NCIS: Los Angeles – Murder of Crows

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: NCIS: Los Angeles – Murder of Crows
  • IMDb: link

NCIS: Los Angeles - Murder of Crows television review

Anna Akana guest-stars as a former NCIS tech whose life, along with that of a missing NCIS agent from Key West, is in danger. While evidence initially seems to point to the missing agent as the mole who may have ruined NCIS’ case against the same arms dealer after Rhea Moretti (Akana), the truth is he has been working hard to save the life of a source within the criminal organization. Akana is fun here, working a bit of herself into the character with stand-up along with references to therapy and, of course, cats. Surviving the ordeal, and proving her worth, you have to wonder if we’ve seen the last of the abrasive yet adorable Moretti (I’m hoping not). The episode also features the expected ongoing team drama with Callen (Chris O’Donnell) fretting over buying a house and Kensi (Daniela Ruah) working to convince Fatima (Medalion Rahimi) to explore life outside of work.

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Selah and The Spades

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Selah and The Spades
  • IMDb: link

“They always try to break you down when you’re seventeen.”

Selah and The Spades movie reviewWritten and directed by Tayarisha Poe, Selah and The Spades offers a look at the cliques inside the private high school of Haldwell where its title character (played by Lovie Simone) reigns supreme by running the school’s drug-dealing faction known as the Spades. It’s highs are stronger than its lows, but Poe’s film has enough of each to undercut the storytelling at times leading to an uneven tale of the secret life of spoiled high school students after hours.

The film finds it strength in Simone as the out-going senior troubled by insecurities, rivals, and an overbearing mother (Gina Torres) who has her daughter’s life planned out, and Celeste O’Connor as the younger transfer student who Selah takes under her wing. While the film teases something more between them, in the end it’s hard to tell just what the two mean to each other (or if they even know). Also of note are Poe’s vision and the cinematography of Jomo Fray, both of which help frame the story as something apart from the majority of high school films. Even if the ending feels rushed and somewhat unsatisfying, enough of Selah and The Spades works to make it memorable in a year where that could be scarce.

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Charlie’s Angels – Dirty Business

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Charlie’s Angels – Dirty Business
  • wiki: link

Charlie's Angels - Dirty Business television review

Throwback Thursday takes us back to the tale of three beautiful former police officers turned private detectives working for a faceless boss known as Charlie. While his mother is a sweet woman (Eda Reiss Merin), Marvin Goldman (Warren Berlinger) turns out to be in the running for Townsend Investigations’ scuzziest client. While operating a film laboratory, Marvin is also a blackmailer and pornographer which helps explain the attempt of someone trying to burn down the company (and Marvin’s reluctance to hire the Angels). “Dirty Business” is notable for none of the Angels going undercover, while Sabrina (Kate Jackson) and Kelly (Jaclyn Smith) both play a role in short separate scenes to illicit information, for the rest of the episode the Angels are working as themselves.

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