Month: September 2026

Band of Brothers at 25: A Masterpiece That Never Gets Old

Only two days to go! Band of Brothers turns 25 on September 9—and HBO Max will mark the anniversary with a brand-new documentary, Band of Brothers: Legacy. So, let’s get in the mood by returning to the masterpiece that never gets old and celebrate!

On September 9, 2001, Band of Brothers premiered on HBO. Twenty-five years later, we are still watching it, still talking about it and still introducing it to new generations. I have written this before and I will keep writing it: Band of Brothers never gets old.

It does not matter how many times you have watched it. You know what is coming and who will make it home, and yet every episode gets you all over again. New viewers still discover a tall, pale, redheaded “American” actor, believe every word he says as Dick Winters—and then get the shock of their lives when they hear Damian speaking in his own very English accent! Some things never change.

But what makes Band of Brothers endure is not simply that it is brilliantly written, directed, acted and filmed. It endures because it never forgets that the men whose story it tells were real.

Continue reading “Band of Brothers at 25: A Masterpiece That Never Gets Old”

“The Runner” Review: A Race Across London and a Battle for Control

Damianista’s note: This review discusses the film’s basic setup and a few scenes beyond those shown in the trailer, but contains no major spoilers.

Let me begin with the obvious: The Runner is not the movie of the year.

It is one of those kidnapping thrillers in which an ordinary person receives a terrifying phone call and must follow a criminal’s instructions to save someone they love. We have seen plenty of them, haven’t we?

However, one thing distinguishes it from many similar thrillers: the person doing the running, fighting and quick problem-solving is a woman. In this kind of story, the desperate parent and action hero has often been a man. Here Maia is given the same freedom male action heroes have long enjoyed—to be physically strong, think strategically and be the one responsible for saving the day. This may not reinvent the formula, but it does help level the playing field for female characters.

This does not mean that The Runner is an excellent movie. No, it is not, and I have reservations that I will discuss later. But it is a good choice for action-thriller lovers. It moves quickly, it has its moments, and the psychological duel at its center keeps it engaging. And this is coming from someone who almost never watches mainstream commercial films, particularly action movies.

If you are watching only because you want to see a lot of Damian Lewis, however, you should adjust your expectations. You will get plenty of his voice, along with shadows, blurred images and tiny glimpses of him. We see him in the flesh only briefly. This is very much a Gal Gadot movie.

Continue reading ““The Runner” Review: A Race Across London and a Battle for Control”

Four Signed Records. Four Winners. One Very Sweet Chaos Giveaway!

Exactly one month from today, Damian Lewis will take to the stage in Portsmouth for the first night of his Sweet Chaos UK Tour.

So, naturally, we thought we should create a little Sweet Chaos of our own.

Back in June, I followed Damian through seven album-launch shows in seven days: Leeds, Liverpool—twice!—Marlborough, London, Brighton and Kingston.

There were trains. There were signing queues. There was wonderful live music. There was a lot of laughter. And somewhere in the middle of it all, four extra copies of Sweet Chaos on vinyl—all signed by Damian—came home with me.

But those extra copies already had a purpose.

I had this giveaway in mind when I asked Damian to sign them, and I told him that I was planning to give the records away to fans. He said it was a fantastic idea! Continue reading “Four Signed Records. Four Winners. One Very Sweet Chaos Giveaway!”