Crossing The Line (2002, directed by Graeme Clifford)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Laura Mosbach (Terry Farrell) is a former basketball player who is hired to be the assistant coach of the Lady Warriors, a high school team.  When the beloved Coach Holliday (Lawrence Dane) has a stroke during a game, Laura becomes the new head coach and had to deal with parents who want to win at any cost, players who think they can bend the rules, and a town where no one has a private life.  If you think it’s difficult being a new coach, try being a new coach who is publicly dating the father (Adrian Pasdar) of a player who you’ve just made a starter.  Coach Mosbacher coaches the team her way, telling them that they are no longer Lady Warriors but now Women Warriors.

There are so many scenes in this movie that just get stuck in your head for the wrong reason.  I enjoyed Laura getting so frustrated that she threw a box of cereal at a wall, where it exploded in slow motion.  And there’s the scene where two basketball teams decide to just end the game rather than play the second half because the adults got into a fight in the school parking lot.  I’m sure that’s a decision that many teenagers would make.  It felt like one of those commercials for the Foundation For A Better Life.  “Sportsmanship, pass it on!”  Coach Mosbacher tells the girls that its their decision and is shocked when the the town wants to fire her as a result.

The movie’s most satisfying moment is one that isn’t meant to be satisfying.  Adrian Pasdar punches out a ref who hasn’t gotten one call right the entire game.  Who among us hasn’t been tempted to do the same?  Let those without sin cast the first stone.

I actually agree with the movie’s message about parents putting too much pressure on their kids to win at any cost.  Lawrence Dane was good as the beloved coach and so saw Adrian Pasdar, as the father who seemed nice but ultimately turned out to be even worse than the other parents.  Terry Farrell, though, gave a one-note performance as Laura and the film’s plot had too many unbelievable moments to work.

 

Retro Television Review: The Love Boat 7.15 “How Do I Love Thee?/No More Alimony/Authoress! Authoress!”

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 Wednesdays, I will be reviewing the original Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986!  The series can be streamed on Paramount Plus!

This week, the Love Boat takes a dramatic turn.

Episode 7.15 “How Do I Love Thee?/No More Alimony/Authoress! Authoress!”

(Dir by Kim Friedman, originally aired on January 7th, 1984)

As usual, this week’s episode features three stories.  Two of them are very silly.

Betty White and Carol Channing play two Broadway veterans who are hoping to interest publisher Cesar Romero in Betty’s autobiography.  Cesar is more interested in Carol.  Betty and Carol collaborate on a book that is full of sordid lies.  Cesar says he’ll publish it because “the hicks in the South” will love it.  Carol announces that she is a hick from the South and promptly rips the manuscript in half.  Good for her!

Alan Thicke wants his ex-wife, Michelle Phillips, to marry Fred Willard so that he’ll no longer have to pay alimony.  However, when Alan discovers that Fred is a womanizer, Alan reconsiders his plans.

These two stories feel very familiar.  They’re the type of stories that we’ve seen on many episodes of The Love Boat.  They’re saved a bit because of the comedic skills of Fred Willard and Betty White but, in the end, they’re definitely on the silly side of the cruise.

But then you get the third story, which is not silly at all.  Laura (Rue McClanahan) boards the ship with her husband, George (Dick Van Patten).  Laura is an old friend of Captain Stubing’s and he’s alarmed when he sees that Laura has a black eye.  Laura says she simply walked into a door.  George laughs and says that Laura is a klutz.

Actually, Laura is being abused by her husband.  George’s business is failing.  George is jealous of Captain Stubing.  George hits Laura in their cabin and it’s a shocking moment because 1) this is The Love Boat and 2) it actually looks like that Van Patten may have accidentally hit McClanahan for real.  (Van Patten briefly breaks character, looking shocked, before quickly turning back into the angry George.)  Stubing realizes what’s happening and confronts George.  By the end of the episode, George is promising to “get some help” but it’s significant that Laura doesn’t leave the ship with him.  One gets the feeling that she’s heard that promise before.

At first, it seems strange to have such an serious storyline playing out in-between scenes of Carol Channing and Betty White singing and Fred Willard leering at every woman on the boat but it actually works surprisingly well.  The show makes an important point.  Even on a fun cruise, abuse can happen.  Abuse doesn’t take a vacation.  And abusers can be the people you least suspect, like perennial nice guy Dick Van Patten.  I have a lot of respect for this episode for dealing with a serious subject and doing it well.

This was an important cruise.

 

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special 1964 Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More 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, we pay tribute to the year 1964 with….

4 Shots From 4 1964 Films

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, dir. Stanley Kubrick, DP: Gilbert Taylor)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964, dir by Richard Lester, DP: Gilbert Taylor)

Goldfinger (1964, dir by Guy Hamilton, DP: Ted Moore)

Strait-Jacket (1964, dir by William Castle, DP: Arthur E. Arling)

Song of the Day: Floods (by Pantera)

Posted on by Arleigh

“Floods” is one of those Pantera tracks that reveals the band’s more emotional and haunting side, standing apart from their usual aggressive sound. It’s from The Great Southern Trendkill, an album packed with chaos and fury, yet this song slows everything down and dives deep into something moodier. The title alone feels ominous, suggesting both destruction and cleansing, and the music reflects that perfectly with its brooding, slow buildup. Phil Anselmo’s vocals here are less about rage and more about sorrow—you can hear the weight in his delivery as it shifts from calm reflection to near anguish.

What really sets “Floods” apart is how it blends atmosphere and raw heaviness. Instead of fast riffs or flashy technique, the band leans into groove and tone. Vinnie Paul’s drumming locks down a deliberate, steady pulse while the guitars create this dark, cinematic tension. It’s heavy, not just in sound, but in emotion—like the kind of weight that builds slowly over time. Pantera isn’t usually called “beautiful,” but here, that label fits; there’s something hypnotic about how the song breathes.

Then comes the moment that every Pantera fan talks about—Dimebag Darrell’s guitar solo, which starts at around 3:51. That’s when the emotional core of the song fully opens up. Instead of a speed run or technical show-off, Dimebag plays with haunting melody and unbelievable expression. The solo builds gently, starts weeping almost, and then rises into this soaring section that feels like the sky breaking open after a storm. It’s one of his most soulful performances—a reminder of how much feeling he could pull from a single bend or sustain.

By the time “Floods” winds down, you’re left in a kind of spell. The outro fades out in layers of haunting harmonics, like thunder echoing after rain, and it’s easy to just sit there in silence when it ends. It’s Pantera at their most restrained, but also their most human. Even if you’re not normally into heavy metal, this track shows why Dimebag still gets talked about as one of the greats—he didn’t just play guitar solos; he told stories with them.

Floods

A dead issue
Don’t wrestle with it
Deaf ears are sleeping
A guilty bliss
So inviting (let me in)
Nailed to the cross
I feel you
Relate to you
Accuse you

Wash away us all
Take us with the floods

Cold hearted world

Your language unheard of
The vast sound of tuning out
The rash of negativity
Is seen one sidedly
Burn away the day
The nervous
The drifting
The heaving

Wash away us all
Take us with the floods

Cold hearted world
(And at night)
(They might bait the pentagram)
(And at night)
(They might bait the pentagram)
Extinguishing the sun

Wash away man
Take him with the floods

Die…
Die…

Die…
Die…

[guitar solo @3:51]

Great Guitar Solos Series

Music Video of the Day: Taxman, performed by George Harrison and Eric Clapton (1991, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Today is Tax Day here in the States so this music video of the day feels especially appropriate.

George Harrison originally wrote this song in 1966. It appeared on Revolver. The song was inspired by the fact that, even tough the Beatles were making a huge amount of money, they were also expected to give a huge amount of that money to the government. Harrison said that the music was inspired by the theme song for the Batman TV series and once you learn that, it’s impossible to listen to this song without thinking, “Batman!”

Enjoy!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Pacific Blue 3.21 “Till Death Do Us Part”

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 Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Pacific Blue, a cop show that aired from 1996 to 2000 on the USA Network!  It’s currently streaming everywhere, though I’m watching it on Tubi.

This week, a loved one dies.

Episode 3.21 “Till Death Do Us Part”

(Dir by Michael Levine, originally aired on April 12th, 1998)

When two robbers invade a high-end clothing store and shoot a security guard, they also accidentally shoot and kill Linda, Victor’s fiancée.  In fact, Linda was trying on a wedding dress when she was shot.  She was accompanied by Chris.  In typical Pacific Blue style, even though Victor is the one who has just lost his fiancée, Chris also gets a chance to tell everyone that it’s also something that she’ll never recover from because she was the one who was actually there when it happened.  Chris is so upset that she initially refuses to even change her clothes, even though they’ve been splattered with Linda’s blood.  The show seems to think that this makes Chris into a strong character.  Personally, I think it makes her someone who is so self-centered that she even has to make the death of someone else’s fiancée all about her.  I can only imagine how Victor feels seeing Linda’s blood all over Chris’s shirt.

As for Victor, he goes on a rampage, tearing up Santa Monica until he finds the man who shot Linda.  Victor ignores regulations.  He breaks rules.  He nearly shoots the killer in a parking lot and his partner Cory promises to back him up if he pulls the trigger.  In the end, Victor is not a cold-blooded murderer.  He allows the killer to be arrested.  He tells the killer that he can’t wait to witness his execution.  (Good luck, Victor.  You’re in California!)  But, as the episode ends, it’s mentioned that Internal Affairs is going to want his badge.

(Apparently, that will be dealt with in next week’s episode, which is also the season three finale.)

Watching this episode, I can found myself asking myself if all the other cops in Santa Monica have been fired.  I didn’t see anyone other than the bicycle cops investigating the robberies or the shootings.  I didn’t see anyone from Homicide looking into Linda’s murder.  Instead, the entire episode was full of people trying to look tough while wearing bicycle shorts.

It just can’t be done!

Firefighter (1986, directed by Robert Michael Lewis)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Nancy McKeon gives a good performance as Cindy Fralic, the first woman to become a firefighter in Los Angeles County.  The film follows her as she takes the written exam, passes the physical exam (becoming the first woman to do so in the 60 years history of the Los Angeles Fire Department), and proves herself as both a firefighter and paramedic.  She also finds love after her unsupportive husband divorces her.

Firefighter‘s story is bookended by a scene of Cindy telling a group of kids about what it is like to be a female firefighter.  The film was made to inspire more women to pursue a career as a firefighter and sometimes, it seems like it pulls its punches when it comes to portraying just how difficult it probably was for the real-life Cindy to be Los Angeles’s first female firefighter.  With the exception of her husband and one sexist captain, every man on the force is portrayed as being open-minded and rooting for Cindy from the start.  No one at the firehouse has any trouble adjusting to a woman suddenly sharing their quarters.  Almost everyone is supportive.  The only time Cindy gets truly upset is when she has to get her hair cut.  Sometimes, the film makes it seems like it was almost too easy for Cindy to be a groundbreaker. 

It’s a good for what it is, though.  Nancy McKeon gives a good performance.  Ed Lauter plays her supportive boss and Amanda Wyss plays her best friend.  It’s a made-for-TV movie so don’t go into it expecting a raging inferno.  Instead, it’s just a sincere story about a woman who made history and who can maybe inspire others to do the same.

Retro Television Review: Saved By The Bell: The Class 1.11 “Weasel Love”

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 Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Saved By The Bell: The New Class, which ran on NBC from 1993 to 2o00.  The show is currently on Prime.

This week, Weasel’s found love again.  Or has he?

Episode 1.11 “Weasel Love”

(Dir by Don Barnhart, originally aired on November 20th, 1993)

Weasel’s online girlfriend, Natalie (Stephanie Dicker), moves to California and enrolls at Bayside.  At first, she looks and acts just like Tori Spelling during Tori’s time on the original Saved By The Bell.  However, Megan, Vicki, and Lindsay give her a makeover that …. actually, makes her look significantly worse.  But everyone at Bayside insists that it makes her look better so Weasel starts to feel insecure.  Tommy D, Scott, and Mr. Belding (really?) give Weasel a makeover to team him how to be cool.  That coolness goes to Weasel’s head and soon, he and Natalie aren’t speaking.

Uh-oh!  Natalie and Weasel are both in the school band!  Natalie plays piano.  Weasel plays saxophone.  (Needless to say, we never actually see Natalie’s hands when she’s playing piano.)  How is the band going to win that trip to New York if Natalie and Weasel aren’t capable of performing a duet together?

Well, maybe Tommy can hop on the computer and send Natalie a message “from Weasel” apologizing.  Natalie is touched but later, Weasel reveals that he didn’t write the message.  But Weasel and Natalie still talk through their differences and the band wins that New York trip!

As for this episode’s B-plot, Tommy D and Scott trick two of the nerd characters into leaving the band so that they can replace them.  As I watched Scott and Tommy trick the nerds into thinking that they were losing their hearing, it occurred to me that it takes a lot of charisma to make a schemer likable.  Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Mario Lopez had that charisma, which is why the first Saved By The Bell worked despite Zack being a sociopath.  Robert Sutherland Telfer and Jonathan Angel on the other hand….

(Actually, in all honesty, Jonathan Angel was likable as Tommy.  He had the goofy dumb guy thing down.  Telfer, however, didn’t have Gosselaar’s cocky charm.  As a result, Scott usually comes across as being more desperate than confident.)

Anyway, this was another dumb episode.  There’s no consistency when it comes to how characters like Weasel are portrayed so it’s really had to care about their lives one way or another.  This episode, Weasel got a girlfriend.  Even though I haven’t seen the remaining season one episodes yet, I can guarantee that she will never be mentioned again.

Finally, the band sounded terrible.  Leave them in New York.