'Blonde: The Marilyn Stories' DVD: TV Movies Bare All

 

The Film Chest Media December 6, 2021 3-disc DVD release "Blonde: The Marilyn Stories" is an awesome time-capsule. These three films (plus "wait there's more" bonus features) evoke terrific memories both of the titular It girl and the wonderfully cheesy made-for-TV-movies that made ratings sweeps months no-reason-to-feel-guilty pleasures. 

The fun starts with the 2001 two-part mini-series "Blonde," which is based on the fictionalized biopic by Joyce Carol Oates.

This one is the Goldilocks of the trio of biopics in this set. It is much tamer than the lascivious theatrical "Goodbye Norma Jean" (1976), which includes explicit nudity, but is more racy than "Marilyn and Me," (!991). The latter should not be confused with the 2001 theatrical film "My Week With Marilyn." 

"Blonde" essentially takes our subject from cradle to fame. Much of the focus is on the early childhood and wonder years of then-Norma-Jean Mortensen. 

This highly "Mommie Dearest" period of the life of the future star depicts her life with her comically unbalanced mother Gladys. The delusions that are passed onto our impressionable girl include that her absent father is a Hollywood power broker. Additionally, this Mama June on 'roids is the first of many who seek to exploit the beauty and talent of the not-yet-blonde bombshell.

The white-trash fun continues with Gladys having a wonderfully dramatic breakdown that results in her becoming a guest of the state in a publicly funded hospital and Norma Jean ending up living with her aunt. This leading to a probable "Lolita" situation prompts an essentially shot-gun marriage to a nice young man.

All of this commences a period of wonderfully lurid events as Norma-Jean fully begins her path to stardom. This generally involves falling in with the wrong crowd that includes a photographer that convinces her to go full Monty before the camera and an essentially Leopold and Loeb duo that come one element short of fully converting Norma-Jean into a life of sex, and drugs, and rock-and-roll.

The performance of future "Supernatural" star Jensen Ackles as a member of this menage-a-trois stands out in this a "very special" "The Love Boat" caliber cast of  past, current, and future stars that includes Ann- Margaret and Kirstie Alley. Alley passing away the daybefore the DVD release makes her good performance as the matchmaker of her ward notable. 

Although "Supernatural" fans will be disappointed that Patrick Dempsey plays Cass, who is the partner-in-crime to Ackles' Eddie, Ackles steals the show by channeling his stereotypical queen that occasionally surfaces in the life of Dean Winchester. 

This latter part of "Blonde" that also depicts the beginning-of-the-end of our subject additionally shows how the career of Monroe parallels that of Judy Garland, who suffers the same fate as her fellow legend. This reliance on prescription drugs to keep up with the demands of stardom is a totally ignored cautionary tale regarding the modern opioid crisis.

"Marilyn and Me" mostly focuses on the rise of our candle in the wind. This largely is portrayed in the context of the courtship and early marriage of Norma Jean and show-business journalist-turned-screenwriter Robert Slatzer. 

We see how the pair struggles to remain in the honeymoon period as the increasing demands of stardom strain their relationship. This includes the newly minted Monroe repeatedly calling on her possible soulmate for support as she runs afoul of the early Harvey Weinsteins in this period that predates the "me-too"era by several decades.

This one arguably has the most substance of the three. Not only does it focus on possibly the most loving and stable relationship of Monroe, but addresses the public image challenge that is more prevalent in the studio-system days than it is today. 

A combination of 50s-morality and wanting to give Eisenhower-era straight men a sense that Monroe is available to them is behind initially pressuring her to first not engage in pre-marital whoppie and Slatzer and to later get him to postpone putting a ring on it until the little woman has fully established her career.

Film Chest saves the most tawdry for last. "Goodbye Norma Jean" features legendary bimbo Misty Rowe in the titular (pun intended) role. One of the most amazing things about this softcore production is that it is rated R, rather then X. One can only imagine the scenes that are cut to make this film available to minors who are accompanied by an adult.

This shamelessly trashy movie is the epitome of a film that would not be made today. The portrayal of Hollywood elite shamelessly using aspiring stars as live sex dolls quickly would incur the wrath of every feminist group. 

The primary focus of this one is the shameless exploitative behavior of movers-and-shakers toward our aspiring and subsequently successful star. A fairly explicit early scene has a traffic cop brutally force himself on a mostly pure Norma Jean in return for not giving her a ticket. This encounter also introduces our star to her knight-in-shining armor who continues to ride in on his white steed to rescue his not-so-innocent damsel-in-distress.

The not-ready-for primetime elements include a blatant rape by a man whose well-known reputation for that crime is merely winked at. We also get a scene in which a studio executive merely drops trou, and Marilyn knows that any chance of being cast requires removing her white gloves and getting on her knees. Her dramatic monologue that is intended to shame her exploiter only seems to turn him on. 

Another memorable scene has a butch lady executive lure Monroe to her home for the pretense of running lines. Although modern audiences know what is coming, our star learning that some women can play as rough as the boys further erodes her innocence. 

The DVD bonus materials include lighter material. An episode of "The Jack Benny Show" has Monroe appear in a daydream in which Benny fantasizes about that Hollywood newcomer.

The big picture regarding our feature presentations is that it takes the "True Hollywood Story" approach to the life of Monroe to a more tawdry level. We also receive confirmation that our mothers are too blame for our later trauma-and-drama, that our adolescent experiences also largely determine our adult lives, and that fame does cost. 

The even bigger pictures is that both male and females stars always have (and still must a lesser extent) do their time on the casting couches of the studio "suits" of both sexes if they want to join the "some that you recognize and some that you hardly even heard of" who get their stars on Hollywood Boulevard.

Preparing For a Winter of Comfortable Isolation

 

For those of us with an "underlying condition" that causes us to get "real sick real easy," March 2023 will mark three years of wearing masks most of the time and having our pockets bulge with hand sanitizer and anti-septic wipes. A personal note is that these many ounces of prevention has kept your not-so-humble-reviewer Covid-free the entire pandemic.

This also has involved absolutely no human contact since all this began. A horrific 2018 hospital stay and throwing up all over the bathroom floor and sitting on those cold tiles at 4:30 a.m. before recovering enough to clean up that mess in November 2021 were enough to train friends to flash the peace sign as greetings and goodbyes. 

A big part of these precautions is winters of comfortable isolation that require spending most time at home and NEVER going in a store from mid-December until at least mid-March. This necessitates relying on the kindness of not-so-strangers to bring us highly perishable items. 

YOU ARE THERE 

The bigger picture this winter is the principle that it is not safe for anyone to go back into the Whole Foods. A personal experience is knowing two people who recently got Covid for the first time despite being properly boosted and taking other standard precautions. They unknowingly spread the disease before realizing that their condition was more serious than a bad cold. 

On a larger level, we have a tridemic and many people are taking barely any precautions. An insidious "insult" that is added to this "injury" is that retailers (especially grocery stores) are cutting their expenses by grossly understaffing checkout lines. This is coercing shoppers to use filthy self-serve checkout lines that are proven health hazards.

Your not-so-humble-reviewer realizes that he is fortunate to have adequate funds to stock up on needs and several wants for a few months and to own a mid-size home with a large basement. 

However, many folks with more limited means and smaller homes can adapt by mostly limiting their food supply to pastas, jarred sauces, and other non-perishables. They also can (as they already likely are doing) rely on heavily discounted streaming services, rather than a library of more than (largely used) 10,000 DVD and Blu-ray sets, for entertainment. The ad-free Hulu option is a personal fave. 

The final substitute is opting for an e-reader subscription over a large library of (largely used) books. Getting library books and DVDs that may be as badly contaminated as a self-checkout touchscreen is not advised. 

For the record, your not-so-humble reviewer is not a glutton. He is 5'8" and 150 pounds. He also consistently rides his Nordictrak bike at a mid-setting for an hour every other day. 

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

The unknown number of times that people have burned their hands on stoves or electrocuted themselves by sticking something in an outlet proves that we do not truly know something until we personally experience it. The most relevant personal example this time is that once was enough regarding taking out a cookie sheet that was being stored in an oven after that device was preheated.

The hope that the third time will be the charm as to the (hopefully last) third winter of comfortable isolation involves learning from mistakes. A desire to ride out any illness in the winter of 2020-21 resulted in throwing out $60 worth of expired NyQuil in September 2022. Roughly 90 granola bars from last winter got tossed a few weeks later. 

The lesson goes behind this guilt-inducing waste. The sound principle is to be prepared but to not go overboard. A related concept is having what will bring you joy at a time that the larger world cannot provide it. 

Merely having medicine if needed and every meal being a good one are two of the best experiences ever. Knowing that I have enough Trader Joe's holiday treats, including iced and blinged out shortbread cookies and curiously strong peppermint meringues, to last through March helps make the next few months bearable. 

BEST OF TIMES AND WORST OF TIMES

Long experience has taught me that "special" movies and "treat" food are very therapeutic regarding both really bad days and have something to which to really look forward. Having ample supplies of these desired items make a winter of comfortable isolation bearable.

A triple-wrapped frozen portion of loved moist and buttermilky chicken tenders and french fries and rewatching the indie comedy "Such Good People" were needed after an aggravating day of arguing with Macy's overseas reps regarding a package that they refused to acknowledge had been jammed up. (Of course, Macy's sent an inquiry that night and the package got put back in the pipeline two days later.) 

Decades of many Friday nights involving eating out and going to a movie is behind pulling Trader Joe's fare and other mid-range prepared foods from the auxiliary freezrer and digging into a stash of physical-media versions of recent releases at the end of every workweek. Knowing that that is coming really helps make it through each week.

This nurturing extends to having a large supply of spa-quality personal care products. Although the good folks at the UK-based ThisWorks sell the really good stuff, discount-chain Marshalls often has excellent stuff for $5 or so. A personal supply of Bliss products is proof of this. 

A morning shower with a high-end body wash is the next best thing to an as-needed evening shower with a relaxing body wash and then getting into flannel boxers, thick flannel pajama pants with an animal print., a long-sleeved t-shirt, and a warm ratty robe. Every night ends with ThisWorks pillow spray helping get a sound sleep on quality bedding that is well worth a few extra bucks. 

BABY I CAN DRIVE MY CAR

Two related lessons from the early days of the pandemic are that a car that is not regularly driven will get a dead battery and that take-out meals can bring great short- and long-term glee.

Even before our new normal, many mid-range chain restaurants had loyalty programs and family meals as well as decent curbside take-out services. 

Ordering ahead provides a good excuse to get fresh air and give your car some exercise ("Speed Buggy" varoom-a-zoom-zoom sound effects are optional) and to bring  home fresh food. A roughly $60-dollar family meal will provide a single person roughly one week of  nicely anticipated tasty dinners and usually will bring a loyalty account at least 50-percent of the way toward a reward. 

Driving other loops without getting out of your car also provides man and machine needed time outside the house. 

WRAP UP 

The bottom line this time is that we live in unprecedent times in which the greater world seems to be throwing increasing misery at us. This requires a Blitz mentality of keeping calm and carrying on at home as much as feasible while bombs fall all around. 

That ‘’70s Strip Is Son’s Time Travelling Valentine to Dad

 

"Thornsby" provides the joy of exceeding even high expectations. What was thought to be a complete collection of these single-panel strips from the ‘70s turned out to be the epitome of “so much more.”

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, there would not have been anything wrong with actor/author Tom McLaren merely reintroducing old fans to this slice of Watergate-era life and providing “kids” this highly amusing history lesson. However, Tom does so much more.

This time it is personal. "Thornsby” (and Tom) is the creation of Fred McLaren. Tom proves that he is the best son ever by including a loving 10-page introduction from the perspective of a young boy. The reader can smell the cigarette smoke and hear the crackle of the vinyl as Tom watches his artist dad practice his craft.

Tom further honors his father by turning to friends and family as well as the files of the old man to make this book a truly complete collection. This returns the love that Fred expressed in ways that included having an all-American tow-headed boy making frequent appearances in "Thornsby." 

The added content as to the strips themselves includes notes as to the ones that literally and figuratively were banned in Boston. We also learn how the strip easily easily could have been titled “Being Fred McLaren.” The man loved busty babes and actual classic headlights. He also hated Monday’s a decade before a certain overweight orange tabby cat.

Fred was very kind to the formal and informal censor by highlighting the "fickle finger of fate" that Thornsby college-aged offspring Tune-In directed at his dad in a strip. Why the Beacon Hill bluebloods allowed that one remains an unsolved mystery. Fred shows more discretion by literally blurring the lines in strips (of course, pun intended) in which Tune-In indulged in the '70s craze of streaking.

The bigger picture is that Fred timelessly reflects the sensibility of the middle-aged man. As Tom writes, Fred was no Archie Bunker but shared his frustration as to era-specific woes such as regular car recalls and the eternal generation gap. Many current middle-aged fossils can relate in the form of struggling to master some technology and by detesting hipsters.

The bottom line this time is that the late Fred had every reason to be proud of his boy.

'Halo' S1: DVD, BD, 4K: RvB The Next Generation

The most important disclaimer regarding this post on the CBS Home Entertainment releases (complete with seven collectible cards in all but the DVD set) of S1 of the ParamountPlus series "Halo" is that this member of the Atari, which still is in my basement, generation has never played the game franchise on which the series is based. Further, my knowledge of post-Atari videogames is minimal.

The good news is that coming to "Halo" not knowing a Spartan from a member of The Covenant has not hindered enjoying this theatrical-quality production that is as addictive as the game on which it is based. This includes an almost 3D look to to this live-action series that gives is an aptly strong CGI vibe.

A special feature that provides a primer on the Xbox legend helps us Gen Xers learn what Millennials and Gen Zers already know. 

The broader appeal of "Halo" is that it takes the hilarious long-running "Red v. Blue" franchise to a wonderful new level by literally bringing the actual video-game characters in that series to life and giving them larger roles than being bickering and violent morons. 

The Blu-ray version looks crisp and clear played using a BD player and watching on a mid-range HD set. Watching on a 4K player with a high-end Sony Bravia 4K set really brings out the aforementioned sense of CGI. This highly suggests that the 4K version looks phenomenal; buying the gamer in your life the 4K steelbook will earn you a BFF. 

The following S1 official trailer perfectly reflects all of the above while expertly condensing the S1E1 and S1E2 exposition to a minute or so. These scenes additionally convey the "Dune" vibe as to harsh desert settings but do not include mention of the also relatable war for a critical natural resource. 

This promo. further ends on a perfect note with the says-it-all quote "Find the halo, win the war." This line rivals "Save the cheerleader, save the world" as the best-ever scifi series catchphrase.

In true scifi fashion, our epic journey begins the events that set our heroes, villains, and those somewhere in the middle on our quests. 

Our genetically enhanced main-man Master Chief Spartan-117 (a.k.a. John) beats the evil Covenant to discovering the central object of the franchise. This soon leads to realizing that John is The Chosen One but not why he effectively has the power to pull Excalibur from the stone. We also soon see the extent to which he will go to feel like a real-live boy. 

The ensuing events lead to a newly more humanized and independent John freeing rebel princess Kwan and giving her what he believes will be a save haven. Of course, everyone who has dealt with teenagers knows that just leads to more trouble. 

Dr. Halsey, who provides "Halo" with a Soong element, takes her genetic engineering to the next level by essentially sending in the clones to make John even more of a super soldier and to restore his more obedient nature. This includes creating the independent-minded AI hologram Cortana, who definitely has shades of The Doctor from "Star Trek: Voyager." It is very clear that "Mommy" and "Daddy" have no qualms about putting Cortana in the middle of their war of wills.

The past of John, which is highly intertangled with every aspect of the series, being integral to restoring order to the this part of the universe sets the stage for showing the fascinating wonder years of this hero of the Unsc. We see how an unfortunate series of events lead to his going from being a happy boy with a dog, to a child soldier/guinea pig, to the man that he is today. We also learn how he becomes the "cheerleader" of the series. 

Of course, all of these leads to an epic season-ending battle that leads to S2, 

The aforementioned special features go well beyond the primer on the game. The highly enthusiastic cast and crew discuss their roles and the importance of every aspect of the series to the lore of the franchise. These entertaining offerings allow us "old-timers" to catch up with the "kids." 

Director Tommy Avallone Tells Tales of Making 'Bill Murray Stories' Documentary

A telephone conversation with filmmaker Tommy Avallone the day before the October 26, 2018 VOD premiere of his (reviewed) Gravitas Ventures documentary "The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons From A Mythical Man" aptly was mythical. "Murray' and an earlier Avallone joint "I Am Santa Claus," which chronicles the off-season lives of men who play St. Nick, show that this guy has equally strong imagination and curiosity levels that he exercises in a manner that enriches audiences in the same manner that Murray popping up at a kickball game or a college party enhances the lives of those who are there.

The titular urban legends in "Murray" are seemingly purely random visits by the titular star of "Saturday Night Live" (a.k.a. "SNL") and cult-classic '80s film comedies such as "Stripes" and the original "Ghostbusters" films. Hearing about those encounters puts the idea of "Murray" in the head of Avallone; obtaining the coveted toll-free telephone number that Murray uses in lieu of an agent or a manager created hope that the man the legend would participate in the film.

First Contact 

Scenes throughout "Murray" depict Avallone either rehearsing a message for the voicemail of Murray or recording and deleting one. We also see his mother get into the act. This illustrated the challenge of summoning Murray; he is like a cat in that he ignores those who attempt to entice him but literally or figuratively jumps in the laps of people who ignore him. 

Of course, speaking with someone who had the highly sought-after number required asking Avallone to share it, His denial of that request was less surprising than if he had divulged that information. Avallone added that "I can't tell you how I got it; it was a friend of a friend." Avallone emphasized that that friend was not a celebrity. 

Avallone added that he regularly called the number for a year-and-a-half to no avail; these calls continue at less frequently.

Truth or Fiction

Avallone stated that a reported Murray sighting that he included in the cold open of "Murray" was the first one that he heard. He then speculated that it was partially true.

This tale involved Murray coming up behind a man who was using a urinal at a bar; the rest of the story was that Murray put his hands over the eyes of the man. Avalllone opined that Murray did walk up to someone at some time and put his hands over the eyes of his "victim."

This led to discussing people making up Murray stories in reliance of limited documentation of many true one. Avallone provided a perfect response in stating that "I know people who do that; I don't like that. I am a documentary filmmaker; I like the truth."

This final word on this topic was that "What's great about the Bill Murray stories is that 99-percent of them are true."

Murray on Murray

Avallone shared that he has no indication that Murray has seen the film; he added that Bill's brother Joel has seen it and likes it a great deal. The documentarian added that he likes to think that Murray would like "Murray."

Avallone expressing the fantasy that Murray would show in the back of a theater and give him a thumbs up during a post-screening discussion expresses the thoughts of Murray fans everywhere. 

Another expressed desire regarding the impact of "Murray" was that viewers "start to think more like Bill Murray." he added that Murray reminded him of Santa in that "he comes in and leaves them smiling." 

Waldo on Weed 

Only knowing that the latest project of Avallone is titled "Waldo on Weed" prompted asking if the title character was either a cannabis expert or a stoner. It turns out that Waldo is the son of a friend of Avallone; the title refers to the boy using cannabis oil to treat cancer. 

The statements that "Brian and Waldo are really fun characters," and that the film is about "what a father would do to save a son" provide to good reasons to discover where''s "Waldo" when it is released.

Final Word

The similarities between Avallone and Murray extend beyond sharing a great offbeat sense of humor; they both passionately pursue their bliss and seek to provide the rest of us with the same. There is no doubt regarding the truth of the tale that they both awesomely succeed. 

'The Atoning' DVD: How The Others Half Lives

The Gravitas Ventures September 5, 2017 DVD and Blu-ray releases of the 2017 horror film "The Atoning" is notable for its twist on the neo-horror plot of a suburban family in a haunted house. This one pays homage to the 2001 Nicole Kidman thriller "The Others" in having the nuclear clan be the ghosts.

The seemingly major spoiler above does not detract from the impact of this film with a highly symbolic title; much of the film centers around how married couple Ray and Vera and their young son Sam adjust to their new normal. Further, Sam tries very hard to be a friendly ghost.

The following YouTube clip of a trailer fort this winner of three top festival awards provides a wonderfully accurate teaser of the creepiness and building terror in the film.

Early scary scenes involve the current legal owners of the home making the fright-inducing appearances; this includes the daughter of this family terrorizing Sam.

The underlying related plots center around determining the manner in which Ray and his family find themselves in their current circumstances and what must occur to allow them to fully break their ties with the land of the living.

As often is the case, Mom is the center of support, Vera initially tries to keep Sam blissfully ignorant about why he cannot go outside; she then determines who is responsible for the familycide and once again finds herself in the role of protector.

The final battle royale does a great job tying in every aspect of "Atoning." The creep factor escalates at a good pace, things turn out to not be as they seem, and learning about the circumstances of the death of the family sets the stage for moving on regardless of whether that transition is desired.

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

'Ray Donovan' Complete Series (Including Movie) DVD: Not Everybody Loves the Fixer

CBS Home Entertainment augments its massive October 4, 2022  (reviewed) Blocktober steelbook, Blu-ray, and DVD complete series releases of neo-modern classics with an October  25, 2022 DVD CS release of "Ray Donovan" (2013-20). This 29-disc set of this 82-episode MUST-SEE Showtime offering includes an actual seven seasons and a (reviewed) movie. 

This obvious clone of "The Sopranos" arguably surpasses the original in that the "made" men and their families are more realistically portrayed than in the original to which "Donovan" pays the highest form of flattery. This begins with "actor" Liev Schreiber seemingly being born to play the titular "fixer" compared to "TV star" James Gandolfini having an excellent take on the psyche of a mob boss.

The perfectly executed "Donovan" pilot strikes the ideal balance between exposition and getting the action started. This "no dull moment" standard is maintained throughout this series that always surpasses the "one more" test. 

Our story begins with one of the rich-and-infamous Hollywood and environs clients of the agency for which Ray works waking up next to the corpse of his latest one-night stand. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Bawstan native Ray is waking up with high-school sweetheart wife Abby (a.k.a. Carmela) in their home with mid-teens daughter Bridget (a.k.a. Willow) and tween son Connor (a.k.a. AJ). 

This just being another day at the office results in Ray calling in his team to create a new reality that solves the problems of both the playah and the other client whose personal life clashes with his highly lucrative persona. One memorable scene shows the heavy price of fame. 

The bigger picture here is the glimpse into how "fixers" directly and indirectly manipulate the general populace. A relatable example is the many times that others try to gaslight us into not believing something that we know is untrue. A dramatic personal childhood instance is my aunt trying to convince me that I did not overhear her telling my mother that my aunt and my uncle successfully covering up the murder of a worker by the manager at an developing-nation factory that that couple owned. I suppose that I also did not witness my aunt get furious at my mother after I mentioned the incident. 

The series (and movie) game fully is afoot on estranged father Mickey (Jon Voight) coming west for a family reunion after killing a priest almost immediately on being granted a parole after serving 20 years for a murder that he insists that he did not commit. The mutual animosity between Mickey and Ray that prompts no-holds-barred efforts to cause the downfall of the other introduces an awesome Shakespearean element to the series.

The "and the rest" include the highly damaged full siblings of Ray and his previously unknown half brother, who is the result of the jungle fever of Mickey. One of the best S1 scenes has dopey innocent Conor unable to comprehend how Uncle Daryll (Pooch  Hall) can be black. 

The aforementioned movie terrifically brings us back to the youth of Donovan on the mean streets of Bawstan. These adventures show us how the members of our stereotypical working-class Irish Catholic family get to be the people whom they are two decades later. It is believed that Boston-born comedian Denis Leary is who describes this as members of such families having the hands of each other either in their pockets or around their throats.

S1 further introduces the deliciously dark twin themes that run throughout "Donovan." The first element is the critical need for celebrities and other power-brokers to keep up appearances requires taking the desperate measure of hiring Team Donovan to put right what once went wrong when indulging in their sins blows up in their face. 

The other side of this coin is that doing so giving Ray leverage that he is not afraid to use when facing his own desperate need. This can range from wanting to ensure that his kids get accepted at an elite school to showing that he will not hesitate to administer a beatdown to preserve the image of a client.

All of this S1 trauma-and-drama ends in a manner that Team "Donovan" maintains throughout the run of the series. Everything builds to a climax that serves equally well as season or a series finale. In the case of the first season, this often involves killing someone who remains an obstacle. The S1 epilogue goes further by putting a dark twist on the classic final scene of "The Sopranos." 

The epic two hours of special features include the typical insightful wit-and-wisdom of the cast-and-crew. This includes an especially notable "Deconstructing" presentation.

'The Bat' BD: The Ghoul and Miss Moorehead

The Film Detective shows old-school Halloween spirit by releasing "The Bat" on Blu-ray on October 25, 2022. The pristine restoration of this black-and-white film really enhances the thrills and chills of this whodunit with numerous eerie twists. This IS your grandfather's thriller! 

It is clear from the opening voice-over by star/former Mercury Player Agnes "Endora" Moorehead that "Bat" makes excellent use of the elite pompous persona of Moorehead. The only thing missing is a contemptuous reference to "Derwood." 

Once the game gets fully afoot, we see the descent into terrified madness that makes the appearance of Moorehead in the 1961 episode of "The Twilight Zone" "The Invaders." The "unearthly" threats in that one are tiny brothers from another planet to whom Moorehead tries to give a clean sweep. 

"Bat" also highlights the wonderfully understated sinister persona that kept co-star Vincent Price employed for decades. No one does menacing better than him. 

Our story commences with Agatha Christie caliber mystery writer Cornelia van Gorder (Moorehead) and her faithful companion/secretary Lizzie Allen spending the summer in a large rented house with a history. Quasi ala the under-rated '60scom "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," the nephew (Mark Fleming) of the house enters the lease over the objection of his (living) owner John Fleming. John is a bank executive spending time in a cabin in the woods with Dr. Malcolm Wells (Price). Wells aptly frequently finds himself in the middle in the film. 

The two paths that ultimately merge in "Bat" are that the titular killer with a reported supernatural element is terrorizing the community, and $1,000,000 in assets have been robbed from the bank. Of course, the nice young junior executive with the loving and loyal girl is the prime suspect regarding the latter. The many hats of van Gorder regarding this including trying to be the Jessica Fletcher to this kind-and-gentle "innocent." 

A series of unfortunate circumstance giving Wells the opportunity to show the elder Fleming that he is not the boss of him fully sets the game afoot and brings the wolf to the door. van Gorder and Allen essentially are ladies in a cage when the very creepy Bat invades their home and essentially threatens their lives with a switchblade knife. No pun is intended in stating that this is one of the best executed scenes in this film that retains all of the live-stage vibe of the Mary Roberts Rinehart play on which it is based. 

The awesome twists with the exceptional payoff regarding the theme of "the butler did it" further makes "Bat" worthy of joining the cult-classic library of Film Detective titles. The "good to the last drop" aspect is the final scene with an element of "gotcha" regarding exposition that seems to combine a soliloquy and the breaking of the fourth wall but turns out not to be either. This proves that Moorehead is bewitching no matter which character she portrays. 

Detective additionally continues its tradition of excellence regarding special feature. As usual, a documentary featurette by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures is the highlight. This one on "Bat" writer-director Crane Wilbur tells the tale of his fascinating career along with the history of every stage and film version of our feature presentation. We also get a written essay on the work of Rinehart  and audio versions of Vincent Price radio broadcasts.

'Melrose Place' CS DVD: 'Reality Bites': The Series

 

This shamefully belated post on the CBS Home Entertainment October 4, 2022 54-disc CS DVD release of the seven-season "Melrose Place" (1992-99) wraps up coverage of the CBSHE Blocktober releases of neo-modern classics that day. 

These sets include the MUST SEE  (reviewed) SB, BD, and DVD releases of "Picard" S3 and the (reviewed) BD and DVD combined releases of "Dexter" OS and the true-to-form "New Blood." CBSHE also released a (reviewed) CS DVD set of the Jordan Peele recent true-to-form reboot of "The Twilight Zone." 

CBSHE keeps the hits coming with the October 25, 2022 CS DVD release of the Showtime series "Ray Donovan," which includes the (reviewed) wrap-up movie. A post on that epic release hopefully will be timely.

Our discussion of "Melrose" commences with noting the compatible time-and-place for marathon (rather than binge) viewings of television series. The silver-living regarding the imminent twindemic winter is that this series is tailor-made for Sunday afternoons and massive climate-change fueled storms ala the escapism of fellow Aaron Spelling classic "The Love Boat" on frigid Saturday nights throughout the '80s. A personal winter of comfortable isolation will include copious "Melrose" sessions complete with enjoying my stash of '90s-era Clearly Canadian fruit-flavored sparkling water. 

"Melrrose" is pure Spelling. This spin-off of "Beverly Hills 90210," which also has a fabulous CBSHE CS DVD release, tells the tales of  beautiful people in a beautiful setting leading exciting lives in which the beat-down of a lifetime does not require more than a night in the hospital. Further, a "new romance" almost as quickly mends a broken heart.

The initial central concept of "Melrose" is that a group of early-to-late 20-somethings in the titular Los Angeles apartment complex intertwine their lives to varying degrees while learning to "adult." This evokes strong thoughts of the similarly themed cult-classic film "Reality Bites," which revolves around the quarter-life crises of its '90s brat pack stars. 

An aspect of this is the desire of many recent college graduates to extend that lifestyle. They want to hang out with a close group of friends and drink several times a week. 

"Melrose" creator Darren Star of "Sex and the City" explains in one of the plethora of insightful and entertaining special features that "Melrose" is based on reality. Star notes that he spent his 20s living in an apartment complex in which everyone was friends.

A brief detour into Blogland supports the Star-stated real-life basis for "Melrose." Your not-so-humble reviewer was a recent college graduate living in what was unPC known as the "student ghetto" behind American University in Washington, DC. This was two blocks of two-story four-unit apartment buildings largely inhabited by graduate students. 

"Melrose" experiences included drama ensuing when the guy downstairs moved in on my first roommate moving out. Additionally, the neighbor across the hall claiming to be locked out only had a comically aggressive come-on fail due to my fear of my roommate coming home. My lesson there was that even wearing long t-shirts while wearing tights for runs was not much of a deterrent. 

Unlike "Melrose," your not-so-humble reviewer and the other males in the buildings did not walk around shirtless even during the hot-and-humid DC summers. Further, we did not share our trauma-and-drama with our neighbors. Also, none of our triumphs prompted impromptu celebrations with the gang. 

Ala "90210," "Melrose" succeeds because it is populated with relatable stock characters that largely have counterparts a few zip codes over. This begins with "older brother" type loner/family-friendly biker Jake (Grant Show). Ala Dylan (Luke Perry) of "90210," Jake tries to emulate the cool of James Dean. 

We also get initially sweet-and-perky Wisconsin native Allison (Courtney Thorne-Smith), who soon learns that living in the big city requires a thicker skin and a harder heart. Her travails commence with having to find a roommate and get the money to either fix her clunker of a car or find a "new" one in her price range. Her S1 "adulting" involves advancing her career in a sometimes toxic work environment, knowingly being "the other woman," and contending with an "its complicated" relationship with new male roommate Billy. 

Speaking of Billy, this aspiring novelist is the least likable member of the group. This may be due to not-so-talented Andrew Shue being an 11th-hour replacement when the originally cast Stephen Fanning apparently has a Tim Hortons doughnuts binge while in his Canadian hometown a few days before shooting commences. 

The curly haired boy-next-door and uneven Valley Boy accent of soccer stud Shue make him a goofy Willie Aames sidekick type. However, Billy is an angsty easy frustrated guy who only is charming when he is not trying to score at work or in the bedroom. 

Billy also has one of the most absurd storylines of S1, which is notable for amping up the campy drama for which Spelling is known. Our go-getter uses his "charm" and a completely fabricated resume to land a job on a magazine. This quickly leads to an "outing" and amusingly clumsy "Mrs. Robinson" style sexual harassment only to have things work out within two episodes. 

Speaking of Alison and Billy, Spelling calls on his "fixer" Heather Locklear (apparently Ted McGinley was unavailable) to spice up "Melrose" roughly halfway through the first season. Locklear plays advertising executive Amanda, who makes everyday like survival for underling Allison. Much of this relates to Billy being a lover and Allison being a rival. Locklear also makes a classic S1 cliffhanger move that brings all this much closer to home. 

The "and the rest" include openly gay social worker Matt, who gets shorted both in terms of screen time and storylines in S1. He mostly is on the sidelines except for being BFFs with "hag" aerobics instructor/arguably token black character Rhonda. Rhonda also was entitled to a more prominent S1 role. 

We also get tough New Yorker/recent divorcee Jo, who has overnight success as a photographer. Of course, she connects with the even more damaged Jake. 

Young married couple Michael and Jane round out the S1 gang. Medical intern Michael playing doctor fully ends the waning honeymoon period for this husband and wife around the time of their second anniversary. The realistic aspects of this relationship include the challenge of marrying young, the stress associated with trying to maintain a marriage while contending with the demands of a medical internship, and Jane giving up her old life to stand by her man.

The evolution of all this from a fairly light look at transitioning from college to the rest of your life commences with the issues of the week that dominate S1. We get gay bashing, an inner-city attack that leads to claims of racism, abortion, and other "ripped-from-the-headlines" topics. 

The bottom line this time is that "Melrose" is an entertaining 90s-era time capsule in which The Gap is the hot store and white t-shirts with sweater vests are everywhere. Those of us who lived in that era will feel wonderful nostalgia, and "kids" will get a better sense of the lives of their 'rents while they were figuring out what they wanted to do and the lifestyle that they desired when they grew up. 

'Picard' S2: SB, BD, DVD: Best 'Trek' Ever

The CBSHE separate October 4, 2022 steelbook Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD releases of the recently concluded second season of the Paramount Plus series "Picard" is an integral part of the Blocktober sets that hit real and virtual shelves on that date.

This embarrassment of neo-modern classics riches include the (reviewed) DVD and BD CS sets of "Dexter" OS and "New Blood" and the (reviewed) CS DVD set of the Jordan Peele "Twilight Zone" reboot. The massive CS DVD set of "Melrose Place" is scheduled for a post in the not-too-distant future. 

One spoiler regarding "Picard" S2 is that those of us who emulate "Trek" by having our Alexa devices respond to the word "computer" must frequently contend with these hockey pucks reacting to commands by Team Picard. 

The pure blessing of the following S2 trailer is that it highlights the cinema-quality production values and acting that make the BD set must-own. The blessing and the curse regarding showing a portion of the elements that may cause Trekkers to actually pee their Starfleet uniforms is that these clips are SPOILER-LADEN.

My post for "Picard" S1 provides a good primer on the series. It offers a sense of how the titular hero of the Federation gets back into action and the "coretet" that helps him put right what once went wrong. 

The primary vibe that warrants declaring "Picard" S2 the best "Trek" ever is that it successfully combines the best of all worlds from that nearly 70 years (and still going strong) franchise. A vague memory is that an article from the era of "Star Trek: The Next Generation, which introduces Trekkies and Trekkers to our titular living legend, lists the Top 10 fan favorite elements from that 'verse. Our topic du jour includes most (if not all) of these aspects. 

Ala "Picard" S1 and comparable to the original "Sherlock Holmes" stories, our story begins with our hero finally getting to enjoy semi-retirement as the proprietor of his centuries-old family vineyard. Simultaneously, "Star Trek: Voyager" fave former-Borg Seven-of-Nine is involved in a deadly game of laser tag aboard her inherited spaceship that is integral to the S1 action. One spoiler is that Seven later gives fans the closest thing to a "Kiss Me, Kate" moment that they ever will get. 

The Han Soloesque former captain of the"Trek" answer to the Millennium Falcon has mostly abandoned his roguish ways and now occupies the big chair in the Federation ship The Stargazer. Trekkers know an earlier version of this member of the fleet as the first one on which Picard served.

Stargazer captain Cristobal Rios is out exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and new civilizations when he encounters a massive space anomaly that evokes thoughts of the TNG that sets the season-long sense of nostalgia in motion. Further investigation reveals a message that results in reuniting with Admiral Picard. 

The ensuing series of unfortunate circumstances set the season-long story arc afoot. This commences with a scene fairly straight-out-of the TNG big-screen premiere "Star Trek: Generations." This leads to introducing one of the aforementioned fan favorites. An especially awesome aspect of this is including aspects of the TNG pilot and the aforementioned series finale. 

The next segment puts an awesome twist on the multiverse element of "Trek." Expressing disappointment regarding the lack of goatees is a a significant spoiler for both Trekkies and Trekkers.

The borrowing from the theatrical "Trek" releases then goes into full force. Ala "Star Trek: The Voyage Home," Picard and his colleagues must travel to modern-day earth to put right what once went wrong. They even use the same time-travel technique that Team Kirk used in the film. 

One of three pet peeves regarding S2 is a lack of a "remember where we parked" reference regarding the cloaked ship. A hilarious homage to a "Voyage" scene involving an obnoxious bus passenger partially compensates for the omission.

The second pet peeve involves an otherwise sublime scene. This commences with an amusing reveal regarding the TNG series. The annoyance comes with Picard visiting someone from his TNG days. Both Picard and that individual incorrectly state that temporally this is their first meeting. HOWEVER, they met in a TNG episode that is set in a period before the early 21st century.

The handful of ways that the primary S2 plot emulates the TNG film "Star Trek: First Contact" is that it centers around the critical need to thwart sabotaging a space mission. The final S2 pet peeve is that the 24th century Picard should have been aware of this mission. 

Awesome subplots include the threatened escalation of a major Trekverse threat, insight into the 21st and 24th century histories of the Picard family, and scientific activity that plays a major role in virtually every "Trek" production.

A final cameo is a truly delightful surprise. We catch up with a character who arguably has undergone the most significant changes in the Trekverse. This further hints of a future Paramount Plus series that is centered around this legend of tomorrow. 

Of course, all of this leads to a Hollywood ending that ties up loose ends but leaves the audience wanting more. This conclusion heavily suggests that "Picard S3, which premieres in February 2023, will be tailored made to emulate another "Trek" series in a manner that will allow fans to check an item off their bucket lists.

The universe full of special features shows the love of the cast and crew for "Picard" and the Trekverse. Many answer the question "how did they do that" and others have old and new friends discuss their literal and figurative roles. We also get a gag reel and sadly deleted scenes that would have made a sublime series an 11. 

'Star Trek Picard' S1 DVD, BD, Steelbook: TNG: The New Class

 

The CBS Home Entertainment September 29, 2020 separate DVD/BD/BD steelbook releases of S1 of the CBS All Access series "Star Trek Picard" truly shows what become a legend most. This is not to mention the titular once (and future?) Starfleet admiral and his rebellious alliance boldly going where (almost) no man has gone before in search of new life and a new civilization.

Although Covid-19 is delaying the painfully highly anticipated S2 premiere, All Access already has committed to at least three seasons. ​

The following trailer pays wonderful homage to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" by featuring scenes of Picard, who only works in outer space, enjoying a peaceful existence at the family vineyard in France until duty once again harshes that particular mellow. The subsequent new faces and visits from old friends gives a sense of the "New Class" element. One spoiler is that Pulitzer Prize winning creator/head writer Michael Chabon spares us any appearances by Neelix, aka the Screech of the Trekverse.

The opening scene, which is far too awesome to even remotely spoil, immediately grabs Trekkers, Trekkies, and anyone who likes a good story. This first of countless love letters to TNG provides the perfect context for a central relationship that drives much of this perfect 10-epidose season that easily passes the "one more" test and leaves us wanting so much more, These payoffs include visiting Mr, and Mrs. Riker in their idyllic home. 

A true rude awakening soon comes for Picard when student Dahj visits in the wake of a puzzling attack. This ambush triggers an equally mysterious "activation" in Dahj that leads to kung-fu fighting in which she is fast as lightning. Although this is exciting; it is a little bit frightening.

The rest of the groundwork for the rest of the season is the 14 year-old incident that is behind Picard leaving Starfleet. His role in a controversial humanitarian mission to relocate "Trek" baddies the Romulans to Mars, which no longer needs women, leads to a catastrophic uprising by synthetic lifeforms that leads to a ban on their further development. This is akin to the "Star Trek: Enterprise" story arc as to superhumans; that one is memorable for the classic line "actually, Mother was a botanist."

An especially awesome aspect of this portion of the S1 saga is Picard following the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" philosophy that you need a Klingon to fight a Klingon. 

The reimaging of the "Trek" verse that the must-see home-video special features mention includes the Starfleet brass surprisingly rejecting the request of the man who saved the world (a lot) to reup and fulfill the humanitarian mission of the Federation. We also get tech. that is borrowed from the "Stargate" universe. 

This rejection leads to Picard taking the desperate measure of enlisting the services of the blatantly Han Soloesque Cristobal Rios to use his version of the Millennial Falcon to help Picard find TNG enemy turned research collaborator Bruce Maddox; the is the first of several time that this series drifts into "Wars" territory. The holograms that augment the skeleton crew awesomely evoke thoughts of the current "Flash" series.

The maiden voyage for this motley crew is to a planet to recruit fighters for the action to come. This reunites Picard with a 20-something Romulan who still has Daddy issues as to that father figure from his youth. This adventure ends with a sequence that has highly predictable elements with a surprising twist that reverses the awesome tradition of having TNG characters pop up on "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" ala Chrissie of "Three's Company" visiting former landlords the Ropers after they sell their apartment building. 

"Picard" also borrows from the ancient past by twice using "the old fake prisoner as a Trojan horse" trick from "Wars" and many, many, many, many other films and television series. 

All of this leads to an season-ending three-episode story arc that is one of the best in the entire "Trek" history. Picard is facing enemies on both sides as the events behind his leaving Starfleet begin to replay; of course, this screams for omnipotent mischief-maker Q to appear to further stir the boiling plot. Certainty exists as these events involving a strong element of the classic TNG series finale.

Team Chabon fully earns its pay as to how it wraps up these episodes that serve equally well as a season or series ender. Suffice it to say that we get Picard 2.0 and all is brought full circle. 

The aforementioned bonuses are too numerous to fully address; a personal favorite is one in which engaging (of course, pun intended) prop master Jeffrey Lombardi essentially shows us how the sausage is made. Great aspects of this includes looks at props from the TNGverse series, showing how technology has allowed making those toys even better, and meeting crew members who have been on the team since TNG days.

We also get a feature of Team Picard that clearly do not adhere to Starfleet protocol, a look at the Emmy-winning prosthetics and make-up, a tour of the sets. CBS augments (of course, pun intended) with deleted scenes and a gag reel.

'The Twilight Zone' CS DVD: Peele Does Serling Proud

 

The CBSHE October 4, 2022 CS DVD set of the 2019-20 Jordan Peele 20-episode two-season Showtime homage to the OS TV Land classic series "The Twilight Zone" is an awesome part of the CBSHE Blocktober releases on that date. This embarrassment of riches is a godsend to those of us facing our third-in-a-row Covid-related winter of comfortable isolation.

The well-produced releases of small-screen neo-classics include (reviewed) separate DVD and BD sets that include both "Dexter" OS and "New Blood," a DVD CS set of the Aaron Spelling take on "adulting" "Melrose Place," and DVD and BD sets of "Picard" S2. Posts on "Melrose" and "Picard" are scheduled for the first week of October 2022. 

This arguably most successful reimaging of this series that has launched other reboots, a feature film, a pop song, and countless sitcom plots and references succeeds because executive producer/host Peele recognizes the wisdom of not fixing what is not broken. A large part of this is the realization of Peele that the themes of racism, corrupt leaders, threats by brothers from other planets, and the price for getting that for which you wish are as timely today as they were in the early days of the Golden Age of Television. 

Peele additionally continues the tradition of casting past, present, and (presumably) future household names in each installment of this pure anthology series in which every episode has an unique cast portray a complete original group of characters facing a stand-alone series of ultimately unfortunate circumstances. 

Both 10-episode seasons of this Showtime series are must-see. Highly subjective opinions regarding which offerings are best reflect the personality of the viewer while proving that the series has something for everyone.

Personal fave "The Wunderkind" stars John "Harold" Cho as a spin doctor who gets the titular young online star elected president of the United States only to learn to be reminded of the adage that absolute power absolutely corrupts. Jacob Tremblay of "Room" fame portrays the second most fictional or actual occupant of the Oval Office. The homage in this one is to the OS episode "It's a Good Life" in which Billy Mumy plays a boy who exiles his real and imagined foes to life among the children of the corn.

Second fave "Blurryman" also is from S1. This very meta one that aptly involves a "Twilight Zone" scribe finding the line between her professional and personal lives blurring. This one that most directly honors Serling features "special guest star" Jason Priestly as himself. That casting further honors the OS.

The S1 offering "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet" expertly updates the classic OS episode in which William "Kirk" Shatner plays an airline passenger who increasingly goes crazy trying to convince his fellow frequent flyers that there is gremlin on the wing. The updated version substitutes the OS creature with a very 21st century device. 

The S2 opener "Meet in the Middle" is especially creepy. This one has a couple make a very unusual love connection only to (of course) realize that they are not in Kansas anymore. The moral this time is very well known to all of us who have dated; people do not show their unique style of crazy until it is too late. 

Christopher Meloni and Jenna Elfman star in personal S2 fave. "A Human Face," which finds a married couple contending with a menacing presence in their house, has twists that are more than worthy of the OS. The aspects of the parent-child relationship will hit home for virtually everyone who has raised a child. Staging the terror in an otherwise ordinary dwelling plays homage to Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock. 

The deserving of the title special features go well beyond the sadly deleted scenes and the highly amusing gag reels. We get the awesome music video from "Wunderkind" and a tribute to Serling that gives due respect to the man behind one of the first "Must See" series that will enlighten and entertain so long as the viewing public can watch it. 

'Dexter' OS CS & New Blood DVD & BD: Killer Miami Vice

 

The CBSHE October 4, 2022 separate DVD and BD combined releases of "Dexter" and the righteous reboot "Dexter: New Blood" are part of a Blocktober celebration of neo-modern classics. 

Other marathon (rather than binge) worthy CBSHE releases on that day include DVD and BD sets of "Picard" S2 and the DVD CS set of the Jordan Peele "Twilight Zone reboot. The "but wait there's more" releases on that date include the DVD CS set of the Aaron Spelling no-reason to feel guilty cult classic "Melrose Place," a.k.a. "Reality Bites: The Series." Posts on these "Dexter" companions will be published in the next few weeks. 

The initial note regarding the "Dexter" set is that pristine cinematography of Miami in the OS and upstate New York in "New Blood" and the equally expert voice-over narration of the titular excitable boy, and perfect mood-setting background music make paying a little extra for the BD set well worth it. The already insignificantly incremental cost is even lower when you consider that you get 96 OS and 10 "New Blood" episodes plus a plethora of extras that provide insightful autopsies of these truly psychological procedurals.

The terrifically twisted premise of the multi-Emmy winning OS is that the day job of  every man-child Dexter Morgan is a top-notch blood-spatter (not splatter) in the CSI department of Miami homicide. He spends his nights (and portions of this days) providing vigilante justice with extreme prejudice. Like all superheroes, the angst of Dexter stems from the nature of his being orphaned at a young age. 

The "but wait there's more" is that is Dexter kills two demons with one scalpel by satisfying his bloodlust (a.k.a. dark passenger) via a code that it as flexible as the non-interference Prime Directive that governs the United Federation of Planets around which "Star Trek" series revolve. Theoretically, getting Saranwrapped on the work table of Dexter requires being a killer who otherwise would escape justice. 

The appeal of the OS extends well beyond the awesomely twisted premise. Original showrunner Clyde Phillips more than earns his salary by assembling a skilled team in front of and behind the camera. 

Watching Dexter play a perpetual cat-and-mouse game with his colleagues who are pursing both the same prey and (unbeknowst to them) their colleague alone makes the series worthwhile. Making every character as compelling as our lead and being as well portrayed as "Six Feet Under" alum Michael C. Hall plays Dexter makes the series genuinely must see.

Fellow lab-rat Vince Masuka easily takes the prize for the most repulsively odd duck. The creepy giggle of this gleefully deranged pervert is a series highlight. This guy who acts like a 16 year-old boy who chugged a pound of Kool-Aid powder and a bottle of Viagra has absolutely no filter or sense of the meaning of "TMI."

Homicide detective/Dexter step-sister Debra Morgan runs a close second to Masuka in terms of the quirky turkeys that are charged with putting killers behind bars. Her prodigious proficient profanity entertainingly includes enough f bombs to level Florida. Her role as an overly intrusive caring sister makes things especially challenging regarding the hobby of her co-worker/sibling.

The "and the rest" include Jimmy Buffet emulating Angel Batista, humorless James Doakes, and stereotypical tough-boss Maria LaGuerta. Suffice it to say that things do not end well for the detectives who get too close to learning the truth about what Dexter gets up to in his laboratory.

More perverted fun comes from the road runner-coyote game that Dexter often plays with the guest psycho killer of the season. Our "hero" finds that he has an actual or figurative kinship with that individual. One of the best storyline involves a love-interest  and potential partner-in-crime who either is a femme fatale, an innocent, or someone between those extremes. 

The literal and figurative awards for best "guest villain" goes to GOAT John Lithgow. Lithgow portrays Arthur Mitchell, whose outward persona is that of holier-than-thou Ned Flanders. Lithgow does equally well playing this aspect of Mitchell as he does portraying a "Great Santini" style demanding and abusive parent of a teen son. Dexter suspecting Mitchell of being the wonderfully warped Trinity Killer sets the game afoot in a manner that aptly has Dexter facing his Moriarty. 

The OS wraps up with an S8 finale that serves equally well as a conclusion to that season and the series. Dexter essentially sails off into the sunset while leaving scorched earth behind him.

The 10-episoide limited series "New Blood" has Phillips riding back into town after getting out of Dodge at the conclusion of OS S4. This reboot finds Dexter living under an assumed name in the small upstate New York town of Iron Lake. His apt job this time is selling hunting rifles.

The rural setting full of folks who enjoy stalking innocent wildlife aptly leads to a stereotypical arrogant trust-fund baby adequately poking the bear to bring Dexter out of retirement. The ensuing events putting our vigilante on the trail of a killer who meets his code is very true to the spirit of the OS. Dexter not introducing his main squeeze, who is the "New Blood" answer to Andy Taylor, to his dark passenger further brings us back to what makes the OS a classic.

The "but wait there's more" element is a surprise visitor teaching Dexter lessons about heredity and the sins of the father. The fun here involves the difficulty of discouraging the newcomer from joining the family business. Learning whether the family that slays together stays together alone has "New Blood" passing the "one more" test.

The final note of note regarding "New Blood" is that a former co-worker also comes to town in a manner that evokes the old days by threatening the ability of Dexter to protect and avenge the innocent regarding the one who otherwise would get away.

The bottom-line this time is that "OS" and "New Blood" both boldly go where others fear to tread. Although everyone knows that the nice quiet young man next door may have a mini-cemetery on his property, few series mine exceptional dark humor and drama from that theme. 

'Voyage' DVD: Carol for People Who Died Died

 

Breaking Glass Pictures once more boldly goes where even its "living" competition fears to tread regarding truly artistic gay-oriented indie film by releasing "Voyage" (2013) on DVD. 

Aside from the stunning surreal cinematography, the most striking thing about this one is that it is much less homo and erotic than other Scud titles in the BGP library. The Goldilockscore porn "Adonis" ends with a perfect climax (of course, pun intended) of the co-stars of the "art film" within the art film tossing crumpled currency on the titular whore after conducting their business. One spoiler regarding "Voyage" is that Scud affirmatively provides the audience a happy ending. 

A BGP DVD collection of early Scud films will be the subject of a review in the not-too-distant future.

The "25-words-or-less" synopsis of "Voyage" is that it depicts the high-seas odyssey of therapist Ryo, who channels musician Jim Carroll in recalling "people who died." As in the Carroll ode, the subjects of the Ryo introspection prematurely met their ends. A spoiler here is that no one ODed on Drano on the night that he is wed or is offed by bikers in Rikers. 

The following BGP trailer provides an excellent sense of the expert avant-garde filmmaking of this production with a clear Dali influence.

Our vignettes begin with a tale ripped out of the history books. This is the story of a young urban Chinese man who is sent to inner Mongolia to alleviate the impact of a real-life agricultural crisis. Thus guy not being the boy who cried wolf commences the copious body count of the film. 

We then see a Jonestown-style mass suicide before meeting Ryo as he commences far-more-than three-hour tour. 

Our subjects include unrequited love between an art-student and a model, an "excitable boy" and his caretaker who truly must take things in her own hands, and the truly tragic story of a self-proclaimed clairvoyant and her 20-something son. The latter concludes on a a well-presented note that reflects the Asian philosophy regarding prematurely deceased people experiencing eternal limbo.

The tale that is most true to the Scud spirit also is the one that is closest to the heart of Ryo. Lust-at-first-sight leads to a gleeful naked romp through the city streets before a night of passion. The morning-after further strengthens the bond between these boys in the band. We subsequently see that the one that is thrown back sometimes returns.

The aforementioned conclusion to "Voyage" is the epitome of wishful thinking that provides hope that dreams will come true. 

The special features include an insightful and interesting "making-of" documentary and a presentation at the Chicago International Film Festival.

The bottom line this time is that Scud always provides provocative and stunning images. This expertise extends to presenting compelling concepts. The difference this time is that this one stimulates the organ above the waist more than the one below it. Not that there is anything wrong with that. 

'Battle of the Worlds' BD: Claude Rains Reigns

 

The Film Detective digs deep in its vault to release the 4k scan blu-ray version of the shoestring sci-fi cult classic "Battle of the Worlds" (1961). This wonderfully low-budget Antonio Margheriti joint hits virtual shelves on August 9, 2021. 

This Euro-centric film is worth buying if only for the performance by Claude Rains ("The Invisible Man.") The manner in which Rains portrays misanthrope scientist Prof. Benson almost certainly influences how Jonathan Harris plays Dr. Smith on the comparably monetarily challenged sci-fi series "Lost in Space" a few years later.

As the talking head in the included Ballyhoo Motion Pictures documentary "A Cinematic Outsider: The Fantastical Worlds of Antonio Margheriti" points out, the opening scenes of an alien-looking rocky Italian island perfectly set the tone for this atmospheric film. This isolated locale is where scientist Bob Steele and his fiancee Eve are playing "From Here to Eternity" when their honeymoon period ends before it even begins. 

Benson ecstatically informs Steele that he discovered a large asteroid known as "The Outsider" threatening earth five days before the military brass found that object. Benson further proves that he is the smartest guy in the room by stating the time in the not-too-distant future when that large rock will cause chaos on the big blue planet. This aptly is the tip of the iceberg regarding the "I know something you don't know" 'tude of Benson. 

The documentary also points out how the subsequent scenes that are very true to the Margheriti style  support comparisons to "2001." These settings include a space ship that it is set out to explore the strange new world that puts ours in peril. We also see that Mars desperately needs women. 

Except for any scene  in which Benson hysterically expresses his contempt for humanity, the reveal that shows that the best brain behind The Outisder knows its Greek culture is a highlight. The 4k scan and Blu-ray video making the strings on the flying saucers very visible adds to the giddy glee. This involves a scene that is custom-made for the second generation of video games. 

All of this leads to an especially satisfying 11th-hour climax that brings another big surprise. This involves Benson remaining true to his alienating nature. 

The principle that every Detective release is physical-media worth because they don't make 'em like that anymore is particularly true this time. This film that illustrates the continental divide between Hollywood and Rome proves that kiddie-matinee B-movies and more artistic fare can happily co-exist. 

'Angie' Complete Series DVD: Long Awaited Release of Garry Marshall '70s Blue Collar Weds Blue Blood Sitcom

The September 1, 2017 CBS Home Entertainment (through a license with Toronto-based Visual Entertainment) DVD release of the complete series of the Garry Marshall '70s sitcom "Angie" meets every requirement for such releases. It provides a chance to see a rarely syndicated loved show from the past.

The "Angie" release roughly coinciding with the DVD release of the complete series set of the '70s quirky procedural "The Magician," which stars Bill Bixby of "My Favorite Martian" and "The Incredible Hulk" as the the titular illusionist/amateur sleuth, provides another reason to be grateful to CBS and Visual. A review of that one will appear soon.

The unlikely romance/"Love Story" (sans tragic death) concept of the 1979-80 two-season "Angie" is that "disgustingly" rich blue-blood pediatrician Brad Benson and blue-collar waitress Angie Falco fall in love and wed within three episodes. The pedigree of this film also includes the '70s Meredith Baxter Birney/David Birney sitcom "Bridget Loves Bernie," which centers around the daughter in a devout Irish Catholic family marrying a Jewish man.

This merging of two "different worlds" drives much of the inaugural "Angie" season. Sharing a Philadelphia setting with the film "The Sixth Sense" adds a fun "I see rich people" aspect to the series.

The trifecta regarding the cute appeal of "Angie" is the likable leads Donna Pescow of "Saturday Night Fever" and Robert Hays of "Airplane," the breakout "Fonzie" character in the form of stereotypical lower middle-class Italian mother Theresa Falco (Doris Roberts of "Remington Steele" and "Everybody Loves Raymond,") and a catchy theme song (courtesy of Maureen McGovern) that explains the premise of the series.

The following YouTube video of the S1 opening credits highlights the three elements described above. Briefly drifting into Blogland, the Nelson household often recreates the "take the money already" scene from the credits.

"Angie" gets a blessed start in a few senses. It premieres in the ABC Thursday night 8:30 slot after (Unreal TV reviewed) fellow Marshall/executive producer Dale McRaven series "Mork and Mindy" and has a strong opening story arc regarding the rapid courtship, engagement, wedding, and adjustment period of the central couple. The remaining S1 "clash of worlds" episodes remain strong.

One of the best S1 outings has Theresa and younger daughter Marie (Debralee Scott of "Mary Hartman. Mary Hartman") move themselves and their distressed furniture into the large and elegant town house of Brad and Angie. This creating an opportunity to thoroughly embarrass Joyce (Sharon Spelman), the ubersnobby socialite sister of Brad greatly contributes to the hilarity.

Some S1 (and S2) episodes support the theory of Roseanne Barr that there are 10 basic sitcom plots. Early outings have Marie falling in love with Brad and being comically inept (of course including a wacky alternate filing system) in her attempt to work as his receptionist.

Playing time slot roulette with "Angie" in S2 prompts otherwise not strongly needed (repeated) retooling of the series. Moving the series to Monday night against "Little House on the Prairie" on NBC and an always strong CBS comedy lineup presents a tough challenge for any show.

"Angie" further has a particularly tough "Rhoda" challenge in that conflict in a marriage generally is more amusing than a happy relationship. In the case of "Angie," the concept of a mixed marriage does not work as well if that union is history. Additionally, the in-laws cannot have too much ill will without it badly affecting their relationship with their blood relative. Joyce even loosens up to the extent of wearing casual clothes and discussing sex with the Falco women.

The initial changes include replacing best friend/fellow waitress Didi with the trio of high school friends "the Marys." Of course, the first outing with that group centers around these girls from the 'hood getting upset with Angie for what they consider snobbish behavior. Further, tween niece Hillary (Tammy Lauren) follows Chuck Cunningham of Marshall classic "Happy Days" into unexplained sitcom oblivion.

S2 also sees the arrival of Benson family butler Phipps and previously oft-mentioned by never seen coffee shop cook Hector.

Other changes include the Bensons moving into a more modest home that is "theirs" and Angie going from the coffee shop to a beauty parlor.

The best S2 outings continue the "Angie" tradition of combining the underlying economic backgrounds of the leads with '70slicious sitcom plots. One episode has the Falcos and the Bensons competing on "Family Feud." The "Angie" writers additionally recycle the unwanted house guest plot by having crude Uncle Cheech (special guest star Danny DeVito) show up unannounced and overstay his welcome at Chez Benson. Further, Theresa quickly develops a gambling addiction and just as rapidly kicks it. Brad telling his mother-in-law that she has an "infection" is pure sitcom schmaltz gold.

The one bonus in the set is the "lost" unaired series finale titled "Angie and the Doctor."

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