Sneak Peak of Uncommon Courage: Breakout At Chosin - Debuts Monday 31st on the Smithsonian Channel

On Memorial Day the Smithsonian Channel will offer “Uncommon Courage: Breakout At Chosin,” a one hour look at the Korean War. It focuses particularly on the military maneuvers that took place in getting troops out of the Chosin Reservoir area in North Korea. This trek through the mountains at night in a virtual blizzard was one of the most exciting and heroic efforts during this war and is a testament to the bravery and skill of a Marine Unit led by Lt Chew-Een Lee.

The Preview of Lifetime Movie Network's Seven Deadly Sins Premiering May 23 & May 24th

The new Lifetime Movie Network two night mini-series “Seven Deadly Sins” is based on the popular series of books by Robin Wasserman. This four hour, two part movie covers all the seven deadly sins which are lust, greed, envy, wrath, gluttony, sloth and pride. Each has an impact on the story of students at a high school in Grace, California.

The Preview for SYFY’S May Saturday Original Movie MONGOLIAN DEATH WORM

“Mongolian Death Worm” has to be one of the cheesiest titles ever placed on a movie. Well maybe “The Revenge of the Killer Tomatoes” has it beat, but not by much. Anyway “Mongolian Death Worm” is the name of the Syfy original movie which airs on May 8.

Preview:

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Premieres Ric Burns’ “INTO THE DEEP: AMERICA, WHALING & THE WORLD” May 10 on PBS

PBS’ “American Experience” presents a new documentary by famed filmmaker Ric Burns. It is titled “Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World” and it gives an extensive view of the American whaling industry.

EInsiders 2010 Summer Movie Preview

Whether you crave action extravaganzas or comedic tent-pole events, the Summer movie season always affords plenty of mainstream fodder to consume. And considering the budgets behind some of these uber-epics, Hollywood is depending on your patronage. But each year critics and keen audience members alike complain about the mindless sequels, retro revamps, and uninspired mediocrity flooding the multiplexes during the proverbial dry season. This group is usually left to their cynical ways with only a begrudgingly dismissive wave from the masses. In the end, those who care most undoubtedly feel the most beached. So please forgive me in advance for ignoring movies like Sex and the City 2 (Watch the Trailer) or Shrek 4 (Watch the Trailer). They don't need my attention, and frankly, I don't care about them all that much. This is a different kind of Summer Movie cocktail, one that will hopefully warm the hearts of even the most pessimistic movie-goers.

Broken down by month, The EInsiders Summer Movie Preview cohesively scans a bloated film horizon for worthy blockbusters and art films alike, favoring substance over fluff, complexity over simplicity, Alain Resnais over Twilight. It's just that type of deal. Let's begin.

Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr in "Roads To Memphis"

Never before has the path of James Earl Ray and its convergence with Dr. Martin Luther King been so thoroughly examined as in “American Experience: Roads To Memphis.” This two hour documentary recreates the roads these two men took which led them to be in close proximity on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Glenn Heath, Jr. Interviews Nash Edgerton of THE SQUARE

The short films of Nash Edgerton exist on the border of overlapping genres, cinematic categorizations simultaneously flexing their muscles to subvert audience expectations. One of the founding members of Australian collective Blue Tongue Films, Edgerton is a jack of all trades - director, actor, editor, and long time stuntman for Hollywood. His short films are hyper kinetic in the most potent sense, consistently driven in one direction by fast paced editing and impressive stunt work. But each packs a different kind of tonal wallop, whether it's the devastating karmic ending in SPIDER or the tragically horrific metamorphosis in FUEL.

MY LAI to Air on PBS’s AMERICAN EXPERIENCE on April 26, 2010

It has been over forty two years since the tragedy of My Lai occurred. Very little has been written or shown about this dark day in America’s history that took place on March 16, 1968. It was during the height of the Vietnam War when an atrocity of enormous proportions happened and scarred our nation in a terrible way. Now PBS’ “American Experience: My Lai” shines a harsh light on this event.

In this hour and a half program audiences are shown the step by step buildup to this tragedy. You get to meet some of the members of “Charlie Company” and learn from their own mouths what it was like to be in Vietnam at this time and how their minds were molded to find the enemy and to kill that enemy. As one man states it, they were taught to kill and taught to follow orders. When they were in Vietnam they were also concentrating on staying alive and doing what they were told to do helped keep them as safe as possible.

Charlie Company also suffered numerous losses from sniper fire and land mines. These occurrences helped change the young men from nice guys to bad guys. When they were sent to the area known as Pinkville and to My Lai in particular they were ready to take on their enemy and to do it with violence, which is what they did. The tragedy was they punished the innocent as well as the guilty.

Seeing the horror of what they did and hearing the testimony of some of the Vietnamese survivors is particularly grueling. Ordinary humans did inhumane things and they were later covered up. That is the second tragedy of My Lair – the cover up.

If you are a student of history you will want to watch this extraordinary program. It introduces you to some of the participants in the massacre, as well as to some of the victims. It also lets you hear from the man who prosecuted William Calley for his crimes. These are words you have not heard before and they have a sobering impact on those who think they know what happened.

This is not a smear piece on America, nor is it even a hate filled rage against those who committed the crimes. Instead it is a clear look at a piece of America’s history when soldiers did not do the right thing and a large number of innocent people paid the price.

“American Experience: My Lai” airs on PBS, Monday, April 26 at 9PM.

A Preview of Lifetime Movie Network’s original But Fictional Film “Deadly Honeymoon”

In 2005 there was an actual incident in which a couple was honeymooning on a cruise ship. During the course of the cruise the husband disappeared and the cause of his disappearance was never solved. Lifetime Movie Network’s original but fictional film “Deadly Honeymoon” gives a speculative answer as to what might have occurred.

The film starts with the Hawaiian wedding of Trevor (Chris Carmack) and Lindsey (Summer Glau) Forrest. He is a playboy from a fairly wealthy family, and she is the girl who scored the big prize. After their marriage they embark on a cruise. On the cruise several events occur, mostly concerning Trevor’s propensity to over gamble and over drink.

After a night of gambling and drinking the couple disappears. Lindsey is found in a hallway of the ship. She seems confused and states she can not remember how she got there. Trevor can not be found. A check of their room shows a broken bottle, some blood around the room, and finally a bloody handprint on the railing outside their stateroom.

There is a vacationing FBI agent on board. Her name is Gwen Merced (Zoe McLellan) and she begins to investigate the groom’s disappearance. She is assisted by a security officer on the ship named Sherrick (Erik Palladino). Together they manage to put a few of the missing pieces together.

There is a resolution to this story but again it is only a speculation as to what occurred. This film does not claim to be based in truth nor are any of its facts attributed to real life events or characters.

The story as pieced together is believable. This is due to the mysterious performance of Glau as Lindsey. She is center stage throughout the film and is the one who holds the audience’s interest. Carmack on the other hand never gives us much of a view of Trevor at all. Of course he is only seen in bits and pieces of scenes so a full characterization was probably impossible.

What will draw people to this movie is its close resemblance to the actual case that involved the disappearance of George Smith. He disappeared while on his honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean. His wife Jennifer could offer no explanation of how he disappeared and she was never charged with a crime.

The makers of “Deadly Honeymoon” took these facts and used them as a frame for the movie that is now being offered. Whether or not it is actually close to the truth will never be known.

‘Deadly Honeymoon” premieres on the Lifetime Movie Network on Sunday, April 25 at 8PM EST and 5PM PT.

The Preview for WHEN LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH a Hallmark Hall of Fame Move Appearing on CBS

When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story

“When Love Is Not Enough” is the perfect Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. It has a strong message wrapped up in an interesting story performed by superb actors. Winona Ryder and Barry Pepper star in the story of Lois Wilson (Ryder), wife of Bill Wilson (Pepper) the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Lois was the founder of Al-Anon, the organization for the families of alcoholics.

This is the second Hallmark film about this family. In 1989 James Woods starred in “My Name Is Bill W.,” which was focused on the founder of AA. This time out it is his wife’s turn and her story is a heart-wrenching one. The movie follows the Wilsons’ love story from 1914 till 1951. During that time Lois supported and endured her love for her husband. He started out a casual drinker but soon developed into a raging alcoholic. No matter how many times he pledged to stop he always fell short, and Lois was always there to pick up the pieces.

Eventually Bill did overcome his addiction but Lois still had a vacancy in her heart. She needed something for herself and out of that need came Al-Anon. This was an origanization she started which gave the families of alcoholics a place to vent their anger and their love.

Ryder has not been seen on screen much lately. This role should bring her back into the public eye. She is perfect for the part – fragile but strong, attractive but not beautiful, loving but not blind. All of the nuances of Lois’ personality are played to perfection by Ryder.

Pepper is equally good as Bill, maybe even better. He manages to bring Bill Wilson full circle and make him believable at every turn. Pepper is good in every role he undertakes but this performance is a highlight in an already outstanding career.

The fact this movie is a message vehicle might alienate some members of the audience, but the strengths of AA are shown, not preached. Bill has a spiritual epiphany that brings his drinking to an end but that point is not belabored. It is a factor in his final sobriety but not a miracle cure.

It is to the credit of those persons behind the Hallmark Hall of Fame that they do seek out uplifting stories such as this one and “Front of the Class,” to name two. We have enough entertainment vehicles that point toward the negative so a little optimism is much appreciated.

“When Love Is Not Enough” will air on CBS, Sunday, April 25 at 9PM.