Home Video Exclusives

[JohnIan101]

Past Tense - Front Row Apocalypse Part VI


Tangent.

Since were on the topic - wanna see a solid flick about The End; set shortly before nuclear destruction?



Harry Washello (pre-balding Anthony Edwards) was to have gone on his first date with Julie Peters (Mare Winningham) in Los Angeles, but he misses the rendezvous because of a power failure - his alarm clock didn't go off.

Harry goes to her place of work (24 hour diner, Johnie's Coffe Shop Restaurant, a real place - no longer in business), hoping that she might still be there. Nope. She's long gone, it's a bit past 4 AM. He's screwed.

He finds a pay phone nearby, tries to call; tell her he's so very sorry - no answer, just her machine. What is there to do? Squat, he blew it. Go home.

*ring*

*ring*

*ring*

*ring*

Harry walks back to pay phone and picks up, maybe it's Julie. It's not.

From that point forward we are in for a ride. "Miracle Mile" (1988) is NOT an action movie, but a serious 'what if' feature. As echoed by many, it feels like an extended episode of "The Twilight Zone".

On the other end is an unidentified man wanting to speak to his father; he's crying, quite frantic. He dialed the right number, but wrong area code. He talks to Harry for a moment until realizing he messed up.

Another man is heard on the line, an argument and a gun shot happens...

Then the other voice: "Forget everything you just heard and go back to sleep."



Harry hangs up; concerned and scared, not because he was an ear witness to a murder, but because what the guy just told him.

The man claimed, he was calling from a missile silo, that they were locked-in; fifty minutes to launch. That the other rockets would impact in seventy minutes from now.

The end of the world.

He goes into the diner, thinks for a moment then speaks to the people present about what happened outside. They say he was the victim of a prank call. Harry is getting agitated; one of customers, Landa (Denise Crosby), a working late businesswoman decides to calm him down and settle the joke.

She uses her cell (big, bulky things back then) and calls a political friend in Washington. And another and another and another - what she learns is high ranking politicians have left town; on route or just about to leave for South America. Her friends are puzzled by the out of the blue departures. They're in the dark.

Not a joke - is happening.

What would you do if you had less than seventy minutes to live?

The finale is somber.

Love is all that matters; kindness and humanity. The fates of the other characters is ambiguous (as it should); they might have gotten out in time.

Did I spoil it? No.

You got just sip. A lot more happens - ever growing dread with slices of thick tense moments.

Man, what sucked for the longest time is how this hidden gem was presented.



The 1989 laser disc from Image Entertainment ($39.95; CLV) was in full screen. It goes without saying that the VHS release was also full screen too (also released in 1989).

The later DVD ($14.95) from MGM Home Entertainment in 2003 was also in full screen; as shown above. It had one extra, the trailer, that's it.

Yes, a bad Photoshop job on the cover. Why are their faces distorted? If it was for some kind of artistic vibe, it failed.

It took twenty-five years!

A quarter of a century to get it right.

The film was re-released in 2015 from the Kino Lorber Corp. with a new transfer on DVD ($19.95) and BD ($29.95) - both with the same extras. Now in its original viewing, widescreen (anamorphic).



Bonuses: two commentaries, writer/director Steve De Jarnatt; De Jarnatt with cinematographer Theo Van De Sande and production designer Chris Horner.

A montage of deleted scenes with bloopers.

New interviews with stars Edwards and Winningham.

A supporting cast reunion, recorded at Johnie's.

The alternate ending and trailer.

Yes, I AM trying to sell it to you, not hiding it.

Seek it out. It is depressing, dark, character driven - tense flick. If you're into movie music, Tangerine Dream did the soundtrack.

Okay, one more - not a plot hole, but a missed opportunity.

As mentioned in Part I, I am still finding new things after all these years; the widescreen/full screen comparisons.



A proto-Terminator is seen at Cyber Research Systems. We should've witnessed it being all Terminator-like. While it may not be strong, probably made of plastics and aluminum, it's would strong enough to hold and fire a pistol; going places where the T-1s can't.

I can imagine its movements all lanky, quite robotic.

Then the two meet; having the proto firing at the T-850 to no effect and Protector grabbing it by the chassis and smashing the weak automaton against a wall. How cool would've that been?

Sorry, one more; something I hadn't notice before.

After the General was shot, our heroes go into Brewster's office for his safe.

There's a quick moment of what's happening outside the building, through his window. There are people running and T-1s mowing them down. Didn't see until researching, sway.

Tiny details, made me smile.

Man this took on a life of its own - my longest PT entry. There you go. The next Past Tense will continue Connor's legacy on April 19th, 2018. Yup, another multipart entry. But less than six parts.

You're welcome.

[JohnIan101]

Best Buy - April 10th, 2018


The Greatest Showman
Exclusive steelbook; BD/DVD/DC combo $24.99