Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 14th, 2006
Johnny Cash’s dramatic road to Christianity is no secret to his fans and thanks to the recent biopic, Walk The Line, it’s no secret to the masses. Cash made this film, he explains, to show people why he is so drawn to the Passion of Christ. This is no doubt a sincere effort to bring this expression to life. The film is entirely shot in the Holy Land. The film is enhanced by the wonderful locations. Cash attempted to follow the actual path of Christ. There is no doubt that the care and conviction Cash felt is evide...t on the screen..
Gospel Road is basically the story of Christ’s life. Cash narrates the entire film which gives it more of the flavor of an educational effort. At times it feels like watching an A&E biography. When Cash isn’t speaking he’s singing. It is in the music that this film separates itself from the many Christian biopics out there. Unfortunately there really aren’t many complete songs. Instead he uses musical phrases to reinforce more powerful messages. The bad news is that the cast has a very difficult job. There is no real dialogue from the actors. The only notable exception is June Carter Cash, who plays Mary Magdalene. She has the only real speaking part in the film. While she does a good job I’m not sure it fits the message Cash was trying to convey. It seems strange that that role would be stronger than even Christ himself. The action takes place not on sets but rather out in the wilds of Israel. The style recalls the technique also used to great effect in Jesus Christ Superstar, coincidentally another musical depiction of The Passion..
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 9th, 2006
In its first year NYPD Blue succeeded through controversy. Language and partial nudity was pretty much all the critics were talking about. Season two brought “the test”. Could the show survive a major cast loss with David Caruso’s well publicized split from the show? Season three, however, is when it all came together. It’s so much fun watching a quality series hit its stride, that season when everything falls into place and we see for the first time that we could be in for a sweet ride.
The cop show ...as back in the 1990’s resurrected by the man who performed CPR on the genre in the 1980’s. With NYPD Blue we realize that Hill Street Blues wasn’t a fluke. Jimmy Smits was far more compelling than Caruso could be on his best day. The writers were beginning to find deep emotional material here. The season’s many rich themes included alcoholism, with not only Sipowitz but the newly formed Russell character. This seems to be a common theme for Steven Bochco. Every one of his shows have featured at least one alcoholic. Andy gets a fresh shot at fatherhood. One of the most compelling arcs has been the Andy/Andy Jr. arc. The tragic death of his son and the birth of a new son were huge stories in this season. Overall the characters are challenged both professionally and personally. The show’s documentary-like filming remains. This is the point when NYPD Blue finally took shape. We haven’t looked back yet, until now.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 8th, 2006
MacGyver (v) To act in an extremely resourceful manner. To utilize everyday items in unconventional ways to achieve a difficult task. I predict it will not be long before you can open your trusty copy of Webster’s and find this character has officially entered our lexicon. There is little doubt but that it is an unofficial part of it now. Crossing over from the realm of pop culture and into our language is a phenomenal achievement for a television show.
I came to the MacGyver party rather late. Like ...veryone else on the planet I was certainly aware of the show and the clever abilities of the lead character. Still, with so many other shows to watch, I never saw a complete episode. Then came Stargate SG-1. This was another series I at first avoided. I thought the original film was OK but nothing I’d care to see week in and week out. One day while my wife was taking our neighbor’s dog to the vet I was bored and sat down to an episode on Showtime. I was hooked, not only on the series, but the characters, along with their alter ego actors. Richard Dean Anderson I found most compelling. I must admit to confusing him at first with the Richard Anderson of The Six Million Dollar Man fame (Oscar). Finally I sat down to some MacGyver on DVD. It didn’t hurt that MacGyver’s boss bears no small resemblance to O’Neil’s commanding officer, played by Don S. Davis. I would later learn that Davis has filled in for Dana Elcar on a few occasions as a double.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 1st, 2006
Echoes of Innocence calls itself an ultimate tale of good vs.evil. Don’t expect Exorcist level of evil quality in this one. Don’t even expect the good fight. Sarah (Simmonds) has a Joan Of Ark complex of sorts. She’s having religious visions, apparently inspired by the disappearance of a boy she once promised to save herself for. He publicly proclaims her commitment to virginity and frequently fasts to the point of near collapse. This is the film’s “good”. The evil is represented in the character of Alec (Vodvarka). He teases folks and is a bit of a womanizer but no head turns or horns to be found. Mostly Alec wants to break Sarah’s virginity vow. You can see how exciting this is going to be. Ho hum.
Put aside the forced religious symbolism and you have no film. The acting is absolutely horrid. Everyone is pretty much a one dimensional symbol. It might have been better to label them and save us two hours of film. That’s a long time for virtually nothing to happen.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 24th, 2006
This is not one of Jack Nicoholson’s better known roles, but it deserves more attention than it has gotten. Nicholson can always be counted on to deliver a strong performance. It is that skill that turns an average idea into something much more.
Alex Gates (Nicholson) is not a nice man. And let’s face it. Nicholson excels at complicated characters, often with few redeeming qualities. Gates appears to have everything he could want. He’s an apparently successful wine merchant. He has a wife and stepson... Yet Gates is the kind of a man who is never happy. He needs the mistress on the side and the extra thrills that taking risks provides. He decides to steal a wealthy client’s multi-million dollar necklace. Of course, instead of making his life better, events conspire to start making his life miserable. Bad things happen to bad people. That’s a common enough theme in the films of Bob Rafelson. Blood and Wine is no exception, and soon Gates has a hearty helping of good times gone bad. It should be noted that there really aren’t any good guys in this film at all. Rafelson doesn’t want you to sympathize with anyone. He instead uses incredible acting to compel you to follow his characters. Michael Caine treats us to another stellar performance as Victor, Gates’ ruthless partner in the heist. Jennifer Lopez in one of her first roles is a bit underused as Gates’ mistress.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 23rd, 2006
The 1970’s was the decade of the muscle car. Films like Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run raced into theatres, riding on the thrills of speed. If you were a young man, then you were right there ridin’ shotgun. Kicking butt and takin’ names. The Last American Hero makes the unfortunate attempt to combine this “need for speed” with a typical “against all odds” story. The result is a dead end street.
Junior Jackson (Bridges) is the son of a bootlegger with a real talent for running roadblocks. Wh...n his booze-making father finally takes a fall with the law, Junior turns his talents to the racing circuit. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Faced with corrupt promoters and unsportsmanlike fellow drivers, Junior must climb a mountain of adversity and finally win the big one. While the cast features some fine performances, the film just never delivers on all cylinders.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 23rd, 2006
The film’s prologue informs us that the sport of sculling captured the nation’s attention long before baseball or football came along. We’re told that this activity created a national obsession with much the same pitfalls of modern sports. Somehow I can’t imagine, in this age of sports bars and ESPN, that rowing would demand the attention this boast assumes. I don’t remember my grandfather or great grandfather for that matter reminiscing about some great rowing move he witnessed with his dad as a child. The film al...o reports that the events are based on the true story of rowing legend Ned Hanlon. If any of this is true, it appears the more things change the more they truly do remain the same. The same slimy agents and event fixing have been represented as well as the heroes who came from nothing.
The film is an obscure 1986 effort, notable only as an early role for Nicolas Cage. He wears the part well. In fact, the film features a rather fine cast that includes Christopher Plummer and David Naughton in fitting roles. The real problem is, there isn’t all that much to work with here. None of the parts allows the fine acting to be showcased. The film uses too much time with rowing scenes that offer no variety from one to another. There’s a reason rowing doesn’t command huge network contracts or even much cable coverage. It might be very exciting to participate in these events, but there is nothing at all engaging as an observer. The plot is familiar: Unlikely hero battles incredible odds and triumphs in the big event. Still there is no eye of the tiger here. More like eye of the tiger beetle. An inspiring story with no inspiration.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2006
The longest running show in prime time doesn’t feature cops, doctors, or lawyers. It’s hard to believe that The Simpsons have existed as long as the Fox network. While the series didn’t really begin until Fox’s second year, the characters were part of The Tracey Ullman Show, which did start the first year of Fox. Who could have guessed that an animated short from an otherwise horrible and doomed variety show would explode into such a phenomenon. The Simpsons have not only dominated the pop culture; they have placed...everything else into context with their show. Like Doonesbury, it could be said that the only thing worse than being made fun of on The Simpsons is not being made fun of on The Simpsons. With that said, you’ll understand my warm feelings and appreciation for this show.
Now let’s talk about this particular release. To say that it is a forced marketing scam would be going easy. This is the kind of gimmick the show itself would have a field day with. Whatever the genius behind the Simpsons might be, it rarely shows in this Valentine themed 4 disc DVD. In each episode, often through flashbacks, we see the love story of Marge and Homer Simpson, and it’s not a pretty sight. The Simpsons are at their best when the characters have society’s foibles to play against. The heart warming stuff just isn’t the peak of Simpsons lore. The highlight of the entire set is the Three Stooges bit using Clinton, Bush, and Carter. Wait for the season sets to arrive to get these episodes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2006
Eric Idle, Kohn Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and of course Graham Chapman formed Britain’s most famed comedy troupe. The exploits of Monty Python’s Flying Circus were truly “something entirely different”. Their off the wall antics have written an entire chapter in the story of pop culture. There certainly is not near enough space here for me to give the group its just due. So I won’t even try. If you’ve never heard of them, then stop reading, crawl back into the rabbit hole you’ve been living ...n, and open a fresh can of Spam. For the rest of you who just want to know if this particular DVD is worth picking up, the answer, in short, is yes.
This disc is part of a six part series that covers each member of the Monty Python troupe. The series originally aired as part of a PBS tribute. This DVD begins as a fitting tribute to Graham Chapman who passed away in 1989. The remaining five Python members get serious, for the most part, and offer their own fond memories of their fallen comrade. The interviews are insightful and refreshingly quite frank. They not only address the man’s comedic genius but his personal demons as well. Chapman struggled with alcoholism and the ridicule of a flamboyant homosexual lifestyle. Many of Chapman’s and certainly Monty Python’s best moments are here. The task is not an easy one. They have produced hundreds of hours of comedy, and selecting an hour of the best is hardly a simple mission. The choices are very nice ones indeed. Some of my own favorites included in this set are the self-wrestling match and Oscar and His Majesty. More than just a collection of skits, this DVD provides wonderful insight into Chapman, the man. A special treat is a few behind the scenes moments from such great works as “Life of Brian”.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 21st, 2006
Jack Webb built an empire out of the police drama. Dragnet laid the foundation that 50 years of cop shows would stand upon. In 1972 Webb turned his attention to the relatively recent phenomenon of the paramedic. Based on a California law, the Wedsworth-Townsend Act, which created one of the first paramedic programs, Emergency brought the exploits of these young, daring rescue workers to our living rooms every week.
Roy DeSoto (Tighe) and John Gage (Mantooth) were pioneers in the paramedic field. They would be stationed out of L.A.’s real station 51. With each new episode we were treated to a standard formula that would include some kind of daring rescue, usually high above the ground. The episode would always feature a few hospital scenes were Dr. Brackett (Fuller) would deal with Rampart Hospital’s emergency room as well as guide the paramedics via radio in the field. Off the wall cases were common as well as humorous aspects of the firefighters’ lives at station 51.
