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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
July 2006 DVD Selections
An Early Frost
This was the very first movie to tackle the subject of AIDS. Aiden Quinn stars in this 1985 story of a young man who contracts the disease and must then confront his parents about his life – and death. Dealing with prejudices is something that most of us handle in some way or another, but usually not from our own families. Michael Pierson (Quinn) must deal with this from not only the outside but also within his own family. Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara star as his parents and Sylvia Sydney is his grandmother. With an incredible cast and heart wrenching story, “An Early Frost” garnered 14 Emmy Award nominations. Made before the public was completely aware of the virus and how it is transmitted, this story brings up a lot of important points. It’s edgy in the fact that it touches on a difficult subject, but it is more heartwarming than brutal, as the family learns what is most important in life – each other. They are, after all, a family. And family is number one. With an incredible commentary by Quinn and the writers Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, this story was made before it’s time. A documentary, “Living with AIDS” also adds to the impact of the DVD. “An Early Frost” is powerful and sincere and definitely worth watching.
Grand Prix
This special edition two-disc set includes the ground-breaking film about race car drivers, as well as several bonus features taking viewers into the making of the film and the world of racing. The movie follows a group of drivers through a racing season. The locations include Italy, Monaco, France, England and Belgium. This was the first film to actually go inside the races, and the actors themselves had to train as most of them did a lot of their own driving. James Garner, Yves Montand, Eva Marie Saint, Toshiro Mifune, Antonio Sabato and others combine to make this the ultimate race car film. Although Steve McQueen was supposed to star in the movie, Garner eventually got the part and did the role justice. The film utilizes split screen images to take the viewers into the heart of the races and the lives of the drivers. Watching the bonus features, viewers get to see exactly how cutting-edge the photography was on this 40-year old movie. Formula 1 racing was a different world in the 1960’s than it is today, and this film perfectly captured the world of racing.
 
HBO Comedy Specials from Dennis Miller and Bill Maher
HBO Video has released two funny DVDs for every taste. Dennis Miller and Bill Maher tackle all the issues of the day with wit and hilarity, and they take no prisoners. Everything is on the table as they take aim at politics, the environment, social issues and everything in between. These two men come at the political arena from different angles, but they both provide some hilarious ways of looking at our world. And in these troubled times, laughing is always a good prescription. Dennis Miller: All In and Bill Maher: New Rules are sure to make you laugh. Running 94 minutes and 45 minutes respectively, they are both filled with fun and good times.
JAG - Season 1
The first season of this long-running series is now available. Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott) and Lieutenant Meg Austin (Tracey Needham) investigate and solve legal cases for the Navy and Marines. This show brought the office of Judge Advocate General, or JAG, to the public’s eye, and these two characters to the hearts of viewers. Audiences got a good education of the military justice system and rules relating to the military, which are often different than those for civilians. Needham later left the series, but she was front and center in season one.
Ladybugs
Rodney Dangerfield stars in this comedy about a middle age man who is trying for a promotion in his company, and also courting a woman with a teen age son. When he brags to his boss that he used to play soccer – although he never played the game – he is given the job of coaching the company’s girls’ team. To say the team is under-talented is an understatement. At his wits ends, he asks the boy to help him out – by dressing as a girl and joining the team. The fun begins as the team goes from low esteem and bottom ranking, to high esteem and the finals. This is a cute movie for the entire family. It is filled with heart and soul, and a lot of laughs. And, believe it or not, Dangerfield ends up with a lot of respect!
The Missiles of October
Made for television, The Missiles of October stars William Devane as John F. Kennedy and Martin Sheen as Bobby Kennedy and follows them through the thirteen dark days in October 1962 when the world came to the brink of nuclear destruction. The docudrama captures the difficult decisions and conferences on both sides. JFK was not the only leader who was involved. Nikita Khrushchev had a hand in the dilemma, and it was up to these two men to find a way back from the brink of war. After the USSR placed offensive weapons in Cuba, the US knew that it was not acceptable and decided on a naval blockade instead of an air attack and invasion of the island. Their objective was not to take over the island, but only to get the weapons dismantled and off of that island. Through the 13 days, the game of cat and mouse played out and the actors portray the real life men with intensity that makes viewers believe they are witnessing history in the making. This is a fabulous history lesson and a must-see for everyone. While we might be used to seeing Presidents portrayed on television in fictional dramas, this performance is different. These events actually happened and this story recreates the drama as closely as anyone can.
The Pretender - Season 4
The final season of this series is now available on DVD. The four-disc set follows Jarod (Michael T. Weiss) as he continues his search for his real family. Jarod was taken from them as a child and put to work for a secret agency as a “pretender.” He put himself into different situations to figure out what people would do. Now he escaped from his prison and is putting his talent to work helping people. What secrets will he discover about his past, and what secrets will those hunting him discover about their own lives? This season is filled with suspense and surprises.
Rawhide - Season 1
Wow, this is an old TV series. You won’t believe how young Clint Eastwood is in it. This western is considered a classic show. It ran from 1959-1966. The famous theme song will bring up a lot of old memories to those who were television watchers in the early 1960s. Move 'em on, head 'em up, Head 'em up, move 'em out, Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide! Enjoy the first season of this very old show. Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’, Rawhide. Yee haw!
Shirley Temple - Volume 4
The little curly top is at it again. This three-disc set includes Captain January, Just Around the Corner, and Susannah of the Mounties. Shirley manages to capture the hearts of her audiences and her costars as she sings, dances, and acts her way through these heartfelt stories. In Captain January she is once again an orphan, only this time she has the love of a small coastal community on her side. At the Codfish Ball is one of the songs from this delightful film. In Just Around the Corner Shirley sings the fun Walk in the Rain song. No matter if she’s singing or doing a dramatic scene, this little girl delighted audiences worldwide in the 1930’s and continues to do so today with these newly released DVDS. Each one of these movies has the option to view in either black and white or the new colorized versions. And they each come with some cute extra features.
Some Like It Hot
This is a classic comedy. Yes it’s old, and yes it’s in black and white. But it is filled with scene after scene of nonstop laughs. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play musicians who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre and must flee for their lives. The only way they can get away is to join an all girl band. They dress up like women and become part of this band that is on their way to Florida for a fancy gig. Among the members of the band is Marilyn Monroe. Of course both men are interested in the blonde, but they cannot afford to blow their cover. So, Curtis disguises himself as a millionaire, complete with Cary Grant accent and suave mannerisms to court Marilyn. In the meantime, Lemmon is being pursued by a real millionaire. The bonus features go behind the scenes and also have some fun retrospectives of the film from those connected with it (Tony Curtis and director Billy Wilder) and others. Also they discuss the complications from Monroe during the making of the film. This is one film that has stood the test of time. It was racy for its day but nevertheless it has become a classic among comedies.
© 2006 Francine Brokaw
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