Tanner '88 - Criterion Collection

Rating:
Summary: Still Relevant
Review: Just in time for the November U.S. elections, the good folks at Criterion have released Robert Altman's little-seen (yet influential) Tanner '88, an eleven-episode mini-series that he created with Gary Trudeau (of Doonesbury fame). Done for then fledgling HBO and shot on video, it was an attempt to critique and satirize the political landscape in America at the time. Sixteen years later, it is still relevant.

The Sundance Channel bought the rights to Tanner '88 and ran the entire series earlier this year. They brought back Altman, Trudeau, and key cast members to record brand new intros for each episode. Tanner is now a university professor who reflects, with some bitter resentment, on that fateful bid for the Oval Office.

There is also a fantastic 20-minute conversation between Altman and Trudeau. It's a spirited conversation with Trudeau being quite animated and Altman flattered by the former's gushing praise.

Tanner '88 is not just a fascinating snapshot of American politics in the late `80s. It holds up today because a lot of the same things are being said and a lot of the same things are being done. The people are still at the mercy of these double-talking politicians and Altman and Trudeau's series zeroes in on this with absolute clarity. Despite its limited run when initially broadcast, it went on to inspire Tim Robbins' scathing Republican satire, Bob Roberts and Steven Soderbergh's short-lived TV show, K Street, which also mixed actors with real politicians (and was also green-lighted HBO). This is a timely release well worth a look.

Rating:
Summary: Ahead of it's time
Review: Script by Gary Trudeau, directed by Robert Altman, shot on video with a small crew, improvising around real life Democratic Convention, bringing in real people from media and politics. And with a candidate, Jack Tanner, who was remarkably prescient of Clinton. The campaign slogan "For Real" had it's tongue firmly in it's cheek. All well ahead of the pack in terms of reality tv, dogme films and it's undertanding of the media.

Truly Excellent. I hope they do it justice in the DVD release.

Rating:
Summary: Tanner is for real
Review: Tanner is an odd bird, it hasn't aged quite as well as i thought it would...yet it remains interesting and sometimes fascinating. The performances are all over the place, sometimes great (Micheal Murphy especially) and sometimes alomst cartoonish...this could be a result of the writing...Trudeau is a cartoonist after all. Being taped on video gives it an odd look as well. Still i watched the whole thing in one sitting and wanted more...so it gets 4 stars. (the interview with Altman and Trudeau is a nice plus)