I was all of thirteen when I saw this Playhouse 90 presentation. The details escape me now, though I recall that it was chilling and scary. It still leaves an impression over a half a century later. Not sure if in this era it was presented live or whether it was done on video tape, which would have been fairly new then. It was done at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, so it might have been on tape. I recall it had the same ominous feeling as the motion picture "Fail Safe," a theatrical release about the Cold War done just a few years later in 1964, and filmed at a studio in New York City, paradoxically. My ranking compares this show to TV of that era, and it would likely stand up dramatically today, even though dated technically. Shows like this are why TV's Golden Era is called the Golden Era. In retrospect, there were only a handful of this caliber.
Reviews
14 Reviews
The Borgia Stick
(1967 TV Movie)
Eerie story about two people versus 'the organization'
23 February 2014
I saw this made-for-TV film when it aired in the sixties. I was twenty at the time, and while the details escape me, it conveyed enough paranoia and creepiness to sustain a strong impression of the film for nearly fifty years now. It's basically about two people who want to leave "an organization" and discover it's a tenacious entanglement. The film also holds as a metaphor for anyone who has worked in business or government and felt trapped by their involvement.
Also lasting for nearly fifty years is my memory of being on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns of the plot. On a video web site, I found a trailer for the film that must have run as a promo for its airing on television. They filmed on location in the New York City area, which gives it a sense of gritty realism. Highly recommended if you come across it.
Also lasting for nearly fifty years is my memory of being on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns of the plot. On a video web site, I found a trailer for the film that must have run as a promo for its airing on television. They filmed on location in the New York City area, which gives it a sense of gritty realism. Highly recommended if you come across it.
Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip
(2003 TV Movie)
A wonderful tale of men, machine, and dog.
24 August 2005
There's something that's just so amiable and adventurous about this documentary about a doctor from the state of Vermont who wanted to be the first to drive an automobile from the West to the East Coast. He's an amateur who buys his own vehicle and personally funds most of his other expenses as well. He's challenged by a team sponsored by an auto maker.
Somehow, Ken Burns finds just the right mix of archival and location footage to make it all a grand and very real adventure, an accomplishment given the limited resources with which he had to work.
And then there's Bud, the dog who accompanied them, and for whom they fitted his own pair of driving goggles.
Somehow, Ken Burns finds just the right mix of archival and location footage to make it all a grand and very real adventure, an accomplishment given the limited resources with which he had to work.
And then there's Bud, the dog who accompanied them, and for whom they fitted his own pair of driving goggles.
The Defenders
(1961–1965)
Realistic, topical, sixties, court room drama
26 February 2005
"The Defenders" realistically portrayed issues of the day, often in a court room setting. They produced the show in New York City with, if memory serves, location exteriors. The court room scenes were well written and directed, usually the high point of each program.
At its best, the acting could be very good indeed. E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed worked well together as father and son attorneys. Their roles in this series provided them with career high points. The guest stars added further strength to the show.
As a teenager then, I thought it was a cutting edge show. It would probably be dated if viewed today, since it was filmed mostly in black and white (though the last season might have been color), and production values were different then. One of the best shows of its era, it should be released on DVD, but probably won't be because of onerous residuals obligations.
At its best, the acting could be very good indeed. E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed worked well together as father and son attorneys. Their roles in this series provided them with career high points. The guest stars added further strength to the show.
As a teenager then, I thought it was a cutting edge show. It would probably be dated if viewed today, since it was filmed mostly in black and white (though the last season might have been color), and production values were different then. One of the best shows of its era, it should be released on DVD, but probably won't be because of onerous residuals obligations.
Prefontaine
(1997)
Captures the spirit of his times
4 March 2003
I was a grad student at the University of Oregon in the early seventies when Steve Prefontaine made his mark as a runner there. This film captures his life and times reasonably well, and Jared Leto's performance does a good job portraying the Steve Prefontaine the general public like me knew, though Leto has more of a preppy/Abercrombie & Fitch appearance than the somewhat craggier Prefontaine. Those who knew him then personally can make a better, further assessment. Despite the limitations of its budget (for example, they shot the film in 16mm--Super16 actually), it's one of the better sports films made and should have had a stronger theatrical run. If memory serves, the release also had a woefully limited marketing budget.
An athletic apparel store in Boston has a glass case which displays one of Steve Prefontaine's running singlets. It made me pause to see it there, an inanimate object which once clothed someone so highly animated. This film does a decent job of bringing life to that persona.
An athletic apparel store in Boston has a glass case which displays one of Steve Prefontaine's running singlets. It made me pause to see it there, an inanimate object which once clothed someone so highly animated. This film does a decent job of bringing life to that persona.
Mister Peepers
(1952–1955)
Well-liked comedy from TV's "Golden Age"
7 March 2002
One of the first TV shows I remember was "Mr. Peepers." I saw it between the ages of five and eight. The details of the program escape me, save for mental images of Wally Cox, Tony Randall, and Marion Lorne, and for some reason, the quirky theme song which I can still hum. I also recall the impression that it was good-natured and that my parents really liked the show. The kinescopes (16mm films of live TV taken off a picture tube)have evidently deteriorated badly. That's sad, because I'd love to see those. If you do run across them, resurrected, they're worth seeing.
The Tripods
(1984–1985)
An overlooked Sci-Fi series that works well
22 December 2001
In the late eighties, I saw The Tripods on WGBH in Boston, the Public TV station there. They broadcast parts one and two. The British production company never made the third and final part, so the story just ends unresolved. Never-the-less, it's a terrific adventure for young people based on a series of books. The production values and slower pacing may date it somewhat compared to later standards. Still, the characters are appealing. The special effects are convincing enough to make the Tripods ominous, and there's a surprisingly well sustained dramatic tension that keeps the episodes going. There's a good mix of studio and location photography. The series has now been issued on DVD in the U.S.
Beefcake
(1998)
An interesting, sometimes unsettling, mix of narrative and documentary.
29 July 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Bob Mizer photographed handsome young men for "physical culture" magazines that appealed to gay men when little other literature for them existed.
The narrative part of the film about Mizer's life and activities seems two-dimensional in its production and dramatic values--perhaps intentional stylistically. It shows Mizer in his photography studio with his models, whom he found as they literally stepped off the bus from across the country--young men who were new to Los Angeles. In fact, most of the film was shot in a studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia: Canadian sources provided some of the funding.
The documentary footage provides interviews with people from the larger California health and fitness culture, like Jack La Lanne, the pioneer health and exercise guru. Born in 1914, he was still active at the time of the film. Along with others, like Joe D'Allesandro, a model and actor (discovered first by Mizer and brought to greater fame by Andy Warhol), the interviews offer an interesting counterpoint to the narrative that seems stronger than the dramatic part of the film. The different segments are linked by a mixed chorus of singers using a style popular in fifties commercials.
On a professional level, Mizer was a meticulous artist who took great care with his photography, creating a new genre. Perhaps later films will explore this in depth.
The narrative part of the film about Mizer's life and activities seems two-dimensional in its production and dramatic values--perhaps intentional stylistically. It shows Mizer in his photography studio with his models, whom he found as they literally stepped off the bus from across the country--young men who were new to Los Angeles. In fact, most of the film was shot in a studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia: Canadian sources provided some of the funding.
The documentary footage provides interviews with people from the larger California health and fitness culture, like Jack La Lanne, the pioneer health and exercise guru. Born in 1914, he was still active at the time of the film. Along with others, like Joe D'Allesandro, a model and actor (discovered first by Mizer and brought to greater fame by Andy Warhol), the interviews offer an interesting counterpoint to the narrative that seems stronger than the dramatic part of the film. The different segments are linked by a mixed chorus of singers using a style popular in fifties commercials.
On a professional level, Mizer was a meticulous artist who took great care with his photography, creating a new genre. Perhaps later films will explore this in depth.
A Hard Day's Night
(1964)
The Beatles are still engaging in the restored version.
26 December 2000
The most striking thing to me about AHDN is the youthful spontaneity of the Beatles and their fans. The Beatles seem to be at such ease portraying themselves in the film. They WERE themselves in the film. The director, Richard Lester, easily blends performances of their songs in a plot that serves to string them together, that plot also having a quirky, sometimes rickety, yet purposeful life of its own. The dialog can have an appealing, off-handed humor.
This film has wonderful, surprising moments. In one scene, Ringo, who has abandoned a TV studio rehearsal to walk around London, meets a boy of twelve or thirteen by a river. They chat a bit, and then the boy leaves him and runs down an embankment to join his mates as they skip stones on the water. You get the impression that, with all their fame, the Beatles might have enjoyed that simple luxury as well.
This film has wonderful, surprising moments. In one scene, Ringo, who has abandoned a TV studio rehearsal to walk around London, meets a boy of twelve or thirteen by a river. They chat a bit, and then the boy leaves him and runs down an embankment to join his mates as they skip stones on the water. You get the impression that, with all their fame, the Beatles might have enjoyed that simple luxury as well.
Coming Out of the Ice
(1982 TV Movie)
Interesting historical account of an American surviving incarceration in the U.S.S.R.
17 September 2000
In the 1920s Victor Herman left the United States with his parents who went to the U.S.S.R. with other Americans to build an automobile factory there. They were part of an idealistic socialist group who thought that the Soviet Union would be a better place for working class people.
Herman had athletic prowess in track and field, and the Soviet authorities wanted him to represent them in world competition. At first he consented, but later demurred when their demands on him became onerous. He asked to leave the country, but of course, back then, departure equaled treason, and they sent him to a remote prison camp. This film depicts the story of his survival. It's a good account of forgotten Americans from a forgotten period.
Herman had athletic prowess in track and field, and the Soviet authorities wanted him to represent them in world competition. At first he consented, but later demurred when their demands on him became onerous. He asked to leave the country, but of course, back then, departure equaled treason, and they sent him to a remote prison camp. This film depicts the story of his survival. It's a good account of forgotten Americans from a forgotten period.
The Young Stranger
(1957)
Timeless film of a teenager coming to terms with his anger.
17 September 2000
This eloquent, simple film makes a remarkably clear statement about a teenager and his father. A theatrical release, the director, John Frankenheimer, learned his craft in the early, challenging days of live television in New York City. Indeed, he directed the teleplay on which the film is based, "Deal a Blow," on the CBS drama series "Climax." "Young Stranger" represents his Hollywood debut. After a hiatus of four years, during which he would do more television, he returned to direct "The Young Savages" with Burt Lancaster and, a year after that, "All Fall Down" with Warren Beatty and Angela Lansbury.
The casting is competent with James Daly and Kim Hunter (particularly good) playing the parents of the title character performed by James MacArthur (his first theatrical film) who played the same role in the television version which was his first appearance on the small screen. Look for James Gregory and Whit Bissell in supporting roles.
The casting is competent with James Daly and Kim Hunter (particularly good) playing the parents of the title character performed by James MacArthur (his first theatrical film) who played the same role in the television version which was his first appearance on the small screen. Look for James Gregory and Whit Bissell in supporting roles.
Islands in the Stream
(1977)
George C. Scott makes this competent Hemingway adaptation worth seeing.
16 September 2000
"Islands in the Stream" takes place on an island in the Caribbean just before World War II. George C. Scott plays a sculptor, Thomas Hudson, who married twice, has three sons, and chooses to work in isolated island exile. Claire Bloom plays his estranged wife. The film has an episodic structure, probably because the screenwriter, Denne Bart Petitclerc based his script on a series of short stories by Ernest Hemingway that appeared in a women's magazine under the title "Island (singular) in the Stream." Had Hemingway lived, he would have combined this and additional material to publish the collection as a novel. Petitclerc does a good job of translating the work to the screen.
The episodes could stand alone, yet each is sufficiently connected both in character and time consecutively to create a coherent, full-length film. The first, "The Boys," has the greatest strength. We see the arrival of Hudson's sons and how each brings out a different quality in the relation of parent and child. Scott handles this, and the whole film, with a natural, understated, and thoughtful strength. His admirers should make an effort to see this wonderful performance in this lesser-known production. In the middle episode, Claire Bloom as the second wife complements Scott beautifully in a dialog minuet which unfolds the decline of their marriage.
The film also features excellent performances by David Hemmings and Michael-James Wixted as the sensitive middle son. A check of the IMDb reveals that he never made another movie, and that's a loss.
While the action takes place on a British possession in the West Indies, the producers chose to do the actual filming in Hawaii. The score by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Fred Koenekamp work well. Koenekamp received an Oscar nomination for his work here; he'd previously won it for his work on Patton, also with director Franklin Schaffner and Scott. I recommend seeing this film in widescreen format for Koenekamp's compositions.
The episodes could stand alone, yet each is sufficiently connected both in character and time consecutively to create a coherent, full-length film. The first, "The Boys," has the greatest strength. We see the arrival of Hudson's sons and how each brings out a different quality in the relation of parent and child. Scott handles this, and the whole film, with a natural, understated, and thoughtful strength. His admirers should make an effort to see this wonderful performance in this lesser-known production. In the middle episode, Claire Bloom as the second wife complements Scott beautifully in a dialog minuet which unfolds the decline of their marriage.
The film also features excellent performances by David Hemmings and Michael-James Wixted as the sensitive middle son. A check of the IMDb reveals that he never made another movie, and that's a loss.
While the action takes place on a British possession in the West Indies, the producers chose to do the actual filming in Hawaii. The score by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Fred Koenekamp work well. Koenekamp received an Oscar nomination for his work here; he'd previously won it for his work on Patton, also with director Franklin Schaffner and Scott. I recommend seeing this film in widescreen format for Koenekamp's compositions.
Topsy-Turvy
(1999)
Victorian England refracted through Gilbert & Sullivan
17 March 2000
I was introduced to Gilbert & Sullivan in my very early teens under the auspices of the parents of one of my friends. They took us to Falmouth on Cape Cod to a place called Highfield, the summer home of the Oberlin College Players. They specialized in G&S and other light operettas.
I learned to appreciate G&S, but I never became a fanatical devotee, even with the historical context patiently explained to me by my friend's mom. (It was similar with Shakespeare. The language could be a barrier rather than a gateway.)
The audience in the theater where I saw Topsy-Turvy was filled with devotees. You could hear their delight as they viewed the actual performances of Gilbert & Sullivan's work in the film. The director, Mike Leigh, through skillful editing and camera work, does an excellent job of photographing a stage presentation, certainly one of the best I've ever seen on film. He uses closeups, and though the actors are using an exaggerated, theatrical style, somehow the G&S material has never been clearer to me; and I've seen at least a dozen G&S performances, including two D'Oyle Carte productions (Pirates and The Mikado), the present-day descendant company of the Savoy Theater depicted in the film. People who have never seen G&S before will appreciate their work here.
Most of all, the film is very much about the highly contrasting personalities of William S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan, the former emotionally restrained, the latter a hedonist. Leigh allows us to get to know them quite well and a host of other characters too, though G&S are first among equals in this excellent, ensemble cast. Among the supporting players, I found Shirley Henderson to be increasingly interesting as the film progressed, and I felt rewarded when she was the central character in the last two scenes of the film.
The period settings, manners, and speech are very accurate and detailed. As presented here, the Victorian era seems physically stifling, with people leading their lives in the close quarters of dressing rooms, offices, restaurants, living rooms, and bedrooms. Even more stifling is the emotional inhibition masked by correctly blustery forthrightness. Toward the end of the film, there's a revealing and poignant scene between Gilbert and his wife which makes this all very clear, and what also becomes clear is how important theatrical presentations were to people then as a means of expressing themselves in a culture which sanctioned few quarters to do so. It's one of the best examples of Mike Leigh's direction.
The G&S operettas were, of course, a commentary on Victorian times. In the film, you can see why they were so wildly popular. In that period, I think so many people were so restrained and distant from their own feelings that even the, to us, mannered and wordy G&S operettas were a breath of fresh air in Victorian England. The few occasions when Leigh breaks out of consistently claustrophobic medium shots and closeups are when he gives us a wide view of the full, theatrical stage.
Topsy-Turvy is about how Gilbert and Sullivan refracted Victorian England through a proscenium arch. Mike Leigh refracts it again through the camera lens in a way that allows us to see ourselves in our times by looking at G&S and their operettas in theirs. This is a long film (over two and one half hours), and given the subject matter, not to everyone's interest, though it's far more than the specifics of the period and the material. I found it to be my favorite film of the year thus far, and I highly recommend it.
I learned to appreciate G&S, but I never became a fanatical devotee, even with the historical context patiently explained to me by my friend's mom. (It was similar with Shakespeare. The language could be a barrier rather than a gateway.)
The audience in the theater where I saw Topsy-Turvy was filled with devotees. You could hear their delight as they viewed the actual performances of Gilbert & Sullivan's work in the film. The director, Mike Leigh, through skillful editing and camera work, does an excellent job of photographing a stage presentation, certainly one of the best I've ever seen on film. He uses closeups, and though the actors are using an exaggerated, theatrical style, somehow the G&S material has never been clearer to me; and I've seen at least a dozen G&S performances, including two D'Oyle Carte productions (Pirates and The Mikado), the present-day descendant company of the Savoy Theater depicted in the film. People who have never seen G&S before will appreciate their work here.
Most of all, the film is very much about the highly contrasting personalities of William S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan, the former emotionally restrained, the latter a hedonist. Leigh allows us to get to know them quite well and a host of other characters too, though G&S are first among equals in this excellent, ensemble cast. Among the supporting players, I found Shirley Henderson to be increasingly interesting as the film progressed, and I felt rewarded when she was the central character in the last two scenes of the film.
The period settings, manners, and speech are very accurate and detailed. As presented here, the Victorian era seems physically stifling, with people leading their lives in the close quarters of dressing rooms, offices, restaurants, living rooms, and bedrooms. Even more stifling is the emotional inhibition masked by correctly blustery forthrightness. Toward the end of the film, there's a revealing and poignant scene between Gilbert and his wife which makes this all very clear, and what also becomes clear is how important theatrical presentations were to people then as a means of expressing themselves in a culture which sanctioned few quarters to do so. It's one of the best examples of Mike Leigh's direction.
The G&S operettas were, of course, a commentary on Victorian times. In the film, you can see why they were so wildly popular. In that period, I think so many people were so restrained and distant from their own feelings that even the, to us, mannered and wordy G&S operettas were a breath of fresh air in Victorian England. The few occasions when Leigh breaks out of consistently claustrophobic medium shots and closeups are when he gives us a wide view of the full, theatrical stage.
Topsy-Turvy is about how Gilbert and Sullivan refracted Victorian England through a proscenium arch. Mike Leigh refracts it again through the camera lens in a way that allows us to see ourselves in our times by looking at G&S and their operettas in theirs. This is a long film (over two and one half hours), and given the subject matter, not to everyone's interest, though it's far more than the specifics of the period and the material. I found it to be my favorite film of the year thus far, and I highly recommend it.
A Very Natural Thing
(1974)
Honestly portrays gay life in '70s New York City
2 December 1998
"A Very Natural Thing," according to sources I've read, was one of the first films to show gay men candidly as people. The two principle characters could be anyone. They don't fall easily into stereotypes which plague gay-themed films, even today in the late 1990s.
This film definitely has the look and the feel of its times, the mid-70s. It's fascinating to see how people dressed, the way they talked, what cars they drove, even how they cut their hair. It's also interesting to look at gay lifestyles in this period setting. This was before AIDS/HIV, and unprotected sex was the norm. It takes place just at the beginnings of the 70s age of sexual liberation, not only for gays, but people in general as well. (For another view of the period see BOOGIE NIGHTS or the TALES OF THE CITY series.)
But the most important part of the film is the relationship between the two, psychologically different characters who meet in a dance club, fall in love, and live together. It could be two people today. It shows what two average gay men might experience living together.
I cross-referenced some of the people who made this film. Few went on to do anything else in movies. I think only one made it into the '80s in a mainstream film.
The film has low-budget production values from the period. I didn't find that so much distracting as endearing. It made the film all that much more real.
This film definitely has the look and the feel of its times, the mid-70s. It's fascinating to see how people dressed, the way they talked, what cars they drove, even how they cut their hair. It's also interesting to look at gay lifestyles in this period setting. This was before AIDS/HIV, and unprotected sex was the norm. It takes place just at the beginnings of the 70s age of sexual liberation, not only for gays, but people in general as well. (For another view of the period see BOOGIE NIGHTS or the TALES OF THE CITY series.)
But the most important part of the film is the relationship between the two, psychologically different characters who meet in a dance club, fall in love, and live together. It could be two people today. It shows what two average gay men might experience living together.
I cross-referenced some of the people who made this film. Few went on to do anything else in movies. I think only one made it into the '80s in a mainstream film.
The film has low-budget production values from the period. I didn't find that so much distracting as endearing. It made the film all that much more real.
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