‘Law & Order’ rips from decade of headlines to launch Season 21
First episode impressions (TV review): NBC makes up for one of its biggest mistakes by bringing back the original NYC-based “L&O” after a 12-year hiatus.
Courtroom Drama
‘Law & Order’ rips from decade of headlines to launch Season 21
‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1957) an elite court drama
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): Billy Wilder’s adaptation of Christie’s play/story shows droll comedy and high drama can smoothly blend.
‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1948) guilty of being great
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): This collection of 11 short stories is filled with Agatha Christie gems, starting with the titular tale.
‘Sad Cypress’ (1940) a powerful Poirot potboiler
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Christie approaches this one from new angles: a court case, and relationships that seem real.
‘Disclosure’ (1994) makes the office thrilling
Michael Crichton Monday (Book review): Setting aside sci-fi, Crichton makes a strong case that sexual harassment is about power, not gender.
‘Better Call Saul’ Season 1 (2015) introduces our favorite lawyer
Blogging ‘Saul’ (TV review): “Saul” Season 1 is the epitome of 2010s slow-burn serials, but in a good way. In fact: S’all good, man.
Grant, Kidman shine in Kelley’s ‘The Undoing’
TV review: HBO’s “The Undoing” is the latest dark murder mystery from David E. Kelley, and it’s a compelling one thanks in part to a stellar cast.
‘The Verdict’ (1982) a masterwork of the courtroom drama form
Mamet Monday (Movie review): This Mamet-Lumet collaboration is a masterful courtroom drama and redemption story.
‘Winslow Boy’ (1999) grippingly chronicles small, crucial legal case
Mamet Monday (Movie review): This adaptation is an engrossing, character-driven document of a small but crucial legal case.
‘Phil Spector’ (2013) a gripping condemnation of juries
Mamet Monday (Movie review): This Al Pacino showcase is a bizarre, gripping condemnation of juries without actually showing the jurors.