Harsh

Setinanundergrounddungeoninhabitedbybundled,raggedhumanbeings,afterthenuclearholocaust.Thestoryfollowsthewanderingsofaherothroughthesituationsofsurvival.PeoplewaitfortheArktoarriveandrescuethemwhiletheirhabitatfallsapart.Delvingdeepintothedustyandlongabandondedvaultsofb-cinemainsearchoflostgemsalwaysleavesmewithabittersweettaste.Ononehandthediscoveryofunexpectedgemswherenoonewouldthinkthempossibleisarewardingexperience.Ontheotherhandthoughitmakesonewonderhowmanyoftheseremarkablelow-budgetoddities,personalloveaffairsofdirectorsneverquitefamousandnowallbutforgotten,havealmostforeverslippedfrommemory?nanycasewhatwehavehereisalittlepost-apocalypticgemfromPolandthatisreallybetterthanithasanyrightto.ThedystopiannearfutureofO-BI,O-BAfindsagroupofsurvivorsofthenuclearwarthatravagedtheEarthinhabitinganunderworldconcretebunkerandbidingtheirtimeastheywaitforthemysteriousArk,anairshipofsomekindthatwillcomeandsavethem.TheArkprovestobeanelaboratehoax,carefullydesignedtogivehopetothemalnourishedanddesperatedenizensofthebunker,whileinthemeantimethedomethatseparatestheirmiserableexistencefromthenuclearwinteroutsideisslowlycavingin.Whatfirststrikedmeaboutthemovieisthedesignofthebunkerandthedepictionofthesurvivors.Thesurvivorsaregaunt,filthyandterrible-lookingpenitents,dressedinragsandaimlesslywanderingtheneon-lithallsofthebunkerlikeautomatons.Thebunkerisarundown,seedyplace,withbrightneonlightspeeringfromallsidesliketheeyesofmalignantbeasts.Ononehanditisaslightly80’sdepictionofthedystopianfuturebutthemovieneverstoopsdowntoMADMAXcheese.Insteaditcombinesbitingpoliticalsatirewiththebleakoutlookofaworldwithnofuture,blackcomedywithbarbsonapathy,religionandpower.Thesurvivors,forexample,arefedsomekindofflourdroppingfromatubethathoversintheair-lateronwediscoverthefoodsupervisorusesbooksandtheBibleitselfasfillerforthismeagremeal.Therearemanysuchshortsymbolictouches,perhapsnotlife-changingorfaith-restoring,yetplayful,cleverandinspired.Onethingisforsure;O-BI,O-BAisnotyourrun-of-the-millsci-fischlock.Itovercomesitsmodestbudgetwithcreativityandhasgenuineartisticaspirationsbothfromawritinganddirectingperspective.Myopinionisthatitshouldhavebeenfilmedinblackandwhiteinsteadofcolourthough.Thedirectorusesatmosphericlightandshadowtogreateffectanditwouldhaveregisteredevenbetterinstarkblackandwhite.Theblue-greenneonontheotherhandoutstaysitswelcomeafterawhile.Justaminorgripeinanotherwisesolidb-moviewithitsheartsetinalltherightplaces.ImaginealessbleakTHEROAD(CormacMcCarthy)beinginjectedwiththesatireandhumourofDR.STRANGELOVEandyou’regettingthere.Seeitifyoucanfindit.

Whenwhip-smartCambodiandoctorThonyDeLaRosacomestotheUnitedStatesformedicaltreatmenttosaveherailingson,shesoondiscoversherpathwon'tbeasstraightforwardasshehadhoped.Asthesystemquicklyfailsher,pushingherintohiding,sheresolvesnottoallowherselftobebeatendownandmarginalizedandbecomesacleaningladyfororganizedcrime.Usinghercunningandintelligence,Thonyforgesherownpathinthecriminalunderworld,doingwhatevershehastosurvive.

　　A mysterious man, Dean, returns to his hometown of Grimsby after many years abroad in the Army. His arrival is met with animosity, particularly from his father, an avid pigeon racer. Dean is drawn back to confront his demons, and confess a secret to a childhood friend, Jess, only to discover she has been struggling since the untimely death of her husband. Whilst attempting to raise her child and battling a crumbling economy and dearth of opportunities, she is pulled into a harsh underworld. Dean must help her, throw her a lifeline, but the situation only darkens. When their lives are threatened he will do all it takes to make sure she is safe.

ITVhasgreenlitasecondseriesofcontemporarydetectivedrama,McDonald&Dodds,followingthesuccessofthefeature-lengthfilmswhichairedearlierthisyearproducedbyleadingindependentproductioncompany,MammothScreen.ThenewseriesseesTalaGouveia(ColdFeet)andBAFTAawardwinningactorJasonWatkins(TheLostHonourOfChristopherJefferies,TheCrown)reprisetheirrolesastheambitiousDCIMcDonaldandthehumble,andquietlybrilliantDSDoddsinthreenewmurdermysteries.SetinpicturesqueBath,theseriespairsfiestyDCIMcDonald,whohasrecentlytransferredfromLondon’sMetPolice,withthemodestandunassumingDSDodds,whohasbeenhappyinthebackgroundformostofhisworkinglife.Throwntogetherseeminglywithnothingincommon,theyforgearumbustious,andultimatelyhighlyeffectivecrimesolvingpartnership.CreatedandexecutiveproducedbyRobertMurphy,whoistheleadwriterfortheseries,McDonald&DoddswillonceagainbefilmedintheWestCountry.ThebrandnewepisodeswillbedirectedbyAlexPillai(ChillingAdventuresofSabrina,Riverdale),RebeccaRycroft(MaloryTowers,DannyandMick)andIanAryeh(InTheLongRun,AndyandtheBand).ThenewserieshasbeencommissionedbyITV’sDramaCommissionerHuwKennairJonesandHeadofDrama,PollyHill.Huwwilloverseeproductionofthedramafromthechannel’sperspective.CommentedHuwKennairJones:“We’redelightedwiththeaudiencereactiontothefirstseriesofMcDonaldandDodds.Thetwocharacterscouldn’tbefurtherapart,whichiswhatmakestheseriessointriguingtowatch.Theyshouldn’thavechemistry,buttheydo,andtheyworkbrilliantlyinpartnershipwhichistestimonytoRobert’sscriptandTalaandJasonforbringingMcDonald&Doddstolife.”CommentedMammothScreen’sDirectorofDrama,PreethiMavahalli:“WearethrilledthatRobertMurphy’scleverstorytellingwasahitwithaudiencesearlierthisyear.McDonald&DoddsareaquirkilyuniqueinvestigativeteambroughttolifebeautifullybyTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkins.We’rereallypleasedITVhavecommissionedmorefilmsandlookforwardtoreturningtofilminBath.”DamienTimmer(Endeavour,Noughts+Crosses,WorldonFire)andPreethiMavahalli(McDonald&Dodds,Noughts+Crosses,TheWaroftheWorlds)aretheexecutiveproducersforMammothScreen,anITVStudioscompany,alongsidewriterRobertMurphy(McDonald&Dodds,Vera,Shetland,DCIBanks).TheproducerofthenewseriesisSarahLewis(Noughts+Crosses,McDonald&Dodds,Victoria).ThefirstseriesisavailabletoviewviastreamingplatformBritbox.Seriesonelaunchedwithaconsolidatedratingof6.4manda26%shareoftheavailableaudienceandboastedanimpressiveguestcastlistalongsideTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkinswhichincludedRobertLindsay,RosalieCraig,EllieKendrick,SusannahFielding,JoannaScanlan,MicheleDotrice,FreddieFoxandHughDennis.ITVStudioswilldistributethedramainternationally.

GoldenGlobe®winnerAngelaLansburyreturnsasmysterywriterJessicaFletcher,andwithmore’CabotCoveSyndrome’happening,morepeopleareturningupdeadwhereversheventures.Jessica(Lansbury)istheonlyonecleverenoughtoreadbetweenthelinesandseethecluesnobodyelseknewwerethere.AlongforthechaseareamazinggueststarslikeHarveyFierstein(IndependenceDay),JonPolito(Miller’sCrossing),DavidSoul(Starsky&Hutch),NeilPatrickHarris(HowIMetYourMother),plusmanyothers.

TwoGermancomputerpioneerswhogotocourtinthefightagainstanapparentlyinvincibleopponentinordertoberecognizedastheinventoroftheGoogleEarthalgorithm.Theseriesilluminatesboththehackersceneinpost-reunificationBerlininthe90s,aswellastheidealisticworldofearlySiliconValleyandtheharshrealityofamulti-milliondollarprocess.

InSeason2 - corporateattorneyJoannaHanley(KristinKreuk)findsherselfatatoplawfirminWinnipegreadytomakeafreshstartawayfromherpreviousfirm.There,anewclientdrawsherintotheshadowyworldofhackers,activists,andapoliticalmovementthatwon’ttakeanyprisoners.ThecaseleadsJoannathroughmanytwistsandturns,untilsheeventuallybecomesakiller’starget.Herestrangedfathertriestoassisther,whichleadstoaneventthatwillchangeboththeirlivesforever.Meanwhile,Millwood’slifebloodhasbeenleftdepletedfollowingthebankruptcyofthemill.Withrisingunemploymentrates,tensionsintownarerunninghigh,leavingBillytoretreatfurtherawayfromtown,butwhenhisrecklessbrotherShane(AndrewChown)showsup,Billy(PeterMooney)isforcedtoconfrontchildhoodmemories.

Aston(RobertShaw),aquiet,reservedman,livesaloneinatop-floorclutteredroomofasmallabandonedhouseinapoorLondondistrict.HebefriendsandtakesinMacDavies(DonaldPleasence),anoldderelictwhohasbeenfiredfromamenialjobinacafé.IntimeAstonoffershimajobascaretakerofthehouse.Aston’sbrother,Mick(AlanBates)-ataunting,quasi-sadist-harassesthederelictwhenhisbrotherisaway,countermandinghisorders.EventuallyAston,himselfirritatedbythecantankerousoldman,putshimout.

Thisearly70’sgiallobyUmbertoLenziiscertainlyamongthebestinhisfilmographyandalsointhewholegenre.PersonallyIthinkLenzi’sbestfilmsarethefunnycartoon-turned-filmKriminal,thestylishgialloSevenBlood-StainedOrchids,theexplosiveNapoliviolentaandthis.IntheeightieshedidplentyoffilmtrashinformofEatenAlive,HitcherintheDarkorBlackDemons,allofwhicharerippingsomethingoffand/orverydullandslowmoving.KnifeofIcecamewhenthegialloboomwasatitshottestandtheresultisconvincing.Technicallythefilmissuperb,containinggreatcinematographyinthebeginningwhenwelearnaboutthemaincharacter’straumatowardstrains.Fromthispointon,Lenzishowsushisabilitytobenefitthewidescreenand,forexample,thebicyclerideneartheforestisgenuinelybeautiful!ThisscenealsoshowsLenzi’sabilitytobuildsuspense,veryslowlybutmeaningfully.Afterall,therearen’tsomanymurdersinthewholefilm,onlythesuspensecirculatingaroundthemurderer’sidentity.Onesuspectisadevilworshipperwhichbringsnewaspectstothemystery.Sincethefinalscenetakesplaceinachurch,onecanwonderifLenziwantedtocommentonsomething,maybethehypocriticalmoraleofchurchandsuperstition.Themaincharacter(CarrolBaker)ismutewhichdemandsalotfromherfaceandeyes.Theactressworksverywell,givingusabelievableperformancecirculatingaroundtheemotionsoffearandmentalpain.Theotheractorsaregood,too.Thefinally,however,maynotgivetoopositiveasightaboutfemalesexsincetheyallareexpressedrathernegativelyinthefilm,onewayoranother.Stillthisiseasilyamongthemostnoteworthyinthegenre,notasbloodyastheArgentofilms,forexample,butequallysuspensefulandvisuallyalsointeresting.

JimPhelpsisthenewleaderoftheImpossibleMissionsForce,withnoexplanation,orevenreferencemade,aboutthedepartureofpredecessorDanBriggs.FirstupforPhelpsisamissionin册vingthedrugtrade.CresnikandWaltershavecorneredtheheroinmarketandsellitatahandsomeprofittogangsaroundtheworld.Phelpsdevisesanoperationwhichwilldriveawedgebetweentheheroindealersandtheircustomers.