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Emmy-winning story stars Streep, Moriarty, aired on TV in 1978
By Rich Heldenfels
Beacon Journal popular culture writer
Published on Sunday, May 25, 2008
Coming to DVD on Tuesday, the miniseries Holocaust was a major television event when it first aired in April 1978.
The five-part saga of two German families before and during World War II won eight Emmys (and had about twice that number of nomi-nations), including for best ''limited series,'' to use the Emmy term, writing, directing and actors Meryl Streep and Michael Moriarty. The cast also included James Woods.
The reference book Movies Made for Television says it ''rivaled Roots in its impact on viewers in this country and sparked controversy throughout Europe as it premiered on television in one country after another.''
Time and the improved production standards of television in the last 30 years have not been entirely kind to the program. The sets in some scenes appear Spartan, and some of the grimmest subject matter still has the bright lighting common in TV productions of that era.
But it contains what may be Moriarty's best performance, as an amoral German lawyer who becomes part of the Nazi regime. And with people like Woods and Streep in the cast, you can expect a high level of acting in general.
That said, the DVD packaging (CBS Home Entertainment, three discs, $29.99) could have been better. It appears that this version of Holocaust is edited down a bit from the first telecasts, perhaps to make room for more commercials when it was syndicated. The case offers a vague warning of ''may be edited from its original network version,'' but the running time suggests there's no ''may'' about it. According to several references, Holocaust first ran about 25 minutes longer than the DVD release.
Nor are there any extras on the DVD, surprising with something that's considered a TV landmark. That's even more surprising when you see that CBS is releasing a short-lived TV series on DVD on Tuesday, with extras.
That set is The Invaders: The First Season (CBS, 17 episodes, five discs, $36.98), the 1967-68 series about a man, David Vincent, trying to stop an alien invasion of Earth after he stumbles upon the landing of a flying saucer.
The series came from the same producer as The Fugitive, which was nearing the end of its network run as The Invaders went on the air; both have the same elements of a man on the move with a story no one will believe, lots of guest stars, a somber narration and a strong current of paranoia. But The Invaders was not a big hit, and it had some very silly moments — such as the extended pinkie finger that distinguished aliens taking human form.
But star Roy Thinnes was a sturdy actor and, aside from special effects that were unremarkable then and now, the show has some effective moments. And it's a time capsule of television, especially in the opening boasting the show is ''in color.''
DVD extras include three promotional spots from the show's run, an extended version of the series premiere, about half an hour of Thinnes talking about the show (and his own views about UFOs) and introductions for each episode by Thinnes.
Elsewhere: Sony continues its chronological release of the Three Stooges' classic shorts for Columbia with The Three Stooges Collection, Volume Two: 1937-1939 (24 shorts, two discs, $24.96). These are from the Stooges' golden era — all Moe, Larry and Curly — and look great in their digitally restored form. Besides, these guys still make me laugh.
The goal of The Lather Effect (Anchor Bay, $26.97) is simple enough: to give the Breakfast Club generation its own Big Chill. Being more chill than breakfast, I can't say whether it's a genuine generational touchstone. I can say it's a so-so movie.
Set the day after a wild '80s reunion party, The Lather Effect does boast an impressive cast, including Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) and Tate Donovan (Damages), as well as a good period soundtrack. DVD extras include a making-of segment, audio commentary and deleted scenes.
When Woody Harrelson got his big break as Woody on Cheers, it did not offer an inkling of the strong character actor he would be in many movies to come. And it's a quantum leap from Cheers to The Walker (ThinkFilm, $27.98), an eerie drama from writer-director Paul Schrader, with many echoes of his American Gigolo. Harrelson plays Carter Page, a charming, gossipy man who serves as an escort and confidant to society dames in Washington, D.C., who gets entangled in a criminal investigation.
The movie is slow and brooding. But wouldn't you be intrigued, at least at first, by a movie that begins with a card game among Harrelson, Lily Tomlin, Lauren Bacall and Kristin Scott Thomas? Or where Page, waiting for a friend, begins reading Suetonius to pass the time?
Extras include a making-of segment.
With Sex and the City headed to movie screens soon, it's worth noting that one of its many successor/imitators comes to DVD on Tuesday. Lipstick Jungle: Season One (Universal, seven episodes, two discs, $29.98) was based on a book by Candace Bushnell, who also wrote the original, print Sex and the City. Mildly entertaining, it did just well enough to be picked up for a second season (unlike Cashmere Mafia, a competing but inferior Sex knockoff). DVD extras include deleted scenes.
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal and in a blog at http://www.ohio.com. He can be reached at 330-996-3582 and rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com.
Coming to DVD on Tuesday, the miniseries Holocaust was a major television event when it first aired in April 1978.
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