Kim Fatica

My wife and I were children of the 60s, so the a large appeal of this movie was rooted in fun nostalgia. Looking back at the pop culture of that era and having a good chuckle was wonderful for us. We really enjoyed ‘Unfrosted’ for its silliness and snappy, clever writing delivered so brilliantly—some of it we had to listen to a second time to get the joke, but we caught ourselves laughing out loud a number of times. The two of us laughed really hard near the end of the movie because both of us love Pop-Tarts and are a house divided: I love mine frosted right out of the package and she loves them plain and toasted. There are hidden gems of real history in this movie, as Post vs Kellogg’s was a major rivalry. We had forgotten that they had competing toaster pastries in addition to head-to-head battles with raisin bran cereals. Also discovering Marjorie Post’s connection to the present was surprising. It was a blast to see all of the stars who popped up in this film. They all appeared to be having a good time, which is what this movie’s about. Hats off to Jerry Seinfeld, Amy Schumer and Jim Gaffigan for making this an enjoyable surprise!

A string of Netflix comedy clunkers mercifully ended with ‘Baby J’. Make no mistake, if you are familiar with John Mulaney’s awkward personal stumbles, you may be surprised at how hard he will make you laugh as he delivers a very personal account of some shockingly dark times. I loved John Mulaney’s comedy, but after a period of thinking he’d gone off the deep end, never to return, I was delighted to be entertained with unique, edgy comedy that made me laugh out loud. There was no corny, predictable and formulaic pre-show setup before the comedy was delivered. Nope. You’re right in to the show from the start. Early on, I felt guilty laughing about his retelling of his cocaine misadventures; I have compassion for those struggling with addiction, but John is so deadpan and honest that I became less anxious to hear his personal tales. This was a wonderful comedy special that will sustain laughter from start to finish. It’s a personal story that makes Mulaney fans like me feel reassured that he will keep his act together for a long time.

This felt like a resurrection of Rob Lowe’s fun and quirky character in ‘Parks and Recreation’, which I liked. It is a quick-witted sitcom with oddball surrounding characters who support the offbeat antics of Lowe, who plays a brilliant tech giant founder on the verge of losing control of his company. Lowe’s real-life son is a sweet bonus and so is Fred Armisen. I found this to be largely predictable, but at the same time it was fun to watch Lowe and son interact. Overall, I thought ‘Unstable’ was fun and I did catch myself chuckling out loud at some enjoyable comedic moments.

‘Beef’ is an unpredictable series that surfaces a wide range of emotions that can often leave you feeling uncomfortable. Just when you think things are headed one way, they take a sharp turn to reveal something else. The multi-layered storyline is deep, which left me feeling contemplative for days after I finished watching all 10 episodes. ‘Beef’ will take you on a wild roller coaster ride of emotions. Just as you may feel shock and surprise from one event, it may not be long before you find some humor in another. You begin to feel empathy for one character, but a little later that empathy gets swapped out for anger when that character becomes the antagonist. As the storyline progresses and more characters are introduced, they aren’t just there for filler—they add to the complexity of emotions and entanglements of the main characters. Ali Wong is a fantastic comedian, but she is equally talented as an amazing dramatic actor who delivers big in her role as one of the two main characters. I first saw Steven Yeun in ‘Walking Dead’ and never thought much about him again until seeing him as Ali Wong’s nemesis. He is so believable in his role—I went back and forth trying to decide if he was unjustly vilified, or if he really was a major jerk who got his just desserts. The chemistry between these two is explosive. I found ‘Beef’ to be a riveting, intense series that moved me to the edge of my seat and left me craving for the next episode. It really leaves you thinking twice about flipping off that driver who may have her or his mind on deeper issues.

There are so many surprises to this series that have kept me riveted to each episode. It's cleverly written and peppered with humor, drama, romance, compassion, culture, and gripping drama. I find the cultural references to be fascinating and I don't frame this as strictly a legal drama; the human elements involved simply take this series beyond anything I've yet to see in the States. Yes, it's really great to see how Young-woo and her team solves each case, but for me that's just a red herring to build a platform for the relationships taking place. It truly has been a really wonderful discovery and I do hope we haven't seen the last of this incredible series!