Greg Kinnear gives a stunning portrayal one of the 1960's most popular television and radio personalities in Bob Crane. It is well documented how Mr. Crane chose to live his life, which ultimately resulted in his murder. A lesson in the dangers of the excessive lifestyle, Kinnear gives his all in portraying the downward spiral that ultimately took the life of Bob Crane.
Bob Crane is a successful radio personality for CBS radio networks who is given the opportunity of a lifetime. His agent has landed him a screening and almost shoe-in for the lead role in a new Television Comedy set in a World War 2 German Prisoner Camp. Bob is a happily married man with 2 children living the American dream. All is well until the first season hits landing the show in the top five of all series. Suddenly Bob is one of the nation's most talked about men setting off a chain of events that would eventually lead to deadly temptation.
Enter John Carpenter, an audio guru of the 60's working with Sony on the latest in hi-fi equipment. Bob, an avid photographer, becomes very interested in the new equipment that Carpenter deals with and suddenly the two become close friends. Seeking relaxation from the overwhelming success, Bob goes back to the nightclub scene to drum, a passion he loves. Unfortunately for Bob this setting is where his sexual deviance is fueled as woman after woman approaches bob with starry eyed admiration. Combined with Carpenter's high tech home movie capabilities, Bob is thrust into the world of amatuer home pornography ruining his marriage and becoming deeper and deeper into a twisted relationship with John Carpenter.
Though his murder was never solved, the movie suggests that John Carpenter had a major part, as a bisexual almost homosexual love towards Bob is insinuated. Jilted in the laste 70's by a Bob Crane who finally wants to clean up, it seems everyone involved in the case believes Carpenter committed a crime of passion. Kinnear proves once again he is a fine actor and everyone's favorite Spider-Man villain William Dafoe plays Carpenter wonderfully. The theme of the movie is a "Day without sex is a day wasted." and only goes to prove how deadly sex can become. I loved this movie and highly recommend it as a film that can teach a very important lesson. Definitlely two thumbs up!
The Disc:
Letterboxed to its theatrical aspect ratio of 1:85:1 with anamorphic enhancement, this is one sharp looking film. Fitting that a film about a pair of guys so into high tech audio and video would come on a format I am sure they would have been all over. Sound is equally impressive even for a dramatic film that rarely uses the full capability. Much of the film in fact seems to be nothing more than stereo despite the Dolby Digital 5.1 treatment. Still sounds are impressive for the most part.
As far as extras go there is alot of interesting material here. Bob's life and murder is examined closely in a gruesome but still in-depth featurette that talks with the detectives and police behind this murder. This hour long documentary, Murder in Scottsdale, is probably the best thing on the disc, and yet the hardest to watch, especially for those with weak stomachs.
The disc also includes Two Feature Length Audio Commentaries that takes us into the technical aspects of the film with Director Paul Schrader, and the second with the writer and producers that is more about the origins of the film and how the project came to be. The disc also includes Several Deleted Scenes many of which should remain deleted. Overall some interesting stuff is here.
bottom line:
A story with a point if there ever was one. People cannot live in excess without consequences. Sure Bob wasn't a drinker, he didn't do drugs, he didn't even curse. Still excess in ANYTHING can be dangerous and his life is a lesson in that.
4 out of 5
By - Brian Gray
