Sneak Prevue Mailbag: We’re back after a brief absence

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

After a brief respite, Sneak Prevue returns today.

And one of the first things we’ll do is dig deep into our mailbag to answer several burning questions. You have questions – we have answers. You don’t have to agree with them, but we have answers.

So, let’s get down to business.

Mr. Cassreino: Where have you been? I’ve checked and checked and checked Sneak Prevue for a new critique, but haven’t seen one in a while. Did you shutter your blog? – Emily in Dallas


Dear Emily: No. I haven’t shuttered the blog. Sneak Prevue is still around. I’ve had a lot going on the past month, starting a new job and taking care of two beautiful children. I needed the time to settle into my new position before I could set aside the time I need to maintain the blog.


Sneak Prevue is still live. I still maintain my archive of film commentary. And you can still read my critiques and analysis I have posted since I began this blog in June.

Meanwhile, I hope you return again to read and catch up on my new posts. I plan to return to talking about films old and new, good and bad, bad and awful. Enjoy.

ROKU 2 STREAMING INTERNET TV

Dear Mr. Cassreino: You’ve mentioned before about a device called ROKU. What exactly is it? And is it worth purchasing if you like movies? – Mark in Knoxville


Dear Mark: Glad you asked. ROKU is a cool little device that turns any television into what they call a “Smart TV.” Essentially, the box – which fits in the palm of your hand – allows you to watch high-definition programming through the Internet on your TV.

Many of the “channels” to which you subscribe are free, including several channels featuring high-quality public domain movies and old TV shows. Some channels, like My Damn Channel, offer an impressive lineup of original, high-quality programming.

And then there are the movie channels. With ROKU, you can stream high-definition video from Netflix, which features a string mix of classic and recent films; Amazon.com, which streams current films; and huluPLUS, which offers a mix of classic film from the Criterion Collection and current TV shows. Netflix and huluPLUS cost about $7.99 a month each. I’m not sure the exact price of Amazon.com’s service.

Besides video programming, you also can stream audio services and listen to high-quality Internet radio.

The ROKU box itself starts at $99 and can be bought online at www.roku.com or at Wal-Mart and Best Buy. I bought my first box in January and cut my satellite bill in half by trashing HBO and other movie channels. I bought my second box last week so my children can watch Netflix in their room. I sliced another $20 a month from my satellite by canceling extra service in my two bedrooms. And because I can access Internet radio, I canceled my Sirius-XM satellite radio in my house.

All in all, the savings from satellite TV and radio are more than paying for my two ROKU boxes. It’s well worth a look.

THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974)

Dear Mr. Cassreino: Do you like the disaster movie genre? – Kate in Albany


Dear Kate: No.

Well, let me explain. I dislike films that have flimsy, cardboard, stereotypical characters place in ridiculous situations while making absurd, senseless decisions.

I obviously am referring to the disaster film boom in the early to mid-1970s with such films as “The Poseidon Adventure,” “The Towering Inferno” and “Earthquake.” All of those are dumb films featuring high-profile stars who obviously phoned in their performances and did the film because they needed a pay check.

As the years went on, the films grew from bad to worse to just plain awful. Can you remember such bombs as the Rock Hudson snooze fest “Avalanche" about – you guessed it – an avalanche? Or how about disaster king Irwin Allen’s disastrous disaster films “The Swarm,” “As Time Ran Out” and the “Poseidon Adventure” sequel ingeniously titled “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure.” The stories are cheesy. The acting is melodramatic. The special effects are serviceable at best.

But they raked in the money, largely because they capitalized on people’s innate fascination with death and disaster. The same kind of thing happens on the interstate when you are driving south in bumper-to-bumper traffic thanks to an accident that occurred in the NORTH-BOUND land. Traffic slows so folks can glimpse at the carnage.

Now, with that said, these films do offer a bit of entertainment – specifically because the acting and writing is so bad it often turns the film into self parody.

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