Superior Home Entertainment Activities
INTRODUCTION
Superior home entertainment activities have become my favorite social distancing pastime during the COVID pandemic. In order for me to participate in this luxury of domestic and foreign films, series, and documentaries, I need the following:
1. entertainment equipment (a computer or smart TV)
2. streaming venue subscriptions
3. access to individual films and series
Details about equipment may be featured in a post at some future date. But this post focuses specifically on information about streaming venues. It highlights individual films, series, and actors, especially. Therefore, a group of our favorite entertainment selections happens to be the primary focus of this blog post.
ENTERTAINMENT EQUIPMENT
In fact, I was reminded of this when I posted about home entertainment on my my Facebook page recently. I wrote, “What’s on my mind this morning? Did you know that my husband, Phillip Jacobs and I are huge film and TV drama series fans?” We even have a Facebook page devoted to this topic, Streaming Choices by Alison. Now we offer this blog post, too.
STREAMING VENUES
Our two primary venues are Netflix and Prime. Occasionally, we will watch something on Youtube or stumble upon another streaming venue.
OUR CURRENT FAVORITES LIST
As part of this new pastime, many of our choices are off the beaten path of mainstream entertainment. For this reason, they may not be foremost in your memory. Actually, some actors and selections may be unknown to regular movie goers. To me, this is what makes our topic fun, even unique. As a result, choices may expose readers to a whole new world of superior home entertainment options. Immediately below is a montage of non-clickable links.
AND THE WINNERS ARE . . .
1. Best Romantic Film-Silver Linings Playbook
2. Best Cultural Series-UnOrthodox
3. Best Nouveau Noir Film-LA Confidential
4. Best Traditional Noir Film-Laura
5. Best Classic Comedy-My Man Godfrey
6. Best Classic Comedy-Sullivan’s Travels
7. Favorite Actor-Oscar Isaac
8. Favorite Actress-Rita Hayworth
9. Favorite Foreign Actor-Omar Sy
10. Best Foreign Mystery Romance Series-Black Money Love
11. Lifetime Achievement Award-James Gandolfini
There are clickable Youtube samples below. They include trailers and parts from each of our favorite selections.
FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE FILM
1. Best film Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence
FAVORITE FOREIGN CULTURAL SERIES
2. UnOrthodox with Shira Haas, Best Foreign Actress
FAVORITE NOIR FILMS
3. Best film (nouveau noir)
LA Confidential, Russell Crowe, Tim Basinger
4. Best Film (traditional noir) Laura with Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews
FAVORITE CLASSIC COMEDIES
5. Best Classic Comedy
My Man Godfrey with William Powell, Carole Lombard
FAVORITE NOIR FILMS
3. Best film (nouveau noir)
LA Confidential, Russell Crowe, Tim Basinger4. Best Film (traditional noir) Laura with Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews
FAVORITE CLASSIC COMEDIES
5. Best Classic Comedy
My Man Godfrey with William Powell, Carole Lombard
6. Best Classic Comedy Sullivan’s Travels with Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake
FAVORITE ACTORS
7. Favorite Actor Oscar Isaac
8. Favorite Actress Rita Hayworth (1918-87)
9. Favorite Foreign Actor Omar Sy
FAVORITE FOREIGN SERIES
10. Favorite Dizi (Turkish Drama) BLACK MONEY LOVE aka Kara Para Aşk and Best Actors
Engin Akyürek and Tuba Büyüküstün
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
11. Lifetime Acting Achievement Award James Gandolfini
Although best known by far for his award winning role in the Sopranos, Down the Shore, is a little known film that we found very appealing. The story itself will surprise you.
CONCLUSION
So, there you have it. Some of our favorites. Their inclusion has no rhyme or reason. In fact, we just love them. To illustrate their diversity, we have included American selections and International selections. Besides that, there are contemporary choices and classic choices. As you can see, our choices are from a broad range of options.
If you have others favorites, please let me know in the comments area at the very bottom of this post. But remember this, please do not labor over your choices. In fact, you should be spontaneous. In other words, from the heart not the intellect. Mention just the ones you love.
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SEX AT THE CINEMA
INTRODUCTION
Cinema sex is at an all-time high. In fact, the US has established ratings to inform film viewers of the degree of sex to expect. This post will explore four degrees of cinema sex:
1. no sex or G-rated
2. some sexuality or GP-rated
3. a lot of sex or R-rated
4. almost explicit sex or between R-rated and X-rated
SEX AT THE CINEMA IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES
Turkey
Countries review sex at the cinema differently. For example, Turkey is technically tightening its guidelines. Only kissing on the cheek is considered proper for unmarried couples. Clearly, for anyone who is a fan of Turkish dizis, this guideline is not strictly enforced. In fact, it causes much controversy on and off screen.
Korea
I am a new viewer of Korean series. My introduction, 100 Days My Prince, is totally discreet. But I am not sure if this is because this is for G rated audiences or this is the nature of Korean cinema in general.
Israel
In its beginning, this series depicts Ultra-Orthodox Judaism at its strictest. Streaming series overflow with fascinating sagas that are obscure to many Christian and even secular Jews. In this genre, there is no touching before marriages which are usually arranged. There are many rules and restrictions. For members of the various ultra-Orthodox groups, structure, security, and a strong sense of community are integral. For others, like Esty the heroine of Unorthodox this life is unbearable. For Etsy, this streaming sage dwells on transition from observance rather that observance to the laws. The trailer is shown below.
United States
In the US, R- rated TV and movies are so commonplace that they are barely more than scenery. This is the case in the prime example of a Netflix streaming series, @Spinning Out. A short video of the skating pair, Kat and Justin is shown below.
Great Britain
As Kat and Justin skate a very fine line to ice skating victories in Spinning Out, the cast of @Bridgerton, the latest steamy drama filmed in Britain walks a shockingly fine line between R-rated and X-rated.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I wish to pose these questions to my readers. Do you agree with the ratings I have given each series? Are you comfortable with the amount of sex or sexual suggestiveness in each series? If not what would you like to see done differently?
SOURCES & RESOURCES
UNORTHODOX I left the Satmar Hasidic community. ‘Unorthodox’ is a grossly inaccurate depiction of that world.
SPINNING OUT Spinning Out Season 2 Cancelled ? | Release Date
100 DAYS MY PRINCE Everything You Need to Know About the Cast of ‘100 Days My Prince’
BLACK MONEY LOVE Review ~ Black Money Love (Kara Para Ask)
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The Kordugum aka Intersection Hero
INTRODUCTION
Child actor, Ali Kaan Karasu emerges as the Intersection boy hero from the Karasu clan, an Istanbul, Turkish mafia family. Initially, Kaan’s father Ali Nejat Karasu appears to be headed to earn this honor. But Ali Nejat eventually fails to become the movie’s hero. The reasons appear as this story continues.
The youtube trailer for Kordugum aka Intersection
ALI KAAN KARASU, OUR BOY HERO
Cherubic Kaan wins over everyone’s heart. In addition, he is an extraordinarily perceptive boy. He never ceases to amaze us with his uncanny insights and honesty.
Orphaned by the untimely death of his mother, Kaan needs to find his father. He goes to live with his maternal grandfather until Alli Nejat proves his paternity. He also admits to a brief affair with Kaan’s mother that resulted in a pregnancy.
But Ali Nejat also claims that the mother was well paid to either have an abortion or to live comfortably but alone raising Kaan. Actually, Ali Nejat assumes she got an abortion. Therefore he thought the case was closed. But the company CFO never paid the mother. He stole the money and kept it for himself.
ALI NEJAT KARASU, KAAN’S FATHER
Handsome and self-assured, Ali Nejat seems to have everything going for him. Initially, he is a logical choice as the story’s hero. He is the successful heir to his father’s shipbuilding empire. He is hardworking, a loyal son, a devoted brother, a gentleman, and very successful. But as the story progresses several things come to the forefront. His potential heroic status diminishes until it ends. These impediments include:
1. attempting to realize his financially risky dream of adding Turkish car design and production to the Karasu shipbuilding empire
2. prematurely accepting the legal role of a full-time single parent to Kaan
3. returning to former teenage girlfriend Eylul instead of moving forward with fiance Naz
KAAN’S RISE AS THE INTERSECTION BOY HERO ALONG WITH DADDY’S DEMISE
At first, Ali Nejat is intrigued and even proud to have an offspring. Unfortunately for Kaan, the novelty wears off and he becomes more like a pedigree pup than a well-supervised child. As a result, Ali Nejat constantly seeks babysitters for Kaan. In other cases, Kaan is simply left at the manor, the family home where a staff member feeds and casually looks after him.
When Ali Nejat is falsely accused of murder, it is Kaan at approximately age 7 who finds an honest lawyer to get him off. His father is too naive and blinded by family loyalty to see the con his family is playing.
Lastly, the novelty of parenthood and being a mature adult wear off. Ali Nejat chooses to rekindle his romance with former teenage lover Eylul. This is instead of going forward to marry Naz. Naz was the story’s heroine, as well as the woman Kaan had already adopted as his new mother.
CONCLUSION
Time and again, the child fills the shoes of an adult. His father, who is supposed to be the adult reverts to teenage immaturity and irresponsibility. Although it is awe-inspiring to experience how special Kaan is, Ali Nejat is a huge disappointment. In addition, the series itself leaves us hanging in mid-air on a rooftop heliport in Istanbul without any real conclusion. The only thing that is conclusive is who the hero of this series is. Without a doubt, it is Ali Kaan Karasu.
SOURCES AND RESOURCES
1. Kördügüm (TV Series 2016– ) – IMDb
2. Turkish Dramas Appreciation Group (English Speaking)
3. Turkish Dramas Spoiler Group (English Speaking)
IMDB Intersection – Yahoo Search
Turkish series & movies with Eng Subtitle
