Israeli TV

Review: Prisoners of War (Hatufim) 1×1

15 May 2012 Rob Buckley 12 Comments

Prisoners of War/Hatufim

In the UK: Thursdays, 9.30pm, Sky Arts 1
In Israel: Aired 2009

Homeland has been a big hit for both Showtime in the US and Channel 4 in the UK, going great guns in the ratings. In it, POW Damian Lewis returns to the US after eight years in captivity in Iraq. CIA analyst Claire Danes, however, suspects he’s been converted by terrorists and has been released to do something horrific on US soil. Is he or isn’t he? Well, the last episode of the first season has already aired, but I won’t spoil it for you – go watch it, if you haven’t already, since it was the best new drama of the Fall 2011-12 season.

However, as I mentioned at the time, Homeland is not a wholly original show, having been adapted by some of 24‘s creators from an Israeli show, Prisoners of War aka Hatufim. Now Sky Arts 1, which is not only fast becoming a rival to BBC4 as my favourite UK channel but also a haven for quality Israeli TV (just as BBC4 now gets all the good Scandinavian shows), has decided to broadcast the original show on Thursdays in a 10 week run.

Intriguingly, Prisoners of War is both quite a different show to Homeland as well as very similar. After the trailer (which is all in Hebrew, unfortunately, but you can view an English-language promo here) and the jump, I’ll give you a rundown on the differences and look at it as a show in its own right.

Continue reading “Review: Prisoners of War (Hatufim) 1×1”

Fox’s upfronts 2012-3 – a rundown and clips from the new shows

15 May 2012 Rob Buckley 4 Comments

Yesterday, we had (multiple) looks at the new shows that NBC is planning for 2012-3. Today, we’re going to take a gander at the shows Fox has in the pipeline.

Seeing as Fox is a considerably more successful network than NBC – it does at least have a few successful shows, even if House is on the way out – it’s commissioned fewer new shows than NBC to fill its empty slots, so we’re only going to be looking at The Mob Doctor with My Boys‘ Jordana Spiro, Ben & Kate, The Mindy Project with The Office‘s Mindy Kaling, Kevin Williamson’s The Following with Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy and Natalie Zea, and The Goodwin Games with Becki Newton and Scrubs/The Unit’s Scott Foley.

Yes, for some reason – mercury poisoning, temporary insanity – Fox hasn’t picked up The Asset with Ali Larter. Nutters.

My general conclusion: the shows may look as bad as NBC’s, but Fox knows how to make better trailers.

My specific conclusion: The Following looks passable thanks almost purely to James Purefoy and The Goodwin Games actually seems okay. The rest need euthanising.

Continue reading “Fox’s upfronts 2012-3 – a rundown and clips from the new shows”

Film

Pictures from Alfred Hitchcock and The Making of Psycho

15 May 2012 Rob Buckley 4 Comments

In case you don’t know, they’re making a movie about the making of the movie Psycho, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and The Making of Psycho. It’s got quite an impressive cast list, too:

  • Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh
  • James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins
  • Jessica Biel as Vera Miles
  • Helen Mirren as Alma Reville, Alfred Hitchcock’s wife
  • Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock
  • Toni Collette as Hitchcock’s trusted assistant, Peggy Robertson
  • Danny Huston as screenwriter Whitfield Cook (a friend of Reville)
  • Michael Stuhlbarg as agent and studio boss Lew Wasserman
  • Michael Wincott as Ed Gein
  • Ralph Macchio as screenwriter Joseph Stefano
  • Richard Portnow as Paramount Studios boss Barney Balaban
  • Wallace Langham as graphic designer Saul Bass
  • Kurtwood Smith as Geoffrey Shurlock.

Now photos are emerging of what people look like in character. Here’s Hopkins as Hitchcock:

Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock

Not bad, huh?

Scarlett Johnasson (with optional umbrella for the shower scene?) as Janet Leigh

Scarlett Johnasson as Janet Leigh

Jessica Biel as Vera Miles (obviously not in costume, though).

Jessica Biel as Vera Miles

Hair looks a bit dodgy if you ask me. What do you think, though?