“Star Trek: Voyager—The Complete Series"
The producers of “Star Trek: Voyager" turned for inspiration to one of literature’s oldest stories, The Odyssey . Like those Greek mariners, the crew of the starship Voyager faced unknown dangers on a perilous homeward journey.
The box set “Star Trek: Voyager—The Complete Series" contains all 172 episodes (plus bonus material) on 47 DVDs. Running for seven seasons from 1995 to 2001, “Voyager" was the first Star Trek series to employ computer-generated imagery. It owed something to Star Wars in its production values but was rooted storywise in Gene Roddenberry’s universe. “Voyager" starred Kate Mulgrew as Captain Janeway, a no-nonsense Star Fleet commander (with a sympathetic human side). Like other successful Star Trek iterations, it included an instantly identifiable cast of crewmates—human, extra-terrestrial and holograms alike. Two crews actually: the Voyager plus the remnants of a rebel ship who agree to work together in the common cause of survival.
Lonely Boys
Two old friends unable to romantically disconnect from their exes crash together in a New York apartment. But Lonely Boys is less Neil Simon than Woody Allen—the protagonists could be grandchildren of Allen’s classic neurotic New Yorkers. Lonely Boys is a string of conversations between a struggling playwright (Dan Simon), a struggling restaurateur (Gregory Lay) and the women with whom they intersect. Aside from playing the sad sack writer, Simon co-wrote and directed the film.
Invisible Ghost
Cineastes will appreciate Invisible Ghost (1941) for the challenges confronting director Joseph H. Lewis. Shot for a bargain basement studio with a preposterous script, Lewis (long since rediscovered as an auteur by film historians) works around painful limitations in cast and sets with occasionally interesting results. The tale of madness, murder, amnesia and hypnosis stars Bela Lugosi, luridly aglow as always. An interracial cast of servants (they know more than they’re saying) adds an unusual touch.
