Fail-Safe is a 2000 TV adaptation of the original 1964 film about a nuclear misunderstanding during the Cold War. Mistakes are made. The world may end. Honestly, this makes for tense "entertainment". Really scary, because this kind of thing could actually happen. This version stars Richard Dreyfuss, Harvey Keitel, Brian Dennehy, George Clooney, Norman Lloyd (who has a ST:TNG connection), Bill Smitrovich (who has a ST:DS9 connection and who was Inspector Cramer in the Nero Wolfe TV series), James Cromwell (who has ST connections), Sam Elliott, Don Cheadle, Tommy Hinkley (who has a ST connection) and as Host - Walter Cronkite. I don't remember when this came out, and I know I didn't see it then. I can't imagine how I missed it. It's hard to watch. I was in tears at one point.
Live television drama is such a wonderful idea. Why not more of this than the current live "reality tv"?
via youtube:
DVD Talk describes this as a "straight remake" of the 1964 film and says, "What we get in the 2000 version, with its stark monochrome look and warts-and-all live performance, is a somber immediacy that manages to heighten the tension in an already taut story." DVD Journal says, "it's a fine piece of work, but nothing new. ... That said, the cast is uniformly good." Rotten Tomatoes has a score of 100%.
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I never saw this, but my husband did and it made an impression on him. I had to look Dennehy up - I haven´t seen him in ages. He´s getting "a bit long in the tooth" as the English say, but still working, in theatre. Love him.
ReplyDeletedennehy has such a broad ability, doesn't he? one of those actors who can fit a wide range of parts, i think.
DeleteThey have to appeal to the masses that is why we get so many reality shows plus reality shows are way cheaper to produce.
ReplyDeletei remember when i heard that a show i liked was being cancelled because the network wanted to add more reality tv shows. the main reason given was that they were so much cheaper to do. i don't get the appeal. they are scripted, after all. i don't watch them.
DeleteI am so tired of reality tv--so tired.
ReplyDeletei don't watch them. i agree they are tiresome. it looks like there are more every year.
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