film & television reviews from Philip Bahr focusing on a gay male gaze | gay film | gay movies | gay television | LGBTQ perspective | classics | indie | television reviews
Saying goodbye to pets is never easy. Our Daisy died a year ago today, in our arms, quickly and painlessly from what looked like a heart attack. Boom she was gone. She left behind a huge hole in our hearts. Dennis and I still grieve to this day. We talk about her, we miss her, we’ve lost our outdoor routines, we have her ashes out, and kept all the cards so many kind friends and family gave to us. No we haven’t adopted another dog yet. I would but Dennis is more hesitant and he’s home more than me. So I’m waiting. Patiently. Today as I write this a few days ahead of posting, I am alone in the house and it is quiet. Too quiet. But I have her portrait and Willow’s portrait next to my desk so I can glance over at their gorgeous faces and yes talk to them. Proud to be that dog Dad.
Bringing it back to a Reel Charlie positive place, my favorite dog series continues to be The Pack which only had one season. It’s lots of fun and continues to stream on Netflx.
Hug your pet today if you’ve got one. I’ll get lots of licks and stuff from my two grand niece dogs Maxy and Lia before, during, and after my CA trip. 5 out of 5 woofs for Daisy.
The two best dogs ever: my first dog as an adult Willow who started out in NYC with me and lived in Kingston and Syracuse. And Daisy who left us in April 2023 and who was the apple of my eye, but especially Dennis’s. Forever in our hearts.
In case I don’t pre-load enough reviews to get us through the weekend, truth is Dennis and I are spending 4 days with our niece Lauren and nephew in-law J-B, the expectant parents. And of course the most beautiful princess of the house, Maxy will be luxuriating over her great guncles and their fawning. She’s big and floppy, but as you can see stunningly beautiful. She’s like a glam muppet. When not showing Maxy love, I am wondering if we will find a better ice cream (Joe Peri, are you reading this?) than at Bassetts or Franklin Fountain, two of our favorite haunts.
Maxy Hyppolite recently groomed and ready for her Great Guncles visit.
Welcome. You’re listening to Reel Charlie Speaks, an LGBTQ podcast spin-off of the film and television review blog, Reel Charlie looking at movies and TV from a gay male perspective since 2009.
I’m your host, Philip Bahr. Each month I select a classic queer film, television series, or creator. I talk about how the subject spoke to me when I first discovered it years ago, and how its stood the test of time. Spoilers ahead.
In episode 14 I explore the Christopher Guest film, Best in Show (2000).
Outstanding documentary, Free Puppies about the overpopulation crisis of dogs and cats focusing on the South. Several rescue women are featured in the film including Monda Wooten, Ann Brown, and Ruth Smith. Directors Samantha Wishman and Christina Thomas set their lens on Dade County in northwest Georgia, as an example of the difficulties in getting poor, rural folk to spay and neuter their pets. Yes parts of the film are heart-breaking, but these three women represent a massive amount of volunteer animal rescue people who truly are angels among us. Powerful and hopeful. 4 out of 5.
Maybe someday I will write the screenplay for Daisy and Her Dads. Meanwhile what I actually wanted to do was extend the memorial for the sweetest girl ever. Daisy we miss you, we mourn for you, we are honored to have been your humans. Our hearts are full of love for you baby girl.
This morning just before 5:00 AM, our beloved dog Daisy died swiftly and peacefully at home in our arms after suffering a fatal heart attack. Daisy came to us in 2017 at age 7, a rescue who was found in Beardsley Park, Bridgeport, CT, USA. She was the gentlest creature. A Chihuahua mix, she weighed just under 14 lbs. We had a very traumatic experience with dog #2, Farley so it took some time for us to trust welcoming another dog into our home. Daisy proved to be a sweet, quiet soul. Except when you left her alone. She had major separation anxiety. We ended up living in shifts for too long. Unsolicited advice: if you can afford it, hire a trainer sooner than later. Finally last year plus we hired an amazing trainer who taught us to be kind alphas and allow Daisy to be a relaxed beta. Soon she was content sleeping through our time away from home, knowing we could take care of ourselves and her in the real world. She was spoiled having Dennis home during the day, and me at night. We loved spoiling her. Daisy had amazing dog walking friends Kosmo and Lua. She enjoyed nearly everyone human or canine she met over the 5 1/2 years we were blessed to care for her. This is my third dog as an adult. Dennis and I have lived together off and on for over 30 years. Out of the three, he spent the most one-on-one time with Daisy. It doesn’t get easier losing pets, just more familiar. Isn’t that the way it is with most grief? Dogs and cats are lucky because they have the Rainbow Bridge. Speaking for Dennis and me:
Daisy,
It was an honor to be your human caretakers for the second half of your amazing life. Until our energies swirl together again.
The third season of the beloved modern British version of James Herriot’s novels, All Creature Great and Small grows a bit darker with the specter of World War II looming overhead. It’s still a bright and cheerful show with incredible locations. There’s still sweet animal stories, but also the threat of tuberculosis worries the farmers. James and Helen begin married life. All the characters stretch their romantic wings, at least a bit. And towards the end of the season, we begin to wonder if James and Tristen will join the army. Neither has to because they are vets. But will they anyway? Innocent, and beautiful, the occasional dullness of the plot can be dismissed because the stories all come from good intentions. And points for having a warm and cozy Christmas episode to wrap up the season. 3.5 out of 5.
All Creatures Great and Small currently streams on PBS.
What a perfect idea… to pair the nature series genre with 2022 Jurassic technology. Voila, you’ve got Prehistoric Planet narrated by Sir David Attenborough. The series has exactly the same feel as Planet Earth or Blue Planet except the animals are dinosaurs with the rich detail we’ve come to expect from these incredible Hi-Def nature documentaries. I’ve only watched one of the episodes so far, but this is so much fun. I will save the rest for when I need a pick me up and to be in awe. 4 out of 5. Check out the photos below.
Prehistoric Planet currently streams on Apple TV+.
I nearly gave up on All Creatures Great and Small: Season 2. About halfway in, the show felt a little too comfortable. I know, it’s supposed to be a feel-good show, but honestly it felt like they ran out of stories. Then the magic slowly came back and the show redeemed itself. It’s still sweet and lovely, filled with incredible English countryside and caring veterinarians. What’s not to love about a show focused on caring for animals and the beauty of nature? The cast including Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Callum Woodhouse, and Rachel Shenton makes the stories feel effortless and natural. The show always creates a wonderful break from the chaos (and often horror) of our modern world. However, even All Creatures Great and Small shows hints of eminent war. We shall see what happens in Season 3. Meanwhile 4 out of 5 for this lovely tale of rural veterinarians.
Several Betty White gems have been circulating and with her recent death, these old shows have become treasure troves into a life well-lived. In 1971, she and husband Allen Ludden produced Pet Set, a talk show format television show with an emphasis on celebrity pets and other exotic and farm animals. Each week a different guest showed up with their pet(s) in tow. The theme of the week revolved around the celebrity and the particular pet. Pet Set showcased Betty’s gigantic love and care for animals, a lifelong passion. The show itself is a time capsule of low budget television programming in the early 1970’s. The set is simple and most of the show is non-scripted. Some of the non-celebrity guests are a bit awkward. It reminds me of cable access television from the 80’s and 90’s. And I say that in the most sincere, respectful way possible. These kind of DIY shows can surprise you with their intimacy and charm. And like the Lucille Ball radio show that’s been remastered as a podcast, Let’s Talk to Lucy from the mid-60’s, these shows are also a great glimpse into a woman’s place in the world – how they saw themselves and each other. Pet Set‘s a great look back on a one-year project in Betty’s life which exhibits her colossal love of animals. 3.5 out of 5 for this funny, heart-warming show.
Pet Set streams on IMDbTV free with commercials and on DVD from your local public library.
What a perfect idea… to pair the nature series genre with 2022 Jurassic technology. Voila, you’ve got Prehistoric Planet narrated by Sir David Attenborough. The series has exactly the same feel as Planet Earth or Blue Planet except the animals are dinosaurs with the rich detail we’ve come to expect from these incredible Hi-Def nature documentaries. I’ve only watched one of the episodes so far, but this is so much fun. I will save the rest for when I need a pick me up and to be in awe. 4 out of 5. Check out the photos below.
I nearly gave up on All Creatures Great and Small: Season 2. About halfway in, the show felt a little too comfortable. I know, it’s supposed to be a feel-good show, but honestly it felt like they ran out of stories. Then the magic slowly came back and the show redeemed itself. It’s still sweet and lovely, filled with incredible English countryside and caring veterinarians. What’s not to love about a show focused on caring for animals and the beauty of nature? The cast including Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Callum Woodhouse, and Rachel Shenton makes the stories feel effortless and natural. The show always creates a wonderful break from the chaos (and often horror) of our modern world. However, even All Creatures Great and Small shows hints of eminent war. We shall see what happens in Season 3. Meanwhile 4 out of 5 for this lovely tale of rural veterinarians.
Several Betty White gems have been circulating and with her recent death, these old shows have become treasure troves into a life well-lived. In 1971, she and husband Allen Ludden produced Pet Set, a talk show format television show with an emphasis on celebrity pets and other exotic and farm animals. Each week a different guest showed up with their pet(s) in tow. The theme of the week revolved around the celebrity and the particular pet. Pet Set showcased Betty’s gigantic love and care for animals, a lifelong passion. The show itself is a time capsule of low budget television programming in the early 1970’s. The set is simple and most of the show is non-scripted. Some of the non-celebrity guests are a bit awkward. It reminds me of cable access television from the 80’s and 90’s. And I say that in the most sincere, respectful way possible. These kind of DIY shows can surprise you with their intimacy and charm. And like the Lucille Ball radio show that’s been remastered as a podcast, 
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