Duel

Who: Bill
What: Duel
Where: Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Why: One of the first movies directed by Steven Spielberg

Mild-mannered salesman David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is on his way to meet a client. Traveling on a remote two-lane California highway he gets behind a slow-moving, exhaust-spewing old tanker truck. He bypasses the truck, but very quickly the truck bypasses him. Soon, Mann finds himself in a high-speed, life-threatening "duel" between his four-door sedan and the menacing tanker truck, whose driver's face is unseen. Call it an extreme case of road rage.

Duel was first seen Saturday, November 13, 1971 on ABC's "Movie of the Weekend", which along with that network's Tuesday night "Movie of the Week", consisted entirely of made-for-TV feature films. Each movie was budgeted at no more than $450,000 and just long enough to fit into a 90-minute time slot. "The Movie of the Week" was a huge hit upon its debut in 1969, as viewers enjoyed the World Premiere of a new motion picture presented for free each week. When Steven Spielberg was assigned to helm Duel, he had already established himself as an ambitious young director for Universal Television, working on episodes for popular shows such as Rod Serling's Night Gallery, Marcus Welby M.D. and Columbo. What could have been an average TV movie thriller, Duel is made unique by Spielberg's direction with minimal dialog and effective camera angles which add to the overall suspense of the story. These are especially effective in the chase scenes between the plain red early-70's Plymouth Valiant and the dirty, sinister tanker truck squaring off in a fight to the death. Of equal merit is Dennis Weaver's performance as the stalked driver, who can't understand why he is being terrorized for simply passing another vehicle on a lonely road.

Duel is one of the most famous films presented as part of ABC's "Movie of the Week" franchise. A few weeks after its airing, another acclaimed TV movie had its premiere: Brian's Song. Both movies were so well received by critics and viewers that they were even given theatrical releases. In the case of Duel, this involved the addition of several scenes and some mild profanity. This is the version that has aired on TCM, and seen on a special edition DVD. Duel is recommend not just to observe some of the best early career work of Steven Spielberg, but as an effective suspense thriller.

By the way, if you want to see how Duel was first presented to viewers, check out its preview clip on You Tube by typing "ABC Movie of the Weekend" in the search box. You can also see openings from "The Movie of the Week" and other network movie programs from the 1960's through the 1990's.

Bewitched (2005)

Who: Bill and Melanie
What: Bewitched
Where: Aired on ABC
Why: We wanted to see it.

The 2005 comedy Bewitched takes a unique approach. Rather than a straight adaptation of the classic sitcom, the movie is about the attempts to make a new TV version of the old series. In another twist, the woman chosen to play the new Samantha is actually a witch just like her character.

Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) is a conceited jerk of an actor whose movie career is fading. He turns to television and conceives of a revived version of Bewitched where as Darin Stephens, he will be the actual star. Searching for an unknown actress to play wife Samantha--and stay in the background, he meets an attractive young woman named Isabel Bigelow (Nicole Kidman) and hires her. Unknown to Jack, Isabel really is a witch and trying to live a normal life. However, her magic powers prove too tempting and uses them in the filming of the series, to the delight of the studio audience and the chagrin of Jack. But as Jack continues to be upstaged, he becomes more attracted to Isabel. Will that change when he finds out she is a witch just like her character and will he be willing share the spotlight?

Bewitched the movie boasts a top notch cast including Shirley MacLaine as the actress playing Endora in the TV show, Michael Caine as Isabel’s father Nigel Bigelow, David Alan Grier as Jim Fields, Kristen Chenowith as Maria Kelly, and Steve Carell in a scene-stealing cameo as Uncle Arthur (originated in the series by Paul Lynde). All in all, Bewitched is really not a bad movie, boasting many funny moments. Where it comes up short is in the awkward pairing of Ferrell and Kidman. It’s hard to pinpoint, but they simply don’t make a great screen couple. As a whole though, the movie is good as escapist fare and may put you in the mood to enjoy an episode or more of Bewitched the series. And let’s face it: no one can twitch their nose quite like the original--and best--Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery) could!

Not coincidentally, Bewitched was recently presented on ABC, the network that originally aired the show from 1964 to 1972. The series has been released on DVD and reruns can currently be seen just about every day on WGN America.

CHiPs 99

Who: Bill
What: CHiPs 99
Where: Old tape recorded when it first aired
Why: One of my favorite childhood shows was "CHiPs"

CHiPs--an acronym for California Highway Patrol-- originally aired from 1977 to 1983 on NBC. The show followed the adventures of motorcycle officers Jon Baker (Larry Wilcox) and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Erik Estrada) as they patrolled the vast Southern California freeway system and surrounding streets. High-speed chases, spectacular slow-motion car crashes and plenty of light humor along with John Parker’s memorable theme song and a disco soundtrack by film composer Alan Silvestri (starting in the second season) made CHiPs a very popular show with young viewers for most of its six years. In October 1998, 15 years after the last episode, cable network TNT brought back most of the original stars for a reunion movie clearly designed for those who watched the show either in its first-run era or during the years of reruns that followed. The movie was called CHiPs 99, even though it premiered in the fall of 1998.


In the movie, Ponch has returned to the CHP, teaming up with Jon (now a Captain) to investigate the theft of high-end automobiles. The story is reminiscent of the first episode’s main plot back in 1977, right down to a similar opening chase sequence. Helping out Jon and Ponch are their former Sergeant-- now Commissioner-- Joe Getraer (Robert Pine), former Officer and now Detective Grossman (Paul Linke), Officer Baricza (Brodie Greer) and just-promoted Sergeant Bruce Nelson (Bruce Penhall). Along for the ride are newer recruits Officer Roulette (Paul Korver), Office McFall (David Ramsey), helicopter pilot Stormy (Sean Holland) and Jon’s wife Officer Sandy Baker (Stacy Randall). Special cameo appearances are made by Garry Marshall, Stephen J. Cannell, Judge Judy Sheindlin, CHiPs creator Rick Rosner, and infamous celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochran.

It is great to see Ponch and Jon back together again, albeit a little older, a little wiser and a little heavier… or in Ponch’s case, “paunchier”. It’s actually a testament to the excellent on-screen chemistry of Estrada and Wilcox which makes this movie and the original series fun to watch. Although CHiPs appealed especially to kids and teens, CHiPs 99 acknowledges that audience is now grown-up. That maturity level is reflected in scenes involving serious danger and the use of mild profanity in a few scenes. Additionally, the movie provides appropriate closure that was missed when the series ended.

When Wilcox left CHiPs in 1982, it was thought that Estrada’s higher popularity would be enough to sustain the show. But viewers quickly missed Jon and CHiPs reached the end of the freeway a year later. For that last year, Ponch was given new partners, first Bobby Nelson and then brother Bruce. It is noteworthy that Tom Reilly, who played Bobby, proved to be a difficult person on the set and his arrest for drunk driving and drug possession led to his role being significantly reduced. The well-liked Penhall effectively became the new co-star. For fans of the series, a rescue scene in the movie involving Jon and Bruce takes on added significance as the two never appeared together in the series.


While no further CHiPs reunion movies were produced, a feature film starring Wilmer Valderrama as Ponch is being planned for later in 2009. In the meantime, CHiPs 99 may occasionally air on TNT. It's worth catching if you find it and a definite "thumbs up".

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Who:LaRelle
What: X-Files: I Want to Believe
Where: my living room
Why: I love X-Files


Well I finally got around to watching this movie. I'm surprised it took me so long considering when the series was on tv it was practically my religion. Although I was kind of putting it off because I had heard very mixed reviews on it and that a lot of die hard fans were disappointed.
Well I wasn't disappointed at all. I thought the story was decent. Yes, it didn't really go too far into the supernatural stuff that the show used to....there were no ghosts, or monsters or anything like that......but the show wasn't always like that.
And the best part was just seeing Mulder and Scully on screen together again. David Duchovny (hottie!) and Gillian Anderson always had incredible chemistry together on the show, and they still have it. I wish that there would have been more "inside jokes", so to speak, related to the tv series. There were a couple of things at the very beginning related to Mulder's character, but it would have been more enjoyable if they had thrown more in throughout the movie.
I wasn't a huge fan when I had heard that Amanda Pete was going to be in this movie because she kind of annoys me...but she actually wasn't too bad. And Billy Connolly was very good in his role as a psychic priest.
So overall it was done pretty well. I'd definitely recommend it if you were a fan of the tv show at all. And even if you weren't it can stand alone, and is a decent thriller/drama type movie.

The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics

Who: Bill
What: The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics
Where: Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Why: It's a new documentary about the Disney Studios

When one thinks of “Disney”, it is quite natural to think of cartoon or animated movie. But throughout its history, the Disney Studios have also put out an impressive lineup of exclusively live action features, beginning with the True-Live Adventure short Seal Island in 1948 and the full-length Treasure Island in 1950. Before that, Walt Disney and his staff would occasionally combine animation with live action, often with impressive results (early examples include the 1920’s Alice comedy shorts and 1945’s The Three Cabelleros). So why the diversion into live action? Well, they cost less to make because they can be filmed quicker than an animated movie, and when done well, they can earn a lot of money in box office revenue. However, Walt insisted on a Quality film, rather than a Quantity output each year. As a result, many if not most of the live-action films he produced have become cinema classics that continue to entertain new generations.

Think of some of the best films made by Disney which include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Old Yeller (1957), The Shaggy Dog (1959), Swiss Family Robinson and Pollyanna (both in 1960), The Parent Trap (1961), The Love Bug (1969), The Apple Dumpling Gang and Escape to Witch Mountain (both in 1975), Freaky Friday (1976) and many more. Even those classics well-remembered for their animated sequences -- Mary Poppins (1964), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Pete’s Dragon (1977)-- mostly utilized live actors. The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics focuses on Walt’s sometimes overlooked achievements in full live action production, featuring interviews with the people that also made it possible. Narrated by Angela Lansbury, the interviewees are a who's who of Disney film stars including Dick Van Dyke, Kurt Russell, Dean Jones, Tim Conway, Hayley Mills, James MacArthur, Glynis Johns, Nancy Olson, Tommy Kirk, Kim Richards, Kevin Corcoran and more. Also adding perspective are Disney film historian Leonard Maltin, director Ken Annakin, author Bob Thomas, filmmaker Leslie Iwerks (and her father Don Iwerks) and Roy Edward Disney as well as others. The documentary is being presented throughout December 2008 as Turner Classic Movies showcases 26 Disney live action features each Sunday of the month.

Produced, written and directed by Peter Fitzgerald, The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics offers insightful commentary and an abundance of clips from the movies being discussed. Much ground is covered in the almost 90-minute program, but there is also lots left unsaid (perhaps awaiting a potential DVD release) particularly when it came to the post-Walt era leading up Michael Eisner’s arrival in 1984. Throughout the 1970’s there was strong reluctance to tamper with the traditional Disney “formula” of wholesome family entertainment. While there were some good if not a few excellent live-action movies, the all-too real social upheaval of the times made Disney live-action films look old-fashioned. The resistance to even try something a little different resulted in increased malaise and mediocrity with each passing year. This really began to change with the 1979 release of the big budget PG-rated film The Black Hole.

Any fan of Disney movies is encouraged to watch the documentary and to look for TCM’s showings of many of these Disney live action classics-- as the channel proudly proclaims, uncut and commercial-free.

The World's Greatest Athlete

Who: Bill
What: The World's Greatest Athlete
Where: Turner Classic Movies
Why: It's a classic Disney movie.

I've never seen anything like this in my entire illustrious career!
-- Howard Cosell


The Walt Disney Studios have produced some notable sports-themed films in recent memory: Invincible, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Miracle, Remember the Titans, The Rookie and others. But going back much further to 1973, Disney’s idea of a sports movie came in the form of The World’s Greatest Athlete.

Marrivale College’s head coach Sam Archer (John Amos) is in charge of perennially-losing teams for football, baseball, basketball and track and field. Seeking some relaxation, Archer and his assistant coach Milo Jackson (Tim Conway) travel to Africa where they encounter an exceptionally athletic young man called Nanu (Jan-Michael Vincent) who was orphaned and raised in the jungle. Archer and Jackson convince Nanu to go back with them to Marrivale, much to the concern of Nanu’s mentor Gazenga (Roscoe Lee Browne). At the college, Nanu excels as an athletic superpower, culminating in an exciting track and field finale where the visiting Gazenga seeks to temper Nanu’s attempts at breaking several NCAA records through witchcraft.

“Realistic” is a term that could never be applied to The World’s Greatest Athlete but it still makes for a fun family-friendly comedy. Even the romance between Nanu and his tutor Jane (Dayle Haddon) is mostly played for laughs. Three legendary ABC sportscasters are seen in cameos: Jim McKay, Frank Gifford and especially Howard Cosell. Cosell’s over-the-top commentary is not far off from what he actually did on Monday Night Football and most every other sporting event telecast by ABC from the late 1960’s through the mid 1980’s. It was a brilliant move on the part of Disney’s casting people to get Cosell to appear as himself.

Strong casting is a major reason why this movie works. Soon after its release, John Amos was cast as James Evans, the father in the classic sitcom Good Times. This was followed by a starring role in the ground-breaking mini-series Roots. Tim Conway was already well-known for his frequent (and later co-starring) appearances on The Carol Burnett Show. He would appear in several more Disney live-action comedies through the rest of the 1970’s, most of them with Don Knotts. Jan-Michael Vincent was often seen in heavier, dramatic feature film roles. His career culminated with the 1980’s action series Airwolf. Actress/Model Dayle Haddon had been appearing on many magazine covers and could have been cast in other Disney movies. A pictorial in Playboy published soon after the movie’s release changed those plans. She would continue to act and model, and has most recently been a contributor to CBS’s The Early Show and in early 2008 named a spokesperson for UNICEF. Roscoe Lee Browne was a distinguished award-winning character actor appearing in countless movies and television shows. Nancy Walker (Archer and Jackson’s landlady Mrs. Petersen) was also a recognizable supporting player primarily on television in Rhoda, McMillan and Wife and her many “Bounty”-full years advertising paper towels. Comedian Billy DeWolfe appears only briefly as Merrivale College’s Dean Maxwell, but his voice is still heard every Christmas as the inept Professor Hinkle in Frosty the Snowman.

No doubt that the all-star casting contributed to the movie’s box office success. The World’s Greatest Athlete was among the top-grossing films of 1973.

The Greatest Rescues of Emergency

Who: Bill
What: The Greatest Rescues of Emergency
Where: Retro Television Network
Why: I used to watch Emergency! every week

One of the first television shows I remember watching as a young boy was Emergency! During the past few months, I’ve been catching some episodes on the Retro Television Network (RTN), which is available on Bright House Cable channel 1028 and over the air on digital channel 27.2. Whereas cable mainstay TV Land has added movies and original reality garbage… uh, programs to their schedule, RTN specializes in a lineup almost entirely of classic television shows, which is what TV Land used to do-- and should still be doing. But I digress.
Recently I contributed a review of the Emergency! pilot movie. So it is somewhat fitting to look at the movie that ended the series.

Originally aired on NBC Sunday, December 31, 1978, The Greatest Rescues of Emergency is exactly what the title says-- a clip show compiled of some of the most dramatic and a few amusing rescues performed by Firefighter/Paramedics John Gage (Randy Mantooth) and Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe). The opening credits are a montage of big fires and massive explosions that are simply over-the-top. But they grab your attention, which is the intent. After all, the show was called Emergency! with an exclamation point! Anyhow, Gage and DeSoto have been promoted to Captain, and are each assigned to their own fire stations. It is a bittersweet advancement. They can no longer work as Paramedics and thus no longer work together at fire station 51. But before parting ways, they reminisce over the six years they have been partners, beginning with how they met in training and the early days of being Paramedics. From there a variety of clips demonstrate the hazards and rewards of fighting fires, assisting accident victims and overall saving lives-- sometimes their own. Among the highlighted rescues include a paint factory fire, a plane crash landing, Gage being bitten by a rattlesnake and a young woman who gets her toe caught in a bathtub faucet. The final scene sums up the true friendship of Gage and DeSoto (and by that same token, the actors themselves) without needing to say a lot.

For syndicated reruns, The Greatest Rescues of Emergency was re-edited into a two-part format. Unfortunately this results in a very murky and scratchy film that was certainly not the case when first presented as a two hour movie. Compared with the relatively pristine-looking pilot film, this is a minor distraction to see. Some of the early episodes of Emergency! have been digitally re-mastered for DVD releases and RTN showings, while the later shows don’t yet look as good, although certainly watchable.

This movie was designed to serve as a wrap-up to the series, but two more Emergency! movies set in San Francisco followed in the summer of 1979. Their scheduling in rerun season only underscored how terrible NBC’s overall ratings were at the time. Ironically, Nielsen numbers perceived as awful then would probably be welcomed by the struggling network in 2008.

Reno 911! Miami

Who:  Jonathan & Amber
What:  Reno 911! Miami
Where:  @ home - borrowed the DVD from a friend
Why:  We love the TV show

This movie was really funny.  Although, if you've never seen the TV show, I don't think you would enjoy this movie.

The movie features our 8 favorite police officers from Reno.  They get invited to Miami for a Police convention.  Of course, they give the registration info to Weigel (the most moronic cop) and of course she screws it up.  So now they are in Miami with no convention.

Long story short, the Miami PD needs their help!  Like the TV show, they go on 911 calls, and hilarity ensues.  Just wait until you see 2 of the beach officers - yowsers!

The best part of the movie is that all the random regulars from the TV show are there too.  Patton Oswald, Terry (the guy on rollerskates), Pee Wee Herman (almost unrecognizable!) and others are all here.

Again, if you're a fan of the show, then I would recommend this movie.  I'm guessing it will be on Comedy Central in about a year, so just wait it out.  And if you've never seen Reno 911!, I recommend that too.  I've seen commercials for it forever, and I thought it looked so lame, but it's actually quite good.  All the cops are so funny, and their personalities really shine.  None of them are 'bad' cops, they all do their job pretty well, but funny stuff always happens to them.

Emergency! AKA "The Wedsworth-Townsend Act"

Who: Bill
What: Emergency! Pilot movie
Where: Rented DVD from Netflix
Why: Used to watch the series each week

Emergency! was a popular one hour drama that first aired on NBC Saturday nights from 1972 to 1977 and continuing as a series of TV movies through 1979. The show followed Firefighters/Paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto of Rescue Squad 51 as they responded to a variety of urgent calls such as fires, accidents, medical emergencies and other traumas, often in coordination with the emergency department of Rampart General Hospital. The show has been credited with the formation of Paramedic services in most major communities throughout the United States. In the early 1970’s, Paramedics administering vital on-scene medical assistance was only being used in a few cities.

On January 15, 1972, NBC aired a two hour made-for-TV movie dramatizing the formation of the Paramedic program in Los Angeles. Fireman Gage (Randy Mantooth) is frustrated by the limited resources he can use in rescue operations. He signs up to train as a Paramedic, then in the testing phase pending passage of a bill by the California Legislature. Gage reluctantly agrees to the training and upon completion is re-assigned to newly-built fire station 51 with fellow Paramedic DeSoto (Kevin Tighe). Meanwhile, Rampart ER head Dr. Kelly Brackett (Robert Fuller) is doubtful a Paramedic program can actually succeed. His reasoning is that only trained medical doctors should administer emergency treatment and not “hose jockeys”. But his colleagues Dr. Joe Early (Bobby Troup) and Nurse Dixie McCall (Julie London) believe otherwise. Complicating matters is that Brackett and McCall are also dating each other-- an element that would quietly be dropped after the show’s first season. Eventually Dr. Brackett sees how a program would increase survival rates and enthusiastically testifies in favor of the pending bill. Of course, it passes just in time as Gage and DeSoto perform critical medical care at a massive cave-in during a late night thunderstorm.

The original two hour Emergency! movie is only available as part of the DVD release of season one. “The Wedsworth-Townsend Act” is the alternate title used when it was repeated during the show’s fifth season as a two-part episode, as Gage and DeSoto reminisce about becoming Paramedics. This was the version used when Emergency! went into rerun syndication. In either format, its worth checking out as a look back at how controversial the Paramedic program was seen early on, a vital life-saving service that we now take for granted. From a casting standpoint, fans of Lost will enjoy seeing Kevin Tighe playing a really good guy as opposed to his occasional role as evil con artist Anthony Cooper. Singer Julie London and musician Bobby Troup (he was the writer for the classic song “Route 66”) were married to each other; however, London had been previously married to Emergency! executive producer Jack Webb.

Finally, while the series itself appealed to young viewers, the pilot movie contains some mild profanity that would definitely earn a PG rating had it appeared in theaters.

Soapdish

Who: Jaclyn
What: Soapdish
Where: At Home
Why: Free HBO!

I loved this movie when it first came out and completely forgot about until now! This movie has everyone in it! Sally Field, Robert Downey Jr, Carrie Fisher, Ben Stein, Kevin Kline, Elisabeth Shue, Teri Hatcher, Garry Marshall and Whoopi Goldberg (just to name a few).

The whole movie is based upon a soap opera, its crazy actors and writers. They all have relationships on and off the set.

It revolves around the main character Celeste (Sally Field) who used to star on the show (and have a relationship with) Jeffrey (Kevin Kline) until he got booted off the show. He hates her now and is performing dinner theater while she remains a huge soap star.

It sounds boring and uneventful, but there are fantastic plot twists and the comedic factor between these characters is hilarious.

If you're in the mood for silly daytime cheese, this is the movie for you.