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Northern Exposure: Tranquility Base (1995)
Worth Watching For The Ending
This episode is worth watching because the ending is so good.
For thirty years I hoped for a return visit to Cicely; to see its beauty, hear its sounds, learn more about its native people, and enjoy being with my old friends. I'd been waiting for the series to be released with the original music, but I finally gave up and bought the DVDs without it. The replacement music was well done, and I the show is excellent either way.
During the show's original production, I gave up on it when the writing deteriorated in the 5th season, but this time I soldiered on until the end, and despite some mediocre episodes along the way, I'm glad I did. Being able to say goodbye -- getting closure -- was worth it, mostly because the ending sequence of this final episode was so good. The video montage the producers and editors put together was good, but the song, "Our Town" by Iris DeMent, provided the perfect soundtrack, and made the ending another example of what the series did best - combine story, characters, and music to create a warm place we'd like to call home.
Goodbye friends. Farewell Cicely. You may never have achieved "Paris of The North" status, but in my heart you are certainly The Camelot of 20th Century Television.
Haywire (2011)
Near perfect spy movie.
Complicated plot with lots of flashbacks was good the first time and got better every time I watched, as I (eventually) realized there aren't any plot holes -- I just couldn't follow everything the first time. I love movies like that. The Big Sleep (Bogart & Becall version) and Out Of The Past (Mitchum & Greer) are like that too. Gina Carano is fantastic as the protagonist Mallory Kane, a highly skilled spy. The character is easy to pull for and Carano's magnetism is undeniable. Women want to be her and men want to be with her. The fight scenes are far above average -- better than The Bourne Redundancy (okay I borrowed that from Greengrass himself), and the stunts are far more believable. Don't watch it with a spy movie novice because s/he will constantly ask what's going on, why'd she do that, who's he, I don't understand! Shut up and watch -- it will be explained later. The casting is perfect. Ewan Mcgregor is perfect as Kenneth the owner of a private contractor paramilitary org, and portrays the evolving role believably at each stage. Ditto Channing Tatum in his role as one of Kenneth's operatives. His character could have had a bigger role, but in truth the whole movie left me wanting more of most characters. Isn't that what a good movie does?
NYPD Blue: Oh Golly Goth (2001)
Excellent writing & acting. One of the best episodes.
Top notch writing and acting. Understated and believable supercop Sipowicz at his best, achieving the impossible with psychology, detective skill and toughness, but with compassion at a touching moment.
Signature Series: Arthur Ashe (2014)
Excellent Documentary About a True Hero
I wish everyone could see this beautifully made documentary about one of the most worthy role models the world has known. During his life Arthur wrote letters to his friends and associates, and the documentarian asked Arthur's friends to write letters to Arthur, expressing what he meant to them. The documentary includes snippets of the friends reading key sections of their own letters. Yannick Noah reads a letter he wrote when he was 1 years old. The snippets are dispersed throughout the film at appropriate moments, enhancing the story and providing insight into Arthur's impact. Yes he was a great tennis player, but more than that he was a caring, thoughtful, selfless, intelligent, gentle, statesman and citizen of the world. Get to know Arthur Ashe, either through this documentary or a biography, and I think you'll have a new role model.
Larry Crowne (2011)
Likable Characters, Good Story, Good Acting, Lots Of Smiles
I don't understand the low star count (6.1 as of this review). This is a good movie with a good story, good acting, nice people, and what should have been a breakthrough performance for Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Talia, who lit up the screen with her charisma and effervescent smile. (Maybe it was. She's been busy since this movie.) Tom Hanks, Wilmer Valderrama, Bryan Cranston, Rita Wilson, and Julia Roberts are all excellent too.
If you want murder, explosions, criminals, and cruelty look elsewhere. If you want a pleasant, fun, enjoyable movie with likable characters with redeeming qualities with whom you can identify and for whom you can root, this is it.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Who Watches the Watchers (1989)
Polarizing Episode, With An Agenda
This episode promotes the atheist viewpoint, which diminishes its entertainment value for theists who are aware of the assault on the theistic world view. It does not present a reasoned argument, it simply dismisses theistic beliefs as ignorant and primitive. This would be okay if the atheist argument could be proved, or if the theistic argument could be disproved, but with repeatable test results being the standard of current scientific community thinking, neither can be. Therefore productions that present both sides can be enjoyed by thinking, open minded people, whereas productions that disrespect one side so blatantly can only be enjoyed by people who have closed their mind, are motivated more by arrogance than humility, and have little or no respect for fellow humans who have studied the facts and come to a different conclusion.