Entertainment Suggestions

I recently watched the following movie and TV series.  Both were great.

Movie: Jane Got a Gun.
Status: Just out of theaters.  Not available yet on DVD or streaming.

Who doesn't like a strong American woman, wife and mother?

I haven't seen a pro-mother movie this good since Kill Bill.

The title says it all.  It is a movie about Jane.  She has a problem: some bad guys want to hunt down and kill her wounded husband, her and her daughter.  She only considers one solution: her gun.

The simple life.  The rugged life.  A great post-Civil War era Western about perseverance and survival.  A nice look back at what made America great.

Despite being rated R, I'd specifically recommend this for early-teen girls and their parents.

TV: Occupied
Status: Only on Netflix.  One season, 10 episodes @ 45mins each.

Undoubtedly using the recent Russian invasion of Crimea and Ukraine as a template, this series presents the scenario of a bloodless Russian invasion of a post-NATO Norway.

This is Norway's Red Dawn.

You will see the slow-motion invasion at the diplomatic, military, intelligence and street levels.  You will see some take things seriously, while others are either in denial or in acceptance.  You will see the passivity we've all come to expect from Europeans more interested in climate change than national security.  And, without fail, you'll see the ruthlessness that is core to Russian expansionism.

Recommended for every European as a warning, and for American as a reminder.

I have added this recommendation to the Ushanka Cinema list at the left.

UPDATED 2.25.16:

The TV series, Deutschland 83 (one season) was listed in IMDB as a favorite of those who watched Occupied.  The wife and I bought the season on Amazon.  We loved it.

A great cold war series about a young East German spy in West Germany in 83. They do a great job of integrating the events of the day: Grenada, Pershing II, AIDS, etc. They do a great job at presenting the commie paranoia re: Reagan. A good spy story with some risky spy behavior that seemed slightly unrealistic at times. Bonus - they throw in a ton of early 80's music.

Two negatives: there is some gay stuff in the later episodes.  Nothing heavy and not agenda driven - just gay.  Also, the series is 100% subtitled and it moves a bit fast.