Reviews

Cast changes can be rough, but if any series knows how to do them, it's Doctor Who, where the the process is baked into the mythology. With not only a new lead actor and companions but a new showrunner on deck, there was a lot to reset this time around; it's wonderful to report that Whittaker & Co. knock it out of the park, with a fast-paced, scary, sometimes extremely funny, sometimes incredibly sad debut that ticks all the reboot buttons while taking us through a nailbiter of an adventure. Whittaker's sharp, alien, and funny; the companions are well-outlined and promising; and the sound and set design are gorgeous. We're off to a great start!

Ignore the horrendous dialog cards -- that sort of "dialect" speech was offensive then and it's nearly unbearable now. But do not, do not, DO NOT miss seeing the immortal Bert Williams doing one of his most famous pantomimes -- it's giving nothing away to tell you it's the bit at the end, as contemporary audiences were enticed to the movie with the promise of seeing this routine from the 1911 Ziegfield Follies. Mr. Williams was born into a terrible era and we lost him way too soon; I'm glad that the effort was made to preserve this film (and well preserved, too; the Slapstick Encyclopedia seems to have a complete copy with remarkably little image deterioration) and wonder what sort of wonderful things he might have done had he lived longer.

Gotta love this movie -- nothing earthshaking, but pure viewing pleasure and ridiculously hummable. (How I wish they'd kept the original, darker ending; hands-down cult classic.) And I know just how Mr. Anderson, above, feels about having one particular moment that just makes the movie for him. I feel exactly the same about this split-second little... hop? jig?... that Steve Martin executes near the end of his "Dentist" number. Utterly blissful (yeah, Steve and me both). And what's not to like about a movie that posits everyman Rick Moranis as a romantic lead?! It's interesting to remember that this and Platoon (Big Important Message Movie) came out the same year. Does anyone still care about Platoon? Don't discount the appeal of fluff. It's more enduring than you'd suppose.

Far, far better than anyone had the right to expect, Jackson's interpretation of the books (so far!) is blissfully free of the sludgy, ponderous thinking that seems to gum up most films in the fantasy genre. There's plenty here to entertain everyone; I've loved the books for years and appreciated Jackson's sensitive transmission of the story from text-narrative to film (not easy with a sprawling text like LOTR). OTOH, my best friend, who loves movies but hasn't read the books, enjoyed it immensely without feeling the loss of any of the material Jackson chose not to use. (Naturally the fans hope the DVD will restore some of that stuff, but we'll see.) The movie has humor and bite and no condescension at all. I can't imagine how Peter Jackson got away with it, but he's made a great, great film despite all the naysayers and despite Hollywood's endemic stupidity. Can't wait for the next two!

Ingenious, sweet-natured, and perhaps even better focused for being a limited-run series -- the actors seem to be having a great time and the scripts are really well-crafted. The local (Seattle) PBS station is running these and they're worth watching the schedule for!

Legacy or no legacy, how the producers of Fantasy Island talked the Absolutely Banal Content network into running this is a mystery up there with why Roarke's suits have gone from white to black -- yet another thing we'll never know, but you can bet there's a story behind it. Bless Sci-Fi for picking up this gem; wish they could afford to resurrect it, but I'll happily take (and TAPE) what I can get. (And I won't be watching ABC again. Any network that could can this and Wonderland and keep Regis Philbin on eight days a week is angling for a much *dumber* demographic than mine.)

I sat down for Episode One expecting to give this thing 15 minutes before I threw the remote control at the set. Who knew it would be funny, creative, dark, and intelligent? It looks sumptuous and the actors all appear to be having a terrific time (yeah, so would you; check out that locations list). Scott Cohen (Wolf) is particularly impressive -- the energy kicks up several orders of magnitude when he's onscreen. What a treat! What fun! What a *SHOCK* coming from NBC!

A lot of folks appear to be comparing this to Seven (another great movie), but I'll go further back: This is the best horror film I've seen since The Shining. The pacing was terrific, and the child actor at the heart of the piece is the best kid I've seen onscreen since Jodie Foster. (Sure sign of a great horror film: I was more flipped out three hours after seeing it than I was in the theater!)

Passing Glory is based on a historical event, and it's certainly a gripping tale. (The story, in case IMDB hasn't got the plot up yet, is based on a real-life basketball game played between two Catholic high schools -- one white, one black -- in the segregated South of the 1960s.) However, the real reason to catch this made-for-TV film is the amazing casting. Any movie that brings you Rip Torn, Andre Braugher, and Ruby Dee on the very same screen is worth your time. Watch this one!

This series was far too good for ABC, home of Boy Meets World. (It survived but half a season and was replaced in late January of 1999.) I liked it very much and think that its god-awful Saturday-evening time slot was a huge disservice. The series had a terrific premise and some really wonderful actors (McDowell, Amick, Lombardi); pity that Sci-Fi Channel or some other outfit with a triple-digit IQ didn't get a crack at giving this show the run it deserved.

This is a very, very funny movie, if your sense of humor ranges toward the dark and opaque. Al Pacino was definitely born for this part and appears to be having *just* the most fun. Lots of little details and references to everything from Paradise Lost to Rosemary's Baby to Faust to -- well, pretty much every demonology ever. Cheesy, campy, scary, silly, and occasionally beyond cool; deserves a place at your next video night.