Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 1.2 “Mother and Child Reunion: 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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, Snake shows that whatever it takes, he’s going to make it through.

Episode 1.2 “Mother and Child Reunion: Part 2”

(Dir by Bruce McDonald, originally aired on July 1st, 2002)

Snake threatens to kill a guy in this episode!

Now, to be clear, the guy in question definitely had it coming.  While Spike enjoyed her class reunion, Emma snuck out of the house, went down to a hotel, and waited for Jordan.  Sitting in the lobby, she was approached by Mr. Nystrom (Jeff Gruich), who claimed to be Jordan’s teacher.  Mr. Nystrom, who was carrying a pizza box, invited Emma upstairs to meet with Jordan.  Emma followed him but, once she stepped into his hotel room and discovered that there weren’t any environmentally-minded teens around, Emma realized that there was no Jordan and “Mr. Nystrom” was actually the person who had been e-mailing her.

Fortunately, Manny, Toby, and JT figured out that Emma had gone out to meet Jordan so they hacked her e-mail (Emma’s password was “Pogues,” after Spike’s favorite band) and found out what hotel “Jordan” was staying at.  They then ran to the Degrassi Community School and found Spike and Snake dancing at their reunion.  They told Spike and Snake where Emma was.  Spike and Snake then went to the hotel and Snake banged on the door until Mr. Nystrom answered.

(Oddly, neither one of them appeared to have called the cops on the way over to the hotel.)

While Spike ran into the room to get her daughter, Snake grabbed Mr. Nystrom, pinned him against the wall, and threatened to “snap (his) neck.”  And I have to say that, as dorky as Archie “Snake” Simpson may usually be, that was pretty freaking hot.

Meanwhile, at the reunion, Joey heard Keith talking to Allison Hunter about how he wasn’t sure he actually wanted to marry Caitlin.  That led to Joey getting into a brawl with Keith while Caitlin was giving her “most distinguished alumni” speech.  Caitlin broke up with Keith and she and Joey reconciled.  It wasn’t the first time that they reconciled and it won’t be the last.

At the house, Emma apologized for panicking Spike and then added, “Like you’ve never made a mistake?  Like having me!”  Wow, that’s …. kind of sad.  Spike assures Emma that becoming a mom at the age of 14 was not a mistake.  However, sneaking out to meet a guy you’ve never met is definitely a mistake!  What Spike doesn’t mention is that this could have all been avoided if Emma wasn’t so obsessed with protecting the environment.

Next week: the school year begins!  Hopefully, Emma will have learned her lesson about getting involved in the environmental movement.

(Spoiler: She won’t.)

Brad reviews DEAD IN A HEARTBEAT (2002)!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

DEAD IN A HEARTBEAT is a 2002 TV movie that stars Judge Reinhold as Tom Royko, the head of Seattle bomb squad, as he finds himself trying to stop a mad bomber named Zachary Franklin (Timothy Busfield). Franklin blames heart surgeon Gillian Hayes (Penelope Ann Miller) for the death of his son and makes it his mission in life to make her suffer like he has. His plan… volunteer at the hospital where Dr. Hayes works, rig their supply of pacemakers with explosives, and then implement a plan to begin blowing up her patients on the anniversary of his son’s death. When Royko figures out what’s going on, he enlists the help of Dr. Hayes to identify the next potential victims and stop the deranged Franklin before another innocent person’s chest explodes!

DEAD IN A HEARTBEAT is an entertaining TV movie. If you like Hallmark mysteries and Lifetime movies, it’s my guess that you will enjoy this film. The plot is a lot of fun… I love the movie SPEED and the “madman setting off ticking human time bombs while taunting the police” reminded me of that excellent thriller on multiple occasions. While I’m not suggesting this movie is in the same league as the Keanu Reeves / Sandra Bullock action classic, I am saying that I did feel genuine tension and excitement at times as some of the scenes played out, and I wasn’t really expecting that. As far as the performances, I must admit I really enjoyed watching Judge Reinhold in the lead. He’s not tough at all, but he does have a likable, sarcastic charm that appeals to me. After loving him in 80’s movies like BEVERLY HILLS COP and RUTHLESS PEOPLE, it was nice seeing him in this role. I only give Penelope Ann Miller average marks for her performance as the heart doctor who starts off really arrogant before having a crisis of conscience when the bad guy starts offing her former patients. She has a couple of solid moments, but for the most part I just found her competent in the role. Timothy Busfield is definitely good as the villain, but this movie’s TV roots left his character somewhat underdeveloped. I think the part could have worked better if more time had been devoted to the details that lead to him losing his grip on reality.

While not a must-see, DEAD ON A HEARTBEAT turned out to be an enjoyable, undemanding watch as I was scrolling through Amazon Prime. If you don’t mind a little absurdity with your early 2000’s, TV action movies, you’ll probably like this one. 

Daniel Day-Lewis Returns In The Trailer For Anemone

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Daniel Day-Lewis “retired’ from acting in 2017, following his acclaimed performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread.  However, later this year, he will be returning to the big screen in Anemone.  Anemone was directed by Ronan Day-Lewis, Daniel’s son.  Ronan and Daniel collaborated on the script.  Perhaps not coincidentally, Anemone features Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, playing father-and-son.

Anemone will premiere at the New York Film Festival in September before then moving onto a theatrical release in October.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Dante Spinotti Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to the legendary cinematographer, Dante Spinotti!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Dante Spinotti Films

Manhunter (1986, dir by Michael Mann, DP: Dante Spinotti)

Heat (1995, dir by Michael Mann, DP: Dante Spinotti)

L.A. Confidential (1997, dir by Curtis Hanson, DP: Dante Spinotti)

Public Enemies (2009, dir by Michael Mann, DP: Dante Spinotti)

Music Video of the Day: I’m Lost by Elohim (2020, dir by Chase O’Black)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Have you ever noticed how people always seem to get lost in the desert?  I mean, it’s rare that you ever see a music video about someone getting lost because they missed their exit on Central Expressway.  The lesson here is to stay as far away from the desert as possible.  You’re safer in a tropical rain forest.

Enjoy!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Good Morning Miss Bliss 1.6 “Showdown”

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 Saturdays, I will be reviewing Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which ran on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 before then moving to NBC and being renamed Saved By The Bell.  The entire show is currently streaming on Prime!

This week, a bully can’t read.  Can Miss Bliss reach him?  Or will he just beat up Screech?  Why not both?

Episode 1.6 “Showdown”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on January 4th, 1989)

“I can’t read!” Deke (Andras Jones) snaps at Screech towards the end of this episode.  Deke is the new student at JFK Junior High, a troublemaker who has continually been transferred to school after school.  Deke was going to beat up Screech but, when Screech didn’t laugh at Deke’s illiteracy, it changed Deke’s life.  That little act of kindness was all Deke needed to approach Miss Bliss and ask for help.

Way to go, Screech!

This is actually one of the better episodes of Good Morning Miss Bliss, as the emphasis is put more on the students and less on Miss Bliss being a sanctimonious nag.  Andras Jones was 21 years old when this episode aired and he really did look too old and too tall to be playing a 9th grader.  (He towers over Hayley Mills.)  But, when you think about, it makes sense.  Deke is probably someone who has gotten held back a few times.  If he looks older, it’s because he is older.  While everyone he knows who is his own age has moved on to high school, he’s still stuck in middle school.  No wonder the kid is pissed off at the world!

To give credit where credit is due, young Dustin Diamond gave a pretty good performance in this episode.  Considering how Saved By The Bell would later transform Screech (and Diamond himself) into the epitome of an annoying sidekick, it’s actually interesting to see how good he actually was on Good Morning, Miss Bliss.  On Miss Bliss, Diamond was allowed to play Screech as just being a nerd as opposed to full-on weirdo.  Seen today, this is actually a very sad episode.  Diamond has no idea what’s waiting for him in the future.

Oh well.  At least Deke might finally make it to the tenth grade….

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/16/25 — 8/23/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Aaron Hernandez and The Untold Murders of Bristol (Hulu)

I watched this true crime documentary on the 17th.  As I watched it, I found myself wondering just how many documentaries will ultimately be made about Aaron Hernandez.  I’m going to guess that there will be quite a few just because his story really does capture the current cultural zeitgeist.  Americans love celebrities and they love true crime and the Aaron Hernandez case gives them both, along with CTE and toxic masculinity and repressed sexuality.  As for this documentary, it mostly focused on the Hernandez case but it also told the story of two other football players who went to high school with Hernandez and who also ended up becoming murderers.  I guess there must be something in the Gatorade up in Connecticut.  This documentary didn’t really bring anything new to the table.  Above all else, Aaron Hernandez appears to have just been a total idiot.

Big Brother 27 (CBS, Paramount+, Pluto TV, 24/7)

Go Ava!  If Ava wins, I’ll be happy.  I’ve ben writing about Big Brother over at the Big Brother Blog.

Murder Under Fright Night Lights (Hulu)

The Aaron Hernandez documentary led to me watching two seasons of this true crime show about football-related murders.  The first season was considerably better than the second season, leading me to suspect that the show made the mistake of front-loading all of the interesting stories.  Seriously, you have to spread things out if you want to keep people tuning in.

Cooper Hoffman Tries To Survive In The Trailer For The Long Walk

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Somehow, I missed that a film version of The Long Walk is on the verge of being released.

The Long Walk is one of Stephen King’s best novels, even if it is one that he wrote under the name of Richard Bachman.  In a dystopian future, a group of young men enter an annual walking contest.  They have to walk a certain number of miles an hour (four in the book but apparently three in the film) and, if they fall behind or stop, they are executed by the soldiers following them.  The Walk continues until there is only one survivor.  The Long Walk feels like a distant cousin to The Running Man (the book, not necessarily the film adaptation).

The film version of The Long Walk was directed by Francis Lawrence, who previous directed The Hunger Games sequels, and has a cast that includes Cooper Hoffman, Charlie Plummer, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill as the main bad guy.  Who knows if the film will do justice to the book’s bleak tone.  The trailer offers some hints.  The film will be released on September 12th.

Retro Television Review: The American Short Story #12: The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

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 Saturdays, Lisa will be reviewing The American Short Story, which ran semi-regularly on PBS in 1974 to 1981.  The entire show can be purchased on Prime and found on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, we have an adaptation of a Mark Twain novella.

Episode #12: The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

(Dir by Ralph Rosenblum, originally aired in 1980)

In this loose adaptation of one of Mark Twain’s darkest novellas, Robert Preston stars as The Stranger.  When we first meet The Stranger, he’s looking down on the small town of Hadleyburg and it’s hard not to notice that he looks a lot like Mark Twain.  The Stranger explains that the people of Hadleyburg consider themselves to be honest and free of sin.  The town’s motto is “Lead us not into temptation!”  The Stranger has a plan to test them.

Riding into town, the Stranger stops at the home of Edward and Mary Richards (Tom Aldredge and Frances Sternhagen).  The Stranger gives them a sack that he claims is filled with $40,000 worth of gold bars.  The Stranger says that he was once a poor man and someone in Hadleyburg gave him $20 and some meaningful advice.  Now that’s he rich, he wants to pay back the person who helped him.  The Stranger explains that there is an envelope inside the sack.  In the envelope, the Stranger has written out the advice he was given by his benefactor.  The Stranger’s instruction is for the man who helped him to write out that advice and give it to Rev. Burgess (Fred Gwynne), who recently lost his church when the citizens of Hadleyburg tired of him calling them out for their hypocrisies.  The honest man who remembers the advice he gave the Stranger will be very rich as a result.  The Stranger then leaves.

News of the sack and the gold travels throughout town and eventually the rest of the nation.  The most powerful families in Hadleyburg, including the Richards family, receive a letter telling them that the advice given to the stranger was “You are far from being a bad man, go and reform.”  Burgess is soon swamped by notes, all featuring that same phrase.  At the town meeting, Burgess reads each note, revealing that everyone wrote down the same phrase and that none of the town leaders is as honest as they claim.

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg is one of Twain’s most stinging satires, featuring an ending that is surprisingly dark.  This adaptation takes a much lighter approach to the material, altering Twain’s ending to something much more gentle and friendly.  Unfortunately, changing the ending causes the adaptation to lack the bite of the original short story.  Twain’s portrayal of greed and guilt instead becomes a mild story about a quirky town that learns a lesson.  It’s well-acted, especially by Fred Gwynne, but this adaptation doesn’t honor Twain’s intentions.  It just doesn’t add up to much.