Michele Lein

This Netflix horror feature is a fun little excursion to a small, rural, Swedish mountainside community by a bay suddenly plagued by what seems to be a werewolf. And not the type that stands on two feet, howls at the moon, and transforms from human to wolf while howling and rending it's clothing. Well, at least, not at first. No, this is your all in throwback to ancient Viking times and a cursed bloodline werewolf. Made more credible by the involvement of a scientist who's an expert in wolves and, of course, an old, grizzled wolf -or, rather- werewolf tracker, who's supposedly been on the trail of this particular wolfie for over two years. There are the typical teens involved and endangered, one of whom is the daughter of the female deputy sheriff, and the other the daughter of the woman who is the mayor of this picturesque town. This is a great film for fans of the Nordic crime/horror genre. Nothing complicated. Just mountains, teens, a wildlife exppert, a grizzled and wise lycanthrope tracker, and loving law-enforcement/town-official parents trying to protect their kids any way they can. One thing I always find endearing with these small, rural Nordic crime/horror flicks is how innocent and straightforward the people seem to be. In one scene, the female deputy sheriff gets called to the scene of a 'one vehicle accident in a mountainside tunnel, an animal killing people.' She's all alone, pulling up to the tunnel entrance, and she radios back to her station that she's there, and that the tunnel is dark, with smoke coming out of it. Her eyes are huge, and I expect the calvalry will be sent. But the dispatcher just says "Roger. Keep us posted. Out." I mean, really? This deputy is all of 5'5, 115lbs, and has possibly used the only silver bullet in her possession, but her link to back-up just says "Keep us posted." 'That's so Nordic.' Lol. But even so, this simple, yet somehow "made for adults" throwback to the popcorn horror flicks of youth, is very engaging.

OMG! This show is the next 'Walking Dead'! If all you zombie show loving people haven't seen this, it is so worth your time. Great lead actors that immediately, before and after oubreak, grab you, and you cant help but root for them. Awesome plot (although somewhat same-old same-old so far, but it's a zombie virus takeover plot, so that's to be expected). The zombies seem to me to be a bit more vicious and quick than on older shows, and this time around, they can't see, but can hear. They make terror inducing clicking sounds, in addition to the usual high pitched shrieks all zombies seem to share(I think that's how they navigate, by echo recall, like bats.) Set in the very beginning of the zombie apocalypse, the two zombies featured were really great, the younger one very fast moving but also a bit clumsy, and the elderly one very hungry. Fast forward to the the middle of the second episode and we see one zombie clicking away and making sounds like it is aspirating. Again, though, it was very clumsy, and the extra who was acting that role looked very awkward, very B movie, and the fungi-mask that the special effects/make-up people created for it was, or looked like it was, just a rubber mask such as you might purchase at a party store. I was disappointed in the inconsistencies of the zombies. However it had a great lead--lead-in, and the time flipping was not too jarring. I couldn't believe this when I saw the cast list, but two of my favorite indigenous actors of all time are in it. Elaine Miles from 'Northern Exposure' who kind of dropped out of the acting world for a while, and Graham Green, from the same show, although he's been in many more films over the years, including a turn as a sheriff in the gripping film 'Wind River', and many more films I can't remember now, but I've seen them all. This is a must watch for you "zombiephile" people, although most of you probably tuned in straight away, knowing a promising zombie virus outbreak series when you see it. I can't wait to see more episodes. Episode two drops on HBO on Sunday. Here's the thing though, I don't pay for anything but Netflix anymore because there are free streaming apps that have EVERYTHING FROM EVERY STREAMING SITE. If you can stand a few commercials, and can patiently root out the good apps from the bad, it's worth it. There's no waiting, the shows/films usually appear the next day after the official premier. My current favorite free app is 'Cullnissgoal'. It has everything! It's so worth the commercials, only one every half hour or so of the media time. Get it. You'll be so happy with it. And don't despair if you get an "app not safe anymore, download new one" message. It will keep your watch list intact, no matter. This isn't a commercial. I'm not getting anything for my promo. Just trying to be helpful to those of you sick of high payments for premium streaming. It doesn't have to be that way. The big streaming services should be worried everyone will catch on to this

The antagonist in this movie is a dead ringer for Jason Bateman if he had been dropped in the desert with no food or water for 2 days. But when you look closer, you can see his features are more irregular, as opposed to Bateman's classic facial structure. It's quite a good little film, and since 'Tammy And George' hit the streaming scene, I'm really impressed with Michael Shannon's acting range. Usually he's just the unappreciated husband and/or father, but he's finally breaking out of that stereotype he has been stuck in. So, as I like to do when characters make really stupid decisions, I must point them out, because they're such ridiculous things that any idiot with an IQ even a point higher than Donald Trump's would realize it would be a dangerous no no. So a traveling preacher on his way to a new church gig somewhere in Mexico passes this guy lying on the side of the road, looking more dead than alive, and, what do you know, there's a police helicopter circling the area about a mile away. Frist obvious red flag, if you haven't figured that out already. Red flag number 2: So of course, being the nice, compassionate, but unarmed fellow he is, he puts the still unconscious man in the cab of his van, driving off with him knowing nothing about who he is or where he came from. But we the audience are, by now, highly suspicious. Red flag number three: After he stops to feed this guy at a little diner, the trip continues on, with some ill-advised drinking and driving happening. The preacher then drives off-road to a totally isolated and abandoned quarry, saying he needs to 'dry out' a bit before continuing their lovely Sunday drive. While 'drying out', the preacher makes pleasant small talk (not), including revealing that he had seen the police helicopter earlier, and speculates that they may have been 'looking for someone'. (Cue the preacher shooting a heavily laden and pointed "side eye" at this guy who is looking less and less like a wholesome and innocent drifter down on his luck who just happened to be taking a Sunday stroll in what was no doubt at least 90 degree heat with no food, water, or planned destination. Unlike the audience, who by now are hearing alarm bells and whistles going off, our kind man of God continues making pointed references and speculations about the police presence in the area. I'm sure you can see where this story, and our good-hearted preacher are headed. So I'll shut up now and let you see if you can find any more "Stupid Human Decisions" for yourselves.

Wow! As soon as the theme song of this series (Gonna Cut You Down, by John Grant, which incidentally is quite reminiscent in style of 'The Hanging Tree', a song from the third installment of 'The Hunger Games') started playing as Stanley Tucci was led out of his death row cell, I knew this was going to be a kick a$$ series. This was confirmed as soon as Tucci opened his mouth and spoke in the urbane, deadpan manner he is so good at, and with his characteristic, humorously sly 'I'm brilliant and you're not, deal with it.' attitude, I was hooked like I'm very rarely hooked within the first 10 minutes or so of any series. Equally intriguing is David Tennant, as a porn-hiding (not his own), gargoyle-like mother named 'Hilda' of a suicidal Verger pacifying (Tilly Vosburgh in a hideously scary, 'mother of 'Sybil' worthy performance, and Harry Quartly as her much maligned son, Edgar) vicar with a wry sense of humour. This starts out looking like an interesting bit of crisscrossing storyline mystery solving. Then things get complicated and turn, let's say, into a bit of a pickle for the vicar and family. Those who like their humour served up gleefully dark with a side of the absurd (remember, this is a British based series), will love this twist on the usual homely, mystery-solving vicar theme. An excellent series.

I absolutely love Jessica Chastain and Eddedmayne, both redheads, coincidentally. Chastain's career, while always stellar, has just blown-up recently, in a good way. From 'The Good Nurse' here, to the story of one of country music's first "power couples", Tammy Wynette and George Jones in 'Tammy And George', as well as giving voice to the another 'Tammy' in 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye', she is rapidly edging out Nicole Kidman as the go-to actress that Hollywood and award shows fawn over. I love this movie for a number of reasons. First, because I love the medical world. I've been a CNA, and a patient staying any length of time in a hospital from four days to two weeks. I admire nurses so much, and had wanted to study for a degree in nursing. But it just didn't work out. My grandmother was a nurse, although she trained for it in the late 1920s, so of course things were much different then; nurses were much more restricted on what they could do, not to mention the lack of treatment that was available. This movie poignantly illustrates the everyday struggles dedicated nurses go through, as well as their private pain and sometimes despair. This next thing is a small spoiler, but it comes out in the first ten minutes of the movie, so it shouldn't be a big deal to most viewers. As well as being a dedicated nurse juggling family and work, Chastain's character is also facing a life threatening medical condition, making it even more difficult to work in such a grueling profession. Eddy Redmayne, who can embody the fun and whimsy of characters such as Newt Scamander in the 'Fantastic Beasts...' saga, and the sexually fluid role of 'The German Girl', can also do a 180 and portray an "angel of death" in this film. And las tIy, I love this movie for a silly personal reason: my doctor, who is an absolute angel, and the savior of my physical health andwellness, is a twin to Jessica Chastain. From Chastain's strawberry blonde hair to her quiet, soft spoken compassionate nature in this role, as well as her open, funny nature in real life (judging by her appearances on several late night talk shows), she embodies, to me, the best side of the face of medical care today, and reminds me to be grateful for dedicated women healthcare professionals like my doctor.

I know this movie has had mixed reviews, but even if you don't like the plot, think it drags, is ridiculous, or whatever else everyone's complaining about, you cannot dispute the star power of Harry Styles. He has grown from an adorable boy band favorite into slick, edgy, and so surprisingly over the top talented young actor, that I felt I had been in the presence of one of those stealthy, yet shockingly quick-moving alien ships from the 'Nope' movie. Styles joins the impressive ranks of other hot, young, talented actors such as Max Minghella from 'The Handmaid'sTale', (who gives a brooding performance as 'Commander Nick Blaine', trying to make 'Ghiliad' a better, more "human rights friendly country", while simultaneously spying on it for Canada), Rupert Grint, who has moved on from rather gawky wizard in training sidekick to Harry Potter, into sleazeball brother-in-law to the desperate parents of a dead, come back to life, disappearing infant in 'Servant', and of course, Timothy Chalamet of 'Call Me By Your Name', and the upcoming cannibal love story 'Bones And All'. Styles tour de force performance lifts 'Don't Worry Darling' out of 'Stepford Wives'-like copycat oblivion into a slick commentary on American cultural and societal norms, past and present.

I know this movie has gotten mixed reviews. But even if you think the plot drags, or it has a too new-agey, yet eclectic feel, or is a copy of 'The Stepford Wives', you absolutely cannot dispute Harry Style's performance. He gives a tour de force unlike anything we've seen come out of him yet. He has become one of the hottest young stars to break into top notch movie's such as 'Don't Worry Darling', series like 'The Handmaid'sTale', where Max Minghella gives a brooding performance as a newly appointed 'Commander' and one of the leaders of a growing subsect of men in the 'Ghillead' hierarchy who, under 'Commander Lawrence', -very capably played with wry, self deprecating humor and irony by newly silver-bearded 'White House' alum, Bradley Whitford-, and his Draconian machinations and counter-terrorism smoke-screen of being a totally committed member of the 'Ghillead' "Old Boys" network, is out to change the total lunacy of a country that has descended into practices of slavery, the 'ownership' of women for breeding purposes, and a rigid and ridiculous system of social tiers where everyone is monitored, and must keep the social system true with a set number of greetings and phrases which must be uttered by each tier. But I'm getting off-track. 'Don't Worry Darling' has many of the same concepts as 'The Handmaid'sTale', such as secrecy, a network of men working at jobs they can't discuss openly, and certainly not with their wives, who must adhere rigidly to the social contract of their community, or face the consequences, which seemingly might include removal and replacement of your person by a 'Stepford Wives' type double. Harry Styles is destined to become another Benedict Cumberbatch, or a modern and improved 'Agent 007' for his peer group. He has a sort of new and improved "Pierce Brosnan" vibe for the younger generation. This is a great watch for fans of alternate reality films such as 'The Stepford Wives', '1984', and even 'Clockwork Orange', and series like 'The Handmaid'sTale', with a bit of my favorite, much lamented demise after two seasons series, 'Wayward Pines'.

I rarely watch any movie twice, especially if it's a horror movie, and if I've watched it within the last couple of years or so. I found this on a free movie app. (They are really great. In case you don't know about them, I've been able to stop paying for subscription streaming services for all but Netflix, and even the better free movie apps have some Netflix movies, and even series, but you can also rent it on Prime Video, if you prefer to pay $3.99.) Anyway, I didn't remember watching it until about 10 minutes in, and even then I didn't remember anything specific, and it was intriguing, so I kept watching. I was hooked after about 5 minutes, and like I said, this is rare for me. If you like intelligent horror movies, you will like this. The kid is adorable when exhibiting his "nice, normal" side, and highly intelligent and manipulative when he switches to his "dark side" mode. I won't say much more as it would create spoilers, because everything in this movie is linked. But it is not your usual smart, evil, creepy kid movie. If the rating system here was 1-10, I would still rate it at a 10. It's just that good!

O my gosh. Jared Leto has done it again! Another chameleon-like, brilliant performance. I never know that it is him until publicity trailers, reviews, or the credits roll. Although he's a bit older than Neuman would have been during the time period which this series portrays, he makes up for it with the manic energy of the real Neuman, and the accent is spot-on flawless. The whole persona of Adam Neuman is recreated in a frantic, fun filled powerhouse by Leto. Anne Hathaway is, of course, her usual beautiful self, with great acting. But she flatters the real Rebekah Neuman, who is just not even close to Hathaway's beauty and brilliance. Neumann is a faded, washed out woman with, as America Ferrera states in one scene 'No light of her own'. She should be beyond flattered at Hathaway's portrayal of her. Watch this series! The WeWork saga is riveting and unbelievable, if you didn't know it really happened, you really wouldn't believe it!

This movie had some of the scariest zombies I've ever seen, and I've watched 'The Walking Dead' and 'Fear The Walking Dead'. It doesn't waste time reeling you in. From the first scene, I was hooked, even though I thought I was signing on to watch a psychological thriller, I just couldn't look away. This movie is to zombies what '28 Days of Night' was to vampires.The camerawork alone, on this movie, was enough to give me goose bumps, and the zombiefication of the cast was well above average, but more in a stylishly noir vibe, rather than the stark reality vibe that TWD and FTWD grooved to. It made me think of the song 'Heathens'. 'All my friends are heathens, take it slow. Wait for them to ask you who you know. Please don't make any sudden moves, you don't know the half of the abuse', goes one lyric. I'm not even that much of a fan of zombie movies, but I've seen a lot of movies, -unprofessional critic here, lol - (yes, I'm aware of my wordplay, not just grammatically challenged), and I know an excellently done movie when I see one.