What I am watching: Chinese sci-fi and other stuff on Netflix

Date: 10/2/2019

What I am watching: a lot of stuff on Netflix.

I’ve been trying to keep up with a lot of offerings on Netflix and I have to say the sheer volume of movies and shows is daunting. There is simply so much to wade through.

My wife and I endured a simply terrible Chinese-made science fiction film “Shanghai Fortress” recently. It’s a testimony to our endurance that we made it to the end of this slow-moving largely CGI production about a mysterious alien race from outer space trying to destroy the Earth city by city until it reaches Shanghai.

We have watched many Chinese productions over the last 25 years and generally are fans of the Hong Kong school of filmmaking, but this movie was an unsuccessful combination of the traditional Chinese theme of doomed love – lots of musical interludes with a central character staring off in space longingly – with video game style graphics.

I also finished off in binge-fashion the third season of  “GLOW.” If you not familiar with the series, it is based on the 1980s wrestling show of the same name about a group of female wrestlers with cartoon-like personas. The Netflix series is  far more a series of enterprises as it examines the lives of the group of women who are members of the show’s cast.

In the third series, the women have lost the TV show and have been recruited to recreate the show live in a Las Vegas casino for an extended run. While the show has multiple storylines involving different characters, its centers on Alison Brie’s Ruth, who remains determined to be an actress and to advance her career and Betty Gilpin’s Debbie, who is leaving her acting career behind and is seeking business opportunities.

The show is written and directed by women and their perspective is fresh and vital. I really love this show and hope there is a fourth season. Be aware it is a production for adults.

We also caught up with “Mindhunter,” now in its second season. Set in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the series, which is based on a book by a retired FBI agent, is a fictional take on some real events: how the FBI developed its ability to profile serial killers by interviewing imprisoned killers.

Although the main characters are based on real people there is narrative license. What makes the series interesting is the dialogue in the interview scenes with serial killers is taken from the actual FBI transcripts.

Although horrifying at times, the show is a compelling true crime story. It focuses on character development as well as the crime elements. Again it is not a show for kids.

I tried – and it turns out my wife did as well without me – to watch the new Adam Sandler Netflix film “Murder Mystery” with his co-star Jennifer Aniston. Sandler signed a deal with the streaming service and has produced a number of films for it.

This movie had a huge opening weekend with millions of people viewing it. I’m afraid that neither of us could tolerate more than a half-hour of this farce involving a police officer and his wife discovering foul play on their long delayed honeymoon.

I’m going to try to tear myself away from the TV this week and head back to theaters.