Foyle’s War

Christpher Foyle(Michael Kitchen) is a Detective Chief Superintendant in Hastings, Sussex, England during World War Two. As such he fights against crime that frequently takes advantage of the war-time condition such as pilfering, the black market, profiteering and murder. Foyle is assisted by Detective Sergeant Paul Milner(Anthony Howell) and a driver named Samantha Stuart(Honeysuckle Weeks).

I really enjoy Foyle’s War. It must be quite a challenge to make films about the past when it comes to sets, props, wardrobe and slang used at the time(or banter for you Monty Python fans). I am impressed by the job these folks have done making season after season always maintaining a high level of attention to details even when it comes to the background of shots, especially when shooting outdoors. That is representative of the overall quality of Foyle’s War.

The Official Foyle’s War Fan Site

Cast includes: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell

Available on: Hulu Plus, Google Play, Yidio, Netflix

Caprica

Caprica is about two families on the planet Caprica the Greystones and the Adamas. Both families are among those devastated by a terrorist attack. Each family responds to the attack in their own way. The attack is found to be the work of a small group advocating the worship of one God over the worship of many Gods which is the norm on Caprica.

With major advances in virtual reality Daniel Graystone decides to attempt to build an VR avatar of his daughter and offers the same to Joseph Adama but the one God group has different ideas for the VR technology. Greystone’s company is working on battle robots for the Caprican government and in an attempt to bring his daughter into the real world he attempts to install the avatar of his daughter into his prototype.  Here ends the spoilers!

Caprica is a 2010 spin-off prequel of the Battlestar Galactica series. It is set about 50 years before the Battlestar Galactica timeline. The show has a very complicated storyline but it holds together well. Effects are good enough but not amazing. There is some decent action but a lot of dialogue getting to it but a complicated storyline requires a lot of plot and character development. Caprica did and does offer the science fiction fan a few new ideas and that is rare. This is a really good show.

Cast includes: Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Paula Malcomson, Alessandra Torresani, Magda Apanowicz, Sasha Roiz, Brian Markinson, Polly Walker

Available on: Google Play, Amazon, Netflix

Doc Martin (TV Series)

Doc Martin Ellingham(Martin Clunes) is a General Practitioner doctor with a practice in the Cornish village of Portwenn. He is quite a good doctor in most respects, but is ill tempered, rude, lacking in social graces and to top it off can’t stand the sight of blood! Yet inside…perhaps deep inside there is a caring and brave person. The villagers of Portwenn and environs offer Dr. Martin quite a variety of challenges.

Doc Martin is good clean family fun. The show has loads of humor and well acted characters you may identify with especially if you live or have lived in a small community. Sets are wonderful, camera work is superb, and scripts well done and fun. This is a show I have used after a difficult day to improve my attitude, watching grumpy Doc Martin seems to take the grumpy out of me. Have fun.

Cast includes: Martin Clunes, Caroline Catz, Ian McNeice, Joe Absolom, Selina Cadell, Jessica Ransom, Annabelle Apsion, Stephanie Cole, Katherine Parkinson, Louise Jameson, Eileen Atkins

Doc Martin fan site click here!

Available on: Hulu, Netflix, ITV

Automata

It is the year 2044. The Earth’s pollution damaged atmosphere has allowed solar flares to cause the progressive desertification and irradiation of the world killing over 99% of the population. Robots called Pilgrims were created to stop the desertification and rebuild but when they failed were made manual labor.

The robots are controlled by two unalterable protocols first they cannot harm any form of life, and second they cannot modify themselves or other robots. The reason for the first protocol is clear but the second protocol was so that robots couldn’t evolve.

The main character is Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) an insurance investigator for the robotics company. A robot is shot when it appears to be self-repairing and Jacq is sent to investigate…

This movie was done very well. All the actors did a really good job, except for Antonio Banderas who did great! The effects were nearly undetectable from live action. The story is classic science fiction done very well. All in all I am surprised this movie wasn’t a bigger hit. Enjoy it!

Cast includes: Antonio Banderas, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Dylan McDermott, Robert Forster, Tim McInnerny, Melanie Griffith

Available on: Google Play, Amazon, Netflix

Z Nation (Series 1)

A zombie virus has ravaged the world. One test subject has survived being infected and it is suspected his blood might hold the antibodies necessary to create a vaccine. A small heroic group must try to get the test subject from New York to the last lab operating that may be able to create the vaccine. The problem is the lab they need to get him to is in California and there is a lot of hostel territory between New York and California.

If you want zombies and the violence, blood and gore that are part of the proper zombie package Z Nation will be fun for you there is very little one can complain about in the effects department. I found the show fun but the acting is OK but not great (DJ Qualls is the exception, he did a great job!), and the story and lore are extremely predictable. It is more fantasy than The Walking Dead with some really silly Chucky-like and Sharknado-like scenes. There is even a little Cheech and Chong type moment. All in all despite a few groaners the show is reasonable fun.

Cast includes: Kellita Smith, DJ Qualls, Michael Welch, Keith Allan, Anastasia Baranova, Russell Hodgkinson, Pisay Pao, Nat Zang, Tom Everett Scott, Harold Perrineau

Available on: Netflix, Hulu

Destination Truth

Destination Truth is a series about Josh Gates and his team heading out all over the world to try to document a paranormal or cyrptozoological report. They used night vision, thermal imaging, EMF Meters, audio amplification devices etc. Usually each episode contains two targets. Once done with an investigation they return to their base and review the evidence collected sometimes with the help of experts from outside the team. The team members changed several times over the 5 seasons but the people were always did a really good job in the show.

Destination Truth ran from June 6. 2007 and the last season began July 10, 2012 and it was great fun. Not so much for finding their latest cryptid, monster, or paranormal target but for the cultures and locations they visited. Josh Gates and crew always interacted with the people and participated in their culture and listened to and appreciated their beliefs. I enjoy Destination Truth and watch the episodes over and over. Wonderful entertainment!

Team Members Included: Josh Gates, Erin Ryder, Kyle Wheeler, David D’Angelo, Katy Murakami, Adam Butler, Tristant Icaza, Richie Fung, Drew Adams, Allie Boettger, Hank Braxtan, Casey Brumels, Ron Carlson, Gabriel “Gabe” Copeland, Jael de Pardo, Rey Delgado, Vlad Garcia, Bicha Gholam, Lindsay Gillette, Tony Gonzales, Shawn A. Goodwin, Naomi Grossman, Araceli Haldeman, Sharra Jenkins, Chris Lore, Mike Morrell, Bobby Pura, Dan Ramirez, Nick Scown, Star Seifert, Ian Shorr, Erica “Shush” Shusha, Vanessa Joy Smith, Michael “Ponch” St. Hilaire, Evan B. Stone, Jarrod Tomassi, Jed Udall, Rich Velazquez, Rex Williams, Eric Wing, Ali Zubik

Guests who appeared on the show: Jason Hawes – TAPS investigator,Grant Wilson – TAPS investigator, Steve Gonsalves – TAPS investigator. Dave Tango – TAPS investigator, Jael de Pardo – investigator, Robb Demarest – GHI investigator, Dustin Pari – TAPS/GHI investigator, Barry Fitzgerald – GHI investigator, Kris Williams – TAPS/GHI investigator, Allison Scagliotti – actress Warehouse 13

Available on: Amazon, Google Play, VUDU, Netflix

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan is a former Marine who was wounded in Afghanistan, After a long recovery he hooks up with the medical student who helped him in physical therapy. He is recruited by the CIA and winds up working in a major Wall Street brokerage firm as a compliance officer. His CIA mission is to watch for transactions that might indicate terrorist activity. What do you suppose happens then? Hello! Action movie!

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is based on characters created by Tom Clancy. This is an action movie done right, great actors, plausible story, great directing, right score(sound track album is available) and everything else that goes into a great movie…all great. If you are looking for an action movie I’d consider this one.

Cast includes; Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley

Available on: Google Play, Amazon, VUDU, Netflix

White Collar

Who has the skills necessary to catch art thieves, con men, grifters, and forgers? How about somebody who is better at their own game? FBI comes to this conclusion and gets just the man released into their custody from prison. Neal Caffrey is released to FBI Special Agent Peter Burke to help with an investigation. It is immediately clear that Neil and his contacts are valuable assets although a little unorthodox and hard to control, and the FBI enters into a deal where Neil is on monitored work release with the FBI to assist in White Collar crime.

White Collar is a generally light-hearted USA Network program that is fun to watch. I like the characters especially Mozzie, Neil’s friend and colleague. White Collar began October 2009 and the last season premiered November 2014.

Cast includes: Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Willie Garson, Marsha Thomason, Tiffani Thiessen, Natalie Morales, Hilarie Burton, Sharif Atkins

Available on: VUDU, Google Play, iTunes, Netflix

The X-Files

The X-Files is the section of the FBI that deals with unexplained phenomena. The unexplained include creature reports, conspiracies, time anomalies, UFO reports and many other situations. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate the X-Files and over time and many episodes uncover many incredible situations and do their best to deal with them.

 

Red Dwarf

Craig Charles plays David Lister who gets lost in space and time with a computer generated holographic companion, Arnold Rimmer played by Chris Barrie and a cat that has evolved into a biped played by Danny John-Jules and later in the series a robot named Kryten played by Robert Llewellyn. In their efforts to get back to Earth they have all manner of hilarious obstacles.

Laughing as I watch Red Dwarf is the one of the easiest abdominal workouts I ever do and I have been laughing for over 20 years(absolutely incredible abs!). The characters personalities clash with outrageously funny results. Truly, our heroes are not the most intellectual of crews but they seem to flounder through challenges in their own way…blundering and panicking seem to be their first actions followed by applying truly remarkable problem solving skills(though I’m not sure what the remark would be!).

Importantly though, they don’t swear, there is no nudity, and no overtly adult subject matter. This is good clean fun family safe, kid safe, clean fun…well cleanish as Lister is a slob and they use the swear word ‘smeg’ a lot!

Cast includes: Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Chloë Annett, Norman Lovett, Hattie Hayridge

Available on: Amazon, Google Play, ShareTV, Netflix