Heroes
(1977/Universal DVD) + The One &
Only (1978/Legend Films DVD/Paramount)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D Films: C-/D
In an
attempt to breakout from his TV success as Fonzie on the TV hit Happy Days (and before jumping the
shark) took two shots at lead role stardom and the results were two films where
he almost gives the same “I am a bit of a wild guy” performance killing his
chances at feature film success. And to
think he was almost Danny in the 1978 version of Grease.
Jeremy
Paul Kagan’s Heroes (1977) is the
somewhat better of the two, playing a man who is sick of the system,
anti-Vietnam, anti-war and out to annoy a woman (Sally Fields) he does not even
know. The twist in the story is when he
brings her to an old buddy (Harrison Ford just as he was becoming known) who
adds amusing twists to them getting to know each other. James Carabatsos (Hamburger Hill) turns in an interesting screenplay, but it just
never comes together to add up in any significant way. At least it is ambitious.
Rob
Reiner’s The One & Only (1978)
in the other hand is a bad one-joke film (the total opposite of Martin
Scorsese’s New York, New York the
same year) as off the bat, Winkler’s character is annoying Kim Darby’s to no
end, has crazy dreams as his life plan instead of a stable future plan and his
family (including parent Polly Holiday and William Daniels) in a way that never
works out of Steve Gordon’s cardboard-flat screenplay. Hard to believe Reiner followed up his great
success with the underrated Oh, God!
(1977) by making this dud, but he did.
Both are curios and only see them if you really, really need to.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image on both DVDs show their age and look
fairly good color-wise, but neither impress for the most part. Frank Stanley (Magnum Force, Thunderbolt
& Lightfoot, Car Wash, Grease 2, “10”) lensed Heroes,
while the famous Victor J. Kemper (They
Might Be Giants, The Hospital, The Candidate, The Reincarnation Of Peter Proud, Dog Day Afternoon, Coma,
Magic, Xanadu, …and justice for all)
gave Only the best yesteryear look
he could. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
sound on both also show their age, with a Jack Nitzsche score on Heroes and Patrick Williams score on Only, neither of which can save the
films. Both have no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
