Blog This -- Random Musings on Life/Entertainment: drama

Showing posts with label drama. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Spooks

I miss the original Spooks
Crew!

If you aren't a fan of British TV you may or may not be familiar with this great program. Spooks (also known as MI-5 in the states) is probably one of the most addictive shows I have ever gotten sucked into watching.

Fans of shows like 24 should be kicking down doors, or at least running to the store, to get their hands on the DVD's of this show.

The show follows the exploits of the British secret service department (MI-5) that is tasked with keeping Britain, and the rest of the world, safe from terrorism and other threats. The threats are real world types. Situations that you can believe will/have happened. But, most importantly, the outcome isn't always a positive one.

Like in the real world...sometimes the terrorists win the battle. Sometimes the innocent do suffer. Sometimes those tasked with protecting us do lose their lives in service of the greater good. That is what makes this show such a must watch in my book.

Between the rotating cast and the up-to-date political intrigue you still get moments of tenderness and light hearted fun. Granted the fun is few and far between when you have to live in and protect a country where suicide bombers are a possibility.

The heart and soul of the show is the relationship between the head of MI-5 Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) and Spy/information analyst/all around amazing gal Ruth Evershed (played by the amazing Nicola Walker). The dance that those two do on the will they won't they relationship front is fantastic drama in and of itself.

When I found this show through reruns on A&E back in the day I only remember it as the show that I got to see Anthony Stewart Head play a bad ass who wasn't Giles from Buffy. When I revisited it just about a year and a half ago I got pulled in with a gusto that had only previously been reserved for jumping on the Lost bandwagon a few seasons late.

At the time I started with series one Spooks was airing series 8. As a BBC drama series I didn't have the usual 150+ episodes to catch up to the current. Plus, since it wasn't airing in the US I had to resort to DVD and eventually (psst...don't tell) *other* sources to get my fix. At the time I was only 64episodes behind.

That started as, "Oh, I'll watch an episode over lunch each day at work!" Quickly changed into, "Okay so I can watch one episode at work....then another three or four when I get home!!" The next thing I know I am waiting for new episodes to appear "online" after they air. I truly wish that American TV was this good. At times it can be...but for the most part I prefer British television any day of the week.

Spooks, Robin Hood, Ashes to Ashes, Life on Mars, Dr. Who, Torchwood, Cracker just to name a few.

I was left in shock at the end of last season of Spooks. Not by the events of the show (granted that was epic too) but by the fact that there was no word on the fate of the show being picked up for a 10th series. Lucky for me, and everyone else, a new six episode series 10 is set to air this year in the autumn. Crisis averted!

Now that the BBC iPlayer is a subscription app for the iPad....and available to users in the US I may finally have a reason to pick up an iPad!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Robin Hood -- A look back

So, if you've looked over some of my old posts you will realize that I am a huge fan of all things BBC. Especially their dramas.

MI:5, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes, Dr. Who, Primeval, Chris Ryan's Strikeback, and of course Robin Hood.

BBC Dramas for some reason just seem to have better acting, better story telling, and a much cleaner look than their American cousins (some being Bastard cousins in the case of the Life on Mars remake). Not sure if you can attribute that to a severely reduced number of episodes per "series" or the fact that in many cases you don't have a team of writes kicking out stories, but rather one or two really good writers who can craft a series' arc and development.

Robin Hood is a great example. With three series and only 40 episodes the show accomplished pulling off a sweeping tale of intrigue in what would amount to not even two full US seasons. The best part was there were still stories to tell. But, thanks to the lead actor Jonas Armstrong wanting to branch out and do other projects it was ended after three series with a rather unique spin on the Robin Hood tale.

That got me thinking what are some of my favorite band of merry men doing with their post RH acting careers?

Jonas Armstrong -- Robin Hood -- Wanted to end the series so he could focus on other projects. According to IMDB there haven't been a whole lot of others since Robin Hood ended in 2009. He has done the Clive Barker film "Book of Blood" which was pretty good for what it was. 3 episodes of the show The Street, and two movies one in post production and one in pre production. So, right now it looks like that next big project hasn't come.

Sam Troughton -- Much -- Sadly, nothing since Robin Hood ended. But, if you need a fix you can always pick up movies like Vera Drake and Alien -Vs- Predator or Messiah: The Promise, a mini-series that is a personal favorite of mine,

Gordon Kennedy -- Little John -- Again not a whole lot. According to IMDB Gordon has done a handful on one off appearances in TV shows like Skins and Doctors. Plus, he has a TV movie Red Faction: Origins in pre-production that will also star T2 star Robert Patrick and one of my favorite people on the planet -- Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto from Torchwood)

Joe Armstrong -- Alan A Dale -- I know it's only been two years since the show ended but this seems to be a trend amongst the cast....only a few TV guest spots. The most notable of which is an appearance on Hustle sometime this year.

Richard Armitage -- Guy of Gisborne -- Hands down the best post Robin Hood career of anyone in the cast. 25 episodes of MI-5, 6 episodes of Strikeback (with a 2nd series being ordered). Plus his movie career looks to be in pretty good shape since he is going to be in Captain America: The First Avenger and the two film adaptation of The Hobbit. Gotta say things look pretty good for Guy.

Lucy Griffith (Marion), Keith Allen (The Sheriff), and Harry Lloyd (Wil Scarlett) all have series appearances under their belt with Harry Lloyd being the only one with a "regular" appearance with 5 episodes of Taking the Flak.

All in all the post Robin Hood haze seems to have cleared with Richard Armitage being the clear cut winner! It's sad though since I loved the group as a whole...oh!! lets not forget Anjali Jay (Djaq) who only has one episode of a show called the Fixer. :-(

Monday, February 07, 2011

Movie Review -- Unthinkable (2010)

Unthinkable -- 97 minutes of torture.

If you were put off by the interview tactics of 24's fictional Counter Terrorism Agent Jack Bauer this movie is not for you.

Imagine if a terrorist built three nuclear bombs and planted them in three different cities across the United States. He then sent a tape to the government advising about the threat. Those bombs were set to explode at the same time four days after the tape was sent. Now that you have that picture... imagine if the same terrorist then shot a cop to get noticed and allowed himself to be captured. Are you with me so far? Well, that's the basic set up for Unthinkable.

***if this sounds like a movie you would like to see...don't read any further as there will be spoilers***

From there we see the lengths that two different individuals will go to in search of the truth about the bombs. The first is FBI Agent Helen Brody, played by the talented Carrie-Anne Moss. The second is master interrogator Henry Herald 'H' Humphries, played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Agent Brody is the by the book lead agent in the FBI's Los Angeles office. "H" on the other hand, as we come to find out, is under the protection of the CIA. It turns out that his skill with interrogation has led him to make some seriously bad enemies through the years. When these two are brought together under the guidance of the military to get answer from terrorist Steven Arthur Younger (Michael Sheen) we get a clash of ideals and methods.

"H" is the master of physical interrogation, otherwise knows as torture. While Brody is opposed to torture on both a personal level and a legal level. The two go back and forth on what needs to be done in order to get Younger to give up the locations of the 3 nukes.

When I say that "H" is comfortable with the torture aspect I'm not talking about stress positions, sleep deprivation, and loud noises. No, I mean TORTURE. Electric shock, pulling finger nails (and then removing fingers) and that's not even the Unthinkable portions of his methods.

Brody would be the carrot to H's stick. The honey to his vinegar. The talking to Younger like a person to H's beating him like a rented mule.

The movie is constantly asking the question, "Does the ends justify the means?" If this terrorist has to lose a few fingers and endure hours of pain in order to same millions of lives...is it worth it? The longer it draws out the more blurred the line between right and wrong becomes.

At one point, a few days into the torture and only a day until the nukes are set to blow, H turns to Brody and tells her, "if you tell me to stop, I'll stop. Just say the words." Brody, who up to this point has been the moral compass, has no response and the torture continues. H is a machine and he will do anything to achieve the desired outcome. This drive and mechanical nature when it comes to his "work" is what has landed him in the protective custody, and employ, of the CIA.

Without giving away the ending lets just say the UNTHINKABLE is not what he does to Younger's mind or body.

If you do find yourself watching this movie you'll find yourself identifying with one camp or the other. The real question is given the tactics and the potential risk will you keep your conviction? Does, the life and rights of one person outweigh the loss of millions of lives?

I also suggest that you watch the regular ending of the movie and then watch the extended alt. ending. Both have an impact, but for different reasons.

Overall it was a good drama that didn't make you think to figure out what is going to happen next. But, it does make you think. I would recommend this direct to DVD release to any fan of drama. Michael Sheen, as usual, gives a stand out performance. Fans of Jackson and Moss won't be disappointed either.