Disc Reviews

"We live in perilous times."

He has been called the Father of our Country. Every American history class is replete with his characteristics and important biographic details. In the upheaval of 2020, the name George Washington has taken on a somewhat different tone with populations across the country. A lot of this "cancel culture" movement is a movement of ignorance. I recently read a survey that some of the folks out there trying to bring down statues couldn't pass a rudimentary quiz on who the person even was. It's a disturbing situation. We've all heard the axiom that those who refuse to learn history are doomed to repeat it. But let’s not reduce this to oversimplistic catch phrases. History doesn't repeat itself, but as Mark Twain cleverly observed, "It rhymes." As a history teacher myself, I don't often point toward a television production for a history education, and I won't start here.

"I was wonderin' if you were going to come to say goodbye."

The world said goodbye to Gunsmoke in 1975 after 635 episodes and 20 seasons. But it wasn't to be quite forever. While most of the cast would never again don the characters that made up the show's iconic ensemble, James Arness would show up for three films that would carry his story forward. Now that CBS has already released the series in individual sets as well as an impressive full series box that delivers all 635 of those episodes, there remained just one more task to perform in order to make the collection complete. There were three television movies released between 1987 and 1992. Arness would be the only star to return for all three. Deaths and other commitments made a true collection of reunion films impossible. Even Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty would return only for the first film before becoming deceased. Two of the prominent returns were characters who were basically part of a single episode or actors who played other parts along the way. But the center of gravity for Gunsmoke has always been Marshall Dillon, and these films certainly do not disappoint on that front.

"18 years of sustained combat. I learned a long time ago to remain calm in the chaos, so that the fighting doesn't bother me. But when things go quiet, I hear Father Time coming for me. A new battle on the horizon, and for the first time in my life I'm feeling an enemy I don't know how to fight."

What David Boreanaz does is create iconic television characters. He has had no trouble getting work over the years. He has had the ability to jump from one successful series to another and enjoy longevity in those roles. Unlike many actors who have had big television roles, he doesn't get at all pigeonholed or typecast. In Buffy The Vampire Slayer he originated the role of the vampire Angel, who spun off to his own series for several years. Immediately after that he took on the role of an FBI agent and partner to the title character on Bones. That job lasted a decade. Before the remains of Bones could be laid to rest, he was already working on his next new series. Now he's the field leader of a Navy SEAL team, and if the first three seasons of SEAL Team is any indication, he's going to be dodging bullets and RPG's for the foreseeable future. CBS has a big tradition of long-running shows, and I wouldn't be surprised if a decade from now I'm talking to you about the 13th season of SEAL Team.

“What’s more important, Frederick? Freedom for one man, or freedom for all men?”

Inspired by a true legend. Emphasis on “inspired”, as this film does quite a bit of deviating from the historical data. Then again, I like to look at from the perspective of the main character: when recounting whether or not the legend that he is descended from kings is true, “It’s true to me.” Emperor is the tale of Shields Green, an outlaw slave in pre-Civil War South who went on to take part in the Harper’s Ferry raid, which is one of the events that sparked the Civil War. Dayo Okeniyi (Shades of Blue) has the momentous task of bringing this little-known historical figure to life. It is a challenge, but I do believe that Okeniyi was up to the task. While the story does have spurts of intrigue, for the most part it is told in a matter-of-fact tone, giving it the feel of reading it from a history book, minus the areas of deviation that is, which do come off as fantastical at times. Okeniyi is joined by Naturi Naughton (Power), Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries), Harry Lennix (The Blacklist) as Frederick Douglass, and James Cromwell as John Brown.

This film would probably work as a student film production. In its present form as a home media release, it falls short. The Barge People does its best to come off as a suspenseful addition to the horror genre, but in my opinion, it does not accomplish the needed goal: the suspense. The film follows two couples on holiday. It is very clear that each pairing has different ideals: one couple as been together for a while, but is living in the moment not really planning for the future, while the other has their minds set directly in the future. The only thing linking these couples together are the women, who happen to be sisters. It is evident that the men have nothing in common, and that if it were not for their significant others, they would prefer to not know that each other existed. Throw some inbred cannibalistic killers on top of that, and you basically have your movie. Timing was a big reason for me that this movie missed its mark. Perhaps with a few subtle changes, I would have enjoyed it more.

"It's a family show with cops, not a cop show with a family." 

For ten years Blue Bloods has been a staple on CBS, giving Tom Selleck a chance to completely redefine his television career. The once cocky and carefree Magnum P.I. now has established himself as the wise patriarch. It's a transition that a 1970's audience would never have bought. But now he's become a new kind of airwaves icon. The show has also managed to make it through a decade with very little change in the cast, and most of that coming from additions. This season is no exception, as we discover there's been a long-lost member of the Reagan family out there for many years. But there are big changes coming to Blue Bloods. In the real world the police have been villainized by some, and it's becoming an increasingly tougher job to do. For a family so steeped in law enforcement, the show will absolutely have to address these new realities. The second of course is the arrival of a pandemic the likes of which this country or the world has never seen. Productions were shut down and are now only beginning to ramp back up.