Watches

Playlist of watched movies, television shows, online videos, and other visual-based events
Watched "The West Wing" Constituency of One from Netflix
Directed by Laura Innes. With Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Joshua Malina, Janel Moloney. While Will gets an enticing offer from the new Vice President, Josh finds himself responsible for a crucial mistake that could sorely embarrass the Administration. He isn't the only one on the wrong side of the tracks as Amy finds out first hand why she shouldn't handle the First Family.
I’ve been watching West Wing a lot this month as background noise, but actually sat through this episode and paid attention. Sort of sad that it’s leaving Netflix on the 24th, but I’m hoping it will return to the air immediately on HBO Max, which I’m already subscribed up in anticipation.
Watched "Breaking Bad" Dead Freight from Netflix
Directed by George Mastras. With Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris. Walter White's domestic life continues to deteriorate; at the same time, his growing business venture aims to steal a train car chock full of methylamine.
I’ve been away from this series for quite a while. Nice to get back to it after a long break.
Watched "Hinterland" Return to Pontarfynach from Netflix
Directed by Ed Thomas. With Richard Harrington, Mali Harries, Alex Harries, Hannah Daniel. A woman's suicide is thought to be related to another death. The independent investigator makes an admission to Mared which gives her a lead regarding the case she is investigating with Tom. More than one person stands in their way.
Interesting to hear the many pronunciations of Pontarfynach in this episode.

Many episodes of the series were almost painfully slow and could easily have been 60 minutes instead of 90 if the pace and the brooding were taken out. This final episode was a good cap for something that had been brewing since the end of the first season.

Watched Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) from Amazon Prime
Directed by David Yates. With Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Johnny Depp. The second installment of the "Fantastic Beasts" series featuring the adventures of Magizoologist Newt Scamander.

Rating: ★★★★

Purchased a copy tonight on Amazon Prime. Dozed off somewhere in the middle. Definitely a darker ending than it’s predecessor.

Watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) from Amazon Prime
Directed by David Yates. With Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler. The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.

Rating: ★★★★½

Purchased digital streaming license on Amazon Prime. Surely we’ll watch this a few more times. This was Evie’s first time seeing it.

Watched "Hinterland" Both Barrels from Netflix
Directed by Gareth Bryn. With Richard Harrington, Mali Harries, Alex Harries, Hannah Daniel. An estranged husband kidnaps his son. Mathias and Rhys make a dark discovery at his parents home. Mathias risks his own life by searching alone. A former Superintendent puts pressure on the independent investigator to close another case.
Watching this late at night, it took about four tries to make it through to the end. One of the most brutal episodes of the series, and one of the few featuring a gun.
Watched The Professor and the Madman (2019) from Netflix
Directed by Farhad Safinia. With Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Eddie Marsan, Natalie Dormer. Professor James Murray begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid-19th century, and receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr. William Minor.

Rating: ★★★½

More dramatic than I remember the book being. Entertaining and dramatic.

Watched Old School (2003) from TBS | Slingbox
Directed by Todd Phillips. With Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Jeremy Piven. Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity near their alma mater.

Rating: ★★★

I know I saw this in a rough cut, but don’t remember any of the ending at all.

Straight up puerile comedy. A little bit of heart, but could have been stronger. Great casting.

Watched Noelle (2019) from Disney+
Directed by Marc Lawrence. With Anna Kendrick, Shirley MacLaine, Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir. Santa's daughter must take over the family business when her father retires and her brother, who is supposed to inherit the Santa role, gets cold feet.

Rating: ★★★★½  

One more time while reading…

Watched A Wedding for Christmas (TV Movie 2018) from Hallmark Movies
Directed by Fred Olen Ray. With Cristine Prosperi, Colton Little, Vivica A. Fox, Lesli Kay. Haley escapes her small-town and builds a life in Los Angeles as a wedding planner. When her sister asks her to plan her wedding, Haley returns to her childhood town and reunites with a childhood flame.

Rating: ★★★  

Cute enough, but the main character wasn’t very likeable for way too long. 

The story of the city mouse and the country mouse reframed into a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) from Amazon Prime
Directed by David Yates. With Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Brendan Gleeson. With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

Rating: ★★★★