A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
I remember watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood when I was very small but the man has become more fascinating to me as I got older. The news that this movie was being made after the dynamite documentary released two years ago was exciting to me. Hanks is the perfect person to play the seemingly perfect Fred Rogers. I say seemingly because nobody’s perfect but Rogers was probably closest. The movie is about a reporter trying to do a story on Mr. Rogers while navigating his own rough life. Matthew Rhys is great as the struggling writer, just trying to figure it all out. Tom Hanks is great, of course, as the even-keeled dreamer Fred Rogers. The movie plays a lot on the chemistry between Rhys and Hanks and there is a lot of it. The whole concept plays off Fred Rogers’ real-life tendency to basically interview anybody who tried to interview him. The movie is not about Mr. Rogers but instead about the effect he had on people. The movie also really nails the aesthetic of the show. The puppets, models, sets, and costumes really take you right back to the show. This movie was such a sweet, beautiful respite after a darker week. I wholeheartedly recommend this movie.
The Banana Splits Movie
I find it hilarious that over a decade since the last Banana Splits content was released, they decide to make a horror movie based on the intellectual property. Then they actually got permission and cooperation. This movie was definitely written by a fan of The Banana Splits although there is a rumor that this was a discarded Five Nights at Freddy’s script. The premise is that it’s the last performance of The Banana Splits Show but the robot characters have other plans. Deadly plans. This is a fairly low budget horror movie but it has a lot of heart. Also, having children be present throughout the story made it far tenser than it could have been. The movie also gets really dark and bloody (although they cut away from a lot of the violence while lingering on the resulting gore). I got a similar sinking feeling that I got from watching Terrifier but more upbeat and less gory. The practical effects are really good and the suit acting is also really good. There are plenty of good people you want to survive and awful people who you’d rather see die which is a great mix for a horror movie to have. You will get the Banana Splits theme stuck in your head. I definitely recommend this.
Kidding
I had heard really good things about this show, a return to form for Jim Carrey. It is about a children’s puppet television show host whose son dies and his family starts to fall apart. He also starts to suffer from repressed depression and the division between real life and the unreality of his tv show persona. Basically, screw Jim Carrey because he’s an anti-vaxxer so we’ll move on. Frank Langella plays the host’s father and boss in a great, no-nonsense way. Judy Greer plays his ex-wife who is moving on without him. Catherine Keener is great as the sardonic sister who works as the puppet designer and builder on the show. The show is understandably dark and very adult. However, I felt that it was too dark. There is offbeat gallows humor but it is not enough. The show just feels incredibly flat and throws in nudity and fairly explicit sex for little reason. Carrey is super flat and not an interesting character because he just does not emote much. I could not make it past the first three episodes before I pulled the plug. I do not recommend this show.
Music of the Week:
CHIKA – No Squares
Kelly Clarkson – Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
SOFI TUKKER – Purple Hat
Liz Phair w/ Material Issue – The Tra La La Song
Slipknot – Unsainted
Weekly Update:
– This week’s theme is “Children’s Television”
– I watched more Bob’s Burgers Season 10
– I watched more GDQ VODs
– I watched more Stumptown Season 1
– I watched more Elementary Season 1
– I watched more Slasher Season2
– I watched more Ducktales Season 2
– I started Black Lightning Season 3
– I started Season 2 of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath
– I started Rizzoli and Isles Season 2
– I started watching Dirty Money Season 2
– I started watching Bojack Horseman Season 6
Tags: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Kidding, Media Update, Mr. Rogers, The Banana Splits Movie
Wolf of Words 
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