Grab Bag Dog Days of Summer: Verlander gets first win, SF Nightlife to lose iconic space, sports stuff, and a lot of movie and TV show reviews!

Johnson's Beach/Russian River in Guerneville

Howdy readers! It's been an interesting passage of time since I last posted. After a long, drawn-out, hair pulling ( I just decided to shave my head at one point) journey, I finally have moved out of the unit I've resided in for eight years (and dealt with all the street drama out side my windows), to a unit in the back of the building, that partly overlooks a day-care center....I'll take that trade-off, cuz at night it will be quiet! So this Bag post may be a bit scattered, as I made notes of things happening since the last post, and haven't had time to flesh them out. Moving IS a pain in the arse! NOTE: I noticed I had this post in a draft, so it's coming out later than expected- there was a birthday party with friends and family, medical stuff, and a b-day getaway with my fella up to the Russian River/Guerneville area in Northern California. The pic above was from our day at the famous Johnson's Beach. He went kayaking, I enjoyed my Gatorade and strawberry Fanta and fruit cups under the brelly, and successfully avoided a sunburn! Oh, and I actually hiked a trail- it was delightful!

San Francisco News: It is with a heavy heart that the beloved Oasis Nightclub here in my SOMA district will be shutting its doors forever on New Years Eve after 10 years in business. Many a RuPaul drag queen, and local drag queens, along with scripted shows have graced the Oasis stage to the joy of fans of queer and alternative performances. Go see a show while you can during the last few months! Doja Cat did! After completing her headliner performance at San Francisco's largest (and foggiest) music festival, Outside Lands, she headed over to OASIS in my SOMA hood to perform there before calling it a night!

On the flip side, Warakubune Sushi on Church Street, just 2 blocks away from the main drag, Market Street, just celebrated 30 years of doing business! I'm not a sushi fan myself, but friends who DO enjoy sushi enjoy the variety of selections and flavors! The prices for the portions you get is also a pleasant surprise! Only open for dinner Wed thru Sunday. No website, but here is a link to their Facebook page so you can ogle over some of those dishes floating on the boats! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Warakubune%20Sushi%20Restaurant/116786008331506

The owners a featured in this pic! Gary V photo credit.

Culture Club:

Mulan-Live Action: On Disney Plus. Throw out mostly everything you recall about the animated version (no talking dragon), and then enjoy this film of a young woman who poses as a man to uphold the honor of her family (Her father's injuries prevent him from serving, and he and his wife only have two girls) to fight against the evil army that is trying to overtake the Emperor and rule China. A new addition to this live-action is the character of a witch, whose powers add another obstacle for Mulan and her battalion's crew to defeat the bad guys. I wasn't expecting too much from this flick (I have a great love for the animated one!), but the acting and writing were top notch, especially the logic used by the Emperor when it is revealed that Mulan is a girl. The action sequences were so well done, I was getting a "Game of Thrones" battle scenes vibe, not a Disney movie vibe! I highly recommend this flick, and instead of the trailer, I added the video that plays over the closing credits, as Miss Christina Ashton.....err...Aguilera really belts this song out- I first thought it was a Whitney song I somehow missed! Those high notes....guuuurl.....

Old Guard 2: A sequel to the first Old Guard, featuring Charlize Theron leading a crew of fellow immortals to fight the bad guys, fans were excited when it was announced that Uma Thurman would be playing the main baddie, basically setting up a Kill Bill vs Atomic Blonde (great flick) showdown...which we do get at the end. This sequel was okay, definitely not as solid as the original, which had Andy's (Theron) crew come across a NEW younger immortal, Nile, played by Kiki Layne. Nile really is more of the star in this sequel, which was fun.With the big fight at the end between Charlize and Uma, and how it ended, there better be a third flick to resolve that cliffhanger! Both flicks are on Netflix.

Alien:Earth: Whee! An early b-day present for me with the two-episode premiere of this eight-part series based on the famous Alien movie franchise, except it is not. Alien:Earth is a whole new creative take from executive producer Noah Hawley, he of the "Fargo" series EP fame (y'all know how much I love Fargo!), with the only thing the show has in common with the movies is those nasty xenomorphs and the face-huggers. I pulled this description from an EW interview with the lead star, who plays Wendy, one of the first hybrids in this show's landscape: In the world Hawley created with Alien: Earth, it’s the year 2120 and the planet is governed by five big corporations. One is Weyland-Yutani, the company that Weaver's Ellen Ripley works for in Scott's films. The others are Lynch, Dynamic, Threshold, and Prodigy. It’s a world in which everyone is trying to crack the code to immortality. There are synthetics (human-like robots), as well as cyborgs (humans with robotic enhancements) and a game-changing breakthrough developed by Prodigy, hybrids — robots infused with human consciousness. 

In a nod to Peter Pan, Chandler’s Wendy and her Lost Boys are the first of their kind, living on the private "Neverland" island of Prodigy's wunderkind CEO, Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin). When a Weyland-Yutani spacecraft containing a host of alien species collected from distant planets (including at least one ferocious xenomorph) crash lands in one of Prodigy’s bustling cities, the hybrids are eager to get out there.  In the first two episodes, the show focusses on Wendy, as she comes to terms with her new identity of being part human, part synthetic. I should note these hybrids were children (around the 12 year old age range), who were diagnosed with terminal diseases, and were chosen to do the conscious brain transfer from the human body to the synthetic body with super high intelligence and super physical skills- hence the Peter Pan of it all. In the first two episodes, and probably thru most of the series, the show will be concentrating on character development of the Lost Boys hybrids, and coming to terms of being children in a synthetic's adult body. The actors do a great job portraying the clild-like qualities of the hybrids ("He did it! No! She did it!") and the world-building, and our nasty aliens will be used judiciously- which i approve of( Oh, did I mention that the crashed deep space research vessel had SEVERAL other alien species on board- and they are NASTY!) . Also, this show's Earth and the show's aesthetics were giving me a "Westworld" vibe, which I found fascinating! Overall, I was highly impressed with these two episodes, especially episode 2, with it's "eat the rich" scene. Highly recommend if you are a sci-fi fan and especially an Alien fan!

And Just Like That: I did not watch the first two seasons of this sequel to the wildly popular "Sex in the City" show, this sequel follows the three leads from the original as now "ladies of a certain age" navigating life, love, work, and relationships in New York. Thanks to my friend Jason, I watched what turned out to be the final season. Overall, I enjoyed it, especially the new character Seema, definitely a standout for me. The writing was mostly on point as were the fashions. The last episode, which was initially to be part of the penultimate episode, until the creators of the show decided to split in in two, was just 'meh" for me. But I give the show props for the very last line of the series Sarah Jessica Parker's lead character Carrie Bradshaw types/voiceovers: "I am not alone. I am on my own."Nicely done! And props to whatever writer named Carrie's cat Shoe- chef's kiss! Both the original show and this one are streaming on HBO.

Death of a Unicorn: On HBO. It's finally happened, I've seen my WORST movie of the year! And I looked up the fan/critic ratings, and I am not alone! When you get a movie with Paul Rudd, and you want so badly to see his character die, that's a bad sign! Here is a synopsis of the film: A weekend retreat has deadly consequences when a father and daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to find his billionaire boss, who seeks to exploit the creature's miraculous curative properties.

Needless to say the parent unicorns are not happy about this, and go on a killing rampage. The daughter, played by Jenna Ortega, does her best to tell anyone that what they are doing is wrong, but of course she is ignored by her father (Rudd) and the pharma billionaire, Odell played by Richard E. Grant. So what's so bad about this film? Just about everything! The script, the awful dialogue, the acting ( I bet Rudd, Ortega and Grant and Tea Leoni wish they could scrub this garbage off their resumes, and burn every copy of the film!), the lame gore factor, just bad , bad, bad! I want my almost two hours back. No way I'm going to post a video promo for this steaming pile horse poo! Avoid at all costs! I had to add this Rotten Tomatoes review as it puts my feelings more eloquently than my rage posting:

Death of a Unicorn is a film that promises magic but delivers mediocrity—a frustratingly uninspired attempt at blending dark humor with fantasy horror. The premise, centered around a mysterious unicorn and the chaos it unleashes, is ripe for an engaging story, yet the execution is lifeless. Me- Lifeless was a good verb to describe this bomb!

Gilded Age: From Executive producer Julian Fellows, he who brought us Downton Abbey, Gilded Age is set in the early 1900's New York and while we do have our upstairs (employers) downstairs (staff) dynamic, the main theme of this show is Old Money (sisters tough as nails Agnes and meek and kindly Ada played by Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon) and New Money (Bertha Russell, played by Carrie Coons and her railroad baron husband, George, played brilliantly by Morgan Spector- giving off Daddy energy!). The first two seasons focussed on the friendship that develops between Marion, a distant niece of the two sisters, and Peggy, a young black woman with ambitions of becoming a writer (spoiler alert- she gets a writing gig!). Some of the characters such as Lady Astor, are based on New York society life..Lady Astor is very anti-new money, as it would threaten her perch as the head and voice of New York society, so it will come as no surprise that Lady Astor and Bertha basically go to war over the opening of what we now today as the NY Metropolitan, which is Bertha's big push to make a splash into New York society. Some other very cool historical facts I learned in the first two seasons is how the Red Cross started, the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge (and its secret architect!) , and the first use of electricity in New York.

The third season, which just finished up on HBO, focusses on the Russell children, Gladys, who Bertha has set up an arranged marriage with a duke from England (this storyline took some pleasantly surprising turns!), to her older brother Larry, who is courting hard-luck Marian, and making his father very proud as to how he is handling the family business, and Peggy, who along with the support of Marian and Peggy's mother, played by Audra McDonald (this cast is loaded and brilliant!), start supporting the women's suffrage movement for the right to vote. (For you The Good Fight fans, yes, Audra and Christine have scenes together!). Peggy also finds herself being courted by a kind, handsome charming doctor, whose mother does not approve of the "slave stock" that Peggy's family comes from; that mother is played by -oh, let me do this well-done description I found:

Phylicia Rashad is joining the cast of The Gilded Age for season 3. She will be playing Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkland, a woman from a prominent Black family in Brooklyn with high social standards. Her character is described as having a sharp tongue and exacting expectations for her social circle and her son, Dr. William Kirkland, who will be played by Jordan Donica. Brian Stokes Mitchell will also join the cast as her husband, Frederick Kirkland, the pastor of a prominent Black church. 

Mama Kirkland's snide remarks towards Penny's family give the viewers one of the best scenes of the season, Audra UNLOADING on Phylicia's character! Have the SPF 55 ready!

Another storyline I'll not go into to much detail as to not to spoil, has to do with clocks, and how it will change one character's life forever!

The last two eps of season three left us with a gay gasp (shots fired!), and one character discovering the hard way what this season's subtitle really means: "What is a family worth?"

Obviously a HIGH recommendation for this 10 episodes a season series, I binge-watched the first two seasons, and would have the third, if not for my move. Remember, pinkies out when sipping tea, or be subject to withering stare from Miss Agnes! I'm dropping the promo video for the FIRST season, as I don't want to spoil the other two seasons I've teased about!

Locker Room:

San Francisco Giants: After 17 (SEVENTEEN!!!!) starts, pitcher Justin Verlander got his first win as an SF Giant, when he and the team beat the Atlanta Braves, 9-3 on July 23rd! More on that win, and some awesome Verlander career stats in this link! https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/mlb/san-francisco-giants/justin-verlander-first-win-braves/1863487/

NOTE: Glad I posted the date on Justin's win, cuz that day was the last time touched this blog! A lot has happened since then, including the trade deadline, wher the Giants traded away our submariner pitcher, Tyler Rogers for..well,...not much that can help the team immediately, some pitching prospects, and a relief pitcher named Butto (who has been pitching well for us) from the New York Mets. The other trade really broke the heart of long-time Giants fans, as outfielder Mike Yastrzemski was traded to the Kansa City Royals for ....not much...more pitching prospects. Yaz was a fan favorite and will be sorely missed.

What wont be missed is the absolutely horrid month of July the Giants had, and the main reason has spilled over into the month of August: abysmal hitting! As of mid August, S. Giants batting average is one of the worst in ALL of major league baseball, at just .232; an average/good batting average for a team is around .250!! It is no wonder they have went from 3 games out of first place in the National League West to having the Arizona Diamondbacks passing them, leaving the Giants in 4th place as of this sunny vacay weekend!! No surprise to me, as I've seen games on TV or read the box score where the team only had 3 or 4 hits a game!!! It's a rough time to be a SF Giants fan these days.

San Francisco 49ers: Preseason play has started and the vets have barely taken any snaps as rookies and undrafted free agents (UFA), battle for one of the 53 spots on the team. of note, the injuries have racked up so much in practice, that 6 of the 8 players in the game against the Raiders on August 16th (I did not see the game- see above title card pic as to why!), on the offensive line were not even ON THE TEAM 10 days ago (we lost another starter in the 1st quarter- Puni his name). The Niners are also thin at running back and wide receivers, as Brandon Ayuck is not expected to return till about the fifth game of the season, and Juaun Jennings has a calf injury, and is requesting a new contract after the breakout season he had last year. I'll end this section on a positive note: Chase Lucas...remember that name! the rookie cornerback has easily been the breakout star this preseason, with his tackles, interceptions and basically zipping all around the field. If he can maintain this type of ability in the regular season, he could be a breakout star in the NFL!

Golden State Valkyries: The lady Vals went thru a very tough six game road trip, and managed to get a split to close out their July. he first half of August though, has been very good to the Vals...remember when I wrote when the season started what the pundits predicted would be their SEASON total of wins (I didn't reveal it, till now!) that number was 14....as of this writing, the Valkyries record is 18-15! There is about a month left in the regular season, and the Vals are definitely in the playoff picture; if they make the playoffs, the Golden State Valkyries would become the FIRST WNBA team to name the playoffs in their inaugural season!! Exciting times over at Chase/Valhalla! Oh! and they introduced their mascot recently, meet Violet the Raven- she got some sass!

That's a wrap for this edition of the Bag. I'm quite shocked I was able to write most of this, Carrie Bradshaw style, on my beau's laptop, and on the deck overlooking the Russian River for my b-day vacay. This after the great Hot Tub Squirrel Soup incident that happened the night b4 (details on my FB wall), and just before I go hiking (gulp) at a natural reserve. Methinks the next Bag will come out around Labor Day (start of the US Open in tennis- the last Slam of the year). Oh! And I just found out that Jannik Sinner and I share the same birthday, and Jannik is my boy Carlos Alcaraz biggest opponent , probably for the next few years! That was a twist I wasn't expecting!