Saturday, August 3, 2019

July 2019 Films and Series

Chernobyl. This is a chilling look at the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion and its aftermath. It's a fascinating look at how decisions were made to avoid humiliation and blame rather than to avoid catastrophic death and other consequences. The invasion of politics into every aspect of life is shown clearly, demonstrating how no one was willing to acknowledge that the party could be wrong or that a leader could possibly make a wrong decision. Excellent acting, but grueling to watch.


Stranger Things (Season 3). I'm still enjoying this '80s-themed sci-fi series, although I think they over-used Eleven's powers against the Mind Flayer. I've seen enough of her posing with her hand outstretched and blood dripping from her left nostril. Didn't she acquire any other powers from her days in captivity when she was the subject of corrupt scientific experiments? But, I don't want to belabor the point. I also enjoyed the introduction of and focus on other characters, such as Robin and Erica. I'm looking forward to season 4 and the return of Hopper.

Hitchcock Truffaut. This film documents the impact that Franาซois Truffaut's book about Hitchock had on subsequent filmmakers. I have to admit that I found it a little slow, although I enjoyed seeing the collages of Hitchcock film clips.






Dark (Season 2). This is Netflix's first German-language original series. It's a mind-bending time travel science fiction story. It's taken me two seasons to understand (sort of) what's going on, and who all the characters are. I'm really enjoying it, and looking forward to season 3, which is supposed to wrap it all up.







Hinterland (Season 1). Mystery series set in Wales.






 Shetland (Season 4).