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Reviews
12 Angry Men (1957)
more than drama
Please read the rest of the reviews, which make excellent points about social issues, casting, cinematography, scripting, and the directness and force of pure simplicity.
Fonda and the switchblade.
Cobb and his son's picture.
My point, which addresses something more subliminal, is that this is a great detective story. How enjoyable to watch tensely as the clues are put together, not logically, but haphazardly yet effectively as in real life investigations.
12 Angry Men is seldom broadcast. Watch it every time it is.
After the Thin Man (1936)
a non-spoiler -- watch for two important scenes seldom mentioned
The other reviews accurately describe the wonderful character development (and there are plenty to develop not only in Nick and Nora but a whole idiosyncratic cast) and complex plot that has seldom been equaled in the murder/detective biz.
While every scene is a filmmaker's delight (dialogue, body and facial language, conflict), watch for two scenes that are special.
Warning viewers of scenes to watch for is not a spoiler -- it enhances the anticipation. They can be summarized as follows.
In one series of scenes that goes on for six minutes without dialogue, only wariness and tension, Powell/Charles and a major suspect hunt each other through an apartment house, gathering clues with guns drawn.
In the other strong scene that lasts only a few seconds, and has none of the clever repartee, Nora is confronted by the killer. He warns her, and all the viewer can see are her eyes, but the viewer in that quick contest of wills is shown her courage as strong as anything Nick displays.
Other reviews call this film "excellent" and "superb". Indeed.
NCIS: Los Angeles: Tuhon (2014)
excellent fight choreography plus a meeting of old friends
This isn't exactly a spoiler. The stunt ramrods for this particular episode put together one of the best and longest barroom brawls ever seen on a television show. It literally explodes. Another shorter but similar showdown occurs near the end. Even with the athletics of Cool J and O'Donnell, the rehearsals must have taken all of one day's filming.
Hetty is reunited with an old adversary (?) rival (?) tribe leader (?) friend (?), Tuhon, played by Danny Trejo, who steals the show, even with the formidable Linda Hunt. It's always a pleasure to watch him work.
This program consistently delivers good plots and character development. This episode is one of their best.
JAG: All Ye Faithful (2002)
wonderful allegories
The plot summary is deliberately vague, so here are some examples of allegory in this very cool episode. They may be regarded as spoilers, but knowing them will make anticipation even better.
You say you want an example of allegory? A young Marine named Joseph (yes Joseph) Tenny is touring his new duty station with his pregnant wife Mary (they have been evicted because of some foul-up, though, and have no place to stay) when she goes into labor and has the baby in the Admiral's office. (The Admiral's middle name is Jethro.)
Meanwhile,three Arab lawyers in robes and headpieces just flew in from Kuwait to observe JAG's military justice system but are driving lost, all three with different interpretations of their only map, until they see the radio tower beacon on JAG's roof, and follow it, arriving just in time to give the Marine couple gifts from afar to celebrate their new boy, including a gold coin and a free apartment (one Arab confesses he owns 16 apartment buildings in Washington alone).
At the same moment, a C-130 Hercules full of Toys for Tots loses its instrumentation in heavy fog (yes, of course it's a foggy Christmas Eve –what did you expect?) and is guided for a landing by the hero in an F-14 with a red ID light on its nose blinking (yes Rudolph and "won't you guide my sleigh tonight" music etc.).
Those are just a few examples. The writers must have really loved doing this one. It works. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, it's more an-appreciative-smile humor.
Enjoy it!