Carl Deuker -- Books, Movies, TV

 White people behaving badly in Hawaii Mossbachers:  Sidney Sweeney daughter.  Rich mom, less successful dad, SS is traveling with college friend of color, younger brother just a miserable wreck. Friend of color talks Hawaiian  boyfriend into robbing M. family.  He's caught, she's miserable, dad & mom reconciled, back to happy white life in NY except their son doesn't get on plane but instead stays in Hawaii where he feels alive for once.  Rowing with natives around islands Tanya:  spread mother's ashes in Hawaii.  Drunk, a bit loony, hates her mother, needy.  She promises to help Belinda (person of color) open a holistic center, but then she finds a beau--man is sick, coughing, but friendly.  She bags out on Belinda and goes off to Aspen with her new friend Shane and Rachel, newlyweds. Shane doesn't get the room he wants, throws a series of fits.  Makes Armand,  gay manager, miserable. Armand--five years sober--not sober a...

 So far, watchable but not much else.  Maggie Q is the star.  Not her problem that Ballard has so little personality.  Her sole passion is righting a wrong in the LAPD.  She was assaulted (details vague as of episode 3) by Olivaras.  Her partner didn't stick up for her. Now she's in the basement working on cold cases.  Her partners don't provide much drama.  Black woman, ex-cop.  Intern, hispanic. Gay older white guy.  Younger white guy who is a bit of a doofus. Cases:  fraternity kid pushed off balcony:  solved, scorned girlfriend is murderer.  Frat had a "book" of all the female conquests.  She found it, confronted boyfriend who laughed in her face.  Whacked him on the head and pushed him off the balcony. Perlman's sister:  councilman supporting the unit, wants this murder solved first. Yulia Kravitz:  cleaned up in hotel where one murder occurred.  Ballard visits the motel, the woman tries to co...

 Bunuel . . . 2/3 finished.  So far, not much.  Catherine Deneuve is a frigid married woman, abused as a child. Unable to enjoy sex with her husband.  She becomes a daytime prostitute, meeting up with men with strange sexual predilections.  Not sure where this is going Finished, still not quite sure.  Throughout the film, "fantasy" sequences are interposed.  At the very end, there is a suggestion that the entire movie is actually a fantasy.  Glad I saw it, but not a masterpiece by any means.

 So far, not so good.  The show is heading toward a climactic performance at MSG for Deborah Vance, but they don't seem to have material to get there.  One entire episode opening a show honoring her ex & dead husband,  Frank Vance.  Another show turned over to Deborah and her daughter's ill-fated attempt to be part of the Amazing Race.  Still a third given over to brief affairs for Ada an D.snoozers.