Thursday, February 2 2012
‘America In Primetime’: Episodes on Archetypes
America in Primetime is a celebration of television but without empty platitudes and praise; rather, it achieves its goal through thoughtful analysis and intelligent conversation.
Wednesday, February 1 2012
The Magnificent ‘Coast’
Coast is a celebration of the British Isles, its neighbors, its peoples, their connections, and their relationships to the land and sea that shapes them.
Friday, January 27 2012
She Was Always Chasing Rainbows: ‘Mildred Pierce: Collector’s Edition”
Foregoing the pulpy essence of the 1945 version for a raw naturalism, this miniseries is a brilliant time portal. It's Madame Bovary with rayon stockings and a strong work ethic.
Thursday, January 26 2012
For Your Eyes Only: ‘Archer: The Complete Season Two’
Pull on your black turtleneck and pour yourself a drink -- Archer is back for a second round and he's just as lethal as he was in Season One.
Wednesday, January 25 2012
Murder Proposes, Perry Disposes: ‘Perry Mason: Season Six’
A well-oiled machine, Perry Mason Season Six is marked by clear stories and ingenious bafflements.
Monday, January 23 2012
The Will of God: ‘The Borgias: The First Season’
The Borgias: The First Season on Blu-ray introduces "the original crime family", and it wastes no time in getting to the dirty secrets of one of the most powerful and influential families of the 15th century.
Friday, January 20 2012
A Prime-Time Tragedy in Two Acts: ‘Crime Story: The Complete Series’
Crime Story was too smart for network television, but too risk-averse to make the kind of bold statements you can feel lurking beneath the surface in the better episodes.
Thursday, January 12 2012
‘Shameless: The Complete First Season’ Brings the ‘Fun’ to Dysfunctional
Watching Shameless, you truly don’t know what to expect next, whether an episode will leave you with a gaping mouth or aching sides.
Wednesday, January 11 2012
30 Rock is Finally Back on Track with ‘30 Rock: Season Five’
"Never thought I'd feel sorry for a guy with a tattoo of a leprechaun vomiting on a book." And with that, 30 Rock begins a small and welcome renaissance ...
These Ain’t No Sesame Street Muppets: ‘Farscape: The Complete Series’
Farscape: The Complete Series on blu-ray is hours (and hours and hours) of groundbreaking, imaginative, quality entertainment.
Monday, January 9 2012
We All Have to Decide How Much Sin We Can Live With: ‘Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season’
With its government corruption, political scandals, bruised soldiers just home from war, and catastrophic financial losses due to the original Ponzi scheme, this '20s tale isn't much different from politics and business these days.
The Gag of Recognition: ‘Long Story Short’
Colin Quinn’s quick and laugh-heavy sprint through history and philosophy ties everything back to America: "the bouillabaisse of fallen empires".
Friday, January 6 2012
‘Women, War, and Peace’ Will Make You Think Hard About the ‘We’ in Warfare
The interviews are real; the interviewees are dynamic, knowledgeable. The events covered are fresh and newsworthy. The subjects are inspiring without being romanticized. The producers take little -- including the viewer -- for granted.
Tuesday, January 3 2012
Perhaps the Filmmaker Should Go Back Underground: ‘The Molly Dineen Collection: Volume 3’
Is Molly Dineen Dr. Frankenstein? Others did a similar thing before her, but she really zapped the monster that is the reality TV documentary into life.
Tuesday, December 13 2011
‘Big Love: The Complete Collection’ Mined Private Family Dynamics and Public Personas
Big Love ran the gamut in its five seasons and the series did an admirable job of addressing such charged material.
Thursday, December 8 2011
‘Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series’: Whoniverse Steered in a New Direction
The Doctor is in—and back for the holidays. Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series should keep the whole family intrigued, puzzled, and occasionally scared by more than just the sight of Amy Pond wielding a machine gun.
Monday, November 28 2011
Physics Does Radical Violence to the ‘Fabric of the Cosmos’
Brian Greene is an affable host who delves into the history of each topic and current-day thinking about it, and a wide variety of physics professors help shape each episode.
Monday, November 21 2011
Is Life Worth the Risk? ‘The COI Collection: Volume Six’
Controversial subjects such as sexually transmitted diseases rub shoulders with anti-drink driving films.
The True Boy Scout and Global Citizen: ‘The Adventures of Tintin: Series One’
The 'Curious Fox' as the Boy Reporter represents a cartoonist's sense of adventure -- both enticing and inspirational.
Wednesday, November 16 2011
‘Bedlam: Season 1’ Takes Its Premise Right Out of a Classic Ghost Story
An insane asylum is being converted into modern, luxury apartments by the descendents of its original owners. Unfortunately, not all of the previous occupants have moved out yet.
