Change Your Image
lalison
Reviews
The Capture (2019)
Like a Ludlum page turner.
Is the story line over the top? Absolutely!! Folks - this is entertainment.
If you want to quibble about the feasibility or possibility or even the remote likelihood of this sort of story being actually real then you are missing the point. Did you like Raiders of the Lost Ark, or any Star Wars, or Star Trek? None are remotely possible.
This is a Ludlum type story where there are dark forces at work in the government with their own money and agenda. The protagonists are led to doubt themselves, and the real story is how they discover the truth and what they do about it. There will be many twists and cliff hangers, and almost surely a surprise at the end.
If you don't like this type story - well not everyone likes wild spy stories. I loved Spooks, and these type story lines would have fit right in were it still on.
Five Days at Memorial (2022)
Pretty interesting
First it would be well to remember that this is a docudrama based on a book and New York Times story about this hospital and what happened to it during the Katrina disaster. It has a strong bias against some of the doctors and nurses at the hospital, and essentially rides along with the prosecution on its search for evidence of multiple patience murders via euthanasia.
Second it should be remembered that though several people were arrested in this case, no one was indicted or convicted for any crimes related to the 'excess' deaths at Memorial.
Still this is a good watch, and the book is a good read. It is reminiscent of 9/11 movies and books in that it shows the completely inadequate government response to catastrophes well beyond the scope of what was imagined possible. And as in similar disasters we would like to point fingers at someone who can be a scapegoat. This story could have had a totally different vibe had it chosen to show how people survived and helped one another make it with so little public support.
Where does the fault really lie? It's when a hundred thousand or so people decide they can safely live in a bowl 8 feet below sea level with 20 foot levees where it is hurricane prone, and in an area where relatively nearby storm surges have been known to reach almost 30 feet. This (or worse) is almost surely going to happen in New Orleans again.
War of the Worlds (2019)
Season 3 is here!
War of the Worlds is back, and with a very unexpected twist. At the end of S2 Bill went back in time and changed the past. This season picks up there, and it is really interesting to see the result.
This is sci-fi for the fan who likes to consider the possibilities. Very well written and acted. To me the most interesting question is this: is there another younger version of Bill in this changed world, and if so where is he and what is he doing. It would be truly interesting to read the news one morning and find out you had been arrested for murder, and were in jail awaiting trial. I have no idea if that story line will show up at all. Regardless something new and unusual is sure to happen.
The Time Traveler's Wife (2022)
Quite good.
I enjoyed the movie and was looking forward to this. It did not disappoint. I think this show ended at a good spot. Most of the loose ends are tied up, and you still want more. Now I'll have to read the book to see what the author really had to say.
Silent Witness: History - Part Six (2022)
OK
Well this season was ok. It could have been better, particularly the long arc should have been shortened for a tighter story. The story line was quite a stretch, even for fiction.
But...
It was VERY much better than the last season's terrible final 4 episodes. I hope this is a beginning of getting back on track for SW.
I was getting a bit bored with Clarissa centered story lines, but now I see that she was key to keeping the series at a higher level. Liz Carr made everyone around her better.
Silent Witness: Matters of Life and Death: Part 2 (2021)
4 in a row
This is the first time I can recall SW having four really bad episodes in a row. I very much hope next season improves. We don't need topical story lines so much as good, somewhat believable story lines.
Den som dræber - Fanget af mørket (2019)
Quite Good
This was very good. Not as good as Forbrydelsen, Bron/Broen, Borgen, or Rita, but those are great.
Some people complain about plot holes, but one must suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy fiction like this. The 2 seasons were a good bit different, both interesting and well told and acted. I am definitely hoping for another series.
Some of the stars were actors I have not seen before so I will be looking for other shows they were in to see if they are consistently excellent.
For All Mankind (2019)
Slowing down substantially
Season 1 was really excellent. Season 2 is beginning to drag. Is this show 'woke'?
Sure it is. But I wonder if people wishing for 'real sci-fi' have actually read any science fiction. A large part of science fiction writing is some of the more progressive writing there is. And it has always been.
It does feel like the show is getting too soapy, so maybe they should do a cross-over time-travel episode with Grey's Anatomy.
Some kind of action to push the story along is overdue.
Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Not the greatest film ever
I was expecting something unusual and got it. But not greatness. There was no tension at all. Nary an obstacle to overcome. No grey areas. The bad guys were evil, and got what they deserved. However, they were so very incompetent that kicking over bowling pins might have taken more effort. There were a couple of interesting plot twists, and I did watch the whole thing, so it wasn't awful. That said, I wouldn't recommend it. There are hundreds of better British films and probably thousands of episodes of British TV that are better, many a lot better. There must be something other reviewers of this film see that I don't. This is one of the few films I thought might be really good based on the reviews that wasn't.
The Expanse (2015)
Space travel takes a looooonnnngggg time
This show was a pretty solid 10 until season 5. this season (5) is like a director's cut. All the stuff that should be on the cutting room floor is being shown. It's interesting, but it drags. The nine episodes so far could have been edited down to 3 and the season might have some pace. In reality a space war in the outer planets would take a very long time because the distances are vast. This season is capturing that pretty well, and we could have a bunch more like it - but it is boring. I'm going to keep watching, but I am no longer really looking forward to the next episode. I really wanted more seasons, but this one has left me looking for something else.
The Bay (2019)
S2 is a bit better than S1
I liked S1 a lot and was looking forward to S2. It did not disappoint. The story was tighter, the actors (and acting a little stronger), and Lisa is now a familiar character. This fits in nicely with many other British police dramas that I enjoy. I hope there are more seasons, and I wouldn't at all mind having more episodes per season.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
Excellent Television
This is one of my favorite TV series, and I have seen more than 100. This is top ten, maybe top five. The Wire is better, Breaking Bad is better. So what makes this so good?
The writing particularly dialog is fantastic. The actors are superb, and memorable: Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Oz, Angel, Spike, Anya, Tara, Cordelia, Joyce, and I even liked Dawn. The setting is classic noir - watch this in the original aspect ratio with the original lighting - it has a dark and cramped feeling. Watch the new enhanced 9:16 version if you want the look and feel of a soap opera - not me!
This is not comedy but there is a lot of well done humor. The stories are interesting stories often with themes of growth and redemption.
And when you finish Angel is there for dessert!
I have not had much luck getting people to believe this is worth watching, but it is. I knew it after the first two episodes. The first season is maybe the weakest, but it is important to get to know the main players, after that it powers along.
Enjoy!
His Dark Materials (2019)
Not inspiring.
The books are among my very favorites, and I believe the audio version is perhaps the best audio adaptation ever. I had very great high hopes for this series, thinking Ruth Wilson, who is generally fantastic, to be a great choice for Mrs. Coulter. I also thought that Dafne Keen would make a really good Lyra. With a good script and good direction, they could have formed the heart of a great show, but they didn't get either. Every deviation from the book was awful, Lee Scorsby sad, early and extra explication of Lord Boreal terrible, Will showing up in part 1 and so weakly characterized - a disaster, and many more. Also, this did nothing to change my very low opinion of CGI.
The movie version was a good bit better, and if the scenes had been properly ordered would have been quite good. I made it through the penultimate episode, and my desire to see more was quenched. No more for me. It is outstanding source material, so maybe someday someone will do it justice, this isn't that day.
Silent Witness: Seven Times: Part 2 (2020)
Clearly the bottom
I very much hope this 2-parter has gotten this out of their system. Every long running series has a worst story/episode, and I think this was it for SW. This is one set I will never rewatch, and I recommend skipping it.
Almost 10 years ago there was an absolutely ridiculous exocism episode, the previous worst now dethroned. Maybe we can get to season 30 before another stinker hits.