Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 17, 1994 TAG: 9412300092
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Ken Burns' "Baseball" may not have been the landmark production that his "Civil War" was, but it's still a remarkable work. And unlike so many treatments of the game, it's accessible to the non-fan. That's where the nine-tape home video version of the series may find its largest audience. When viewers are able to schedule it themselves, they'll find that Burns is telling a good story - a story filled with interesting quirky characters, strongly held beliefs, bitter conflicts and surprising plot twists. Priced at $130 (less than $15 per tape), "Baseball" is a bargain.
The restored version of George Cukor's "My Fair Lady" was the centerpiece of this year's Virginia Festival of American Film. It's out on tape now, and even though this is a true "big screen" movie experience, it's worth a look on video. Yes, the splashy scenes will lose something in translation, but much of this filmed play works through smaller two- and three-character scenes and musical numbers. On any sized screen, Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison are terrific. The improvements in the soundtrack will be noticeable on better home video systems, too.
"My Fair Lady" is available in two versions: a fancy boxed deal with supplemental material for $80, and a conventional two-tape set for $20.
Turning to music videos there are several new releases of note.
Songwriter Jim Steinman describes his collaborator Meat Loaf as a "mixture of Spinal Tap and Pavarotti," and that's no exaggeration. "Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell II: Picture Show" ($15) combines video versions of songs from the hit album with live performances from a VH-1 special. It's an uneven work, but it certainly captures the raw energy and passion that Meat Loaf brings to the stage. Steinman's literate, theatrical songs are perfect for a visual medium.
Commercial director Michael Bay turns three of the numbers from the album into micro-movies. "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" and "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" are complex, well-produced stories, but "Objects In the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" is so emotionally rich that it takes the form to another level.
Boyz II Men is a Philadelphia quartet that combines elements of hip-hop with traditional harmonies. They've created a smooth style that crosses the increasingly rigid classifications of popular music and appeals to a wide audience.
The group's new video release is "Then II Now" ($15). It's a low-key combination of older music videos with interviews and a few live performances. For the uninitiated (like me), it's easy to see why these guys have been so successful. First, they've got the image thing down cold. Much more importantly, they're such solid craftsmen that they can sing "The Star Spangled Banner" a cappella and make it sound good. If the King's Singers ever decided to do a serious make-out song, they'd come up with something like "Uhh Ahh."
For any unreconstructed hippies on your list, there is "Virtual '60s," a three-tape set titled "Peace," "Consciousness" and "Love" ($15 each, $40 for all three). These tapes combine relatively recent outdoor concert footage of some second-tier '60s rock groups - Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly, Melanie - with the rambling reminiscences of Dr. Timothy Leary. At times, the good doctor talks over the music, and the video effects are simple and clumsy. Recommended to the most devout fans only.
Two books deserve some special mention here, too.
"Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia" (Dutton. $34.95) is a companion volume to his annual "Movie and Video Guide." It's a compendium of short, informative, chatty profiles of some 2,000 actors and filmmakers. From Abbot and Costello to Daphne Zuniga, it's the perfect book for settling those "wasn't he also in ..." and "didn't she also do ..." conversations. While the information on famous stars and directors may be familiar, Maltin doesn't neglect lesser known character actors, writers, cinematographers and others who make such an important contribution to the movies. Many of Maltin's comments are sharply opinionated, but he's never mean-spirited. This one belongs on the shelf beside "Halliwell's Film Guide" and the Baseline "Encyclopedia of Film."
The new 1995 edition of "VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever" (Visible Ink Press. $17.95, trade paper) has a place there, too. This is the single best and most affordable one-volume reference for feature films available on cassette and laserdisc. The body of the book is 22,000 capsule reviews. New to this edition are indexes for writers and composers. The realities of the business being what they are, these listings are not nearly as complete as the cast and director indexes, but they're a welcome addition to an already valuable book.
The VideoHound also has two new stocking stuffers, "Worst Nightmares" and "That's Amore" ($4.95 each) about horror films and romance, respectively. These are quirky little pocket-sized guides designed to jog your memory on the next trip to the video store.
Next week: Videos to warm up Christmas Eve!
New releases this week
Lassie ***
Starring Lassie, Helen Slater, Frederick Forrest, Thomas Guiry. Directed by Daniel Petrie. Paramount. 92 min. Rated PG for some mild cussing and violence.
Director Petrie shows off Tazewell and the surrounding Virginia mountains at their best in this boy-and-his-dog film. More importantly, he used the landscape to tell a good, simple story. There aren't many new tricks in the new version, and that's how it should be. Fine performances by young Thomas Guiry and his canine co-star. Recommended.
The Client ** 1/2
Starring Susan Sarandon, Brad Renfro, Tommy Lee Jones, Will Patton. Directed by Joel Schumacher. Warner. 120 min. Rated PG- 13 for strong language, some violence.
Compared to other screen adaptations of John Grisham thrillers, this one is much closer to "The Firm" than to "The Pelican Brief." The tone, setting and plot are similar. And, like last year's hit, the film mixes well-drawn characters with stereotypes; it begins with an intriguing premise and arrives at a comparatively weak conclusion; and it's about 15 minutes too long. Susan Sarandon and young Brad Renfro are excellent.
Wagons East *1/2
Starring John Candy. Directed by Peter Markle. LIVE. 100 min. Rated PG-13 for barnyard humor, strong language, comic violence.
This is a disappointing, dispirited finale to John Candy's film career. Most of the humor is delivered slowly and some of it is gratuitously mean. One recurring joke is based on the death and torture of several brothers. The premise has less-than-hardy pioneers deciding to give up on the Old West and go back. The ensemble cast includes Richard Lewis, John C. McGinley, Ellen Green, Ed Lauter and Rodney A. Grant.
by CNB