riddler68

Hawaii Five-O (1968) thrived for over a decade as a well-above average cop show with the dominant Jack Lord and a great supporting cast, as well as interesting crooks of the week providing unique and interesting stories. Then, on occasion, Wo Fat would show up and take it to even higher levels with plots of international intrigue.

The Vashon trilogy is on the same or higher level as the Wo Fat episodes, dealing with a powerful local crime family. Each hour of the three are intense at a level I've never seen in network television. The progression through the three generations of criminals is a masterclass of TV, worthy of the "golden age" if television started in the late 90s by a certain NJ family. Binge watch the three back to back, it's the only way to go.

First, Michelle Johnson, an amateur at the time of casting, is PERFECTLY cast as Jennifer, every guy's fantasy become reality, for the befuddled, frustrated middle-aged Matthew Hollis, well played by the great Michael Caine and his oversized glasses. She is gorgeous beyond belief and her lack of acting experience translates well into a doe-eyed innocence necessary for the role of the teenage temptress.

However, after almost 90 minutes of farcical and (for the 2020s) highly inappropriate antics, Valerie Harper shows up late in the film as Matthew's wife, and while she is no angel herself, insists that she and Matthew power through despite hers and his failings. That is the real message. As Elvis once sang, true love travels on a gravel road.

Also, a pre-Brat Pack Demi Moore does a great job as Matthew's disapproving daughter.

Worth a watch on the free services offering it, especially if you are a Gen Xer.

I never saw it in the cinema nor during its many TNT showings, but finally caught Under Siege on Tubi. One of the last 80s-style movies, made in 1992, it is a fine entry into the shoot-'em-up action genre. Using a plot that borrows heavily from Die Hard, except on a ship, Segal is surprisingly understated as he assesses the situation and takes action, Jones hams it up effectively as he always does as the brains behind the bad guy operation, and Busey is typically weird as an XO gone bad. Finally, Erika Eleniak is hot, hot, hot as a past Playmate (in the movie and in real life) whose experience extends far beyond the job description of jumping out of a cake.