Beverly Garland fans, rejoice: the complete DECOY television series hits DVD at last

Dyed-in-the-wool DECOY lovers -- that famous 1950s TV series about a New York City policewoman -- should be pleased to hear that all 39 episodes of this landmark program, the first of which aired in October of 1957, are now available on DVD, thanks to Film Chest Media. The three-disc set, full of enticing extras (see details in the paragraph at bottom) hits the street this coming Tuesday, May 30. The main attraction of the series -- back then as well as now -- is its star, the famously under-used and under-appreciated Beverly Garland.

Ms Garland, who died in 2008, made a few television series and a number of B-movies, some of them first-rate (D.O.A.) and others awful (Not of This Earth) but raised a notch or two due to her performance. In Decoy she plays a smart, empathetic policewoman who solves case after case in this first-and-only season that the show was allowed.

TrustMovies has watched only seven of the 39 episodes so far, but will go back to them now and again for the fun and nostalgia they provide, as well as for the chance to see Ms Garland at work, along with a wealth of other fine actors -- Barbara Barrie, Colleen Dewhurst, Diane Ladd, Suzanne Pleshette, Peter Falk (shown three photos below) and Martin Balsam, for starters -- at earlier points in their career.

The tales may look pretty dated now but were said to be ahead of their time back in the day, tackling themes from child abuse/abandonment and phone stalkers to drug addiction and (of course) murder. Filmed on location in New York City, the series offered a surprisingly "real" look, as well as a little would-be film noir now and then.

Basically, however, its the usual television mode: let's wrap up a desperate situation in 26 minutes. And this can wear awfully thin awfully fast. That's why watching only one or two episodes at a time is probably your best options. "Binging" on this one will quickly tire you out.

Ms Garland brings, in addition to her beauty and quiet but firm sass, her usual no-nonsense strength of character to the enterprise, even if she is asked to do yeoman's work over and over again in all-too-typical television fashion. She remains, as ever, believable and often remarkable.

The three-disc set comes with a 16-page booklet featuring an extended synopsis, historical notes, trivia page, photo gallery and a wonderful little precis of each episode's plot, leading cast members, and director.

From Film Chest, in 4x3 aspect ratio and running (count 'em!) 1,014 minutes, the DVD set will arrive this Tuesday, May 30 -- for purchase and, I would hope, maybe rental from somewhere or other. (Amazon's current $11.53 price for the 3-disc package seems rather a bargain.)

RATED SR: Socially Relevant Film Festival hits New York City's Quad Cinema, March 14-20

OK: It's yet another film festival here in NYC, but this one does indeed seem a little different, at least. The Rated SR: Socially Relevant Film Festival New York, a new non-profit film festival running March 14-20, 2014, at New York’s Quad Cinema, offers an international selection of narrative and documentary features representing a dozen nations.

According to its press release, RATED SR "focuses on socially relevant human stories and raises awareness of social problems by offering positive solutions through the powerful medium of cinema. Rated SR believes that through raised awareness, expanded knowledge about diverse cultures, and the human condition as a whole, it is possible to create a better world free of violence, hate and crime.

"Rated SR shines the spotlight on filmmakers (such as Simon Brook, above) who tell compelling, socially relevant narratives across a broad range of social issues without resorting to gratuitous violence and violent forms of movie-making. Rated SR Films are enlightening, uplifting, enter-taining, but most of all artistically appealing. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales each year of the festival will be donated to a charity selected from the fields of: poverty, homelessness, cancer and aging."

Journalist and author Amy Goodman (at right) will deliver the festival’s keynote address on Tuesday, March 18th, and present the “Rated SR Social Justice Award” for raising awareness to issues outside mainstream media. Founded by award-winning actor, filmmaker and curator Nora Armani, the festival will showcase films with human interest stories and socially relevant themes as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling. Rated SR aims to promote positive social change through the powerful medium of cinema.   

Over thirty narratives (such as Dovid Meyer, above, and Little Bi-Beep, the penultimate photo) and documentary films (Control, below, and From the Black You Make Color, at bottom) will screen -- including twelve feature films which will compete for the Grand Prize: a week-long theatrical engagement at the Quad Cinema, courtesy of the QuadFlix Select Program, and ten documentaries will compete for the documentary prize. The winner will receive a VOD DVD distribution deal courtesy of Cinema Libre Studio, a leader in the distribution of social issue documentaries and independent feature films. To take a look at the complete festival line-up, simply click here and then start browsing.

There are various ticket packages and discounted ticket options available, including a 10-ticket package: $80.00 (up to 2 tickets per title) 3-day weekend pass (Friday March 14- Sunday March 16): $65.00 7-day pass (Friday March 14-20) includes all films and panels: $85.00 Group tickets available for parties of 10 or more: $8.00 per ticket through the outreach program. Any of these various packages can be purchased by clicking here. Individual tickets are available at the Quad Cinema.

A selection of close to 100 film trailers from the festival submissions are viewable here, having garnered close to 100,000 visits to date. Media and other festival partners include the Village Voice, NYFA, Indieflix, Unifrance Films International, Cineuropa, Alouette Communications, FIAF, Samuel Infirmier, Final Draft and Center for Remembering and Sharing. New-York based metalsmith designer Michael Aram has donated a special trophy to be awarded to the recognized Rated SR honoree. The festival awards the Vanya Exerjian award to a film that raises awareness to violence against women and girls, in commemoration of Armani’s late cousin and uncle, victims of a violent hate crime.   

Festival Contact: Education and Community Outreach Coordinator: Constance Du Bois -- outreachsr@gmail.com

For love of the game: Bobbito Garcia & Kevin Couliau's DOIN' IT IN THE PARK proves one of our best basketball movies

From its first action-filled frames and the filmmakers' gracious nod to the inventor of basketball (James Naismith) and what he hoped to achieve, DOIN' IT IN THE PARK: Pick-up basketball, New York City, makes a great case for this played-everywhere-and-anywhere neighborhood game as THE be-all and end-all of sport love stories.

Further, as this tremen-dously entertaining documentary moves on, and we meet some of the great pick-up players, as well as some notable ex-NBA stars who talk about their own experience with pick-up basketball, it becomes increasingly clear that the filmmakers have stuck documentary gold.

Those filmmakers --Bobbito Garcia (shown at left, from New York), who also wrote and narrates, and Kevin Couliau (below, right, from France), who doubles as cinematog-

rapher -- have together come up with a movie that is boundlessly informative and almost as full of energy and surprise and any of those pick-up games they show us in the course of their film. TrustMovies says this as someone who has rarely cared a fig about the sport. For those who already love it and/or play it, the film will be a must-see. In addition to the men (mostly black) who play these pick-up games, the movie includes a couple of talented white ones, along with one section on women who play and another on deaf players (who knew?) and what basketball has come to mean for our ever-growing prison population.

Over 90 days, which pretty much lines up with the three summer months, on 180 courts across the five boroughs of New York City, the filmmakers ply their trade, while discovering some relevant, funny and surprising things. "If we didn't have a ball or hoop, we'd use rolled-up socks and a wire hanger," notes one old-time player.

If another happened to arrive so early that  no one else was there to play, "I'd play by myself, right hand against left hand, until somebody showed up!"

We learn all about the different pick-up games that are played -- from HORSE to 21 to something called Boots Up (above: "You won't find this in the NBA!" we're told). Full of anecdotes, reminiscences, even some rap poetry and a lesson on the use of trash talk (below), visually the film is edited so fast with near-constant narration that you may find yourself a little out of breath. But you won't be bored.

The movie's also full of terrific archival film and photos (notice those afros, below) and is sometimes very funny, too. "It was a home away from home," notes one player of his playground: "They used to change my diapers in this park!" The filmmakers also show us the game as it sometimes is, with players leaving the court beaten -- and even bloody.

The best of all pick-up basketball locations, it turns out, is Manhattan's little vest-pocket playground on 6th Avenue at West 3rd Street, right across from the IFC Center. We spend a lot of time there, where we meet one of the most surprising of our men, Jack Ryan, the white, 6-feet tall dunker (below) who is now 49 years old but hardly looks it and plays like a black man. "The best eight-letter name I've ever heard in my life!" notes one of his co-players.

We learn about Earl Manigault, aka the Goat, who is the only player to have had an actual park named after him, and was "the father of the neighborhood" until he got hooked on heroin and turned to crime to pay for his habit. (Filmmaker Garcia, who played pro ball for a time, was mentored by Manigault.)

Once the end credits have rolled, don't go away, for there's a five-minute segment in which we watch our two filmmakers play against each other in many of the parks around the boroughs. Really: This is one fucking gem of a documentary.

Doin' It in The Park -- from Goldcrest Films and running 82 minutes -- after a rousing success at festivals in foreign cities around the globe, opens this coming Wednesday in its home territory, New York City, at the Maysles Cinema, as well as simultaneously being released in the UK. Its worldwide digital release took place at the beginning of the month, and it will have its World Tour, presented by Nike, from now through this coming August. (The movie soundtrack will be released on June 1st.)