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Six Triple Eight—Hidden Figures?

Based on journalist Kevin M. Hymel’s 2019 article “Fighting a Two-Front War,” Six Triple Eight  follows  the inspiring story of 855 women who overcame immense barriers to sort over seventeen million pieces of backlogged mail.  Sorting the mail became a priority to boost morale by ensuring soldiers stayed connected with loved ones. Their contributions, though largely forgotten by history, are brought to life in this powerful film. In this Tyler Perry WWII drama,  the only all-Black, all-female US WAC (Women’s Army Corps) unit of color –the 6888th Central Postal...

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Emilia Pérez–A Gender Bender

Emilia Perez was Inspired by both  Boris Razon’s 2018 novel Écoute  and by the opera libretto written by French director Jacques Audiard. The movie also won the 2024 Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and multiple Golden Globes for a musical drama. Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón of Mexican telenovela fame) is a former Mexican cartel leader. Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, who fakes Manitas’s death in order to become her true self as a woman.  Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) primarily defends drug lords, those guilty of domestic violence, and murderers.  Drug lord...

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Year of the Snake 2025–January 29-February 12, 2025

The Year of the Wood Snake is a period of transformation, wisdom, and adaptability. According to Chinese Buddhism, before the Buddha entered Nirvana only twelve animals came to pay homage. So the Buddha honored them by naming a twelve-year cycle after them. The Snake, the most complex and “unsettling” force among the twelve, was the sixth animal to pay its respect to the Buddha. This year is the Year of the Wood Snake, which officially began when the new moon entered Aquarius at 4:36 a.m. PT on Jan. 29, 2025.  More than two weeks of parties, customs and banquets will...

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Juror #2–Trial by Fire or Twelve Angry Men?

In this latest Clint Eastwood movie (2024), we see the jury selection process for the trial of  a brutal murder of an abused young woman, Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood).  After an odious fight with her abusive boyfriend, James Sythe (Gabriel Basso of “The Night Agent”) in a local bar, Kendall is found dead, bloodied and battered in a ravine.  The pending trial in Juror #2 seems likely to result in  a predictable verdict of guilty for the former drug-addicted abuser. Enter Justin Kemp (a remarkable Nicolas Hoult of “The Great” and “The Menu”), a freelance journalist...

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Man on the Inside–Outside In

In this Netflix crowd-pleaser, Man on the Inside  opens with a retired curmudgeonly college professor, Charles (Ted Danson) who has recently lost his wife to dementia.  Out of boredom and grief, he  responds to an ad from a private investigator,   (Lilah Richcreek Estrada).   Someone in an upscale  San Francisco retirement home has had a valuable necklace stolen and her son wants the necklace back. The PI decides to hire Charles not only because he’ll fit in well as one of the few older male residents   but also because he just may have the skills needed to identify the...

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My Top 17 Movies and Series for 2024

This year I have seventeen films and series to recommend.  Some are less well-known and under-the-radar.  Also, there seemed to be more selections from DEI producers and writers, for a welcomed change! Here are the reviews I wrote this past year with the criteria that they were available online.  Of the 45 reviews I posted this year, these are my favorites, my “listicle”.  As in past years, both television and cinema have continued to produce phenomenal story-telling and intriguing characters. And this year many of the indie/foreign films could...

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