Netflix – The ExhaustNotes Blog

ExNotes Review: Arnold

By Joe Berk

Susie and I were channel surfing on Netflix a few nights ago and a new documentary popped up: Arnold.

Arnold is a three part series (one hour each) documentary on the life and times of our former governor and my all-time favorite actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The series was very well done, it is told by Arnold himself (interspersed with comments by folks who figured prominently in his life, including James Cameron, Danny DeVito, and others), and in a word, it was great. The three segments cover the Governator’s early life and body building career, his movie career, and his stint as governor of California. The show doesn’t pull any punches, and the last segment includes the affair with his housekeeper and the son he had with her.

I’d heard of Arnold Schwarzenegger and sort of had a vague idea that he was a movie star/body builder before the movie Terminator was released. When I saw Terminator and Terminator II and I thought he was great in both. Then I saw Predator, and I liked him even more. I watched (or rented the VHS tape back in those days) of just about everything he’s ever done. When Arnold ran for governor of California, he had my vote both times. I’m a fan. I like the guy.

If you are a Netflix subscriber, queue up and watch Arnold. You’ll like it.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

In a previous life I managed operations that sold aircraft components to Boeing. And I’ve taught related courses to Boeing companies and Boeing suppliers. Boeing’s emphasis on quality assurance, safety, and reliability was extreme and Boeing went far beyond what any other organization required. That’s why I was so surprised a few years ago when facts began to emerge detailing how Boeing concealed flight control augmentation systems information on their new 737 Max aircraft.

When I returned home from another secret mission a couple of nights ago and we tuned into Netflix, a documentary on Boeing’s 737 Max failures popped up when Netflix opened. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing had just been released that day.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing is an inside look at the events surrounding the two crashes that occurred shortly after the 737 Max began flying. It’s about the 737 Max, its two crashes, Boeing’s resistance to revealing MCAS (that’s Boeing’s acronym for Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System), the aircraft’s susceptibility to a single-point failure, Boeing’s prioritizing sales over safety, the Federal Aviation Agency’s inadequate response, and more.

I thought Downfall: The Case Against Boeing was extremely well done. If you get a chance, this is a show worth viewing.

More product reviews are here.

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Film Review: Lonely Hearts

We watched Lonely Hearts on Netflix a few nights ago, and it was surprisingly good. It would be hard to go wrong, I think, with any film that had John Travolta and the late James Gandolfini in it, but this one was even better than expected.

Lonely Hearts (made in 2006) is based on the true story of serial spree killers Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck. Fernandez was a weasely con man who preyed on lonely women (he found them through their lonely hearts ads). Beck was one of his intended victims, but she saw through his game immediately and, weirdly, they became partners in perpetuating similar crimes, ultimately progressing to several murders to silence their victims, witnesses, and others who crossed their paths (including a police officer). Both Fernandez and Beck died in the electric chair in 1951.

The story was dark and moody, but the movie was well done. It’s worth a watch.

More reviews? You bet. They’re right here.

Product Review: Turn and Washington’s Spies

Sue and I are Netflix junkies, and an evening in front of the big screen watching a Netflix series is a typical night here at the suburban version of Tinfiny Ranch. We recently watched Turn. It’s the story of Washington’s spy ring during the Revolutionary War, and folks, it was good. It’s four seasons long and each season has 10 episodes. The first season was a bit slow, but we’d heard good things so we stuck it out and we’re glad we did. The action picked up dramatically in the second season and it continued nonstop thereafter.

The Turn story occurred mostly in and around New York, New Jersey, and Long Island. Although filmed in Virginia, the terrain looks exactly like my old stomping grounds (central Jersey, where many American Revolution events occurred). The battle that turned the war happened 10 miles from my home, and every time I’m back there I take in a bit more.

Turn is based on the Alexander Rose book, Washington’s Spies. I enjoyed the Netflix series so much I read the book. Like the television series, Washington’s Spies started slowly and then the action accelerated rapidly.