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"Living well is not the best revenge. You know what the best revenge is? Revenge." This is a quote from this week's show. It's something else. It's a lot to talk about. It's a lot to watch. In fact, David Radke is here with me again (note he won't be a regular guest), because he watched this show with me and has some thoughts to share.

Some loved this show, and some hated it. This show is bloody, gruesome, and historical fiction and nonfiction all rolled into one. It's a show that, at its core, asks the question of does it take evil to fight evil. Do you have to be a bad guy in order to fight a bad guy? That's the question for anyone who's watching or maybe considering watching the Hunters.

• [01:36] This show is from Amazon and has only been out for about three weeks. There has been plenty of talk about this show and Nazi hunters.
• [02:10] This show is about a group of vigilantes who seek revenge on Nazis hiding in America.
• [02:41] The show was intriguing from the beginning. The opening scene was super violent.
• [02:55] We saw the previews and Al Pacino is in the show so we had to watch it.
• [03:19] There's a very diverse group of people hunting down these Nazis. There's also the debate about do good people have to do bad things in order to fight evil.
• [03:29] There's also a lot of nods to Quentin Tarantino.
• [04:18] There were some concerns from the Auschwitz Museum about not wanting the fictional portrayals to devalue what really took place.
• [05:59] It does bring up the question of what really happened to these Nazis after the war.
• [06:33] It's depicted in the 70s and Al Pacino has some great lines.
• [07:02] David would give this series 4 Spanx. Melissa gives it 2 Spanx.
• [08:03] If you're looking for something different, this show is a change-of-pace.

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
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• Hunters
• Al Pacino
• Quentin Tarantino
• Auschwitz Museum

Here are a few things that I'm an expert on TV, hair, carbs, movies, parenting, how to murder your husband and get away with it, mom jeans, pop culture, and bacon. I could keep going because the list is long. Here are the things my husband is an expert on creating a budget on Excel, filling a car up with gas, and Mark Wahlberg movies. The list is short. I'm not bragging when I tell you, I'm embarrassed by it. Let's just say, we know who will be invited to the most parties.

David Radke is straight-laced and boring, but he looks adorable in khakis. When David sees a Mark Wahlberg movie it's like he comes alive. There's a spring in his step and a smile on his face. He tells jokes that actually land. It's the man I fell in love with all over again. I finally figured out why. It's because he looks at Mark Wahlberg the way he looked at me in the 90s. It's a one-sided bromance, but still David likes Mark Wahlberg.

Imagine how excited David and I were when we saw a new Mark Wahlberg movie pop up on the streaming service Netflix. I couldn't in good conscience review this movie without the man himself, David Radke. We are discussing Spenser Confidential.

• [05:01] This movie was amazing and you can watch it in your underwear and on your coach.
• [06:02] This movie will not require you to put on your thinking cap. Mark Wahlberg plays a Boston cop.
• [07:12] It has action like a spring blockbuster.
• [07:33] It's not for tender ears. There is some language.
• [08:12] If you're going to be a cop in Boston, it's going to come with some trouble.
• [08:59] Mark Wahlberg is paired up with Winston Duke.
• [09:25] Melissa gives this movie 3 Spanx. David thinks it's a solid 4.
• [10:06] This is one that the ladies can watch with the men.

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• Spenser Confidential
• Winston Duke
• The Other Guys

Hey, it's your bestie, Melissa. What are you doing this weekend? Do you want to get together and watch the most depressing and brutal piece of television you've ever seen? No. I'm not talking about Love Is Blind. I'm talking about a show that someone literally said to me, have you watched it. It's so good. I know this person well. I know they weren't suggesting that the subject matter or the cast of characters was good.

They were talking about how it was a documentary that was done well. It was thorough in its investigation. At least, I hope that's what they meant. I will give you that. All of it was done very well, but trust me when I tell you that the music you are about to hear in no way depicts the theme of what we are reviewing today. Today, we are reviewing The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.

• [02:15] The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is a documentary from Netflix. It's about six episodes. Netflix is really great with their documentaries.
• [02:53] My favorite place to watch documentaries is on HBO. Even if they got rid of all of the other shows, I would keep them because of their documentaries.
• [03:10] We live in a true-crime culture. We are drawn to anything with true crime or trial in it.
• [03:28] David and I just got back from a trip to Honduras. We work with a children's poverty organization. The trip was awful. It was real, and it was sad.
• [03:58] Sometimes it's necessary to see it, and that's what this week's show was like.
• [04:03] It was horrible and painful. I stopped it and started it 8 million times.
• [04:11] I finished this series, but it wasn't easy. One episode was more than enough for me.
• [04:21] Seeing poverty close up isn't easy. Seeing abuse close up isn't easy.
• [04:28] Watching a system fail an 8-year-old child over and over again is infuriating, but that's what happened with 8-year-old Gabriel.
• [05:54] Netflix is labeling their top 10 shows. This show was listed as number one.
• [06:45] I'm not going to give away any spoilers. You will know going in that Gabriel died, and the people who killed him weren't human.
• [08:02] What do we do when the system is broken? How do we start that change? This went through the minds of everyone who saw this.
• [08:44] I'm giving the show 1 Spanx. Netflix did a good job with the documentary, but it is heavy and depressing.
• [09:11] I'm also giving it 1 Spanx, because I'll need to be able to move around unencumbered if I ever come face-to-face with one of those social workers who failed Gabriel.

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
• Love Is Blind
• The Family
• Abducted In Plain Sight

Do you want to know one of the number one reasons why I started this podcast? I don't want you to miss out. What if there is something amazing that you missed? What if there is the best movie ever and you never heard anyone talking about it? I'm not going to let that happen.

Today's show is about a movie that may just be buried down at the bottom of your queue. This show is about an unknown movie called Britney Runs a Marathon. If you want to laugh and have fun watching someone that most of us can relate to, then check out this flick starring Jillian Bell.

• [01:55] Amazon Prime is our streaming service today.
• [02:04] Every once in a while, Amazon will surprise us with a cute little movie without much fanfare.
• [02:36] This movie doesn't really need a synopsis. It's about a young woman who's battling her weight, drinking, and pretty much her entire love life. She then decides to run a marathon.
• [03:21] Britney enjoys dates featuring tacos and candlelight.
• [03:32] This movie is rated R. There are some language and sexual situations.
• [03:46] This movie is funny! Jillian Bell plays Britney.
• [04:09] Sometimes there are hidden gems waiting for us inside our streaming service, and we just don't know about it. This is one of those gems.
• [04:19] This movie entertained me. I recommended it to people. This movie gets 4 Spanx.
• [04:29] I was rooting for her even when she messed up and even when she was her own worst enemy.
• [05:00] I recommended this movie to my aunt Melba, and she loved it. This movie is funny.
• [05:23] Check this movie out. You'll be happy that you watched it.

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• Britney Runs a Marathon
• Troop Zero
• Jillian Bell

I'm excited about this one. I've created a new segment that I will be doing once in a while. It's called Oldies But Goodies. OBG is for shows that are offered on streaming services but came out before we even knew what streaming services were. These are old shows that we once again get to enjoy. These are old movies that we have long forgotten about. The other day, I came across the movie Some Kind of Wonderful. I instantly remembered how that movie made me feel.

I first realized I needed an Oldies But Goodies segment when Netflix removed Friends. We watch shows that feel familiar to us. Don't you feel at home in Monica's kitchen? I can fall asleep to The Golden Girls, because it makes me feel like I'm in my mom's kitchen listening to the women talk. Maybe you've missed some of these Oldies But Goodies. Well, guess what? You didn't miss it. They're back. Today, I'm bringing you a show that maybe you missed. If you're looking for something just to binge on, allow me, because I'm here with this week's Oldie But Goodie: The Mindy Project.

• [03:20] Today's streaming service is Hulu where you can find The Mindy Project. They have the best old shows that I have forgotten about.
• [04:27] The Mindy Project is still relevant and as funny as ever. If you thought she was funny in The Office, you haven't even scratched the surface. She is absolute perfection. Her books are also incredible.
• [05:02] This show is written perfectly and the characters in it are absolutely incredible. I don't give these compliments out lightly, either.
• [06:18] The characters are awesome like Morgan Fairchild Ransom Tookers played by Ike Barinholtz, but Mindy is the most awesome character of all.
• [06:58] Love me in a way that I can show people on Instagram. She just gets it.
• [07:05] The show gets 4 Spanx. You may ask why not 5? Let's just say, that I'm still holding a grudge because of what happened towards the ending.
• [07:36] Four is good and this show deserves every layer of spandex.

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• Some Kind of Wonderful
• Friends
• Golden Girls
• The Mindy Project
• Mindy Kaling
• Hulu
• The Handmaid's Tale
• The Office
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
• Why Not Me?
• Chris Messina
• Ike Barinholtz

Today's movie is different. It's not something I would normally watch, but here I am about to review the crap out of it. Here's why. It was a weird strange coincidence. A couple of weeks ago, David and I went out of the country with a couple of friends. One of them was obsessed with the actor who stars in this movie. I kept hearing this actor's name over and over, all week long.

After the trip, I came home and plopped on the couch and turned on one of my streaming services. What did I see? A brand new movie starring this actor. Three days later, David and I went to LA for work. Have you ever been to LA? They advertise movies and television everywhere. For a solid week, I drove around town and saw signs, park benches, and buses touting this movie. Still, it wasn't for me.

A few days after we got home, I was watching the Hollywood Roundtable. Once again, there was this actor. I knew then that I needed to watch the movie. Sometimes you find the movie and sometimes the movie finds you. I think Shia LaBeouf and Honey Boy found me.

• [02:37] Honey Boy comes to us from this week's streaming service Amazon Prime. You actually have this if you are an Amazon Prime member.
• [03:27] At first glance, Shia LaBeouf is not someone who I have to go see. If you take a deep dive, he may be a great actor. He just doesn't make the type of movies I'm naturally drawn to.
• [04:50] I've never been a huge fan of Shia LaBeouf. I don't know why he is so high maintenance, but that Roundtable episode piqued my interest. He held his own among some great actors.
• [05:27] When he started talking about Honey Boy I was intrigued. Honey Boy is a movie about his life. He started as a child actor. The movie starts when he was at the age of 12.
• [06:03] Young Shia is played by Noah Jupe. Shia plays his nutcase father. Young Shia is a boy named Otis, but it is a depiction of his life. The movie flips between his 12-year-old life and his life as an adult entering a mental health facility.
• [07:51] I share what Shia said about getting his father to sign the contract for the movie.
• [08:22] Being in a mental institution taught Shia empathy for his father. The biggest villain in his life.
• [08:48] This is a tough movie to watch. It's a heavy depressing movie. I had to watch it in bite-sized chunks.
• [10:19] Shia's acting is great. Fans will want to watch it.
• [10:51] This movie gets 4 Spanx.

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• The Hollywood Reporter Roundtables
• Honey Boy
• Shia LaBeouf
• Noah Jupe

Last week, I posted something online about Outlander and how watching it made me want to pluck my eyeballs out. The public was up in arms. They came after me with pitchforks. I had no idea how many of you actually watch Outlander without a gun pointed to your head forcing you to do so. I put this online, and a sweet woman commented that she too hated Outlander.

Then she added a show that I would like. Little did she know, I had already watched it. I had already formed opinions about it. I am here to tell all of you about a show that looked fascinating based on the trailer. I'm emphasizing that point. Based on an International bestseller by Harlan Coben, today we are talking about The Stranger streaming on Netflix.

• [02:02] Netflix came out with this little gem called The Stranger.
• [02:12] It also brought us a series by another Harlan Coben called Safe. I can't tell you how this one turned out, because it was like watching grass grow but slower.
• [02:48] Why would I dive into another series based on one of these books? The trailer! The music was scary and gripping.
• [03:27] It also made me think I would care about the woman at the center of all of this madness.
• [04:22] The Stranger reveals Corinne's deep dark secrets, but she is revealed in flashbacks because she is missing.
• [05:02] All of her flashbacks are glorious. I hated her, and I didn't care that she was missing.
• [06:27] The lead detective is the same woman who played the mean spiteful Miss O'Brien in Downton Abbey. The same lady's maid who dropped the soap and made Cora lose the baby.
• [07:04] Lady detectives need to wear clothes that have a little stretch and give in case they need to chase a rapist.
• [08:01] I had problems with the show. I wanted it to be good. It just didn't do it for me.
• [09:02] I'm giving this movie 1 Spanx because that crossbody bag held up to some pretty intense stuff.

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• The Stranger
• Harlan Coben
• Safe
• Siobhan Finneran

I reviewed Servant which is about a child that dies and then comes back as a doll. The show was scary and creepy, and I raved about it. Then I reviewed the new Disney Plus original movie Timmy Failure. I also stated that I'd rather shoot myself in the foot then watch that again. I don't want to become that cynical family movie hating reviewer. I don't want my reviews to be known as not family friendly. I have kids. I know how hard it is to find something where we can all sit down and watch together.

This is why I watch most of the awesome stuff after they've gone to bed. The point of this is that I'm not only going to watch profanity-laced graphic violence based films and television, which you all know I love. I'm going to watch other stuff. I'm just not going to like it near as much. To prove this point, I reviewed Troop Zero. This one is from Amazon Prime video. When I saw this advertisement, I didn't realize this was a kid show. I was wrong. Well done, Amazon.

Show Notes:

• [02:40] I didn't realize Troop Zero was a family friendly film. Sorry Amazon. This movie was labeled as a comedy-drama. It's pretty much your standard fare of little girl doesn't fit in.
• [02:55] The little girl wants to fit in, and she makes friends with other kids who want to fit in. She learns friendship means more than fitting in. The end.
• [03:03] This is typically every movie made for kids these days.
• [03:15] Unlike Timmy Failure, you are actually rooting for the kid in Troop Zero.
• [04:12] Throw in a little talk about NASA, outer space, shooting stars, a little girl who misses her mama who died, and some 1970s music.
• [04:28] You also have Allison Janney. She plays every pearl clutching Southern woman I've wanted to avoid. She is awesome!
• [05:01] Just looking at Mike Epps makes me laugh. Then we have Viola Davis who is legit. She is awesome in this.
• [05:35] Jim Gaffigan is precious in this movie. He was perfectly cast as the dad who lost his wife. I wanted him to marry Viola Davis and star in Troop Zero 2.
• [06:17] This is a 4 Spanx show. Whenever I watch with my kids the score will be lower since we have to stop 25 times.
• [06:40] This show is clean and sweet. I even shed a tear.

Links and Resources:

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• Troop Zero
• Servant
• Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made
• Jack Ryan
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Allison Janney
• Mike Epps
• Viola Davis
• Jim Gaffigan

I was told not to watch it. It was boring, overproduced, and not even a good storyline. I watched it anyway. Why do we do this? Why do we hear what people are saying, and think that we still need to find out for ourselves? Why don't we just take their advice? Because what if they're wrong? What if you watch it anyway and discover one of the best TV shows you've seen all year? That's what happened to me when I watched the Morning Show.

This was Apple TV's first launched series. It was the first one right out of the gate. They wanted to make it big and get everyone interested. They held nothing back. It had Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell. The critics went to town on this show. According to Apple, The Morning Show was not based on the Today Show Matt Lauer sex scandal. Although, it almost mirrors it. This was an entertaining show that Apple got right.

• [02:39] Steve Carell and Jennifer Aniston are 15-year co-hosts. She's left reeling after coming to work and discovering that he was fired for inappropriate conduct.
• [02:48] Reese Witherspoon becomes the new co-host.
• [03:01] The performances in this show are amazeballs.
• [03:59] Reese Witherspoon was on fire and Steve Carell was heartbreakingly sleazy and gross.
• [04:12] You want to kill him, but you also want to see how it plays out.
• [04:33] This show belongs to Billy Crudup. He is a real stand out in this show.
• [05:30] People have dogged on this show because it puts men in a bad light and makes all of them look like predators. It also makes women look like they're not responsible for their choices.
• [05:47] Some people also thought it didn't address the relevancy that is the #metoo movement right now.
• [06:03] It's television. As a consumer of Television, I don't want to be preached to. I don't want to be pandered to or swept up by politics. I want to be entertained.
• [07:02] I watched the season finale, and I bawled. Jennifer Aniston killed it. The writing was OMG a demonstration of how hurt people hurt people. And the collateral damage caused by brokenness.
• [07:56] I don't want to give it away, but the last episode was amazing.
• [08:02] I loved it, and I'm a woman. My husband loved it, and he's a man.
• [08:22] I would wear all five Spanx from top to bottom for this show.
• [08:54] Apple got this show right.

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• The Morning Show
• Steve Carell
• Jennifer Aniston
• Reese Witherspoon
• Billy Crudup

Hey, it's your cool Aunt Melissa asking you to gather around. I watched something so that I can bring it to you, the families. Props to me, because this wasn't pleasant. I'm not happy about it. This week, I did something for the kids and for the mom and dads who just want to lay on the couch and turn something on for their kids. This week, I watched Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.

This week, I'm coming at you from the streaming service of Disney Plus. We have Disney Plus. We got it the morning it came out. It's actually really good. There's a ton of stuff for my kids to watch. One of the offerings they have is called Out of the Vault and it's the old movies I grew up with like Cinderella. The other day the kids and I sat around the television and watched Swiss Family Robinson.

I grew up watching this kind of stuff and it's wonderful to share it with my kids. Kudos to Disney plus. I love what they're doing. They're also creating some original shows. This week they put out an original movie made for the streaming service. It was a Friday night, and we were all at home chilling out. We let the kids pick the movie. It was the newest release of the week called Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.

Show Notes:

• [03:00] I think, if I'm not mistaken, this movie is about an 11-year-old boy who thinks he is the best detective in town. He runs an agency called Total Failure with his best friend who is an imaginary polar bear.
• [03:54] All I can say about this movie is parents listen up. If you're feeling sick, and you think you're coming down with something, turn on this movie you'll be out in a second and the kids will love it.
• [04:08] What kid thinks he's running a detective agency in his closet? Also, he wears a red scarf everywhere.
• [05:04] Every time this kid's parents asked him a question his answer would be, "mistakes were made." My mistake would be putting the wooden spoon away.
• [06:06] Why did they name the polar bear Total?
• [07:02] Now I know why they wouldn't let Kyle Bornheimer talk in a Marriage Story.
• [07:51] After the movie was over David said, "I hated that kid."
• [08:28] He didn't have a good personality.
• [08:39] The movie is clean and family-friendly. The kids liked it.
• [08:59] Rocco thought it was cool because it showed that kids have imaginations. Remi thought it was funny and quirky.
• [09:59] This is a zero Spanx movie. My kids liked it. Maybe, sometimes, that's what matters.

Links and Resources:

• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• @MSMelissaRadke on Instagram
• Melissa Radke on Facebook
• [email protected]
• Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made
• Cinderella
• Swiss Family Robinson
• Kyle Bornheimer
• Marriage Story
• Craig Robinson