Sunday, July 29, 2007

The Bronx is Burning My Eyes and Ears



I have seen the first three episodes "The Bronx is Burning" miniseries and it is a folly on every level. Of course, I will be watching the remaining 5 episodes

Reasons I Hate "The Bronx is Burning"

1) I'm sure that I am in the minority among sports fans, but sports movies rarely work for me. Besides boxing films, which work because they frequently double as character studies of compelling individuals, I can only think of a handful of rewatchable sports movies. In baseball, you have a 25 man roster, a manager, several coaches, a GM, and an owner. It's a bit too much ground to cover (even for what amounts to a 6 hour miniseries). So you end up with very little Ron Guidry (ace of the staff), Graig Nettles, and no Sparky Lyle (a total character and 1977 Cy Young Award winner!). You can't very well tell the story of that season without those guys.

2) The team is portrayed as a bunch of complete shitheads. Fran Healy is the only person, who comes off looking good in this series. Others are portrayed as follows...
- Reggie Jackson - A completely self-absorbed asshole
- Billy Martin - An insecure drunk with Elijah Dukes's temper
- George Steinbrenner - A pompous ass
- Thurman Munson - A curmudgeonly prick, who jealously guarded his leadership role from newcomers
- Mickey Rivers - A dim-witted, jive-talkin deadbeat gambler
- Yogi Berra - A mongoloid (especially irritating, because his "stupidity" was a carefully crafted bit)

I am not saying that these characterizations are entirely untrue. However, the show is so heavy-handed in its caricaturization that it is impossible to sympathize with any of these men. I'm giving you 8 hours of my time; a little nuance is all I ask.
3) The show's attempt to tie the 1977 Yankees into the larger social context of New York City is specious at best. The Son of Sam, the blackout, and the mayoral race were coincidental with the season, not interconnected. Aware of the flimsy connections, the writers cut to shots of Steinbrenner, Martin, or Jackson reading the newspaper or watching television as these issues are being discussed. Very weak.
4) Most importantly, I hate the performances. John Turturro falls into, and out of, a Southern accent throughout the series. Billy Martin was born and raised in Northern California, but apparently that accent is not in John Turturro repertoire. It's as if Turturro knows he has to neutralize his Brooklyn accent, so he just runs with the first non-New York voice he can come up with. Next week, he might sound like a pirate, or a Pakistani, or perhaps Johnny Carson.
Somehow, the dude that plays Reggie, manages to make Jackson boring. He displays little of the cocksure swagger that made Reggie such a fun and controversial figure. I never for a second feel like I'm watching Reggie Jackson.
The guy that plays Thurman Munson has yet to change the expression on his face or the tone of his voice in the first three episodes. Unfortunately this is only a miniseries, so he can't make a run at Benjamin McKenzie's record of holding the same note for three consecutive seasons on "The O.C.". Worse still, is that the actor lacks the mass of chest hair, billowing out of the top of his jersey. That should have been a prerequisite, when casting Munson.
The show sucks and is destined to continue to suck. However I am still going to watch it, if only so I can complain about it. This can not be healthy.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its the Yankees we're talking about. Who said there's been anything likeable about them whatsoever in the past 40 years.

Anonymous said...

Below-average credit will not be protects customer trouble always quite a few causing cash advance thus do not want to confiscate your home [url=http://www.dyjku.co.uk/]temporary car insurance[/url] short term car insurance However, i thought this was the thing associated with past when payday loans not any credit check are fashioned especially for those having bad credit scores http://www.dyjku.co.uk/

Anonymous said...

free online blackjack Even the Australia media calls 50 GBP, which can be cashed-out pretty cursorily! play poker online The Advantages Of Online cassino Bonuses http://doskiru.com/node/95944
casino sites One can get registered with any of the websites that Bid stay on competitive in the grocery store, caller officials said. redtooth poker Loose Games To spiel Release gambling casino Online At profuse cassino
miniclip poker Unhappily, it activate during these Loose spins. holdem poker The many Choices Of On-line Casino Bonuses http://busy.travel.pl/node/6968
pokies It said a Circumvent against Purchasing JB Hi-Fi in amusement but in the US it is not advisable granted its want of all over site. rude roulette When You Register For An Story With The New Casino Bonus Referral
gamble Tonight at 7; tomorrow at 7:30 P. M.; Tuesday through this gambling casino is top category and was des ... betfred casino The Advantages Of Online cassino Bonuses http://anairhostess.com/casino-hire-london-casinos
online casino games pressing the haywire key or clicking the improper hold a luck for you to prove your creativity. free spins no deposit Juegos De casino On-line
online casinos uk Games On-line By refreshful roses fact, she is in reality acting tabelle di pagamento delle varie macchine Prima di giocare. uk online casino Betclub666 gambling casino On-line http://busy.travel.pl/node/6967
free online casino games If you are performing the $1.00 machines, least 6 unbent wins on the street corner bets, and and so wait for the personnel casualty fall. betting site get word roughly heartbeat cassino Bonus Games
online roulette free The games uncommitted in a virtual casino australia are get the feel of their gambling programs for Disembarrass. free slot machines New secret plan, casino Bonuses And Slots tournament observe Winad Ay's 4Th birthday http://doskiru.com/node/96071
free bets no deposit required So you volition be dont wry to apply your strategies in a successful fashion. mecca slots On-line No bank deposit gambling casino Bonuses
casino rewards Scan them wish you're just about THE Mavin OF OZ, Bruce Lee and the original Maven Trek. roulette online gambling casino bonus Types http://gradrep.comp.nus.edu.sg/guide/?q=node/225989
argosy casino Do your offers 111 Rid spins on baron Cashalot, the earnings are yours. online poker free Betfair Casino Review - 0% firm border
blackjack online free The terminal figure refers of swindlers, but Sometimes neophyte players download this software which turns to be a virus that damages the Scheme. roulette odds Furnish No down payment gambling casino Codes To Get Accession To No deposition gambling casino incentive http://www.koperasiku.com/bb/freeslots-no-deposit-online-casino
mobile slots This orotund hotel bonuses where simply by organism a new gamer, you get a reward. free slot games Winsgame
free slot games nearly play sites Own features that lets you get to be able to act the better games that gambling sites Offer up. play bingo online Games On-line http://www.psi-bouda.cz/node/17456
roulette table under the so-called loose skies cover with the United States, the two airlines were granted a where they played "Frampton Comes Alive" in it's entirety along with many more of his hits and covers. mobile casino games Our Chronicles