STAYING IN
STAYING IN REVIEWS TV, DVDs and videogames to enjoy from the comfort of your sofa DVD BIRTH OF A NATION (Eureka) ●●●●●
It’s easy to say that DW Griffith’s Birth of a Nation was a product of its time. but is this letting the film right off the hook? Straight after its release in 1915, the Ku Klux Klan used the movie as their key tool for a new recruitment drive (and were still using it for that purpose six decades later). That the reaction to the film also included riots across America and criticism from recently-formed civil rights groups surely indicates that Griffith wasn’t living in an ivory tower cosseted by his own artistic naivety.
However, so apparently stunned was he by the reaction to Birth of a Nation, that he appeared to do everything in his power not to be damned forever as a director of racist filth: he immediately went out and made Intolerance, a multi-strand tale about the evils of social injustice, and later smashed the taboo of portraying inter-racial love with Broken Blossoms.
On the face of it, there is very little not to loathe about the late 19th century-set Birth of a Nation. With America going through civil war, the assassination of a president and racial strife on its streets, a crass visual metaphor in which a kitten and a puppy just can’t get along sets the scene for grotesque segments in which black men (the majority being white men blacked up) are shown as drunkards, layabouts and cruel sex fiends while Griffith paints the KKK as heroes riding to America’s rescue on their hooded horses. Technically, the film is an innovative masterpiece, but it’s impossible not to watch it without feeling the bile rise in your throat. (Brian Donaldson)
TV RAY DONOVAN Sky Atlantic, Tue 16 Jul ●●●●● VIDEOGAME PAINKILLER: HELL & DAMNATION (Nordic Games) PS3/Xbox 360 ●●●●●
TV used to be where actors went once their movie careers were over. Now they’re falling over themselves for a gritty high-profile series. So another month, another US import with a starry cast. This time it’s Jon Voight alongside Liev Schreiber in the title role. Ray Donovan is the man celebs call when the shit hits the fan – the opening episode features all the usual Hollywood fallout: stalkers, gay rumours, dead prostitutes. Alongside this trawl through LA’s underbelly, Ray’s dysfunctional family is at breaking point, particularly with his father (Voight) just out of prison. Back in 1993, Doom changed the face of gaming. It wasn’t the first FPS on the market but it was the one that set the standard, sold over 10 million copies and led to a legion of clones. Which brings us to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation which is a semi-remake/ semi-sequel to the original 2004 PC title. You make a deal with Death himself and then find yourself blasting all kinds of hell out of all kinds of demons. It really is that simple: shoot, shoot, shoot, kill, kill, kill, add some humongous boss battles (some of these guys are the size of tower blocks) and repeat.
The show layers on so many ‘edgy’ story You could view Painkiller as an homage to
elements (an alcoholic brother, suicide, epileptic ex-Disney stars) it doesn’t have time to develop any of them with real depth. Obviously the pilot has a lot of info to cram in, so hopefully as the season progresses each plot thread will get a chance to breathe. It’s a slick show, and Schreiber can do gruff and intimidating in his sleep, but the script needs to develop the characters beyond the assembled clichéd ‘troubled’ traits. (Henry Northmore) the simpler times of gaming past. It looks and plays like a 90s title. The graphics are basic while the enemy AI is frustratingly stupid - basically they just run at you, as long as they don’t get caught on the scenery which happens every five minutes. Only the sheer volume of nasties keeps you on your toes. Simplistic but strangely nostalgic as you mindlessly mow down wave after wave of hellspawn. (Henry Northmore)
11 Jul–22 Aug 2013 THE LIST 35
L-R: The Social Network, Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60, The Newsroom. Inset: Sorkin on set
Most memorable dialogue: Matt Albie (Matthew Perry): ‘How is it possible that people are so offended by a thoroughly benign sketch? Is true patriotism really that fragile that it can be threatened by a late night comedy show?’ Final tally: A single series of 22 episodes.
THE NEWSROOM (2012-) This time we’re at a news network following the new production crew (including Emily Mortimer and Dev Patel), as anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) returns to the nation’s screens after a forced leave of absence, thanks to a contentious public tirade about the state of America. The big hook is that the show is set in 2010 so the news stories are based on real events. Most memorable dialogue: ‘There’s absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we’re the greatest country in the world. We’re seventh in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number four in labor force, and number four in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending . . .’ from Will’s (Daniels) speech that causes all the trouble in the i rst place.
Final tally: 14 episodes and counting. ■ The Newsroom: The Complete First Season (HBO Home Entertainment) is available on DVD/ Blu-ray, Mon 22 Jul; The Newsroom Season 2 starts on Sky Atlantic late Aug (date tbc).