Wednesday, May 30 2012
Documentary Channel’s Memorial Day Film Fest
"A documentary photographer tells history that the man at the typewriter cannot tell, because we're dealing with emotions, we're dealing with people dying in front of our face." -- Hal Geer, WWII newsreel cameraman.
Tuesday, May 22 2012
‘Lolo’ and ‘Real Sports’ Interview Hurdler Lolo Jones
This phrase, "a long hard row," sums up the story of Lolo Jones according to Lolo, ESPN's documentary, premiering this week.
Monday, May 14 2012
‘Weight of the Nation’ Is a Call to Action
In emphasizing the ways that the "food industry" does business, HBO's four-part series makes an important contribution to the ongoing discussion of obesity in America.
Friday, May 11 2012
‘Fish Tank Kings’ Features More Men at Work
The series begins with a bang, showcasing the creation and installation of enormous aquariums behind the backstop in the Miami Marlins' new stadium.
Wednesday, May 9 2012
‘White Heat’ Looks Back on Decades
The opening episodes of White Heat appear at pains to list landmark moments in recent history in a manner that feels like a lecture on What the Sixties Did For Us.
Saturday, April 28 2012
‘Flipped Off’: The Return (Again) of Russell Hantz
The format of Flipped Off is familiar and so is its star, memorable Survivor villain Russell Hantz.
Sunday, April 22 2012
‘Veep’ Finds Humor in Office Politics
Veep finds humor in the contradiction between the staff's renowned arena and the petty ways they get things done.
Sunday, April 15 2012
‘Girls’ is a Knockout
In Girls, Lena Dunham captures the messy textures and rhythms of everyday life. She also reminds us of her terrific ear for dialogue.
‘NYC 22’: In Harlem, a Bit of Edgy Topicality
NYC 22 offers good acting from the ensemble cast, generous location shooting, and a quirkily realized context, and also some familiar cop show plotting.
‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’: Opium Dreams Lead to Self-Doubts
Like Charles Dickens' novel, this two-part presentation focuses less on the title character than his troubled uncle, John Jasper (Matthew Rhys), but it doesn't provide much in the way of a "mystery."
Tuesday, April 10 2012
‘Deadliest Catch’ Returns for an Eighth Season
A mix of the soap opera-style storylines and real life dangers has helped to make Deadliest Catch Discovery's most popular show.
Thursday, April 5 2012
‘Scandal’ Imagines Women Who Run DC
The show's formula looks to be this: the silly plots swirl, the brokers scheme, and the minions toil, but in each episode, Liv finds a moment to chat with one of these wise, powerful, and inevitably troubled women. In these moments, Scandal is slightly less tabloidy and soapy, and slightly more beguiling.
Tuesday, April 3 2012
‘No Kitchen Required’ Pits Chefs Against Nature
Take the chefs out of the kitchen, No Kitchen Required argues, and they feel even more heat.
Sunday, April 1 2012
‘The Killing’: Still Murky and Still (Mostly) Smart
Imagining the worst -- whatever that can be -- Sarah persists with her work while trying to be a mother to a child who's becoming a man.
‘Game of Thrones’: The Wannabe Kings
With their lush set pieces and rocky coastlines, passionate betrayals and calculating re-alliances, the new episodes present an almost a too intricate meditation on power. Game of Thrones demands that you pay attention or be left behind.
It’s a Delight to Rediscover ‘Great Expectations’
The benefactor business in Great Expectations raises questions concerning agency. The haves exert their power over the have-nots, at will or whim.
Wednesday, March 28 2012
‘Whitechapel’: More Historical Bread and Butter
East London’s sordid criminal past continues to inspire this slick dramatic potboiler.
Tuesday, March 27 2012
‘Frontline: Murdoch’s Scandal’: It’s Not News, But It’s Disturbing
As much as Rupert Murdoch is a monster, so too are his consumers.
Sunday, March 18 2012
‘Unchained Reaction’ Is Entertaining and Educational
The competing teams' different starting points mean that each team goes through different kinds of trials and errors in making their schemes material.
Friday, March 16 2012
‘Frozen Planet’ Undertakes Daring Pursuit of Surprising Behaviors
Frozen Planet commands attention with its astounding imagery and surprising animal behaviors, but earns greater respect with its journalistic rigor on the climate change question.
