Fox Home Entertainment
Prior to watching this, The Practice was, to me, the answer of a trivia question: From the ashes of what show did Boston Legal come from?
This collection makes up the first two seasons of The Practice. Don’t get too excited, we are only talking about thirteen episodes.
The practice is about Bobby Donnelly (Dylan McDermott) a criminal defense lawyer whose morals are, at the start of the show, a tad…elastic. His office is struggling simply to pay the lease. But all of that changes when he wins a major murder case, at which time there is a veritable smorgasboard of killers and drug dealers vying for the services of Bobby and his merry band of lawyers.
As business increases, Bobby struggles to follow his moral compass while still making the office as successful as possible.
The show is a tad even in these early episodes, but still fairly entertaining.
Without a doubt, the highpoints of this set are special appearances of John Larroquette and Ed Asner. Asner plays a judge (a role he returns to a few times over the course of the show's run) and John plays…well, you can see for yourself. I will say that Larroquette returns to play this character a total of six times over the years, picking up an Emmy in 1998 for the character.
Also worth mentioning is Linda Hunt. Linda has a recurring guest role as a judge. Her scenes with Bobby are excellent, they have good chemistry. Her character plays a part in Bobby developing a moral compass.
As I said, the set is worth buying simply for John Laraquette’s episode, but the others will certainly provide some bang for your buck.
Jeremy Lynch
Click here to order The Practice Vol One from Amazon.
For more reviews from myself, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
DVD Review: The Practice Volume one.
Tom Selleck to return for fifth Jesse Stone movie.
CBS has ordered a fifth installment in the Jesse Stone film series. Jesse Stone is a character from the novels of legendary crime writer Robert B. Parker (best known for Spenser).
Tom Selleck plays Jesse Stone, the chief of Police of a small town.
The new film will be entitled "Jesse Stone: Thin Ice."
Jesse (Selleck) finds that his job is in jeopardy after the attempted murder of State Police Capt. Healy (Stephen McHattie), his close friend and colleague; he also attempts to solve a kidnapping case that was supposed to have been solved years ago.
Sounds like he has a lot on his plate.
Filming will begin, in Nova Scottia, later this summer. No date as been set for airing.
Read Gerald So's review of Jesse Stone: Night Passage and Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Cast changes coming for next season of Boston Legal (including the addition of John Larroquette).
John Larroquette will be joining the cast as a senior partner that is transferring from the New York office. Larroquette is best known for his Emmy (four of ‘em) winning role as sleazy prosecutor on Night Court. In addition to that, he also won an Emmy for his guest appearance on The Practice.
In addition to Johnnie boy, Christian Clemenson will now go from recurring guest appearances to become a regular. Clemenson is Jerry “Hands” Espenson, a brilliant but very odd attorney with Asperger syndrome (a form of autism).
Also joining the cast will be Tara Summers (Dirt on FX) as young associate.
But with these additions, there are some regulars that will become a little more scarce.
Julie Bowen (Denise…), Mark Valley (Brad Chase), Constance Zimmer (Claire) and Rene Auberjonois (Paul) have all seen their options lapse. Some of them may return in a guest appearance, or in a recurring role, but their days as a regular are over.
Mark Valley has been a great foil for Alan Shore (James Spader) and Rene Aunberjonois for Denny Crane. The loss (or potential loss since, as I said, they may pop up from time to time) of those two will certainly be felt. I am guessing that Larroquette will be filling the gap left by Auberjonois.
DVD Review: Die Hard Collection
MGM/Fox Home Entertainment
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the scourge of terrorists everywhere, a blue-collar cop that simply is trying to do right by his family and country, a man whose very name strikes fear in the hearts of terrorists (or maybe not, since they keep crossing him), I give you John McClane.
If you don’t watch popcorn films, you might not know the character or the series. Actually that really is not true. If you lived under a rock in the late 80s and the 90s, you might not know the character or the series.
John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a NYC cop that was introduced to the world in 1988 (Note: I had originally put 1984, but it has since been pointed out that my memory is not what it used to be, and that it was 1988.) when he foiled a terrorist takeover (actually a robbery attempt) of his estranged wife’s office building. Since then, he has saved America (Ok, at least parts of it) two additional times.
What we have here is pretty much everything a fan could possibly want (with the exception of the new flick Live Free Or Die Hard, which will almost certainly appear in the next box set) in regards to the Die Hard series. Each film gets a disc full of goodies (most of which are on the individual releases) that will inform and enlighten you on all things Die Hard. Extra scenes, trailers/TV ads, interviews and featurettes (mostly on how stunts and wacky action scenes are done) are provided for each film.
The fourth disc offers a TRAILER!!!!! for new the Die Hard film (Live Free or Die Hard) and a new featurette looking back at the series. While it does make for interesting viewing, this new segment is hardly worth the cost of the set. If you already own these films, I can’t see buying this. If you do not, this set is fun and should be owned by fans of the films.
Jeremy
Click here to order Die Hard Collection from Amazon.
For more reviews from myself, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
DVD Review: The Sergio Leone Collection
The Sergio Leone Collection
The collection includes A Fist Full of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and Duck You Sucker (a.k.a. A Fist Full Of Dynamite).
The first three were the beginning of what would later become known as the “Spaghetti Western.”...because they were made by Italians! (Why is that not considered derogatory, yet if I were to call a Mexican-made western a "Taco Western," I would probably get called a racist? Maybe it’s a “sign of the times.” Of course if I called a Canadian-made film a "Back Bacon Western" there would be no outrage at all…weird. Maybe we are too limited in our outrage; maybe we should be outraged at ANY reference to other countries and cultures...or perhaps we are too touchy, and need to remember that everytime someone refers to another culture, they don’t ALWAYS mean it offensively, they could be making a harmless jest...or maybe they are ignorant to what society now calls offensive).
Anyway…
By far the best of the bunch was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Eli Wallach was very good as “The Ugly.” Lee Van Cleefs character changes from good guy in For a Few Dollars More, who is out to avenge his sister’s death, to a very bad guy in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, who kills children and tortures friends.
Duck You Sucker is not one of the “Man with no name” series (as the first three are). Before I watched Duck You Sucker, the only thing I new about it was that Rod Stieger and James Coburn were in it. After watching it, all I can tell you is Rod Stieger and James Coburn were in it. It was two hours and a half hours of…..um… well… Rod Stieger and James Coburn were in it!
Speaking of the “Man with no Name,” if you watch and listen carefully in A Few Dollars More, you will hear the Nameless Man's name. It turns out that the whole “Man with no Name” thing was a U.S. marketing scheme and the few seconds in A Fist Full were cut out in the American release of the film.
If you think of Clint Eastwood as “that old dude who wins craploads of Oscars,” you should go back and watch the first three movies of this collection, and you will see why Clint Eastwood is considered one of the coolest guys ever to grace the screen. In these movies--with the poncho, ever present cigar, cowboy hat, and deadly pistol hand--Clint is the coolest guy EVER.
Each movie contains its own Extras disk, mostly consisting of the same few featurettes and interviews, specific to each individual film. Included are several short clips of film historians telling us why the movies were ground breaking, an audio commentary by another film historian, and an interview with Mr. Eastwood talking about the experience of making each picture.
The extras for A Fist Full include a prologue that was filmed 12 years after the movie was released, and contains none of the actors from the movie. It was made because in 1977 it was thought that a man that goes into a town and shoots a bunch of people--and gets rich by manipulating two warring factions--is an unredeemable character and cannot be shown on TV. They shot a scene where Clint’s character, here shot from the back so we cannot see it is not Clint, will receive a pardon from prison if he goes into the town and “cleans it up.” The scene “stars” Harry Dean Stanton as the warden. At one point Mr. Stanton says, “Wait. Don’t say anything,” in a VERY obvious attempt to not have the Clint stand in say anything, because you would know that it is not Clint. Very funny.
So go buy some Denobili Toscani cigars (thin cigars that look like Cookie the Trail boss just rolled them in the covered wagon) and a cowboy hat--you’re going to need them--and watch the whole collection.
Randy Otteson
For more reviews from Randy, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
Crowe likely joining DiCaprio in Ignatius' Body of Lies.
It appears as though Russell Crowe will join Leonardo DiCaprio in Sir Ridley Scott's Body of Lies.
Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) is one of the CIA's soldiers in the war on terrorism. He has come out of Iraq with a shattered leg and an intense mission—to penetrate the network of a master terrorist known only as "Suleiman." Ferris's plan for getting inside Suleiman's tent is inspired by a masterpiece of British intelligence during World War II: He prepares a body of lies, literally the corpse of an imaginary CIA officer who appears to have accomplished the impossible by recruiting an agent within the enemy's ranks.This scheme binds friend and foe in a web of extraordinary subtlety and complexity, and when it begins to unravel, Ferris finds himself flying blind into a hurricane. His only hope is the urbane head of Jordan's intelligence service—a man who might be an Arab version of John le Carré's celebrated spy, George Smiley. But can Ferris trust him?
Body of Lies is the latest novel by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.
Crowe would play DiCaprio's boss Ed Hoffman. According to Dark Horizons, Crowe is waiting to see the new draft by Steve Zaillian. Zillian's previous work has included Shindler's List, A Civil Action and Clear and Present Danger.
Zallian's draft is reportedly simply a tweaking of the script written by William Monahan (The Departed).
Monday, June 25, 2007
DVD Review: Prince of the City (Two disc set)
One overlooked, but no less impressive, Lumet film is 1980’s Prince of the City.
Based on the real-life experiences of New York police officer Robert Leuci (though the names have been changed), an officer that wore a wire for the Feds as part of a large-scale operation to bust corrupt narcotics detective in the Big Apple.
Recruited by the Chase Commission (Assembled to fight corruption within the NYPD),Special Investigations Detective Danny Ciello (Treat Williams playing a fictionalized version of Leuci) agrees to wear a wire and help them build a case against detectives within the narcotics division.
Danny is no choirboy. This is not Elliot Ness, but a man whose own past is filled with the very type of behavior that the Commission is trying to stop. His own vision of right and wrong having been blurred by the years on the force.
While Danny has indeed agreed to help, he makes it clear he will not betray his friends. But as the film goes on, some of the people Danny loves the most are hurt the worst.
I have never really looked at Williams as a serious actor, but his performance here is impressive. His character is a complex one. While he does try to do the right thing, he is also deceitful and conniving at times. I found myself going back and forth in terms of empathizing with Danny.
Armed with an Oscar nominated screenplay (co-written by the director with Jay Preston Allen), Lumet does a fantastic job here. Like with most of his films, there is precious little that is clearly right or wrong.
It clocks in at a whopping two hours and forty seven minutes, Prince of the City will try the patience of some viewers, but if you have the attention span, you will be rewarded,
Sadly, we do not get a commentary track. This is unfortunate because Mr. Lumet has done an excellent job on them for several of his other films. It would have been great to team him up with Leuci and Williams.
The one featurette here is a pretty good one. Prince of the City: The Real Story features comments from Williams, Lumet, Leuci as well as the author of the non-fiction this was taken from. It does give some nice insight into the film, such as Lumet commenting that the ambiguity of the film might be in part because he himself was torn as to how he felt about the protagonist.
As a special edition, this is lacking, but this is the not the second or third DVD version, it is the first. And it is well worth the wait.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
DVD Review: Mission Impossible Season 2
Paramount Home Entertainment
This review will self destruct in 15 seconds.
Season 2 of this wonderful show brings in Peter Graves to replace Steven Hill as the leasder of the impossible missions force. As much as I enjoyed Hill in the show Pete Graves is the face that most people associate with the series.
Returning are Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Peter Lupus and Greg Morris.
Season two weighs in with 25 episodes at almost 21 hours. The writing is a bit tighter and the action seems a bit larger. While it may seem a bit dated this show really broke a lot of ground and set the stage for other shows to follow even years later. Shows like MI-5(Spooks), The Pretender, and many others really owe Mission Impossible. It's tightly plotted with adventurous locations and tons of gadgets coupled with a great soundtrack. The big budget ( the largest in it's time) shows with all the elaborate sets.
The really fun part is that so much of this is steeped in the cold war. This team doesn't go after little fish and they seem to be saving the world every episode. I really enjoyed The Echo Of Yesterday and The Killing. This is a great way
to spend a few nights and is a welcome addition to any DVD collection.
Jon
For more reviews by Jon, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Frank Miller: Hollywood's busiest man.
Iconic Comic book writer Frank Miller to adapt Raymond Chandler for Clive Owen.
Back in January, I reported that Clive Owen would be the next actor to play Raymond Chandler's iconic P.I. Phillip Marlowe. At that time, no decision had been made as to what story they would use.
Now Variety is reporting that the source material will be the novella Trouble is my Business.
Not only that, but they are also reporting that Frank Miller will writing the screenplay. Miller and Owen previously worked together on Miller's Sin City.
Miller's style is sparse and brutal. I have no problem believing that he could do a fantastic job on this project.
In the Variety article, Owen said this of Miller taking on Chandler's material: "Frank Miller knows more about noir than anyone I have ever met, and clearly the writing of Raymond Chandler has been an enormous influence on his life and his work. Miller adapting Chandler seemed like a perfect match."
Years ago, Miller swore off Hollywood after a very negative experience with the Robocop films. Robert Rodriguez managed to coax him into co-directing Sin City (which was based on three of Miller's graphic novels).
Since returning with Sin City, Miller has become a hot commodity in Hollywood.
Not only is he doing Trouble is my Business, he is also adapting and directing The Spirit. Based on an old comic strip, The Spirit is about a man who dies and comes back to life. Upon returning, he dedicates himself to fighting crime.
Miller's graphic novel Ronin is being made into a film with Stomp the Yard director Sylvian White at the helm.
Miller will also be re-teaming with Rodriguez (and likely Owen) to do Sin City 2, which is expected to start shooting either late this year or early next year.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Buddy Guy making music in Burke's In the Electric Mist.
This is from James Lee Burke's web site:
Watch 8 minutes of Live Free or Die Hard.
June 27th, the release date for Live Free or Die Hard, is fast approaching.
If you are wondering what to expect from the fourth installment in the Die Hard series, click here to watch eight minutes of Live Free of Die Hard.
This time around evil, greedy criminal mastermind Greg (Timothy Olyphant) has decided to attack the Nation's computer infrastructure. It just so happens that Mr. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is around. This is, of course, bad news for Greg. We all know that Mr. McClane has a history of screwing up the plans of evil, greedy criminal masterminds.Live Free or Die Hard also stars Jeffery Wright (Syriana, Casino Royale), Maggie Q (Rush Hour 2, Mission Impossible III) and Justin Long (Plays the Mac computer in the Apple ads).
Click here to go to Live Free or Die Hard website.
Read More......Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Scorsese, De Niro to reteam for Winslow's The Winter of Frankie Machine.
Before Don Winslow's novel The Winter of Frankie Machine came out, the movie rights were gone. Robert De Niro read the book and was in love with it.
So much so that he bought the rights and decided to play a type of character he said he would never again play: A mob guy.
Now, Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting that Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese will direct. This will be Scorsese and De Niro's ninth film together.
"Frank Machianno, aka Frankie Machine, retires from his life as a contract killer and begins a new life in San Diego. Far removed from any of the thrills of his mob life, he opens a bait shack on Ocean Beach Pier, runs three other legit businesses, and when nothing else demands his attention, puts his board in the water and rides the waves. Not a bad life for the 62-year-old Vietnam vet; at least most of the time it is quiet. Frankie's life however returns to the tension, suspense and terror of the 'old-days' when the head of the Los Angeles syndicate calls in a marker, and asks him for backup during a meeting with members of the Detroit mob. The meeting is suppose to be an effort to resolve the current disputes between the two groups, but turns out to be a setup to end Frankie's life."
I am jacked for this one. The novel is fantastic and, with De Niro and Marty, the movie should absolutely rock!
This makes up for the complete meltdown of Bobby Z.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard join cast of Valkyrie.
Bryan Singer's Valkyrie continues to fill it's cast.
Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard and Tom Wilkinson have all joined Kenneth Branagh and Tom Cruise in the WW II thriller.
Valkyrie is based on actual events, as a handful of German generals plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler at the height of WWII.
Tom Wilkinson was nominated for an Oscar for his leading performance in 2001's In the Bedroom, as well as being nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe for the television movie Normal. He has appeared in over 40 films including The Full Monty, Batman Begins and The Patriot.
While Bill Nighy has been acting for over 30 years, it has only really been in the last several years that he has become known to the general public with Love Actually (He was fantastic as aging rocker Bill Mack), the Underworld series, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films (Davey Jones) and recently in Hot Fuzz.
Eddie Izzard is best known for his stand-up (He won two Emmys for his Stand-up concert film Dressed to Kill), but has been acting for around 10 years. He has appeared in Oceans Twelve (and will be in Ocean's Thirteen), Shadow of the Vampire and Mystery Men. He is currently starring in the FX series The Riches.
Valkyrie reunites director Bryan Singer (Superman Returns, X-Men) with writer Chris McQuarrie. They previous worked together on the classic The Usual Suspects.
Valkyrie will be released by Untied Artists, and will be the first film from them since Tom Cruise took the helm.
Production in expected to start mid July.
Monday, June 18, 2007
DVD Releases for June 19th.
Die Hard Collection $39.98 Four-disc set. Extras Disc 1 (Die Hard): Commentary by director John McTiernan and production designer Jackson DeGovia, Additional scene-specific commentary by special effects supervisor Richard Edlund, Subtitled commentary by various cast and crew, Branching version with the extended power shutdown scene, DVD-ROM - script-to- screen comparison. Disc 2 (Die Harder): Directors commentary, HBO Special Featurette, 4 Deleted scenes, The Bad Guys, Interview with Renny Harlin, 3 broken-down visual effects, 3 side-by-side comparisons, 4 trailers, 2 TV spots, 2 stunt vignettes. Disc 3 (Die Hard with a Vengeance): Directors commentary, CBS Special: A Night to Die For/ McClane, HBO Special Featurette, Alternate ending, 3 special effects vignettes, Bruce Willis interview, Villains with a Vengeance, 7 special effects , Stunt studies, Storyboard sequence, 2 trailers, 10 TV spots. Disc 4 (Bonus Disc) : LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD trailer, Wrong Guy, Wrong Place, Wrong Time: A Look Back At Die Hard, The Continuing Adventures of John McClane. (Fox)
Click here to order Die Hard Collection from Amazon.
Ok folks, we have a veritable smorgasboard of badassness. Evil McNasties and one lone noble man standing up for Goodness and the American Way.
John McClane has become an American Icon. Maybe not as big as Rocky (Ok, not even close to Rocky), but certainly a figure that is engrained into the minds of 30somthings everywhere.
This collection’s release has been timed to coincide with the theatrical release of the fourth installment in Die Hard series.
Here is your chance to own all things Die Hard…at least until they release a box set with all FOUR films (Don’t worry, that is at least a year away).
Lovejoy: Complete Season 1 $49.95 Three-disc set. Extras: Interviews with author Jonathan Gash, stars Ian McShane and Gwen Humble, Ian McShane looks back on Lovejoy. (Warner)
Click here to order Lovejoy: Complete Season one from Amazon.
Based on the character from the novels of British novelist Jonathon Gash, this BBC series is about Lovejoy (no first name) an antiques divvy (one that has a special sixth sense for detecting fake antiques) who is both charming and a tad scruffy. The series went for 6 years. It is about damn time Lovejoy comes to DVD.
Perry Mason: Second Season Vol One Raymond Burr, $38.99 (Paramount)
Click here to order Perry Mason: Second Season Vol One from Amazon.
Pinky & The Brain Vol 3 (Warner)
Sweetness! My favorite rodent masternind is back in the third volume of Pinky & the Brain.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
DVD Review: Blue Murder - Series one.
Acorn Media
The pilot episode of this British crime drama opens with Detective Inspector, Janine Lewis, rushing home to surprise her husband with the news of her promotion to Detective Chief Inspector. After dragging her pregnant belly and a bottle of champagne up a flight of stairs, she finds her husband, Pete, in bed with another woman. In the next scene, she is pouring the champagne down the drain and we know that a big part of her life is going with it.
Sound depressing? Well, it’s not. Caroline Quentin, best known for her comedic turns in Men Behaving Badly and Whose Line is it Anyway?, plays Janine with strength, sensitivity and humor. She’s like Mary Beth Lacey, except funnier and with a Manchester accent. Besides dealing with 3-and-a-half kids and a wayward husband, she must gain the respect of her superior officer, who was pressured into promoting her because she is a minority, and the peers she was promoted over. Over the course of the first series, we see her gain that respect, not by demanding it, but by assuming it.
In other shows about working women, we see women changes faces when they come home. Not so with Janine. The sensitivity and fortitude that make her a good mom also make her a good detective. In her first case as a DCI, she goes to the scene of a grisly murder straight from combing nits out of her daughter’s hair. A woman who can handle two sticky, young kids with head lice, a surly teenage son and cleaning her own loo, can certainly deal with the blood and gore of a crime scene. She describes the body to her staff: “As the wound was large enough to expose the intestine, I’m off tripe for the duration.”
One of the things I find most appealing about Caroline Quentin, other than her fine comedic timing, is the fact that she is 5’4” and, shall we say, nicely rounded. The show does not make a point of Janine’s physical size, she’s just a normal woman who licks her fingers after eating her scones and makes faces when she eats yogurt. She could be my best friend.
Other regular characters include her worldly wise neighbor and best friend, Sara, who is always ready with a bottle of red wine and a sympathetic ear; DI Richard Mayne, a seriously sexy detective with whom Janine has a past; and DS Butchers and DS Shap, who are able detectives and the staff clowns.
Some American viewers might have trouble with the Manchester accents, but you develop an ear for it after awhile and it’s lots of fun learning new slang. I’ve finally figured out that the slang term “bullocks” doesn’t mean the same as “bull s---“. This little bit of dialog is how I finally got it:
DS Shap: I’ve heard it might be a ritual killing.
Janine: Bullocks! – Er, no, they were intact, actually.
OK, I’m from a rather sheltered background but I’m open to new concepts.
Noami Krueger
For more reviews by Naomi, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
35th Anniversary Edition of Deliverance to be released on Sept 18th.
On Sept 18th, Warner will release Deliverance: 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition.
The two-disc set will retail for $19.97.
"The Cahulawassee River is soon to be destroyed, along with the beautiful country that surrounds it. Eager to see it before it's gone, adventurer and outdoor fanatic Lewis (Burt Reynolds) organizes a trip for him and his friends Ed (Jon Voight), Drew (Ronny Cox) and Bobby (Ned Beatty) to river-raft their way from top to bottom in search of great adventure. Little do they know, they're in for much more than they originally bargained for when two mountain men take Ed and Bobby hostage. In a brave attempt to save his friends, Lewis kills one of the mountain men. Now they've got a dead person on their hands and there's no going back... especially deep in the American back-country where nobody's on your side."
Extras will include:
Audio commentary by director John Boorman
Deliverance: The Beginning
Deliverance: The Journey
Deliverance: Betraying the River
Deliverance: Delivered
The Dangerous World of Deliverance
theatrical trailer.
Ned Beatty must be thrilled.
For more release dates for forthcoming crime-related DVDs, go to the Crimespree DVD Calendar.
Monday, June 11, 2007
DVD Releases for June 12th.
52 Pickup Dir: John Frankenheimer; Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret. (Fox)
Click here to order from Amazon.
In 1986, John Frankenheimer tried his hand at making an Elmore Leonard film that didn’t suck. The result was a decent film, with Scheider and Ann-Margret a solid job, but it would still be almost a decade before somebody actually nailed the fabulous dialogue (Get Shorty) that makes Mr. Leonard so special.
Blue Murder set one (Acorn Media)
Miz Naomi has a review for us. It should be online in the next couple of days.
Criminal Law Dir: Martin Campbell; Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon (Fox)
Click here to order from Amazon.
Gary Oldman as the protagonist! Who would have thought? Mr. Campbell directed a couple Bond flicks (including Casino Royale).
The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries: Season Two
Click here to order The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: Season Two from Amazon.
America’s iconic teen sleuths solving crimes in the 70s. Watch Joe (Shawn Cassidy) distract folks, by singing Da Doo Run Run, while Frank (Parker Stevenson) sneaks around.
The Hustler (Collector’s Edition) Dir: Robert Rossen: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, George C Scott. Extras: Commentary by Paul Newman, Carol Rossen (Robert Rossen's Daughter), Dede Allen (Editor), Stefan Gierasch (Actor), Ulu Grosbard (Assistant Director), Richard Schickel (Film Critic, Time Magazine) and Jeff Young (Film Historian), Life in the Fast Lane: Fast Eddie Felson and The Search for Greatness, Milestones in Cinema History: The Making of The Hustler, Swimming with Sharks: The Art of the Hustle, The Hustler: The Inside Story, Paul Newman: Hollywood's Cool Hand, How To Make The Shot: Opening Scene Demonstration, Six in the Corner, Eddie Makes A Cross Corner Combo Shot, Fast Eddie One Ball in Corner Pocket, Massey Shot. Still Gallery (9 stills), Theatrical Trailer
Click here to order The Hustler (Collector's Edition) from Amazon.
Paul Newman just announced his intention to retire from acting. Now is a great time to look back at some of the outstanding films he has made. This special edition is loaded with interesting tidbits on the making of The Hustler.
Randy has been going over all of the assorted goodies and will be offering his thoughts on this release. His review should be online later this week.
JESSE STONE: DEATH IN PARADISE Tom Selleck (Sony)
JESSE STONE: NIGHT PASSAGE Tom Selleck (Sony)
If all goes well (and the damn discs show up!), Gerald So will be giving us his thoughts on Mr. Selleck’s portrayal of Jesse Stone.
The Mapmaker (2001) Brian F. O'Byrne, Susan Lynch, Brendan Coyle. Thriller about a mapmaker who uncovers the body of an alleged informer while mapping in Ireland. (BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd.).
The Original Nancy Drew Movie Mystery Collection Two-disc set with four Nancy Drew mysteries starring Bonita Granville: "Nancy Drew, Detective" (1938), "Nancy Drew, Reporter" (1939), "Nancy Drew, Troubleshooter" (1939) and "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase" (1939); $24.98. (Warner)
Click here to order from Amazon.
What we got here is some golden oldies. Most of us likely remember Nancy Drew from the aforementioned Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries from the 70s, but these, from the late 30s, are closer to the original novels in style.
The Practice Volume One Four DVD-set containing 13 episodes that make up the first and second season, $39.98. (Fox)
Click here to order The Practice Vol One from Amazon.
For me, The Practice is simply a pre-cursor to the wonder that is the Alan and Denny show (AKA Boston Legal) as the last season of the Practice was really season one of Boston Legal).
But the early seasons contain some very good stories and are worth checking out, if you are a fan of legal dramas.
The Verdict (Collector's Edition) Dir: Sidney Lumet; Paul Newman, Jack Warden, James Mason. $19.98 Extras: Commentary by Sidney Lumet & Paul Newman, "Making Of" Featurette, Paul Newman: The Craft of Acting, Sidney Lumet: The Craft of Directing, Milestones in Cinema History: The Verdict, Hollywood Backstory: The Verdict, Still Gallery (30 Images), Theatrical Trailer. (Fox)
Click here to order The Verdict (collector's Edition) from Amazon.
After not getting nominated for over a decade, the early 80s found a lot of love being tossed at Mr. Newman by the Academy Awards. The Verdict was Newman’s second straight year of being nominated for Best Actor (1981’s Absence of Malice being the first).
While it does not feature as many extras as the Collector’s edition of The Hustler, it does give us a commentary track with both Newman and legendary director Sidney Lumet.
We get a look at Paul and his approach to acting, as well as Lumet and his approach to directing. Both are certainly worth watching, especially if you are a cinemaphille.
As mentioned in my comments for The Hustler, Newman has announced his retirement from acting. The Verdict is an excellent example of the fine acting Mr. Newman was capable of.
Walker, Texas Ranger: The Third Season (Paramount)
Click here to order Walker, Texas Ranger: The Third Season from Amazon.
A year ago, I would be tossing out some of the Chuck Norris jokes, but this is 2007 and that would be so 2006.
Chuck’s fists and feet are back fighting crime in this, the third season of the show. I really should be able to offer up more info, but I honestly have never seen the show. See my comments for Diagnosis Murder (Last Week) for the reason why.
Fletch Won has new star and director.
IESB.net is reporting that Joshua Jackson (Pacey from Dawson's Creek) will be the next actor to play the sarcastic investigative reporter Fletch.
In addition, Steve Pink will be directing. Pink made his directorial debut with the comedy Accepted, but has had success as a screenwriter with Grosse Pointe Blank and High Fidelity.
The film, Fletch Won, will have a younger Fletch taking on his very first story. When his interviewee dies, Fletch feels compelled to look into his untimely demise.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Edgar Award-winning author Gregory Mcdonald.
The project has had a number of folks attached to it, Kevin Smith (Dogma, Clerks) and Bill Lawrence (Scrubs) were both attached to direct, and Jason Lee and Zach Braff were slated to play Fletch.
If Pink can bring some of the magic from Grosse Pointe Blank, this could be worthwhile.
As far as Jackson goes, at least it isn't Dawson (James Van Der Beek) himself.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
DVD Review: The Fall Guy - season one.
In the early 80s, we were treated to films full of wacky stunts (Hooper, Smokey & the Bandit) thanks to Burt Reynolds. Lee Majors saw the success of those films and had a notion to bring that kind of wacky fun to the small screen.
And so The Fall Guy was born.
Lee Majors stars as Colt Seavers, stunt man and part-time bounty hunter. He is assisted in his stunts and crime fighting by his younger cousin Howie (Douglas Barr) and Jodie (Heather Thomas).
Each episode features a stunt and some sort of mystery/crime storyline. The crime stories are nothing you not seen before on numerous other shows, but anyone watching this show is likely not looking for brilliant, original writing.
No, what they are looking for is a little fun. And on that front, The Fall Guy does it’s job.
To keep the show authentic, the producers had to keep a steady stream of stars making guest appearances. In these early episodes, we see Farrah Fawcett, James Coburn, Eddie Albert, Robert Wagner, Milton Berle, Linda Evans, Don Ho, Jamie Farr, Shecky Greene, Cathy Lee Crosby, Buddy Hackett, Heather Locklear and Herve Villechaize.
Certainly that list seems less than impressive today, but most were stars at the time.
For extras, we do get a segment featuring the cast and creators looking back at the show, but it runs a little over ten minutes and really doesn’t run long enough to provide much other than a few fun bits of info.
We also get a look at the title song, which apparently was a bit of a hit in…Germany. The same country that seems fond of the vocal stylings of one Mr. David Hasslehoff. Must be something in the water.
Jeremy Lynch
For more reviews from myself, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
Click here to order The Fall Guy: The Complete Season One from Amazon.
Taxi Driver gets all gusied up for a "Limited Collector's Edition" in August.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced they will be releasing a “2-disc Limited Collector’s Edition” of Taxi Driver on August 14th.
Paul Schrader's gritty screenplay depicts the ever-deepening alienation of Vietnam Veteran Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro in a tour-de-force performance), a psychotic cab driver who obsessively cruises the mean streets of Manhattan.
TD was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Actor (Robert De Niro) Best Supporting Actress (Jodi Foster) and Best Picture.
The American Film Institute ranks TD #47 on their list of the 100 greatest films.
Extras include:
Deleted scenes/alternate scenes
Two alternate endings
Video introduction by Martin Scorsese
Audio commentary by Writer Paul Schrader
Audio commentary by Professor Robert Kolker
Producing Taxi Driver featurette
Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver featurette
Martin Scorsese Tribute featurette
Making Taxi Driver, God’s Lonely Man documentary
English and Spanish subtitles (Habla para me?)
What exactly is meant by "limited edition," I honestly don't know.
For more release dates for forthcoming crime-related DVDs, go to the Crimespree DVD Calendar.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Banacek: The First Season
Banacek : The First Season
Hart Sharp Video
Banacek started on the air in 1972 as part of NBC's Wednesday Night Mystery Line up. It starred George Peppard as a Polish American detecive who specialized in the recovery of things insured by a Boston Insurance Company. He made 10% of the value as hid fee.
The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link who also brought to the small screen such classics as Mannix (which is screaming for DVD release), Columbo and Ellery Queen.
Banacek (as a character) had it all, great clothes, wonderful cars, good looks, suave with the ladies who all wanted him and great detective skills. As a show Banacek also had it all. A great detective, interesting plots, some fun action ans wonderful location shots in Boston. Banacek also had occasional help from a bookseller buddy named Felix Mulholland who owned a Rare bookstore and his chauffer, a New Yorker who was a bit rougher around the edges.
It's a fun show that holds up pretty well, and it is definitly a big part of the history of the Television PI.
Jon
DVD Review - "CHiPs"
It was bound to happen sooner or later. Someone in California was looking through stacks (or shelves or what ever they use for storage) and came across "CHiPs" and decided that this is television that needed to be out on DVD.
I think it was pretty obvious from the start that neither Eric Estrade or Larry Wilcox would be making the leap from TV to the big screen as leading men. However, television being what it was in the late 1970's they were just ight for a network cop show. They were always happy and smiling, lighthearted but serious when they needed to be. The supporting cast including Robert Pine was about the same caliber talent wise.
The idea behind the show was solid, compared to the wacky adventures of Charlie's Angels, these guys were hardcore. I can just imagine what this show would be like if it were done today.
But I digress. This is a show of the late '70's. It was brain candy for the masses who had three networks to choose from and no cable. It was fun. Watching it again gives a bit of a nostalgic twing, though for me the show doesn't hold up well. I think a big part of that is in the time since it first aired I've seen what television can really do. Homicide, The Shield. NCIS, The Closer, Criminal Minds and more have really taken procedurals on televsion to a new level.
So while most people won't rush out to get this, I think anyone with kids should get it. It is definitly family freindly in a way The Shield will never be.
The first season has some extra features including Police tips from Ponch!, trivia and a featurette. All feature Erik Estrada who kindly took time from his busy schedule to do these for the DVD.
The show was put together by:
- Creator: Rick Rosner
- Executive Producers: Rick Rosner, Cy Chermak
- Supervising Producer: Paul Mason
- Producers: Rick Rosner, Cy Chermak, Ric Randall, William D. Gordon, James Doherty
- Directors: Michael Caffey, Bruce Kessler, Earl Bellamy, Phil Bondelli, Leslie H Martinson, Chuck Bail, Barry Crane, Robert Pine, John Astin, Richard Colla, Richard Irving, Winrich Kolbe, Nicholas Sgarro, Paul Krasney, Christian I Nyby II, Edward Abroms, Georg Fenady, John Florea, Don McDougall, Larry Wilcox, Don Weis, Gordon Hessler
- Music: Billy May, John Parker, Mike Post, Pete Carpenter, Alan Silvestri, Luchi DeJesus
- "CHiPs" Theme: John Parker
- Music Supervision: Harry Lojewsk
Washington/Crowe's American Gangster trailer online.
Based on a New York magazine article by Mark Jacobson, American Gangster tells the story of Frank Lucas, Harlem drug kingpin that had heroin smuggled in from Asia in the coffins of soldiers returning from Nam.
"Nobody used to notice Frank Lucas (Oscar winner Washington), the quiet driver to one of the inner city's leading black crime bosses. But when his boss suddenly dies, Frank exploits the opening in the power structure to build his own empire and create his own version of the American Dream. Through ingenuity and a strict business ethic, he comes to rule the inner-city drug trade, flooding the streets with a purer product at a better price. Lucas outplays all of the leading crime syndicates and becomes not only one of the city's mainline corrupters, but part of its circle of legit civic superstars.
Richie Roberts (Oscar winner Crowe) is an outcast cop close enough to the streets to feel a shift of control in the drug underworld. Roberts believes someone is climbing the rungs above the known Mafia families and starts to suspect that a black power player has come from nowhere to dominate the scene. Both Lucas and Roberts share a rigorous ethical code that sets them apart from their own colleagues, making them lone figures on opposite sides of the law. The destinies of these two men will become intertwined as they approach a confrontation where only one of them can come out on top."
Read More......
Friday, June 08, 2007
Trailer for I Am Legend is online.
Richard Mathison's book I am Legend has been made into a movie twice before: 1964's The Last Man on Earth (starring Vincent Price with Mathison himself writing the screenplay under another name) and 1971's The Omega Man (with Chalton Heston).
The jist of it is a lone man tries to survive, by himself, against an army of vampires.
I am Legend is now slated for a December release...yes, I know the poster says November, but the poster is wrong.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
The Lookout to be released, on DVD, on August 14th...and everyone should buy a copy!
The Lookout will be released, on DVD, on August 14th.
The Lookout is one of the best films I have seen in 2007. While it was overlooked in the theaters, The Lookout deserves a closer look by fans of intelligent crime films.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt ( Brick, 3rd Rock from the Sun) stars as Chris, a once promising high school athlete who becomes mentally impaired after a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.
For more release dates for forthcoming crime-related DVDs, go to the Crimespree DVD Calendar.
DVD Review: The Caine Mutiny
(A warning from the editors: The second paragraph of this review contains spoilers to movies you may not have seen. So if there are ANY movies out there that you don’t want spoiled for you, DO NOT READ THE SECOND PARAGRAPH. You have been warned.)
Humphrey Bogart. What more needs to be said? A lot actually. As much as I like The Humph, he was not the only good thing about this movie. Don’t get me wrong; he was unbelievably good in his Academy Award nominated role as Captain Queeg, the seemingly unhinged captain of the Caine, a World War II mine sweeper ship. But the rest of the cast--José Ferrer, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, E.G. Marshall, Lee Marvin, and Claude Akins-- stepped up to the challenge.
I think this is the only Van Johnson movie I have seen, and I really liked him as the second in command who does the deed that gives the movie its name. Fred MacMurray, known for his nice fatherly persona from My Three Sons, is great as a scumbag. (Oops, I might have given something away if you have not seen the movie. Oh, well. To make it up here are all the secrets to the M. Night Shyamalan’s movies I have seen: Bruce Willis is already dead, Samuel L. Jackson caused all the calamities, water is like acid to them, and it is set in the present day.)
...Anyway. Where was I? Oh yeah; the cast… Jose Ferrer is excellent as a defense attorney that would rather be prosecuting. Incidentally, I find it sad that Mr. Ferrer is best known now for being George Clooney’s uncle (he had 6 children with Rosemary Clooney). He should be known for is being Miguel Ferrer’s (Crossing Jordan) father. Wait, no...he should be best known for all the movies he did, the Academy Award he won for Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), and all the Tonys he won (including one for directing Stalag 17).
The extras on this edition are two “behind the scenes” segments, which are not what you’d think; they are actually interviews with two film historians. There is also a commentary track you can listen to, featuring the same historians.
You might watch this movie and say, “Whatever happened to that guy who played Ensign Keith--he was good!”, or you might say, “The guy who played Ensign Keith SUCKED, and I am glad I haven't seen him in anything else!”, or you may say, “Wake me up when they hit the iceberg.” What I learned from the extras was that Robert Francis--the then up-and-coming actor who played Ensign Keith--died when a plane that he was flying crashed about a year after this film was made.
On that note, I will say, “The Caine Mutiny is a must see, for those who haven’t; and a must see again for those who have!”
Randy Otteson
For more reviews from Randy, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Take a look at Dave's daughter from In the Electric Mist.
The comments are from Associate Producer Deborah Dobson Bach.
Alafar Robicheaux is Dave's adopted daughter. Dave rescued her from a crashed plane in Heaven's Prisoners. Read More......
Monday, June 04, 2007
DVD Releases for June 4th.
Previously, I put this list up at the start of every week. I have been negligent of late and I do apologize.
From here on in, we will offer up a summery of the weeks releases every Monday. The list will often have comments from myself and the other fine folks of the Entertainment department of Crimespree.
Check out the Crimespree DVD Calendar from a more extensive list of titles forthcoming.
CHiPS: The Complete First Season Six-disc set with 22 episodes Extras: CHiPs: The Ride out of Spanish Harlem featurette, interviews with Erik Estrada and a special look at his CHiPs memorabilia, new introductions with special trivia and anecdotes on selected episodes by Estrada (Warner)
Click here to order CHiPs: The Complete First Season from Amazon.
Ponch and John are members of the California Highway Patrol (or CHiPs for short). Eric Estrada starred as Ponch, with…I don’t remember the actor that played Jon. Does anybody? Sure, I could dig up a fan site and find out, but the reality is that Estrada was the one that really stood out from this show.
For extras, Eric hangs out and talks about his experiences on the show.
Jon is being mesmorized by Mr. Estada’s gleaming white teeth even as we speak and will have a review for us shortly.
Diagnosis Murder: The Second Season Dick Van Dyke, Scott Baio (Paramount)Click here to order Diagnosis Murder: The Second Season from Amazon.
Dick Van Dyke is back solving crimes and curing gout. If you are a fan of the show, you will find season two enjoyable.
For me, watching Diagnosis Murder made me feel as though I was one step away from Geritol and Metamucil. After only a couple of episodes, I started to feel a longing for prunes and a comfy pair of slippers.
Fortunately for me, the Sergio Leone box set was in arms reach.
The Fall Guy: The Complete Season One Six Disc-set with 23 episodes; $59.98. (Fox)
Click here to order The Fall Guy: The Complete Season One from Amazon.
“Cuz I’m the unknown stuntman that makes Redford such a star”
This was Lee Major’s second series (First being the Six Million Dollar Man) and was a moderate hit. The insipidly catchy theme song still rings out through the hallowed halls of my cranium.
Lee Majors is Colt Seavers, a stunt man and part-time bounty hunter. The always-lovely Heather Thomas provides sex appeal as Jody Banks.
Interesting side note: When Tommy Lee first started talking to Heather Locklear (who went on to become Mrs. Lee), he talked about how much he enjoyed her on The Fall Guy.
Heather proceded to explain that it was Heather Thomas that was on The Fall Guy, and that she was on TJ Hooker.
Understandable mistake, I just had to check and make sure I was attaching the ladies with the correct shows.
Still, the marriage did not last so perhaps this blunder was a sign of things to come.
Mission: Impossible - The Second TV Season Peter Graves, Martin Landau, Barbara Bain (Paramount)
Click here to order Mission: Impossible - The Second TV season from Amazon.
Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and crew return to save us from those dastardly ruskies and whoever else has a hankering to mess of the U.S. of A.
It was the second season that saw the debut of Jim Phelps (Peter Graves). Phelps went on to become the face of the show.
As soon as Jon can tear himself away from Ponch and John, he will tell us all about season two.
Red Mercury (2005) Stockard Channing, Ron Silver, Peter Postlethwaite, Juliet Stevenson, David Bradley. (MTI Home Video).
Thriller about three British-born Muslim fundamental extremists who hold a restaurant hostage with a lethal bomb.
Rescue Me: The Complete Third Season Four-disc set with 13 episodes, for $49.95. Extras: Blooper reel; featurettes: '"Behind the Smoke," "Rescue Me Heroes," "The Bravest Traditions," "Being Dennis Leary," "Going to the Gay Place"; location tour; deleted scenes; sneak peek at the fourth season. (Sony).
Click here to order Rescue Me from Amazon.
The Sergio Leone Anthology This contains the following new releases: A Fistful of Dollars: 2-Disc Collector's Edition, A Fistful of Dynamite: 2-Disc Collector's Edition, For a Few Dollars More: 2-Disc Collector's Edition and The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: 2-Disc Collector's Edition. (Fox)
Click here to order The Sergio Leone Anthology from Amazon.
I don’t know if it would be possible to overstate the impact that Leone had on the western genre. The gritty, brutal style and flavor suddenly made the typical western (the ones where the cowboy’s shirt appeared to have been starched) seem quaint.
Randy has a full review coming, but I can say that any fan of westerns simply must have this fantastic set.
Bruce Willis leaves open possibility of another Die Hard.
As the Live Free or Die Hard release date nears (June 27th), Bruce Willis is doing more and more press.
Read More......
Saturday, June 02, 2007
DVD Review: Warlords
Acorn Media
Warlords takes a look at the mind games played between the four main figures of World War 2: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin and Hitler.
After over 50 years of being analyzed it is tough to come up with new information and video of WWII. But Simon Berthon does a good job. He focuses on the mind games each of the leaders used on one another. How Hitler manipulated Stalin. How Churchill manipulated Stalin. How Stalin manipulated Churchill and Hitler, and how Roosevelt manipulated them all (Except Hitler). Berthon uses diary excerpts from people that were there to lend accuracy, and he makes excellent use of the images (film footage and pictures) that are available.
I was disappointed there were no “extras.” I was hoping for some outtakes, you know, like during one of Hitler’s impassioned (manic) speeches, his toupee falls off or his false teeth fly out and Hitler starts laughing and everyone around him busts out laughing. ….Um….nevermind.
If you are a history geek, like me, you’ll love this documentary. If you are an average Joe Video, I would say definitely watch this. If I can paraphrase something that someone once said: if we don’t watch DVDs of “history, we are doomed to repeat it.”
Warlords is a comprised of 4 segments about 50 minutes long each, on two disks. So they are presented in just a little over bite sized chunks. It was written, produced and directed by Simon Berthon and narrated by David Morrissey.
Randy Otteson
For more reviews from Randy, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Charlie Chan vol 3 to be released on Aug 13th.
Fox Home Entertainment has announced that volume three of the Charlie Chan series will be released on Aug 13.
Here is a list of the titles contained and the features for each film:
Charlie Chan At Monte Carlo includes a Chan Is Missing: The Last Days Of Warner Oland featurette, as well as a restoration comparison, original theatrical trailers, still gallery and “Warner Oland is Charlie Chan” poster gallery.
Side two features the 1929 film Behind That Curtain featuring the earliest surviving onscreen appearance of the Charlie Chan character.
Charlie Chan On Broadway includes featurettes The World Of Charlie Chan and Chanograms: The Aphorisms Of Charlie Chan, as well as a restoration comparison, original theatrical trailer and still gallery.
Charlie Chan’s Secret includes a commentary by film critic Ken Hanke, featurettes Charlie Chan and The Rise of The Modern Detective and Dr. Henry Lee: The Modern Day Charlie Chan, as well as a restoration comparison, the original theatrical trailer and still gallery.
The Black Camel includes commentary by film critic Ken Hanke, as well as a restoration comparison, the original theatrical trailers and still gallery.
Side two includes Charlie Chan’s Chance: A Recreation, a dramatized recreation of the lost film, Charlie Chan’s Chance with an optional introduction by film historian John Cork.
SRP is $39.98
For all the latest info on upcoming crime DVD releases, check out the Crimespree Cinema DVD Calendar.
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