In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed actor Jason Isaacs for my House Call column in the Mansion section (go here). Most recently, in season 3 of Max's The White Lotus, Jason plays Timothy Ratliff, a financier from North Carolina vacationing with his family at the Thailand resort just as U.S. authorities are seeking to arrest him at home. [Photo above of Jason Isaacs in The White Lotus by Fabio Lovino, courtesy of HBO]
Here's the Season 3 White Lotus trailer...
Currently, Jason co-stars in the biographical film Words of War, playing the husband of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who took on Putin over the barbarity of the Second Chechen War. Here's the trailer...
Also in the WSJ, with the death of Sly Stone, I wrote an appreciation of the singer-songwriter, leader and arranger of Sly and the Family Stone. Go here.
Two days later, I wrote one for Brian Wilson when I learned, early in the afternoon, of his passing. Go here.
New and watched this past week...
- FUBAR 2—Season 2—(June 12/Netflix)
- Love & Mercy—(the 2014 Brian Wilson biopic/multiple platforms)
Worthwhile stuff that started or will start soon...
- Words of War (film/theaters)
- FUBAR 2 (series/Netflix)
- The Better Sister (Prime)
- Deep Cover (Prime film)
- The Gilded Age—Season 3 (starts June 22/HBO)
- Sovereign (July 11/film/theaters)
- Leanne—(July 31/Netflix)
My favorite streaming series, ranked...
- Babylon Berlin
- Adolescence
- Sovereign
- My Brilliant Friend
- Good American Family
- Killing Eve
- The Crown
- Mad Men
- The Americans
- Younger
- Fleabag
- Band of Brothers
- The Sopranos
- Enlightened
- Friday Night Lights
- Justified
- The Promised Life
- Feud: Bette and Joan
- The Old Man
- Downton Abbey
- The Blacklist
- Goliath
- Julia
- The Gentlemen
- Turn: Washington's Spies
- Unbelievable
- Landman
- Voiceless (Bella da morire)(2020/MHz)
- Black Doves
- Web Therapy
Archive: Recommended series, films and documentaries...
TV series
- The Affair—(2014-2019/Hulu)
- Alaska Daily—(2022/Prime)
- The Americans—(2013-2018)/Prime)
- Anatomy of a Scandal—(2022/Netflix)
- Apples Never Fall—2024/Peacock)
- Babylon Berlin (2017-2024/MHz via Prime Video)
- Band of Brothers—(2001/Netflix)
- The Bay (2019-current/BritBox)
- Black Doves (2024/Netflix)
- The Blacklist (2013-2023/Netflix)
- Belgravia—(2020/Prime Video)
- The Bletchley Circle (2012/Britbox)
- Blue Lights—(2023/BritBox)
- Bosch—(2014-2021/Prime)
- Bosch: Legacy—(2022-current/Prime)
- The Crown—(2016-2023/Netflix)
- Cherif—(2013-2019/Prime)
- Dark Winds—(2022/AMC)
- The Diplomat—(2023/Netflix)
- Downton Abbey—(2020-2015/Prime)
- The Dropout (2022/Hulu)
- Elizabeth 1 (2005/Max)
- Emily in Paris—(2020-present/Netflix)
- Enlightened—(2011-2013/Max)
- Feud (S1): Bette and Joan—(2017/Hulu)
- Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans—(2024/FX, with streaming on Hulu)
- Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
- Friday Night Lights (2006-2011/Netflix)
- The Gentlemen—(2024/Netflix)
- Godless—(2017/Netflix)
- Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
- The Gilded Age—(current/Max)
- High Water—(2022/Netflix)
- Homeland—(2011-2020/Showtime)
- Il Commissario Manara (Inspector Manara) (2009-2011/MHz)
- Jane Eyre—(2006/Britbox)
- Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
- Killing Eve—(2018-2022/Netflix)
- Life & Beth—(Seasons 1& 2, 2022-present/Hulu)
- Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
- Lioness—(2023-current/Paramount+)
- Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
- MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
- Mobland—(2025/Paramount+)
- Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
- Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
- My Brilliant Friend—(2018-current/Max)
- The Night Agent—(2023-present/Netflix)
- 1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
- 1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
- The Old Man—(2022/Hulu)
- On Call—2025/Amazon Prime)
- Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
- Protection—(2024/S1/BritBox)
- The Perfect Couple—(2024/Netflix)
- Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
- The Promised Life—(2018/MHz via Prime Video)
- Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
- Ripley—(2024/Netflix)
- Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
- The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
- Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
- Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
- Under the Banner of Heave—(2022/Hulu)
- Veronica Mars—(2004 to 2019/Hulu)
- Voiceless (Bella da morire—(2020/MHz)
- The Watcher—(2022/Netflix)
- The Way Home—(2023-current/Peacock)
- Who Is Erin Carter—(2023/Netflix)
- The Woman in the Wall—(2024/Showtime)
- The Veil—(2024/Hulu-FX)
- Web Therapy—(2011-2015/Fandango)
- Wilder—(2017-current)
- WPC 56—(2013-2015/Britbox)
- Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
- Younger—(2015-2021K/Netflix)
Films
- Anna (2019/Tubi)
- The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
- American Gangster—(2007/Max)
- Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
- The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017/Netflix)
- Blackout (2022/Netflix)
- The Bricklayer—(2024/Netflix)
- The Commuter (2018/Netflix)
- The Dig—(2021/Netflix)
- Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
- Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
- Enrico Piaggio - Un Sogno Italiano (An Italian Dream) (2019/MHz)
- The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
- The Great Lillian Hall—(2024/Max)
- The Family Man—(2000/Netflix)
- Fury—(2014/Netflix)
- God's Country—(2022/Hulu)
- Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
- I Used to Be Funny (2023/Netflix)
- Jack Reacher (the movie)—(2012/Paramount+)
- Just My Luck (2006/Paramount+)
- Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
- Killers of the Flower Moon—(2023/Apple+)
- La Palma (2024/Netflix)
- Life or Something Like It—(2002/Netflix)
- Knight and Day—(2010/Roku)
- Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
- Last Seen Alive—(2020/Netflix)
- The Little Things—(2021/Netflix)
- Lonely Planet—(2024)/Netflix)
- Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
- Manchester by the Sea—(2016/Prime Video)
- MI-5—(2015/Max)
- The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
- The Night Agent—(2023/Netflix)
- 99 Homes—(2014/Roku)
- Nobody—(2021/Prime)
- Nobody Wants This—(2024/Netflix)
- Ordinary Angels—(2024/assorted platforms)
- The Pledge—(2011/Peacock)
- Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
- The Queen—(2006/Paramount+)
- The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
- Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
- Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
- Ruthless—(2023/Hulu)
- The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix).
- Sicario (2015/Netflix)
- Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
- Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
- Some Girl(s)—(2013/Amazon Prime)
- Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
- Spy(ies)—(2009/Prime)
- The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
- Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
- The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
- Up in the Air—(2009/Max)
- Woman in Gold—(2015/Max)
- Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
Documentaries
- Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
- The Beach Boys—(2024/Disney)
- Carole King: Live in Central Park—(2023/PBS)
- The Comeback—(2005 and 2014/Max)
- Cunk on Earth—(2022/Netflix)
- Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing—(2023/Paramount+)
- Facing Nolan—(2022/Netflix)
- Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
- Jane Fonda in Five Acts—(2024/Max)
- Kate Hepburn: Call Me Kate—(2023/Netflix)
- The Only Girl in the Orchestra—(2023/Netflix)
- The Stones and Brian Jones—(2023/Hulu)
- Suzi Q: Suzi Quatro—(2019/Prime)
- The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
- 'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here)
Kirk Lightsey. Noel Thomas asked for a recommendation by the great American jazz pianist. Here's the Kirk Lightsey Trio backing Chet Baker on Ray's Idea, from Everything Happens to Me, recorded in 1983 for the Timeless label in the Netherlands, produced by Wim Wigt. Joining Kirk was David Eubanks on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums...
Heading to Spain? The Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, has been around since 1977. This year it will be held from July 14 to 19. What's more, Vitoria-Gasteiz is an hour and 15 minutes away from San Sebastián, the foodie capital of the country and maybe Europe. For more information, go to the festival site and click your language in the lower left-hand corner. Go here.
Supermarket music. This past week, director Raymond De Felita posted on why it's impossible to dine out today without being slammed by loud, lousy music and his yearning for gentle background music that was pumped through ceiling speakers in supermarkets in the 1970s. To read his post and give a listen, go here and here.
New Music of Note
Danny Grissett—Travelogue (Savant). The pianist and keyboard player delivers one of his finest albums of mostly original material. He's backed by Vicente Archer on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. Sophisticated tenderness with a hushed quality. Listen on streaming platforms or buy here.
Here's Here's That Rainy Day...
And finally, here's Pat Metheny playing Better Days Ahead from his 1989 masterpiece Letter From Home...