Godfrey Reggio made Koyaanisqatsi in 1983. It was followed by two other films, Powaqqatsi and Naqoyqatsi. The trilogy of films were all scored by Phillip Glass and filmed by John Kane. They are the Hopi Indian words for imbalance, transformation and war. Nothing like them has penetrated the culture to such a pervasive extent. Their subversive content is unchallenged. They stand alone, and to say they are unique is a massive understatement. If you have seen them, you know what I mean. If you haven't seen them or are not aware of them, it is unlikely you ever will see them. They are non-narrative ocular extravaganzas. They are visually and orally spectacular, but there is no story.

When I say there is no story, I mean that each image is a story, and the collective images are for you to decipher. They are probably the most disseminated art projects of the last three decades, but the medium is film. It is highly conceptualized and rigidly thought out, but it is up to you the viewer to truly unlock it. Its meaning is fluid and open to interpretation. In other words, don't see these films if you don't have an open mind.

As we get even closer to the release of Michael Bay’s next foray into the Transformers universe with Transformers:Age of Extinction, Shout factory releases yet another series to help whet our appetites. As a kid growing up in the 80’s it was impossible to exist without knowing who Optimus Prime was or being able to hum (if not sing) the theme song to the cartoon.  But since the release of the original cartoon there have been so many spinoffs it’s hard to keep them all straight.  In 2007 Cartoon Network and Hasbro Studios set out to capture the imaginations of a younger audience following the success of the movies.  How does the series stack up to the 80’s classic?

First I just want to get out of the way that I’m not a fan of how they changed the overall look of the Transformers.  Back in the 80’s they had a more box-like look and, well, seemed like more traditional “robots in disguise”.  But in this new series they have more human like features, and a slender look and small waists…Basically the look is just very jarring from the traditional look, and it took some time getting used to.  David Kaye does a decent job with the voice work of Optimus Prime but just doesn’t deliver the commanding tone that Peter Cullen delivered in the original 80’s series.

It's hard to start a series in its fourth season. That's particularly true of today's huge mythology-arc shows that require you to be up to date at all times. Such was the task I found myself facing when we got a copy of Rizzoli & Isles to review. Fortunately, this is one of those pleasant exceptions to the rule. While I'd suggest that newcomers pick up the first three seasons anyway it's not an absolute necessity. So if, like me, you're discovering this one a little late, fear not. They'll be a little work to catch up, but the fun kind.

The premise here is dirt simple. They've taken the buddy cop idea and found a way to work in the forensics science fad and deliver a procedural with a few twists. Angie Harmon plays Detective Rizzoli. She's wanted to be a cop all of her life and is living the dream working with a special unit out of Boston PD. Her best friend in life happens to be Dr. Maura Isles, who is the Chief Medical Examiner for the unit and is played by Sasha Alexander. These are the kind of friends who finish each other's sentences and share a lot of history together. That's not to say they are at all alike.