An Evolution of Love Actor/playwright Vanessa Severo once said in an interview, "I think that we need more plays about strong women, even if we have to go back in time to remember that we’ve always been this way.” True to her word, she created Frida... A Self Portrait, now playing at @ShakespeareinDC's Klein Theatre (through November 8.) This gorgeous monodrama is not only impressive, it's transcendent. That's a word I've never used in a review before (yes, I checked) but it's the least I could do to express just how amazing this performance and play are. Across an all-too-brief 75 minutes, Severo unleashes unrivaled charisma, movement and strength as she introduces Frida Kahlo's brilliance to the DMV... minus the unibrow (a work in progress.) A simple set (a few outfits stretched along a clothesline) only adds to Severo's passion and punch. Hypnotic, playful and zesty, it's hard to imagine anyone coming close to matching Ms. Severo's theatrical tornado any time soon. Grade: A – at Washington, DC

It’s (Not) a Miracle I like Anne Hathaway. A lot. So the idea of seeing her in a Lifetime channel movie 🎥 makes me… kinda sad. #VerityFilm is more likely to send you into a catatonic state, than the magnificent Ms. Hathaway. It’s even worse when you consider she has to share the screen with Dakota Johnson (still trapped in 50 Shades of Grey mode) while keeping a straight face. Seriously, how does this nepo wunderkind keep getting work? In between those two, poor Josh Hartnett, wondering 🤔 where his career went. As an empty vessel with predictable twists, it’s still watchable; but odds are, you’ve seen (or read) it a dozen times before. Grade: D+

Mr. Roboto Some people consider the Internet a cold, dark place. @TheSocialMovie takes that notion, and goes about the arduous task of proving movies 🎥 can be too. They succeeded. The Social Reckoning is robotic 🤖 to a fault, centered around a story that isn’t… all that interesting. Hate groups exist and (evidently) Facebook was guiding people to them, for $$$. Not exactly Watergate, is it? Boring 🥱 doesn’t begin to describe this so-called follow-up/sequel. Boring is boring. Period. Grade: D-

He's Bach! Celebrity and a polished resume make it a bit easier to win over an audience; but some actors not only deserve the accolades... they command them. Case in point, Brian Cox, CBE, star of @ShakespeareinDC's magnificent season (and U.S.) premiere, The Score. What begins as a (literal and relative) sleepy opening builds to a roaring boil, tackling faith, frailty, pride and tyranny in blistering fashion. There's so much to love in this production: Cox's Johann Sebastian Bach is equal parts card & curmudgeon, bouncing back and forth as he deems fit at that moment. Bach is a star and knows it, but he's also near the end of his career/life. That back & forth isn't easy, and didn't go unappreciated by this critic. Also tremendous (although in smaller doses) @stephen_hagan as the foil (Frederick the Great) and scene-stealer Juliet Garricks as Emelia. They're terrific on their own, but even better opposite Cox. It's nearly three hours long, so it's not perfect (I slow down after two) but it's pretty darn close. Grade: A-

Mission: Overdone Prior (dine-in) visits to @missiondupont have been great, but tonight’s delivery (via @DoorDash) left me disappointed, with 1️⃣ notable exception. Mission’s Arrachera Steak Taco ($7.50) was small but packed with steak. Unfortunately tough & overdone 🥩 ☹️ Late in the day perhaps? But no excuse. Vibrant cilantro & jalapeños subsequently got lost in the mix. D More disappointing? Mexican Chile Wings ($17.95) which were even more overdone. 8 wings with an A+ rub, cooked to death. I’ve had ‘em before (normally awesome) so I was really surprised. So surprised, I barely finished 3. D- (Thank God for the rub!) The aforementioned notable exception? A bag of $4.95 Chips & Salsa that seemed to come from Heaven above. Impossibly light but crispy chips & a perfectly zesty salsa (not thick, but delicious.) A (So good, they almost saved this meal.) Grade: D+ (High expectations went unmet.)

Surprise, Surprise 😮 Friendly, quick delivery from One Fish, Two Fish in Georgetown. Might not look like much from across the street, but the food is really good, starting with a $3.55 cup of Miso Soup (nice but a little salty) B- followed by surprisingly tasty crinkle-cut French Fries ($5.25) B. Then things get… interesting. As in extra good. 3 gigantic Chicken Wings (a steal at just $7.59) were hot (sans sauce, which I forgot to apply) and chock-full of perfectly cooked meat. Even the skin was tasty. A- Last but certainly not least, a HUGE portion of Drunken Noodles with Chicken ($13.95) which easily feeds 2! Tons of chicken, all kinds of extras (carrots!) and zesty noodles = another A-. Affordable, plentiful & yummy. Grade: B+

Spice > Salt Late breakfast at @thesaltline in Ballston. A+ reception by hostess, followed by a spicy takeaway Portuguese Egg Sandwich with Fries ($16.) Easily one of the best breakfast sammies in the DMV, starting with a full-size, soft semolina sweet roll (holds up well) fried egg, linguica sausage, beer tomato gravy (meh) and the aforementioned heat from a surreal scallion relish that demands to be on your radar, not to mention in a bottle in your fridge. Nice & big too. A- Their fries are good, but a bit flimsy & in need of (any/some) salt 🧂 B-. Sterling hostess & great sandwiches = many happy (future) returns. Grade: B+ – at Arlington, VA

I Am (Not) Legend The end of the world has never looked as bad as @20thcentury’s The Dog Stars. You can “thank” Jacob Elordi, who might be his generation’s worst actor, an aged director (Ridley Scott) or Harry Gregson-Williams’ dispiriting soundtrack. Take your pick: It’s all terrible. The lucky ones died in the pandemic. Too bad this movie didn’t join ‘em. Grade: F (Don’t even get me started on the Reapers et all. This movie stinks.)

If you’re wondering why @20thcentury’s The Dog Stars isn’t in the same league as I Am Legend, look no further than Jacob Elordi vs. Will Smith. How did the former ever earn an Oscar nomination? Movie stars can’t be manufactured.

Is @AMCTheatres keeping their A/C at the hottest 🥵 temperature on purpose? Please rescue us at AMC Courthouse. #SettleForAFan

Who’s producing @PTI? It’s bad enough that you have to read off a teleprompter for half the show, but can you lift your eyes 👀 up a little bit/a lot while doing so? TV101

Rest in peace Tim Curry. Great in so many roles, but SUBLIME in Scary Movie 2. You will be missed 😪

So So Relatively disappointing “Chang out” from Chang Chang. $4 Hot & Sour Soup provided a cold start. Bitter with a syrupy texture D $2 Purple Rice was a bad idea (clumpy) D $13 Chili Wontons were a bit better, nicely sized with plenty of pork & shrimp 🍤 filling and a strong dose of chili 🌶️ but not much else. C+ Best for last? $16 Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs. Tons of ‘em. Lots of meat (came clean off) not too salty with a rich sauce B+ Looking forward to a “Chang in” next time (great looking dining room) but today’s lunch? Meh. Grade: C (Affordable, but average.)

Cold as Ice @PJClarkes is less than 3 miles away from home, but a burger & fries shouldn’t take an hour + 20 minutes to arrive (on a Sunday night) should it? The PJs 1884 Cheeseburger ($24, sans cheese) arrived RARE (requested medium) with ice cold fries in a paper bag. What a shame, as the burger was generously sized (good quality meat) and the shoestring fries were somehow tasty despite their temperature. Not sure what happened, but the end result = mass disappointment. Grade: D-

My 1st (Hi-C Orange LavaBurst) Slusher at @hotchickendaves and it’s 🆓! Perfect alongside Dave’s hot 🥵as Hades menu. Strong orange flavor, + super cold 🥶 B+ And did I mention their Fries? A- Sooo good!

Bait and Switch There's an old joke that ends in, "Beige, I think I'll paint the ceiling beige." It has something to do with dull and uninspiring, the same thoughts I had while eating takeaway from Thai Station (incorrectly advertised as @SalaThai_DC on @wonder!) last night. The latter would be ashamed to be associated with anything this bland, so let's reiterate... this was Thai Station in Brentwood. Station's Chicken Wings (an apparent deal at $8.95) turned out to be only 4 unflavored wings, screaming for (any kind of) sauce. D As for the aforementioned beige, look no further than a generous portion of Drunken Noodles that had zero heat (asked for medium spicy, received bland instead) for $16.95. The price was right, but I expected more than two measly strips of red pepper and half a cherry tomato, surrounded by beige (and opaque beige) chunks of dry chicken and (stuck-together) noodles. I can live with a lack of color, but no heat is unforgivable.) D (It's a very generous portion.) Next time, I'll double check that the restaurant I'm ordering from, matches where it actually comes from (@wonder gets an F for that.) Overall: D – at Washington, DC

A Man of Action There’s something (oh so) comforting about a Jason Statham movie 🎥. Perhaps it’s the predictability factor, action/violence or the fact that Statham, 59 hasn’t aged a day in forever. Whatever it is, it’s worth the 95-minute runtime to find out. @mutinymovie isn’t deep (by any stretch) and the plot… well, if you’re looking for a good plot, you might want to reconsider your favorite film genre. Suffice it to say, Statham is Statham, plenty of bad guys get killed, and you won’t need to think 🤔 much. Grade: C- (@WallisAnnabelle lends a pretty face, but little else. Our advice? More Statham, less everyone else.)

In the Past Lane @warnerbros’ The End of Oak Street begs the question, “Is this the end of the world?” If so, I can’t think of a better send-off than a virtually-retro Jurassic Park with Anne Hathaway & Ewan McGregor. OK CGI, but great characters & story. Under 100 minutes too! Grade: B+ – at Arlington, VA

40 years. That’s how long @welldressed has been around. They’re (relatively) hidden in an alley near 19th & M, and my 1st visit arrived via (@wonder) delivery; but aside from the worst chips & salsa in the DMV, I actually enjoyed my dinner a lot. The tortilla chips were bitter/stale, and my salsa closer resembled a poor-man’s salad instead of pico de gallo. Lettuce? No thank you. Only $1.29 each but F. The grilled steak (5 generous, well-seasoned strips) were delicious, even better with a zesty Chimichurri & Brazilian Garlic-Herb Sauce duo B+ atop a dozen or so steak fries B. I still haven’t tried a trademark burrito 🌯 yet, but I’m now looking forward to it. Overall: B (even with the chips & salsa.)

Making It Happen Imagine if you mixed @ThePurgeMovie with an episode of @LoveIsland and a (not so) hidden political agenda. @1nightonlymovie is even more shallow than you think it’s gonna be, and that’s saying a lot. There are moments of cuteness, but did you really think 🤔 a movie about an America where premarital sex was illegal had any chance of being good? Grade: C-