Category Archives: Crude Talk

2010, Acceptable Trash, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Comedy, Corny at times, Crude Talk, Eccentric cast of characters, Exaggeration Comedy, Father-son relations, Love Story, Mother-son relations, Sight Gags, Slapstick

Cougar Town (2010)

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From Amazon Prime Video:

Courtney Cox stars as Jules, a recently divorced single mother exploring the truths about dating and aging. While most women in their twenties go through life experiencing the challenges and pitfalls of meeting men, Jules took on the responsibilities of marriage Now in her forties, she embarks on a journey to self-discovery surrounded by divorcees and singletons eager re-live a time gone by.

From Amazon you can stream this 6 season  comic soap opera. Seasons and number of episodes are: 1 has 24, 2 has 22, 3 has 15, 4 has 15, 5 has 13, 6 has 13 making a total of 102 trashy and funny episodes. Each of the 102 episodes lasts about 22 minutes.

“Acceptable trash” is probably the most accurate characterization of this binge festival.  Making it the last video I watched in the day just put me in a good mood. Humor style remains constant but there is enough clever repartee to keep the fun going.  Almost all the characters are around for the entire collection except for Bobby Cobb who leaves  at the beginning of season 6.  Eight constant characters are the main actors:

  • Courteney Cox plays Jules Cobb, the lead female character.
  • Christa Miller plays Ellie Torres, the cynical people-hater.
  • Busy Philipps plays Laurie Keller, the slut-proud dumb blond.
  • Dan Byrd plays Travis Cobb, son of Jules and Bobby.
  • Josh Hopkins plays Grayson Ellis,  Jules’ new neighbor boy friend.
  • Ian Gomez plays Andy Torres, Ellie’s husband.
  • Brian Van Holt plays Bobby Cobb, Jules’ divorced husband.
  • Bob Clendenin plays Tom, the misfit surgeon neighbor.

Courteney Cox might be familiar to you as Monica from “Friends.”

When I had seen all 102 short , funny,  trashy, and sometimes corny episodes I felt bereft.  Enjoy the nonsense!

 

2020, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amazon Prime, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Comedy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crude Talk, Embarrassing episodes, Farce, Father-daughter relations, Grungy, Kazakh, Kazakhstan, Male Chauvinism, Nudity, Outrageous Behavior, Political Satire, Remarkable Costumes, Satire, Sight Gags, Slapstick, Vulgar

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

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From IMDB:

Follow-up film to the 2006 comedy centering on the real-life adventures of a fictional Kazakh television journalist named Borat.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 35 minute complete film.  Spoken language is  Kazakh (which is a Turkic language), the official language of Kazakhstan, and English. Part of the fun of the film is that the Kazakh is translated into English subtitles written in ungrammatical garbled phrases.  Just listening to Borat murdering the English language is a hoot.

Basically this at times wildly funny satire is aimed at Donald Trump and his band of merry Trump Thugs.  Secondarily the goal is also to make fun of Kazakhstan.  Supposedly the plot is this: Borat must present his daughter to Donald Trump as a gift to avoid being executed in Kazakhstan in an “excruciatingly painful manner.”

Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) paints Kazakhstan as a backward collection of shabby villages in which women, including his daughter,  are kept in cages with absolutely no rights. Throughout the film he and his daughter quote the Kazakhstan bible which instructs how to (mis)treat women.

In the past there was a TV program called “Candid Camera” in which unsuspecting participants were secretly filmed while being placed in awkward situations. Each Borat episode follows exactly that model. In most cases the episode features an individual or group of people who are Trump supporters. These victims are conned into revealing their appalling ignorance and conspiracy acceptance.

WARNING: “Embarrassing, vulgar, disgusting, crude” are a few adjectives that must be applied to some episodes.  How on earth did this film get past the decency censors?  Make no mistake, I am no prude. But there have to be limits on what is shown in public. You are warned.

Ignoring the crass downside,  you have some truly funny belly laughs in store.

2015, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, B-movie, Chick Flick, Comic Moments, Crude Talk, Feel Good Not For Children, Love Story, Nothing special, Romance, Romantic comedy, Sex Scenes, Somewhat trashy, Talking Heads, Witty dialog, Young Adults

Playing It Cool (2015)

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From Amazon Prime:

The story of a young man (Chris Evans) who meets and instantly falls in love with a young woman. But there’s a problem…she’s engaged. Will staying in the friend-zone pay off, or is he stuck there forever? Either way, he’ll have to play it cool.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 34 minute film starring Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan, Topher Grace.

In the mood for a bit of a fun, fluffy, romcom (for the older reader, “romcom” means romantic comedy)?   Some large portion of the film is devoted to talking heads. But the clever give and take of the conversations brought a smile to my face.  And yes, there are many not so subtle sexual references, which seems to be the norm these days.

Nothing special, but easy, relaxed viewing.

2016, Acceptable Trash, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, British Comedy, Coarse manners, Comedy, Crude Talk, Eccentric cast of characters, Explicit sexual discussion, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Flirting, Love Story, Mostly About Sex, Outrageous Behavior, Personal Betrayal, Religious Theme, Romance, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Vulgar

Fleabag (2016)

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From Amazon Prime:

Fleabag is a hilarious and poignant window into the mind of a dry-witted, sexual, angry, grief-riddled woman, as she hurls herself at modern living in London. Award-winning playwright Phoebe Waller-Bridge writes and stars as Fleabag, an unfiltered woman trying to heal, while rejecting anyone who tries to help her and keeping up her bravado all along.

From Amazon Prime you can stream 2 seasons of this comedy series. Each season consists of 6 episodes. Each episode lasts about a half hour.

Indeed this is a genuine laugh-out-loud series. At the same time it is easily one of the most vulgar shows I have ever seen. Sex is ostensibly the only theme of the entire series. However, you have to watch both seasons to get to the real hidden sad emotions of the lead female character who is labeled simply as Fleabag. Along the way the plot breaks some taboos such as her attempt to seduce a Roman Catholic priest (played by the talented and adaptable  actor Andrew Scott ).

Without the facial expressions of Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) this show would be nothing. Throughout the series she speaks in theatrical asides to us, the audience. One clever final gimmick is that when she is talking to the priest and does an aside to us, the priest keeps asking her “where did you just go?” You might think her constant facial tricks get tiresome, but somehow for me they always worked.

If you are not offended, this story is contagiously hilarious.

2017, Amazon Prime, America of the 1950s, American Jewish Culture, Amusing banter, Comedy, Cooking and food, Crude Talk, Dancing, Divorce, Eccentric cast of characters, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flirting, French Culture, Lot's of Fun, Love Story, Mathematician, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Nudity, Remarkable Costumes, Romance, Sex Scenes, Vulgar

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)

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From Amazon Prime:

Winner of 8 Emmy Awards. In 1958 New York, Midge Maisel’s life is on track- husband, kids, and elegant Yom Kippur dinners in their Upper West Side apartment. But when her life takes a surprise turn, she has to quickly decide what else she’s good at – and going from housewife to stand-up comic is a wild choice to everyone but her. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is written and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls).

From IMDB:

Set in 1950s Manhattan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a 60-minute dramedy that centers on Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a sunny, energetic, sharp, Jewish girl who had her life mapped out: go to college, find a husband, have kids, and throw the best Yom Kippur break-fasts in town. Soon enough, she finds herself exactly where she had hoped to be, living happily with her husband and two children in the Upper West Side. A woman of her time, Midge is a cheerleader wife to a man who dreams of a stand-up comedy career, but her perfect life is upended when her husband suddenly leaves her for another woman. Utterly unprepared, Midge is left with no choice but to reevaluate her life. When she accidentally stumbles onto the stage at a nightclub, she discovers her own comedic skills and decides to use this newfound talent to help her reinvent her life. The series follows the trajectory of Midge’s journey as she pursues a career in the male-dominated, stand-up comedy profession, and transforms from uptown.

From Amazon Prime you can stream two seasons of this wacky soap opera.  Season 1 offers 8 episodes. Season 2 offers 10 episodes. All of the episodes vary in length but all are more or less close to one hour.

Upper middle class Jewish life centering around the Upper West Side of New York city was a new experience and revelation for me.  For awhile I was skeptical that Midge’s father (played to riotous perfection by  Tony Shalhoub ),  a university math professor, could earn enough to support a large and gorgeous apartment in which the only woman in the production who did not wear an entirely different and obviously expensive outfit at every appearance was the family cook.  Eventually I learned that the university owned the apartment, but THOSE CLOTHES!!! If nothing else, if you want to see a living catalog of the fashionable garments of the 50’s, you will appreciate this funny fantasy.

Rachel Brosnahan who plays Midge is strikingly beautiful. (And those clothes don’t hurt!)  Her rapid delivery is astounding. How much did the cast have to practice to be able to do that? In fact that is the hallmark of the entire series: the rapid fire deliveries are almost a challenge to keep up with. When I finished an episode I would find myself thinking faster.

Don’t get me wrong: many of the other actors deliver their lines well. But Midge and her father Abe Weissman are standouts.

In the plot Midge, in her quest to become a famous comedienne, interacts with the famous comedian Lenny Bruce. You are hereby warned that throughout the series much of the language and the gags are vulgar. You will hear the F word very often. Recall that Lenny Bruce was often indicted (and jailed) for lewd comedy. There are still things you cannot say in 2019 on cable TV.

My suspicion is that you will either love or hate this show. For my part I LOVED THIS SERIES!

 

2018, Abuse of Women, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, British History, Coarse manners, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crude Talk, Dancing, Drama, Fashion, Grungy, Horses, Jealousy, Lesbian Theme, Masturbation, Nudity, Outrageous Behavior, Personal Betrayal, Rape, Remarkable Costumes, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Sexual Harassment, Strange Ending, Vulgar

The Favourite (2018)

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From IMDB:

In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.

Based on historical facts,  this two hour film set in England in the early 18th century presents a battle between Lady Sarah and Abigail for the affections of Queen Anne.

Olivia Coleman, who played D.S. Ellie Miller in Broadchurch, portrays the sickly Queen Anne as a somewhat repellant and incompetent Queen.  Rachel Weisz plays Lady Sarah Churchill who was the Duchess of Malborough. Lady Sarah is portrayed as Queen Anne’s lesbian lover and the real power behind the throne. At one point her impoverished cousin Abigail appears on the scene looking for employment. Through clever personal competition and intrigue Abigail, played by Emma Stone,  rises to eventually replace Sarah. Since this is history I am not spoiling the plot here. In fact the entire point of the story is how Abigail tricks her way to the top.

WARNING: Although I started by disliking the film and then found it disgustingly fascinating, Kathy did not enjoy watching.  If there is any historical accuracy in the film then the English nobility were debauched and imperious lechers.  Brace yourself for nudity, sexual assaults on servants, and continuous use of the C  _ _ T word.

In its favor, the photography, the costumes, and the palace rooms are feasts for the eyes. Never mind the vomit.

 

2017, Adultery, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Emotional abuse, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Marital Infidelity, Mother-son relations, Nobel Prize, Wonderful acting

The Wife (2017)

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From IMDB:

A wife questions her life choices as she travels to Stockholm with her husband, where he is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Glenn Close’s role as “the wife” has been mentioned in relation to an academy award. Her performance actually gave me gooseflesh. Watching the facial expressions in her beautiful face for an hour and forty minutes was sheer pleasure.

Jonathan Pryce had the dubious success of offering an excellent performance as “the husband”. You have to see the film to understand what I mean. But I will not spoil the plot for you. Jonathan Pryce was familiar to me as, of all things, High Sparrow from “Game of Thrones”.

My heart went out to Max Irons as the suffering “son”.

DO NOT MISS!

2015, Abortion, Acceptable Trash, Adultery, B-movie, British, Crude Talk, Divorce, Drama, Explicit sex, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Jealousy, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Melodrama, Middle school students, Mostly About Sex, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Revenge, School Teacher, Self-Deception, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Suicide, Teenagers

Doctor Foster (2015)

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From IMDB:

A woman suspects her husband of having an affair. After following several lines of inquiry far more unravels including a streak of violence below the surface

From Netflix you can stream two seasons of this BBC soap opera. Each season consists of 5 episodes. At this point (July 2018) it is uncertain as to whether there will be a third season, even though the ending of season two cries for a continuation of the story.

Make no mistake, these 10 episodes comprise nothing better than a sex-and-revenge fueled soap opera. Nonetheless, yours truly binged frantically from episode to episode long after my wife lost interest in “pure tripe.”  But I have never been ashamed to admit that “I Love Trash!”

If you watch much British TV, then many of the actors will be familiar faces.  Most probably you may recognize Suranne Jones, who plays the lead role as Dr. Gemma Foster, as one of the team of women police detectives in “Scott & Bailey” (which I heartily recommend).

If for no other reason than to enjoy watching one of the best revenge dinners I have ever seen, put this potboiler on your list of guilty pleasures.

2014, Action Film, Bloody scenes, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corruption, Crude Talk, Dark, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Forensics, Gloomy, Grungy, Gun Trafficking, MHz Choice, Military Corruption, Murder, Murder Investigation, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Polish, Polish Border Guards, Serial Killer, Suspense, Thriller, TV Series, Upsetting ending, Violent, Weapons Dealer

Wataha (2014)

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From IMDB:

After bombing attack, which killed his friends from the Border Guard, Captain Wiktor Rebrow trying to unravel the mystery and figure out what happened and who is behind it all.

From MHz Choice:

A tense Polish thriller about an elite border unit specializing in human trafficking cases. After a bomb attack decimates his team, the lone survivor sets out to bring the perpetrators to justice.

From MHz Choice you can stream the only Polish TV series offered. Only Season 1 is available with its 6 episodes, each about 45 minutes. “Wataha” according to the subtitles means “The Pack” even though IMDB calls it “The Border.”

UNFORTUNATELY:  Season 1 resolves neither the mystery nor the injustices. IMDB describes the episodes of Season 2 and even those episodes do not end the story. Even though the series is very well done, you might want to wait until someday you can see the story to its conclusion.

Along the border between Poland and the Ukraine there is human trafficking and that is exclusively where the action takes place. But the story is really about the border guard Wiktor Rebrow who is framed for several murders and the DA Iga Dobosz who pursues Rebrow relentlessly but finally realizes Rebrow was set up just as Rebrow escapes from the police and flees toward the Ukraine at the unsatisfactory end of Season 1.

“Bleak”, “Grungy”,  “Ugly” and “Depressing” are a few words that describe the Polish territory and its inhabitants. If this presentation is representative of Poland,  you can forget about ever visiting Poland.

Isn’t it too bad that the episodes are so exciting when there will be no satisfactory conclusion in the foreseeable future?

2017, Acorn TV, Arson, Bloody scenes, Child custody, Contract Killing, Crude Talk, Dark, Depression, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Fishing, Forensics, Gloomy, Lawyers, Murder Investigation, Nazis, Nudity, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Small Town Atmosphere, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, TV Series, Violent

Rebecka Martinsson (2017)

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From Acorn TV:

Swedish with English subtitles. Based on Asa Larsson’s celebrated and popular crime novels, the series takes place in the bleak Northern Environment and revolves around Rebecka Martinsson (Ida Engvoll) a Stockholm lawyer. When a childhood friend suddenly dies Rebecka reluctantly returns to her hometown. But not everything is what it seems and she’s drawn into the gripping pursuit of a killer.

Although MHz Choice offers only foreign language TV with English subtitles, in this case it is exceptionally Acorn TV that streams this particular TV series. Recall that Acorn TV claims to offer only shows from countries associated with the British empire.

Season 1 offers 8 episodes. Each two episodes comprise one complete story.  Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Watching from the beginning is important because, in addition to the detectives solving murders,  all 8 episodes show continuous developments in Rebecka’s life  as a young adult.

This series was a lucky find. Not only are the stories original and out of the ordinary, but the writing and acting are excellent.

Daily life in Sweden is presented in all its frigidity,  gloom, and hardship. But one of Rebecka’s conflicts is whether to continue her successful career as a Stockholm corporate lawyer (and marry one of her fellow employees) or to remain in the cold north where she grew up. Rebecka is played by a Swedish actress named Ida Engvoll. Despite her golden-haired beauty, the story line puts her through much anguish, including a stint in a mental hospital for clinical depression. For much of the series her eyes are made up to be sunken and red making her look downright miserable.  Her relationship with a one-armed police dog handler is an important part of the series, and in fact seems to lead to an as yet unavailable new season.

For a detective series I vote DO NOT MISS!