My wife and I finished all 7 seasons of The Shield over the course of about four months. I only wish I knew about this show earlier. The Shield was raw, hard-hitting, and gritty. It was a rock epic to The Wire’s symphony. The show benefited from a strong cast — especially with Michael Chiklis in his Emmy award-winning role.

This show is not for kids or the squeamish. It’s interesting to note that since the show was on basic cable (FX Networks), hard language and nudity is not allowed. Yet somehow the show manages to push the limit (most of the time with some graphic crime scenes) — so much so it made The Wire seem tame in comparison.

This movie is not for the squeamish — it starts out with a throat-cutting and a near miscarriage. Later on, you see Viggo Mortensen in a bloody fight inside a bathhouse — you picture the rest. Or not. The gore and violence (and some nudity) was not a surprise, considering how the film aimed to provide an authentic look at the Russian mafia in London. The filmmakers and the actors conducted considerable research before filming. Viggo even went to Russia and hung out with some seedy Russians. What’s interesting was that the main actors were not Russian, but were required to speak in a Russian accent. Perhaps after speaking elvish, Russian wasn’t so hard for Viggo after all.

At first glance, the movie might seem like an Armeggedon knock-off, but good thing Michael Bay wasn’t involved with this one. The premise is familiar, though: a team of astronauts is sent to save humanity, and this time the mission is to save an ailing sun. But this isn’t like your run-of-the-mill sci-fi summer blockbuster, which seems to be the only kind of science fiction film that does well these days.

Focusing on the characters rather than the special effects, the film does a good job of displaying the range of emotions that come with extended loneliness (from traveling months in space) and the knowledge of impending death (they’re flying towards the sun!). However, the film toes that line — it shows us how the crew members react to horrible events, but does not really delve any deeper. The movie takes a strange turn towards the end, but I’ll spare you the spoiler, since I think it’s worth a try.