Reviews

This DVD includes only 16 of the nearly 1000 episodes of the critically panned but commercially very successful (and fun) 1980s Aussie soap, attempting to give a very broad overview of the show's most memorable character Pat the Rat from the beginning of the show through her departure to Rio fleeing a murder charge to accommodate the exit of actress of Rowena Wallace, to her vengeful return sporting extensive plastic surgery to accommodate the entrance of actress Belinda Giblin, to the appearance of her long lost identical twin sister to accommodate the return of actress Rowena Wallace (yes, it is confusing, but soaps were much more outrageously fun in the '80s). Included is an amusing audio commentary from actors Belinda Giblin and Tom Richard (she says she had no choice, given the material, other than to play it totally over the top, he sums up his character by saying you can't do much with grunts!) and soap historian Andrew Mercado on one key episode.

While the collection includes the show's original episode and the extended version of its wailing theme song, it frustratingly does not include the final episode. The selected episodes showcase the journey of Pat the Rat and the plastic surgery storyline that the show is best remembered for, but does not really give us a sense of the over-the-top story lines that made the character so compelling. You actually do not see much of the highly neurotic scheming and manipulating that earned the character her nickname and made the show so enjoyable to watch.

The inclusion of a few more episodes - maybe even as a double disc set - would have provided a greater overview of the show and its central character, and presumably for not very much more in production costs.

Still, S&D merchandise and memorabilia is short on the ground so it is better than nothing.

This unintentionally amusing mid-80s TV movie is based on the premise that sex bomb Donna Mills (in a mostly appalling wardrobe throughout) is a neglected housewife, pining for her sexy past as a cheerleader. She escapes her empty life by fantasising about random sexual encounters with one of the many attractive men she comes across, finally giving into her fantasies and indulging in a bit on the side, although all she really wants is to reignite the flames of passion with her boring husband James Brolin.

There are many laughable aspects to this film, Mills' first foray into co-producing (later, following her departure from Knots Landing, she found great success as a trashy TV movie queen starring in mostly issue-of-the-week melodramas through most of the '90s - she usually played a victim of some sort, clearly determined to wash her hands of the wonderfully wicked and entertaining conniver she played for so long on Knots). Funniest are the drawn-out fantasy sequences, filmed as though they are meant to be soft-core porn (wind and smoke machines, backlighting, porno music), but as this is a network TV movie the scenes are all very chaste and ultimately not very sexy at all. The most amusing (and bizarre) scene has Mills taking a walk on the wild side downtown among the spiky-haired punks (complete with Robert Palmer soundtrack).

Less laughable is the dreadful dialogue that the cardboard characters are forced to utter (pity poor Cicely Tyson as the mandatory psycho-analyst, or Veronica Cartwright as the mandatory best friend, or even pre-Babs James Brolin with that daytime soap style of clenched fist anger.)

Of course, as in all of these sorts of films, we learn that all problems can be solved through psycho-therapy and then the film just becomes silly, as we explore, briefly, the reasons for Mills' "shocking" behaviour (as if it can't just be that she wants a good shag!)

Vacuous.

First things first: if you plan to watch this 1993 telefilm, suspend your disbelief immediately.

Now, onto the film. An all-American clean-cut kid murders his adoptive parents and commits suicide. A gorgeous crack reporter (Welch) is on the case, writing a book about kids who kills their parents and digging into the dirt of this baffling case. After two brief "moral issue" scenes (one questioning, for half a second, the role of the media in perpetuating violence, the other questioning the role of genetics in shaping future society), her investigations lead her to a shocking discovery: not only was the kid's murder of his parents caused by a genetic deficiency, but he also had a twin sister and she, of course, could blow at any time and murder her adoptive parents. Looking quite lovely throughout, Welch is on the case, cool and glam as she hunts down this genetically pre-disposed murderous teen.

Cut to Suburban USA, where two adopted teen girls live across the road from each other. One has the sane Alley Mills from "The Wonder Years" as her mother; the other suffers the far more fascinating Joan Van Ark from "Knots Landing" (expanding admirably on her histrionics from telefilm "Always Remember I Love You" a few years earlier, where she also played the highly-strung adoptive mother of a troubled teen).

This film is quite implausible and unbelievable, but it is diverting enough if you have nothing better to do - and it is watchable for Van Ark's scenery-chewing performance alone (although the rest of the cast do their share of scenery-chewing too!)

I just watched this film tonight, quite coincidentally at the same time as the votes are being counted for the 2004 US presidential election.

The film concerns the political skullduggery involved in the nominating of a running mate for a Democratic presidential candidate played by an almost unrecognizable Tom Selleck. He is a bit of ladies' man inspiring unwavering devotion from his faithful followers and his legion of loved and discarded women who still work for him and believe in him even after the affair is done (could part of his character be modeled on that last charismatic Democrat president we ask ourselves?).

Laura Linney has a strong part as his clever campaign manager, Teri Hatcher a less showy part as a press secretary, and Faye Dunaway a very showy supporting part (the type of role she excels in these days) as the wife of a senator hoping to get a place on the ticket.

This is not a bad film and quite interesting for anyone interested in politics. It does not withstand comparison to the similar but superior "Primary Colors", but it is still not bad. The cast is good but the heartwarming ending is a little hokey for this hardened cynic.

Attracted by Burstyn and Garr, both of whom are actresses I usually enjoy watching, I saw this film recently on the Hallmark channel. I found it stilted and awkwardly old-fashioned, with an improbable plot.

It is the 1960s, and an English woman (Burstyn)is coerced by a mysterious government agent (Bates)into assisting him to spy on her neighbour and friend (Garr), who is suspected of having involvement with a Soviet spy ring. Mild tension and inevitable histrionics ensue, before a rather melodramatic and not entirely believable ending (most particularly the awkward voice over in the final frame).

The worst thing about the film is the variance of Burstyn's English accent, which comes and goes throughout the film and is discarded entirely in her final scenes. Why didn't they just use an English actress?

Garr, as usual, is fine, and this was obviously one of Bates' "rent paying" parts.

Not very memorable or believable.