Monica Barbaro

Arnold’s action-adventure is fun … for a while

In this new streaming age, how many episodes do you need?
Many shows try 10; eight is popular, occasionally six. (For whatever reason, even numbers usually prevail.) But for “FUBAR” (shown here) – which arrived recently on Netflix – I would have suggested 1.5.
Okay, maybe 2.5, because the final hour is kind of fun. But the rest is flawed.
“FUBAR” is a big deal for any streamer. Here is a major movie star (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and one-time governor, starring in an eight-hour mini-series with all the things he does best – action, explosions and moments of dry irony. Read more…

In a changing world, meet-cute rom-coms persist

Twice a year – at Christmas and Valentine time – TV has a romantic-comedy immersion.
Some elements persist in most films. “There’s nothing better than a meet-cute in a rom-com,” said Jonah Feingold, writer-director of “At Midnight,” which has just arrived on Paramount+.
Tben there’s the meet-angry. As Monica Barbaro (shown here with “At Midnight” star Diego Boneta) put it: “We love rom-coms where two characters do not like each other at first …. It’s almost like they are fighting their feelings.” Read more…