Ma (2019) Caution Spoiler Alert

 

MA

Came out; 2019

Time; 1 hour 39 Minutes

Watched: Netflix

Rated: R for violent/disturbing material, language throughout, sexual content and for teen drug and alcohol use

IMDB Rating; 5.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes:

Tomato Meter 55%

Popcorn Meter 64%

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Octavia Spencer as Sue Ann

Diana Silvers as Maggie

Juliette Lewis as Erica

McKaley Miller as Haley

Corey Fogelmanis as Andy

Gianni Paolo as Chaz

Dante Brown as Darrell

Tanyell Waivers as Genie

Dominic Burgess as Stu

Tate Taylor as Officer Grainger

Luke Evans as Ben

Missi Pyle as Mercedes

Allison Janney as Doctor Brooks

Story Line;

A lonely woman befriends a group of teenagers and decides to let them party at her house. Just when the kids think their luck couldn't get any better, things start happening that make them question the intention of their host.

Thoughts:

This started as I expected, and I didn't know Juliette Lewis was in this until it started. I love her!

This was a really good movie. You could see Ma going from friend to foe very slowly and methodically!

The little things that happened came to a very shocking end.

CAUTION; Spoiler Alert

Teenager Maggie Thompson moves with her mother Erica to her Ohio hometown after Erica's husband leaves her. At her new high school, Maggie befriends Haley, Darrell, Chaz, and Andy, who immediately develops a crush on her. They convince Sue Ann "Ma" Ellington, a veterinary technician, to help them buy alcohol because they are underage. Sue Ann anonymously reports the teenagers' activities, but they are released because of the officer's history with Andy's father, Ben. The next day, Sue Ann invites the teenagers to drink in her basement. The next time they go, Sue Ann has decorated her basement and lots of other teenagers show up at her house to party, making her popular among the students.

However, her hospitality starts to annoy the group as she continuously harasses them to engage in various activities with her. One night, Sue Ann sees Andy and Maggie kissing and becomes jealous (as she is in love with him, having had a crush on his father, Ben, in high school). She drugs Maggie immediately after and takes her earrings. The next morning, Maggie wakes up and notices her earrings are missing and is badly bruised and cut. Scared, Maggie tells Andy that she does not want to go to her house anymore and that she does not want him to go as well and he agrees.

One day to earn the group's trust back, Ma meets with them to tell them that she has pancreatic cancer (which is a lie) and that is why she acts the way she does. As she is talking, Haley notices that she is wearing a bracelet that belongs to a friend of theirs. The girls suspect that Sue Ann has been stealing their jewelry so they go to her house to investigate. They are surprised by Genie, Sue Ann's daughter from a failed marriage, who Maggie thought used a wheelchair, but she is clearly able-bodied. She warns them as Sue Ann arrives home, and they narrowly escape.

Ben shows up at Sue Ann's job, to drop off his cat and invites her out for drinks after work. Sue Ann goes home to change and meets him at the bar, where Ben confronts Sue Ann with a tracking device and asks her why his son has been at her house so much.

Ben warns Sue Ann to stay away from Andy, calling her pathetic. A flashback reveals that Sue Ann, who had a crush on Ben in high school, performed fellatio on him in a closet. Once she left the closet, it turned out that she had been doing it to another boy and Ben had tricked her. Ben had gotten the entire school to witness the event (including his current girlfriend Mercedes and a young Erica), and Sue Ann suffered devastating humiliation, which she never recovered from.

An increasingly unstable Sue Ann runs over Mercedes with her truck, killing her. She kills her boss, draws blood from Maggie's dog Louie, and lures Ben to her house, where she knocks him out. Ben wakes up trapped in her bed; Sue Ann pumps Louie's blood into his body, slashes his wrist, and leaves him to die. Maggie tells her mother the truth about Sue Ann and is grounded. Sue Ann sends Maggie a picture of herself with Andy in her basement at Chaz's birthday party. Hurt that he went back to her house despite promising that he would not go back, she sneaks out of the house to confront him. When she arrives, she notices that everyone has left and that only the original group remain. She tries to get Andy to leave but soon realizes that Andy and the rest of her friends have been drugged. Maggie tries to get help and in the process finds Ben's body. As she stands there in horror, Sue Ann renders her unconscious.

Maggie awakens chained in the basement. Sue Ann irons Chaz's stomach, sews Haley's mouth shut, and paints Darrell's face white with industrial paint, because she feels there is only room for one black person in the group, and that is her. Andy awakens, and tries to seduce Sue Ann, as he is well aware that she is in love with him. He tries to trick her by telling her that he loves her and kisses her but she stabs him after knowing that he is lying. An officer arrives and when Maggie screams for help, Sue Ann shoots the officer dead before he can react. She then gathers the four friends around the couch with her and makes Maggie take photos of them together in a crude recreation of what Sue Ann always longed for but never had. Sue Ann then leaves Maggie to be hanged before Genie intervenes. Everyone else wakes up to discover what Sue Ann has done to them but barely have time to react as the house is on fire and need to find a way out. Erica, knowing where Maggie would be, calls her co-worker Stu for help and the two save the teenagers. Sue Ann attempts to throw Genie into the fire, blaming Erica for not stopping Ben from pulling the prank in school. Maggie stabs Sue Ann, saving Genie.

The group goes outside and asks what has happened. Sue Ann watches them, particularly Andy who survived the stabbing and is lying down next to Maggie. Sue Ann walks upstairs and lies down next to Ben's body, cuddling with it as the house burns.

Movie; Wicked (2024) Caution Spoiler Alert

 

Wicked

Came out; 2024

Time; 2 hour 40 Minutes

Watched: Prime

Rated: PG for some scary action, thematic material and brief suggestive material

IMDB Rating; 7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes:

Tomato Meter 88%

Popcorn Meter 95%

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba

Ariana Grande as Galinda

Jeff Goldblum The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible

Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero

Ethan Slater as Boq

Marissa Bode as Nessarose

Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond

Story Line;

Elphaba, a young woman with green skin, as she navigates life at Shiz University and forms an unlikely friendship with the popular Galinda. Their bond deepens as they encounter the Wizard of Oz, leading to a series of events that ultimately shape their destinies and transform them into the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good

Thoughts:

This is honestly not what I was expecting, and I was super hyped up to see it.

I found it way to long and drawn out.

I love musicals but this one just didn't keep my attention. The entire cast is a powerhouse when it comes to singing.

The acting was great, but I found Ariana Grande to be almost “whitewashed”.

The set, CGI and Costume Design was spot on and the way the made the movie it truly felt like you were there.

I loved that it was a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, although much too late. I understand that this was a Broadway play that was turned into a movie. It was done really well; it just wasn't for me.

My favorite line in the entire movie “I didn't get my way; I need to lay down”

CAUTION; Spoiler Alert

In the Land of Oz, the citizens of Munchkinland celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good tells the Witch's story: born from an affair between the wife of then-Governor Thropp and a traveling salesman, she was rejected from birth due to her green skin, which caused her to suffer a troubled childhood ("No One Mourns the Wicked"). When asked if she and the Witch were friends, Glinda replies that they knew each other and reflects on their past.

Years earlier, Elphaba Thropp arrives at Shiz University to drop off her paraplegic younger sister Nessarose ("Dear Old Shiz"). Madame Morrible, the Dean of Sorcery Studies, offers to privately tutor Elphaba after the latter unintentionally reveals her magical abilities; Elphaba accepts, hoping it will allow her to meet Oz's ruler, the Wizard, whom she idolizes, and hopes may change her skin color ("The Wizard and I"). To her discontent, however, Elphaba is forced to share a room with bubbly, popular Galinda Upland; the two clash constantly ("What Is This Feeling?").

Nessa befriends Boq Woodsman, a happy-go-lucky munchkin with a crush on Galinda, while Elphaba encounters rebellious prince Fiyero Tigelaar and his talking Horse. Dr. Dillamond, a talking Goat who teaches Ozian history and faces discrimination from the school, tells Elphaba that other Animals are losing their civil rights and abilities to speak, fearing he may be next ("Something Bad"). Elphaba assures Dillamond that the Wizard will handle the matter.

Fiyero decides to host a party at the Ozdust Ballroom. Galinda convinces Boq to take Nessarose so she can go with Fiyero ("Dancing Through Life"). At the Ozdust, Galinda learns she will be allowed in Morrible's sorcery seminar at Elphaba's request as thanks for convincing Boq to take Nessa. When Elphaba is ridiculed for wearing a hat Galinda gave to her as a slight, a guilty Galinda dances with her ("Ozdust Duet") and later gives her a makeover ("Popular").

The next day, Dillamond announces his retirement due to the school board now disallowing Animals to teach; he is forcefully escorted out of the classroom by guards. His replacement, the unscrupulous Professor Nikidik, attempts to do live experimentation on a frightened lion cub, but Elphaba and Fiyero intervene, escape campus, and release the cub into the forest. After sharing a moment, Elphaba laments that Fiyero prefers Galinda over her ("I'm Not That Girl").

Elphaba receives a personalized summons from the Wizard, who has heard about her progress. Galinda, now shortening her name to "Glinda" in honor of Dillamond's mispronunciation of it, accompanies her. The two ride a bullet train to Oz's capital, the Emerald City, where they affirm their friendship while sightseeing ("One Short Day").

After being introduced to the Wizard ("A Sentimental Man"), Elphaba says she wishes to help the talking Animals of Oz in lieu of changing her skin color. Morrible reveals she has come to witness Elphaba and the Wizard's first meeting. The Wizard and Morrible encourage Elphaba to read from the sacred Grimmerie spell book. Her incantation makes the Wizard's monkey guards painfully sprout wings, allowing the delighted Morrible and the Wizard to use them as spies. Elphaba realizes that they are the ones behind the Animals losing their rights and speech, and that the Wizard is a fraud. Horrified that she was used to unlock the Grimmerie's power and further subjugate the Animals, Elphaba flees.

Glinda follows her and implores her to reconcile with Morrible and the Wizard, but Elphaba decides to stop their cruel plans. She bids an emotional farewell to Glinda, who supports her but is apprehended by guards. Elphaba uses the Grimmerie to levitate a broom and escape from the city upon it, evading the Wizard's guards and monkeys after her powers cause a power outage throughout Oz. After Morrible warns that Elphaba is a "wicked witch", the students of Shiz evacuate campus with Fiyero fleeing the school grounds on Horseback, and Nessarose sees Governor Thropp suffer a heart attack as they receive the news in their Munchkinland home. Meanwhile, Elphaba flies west, leaving Glinda behind ("Defying Gravity").

TV Show: The White Lotus Season 2 (Caution Spoiler Alerts)

 

The White Lotus

Season 2

Came out; 2022

Episodes: 7

Where to Watch: Max

Rated: TV-MA

Rating 8/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Cast

F. Murray Abraham as Bert Di Grasso

Jennifer Coolidge as Tany McQuoid-Hunt

Adam DiMarco as Albie Di Grasso

Meghann Fahy as Daphne Sullivan

Beatrice Granno as Mia

Jon Gries as Gret Hunt

Tom Hollander as Quentin

Sabrina Impacciatore as Valentina

Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso

Theo James as Cameron Sullivan

Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller

Haley Lu Richardson as Portia

Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller

Simona Tabasco as Lucia Greco

Leo Wodall as Jack

Caution: Spoiler Alert

Story Line:

A week in the life of vacationers unravels as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise; with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel's cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself

Thoughts:

This season is set in Italy.

We have the Di Grasso's. Albie, Bert and Dominic. They arrive because they are going to find out where they came from. Dominic had either previously hired or met online Lucia who brought along her friend Mia. The girls whole goal is to make money off tourists.

Tonya and Greg are back, this time as a married couple. They are not doing well and Tonya doesn't seem to understand. Tonya brought along her assistant Portia, who's presents upsets Greg. Tonya is clearly and ever hotter mess in this season than last, but my god she is stylish!

We meet Ethan and Harper who are traveling with Ethan's college buddy Cameron and his wife Daphne. Ethan and Harper have some clear relationship issues where Cameron and Daphne seem to be hopelessly in love. It's clear that things aren't all what they seem

Valentina is the White Lotus's high strung manager. She is clearly rather strict and although we see her change, it's not the unraveling of the last season

I very much enjoyed this season, especially the twist that comes in the last two episodes.

Episode Guide

Episode 1

The bodies of multiple guests at the White Lotus in Taormina, Sicily, are found off a nearby beach. A week earlier, a group of guests arrives at the White Lotus, greeted by its short-tempered manager Valentina. Among them is Tanya, now in a strained marriage with Greg. Greg is angered to learn that Tanya brought along her young assistant Portia to a romantic getaway; to appease him while still retaining Portia's services, Tanya orders Portia to stay in her room and remain out of sight. An upset Portia later meets and bonds with Albie Di Grasso, a recent Stanford graduate who is exploring his ancestral roots in Sicily alongside his father Dominic—a Hollywood producer whose marriage is failing due to his numerous infidelities—and womanizing grandfather Bert. Meanwhile, married couple Ethan and Harper Spiller join Ethan's brash college roommate Cameron Sullivan and his wife Daphne on a trip to Sicily. Harper is quickly put off by Cameron and Daphne, believing their constant displays of affection to be insincere. While Cameron changes into swimming trunks, he exposes himself to Harper. Ethan brushes off Harper's concerns and says Cameron probably did not realize she could see him. Lucia, a local sex worker, sneaks into the resort with her friend Mia, and goes to meet her latest client, Dominic.

Episode 2

Dominic sets up Lucia and Mia at the hotel as his guests. Portia joins the Di Grasso family on a visit to the ancient theatre of Taormina, where Bert continues to make inappropriate conversation. Albie and Portia discuss their romantic preferences over dinner, and Portia later violates her non-disclosure agreement with Tanya by divulging sordid details of Tanya's past to Albie. Albie awkwardly kisses Portia at the end of their night. Bert, meanwhile, chastises Dominic for being "sloppy" in how he conducts his extramarital affairs. Dominic later explains to Lucia that he wants to overcome his sex addiction, but relents when she and Mia offer to "thank" him for letting them enjoy the hotel's amenities on his tab. Ethan and Harper struggle to build sexual chemistry while on the trip, in contrast to Cameron and Daphne. Cameron makes another pass at Harper while swimming. Harper later apologizes to Ethan for being a "shrew" and promises to enjoy their trip. Greg tells Tanya he has to fly back to Denver for work. She later overhears him on the phone with his possible lover.

Episode 3

Bert tells Dominic he spotted Lucia and Mia leaving his room; Dominic, feeling guilty and ashamed, severs ties with Lucia. Albie tries to impress Portia on a day trip with his family, but Tanya calls her away; she is very upset about Greg's departure and needs Portia's support. Tanya consults a tarot reader, who tells her that Greg is in love with someone else. That evening, Albie attempts to be more sexually forward with Portia, but she finds herself instead attracted to an English man she spots at the hotel pool. Daphne and Harper visit Noto while Cameron and Ethan spend the day jetskiing. Daphne has secretly rented a palazzo in Noto for one night, where she tells Harper that although she is aware of Cameron's infidelity, she chooses not to see herself as a victim. She also insinuates that Cameron's business partners are engaged in criminal activity. Disappointed that Ethan did not give him any insider trading tips, Cameron attempts to persuade Ethan to invest with his company. They spend the night drinking, taking MDMA and partying with Lucia and Mia; Cameron has sex with Lucia, but Ethan turns down Mia.

Episode 4

Cameron does not pay Lucia and Mia in full. Harper and Daphne return from Noto. When Harper presses Ethan about last night, he admits only to getting drunk, concealing Cameron's infidelity. Harper is shocked to discover a condom wrapper in their room but spends the day fuming about it rather than confronting Ethan. Tanya is befriended by Quentin, a wealthy English gay man who lives in Palermo. He introduces her to his friends and she has a great time. Portia meets his nephew Jack, whom she had earlier spotted at the pool, and they hit it off. Albie, meanwhile, meets Lucia while waiting for Portia. Unaware that she is a sex worker who slept with his father, they get on well. While Lucia is beginning to question her own life choices, Mia suddenly decides to have sex with Giuseppe in order to further her musical career, ignoring Lucia's attempts to dissuade her. This backfires when Giuseppe, unable to perform sexually, takes some pills thinking they are Viagra. He later collapses during his evening gig and is taken away in an ambulance. Shortly after Jack and Portia leave the bar to sleep together, Albie and Lucia go back to his room, where she performs oral sex on him.

Episode 5

Ethan finally comes clean with Harper after discovering the condom wrapper; she grudgingly accepts his apology. The two couples go on a wine-tasting trip on which an increasingly drunk Harper drops various hints that she knows about what happened. Ethan accuses Cameron of "mimetic desire" for his habit of seducing every woman Ethan was interested in at college. Throughout the day Harper continually undermines and embarrasses Ethan. Later at dinner, Cameron puts his hand on Harper's leg under the table. Albie is surprised when Lucia asks for payment for the previous night's sex. Dominic attempts to dissuade Albie and Lucia from seeing each other, but Albie seems to have fallen for her. Lucia is accosted by a man named Alessio, to whom she claims she owes money. Albie and Lucia again spend the night together. Discerning that Valentina is gay, Mia offers her sexual favors in exchange for Giuseppe's piano gig until he recovers. Tanya and Portia visit Palermo with Quentin and his friends. Quentin accompanies Tanya to a performance of Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Massimo. Meanwhile Jack and Portia explore the town, doing a dine and dash after sampling the arancini at a local restaurant. Tanya is later shocked to discover Jack having sex with his "uncle", Quentin.

Episode 6

Ethan and Harper discuss their mutual lack of attraction, with Harper asking Ethan if he still desires her. After later seeing Harper interacting with Cameron on the beach, Ethan becomes increasingly suspicious that Harper is cheating on him with Cameron. The Di Grassos go to visit the home of their apparent blood relatives. Albie brings Lucia along as a translator, but Alessio follows them; Lucia eventually agrees to accompany him, against the Di Grassos' protests. The Di Grassos arrive at their ancestral village and locate a Di Grasso family there, whom they visit unannounced. The remaining family members are three women of different generations, who angrily turn them away. Bert is despondent, having hoped for a happier family reunion. Lucia returns to the hotel that night and tells Albie that she can only leave Alessio once she pays him the money she owes. Valentina enjoys her first lesbian tryst with Mia, after Isabella, a concierge with whom Valentina has been infatuated, reveals her engagement to fellow concierge Rocco, whom Valentina had reassigned to the beach club to get closer to Isabella. Tanya hints to Portia that Jack may not be Quentin's nephew. Quentin sets up Tanya with his cocaine dealer, Niccoló; before they have sex, Tanya finds a framed photo of Quentin with a man, possibly Greg, when they were younger. A drunken Jack admits to Portia that Quentin and his friends have spent all their money on their luxuries, and cryptically implies that Quentin rescued him from dire circumstances in exchange for sex.

Episode 7

Harper admits to Ethan that Cameron kissed her. He furiously attacks Cameron, nearly drowning him before a bystander intervenes. Ethan shares his suspicions with Daphne, who repeats the advice she gave Harper, to do whatever makes him feel better; she then invites him to join her on a walk to a nearby island, possibly to have sex. An invigorated Ethan later has sex with Harper, reigniting the passion in their marriage. Albie convinces Dominic to wire €50,000 to Lucia to save her from Alessio, in exchange for Albie's help in salvaging Dominic's marriage. Lucia quietly leaves Albie the next morning. Valentina restores Rocco to reception, at Isabella's request, and hires Mia as the resort's new piano player, angering Giuseppe. Portia wakes up and finds that her phone is missing. She takes Jack's phone and calls Tanya, alerting her that something is wrong. Tanya suspects that Greg hired Quentin and his associates to kill her so that he can inherit her fortune. Panicking and paranoid after finding duct tape and rope in Niccolo's bag, she retrieves Niccolo's gun and kills him, Quentin, and Didier. While attempting to board a dinghy to escape, she slips, hits her head, and drowns. Her body washes up to shore the next day and is discovered by Daphne, and the other bodies on the yacht are found soon after. Portia confronts Jack about his own role as a sex worker with Quentin; he angrily drives off, eventually dropping her off near Catania–Fontanarossa Airport and telling her not to return to the White Lotus. Albie and Portia reunite at the airport. Lucia and Mia celebrate their successful scam with Alessio, in actuality a hotel worker.

TV Show: The White Lotus Season 1 (Caution Spoiler Alerts)

 

The White Lotus

Season 1

Came out; 2021

Episodes: 6

Where to Watch: Max

Rated: TV-MA

Rating 8/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Cast

Murray Bartlett as Armond

Connie Britton as Nicole Mossbacher

Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid

Alexandra Daddario as Rachel

Fred Hechinger as Quinn Mossbacher

Jake Lacy as Shane Patton

Brittany O'Grady as Paula

Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey

Sydney Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher

Steve Zahn as Mark Mossbacher

Molly Shannon as Kitty

Lukas Gage as Dillon

Kekoa Scott Kekumano as Kai

Jon Gries as Gret

Caution: Spoiler Alert

Story Line:

A week in the life of vacationers unravels as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise; with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel's cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself

Thoughts:

This season is set in Hawaii.

We have Armond the eccentric head of the White Lotus, watching him unravel was probably the most fun I've had with a TV show in a long time. It's funny, because in real life I would feel differently but on screen it's crazy to watch.

The Mossbacher family is quite dysfunctional and added in the “friend” Paula. The question I kept asking is, Will they come together in the end?

Tanya, there's a lot to unwrap with this one and Jennifer Coolidge plays the character to a T. Someone who has mother issues, but also money who is also just moving through life at a pace that shocks everyone. How the character got to the age she is in this show is beyond me. Again, in real life there would be so many questions

Rachel and Shane. On their honeymoon, put in the wrong room brings Shane into a tailspin throughout the whole show. Obsessed with “We didn't get what we paid for” he actually calls his mother, Kitty who shows up un-announced to surprise the couple. This sets Rachel down a path she didn't know was possible. Seemingly happy when the first arrived, it starts to spiral down.

Every single actor plays their part to perfection. It starts off slower but gains speed quickly and is just so fun to watch, just when you think it's weird, it gets weirder and I love every second of it

Episode Guide

Episode 1

Shane Patton watches as a box containing human remains is loaded onto an airplane. Seven days earlier, wealthy patrons arrive at the White Lotus resort on Maui. They are greeted by manager Armond and his pregnant employee, Lani. Shane and his new wife, Rachel, arrive for their honeymoon. He becomes fixated on a booking error, causing Rachel to question their relationship. Tanya McQuoid, who came to spread her mother's ashes, wants to schedule a massage, but it is fully booked. Belinda Lindsey, the spa's manager, instead guides her in a ceremonial chant. Tech CFO Nicole Mossbacher argues with her husband Mark about his potential cancer diagnosis; Mark decides to spend time with their son Quinn. Their daughter Olivia and her friend Paula lounge by the pool and make snide remarks about Rachel, a professional listicle writer. Lani's water breaks, but Armond does not notice. She begins to give birth as the guests dine. Mark receives a call from his doctor, but is disconnected before he learns his diagnosis. Rachel and Shane agree to put the day's conflict behind them and resume their earlier tryst.

Episode 2

Mark is elated when his cancer diagnosis is negative, but learns from his uncle that his father died of AIDS, having been a gay man. Shane calls his mother to have their travel agent reprimand Armond over the booking error. Rachel considers accepting a new writing assignment, but Shane insists she does not have to. Rachel meets Nicole, advising her to maintain her independence. However, Nicole begins to criticize Rachel's reporting upon realizing she wrote a listicle mentioning her, causing Rachel to doubt her career. After Shane's insistence, Rachel abandons the job. Olivia and Paula use ketamine on the beach, but are approached by Tanya and leave, forgetting Paula's bag of drugs. The bag is turned over to Armond, who keeps it and uses them to manage his stress despite being a recovering addict. Olivia becomes jealous when she sees Paula flirting with Kai, a hotel employee. Tanya invites Belinda to dinner and offers to fund a possible wellness business, which Belinda considers. When Quinn is kicked out of the hotel room by Olivia, he decides to go to the beach, where he is fascinated by watching a group of whales jumping in the ocean.

Episode 3

As the guests of the White Lotus wake for the day, Paula hesitates about her tryst due to Olivia's increased suspicions, while Quinn's electronics are washed away as he sleeps on the beach. Shane and Rachel have sex, but Rachel worries whether their marriage is predicated on Shane's sexual attraction to her. To console her, Shane plans a romantic dinner. Armond, displeased with Shane's incessant complaining, recommends for it to be a sunset boat ride, withholding the fact that Tanya chartered it to spread her mother's ashes in the ocean. Tanya believes the honeymooners are supporting her, and the ensuing discomfort enrages Shane. Mark remains distraught regarding his discovery regarding his father, and gets drunk while proceeding through awkward encounters with his son, Rachel, and other women at the bar. It culminates in a tepid speech when he joins his family for dinner and is rebuffed when attempting to initiate sex with Nicole. Armond also spirals after relapsing from his five-year sobriety, drinking and taking Paula's prescription medication. He flirts with hotel staffer Dillon, and reveals to Mark that he is gay, even propositioning Mark when he expresses his curiosity about anal sex. As the guests return to bed, Olivia follows Paula and sees her and Kai have sex.

Episode 4

Quinn wakes on the beach again to see Hawaiians singing and bringing their canoe ashore. He introduces himself later that afternoon. Tanya informs the girls that the staff does have Paula's backpack, and when they confront Armond, he decides to give it back, drugs and all; however, after Shane angrily demands to speak with Armond's boss, a livid Armond takes the drugs and returns the backpack without them. Tanya and Belinda plan to have dinner together to discuss the wellness center, but the former cancels when she is asked out by Greg, a sport fisherman staying in the room next to hers. Kitty, Shane's mother, arrives at their honeymoon hotel, much to Rachel's chagrin. Mark reveals to Quinn that he cheated on Nicole. However, at dinner, Quinn unwittingly reveals knowledge of Mark's affair in front of Nicole. Armond invites Dillon to his office to take drugs and have sex, in exchange for preferred work shifts. When Shane learns that Armond gave him a fake number for his boss, he storms into the manager's office and comes upon Armond performing anilingus on Dillon

Episode 5

After getting caught having sex with Dillon by Shane, Armond is forced to move Shane and Rachel into the Pineapple Suite free of charge to avoid repercussions. Rachel begins to worry that she has become a trophy wife after talking with Kitty and second-guesses marrying Shane. Belinda tries to get Tanya to look at her business proposal, but Tanya is more concerned about Greg's interest in her. Tanya admits to Greg that she is an emotional wreck, but Greg is undeterred. Quinn enjoys paddling with a group of locals. Paula gives Kai the code to the Mossbachers' safe and convinces him to steal a pair of expensive bracelets to pay for a lawsuit against the hotel. Nicole rebukes Mark for confessing his affair to Quinn. As the Mossbachers prepare to go scuba diving in the ocean, Nicole breaks down over the pressure of having to provide for her family and receiving no respect for it and goes back to the hotel, with Mark following her. Unbeknownst to them, Kai is in their hotel room trying to steal the bracelets. Mark saves Nicole, but is beaten by Kai, who escapes. The hotel comps their stay and Mark finally gets respect from Nicole and their children, but Olivia is suspicious that Paula is involved with the robbery.

Episode 6

Rachel tells Shane that she regrets marrying him. Tanya decides to stay with Greg despite his terminal illness and tells Belinda she wants to end her dependency on transactional relationships, leaving her a large sum of cash instead. Dejected, Belinda discards her business plan. Kai gets arrested and the Mossbachers' stolen jewelry is recovered, confirming Olivia's suspicions about Paula. Paula admits her involvement in the robbery, but accuses Olivia of being as privileged as the rest of her family. The two later reconcile when Paula expresses her regret. Quinn tells his parents he wants to stay on the island to join the local paddlers, which they dismiss outright. Shane hears of the robbery while talking to the Mossbachers and calls his travel agent, who informs Armond's superior. This in turn gets Armond fired from the White Lotus. Armond spends his last workday getting heavily intoxicated on Olivia and Paula's remaining drugs. That night, after serving dinner, Armond sneaks into Shane's suite and defecates in his suitcase. However, Shane returns before Armond can leave. Sensing an intruder, Shane arms himself with a pineapple knife and inadvertently stabs Armond, killing him. Armond's body is loaded onto the guests' return flight. Rachel arrives at the airport and decides to stay with Shane. Quinn leaves the airport to join the Hawaiian paddlers after the rest of his family boards the plane.

Movie: Redemption (AKA Hummingbird) (2013) Caution Spoiler Alert

 

Redemption AKA Hummingbird

Came out; 2013

Time; 1 hour 40 Minutes

Watched: Prime

Rated: R for language throughout, some violence, drug use and sexual content

IMDB Rating; 6.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes:

Tomato Meter 49%

Popcorn Meter 38%

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Jason Statham as Joey

Agata Buzek as Cristina

Vicky McClure as Dawn

Benedict Wong as Mr Choy

Story Line;

Nothing can prepare a man for the horrors of war--and as Joey Smith, a damaged Special Forces deserter and now a homeless drug addict, wanders London's bustling streets in complete anonymity--an unexpected discovery will soon help him get back on his feet. Little by little, as Smith struggles to rebuild his shattered life in a stolen identity as an unstoppable Chinese Mafia enforcer, the brutal death of a dear friend will, inevitably, force him to avenge her murder, dragging him deeper and deeper into a dark world of pain, guilt, and suffering. In the end, do God's plans for redemption include "Crazy" Joey, too?

Thoughts:

I love Jason Statham as an actor but this movie wasn't it. It was slow, boring and didn't make a ton of sense.

I get that this was a movie about redemption but it also didn't flow good.

CAUTION; Spoiler Alert

Joseph Smith (Jason Statham) is an ex-Special Forces veteran who went AWOL from his unit in Afghanistan, and now lives as a homeless drunk in London. While fleeing thugs, he breaks into an apartment and discovers the owner is traveling for months. He begins to assume the life of the owner Damon, calling himself Joey Jones, and spends his time looking for Isabel (Victoria Bewick), who he was separated from in the streets. He finds a credit card in the apartment mail, and starts to improve himself.

Joey makes friends with Cristina (Agata Buzek), a nun who runs the soup kitchen, and she helps him with medicine and messages to Isabel. Joey demonstrates his fighting ability to the owner of a Chinese restaurant, and is hired by Mr. Choy (Benedict Wong) as a driver/thug, collecting extortion payments and delivering drugs. He saves some of the money he receives and begins to do charitable work, ordering pizzas for the soup kitchen and buying things for Cristina. The homeless begin calling him "Crazy Joe". He finds Dawn (Vicky McClure), his ex, and starts giving her money. He tells the neighbors that he is Damon's boyfriend.

Joey invites Cristina to dinner, a barbeque in the street behind the Chinese restaurant, and Cristina shows him a police photo of Isabel, dead. Joey is enraged, but Cristina is able to calm him, and encourages him to start an honest life. He finds the men who chased him away from Isabel and beats them, interrogating them about Isabel's murder. Joey meets Cristina at an art gallery, saying he has information about Isabel's killer. She gets a bit tipsy, and they start a relationship. She tells him about a ballet ticket she has for the same date as when Damon is due to return - October 1st.

The police learn of Joey's activities, and begin questioning Cristina. Joey finds her later, and they share life stories. She was raped by her gymnastics instructor in Warsaw and killed him. Cristina is ashamed of her relationship with him, and asks her mother superior (Ger Ryan) to be transferred to another mission in Sierra Leone. Joey continues his search for Isabel's killer, trading services with Mr. Choy's boss. He is given the keys to a truck with boxes containing refugees/slaves to be delivered.

Meanwhile, Isabel's killer, Max Forrester (Christian Brassington) is beating a hooker. A neighbor finds his invitation to a rooftop cocktail party, and the invitation finds its way to Joey. The party is on October 1st.

Joey meets Cristina on October 1st. He asks her to take photos of him for his daughter, and he hints that he won't be the same for long (Damon is returning soon). She tells him she's leaving for Africa, and that she wants to be with him before she leaves. Damon returns, and they escape through the back. She invites him to the ballet, and Joey must now decide whether to be with the woman he loves or to avenge Isabel. He delivers the photos and a bag full of cash to his ex-wife and daughter.

Cristina waits for Joey, but he goes to the cocktail party instead. He finds Max Forrester and throws him off the roof. Cristina leaves the ballet, still looking for Joey. She finds him drunk and sleeping on the curb. He's remorseful, and tells her why he left his unit.

The next day, Cristina is leaving for Africa, and receives a note from Joey...he paid his debts with everyone and is homeless again. As he walks the streets, the police are closing in.

Movie: Villains (2019) Caution Spoiler Alert

 

Villains

Came out; 2019

Time; 1 hour 30 Minutes

Watched: Prime

Rated: R for language throughout, some violence, drug use and sexual content

IMDB Rating; 6.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes:

Tomato Meter 84%

Popcorn Meter 77%

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Bill Skarshard as Mickey

Maika Monroe as Jules

Blake Baumgartner as Sweetiepie

Jeffrey Donovan as George

Kyra Sedwick as Gloria

Story Line;

After a pair of amateur criminals break into a suburban home, they stumble upon a dark secret that two sadistic homeowners will do anything to keep from getting out.

Thoughts:

This was not what I was expecting and everything I needed.

This movie was the classic twist of bad people meeting even worse people.

It was fun, campy and somewhat predictable at times but totally awesome

CAUTION; Spoiler Alert

The film opens with to young criminal lovers Mickey (Bill Skarsgard) and Jules (Maika Monroe) robbing a gas station. Mickey can't get the register open since he caused the cashier to faint. Jules hands him a snack to buy so they can open the register and make off with the money...and the snack.

The two are heading to Florida to get away from the police and their worthless lives. Jules gets excited and tries to have fun with Mickey on the road, but their car quickly runs out of gas, and the irony of having just robbed a gas station hits them. They decide to walk until they can find another solution to keep moving. They leave the car stranded until they come across a nice house. They start to break in until Mickey sees that the front door is dead-bolted shut. Jules hands him a crowbar and they break in.

Mickey and Jules start to make themselves comfortable as they try to figure out their next move. They snort cocaine, which gives Mickey the idea to siphon gas from the homeowners' car and carry it with them to their car. They run to the basement to look for a hose, but they end up discovering a little girl (Blake Baumgartner) chained to the floor. Jules wants to help her, but Mickey thinks it's a bad idea. He relents and decides to help get the girl out.

The two run back up to the kitchen and are found by the homeowners, a seemingly friendly couple named George (Jeffrey Donovan) and Gloria (Kyra Sedgwick). Mickey aims his gun at them, but George calmly attempts to diffuse the situation once he realizes they are trying to break the girl (whom the couple calls "Sweetiepie") out. George suggests that Mickey and Jules take what they want and get out of there so that the police aren't involved, but Mickey makes it clear they are not leaving without the girl. The couple relents and brings the crooks back down to the basement. George unchains Sweetiepie, but when Mickey tries to take her with him, she bites his wrist, and George headbutts Mickey to knock him out.

Mickey wakes up tied to a bed. Gloria attempts to seduce him, though she creeps him out by playing up a mommy fetish. She also shows him pictures of her supposed son that she calls "Ethan." Meanwhile, Jules is stuck in the basement tied to the support beam. She tried talking to Sweetiepie, but she remains unresponsive. This goes on for about two days. Jules admits to the girl that her parents abandoned her when she was a child. Mickey appears to give into Gloria's seduction, but when he asks to touch her, she uncuffs him and gives him an opportunity to throw her off of him. Mickey makes a run for the door but is stopped by George with his gun. He forces Mickey to go to the basement and stay tied up with Jules.

Mickey and Jules plan their escape. He remembers her tongue stud and tried to convince her to take it out so that he can use it to pick the locks. Jules is hesitant since she knows it will hurt, but with Mickey's help, they are able to pull it out. He manages to uncuff Jules, but when she tries to get his cuffs, the stud breaks inside. Thinking quickly, Jules runs for it to try and find another way to help Mickey. George comes down and sees that Jules is gone, and he threatens to cut Mickey's ear off to get him to talk. He quickly says that Jules went somewhere to meet Mickey, and if he isn't there at a certain time, the cops will come. George believes him and uncuffs him to take him outside.

As they head for the front door with Mickey at gunpoint, Jules emerges with "Ethan", who is just a porcelain doll that Gloria has a deep attachment to. Jules threatens to drop Ethan unless George lets Mickey go. Gloria instead grabs George's gun and shoots at Jules, but she missed and causes her to drop Ethan, and his head shatters. Gloria tearfully tries to piece the doll back together. George keeps Mickey and Jules hostage.

George and Gloria strap Mickey and Jules to chairs as they are seated for dinner, with Gloria preparing a shepherd's pie. Mickey and Jules eat the food and ask what the whole deal with Sweetiepie is. George explains that she was kidnapped by them since Gloria is barren and couldn't have have kids. However, she couldn't see Sweetiepie as her own child, so she ordered George to get rid of her. He views her being captive in the basement as a form of mercy. Mickey and Jules then start to feel dizzy, and George reveals that they were just fed an excess amount of pills to knock them out before George plans to overdose them with heroin and make it look like they are just two junkies who broke in and went on a bender before dying.

The plan is interrupted when a cop comes to the door, as Mickey and Jules's car was found abandoned near the scene of the gas station robbery. George assures the cop that everything is fine, but he becomes suspicious when he sees the broken door. George reluctantly lets the cop inside. Gloria has stashed Mickey and Jules away in their gym to keep them hidden from the cops. The officer then goes down to the basement. George prepares to shoot him before he discovers Sweetiepie, but he is called back outside by the other officers.

Jules manages to wake up and get cocaine for herself and Mickey to get them back on their feet. They trick George and Gloria into thinking they ran away, and they emerge after the older couple heads out to find them. While walking in the woods, Gloria says she has had enough of George insulting her out of frustrations, and she admits she would rather forget about Mickey and Jules and just carry on with their lives by going on a trip. Meanwhile, Mickey and Jules prepare to take George and Gloria's car, but they end up agreeing to free Sweetiepie. She only goes after Mickey apologizes for yelling at her after she bit him.

The young couple makes it to the garage but can't find the garage door remote. George and Gloria have returned home to find that their keys are gone, and so is Sweetiepie. George heads the garage door opening, and he makes it to the front before Mickey and Jules can get away. He holds his gun at them and orders them to step out of the car. Mickey tells Jules he loves her right before he hits the gas and runs George over. Unfortunately, Mickey has been shot in the chest. He has a brief final moment with Jules before he dies. Jules cries over Mickey's body before a now horribly disfigured George pulls her out and tries to strangle her. He is stopped when Sweetiepie steps out the car and grabs his gun. He tried to sweet-talk her into giving him the gun, but she instead shoots him in the head. Gloria comes outside with luggage for a trip before she sees George's corpse. She is now fully delusional and tries to "wake" George, and Jules cannot being herself to kill Gloria. Sweetiepie finally talks and says she will go with Jules. The girls walk until they are picked up by a kind woman, and she takes them to Florida.

The last scene is a home movie style video of Jules and Sweetiepie (now actually looking like a cheerful child) enjoying a day at the beach in Florida, with them also having a small knick-knacks shop named after Mickey.