'Breaking Through' DVD: True Tales of X-Men/Barbara Walterses of LGBT Public Officials

Breaking Glass Pictures shows impeccable timing regarding releasing the DVD of the documentary "Breaking Through" during Gay Pride season. These tales of (not always initially) openly LGBT folks being elected to public office is a very apt subject for this period of celebrating the right to be open about yourself.

A more random coincidence is even more awesome; folks who are familiar with the "X-Men" franchise know that the parallels between the mutants in those stories and LGBT folks extends well beyond Wolverine being a hugely talented song-and-dance man.


A scene in the newly released uber-uber-awesome film "X-Men: Days of Future Past" includes Magneto praising the mutants who fight against the prejudice of us lower homo sapiens (no pun intended this time) and condemning the truly gifted among us who conceal their true selves out of fear of being persecuted.

Every interviewed politician in "Breaking" is at least as brave as the "out" mutants in that they sought office in a hostile environment. The fact that these public officials do not rampage against those of us whose only special power is being invisible to bartenders (thanks Demetri Martin) is a bonus.

The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of the trailer for "Breaking" provides an excellent sense of the hatred that these folks face merely based on their sexual orientation.

These folks further have something in common with another high-profile figure who has made the news recently. The recently aired last episode of "The View" in which Barbara Walters appears includes a gaggle of female news people much larger than the group from Murphy Brown's baby shower. These women, and their colleagues who receive individual face time, all identify Walters as a pioneer for every female television journalist in her wake.

Similarly, the men and women who appear in "Breaking" make it easier for the current crop of LGBT politicians to run as an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender person.

Retired long-term Congressman Barney Frank is the most high-profile member of the group; his talking about his early days on Capitol Hill and the limitations that his sexual orientation place on his political aspirations is very interesting. Frank's former House colleague and current Wisconsin senator Tammy Baldwin also shares some of her experiences.

A conservative politician earns the award for the most amusing story in the film; he tells of his opponent in his campaign telling Republicans that he is gay and Democrats that he is a Republican.

A common theme among the stories that the men share regarding overcoming obstacles of varying degrees of hostility is being labelled gay and accordingly tormented simply for not being like the other boys; it seems that even the slightest hint of feminine characteristics triggers this rancor.

Like Walters and the braver mutants, these men (and their female counterparts) show that rising above the irrational hatred and public bullying is possible. It is nice to think that their work leads to a day in which sexual orientation is no longer an issue in a campaign.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Breaking" is strongly encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'Challenge of the GoBots' V1 DVD: Hanna-Barbera/Tonka Version of The Transformers

The Warner Archive three-disc DVD release of the first 30 episodes of the Hanna-Barbera '80s cartoon series "Challenge of the GoBots" is a real treat for fans of that animation factory and/or classic animated scifi shows.

Similar to the competing "The Transformers" franchise, this series has two warring alien races that can "transform" themselves into various vehicles bringing their conflict to earth. Both series additionally have the common element of a simple but catchy theme song.

The following scifitastic clip, courtesy of YouTube, of a scene from "GoBots" offers a savory taste of the entertainingly campy action in this awesome series; this glimpse also greatly enhances a desire to return to the '80s if time travel ever becomes widely available.

"GoBots" primarily focuses on the good aliens known as the Guardians, whom the aptly named Leader-1 commands. Protecting earth from having the evil Renegades, whom the aptly named Cy-Kill leads, is the primary mission of the Guardians. The Guardians additionally thwart lesser evil Renegade schemes, address terrestrial natural and man-made threats, and collaborate with studly Matt Hunter and his human crew with projects on which UNECOM works for the benefit of mankind. The latter includes the most advanced terraforming machine ever.

Although most episodes focus on some form of chaos on earth, some outings occur in and around the GoBot home world of Gobotron. One example is the Renegades tricking an alien with advanced technology into using his resources against the Guardians.

A typical earth-based episode revolves around the Renegades acting, such as going on a multi-target rampage as the prelude to constructing a mega-gobot,in furtherance of their plot to conquer our planet. Others bring in guest human villains, such as a mad scientist who is using his weather machine for evil and an organized crime leader, who ends up on the wrong side of both the Guardians and the Renegades.

At least two episodes wonderfully harken back to the effort in the mid-70s to make children's programming both educational and include a moral. The first has the highly annoying Guardian Scooter, who even slightly speaks like Jar Jar Binks, go power crazy when enhancements boost his weapons capability. The second revolves around the Aquaman of the Guardians learning that his special skills have value.

The final two episodes in the DVD set are entertaining variations on time-proven scifi themes. The penultimate episode has Leader-1 and Scooter transported to a parallel universe in which the Renegades are the good guys and the Guardians are evil. The next episode has a group of evil twin (sans goatee) Guardians both ruin the reputation of our heroes on earth and get them banished from the planet.

The best thing about all of the nostalgic fun in these episodes is that it whets our appetites for the inevitable Volume 2 of the "GoBots" adventures. The Renegades surely are to blame if this does not occur before the end of 2014.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Gobots" is encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'Wildcat Bus' DVD: Fay Wray Gets Caught in Another Celluloid Jam

The 1940 Fay Wray noir film "Wildcat Bus" is another "where have you been all my life" movie from Warner Archive.

The 400-pound gorilla that Wray battles in this one is an illegal wildcat transportation service that utilizes dangerously nefarious means to attempt to have the permit that operating the bus line that Wray's Ted Dawson manages and that her father owns revoked. Doing so will allow said competitor to take over the service that the line provides.

The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of an early "Wildcat" scene does double duty in the forms of establishing the story and providing a good sense of the terrific spirit of the film.

This campaign against Federated Bus Lines coincides with the arrival of recently impoverished playboy Jerry Waters and his faithful former chauffer/manservant Donovan at the facility of that business. In a twist worthy of more serious fare, Donovan gets a job working for Federated and Waters unwittingly joins the ranks of the rogues who are after the Los Angeles to San Francisco route that Federated services.

The subterfuge, tough guy antics, and dangerous sabotage in "Wildcat" are equal to that in any other B+ noir flick; further, Wray and Waters portrayor Charles Lang have terrific Hepburn/Tracy style chemistry despite their repartee not reaching that classic level.

All of this gets off to a great start in the opening scene of "Wildcat" that involves a rude awakening for Waters; the creative folks who dream that up tie that development very nicely into the final scene, which has an uber-awesome subtle S&M quality.

The deplorable behavior of juvenile passengers and psychological warfare in "Wildcat" provide some of the more entertaining moments in this joyride of a film. Further, Wray and her female counterpart on the other side of the dispute do a great job showing that dames can be as tough as men.

The final destination regarding these thoughts is that there is never a dull minute in "Wildcat," the casting is very good, and the underlying motive for the campaign against Federated turns out to be so obvious that we dullards who miss it will kick ourselves for not catching on earlier.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Wildcat" is encouraged to email me. You also can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'Claire' DVD: Teen Drama Good Real-Life High School Analogy

The 2013 teen drama "Claire," which Monarch Home Entertainment is releasing on DVD and VOD on May 27 2014, is tough to judge if you are outside the target demographic. In this case, this tale of teen football star and all-around stud Jack becoming obsessed with learning about the life of the deceased titular character seems very geared to tween girls.

Early scenes establish that Jack is back at school but still recovering from serious injuries that he sustains in a football game. This BMOC initially shrugs off news that a drunk driver killed his classmate, whom Jack does not even recall, until a series of events reveal that Claire was physically close to Jack on at least a few occasions and may have had a crush on him.

This investigation coincides with initially seemingly unrelated incidents that create conflicts with Jack's best friend, teammates, and girlfriend.

All of this has the makings for a compelling drama or thriller in the proper hands. However, the writing and the acting are not very good in this one. The actors are deadpan and seem merely read their lines, none of which are very insightful or clever.

The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of the trailer for "Claire" provides a good sense of the themes and tone of the film.

Many other films, such as the recently reviewed early Keanu Reeves movie "Permanent Record," simply do a better job telling a tale of teen angst and/or intrigue. 

To the credit of the "Claire" writers, there are some interesting twists and a few good scenes. They additionally do an excellent job with the morals associated with Claire's life and the circumstances regarding her death.

The gut response to "Claire" is that it rates roughly 1.5 stars; a little more pondering prompts thoughts that it realistically portrays high school even beyond not living up to its potential.

On a broad level, high school is like "Claire" in that it is often tedious with some moments of excitement.

Narrowing the scope a bit, the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" television series and other shows and films have expertly portrayed the theme in "Claire" of unpopular kids being invisible to the cool kids. Similarly, these cool kids can suffer from a harmfully inflated sense of self.

More specifically, the interconnected interactions among the main characters in "Claire" are textbook (of course, pun intended) high school. Obsessions, extortion, shameful secrets, and consequences related to responding to all of the above are standard for the teen years.

The end result of all this is that taking the perspective described above makes "Claire" more appealing to anyone who is not a girl between the ages of 11 and 13.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Claire" is welcome to email me. You can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'Hit the Deck' BD: Glorious CinemaScope Musical Extravaganza About Greatest Generation Sailors

Warner Archive recently releasing a Blu-ray version of the 1955 musical "Hit the Deck" is music to the ears (and eyes) of anyone who needs nearly two hours of pure escapist fun. This makes having a song titled "Hallelujah" the center of the film especially apt.

The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of a scene featuring the aforementioned tune provides a good sense of the fun of "Deck."


"Deck" awesomely breaths fresh life into the theme of a group of sailors singing and dancing their way through a romantic adventure and other excitement while on shore leave. The intrepid group this time includes the stoic Bill, the older brother type Rico, and sweet naive Danny.

Danny, who Russ Tamblyn of "West Side Story" expertly portrays, and Rico evoke great thoughts of clerks Barnaby and Cornelius from "Hello Dolly." This vibe begins with the opening scenes that have these sailors assigned highly unpleasant grunt work, present a wonderful song-and-dance number in a Navy kitchen, and have their efforts go up in flames.

The real action begins when the trio arrives in San Francisco for a weekend of fun.

Bill, who Tony Martin plays, goes to see showgirl Ginger. Ginger, who "On the Town" star Ann Miller plays, is less-than-pleased to see her fiance of six years because he still has not put a ring on it in all that time.

Rico, who '50s singing star Vic Damone plays, surprises his stereotypical Italian mother. His surprises come in the forms of learning that she is dating a florist and that said entrepreneur does not know that his girl has a grown son.

Danny also goes to visit his family, which consists of aspiring actress sister Susan and rear admiral (snickering is acceptable) dad. Jane Powell of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and Walter Pidgeon of numerous classics respectively play the Smith relatives.

Danny going to a theater where an actor who is both dating Susan and promising to advance her career leads to both a very cute scene and a meeting with Carol Pace. The uber-awesome Debbie Reynolds plays Carol.

A vigorous confrontation between our sailor boys and the aforementioned thespian leads to both romance and a spirited attempt to avoid the shore patrol. These well-choreographed scenes contribute great musical-theater fun to the film.

Particular highlights include a scene between Smith Sr. and much lower-ranked shore patrol sailors and a quasi-surreal segment in a fun house.

Ending the film with a rousing reprise of "Hallelujah" both leaves the audience feeling good at the end and provokes thoughts of rudely leaving the theater during it avoid an interminable wait for a cab out front.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Deck" is encouraged to email me. You can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'A Slight Case of Larceny' DVD: Mickey Rooney's 'The Honeymooners'

Although the Warner Archive DVD release of the 1953 Mickey Rooney comedy "A Slight Case of Larceny" roughly coinciding with the death of that actor is purely coincidental, it provides a timely reminder of the charm and overall talent of that legend.

The opening scene in which Rooney's Augustus "Geechy" Cheevers and his Army buddy Frederick Winthrop Clopp experience comic mayhem in their jointly owned diner sets the terrific '50s-style sitcom tone of the film. Eddie Bracken, who also stars in the uber-awesome Unreal TV reviewed Preston Sturges classic "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek," plays Clopp.

The action soon flashes back to the Army days of Cheevers and Clopp to establish the dynamic of conman Cheevers coercing Clopp into going along with daring schemes. One can easily picture Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden doing the same to Art Carney's Ed Norton on the uber-uber-uber-classic '50s sitcom "The Honeymooners."

The predictable post-Army paths of the film duo have Clopp becoming married with children and holding a steady job as a mechanic in Galveston. Cheevers bounces around from one menial job to another before reuniting with Clopp and turning his life upside down.

Cheevers convincing Clopp to mortgage his house to finance the purchase of a gas station does not take long; the imminent demise of the not-to-big-to-fail business soon follows. Again, a variation on a classic "Honeymooners" episode.

The clever scheme of Cheevers that reverses the aforementioned reversal of fortune that he experiences triggers the event that leads to the titular larceny. This first taste of not-so-sweet gasoline-scented success also prompts a large entity to build a gas station across the street and instantly start a price war.

Matching the prices of the competition requires that Cheevers escalate from low-level shading deals to flat-out ongoing theft. The manner in which Cheevers develops that scheme and gets Cloop to do the dirty work and take the largest risks is very reminiscent of Ralph Kramden of the '50s sitcom "The Honeymooners" similarly making a dupe out of best buddy and neighbor Ed Norton.

Of course, "Larceny" would not be a Mickey Rooney comedy without the element of him pursuing an out-of-his-league beauty. Character actress Elaine Stewart fills that role as Beverly Ambridge, who enters the life of Cheevers as the manager of the rival business.

The collaborative effort that makes "Larceny" so fun also pulls off many neat tricks. The only guys who are doing anything unethical (let alone illegal) are the most likable characters in the movie, and the ending has the punishment fit the crime in a manner that still provides Cheevers and Clopp standard Hollywood happy endings.

On a more general level, the nostalgic element of "Larceny" is even stronger than that of typical Archive fare. Watching Cheevers and Cloop wear bright white uniforms and provide a plethora of free extras while pumping gas evokes thoughts of a newspaper essay from the opening days of "Back to the Future."

That newspaper piece comments that similar images in that film evoke laughter in the early '80s, which is the first full decade of self-service gas. The sad truth is that the guy behind the counter at gas stations/convenience stores of today does know the first thing about cars and will not come out to help if your car literally is on fire.

Further, Cheever personifies the enthusiasm and optimism of the post-WWII era that is dead today. The dream of working hard and earning your fortune is replaced either with hoping to find any job or to hold onto the lousy one that you have. Dreams of building an empire are now ones of becoming an idol by lasting through a 12-week talent contest.

All that remains to be written is RIP Mr. Rooney. Andy Hardy (hopefully) will eternally exist in the public consciousness.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Larceny" or Rooney are welcome to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'Maverick' S5 DVD: Bartastic Adventures Complete Run of Awesome Western Comedy

Watching the episodes in the Warner Archive DVD release of the fifth and final season of the classic 1957-62 Western series "Maverick" brings to mind comments of Aaron Sorkin in response to folks not watching the horribly maligned series "Sports Night" out of a dislike of sports.

Sorkin notes that "Sports" is a sitcom that just happens to be set at the office of a group that produces a sports news show. Similarly, "Maverick" is a highly entertaining anthology dramedy that just happens to be set in the west of yore.

The simple premise of "Maverick," which has one of the best ever theme songs, is that the titular character is a professional gambler/conman who generally travels to a new town each week in search of a poker game. Said event often results in either a reversal or enhancement of fortune.

Either way, these circumstances result in Mr. Maverick finding himself involved in a dilemma from which he often uses his wits (but rarely his six-shooter) to extricate himself before riding off into the sunset.

The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of a scene from the "Maverick" season premiere is an excellent example of the wit and charm of the series. It also establishes the particularly lighthearted tone of these final episodes.

Folks who either are familiar with the fourth season of "Maverick" (or at least have read the Unreal TV review of the DVD release of that season) know that the series alternates between the adventures of brothers Bret (played by James Garner) and Bart (played by Jack Kelly) for most of its run until Garner leaving the show in the middle of that season opens the door for Roger Moore to step in as cousin Maverick, Beau Maverick.

As an aside, Unreal TV coverage of the "Maverick" franchise will wrap up with a review of the DVD release of the uber-awesome early '80s series "Bret Maverick" in early June 2014.

The fifth season of "Maverick" also has parallels with another Archive title that Unreal TV plans for a June 2014 review.

Kelly carries the entire series in 13 new episodes that ABC intersperses with "Bret" reruns from prior seasons. History repeats itself in 1985 when syndicated new episodes of the cartoon series "The Jetsons" are interspersed with "classic" episodes from the 1962-63 ABC prime-time lineup. the upcoming review covers the final 10 episodes that comprise the third season of "The Jetsons."

Kelly gets his solo season off to a great start with an adventure that has him chasing conman Pearly Gates to recover money out of which he cheats Bart; this leads to clever inter-related cons that involve a seemingly innocent femme fatale. This theme of an evil temptress is particularly prominent in these final outings.

An amusingly modern story has Maverick seeking to outmaneuver an unethical investor who is using underhanded means in an effort to manipulate the price of a stock in a gold mining venture in order to profit and to avoid potential penalties that extend beyond financial losses. A reference to insider information being advantageous is particularly amusing from a 2014 perspective.

The award for "Episode of the Year" must go to one in which Jim Backus of "Gilligan's Island" plays Joe Wheelwright, who is the wealthy owner of the enormous Subrosa Ranch. This obvious (and hilarious) parody of the competing NBC Western "Bonanza" has Joe coercing Maverick into meeting and escorting three women whom Joe has hired a marriage broker to bring out west to marry Joe's three sons, whose names include Small Paul and Moose.

Having the actor who plays Paul look very much like "Bonanza" actor Michael Landon is particularly funny.

The ensuing mayhem relates to nefarious schemes that stem from the three "ladies" and their marriage broker not being made-to-order. The self-serving efforts of Maverick to remedy that situation introduce elements of the Shakespearean play "The Taming of the Shrew" (and the more modern musical "Kiss Me Kate.")

This season (and the series) wraps up with another multi-con episode; this one centers around an effort to sabotage a demonstration of the speed of a style of train. Guest characters who participate in this send-off include real-life old west figures Doc Holliday, who appears in several fifth season episodes, and Diamond Jim Brady. Also, as is typical for episodes from these seasons, a scheming dame makes a bad situation worse for our hero.

This episode provides Bart (and the series) a great send off until both reappear many years later.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Maverick" is encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'The Bride Wore Red' DVD: 'Hollywood Royalty' Joan Crawford Has An Axe to Grind

These musings on the Warner Archive DVD release of the 1937 Joan Crawford film "The Bride Wore Red" is the third in a trilogy of reviews of Archive Crawford films. The first shares thoughts on "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney," and the second is a post on "Our Blushing Brides."

"Bride" is a nice variation on the nature vs. nature debate that provides wonderful comedy in the classic film "Trading Places" more than 40 years later. In this case, the struggling cabaret singer Anni whom Crawford portrays is a pawn in the scheme of an aristocrat who desires to prove the related points that people of every class are the same and that one's caste results from purely random luck.

The scene in which said scheme initiates is hilarious in that the proprietor of the nightclub where that transpires almost literally trips over himself trying to convince the amateur sociologist that he has located the worst dive of them all.

This scene further quickly establishes Crawford as the tough-as-nails diva who fans of both her classic films and the uber-awesome biopic "Mommie Dearest" love. Her manner is almost as severe as her look, and no one would dare hang any garment on a wire hanger in her presence.

The selected setting for this experiment is a high-end Austrian resort that serves as a long-term playground for rich and famous guests. Living that high life is a life-long fantasy come true for Anni.

The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, depicts the truly fateful scene described above.

The anticipated love triangle comes in the form of Anni loving "peasant" postman Giulio but seducing playboy Rudi, played by Robert Young of "Father Knows Best" and "Marcus Welby," who is engaged to a member of his own class.

Plot points include Anni resisting her feelings for the postman (who delivers,) facing increasingly difficult challenges regarding her effort to keep up appearances, and having trouble suppressing her true nature.

Like many films of this type from this genre, "Bride" provides additional entertainment in the form of making the "masters of the universe" in the movie appear foolish and/or weak. In that respect, the aristocrat is correct in stating that all people are alike.

We additionally get the treat of watching Crawford demonstrate (not so) righteous indignation under circumstances that would have many of us slinking off in shame. This extends to demanding that the resort staff show her the deference that she does not deserve.

The final scene that leads to the last-minute happy ending pulls off the neat trick of effectively combining humor and psychological drama. It also provides Crawford a wonderful chance to demonstrate the icy demeanor that makes her one of the greats; it is very clear both that the "boys" better not "mess" with her and that this is not her first trip to the rodeo.

Fortunately for Crawford fans, "Bride" also is not the final rodeo for this "Hollywood royalty."

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Bride" is welcome to email me. You can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'Kids R!ghts: The Business of Adoption' DVD: The High Prices of Low Tactics

The documentary "Kids' R!ights: The Business of Adoption," which Cinema Libre Studios is releasing on DVD today and is adding to VOD on June 20 2014, nicely documents global mega flaws with adoption processes/policies. The spoiler alert is that red tape, outdated biases, and undue expenses are preventing adults who ache to provide children who need good homes that necessity from doing so.

Married filmmakers (and prospective adoptive parents) Michael Dudko and Olga Rudnieva begin the film with the tale of the failed effort of Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, who are stone-cold sober as a matter of fact, (yeah, there are more of these coming) to adopt both an HIV-positive boy named Lev and Lev's brother from the filmmakers' native country of Ukraine. The second spoiler of this review is that the adoption plans of the couple do not include raising the children on Mars, which is frigid and does not have anyone to help care for the kids.

The very sad fact is that the denial is based on Sir Elton and David not being the men that Ukrainian officials think they are; oh not, not at all. This uber-wealthy and seemingly very stable and loving couple simply run afoul of Ukrainian policies against homosexuals and people who are not married within the meaning of the term under Ukrainian law. 

It is particularly sad that Lev suffers a bad fate following the decision of Sir Elton and David to not devote most likely futile resistance regarding the denial of their application to adopt him.

"Kids" provides a broader perspective in noting that the United Kingdom in which Sir Elton and David live does not allow any racial mingling regarding adoptions.
 
The better news regarding all this is that Sir Elton and David are still standing and feel like little kids after their ordeal with the Ukrainian government. They have a child, who looks a great deal like Sir Elton, with a surrogate mother.

This story screams for sharing, courtesy of YouTube, the video from Sir Elton's 1983 hit "I'm Still Standing." It is amazing that this confection is so relevant to his experience in the Ukraine so many years later. 

Further, this short that includes several scenes of hairless male dancers in full body paint and well-packed thongs arguably is the gayest video ever. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

"Kids" indirectly comments on this overall positive outcome for Sir Elton and David by pointing out a few times that adopting a child arguably does more good than bringing a new one, who will further strain the diminishing resources of our planet, into the world.

This portion of "Kids" goes on to document the nearly feral existence that most unadopted and neglected Ukrainian children live; almost universal drug use and prostitution are only the tip of the iceberg.

The segment on the Ukraine leads into a more detailed and nicely documented discussion on the importance of any child growing up in a loving and supportive home. This includes the value of having two parents, regardless of the mix of genders of those caregivers and the race of any member of the household.

Other themes include the massive paperwork, funds, and delays associated with adopting a child from any country. This message includes the sad truth that the possibility that an adoption may not result from all that leads to many well-qualified prospective parents reaching the same decision as Sir Elton and David to not undergo the ordeal. Meanwhile, the children who otherwise could lead be leading much better lives remain in the institutions that are incapable of doing much more than keeping them alive.

This information is effectively conveyed through interviews with prospective adoptors, experts in the field, adoption agency representatives, and literally the mouths of babes. 

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "K!ds" is encouraged to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.