Photo © Marvel Studios
The Marvels
The Marvels
“The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” Seasons 13/14
(MVD DVD)
It was brilliant cross-marketing: a family sitcom whose parents had been prominent in the big band era and whose son became a rock and roll star—and it was all “real.” Band leader Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet, were watched by millions of Americans each week (1952-1966) as they raised a family of boys in real time. The problems they faced were banal. The key element was that Ozzie (the show’s producer-director) was tolerant of the new music that emerged in the ‘50s and the sitcom became the springboard for the musical career of his son, Ricky.
By Season 13, Ricky was married, in college and still making music. Some episodes focused on his new household with parents and siblings relegated to supporting roles. Occasionally, a performance by Ricky and his band was taped onto the end of an episode—usually lonesome early ‘60s pop. The show is fascinating for its period details. At the onset, an authoritative voice announces: “Brought to you by your gas company. Live modern for less—with gas.” “We do,” Ozzie assured his viewers. (David Luhrssen)
The Dirty South
(Limited Theatrical Release & Streaming on VOD, Nov. 10)
There’s big drama in a small Louisiana town when Sue Parker’s (Willa Holland) family business is on the line. She runs the family’s bar, providing a meager living for herself, her young brother and her drunken father. Sue believes she’s got everything under control, until the local rich jerk (Dermot Mulroney) shows up to inform her that Sue’s father owes 30 grand in back payments. With only days before the property goes up for auction, Sue catches handsome drifter Dion (Shane West) stealing from her customers. Rather than turn him in, Sue proposes a scheme that will net each of them a big payday. It’s supposed to be an easy grab, but with trust in short supply, the scheme becomes increasingly complex and violent. Sue’s plan threatens to end badly, as does her affair with the charming, self-interested Dion. Written and directed by Matthew Yerby, whose thriller is inspired by his own Southern small-town experience, where he learned that grudges are inclined to run deep. (Lisa Miller)
The Marvels
(In Theaters Nov. 10)
Lots of wire work was required to create this nearly $300 million super-hero production. Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau/Spectrum, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, find themselves swapping places every time they use their super-powers. This frustrating situation requires that the three work together to learn why their powers (all involving the manipulation of light), have become entangled. Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury for the 15th time, while Zawe Ashton appears as the villainous Dar-Benn, A Kreewarrior.
Like all Marvel films, numerous characters with differing agendas are woven into the story, this one needing a month of reshoots in an effort to make it coherent. Helmed by Nia DaCosta who also co-wrote, watch for the feline alien, a small orange cat named Goose, who ushers in a small army of kittens. Several different worlds and realities prompted inventive set designs aimed at creating convincingly distinct planets. (Lisa Miller)
