tv review
Reviewing insightful and thought provoking science fiction TV and technology.
Review of 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' 1.1
The Man Who Fell to Earth, which debuted last night on Showtime as a ten-episode television series, has a long and distinguished history. The novel of the same name by Walter Tevis was published in 1963 to critical acclaim. I didn't read it, because I had just switched as a teenager by then from science fiction to rock music as my passion, and I didn't go back to science fiction until a few decades years later -- Philip K. Dick's 1962 The Man in the High Castle had made it just under wire. Meanwhile, The Man Who Fell to Earth was made into 1976 movie starring David Bowie which I saw and loved, and which also received critical acclaim. A 1987 made-for-television movie followed which I'm pretty sure I didn't see, and certainly can't remember. A now this new Showtime series.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of "Outer Range" 1.3-4
So it occurred to me, as I was watching the enthralling third and fourth episodes of Outer Range, that this new series on Amazon Prime has a lot of Twin Peaks in it. I mean, an investigation of a murder against a backdrop that has a Philip K. Dickian mind-bending vibe is a rare thing, with a pulsing potential to be memorable if it's done up right. If Deputy Sheriff Joy, one of my favorite characters (and being played really well by Tamara Podemski) expresses a joy in cherry pie, I may be on to something.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey' 5
The saddest thing about the next-to-last episode of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey on Apple TV+ is that it looks like Ptolemy is at last beginning to lose it. The "it" being the enhanced, super-sharp mentality that Dr. Rubin aka Satan's treatment has given Ptolemy. At that party, the occasion for Ptolemy's speech that Rubin attended -- the only white guy in the room, as Rubin (very well played by Walter Goggins, by the way) observed and noted -- Ptolemy can't quite get that last line out. Ptolemy (for my money, one of Samuel L. Jackson's best performances) is aware of that, too, but he soldiers on. He has crucial work still to do.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Severance' 1.7
[Spoilers in the first paragraph and after ... ] The excellent episode 1.7 of Severance is entitled "Defiant Jazz" -- a fine title, which comes from the scene in which Helly is rewarded for her fine work with a music and dance time, and she chooses "Defiant Jazz," and Dylan attacks Milchick, biting him in the arm -- but I would've gone with "Overtime Contingency" for the title, because ...
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey' 4
It was good to see Ptolemy in top intellectual form throughout the whole episode #4 of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey on Apple TV+. This ranged from putting the cops who came knocking of the door of his apartment in their place, to coming to terms with Hilly, to pretty much figuring out who killed his nephew.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey' 1-3
I figured I'd catch up with the first three episodes of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey on Apple TV+, and I'm very glad I did. I mean, how you can you go wrong with a Walter Mosley novel (which I haven't read), adapted to the screen by him too, and starring Samuel L. Jackson in the title role? You can't.
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Severance' 1.5
So, I said in my review of Severance 1.4 last week that, in the metaphysics of life and death in television series, if you don't see a character's head literally severed or blown to bits, that character might survive whatever the grievous injury. And--
By Paul Levinson4 years ago in Futurism
