One of the joys of binge watching is sharing the experience — either in the same space or through conversation during and after. I watched the first half of the Netflix series Dead to Me with someone, then we compared notes a few days later after completing the episodes separately.

Our shared verdict? The series needed one more episode to wrap things up instead of setting up a second season. The series shares some similarities to Big Little Lies, another show that should have remained a limited series instead of trying to capitalize on its successes by expanding the narrative in ways almost sure to diminish it.

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I just never quite “got” the hoopla over Bohemian Rhapsody, yet I am eager for the release of Rocketman on May 31.

What’s the difference for me between these musical biopics?

I never felt the former had nearly enough context to satisfy me, especially regarding Freddie Mercury’s early life. Was he a prodigy in the school chorus? Did he even have music lessons as a kid? Give me some hints at least.

At a matinee screening of the cute (but not terribly memorable) romcom Long Shot last week, I saw the preview trailer for Rocketman again and thought (not for the first time) that there is more backstory in this trailer than in the entirely of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Overstatement?

Maybe…but not by much…

May I say that the third season of Queer Eye is perfect for binge watching while book indexing!

I cry a little during most episodes in the happiest way — thank you, Netflix — and am enjoying the larger budgets the series seems to have this season because it allows our consultants to make bigger changes for the participants in the episodes.

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BLUE CAR

The Transgressive Teachers series resumes Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at aperture cinema in downtown Winston-Salem with Karen Moncrief’s film Blue Car (2002).

Representations of educators in popular culture is one of my research areas, and without a doubt, this story about a high school teacher (David Strathairn) who preys on a talented but troubled student (Agnes Bruckner) is one of the most remarkable and troubling teacher movies I have ever seen.

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So, here’s the deal.

I don’t know much about superhero movies and even less about comic books.

Origin stories tend to grab me more than the ensemble-save-the-universe narratives because there is more backstory in those films. I usually like to hear people talk more than to watch them fight, and a three-hour runtime built around a lot of CGI is a tough sell for me.

Avengers Endgame must be a pretty good picture. I liked it a lot and felt the pacing was pretty good. It didn’t feel like three hours, and I enjoyed watching the characters and learning about them.

No wonder the box office is staggering. It even appeals to me.