Category Archives: Cancer theme

2017, Abduction, Action Film, Action Hero, Black Ops, Bloody scenes, Brother-Sister relations, Cancer theme, Car Chase, Chase film, CIA, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Corny at times, Corruption, Ends in Cliff Hanger, FBI, Frenetic, Gangs, Invincible Hero, Israeli Spies, Kidnapping, Large-scale gang activity, Mayhem, Mixed Martial Arts, Murder by poison, Netflix Streaming, Police Corruption, Revenge, Spy Theme, Suspense, Terminal Disease, Torture, Violent, Weapons Dealer

Taken (2017)

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From IMDB:

As former CIA agent Bryan Mills deals with a personal tragedy that shakes his world, he fights to overcome the incident and exact revenge.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of season 1 only. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Whereas the continuing story line is Bryan’s continuing battle against Carlos Mejia, the Mexican criminal that killed Bryan’s sister, each episode also tells an episode-contained story with a satisfying ending. WARNING: Unfortunately the tenth episode is a cliff hanger that urgently wants to lead into the next, so far unavailable, season.

Bryan Mills, whose character overpowers the entire set of episodes, is played by Clive Standen. If you watched the amazing series Vikings (2013-2018), you will recognize Bryan as the character Rollo who was the brother of Ragnar. Recall that Rollo marries into French nobility.

You have seen these plots and action sequences before.  So why watch another version?  For me the attractions were: the intensity of each episode, the well-done action sequences, the fairly good acting, and seeing the good guys vanquish the bad guys.

Once again, our hero Bryan is a superman who never misses a shot, leaps over lots of tall things, never loses in hand-to-hand combat, has (to quote a woman Israeli spy) “a kind face”, is a bit of a ham,  and is a hit with the ladies.

Despite hints of mediocrity, I had lots of fun watching the violence. Maybe I should join the NRA!

2011, Abduction, Action Film, Adultery, Bank Robbery, Bloody scenes, Boating, Cancer theme, Car Chase, Chase film, Complicated, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Detective, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, FBI, Forensics, Gangs, Grim, International thriler, Iraq War, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, MHz Choice, Murder, Nudity, Plot Twist, Psychopath, Sadism, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Spy Theme, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Swiss detective, Terrorists, Thriller, Torture, TV Series, Various Romances, Violent, Well developed plot

Arne Dahl (2011)

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From MHz Choice:

Rough. Raw. Real. This is the world of Arne Dahl, whose crime novels have been transposed to the screen in adaptations that follow the dramatic tradition of all best-selling Scandinavian thrillers. The series revolves around cases taken on by the ‘A Unit’, an elite force of officers recruited after a series of assassinations rocks Stockholm’s high society.

MHz Choice streams several seasons (from many years beginning with 2011) of this Swedish thriller.  There are 5 complete stories, one per different year. Each story consists of 2 episodes. Each Episode is about 1.5 hours long. Swedish script with English subtitles.

REVISION 1 (Feb 2021):

There are now 2 seasons available from MHz Choice.  In the second season several of the excellent first season actors are missing or have been replaced.  Season 2 is acceptable, but not (in my opinion) a good as season 1.  Season 2 is a bit more of a soap opera. Still worth watching.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Throughout the 5 stories the same team of detectives are together. As is usual in such productions, the personal lives of the detectives are easily as important as the mystery plots.

As powerful and as grim as the stories are, they are so well done that they are really worth watching. But you should expect blood, torture as well as some explicit sex. Many scenes involve foot or car chases.

Not only are the stories complicated, but there are many surprise turns including some endings you might not expect.

This series is so compelling that I will rate it a DO NOT MISS!

 

 

 

2017, Acceptable for teenagers, Acceptable Science, Acorn TV, Adopted child, Alzheimer's disease, Ambiguous Conclusion, Amusing banter, Animal story, Assisted Suicide, Australian, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Comic Moments, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Flirting, Jealousy, Love Story, Made For TV, Melodrama, Mother-son relations, Nudity, School Teacher, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Sex Scenes, Small Town, Small Town Atmosphere, Somewhat trashy, Terminal Disease, Uncategorized, Witty dialog

The Heart Guy (2017)

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From Acorn TV:

Hugh Knight is a rising star in the Sydney heart surgery ranks. He is gifted, charmed, and infallible: a hedonist who – due to his sheer talent – believes he can live outside the rules. But after an incident involving drugs and alcohol, his world comes crashing down. Placed on the Impaired Registrants List for his part in the debacle by the Medical Board, he is banned from surgery and can only work as a local doctor. 

Acorn TV offers Series 1 with 10 episodes, each of approximately 45 minutes length.

Love, loss, sex, comic banter, medical practice, family, jealousy, close friendships, cancer, fatherhood: you name it, it’s all there in this fun-to-watch, very popular Australian TV series. Best of all there is nothing more violent than a fist fight or two.

This Aussie series is much less serious than another Acorn TV offering (which I highly recommend) called “A Place To Call Home” even though there are some sad parts.

WARNING: Episode 10 ends ambiguously, probably in preparation for another season.

Need something “feel good” to watch?  Then don’t miss this show!

 

2016, Abduction, Acceptable Science, Cancer theme, Computer geeks, Creepy, Father-daughter relations, Grim, Mother-daughter relations, Nudity, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Sociopath, Suspense, Teenagers, Thought provoking, Uncategorized, Violent

I.T. (2016)

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From IMDB:

Mike Regan has everything he could ever want, a beautiful family and a top of the line smart house. The company he owns is on the verge of changing flight leasing forever. That is, until the relationship with his I.T. advisor turns nasty, to the point where his teenage daughter is being stalked and his family is under attack through every technological facet of their lives.

On our British Airways flight to London I was able to watch both this film as well as “Jason Bourne” which is reviewed elsewhere. As I mentioned in that other review, both films deal with the current War on Privacy. Whereas in “Jason Bourne” the CIA wants “Apple Corporation” to let the CIA have access to everyone’s data, in “I.T.” Mike Regan  (played convincingly by Pierce Brosnan , age 64) foolishly allows his new IT employee Patrick (played eerily by Jason Barry,  a young looking age 46) to convert Mike’s home into a “smart house” which allows Patrick to see all and tell all that occurs there. That was a big mistake!

In “I.T.” the suspense seemed more intense than in “Jason Bourne”, probably because the former  scenario is today unfortunately very plausible. Would you feel comfortable living in a smart house? Is Big Brother watching you?

2015, Australian, Australian Aborigine, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Car Chase, Corny at times, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Fantasy, Gay theme, Love Story, Made For TV, Medical Theme, Mediocre, Motorcycles, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Police Culture, Revenge, Sci-Fi, Sex Scenes, Small Town, Sometimes seems silly, Violent, War, War Veterans, WWI

Glitch (2015)

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From Netflix:

James and Elishia keep the Risen under wraps while they try to make sense of what’s happening, and James makes a second shocking discovery.

From Netflix you can stream the 6 episodes of season 1 of this Netflix original.

At least 6 people climb out of their graves and interact with the living for 6 episodes. Mostly this is a mystery story which tries to solve not only how this resurrection is possible but also how each person died. It takes a character as many as 6 episodes to make that self-discovery, often to their great unhappiness. Curiosity kept me watching this mediocre, maudlin, barely acceptable piece of trash.

Surprisingly, this new production offers the audio and subtitles in many languages. Because the dialog is simple and basic, this is a good opportunity to use languages other than English. HOWEVER, the written scripts do not match the spoken scripts, which has been a flaw prevalent in many films for many years.

WARNING: Episode 6 ends with a huge cliff hanger. Just when you think you will learn the answers, the season ends.  Wait, I suppose, for a second season.

Cancer theme, Career Competition, Child abduction and murder, Complicated, Detective, Journalist, Love Story, Mother-daughter relations, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Newpaper work, Scottish, Sex Scenes

The Field of Blood (2011)

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From Netflix streaming:

Paddy Meehan is a new kind of heroine. A young, female, feisty and funny trainee reporter, she often oversteps the mark between reporting crimes and solving them – while sometimes becoming part of the crime along the way.

You can read about the story in Wikepedia. Only Series 1 is currently available. There is a second series.

There are only two one hour episodes:

The Field of Blood Part 1: Paddy has a personal connection in the case of a missing two-year-old. As the story develops, Paddy believes it could provide a much-needed break in her quest to advance from copy boy to reporter.

The Field of Blood Part 2: Paddy continues to investigate even after the case takes a dangerous turn. Convinced of the accused’s innocence, she is getting little support from her colleagues, her family, or her fiancé.

Paddy Meehan, a young Glasgow woman, starts as a “copy boy” in a newsroom staffed by cynical losers who disparage her as a “fat girl”.  But our Paddy never gives up her ambition to be a reporter and when she gets wind of two similar murders that the police refuse to consider as connected there is no stopping her. Along the way she alienates her family, gives up a boy friend, and connects with a young reporter.

Good story (pay attention to all the details) and good acting make for two enjoyable hours

2016, Abduction, Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Cancer theme, Frenetic, Grisly, Horror, Made For TV, Middle school students, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Occasional gore, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Teenagers, TV Series, Violent

Stranger Things (2016)

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From IMDB:

When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back.

Holy Middle School Nerds!

If my neighbors had not recommended the eight episodes of Season One of this sci-fi creeper, I would not have entered the “Upside Down World”. Unfortunately, once inside this semi-adult fantasy it is obsessively difficult to escape. So instead I binged-watched all the horror, high school romance, middle school bullying, and hysterics this TV series (streamable from Netflix) had to offer. To tell you the truth, it was a lot of fun and possibly a waste of time.

Winona Ryder we all know.  David Harbour has many roles to his name, including David Patrick from “State of Affairs” and Elliot Hirsch from “The Newsroom”.  Most of the cast were very young and did quite well. Indeed it seems to me that the middle school gang of four nerds got their literally hysterical parts just right.

If the plot grabs you, you will never escape. Supposedly there is a Season Two.

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, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Action Film, Action Hero, Cancer theme, Clever Plot, Complicated, Father-daughter relations, Mixed Martial Arts, Sci-Fi

Selfless (2015)

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From Netflix:

Facing terminal cancer, an elderly billionaire undergoes surgery that will allow his mind to be transplanted into a young man’s body. The operation is a success, but now the tycoon is learning more than he wants to about his body’s former occupant.

Finally, Ryan Reynolds plays in a decent film, rather than the duds he so often appears in. This plot is very clever. In fact, I have not seen this plot before in any sci-fi film. Clever, a little contrived, and possibly hard to follow, the plot nonetheless manages to produce a satisfying end.

In addition to Ryan Reynolds, you will recognize Ben Kingsley. But even more of a surprise is Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley of “Downton Abbey”) as Kingsley daughter. You may also recognize Mathew Goode (Henry Talbot also of “Downton Abbey”) as the villain Albright.

Enjoy 117 minutes of reasonable and a bit violent fun.

2014, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Could Be Sad, Divorce, Drama, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Lawyers, Melodrama, Murder Trial, Small Town, Violent, Well developed plot, Wonderful acting

The Judge (2014)

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From NetFlix:

Big city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his father, the town’s judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth and, along the way, reconnects with his estranged family.

Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thorton, and Vincent D’Onofrio put together a well-written, well-acted, well-plotted 2 hours and 21 minutes. Potentially a tear-jerker, the dialog was competently restrained to project all the conflicting emotions without adding syrup.

At least Robert Downey Jr. is not a super-hero or super-sleuth. He is, however a super-lawyer who earns hefty fees defending guilty clients. As he puts it, “Innocent clients cannot afford me.” He goes home after many absent years only because his mother dies. Part of the film’s charm are all the clever sarcastic quips delivered by Robert Downey.

As with most films of this nature, as the story develops we learn more about the family history: Why did the father Judge Palmer seem to reject his middle son the super-lawyer? What happened to the elder son who was on track to be a great baseball player? Who will care for the youngest somewhat retarded youngest son? Who is Carla’s father?

Judge Palmer is dying of Stage 4 cancer but still an active judge. One night he hits and kills a man with his auto. Most of the film is about the trial and how that trial is complicated by the family relations, especially the ongoing resentment between Downey and Duvall.

DO NOT MISS this well-done melodrama.