http://www.hulu.com/wonderland
(Poster premiere, 2000)
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Wonderland at HULU
For people in the United States Wonderland is now available at HULU:
http://www.hulu.com/wonderland
(Poster premiere, 2000)
http://www.hulu.com/wonderland
(Poster premiere, 2000)
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Homicide: Life on the Street - Revisited
Some of our readers may have noticed that I've added a page called 'Reviews by Sparky' to the blog some months ago. In November 2009 Sparky Lightbulb startet a project "Trade It in for Twinkies", watching the work of a single actress (Michelle Forbes) and then writing about each piece. Courtesy of Sparky I'm posting excerpts of her latest review, revisiting 'Homicide: Life on the Street'. --chris
"For a viewer who has followed Homicide from the beginning, Season 5 is different. Detectives still work interesting cases, relying more on their brains than on their guns. And the variety of deaths still make a viewer conclude, as Det. Stanley Bolander [Ned Beatty] points out in Season 1, that any human is capable of murder, whether it is a child firing her father's revolver out the window [the stray bullet hitting a woman loading groceries blocks away] to planned executions by drug lord Luther Mahoney [Erik Dellums]. Circumstances, though, have crippled a number of the characters, and Season 5 inserts us into their shoes so well that we understand how badly shaken are their lives.
Sometimes the damage to a character is physical, as is the case with Pembleton, who returns to half-day desk duty until he can pass his firearms test. We immediately notice the lack of precision—in speech, memory, and small physical tasks like punching the correct numbers to return a call to his wife. The contrast is stark, for we remember the competent Pembleton of past seasons whose movement was as meticulous as his dress, whose voice had more agility than the hands of an archeologist as it excavated the truth. We get to see the indignity of his weakness: His wife Mary [Ami Brabson] doesn't trust him with the baby, Lieutenant Giardello [Yaphet Kotto] doesn't want him at investigation scenes, and the office staff sends him on lunch runs. Even after he returns to the streets, his tape recorder—a crutch for his still shaky memory—makes colleagues wonder if he is competent enough to do the job. These trials play out over nearly three months of episodes, which adds to the reality of the injury. And Braugher depicts a stroke victim with such authenticity that we want to believe, as his character does, that "bagel" is that dark brew people enjoy for a jolt of energy. [...]
Season 5 also introduces the new chief medical examiner Dr. Julianna Cox [Michelle Forbes], a character who initially seems the least damaged of the regular cast. In her first episode, Dr. Cox conveys such authority that we never ask how this young snot acquired the medical expertise and political savvy to run a big-city lab, and so we don't question what inadequacies her ambition must be filling. Her authority appears grounded in an appreciation for the big issues in life, not the small stuff too many people sweat. For example, she champions a dead prostitute, firing an established older peer for helping a lazy detective ignore a murder he could pass off as an overdose. She insists on professionalism, disciplining Det. Meldrick Lewis [Clark Johnson] when he moves a body before her arrival at the crime scene, but admits her own fault to another officer as she politely accepts a [deserved] speeding ticket. When she remarks at an exhumation that she likes cemeteries, it's not a goth fascination with death but an evolved recognition that our inevitable demise should inspire better behavior the short time we're alive. Her idealism and edgy beauty attract Kellerman, but when Cox learns the toll of the false accusations against him—his flirtation with suicide and spiral into self-pity—she withdraws, choosing drink and a long-haired poseur over earnest Mike. As many women would rush to fix a broken man, we can only wonder what damage Cox has suffered that makes her retreat in the season finale.
Despite all the crises in the characters' lives, the work still gets done, and done well. The focus of Season 5 might be different, but the stories are still first rate.
Video Teasers
You can view a very moving scene featuring Det. Bayliss and Dr. Cox at YouTube:"
Head over to Trade It in for Twinkies to read the full review.
"For a viewer who has followed Homicide from the beginning, Season 5 is different. Detectives still work interesting cases, relying more on their brains than on their guns. And the variety of deaths still make a viewer conclude, as Det. Stanley Bolander [Ned Beatty] points out in Season 1, that any human is capable of murder, whether it is a child firing her father's revolver out the window [the stray bullet hitting a woman loading groceries blocks away] to planned executions by drug lord Luther Mahoney [Erik Dellums]. Circumstances, though, have crippled a number of the characters, and Season 5 inserts us into their shoes so well that we understand how badly shaken are their lives.Sometimes the damage to a character is physical, as is the case with Pembleton, who returns to half-day desk duty until he can pass his firearms test. We immediately notice the lack of precision—in speech, memory, and small physical tasks like punching the correct numbers to return a call to his wife. The contrast is stark, for we remember the competent Pembleton of past seasons whose movement was as meticulous as his dress, whose voice had more agility than the hands of an archeologist as it excavated the truth. We get to see the indignity of his weakness: His wife Mary [Ami Brabson] doesn't trust him with the baby, Lieutenant Giardello [Yaphet Kotto] doesn't want him at investigation scenes, and the office staff sends him on lunch runs. Even after he returns to the streets, his tape recorder—a crutch for his still shaky memory—makes colleagues wonder if he is competent enough to do the job. These trials play out over nearly three months of episodes, which adds to the reality of the injury. And Braugher depicts a stroke victim with such authenticity that we want to believe, as his character does, that "bagel" is that dark brew people enjoy for a jolt of energy. [...]
Season 5 also introduces the new chief medical examiner Dr. Julianna Cox [Michelle Forbes], a character who initially seems the least damaged of the regular cast. In her first episode, Dr. Cox conveys such authority that we never ask how this young snot acquired the medical expertise and political savvy to run a big-city lab, and so we don't question what inadequacies her ambition must be filling. Her authority appears grounded in an appreciation for the big issues in life, not the small stuff too many people sweat. For example, she champions a dead prostitute, firing an established older peer for helping a lazy detective ignore a murder he could pass off as an overdose. She insists on professionalism, disciplining Det. Meldrick Lewis [Clark Johnson] when he moves a body before her arrival at the crime scene, but admits her own fault to another officer as she politely accepts a [deserved] speeding ticket. When she remarks at an exhumation that she likes cemeteries, it's not a goth fascination with death but an evolved recognition that our inevitable demise should inspire better behavior the short time we're alive. Her idealism and edgy beauty attract Kellerman, but when Cox learns the toll of the false accusations against him—his flirtation with suicide and spiral into self-pity—she withdraws, choosing drink and a long-haired poseur over earnest Mike. As many women would rush to fix a broken man, we can only wonder what damage Cox has suffered that makes her retreat in the season finale.
Despite all the crises in the characters' lives, the work still gets done, and done well. The focus of Season 5 might be different, but the stories are still first rate.
Video Teasers
You can view a very moving scene featuring Det. Bayliss and Dr. Cox at YouTube:"
Head over to Trade It in for Twinkies to read the full review.
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Hello From Toronto!
Enjoy loranc's report from the FanExpo in Toronto! --chris
Hello from Toronto!
Earlier this month, Chris asked if I would be interested in doing an interview with the creators of Durham County at Fan Expo 2010. Well, how could I say no? The interview was originally with writer Laurie Finstad Knizhnik, but because the show was such a collaborative effort, director Adrienne Mitchell and producer Janis Lundman themselves suggested to be part of it as well, to create a more complete piece.
With a list of 16 questions, sent to me by Chris, and a shiny new voice recorder in hand, I set off early Saturday morning for the Metro Convention Centre downtown. When I arrived, I found line ups several blocks long and general confusion everywhere, which pretty much set the scene for the rest of the day. Infact, it was only 15 minutes before the interview that I got confirmation on where and when to set up. And it wasn't until we were actually setting up in the hotel hallway (where our interview was to now take place, instead of the mysterious room 204 that none of us could find) that I was told Laurie could not attend and I only had 10 minutes with Adrienne and Janis. So, I turned to my little entourage of Forbes fans I met along the way that day (Deb from the Miranda Zero blog, a woman from the Propworx forum, and another woman who had travelled all the way from Germany) to assist me in quickly scrapping 11 questions and choosing the best 5 that applied to Adrienne and Janis only.
The result is what you hear on this audio file, lol. That rustling of papers sound was me flipping back and forth between sheets of questions while balancing myself as I knelt on the floor. It appeared the con ran out of chairs. The laughing and clapping in the background was from my little entourage, who were also on the floor, but were very supportive and clearly enjoyed the opportunity to sit-in on the interview.
Despite the initial fluster, it was a great experience and I was inspired by what these two trailblazing women had to say. Many thanks to Chris and the Durham County crew for making all this happen!
Update :: You can find a transcription of the interview here:
--> This Moment Of Tenderness
Note by chris: Sorry, no interview picture of Janis & Adrienne, instead: Michelle Forbes signing autographs for fans at the Anchor Bay booth, taken by loranc:
Hello from Toronto!
Earlier this month, Chris asked if I would be interested in doing an interview with the creators of Durham County at Fan Expo 2010. Well, how could I say no? The interview was originally with writer Laurie Finstad Knizhnik, but because the show was such a collaborative effort, director Adrienne Mitchell and producer Janis Lundman themselves suggested to be part of it as well, to create a more complete piece.
With a list of 16 questions, sent to me by Chris, and a shiny new voice recorder in hand, I set off early Saturday morning for the Metro Convention Centre downtown. When I arrived, I found line ups several blocks long and general confusion everywhere, which pretty much set the scene for the rest of the day. Infact, it was only 15 minutes before the interview that I got confirmation on where and when to set up. And it wasn't until we were actually setting up in the hotel hallway (where our interview was to now take place, instead of the mysterious room 204 that none of us could find) that I was told Laurie could not attend and I only had 10 minutes with Adrienne and Janis. So, I turned to my little entourage of Forbes fans I met along the way that day (Deb from the Miranda Zero blog, a woman from the Propworx forum, and another woman who had travelled all the way from Germany) to assist me in quickly scrapping 11 questions and choosing the best 5 that applied to Adrienne and Janis only.
The result is what you hear on this audio file, lol. That rustling of papers sound was me flipping back and forth between sheets of questions while balancing myself as I knelt on the floor. It appeared the con ran out of chairs. The laughing and clapping in the background was from my little entourage, who were also on the floor, but were very supportive and clearly enjoyed the opportunity to sit-in on the interview.
Despite the initial fluster, it was a great experience and I was inspired by what these two trailblazing women had to say. Many thanks to Chris and the Durham County crew for making all this happen!
Update :: You can find a transcription of the interview here:
--> This Moment Of Tenderness
Note by chris: Sorry, no interview picture of Janis & Adrienne, instead: Michelle Forbes signing autographs for fans at the Anchor Bay booth, taken by loranc:
Monday, 30 August 2010
Anyone?
Anyone interested in continuing, administrating a Michelle Forbes Community Blog?
I.e.: writing articles, creating videos, maintaining a picture gallery, coding the design and much more ...
Let me know: mcnlive@gmail.com
Chris
P.S.: Durham County fans, I've got a surprise for you:
http://durhamcountytv.blogspot.com/
I.e.: writing articles, creating videos, maintaining a picture gallery, coding the design and much more ...
Let me know: mcnlive@gmail.com
Chris
P.S.: Durham County fans, I've got a surprise for you:
http://durhamcountytv.blogspot.com/
Friday, 27 August 2010
This Weekend, it's Fan Expo Toronto
It’s Fan Expo time in Canada!
Apparently, Michelle Forbes was busy this Friday morning with interviews.
Michelle on Breakfast Television Toronto ...
Source: bttoronto.ca
... and on CBC Radio Q live in studio. You can listen to the podcast tomorrow. Update:: The podcast is already online.
Don't miss the much anticipated Durham County panel and the autograph session tomorrow at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre! More info on our sidebar, and on the official Durham County Facebook page.
Apparently, Michelle Forbes was busy this Friday morning with interviews.
Michelle on Breakfast Television Toronto ...
Source: bttoronto.ca
... and on CBC Radio Q live in studio. You can listen to the podcast tomorrow. Update:: The podcast is already online.
Don't miss the much anticipated Durham County panel and the autograph session tomorrow at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre! More info on our sidebar, and on the official Durham County Facebook page.
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