Fulvue Drive-In.com
Current Reviews
In Stores Soon
 
In Stores Now
 
DVD Reviews, SACD Reviews Essays Interviews Contact Us Meet the Staff
An Explanation of Our Rating System Search  
Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > Telefilm > History > Nuclear Bomb > WWII > Day One (1989 Telefilm/Acorn Media DVD)

Day One (1989 Telefilm/Acorn Media DVD)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C-     Telefilm: B-

 

 

One of the rare, good telefilms made in the late 1980s, Joseph Sargent’s Day One tells the story of the race for the Atom Bomb and pulls together a strong cast in this solid adaptation of Peter Wyden’s Day One: Before Hiroshima Or After by producer/writer David W. Rintels.  Running 140 minutes, it is as long as the theatrical film Fat Man & Little Boy (1990) in telling the well-chronicled story about the single invention that won WWII.

 

That leaves solid directing and solid acting by Brian Dennehy as General Leslie Grove, David Strathairn as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Michael Tucker as Leo Szilard in this race for what remains one of the most important resources any nation state can possess.  It reminds us how good TV movies used to be without cable TV freedom as an excuse for mediocrity and is more compelling than you might expect.  And to think Aaron Spelling was a producer on this!

 

The 1.33 X 1 image has an analog master is so poor that there is a disclaimer on the back of the case, making it hared to tell if this was filmed or taped, though we’d lean towards film.  The problems and fidelity limits extend to the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono which sounds compressed and is a noticeable few generations down.  I am still glad this is available on DVD, though too bad TV restoration is not as widespread as it is for feature films.  As for extras, you get nine text cast filmographies.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


Marketplace


 
 Copyright © MMIII through MMX fulvuedrive-in.com