FanFare

[TRAILER] John Ford's 1936 drama presents a highly whitewashed and fictionalized version of the life of Maryland physician Samuel Mudd (Warner Baxter), who treated the injured presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth and later spent time in prison after his unanimous conviction for being one of Booth's accomplices. Co-stars Gloria Stuart ("Old Rose" from Titanic as Mudd's wife, Peggy.) [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Dec 12, 2024 - 3 comments

Inmates at Sing Sing Correctional Facility find purpose and community through acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art. Based on a true story. Most actors are formerly incarcerated men who participated in Rehabilitation Through the Arts. Also stars Colman Domingo. AP News: "'Sing Sing' screens at Sing Sing, in an emotional homecoming for its cast". NY Times Critic's Pick review by Lisa Kennedy. [more inside]
posted by brainwane on Jul 15, 2024 - 3 comments

[TRAILER] A prison warden (Shah Rukh Khan), driven by a personal vendetta while keeping up to a promise made years ago, recruits inmates to commit outrageous crimes that shed light on corruption and injustice, in an attempt to get even with his past, leading him to an unexpected reunion. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on May 9, 2024 - 1 comment

Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) walked the mile with a variety of cons. He had never encountered someone like John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a massive black man convicted of brutally killing a pair of young sisters. Coffey had the size and strength to kill anyone, but not the demeanor. Beyond his simple, naïve nature and a deathly fear of the dark, Coffey seemed to possess a prodigious, supernatural gift. Paul began to question whether Coffey was truly guilty of murdering the two girls. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Dec 13, 2022 - 7 comments

A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on May 15, 2018 - 3 comments

Rabies! How does a man in the Dortmund prison contract rabies when he's been there for four years and had no contact with animals? Who else is infected? Detectives Faber, Böhnisch, and Dalay need to figure it out fast before more people die. Also featuring the return of Markus Graf, presumed murderer of Faber's wife and daughter. [more inside]
posted by mrcrow on Feb 10, 2018 - 3 comments

After a setback, the Detail scrambles to make the most of a bad situation. For once, interdepartmental communication (or lack thereof) helps the case instead of hindering it. For once, good policing is rewarded with rock solid evidence and suspects in custody. For once, all the police seem to get what they want—closed cases, busted unions, scrambling crime lords. But for all that finally went right for the Detail, the world continues to turn, criminals adapt, and the scope of what they're fighting to bring to justice just keeps scaling up.
posted by carsonb on Sep 21, 2014 - 6 comments

As much as they'd like to continue investigating the sprawling criminal activities of the (still largely unknown) Greek, The Detail's hand is forced and with the help of the FBI they break down all the doors they know, gathering evidence and suspects. Valchek finally gets to participate in a very special perp walk. Sobotka eventually visits Ziggy, after a stop at the union hall and a quick trip downtown. Lieutenant Daniels and Omar Little dash off to deliver very personal messages to Landsman and Mouzone, respectively. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Sep 14, 2014 - 9 comments

Ziggy continues to wreak havoc but this time his unchecked impulsiveness takes him over the line and into a lot of trouble. Trouble that spreads and pools and spatters on everyone. – Valchek is pissed and brings in the Feds to assist the Detail. The Feds assist the Detail, and Valchek is pissed. – Just as Stringer's off-brand plan goes into effect, Brother Mouzone arrives to enforce the status quo and so Bodie and crew begin to understand the nature of the new arrangements. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Sep 11, 2014 - 4 comments

Bodie's plan to increase sales backfires tragically. So String's gotta make some tough decisions, change tactics, take account for the inevitable crackdown. With Sobotka and The Greek spooked and ready to turn tail the Detail has to adapt as well. Their investigation feels on target despite a minor tantrum from Valcheck, and when the prostitution investigation goes international inside Freamon's assessment of McNulty's bad accent is spot on. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Sep 6, 2014 - 7 comments

Jimmy McNulty, Captain Chesapeake, has stopped bailing and started drinking again and so finds himself sinking quickly to the bottom. He's desperate to get on the detail where they've got every swinging dick setting up The Wire on Sobotka and The Greek, so Daniels puts what little flex he has on Rawls. Turns out McNulty's just the john they were looking for. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Aug 23, 2014 - 8 comments

Through the turmoil of low-end product and family troubles, the Barksdale Organization moves on though in different directions. East-side Joe makes Stringer a Proposition that's hard to refuse, but Avon is adamant. Lester and Bunk put Daniels in a tough spot, setting up their surveillance at the off-site office and pleading to join up their murder investigations with the case against Sobotka. Together with Greggs, Russell, and Prez they delve deeper into the smuggling process, getting a handle on how the operation works. The detail also continues to investigate the prostitution racket and make connections between the drugs and the docks. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Aug 20, 2014 - 8 comments

Perhaps there's no better description for Omar Little than "a rare pleasure," though anyone on the wrong end of his double-barrel sawed-off court testimony might disagree. Having wrapped up the last Bird of business from before, McNulty drops the search for Jane Doe's real name, retires to the boat, and makes another go of his marriage. "I'm done fucking myself up," he declares, and downs a beer. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Aug 18, 2014 - 7 comments

Detail work starts in earnest on Sobotka, and Freamon looks to make a connection between Valchek's 'too much money' accusation and his own 14 murder investigations. Dockworkers who worked on that ship get summoned to testify in front of a grand jury. Ziggy continues to spend his easy money recklessly, and Nick is forced to help him deal with the consequences. Omar Little finally comes in to testify against Bird. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Aug 17, 2014 - 7 comments

The full extent of Avon's hot shots plan is realized as the authorities look to shave years in exchange for easy answers. D'Angelo hears his cousin's music but refuses to dance. Burrell puts the hard sell on Daniels and keeps him around with the promise of a promotion, a permanent Detail AND the good police he needs to run it. McNulty continues to try to put a name on his 'floater,' and enlists Bubs in the search for Omar. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Aug 17, 2014 - 2 comments

D'Angelo's discovered heroin in the clink, and Avon sets a plan into motion that he hopes will discourage his cousin's habit as well as push back some against Proposition Joe's expanding territory. Zero progress is the report Prez gives his father-in-law Valchek when asked about how the new detail's case against Sobotka is coming along, and to boot the Southeastern's surveillance van goes on an unauthorized global tour courtesy of IBS chapters around the world. [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Aug 16, 2014 - 3 comments