I don't hate it.

Review: BALLISTICA (2009)

For the last few years, I've been watching the many sci-fi mockbusters and megamonster movies of The Asylum and thinking that Paul Logan, who has had supporting or co-starring roles in many of the studio's productions (TERMINATORS, MEGAFAULT, MEGA PIRANHA, et al) would make a great 80's-styled action hero. He's ruggedly good looking, physically fit, has some mad fighting skillz, and even some genuine screen presence. But The Asylum has never released a straight-forward, contemporary action flick... until now. And that action flick, BALLISTICA (2009), is a genuine star vehicle for the aforementioned Mister Logan.

About time. But... was I right? Does Logan make a good action hero? Let's see....

Logan is "Damian," a CIA agent trained in ballistica, a form of martial arts that combines hand-to-hand combat moves with gunplay - a sort of  "gun-fu, " if you will. As the movie opens, he's on a one-man raid of some sort of scientific facility in Russia, where he is searching for a deadly "micropulse warhead," a "genetic bomb" that causes people in its blast radius to literally explode, while leaving structures and technology unscathed. Unfortunately, the weapon isn't there, and all he gets away with is a pretty American physicist named Alexa (C.B. Spencer) who claims she didn't know what she was working on. Turns out that the warhead is in the hands of a dangerous terrorist named Dragomir (Andrew Divoff, LOST, THE WISHMASTER), so Damian is ordered by his C.I.A. superiors (Martin Kove, KARATE KID and Robert Davi, LICENCE TO KILL, MANIAC COP 2) to hunt down the mad Russian and retrieve the weapon, with Alexa at his side.

I wish I could say that BALLISTICA's a great little action movie, but unfortunately, that's not the case. It doesn't suck, but an espionage action flick should have some scope and a strong forward momentum, and BALLISTICA doesn't have that. The best spy thrillers have their heroes jetting around the world to exotic international locales, but this one stays firmly planted in L.A., even when the filmmakers would have us believe otherwise. The low budget and reliance on cheap CGI for explosions, muzzle flashes, flying bullets and other pyrotechnics, undercuts the film's effectiveness, especially since the action scenes as a whole are underwhelming. Logan's got some decent moves, but it's clear that most of his opponents don't, leading to some lethargically-paced and blandly-choreographed fights. The titular martial art, ballistica, is also unimpressive, with one scene consisting of two "masters" just running at each other, firing pistols wildly while pretending to dodge CGI bullets.

There is a pretty fair car chase in the final act, though.

As for the script - well, screenwriter Sean Rourke does try to give Damian some backstory and angst, but all the other characters are stock, and their motivations shallow. The third act "twist" is telegraphed early, and the dialogue seems cribbed from episodes of 24 and ALIAS. Logan is perfectly adequate as the stoic, heroic lead, while Kove and Davi (both of whom also have producer credits) manage to bring some dramatic weight and professionalism to their primarily office-bound scenes.

The DVD from the Exclusive Entertainment/Hollywood Wizard label presents BALLISTICA in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a flawless transfer that properly showcases the sharp, colorful digital videography. The audio track is available in 5.1 or 2.0 mixes. Extras include a "Making Of" featurette and the usual assortment of Asylum previews.

While I think that BALLISTICA is a bit of a misfire, it does have its good points, and I still think that Logan has the potential to be a good B-action leading man. Maybe if someone could slot him into a "lone wolf cop" flick or a "one man vs terrorist gang" DIE HARD-type role, he might actually get a chance to show his chops. But a micro-budget spy flick like BALLISTICA, which hasn't the resources to exploit its more complicated & fantastic plot elements, doesn't seem to be the right vehicle.

BUY: Ballistica

Review: THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E. - THE COMPLETE SERIES

At the height of the 60s spy-fi craze, one of the most popular adventure shows on television was THE MAN FROM U.N.CL.E., which ran for four years on NBC. It was so popular, in fact, that the network felt the audience would enjoy two U.N.C.L.E. shows every week, and demanded a spin-off.

So, during the parent program's third year, THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E (1966) made its debut. Unfortunately, the network had miscalculated, and GIRL only lasted one season (and MAN took a ratings dive). Still, fans of the franchise have long desired the show on home video, and now Warner Archives has obliged.

The "Girl" of the title is sexy April Dancer (Stefanie Powers, HART TO HART) a glamorous, classy brunette with a knack for undercover work, employed as an agent of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, a global security organization. Her partner is Mark Slate (Noel Harrison), a hip Englishman who handles most of the physical duties on their missions. As on the parent show, her boss is Mr. Waverly (Leo G. Carroll), and he keeps her busy thwarting ambitious gangsters, nefarious masterminds, and the machinations of the International crime cartel called THRUSH.

Over on THE MAN FROM U.N.CL.E. the producers had made the bad decision to "camp up" the program in order to emulate the incredible success of the BATMAN television show, and, unfortunately, the distaff spin-off was forced to follow suit, with many episodes played almost entirely as comic capers. In my opinion, GIRL manged the tongue-in-cheek humor better than MAN, but TV audiences were not amused by the tone of either show. After a single season, GIRL was cancelled, and MAN only barely got renewed - for what turned out to be a truncated fourth year.

Still, watching the shows now, there's a lot of fun to be had. The characters are charming (and Powers is plain gorgeous), the production values are generally high (although, watching episodes back-to-back tends to reveal a lot of recycled sets, backlot streets and even effects footage), and while there are a few outright awful episodes, most are breezy, devil-may-care romps and a lot of fun to watch.

Guest stars include Robert Vaughn (the Man from U.N.C.L.E. himself), Boris Karloff in drag(!), sultry Luciana Paluzzi, Michael Ansara, John Carradine, Fernando Lamas, Dom DeLuise, Denny Miller, Yvonne DeCarlo and many others.

Warner Archives has released GIRL's sole season in two manufactured-on-demand volumes. Volume One is a four-disc DVD-R set and contains the first 15 episodes in decent-looking, 1.33:1 "full-frame" format. The picture quality is generally pretty good, but there are a lot of specks and other minor imperfections throughout. Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, and is perfectly adequate. Volume Two contains the remaining 14 episodes on four discs. There are no supplemental features provided in either set.

THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E. is light television entertainment from the mid-60s, filled with bright "mod" fashions, jazzy music, charming leads, and plenty of chuckles. It's not the greatest spy show - and it's far from the best that the U.N.C.L.E. franchise has to offer - but it is genuinely fun. If you're an U.N.C.L.E. aficionado and already have the MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. box set that came out a few years back - or a fan of 60s TV spies, in general - then you'll almost certainly want to pick these up to complete your collection.

Me, I loved watching it, and am pleased to have it on my shelf.

BUY:  The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series Part One

BUY:  The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series Part Two

Review: AGENT 8 3/4 (HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE)

When James Bond came along in 1962's DOCTOR NO, he changed the way audiences enjoyed spy movies and the way that filmmakers made them. The success of the franchise also inspired a slew of imitators and spoofs, and one of the earliest - and best - has just come to Blu-ray disc courtesy of VCI Entertainment: 1964's AGENT 8 3/4 (a/k/a HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE), starring Dirk Bogarde and Sylva Koscina.

Nicholas Whistler (Bogarde, MODESTY BLAISE) is an unemployed, Czech-fluent writer living in England, when he is - completely unbeknownst to him - recruited by British Intelligence for a mission to Prague. He thinks he's on a goodwill visit from a London glass manufacturer, but the Czechoslovakian Secret Police - and everyone else - knows he's a spy. A female Czech operative, the comely Comrade Simonova (Koscina, DEADLIER THAN THE MALE) is assigned to be his driver and keep an eye on him, but before long, she falls for the handsome, hapless writer. By the time that Whistler finally realizes that he is, indeed a spy, he's trapped in Prague, hunted and pursued by the Secret Police, and only the lovely, conflicted Comrade Simonova can possibly help him.

Deftly directed by Ralph Thomas, AGENT 8 3/4 is a breezy, Cold War-era satire that evokes not only 007, but Hitchcock's espionage thrillers, as well. It's suspenseful and even thrilling at times, but also witty and occasionally farcical - which is why a lot of modern viewers might not be able to get a handle on it. The script is clever and sharp, and the cast, which also includes Leo McKern and Robert Morley, is exceptional across the board. Bogarde is amusing and convincing as the somewhat clueless unintentional agent who must rise to the occasion when his support system falls apart, and Koscina is just stunningly gorgeous. The cinematography is beautiful, even when portraying the drab, behind-the-Iron Curtain world of Communist Czechoslovakia. Overall, it's a slick, early-Sixties spy-fi spoof and highly entertaining, if you're in the right mindset.

VCI's new Blu-ray disc appears to be the same high-def transfer used by the UK company, Network, presented in 1.78:1 widescreen 1080p HD. Picture quality is astoundingly good - with the exception of one or two brief shots, detail and colors appear to be perfect. VCI offers two audio options: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono and an enhanced 5.1 remix. The only extras are a theatrical trailer (under the original British title of HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE) and a still photo gallery. The title is also available in standard-def DVD.

AGENT 8 3/4 (I have to say, I like the British title much better) is a great slice of sly Cold War pop culture, and a must-see for fans of 60s spy flicks. Highly recommended.

BUY:  Agent 8 3/4 aka: Hot Enough For June [Blu-ray] 

BUY:  Agent 8 3/4 [DVD]

THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E. on DVD At Last!

It's April in August -- According to Stephanie "April Dancer" Powers herself, the complete The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. television series will be out on DVD from Warner Archives next week! Man, I love Manufactured-On-Demand DVD.... of course, I'd love it more if the discs were a little cheaper.

Review: BURN NOTICE - S4 DVD

The fourth season of USA Network's enjoyable and explosive action series, BURN NOTICE, is now available on DVD.

This season, ex-spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan, BLAIR WITCH 2) and his colleagues/friends Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar, BODY SNATCHERS) and Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell, EVIL DEAD) are joined by Jesse Porter (Coby Bell), a former U.S. counter-intelligence agent that Michael, inadvertently, caused to be "burned" during an investigation into a vast, international criminal conspiracy. Jesse, unaware of Michael's role in his blacklisting, joins the trio of troubleshooters in their work helping the helpless of Miami, all the while trying to uncover the identity of the man responsible for ruining his life. Odds are, he won't be happy when he finds out...

As with the previous three seasons, BURN NOTICE continues to be one of the best - if not the best - action shows on television, with plenty of masterfully-executed car chases, gunfights and explosions packed into every episode. Add in a group of likable - and generally heroic - characters, charismatic guest stars, a compelling-but-not-overwhelming "mythology," and plenty of South Beach glamor (not to mention acres of tanned, bikini-clad female flesh), and you have some nigh-perfect escapist television.

Fox Home Entertainment brings all 18 episodes of the fourth season to DVD on 4 discs, each episode presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. As in previous seasons, the transfers are excellent, with a nice film-like grain, bright colors and exceptional detail. Audio is a robust 5.1. Dolby Digital. Bonus material includes a handful of deleted scenes, audio commentary on the final episode, and featurettes on the stunt work and "Sam Axe's Guide to Ladies and Libations." There is also some promotional material for USA Network's WHITE COLLAR series: including the entire pilot episode, and the amusing "BURN NOTICE Roasts WHITE COLLAR," and "WHITE COLLAR Roasts BURN NOTICE" features.

As I've stated in previous reviews, I watch this series exclusively on DVD, so I'm always a year behind what's on the air. But the show is so good and so much fun, it's worth the wait to me to watch it uninterrupted by commercials and at my own (rapid) pace. Highly recommended.

BUY:  Burn Notice: Season Four

Cocktail Nation

The Spy-Fi Channel may be on a bit of a hiatus, but it's not off the radar completely, apparently. On this week's Cocktail Nation podcast, host Koop Kooper gives the Channel a nice plug, along with his usual mix of swanky lounge music and features.

Thanks, Koop!

Signing Off....

The Spy-Fi Channel is going off the air for a while.

As much as I love spy movies, television shows and fiction - and brother, I love them a lot - I really haven't had much to say/write about the genre lately. And as for keeping up with the latest spy news or reviewing flicks and books, well, frankly, my fellow C.OB.RA.S. are much better at it and do a more in-depth job of it.

But mostly, it's because, for whatever reasons, my pop culture obsession of late has been more focused on the science fiction television shows and movies that I grew up with as a child in the 1970s, and less with the spy-fi I discovered in my teens. When I get the itch to blog, it's that science fiction stuff that seems to be on my mind lately, and I've been writing about it over on my Space: 1970 blog.

That site is devoted to my first pop culture love affair - shows and movies like Star Trek, Star Wars, Logan's Run, Battlestar Galactica, Space: 1999, etc. - and I guess as I hit my mid-Forties, my nostalgia for that "first love" has become pretty strong. My nostalgic time-traveling has also seemed to strike a chord with a larger number of people - the Space: 1970 blog has, by far, the largest following/readership of anything I write for the web.

Now, I never completely abandon a blog, and I will still post here occasionally, but I can't promise any sort of regular updates. For the foreseeable future, most of my blogging will be over at Space: 1970 and my personal blog, Atomic Pulp. Knowing me, though, sooner or later I'll get in my "spy mode" again, and this blog will come in from the cold with a vengeance.

Now, I don't know how many people even visit this site these days, nor how many of you guys have any interest in 1970's-era sci-fi, but if anyone wants to drop by over on my other site, I'd love to see you there.

Thanks to all my readers & followers for your support over the last year or so, and especially to my fellow C.OB.R.A.S. It's been great.

The Spy-Fi Channel will return....

Daniel Craig is James Bond in... GOLDENEYE?

Without question, RARE's Goldeneye 64 from the 90s is one of the great video games. A hugely popular title on the old Nintendo 64 platform, it is widely-regarded as the definitive first-person "shooter" of its era and not only sold millions of game cartridges, but Nintendo consoles as well. It also kicked off a series of 007 shooters from different developers, none of which matched its smooth gameplay, immersive environments and superb storytelling. And although the version of Bond in the game didn't possess the specific likeness of film star Pierce Brosnan, it was clear that it was based on him physically.

Well, the N64 system is long-gone (although I still play mine every once in a while), and apparently, someone feels that it's time to revisit the Goldeneye franchise and update it for the mega-popular Wii platform. From the trailer below, it appears to be the same basic game, with the same levels and story, just enhanced with more detailed graphics and some improved AI. Oh yeah, and the character of Bond is portrayed by Daniel Craig.

WTF?

Maybe it's my nostalgia for the original game, or maybe it's because I remember how Brosnan was so instrumental in the success of the 007 franchise back in the 90s, at a time when many people thought the character was irrelevant in a post-Cold War world, and many were speculating that the franchise itself had run its course... but I find it personally offensive that the powers-that-be seem to want to erase Pierce from the history books. (Of course, it may simply be that I prefer Brosnan over Craig as Bond anyway.)

Thanks to fellow C.O.B.R.A.S. HMSS for the head's up.

Video: Before He Was Bond Redux

Another Diet Coke commercial from 1988 pitting a very James Bondian Pierce Brosnan against some nasty ninjas in a scenario reminiscent of a major sequence in Octopussy.

Review: BURN NOTICE S3 DVD

The third season of the USA Network action series, Burn Notice is new on DVD, once again delivering for fans and collectors sixteen hours of some of the best escapism on television.

In this third season, "burned" ex-spy Michael Weston (Jefferey Donovan, Blair Witch 2) finds himself still stuck in Miami, but now completely unprotected. He and his "team" - gunrunning lover Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar, If Looks Could Kill), ex-SEAL Sam (Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead) and his mom, Madeline (Sharon Gless, Cagney & Lacey) - are soon under scrutiny by a tenacious Miami police detective and fending off attacks by a slew of Weston's old enemies, all while continuing to help the helpless and trying to get his old government job back.

As with the previous seasons, fine casting and engaging performances make a potentially routine premise into something highly entertaining. Bright South Florida locations, lots of Miami Beach glamour (including seemingly endless background beauties in bikinis), exciting car stunts, fiery explosions, convincing fights and intriguing scripts mix smoothly into a tasty action-adventure stew.

The characters are the key, though, and the third season does a great job of keeping them fresh and the viewer genuinely interested in what happens to them. In this third year, Weston really pushes his friends to the limits of their loyalty, and has to involve his mother in his schemes to a much greater extent than before. There are a number of great guest stars this year, as well, including Tim Matheson (Animal House) making a return appearance as one of Weston's old adversaries, and Tyne Daly (The Enforcer), who shows up for a cute Cagney & Lacey reunion with Gless.

The four-disc set from Fox Home Entertainment includes all 16 Season Three episodes in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers and Dolby 5.1 Digital audio. Image quality is bright and sharp, and the audio is robust. This set is slim on bonus features - unlike the previous seasons - containing only a short documentary on the series' stunts and video of the cast & crew's appearance at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con.

I follow this show on DVD (Season 4 is just starting on USA now, but I don't have cable and hate watching shows on my desktop), and I always burn through the seasons in a couple of days. The year-long waits between sets can be rough, but by the time the new season hits DVD, I'm really missing the characters and am eager to jump back into their world. Burn Notice is smart, fast-paced television and is highly recommended.

May Debrief

Cripes. It's been a long time since I posted anything here at the Channel except for those DVD reviews that I actually wrote for my DVD Late Show site. Sad (and rather obvious), isn't it?

Anyway, lots of the things have happened lately that I should write about here, like the passing of Peter O' Donnell, creator of the legendary comic strip Modesty Blaise, who died on May 3rd, just a week after his 90th birthday.

He’s best known for creating the classic newspaper strip Modesty Blaise with artist Jim Holdaway. The strip appeared in the London newspaper, The Evening Standard, beginning in 1963 and chronicled daily the adventures of the seductive adventuress for nearly forty years. In 1966, O'Donnell sold the rights to a feature film and wrote the screenplay. The producers changed the script much though, that, in frustration, O'Donnell turned his script into a novel. It was a huge success and led to a dozen or so Blaise novels and a couple of short story collections. The movie, starring Monica Vitti and Terrence Stamp is something of a mess (though still kinda fun to watch), but the novel is a great adventure story. I only have about half of the books, and I'm always on the lookout for more.

R.I.P. Mister O'Donnell. You had a great run.

Over at Tanner's Double-O Section, he's a several days into a OSS 117 Week, looking at the cinematic legacy of author Jean Bruce's incredibly long-running spy hero, Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, from the original films from the 50s and 60s to the modern spoofs starring Jean Dujardin. The second of these, OSS 117: Lost In Rio is getting some theatrical play in limited markets, and Tanner's got the scoop. You really have to check it out.

I've actually got part of a review written for the OSS 117 film, Murder For Sale, starring John Gavin. I really need to finish that soon.

Over at Mister 8, Armstrong Sabian's got a fun "tournament of secret agenting" going on, pitting the most legendary fictional spies of literature and cinema against each other. Drop by and cast your votes!

More soon....