WGN’s Manhattan is clearly a great period drama since Madmen. In season 2, three new cast members are introduced. William Petersen plays Col. Emmett Darrow, who is not a nice guy. Mamie Gummer plays Nora, who is also very dark, and Neve Campbell plays Kitty Oppenheimer.
Love and Loyalty Under Extreme Pressure
If you watched season 1, then you might be bothered by the fact that Frank Winter, played by John Benjamin Hickey, doesn’t have as much screen time in season 2 as in season 1 because the story follows the other main characters more this time around.
The opening episode is a little confusing because it opens 45 minutes before the season finale and then flashes back to a year before the night they test the bomb. I had a hard time following the time frame, but hopefully it smooths out.
Science at the Edge of Destruction
More backstory is given to each character, which makes season 2 more interesting, and the acting is still strong and impressive. The history during this time is really interesting, with the music and some authenticity to the clothes. If you are sharp, you might notice some production flaws with modern pops here and there, or modern electric wires not fully erased from the film.
The Atomic Countdown Intensifies
All in all, Manhattan has a hard message as a social commentary. The Cold War existed, and these people were a large part of it.
Kit Harington plays a former MI-5 agent, Will Crombie, who investigates the disappearance of Harry Pearce, played by Peter Firth, when he is blamed for the escape of a ruthless terrorist. Harington is known for starring in Pompeii, and I’m happy to see him in a different role.
Directed by Bharat Nalluri, MI-5 is a very compelling spy thriller and conspiracy movie. I am amazed by all the twists and turns the storyline follows. Even the ending has a twist I didn’t expect.
Hidden Twists and Ending Explained
The movie kept me on my toes, trying to figure out who is who and who is now who. Just one betrayer after another carries the story. The characters in the movie are very real in the sense that they conflict with the spy work they do. Is it morally justified or for the greater good? Nice touch on ethical choices; refreshing. “You are responsible for your actions.”
I did notice the budget constraints of producing this movie, but still, the action scenes were skillfully done and not over the top. Just enough to hold my attention and believe the scenes were real. Some movies go way overboard with the action sequences, and I no longer believe what is happening because it is just too unreal.
The Connection Between the Movie and the Spooks TV Series
I heard that this movie is based on a British TV show called Spooks, and when the show was distributed to the States, the title was changed to MI-5. With that, if you are familiar with the TV show, you’ll recognize the characters in the movie and be able to follow the storyline much better than someone who hasn’t seen the television show.
Mountain Men is a decent reality TV show, and the DVDs are worth getting, so I believed, until Season 4. Season 4 DVD has only 8 episodes, and the other half of the season is not available yet. The earlier seasons are all in one DVD package. When I bought Season 1, 2 and 3, I got the whole season in each DVD package, so the change in packaging is confusing. It appears to be a bait and switch.
Seems a little confusing? It is for the consumer.
What Happens in Mountain Men Season 4?
The promotion isn’t clear about what I am actually buying, since it appears to be the whole season, even though there are only two discs. How can 8 episodes fill two discs?
Don’t get me wrong. It is a great program, but it is so disappointing to have only half the season on the DVD package. I looked at Amazon, and most of the reviews state the same thing. They are disappointed because they only received half the season.
The Harsh Realities of Mountain Living
Despite the packaging change, Mountain Men: Season 4 is a great show. My favorite episode is when Marty finishes his cabin in time for his family’s arrival.
Rich, in Montana, has dogs that are in danger after pursuing a bobcat too far. Then Tom gets the once-over after receiving a risky commission. In beautiful North Carolina, a mishap brings Eustace’s lumber operation to a sudden halt.
Snowstorms, Predators, and Isolation
Season 4 first aired in 2015. The series follows the cast as they battle extreme weather, predators, and isolation in remote regions of North America.
As an afterthought, some of you might be happier viewing the streaming episodes on History. If you do the math, you might find it a better deal with 14 seasons and 201 episodes.
First of all, I am not an advocate of psychology or psychiatry. Psychiatry is worse because it does more harm without any good. “Psychiatric disorders are not medical diseases. There are no lab tests, brain scans, X-rays or chemical imbalance tests that can verify that any mental disorder is a physical condition. This is not to say that people do not get depressed, or that people can’t experience emotional or mental duress. Still, psychiatry has repackaged these emotions and behaviors as a “disease” to sell drugs. This is a brilliant marketing campaign, but it is not science.” – CCHR
With that, when I hear about a movie, like Experimenter, telling a story about a psychologist or psychiatrist, I cringe because the way the professions practice is so barbaric, and I know most Hollywood movies depict these professions as virtuous.
Career and Personal Life
Directed by Michael Almereyda (Hamlet and Eternal), the movie stars one of my favorite actors, Peter Sarsgaard and Winona Ryder as his wife, Alexandra “Sasha” Milgram. He plays the role of the experimenter, also known as Professor Stanley Milgram. He conducted experiments at Yale, using his qualifications as a psychologist. His experiments were frowned upon by his peers because they were covert obedience tests.
On a covert approach, he asked volunteers, who were told to electrocute a stranger if they answered any preset questions incorrectly in a controlled environment. The number of electroshocks increased as the test progressed and the stranger gave wrong answers.
The Ethical Controversy
The key here is that none of the strangers were really electroshocked. It was all fake and lies. The volunteer was told he was shocking them, but in fact, the scream of pain was fabricated – typical psycho-mumbo-jumbo. The message tells me never to volunteer for an experiment.
On the whole, Milgram’s experiments were not celebrated. But, he wanted to prove why the Nazi blindly followed Hitler, and why they didn’t retaliate, and end the dehumanizing and killing of millions of Jews. No way does his experiment prove anything.
Historical Context: Understanding the Holocaust
Europe at the time of Hitler’s rise was clearly under economic strain and facing other social problems. Hitler blamed it all on the Jews. He dehumanized them over a period of time. It didn’t happen in a year. It happened in increments, over a decade at least—nothing like the experiments Milgram recorded.
Breaking the fourth wall by having Milgram speak directly to the camera is a clever, unique choice by the director. The unique style works in this case, but I do not recommend the movie because Milgram’s viewpoint of humanity is twisted.
He sees man as an animal, which is far from the truth. We are sentient beings who understand the concept of right and wrong. If we lift society’s attitude about life and living, we will never witness a culture unquestioningly following a madman like Hitler.
The Bible mentions the story of Noah’s Ark, which is about two paragraphs or a page long, depending on which book you read. Yet, the story is massive and unbelievable.
I watched Russell Crowe’s version called Noah and concluded that Noah was under much pressure.
A massive rain storm was coming, where it would rain for forty days and forty nights—raining so hard that it would wholly submerge the world in water, a great flood.
Noah had to build an ark large enough to hold all the world’s animals in pairs, male and female. He could not take all of humanity; he could only take his family. Then, he had to feed all the animals and his family until the world was no longer flooded. Right, there is a great story with enough conflict to keep you at the crossroads of Heaven and Hell.
Director’s Vision and Cinematic Style
Directed by Kenneth Glenaan, Noah’s Ark is more biblical than Crowe’s version. The stories are the same to a certain degree. Still, Glenaan’s take on the story is an educational message about faith. They portray Noah as a man who believes in God. An impressive cast includes David Threlfall, Joanne Whalley, Nico Mirallegro, and Ashley Walters.
Faith, Obedience, and Divine Judgment
Noah’s Ark is a familiar tale of a man, his family, and his passion to do what God wills, building an ark that saves his family, the animals, and humanity. If you are familiar with the story, you know God told Noah to build an ark, and he did. The movie takes a bit of a license with additional drama because the story is so short in the Bible.
A Story of Survival and Renewal
Noah is a good farmer and a generous family man, but his family doubts him when he tells them an angel instructed him to build the ark in the middle of an arid desert. He means what will happen and how he will save his family and the animals. He asks them to be faithful and believe a devastating flood is coming.
His sons reject his proposal and decide not to help their father build the ark. But Noah has faith in God, so he risks ridicule from his caring but infuriated family. He, of course, endures embarrassment from the townsfolk as well. He has a devoted and loving wife who changes her mind and decides to build the ark with him. She wants to show her support and love.
Family-Friendly Themes and Lessons
The flood arrives close to the end of the movie. The forty days and forty nights of rain go rather quickly. Before you know it, the ark lands on dry land, and the film ends. Yet if your faith is strong, you should enjoy the film for what it is — a validation of your faith in God.
Written and directed by Antonio Simoncini, Lords of Londonexplores family ties and loyalties tested. The thriller takes place in the dark city of London and exotic Italy with lush sunsets and beautiful, colorful landscapes.
Standout Performances That Drive the Story
Ray Winstone (Snow White and the Huntsman) is billed as the star of the movie, but he is not in the film all that much. Glen Murphy and Giovanni Capalbo (The Passion of the Christ) are the real stars of the movie, while introducing Cassius Terence Murphy.
On the Internet, the reviews aren’t all that great, but the movie won Best Film at Italy’s Abruzzo Film Festival and the New York Hell’s Kitchen Film Festival World Cinema.
Rise and Fall of London’s Criminal Elite
We follow London gangster Tony Lord, whom Murphy believably plays. Lord is the son of the notoriously ruthless Terry Lord, played very well by Winstone, a typical role you will see in other movies like The Departed. He is a natural gangster, as shown in flashbacks, and is not in the film all that much. The story centers on his son, Tony, who must confront his father’s past. We see his father being violent and abusive toward his son. The scenes work in the film because they build the film’s overall tension.
Gritty Realism Meets Cinematic Flair
All in all, Simoncini crafts a well-honed film through its editing. He cuts from the present to the past, which is very effective as the story unfolds.
Hallmark movies have their own flavor of entertainment based on a formula that works most of the time. My Boyfriend’s Dogs works for me because of Ericka Christensen, who plays Bailey Daley. She creates a very believable, winsome character you can’t help but love. She is on her own, unattached, charming, cute in a funny way and attracts guys more often than one would think.
Love, Lies, and a Little Chaos
The crux of the story is that each guy who approaches her turns out to have a dealbreaker. It’s not because they are criminals or killers. It’s because they are control freaks or don’t like dogs, which Bailey says is the grounds for a breakup.
Finding the Right Match
Despite everything, she meets three different guys, played by Jeremy Gilbaut, Oliver Rice, Jesse Hutch, and she gets so smitten with their dogs. She ends up breaking it off with the guys, but keeps their dogs, a golden retriever, a Dalmatian and a Shih Tzu. Here, we begin our story with Bailey because the rest of the story is told in flashback. I like it.
Three Dogs, One Big Decision
Being a Hallmark movie is a shoo-in to have a happy ending, and for this movie, it’s called a twist of fate. But just how it happens is what makes the story interesting to watch until the end. You will like Christensen, the dogs, and even the ex-boyfriends. The story may seem a bit slow, but it is worth watching for all the talent on the screen.
I find it interesting reviewing Stonewall because I am not gay and have never heard of the historical time for the gay movement. Another aspect I find interesting is that Roland Emmerich directs the movie. The genre is entirely against his norm with movies like Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, The Patriot and Godzilla.
The feedback from those who were at Stonewall says Emmerich’s take on the event is a total lie and doesn’t capture what really happened. I am sure the overall message from what happened is there, but it was not about a young, white, blonde, blue-eyed young man from the Midwest named Danny Winters, and played wonderfully by Jeremy Irvine.
Background
He arrived in NYC because he earned a scholarship to Columbia University. He is without room and board and hardly has any money. He befriends a group of drag queens and transgender males. Ray or Ramona, played wrenchingly by Jonny Beauchamp, senses a connection and brings him into the fold. Ray convinces Danny to adopt their way of life and hustle to survive. Sure, Ray is romantically interested in Danny, but he doesn’t feel the same way. Though a nice story, it has nothing to do with the true story of the Stonewall Riots.
The Riots
Hardly any white people were at the riots. It was not a white young man who threw the brick and started the riots. A Puerto Rican drag queen named Marsha P. Johnson, who was black, started the riots. The reason for the riots is that the NYC police department relentlessly harassed black drag queens and black transgender males. The true story makes sense to me because NYC is so diverse.
Aftermath
Yet Emmerich’s version is the opposite, and I am not sure why he went to such extremes and tried to rewrite history. Most of the non-white characters in the movie are non-threatening and exaggerated. Unreal.
All in all, the movie is a good story with great emotional acting from a talented cast, and the music by Rob Simonsen creates the strong undertones needed to support the story, but not the true story, only based on the incident.
Written and directed by Frans Cronjé, Born to Win is a Christian Faith movie based on a true story that will inspire believers as they follow one man’s journey to find his faith.
From the producer of the hit faith movie Faith Like Potatoes, which sold over 2.2 million DVDs in 17 languages worldwide, Born to Win is not quite as good, but still tugs at your heartstrings.
A Film About Courage, Faith, and Perseverance
The movie follows Leon Terblanche, played brilliantly by Greg Kriek (Momentum), a teacher at a school for children with disabilities. He finds himself confronted with the question: “Where is God?” This sets him on a journey in which he discovers that he has never been alone amid the hurt and brokenness of his past.
Leon learns that no matter how broken you are, God is always our only living hope. The film shows how God turns the hurt, frustration and emptiness of a man into hope, faith and victory, inspiring people to be the winners they were born to be.
How God Transforms Pain Into Purpose
Beautifully filmed by Jorrie van der Walt and featuring an endearing soundtrack by Simon Ratcliffe, both set the movie’s rhythm and poise, creating intense, realistic, and heart-driven levels of pain amid impossible odds. Leon goes through a failed relationship and circumstances beyond his control. What he experiences with the children is pure heartache.
The movie was theatrically released in South Africa in 2014 and received the Golden Crown Award for Best Evangelistic Film in 2015 (ICVM).
A Story of Redemption and Renewal
The movie is poignant with very touching performances by other cast members, including Leoné Pienaar (Break Away), Nadia Beukes (Mooirivier), Cobus Venter (Skin), Marie Cronjé (Faith Like Potatoes), Dorette Potgieter (Citizen Verdict), Anrich Herbst (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Sylvia Mdunyelwa-Kobus (Tula Tula), Garth Collins (Zulu), Merlin Balie (Break Away), Tim Theron (Mooirivier) and Leandie Du Randt (Semi-Soet).
Understanding the passion for Christian stories has shaped our existence since the beginning of storytelling. Each biblical story brings an example to us, while the parables offer a lesson, and here we have the Virgin Mary’s account: “It’s not about explaining things. It’s about living….”
Directed and written by Andrew Hyatt, Full of Grace captures the soul of the perfection of our Lord Jesus and his blessed Mother. Even though the movie had an indie budget, it still shines with the Christian influences of heart and soul.
Mary of Nazareth’s Final Days
The movie is about the Virgin Mary, played by Bahia Haifi, with pure dignity, gravity, and a keen sense of maternity related to such a heroine. We follow as she deals with the rising church after the Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord. Mary spends her final days helping the church regain its initial encounter with the Lord.
The movie is awe-inspiring, with a very fitting musical score composed by Sean Johnson. As the film follows Mary, the story speaks from her heart to every angle for each generation. Hyatt wove a masterful message while sharing the love and understanding of a mother, particularly the Holy Mother of God. With that, Hyatt won the Reel Rose Award for Best Feature Length Screenplay at the John Paul II International Film Festival.
Faith, Doubt, and Renewal
The movie is indeed very Christian, encompassing beliefs from Protestants to Catholics and those in between.
I would not be surprised if this movie played at every church social night because it does educate. It does reaffirm the gospel of the Lord Jesus. The story is good to know whether you are a true believer or just an interested bystander, since society has lost its idealism and social graces. We need reminders of how important religion is to our existence.
