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Posted: |
Oct 7, 2008 - 9:26 AM
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By: |
neotrinity
(Member)
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42. Beyond Control.
If anyone had absolutely authoritative, truly unparalleled expert insight into McCall’s tormented but profound psyche, it would have to be Coleman Luck.
Aside from a handful of others, he’s head and shoulders the Himalayan peak of humanistic excellence where the character's concerned, and this tantalizing and intriguing opus is near the top of the charts.
When McCall and Mickey
are enlisted by the niece (Liane Curtis)
of a murdered secretary of Control’s who finds herself in possession of documents the local KGB head (Philip Kraus)
wants at all costs, it propels our heroes on a collision course with ace operative Cobol, stylishly played in his second (of three series appearances) by the always brilliant Brian Bedford
whose spymaster is one of the most cunning adversaries McCall has ever come up against, anticipating the latter's chess-board moves with almost as much intriguing cleverness as our ever-inventive one is.
However the rightful focus of the episode is a further revelation re the infinite levels motivating what Control does and why he does it. Robert Lansing
is nothing less than illuminating, intelligent and altogether impressive when the tables are turned and his preferred position as the man who pulls the strings suddenly has everything reversed and he becomes the helpless pawn forced to seek the help of his old friend.
This is one of those crucial opportunities Dean of Equalizer Directors Alan Metzger seized to further refine his visual and overall expertise, all leading up to his getting first crack at what became the crème-de-la-McCall of the most sensational and significant segments in the series history.
And Control’s final unforgettable reply once McCall confronts him at the end is his absolute GREATEST one-liner (tho there’s another one that comes thisclose to – ah – Equaling it in Season Four’s “Trial by Ordeal” ...
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Posted: |
Nov 13, 2008 - 7:47 AM
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By: |
neotrinity
(Member)
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43. A Community of Civilized Men..
Edward Woodward’s professionally-personal relationship with
has its harked origination in 1964 when they both appeared in the Broadway musical
So it wasn’t altogether outta the royal realm of percolating possibility she’d appear with him on this series. What one couldn’t have anticipated, tho, is the sheer sparkle she brought to her role as fashion designer Julia Jacobs.
After reaching out for McCall’s assistance in extricating herself from a vampirish loan-shark, she then matches wits with Our Hero in a wondrous way that accentuates her glorious independence, equally iron-willed determination, subtle wit and incandescent intensity that’s a sheer DELIGHT to encounter and cherish.
NO other actress has ever came close to (um) Equaling the spectacular mix/match and beautiful blend these two had in their scenes together (the fact they evidently had a ball with their verbal and visual jousting is also admirably evident, in no small substantial thanks to Darrell Pyne and Scott Shepherd’s thoroughly beguiling courtship scenes).
This was also the set-up that introduced Jennifer Grey as Ms. Grimes determined daughter, Valerie
who’s inadvertently caught in the middle of a deadly game involving Lewis Van Bergen’s unscrupulous Zahn, an assassin who takes no prisoners in his "civilized" utilization of whatever victims he needs to use and liquidate to further his nefarious agenda – which now includes the unsuspectingly innocent Miss Grey.
Naturally, McCall is equally indomitable in his attempts to assist and rescue Valerie: there's a thrilling midtown chase sequence that ensues via a remarkable bit as McCall's intuitive antenna (Equalizer Sense?  ) alerting him they’re being watched and followed is memorably captured via director Alan Metzger’s admirable helming (sorta a pertinent preview of his greatest accomplishment upcoming with "Blood and Wine").
At any rate, the penultimate showdown sequence between McCall and Zahn in Julia's deserted designer loft with Valerie strapped to a bomb is one of the series’ most utterly enthralling moments ...
... because it’s here that the Pyne-Shepherd script and Metzger’s authoritative handling achieve a remarkable apex of both the differences (and similarities) between The Equalizer and his adversary with their precise philosophies both encoded in dialogue and action, the helpless and angry aspect of Valerie as she lashes out at McCall for not telling her the truth – which births another illuminating Equalizer line about his take on what encapsulates "truth" – and her anguished question (without an easy answer) as to how much her mother was aware of who and what McCall "is".
This then leads to our choice for the second most moving, touching and evocative sequence ever shared between Robert Lansing and Edward Woodward that Metzger films with such elegiac poetry and sublimated richly shared reflection as both men walk up an alley (with Control's one-and-only monologue about his attempt to start a new life once and how it cost him his wife Susan; Lansing’s sadly soft bemused delivery of this is quietly devastating).
However, as they pass a colorfully clad trio (a man and two women) blissfully playing along the sidewalk, it’s McCall who has the final, fascinating curtain line that’s as much a consummate statement about his character and the legacy of loss his life has entailed as ever enunciated.
And Keeping It in the Fabulous Family Addendum Department:
Not to be outdone, Lady Grimes and Christopher Plummer’s daughter Amanda
also makes an impressive appearance in Season Three. If only the wily Mr. Plummer had been likewise engaged, tho he
and Mr. Woodward do appear in the 2002 BBC film "Night Flight" (anyone ever seen it?)
Still, we haveta come back to the enchantress that’s Tammy Grimes’s Julia Jacobs: THE woman who woulda been Robert McCall’s most magnificent match –
Always in All Ways ...
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It was great to see Mr. Woodward in Hot Fuzz.
MaxB
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Posted: |
Nov 19, 2008 - 11:05 AM
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By: |
neotrinity
(Member)
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44. Memories of Manon.
Sometimes the juggernaut of fate comes rolling at you out of your fog-enshrouded past
with a truly transformational twist that’s as defining as it is definitive
when what you so laughingly and naively thought was a world you controlled proves to be anything but – and all you can do is hopefully learn how to take charge of how you’ll respond to it.
Such was the stunning revelations forever uprooting Robert McCall’s life in
With a cunningly-conceived, authoritatively-authored, wondrously written (his first tantalizing two-parter) and sculpted with exceptional dramatic distinction by Coleman Luck
plus directed with equal excellence by Tony Wharmby (who’d previously come to our attention with his stylish contributions
to
it’s one of those enterprises that’s well-nigh perfect in its escalating power and immense emotional richness.
As Control hosts a young Canadian woman, Yvette Marceau (Melissa Sue Anderson) visiting New York with her diplomat father Philip (Anthony Zerbe),
it turns out McCall and Yvette’s mother, Manon, were more than mutual colleagues when they were on a mission together years ago, so as usual things aren’t quite what they seem and events start to escalate to the point McCall and Mickey reap a whirlwind of shocking surprises, twists and turns you won’t be able to predict beforehand prior to the really stunning whopper that closes Part One.
Now, among its many richly deserved and residually recognized nominations over the course of its four-year run, the show was much commended for its inspired casting – these episodes prove that point profoundly.
For instance, after a career of playing psychos/whackos/rapists and other dutifully disturbed specimens of dubious humanity, it was a terrific change of pace tonic to see Mr. Zerbe handed a multi-dimensional character of immense layers that he dove into with eager relish and equally rich rewards as the heart-ravaged guardian with his own equally-haunted secret.
The supporting ensemble is no less notable with a particularly impish and memorable stint from Maurice Hines as Bump, one of Our Hero’s ex-colleagues who engineers an especially attention-getting skating diversion in Central Park on McCall’s behalf.
Bringing up the adversary side is squirrely playing-both-ends-against-the-gangster-middle Gene Karmac (Jon Polito)
and George DiCenzo
as Dorgan, the mob boss with the inevitable misfortune to cross paths with McCall.
And we musn’t forget the captivating Miss Anderson’s brave, buffeted, betrayed but resonantly resilent and resourceful Yvette (generational genes, y’might say).
(Intriquing Equalizing note: she ultimately wed co-creator Michael Sloan).
Not to be out-done, there’s spiffy support bringing up the royal rear from
Keith Szarabajka
who gets the lion-share of the funniest lines and makes the most of them (in addition to his equally-firm foundation coming up against the conflicted McCall in some really righteous argumentative vignettes).
However, naturally enough, the two-parter belongs to Mr. Woodward, who’s nothing short of splendid: magnetic, consummately charismatic in the extremis, tossing off one-liners with splendid timing and snappiness that’s simply superb in its style, unflinchingly tough, torturedly vulnerable with a soul screaming and heart REbroken in permanent pieces that’ll never heal. There’s a sequence in Part II when McCall and Mickey corner Karmac on a shooting range and the absolutely MESMERIZING magnitude of McCall’s deadly discipline has to be seen to be believed (and you still won’t).
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And, within the framework of this extraordinary ep is its conclusion in McCall apartment once the caper is concluded where he and Control ruefully reminisce on all that’s occurred (it also bears mentioning Robert Lansing’s scenes with Woodward are equally absorbing and spell-binding).
The sequence – the finest between these two, and that’s an almost impossible call to make since there were so many - ends with Control passing on another pertinent piece of intimate information he has about Manon that has a shattered Robert recite a requiem that’ll reduce you close to tears.
On The Equalizer Scale of All-Tyme Highs, “Memories of Manon” is tied for First Place.
Everyone take care. Happy, healthy and harmonious holidays.
It’s been fun ... 
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Posted: |
Jan 30, 2009 - 10:48 AM
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By: |
neotrinity
(Member)
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His name is Colin and it’s no Olympian exaggeration to say he holds THE definitive title to the above introduction.
Hailing from the mighty isle of Britain, he’s spent a major portion of his precious time and seemingly inexhaustible energy ferreting out, reconstituting, refurbishing and resurrecting a titanic amount of material connected with this series. We first made grateful contact with him last year whilst purchasing an in-depth three-part interview Coleman Luck had given re his participation and contribution to the show.
We’ve gotten his permission to introduce FSM Assembled to his existence due to his incredible expertise in, among other things, having obtained ALL the interviews ever done for the show (even those not aired ‘cause CBS deemed them either not good enuff or were incensed because Mr. Woodward’s candid answers were too sensitive for the network types – who would snipe and gripe at him because of those very responses).
And not, this ain’t all but we’re not gonna spoil it for you when you receive the specific inventory of just what he has available (which also includes Mr. Woodward’s other series and show appearances during, but not limited to, his run as the unforgettable Robert McCall).
Trust us, hyperbole isn’t necessary at all. It’s highly unlikely anything will ever be able to approach, compete or compare with this magnificent Mother Lode of material (short of CBS itself coming forward, which is about as likely as Scarlett and Rhett celebrating their golden anniversary together).
So here’s Colin’s e-mail address (and he’s on full alert anticipating your inquiries).
eq2009@live.co.uk.
We DON’T think you’re gonna be in any way, shape or form disappointed.
In fact, we have a sneaky suspicion amounting to a consummate certainty you’ll feel the way Hiram Bingham did when he came upon
Oh yeahhhhhhh …
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Equaliser star joins EastEnders
Edward Woodward, famous for his roles in cult horror The Wicker Man and The Equaliser, is joining EastEnders.
His character, Tommy Clifford, is being brought in for a specific storyline involving Patrick Trueman which will run for several weeks.
EastEnders chief, Diederick Santer said: "On the surface, this is a warm, charming and engaging man but there are other much darker things going on."
78-year-old Woodward has started filming and will be on-screen in March.
The actor made a name for himself in the television spy series Callan which ran during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
He had a central role in the film The Wicker Man, as the devout Christian police officer drawn to investigating the disappearance of a young girl on a sinister island of pagan cult members.
Then, in the 1980s, he gained international attention when he starred in the American show, The Equalizer, this time as an ex-spy working as a gun-for-hire.
His EastEnders character Tommy stealthily draws out details of Patrick's past for less than honourable reasons.
Santer said that the actor, who has been a fan of EastEnders for many years, was perfect for the role.
"Edward shades in all those layers, and I hope the audience are as fascinated watching him at work as I have been", he said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7899259.stm
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