast of characters are hilarious and the large budget of the show is spent on costumes and filming on location pulls the whole show together.
Seasons One through Four now streaming on Amazon Prime.
WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY
October 2022
Society is an unfriendly place. The pressures people are put under to be the best are unrelenting, and the competition to be at the top is cutthroat. Then kids enter the scene. It isn’t enough for them to be on top themselves, but now they are thinking about their legacy. This can be detrimental for kids and those around them.
“Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty” and “The Cave Dwellers” share this similar theme and outlook on the world, yet the stories have stark differences. One ends on a positive note, the other in darkness and trauma.
“Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty” focuses on a fictional story based on the college admissions scandals. A successful, wealthy Manhattan family is overjoyed that their daughter, Max, was accepted to Princeton University, much to her chagrin. Her dream was to study at a film school in Los Angeles. Just as Max is beginning to feel passionate about Princeton, it is taken away from her. Turns out, one of her parents made a payment to help secure her position, and now it’s been revealed publically. It seems as though her future— as well as that of her parents and her extended family— is destroyed all because of one person acting without the knowledge of the others.
“The Cave Dwellers” revolves around a group of teens who are also part of the extremely privileged class of Washington D.C. They have money, status and connections, but there is one element missing—happiness. As the children of business leaders, politicians and other government officials, they are the victims of their families’ ambition. As they fight to challenge everything their parents hold dear, they are beaten back to the extreme until they are broken.
These books run deep with me. Although they focus on the upper classes, there are themes that can resonate with all teenagers. I would highly suggest anyone above the age of ten read them. If you are looking for a lighter read, “Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty” is the book for you. “The Cave Dwellers” is significantly more dark and mature.