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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay Thriller Gets an Okay DVD Release, August 9, 2003
A mediocre thriller that comes off better than it should due to the efforts of a fine cast. Kurt Russell plays a Miami newspaper reporter who becomes involved in the story he's covering when a vicious serial killer engages him in a game of cat-and-mouse. The script has plot holes big enough to rival the Grand Canyon, and raises a lot of questions concerning media responsibility that ultimately go answered; but Russell's intense performance tends to gloss over the flaws in the screenplay. Mariel Hemingway offers capable support as Russell's love interest and the story's moral barometer; Richard Jordan makes the most of his short time on-screen as the demented killer; and Andy Garcia is fine as police detective working the case. The DVD is one of MGM's "MovieTime" releases, a series of "B" films that tend to be given the bare bones treatment on DVD. As a rule, "MovieTime" discs offer the movie and the Original Theatrical Trailer only - there are no extras like commentaries, cast bios, stills galleries or other fancy frills; the DVD packaging includes no printed material beyond what you see on the outside of the case. However, the film-to-video masters are usually pretty good, and that's true of this edition of "The Mean Season". The DVD offers a sharp and vibrant widescreen transfer that's far superior to the fuzzy and faded pan-and-scan version that appeared on the earlier LaserDisc release. Overall, an adequate presentation of an adequate suspense thriller.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good thriller that doesn't deliver wanted answers, July 12, 2002
The Mean Season is a really good thriller, well designed, but unsatisfying in its final scenes. Kurt Russell delivers another really great performance as Malcolm Anderson, a burned out reporter for the Miami Herald. He begrudgingly gets assigned a murder case that ends up turning into a serial murder case. Mariel Hemingway portrays his girlfriend. Her role in the film is largely unnecessary until the last third of the film. Hemingway isn't a bad actress, but I must confess I've never seen any alure to her - she looks like a 14 year old boy, not a woman. The film maintains excellent attention to detail and superb suspense throughout. My complaint with the film is simple: A murder mystery/thriller should answer questions it poses. Mean Season does not. Why is the killer doing what he is doing? What is his motive? We are provided what seem to be the reasons for the murders, but are later told that the scenario was a red herring provided by the killer. So were his reasons the real ones or part of the whole red herring ploy? We aren't told. In reality many criminals don't actually have legitimate motives - but in films of this nature, it is a requirement. I can't say that I didn't enjoy this film - because I did. It just left me a bit angry at not answering some basic questions.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does a reporter become complicit in a crime when he publicizes it?, March 14, 2011
Does a reporter become complicit in a crime when he publicizes it just as the criminal wants him to do? This film focuses on a burnt out reporter of a leading Miami, Florida, newspaper who wants to leave his paper after eight years because he is bored. He tells his editor that he needs a story like the Watergate disclosures. He and his girl friend, a school teacher, decide to move west to a small town where he can become the managing editor of a small newspaper.
A young woman is killed, shot in the head. He is assigned by the Miami paper to write the story and does it well. Despite his boredom, he is an excellent writer. He receives a call from the killer who compliments him on his writing skill and tells him he will be killing five people in all and he will call him from time to time so that he can advertise his crimes. He is killing because he wants publicity.
The killer kills as promised and the reporter broadcasts his murders as the murderer wants. The reporter becomes quite famous. People talk about him getting a Pulitzer Prize. He appears on TV. Reporters seek to interview him. His over-involvement places a strain on his relationship with the school teacher. The murderer begins to feel that he ruining what he wants to accomplish; the reporter is getting more exposure than he. This prompts him to take action against the reporter.
In short, both the reporter and the murderer want publicity. Does the reporter finally realize what he is doing? How does he handle the situation?
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