Joe Holko

Intrigued by the blurb about the show, I started watching Q on Friday evening. I was totally hooked by the second episode. Throughout the weekend, I watched it when I could and finished it on Sunday afternoon. It is a refreshing and novel portrayal of great detective work, a complicated set of facts and relationships, built on wonderful Scottish accents and words I had to look up. It is one of the best things I have watched in a long time. Don’t miss it but make sure you use the close captioning so that you catch every word and nuance.

If you thirst for the details of the last days of the Third Reich, Downfall is the movie to see. It’s not for the faint of heart or those with a weak stomach. Some of the scenes are brutal but historically accurate. Shootings, hangings, and suicides are treated deftly but without being gratuitous. As the Russians close in on Berlin and the Red Army bomb them, some party, drink, dress up, undress, and dance, while others gather their families and flee the city. In German with subtitles, the acting is a tour de force for the entire cast. Even the child actors who fought for Herr Hitler at the end of the war offer a hypnotic portrayal of the Nazi youth under der Fuhrer. It is a must see for history buffs, movie buffs, and anyone with an open mind willing to learn about the mindset of Hitler and his henchmen.