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tristabella721
Reviews
Mind Prey (1999)
Take Sandford's name out of the title - it's an insult.
I agree with most of the other posters here that Mind Prey was not adapted well at all, and almost an insult to the edgy writing of John Sandford. Anyone who has read the books is likely to be disappointed in this poorly casted and very weakly adapted made for TV movie.
I personally have never cared for Eric LaSalle's acting style. Because he is so deadpan in every role he is in, ER's moody Dr. Peter Benton playing Lucas Davenport - I do not think LaSalle has the acting range nor passion to make a role like Lucas believable. I saw this movie as no more than a vanity project for LaSalle {he has a producing credit, too} - he should have stayed on ER.
Also, the lisp of Black {who is gay in the books} was the last straw to me, and removed any shred of respect I had for the attempt to make this story into a movie.
My own casting opinion would be an actor such as Ralph Fiennes for Davenport - low key, but capable of intense acting. And maybe Madchen Amick as Weather. But those of us who have read the books know that Sandford's heavily layered and detailed stories may be difficult to adapt to film at all.
Conviction (2006)
NBC cancels yet another Dick Wolf drama without giving it a fair chance
I have to question NBC's cancellation of Conviction *just* when it was starting to get good - just like they did to Law and Order: Trial By Jury. But this time, we will be left with a cliffhanger of season finale that turns out to be the series finale. And NBC is putting Law and Order: Criminal Intent into the Friday 10 p.m. slot, also known as the kiss of death air time. Will NBC cancel CI, too? In related news - NBC has chosen to bring back Crossing Jordan, a show I love, but are waiting until January. Maybe we will get lucky and NBC will decide to bring back Conviction after all as a midseason replacement - or maybe CourtTV, A & E or Bravo will decide to pick it up. NBC could have even moved it over to USA network (which they also own).
Law & Order (1990)
Lennie Briscoe was worthy of a memorial service, or at least a mention
NYPD felt Lennie Briscoe was one of his own, and for Dick Wolf to only dedicate an episode of Trial By Jury "For Jerry" was not good enough for Jerry Orbach or Lennie Briscoe. Even though Law and Order does not mention much about the characters lives outside the station house (except SVU's Elliot Stabler - where Dick Wolf has gone way over the top in telling us what how he hates the perps and wants to physically abuse them, loves his four kids, ignores his wife and has lost much of his faith in the Catholic church) Lennie's memorial service should have at the very least been mentioned on the mothership show if not all of them, and the fictional NYPD officers should have worn the black band on their badges for Detective Briscoe. I am a Law and Order junkie, and though it is too late to write Briscoe's death into an episode, it is not too late to have his old (and best ever) partner Mike Logan talk about what Lennie taught him about being a good detective. Dick Wolf has made a ton of money with L&O, but the show likely wouldn't have made it more than 4 years without the addition of Jerry Orbach's Lennie Briscoe.
Crossing Jordan (2001)
I too like the show - except when they bring bad characters in.
Spoilers from past seasons - I don't think there is anything earthshaking.
I love Jordan. Yes, it is a bit unrealistic at times, but hey, it's a TV show. It is for people who enjoy CSI and Law & Order, but like a lighter tone. There is a bit of (albeit dark) humour to soften the drama.
My biggest gripe is when they started bringing other people in as antagonists for Jordan. DA Renee Walcott is alright, and I could even somewhat tolerate Dr. Elaine DuChamps. She was just starting to get likaable to me when they killed her. But I personally could not stand Devon McGuire (to me they were trying to make her a Jordan twin), and I was glad to see her go, although a bit sorry they had to kill her in a plane crash, kind of cruel IMO. There was also Peter, the ex-junkie doctor who evidently went down the hall to put something in the mass spectrometer and never came back (ala Richie Cunningham's older brother on Happy Days). As I recall, Ivan Sergei went on to another NBC show that didn't last the season.
I really do like it when Jordan & the team use real forensics to figure out what is going on. I also like the tension between Jordan and Woody. I hope they don't screw that up with too much tenderness. And I miss Jordan's dad, played by Ken Howard, I liked him (what ahr ya wahrkin' ahn now Jarh-din?).
I love the musical direction of Wendy and Lisa. They really know how to pick music to fit the scenes. And the use of Eric Rigler's (and his band Bad Haggis) bagpipes and whistles are always great. I still miss the first season opening music, a rewrite of "REELS Part 2 (My Love Is In America). Eric's music has been in Braveheart, Rob Roy, Austin Powers and many more movies and commericials. If yiu hear bagpipes in a movie or on TV, there's a 90 percent chance it is Eric Rigler. Small piece of trivia, Eric played the pipes at the memorial service for Ronald Reagan.
I look forward to the new season. We will find out if Woody walks after surgery, and maybe Gina Gershon will come back as a love interest for Dr. Macy...my husband would be delighted!
Just my 2 euros. Bella