Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 27th, 2003
Steven Bochco is no stranger to innovative television. Hill Street Blues is arguably the best cop show ever made. Even his failures are praised for their innovativeness and freshness. Remember Cop Rock? NYPD Blue didn’t just push the prime time envelope. It tore the envelope to pieces and blew it away with hurricane force winds. George Carlin made a career out of his “7 words you can’t say on television”. Along comes NYPD Blue and Carlin just might need a new act. Language and nudity made this the first R-Rated primetime program. The pilot arrived with a flutter of controversy. Morality groups were vocal and sponsors were scarce. Twenty percent of ABC’s affiliates refused to show the pilot at all. When you watch these DVDs it’s hard to understand what all the noise was about. Today this stuff is the norm, and once again Bochco changed TV forever.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 27th, 2003
Jerry Bruckheimer becomes yet another A-List film producer to take a shot at the television drama. I have to admit that I never gave this show a prayer of success when I first saw it three years ago. It’s not that I thought it wasn’t good. I loved it. I thought it would be too cerebral for the normal Joe six-pack audience. Boy was I wrong. CSI has become the hottest drama in prime time, and like Law and Order before it has begun to spin off into another incarnation with CSI: Miami. The characters are engaging and it seems we’re all obsessed with some morbid fascination of murder. You’ll get a hefty fix with this box.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 10th, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 6th, 2003
This set contains all episodes of season 3 from M*A*S*H in broadcast order. This season of M*A*S*H from a critical standpoint was probably one of the best of the 11 seasons, this was the year that the show won the Peabody award, the highest award you can receive in television, and co-producer gene Reynolds won an Emmy award for directing the episode, "O.R." which is seen here uncut and unedited. Also on this disc are the episodes The General Flipped at Dawn, Officer of the Day, Check-up, and Rainbow Bridge, Iron gut... Kelly, Springtime and Life with Father.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 2nd, 2003
Film
“In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime and the District Attorneys who prosecute the offenders …” Law and Order is an example of a bygone day in network television. In the 1990-1991 season this first year program ranked 62nd of all television programs. In addition to its poor performance, NBC lost revenue from countless sponsors pulling their advertisements because of the controversial nature of t...e subject matter. (AIDS, abortion…) The pilot, filmed in 16mm for a gritty documentary style, was deemed not up to broadcast standards. Today any one of these black marks would doom a fledgling program before even one season was finished. NBC showed rare patience and renewed Law and Order. Now there are 3 hours of Law and Order programming each week. It is the longest running drama currently on prime-time. Law and Order has captured one of the largest Emmy collections in TV history. Recently NBC renewed the show for an additional record 5 years.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 19th, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 8th, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 31st, 2002
Film
The original Back To The Future film is already a classic. There has never been a more original sci-fi/comedy film. The sequels are less stellar but do retain the charm and uniqueness of the original. The talent of Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox shine in these films. Both actors were trying to shed strong TV characters and prove they were more than Reverend Jim and Alex Keaton. The chemistry generated between them goes a long way in enhancing both performances. The supporting cast is also quite good here. Lea Thompson handles multiple ages and roles with convincing style. Thomas L. Wilson’s arch nemeses members of the Tannen family provide generous helpings of humor and villainy. Of course, the story is a bit tired by the third film, but the Western motif helps to freshen things up. Then again, I’d be inclined to watch Fox and Lloyd do play by play for a football game … especially if they could give me a little tip about the final score.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 4th, 2002
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 21st, 2002
The Greeks are well known for their complex and compelling mythology. Writers like Homer have for millennia defined the literary world of mythology. I challenge anyone to debate that J.R.R. Tolkien has filled that role for the 20th century and beyond. The foreword to The Fellowship of the Ring begins by saying: “The tale grew in the telling until it became a history…” I entered the theatre for a midnight showing of this ambitious film with very high expectations. Truth be told, it was not possible that those expectations could be met. But in the magical world of Middle Earth, almost anything is possible. This film might very well have exceeded my wildest desires. Maybe Peter Jackson had similar reference points as I did growing up, but it is uncanny how much the film looks like I have envisioned it since I was 10 years old. The Fellowship of the Ring is every bit the masterpiece as the source material. Bring on The Two Towers.
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