Television reviews – Page 20

The Vietnam War–Closure or Catharsis?

Written by diana on February 12, 2018. Posted in Television reviews. 3 Comments on The Vietnam War–Closure or Catharsis?

The Vietnam War Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s PBS masterpiece, The Vietnam War is a mournful, heartbreaking documentary: an essential expose and an unvarnished history of war. The refocusing of history using first-person stories is the most important “Ken Burns effect” producing his best documentary to date. Burns loves to film everyday people’s “small” stories which give perspective and emotion to the larger picture. The interviews are unforgettable and poignant–a viscerally searing reminder why there is no winner in war. The human faces, together with the visible...

My Top 19 Movies and TV Series for 2017

Written by diana on January 18, 2018. Posted in movie reviews, Television reviews. 8 Comments on My Top 19 Movies and TV Series for 2017

Here are the reviews I wrote this year with the criteria that they were available online or were at local movie theaters, although not necessarily widely distributed. Of the 45 reviews, here are my favorites. It was much more difficult than in past years, since this year was absolutely stunning as was 2016. Both television and cinema have continued to produce phenomenal story-telling. The following list is not ranked, only grouped by genre. I could not limit my choices to only 10. INDIES and FOREIGN CINEMA 1) “Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri”: A BOLO for Justice”...

The Staircase–A Fall to the Bottom

Written by diana on October 30, 2017. Posted in movie reviews, Television reviews. 4 Comments on The Staircase–A Fall to the Bottom

The Staircase, about a cold case murder that is resurrected again and again, is a crime thriller rivaling James Patterson. Filmed by Academy Award-winning French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, we see a gripping courtroom drama, offering an intimate look at a high-profile murder trial and the family of the accused. Reminiscent of the groundbreaking “reality” series, An American Family, from the seventies, author Michael Peterson is arraigned for the 2001 murder of his second wife, Kathleen, whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the stairway of their Durham,...

Ozark–A Stark, Dark Thriller

Written by diana on September 20, 2017. Posted in movie reviews, Television reviews. 2 Comments on Ozark–A Stark, Dark Thriller

Ozark is so good it approaches the standard set by "Breaking Bad".

“Bordertown”– New Boundaries in Scandinavian Noir

Written by diana on July 23, 2017. Posted in movie reviews, Television reviews. 2 Comments on “Bordertown”– New Boundaries in Scandinavian Noir

You can escape the big city and its frenetic fierceness, but you can’t escape murder, not even in the hinterland of Finland. That’s the psychologically disturbing theme in Bordertown, Netflix’s latest international acquisition and the latest Scandinavian Noir drama that's sure to mesmerize audiences.

American Gods–A Subversive Riff on Religion

Written by diana on June 17, 2017. Posted in Television reviews. 1 Comment on American Gods–A Subversive Riff on Religion

The dual theme of religion and government is an intriguing new exploration for television. American Gods focuses on myths and established religions fighting the new religions of technology and money.