Category: Stu’s Reviews

Genre: TV Series                 

Grade: A

Notable People: Michael Alona, Irit Kaplan, Swell Ariel Or, Hila Saada, Tom Hagi, Created by Oded Davidoff

Title: The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem

Review: Initially reviewed the first season of this series back in March and then they unexpectedly released a second season-which was magnificent. Original review is below- but this was so good I raised the rating to an A. Don’t usually review any series more than once- but this is an exception. Well, well worth it.

Based on the best-selling Israeli novel by Sarit Levy, Yes dram Israeli production company produced this as daily show with 44 episodes in the first two seasons. Netflix adapted it into on long season of 20 lengthier episodes. The series tells the captivating story of the Armoza family, intertwined with the history of Palestine during Ottoman rule and the British colonial empire It explores the family’s fortunes during the subsequent periods of depression and war. The series takes place simultaneously on two timelines wherein present and past stories are presented alternately (from 1919 thru 1942- encapsulating the role of both world Wars). Beautifully filmed, with intense dialog and action, the show dramatizes a very complex family living in very complex times and is wonderfully historical. Kaplan shines as the detestable “Bubby” and the cast is generally dead on. It won’t make you fond of the British rule. I found this show to get better and better as it progressed. As second season is in the works in Israel to pick up in the post war 1940’s and into the founding of the Jewish state.

Genre: TV Series      

Grade: A

Notable People: Created by: Ken Burns and Lynn Novak

Title: The US and the Holocaust

Grade: The latest (2022) piece of brilliance form Americas documentarian and conscience, Ken Burns. These has never been anyone like him in my book. A follow up to his masterful series on World War II, this focuses on the story we were not told in school about Americas role in ignoring and even supporting the Holocaust; through ignorance, naiveté, Anti-Semitism and the Isolationist desire to be separate from the rest of the world. It is not pretty and the footage of The Camps is the most harrowing I’ve ever seen. You will weep listening to the 90-year-old survivors tell their stories of horror. There is a lot for any true American patriot to be ashamed about here. Once again, unintentionally makes the case that the world owes an unpayable debt to Britain and Winston Churchill for being the last wall standing and saving us all when no one else would. This one is short by Burn’s standards- only three episodes and available in Spanish as well

Genre: TV Series  

Grade: A+

Notable People: Miles Teller, Matthew Goode, Juno Temple, Giovanni Ribisi, Dan Fogler, Burn Gorman, Colin Hanks, Patrick Gallo, Anthony Ippolito, Created by: Leslie Greif and Michael Tolkin

Title: The Offer

Grade: I never give anything an A+ rating but this rendering of Oscar-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy’s never-before-revealed experiences of making The Godfather (1972) is too good to be true. The story is almost defying believability and the backdrop of the imminent demise of the film industry and it’s saving by Ruddy, Bob Evans (wonderfully played by Goode), Coppola and the mob is brilliantly presented. The attention to detail is top notch and the casting beyond belief – Ippolito has clearly waited his whole life it appears to play Pacino playing Micheal. Teller flat out owns the role of the astoundingly driven Ruddy (who is still alive and co-produced this series), Fogler makes Coppola come to life and Gallo is too much Puzo even foe Puzo. Every part in what might be the greatest film ever is cast to perfection here, and the production is nothing short of riveting Hard to not binge watch and it’s a one and one, but brilliant. Admittedly, I may be biased, as a huge fan of The Godfather and what it means to contemporary American culture, but this show will be an “A” for anyone. The Brando scene where he spontaneously creates Don Corleone is one for the ages. LOVED everything about this show.  

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: B+/B

Notable People: Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Sharon Lawrence, Coley Speaks, Patrick Gallagher, Created by: Based on the novels of CJ Box

Title: Joe Pickett

Grade: this show is quite an enigma. As a big fan of Box’s Wyoming Game Warden novels, I was really psyched to see this move on to the small screen. But the casting is dubious and some of the key characters, which are very well conceived in the books, are quite shallow. The acting is uneven although Guill and Lawrence are quite good. Dorman and Speaks just don’t cut it as the two great characters that box had developed in his novels. That said, the stories are quite alluring and the scripts are goof- and it is shot in the beauty on Wyoming. Non Box readers may be less biased than those of us who have a higher level of expectation. Third season is in production-which shows how popular it is.

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: A-

Notable People: Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Alden Gillen, Created by: Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon

Title: The Mayor of Kingstown

Grade: wow- talk abut intense. Kingstown is a mythical Illinois or Indiana town (where is irrelevant) that is the home of multiple out of control public and private prisons and a whole lot of mean streets. The McCluskey family, currently presided over by middle brother Mike, are the unofficial and de-facto fixers-which involves a whole lot of graft, violence and offers one cannot refuse. Very violent and disturbing but extremely well written and way dark/gritty. The casting is superb and the chemistry enviable. Hard not to be hooked by this latest from the current Emperor of Streaming TV, ‘Taylor Sheridan’s endeavors. Writing is magnificent, but you have to like an hour of pure intensity for each show. Renewed for third season but production held up by life threatening injuries to the now recovering star, Renner, who is priceless- check out the walk!