Media Notes: Roundup for January 2020

This is a somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during January 2020.


Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available):

• Brightburn (2019. Horror. Drama). This is an interesting premise. What if a child falls from the sky, a child with extraordinary powers, gets adopted by a rural couple longing for a child? Story may sound familiar, but in this story, the child is not going to be a superhero. Rather, the child becomes a sinister figure with extraordinary powers. The movie is described as horror, but the strength is in the suspense as we gradually come realize the truth about young Brandon. Much of the horror is implied; the gore is fairly minimal. As I said, this is more about the suspense and the tension. These days horror with superpowered beings is becoming a thing, but this film makes a good twist on a classic story, and it is a good tense ride. The end credits are a bit amusing too. Overall, this one is definitely worth a look. Via DVD from public library. 
• The Liberator (2013. Venezuelan film. Biography. Drama. History). The story of Simon Bolivar, his quest to liberate South America, and his dream of making a unified continent out of it. He did liberate the continent from the Spanish Empire, but his dream of unification never came to pass as rival factions and interests split the continent into what became the nations we know today. Part of me honestly wonders if history had been different, imagine what could have been.  Film starts a bit slow but soon it gets its pace as we see Bolivar rise from a wealthy educated young man who awakens to see the need to free South America. The cinematography is great; movie looks very good. The crossing of the Andes is moving and epic. The battles are well done, and they clearly did very good work in recreating them. Plus the soundtrack adds a bit of a surreal, or perhaps almost like magic realism, to the film. It stays with you. Still, this is a story that likely needs more than two hours of film, and it shows. It does pack a lot, perhaps way too much, not allowing at times for enough character development. Overall though, well worth a look. It is in Spanish, but English subtitles are available. I would add this film may encourage folks to seek out a good biography of Bolivar to fill in what the film just could not get to; some very key historical details do not make it into the film. Via DVD from public library. 
• Triad Wars (a.k.a. Fatal Move, original title Duo shuai. 2008. Drama. Crime. Action. Hong Kong film). The description of the film is pretty basic: "Faced with losing his grip on the Hong Kong underworld, a Triad leader resorts to extreme violence to regain his status and the respect of his triad." However, it is more than that. Sammo Hung portrays Big Bro/Lin Ho Lung, the leader of his triad. His triad is besieged by rival gangs but also by betrayal from within. There are a lot of intrigues along the way, which keep the suspense going, and when the big betrayal is revealed, well, it is worth waiting for. The movie also offers great action and martial arts sequences. It is necessary to note it does contain violence, so some viewers may want to keep that in mind. Overall, it is a well made film, good plot, good action, a lot better than I expected. Worth a look. Via TubiTv. 
• Saw IV (2007. Horror. Thriller. Mystery). The fourth installment in the series, which I am steadily catching up on. This time Officer Rigg, the SWAT team leader from the previous films is kidnapped and put through the game. However, John Kramer is dead, and someone else is continuing the game. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Strahm who is brought in to assist with the case is suspicious of Lt. Detective Hoffman, who heads the investigation.  What I found interesting is that much like in Saw II the main victim, Rigg in this case, could have likely passed the game by listening to instructions. This was a pretty tight thriller overall, though some of the flashbacks can get a little confusing if one does not pay attention. By now, we notice how the movies in the series are connected to each other. Overall I liked it. Via TubiTv. 
• Saw V (2008. Horror. Thriller. Mystery). 5th installment in the series. This one is a bit slower and less gruesome than previous installments, but it does keep that twist in the end that these movies is known for. The movie also keeps the concept of if you actually listen carefully, and think a bit, you might get out alive. In that sense, John Kramer, the Jigsaw killer (who we see in flashbacks) really is able to anticipate the human mind (it does not bode well for the human mind). FBI Agent Strahm, who survived the game last suspects Detective Hoffman is part of the Jigsaw killings, and he aims to prove it no matter the cost. Strahm starts digging into Hoffman's past as the killer starts testing five new victims.  Will Strahm be able to solve the case or will his obsession be his undoing? As I said, this film is a lot slower than others, focused mainly in how Hoffman becomes Jigsaw's apprentice. Strahm is fairly obnoxious, and to be honest some of you may be waiting for him to get killed. By now, the series seems to be losing steam. Naturally the end sets up for the next film. Via TubiTv.
• Saw VI (2009. Horror. Thriller. Mystery). Hoffman is now firmly the heir of John Kramer's legacy, or so he thinks (by the way, via flashbacks, John Kramer is always there), but FBI Agent Erickson, Strahm's boss, is now on his tail. By the way, by now if you've paid attention  you notice the victims of Jigsaw are not particularly nice nor good people. They tend to be outright assholes and social parasites (to put it mildly). For example, in this film, the two predatory loan officers at the beginning; I know some viewers probably were perfectly happy with those two getting their comeuppance. As for the insurance adjustors who deny claims arbitrarily and cruelly, we definitely cannot wait until Jigsaw gives them what they truly deserve. When you think about it, these films can have a bit of a vicarious sense of justice in them, which I am sure may be another small factor why the series remains popular even when quality has not been consistent. This film pretty much is just adding to the lore and mythos the series has established, and Hoffman gets his own test. The twist at the end, well game may not be for who it seems to be. It was a bit better than the fifth film but not by much. On another note, these are fairly short films at an hour and thirty minutes or so of run time. Via TubiTv.
• Saw VII (2010, a.k.a. as Saw 3-D.  Horror. Thriller. Mystery). The alleged final installment in the series (we got a sequel to this in 2017, Jigsaw, which takes place a decade after Jigsaw's death, and it turns out there may be a sequel to that later this year) where there is a struggle for who controls John Kramer's legacy. Meanwhile, a group of Jigsaw's survivors seek out Bobby Dagen, another survivor who has become a self help guru and is on a book tour telling his story. However, Bobby's fortune is built on a lie, and though Hoffman thinks he controls the game, in the end, John Kramer has one more ace up his sleeve, one last asset to put in play. Movie was not bad, but not that great either. By now, this series needs to end while it still has some resemblance of a high note. Still, worth a look to get to the end, but not as good as when it started. Via TubiTv.

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

• Adam-12 (1968-1975. Police drama, procedural). From Jack Webb, the guy who gave us Dragnet, which I was watching last month, we get Adam-12, which follows rookie officer John Reed and his veteran partner Pete Malloy as they deal with various issues, crimes and problems in every episode.  Like Dragnet, cases are based on real cases. Unlike Dragnet, we do not get to see the disposition of cases, i.e. who goes to court, sentencing, so on. Show may be dated, but it is still pretty entertaining to watch, has a bit of humor at times, and a good human element. As with other older shows, I often find interesting to see what now very famous actors may show up in their early careers here. Watched online first three seasons online. Some highlights for me: 
• Season one, Episode 11: The officers need to recover a stolen vehicle. Just one problem: it has a big boa constrictor the owner has a pet in the trunk of the car. Some light humor ensues as some officers are less than thrilled about the idea of finding Arthur, the snake, in the stolen car. 
• Season one, Episode 13 was a Christmas episode. I always enjoy these. In this one, among their tasks, the officers have to deliver Christmas presents collected from donations to needy families. A heartwarming episode.
• Season one, Episode 25, Dick Sargent, known for being the second actor portraying the husband in Bewitched, plays a neighbor having a dispute with another neighbor over a boat.  
• The Irish Mob (2016. Documentary. Crime. Mobsters). I could not find much about this documentary (the IMDB entry is thin). It is a six-part series that TubiTv describes as: "From the Irish gangs of New York in the late 1800s through to the 1970s, this six-part documentary series tells the amazing stories of the first generation Irish kids who became some of America’s most notorious and wanted gangsters.It explores the lives and crimes of key members of the Irish Mob including Gangs of New York graduate Owney “Killer” Madden, Jimmy Coonan’s infamous Westies gang from Hell’s Kitchen, America’s most wanted Frankie Sheeran and the recently captured James “Whitey” Bulger. The Irish gangster story represents the ‘American Dream’ in its totality - the idea that a kid from the gutter can rise to power, money and class, through whatever means necessary." Overall, it was an interesting series that goes from the beginnings of the Irish Mob in the U.S., and Canada for a bit, until its end with Whitey Bulger and Frank Sheeran. ViaTubiTv.