Author Archives: Lisa Marie Bowman

Retro Television Review: Miami Vice 4.12 “The Cows of October”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Mondays, I will be reviewing Miami Vice, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.  The entire show can be purchased on Prime!

This week …. I don’t even know how to describe it.

Episode 4.12 “The Cows Of October”

(Dir by Vince Gillum, originally aired on February 5th, 1988)

A cannister of bull seamen has been stolen from a Miami lab and the feds (represented by Harry Shearer) want it back before it falls into the hands of the Cubans.  Switek assists.  Izzy shows up to broker the deal.  Gerrit Graham plays a shady person who we are told is from Texas.  (His accent is more Arizona.)  Philip Michael Thomas wears a cowboy hat.  Don Johnson is largely absent until the final scene.  One gets the feeling that Johnson hated every minute of this episode while Thomas just seemed to be having fun.

This episode was, without a doubt, the stupidest episode of Miami Vice ever filmed.  And listen, I will admit that I haven’t seen every episode.  I’ve still got a season and a half to go.  There seems to be a general online consensus that the final two seasons of Miami Vice were not good at all.  I’m sure I have many dumb episodes ahead of me.  But I cannot — as much as I try — imagine any episode that could be as a dumb as the Vice Squad abandoning the war on drugs so that they could keep the Cubans from getting their hands on a cannister of bull semen.

Miami Vice has always been as its best when its been surrealistic, cynical, and gritty.  I would argue that Miami Vice really does not need to do comedic episodes.  For the first three seasons, nearly every episode ended with an innocent person either dead or forever embittered.  At its best, Miami Vice was not a happy show.  It was a show where Crockett and Tubbs drove around in the dark, loaded their guns, and Phil Collins sang in the background.  When Collins sang, “I can feel it coming in the air tonight,” he was not talking about bull semen.  At least, I hope he wasn’t.  (Oh, Lord….)

I really don’t know what to make of season 4.  Trudy’s going to space.  Crockett’s married.  The Vice Squad is searching for bull semen.  Yet somehow, through it all, Castillo continues to just stare at the floor and speak through gritted teeth.  Like seriously, shouldn’t Castillo be concerned about all this weird stuff going on?

I didn’t care much for this episode.  Searching for bull semen is a Pacific Blue thing.  Miami Vice needs to handle real cases and leave all that other stuff for the bike cops.

Join #MondayMuggers For MANHUNTER!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hi, everyone!  Brad and his wife Sierra are on vacation so guess is who is guest hosting the #MondayMuggers live tweet tonight?  That’s right …. me!

Tonight’s movie will be MANHUNTER (1986), the classic Michael Mann-directed thriller that introduced the world to the characters of Will Graham, Jack Crawford, Francis Dollarhyde, and Hannibal Lecter!  (Though it’s spelled Lektor in this film.)  Check out the trailer!

You can find the movie on Prime and then you can join us on twitter at 9 pm central time!  (That’s 10 pm for you folks on the East Coast.)  See you then!

Monday Live Tweet Alert: Join Us for Tripwire!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in hosting a few weekly live tweets on twitter and occasion ally Mastodon.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of Mastodon’s #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We snark our way through it.

Tonight, for #MondayActionMovie, the film will be 1989’s Tripwire!

It should make for a night of fun viewing and I invite all of you to join in.  If you want to join the live tweets, just hop onto Mastodon, pull up Tripwire on YouTube, start the movie at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag!

Enjoy!

 

Scenes That I Love: Everything’s Alright from Norman Jewison’s Jesus Christ Superstar

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In honor of the late Norman Jewison, today’s scene that I love comes from my favorite film to have been directed by him.

In this scene from 1973’s Jesus Christ Superstar, Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman) attempts to comfort Jesus (Ted Neeley) while Judas (Carl Anderson) tries to pull Jesus away from her.  This scene showcases both Elliman’s angelic voice and Anderson’s ferocious intensity as Mary and Judas present two very different sides of a spiritual journey.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Norman Jewison Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films is just what it says it is, 4 (or more) shots from 4 (or more) of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Today would have been Norman Jewison’s birthday.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Norman Jewison Films

In The Heat of the Night (1967, dir by Norman Jewison, DP: Haskell Wexler)

Fiddler on the Roof (1971, dir by Norman Jewison, DP: Oswald Morris)

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973, dir by Norman Jewison, DP; Douglas Slocombe)

The Hurricane (1999. dir by Norman Jewison, DP: Roger Deakins)

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi High 2.11 “Showtime, Part 2”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sunday, I will be reviewing the Canadian series, Degrassi High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1989 to 1991!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi

In yourself, you must believe….

Episode 2.11 “Showtime Part 2”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on January 28th, 1991)

The students of Degrassi High struggle to move on from the suicide of Claude Tanner.  The talent show goes on, with all of the money raised being given to Claude’s parents.  Snake, for his part, goes to therapy and stays home from school.  When Joey visits him, Snake mentions that, when he found Claude, half of his face was missing.  Meanwhile, Caitlin is haunted by visions of Claude, smiling and trying to hand her a flower.

This episode was not quite what I was expecting.  Instead of embracing the melodrama (as Degrassi: The Next Generation would have), this episode is low-key and realistic about showing the ways that people deal with grief and trauma.  Snake is understandably shaken but what makes his scene so poignant is that he’s obviously struggling to pretend like he isn’t or that life can go back to normal after what he’s seen.  I spent this entire episode waiting for Caitlin to breakdown.  She didn’t and really, I have to commend the show for that because I sometimes think we put too much pressure on people to release all of their emotions before they’re ready to do so.  Caitlin is still emotionally number and it’s going to be a while before she’s ready to really talk about what happened.  And that’s okay!  Sometimes, it takes a while.  It’s only now, nearly a year after he died, that I’m really starting to realize how depressed I’ve been over the past year.  All those times that I thought I was moving on, I was really just distracting myself from the pain.  And now, with that one year anniversary approaching, I find myself crying at the most random of times.  It’s not pleasant.  My heart hurts on most days.  But I know that eventually, I’ll make it through.  Everyone grieves in their own way and apparently, this is the way that I grieve.

This was a good Joey episode.  Not only did Caitlin agree to tutor him in his science class but Wheels finally paid back the money that he stole from Joey’s mother.  During their study session, Joey and Caitlin talked about the suicide, with Joey asking if Caitlin knew Claude.  I guess the show’s writers forgot that, last season, Joey was intensely jealous over Caitlin and Claude’s relationship.  Still, regardless of that continuity error, the scenes between Joey and Caitlin were well-written, well-acted, and emotionally honest.

In other words, this was a good episode.  I’ve seen a lot of shows that have dealt with suicide.  I’ve rarely seen any that dealt with it as well and as honestly as Degrassi High.

10 Movies For The Week (7/20/25)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here Comes Shark Week

This upcoming week is Shark Week.  At the risk of making the most obvious recommendation ever, Jaws (1975) is currently on Netflix.  I doubt that I need to sell anyone on the film.  Jaws is one of those films that everyone accepts is a classic.  I’ll just say that every time that I watch Jaws, I’m surprised at how well it has held up over the years.  I watched it a few weeks ago while flying to Hawaii and, even when viewed in less than ideal conditions, it still held my attention and made me jump a little.  To be honest, I sometimes miss the Spielberg who directed Jaws.  It’s such a fun and scary movie, all the more so because it was made by a director who clearly lived for film.  Jaws is currently streaming on Netflix.

Jaws 2 (1978) does not get the same respect as the first Jaws, nor does it deserve it.  That said, I can’t help but kind of like Jaws 2.  If the first Jaws has a timeless quality to it, Jaws 2 is proudly a product of the 1970s.  Jaws 2 has some pacing issues but it also features Roy Scheider going totally crazy at the end of the film.  After giving a fairly subdued performance in the first Jaws, Scheider went all out for Jaws 2.  Just listen to him yell at that shark!  Jaws 2 is also on Netflix.

Jaws 3 (1983) is a bit of a guilty pleasure, largely because it was originally filmed in 3-D and the special effects are charmingly bad.  Roy Scheider does not return for this one but Dennis Quaid shows up as Chief Brody’s son.  This film was shot at SeaWorld Orlando but the main message seems to be, “Stay away from Seaworld!”  For the record, I relate to Lea Thompson’s character.  It can be viewed on Netflix!

The makers of Jaws: The Revenge (1987) decided to see what would happen if they made a Jaws film that centered on the least interesting character from the first film.  With Chief Brody having died of a heart attack and one of her sons having been eaten by a shark, Mrs. Brody heads down to the Caribbean and is apparently followed by a shark.  Its dumb but Michael Caine is charming and I’m a completist at heart.  If you’re going to watch one this week, you might as well watch all four!  Jaws: The Revenge is on Netflix.

Great White (1981) is an Italian film that was also released under the title The Last Shark.  Directed by Enzo G. Castelleri, Great White was so similar to Jaws that Universal actually sued the filmmakers in an attempt to keep the film from being released in the States.  To me, that’s always seemed like an overreaction.  There were hundreds of Jaws rip-offs released after 1975.  Great White is actually a pretty entertaining film.  James Franciscus and Vic Morrow team up to take on a giant shark.  The shark eats a helicopter.  This film can currently be viewed on YouTube.

In Praise of Joseph Sargent

Jaws: The Revenge was directed by Joseph Sargent.  Sargent would have been a hundred years old on July 22nd.  Sargent was a classic, no-nonsense director who could handle many different genres.  Here’s a few Sargent films that are not Jaws: The Revenge.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) is probably Sargent’s best film.  Four criminals hijack a subway train.  The police spend their time negotiating, arguing, and searching.  It’s certainly my favorite example of the “New Yorkers Will be Rude To Anyone” genre.  Featuring great performances from Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Jerry Stiller, and Martin Balsam, this is one of the great New York heist films.  It can be viewed on Tubi.

Maybe I’ll Come Home In The Spring (1972) is a personal favorite of mine, a made-for-television film featuring a young Sally Field as a hippie who returns home and David Carradine as her controlling boyfriend.  This is a lowkey but effective look at life in the suburbs and it features an excellent performance from Sally Field.  It can be viewed on Tubi.

Tribes (1970) features Jan-Michael Vincent as a peace-loving hippie who is drafted and Darren McGavin as the drill sergeant who tries to turn him into a soldier.  Jan-Michael Vincent is absolutely gorgeous in this film.  It can be viewed on YouTube.

Odds and Ends

Paul Verhoeven celebrated a birthday a few days ago.  The original (and still the best) Robocop (1987) is available on Tubi.  Much like Jaws, it’s a film that has stood the test of time and survived countless imitations.

Finally, with the sequel due to be released on the 25th, this week is a great time to amuse yourself with the original Happy Gilmore (1996)!  I love this film and I make no apologies for it.  Bob Barker beating up Adam Sandler?  Seriously, how can you not love this film? Personally, I’ve always felt bad for Shooter McGavin.  Making him hit that ball off of Richard Kiel’s foot?  Totally unfair!  Happy Gilmore is streaming on Netflix.

Click here for last week’s movies!

 

Retro Television Review: Homicide: Life On The Street 3.18 “In Search of Crimes Past”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sundays, I will be reviewing Homicide: Life On The Street, which aired from 1993 to 1999, on NBC!  It  can be viewed on Peacock.

This week, Giardello sets a dangerous precedent.

Episode 3.18 “In Search of Crimes Past”

(Dir by Kenneth Fink, originally aired on April 14th, 1995)

A woman (Felicia Shakman) takes Colonel Barnfather hostage, pointing a gun at his head and demanding that Bolander reopen the investigation into a murder that occurred sixteen years ago.  Bolander was the primary on the murder and the man that he arrested is scheduled to be executed in just a matter of hours.  The woman with the gun is the man’s daughter.  Russert wants to bring in the hostage negotiators but Giardello instead orders Bolander to take a look at the files and the evidence and to try to see if he arrested the wrong man.

I’m not really sure I buy Giardello’s response.  Giardello claims he has no choice but actually, it seems to me that Giardello is setting a dangerous precedent.  In Baltimore, if you think a relative has been wrongly convicted, you can apparently just take someone hostage and demand the case be reopened.  I’m not sure those are the rules that anyone wants to set.

Now, of course, it turns out that Bolander did arrest the wrong guy.  It perhaps would have been more interesting if Bolander had look at the files and said, “Yeah, I got the right guy,” but then this episode wouldn’t be able to make a statement against the death penalty.  Bolander realizes that he made a mistake and also that the actual murderer is a man who committed suicide that very evening.

While that’s going on, Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the death of an elderly woman who appears to have slipped and drowned in her bathtub.  Her husband (Barnard Hughes) seems to be heartbroken.  Of course, the husband actually killed her.  He has fallen in love with another woman and he killed his wife so that he could be with her.  I preferred this storyline to the Bolander one, just because it featured a lot of Pembleton/Bayliss scenes and a good performance from Barnard Hughes.

Finally, Munch hired a new bartender.  He didn’t bother to tell his partners beforehand but how could Lewis and Bayliss possibly complain about Munch hiring Jerry Stiller to tend bar?  (Technically, Stiller was playing an Irishman named McGonical.)  This was a minor but likeable storyline, mostly because of Jerry Stiller’s likably bizarre performance.

So, this was yet another good but not great episode.  The Bolander storyline was a bit too melodramatic for its own good.  It’s not the sort of thing that would have happened during the show’s first two seasons, back when the whole point was to be realistic.  But that Bayliss/Pembleton storyline featured the show’s two most compelling characters doing what they did did best.  This episode was not perfect but it held my attention nonetheless.