Posts by Gino Sassani

"If the human features of Hitler are lacking in the image of him that is passed on to posterity, if he is dehumanized and shown only as the devil, any future Hitler may not be recognized simply because he is a human being."

We have become so removed in time and experience from the evils of Nazi Germany that the entire experience has been cheapened. When politicians call another politician a Nazi or compare them with Hitler, it's absolute proof that they have no idea of what they're talking about. It shows a complete absence of understanding to compare any person or party in modern day America with the brutality and genocide that was the reality of Nazi Germany. Mill Creek has put together a collection of documentaries that everyone should see for themselves. You can't watch these historically tragic incidents and ever again think the comparison applies to even the worst American politician. We keep saying that we should never forget. But it's obvious that we've already forgotten. Here's a timely reminder.

"They are working. They have been working for us for over 10,000 years. They have been called man's best friend. Soft fur and wet nose. Smart and loyal. Aiding us in transportation, hunting, companionship, protection, and many more ways. They share a bond with us like no other animal. They are career dogs, and this is a look into the history, training, and duties: jobs that can only be filled by our four-legged friends."

Dogs on the Job is a seven-part series that takes a closer look at the various breeds of dog and the kinds of jobs they were bred to perform. The first episode gives us a pretty good lesson on how dogs became to be associated with humans and why those early wolves would become so cooperative with humans. It's pretty clear that as much as we have directed the evolution of the canine from the wolf to what it is today, these animals have also altered our evolution in many ways. It's safe to say that neither would exist today in their present form if not for each other. Each episode after the first takes a look at two kinds of dogs or job specialization. Experts in those fields offer up their information, and there's footage of the dogs pretty much doing their stuff. If I have a complaint at all, it might be that there's not enough of the dogs and more than enough talking heads. Of course, can there ever be too much footage of dogs?

"I have no motive, my friends, to deceive you. I am sincerely desirous to promote your welfare. Listen to me, therefore, when I tell you that you cannot remain where you now are. Circumstances that cannot be controlled which are beyond the reach of human law and render it impossible that you can flourish in the midst of a civilized community. You have but one remedy in your reach, and that is to remove to the West. The choice now is before you. May the great spirit teach you how to change. Your friend, Andrew Jackson"

With friends like that, who needs enemies, or so the saying goes. It was called the Trail of Tears, and it is one of those actions which did not put this great nation is such a great light. The treatment of the native inhabitants of this continent has certainly been an embarrassment and along with slavery marks the darkest of moments in our history. Mill Creek has assembled a collection of documentaries that have been endorsed by the Cherokee Nation and has been collectively titled The Trail Of Tears.

I was quite reluctant to attend the screening for The Oath. My reluctance wasn't based on my willingness to see the film. People like us will go to any kind of a movie. I love films. My issue was the impression I received from the trailer. The film appears to be ripped from today's political climate and quite possibly to be a close parody of the actual present political situation. No matter on what side of that issue I might personally happen to fall, we here at Upcomingdiscs try our best to keep our politics out of our work. It's not fair to fellow writers for them to be brushed with any other writer's ideals, and it's simply unnecessary to create a hostile environment here for any of our readers or staff. So I approached the screening with the caveat that I might not actually review the film. When the studio agreed to those terms, I set out to experience The Oath. I'll give you a little "inside baseball" into the movie review business. When a critic is invited to a press screening of a film, there is a bit of a contract strongly implied in that invitation. Attendance is an agreement to write and publish a review of the film that is reported back to the studio. No studio has ever even commented on the review's content. Rest assured we are completely free to write whatever we want with the exception of revealing important spoiler information and agreeing to a specific embargo date (as sometimes we see a film weeks before they street). So that freedom to decide not to review was an important and rather unusual agreement to have, because I was not sure I was going to be willing to follow through. Fortunately, the trailer is a bit revealing, and The Oath isn't a one-sided spoof at all. It can easily be enjoyed no matter what your individual politics happen to be.This film certainly touches on the political divide; however, it quite smartly removes itself a full step away from the current participants or personalities. The story pretty much focuses on one family that has gathered together for a holiday meal. Like most families, there are the usual tensions, and that includes differing ideas about the political situation. That landscape was impossible for them to avoid, because the President of the United States had just announced that he was issuing a "voluntary" Loyalty Oath, and the deadline for people to sign was fast approaching. And so our family naturally begins to discuss what they plan to do about it. Writer and director Ike Barinholtz stars as Chris. He has refused to sign the oath of loyalty to the President and has a pretty hostile opinion of anyone who has signed or is planning to sign it. Unfortunately for Chris, his parents and siblings who have all gathered at his home for the Thanksgiving dinner are more inclined to sign the oath, and some family members already have. The promise is that the oath is completely on a volunteer basis, but we soon learns what happens when you don't sign and someone rats you out.

The political situation plays out on radio and television broadcasts that we see during the gathering. The film doesn't really leave the setting of the house and actually has quite a nice stage-play vibe to the whole affair. The film consists almost entirely of the family dynamic, which will cut close to home not so much politically, but it's the kind of dynamic most of us have experienced at larger family gatherings and meals. The personal baggage that these relationships carry is just as important in these interactions as the political story itself. Barinholtz does a great job of capturing that almost distinctly Americana experience.

"So dark. You sure you're not from the DC universe?” 

What if you took out the darkness and made the film a little more family-friendly? Could that work? My initial reaction was that it was a mistake to try. But this film actually has some charm going for it, and I was a bit surprised at how seamless it was. This is essentially Deadpool 2 with the hard-core stuff removed. Gone are the sword fights that used to start the film. And Fred Savage is the key to making the entire idea work.