“The Proposition”
“The Proposition” at times is a difficult film to watch. But thanks to a compelling story by rocker Nick Cave and a supporting cast (including Emily Watson as the Captain’s gentle wife), the film is a classic in the making.
“Broken Trail”
The lives of two stoic cowboys and five abused Chinese women become intertwined in Walter Hill’s sprawling miniseries Broken Trail. Print Ritter (Academy Award winner Robert Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue the young women–most of them still just girls–who’re being transported to a brothel to have their virginity auctioned off. When the madam sees she is about to lose the girls, she screams at Tom, “What about my property?” He shouts back, “That’s the price of being a capitalist, lady.”
“Conviction”
Created by Dick Wolf, the seemingly unstoppable mastermind behind the Law & Order franchise, Conviction tells the stories of a group of young, driven, and genetically gifted prosecutors working for the New York District Attorney’s office, which is led by Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March). Cabot was last seen as a young gun assistant district attorney herself on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. There she was a crusading and idealistic lawyer fighting to buck a corrupt system. But on Conviction, her character has turned into the type of bureaucrat she used to despise–one who thinks more about the bottom line than the true meaning of justice.
“House, M.D.” — Season 2
The overall strength of the second season of House, M.D. proves that its first-year success wasn’t a fluke. This season starts with Dr. House (Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie) pursuing his ex-wife Stacy (Sela Ward) and ending with a tragedy that could potentially be deadly for himself and two colleagues. The premise of each show follows a set routine–a patient is brought in with unusual symptoms; House challenges his trio of underlings to diagnose the problem; they treat the patient, usually incorrectly the first few tries; and then at the very last minute–through a revelation that often has little to do with the patient–House figures out what’s wrong and saves the day.
Frog Marsh Bed & Breakfast
I’ve stayed at Four Seasons properties and the Bellagio in Las Vegas. But I can honestly say that Aberdeenshire’s quaint Frog Marsh Bed & Breakfast was one of my favorite places.
“Half Nelson”
Sometimes people are attracted to each other because of their differences. When there’s a nebulous attraction between a teacher and a young teenage child–as in the superb Half Nelson–the relationship has all the makings of confused disaster. Though there are a few uncomfortable moments when it’s not obvious whether Dan (Ryan Gosling) and Drey (Shareeka Epps) might cross the line, the attraction between the pair is culled less from sexual tension than desperation.
“L’Enfant”
By Jae-Ha Kim Amazon.com August 7, 2006 A disturbing film about a young Belgian couple and their newborn child, L’Enfant tells a heartbreaking tale that is less about love than about the possibility of moral […]
America’s Next: 6 Stars on the Rise
The “It” factor isn’t something actors can learn, hustle or buy. Either they have it or they don’t. And every year, television produces a break out star or two that has it. Last year, it was Wentworth Miller (“Prison Break”). Never mind that he wore a prison uniform and a buzz cut for the entire season.
“Beautiful People”
The back story to the series is that Lynn moves her girls from New Mexico to New York after her husband has an affair with Karen’s best friend. While Karen (a pouty dead ringer for Angelina Jolie) cuts ties with her dad, sensitive Sophie keeps him filled in on their lives with regular emails. That action, ultimately, will force her to choose between her parents. And “Melrose Place” fans will delight in seeing Zuniga verbally spar with her estranged TV husband Grant Show.
“Loverboy”
A quirky film about a single mother and the suffocating, tragic love she has for her 6-year-old child, “Loverboy” serves as an answer to anyone who might wonder if you can love your child too much: Absolutely. Emily (Kyra Sedgwick from “The Closer”) is an eccentric, anti-social woman yearning for the affection her parents showered on each other, but never on her.
“Tabloid Wars”: Newspaper rivalry not much fun to watch
“Tabloid Wars,” a six-week reality series that debuts tonight, follows the staffers of the New York Daily News as they track down leads on juicy stories, finesse sources into giving them quotes and lay out pages they hope will attract more readers than those of their archenemy, the New York Post.
“The Pretender” — Season Four
After eluding agents from the nefarious Centre for a good three years, Jarod (Michael T. Weiss) finds himself back at the shady research facility (that kidnapped him during his youth) in the opening episode of the fourth and final season of The Pretender. Held against his will, Jarod is caged and routinely tortured by Miss Parker’s (Andrea Parker) calmly evil brother, Lyle (Jamie Denton, who would go on to bill himself as James Denton on Desperate Housewives). But, as the opening to each episode points out, Jarod is a pretender–a genius who can become whoever he wants to be. He can pass himself off as an FBI agent, surgeon, or drug addict.
“Fear Factor” — The First Season
The problem with the series is that the premise grows redundant pretty fast. Each contestant must make it through three challenges. The first is usually a test of your strength or speed (see above reference to attack dogs). The second relies on creepy crawly things either being ingested or smothering your face. And finally, we have tasks that must be completed faster than the other opponents.
“The Ellen Show”
Three years after the series finale of “Ellen” aired, Ellen DeGeneres gave sitcoms another shot with the genial “The Ellen Show,” which made its debut in 2001 on CBS. This time around, DeGeneres plays Ellen Richmond, a Los Angeles career woman who moves back to her hometown after her dot-com business goes under. She moves back home to live with her appropriately named mother, Dot (Cloris Leachman), and insecure younger sister Catherine (Emily Rutherfurd), who both idolizes and resents her.
“Brilliant But Cancelled: Crime Dramas”
Spanning decades of television, the DVD’s highlight is “Johnny Staccato.” Starring John Cassavetes in the title role, the episode (ca. 1959) stands up surprisingly well in modern times. Cassavetes is so suave and cool that no one would doubt his ability to play a jazz musician who happens to solve crimes at night.
“On a Clear Day”
An independent film from Britain, “On a Clear Day” tells the story of a man trying to come to terms with his past by setting a goal for the future: to swim across the English Channel. Frank (Peter Mullan) is a stoic man who tells his young grandson, “Things aren’t meant to be fixed nowadays.”
“Bring It On: All or Nothing”
“Bring It On: All or Nothing” is the idealized version of what happens when a rich girl from an elite California school is forced to transfer to an urban setting for her senior year of high school.
“Home Improvement” — Season 4
When the ABC sitcom aired during the 1994-1995 TV season, it did well enough to place in the Top 5 for the fourth consecutive year. And aside from some pop culture giveaways (Jill’s clothes; Randy’s use of a floppy disc to backup his computer), the warmth and humor exuded in this 25-episode, 3-disc set hold up remarkably well.
“NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service” — The Complete First Season
Equal parts JAG and C.S.I., NCIS does a formidable job of blending relevant military headlines with quirky characters who are tenaciously determined to solve a crime–even if it means having to sleep in the morgue to get a few minutes of shut eye. Created by Donald P. Bellisario (JAG, Quantum Leap), NCIS actually began as a two-part episode of JAG in 2003. Later that year, the drama made its full-season debut on CBS.
Bali
The Indonesian island of Bali is steeped in history and ritual. Every day, the Balinese leave canang sari (or offerings of flowers, money and food) at temples, on shrines or even outside their own homes in the hopes that good fortune will smile upon their families. Despite the bombings last year in Kuta and Kimbaran, Bali is not a paradise lost.