A Young Doctor's Notebook Season 1

A Young Doctor's Notebook Season 1 (Alex Hardcastle, 2012)

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Rating: DSQ=8, SP=4 / Average Snack

Scale A=3, Scale B=3, Scale C=2, Scale D=2, Scale E=2

Surreal, Dark Humor, Russian Revolution, Drug Addiction

Based on the writings of Bulgakov, this show is quite intriguing but shockingly graphic. If you don't like medical drama because of the blood and operations, you probably won't like this one. A middle-aged doctor remembers his past experiences working as a country doctor in a remote Russian village during the revolution. In a unique and surreal twist, both versions of the doctor appear on screen and converse at the same time.

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Oscar Dash 2015--The Nominees

Oscar Dash 2015! It is here!

I have only seen 3 out of 8 so far, but this list is fantastic. I'm surprised at the variety and quality of films this year. Don't forget to watch the big celebration on February 22. Here are the nominees for best picture:

American Sniper


Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)


Boyhood


The Grand Budapest Hotel


The Imitation Game


Selma


The Theory of Everything


Whiplash


For all the categories, click here.

Happy Watching!

It's Not Me, I Swear!

It's Not Me, I Swear! (Philippe Falardeau, 2008)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Coming of Age, Divorce, Coping, Complex Relationships, Philosophical

Having just gone through a year of much death and loss, it was hard for me to watch this film. The struggles of Leon reminded me of many troubled friends I used to know and family I used to be closer to. It reminded me that growing up without real support can be devastating. And when I say real support, I mean someone who loves you unconditionally and makes an effort to understand your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Everyone deserves to feel some kind of security in a world that is so full of difference and often so painfully confusing.

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The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game (Morten Tyldum, 2014)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Biopic, WWII, Historical, Drama

Benedict Cumberbatch is utterly amazing in this film about Alan Turing. The story is riveting, the pace is perfect, everything is as it should be. Alan Turing's accomplishments and his tragic personal story are important and timely. I believe everyone should see this film because they will learn much about our history, politically and socially. The moral here is that profound genius is often disguised as difference. But we should not be afraid of this--these people are sometimes the only ones capable of creating vast and imperative change. We should all be allowed to live honestly in this world.

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