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Reviews
Designated Survivor (2016)
Surprisingly Good,
"Designated Survivor" gives us Keifer Sutherland, formerly America's most-conflicted agent in "24" as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a man at odds with the current Administration who we meet being told that he's getting a "lateral promotion" to a worthless Ambassadorship. Before he can complain much, he's told that he's the "Designated Survivor" and will be in the proverbial "Undisclosed Location" for that night's State of the Union address. Sutherland is believable as a somewhat vulnerable and idealistic HUD Secretary and the entire sequence of the government being decapitated by an explosion during that address is handled very well, with the urgency and confusion following such an event conveyed with fast paced tension. The "everyman thrust into a situation he's unprepared for" is an old trope, but Sutherland is a good choice for the role and the plot gives him an immediate opportunity to show his mettle, both with a General, who seems to be the head of the JCS and with an unctuous Iranian ambassador. Sutherland's handling of both is one you can buy into. it's in the subplots being laid out that the show may falter--they're tired, we've seen them before, too, and if the show doesn't tread carefully, it's going to seem hackneyed. Who attacked us? We're already seeing a couple of pretty big hints that this was a false flag. Will the plucky, female FBI agent be able to sniff out the evildoers? Will the General launch a coup? Sutherland's family subplots may prove interesting, as does the idea of his Everyman suddenly having to deal with the nest of vipers that make up the press. On the whole, I'm really hoping that this series lives up to its potential. If the writers can keep themselves from indulging in tired tropes, it has a lead that can carry the show and a cast that should be able to support him.
The Day of the Wolves (1971)
basis for reservoir dogs?
I remember seeing this flick in the late '70's on the late, late movie. At the time I recall thinking it had the lowest production values I'd ever seen. Of course, I didn't know what production values were then and I hadn't yet seen " Werewolves on Wheels" or a host of other films . Even though it was such a cheapie I enjoyed the plot--Most especially the surprise ending. That movie had stuck in my mind because of the low budget and when I saw "reservoir Dogs" for the first time it seemed familiar. I finally remembered the name of the film that gave me that eerie feeling of having seen a flick before and now IMDb gives me a forum where I can comment on it. Tarantino has seen every cheapie flick ever made and it's obvious that he loves to do his little homages in his films. It seems clear to me that he remembered "day of the Wolves" and, like me, saw that there was a good story hidden behind those terrible production values. It's so great to have a director who loves all those outre loser movies that came out which had a little gem hiding in the crap. It's really great that he can pay his homages to those films and make it work. Watch "day of the wolves", if you can ever find it, and you'll most likely see what I saw in the comparison. Thanks, Quentin.