This was supposed to be a catching-up week, but instead brings us some unique titles to review:
BBC/Warner's The Singing Detective is a fascinating 4 hour miniseries that combines medical misery, detective thrills, traumatic biography, and musical numbers in a complex tale of self-analysis. With Michael Gambon, Janet Suzman and Joanne Whalley.
Fox continues its Classic Collection with Anatole Litvak's Anastasia, a handsome production famous for being Ingrid Bergman's comeback picture. With Yul Brynner and Helen Hayes.
Lee Broughton of the UK checks in with two Region 2 PAl reviews, Legacy of Dracula and
Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis Both Japanese productions, one's a horror tale and the other a mystical/political epic.
Fox Lorber's David and Lisa is a key early independent, a sensitive story about two disturbed teens with complimentary afflictions. Keir Dullea and Janet Margolin star in this breakthrough film for Frank and Eleanor Perry.
I've been getting lots of mail about the cancelled Charlie Chan series that was going to be on cable TV. It's a shame that this kind of pressure can stomp out film history. I always thought the Chan films were vaguely amusing, but certainly less offensive than many mainstream Bob Hope films or other shows with negative Black stereotypes. Chan's jokes were funny, and they were rare films with positive Chinese characters. As for the charge that they shouldn't be shown because Anglos are playing Asians, suppressing that tradition whitewashes history. I don't see anyone banning BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY's, and that has some really offensive ethnic humor. How will ethnic activists convince anyone that progress has been made, if they successfully erase history?
Am still waiting for the Billy Wilder films, but a couple of hot titles just arrived - thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson
Posted by DVD Savant at July 01, 2003 09:59 AM