Media Notes Roundup for January 2024

 

  

 

This is a somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during  January 2024.We are right after the holidays here, and I did not watch a whole lot this month. To be honest, lately I have been reading a bit more rather than watching media, which I think can be a good thing.

Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available). 

Only one new to me movie this month, but it was a pretty good one.

• Margin Call (2011. Drama. Thriller). Plot description: "A respected financial company is downsizing, and one of the victims is the risk-management division head, who was working on a major analysis just when he was let go. His protégé completes the study late into the night, then frantically calls his colleagues in about the company's financial disaster he has discovered." From there, the drama unfolds as the company decides to do whatever it takes, even if unethical to put it mildly, to mitigate the coming damage. The film is inspired, loosely I am sure, by the days before the 2008 financial meltdown in the United States. If folks needed more confirmation how much Wall Street and their trading is like a casino and bookies, well, this movie will add to it. I also found interesting that at times the higher ups don't quite get some of the numbers, need their subordinates, which they mostly hold in contempt and barely know their names, to explain the numbers. The film is a very good drama with some good scenes. It also has a pretty good cast putting in good performances including Kevin Spacey and Stanley Tucci. It has some pretty good scenes here and there too. Not exactly an uplifting topic, but it is a good drama. For many, it will bring back the clusterfuck disaster that was the 2008 financial meltdown and memories of the Wall Street greedy assholes who caused it. The film humanizes one or two characters, the ones trying to hold on to some ethics, but the rest are pretty much greedy assholes seeking to survive for the next shady deal. In the end, when you pay attention you realize little has changed from then to today. Still, this is a film worth watching. 4 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 1/1.
  
• The opening scene with the layoffs, particularly the analyst's layoff (Stanley Tucci's character) is seriously cold and ruthless. I am glad I do not work in a financial company or similar. Then again, given the shit show that is about to go down after his layoff, he may want to be thankful he was let go beforehand. 
• OK, some of the soundtrack is seriously blunt, like that folk song about wolves in the house the analyst's assistant (Zachary Quintero's character) listens to while working. Could they have been any more obvious?
  

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes. 

Nothing on the television circuit I feel a need to highlight. I did re-watch some comfort media, but it is stuff I've already highlighted on the blog before. Overall, this was a slow month in terms of films and television for me.