This March, Showtime has several returning series plus some new additions to its movie library that will interest seniors.
Your Honor Season 2 – Fridays
Bryan Cranston returns for Season 2 of Your Honor, which started earlier this year and now has new episodes every Friday through March 17. Cranston portrays a judge whose son is involved in a hit-and-run that embroils an organized-crime family.
MDB Rating – Your Honor Season 1 (2020) has a 7.6 rating on IMDB but with mixed reviews. One reviewer wrote: “I actually really liked the premise and that it had potential. But it all gets muddled between somewhat silly actions of the father trying to help his son but much much more than that, the absolutely idiotic son … All in all, quality idea, could’ve been a good show but its not above average, often drops far below that, mostly due to the kid Adam.”
The official Showtime sites for the series is: Your Honor Season 2. Below is a preview of Your Honor Season 2.
Waco – March 5; Waco: Aftermath April 16
Starting March 5, Showtime repeats its 6-part dramatization of the 1993 standoff with the Branch Davidian religious sect in Waco. This is a 2018 miniseries and is being reshown as a windup to a new follow-on, Waco: The Aftermath, which starts April 16 on Showtime.
The standoff between the FBI, ATF and the Branch Davidians, the religious sect led by David Koresh, lasted 51 days and ended in the tragic deaths of 76 members of the community. This recreation shows the perspective of individuals on both sides of the conflict.
IMDB Rating – Waco (2018) has a 7.9 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “I was hooked from the start, The acting is amazing and so it the screen play. There are 6 episodes all an hour each and they felt like 5 mins each. I would recommend this mini-series to anyone.”
The official Showtime sites for the films are: Waco and Waco: The Aftermath. Below is a preview.
The Circus Season 8 – Sundays
The Circus – subtitled “Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth” – is an up close and sometimes irreverent look at Washington politics. The Circus is hosted by John Heilemann (national affairs analyst for NBC News and MSNBC), Mark McKinnon (cofounder of No Labels and columnist for The Daily Beast) and Jennifer Palmieri (former communications director for President Obama and Hillary Clinton).
MDB Rating – The Circus has a 7.2 rating on IMDB but with mixed reviews. One reviewer wrote: “I’m left of the Democratic party, and this show is embarrassing to anyone who claims to be left. It’s a corporate neoliberal propaganda outlet.”
The official Showtime sites for the series is: The Circus Season 8. Below is a preview.
Classic Movies Coming to Showtime in March
Every month, Showtime changes the roster of films that is makes available to viewers. Here is the new set of films you can see on Showtime starting March 1, 2023.
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic is a 2013 American biographical documentary about the life of comedian and actor Richard Pryor. The documentary won the 2013 NAACP Image Award for Best Television Documentary. Richard Pryor: Omit The Logic has a 7.3 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “Omit the Logic interviews over a dozen friends, family, colleagues, and associates of Pryor detailing his rise and his fall. If you are a fan of comedy and stand-up comedians, this is a must watch.”
Marathon Man
Marathon Man is a 1976 American thriller directed by John Schlesinger. It was adapted by William Goldman from his 1974 novel of the same title and stars Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane and Marthe Keller. In the film, “Babe” Levy, a graduate student (Hoffman), becomes embroiled in a plot by a Nazi war criminal (Olivier) to retrieve stolen diamonds from a safe deposit box. Babe becomes unwittingly involved due to his brother Doc’s (Scheider) involvement in the diamond deal. Marathon Man was a critical and box office success, with Olivier earning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Szell, the film’s antagonist. Marathon Man has a 7.4 rating on IMDB.
The Conversation
The Conversation is a 1974 American mystery thriller film written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, Teri Garr, and Robert Duvall. The film revolves around a surveillance expert and the moral dilemma he faces when his recordings reveal a potential murder. The Conversation received three nominations at the 47th Academy Awards – Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Sound. In 1995, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The Conversation has a 7.8 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “The Conversation’ is hypnotic, multi-layered and haunting. See it whatever you do.”
Eddie Murphy Raw
Eddie Murphy Raw is a 1987 American stand-up comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Robert Townsend. It was Murphy’s second feature stand-up comedy film, following Eddie Murphy Delirious. The 90-minute show was filmed at the Felt Forum in New York City. As of January 2022, it is the highest-grossing stand-up comedy concert film ever released, making $50.5 million in the United States and Canada. Eddie Murphy Raw has a 7.6 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “Whether you like Eddie Murphy or not, his performance in “Raw” is quite a show. He’s the first to admit to his profane language. But even without the dirty words, he can still entertain, as evidenced by his vocal impressions of Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor. And his song medley at the end is a hilarious finish!.”
Shakespeare in Love
Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 romantic period comedy-drama film directed by John Madden and starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck and Judi Dench. The film depicts a fictional love affair involving playwright William Shakespeare (Fiennes) and Viola de Lesseps (Paltrow) while Shakespeare was writing Romeo and Juliet. Several characters are based on historical figures, and many of the characters, lines, and plot devices allude to Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare in Love received acclaim from critics and was a box office success, grossing $290 million worldwide. The film received numerous accolades, including seven Oscars at the 71st Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Shakespeare in Love has a 7.1 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “Everything about this film was perfect and I think that’s why it received so many Oscar nods and wins, I mean, the costumes, the acting, the sets, the story was absolutely terrific and wonderful to watch.”
Black Sunday
Black Sunday is a 1977 American action thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and based on Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name. It stars Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern and Marthe Keller. The inspiration of the story came from the Munich massacre, perpetrated by the Black September organization against Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Black Sunday has a 6.8 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “This is one of the most realistic political thrillers ever filmed. Each actor regardless of the size of role in this film simply blows away most of what passes for acting today. Frankenheimer’s direction (style later copied on Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue) was perhaps ten to fifteen years ahead of its time, and the editing at times perhaps second only to Jaws and maybe a Hitchcock film or two (though it does slow down in the middle).”
The Birdcage
The Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy directed by Mike Nichols, adapted by Elaine May, and starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest. It is an English-language remake of the 1978 Franco-Italian film La Cage aux Folles and the musical of the same name. The Birdcage has a 7.2 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “Robin Williams underplays but still delivers the laughs solidly, while Gene Hackman proves he is great as a comic actor. Dianne Wiest, Calista Flockhart and Hank Azaria also give terrific turns, however it is Nathan Lane’s hilarious turn as Albert that steals the show. All in all, this is very good and very funny and charming.”
Letters from Iwo Jima
Letters from Iwo Jima is a 2006 Japanese-language American war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya. The film portrays the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers and is a companion piece to Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, which depicts the same battle from the American viewpoint; the two films were shot back to back. Letters from Iwo Jima is almost entirely in Japanese. The film received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and winning Best Sound Editing. Letters from Iwo Jima has a 7.9 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “At the conclusion of the film a person behind me said, “Incredible,” twice. Another person followed with, “A masterpiece.” I would concur. Perhaps it isn’t a perfect film but it is a movie with great impact.”
The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston
The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston recounts the rise, fall and suspicious death of the great boxer. The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston has a 7.2 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “I’m old enough to remember Sonny Liston and his fights, but I never knew this other side of his life. It’s very revealing. I have a new appreciation for the man and the fighter. I liked the different perspectives offered by the various talking heads, and some of the original films are precious. The weakest part of the film is the “murder” mysteries. But everything else is first class.”
The One and Only Dick Gregory
The One and Only Dick Gregory is a 2021 American documentary directed, written, and produced by Andre Gaines. The film follows the life and career of comedian and activist, Dick Gregory. Gregory, Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Lena Waithe, Dave Chappelle, Wanda Sykes, W. Kamau Bell, Harry Belafonte, Lilian Gregory, Steve Jaffe and Christian Gregory appear in the film. The One and Only Dick Gregory has a 7.9 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “How one man can live a thousand lives in a lifetime is just amazing. This was an amazing documentary, the best to be released in 2021.”
The Untouchables
The Untouchables is a 1987 American crime film directed by Brian De Palma and written by David Mamet. The film is loosely based on the book of the same name from 1957 and the real-life events it was based on, but most of its plot is fictionalized. The film stars Kevin Costner, Charles Martin Smith, Andy García, Robert De Niro and Sean Connery. The Untouchables follows Eliot Ness (Costner) as he forms the Untouchables team to bring Al Capone (De Niro) to justice during Prohibition. The Grammy Award–nominated score was composed by Ennio Morricone and features period music by Duke Ellington. The film grossed $106 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics. It was nominated for four Academy Awards; Connery won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The Untouchables has a 7.8 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “The motion picture was beautifully directed by Brian De Palma . This superb recounting will appeal immensely to Kevin Costner and Sean Connery fans.”
Fargo
Fargo is a 1996 black comedy crime film written, produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Frances McDormand stars as a pregnant Minnesota police chief investigating a triple homicide that takes place after a desperate car salesman (William H. Macy) hires two criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife in order to extort a ransom from her wealthy father. The film was both a commercial and critical success, earning particular acclaim for the Coens’ direction and script and the performances of McDormand, Macy, and Buscemi. Fargo received seven Oscar nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Macy, winning two: Best Actress for McDormand and Best Original Screenplay for the Coens. Fargo has an 8.1 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “I recommend you see it. Just adjust your expectations and DON’T think it’s a comedy. Yes, a few parts are darkly funny but the Coen Brothers do not appear to have been making a comedy here. I’d put it in the same sort of category as their gritty films like Blood Simple.”
Tootsie
Tootsie is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Dustin Hoffman. The supporting cast includes Pollack, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, George Gaynes and Geena Davis (in her debut). Tootsie tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult drives him to adopt a new identity as a woman to land a job. Tootsie was a major critical and financial success, and was nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture. However, Lange was the only winner, receiving the award for Best Supporting Actress. Tootsie has a 7.4 rating from IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “Tootsie is a small masterpiece of intelligent comedy, full of emotions, love and interesting observations about the relationship between women and men.”
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a 1986 American teen comedy written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck. It tells the story of a high school slacker who skips school with his best friend and his girlfriend for a day in Chicago and regularly breaks the fourth wall to explain his techniques and inner thoughts. The film features many Chicago landmarks including the then Sears Tower, Wrigley Field and the Art Institute of Chicago. The film was Hughes’s love letter to Chicago: “I really wanted to capture as much of Chicago as I could. Not just in the architecture and landscape, but the spirit.” The film received acclaim from critics and audiences alike, who praised Broderick’s performance, the humor, and the tone. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has a 7.8 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “I have an ongoing discussion with my friends and family about what movie defines your generation, and for me, this is it! Ferris’ commentary throughout the movie is hilarious and irreverent, giving a voice to those on the borderline between Generations X and Y.”
Death Wish
Death Wish is a 1974 American neo-noir vigilante action thriller film loosely based on the 1972 novel of the same title by Brian Garfield. Directed by Michael Winner, the film stars Charles Bronson as an architect who becomes a vigilante after his wife and daughter are attacked during a home invasion with his wife dying from her wounds. At the time of release, the film was criticized for its apparent support of vigilantism and advocating unlimited punishment of criminals. The film was a commercial success and resonated with the public in the United States, which was experiencing increasing crime rates during the 1970s. Death Wish has a 6.9 rating on IMDB. One reviewer wrote: “Until you’ve lived in a real urban jungle, you’ll never know the great release that a movie like “Death Wish” can bring you. It’s strictly vicarious entertainment but what marvelous entertainment it is!”
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