Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 8th, 2006
Helen Hunt is horribly miscast as a 1930’s infamous seductress on the prowl for vulnerable rich husbands. There’s not a moment in the film she doesn’t look and sound completely out of character for the role. Fortunately Scarlett Johansson is better suited for her performance. Still, most of the cast seems ill-placed. The film is based on the Oscar Wilde play “Lady Windermere’s Fan” which I have never seen. Of course, things are never what they appear to be throughout the film. While the dialogue contains the tradem...rk Wilde flair for wit, the plot simply doesn’t go anywhere. It’s a shame, really. The film had potential. The cinematography is very appealing. The period costumes and Italian locations make for a rich atmosphere that unfortunately nothing of import happens within. Even the stylized Wilde twist falls flat in the end.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 7th, 2006
Jean Harris made international headlines in 1980 for killing her on again off again lover and fiancée. Of course, such crimes are rather commonplace and would hardly merit all the attention let alone a feature film. The victim, however, in this case, was the famous Dr. Herman “Hi” Tarnower, better known to you and me as the “Scarsdale Diet Doctor”. The film claims to base its script on actual testimony from the well publicized trial. While this may in principle be true, the tale is obviously intended as a satire. T...e style very much lends itself to camp and black comedy. The murder is really the punch line to a very long joke. The testimonials are more like short theatrical vignettes. The feel is more like a staged production than a film. Even if the accuracy claims can be believed at all, they are most certainly exaggerated liberally. The story is obviously slanted heavily toward Jean Harris’ version of events. Given the title, I suppose this might be somewhat appropriate, if the filmmakers didn’t make her into some kind of a hero in the supplemental feature.
Mrs. Harris would quite honestly be a total loss if not for the performances of its two stars, Ben Kingsley and Annette Bening. Both deliver marvelous over the top performances that don’t feel so over the top. Kingsley in particular is devilishly great in his self absorbed role. Bening plays a convincing victim. Unfortunately even these performances can’t bring this film to anything more than camp. Harris contended she planned on killing herself and not Dr. Tarnower. Her explanation that the shots were the result of a struggle form the premise of the film as unrealistic as four shots from a struggle can be. Another unreal moment occurs when the detective allows Harris to wash her blouse in the cell sink after her arrest. I guess Nagey hasn’t watched too many episodes of CSI.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 6th, 2006
The boys are at it again in Season 8 of South Park. To say that this season provides more of the same would be a tad unfair. It appears to me that South Park optimally matures in its eighth year. No, not that kind of maturity. Cartman and the gang are as raunchy as ever, and yes, still at times over the top. The kind of maturity I refer to is more subtle. South Park no longer has to rely on the running gags epitomized by the old Kenny deaths. The show isn’t afraid to feature some of the more peripheral characters. ...utters, Timmy, and Jimmy get a lot more to do, and I find them suddenly to be far more compelling characters. No longer simply foils for the usual suspects, they have come into their own. A good example can be found in “Up The Down Steroid”. While Cartman and one of his schemes are appropriately the center of the episode, the Timmy and Jimmy characters have some outstanding moments. “AWESOM-O” brings us face to face with a more endearing Butters. I must say that in this year of South Park I found myself enjoying these moments considerably. More than adding some dimension to the series, it has, I believe, given the show stronger legs leading into the years that follow.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 6th, 2006
What is it about The Roman Empire that fascinates us so? The answer is far too complicated to address in this forum, if you can pardon the pun. The influences of Rome are all around us. From the very form of government we practice to the grand arenas we watch our ballgames in, Rome can be found literally around every corner. Hollywood has recognized the allure since the early days of filmmaking. Classics like Ben Hur and Spartacus eventually gave way to the more modern epic Gladiator.
It is 52 BC and...Rome stands at a crossroads. Long ago established as a great Republic to rival the likes of Greece, the fledgling empire suffers from within. Senators appear to the common man as merely wealthy aristocrats who have long since lost any connection to the problems of everyday Roman life. Sound familiar? Gaius Julius Caesar (Hinds) controls an elite legion of Roman soldiers fighting for the glory of Rome in Gaul. His co-consul in Rome, Pompeius Magnus (Cranham) has grown impatient with Caesar’s many years of absence from Rome. The resulting civil war would eventually lead to collapse of a Republic and the beginning of dictatorship and empire that would drive Rome for centuries hence.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 10th, 2006
Ren and Stimpy was a wonderful throwback to the golden days at Warner. Embracing the charm and animation style of the early Warner greats John K (Kricfalusi) managed to work in his own rather twisted humor and create an endearing cartoon. For those of you who wish to remember Ren and Stimpy this way, I warn you, DO NOT buy this collection. In case you don’t know the story: John K left his creation after about a year and a half at the Nickelodeon Network. It seems his more adult themed ideas were not so in tune wi...h the network’s kiddie tradition.The cartoon continued without him. The creative side of the series spiraled downward, and the show was mercifully cancelled. In 2003 the newly formed Spike TV contracted John K to return to his Ren and Stimpy creation, promising little to no censorship. After all, they told him, this is a “MAN’s” network and the audience can take it. John K. began to produce far more risqué versions of our beloved characters. All was going well, or so it seemed. Along comes Janet Jackson, no longer Good Times’ lovable Penny, and her much publicized “wardrobe malfunction”. Everything changed. The FCC began dishing out record fines for obscenity, and even The Man’s Network ran for cover. The new and hotly debated Ren and Stimpy was gone faster than its original incarnation. Not to be thwarted, the pair now return via DVD with these unaired episodes. The packaging comes with plenty of warning, but I fear many will consider these warnings a joke in the sarcastic humor the show was so famous for. Trust me. These warnings are for real. This stuff makes South Park look like Peanuts, not so much for the language, but for the graphic depictions of nudity and sexual innuendo.
With the warnings taken care of, let’s talk a little about this version of Ren and Stimpy. The old fart jokes and sardonic wit have returned pretty much the way you’ll remember it. What has been added, however, removes any of that endearing charm the original show had going for it. Too many of these episodes push the limits so far that it appears to be graphic simply for graphic’s sake. The plots are thin, even though a couple of these episodes run about double the original show’s running times. It’s obvious that John K. is more interested in thumbing his nose at an establishment he feels cut him off at the knees than in any real serious effort at art here. I’m afraid I will no longer be able to return to those innocent years with Ren and Stimpy with quite the same abandonment. Save yourself. Stay away unless this is what you always wanted from Ren and Stimpy after all.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 25th, 2006
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby have created some of the most iconic superheroes of our time. Marvel Comics brought us such great names like Spiderman, X-Men, Iron Man, and of course, The Incredible Hulk. Now, television has had a jaded history with comic superheroes as series material. A bad Spiderman and Captain America set of episodes are good examples. The Incredible Hulk is one of the exceptions. Why? Mostly because the series was less about super heroics and more about human drama. The Fugitive style set-up gives the writers the entire country to play with. Instead of superhuman villains, Banner is really his own worst villain. The very human McGee, who haunts Banner, is an aggressive writer out to expose The Hulk. This grounds the entire show in reality as much as is possible. Enter Kenneth Johnson, also known for the Alien Nation series, and you know that quality isn’t going to be compromised. Insurance is obtained through the extremely likable Bill Bixby as the Dr. Jekyll to Lou Ferrigno’s Mr. Hyde as manifested by The Hulk. His ability to pump up the action is rivaled by his surprising ability to convey emotion with his eyes. This Hulk appropriately doesn’t speak.
The series started with two tele-films, both included in this set. While the stories and cinematography seriously date this material, the themes resonate on into the 21st Century. Far better than the 200 million dollar film, this series is quite a catch on DVD. The episode 747 features Brandon Cruz who starred with Bixby as Eddie in The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father, another fond memory from my childhood. A nitpick Hulk fans still rage about is the name change from Bruce, in the comics, to David. As a homage to these fans, we are shown his middle name is Bruce. Johnson has addressed these “problems,” and I understand his wanting to create a very different character here. Comics and television are very different media. We would have been quickly bored watching a grunting, wise-cracking crime fighter after too long.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 19th, 2006
Louis L’Amour has been synonymous with the modern Western novel for decades. His stylized depictions of the Old West are always populated with colorful characters. Foremost of these characters would have to be The Sackett Brothers. Two of L’Amour’s Sackett adventures contributed to this 1979 mini-series. “The Daybreakers” and “Sackett” combine to form this 3 hour presentation.
Fresh off the enormous success of such Western shows as Bonanza and Gunsmoke, his mini-series has all the earmarks of that traditional television western. But by 1979 the genre had pretty much run out of steam. The Sacketts feels a lot like a wonderful swan song to a bygone era both in American history and entertainment. A pre-Magnum Tom Selleck leads this dynamic cast as Orin Sackett. Sam Elliott and Jeff Osterhage play the remaining two brothers. Elliott’s portrayal is particularly inspired. Add to the mix Western veterans Glenn Ford and Ben Johnson and you have a mighty fine cast. Louis L’Amour introduces the piece.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 13th, 2006
Teddy Roosevelt once delivered a speech with a bullet lodged in his chest from an assassination attempt. It was that kind of bravado that made him one of America’s most colorful Presidents. I’m into Presidential history, having taught it for many years. I also live in Tampa, so have an increasingly avid interest in this particular American figure. Tampa was the staging and training grounds for the Rough Riders before they embarked for Cuba. It was also from a cigar warehouse in Tampa that Roosevelt’s orders were sent hidden in a cigar. History has no shortage of battle cries and slogans. “Remember the Maine,” a bold challenge issued by newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, was one of the most memorable. An American battleship, the Maine, was sent to Cuban waters to protect Americans in the increasingly hot war zone there. An explosion later revealed to be an armament malfunction on board ship, was nevertheless blamed on Spanish aggression. With no small effort on Hearst’s part, America was soon engaged in the Spanish-American War.
What can we say about Ted Turner? This Atlanta Southerner has explored about every aspect of the Civil War in his productions that there likely is left to exploit. Fast forward a few decades, and now Turner set his sights on the Spanish-American War. It’s somewhat ironic, as Turner himself has often been compared, whether favorably or not, to Hearst himself. Credit Turner for being fair in his depiction of Hearst as an overzealous antagonizer for war. “You supply the pictures, I’ll supply the war,” he was once heard saying to a photographer. Even if George Hamilton appears grossly miscast in the role, the characterization was mostly accurate. In fact it is the acting that hurts this film the most. Tom Berenger is way too manic as Roosevelt. It is unlikely he was always so jovial even as his brothers in arms were dying around him. The portrayal is more often than not a complete caricature instead of a faithful attempt to portray a multifaceted individual. Berenger appears to have but one tone. Even by film’s end when his character can’t help but be overwhelmed by it all, silence is the only way Berenger can reveal Roosevelt’s obvious inner turmoil. Truth be told, too many of the characters are far happier than realism should dictate. Sam Elliott provides the best acting in the film as one of the regiment commanders. Unfortunately for him, his craft appears out of place. Other notable cast members include William Katt, Gary Busey, and Brian Keith as President McKinley.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 11th, 2006
When Star Trek: The Next Generation began, we were introduced to a new crew and a new Enterprise. What I remember most about that first episode, however, was the new villain of sorts: Q. John De Lancie has created one of Star Trek’s most memorable and endearing characters. Some claim the Q character was really introduced in the Original Series episode Squire of Gothos. William Campbell plays the all powerful gamester Trelane who turns out to be a child of omnipotent parents who was merely playing with Kirk and his crew. While I can see the similarities, the Trek gurus have not officially endorsed this connection. I hope it stays that way. I didn’t like that episode. Trelane was quite an annoying character. That leads me back to my feeling that it’s really De Lancie and not necessarily Q that we’re in love with. Let’s face it. While some of the best Next Generation episodes feature Q, some of them are also pretty lame. Still, no matter how bad the episode is, it’s still worth watching Q. I guess I’ve always been a sucker for the clever con artist characters. Sid the Snitch from Hill Street Blues is another of my all-time favorite characters. In case you don’t know, Q is just one part of an omnipotent Q continuum. This omnipotent race or collective usually keeps to themselves. Our Q, however, has found a playmate in Picard and some of his counterparts. He seems intent on being that stone in Picard’s shoe while expressing some sincere interest in the human condition. While most of his appearances have resulted in mere annoyance, we can’t forget that it was Q who brought the Federation in contact with its most powerful and perhaps most popular bad guys, the Borg.
I tend to frown on such multiple dipping, but in the case of these fan collections I think they’re generally a good idea. The entire Trek collection would cost several thousand of your hard earned dollars. If you have most of this stuff on laserdisc like I do, you’ve been reluctant to plunk down the coin again. For me these collections are a good way to upgrade some of the more important stuff.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 7th, 2006
Bravo had an idea. On the surface it was actually a pretty good idea. They realized that of all the well known and critically acclaimed show runners out there with their hugely successful shows, there must have been some flops along the way. After all, no one hits a home run all the time. They also correctly assumed that some of these shows might have been pretty fair efforts that for some reason or another just didn’t last long enough to catch on. Furthermore, it was a rather clever marketing decision that there were folks out there who would like to see some of this stuff again. Even the idea of DVD releases was a smart strategy. The fatal flaw is the way they released this material. The DVD contains but a single episode of four very different programs. For three of the entries, these aren’t even pilots to properly introduce us to the characters and circumstances surrounding each show. Touching Evil is the worst of the lot in this department. From the very beginning, it’s obvious that we’re in the middle of a huge story with rather complicated character interrelationships. We’re left feeling like outsiders. For me that made it almost impossible to fairly evaluate the series. The added “Previously On” was completely inadequate to catch me up. In fact, it actually left me with even more questions.
Johnny Staccato is the shorter of the presentations at about 25 minutes. The series starred the wonderful John Cassavetes as a night club piano player who does a little gumshoe work on the side. The style is very much a 1950’s Sam Spade atmosphere and works quite well. The episode “Tempted” is a pretty nice affair starring Bewitched’s Elizabeth Montgomery as the apparent “damsel in distress”. Many plot twists in a short time move the story along pretty well. This is the only entry in black and white..
