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Boychoir (2014)
Messed up Messiah
The writers threw in Handel's Messiah as their big concert in NYC. Why choose that over used chorale piece? So many other great choral works to show off a boy who can hit a high D. Who needs a trickster's high note to demonstrate great musical talent?
And stupidly the script claims no solo parts in Messiah! There are many in that oratorio.
And choosing that famous piece because you wouldn't trust the audience to appreciate something they haven't heard many times.
How about Faure's Requiem or an even more modern composers, like John Tavener or John Rutter?
This film played down to the audience and didn't have the courage and good sense to take them up.
Unforgotten: Episode #5.4 (2023)
Attention after death
As the police investigate Precious life they see how miserably she was treated by her mother and how poor.y her son is now. A Tory statesman tries to buy his redemption as he faces his own death.
The drama reveals how much stress is put on social workers to solve grave domestic troubles without proper resources. They are underpaid, understaffed, and most need guidance and support from their agencies before they burn out.
The body is found in a chimney. Thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of expert investigators, medical examiners, many expensive lab tests are concentrated on discovering her killer.
If only this kind of high level attention was directed to the woman while she was alive.
While I'm sure that realization was not part of the plot, it is what I will take with me after watching this well written and produced drama.
Deadliest Catch: Super Swarm (2019)
Sig is a bully
Sig set his pots on another's pots in another episode and in this one, when someone does the same thing to him, he hollers "unfair".
Calls them childish, low life's.
Sig is a bully and narcissistic tyrant. It's always all about him.
Meanwhile, Sean and Jake, the younger men, demonstrate creative tactics without complaining about Sig.
Sig has become a jaded, selfish fisherman.
Repeating to make stupid 600 word count.
Sig set his pots on another's pots in another episode and in this one, when someone does the same thing to him, he hollers "unfair".
Calls them childish, low life's.
Sig is a bully and narcissistic tyrant. It's always all about him.
Meanwhile, Sean and Jake, the younger men, demonstrate creative tactics without complaining about Sig.
Sig has become a jaded, selfish fisherman.
Succession: The Munsters (2023)
4th circle of Dante's Inferno
How to grok Succession: it is an allegory for Dante's 4th circle "Greed"
Pape Satàn, pape Satàn aleppe.
Paraphrasing Virgil: These hoarders, so absorbed in their activity, it would be pointless to try to speak to them as they are too cynical, self-absorbed, and miserly.
The constant egregious debasement flecked with back alley sexual banter by the sons and daughters is so pervasive so juvenile, so off-hand I do not care which one wins daddy's company - in both senses : his companionship or his corporate holdings.
They deserve nothing.
Initially I followed the series because, like Downton Abbey, there were multiple story lines and clever scripts. Now it just reeks: wounded, petty people using one another, trading alliances like contestants on Big Brother.
I'd prefer to watch Julie Taymor's Titus. Now there's a story about power, fealty, and you get a bit of cannibalism.
Ted Lasso: Sunflowers (2023)
Delightful
Ted Lasso writers, actors, producers have created a delightful show that does not rely on a motif. The stories grow out of a bunch of ideas then they add some sorrow, some joy, and then hope that things will get better. It's organic - develops as it must without a lot of extraneous stuff - it's like your best and worst days in 30-50 minutes.
And though it's about a football team - the kind they play without helmets and shoulder pads - it's not a locker room drama or sports farce.
And I love that people care about each other.
This is such a relief from the constant news about children, young people, teachers, parents getting shot by high-powered guns. Ted Lasso relieves some of the pain and fear.
Beyond Paradise: Episode #1.4 (2023)
Martha & Humphrey romance wearing thin
In each show we follow the downs and ups of Martha and Humphrey's romance as the great Humph solves another enigma. That's been the MO since they met back on the island.
Trouble is, she is no match for him - however you want to take it.
Humph has charm, wit, and an inscrutable ability to see what little thing is a clue to finding the killer. Meanwhile, the writers have nothing for Martha.
She opens a café in one day - by refurbishing the walls, building shelves, setting up displays of her wares without a drop of sweat. Not believable even in the rehashed tropes of this series.
She sits and mulls a lot. And her storyline is a series of weak soap opera cliches.
When does she actually develop into a character with blood and skin and sore feet?
When will Humph turn his investigator's eyes on his girlfriend?
Get her pregnant or get her gone.
Yellowstone: Daybreak (2018)
Screaming horses
Whoever is wrangling stock for this show needs to get in the director's ear about the horses.
The director seems to think horses vocalize every mood or reaction.
They don't.
Horses may nicker and neigh to get some attention from their humans or other horses, but they rarely scream.
Also the injured horse in the first scene looks quite calm, not anxious or in pain. Could have set up that shot better. Maybe from behind the horse, his head wrenched to the side.
Montana is beautiful country, but they squander any opportunity to let the camera just take in the vistas and the land.
Ah well, there's lovely craggy Costner to appreciate.
Will they fit in a baseball game?
Death in Paradise: Episode #12.1 (2023)
Formula getting tired
New episode repeats basic tropes of the series:
The DI show's romantic interest in a vacationer, a trainee passes police exam, then DI solves murder by a tiny detail.
This time the convoluted crime is so contrived, so tattered it's just paradoxically boring.
A good show to watch with sound off. Setting is beautiful, but actors deliver lines with supposed Caribbean accent by stressing last syllabl.
Also the cast just don't have enough to do with the investigation.
There are no strong secondary roles like Dwayne and JP and Camille Bordey.
Producers need to change it up. Let someone else, maybe Selwyn solve the case.
Foyle's War: High Castle (2015)
Not a mistake- Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
Repeating my short review as this app demands more words before it allows me to submit the text.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Review titled Mistake is wrong about name of Iran at the time.
The Imperial State of Iran was established in 1925.
So, the script is correct to refer to Iran.
Three Pines: The Murder Stone - Part 2 (2022)
I understand this must be hard for you.
When my friends gather to watch Three Pines we p,as a drinking game.
Each time Gamache says:
I know this must be hard for you or something similar, like, I know this is a difficult time for you - we take a swig of Quebec wine.
Vignoble La Grenouille is pretty tasty.
We were pretty wasted by end of Part One.
But during Part Two we began to take interest in the miserable Morrows as we did with the Roys in Succession. Power-hungry patron of dysfunctional family forks up his children
Only I kept track of Gamache empathetic tropes and woke next morning feeling need for empathy from anybody and an aspirin.
It's too bad this show suffers from clichés as Louise Penny has none in her excellent stories.
It's also too bad the producers expect to condense her books into two one-hour episodes. There should be a dozen episodes at least.
Midsomer Murders: The Dogleg Murders (2009)
Golf with hogs
All the style and cleverness of the best episodes. Lots of despicable twits with cut glass enunciation displaying their greedy ways. And pigs! Hungry pigs doing their job.
Why does this page require 600 characters before submission when it can't count? I'll repeat this until the mucked up app lets me submit the review.
Why does this page require 600 characters before submission when it can't count? I'll repeat this until the mucked up app lets me submit the review. Why does this page require 600 characters before submission when it can't count? I'll repeat this until the mucked up app lets me submit the review.
Midsomer Murders: The Blacktrees Prophecy (2022)
Lost count of the bodies
This episode of Midsomer Murder is the most boring despite a new dead body popping up every 15 minutes. Or because of the pile up of victims. Shabby story - poor dialogue, no tension, nothing to care about even when writers throw in a bit of brother and sister sexual heat. When the murderer is finally caught the explanation for her behavior is, well, stupid. An inane story with nothing to hold it together. This show has a history of bad writing and then recovering nicely with clever, intriguing episodes. Here's hoping the next show has a pulse and lives up to its reputation for attention retention.
Magpie Murders: Episode #1.6 (2022)
Excellently done, except
I am a big fan of Anthony Horowitz and Lesley Manville. The book is fabulous and the BBC production is very clever. They trust the audience to follow the doppelgängers, separate the fiction within a fiction.
Then in the last episode, Lesley Manville wakes up in hospital after being beaten up and in a fire and she has full makeup : eye liner, lipstick, lashes...
This is a production error, not Manville's or Horowitz.
This is so surprising after the film director has taken so much care in cinematography and creating transitions from the story within a story.
I am complaining because everything else was darn near perfect.
Manifest (2018)
Just Annoying
There is something about this series that is just plain annoying.
There are too many nice people.
Ben Stone is always up for being the helpful, understanding dad and husband and brother. Always. Never once does he roll his eyes in exasperation or lose his Buddha-like patience. What an improvement in the story if Ben was a replacement by aliens, an android who is programmed to be accommodating so he can observe Cal and Micheala.
Nothing really scary happens.
So maybe this:
Michaela's eyebrows slower disappear and she becomes more aggressive with each hair that falls out.
Or...
Sweet, charming, persevering Cal is generating this whole thing while sleeping. It's all his dream. He makes the "callings". He decides who's good and who's bad. He makes his dad a perfect man, considerate, strong, resourceful and very attentive to Cal. His mom has to suffer for her betrayal, etc. Cal is a god, not the terminally Ill child.
More to come...
Murder in Provence: Episode #1.2 (2022)
Beauty of Provence MIA
Lots of fiddling about, lots of words, little intrigue because who cares about the deaths of two low-life high-borne brothers?
First episode had charm and beautiful scenes caught by cinematographer allowed to present Provence, its natural beauty and architecture and colors. What's the point of a mystery series set in Provence that does not invest in the special attributes of Provence? Might as well shoot it in Leeds.
Also missing are the characteristics of the people of Provence. Everyone speaks perfect uptown English and acts like a Brit. French body language is absent. Aside from kissing two cheeks when greeting, there is nothing French about the characters. Back to Leeds.
In comparison, Murder in Paradise, set on a Caribbean island - another British mystery series - makes the most of the location and though most of the cast is British, they do a good job of playing locals. The island atmosphere is always in play.
I'd watch Allam in almost anything and so I'll go on to the third episode. I hope it has a better story.
Dressed to Kill (1980)
Synopsis as of 5/2022 is inept
The synopsis posted as of May, 2022 is confusing because the writer mixes up pronouns referring to characters. This is not an attempt to be pronoun sensitive about the trans character. The errors refer to straight characters - the son of the murdered woman, the prostitute who saw the killer, etc.
For many people the ending is difficult to make out.
Perhaps this writer owes their confusion to DePalma's story.
Or it's just a matter of sloppy writing.
My advice: skip the synopsis and just watch the film. It's a dandy if you are not put off by bloody murders and scary scenes.
Monk: Mr. Monk and the Foreign Man (2009)
Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Shaloub
This is my favorite Monk episode, right next to the one with Stanley Tucci.
I've admired Akinnuoye Agbade since he played Adebisi in Oz decades ago.
They are a terrific combination, deserving of another show.
Hats off to all.
All That Glitters: Britain's Next Jewellery Star (2021)
Ryan miscast
Why is a Canadian who knows nothing about jewelry hosting a British competition for jewelers?
Her voice is annoying and she lacks poise.
The host should have demeanor of someone who'd shopped at Tiffany's.
The show needs Someone like Padma Lakshmi.
All That Glitters: Britain's Next Jewellery Star (2021)
Ryan miscast
Why is a Canadian who knows nothing about jewelry hosting a British competition for jewelers?
Her voice is annoying and she lacks poise.
The host should have demeanor of someone who'd shopped at Tiffany's.
The show needs Someone like Padma Lakshmi.
Succession: Lion in the Meadow (2021)
Ewings, Sopranos, and Roys
The Roy family has become repulsive: their extreme greed, egotism, lack of moral code is difficult to watch. They are the heedless, ugly descendants of the Ewings, but without the extra-marital affairs and back-combed hair-dos and a resourceful matriarch.
The kids talk like adolescents, which is fitting for none have matured past the age of 16.
Tony Soprano, like Logan Roy, got rid of anyone who crossed him, but he had a code and he had one hell of a mother.
Maybe that's what the Roys need: a Big Mama to give Logan a lesson in parenting and shake the kids out of their self-idolatry.
The show needs to borrow from Shakespeare or Euripides: something has to matter to at least one character that hits us where we hurt.
There's no love to be lost, no shame they can't ignore.
The show's popularity will be short-lived unless at least one of them gets a conscience.
Death of an Expert Witness (1983)
Enjoy the pace
Well, yes, it's long, but the interweaving of characters takes time. P. D. James brings us into the scenes by offering stories in the first half about the major suspects in a murder that takes place half-way into the series. While you want to get to the 'who did it?' part, relax, enjoy the stories. None are irrelevant or thin, and they all add depth to what otherwise would be just another detective procedural.
Unnatural Causes (1993)
Dagliesh gets wet
Dagliesh has 15 wet, macho minutes at the end. Worth sitting through the rest, which is a bit cumbersome.
Best cast ever: Nicholas Jones, Mel Martin, Bill Nighy, and Kenneth Colley.
And Roy Marsden is So fine as Dagliesh.
Midsomer Murders: For Death Prepare (2021)
Every thing but the kitchen sink
Gilbert and Sullivan, Inspector Lewis, Mrs. Alahan, half-siblings in love, a singing detective, a young, beautiful doctor woos an old lady, asbestos toxicity, street drugs, just to name a few elements featured in this ironically empty story.
What's missing: sturdy plot, characters that don't need three minutes of exposition, and clever dialogue.
This one is just not what you expect from Midsomer Murders.
However, after hundreds of episodes each with 3-4 murders, on average, you can't fault the producer's for trying.
They have given us quirky, delightful murder mysteries for years. One or two real stinkers don't really matter.
Midsomer Murders: Send in the Clowns (2018)
Circus Idiocy
If you ran a circus where people were getting killed during circus acts would you ask a beloved to do an extremely risky acrobatic maneuver?
Would you, if you were the acrobat, take that risk?
Of course not.
But this is Midsomer and there have to be a few dead people.
Terribly stupid.
The producers have taken suspension of disbelief to its extreme.
Alas as it is usually a good show.
Stowaway (2021)
It's the Weight!
Obvious problem with plot: how could stowaway's weight (175#?) not be noticed at launch?
Crew are limited to few ounces of personal items because weight at lift off is critical to success.
Just plain STUPID.