Coinciding with
the theatrical release of Antoine Fuqua’s adaptation, starring Denzel
Washington, the classic 1980s action series has been released in a box set. All
four seasons which aired from 1985 to 1989 are included on 30 discs, along with
several discs of special features. The discs are all housed in the single DVD
cases you would receive if purchasing the seasons separately, though they all
come packaged in a glossy limited edition box with a flip-top lid.
Edward Woodward
stars as former government agent turned private detective Robert McCall, a.k.a.
‘The Equalizer.’ The role was such a significant hit for the actor that he was
nominated for an Emmy five years in a row, despite the show only having four
seasons. In some ways, the special features in this set seem to suggest that
Woodward is the greatest asset of the series. He certainly embodies the role of
the aged professional well, appearing harmless enough to garner the trust of
helpless victims while retaining the abilities of violence learned in his past
life.
McCall runs a
personal advertisement in the local paper under his pseudonym, attracting an
assortment of ordinary people in need. The problems that are brought to McCall
range from as simple as a high school kid being bully to more dangerous
situations that require him to bring along armed and skilled allies. He usually
takes on a few cases an episode, providing a plethora of opportunities for
guest stars who have risen to fame since the show’s original run. Season one
has Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”), Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina the Teenage
Witch”), and Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”). Season two includes Kevin Spacey in his
second professional role, John Goodman, William H. Macy, Christian Slater and
Steve Buscemi, while seasons three and four feature Macaulay Culkin, Telly
Savalas (“Kojak”), Vincent D’Onofrio (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”),
Stanley Tucci, Laurence Fishburne and Ving Rhames.
Although the
limited edition box set may just appear to be a collection of separately
packaged individual seasons, there is a collection of bonus discs that add
extra value to the set. There are six discs of special features, which include
four full discs of “CI5: The New Professionals,” a British crime drama starring
Woodward which was based on the 1970s series, “The Professionals.” There is
also a disc that includes Woodward’s last role, in A Congregation of Ghosts. Most of the extras are directed at fans
of Woodward more than “The Equalizer,” though there is a behind-the-scenes
documentary and an image gallery for the show on the last of the bonus features
discs. Also included is a booklet insert with cast bios and photos.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
1 comment:
Jerry Orbach certainly did the track announcer voice for the December 3 1986 episode "Tip On A Sure Thing" - the same year he was doing voice-over characterizations for the entire 65 episode run cartoon for syndication "Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers." He's got one of those musically attuned voices that is hard to miss once you're acquainted with it. The part of the track announcer is uncredited, which is a shame and makes the crew listing on IMDB incomplete.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0572608/?ref_=ttexrv_exrv_tt
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