In this two-part mini-series aired on PBS’ Masterpiece Mystery Theater over the past two weeks, Will Burton (David Tennant of “Broadchurch”, “Dr. Who”, and “Harry Potter” fame) is London’s top-ranked criminal defense barrister. Maggie Gardner (Sophie Okonedo, 2014 Tony-award winner for “A Raisin in the Sun”), is equally brilliant but number two in trial victories. Both Will Burton and Maggie Gardner are at the top of their game, two intellects who are perfectly matched and relentlessly ambitious.
Burton believes “everyone deserves...
Netflix Instant Queue–My List
My last blog on the pleasure of curling up to watch past episodes of favorite TV programs or programs and movies you missed while they were being released for the first time was on February 6, 2012 (“Netflix Instant Queue”–BBC’s Your Best Bet).
Netflix is now a juggernaut. For me the pleasures of Netflix downloading has tripled just like their stock. And just as Amazon is challenging the distribution of bricks-and-mortar publishing by promoting e-books, so Netflix is challenging the entertainment world of cinema and television with instant streaming.
A few recommendations...
“House of Cards”–Season 2: The Main Course
House of Cards–season 2
I just binged on the second season of the Emmy-award winning “House of Cards,” the Netflix-produced political saga starring Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood and Robin Wright as his wife Claire as it continues its narratively complex drama– even better than 2013’s! (See my February 2013 review of the first season, “House of Cards”–A Bulimic Buffet for Couch Potatoes?)
In this riveting thriller of political ambition, power, and hubris of Shakespearian proportions, we see the Underwoods cement their lethal relationship as...
“Time of Death”—Not for the Faint-Hearted
Not since Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s “On Death and Dying” with its study of the five stages of grief or Ernest Becker’s “The Denial of Death”, has there been such a tour-de-force depiction of the process of dying and the way that death impacts those who are left behind. This groundbreaking documentary series reminds me that many of us still have forgotten how to say goodbye and how to die. But some of us have figured out how. “Time of Death”, a six-part miniseries produced by Showtime, follows three men and five women ranging in age from nineteen to seventy-seven years. In six emotionally...
Engrenages (“Spiral”)–A Vortex of Thrills
Internet streaming and cable/satellite TV have opened the door to some superb international films and television series formerly nearly unknown to the average American viewer. Think “Borgen”. It’s not just Denmark, however. “Spiral” (the English translation of the French crime series) has been a blockbuster hit not only in France but also throughout Europe (resulting in BBC co-producing for the international market.) As of last month “Spiral” has now found a devout American following through distribution by Netflix, which offers all forty episodes in four seasons (starting production date...
The Backstory behind “Orange is the New Black”
With all the buzz about “Orange is the New Black”, I had fun chasing down facts about the memoir of that name by Piper Kerman after binge viewing the huge hit, “Orange is the New Black” on Netflix. (See my last post for the review of the hit series).
In two separate interviews on NPR’s “All Things Considered”, Terry Gross interviews first Piper Kerman and then Jenji Kohan. It makes for fascinating listening!
To take a few examples: In the memoir Kerman does not actually experience solitary confinement. However, to show the desolation and dehumanizing...