Alan Rapp

Spenser: For Hire – In a Safe Place

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Spenser: For Hire – In a Safe Place
  • IMDb: link

Spenser: For Hire - In a Safe Place television review

Throwback Tuessday takes us back to the mean streets of Boston and the travails of a smart ass private detective. In an episode that tackles themes of illegal immigration, political corruption, violence towards undocumented workers, racism, and questionable treatment towards immigrants under the law, Spenser (Robert Urich) is hired to find the missing father of a young boy killed in a hit-and-run. After witnessing the incident, and seeing the mother (Victoria Racimo) forced to abandon her dying child in the street, Susan (Barbara Stock) joins a local group looking to help provide help to illegal immigrants. While Spenser and Susan disagree initially on the politics of the situation, after seeing how the system has been corrupted to purposefully hurt refugees, and deny them protection under the law, it doesn’t take long for him to wholeheartedly embrace the job.

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Vicious

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Vicious
  • IMDb: link

Vicious DVD reviewRecently released on home video, Vicious is nearly unwatchable. The film, if it can be called that, answers the question of what a TBS attempt to recreate a Cinemax After Dark movie might look like. Written and directed by Jason Rosenblatt, Vicious stars Angela Nordeng as law student Belle White who pays her bills by stripping under the stage name of Roxy. The film primarily focuses on a pair of customers who frighten Belle, one overtly by stalking her, and the other passive-aggressively by consistently odd behavior hoping to convince Roxy to quit the business.

The film is presented as a thriller of our protagonist falling into despair and fighting back. The result is far less interesting. Troubled by low production cost, inconsistent cinematography, questionable acting and dialogue, and a meandering plot, Vicious is a mess. For a thriller, it’s far from thrilling. For a film about strippers, it’s far from titillating. For a drama, it’s far from dramatic. Because the film is hyper-serious about its content, this dog of movie can’t even make it into the realm of cheesy fun. About the only thing the film is good for is a cure for insomnia.

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MacGyver – Golden Lancehead + Venom + Pole Vault + Blood + Baggage

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: MacGyver (2016) – Golden Lancehead + Venom + Pole Vault + Blood + Baggage
  • wiki: link

MacGyver - Golden Lancehead + Venom + Pole Vault + Blood + Baggage TV review

Snakes, why did it have to be snakes? First Season guest-star Aly Michalka returns to reprise her role as Mac‘s (Lucas Till) nearly as smart college friend Frankie Mallory. Frankie has been working with Mac on an off-the-books project to develop cancer treatment from one of the world’s most dangerous snake venoms. However, when others see the ability to weaponize Frankie’s research she becomes a target. In an episode that really focuses on the situation, and the kidnapped guest-star, there isn’t much for the regulars to do other than react, or in the case of Russ (Henry Ian Cusick) to overreact, based on his own guilt. Mac’s lies to create another wedge in his relationship with Desi (Levy Tran), although his secret turning out to be an attempt to eradicate cancer (albeit through illegal means) does mitigate her anger.

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