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A tale of tragedy and remarkable writing – that’s the life of Eugene O’Neill.  American Heritage presents a two-hour documentary film chronicling the life and career of the first great American playwright.

American Experience – Eugene O’Neill: A Documentary Film
4 Stars

“The individual life is made significant just by the struggle.”

The great American apostate playwright Eugene O’Neill wanted nothing more than to dig deep into the real life and produce a new kind of truth and realism on stage.  His works confronted the pain of everyday life and the torture and turmoil of the deeper questions concerning the human condition.  His life and career are chronicled on this new PBS documentary.

For the first half of the twentieth century Eugene O’Neill was American theater.  The most celebrated writer of his generation and widely regarded as America’s premier playwright O’Neill received four Pulitzer Prizes for Drama (in 1920 for “Beyond the Horizon”, in 1922 for “Anna Christie”, in 1928 for “Strange Interlude”, and posthumously in 1957 for the autobiographical “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”) as well as the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1936.  O’Neill’s harsh upbringing and early life brought forth a yearning for meaning and truth in his work.  O’Neill bucked the shallow entertainment for entertainment sake model so popular at the time and brought frank and honest realism to the stage.

The American Heritage documentary takes a look at the childhood involving his mother’s morphine addiction and attempted suicide, the deaths of his parents and brother in his early 20’s, and his mid-life battle with Parkinson’s disease; all of which shaped O’Neill life and style, and how that life led to such great works such as “The Iceman Cometh,” the dark allegory which showcases the life of illusion and lie that most people live their entire lives.  The documentary if filled with photographs from his lifetime and includes interviews and dramatic readings of his work.  It paints a troubled man, often unhappy and disillusioned, but one that strove for one purpose alone.  In O’Neill’s own words, “I want to be an artist or nothing.”  The film is filled with interviews and testimonials from those who knew and have performed his work and would agree that he was remarkably successful in his goal.

The documentary finishes with O’Neill’s last work – the autobiographical Long Day’s Journey Into Night.  The play focuses on the pain and troubles of his childhood during one day when all the family’s dirty secrets are laid bare.  His final work is the culmination of his life’s work – a brutally realistic an unapologetic look at the human condition that is bittersweet and deeply tragic.  Much like the man himself O’Neill’s plays show a complex view of the world that never goes for the easy answer but instead strives for a more true and honest view of the world.

This is a wonderful documentary and any fan of O’Neill, of theater, or of biographical films will want to check this out.  The filming and editing are first rate and the film spends as much time discussing the man as his work and how one relates to the other.  A great DVD to own and would also be good for educators (the official site includes more on O’Neill including a teacher’s guide and suggested further reading).  For those not ready to pay for the DVD the program (sans extras available only on the DVD) will be shown next Monday, March 27th on PBS.  Watch and enjoy.

The Seventh Season of South Park gives us the wonders of Casa Bonita and the lame Hooters rip-off Raisins, the music of Faith + 1, and the return of the visitors.  The season also contains satires of the Metro-sexual fad, the tobacco industry, and the basis for the Mormon religion.  The boys take a trip over the rainbow to Canada, the town celebrates the 100th episode, and more celebrities hit the sleepy town including Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Gene Hackman and Christopher Reeves.  While not the best season there’s still plenty here to enjoy.

South Park – Season Seven
3 & 1/2 Stars

While not up to the level of Season Five (“Cripple Fight,” “Scott Tenorman Must Die”, “The Super Best Friends”) or Season Six (“Simpsons Already Did It,” “Red Hot Catholic Love,” “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers,” and “Free Hat.”) this season does have its moments including allowing Cartman to be Cartman – in all his glory.

The series hits its stride when it does two things: satirizes something America (or the world) is taking too seriously and allows Cartman to be the evil little prick he is.  This season does a little of both. 

The set starts out with a remake of the visitor episode that involves a taco that craps ice-cream.  Swing, and a miss.  Then there’s the Christopher Reeve episode that includes cripple gangs, attacks Reeve for his support of stem cell research, and jokes about the issue by turning stem cell research into sucking fetus cells from their necks for super powers.  Wow, swing and a big miss for the show here as all good taste is thrown out the window and more than a little macabre now after Reeves death. Let’s just say the beginning of Seventh Season is pretty crappy.

Then comes Cartman trying to kill Kyle with a wiffle bat and then the 100th episode of the series “I’m A Little Bit Country” where the town argues over how the founding fathers would view the war in Iraq and now (finally) we’ve got it going.  Other really good episodes involve two Jennifer Lopez’s (the real one and the one on Cartman’s hand – guess which one Ben Affleck and the music studio prefer), Cartman doing whatever it takes to go to “Casa Bonita,” Cartman, Token, and Butters forming a Christian Rock group with songs like “Touch Me Jesus” and “Body of Christ” just to win a bet with Kyle (also includes a nice look at the “damage” Napster does to musicians), the retelling of Joseph Smith’s story – dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, and the show where the AARP invades the town.

Then again there’s also the episode attacking the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy popularity that’s quite good until it degenerates into crazy-wacko-funland-time that includes a plot to takeover the human race by the crab people.  Along the same lines is the episode involving the takeover of the town by the Native Americans (including a plan to give the town blankets infected with SARS).  Yeesh.

Season Seven is kind of a mixed bag.  In the end the whole season doesn’t quite work but there are enough individual episodes to keep you entertained throughout the set.  Still, when it’s funny it’s damn funny and well worth picking up.  Fans of the show won’t be disappointed to add this to their collection.

Razorfine wants to thank you all for entering our contest. We reached our hand into the drawing bag and came out with Kevin Mayse and Courtney. Please shoot December an email with your address so we can get your prizes out.

Be sure to check back often, you never know when there maybe another contest.

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I love Good Night, and Good Luck (hell, I chose it as my best picture of 2005).  George Clooney brings a trained eye and steady hand both in front of and behind the camera and David Strathairn gave a performance worthy not only of his nomination but should have received the Oscar for his role as Edward R. Murrow.  It’s the most complete and important film of 2005 and hopefully it will find a wider audience on DVD as the country comes to appreciate what great film making can accomplish.

Good Night, and Good Luck
5 Stars

“This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box.”

Edward R. Murrow believed that it was the responsibility of television not only to entertain but also to educate and inform.  George Clooney’s film takes the idea that the news should be pure and driven to discover the truth and promote discussion as it’s central theme.  In Clooney’s view this responsibility of journalism is neither antiquated nor dull and for ninety-three minutes the film proves him correct every step of the way.

Yes David Strathairn‘s performance as legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow is the heart and soul of this movie but the film belongs to George Clooney.  The son of anchorman Nick Clooney he grew up in a house that respected journalism in general and investigative news in particular.  To Clooney the project of bringing Murrow’s story to the screen is as much a message about the current state of journalism as pointing out what he calls one of the two most important events of network news.

With the help of people connected with See it Now Clooney set forth to bring the story to Hollywood and what he produces not only tells the important lessons learned from McCarthyism but never becomes preachy and never fails to entertain.  The film is beautiful in black and white and recreates the feel and look of the time period of a 50’s newsroom and the struggle to put on an important piece of journalism against the wishes of sponsors.  Filled with great performances headlined by Strathairn but also including Clooney, Robert Downey Jr, Frank Langella, Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson, Ray Wise and Tate Donovan who all give their very best.  For more on the movie itself check out my original review.

This is a wonderful film that the whole family can enjoy (who would have thunk the best film of 2005 would be PG?).  It educates and entertains as well as giving us an important message.  To do all of these things is good cinema.  To do them all this well is incredible.  The addition of the featurette and commentary track give you an inside look into Clooney’s desire and need to see the film made and his hope that it may inspire discussion and change in today’s news industry.  In ten years no one is going to remember Crash or Brokeback Mountain but this film (along with Spielberg’s Munich) will not only survive the test of time but hopeful will garner the acknowledgement that it so richly deserves.

Isaac Hayes who has provided the voice for Chef for nine years on South Park has parted ways with the show for its “growing insensitivity toward personal religious beliefs.”  Hayes objected strongly to a new episode of the show that pokes fun at Scientology.  In the episode Stan scores a near perfect score on the Scientology test causing the followers to believe he is the second coming of L. Ron Hubbard.  In the past the show has made fun of several different religions, but objections to this episode caused the UK to pull it from air.  Hayes, a Scientologist, objected to this particular episode and decided to sever ties with the show siting his inability to “support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices.”  Co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have agreed to let Hayes out of his contract.  So will South Park be the same without Chef’s salty balls?  Only time will tell.

South Park
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