Hi. It's Beth, the TV & Film Recommender

Introducing moi.

It’s about time I do one of these “Hi, this is who I am” posts.

Why?

I have a healthy number of new subscribers (🙏), those who have been here for a little bit (🙏🙏), and those who have been here since 2021 (🙏🙏🙏).

You all have enabled this Substack to flourish and handled my unique views [Exhibit A, Exhibit B] with acceptance and curiosity.

Also, I’ve hit a dry spell with current TV options. I talked about this in my most recent post. To help generate ideas, I’ve gone into the archives to rediscover my affection for TV and film and connect to the things that have moved me in the past to be a beacon of hope and light for future recommendations.

Who am I anyway?

This is what I look like as of 3:15 pm est 7/30:

I took this photo today. Summer humidity and curls. You feel me?

These are things I like:

• Nice people who say what they mean most of the time

• Kids and dogs (being a mom to both) and being an infectious partner to my husband

• Movies & shows (⬇️)

• Music (lately, it’s Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter [link here])

• Books (My Goodreads) - Most looking forward to the next installment of the Jennifer Lynn Barnes “Inheritance Games” (think YA “Westing Game” vibes - lots of games and mystery) out tomorrow.

• Walks & bike rides (feel like I don’t need to elaborate on this one)

• Pop culture gossip (anything from ‘70s through today, I’m game for)

I’m truly this boring.

This is what I like to watch & recommend you take a look at Greatest Hits:

❤️ Films:

• “Past Lives” Presents Alternate Romantic Realities

• Top 5 WEIRD ROMANCE films

• Heroin(e) Romance Sours in “The Souvenir”

• 7/10 People Will Like “Love at First Sight”

❤️ Shows:

• In “One Day” on Netflix Love Looms Large

🕵️ Mystery/Drama

• “Fargo” Season 5 is Surreal and Stellar

• “Murder at the End of the World” is a Wildly Addictive Mystery

• “True Detective: Night Country” - A Tale of Two Plots

• "Lady in the Lake" is a Fantastic Thriller

🥹 Compelling Dramedies

• “Lessons in Chemistry” Offers up Serious Life Lessons

• “Barry”: A Non-Redemptive Narrative that Leaves its Audience in Quiet Discomfort

• Somebody Somewhere: Because Sometimes You Just Need a Little Help from A Friend

• “The Big Door Prize” is #relationshipgoals

• “Fleishman is in Trouble” Review: We’re all in Trouble

• “Beef”: An exquisite cornucopia of fear, anger, and what moves us

Shows with Strong Female Leads

• Women Rule in “My Lady Jane”

• “Life & Beth” Examines the Probability of (Un)Happiness

• “Am I Being Unreasonable” - A Show You Probably Never Heard of and is quite good

• “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Finale: Reckoning with ambition, fame, and the appeal of a guardian angel

• Being “Starstruck” and Getting “Physical”

• Kevin can F**k Himself

Here’s a little more about me:

From my About Page: I’m a film and TV analyst and pop culture critic. I’ve written on culture for PopMatters, Valleywag (part of Gawker media), The Boston Globe, and The Jerusalem Post. I gravitate to TV and films that center around relationships, drama, mysteries, and comedy - the stuff of life. It’s eclectic, but somehow, it all comes together.

But more importantly, I want to know about YOU.

I truly loathe attention. Unless it’s about my work, and then I enjoy it.

Now it’s your turn

• Introduce yourself. Describe your Substack in <5 words. (you don’t really have to)

• Recommend one show or film you’re watching/have watched recently and why.

Imitation

I’d been thinking about doing one of these for a WHILE, and then I saw some really good ones recently and got inspired. Is imitation a form of flattery? Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

Closing Credits

Instagram: bethtalkstvandfilms

For access to paid-subscriber chats and cool series like bonus content like “Face-Offs” where I take two films or shows and compare them or going forward, my “Characters (That Work), Subplots (That Don’t) series, consider upgrading. This also helps sponsor continued content creation.

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