Thursday, April 19 2012
What Makes the Struggle So Worthwhile: ‘Treme: The Complete Second Season’
The second season of Treme continues to deliver as a series committed to telling real stories in a place where real tragedy has occurred, and the aftermath remains evident to this day.
Wednesday, April 18 2012
‘I, Claudius: 35th Anniversary Edition’ Is a Top-Drawer Re-Release of a Classic
If there were ever a need to argue that excellent dialogue and on-target acting can trump big-budget spectacle, this series could function as Exhibit A.
‘Neverland’ Is a Deft Blending of Sorcery, Spectacle, and Emotional Struggles
Peter shares the unconscious longing of all children to discover uncomfortable truths, yet simultaneously retains a carefree manner.
Monday, April 16 2012
‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’: Wherein Life without Death Becomes Unbearable
The Torchwood crew is back with a bigger budget and even more star-power -- it's just a shame that budget's not applied towards a story that's worthwhile.
Thursday, April 12 2012
‘Masterpiece Classic: Great Expectations’ Feels Both Dickensian and Modern
This adaptation takes some liberties with the original story, but it does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere and overall feeling of the book.
That Great Intriguing Mulatto: ‘Brazil: An Inconvenient History’
Yes, Brazil has lovely beaches, an incomparably rich musical heritage, and an attractive populace. It also has a particularly shameful past as the foundation of the most extensive forced migration in human history.
Wednesday, April 4 2012
Roll Away the Stone, If You Dare: ‘Doctor Who: Tomb of the Cybermen’
It’s great stories like this which lend credence to the old saw about British children watching Doctor Who from behind the couch.
Thursday, March 29 2012
‘Nurse Jackie: Season Three’ is More of the Same—But That’s a Good Thing
Although Nurse Jackie’s third season isn’t quite as strong as it has been in the past and would benefit from a deeper analysis of Jackie’s personality, its many good performances and its clever blend of comedy and drama make it worth watching.
Thursday, March 22 2012
Sadness Like Shrapnel: ‘The Killing: Season One’
With all the televised murder being screened night after night, it’s the rare mystery that returns episode after episode to the human element, and death’s emotional fallout.
Monday, March 19 2012
There’s No Need to Fear: ‘Underdog: The Complete Series’
The complete adventures of the canine hero and his sidekicks are spread out in this superb nine disc DVD set.
Thursday, March 15 2012
The End of the World as We Know It: ‘The Tribe: Series One Part One’
Gawdalmighty, who would have thought the end of the world would be so bloody tedious?
Thursday, March 8 2012
‘The Sunset Limited’: How a Great Debate Can Make a Lousy Movie
Cormac McCarthy's writing shines, but its his conception that holds back The Sunset Limited.
Wednesday, March 7 2012
Winter is Coming: Prepare Yourself for ‘Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season’
The families of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are locked in a life and death battle to sit upon the Iron Throne.
Tuesday, March 6 2012
‘Mission: Impossible – The ’89 TV Season’
This late-'80s revival provides mild entertainment but feels tied to its specific time period.
Thursday, March 1 2012
‘The Brontes of Haworth’ Has No Glamour, but It Gives Plenty of Drama
I love the idea of the Brontes; three sisters in a lonely parsonage house on the moors, inhabiting their own enclosed environment, a Petri dish of creativity... it all strikes me as almost unbearably romantic.
Wednesday, February 29 2012
The Ties that Bind: ‘The Brief: Complete Collection’
The cast is certainly engaging, Alan Davies in particular, but unfortunately, it's not enough to carry the series.
Tuesday, February 28 2012
The 1960s as 1850s as Romantic & Socially Relevant: ‘Here Come the Brides’
Award-winning actors and entertaining stories, as well as some socially relevant themes, elevate Here Come the Brides as a '60s TV series worth watching.
Thursday, February 23 2012
Listen to the Lorax, He Speaks for the Trees!: Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Lorax’
A lesson for all, a lesson indeed, a handful of hope, contained in one seed.
‘Battlefield Detectives’ Gives Us a Lively Look at Some Not-So-Conventional Wisdom
If you've ever wondered what a crowd disaster at a Stereophonics concert can tell us about an epoch-defining medieval massacre, then this is the show for you.
Tuesday, February 21 2012
‘The Fades: Season One’: Teen Angst Amplified by the Paranormal
This new series employs some stunning images that are not only a wonderful realization of the supernatural and apocalyptic, but also visually arresting.
