Could this year’s storyline proceed any more slowly? Apparently, yes, because tonight it goes backwards – to another flashback. (And since this whole series is a flashback, that seems a bit like piling on.) But this one’s worth the trip back down memory lane, because it makes room, once again, for a very special guest star: Bryan Cranston, in one of his first post-Breaking Bad TV series appearances.

2013

Nov

EYES WIDE SHUT By David Bianculli

IFC presents another Stanley Kubrick film, this one, from 1999, the last film he completed before he died. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, then married, star, in a story whose cryptic, dreamlike nature is a faithful reproduction of the original, obtuse source material: Arthur Schnitzler’s weird 1926 novella, Dream Story.

2013

Nov

JAWS By David Bianculli

This 1975 Steven Spielberg blockbuster usually is shown, and best enjoyed, at the start of summer. But here, it kicks off the latest TCM night devoted to movies from its imported Odyssey of Film documentary series. The latest episode, Number 11, isn’t televised until 2:30 a.m. ET, so it’s another one to set your recorders to catch. It’s called The 1970s and Onwards – Innovation in Popular Culture and Around the World, and includes not only segments on Jaws, but on The Exo

2013

Nov

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: "JFK" By David Bianculli

Part 1 of 2. There are so many John F. Kennedy specials presented on TV this month, all tied to the 50th anniversary of his assassination, they seem duplicative as well as overly familiar. The best thing this particular four-hour documentary brings to the table is a stronger understanding of the source, intensity and treatment of JFK’s back injuries and other physical maladies. But it leaves out a lot that’s crucial to the understanding of the Kennedy clan’s power base and moti

2013

Nov

CRISIS HOTLINE: VETERANS PRESS 1 By David Bianculli

Premiering on Veterans Day, this new documentary pulls you in from the opening seconds, and never lets go. Set at the country’s one solely dedicated Veterans Crisis Line, in upstate New York, it films responders as they pick up calls and speak to veterans, often trying to persuade them not to commit suicide. The callers are not identified, and we never hear their voices on the other end of the line – only the words of the Crisis Line workers, as they try to simultaneously gather info

2013

Nov

MR. MAGOO’S CHRISTMAS CAROL By David Bianculli

I know, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. But planning ahead can get you this vintage, charming TV animated musical special in plenty of time to give as a gift for the holidays – and given the absurdly cheap price, you may want to stock up...

2013

Nov

NOT SO FAST By Eric Gould

Norway’s public TV company, NRK, has the antidote for those burned out on the deluge of quick-cut images on modern television. It’s the new genre they call “Slow TV”... and has shows that include 12 hours of knitting...

2013

Nov

KILLING KENNEDY By David Bianculli

The reason to watch this isn’t to learn anything new, or be impressed by most of the performances (Jack Noseworthy’s Robert F. Kennedy is unrecognizable, except for other characters calling him “Bobby”). But because it’s the latest in a very long string of JFK docudramas, and because this one is based on a book co-written by Bill O’Reilly, Killing Kennedy is an interesting curiosity. Rob Lowe performs commendably as JFK, though he, like Ginnifer Goodwin as Jac

2013

Nov

THE WALKING DEAD By David Bianculli

Another central character left the show last week, or, at least, was ostracized from the core group. It was quite a surprise, especially since it’s so unusual to see a character dispatched without being… dispatched. So what happens this week? A lot.

2013

Nov

BOARDWALK EMPIRE By David Bianculli

This season, between what’s happened to Chalky and what’s happened to Nelson, Boardwalk Empire has gotten back on track – and Patricia Arquette’s tough-gal character is helping things, too.

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