All posts by Tony Hughes

2020, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amazon Prime, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Comedy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crude Talk, Embarrassing episodes, Farce, Father-daughter relations, Grungy, Kazakh, Kazakhstan, Male Chauvinism, Nudity, Outrageous Behavior, Political Satire, Remarkable Costumes, Satire, Sight Gags, Slapstick, Vulgar

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

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From IMDB:

Follow-up film to the 2006 comedy centering on the real-life adventures of a fictional Kazakh television journalist named Borat.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 35 minute complete film.  Spoken language is  Kazakh (which is a Turkic language), the official language of Kazakhstan, and English. Part of the fun of the film is that the Kazakh is translated into English subtitles written in ungrammatical garbled phrases.  Just listening to Borat murdering the English language is a hoot.

Basically this at times wildly funny satire is aimed at Donald Trump and his band of merry Trump Thugs.  Secondarily the goal is also to make fun of Kazakhstan.  Supposedly the plot is this: Borat must present his daughter to Donald Trump as a gift to avoid being executed in Kazakhstan in an “excruciatingly painful manner.”

Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) paints Kazakhstan as a backward collection of shabby villages in which women, including his daughter,  are kept in cages with absolutely no rights. Throughout the film he and his daughter quote the Kazakhstan bible which instructs how to (mis)treat women.

In the past there was a TV program called “Candid Camera” in which unsuspecting participants were secretly filmed while being placed in awkward situations. Each Borat episode follows exactly that model. In most cases the episode features an individual or group of people who are Trump supporters. These victims are conned into revealing their appalling ignorance and conspiracy acceptance.

WARNING: “Embarrassing, vulgar, disgusting, crude” are a few adjectives that must be applied to some episodes.  How on earth did this film get past the decency censors?  Make no mistake, I am no prude. But there have to be limits on what is shown in public. You are warned.

Ignoring the crass downside,  you have some truly funny belly laughs in store.

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Attempted Murder, British, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Husband leaves wife, Jealousy, Male Prostitute for Women, Marital Infidelity, Melodrama, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Sex Scenes, Tragedy, Unhappy Marriage

Flesh and Blood (2020)

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From IMDB:

Lives of three siblings are disrupted when their recently widowed mother declares she’s in love with a new man. Tangled web of secrets, lies, rivalries and betrayals eventually leads to a murder.

From the PBS streaming channel you can stream the 4 episodes of this British Masterpiece Theater soap opera. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Masterpiece Theater on PBS TV just finished doling out an episode per week of this drama. Now that it is over, you can stream all 4 episodes from PBS streaming. By contributing some money to PBS you can get a membership to the streaming source.

From Acorn through Amazon Prime you can also stream Gold Digger which is similar to “Flesh and Blood” in that both dramas are about an older widow falling in love with a new man despite the objections of her grown children. In the former story the new man is much younger. In the latter the new man Mark (played by Stephen Rea who was Alexander Pope in  Counterpart) is closer in age to the widow Vivien (played by Francesca Annis).

Add to the objections from Vivien’s grown children the passive aggressive behavior of Vivien’s longtime neighbor Mary.  Many of the actors have impressive resumés, but Imelda Staunton, who plays the nosy neighbor Mary, is a British classic. Her performance as Vera in  Vera Drake was memorable.  And of course we have seen Sharon Small (who plays Stella) just about everywhere, for example as Dr. Laura Maitland in Murderland.

Unquestionably a tragedy,  each of the characters is in an awful position and no one lives happily ever after.

Until the final fourth episode we never know who is in serious condition in the hospital.  Just to keep guessing is worth the trip.

 

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Antique Cars, Assisted Suicide, Blackmail, Boating, Bullying, Classic, Controlling personality, Corny at times, Dancing, Detective, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Film Remake, Fist Fight, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Haute Couture, Interest in automobiles, Jealousy, Lawyers, Marital Infidelity, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Police Investigation, Promiscuity, Psychopath, Remarkable Costumes, Revenge, Romance, Suspense, Terminal Disease, Unhappy Marriage, Upstairs - Downstairs

Rebecca (2020)

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From IMDB:

A young newlywed arrives at her husband’s imposing family estate on a windswept English coast and finds herself battling the shadow of his first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy lives on in the house long after her death.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 3 minute complete remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic rendition of Daphne du Maurier’s famous 1938 bestseller.

If the link works for you, you can read the review in the edition today (October 22, 2020) of the Boston Globe.  Let us say that the critic, Ty Burr, damns with faint praise. As Mr. Burr reminds us, Alfred Hitchcock make the film in 1940, which makes the first film version 80 years old. He also sadly informs us that currently (Oct 22, 2020) there is no genuine streaming source for the original.

Of course we old-timers will tell you that Lily James (playing the second Mrs.  de Winter is no Joan Fontaine. Nor is Kristin Scott Thomas (playing Mrs. Danvers) any Dame Judith Anderson.  For my taste Kristin Scott Thomas is scary enough.

Ignore the critics and enjoy this remake!

2020, Abandoned child, Addiction, Alcoholism, Amazon Prime, Boating, Corny at times, Detective, DNA, Drug Dealers, Dysfunctional Lives, Embezzlement, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Financial malfeasance, Illegitimate Child, Murder, Murder Investigation, New Zealand, Police cover-up, Police Culture, Redemption

The Sounds (2020)

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From IMDB;

Maggie and Tom Cabbott move to the town of Pelorus to escape the oppressive influence of Tom’s family. But when he disappears, unsettling facts about Tom soon come to light and the search brings long-buried wounds to the surface.

From Amazon Prime:

This twisty thriller follows a married couple trying to start a new life in an idyllic New Zealand town, but when the husband goes missing, dark secrets begin to surface.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 8 episodes of the only season.  Each episode lasts exactly 44 minutes.

“Acceptable soap opera”  seems like a fair assessment of this series. Murder, false imprisonment, drug dealing, alcoholism, indigenous people, embezzlement, unwanted baby, and several betrayals make for a watchable series.

Rachelle Lefevre as Maggie Cabbott commands the show.  No sooner had I finished watching the series and then took a peek at Electric Dreams, much  to my surprise there was Rachelle Lefevre playing Katie in the TV series adaptation of Phillip Dick’s novel.

Of all the many characters in the cast, Emily Piggford as the accountant for the ruthless Cabbott enterprises was certainly the most striking or should I say oddest personality.   In this B+ series she can get away with such an extreme portrayal of a dedicated but emotionless woman.

Mostly about sin and redemption, it was worth waiting for the next Tuesday installment. At least you won’t have to wait now that all the episodes have been released.

2004, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Bullying, Detective, Eccentric Detective, Jealousy, Lawyers, Missing Person, Murder, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Prison, Revenge, Sex Offender, Vigilante justice, Violent

Murder City (2004)

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From IMDB:

British police drama that revolves around two mismatched detectives who scour London solving complex cases.

From Amazon Prime:

Despite their polar opposite personalities, methodical DI Susan Alembic (Amanda Donohoe) and unorthodox DS Luke Stone (Kris Marshall) work as an effective team solving complex crimes.

From Amazon Prime you can stream two seasons of this series. Season 1 consists of 6 episodes while season 2 has only 4 episodes. Each episode lasts about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

DI Alembic is procedure oriented while DS Stone is intuitive, somewhat eccentric, and really smart. They both appreciate each other even though they constantly tease each other. Eventually Stone comes off as a loner who feels intensely the harm done by peoples’ evil actions.  He is often insulted by DCI Turner (Tim Woodward) but holds his tongue because Turner is his arrogant and nasty boss.

Clever plots and the interplay of characters make this series an acceptable watch.

 

 

2015, Acceptable for teenagers, Action Film, Action sequences, Adopted child, Amusing banter, Arson, Bloody scenes, Bromance, Counterfeiting, Detective, Drug Dealers, Drugs, FBI, Friendship, Gangs, Mildly Violent, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nothing special, Police Culture, Revenge, Various Romances, Witty dialog

Battle Creek (2015)

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From IMDB:

Two detectives with different views on the world team up and using cynicism, guile and deception, they clean up the streets of Battle Creek.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of this bromance detective series. Each episode lasts between 41 and 43 minutes.

Looking for a detective series with a minimal amount of violence and some warm human interaction?  “Battle Creek” is nothing special but at least you don’t have to get tense watching the action.

Milt Chamberlain (played by Josh Duhamel) is an FBI agent who for some unexplained reason is assigned to a police district.  Milt is teamed with Russ Agnew (played by Dean Winters)  much to Russ’ unhappiness. Think water and oil.  Milt is tall, slim, neat, by-the-books and loves needling Russ.  Russ is somewhat old school, prefers intuition, and fails repeatedly, despite Milt’s efforts,  to form a relation with Holly Dale (played by Aubrey Dollar).  In other words the series doubles as a soap opera.

Just a nice bit of fun crime solving with not much stress.

2010, Abduction, Action sequences, British, British Mystery Series, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Corny at times, Corrupt Prison Guards, Drugs, Eccentric cast of characters, Eccentric Detective, Fist Fight, Mental Illness, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Outrageous Behavior, Psychiatrists, Psychopath, Revenge, Sadism, Suspense, Unbelievably smart detective, Unusual, Violent

Sherlock (2010)

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From Netflix you can stream 4 seasons of Sherlock Holmes stories. Seasons 1,2, and 4 have 3 episodes. Season 3 has 4 episodes. Each episode lasts 88 or 89 minutes.

Because there have been so many presentations involving the famous British detective, let’s be clear: In this series four of the many actors are:

Adjectives that describe this particularly imaginative adaptation are: eccentric, exaggerated, implausible, sometimes repellent.

Much of the time Sherlock indulges himself by  showing off his brilliant deductive genius.  At other times he is busy confusing his poor companion  Dr. Watson.  When he is bored he uses cocaine.

Toward the end of the seasons, especially in season 4, the plot devices are just plain over the top and unbelievable.  Also there is a lot of sadistic cruelty on the part of the last villainess, which repelled me.

If nothing else, these episodes are certainly not dull. Hang on tight!

2017, Abduction, Based on true facts, Cold Cases, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, FBI, Forensics, Lesbian Theme, Netflix Streaming, NOT violent, Race Relations, Racism, Serial Killer

Mindhunter (2017)

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From IMDB:

Set in the late 1970s, two FBI agents are tasked with interviewing serial killers to solve open cases.

From Netflix you can stream 2 seasons of this drama which centers around criminal profiling and its use in catching serial killers. Season 1 has 10 episodes and season 2 has 9 episodes. Episode length varies from 45 minutes to a bit over an hour.  Material in the series is based on real life events.

In the 1970s the idea of criminal profiling was new. In fact at first the FBI was sceptical about its usefulness. Why spend money sending FBI agents to interview murderers with the goal of solving future crimes?  During this period the agents involved invented the phrase “serial killer”.

Season 1 depicts the development of these ideas as they bump up against the bureaucracy. Certainly interviews with known serial killers, for example Charlie Manson,  are interesting.

Season 2 is mostly devoted to a true case of serial killing in Atlanta. In the time frame of season 2 the FBI work in this area has become accepted enough that the local police in Atlanta reluctantly allowed the FBI to help solve the case.

Along side the crime plot runs the personal problems of some of the agents on the team:

  • Bill Tench (played by Holt McCallany – Robert McCoy in Blue Bloods ) has a young son who was involved in the murder of a young child. Tench is always away in some other city for his work. As a result his marriage is in trouble.
  • Dr. Wendy Carr (played by Anna Torv – Olivia Dunham in Fringe) is a Lesbian looking for love and not having much success.

If you enjoy detailed police procedurals (and are a fairly patient viewer) then you might well be caught up in the plot.

2018, Basically Sad, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Dancing, Divorce, Drugs, Failing Marriage, Friendship, Gay theme, Happy Family Gatherings, Homophobia, Masturbation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Physical fighting, Terminal Disease

Euphoria (2018)

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From IMDB:

A difficult situation gives two distant brothers the opportunity to get to know each other deeply.

From Netflix:

An entrepreneur prone to partying and his estranged brother, a teacher resigned to a humdrum life, begin to bond under fragile circumstances.

From Netflix you can stream this 1.5 hour complete Italian film with English subtitles.

Matteo is the successful playboy and his brother Ettore is a quiet and very ordinary man.  Ettore has a fatal, malignant brain tumor but supposedly (or so Matteo believes) does not know what his illness is. Matteo goes to great lengths to keep the truth from Ettore.

Because of their great differences, the once close brothers have drifted apart. In the background Matteo is busy partying and chasing male gay conquests. Ettore has fallen out of love with his wife and is now in love with a new woman.  Both brothers are part of a large, noisy Roman family complete with zany mother. As the plot progresses, the somewhat dissolute Matteo works hard to keep Ettore on track with his hospital treatments.  Despite arguments and physical fighting, eventually the brothers realize their love for each other.

For some reason this film, which is certainly not for everyone, kept me watching. Probably it was the real humanity portrayed that was most appealing.

2020, Abandoned child, Acceptable for teenagers, Addiction, Alcoholism, Amazon Prime Brit Box, British Mystery Series, Clever Assistant, Eccentric Detective, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Gay Prostitution, Illegitimate Child, Murder, Murder Investigation, Older Detective, Police Culture, Unloved Child

McDonald & Dodds (2020)

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From IMDB:

A shy and enigmatic Detective Sergeant is partnered with a wildly ambitious Detective Chief Inspector to solve crimes in the historic city of Bath.

From Amazon Prime britbox:

The ambitious DCI McDonald has swapped the mean streets of London to climb the career ladder in picturesque Bath. Tough, driven cop McDonald cracks cases through sheer force of will. When the two are partnered up, the unlikely pair instantly lock horns over their different approaches to policing – and to life. New episode arrives every Tuesday.

From Amazon Prime britbox you can stream the only two episodes available of this British detective story which takes place in Bath, England. Each episode lasts about an hour and a half.

DCI McDonald, played by Tala Gouveia, is young, tough, and at first glance dismisses DS Dodds, played by Jason Watkins, as a doddering old has-been who is ready for retirement.

Jason Watkins is a consummate actor with a long resumé. Perhaps you remember him as Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the TV series The Crown.  In these two detective episodes Watkins plays to perfection a shy, almost stuttering, annoyingly hesitant, absent-minded (as in “where are my glasses” when they are already perched on his head) older detective who, as it turns out, is a brilliant detective and the brains of the police department. Eventually McDonald and Dodds become good friends.

Chief Superintendent John Houseman is played by James Murray. His is a face you may have often seen but probably cannot remember where. James Murray also has a very long resumé. In this show CS Houseman is the mean boss who dislikes both McDonald and Dodds, sneers at their efforts, and never ever gives poor old Dodds any credit for his cleverness.

Finding this series was just plain dumb luck.