paul-allaer

As Episode 1 of "Dept. Q" (2025 release from Scotland; 9 episodes ranging from 42 to 65 min) opens, 3 investigators get shot while doing a house search, killing 1 and paralyzing 1. The 3rd is Detective Chief Inspector Morck. Dour months later he returns to work while also going to a shrink for the aftermath of the events. Meanwhile there has been no movement on finding the shooter... At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this series is the brainchild of Oscar-winning writer-director-producer Scott Frank. The opening 15 minutes of Episode 1 alone are worth the prize of admission, and we then even know how it's all going to play out. The thing is that the events we watch in that opening 15 minutes is just one of several other story lines that and intertwined and/or layered, and they are all worth seeking out. I was completely sold on this after watching Episode1, and the series doesn't let down from there at all. I've now seen 4 episodes, and can't wait to check out the remainder. This , beyond a doubt, one of the best series that I have seen in 2025 so far. Matthew Good (in the role of Morck) is absolutely riveting. And last but not least, the series is set in Edinburgh, one of my favorite cities. What a delight this has been.

"Dept. Q" started streaming on Netflix a few weeks ago, and I've read several great write-ups about it. It is currently rated 86% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and that sounds about right to me. If you are in the mood for a multi-layered cop drama from Scotland, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

As "TITAN" (2025 release; 111 min,) opens, several passengers are dropped off at the Titan on June 18, 2023, ready for a trip down to the sunken Titanic. Alas, something goes terribly wrong and the vessel goes missing, prompting a massive rescue search. At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is not the first, and almost certainly not the last, documentary about the fate of Titan, a submersible which causes 5 people to perish. After the brief introduction of the event that we all remember in one way or another, the film makers go back in time and introduce us to Stockton Rush, the founder and CEO of OceanGate, the company that produced the Titan and other submersibles. I (as a layman and non-expert on the matter) was gripped by the technical background and nature of it all. The role of Rush in this sad saga becomes clearer as the documentary goes on (along with a US Coastguard investigation). Please note that this documentary is NOT title "Titan: The OceanGate Disaster" (s listed here on IMDb or "Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster" (as I've note is some other listings. Per the movie's credit, it is called "TITAN" (in all caps), nothing less, nothing more.

"TITAN" premiered a few weeks ago at the Tribeca Film Festival, and started streaming on Netflix a few days ago. It is currently rated 69% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which sounds right to me. If you have any interest in the background of the Titan disaster, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

As "The Wrecking Crew" (2008 release; 102 min) opens, talking heads, some very famous, others less so, are raving about a group of session players in Los Angeles who provided much of the instrumentation of various artists and bands. Brian Wilson (RIP) is one of them. He used a number of them on the Beach Boys classic "Pet Sounds", freely admitting that the Beach Boys couldn't play what he needed for the album. Then we begin to learn more about this group, loosely named The Wrecking Crew.

A couple of comments: this documentary is directed by Danny Tedesco, the son of Tommy Tedesco, one of the main characters in the Wrecking Crew. You can just feel that this is a labor of love for Danny Tedesco. (Tommy passed away in 1997. The primary interview of Tommy and some of the others was dine in 1996.) Of course the documentary is chock-full of great music, and if you are a certain age, you will likely recognize most of it.

I recently stumbled upon "The Wrecking Crew" on Amazon Prime while browsing for something good to watch. Glad I gave it a shot. "The Wrecking Crew" is currently rated 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which seems quite high to me. Regardless, if you like rock music history, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.