Jacquelyn A. Brown

I just finished binging all the episodes. I liked this cooking competition because it was nice to see straightforward, cooking with no whammy ingredients or equipment, sabotaging, severe time restraints, tricks, incessant smack-talking, or any of the other things you see in the other cooking competitions (and I do enjoy those shows too so I’m not complaining!). But Sometimes you just want to see the art, science and craft of cooking and the full breadth of a chef’s culinary vocabulary/POV and skill, and for me, this show had it. No one had to work around any real obstacles. I got to see some of the most creative cooking and sophisticated dishes I’ve seen on these shows. And you also see where some dishes didn’t work out, as well as inconsistencies in execution. I’ve seen some of these competitors on other shows as competitors and judges (Chung, Sawyer and Zepeda in particular) and here, I got to really see what they could do and I was impressed. I’ve seen Martell and Pham in other shows too. I was surprised to see Anne Burrell given that she’s been on TFN since the beginning and hosted her own show, but maybe she was there to bring some OG competition presence to the show. And funny enough, they all tried, and failed to take her out (and it was so interesting to see her here given her recent passing). I also loved the judging commentary from Chefs Samuelsson and Joo, who are great. I like Scott too. I know we don’t get to see the full conversation behind why the judges arrive at their final conclusion. And I know these shows—for dramatic effect—sometimes edit the judging in ways that make it look like it’s going one way, but then it goes another so the folks at home can be all like yay or nooo! 😆 Yes, it had its share of dramatic flair and effects but ALL these shows do that. I read online that the show was taped in Summer of 2023 which feels like lifetimes ago but it still felt fresh to me. I’m not on social media so I don’t follow the personal lives of the chefs but I read that Chef Chung had a bout with cancer around that time I think. I did love — spoiler alert — that she won and when she said “I’ve arrived” I felt that for her. I hope there’s another season because for me it was a fun watch.

This movie should be renamed The Absolutely Chaotic Life of a Ridiculous Gambling Addict. This is yet another film where the entire plot is built upon a broken character who consistently makes one horrible choice after another, creating unnecessary confusion and petty drama for its own sake. A tiring trope indeed, imo. Yes, there are some good performances. Yes there’s some interesting cameos (John Amos?). Yes the movie moves at a rapid pace although at times it feels it’s just motion for motion’s sake vs actually going forward/someplace. Personally I don’t mind characters who are unsympathetic, but at least be smart and clever so that he’s interesting to watch, but perhaps that’s asking too much from a gambling addict who always keeps digging deeper, facepalm-inducing holes for himself ad nauseum. And yes, it ends just the way I expected it would. Just surprised it didn’t happen sooner given all the scrapes he got himself into.

Soooo cute and funny. It’s such a fun watch. Good writing and characters brilliantly acted by a wonderful cast. And as a GenXer, I’m digging on all the 80s music and themes.

Fun, funny, thoughtful, and enjoyable in all the ways a sitcom can be! I like that it's taped in front of a live audience, and because it's streamed, they don't hold back on the real-talk and hilarious dialogue, including the cuss words and the gay jokes. The writing is strong (tropes and all), the cast is great (this is my first time seeing Nathan Lee Graham as a main/central character and I LOVE him), and performances. And ahhh, Ms. Linda Lavin! She was REALLY great in this and her dialogue and execution? Chef's kiss! I've loved her since Alice, especially her singing voice (loved all the different intros/outros for all the seasons of Alice), so I was pleased they had an episode where she got to play the piano and sing. Also, how they handled her real-life passing in the show was beautiful and heartening. It's amazing to me because Linda had such a joie-de-vivre so her passing away as quickly as she did IRL, well, I just have no words. But she lived a good long life and we're all the better for the art and talent she shared all those decades. Back to the show, I think the premise is ripe for more character development and various "situations" so I hope we get a few more seasons.

I decided to try this film because I remember it being somewhat acclaimed back in the 80s, particularly because of the cast and the father-daughter Huston thing (I was in high school when this came out). Plus I have a thing for good mob movies/shows. 😊 Sigh, it was meh, which was sad given the cast. The New York Italian accents were horrible (I’m GenX Bronx born & raised). I’ve always thought that actors should be allowed to do any role if they were good in it, but Jack Nicholson who is great, but let’s face it, sorta plays his roles the same way in his films, I just couldn’t buy him as a mafia type. Angelica Huston save for the forced accent, *maybe* in some of the scenes. The Don definitely gave me NO Don vibes whatsoever and what accent did he have? It’s hard to describe but there’s a certain swagger, an energy, flavor and vibe that comes with being from the streets in NYC regardless of your ethnicity. It shows in your stance, face, speech, and how you carry yourself. None of them had it. Robert Loggia, tho his screen time was brief, had a bit of that energy given that he was playing a lawyer vs a hood. This film was going for name actors vs an authentic feel. IMO the premise/story/script had promise and while I’m not a fan of remakes for the sake of remakes, with the right writers and (NY/NJ Italian American) actors—sorry, but The Sopranos (which set a really high bar) worked on every level for a reason, same with The Good Fellas, and of course The Godfather 1 & 2 (save for James Caan)—this could be a great film. I gave it 3 stars because it held my interest and curiosity enough for me to see how it would all play out (although I am writing this review about 2/3rds way thru it) and because it wasn’t a horrible film. Btw, as for it being a comedy, I haven’t laughed once. Or even been amused. Just curious if that makes sense. 😊

Stumbled upon this film and immediately watched it when I saw the cast. Good movie and great performances.

An enjoyable, touching and humorous tale of 3 friends moving through the trials and tribulations of life over the decades with 3 of my favorite and powerful actors—Aunjanue Ellis, Uzo Aduba and Sanaa Lathan. Good writing and characters, and great, solid performances. I definitely recommend.

How I never heard of this film before today I don’t know. But true to the classic funny ridiculousness that are the Key & Peele sketches (loved them since they were on Mad TV), this movie was definitely fun to watch and had me laughing. 😁

An interesting meditation on human thought processes, beliefs, experiences, and choices people make. And of course great performances by DeNiro and Milla Jovovich. I usually love Ed Norton but his speech/accent felt forced here. Despite that, he was still good just not 💯for me.

I somehow missed this when it came out but just watched it on the Max app. A highly intriguing and entertaining film/story! Great acting (which is why I watched it - Dame Judy Dench and Cate Blanchett) and performances. Everything you want in a good psychological thriller that unfolds well. It’s like a modern day Hitchcock meets Fatal Attraction meets Single White Female minus the violence. 😊 A good movie overall.