Now here is a series that me and my wife just didn’t seen eye to eye on. For her, the series was a triumph and had great depth. For me, it made me wonder whether we were watching the same thing. Because outside the beautiful scenery, I did not discern any great depth to this anthology series, which appeared to feature unhappy people. The series featured a cast of recognizable faces, which included Alexandra Daddario, Connie Britton, Steve Zahn, Sydney Sweeney, and Jennifer Coolidge; however, their characters weren’t what I would call loveable. It was difficult to find anyone pure or worth cheering for. Granted, the characters had varying degrees of sins, and none of them were what I would call evil, but none of them were worth investing in. Of course that is merely this humble critics opinion, as it would appear that many people have found something to love, given the series recent award success, such as two Critic’s Choice Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards, including for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. I guess this explains the series being granted a Season 2, which is scheduled to premiere in October 2022.

The series details a week in the life of vacationers as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise, or at least attempt to relax and rejuvenate. While these vacationers may appear to be picture perfect, it is shown almost immediately that each of them has hidden darker complexity. These complexity are not limited to the travelers, as members of the hotel’s cheerful staff, are also not as they appear. When I first heard about the series, I was anticipating a sinister turn, something to the effect that one of the patrons would be killed and everyone would be under suspicion. It’s a troupe that can become a bit of a cliché, but it is one that instills intrigue. While there is a death in the series, it does not fall under these conditions, and in all honesty, it is difficult to muster any sympathy for the character.

In 1978 when Good Guys Wear Black came out, Chuck Norris wasn’t the global superstar that he would later become, but this was one of the films that helped establish him as an actor and not just some martial arts guy on the big screen. This is definitely a movie that was a product of its time, and it can be argued how well it has actually aged over the years. Personally I have a hard time calling this an action film. When you compare it to most of the other films that Chuck Norris has in his filmography, this is very much one of the more tame ones and comes off more as a thriller, a fun little espionage film that actually leans heavier on Norris and his acting abilities than his ability to take down bad guys with spin-kicks, though the film does offer a few kicks to please the action-hungry audiences.

Chuck Norris plays John T. Booker, an ex-Vietnam soldier who left the military after a mission went wrong and most of the members of his team were killed during the ill-fated mission. Now Booker has gotten himself into auto racing and teaches political science at UCLA and is enjoying his new life, that is until he discovers that he is on a hit list created by the CIA.  Booker must find out who made this list before he and the others who are on the list are taken out. Booker is approached by Margaret (Anne Archer), a reporter who seems to know too much about the top-secret mission that Booker was involved with, and as she’s chasing leads, ex-soldiers who happen to be on the hit list, the soldiers are winding up dead before she can get any answers.

“Gentleman, I’d like you to meet Matt Logan. He’s a karate man.”

I still can’t decide if that line of dialog is awful or genius. In 1979 martial arts movies were going strong in the states, but they were certainly lacking in quality as compared to what was coming out overseas. Chuck Norris was the “American” answer to make a successful martial arts film, but it wasn’t till A Force of One where I feel Chuck Norris finally arrived as not just a martial arts star but a bonafide guy who was worth watching on the big screen. The story may be a bit farfetched, but this is a film that is fun. It’s something I’d throw on when I’m wanting to have a late night movie marathon. It’s what “midnight movies” were made for.

Revamping old shows and movies is the latest trend in television. CBS has made several attempts at this with varying success. Such was their attempt when they tried to convert Rush Hour into a TV series. It failed badly. But then there was Hawaii Five-O, which got 10 seasons and was pretty solid. The MacGyver reboot gaining a fourth season puts this attempt somewhere in the middle. The show has been on the bubble for the last two seasons and this year it was finally cancelled. But that wasn't quite the end of the story. Part of the reason was an inability to renew the rights from Universal at the kind of money CBS thought the show was worth. Now NBC, which is owned by Universal, has given the show a second chance with a 2-year renewal. The cast and crew appear to be intact, but with some contract negotiations it's possible that someone may drop out, leaving room for something new. So Magnum is back, for now starring Jay Hernandez in the titular role. The character that Tom Selleck made famous is breathing new life with new action. Minus the mustache, of course.

Staying true to its source material, Hernandez’s Magnum is a former Navy Seal, and his best friends T.C, played by Stephen Hill, and Rick, played by Zachery Knighton, are Marines. While staying true to its source, the series also digs deeper into the characters’ connection by illustrating the three as former POWs. The show also explores many of the plights of vets that include Shammy, played by Christopher Thornton, as the wheelchair-bound comrade they rescued from down and out who is now a big part of the team.