Top series 2025

Saw a horrible amonut of series/tv series, some new, some renewed, some cancelled, some I quit...

Mayor of Kingstown s04 -4 -toughest yet, Lennie James, Richard Brake, Eddie Falco, Laura Benanti.

The Iris Affair -miniseries- 8 eps  big fsss. Tom Hollander good. 

The Last Frontier -should've quit  

got back to Slow Horses s2 1/2 -5 -Gary Oldman getting more and more Legend !

Down Cemetery Gates -loses steam after ep. 4

The White Lotus s03 - -best yet-Walton Goggins, Scott Glenn, Parker Posey. 

It: Welcome to Derry -quit 

Task  sez. 1 not much

Duster 1 sez. cancelled , was kinda fun

Subteran 1 sez. oy vey

Landman s. 1 ep.7-10 / sez 2 ep. 1-5 (in Top Series 2024, contd. in 2026)

The Lowdown 8 eps - Tulsa noir on the songs of J.J.Cale, Ethan Hawke as jouranlist Lee Raybon gets beaten up all the time. Created by Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs). 

Pluribus s01 -Vince Gilligan is moving way to slow...

Peacemaker s02 -even better than season One. 

The Studio  1 season-10 eps., Seth Rodgen's satire is hit and miss but the episodes are short and Bryan Carnston as Griffin Mill is a blast !

Dept. Q  sez 1, 9 eps. (renewed) -the Sweedish series of thriller books  by Jussi Adler-Olsen get new (Scott Frank for Netflix)  and way too slow treatment with Matthew Goode as Carl Morck.  

The Last of Us -season 3. All gets weak after Pedro Pascal is no more. 

Monster The Ed Gein Story (sez 3 -8 eps) -see below

Walking Dead-New York -quit 

Alien: Earth s 1  -they did some good, and then they did some real bad. Continuing to mix the Weyland Yutanis with the Blad Runners, Prometheus, Timothy Olyphant's android Kirsch is a hoot !

Paradise season 1 (renewed) -cool idea of post apocalyptic city under a dome. 

Dope Thief  sez. 1  -Ridley Scott produced and directed the first episode. Based on a true story. 

Black Rabbit -miniseries 8 eps.  See review here. 

Your friends and Neighbours sez. 1. Jon Hamm steals. 

oh, and Moldova's Gangster and fiend, Plaha, 10 episode political thriller with Iulian Postelnicu as Plaha, written and directed by Igor Cobilianski

*****************

Revelation of the Year:

Monster The Ed Gein Story (Netflix). Ian Brennan writer, Max Wrinler director. 8 eps. miniseries.

Movies mix with the legacy of serial killers -from Psycho to Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Silence of the Lambs. Clever post-modern choices. Plus Ilsa Koch and the Nazis ! But a truly great performance form Charlie Hunnam. And Tom Hollander is Alfred Hitchcock. Even Mindhunter returns in ep. 8. Too much grand guignol as always but way way upper than the other 2 seasons (the 2nd I quit watching...)

Why is though Ed Gein made so sympathetic and a victim, "mother's boy" ? 

Top 5

Peacemaker s.2 -hbo max

Mayor of Kingstown s.4 -skyshowtime/paramount +

The Studio  -apple+

White Lotus s.3 -hbo max 

The Lowdown -fx / hulu 

Pale Flower (1964)

Pale Flower /Kawaita hana is a one-of-a-kind Noir pschedelic by Masahiro Shinoda, New Wave of Japonese cinema director. Closer to Le Samourai by Melville, or something by Antonioni, than the Japonese cinema of the era. Also keener to Kitano's earlier films. Spellbinding black and white tale of obsession, gambling and yakuza, nihillistic, downbeat existentialism. Ryô Ikebe is great as gangster Muraki, a quintesential film noir icon and Mariko Kaga as unaproachable Saeki a real pale flower indeed. The car race at night seems more appropiate in a French or Italian new vague film. Here is just hypnotic. 

Atmospeheric score by Toru Takemitsu. 

Also, this is one of Top Ten films of Michael Mann, "for the opening scenes alone". 

4 1/2 out of 5 / 9 out of 10 !!!

Father Mother Sister Brother (2025)

Father Mother Sister Brother  might be the last Jim Jarmusch hilm (*he said it). He is also 72 now, which is somehow incredible, cos he kinda looks the same.

Three vignettes (New Jersey, Dublin, Paris), out of which the 1st one is the best, Father, because it has Tom Waits in it. Nice to see Charlotte Rampling as Mother and Vicky Krieps with pink hair is cool too. It's Jarmusch's introspective reflective film after 6 years of pause and the uberdisapointing The Dead don't Die (see here in Romanian).

FMSB is not a lot of fun, some coffeee, no cigarettes, the same shots from above tho, on Mother some cakes, some tea (no alcohol) some skating, Rolexes, a nice Paris flat, a lot of Reds in the costumes (YSL;), but the whole thing is out of breath, man...sort of Mid day on Earth...

that FMSB won Best film on Venice film fest this year, beats me. This was a film that was not accepted in competition in Cannes, the festival that made JJ a star !

Jim Jarmusch made also the music, on guitar, together with singer Annika (Henderson), one of the songs is Jackson Browne's These Days, 1st sung by Nico in 1967.  

3 stars out of 5 / 6 out of 10 !

RIP Brigitte Bardot

 Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot, aka B.B. , once the most famous French incons, died at age 91. She was one of the most beautiful women on screen, bringin g a certain modern quality to feminity in the 60's. 

She was married four times, most famously to Roger Vadim and Gunther Sachs. Also a singer, involved with Serge Gainsbourg (Bonnie & Clyde).

Films: Vadim's  Et Dieu... créa la femme, Louis Malle's Viva Maria, Henri Clousot's La Vérité, Godard's Le Mépris. Last film in 1973. She became a Grand Animal Activist, and that was her main activity and her legacy. 

Obit in The Guradian here.

And here's the great  Tom Zé, with his song BB (1973). 

RIP Chris Rea

Sad news before Xmas...

Chris Rea is no longer Driving Home for Christmas...

The English blues player and singer was 74. 

Rea recorded 25 studio albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart, The Road to Hell in 1989 and its follow-up, Auberge, in 1991.

He did the music for La Passione in 1996, film he wrote and produced about racing cars and Ferrari, Rea being a racing driver himself.

He also had the lead in the pythonesque black comedy Parting Shots (1998, directed by Michael Winner), next to Ben Kingsley, Oliver Reed and John Cleese. The film can been on youtube, here.

He had an Italian father and Irish mother - his family were in the ice cream business. 

Chris Rea had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 33, a lot of other health issues folllowing it, but he lived and played, album after album, gig after gig, until a stroke in 2016...

He played Bucharest's Sala Palatului, on February 6th 2010 -my memories and review here.

His last album was a compilation, The Christmas Album, released on October 17, 2025....

Obit on BBC here 

Nuremberg (2025)

 Nuremberg, to be seen in theaters. 

My favorite actor for the next Oscars would be Russell Crowe in an all-time high career role as Hermann Göring in this WW2 courtroom drama based on the real events pd the Trial at Nuremberg. His opponent in the film is Rami Malek as the shrink Hermann Göring in a weird casting choice. Screenwriter James Vanderbilt's 2nd feature has great production values (shot in Hungary for 7.5 mill. $ !!!), sets, costumes, supporting cast (John Slattery, Michael Shannon, Richard E. Grant, Colin Hanks,   Andreas Pietschmann as Rudolf Hess), dramatic music by Brian Tyler and great widescreen cinematography by Dariusz Wolski. Bsed on  Jack El-Hai's book,  "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist".

For many too academic, long (2h30 -I'd say Epic), ut a worthwhile dramatic story with a new take, worthy to be told TODAY.

3 1/2 out of 5 / 7 out of 10 !!!

RIP Marty DiBergi

 took a while to process, and but it's not processed yet..:(

Mr. Marty DiBergi who just a had a comeback with Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues had left the showbiz...Dec. 14th 2025. He was 78. More about Rob Reiner in another later post...

The End Continues 

LMA Keef @82

Keith Richards / Keef is 82 !!! Amazing ! Noroc !!!

also the Stones have announced NO European tour in 2026.

They will have a new album out tho soon...

La multi ani to the original Pirate King !!!

thinking of Bobby Keys too !

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1166318042379539

Sirat (2025)

The Sirat Bridge, in Islamic belief, is a narrow and perilous bridge that every person must cross on the Day of Judgment to enter Paradise (Jannah). It is described as being thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword, with the faithful crossing it swiftly, while sinners may fall into Hell below.

(from imdb trivia)

SIRAT is one of the best films of 2025, and definitely the most interesting, visually and thematically. Jury Prize in Cannes and Golden Globe nominated for best foreign film (Spain's entry) and surely Oscar nod in the same category. Sergi Lopez leads a cast of unknown and unprofessional actors into the Morrocan -here unanmed-desert in a Jodorowskian take on Sorcerer (Friedkin's best !!!) in Burning Man territory. Existentialism follows upwards and downwards spiral ;)

Director and co-writer Oliver Laxe says Sirat it's a mix of Mad Max, Easy Rider and Stalker.  

Also there are one armless man, one legless man (Freak show, /Freaks t shirt), another hint at some Jodorowski. And a pun on a Boris Vian poem and song, more existentialism and surrealism mix.

Stellar Techno electronic soundtrack by French artist Kangding Ray. Would deserve the Oscar and the Globe for best score.It won Cannes Soundtrack Award.

Kudos also for Laia Casanova’s sound design, that turns the "rumors of the wind" and the noises of the desert into their own Rave.

 Also as I was sure, it's the Winner of 2025 Palm Dog - Jury Prize For Pipa the Jack Russell, and Lupita the Podenco mix.

9 out of Ten / 4 1/2 out of 5 !!!

*To be seen in a cinema with powerful speakers and good sound design. And about that, it's a real shame the film runs in Romania only a few shows, in some cities (see here on the distributor's site Transilvania Film), and not at all in Brasov :((( shameful...

A review in Hollywood Reporter here

The Secret Agent /O Agente Secreto (2025)

Kleber Mendonça Filho's follow-up to Bacurau is O Agente secreto. 2025's Cannes award winner for best actor -Walter Moura !and best director, Golden Globe nominated and soon Oscar nominated-Brazil's entry for best foreign film.

Also Udo Kier's last part as Hans, a great on screen goodbye.

2h38 of complicated narrative, non-liniar, Brazilian politics and 1970's history, plus a lot of love for the cinema, ecclectic soundtrack, one of the most interesting and best films of the year. 

**** out of *****

8 out of 10 !

2026 Golden Globes Nominations (#83)

 All nominations out, Awards on Jan. 11th 2026.

https://celebmix.com/the-2026-golden-globe-nominations-are-here-see-the-full-list/#google_vignette

Tops, Sinners, One Battle After Another, Frankenstein, The Secret Agent, and Sirat, mostly Sirat ;)

Sentimental Value, Hamnet, Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice remain to be seen. 

I guess The Voice of Hind Rajab as the Panahi, not my faved at all, due to their own political agenda that is not Cinema for some of us. 

Remembering John Lennon

 8 Dec. 1980-IMAGINE what he could ve done in these stolen 45 years......John Lennon...WHY ?

RIP Artan

 Chiar nu-mi vine sa cred...drum bun Artan...Adrian Pleșca-om de Timpuri Noi si mereu Partizan...

o sa revin si am sa scriu mai multe depre intilnirile mele cu el...

next day: am apucat acum pe Sunete, asa cum se vede mai jos, si acolo ne-am intilnit Corespuzator...

imi place sa cred ca Adrian Artan a plecat in Concendiu...

https://sunetelive.ro/artan-4ever/

                                          13 martie 2016 cu Vlad si Artan, Sunete si..David Bowie...

                                                                        *****

"Perfect", in recital special la Cerbul de aur (!) in 1996, show regizat de Radu Muntean. 

si un interviu frumos, linistit, de unde aflati si de unde vine numele de Artan la min. 26.

The S.H.I.T. – Brand-New Blues Rock Supergroup – premieră în România!

The S.H.I.T. este un nou supergrup internațional, format din patru muzicieni excepționali ai scenei blues și

rock: Innes Sibun (chitară și voce), Mike Hellier (tobe), Roger Inniss (bas) și Rob Tognoni (chitară și voce).

Acești artiști, formați pe scenele mari ale blues-ului și rock-ului, s-au unit pentru a crea un proiect original,

plin de energie și atitudine.

Muzica lor combină blues-ul, roots și Americana, într-un stil autentic, caracterizat de virtuozitate instrumentală și prezență scenică remarcabilă. Acesta va fi primul concert susținut vreodată de The S.H.I.T. în această nouă formulă cu Innes Sibun la chitară și voce.

Innes Sibun (UK) – unul dintre cei mai apreciați chitariști britanici de blues rock, parte din Robert Plant Band și artist cu peste 30 de ani de experiență scenică. Unul din prietenii statornici ai Transilvania Blues Nights ca parte din proiectul The Malone Sibun Band împreună cu texanul Marcus Malone, prezenți de trei ori la Brașov, în 2019, 2020 si în 2023.

Rob Tognoni (Australia) – The Tasmanian Devil, un showman de forță, chitarist exploziv și o carieră de peste trei decenii. A mai fost prezent la Transilvania Blues Nights cu propria trupă în 2022 și 2024.

Roger Inniss (UK) – basist cu o versatilitate remarcabilă, activ în proiecte de blues, funk și soul. A colaborat cu artiști precum Joanne Shaw-Taylor, Snowy White, Mick Taylor, Edwin Starr, Chaka Khan. A fost prezent la Transilvania Blues Nights de două ori, alături de brazilianul Fred Sunwalk.

Mike Hellier (UK) – baterist cu groove puternic și experiență eclectică, a cântat în diverse formule, de la Mike Scott (The Waterboys), James Hunter, Johnny Thunders, la Mudd Morganfield, fiul lui Muddy Waters.

Un concert-eveniment în premieră națională și la Brașov, în cadrul Transilvania Blues Nights.

Un eveniment marca Transilvania Blues Nights, recomandat de Rock FM și Zile și Nopți.

Sponsori: BCR, ButanGas, Dräxlmaier, Tehnic Mihor BitDatamining, Aplind

Parteneri de ospitalitate: A-Ha Bistro, Coliba Haiducilor, Brașov Old Town Apartments.

6 decembrie 2025, ora 20:00, open doors 18:00. Transilvania Blues Nights. Clubul Rockstadt, Brașov.Bilete: pre-sale 120 lei până în data de 05.12.2025; 150 lei în ziua concertului. Informații și bilete: www.transilvaniablues.ro

Eveniment Facebook: Concert The S.H.I.T. @ Transilvania Blues Nights

Subscribe to the Transilvania Blues YouTube channel here

B. There & Let There B. Blues!