What I’m Watching: a great tribute to the career of Robin Williams Date: 12/31/2018 What I’m watching: a fantastic boxed set and a fun re-make of a 1995 film.
On DVD: Robin Williams Comic Genius
Boxed sets are common in the world of home entertainment, but this boxed set sets a standard that few can match.
It is a shame that for many people Robin William’s tragic death and the many mediocre films he made in his latter career have obscured his brilliance as both a dramatic actor and as a comic performer.
This TimeLife set contains 22 discs of material with 3,126 minutes of performances and documentaries.
While none of Williams’ films are included, selected episodes of “Mork & Mindy” as well as his HBO specials; other stand-up performances; appearances on talk shows including “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” “Jimmy Kimmell Live!” “The Graham Norton Show” and more; sketches on SCTV; USO tours and his hosting duties on award shows are on the discs.
These performances confirm that Williams was a talent almost singular in comedy. Only Jonathan Winters, who appeared with Williams many times, was similar. Williams was a master of improvisation and weaving together non-sequiturs in a way few comics could imagine.
With the fact that streaming services are shying away from movies and other material more than five or six years old, a set like this can introduce the legacy of a performer to a new generation of fans.
This is an essential set for anyone who loves Williams.
On Netflix: Get Shorty
People who recalled enjoying the 1995 movie starring John Travolta based on Elmore Leonard’s 1990 novel may be a little disappointed and confused at first by the new series of the same name playing now on Netflix.
The main character, and the situations in the book and earlier film, have been changed and now the main character is not a loan shark from Miami, but an enforcer working for a Mexican drug sealer in Nevada.
Miles Daly (Chris O’Dowd) is married and a doting father to a 12 year-old daughter. He has become increasingly disenchanted doing the bidding for the hard-as-nails Amara (Lidia Porto) who launders her drug money through her small casino. As a movie buff, a script comes into his procession and Miles gets the idea to launder money through the making of a film.
Doing so would get him out of the criminal circle in which he’s in and potentially reunite him with his estranged wife. He convinces Amara to invest $2 million into the project, alienating her nephew who wants to kill Miles and buy a dance club.
Miles approaches Rick (Ray Romano), a desperate low-budget movie producer and director, and uses the techniques he has learned as a thug to get the film into production.
I’m sure that people who enjoyed the book and earlier film might take offense at new interpretation of the material, as in many ways it is radically different. It is, though, very good.
O’Dowd is mainly known for comic performances and is outstanding as Miles. He’s a genuine loving and caring person but is willing to do extreme things to protect those he loves and to keep as far from Amara as he can.
He is supported by a great ensemble cast with Romano as effective as the weasel-like producer.
I’m eager to see season two of this series that is at turns funny and suspenseful.
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