purakek Reviews

The Interns (1970–1971)

Great if forgettable series

[6/10 · 4 June 2007]

In this ensemble cast drama which predated ER and Grey's Anatomy, I got my first glimpse of what goes on in a hospital. Usually, doctors are just supporting bits or extras in the typical TV drama, but here we have young, winsome doctors trying to make it in a medical setting dealing with various diseases as well as personal problems. No bloody scenes but lots of melodrama. It didn't last long, and I can only remember a few episodes (like the patient whose hand was caught in the elevator door and a street clown who broke a lot of bones in her ankle after a perilous somersault). Nevertheless, it was the first time I saw Mike Farrell before he went to MASH and the last I've seen of Broderick Crawford. Good to great, too bad it didn't last long.

Viva Valdez (1976)

Yet another comedy based on ethnicity

[24 September 2005]

In the 1970s, TV capitalized on ethnic comedies such as Good Times and The Jeffersons (thanks to the rippling effect of the first all-American Bunker family). As a result, comedies were created based on how an ethnic family copes with then modern-day America. Most of these mutations were duds, such as Mr. T & Tina, That's My Mama and sadly, Viva Valdez. Think about The Flower Drum Song but replace the Asians with Mexicans. You have a father who's overprotective of his family, a mother who's heavily into needless histrionics and teens/young adults living the modern life with clearer accents. Add to that, Jorge Cervera Jr., who gets special billing, as a newly-arrived cousin who's catchphrase is "Hello, everybody!". Why Cervera Jr. got a special billing I don't know and his acting abilities here make me wonder even more why he's even in the cast. Slight laughs but nothing groundbreaking here. Should not have been made at all.

Eischied (1979–1980)

May be the next best thing Baker has ever done

[19 September 2005]

Eischied is a continuation of the character Baker portrayed in the TV miniseries, "To Kill a Cop", which I believe is his best. Then again, that doesn't say much. The JDB movies are almost always awful, with the possible exception of Walking Tall and some appearances in James Bond. And television during these times was in pursuit of toned-down bestsellers. In To Kill a Cop, he plays the hero who's not above to doing amoral (and perhaps, immoral) things to keep his job. Yet, he redeems himself with the successful capture of the bad guys. In the TV series, however, they toned down (almost eradicated) the moral ambiguity of his character. So, now he's a "good" cop after the bad guys. It's of average quality which could have been redeemed if they only made Eischied the morally questionable cop he really was.

The Wrong Coast (2004)

Stop-action fun

[10 July 2004]

A stop-action animation series meant to spoof entertainment shows like Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight. Features sycophantic movie reporters, camera-hungry moderators and cross-bred films.

A sup-plot involves the in-fighting between the show's co-hosts, each wanting to be the top banana. Sometimes funny, sometimes reaching, the humor is perfect for this type of satire. Surprisingly, this show premiered on a movie channel even though it does not contain foul language or explicit nudity. Although sometimes, between this and the real infotainment shows, I can't tell which is more annoying. I recommend taping the show and watching it within a two-week gap between episodes.

XPM (2004– )

Typical Canadian sitcom

[5 March 2004]

Canadian TV comedies are funny if they're made up as a series of sketches like Air Farce, Wayne & Shuster or even Red Green (I've never seen any Ken Finkleman show so I can't judge his work). If they try for a full situation comedy (like the supposedly successful King of Kensington) it comes out draggingly slow and selectively funny. Don Ferguson of Air Farce and Kathy Greenwood (one of many familiar faces from Whose Line is it Anyway?) headline this show about an ex Prime Minister who doesn't get any respect. They play it safe and familiar; no outrageous moment, no unforgettable scene, just barely recommendable. The cast should just stick to improv.

The New Perry Mason (1973–1974)

miscast and stiff actors

[5 January 2004]

This is the first Perry Mason series I've seen (since I wasn't even born when the original Raymond Burr starrer appeared) and saw it in its entirety (at least what the local station showed). Monte Markham may be a great stage actor, but he never found success on TV and this is why. He and the rest of the cast act like robots, mouthing lines with nary a trace of believability. Mason is supposed to be a criminal lawyer not a corporate one (I guess Markham forgot that). The best evidence of a live character there would be Harry Guardino's Ham(ilton) Burger. He's the only actor who looks the least uncomfortable with the role. The mysteries posed are good, almost Murder-She-Wrote-like quality. But the pace is too fast (though not by today's standards), the courtroom scenes (where the highest point of the drama is expected) are much too brief. If only they made them movies-of-the-month like Columbo or McCloud, there may have been a chance for this show to find its audience.

Hey Joel (2003– )

Finally!

[15 November 2003]

Been screening IMDB for any info on this series, but I had to wait until the show was over to get something! Hey Joel is about a VH1 talk show host, but I'm not really sure if it ever was released in the US. The animation was ok, not ground-breaking; got introduced to Fountains of Wayne music, somewhat, and some of the jokes worked. I wish there would be more information on who did the voices for the guest musicians (J-Lo, Jewel, Lenny Kravitz, Bono, etc.) and if there are plans for a new season (note: Jon Cryer is now in Two and a Half Men with Charlie Sheen, and may not have time to do voice-overs for a new season, which was no rating smasher either). Lastly, it wouldn't hurt to have late night re-runs as filler on the Canadian Bravo channel.

Hawkins (1973–1974)

Slow-paced but good enough

[7 April 2003]

Like Columbo, this series moves slowly, with Jimmy Stewart as the Matlock of the 70's. Okay, not as successful as Matlock, but the mysteries and their solutions show a progressive tread towards mature plots. The pace drags, unfortunately, and will probably be not much of an attraction in a cable revival. Nonetheless, Hawkins the lawyer is much better a detective than Matlock and the stories (each one is about 2 hours each) contain intricate mysteries well worth the watch for detective story connoisseur.

To Die For (1995)

Not necessarily a true story

[6 October 2002]

The movie showcases Nicole Kidman's maturity as an actress. She's not just a pretty face anymore. I agree with most reviewers; some parts are boring. But this is not to say the movie isn't worth it. It's a good movie; it's just that the latter part of it failed to sway me. It's not a film that gave me chills or laughs every minute. It's not supposed to; and I was looking for that kind of movie! One correction though: the movie was based on a novel by Joyce Maynard, who was a crime reporter. If the basis for the plot is fact, we can't know for sure. The film is based on fiction (that was no bestseller) and fiction it should be considered. So if the story fails to excite viewers, blame the book!

Nancy (1970–1971)

Just a faded memory

[5 October 2002]

Remembered watching a couple of episodes of this short-lived series. President's daughter falls in love with Mr. Regular Guy, who has a regular job and regular kibitzing kin. Nancy and boyfriend carry their affair under the watchful eyes of several Secret Service agents. I don't remember a laugh track but it was supposed to be a comedy. I couldn't find it funny, just cutesy. the only episode that stuck in my mind was when the couple moved into a house with some raw food but no working stove. So, the uncle (who was doing some handyman's work) pulled out his torch and "cooked" the chicken. Tasted like gasoline, he remarked.

No other episode comes to mind. Don't even remember how the cast looked like!

Hell Squad (1985)

Whatever...

[24 September 2002]

The "movie" (it's so cheaply done, I'm inclined to believe it's just a student film gone bad) is just an excuse to parade scantily-clad women in the desert, let them go after the bad arabs and whine for the rest of the show. There's little action (you'd think they'd at least learn martial arts; no!!! they fight like, duh, girls!) and lots of boring dialog. SPOILER!!!: The ending (finding out who the traitor is), which involves proper toilet manners for women (figure it out: it involves keeping the seat up), reveals a cross-dresser villain in their midst (ok, in the office that recruited them). Whatever pompous theme this movie supposedly maintains (e.g., equality among the sexes, world corruption, security) is lost in the mindless miasma of ennui and inanity. A poor man's Doll Squad (not that Francine York and company are any better!).

Monk: Mr. Monk and the Candidate (2002) Season 1, Episode 1

Great, but....

[16 September 2002]

Monk could have been a worthy successor to Columbo (a show I liked). Despite the intrusion of Monk's OCD and the plodding investigation, the seeming complexity of the crimes committed would be the best reason many a viewer could fixate upon. Unfortunately, the solutions are a let-down. Even I figured out how the world's fattest man, who happens to be bedridden, could commit a murder some distance away, or how a fake psychic be transported to the scene of a crime when she had no knowledge of the place and was not a real psychic to begin with. Even the guys at CSI could have solved the crime in minutes. If you think about it, the crimes committed are not really weird; it's just the cops involved in it are too lazy! They have to go to Monk, who takes care of the deductions, something the regular detectives could have done in their sleep. Still, I like it. I just hope the writers could really come up with an intellectual solution worthy of the complex crimes they create.

Insiang (1976)

Best Brocka film ever

[12 September 2002]

Forget the rest! Hilda Koronel's magnificent performance as the title character is enough to recommend this tale of rape and revenge, seduction and squalor, power and poverty. Hilda lives in a slum in Manila, maltreated by her domineering mother (Mona Lisa). Her mother has a lover (Ruel Vernal) old enough to be her son. Vernal, doing the lover bit because Lisa holds the household money, has his eyes set on Insiang. He rapes her but Insiang turns things around, getting Vernal to be her parasitic paramour. Great film noir, great performances.

The Andros Targets (1977– )

Early attempt to modernize the crusading reporter

[10 September 2002]

Saw this series during its short run. Reminds me of a more recent attempt, Deadline with Oliver Platt. In both series, you have the thinking man's reporter. Both are dedicated and both are interested in uncovering the truth within a news item. But Platt's series had better writers, while this Sutorius starrer had more drama rather than brains. It's a treat to see the reporter as a crusader, hampered by obstacles and silence, powered only by persistence. It was a good try to test the stories of the times (i.e., during the 70s) but as I recall, Andros seemed to be a humorless (or unfunny?) character. While it was a breakaway from the stuffy or stereotypical portrayals of press people of the 50s and 60s, it wasn't enough. Lou Grant did it better, but that was an ensemble show. Maybe if the network gave Andros a chance it might have improved and the lead character would have lightened up.

A Man Called Sloane (1979–1980)

Too bulky a Bond

[8 September 2002]

Robert Conrad's best depiction of a secret agent was in Wild Wild West, when he was leaner, but not meaner. Playing a modern-day James Bond in this series, Conrad seems miscast. He has none of the charm or the body to make the acrobatics here look credible. Would you believe (Sorry about that, Max!) Conrad fighting karate-crazy girls and ninjas, flying through the air with pulley-aided strong cords, out-of-this-world weaponry, rather than usual fare of fisticuffs against scruffy ruffians (as it was on West)? Sure there were gadgets and explosions in West, but at least they made some sort of sense. He wasn't hip enough to pull this off but to its credit, the show is campy.

Caribe (1975)

No Hawaii 5-0

[8 September 2002]

With the tropical setting and exotic locale, it could have been a caribbean version of Hawaii 5-0, but unfortunately it was too lacklustre and boring. Storylines run from the mundane to the overspent. A balding Stacy Keach and a bland Carl Franklin couldn't save this mediocre fare; one of Quinn Martin's forgettable failures.

The Oldest Rookie (1987–1988)

Fun time

[7 September 2002]

Had a great time watching this short-lived series. Sorvino as a bulky, over-the-hill cop becoming a rookie again. The guy's got more charm than his daughter Mira. One great episode involved a group of visiting Japanese cops whom Sorvino had to escort around the city, while a series of burglaries occur. The leader of the group notices Sorvino's frustration from not being where the action is, so the group goes on the chase for the thieves and were mistaken for a roaming band of neighborhood vigilantes, scaring the crooks with their display of karate and jujuitso (I prefer they be called ninja vigilantes). Though it was cut short, the series did offer the best fun I had compared to those other high-profiled shows that flopped.

The Rites of May (1976)

Eerie, haunting, amazing

[4 September 2002]

Mike de Leon's directorial debut (he was art director or producer in previous works). A ghost story involving a botched abortion with haunting images and masterful camera work. Charo Santos is introduced here, before she became a big-time producer. While the story itself is not that groundbreaking, the cinematography and use of various lenses is enough to see it over and over again.

Moments in a Stolen Dream (1977)

Beautiful and touching

[4 September 2002]

I don't usually watch love stories. But this is less of a chick-flick, more of great camera work from a distinguished director (Mike de Leon), more of an insight into the lives of people with problems. Christoper de Leon (no relation to the director Mike) and Hilda Koronel provide us with their best performances as star-crossed lovers in this beautifully-photographed film. The Baguio scenery have never appeared more exquisite.

The Feather and Father Gang (1976–1977)

Unremarkable

[4 September 2002]

When movies about con men, such as The Sting and Paper Moon, became popular, TV wanted its share of con men, too (obviously not satisfied enough with network executives). So, they brought in Feather and Father Gang, with Harold Gould and the ex-Girl From Uncle, Stephanie Powers. Didn't work, though. The cons are not as complex as their movie counterparts, nor as well conceived. Sitting through an hour as Powers tries to reform her father, who isn't listening, is quite an ordeal. Thankfully, Switch (Robert Wagner and Eddie Albert) came along and improved the concept, somewhat. Finally, Wagner and Powers had Hart to Hart, and thankfully no more con men (except for those network executives).

In the Wink of an Eye (1981)

Skillful, tasteful, powerful

[3 September 2002]

Though the plot was based on an actual murder case, the movie is a imagined recreation of what led to the homicidal incident. Vic Silayan, a patriarch who carries more than mere fatherly love to his daughter, is the ultimate personification of evil here. Unable to accept to accept the impending marriage of his daughter (Charo Santos) to beau Jay Ilagan, he makes life miserable for the pair. Ilagan, slowly learns the hideous secret the family carries and despite his plight, is unable to stop it. The imagery and music add to impending tragedy that awaited everyone. Great acting from Silayan, great directorial work from de Leon!

Will Your Heart Beat Faster? (1980)

Hilarious

[3 September 2002]

Even Mike de Leon has a sense of humor. This film not only pokes fun at commercial imperialism, but also at the little dictators who control the Philippine economy - the Chinese movie producers and the Catholic church. George Javier stands out as the idol of the imperialist colonizers. He still maintains his bumbling persona, in an unusually somber manner. The animation is put to good use (watch the battle of the subtitles between the Japanese and the Chinese!) A winner all the way!

Sister Stella L. (1984)

Flawed but still masterful filmmaking

[10/10 · 3 September 2002]

Philippine movie queen, Vilma Santos, takes the role of a nun who becomes involved in an on-going labor strike. She starts out unpoliticized, but later learns about the plight of the simple working man and inevitably, the government's neglect of the poor masses. Her ex-boyfriend turned reporter gets tortured by masked goons and the union leader gets murdered. In the end, instead of being afraid, she strengthens her resolve to see the fight to the end. It's hard to imagine a nun with heavy make-up as Santos, but her excellent acting more than makes up for it. The men who did the torture and killing (termed "salvaged" in the Philippines, a local slang) covered their faces, but in reality, most "salvagers" don't go into that trouble. De Leon is a careful filmmaker; this film exhibits his penchant for fine cinematography and strong yet flawed characters. Despite some shortcomings in the little details, the film stands out as one of his best.

Batch '81 (1982)

The ugly face of fascism

[9/10 · 3 September 2002]

De Leon uses the fraternity as a symbol of fascism. The hazing rituals, demoralization, torture and militarism all cover the imposition of the mighty few against individual rights of the hapless ones. The violent rumble at the end captures the fanaticism of the subjects working for the goal of attaining the ultimate high - power. Strong, very powerful, a work of great political understanding from Mike de Leon.

Aliwan Paradise (1992)

Great satire

[3 September 2002]

Wonderful short film about people's fascination on entertainment. Even before the US had Survivor, de Leon introduced the concept of seeing people living in squalor and depravity as a feast for the masses' enjoyment. A casting call for the next set of actors in a propaganda film becomes the setting for trouble when the would-be performers begin to rebel against their director. When the director notices the pain and hopelessness in the hapless applicants, he comes up with a bright idea: why not sell misery as entertainment? Sure enough, his concept becomes a hit!