TV Series Review; LAW AND ORDER UK (2009 - ) 8 Seasons AA

Very similar to the original Law and Order (US).  The UK version of the long-running U.S. TV drama that tells the stories of two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.

If you liked the original Law and Order you will enjoy these similar tales . . . but you will need subtitles.

Available from Netflix

UNKNOWN (2011) B-

A watchable but very confusing Action-Adventure film. Rated poorly by rottentomatoes.com. Saw the movie only because my first pick, (The Company Men), wasn't being shown.

An accident occurs and a scientist attending a very important conference in Berlin finds that no one knows who he is. In fact, he discovers someone posing as himself . . . and everyone seems to think the impostor is the real scientist. The logic of this films confused and incomprehensible storyline is all downhill from this point.

It's amazing to me that Hollywood has a problem producing movies with coherent screenplays. (This also occurs many times with hour long TV pieces . . . such as Law and Order). It's my belief that they shoot scenes in some random order, run out of money, and then edit what they have before they have enough scenes to make story logically come together.

On a positive note the sightseeing visit to Berlin was worthwhile.

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TV Series Review: AMERICAN CRIME (2015) Season 1 AA

I'm interested in REAL people in the real word.  The good guys , the sickies, the bigots, all of them.  This series will take you into their world.  A NEW AND DIFFERENT CRIME SERIES. Not for everyone.  It's  tough to watch.  No conventional goody-goody (social worker cops) characters like you see on  Law and Order.  

Rotten Tomatoes: Raw, emotional portrayals of diverse characters in dire pain, mashed up with chilling narratives and a gutsy attitude make American Crime a must see

Washington Post: What’s most commendable about “American Crime” is also its most provocative and challenging aspect: It asks us to regard the relatives of the victims — as well as the victims themselves — with the same doubts and scrutiny we are accustomed to giving characters who happen to be behind bars as suspects, as well as their families and loved ones. We are asked to feel everyone’s pain, even that of the accused.

If this sounds dangerously close our era’s almighty sin of “blaming the victim,” then so be it; in each episode we learn something new that makes us reconsider all the conclusions we might have leaped to in previous episodes.

In this way, “American Crime,” created by John Ridley (whose many credits include a screenplay Oscar for 2013’s “12 Years a Slave”), can be viewed as a show that truly reflects a cultural moment, a fictional work that deals in some of the same ambiguities and conflicts that accompanied the recent rash of police shootings across the country. The series has little in common with last summer’s events in Ferguson, Mo., except in its remarkable ability to harness (or even subvert) a viewer’s prejudices about race, ethnicity, religion, crime,

TRUE DETECTIVE (HBO) (2014) A

This "gritty" series of TV shows is about . . . and is dominated by . . . the acting and character development of two homicide detectives,  Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson and their hunt for a  serial killer in a Bayou country of Louisiana.   

May be confusing to some because the use multiple flashbacks and language used by the actors.  (I had to use subtitles). If you are into gruesome murders, rough talk by Bayou detectives and not just run-of-the-mill Law And Order type programs, this series may be for you.  At least it is worth a try.

PRIDE AND GLORY (2008) B++

Very good cop Action-Adventure movie. Takes place in in Washington Heights in Manhattan, the neighborhood I lived in as I was growing up. A lot of action takes place at 185th Street and Audubon Avenue. Now primarily populated by Hispanics. Mostly poor. (I wonder how my colony of roaches are doing).

The plot involves good cops, bad cops, cops in families, cop brutality, cop loyalty to other cops, drug dealers, and last but not least position, power and money. Nothing new. But a couple of steps up from Law and Order. Excellent acting, cinematography very good and excellent music.

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (2010) B

Foreign; Argentina; Spanish; subtitles

Saw this movie because it was rated A/A+ by Yahoo reviewers. See: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810097554/user.

Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed . . . and so were many of the people who were in the theater who watched with me. For starters, it was a good mystery story with very interesting characters but the audience had to get used to a confusing police and DA system (compared to Law and Order). Also confusing were the continual flashbacks and flash-forwards.

Positives: the acting, suspense and humor.
Negative: Movie ending and development of romantic relationship weak

CITY BY THE SEA (2002) C

Robert DeNiro plays a New York City cop in this weak film. An old story. He is divorced, his son goes to the wrong side of the law, the media and the upper levels of copdom do not understand the real issues, he has a new love relationship that he can't get close to, etc., etc.   Good mindless film if you have run out of this seasons recordings of Law and Order.

PS. The "city" supposed to be Long Beach, Long Island. I think they made a mistake and filmed it in Hoboken, NJ

A MURDER OF CROWS (1999) B-

This older movie was recommended by friends. It turned out to be an average Murder/Mystery story . . . with the obvious and expected twists and turns. Siumilar to many less thrilling, hour long TV Law and Order type programs.

From Netflix: Disbarred lawyer Lawson Russell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) buys himself trouble when he passes off another man's true-life crime book as his own. As the tome climbs the best-seller list, Lawson gets arrested for the killings recounted in the book. He then must convince judge and jury that he's innocent, even though he's destroyed all evidence to the contrary.

TV Series Review (Classic) : POLDARK (1974 -1977) A

Good series about  England in the late 1700's.  Production somewhat dated but this is a worthwhile watch if you are interested in a relatively light fare before going to sleep at night.  Series 1 & 2, four DVD's each.

It wont keep you up at night like a gory tale on Law and Order . . . or a Heat NBA playoff game where James throws in the winning basket with 0.7 seconds remaining.

Additional DVD 1996. 

In this series British officer Ross Poldark returns to his native Cornwall after the Revolutionary War after escaping as a prisoner of war. He finds that because he was believed dead, his home has fallen into ruin and his estate has shifted to his uncle following the death of his father. His uncle has committed to selling the family copper and tin mines to a ruthless local land baron while his former fiancée has agreed to marry his cousin in his absence.

Lots of good fun follows.

GET LOW (2010) C-

If you like action adventure movies THIS VERY SLOW FILM IS NOT FOR YOU.

The only redeeming features of this film are the scenes and costumes from the early twenties. The story is about a guy who has a secret. However, somehow the the people who put this film together didn't understand that a secret revealed at the end of a movie is not enough to create an interesting story. They should watch Law And Order once in a while to understand the formula for a story is that it has . . . a beginning . . . a middle and an . . . end.

TV Series Review: THE STATE WITHIN (2006) 7 episodes C-

Interesting Action Adventure BBC miniseries that ran in 2006.  

In this series the British Ambassador to Washington who is possibly in line to be the next prime minister runs into all sorts of trouble  when he enters into a web of tangled relationships with foreign countries and the military industrial complex. Just finished the third episode and hope that the total picture becomes clear.

May be worth a try.

New:  After completing the miniseries of 7 episodes (never renewed by BBC) . . .  I found the acting good but the story line TOTALLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE.  The tangled relationships never became clear and watching the series turned out to be a waste of time.  In addition it appeared that the screenwriters attempted to make the US Secretary of Defence look like a law breaker of the first order.  SHARON GLESS OF Cagney and Lacy was terribly miscast in this part.