Category Archives: Alcoholism

Abduction, Abuse of Women, Alcoholism, B-movie, Contract Killing, Corny at times, Corruption, Crime, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Father-son relations, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Mediocre, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Oligarchy, Police Culture, Rape, Revenge, Russian detectives, Sometimes seems silly, Suicide, Violent

Silver Spoon (2014)

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From Netflix  you can stream 12 episodes of season 1. Russian is spoken and the subtitles are in English.

As far as I can remember, this is the first Russian TV series I have ever watched. One the one hand much of the mechanics of this police procedural resemble other such series, however there are elements which must be a part of Russian culture that we don’t see in other presentations.

At first face Igor is a wealthy playboy who gets into enough trouble that his powerful father forces him to work as a beginning cop. As the plot thickens Igor improves as a person eventually becoming competent in his job. But dogging him throughout the series is the background quest to learn who killed his mother. This quest leads to all kinds of conflicts that delve into the oligarchic corruption that is Russia. In addition there is a romantic triangle involving conflict between Igor and his rival for the attentions of Igor’s female boss in the police department.

Besides the constant presence and influence of powerful, wealthy, and often unscrupulous oligarchs, there is the constant and pervasive problem of alcoholism in the general population. In fact, whenever Igor has a setback, he gets drunk. Russian alcoholism is NOT a myth or cliché. Go to Google to learn that although from time to time the Russian authorities try to combat the problem, basically the government is hypocritical in that it is the government that sells and profits from the alcohol.

Because I was fascinated by what I hope is an honest portrait of life in Russia, I watched all 12 episodes. HOWEVER, I cannot recommend this show as good drama. Often the acting is insufficient. From my viewpoint, the plots for the most part are unrealistic and offer simplistic and far too easy solutions. In the beginning of the series (which is really boring and terribly amateur) Igor just spends Trump-like amounts of money to solve not only his problems, but also those of the police. Igor’s “conversion” is only somewhat believable. He could never survive on a policeman’s salary. Many of the emotional moments are just plain corny.

Finally, before you commit to all 12 episodes, I think it only fair to warn you (spoiler alert!) to not expect a happy ending. In fact, the ending reeks of Russian despair.

2014, Acceptable for teenagers, Action Film, Action Hero, Airline pilot, Alcoholism, Clever Plot, Computer geeks, Drugs, Frenetic, Mayhem, Murder, Netflix DVD, Political statement, Suspense, Thriller, Trouble on an Airplane, Violent

Non-Stop (2014)

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From IMDB:

An air marshal springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages demanding $150 million into an off-shore account, or someone will die every 20 minutes.

At the conclusion of this film I had no fingernails remaining. Talk about suspense! Clever and inventive plot, a team of well-known actors, and some human interest make this particular airplane film worth watching. Moreover, the post-ending was not too maudlin.

  • Liam Neeson plays Bill Marks the federal air marshal on board.
  • Julianne Moore is Jen Summers who supports Bill despite the plot to make him look guilty.
  • Corey Stoll (Rep. Peter Russo in “House of Cards”) was the cop Austin Reilly.
  • Linus Roache (King Ecbert in “Vikings”) was head pilot David McMillan.
  • Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley in “Downton Abbey”) was the stewardess Nancy.

Certainly this thriller is better than my all time favorite “Snakes on a Plane”.

2015, Alcoholism, Amusing banter, Arson, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Comic Moments, Crime, Cult Brainwashing, Depression, Detective, DNA, Eccentric Detective, Financial malfeasance, Firemen Culture, Gay theme, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Personality or religious cult, Philosophic Discussions, Religious Theme, Revenge, Serial Killer, Sex With Minors, TV Series, Unbelievably smart detective

Backstrom (2015)

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From IMDB:

The Portland Police Bureau’s Elite Special Crimes Unit is led by Det. Lt. Everett Backstrom, an alcoholic and smoker who is in failing health, but takes on cases in special circumstances.

From Netflix you can stream 13 episodes of season one.

Rainn Wilson (who played Dwight Schrute in “The Office”) plays Everett Backstrom as a cynical, alcoholic, smoking, bad food (if at all) eater, who must report regularly to a doctor whose reports either keep Backstrom employed or gets him dropped from police work. Repeatedly in the series he thinks out loud beginning with “I’m X (fill in a suspect) and I operate as follows (fill in case facts) …” He is a disappointed heterosexual who shares a dump of an apartment with a gay roommate who won’t accept Backstrom’s nonsense and often tries to help him. Everett Backstrom always looks like the wrath of God.

Backstrom has the help of Nicole Gravely (played by Genevieve Angelson) whose job is really to make Backstrom’s clever case solutions look as if he operated legally.

You may remember Dennis Haysbert as President David Palmer in the TV series “24”. Here he plays a manager in the police unit.

Because the plots and solutions and methods are original, this is as good a detective TV series as most.

 

 

 

1995, 1997, 1998, Acceptable Science, Acorn TV, AIDS, Alcoholism, British Mystery Series, Brother-Brother relations, Detective, DNA, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Forensics, Medical Theme, Murder Investigation, Prostitutes, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Suspense, TV Series, Uncategorized, Various Romances, Well developed plot

McCallum (1995)

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From IMDB:

From deep within the morgue at St. Patrick’s Hospital in London’s East End, Dr. Iain McCallum and Dr. Angela Moloney along with a team of brilliant pathologists and detectives help the dead tell their stories.

Previously I reviewed the Scottish TV series “Rebus” which in its first season starred John Hannah. Subsequently I discovered the TV series “McCallum” also starring John Hannah. Both can be streamed from Acorn TV (currently $4.99 per month).

“McCallum” is at least as good if not better than similar series. Much like “Vera“,  each episode is approximately one and a half hours. Series 1 offers four episodes whereas Series 2 offers five episodes.

Rather than a simple who-done-it, this series similar to the other high quality series has a running theme which features other story threads. Almost without exception, each such series deals with the home life (or home non-life) of the main sleuth.  Of course, you can expect a few romances along the way.

One possibly unique characteristic, is that John Hannah as Dr. Iain McCallum the forensic pathologist must constantly prevent the detective DI Bracken from rushing to false conclusions.

“McCallum” does not seem to be as bloody as other series, nor as violent Still, however, not for children.

If this is your genre, you cannot go wrong. In fact, if this is your genre, DO NOT MISS!

2000, 2005, Abduction, Acorn TV, Alcoholism, Ambiguous Conclusion, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime thriller, Dark, Detective, Drug Dealers, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-daughter relations, Gangs, Grim, Grisly, Gritty, Ian Rankin, Murder, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Prison, Prostitutes, Revenge, Scottish, Suicide, Suspense, Thriller, Violent

Rebus (2000)

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From IMDB:

Set in Edinburgh, the mercurial Detective Inspector John Rebus’s investigations lead him through the city’s ancient beauty and into its more sinister quarters.

From Wikipedia:

Rebus is the title of the detective drama TV series based on the Inspector Rebus novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin set in and around Edinburgh. The series was produced by STV Productions (previously known as “SMG Productions”) for the ITV network.

Four series have been aired; series 1 starred John Hannah and was made for STV by his own production company, Clerkenwell Films. A new cast featuring Ken Stott as DI John Rebus was introduced for the second and subsequent series (which went into production in 2005, made in-house by STV).

From AcornTV:

Adapted from the novels by acclaimed writer Ian Rankin, the Rebus stories have been applauded for their intricate plots, keen characterization, and flawless sense of place. CC Available.

Acorn TV offers all 4 series.

Just be aware that these excellent productions are grim. It seems that a divorced, unhappy, obsessive detective is a standard cliché. But that does not stop the suspenseful, well-acted stories from being a real treat for lovers of the genre.

Never, never expect a happy ending!

2016, Acceptable for children, Alcoholism, Amusing banter, Carpentry, Catholic culture, Child custody, Comedy, Divorce, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Feel Good For All, Mother-son relations, Theft

The Confirmation (2016)

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From IMDB:

Eight year old Anthony is somewhat uneasy about spending the weekend with his alcoholic, down-on-his-luck carpenter dad Walt while his mom Bonnie and her new husband Kyle go to a Catholic retreat together. Walt is just as uneasy about spending time with Anthony, especially since their first day together is a series of characteristically unfortunate events, including his truck breaking down, his landlord locking him out of the house, and the theft of his toolbox, which he needs for an upcoming job. As Walt and Anthony set about finding the guy who stole the tools and improvise around their other misfortunes, they begin to discover a true connection with each other, causing Walt to become a better father and Anthony to reveal the promise and potential of the good man he will become.

Clive Owen as Walt the father and  Jaeden Lieberher as Anthony the son are matched perfectly and cleverly. Catholic viewers will get a kick out of Anthony’s two visits to the confessional and its perplexed priest confessor. Especially note the amusing and unending trail of lies that are an important part of the plot.

Sorry, but I do not buy Walt’s quick retreat from alcoholism, even though it contributes to a heart-warming film.

Finally we have here that rarity – a feel-good but not maudlin film for the entire family.

 

 

2007, Abduction, Acorn TV, Adultery, Alcoholism, Corruption, Crime, Cynical, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drug Dealers, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Forensics, Irish Detective Series, Mildly Violent, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Pedophilia, Physical child abuse, Police Corruption, Prostitutes, Rape, Revenge, Self-Deception, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Small Town Atmosphere, Suspense, Teenagers

Single-Handed (2007)

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From Acorn TV:

Transferred from Dublin to his hometown on Ireland’s windswept coast, Sergeant Jack Driscoll faces challenges he never expected.

Acorn TV offers Set 1 (with 3 episodes, each an hour and a half) and Set 2 (with 6 episodes, each about 50 minutes). IMDB, on the other hand, breaks down the exact same collection into 4 seasons.

For the most part, we humans seem to have a lot of traits in common the world over. But if you are influenced by this series, you will come away with a vivid impression that the Irish are a somewhat dishonest, clandestine group of people that maintain silence over nasty past events. In other words Jack Driscoll must fight an uphill battle to get to the truth in every case.

Jack Driscoll himself is no saint. Even he must be on guard not to adopt some of the rough tactics of his forebears. Somehow during the episodes he manages to sleep with a lot of women. Considering what pieces of work he has for parents, it is a wonder he turned out to be an honest cop.

For me a sneaky, plotting villain motivates me to keep watching and hoping that the evildoer eventually loses.

When my wife Kathy approves of something we watched, then you know we are on to something worthwhile.

DO NOT MISS!

2014, 2015, Acorn TV, Airline pilot, Alcoholism, Amusing banter, Antique Cars, Australian, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Country Music, Detective, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Fishing, Golf, Hunting, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Revenge, Rugby, Small Town, Spousal Abuse, Theater Society, TV Series, Wine culture

Brokenwood Mysteries (2014)

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From Acorn TV:

Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd arrives on assignment in Brokenwood, a small town where memories-and animosities–run deep. He’s an experienced cop with a 1971 classic car, a collection of country music cassettes, and an indeterminate number of ex-wives. The new woman in his life is his assistant, Detective Constable Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland, The Almighty Johnsons), a by-the-book investigator 15 years younger than her boss’s car.

From Acorn TV you can stream two seasons: Season 1 has 4 episodes. Season 2 has 4 episodes.

In keeping with its mandate, Acorn brings us this detective series from Australia. Each episode is self-contained and lasts about an hour and a half. This series is one of so many detective TV series available that there is nothing that distinguishes “Brokenwood Mysteries”. But the plots are interesting, the characters are well done, and the butler did not always commit the crime.

Acceptable Australian detective series.

2015, Action Film, AIDS, Alcoholism, Bloody scenes, Cold War, Communists, Drama, Father-son relations, Gay theme, German, German History, Marital Infidelity, Murder, Nudity, Political Suspense, Sex Scenes, Spy Theme, Suicide, Suspense, Violent

Deutschland 83 (2015)

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From NetFlix:

After U.S. President Ronald Reagan describes the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” in 1983, rising suspicion between the two superpowers prompts a bold move to plant a communist spy in the midst of NATO’s military leadership.

If you want to see this excellent TV series, you can get Season 1 in three DVDs. Discs 1 and 2 contain 3 episodes each, whereas disc 3 contains 2 episodes.

Dialog is in German with English subtitles.

Martin Rauch (played by Jonas Nay) is the center of the plot. He is a young East German whom the East German communists convinced to spy for them as a soldier in West Germany. As he is manipulated by his handlers, he is forced to make moral decisions, something that would never occur to ardent communists. In this series we see unconscionable acts perpetrated by the East, although I would assume both sides got their hands dirty (CIA anyone?).

Suspense is constant as this young, clever, inventive spy does his work. Will he at any moment be caught? Will his masquerades be discovered?

Usually I try not to rave, but this series is a DO NOT MISS!

2014, Acorn TV, Action Film, Alcoholism, Bloody scenes, Canadian Police, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sex, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Murder Investigation, Pedophilia, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Police Politics, Police Story, Private Versus Professional Life, Psychiatrists, School Shooting, Senior citizens, Sex Scenes, Small Town, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, TV Series, Violent, Vulgar, Wife Beating

19-2 (2014)

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Fronm Acorn TV;

Officer Nick Barron (Adrian Holmes, Arrow, Smallville) patrols the streets of Montreal with Station 19’s newest squad member, Ben Chartier (Jared Keeso, Falling Skies, Elysium). Back on the job after a shooting incident, guilt-ridden Nick immediately clashes with overzealous Ben. Absorbing and authentic, with an outstanding ensemble cast, this award-winning drama follows first responders beyond the crime scenes and into their own messy lives.

Acorn TV revamped its arrangement of this series so that now (2016) you can stream 10 Episodes of Series 1 and 10 Episodes of Series 2 and 10 Episodes of Series 3.

Acorn’s summary more or less says it all. Most police procedurals will be somewhat similar and “19-2” fits that description. Taken as a human drama, however, the plot details, characters, and acting are better than average.

Series 1 centers on Ben and Nick and Ben’s romance with Nick’s sister. Series 2 centers on finding a mole in the police department that is responsible for leaks that lead to the death of several officers.

WARNING: Series 2 Episode 1 is consumed by a lone teen gunman running amuck in a school shooting. This episode is long, harrowing and adds nothing to the other episodes in the series. Feel free to skip this episode without losing a beat.

Not a repeat of other police series, and not a waste of time. In fact, the more I watched, the more involved I became. Expect surprises.