Star Trek: Season One Remastered

In the 1980s, when Star Trek was first released on VHS, a good friend and I began separately purchasing individual episodes at $20 a pop which was a lot of money for a teen and, come to think about it, highway robbery. But I made sure I got my money's worth. I savored classic episodes like "Mirror, Mirror" and "The City on the Edge of Forever" more than a dozen times each.

During the Next Generation run, I finally burned out on everything Trek. I even gave up the original and haven't watched the show in fifteen years. I was certain I was finished with the adventures of Kirk and Spock.

Well, once a Trekkie always a Trekkie it seems. I just purchased the enhanced Season One set for fifty bucks... a bargain compared to the 80s. The series has been remastered and the 1960s special effects have been replaced with computer-generated imagery giving new depth to models of planets, alien ships and the Enterprise as well as to the matte painting backdrops. I'm sure some purists are annoyed with the tinkering, but I feel it's a much needed make-over and I'm impressed how the new effects fit right in with the rest of the show. I imagine it's now the way creator Gene Roddenberry would have done it if he had had the funds the first time around.

For fans who know the show by heart, like me, you'll be crying out during each new scene, "That's new!" or "Look what they did there!" to the newbies. And for first-time viewers, this is a logical place to begin and you'll see what all the fuss is about.

Wild West Monday: Seraphim Falls review

The Tainted Archive is a daily must-read and its founder, Gary Dobbs, is—to borrow a line from Anthony Quinn—a one man tango. He single-handedly began a western revival with his Wild West Mondays of which I’ve been fortunate to be a part. WWM #3 is coming up soon so he’s asked different writers to contribute a piece of their own choosing on books, films, Old West history etc. Click on over where I’m reviewing Seraphim Falls.

The Life & Legend Of Wyatt Earp

In the US, there's a restaurant chain called Cracker Barrel (that my Charmer hadn't been to) where they have a pretty good racket, I mean, business, going on--you enter through their gift shop and while you wait to be seated in the restaurant you naturally begin browsing the merchandise. So, there we were and what catches my eye but The Life & Legend Of Wyatt Earp starring Hugh O’Brian, something I may not have grabbed if it wasn’t so readily available. I’m glad I did. It’s a three DVD disc set featuring fifteen episodes from the classic fifties show. It begins with Earp becoming a marshal and then follows him in a selection of episodes from each season leading up to the immortal Tombstone showdown. This was the perfect way for me to watch a show I enjoy but probably would never buy all six seasons. It also has a nifty interview with Mr. O’Brian on the last disc. Oh, and my wife who has never been to the Barrel enjoyed the dinner.

The Wild Wild West: The Complete TV Series

What you are looking at is a grown man's refusal to let go of his inner child. I have been eyeballing The Wild Wild West dvds for the past couple of years and finally went ahead and bought the whole kit and caboodle... all four seasons packaged together. And what's great about this collection is that it includes the TV reunion movies, The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979) and More Wild Wild West (1980). As I see it, I'm doing my part to help stimulate the economy. Ninety smackeroos for the boxed set.

Watching this show as a kid, I was of course mesmerized by all the gadgets and stunts of Jim West (Robert Conrad), but now I can appreciate the interplay with and significance of West's partner, Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin). I've only just begun watching, and I'm curious to see how long my wife can stay tuned since this isn't her cup of tea. But I expect to be highly entertained for all 85 hours.

Peter Gunn

I'm a big fan of jazz, detectives and film noir, not to mention femme fatales that can drop a man with a single stare. So then how is it that I’ve never seen Peter Gunn? I remember back in the 80s watching a few minutes of the horrible Peter Strauss version. Maybe that’s what did it in for me and so I never bothered to check out the original Blake Edwards classic. Rap Sheet recently did a post on the 50th anniversary of the show and I decided it was time to catch up.

I just finished watching the first sixteen episodes. Since I am the one who’s two martinis behind on this classic, I’ll keep it short. Craig Stevens as Gunn is perfect. As they say he’s hot on the case and cool under pressure. Lola Albright is the girlfriend who, according to the back of the dvd case, can melt butter at twenty yards, and I agree. My favorite actor on the show is Herschel Bernardi who plays the role of Lt. Jacoby in such an understated performance that he steals each scene. Oh, and the jazz is ultra cool, not just the unforgettable Henry Mancini theme but every noir scene is packed with appropriate gritty jazz.

I’ve posted the first episode, "The Kill." Everything about this first set was topnotch. You probably already knew that, but for those that don’t, check out this episode. It's a shame there are so many commercials but it’s only twenty-five minutes. Give it a try. I think you will be happy you did.


Watch Peter Gunn: The Kill (Part 1 of 7) in Entertainment Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Death in Paradise (2006)

I've been a fan of Robert B. Parker's Spenser since Robert Urich played the detective in the 1980s TV show. I began reading Valediction and realized, though the show was good, it paled in comparison to Parker's novel. I eagerly anticipated each March or April for the next release. When I was an MP and had just returned stateside from Johnston Island in 1997, the first thing I did (ok, maybe second or third) was run to Borders for the latest Spenser book. To my surprise, I found Parker had introduced a new series and a new character, Jesse Stone; and two chapters into Night Passage I was hooked.

When we first meet Jesse, he’s been sacked from the LAPD for drinking on duty. He leaves LA for an interview in the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts and, to even his surprise, gets the job. When the police chief he replaced turns up dead, Jesse becomes aware that he's been hired as a stooge by a corrupt town board. The Stone character, a deeply troubled man who slowly battles his demons as the series progresses, is a marked departure for Parker. As of this date, there are seven novels.


Tom Selleck plays the part of Jesse Stone in the made-for TV movies. Even though the character in the novels is in his late thirties, the sixty-something Selleck skillfully plays the part, making the age difference hardly noticeable (Parker himself said that Selleck nails the part). Considering both Magnum P.I. and Parker were big influences on me as a teenager, it's great to see these two come together.

I recently finished watching Death in Paradise which is the third movie in the series. The body of a teenage girl is found floating in a local lake. The Paradise PD uncovers that the previously straight-A student's life fell apart after moving into town and attending a new school. The investigation takes a turn when sordid connections between a prominent writer/school benefactor and the Boston mob are revealed. In addition, Chief Stone and his officers are left reeling when a case of domestic violence becomes deadly.

I enjoyed everything about this movie and the series right down to the fine acting of Joe the Dog, who plays Reggie, Stone’s golden retriever; seriously, this puppy dog chews up the scenes with the best of them. These movies may take their time unfolding but the quiet ambience is never dull. I’m sure if you give them a chance, you will also enjoy them.

Filmography:
Stone Cold (20 February 2005)
Jesse Stone: Night Passage (15 January 2006) a prequel to Stone Cold
Jesse Stone: Death In Paradise (30 April 2006)
Jesse Stone: Sea Change (22 May 2007)
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (2008) written by Parker, but not based on an existing novel

Banacek (1972-1974)

"I love it when a plan comes together." Mention that phrase to nearly anyone my age and Col. John "Hannibal" Smith from The A-Team springs to mind. Most kids at the time were caught up with the antics of tough-guy Mr. T or "Howling Mad" Murdock, but my money was on cool, commanding Hannibal, played by George Peppard in the now iconic role. Hannibal was a leader with a genuine sense of fun, a grin that conveyed mischief and an ever-present cigar.

Peppard was born in 1928, the same year as my father, and looking back at clips of Hannibal mowing the enemy down with M16s and jumping out of helicopters, it’s hard to imagine my old man making those same maneuvers at that age.

I recently watched Peppard as Thomas Banacek, a suave Polish-American insurance investigator living in the exclusive Beacon Hill section of Boston and solving locked room mysteries. Banacek was an egotistical yet likeable character, smoking fine cigars and flaunting an expertise on the more elegant things in life, and Peppard played the character to precision.

The most memorable moments of the show are when Banacek spouted off in every episode, "There's an old Polish proverb that says..." and then continued with such pearls of wisdom as: “...a truly wise man never plays leap frog with a unicorn,” or “...only someone with nothing to be sorry about smiles at the rear of an elephant...”

The show was a success, but interestingly, Peppard quit because of the entanglements from a divorce, not wanting his ex-wife, Elizabeth Ashley, to get a chunk of his earnings. And with that, as quickly as it began, Banacek was over.

My charmer and I were hoping to follow this up with more Peppard, but there aren’t a whole lot of choices. The actor made a strong film debut in The Strange One and early roles like Home from the Hill, but he seemed to peak with 1961's classic Breakfast at Tiffany's.

His preference for rough and tumble roles in big budget films resulted in him being eclipsed by large ensemble casts, and scheduled blockbusters like The Blue Max, Tobruk and Damnation Alley never quite took off. Also, Peppard's battle with the bottle sidelined him for a number of years while filming a string of forgettable clunkers.

Still, with credits like Tiffanys, Home from the Hill and The A-team, Peppard had a good run. Maybe it’s time to return to Peppard's most famous role. I can still quote the opening from heart. In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped...

High and Low (1963)

I discovered Japanese cinema when I worked at The Video Shop in Dryden, NY the same year I began college in the early 90’s. Late one night, when two customers were fighting over a VHS copy of Curly Sue, I noticed people were never coming to blows over Cinema Paradiso or Babette's Feast in the foreign film section. That’s when the colorful cover of Ran directed by Akira Kurosawa jumped out at me, and I borrowed the tape.

A brilliant film, Ran, based on the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear, was Kurosawa’s last epic. I continued to seek out more of his work, learning he had also adapted Macbeth into the movie Throne of Blood, but perhaps what I found most surprising was that some of my favorite movies as a kid were based on Kurosawa films: The Hidden Fortress (Star Wars), The Seven Samurai (The Magnificent Seven), and Yojimbo (A Fistful of Dollars).

Interestingly, the man who inspired so many western remakes was himself influenced by Hollywood noir:

Kurosawa stated that a major source for the plot [Yojimbo] was the film noir classic The Glass Key (1942), an adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's 1931 novel. In particular, the scene where the hero is captured by the villains and tortured before he escapes is copied almost shot for shot from The Glass Key. [Source: Wikipedia]

High And Low, like Yojimbo, also got its inspiration in western hardboiled, loosely based on King's Ransom, an 87th Precinct novel by Ed McBain. In High, Toshiro Mifune plays a wealthy businessman, Kingo Gondo, faced with paying an outrageous ransom when his chauffeur’s child is mistakenly kidnapped instead of his son. The kidnappers learn of the mistake, nevertheless, they still demand the hefty payment which will bankrupt Gondo.

When Gondo initially believes the kidnappers have his son, he is willing to pay any amount to get him back, but, when he realizes the mistake, he begins to recant. Grappling with the choice, Gondo knows that paying up will ruin him financially and refusing to pay will destroy him spiritually. His wife reminds him, “Success isn’t worth losing your humanity.”

The film from beginning to end is gripping with the first part taking place almost entirely in one room. The middle is weighed down with police procedure but then a plunge into Tokyo’s underworld is electrifying and the film builds to a thrilling climax as they set a trap for the main kidnapper.

The Criterion Collections always add great bonuses and this dvd is no exception. It includes a rare Mifune interview from 1981 and a contemporary interview with the actor who played the kidnapper. The movie's US and Japanese trailers are included plus "Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create".

If you’ve never seen a Kurosawa film, this is a good place to begin. I also recommend Rashomon, The Seven Samurai, and Throne of Blood. Kurosawa, who mixed Eastern and Western techniques, was a Picasso of directors, a true stylist of the medium. You will not be disappointed

Batman: The Complete 1943 Movie Serial Collection

All the hype about Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight backfired on me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it’s a great film and I’m grateful Christian Bale and director Christopher Nolan have rejuvenated a franchise that was in serious danger of imploding, but all the Ledger worshipping and long movie lines discouraged me.

Instead, I opted to reboot the Batman saga my own way by going back to the beginning. Not by the way of Michael Keaton or Adam West but further back to 1943 when Lewis Wilson played the Caped Crusader. If you haven’t ever heard of Wilson, don’t worry, neither had I, even though I was aware of the old serial.

My opinion is mixed; but first, my gripes, starting with the cover art for this 2005 dvd release. Columbia Pictures chose to use a scene that, while eye-catching, could very easily be confused with a current animated Batman feature. I realize their motive is to sell extra copies by creating a connection to the current Batman, but I feel this is a bit of a misrepresentation to snag the unsuspecting.

The biggest detraction is the racism. Early in the first episode, an empty Japanese community is explained as being evacuated by a “wise” (US) government. The main villain, a Japanese scientist who is working for Emperor Hirohito, has a henchmen turn on him, saying, "That's the kind of answer that fits the color of your skin." Other offensive remarks such as "shifty eyed Japs", "twisted oriental brains", and "squinty-eyes" are tossed in the narrative and dialogue. Considering the internment and treatment many Japanese Americans experienced during WWII, these cringe inducing moments might not be appropriate for younger viewers, and while I understand the film reflects the feelings of a nation drawn into WWII following Pearl Harbor, that doesn’t make it any easier to watch in 2008.

The low budget and formulaic plot add to the show’s silliness. All 15 episodes center on Batman and Robin thwarting the attempts of the one and only villain, Dr. Daka, who is out to annihilate America with his radium-powered death ray and a mind-control device to transform people into "zombie" servants. Columbia Pictures, with a reputation for being cheap, saved beaucoup bucks by buying a 1939 Cadillac for the Batmobile which doubles as Bruce Wayne's personal car – it’s surprising the Gotham City PD never made the connection. Not to mention the ill-fitting costumes of the dynamic duo are distracting, and in a hilarious scene, Batman loses his cape while fighting, but it mysteriously reappears before the fight is over.

On the positive side, this serial uses the old cliffhanger clichés relatively well. There is plenty of "fist-a-cuffs" with the bad guys and director Lambert Hillyer keeps the action brisk. Lewis Wilson makes a good first Batman/Bruce Wayne and at times he manages to rise above the campy action. One noteworthy item, this serial introduced the bat cave to the mythology, even though the fake bats on strings are a hoot.

True fans and collectors should not pass up this historical Batman but casual viewers should probably skip it and head off to the theater instead.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

My wife and I spent the majority of the weekend writing and editing my latest story. We’re almost done and hope to have it submitted this week. We took a break to watch The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). It stars Brad Pitt as Jesse and an amazing performance by Casey Affleck as Ford. The film is definitely a character study and takes its time telling the story, which I don’t mind but some may consider slow. James was never considered a hero in my neck of the woods but to a great many mid-westerners and southerners, he was a modern day Robin Hood who fought back against the unfair reconstructionist period following the Civil War. By the time he was killed in 1882, he was a larger than life hero who rivaled Mark Twain in iconic status. Brad Pitt, who knows a thing or two about celebrity himself, plays a paranoid world-weary James to perfection. I know Pitt’s good looks have always overshadowed his acting, but in Assassination, he turns in a solid performance.

However, as noted, Affleck is superb and steals the show as Ford in what can only be described as a creepy performance. His near infatuation, or love, if you will, for Jesse steadily turned into an opportunistic decision to become as famous as the legendary outlaw. After James’s death, Ford went on to reenact the day he killed Jesse James to packed theaters and, by his own account, “kill him” over eight hundred times. At first, the enthusiastic crowds ate up his performance. Ultimately, the audience grew dubious and began greeting him with jeers. His star fell as quickly as it rose. Ford’s immaturity and his inability to handle his new-found notoriety became his biggest burden. As the film wraps up with the 30 year old man reflecting on his poor choices, Affleck manages to garner some sympathy toward the character.

I’d recommend this movie about the man known as the “dirty little coward” who killed Jesse James.

DVD: Dexter, Season 1

I had hoped to purchase Life on Mars, a British sci-fi drama series about a modern day cop who has a near-fatal accident and wakes up in 1973. He is either in a coma, insane or he has time traveled. Unfortunely, I couldn't get it, and it seems unlikely this show will be available in the states since the ‘powers-that-be’ have decided they want to turn out a revamped American fare rather than release another British masterpiece, like The Office.

So instead, Little d had mentioned the Showtime series Dexter. Somehow I hadn’t heard of it or the book which it’s based on, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay, but after reading a couple of good reviews I thought we should give it a try.

Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) plays Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who works as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami police department. Through flashbacks, we learn how Dexter developed his bloodlust for murderers, child molestors, serial drunk drivers, etc. It all started when he offed a neighborhood dog and his step-father confronted him about it. The step-dad, a cop, begins to channel Dexter’s urges, first with animals only, but after a partner is killed in the line of duty, the step-father plots a course for justice and takes Dexter down the path with him.

The show initially met with controversy from people who didn’t want viewers to empathize with a serial killer. My own worries were that Dexter was only going to kill those who deserve death and there wouldn’t be much tension. While he does only kill the bad guys, I found that I actually felt a bit of sympathy for one of his victims in the episode titled “Crocodile”.

I’m only a few episodes in and am finding it interesting. There are a few minor problems that I hope will be worked out since storylines will continue throughout the series. For example, Dexter begins a catch-me-if-you-can game with a ‘fellow’ serial killer, who is brutally butchering prostitutes, and he doesn’t seem the slightest bit concerned when this monster comes into his apartment when he's not home to leave doll parts in his freezer as clues.

We’ll see how the series unfolds. So far, I’m hooked.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Season Three

Since my charmer and I are often looking for something to counteract the current monotony in television, we turned to a classic: Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

I've always been a fan of Hitchcock, and who isn't? Psycho, Rear Window, Frenzy, Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, The Birds, and my favorite, North by Northwest – these films are a cornerstone of our cinema culture. He made movies from the 1920s to the late 1970s. No other director or actor, maybe with the exception of John Wayne, has had such an impressive run.

From 1955 to 1961, Alfred Hitchcock Presents ran as 30 minute episodes. In 1962, the show was extended to a full hour and renamed The Alfred Hitchcock Hour until its end in 1965. Hitchcock directed only one or two episodes per season, but a who’s who of renowned names like Robert Altman, Arthur Hiller, and Robert Stevens seamlessly filled in.

Each episode followed a memorable format. Beginning with the music of Charles Gounod's distinctive, "Funeral March of the Marionette", and the camera centered on a simple line-drawing caricature of a plump profile being gradually eclipsed by the shadowy figure of Hitchcock. Opening and closing vignettes featured Hitchcock parodying some aspect of the program and poking fun at the sponsors. Can you imagine anyone today having such clout?

The anthology contained a mixture of melodramas and mysteries dealing with terror, horror, dark humor and twist endings where morality and justice prevail. A revolving door of veteran performers, like Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price mixed with newcomers like Jack Klugman and William Shatner, portrayed characters who typically possessed some dark secret that became a part of their own undoing by the end of the episode.

“The Glass Eye” in this collection is indicative of the quality of the series. The episode stars Jessica Tandy who plays a lonely woman named Julia who has fallen in love with a famous ventriloquist named Max Collodi. She attends all of his performances and sends letters requesting to meet him and one day, he finally agrees. She arrives at his hotel room and finds him sitting in the shadows with his small dummy. Julia is overwhelmed in Max’s presence and tries to touch him. She screams when his body falls over and one of his glass eyes rolls across the floor. The dummy, furious, stands up and demands that she leave. Max had been the dummy all along.

Ok, I didn’t give you a spoiler warning but there are thirty-eight others just as good.

So, if you've had enough of House and CSI's tired and predictable approaches, check out the master of suspense and a truly unique show that Hitchcock described in “Night of the Execution” as "dark alleyways of human nature."

Parts of this blog were originally posted on the Axiom Report on 6/18/2008.