Retro Television Review: Welcome Back, Kotter 4.18 “The Sweat Smell of Success”

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, I will be reviewing Welcome Back Kotter, which ran on ABC  from 1975 to 1979.  The entire show can be purchased on Prime.

Buchanan High is in chaos!  Only one man can save the day but he’s not around anymore.

Episode 4.18 “The Sweat Smell of Success”

(Dir by Norman Abbott, originally aired on March 3rd, 1979)

Where is Mr. Kotter!?

I mean, don’t get me wrong.  I know why Gabe Kaplan was hardly ever on the show during the fourth season.  He was annoyed that the network refused to allow the Sweathogs to graduate from Buchanan High, despite the fact that the actors playing the Sweathogs were all in their late 20s and early 30s.  He was not happy about working with Marcia Strassman.  And he was shooting a movie for a good deal of the fourth season.  Kaplan felt that he moved on from the series and as such, he allowed his character to become vice principal and kept his appearances on  the show to a minimum,

But, in the narrative of the show, where is Mr. Kotter?  Usually, someone will mention that he’s out of town or busy with school business.  In this episode, he isn’t even mentioned.  It’s kind of disturbing how he’s vanished and no one seems to care.  The Sweathogs need his guidance and this episode, as dumb as it was, features a plot that feels like it would have been perfect for Mr. Kotter’s corny jokes and gentle mentoring.  Even more importantly …. who is the song welcoming back?  Kotter’s gone!  He’s not around to be welcomed back!

As for this week’s episodes, it appears that the show’s writers finally remembered that, at the start of the season, each of the Sweathogs was assigned a job around the school.  Freddie and Horshack run the school store.  Meanwhile, Epstein is in charge of the audio visual department.  But he sucks at his job so Woodman reassigns him to the school paper.  Horshack’s girlfriend, Mary Johnson, edits and writes the paper and is very earnest in her efforts to make the paper something worth reading.  That’s quite a chance from the Mary who tried to kill herself just a few episodes ago.

Anyway, Epstein turns the paper into a tabloid.  He suggests that Julie is having an affair with Woodman.  (“She’s not my type!”  Woodman declares, “Too tall!”)  He writes about Freddie Washington wore diapers until he was six months old.  Epstein describes Horshack as being a diva.  Epstein says that Beau is a member of the Ku Klux Klan. He says….

WAIT!  WHAT!?

Okay, one of these stories is far worse than the others.  Washington did wear diapers when he was a baby and Horshack is a diva and Julie probably is cheating on Gabe.  But Beau is a member of the Klan?  Where did this come from?  “I’m going to need a police escort to go home tonight,” Beau says while the audience laughs.

Seriously, don’t just toss around Klan accusations, folks.  It’s just common sense.

Anyway, Epstein’s friends get mad at him so Epstein quits the paper after publishing an expose of himself on the front page.  He returns to the audio visual department.  He still sucks at his job and I guess Mary is back to having to write, edit, and publish the entire newspaper by herself.  Is this a happy ending?

Well, at least Beau didn’t get killed.

Next week, it’s time for the school talent show!  Wow, Mr. Kotter would have loved that.  RIP.

Retro Television Review: St. Elsewhere 1.13 “Family History”

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 Fridays, I will be reviewing St. Elsewhere, a medical show which ran on NBC from 1982 to 1988.  The show can be found on Hulu and, for purchase, on Prime!

Usually, I review this show on Friday but, yesterday, my week of visiting Lake Texoma in freezing weather finally caught up with me and I spent most of the day congested and curled up in bed.  As a result, St. Elsewhere got preempted until today.  Now, let’s see what’s happening at St. Eligius….

Episode 1.13 “Family History”

(Dir by Kevin Hooks, originally aired on February 8th, 1983)

After being a background character for the past few episodes, Dr. Wendy Armstrong (Kim Miyori) finally gets her time in the spotlight with this episode.  When Charlie Heller (Keenan Wynn) comes into the ER with a chronic nosebleed, Dr. Armstrong is too quick to assume that it’s nothing serious.  Dr. Westphall, who is in an especially crappy mood this episode, reprimands her for not getting a family history before making her diagnosis.  A chastened Armstrong gets Charlie’s family history and comes to suspect that he has a rare blood condition that only seems to effect Jewish men.  A very expensive test confirms Armstrong’s diagnosis.  Armstrong is excited.  “I was right!” she says.  Westphall again reprimands her, telling her that she now needs to tell Charlie that he has a chronic condition and will have to take medicine for the rest of his life.

Seriously, Westphall was not in a good mood during this episode!  But I don’t blame him.  From her first appearance on the show, Dr. Armstrong has been complaining nonstop.  No matter what happens in the hospital, she seems to take it as a personal affront.  Now, after several episodes of complaining about the other doctors, Armstrong fails to do a simple thing like get a family history.  No wonder Westphall was all like, What are you bragging about?

That said, even if his mood was understandable, I would not want to get on Westphall’s bad side.  Even after Armstrong makes the correct diagnosis, Westphall takes the time to say, “Next time, do what I told you to do.”  Agck!

While Westphall was dealing with whatever was eating away at him, Dr. Chandler was getting annoyed by John Doe’s refusal to try to remember anything about his past.  Even when John Doe’s real father showed up and explained that Doe was his son, Dave Stewart, he refused to try to remember anything.  Eventually, Chandler snapped at Dave for refusing to even try.  Chandler, of course, is played by a young Denzel Washington so, when he gets mad, it’s like having the voice of God call you out.  After Chandler’s reprimand, Dave finally makes an effort to remember his past.  He realizes that, when he was shot, he had a vision of his deceased mother welcoming him to heaven.  Awwww!

Dr. Craig’s friend has his gender affirmation surgery.  Crag met his friend’s lover, a trans man.  Needless to say, this episode featured a lot of scenes of Craig rolling his eyes as he struggled to come to terms with everything he was learning about his old friend.  It was all pretty predictable but William Daniels did a great job playing up Craig’s confusion and single-mindedness.

And finally, Peter was happy because his wife wanted to get back together.  I get the feeling any happiness Peter feels is destined to always be temporary.

This episode was a bit uneven.  Armstrong’s story would have been compelling if Armstrong herself was a more interesting character.  The highlight of the episode were the scenes between Denzel Washington’s doctor and Tom Hulce’s amnesiac.  It’s always enjoyable to watch two good actors perform opposite of each other.

Next week, the great Norman Lloyd takes center stage as Auschlander’s cancer returns.

 

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Jonathan Demme 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!

The late, great director Jonathan Demme was born 81 years ago today.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Jonathan Demme Films

Stop Making Sense (1984, dir by Jonathan Demme, DP: Jordan Cronenweth)

Something Wild (1986, dir by Jonathan Demme, DP: Tak Fujimoto)

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991, dir by Jonathan Demme, DP: Tak Fujimoto)

Rachel Getting Married (2008, dir by Jonathan Demme, DP: Declan Quinn)

The trailer for DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 1900, a new movie co-starring Chow Yun-Fat!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that a new movie co-starring Chow Yun-Fat was released in time for the Chinese New Year. Chow doesn’t work that much these days, so anytime he’s in a new movie, it’s an important event for me. And just look how cool he still looks in the picture above. The man is turning 70 on May 18th, for pete’s sake!

I was unaware of the DETECTIVE CHINATOWN franchise when I noticed Chow’s participation in this film on IMDB. It has been a huge box office hit as part of this year’s Chinese Lunar New Year festivities. DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 1900 is the 4th installment in the series that actually stars actors Baoqiang Wang and Liu Horan as Gui and Qin Fu, respectively. In this installment, the duo investigates the murder of a white woman in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1900. Chow seems to be playing some sort of Chinatown boss in this film that also features John Cusack as the U.S. Congressman whose daughter is murdered. It looks kind of silly, but hopefully it’s also a lot of fun. I’ll definitely be checking this film out, and at least one of the other installments in preparation.

Enjoy this trailer for DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 1900!

Live Tweet Alert: Join #ScarySocial for The Grudge!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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

Tonight, at 9 pm et, Deanna Dawn will be hosting #ScarySocial!  The movie?  2004’s The Grudge!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag!  I’ll be there tweeting and I imagine some other members of the TSL Crew will be there as well.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

The Grudge is available on Prime!

See you there!

The Getaway (1972, directed by Sam Peckinpah)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Doc McCoy (Steve McQueen) is doing a ten-year sentence in a Texas state prison when he’s offered a chance at parole.  The only condition that Jack Benyon (Ben Johnson) gives Doc is that, once out of prison, Doc is going to have to plan and carry out a bank robbery with two other criminals, Frank (Bo Hopkins) and Rudy (Al Lettieri).  Desperate for his freedom and to be reunited with his wife, Carol (Ali MacGraw), Doc agrees.  On the outside, Doc carries out the robbery but it turns out that no one can be trusted.  With everyone double-crossing everyone else, Doc and Carol head for the border, pursued by the police, Rudy, and Benyon’s brother, Cully (Roy Jenson).

Based on a novel by Jim Thompson, The Getaway is a fast-paced and violent heist film.  It was on this film that Ali MacGraw and Steve McQueen first met and famously fell for each other.  Married to producer Robert Evans, Ali MacGraw left him for McQueen.  Their very real chemistry gives the film its forward momentum and it is so palpable that it doesn’t matter that the stunningly beautiful Ali MacGraw couldn’t really act.  Steve McQueen, on the other hand, is at his coolest in The Getaway.  McQueen was an actor who didn’t need much dialogue to say a lot and The Getaway features him at his tough and ruthless best.  Doc is not one of the good guys.  He’s a bad guy but not as bad as Rudy, Frank, Jack, and Cully.

As was typical of Peckinpah, The Getaway is full of small moments and details that make the movie’s world come to life.  While Doc and Carol flee across Texas, Rudy has a twisted loves story of his own with Fran (Sally Struthers, in a role that will surprise anyone who only knows her as Gloria Stivic).  Jack Dodson plays Fran’s kindly husband and gives a performance that reminds us of the human cost of crime.  Slim Pickens has a wonderful cameo as an old cowboy whose truck is hijakced by Jack and Carol.  Those who thought of Peckinpah as just being a director of violent thrillers often overlooked the moments of humanity that regularly emerged amongst all the bloodshed.

The Getaway was not given the critical acclaim it deserved when it was released but today, it’s regularly recognized as a career best for both Sam Peckinpah and Steve McQueen.

GANG WAR (1958) – a young Charles Bronson testifies against the mob!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Charles Bronson starred in four movies and one TV show in 1958. Two of those movies were produced by Harold Knox, written by Louis Vittes, and directed by Gene Fowler, Jr. The first of the two films was SHOWDOWN AT BOOT HILL, an excellent low budget western that featured Bronson as a bounty hunter with a chip on his shoulder and love in his heart. The second film was GANG WAR. 

In GANG WAR, Charles Bronson plays Alan Avery, a high school teacher in Los Angeles who’s walking home one night and happens to witness a gangland killing. He calls the police to report the murder, but he doesn’t want to get any further involved so he doesn’t give them his name. Avery was on his way home from a trip to the pharmacy where he had picked up a prescription for his pregnant wife (Gloria Henry) who is suffering from migraines. In the stress of the moment, he left the pharmacy sack in the phone booth and the police are able to track him down to his home. After being pressed by the police, Avery reluctantly agrees to testify. He’s a great witness as he’s able to give the police a description of the car and its license plate number. His information leads to the arrest of Joe Reno, the second in command to mobster Maxie Meadows (John Doucette). Maxie sends his attorney Bryce Barker (Kent Taylor) over to the police station to see Captain Finch. Finch happens to be on Maxie’s payroll, and he immediately tells Barker about the witness. He even leaks it to the press so they can run a story revealing Avery’s name and address. Maxie would prefer to buy Avery’s silence, but he also wants a little insurance, so he sends his punch drunk henchman Chester over to slap around Avery’s wife. This order is akin to asking Lennie Small from OF MICE AND MEN to go play with some puppies. Simple-minded Chester proceeds to kill Mrs. Avery. When Avery comes home and finds his wife dead, he heads directly to Maxie’s house to kill him. The cab driver who took Avery to Maxie’s place just happened to see his gun, so he called the cops. Just before Avery can squeeze off a kill shot, the police show up and arrest him. Pissed that Avery was able to get so close to killing him, Meadows puts an actual hit out on him this time. Will the high school teacher be able to survive his battle against the mob?!!

(Note: The analysis below ventures into spoiler territory for both GANG WAR and SHOWDOWN AT BOOT HILL. You may want to watch these films prior to reading the rest of the review.)

As a lifelong fan of Charles Bronson, I really appreciate his work with director Gene Fowler, Jr. in 1958. Fowler recognized Bronson’s charismatic screen presence, but he also recognized something deeper in the legendary icon… his heart. SHOWDOWN AT BOOT HILL seemed to be giving us Bronson as a typical western hero, only to reverse course and turn Bronson into a romantic lead who would choose to throw down his guns so he could establish roots in a community and spend his life with the woman he loves. In a similar way, GANG WAR seems to be setting Bronson up to be a vigilante, not much different than the type of character he would be portraying throughout the 70’s and 80’s. But when 70’s and 80’s Bronson would be pulling his trigger, Fowler presents a more thoughtful Bronson who recognizes that the best revenge can sometimes be in letting someone live with the consequences of their own decisions. This allows him to lower his gun, walk away and continue his life free of the guilt and the legal consequences that would undoubtedly come with taking another person’s life. This decision honors his wife’s legacy much more than murder and a lifetime in jail ever would. 

There are many good performances in this little gem. Bronson may not have been a “star” when this film was made, but there is no doubt that he was ready. He simply commands every frame that he appears in from the beginning to the end. John Doucette and Kent Taylor are also memorable as the gangster and his paid off lawyer, respectively. Doucette’s Maxie Meadows is certainly a stereotype of the gangsters in TV’s and movies at the time, but he plays the part well, saving his very best for his last moments of the film. Kent Taylor has the movie’s best story arc. When we meet him, he’s an alcoholic who can’t stand what he’s allowed himself to become, yet he continues to run every time Maxie calls. It’s a strong moment when he decides he won’t do it anymore. And Jennifer Holden is simply gorgeous as Marie, Maxie’s woman. Speaking of nice scenery, it was also fun seeing a Los Angeles that included landmarks like the Capitol Records Building and the old Nickodell Restaurant. So much of the action in GANG WAR takes place against these iconic backdrops, and for a guy who’s never been to LA, seeing these places again almost makes me feel like a resident.

Overall, while GANG WAR does feel like an old fashioned 50’s movie, it has plenty of things to recommend it, not the least of which is an excellent performance from a young Charles Bronson. At a 75 minute run time, it’s definitely worth a viewing.

The trailer for GANG WAR is presented below: