Jesse Stone: Night Passage + Death In Paradise (Telefilms)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: C- Telefilms: B-
Like Burt
Reynolds with B.L. Stryker and Robert Urich with Spencer, Tom Selleck has
deservedly found his second wind as a mature and viable Robert B. Parker
character with Jesse Stone. After first appearing
in the telefilm Stone Cold, the
results were good enough to follow up and Sony has issued the next two TV
movies on DVD as the fourth one debuts on broadcast TV. Night
Passage and Death In Paradise
are those telefilms and it is Selleck’s best TV work since Magnum, P.I. put him on the map.
Night Passage has the now divorced detective
going to Massachusetts and instead of getting away from the past, becomes their
new Chief of Police just in time for murder.
Sal Rubinek is the bank manager who may be involved and the small, quiet
town is suddenly quieter than ever when Stone starts to investigate. Stephen Baldwin and Stephanie March also
star.
Death In Paradise has Stone staying in the town
when a teen girl with a troubled past turns up as a dead corpse in a
stream. It is ugly and the pother
police, some gangster types and domestic violence play heavily into the
situation as Stone is shocked to learn the victim was a straight-A student! Now, he has to find out the ugly truth to get
the killer or killers. William Devane
also stars.
Selleck
has been ignored and even bashed for his politics and showed some non-political
backbone recently over Magnum, P.I.
by refusing to make a cameo in any revival after years of Universal turning
down a new feature despite Selleck having Tom Clancy available as a
writer. His work here is ambitiously
serious and he never flinches from the grimness of his character or the
situations. That makes both telefilms
worth a look.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on both is a bit soft, shot in some kind
of HD video and has limited color & depth.
It is watchable, but never too visually engaging. The Dolby Digital 5.1 has some healthy
surrounds, which helps make viewing easier and dialogue is recorded well
enough. The only extra on both discs are
previews for other Sony DVDs.
- Nicholas Sheffo
