Category: Movies & Television (Videos)

BUZZFEED – UNSOLVED SUPERNATURAL: THE HAUNTED TOWN OF TOMBSTONE (Season 5: Episode 5)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date December 11, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: Approx. 24:02 Min.

This web episode premiered on November 16, 2018. After nightfall, wisecracking co-hosts Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej explore Tombstone, Arizona, seeking to witness proof of its alleged supernatural sightings.

Accompanied by Bergara’s narrative of the historical background and computerized graphics, the duo visits the sites of the ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral;’ the subsequent assassination of Morgan Earp (at the time, it was a saloon/billiards room, now the locale is a gift shop); and Big Nose Kate’s Saloon (which was once the hotel where Tom & Frank McLaury had roomed the night before they died at the O.K. Corral).

Also included is their search (one at a time) of the saloon’s basement to attempt contact with the alleged ghost/ex-bartender-turned-silver thief known as ‘The Swamper.’

REVIEW:

The good news is that Ryan Bergara (also the series producer) articulately provides Tombstone’s historical background. Meant for Generation-Z viewers, this episode’s computerized graphics also merits a thumbs-up.

Dubiously, the flip side is watching Bergara & Shane Madej, half-mockingly, present themselves as amateur ghost hunters. Their credibility fails to impress, considering the most logical stakeout site – Boot Hill Cemetery was not included on Bergara and Madej’s itinerary. Weak jokes and mild eeriness aside, the duo’s live-action ghost-hunting (i.e., pleading for supernatural contact multiple times) comes off as utterly weak and inane. The conclusion that Tombstone’s haunted aura remains a mystery is an utter cop-out.

Note: One can only presume Bergara & Madej had gained legal permission to stake out Big Nose Kate’s Saloon in the middle of the night, let alone peering into closed businesses with their light-up cameras.

“The Haunted Town of Tombstone” might spark some faint chuckles, but the twenty-four minutes lost watching this dreck is still non-refundable.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 2½ Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Digital Documentaries Digital Movies & TV History & Biographies (Videos) Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series TV Series (Specific Episodes)

IN SEARCH OF: THE LOST COLONY OF ROANOKE {2019} (Season 2: Episode 3)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date December 1, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 42:31 Min.

First airing on The History Channel on October 18, 2019, actor/executive producer Zachary Quinto hosts this episode revisiting the 430-year-old enigma of North America’s first English colony.

Forced by turbulent weather, John White’s 116 settlers reluctantly settle on Roanoke Island (off present-day North Carolina) in 1587 vs. journeying further north to coastal Virginia. Several months later, White’s vessel went back to England to resupply the colony, leaving behind his daughter and an infant granddaughter. Tensions between England and Spain subsequently delayed White’s return to Roanoke until mid-August of 1590.

All that White’s party subsequently found was a tree with the cryptically-carved letters “CRO,” along with the defensive wooden fence once surrounding the colony. The colonists (and even their homes) had vanished. White’s efforts to investigate the colony’s fate soon ended in failure, again due to weather conditions. For more than four centuries, speculation, rumor, and scant archaeological evidence have left the Roanoke colony’s fate one of the nation’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

Historian/author Andy Gabriel Powell and Fort Raleigh park ranger Josh Nelson provide initial analysis and tour the traditionally-accepted site of where the Roanoke colony once existed. Quinto’s In Search Of then explores an alternative hypothesis: could historians and archaeologists have mistaken the colony’s location?

Specifically, is the colony’s true location, due to erosion of the island’s shoreline, underwater? Video footage documents the Lost Colony Research Group (including its director: Anne Poole; members George Ray, Dawn Taylor, & Robbie Burton; and divers Duncan Pinnock & Randy Glaze) methodically mining this alternate watery locale for archaeological proof.

A centuries-old map that White himself evidently modified is re-examined providing potential clues that, for survival’s sake, the colony sought to sail north through the Albemarle Sound for a safer relocation. This theory corresponds with the direction in which the “CRO” carving was found on one side of the island.

Others, including historian Scott Dawson of the Croatoan Archaeological Society and archaeologist Mark Horton, explore tantalizing evidence that the “CRO” abbreviated ‘Croatoan’ all along. Specifically, Dawson advances the hypothesis that the colonists (or at least some portion of them) shifted the opposite direction by assimilating into the Native American tribe known as the Croatoans on what was then known as Croatoan Island – it is present-day Hatteras Island.

Note: It is not explained as to whether the colony possessed its own ship. Given the absence of their homes, one might wonder if a makeshift vessel could have been constructed.

In apparent conjunction with this theory, genealogist Roberta Estes and DNA lab director Dr. Connie Bormans conduct DNA testing of potential 21^st Century descendants with potentially dual English and Native American bloodlines. Due to the necessary technology involved, only the DNA of male subjects can be affirmatively examined.

It is also emphasized that, for innumerable generations, locals curiously bearing surnames matching those of known colonists still reside in the area. The initial test results for one male subject are briefly discussed.

Note: For 144 episodes, Leonard Nimoy was the franchise’s original host from 1977-1982. Preceded by Mitch Pileggi’s brief 2002 revival, Quinto launched his own History Channel incarnation in 2018, consisting of eighteen episodes over two seasons.

REVIEW:

Without judging the watchability of Zachary Quinto’s In Search Of, overall, as a series, this installment is remarkably good. Providing articulate in-studio narration only, Quinto conveys a welcome asset shifting from one segment to the next. Even more so, the program’s production values (i.e., brief reenactments, CGI, etc.) are top-caliber.

While it is unclear if the Lost Colony Research Group and the Croatoan Archaeological Society are rival factions, their theories make logical sense – especially given the absence of evidence grimly suggesting a massacre. More so, one could reasonably assume that some of the colonists either perished from disease or at sea amidst a journey towards safer living conditions.

Above all, Dawson’s discovery of a burnt piece of English-treated copper on Croatoan Island and the unsurprising DNA results do not end this mystery. They, however, provide a likelihood of its general solution.

Note: Dawson’s discovery does not actually preclude the possibility that the copper came from misappropriated property.

Ultimately, for armchair historians, this episode of Quinto’s In Search Of delivers excellent TV viewing.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Agatha Christie-Related Digital Movies & TV International/Foreign-Language Television Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series TV Series (Specific Episodes)

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S LITTLE MURDERS: THE KNIFE IN THE NECK {aka LORD EDGWARE DIES} (Season 1: Episode 11)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date December 1, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 1 Hour, 35 Min.

The French translation of the series title is les petis meurtres d’Agatha Christie. First airing in France on September 14, 2012, this episode loosely adapts Agatha Christie’s 1933 Hercule Poirot novel, Lord Edgware Dies. The version is entitled “Le Couteau sur la Nuque” (aka “The Knife in the Neck”). Produced by Escazal Films, Renaud Bertrand directed this installment.

Set in 1930’s Northern France (in proximity to Lille), a lovestruck female fan expecting a clandestine meeting with acting heartthrob Julien Sobel (Alluguette) is brutally murdered. Her severed foot is subsequently mailed to Police Superintendent Larosière (Duléry) to chillingly taunt him.

After locating and identifying the victim’s corpse, the police descend upon a troubled stage production of Don Juan featuring Sobel. Primarily, the play’s two major stars are long-estranged spouses – one is aging bombshell Sarah Morlant that Larosière admires and the other is a wretched alcoholic far past his vaunted prime.

Expecting to promptly re-marry a wealthy French count, the self-involved Morlant (Detmers), is shocked that her decrepit husband (Winling) is then bloodily murdered. Worse yet, Morlant finds herself identified as the prime suspect despite a high society alibi supported by at least a dozen witnesses. Making seemingly little progress sleuthing multiple murders, Larosière, due to his long-standing familiarity with the play, reluctantly consents to fill in as the title character at the next performance.

Meanwhile, the Superintendent’s runaway teenage daughter, Juliette (Isaaz), seeks to finally spend time with her workaholic father. Initially helpful the case, Juliette’s whirlwind romance with Sobel makes her the serial killer’s next target following another backstage homicide. With his daughter’s life at stake, Larosière and his faithful subordinate, Inspector Lampion, must now thwart one, if not two, ruthless killers stalking the theater.

The episode’s language is French with easy-to-follow English subtitles.

Superintendent Jean Larosière: Antoine Duléry

Inspector Émile Lampion: Marius Colucci

Ménard: Serge Dubois

Dr. Verdure: Olivier Carré

Juliette Larosière: Alice Isaaz

Sarah Morlant: Maruschka Detmers

Raoul Cochin: Guillaume Briat

Julien Sobel: Julien Alluguette

Lurie Fremont: Vinciane Millereau

Pierre Fougères: Jean-Marie Winling

Antoine Marin: Frédéric Longbois

Lilas: Flora Thomas

Comte (Count) de Tercoignes: Hervé Hague

Madame de Rémincourt: Barbara Monin

Lisa Debauche: Coline Marescaux

Charlotte: Victoria Quesnel

Other Cast Members: Thomas Debaene & Adrien Calandre

Play’s Production Staff: Uncredited

Theater Attendees: Uncredited

Note: The American title for Christie’s novel is Thirteen at Dinner.

REVIEW:

Given it is the last episode with the original cast, this incarnation of “Lord Edgware Dies,” unfortunately, is a mixed bag. By shifting Christie’s storyline entirely into the theatrical world, the good news is that some plot elements now make better sense (i.e., co-mingling the personal and professional frictions between Sarah Morlant and her estranged husband).

As for the script’s originality, the premise of befuddled father Larosière contending with a rebellious teen daughter while indulging a fantasy of playing Don Juan onstage is superbly conveyed by Antoine Duléry. For such scenes, he and co-star Marius Colucci get terrific help from their guest stars, especially Alice Isaaz as an effervescent “Juliette.’ Hence, the delightful last scene speaks for itself.

The flip side, however, is the lowest-common-denominator junk disguised as a fresh sub-plot. Instead of Christie’s tongue-in-cheek jabs exploring British high society love affairs, this adaptation resorts to a deviant strangler, whose identity viewers know from the get-go.

Wasting a potential second mystery, this gratuitous sub-plot is padding relying upon genre clichés – i.e., where the Superintendent pursues the culprit to save his abducted daughter. Even worse is the unnecessary inclusion of ghoulish details (i.e., the severed foot sequence; a character bloodily impaled with a pitchfork, etc.) just for the sake of adding more grisliness.

Unlike other first season episodes, ”The Knife in the Neck” borders on R-rated material, in terms of its visual imagery. In that sense, such sensationalism mirrors the glossier later seasons of Agatha Christie’s Poirot (not to mention, Agatha Christie’s Marple) where spicing up Christie’s old material meant pushing tawdry sexual themes to lure in more of a supposed contemporary audience. Instead, this trashy creative risk affects a turn-off (or, at least, an incentive to reach for the fast-forward button).

For adult fans, this season finale presents a potentially worthwhile whodunnit. However, the program’s innate charm is sabotaged by one too many cold-blooded killers.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Agatha Christie-Related Digital Movies & TV International/Foreign-Language Television Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series TV Series (Specific Episodes)

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S LITTLE MURDERS: THE EBB AND THE FLOW {aka TAKEN AT THE FLOOD} (Season 1: Episode 8)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date December 1, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 1 Hour, 34 Min.

The French translation of the series title is les petis meurtres d’Agatha Christie. First airing in France on April 15, 2011, this episode loosely adapting Agatha Christie’s 1948 Hercule Poirot novel, Taken at the Flood, is entitled “Le Flux et le Reflux” (aka “The Ebb and the Flow”). Produced by Escazal Films, Eric Woreth directed this installment.

Set in 1930’s Northern France (in proximity to Lille), Police Superintendent Larosière (Duléry) is overjoyed at an unexpected post-war reunion with his former commander (and beloved mentor), Captain Delarive (Pignot). Athis country estate, the Delarive family is far less so upon their elderly patriarch’s admission that that he has secretly married a far younger woman while overseas. For the time being, the squabbling Delarive family will have to wait to meet their new relative, as she is on a shopping spree in Paris.

Legal repercussions from a tragic fire soon afterwards leave Delarive’s demure widow, Albertine (Bellavoir), and her ultra-abrasive brother, Gabriel (Zambeaux), in control of her late husband’s evident wealth and chateau. With Larosière emotionally devastated and his professional judgment badly compromised, his immediate subordinate, the bumbling Inspector Émile Lampion (Colucci) assume command of the investigation.

Two subsequent homicides (including of an enigmatic blackmailer) prompt the savvy Superintendent to circle back to his original suspects: the spiteful and greedy Delarives.

The episode’s language is French with easy-to-follow English subtitles.

Superintendent Jean Larosière: Antoine Duléry

Inspector Émile Lampion: Marius Colucci

Ménard: Serge Dubois

Dr. Verdure: Olivier Carré

Célie: Marie Denarnaud

Albertine: Blandine Bellavoir

Gabriel: Alexandre Zambeaux

Capt. Delarive: Yves Pignot

Ferdinand: Nicky Marbot

Léonce: Pascal Ternisien

Gìsèle: Luce Mouchel

Emilienne: Dominique Labourier

Lavallière: David Gabison

Madame Laurier: Marielle Duroule

Ulysse Argos: Francois Siener

Fire Captain: Eric Beluzé

Firemen: Uncredited

Club Members: Uncredited

Other Cast Members: Mickaél Wiame & Charles Antoine Decroix

Note: Bellavoir was subsequently recast as one of three new co-leads headlining Season 2 retitled “Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games.”

REVIEW:

With excellent production values and macabre wit, this incarnation of “Taken at the Flood” is well-played. The primary cast’s spot-on chemistry with this group of guest stars provides a consistent asset. More so, the scripting’s plot twists and relatable bits of humor add some welcome unpredictability to Christie’s somewhat bland source material.

In terms of a comparison, the plot’s contents (including a few grisly post-mortem scenes) is more reminiscent of glossy stylistic changes occurring in later seasons of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. If anything, this whodunnit concocts an entertaining gift for Christie’s international fanbase.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7½ Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Agatha Christie-Related Digital Movies & TV International/Foreign-Language Television Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series TV Series (Specific Episodes)

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S LITTLE MURDERS: THE MOVING FINGER (Season 1: Episode 3)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date December 1, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 1 Hour, 31 Min.

The French translation of the series title is les petis meurtres d’Agatha Christie. First airing in France on September 11, 2009, this episode loosely adapts Agatha Christie’s 1948 Miss Marple novel, The Moving Finger. Produced by Escazal Films, Eric Woreth directed this installment entitled “La plume empoisonnée.”

Set in 1930’s Northern France (in proximity to Lille), Police Superintendent Larosière (Duléry) is stunned by his chief assistant’s near-death in a fatal shootout. Blaming himself, he escorts the critically-injured Inspector Lampion (Colucci) to a low-key village in the countryside to begin his convalescence.

Secretly rife with gossip, the village has become inundated with anonymous poison pen letters viciously taunting locals for their suspected past sins. A sympathetic Larosière is intrigued by the teenage Louise’s (Demoustier) introverted demeanor. No one realizes that mousy Louise has been secretly befriended by the ethereal Clara (Pasquier) – a beautiful drowning victim from years before.

Three increasingly vile homicides pit Larosière and a still-injured Lampion against an ever-elusive culprit. Larosière senses the long-reaching shadow of Clara’s death is the crux of this dangerous enigma. More so, the Superintendent and Lampion recognize that there may well be multiple killers on the loose.

The episode’s language is French with easy-to-follow English subtitles.

Superintendent Jean Larosière: Antoine Duléry

Inspector Émile Lampion: Marius Colucci

Ménard: Serge Dubois

Louise Simonet: Anaïs Demoustier

Emilie Dubreuil: Françoise Bertin

Angélique: Corinne Masiero

Mathilde: Julie Ravix

Clara: Sara Pasquier

Père Hector: Cyrille Touvenin

Dr. Jean Villiers: Frédèric Pierrot

Rose Villiers: Laurence Côte

Monsieur Kochenko: Christophe Alévêque

Henriette Simonet: Catherine Wilkening

André Simonet: Olivier Rabourdin

Guite: Fanny Chevalier

Clémence: Cassandre Vittu de Kerraoul

Lucien: Franckie Defonte

Jeanjean: Maxime Lecluyse

Louise’s Brothers: Uncredited

Lampion’s Doctor: Uncredited

Larosière’s Girlfriend/Lunch Date: Uncredited

Lille Shop Clerk: Uncredited

Villagers: Uncredited

REVIEW:

For the most part, it is a high-caliber pendulum effectively balancing classic suspense and risqué, practically absurdist humor. Ironically, this wily French effort surpasses the more faithful Agatha Christie’s Marple TV series, in terms of making the most of Christie’s premise. Not only do headliners Antoine Duléry and Marius Colucci shine, the same applies to their exemplary supporting cast. For instance, young Anaïs Demoustier shines conveying the evolution of her complex ‘Louise,’ as the Superintendent’s temporary protégé.

Most significantly, this ensemble’s appeal easily surpasses sporadic logic gaffes – i.e., the reality of a deteriorating corpse’s impossible-to-miss stench is ignored until the dramatic moment finally preceding the corpse’s discovery. The same applies to a hilarious yet utterly nonsensical gag about sharing a bed with a corpse – let alone then a subsequent swapping of bedrooms to accommodate this same corpse.

Trying to analyze this outrageous sequence further is pointless vs. merely enjoying its inspired and decidedly macabre wit. Either way, a subsequent sight gag is hilariously predictable. Also, given the episode’s undercurrent of gay and lesbian themes, its clever in-plot mockery of close-minded bigotry-meets-hypocrisy becomes unmistakable.

Provided one is not easily offended (including spurts of coarse language and a scene depicting fully-clothed intercourse), this almost-anything-goes take on “The Moving Finger” is eminently entertaining.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Digital Animated Shorts DISNEY/PIXAR-Related Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos

(INSIDE OUT): RILEY’S FIRST DATE?

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date December 1, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: Approx. 4 Min. (Color)

Following Inside Out, Disney PIXAR released this mini-sequel on November 3, 2015. The cartoon stars most of the animated film’s primary cast. Specifically, Riley’s (Dias) doting parents (Lane & MacLachlan) literally experience mixed emotions over their 12-year-year-old daughter’s first date. Riley and her friend, Jordan (Cox), of course, have their own emotions to contend with.

Dad: Kyle MacLachlan

Dad’s Fear: Carlos Alazaqui

Dad’s Anger: Pete Docter (also Inside Out’s co-director)

Dad’s Sadness: Josh Cooley (Riley’s First Date?’s writer-director)

Dad’s Joy (and Alarm): Patrick Seitz

Mom: Diane Lane

Mom’s Fear: Laraine Newman

Mom’s Anger: Paula Pell

Mom’s Sadness: Lori Alan

Mom’s Disgust & Joy: Sherry Lynn

Jordan: Ben Cox

Jordan’s Fear: Flea

Riley: Kaitlyn Dias

Riley’s Joy: Amy Poehler

Riley’s Fear & Jordan’s Joy: Bill Hader

Riley’s Anger: Lewis Black

Riley’s Disgust: Mindy Kaling

Riley’s Sadness: Phyllis Smith

Additional Voices: Gregg Berger, Keith Ferguson, & Mona Marshall

Note: The cartoon’s 9-minute run time on Disney+ is due to the closing credits sequence being replicated in multiple languages. Riley’s First Date? is also available on 2018’s Pixar Short Films Collection 3.

REVIEW:

Brilliantly devised, this four-minute parody nails everything just right. Expected clichés are included, but they do not detract from the cartoon’s charm. It also makes ideal creative sense to expand the ‘emotions’ group to include Riley’s apprehensive parents and her prospective first boyfriend. The only caveat is risking potential confusion with the youngest viewers, as to which emotions are representing which character.

Still, this animated treat will likely score the most points with parents – who can no doubt relate to this inevitable scenario.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Digital Movies & TV Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series (Specific Episodes)

IT’S YOUR MOVE: DATING GAMES (Season 1: Episode 3)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 19, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 22:00 Min.

This short-lived 1984-85 NBC-TV series first aired this Arlando Smith-directed episode on October 17, 1984. Having paid off Norman’s (Garrison) overdue phone bill, Matthew (Bateman) seemingly has a future favor to lord over his neighbor. Neglecting to find Eli (Sadowsky) a guaranteed date for their school’s Harvest Dance, Matthew grants his buddy’s wish by arranging a pity date with 16-year-old sister Julie (Cast) – through extortion, of course.

Yet, where does that leave Eli’s promise to a lonely Joyce (Beth) after he successfully relied upon Norman’s sympathetic dating advice? Once Joyce confronts a guilt-ridden Matthew for some answers, he must improvise fast.

Matthew Burton: Jason Bateman

Eileen Burton: Caren Kaye

Julie Burton: Tricia Cast

Lou Donatelli: Ernie Sabella

Norman Lamb: David Garrison

Eli: Adam Sadowsky

Joyce: Leanna Beth

Fred: Stuart Charno

Angela: Lisa Alpert

Girls at Dance: Dawn Schneider, Martha Nix, & Brenda James

Notes: This single-season series ran for a total of only eighteen episodes. The producing duo of Ron Leavitt & Michael G. Moye later created the Fox Network’s Married With Children (co-starring Garrison for its first four seasons).

REVIEW:

Considering only Garrison’s ‘Norman’ and guest star Leanna Beth’s ‘Joyce’ resemble likable human beings (as far as plot relevancy), the simplistic “Dating Games” fails to impress. Its best moment, as with the pilot episode, is a last-second bit of clever zip implying the scriptwriters were not merely typing these stories.

It’s Your Move sports funnier episodes, but “Dating Games” tries touching upon how fickle and insensitive me-first teens can be. Given its less-than-hilarious storytelling, this third episode is skippable.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 3½ Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Digital Movies & TV Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series (Specific Episodes)

IT’S YOUR MOVE: PILOT (Season 1: Episode 1)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 19, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 22:00 Min.

This short-lived 1984-85 NBC-TV series premiered on September 26, 1984. Veteran actor-turned-director Peter Bonerz helmed this episode.

In Van Nuys, California, conniving teenager Matthew Burton (Bateman) and his school buddies are running a term papers-for-sale scam out of Matthew’s apartment. Much to his chagrin, the seedy building superintendent (Sabella) finally rents out the vacant apartment across the hall to an unemployed freelance writer, Norman (Garrison).

Not only must Matthew must contend with this unwanted new suitor for his widowed mother’s (Kaye) affections, that same guy now resides in the apartment where the illicit term papers have been stashed.

Ignoring his older sister’s (Cast) sage advice, Matthew schemes to sabotage his mom’s new romance, not to mention divert Norman long enough to get his ‘merchandise’ back in time. Threatened by Norman’s sincerity as a potential step-dad, Matthew hopes his mom will instead reunite with her lukewarm ex-boyfriend – at least, he’s a far more financially secure option than their new neighbor.

Hence, the show’s chessboard logo spells out how Matthew’s rivalry with a savvy Norman means constantly maneuvering and counter-maneuvering one other.

Matthew Burton: Jason Bateman

Eileen Burton: Caren Kaye

Julie Burton: Tricia Cast

Lou Donatelli: Ernie Sabella

Norman Lamb: David Garrison

Eli: Adam Sadowsky

Brian: River Phoenix (cameo)

Manuel: Beto Lovato

Notes: Landing It’s Your Move as his own starring vehicle, the young Bateman had previously appeared as a regular on NBC’s Little House on the Prairie and then Silver Spoons. However, the single-season It’s Your Move ran for a total of only eighteen episodes. Less than three years later, the same producing duo of Ron Leavitt & Michael G. Moye later created the Fox Network’s Married With Children (co-starring Garrison for its first four seasons).

REVIEW:

One could say the ‘Matthew’ vs. ‘Norman’ feud offers shades of ‘Ferris Bueller’ vs. ‘Principal Ed Rooney.’ Predating Matthew Broderick’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off by two years, It’s Your Move scores its share of laughs by not reducing Garrison’s Norman Lamb to the luckless adult nemesis ‘Rooney’ is. Instead, Garrison energetically sells his ‘Norman’ as a likably down-to-earth guy who can usually sense Matthew’s relentless scams and pranks before it is too late.

Though hampered by this flimsy premise, It’s Your Move is still watchable, in part due to a 15-year-old Bateman’s charisma. The good news is that he gets plenty of welcome help from an underrated Garrison and Ernie Sabella carrying scenes and landing the jokes. Their other regular castmates (Kaye, List, & Sadowsky) play standard-issue roles, but their performances are fine given the okay storytelling.

In this instance, It’s Your Move’s modest pilot episode supplies sufficient laughs. The last scene’s plot twist even scores a minor gem setting up a fun sense of unpredictability moving forward.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Digital Documentaries Digital Movies & TV History & Biographies (Videos) Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos TV Episodes & Movies TV Series (Specific Episodes)

UNSOLVED HISTORY: CUSTER’S LAST STAND (Season 1: Episode 5)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 17, 2022
2 Comments on UNSOLVED HISTORY: CUSTER’S LAST STAND (Season 1: Episode 5)

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: Approx. 50:00 Min.

First broadcast on The Discovery Channel on November 6, 2002, this episode re-examines U.S. Army Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s battlefield on June 25, 1876, in Central Montana’s Little Bighorn region in the manner befitting a forensic crime scene. Narrated by an unseen Katherine Kern, this program’s analysts consist of: historians Daniel A. Martinez, Paul A. Hutton, & Neil Mangum; archaeologists Richard Fox & Doug Scott; forensic anthropologist P. Willey; and firearms expert Dick Harmon.

Including use of archived Hollywood black-and-white film footage and brief dramatic reenactments, Unsolved History conducts a fresh look scouring the extensive Custer battlefield. Due to a recent fire, specialists with metal detectors would newly uncover a plethora of spent bullets, shrapnel, bone fragments, and assorted other historical evidence for scientific research.

Hence, long-held popular myths of Custer’s battalion gallantly fighting to the death in the late afternoon of June 25, 1876, are ultimately dispelled by forensic investigation.

REVIEW:

Both well-narrated and articulately presented, this flashy documentary is meant for viewers who prefer sensationalistic, CSI-style presentations. Even so, nothing presented is either far-fetched or cheats the audience from a fair representation of historical fact. For most amateur historical sleuths, Unsolved History throws in even a few surprises, too.

Case in point: ballistic analysis verifies Custer’s vastly outnumbered battalion was further outgunned by their Native American opposition’s close-range, rapid-shot firepower. Therefore, the Seventh Cavalry’s mostly inexperienced and malnourished troops’ single-shot weaponry was no match, given the chaotic circumstances. Such evidence tragically disproves the Seventh Cavalry’s supposed reputation as America’s elite post-Civil War sharpshooters (no matter how much Custer himself pushed such patriotic hype).

It also appears that Custer’s panic-stricken battalion defensively fell back into three tiers that were each subsequently annihilated once their initial skirmish line was overrun. Hence, proof of one last tier fleeing Custer Hill’s non-existent ‘last stand’ to an adjacent ravine indicates they were the last troops killed. Logically correlating their forensic discoveries with expert analysis, Unsolved History concludes Custer’s final battle was a relentless slaughter from the get-go. Essentially, the only mysteries unanswered are ‘who killed who’ specifics that will never be known.

Note: A few days after Custer’s demise, the Seventh Cavalry’s Captain Frederick Benteen (one of Custer’s few surviving officers) was among the investigators examining the battlefield. Unsolved History comes to the same conclusion as Benteen had reported: the engagement quickly ended in a gory and unmistakable rout.

Speaking of which, one detail ignored is the probability of suicide, to whatever degree, by Custer’s troops. Given there was sufficient airtime, not even broaching this theory was a choice rather than an oversight. Hence, this episode does not explore every controversial angle of the massacre, including why Major Reno & Captain Benteen’s surviving Seventh Cavalry troops failed to rejoin Custer (let alone vice-versa). The unsettling truth that Custer’s battalion initially sought to capture Native American women and children to use as hostages, however, is readily acknowledged.

In terms of kid-friendliness, the documentary’s G-rating is accurate up until the last two segments preceding Daniel Martinez’s mild conclusion. Specifically, there is some ballistics discussion (utilizing a badly pierced skull), and, more so, grisly mutilation details of Custer’s troops that should really be left to mature viewers only.

Having aged well, Unsolved History: Custer’s Last Stand, overall, could provide educational benefit to a collegiate-level U.S. History course.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Digital Movies & TV Movies & Television (Videos) Online Videos

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) {2011 Re-release}

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 17, 2022

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: Approx. 1 Hr., 32 Min.

Adapting Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Universal Pictures initially released this silent film in 1925. Rupert Julian received sole credit as the director, though others (including Lon Chaney) were among its known creative contributors.

Set in the 1880’s, the new co-owners of the opulent Paris Opera House confirm that their predecessors were not joking about a ghost-like patron occupying the coveted Box Five. Specifically, the ‘Phantom’ (Chaney) is smitten with young understudy/soprano Christine Daaé (Philbin), and insists, through written messages, that she replace the opera’s star attraction, Carlotta (Fabian), at the next performance. Otherwise, the Opera House will be sabotaged by the masked Phantom’s unspecified acts of terrorism.

French noble Viscomte Raoul de Chagny (Kerry) risks a fateful love triangle with his beloved Christine and her self-appointed ‘mentor.’ The Phantom’s macabre efforts to mesmerize Christine into loving him ignites a dangerous series of events once the Opera House’s owners and even Christine herself defies him.

Descending deep into the Opera House’s sinister catacombs, Raoul, his worried older brother (St. Polis), and the enigmatic Ledoux (Carewe) incur the Phantom’s wrath attempting to rescue an abducted Christine from their homicidal adversary’s clutches. Yet, these dark and mysterious sub-basement levels were once medieval torture chambers where the Phantom knows all their architectural secrets. The question becomes: can anyone save Christine in time?

Notes: This enhanced version was released in 2011, with a new instrumental score supplied by I’Musici de Montréal and conducted by Yuli Turovsky. Providing operatic vocals for Christine/Carlotta is soprano Claudine Côté.

Credited Cast

The Phantom/Erik: Lon Chaney

Christine Daaé: Mary Philbin

Viscomte Raoul de Chagny: Norman Kerry

Ledoux: Arthur Edmund Carewe

Simon Buquet: Gibson Gowland

Comte Philip de Chagny: John St. Polis

Florine Papillon: Snitz Edwards

Carlotta: Mary Fabian

Carlotta’s Mother: Virginia Pearson

Historical Notes: Germany produced Phantom’s first-ever movie adaptation in 1916, but that film is deemed lost. Universal’s original release version was reportedly 107 minutes. In a rarity for its time, the color-tinted movie includes approximately seventeen minutes of Technicolor footage. A partial reshoot in 1929 meant for a sound version replaced some of the original actors and apparently edited out some fifteen minutes for a shorter running time.

REVIEW:

This first American film adaptation of Leroux’s novel is mostly faithful to the source material, despite alterations to the Phantom’s backstory (i.e., the novel’s ‘Persian’ is the movie’s ‘Ledoux;’ a faster-paced and more exciting finale, etc.). More so, Universal Pictures doesn’t skimp on the film’s lavish production values. For contemporary audiences, though, Chaney’s movie represents something of a viewer’s pendulum.

Given the curiosity of seeing an iconic film nearly a century old, Phantom’s slow first half risks dulling anybody to sleep – even those well-acquainted with Leroux’s plot. A partial upside is the I’Musici de Montréal score might help keep one from nodding off, despite how bland this mood music generally sounds.

Provided one is patient for the famous Phantom’s lair sequence where Christine exposes Erik’s face, the film is exceptional the rest of the way. Phantom’s final fifteen to twenty minutes, suffice to say, are riveting.

Bolstered by the impressive Technicolor sequences, most of the credit, unsurprisingly, belongs to Chaney (and to a lesser extent, Mary Philbin). What Chaney’s acting/make-up single-handedly does conveying the Phantom’s innate evil readily surpasses today’s mega-budget, green-screen special effects. Hence, this movie is deservedly Chaney’s career masterpiece.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE