Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s receives a television adaptation in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty from HBO. While Rodney Barnes, Max Bornstein, and Jim Hecht handle the scripting duties.
Episode 1 begins in 1991 as Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) gets life-changing news before returning to the late seventies and introducing us to Dr. Buss.
John C. Reilly instantly commands the screen as Jerry Buss, a real estate mogul looking to purchase the Lakers. Reilly brings an everyman approach to the role, and you naturally want to see his character succeed. I enjoyed this performance from Reilly because he avoids the comedic style we have come to know him for. Instead, here he has a dramatic side with joy in his heart.
I am happy the casting department chose an unknown as it gave me a chance to fully embrace Magic’s story as he rises to the top. Newcomer Quincy Isaiah is a real find as one of the all-time great point guards. Isaiah brings the swagger and confidence his real-life counterpart is known for. The supporting cast includes Rob Morgan as Earvin Sr., Jason Clarke as Jerry West, and Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I also must shout out the acting talent of DeVaughn Nixon, who portrays his father, Norm Nixon.
Nixon has a great moment with Quincy Isaiah in Episode 1 that put a smile on my face. It was great to see so many moments I have read about recreated on the screen. As a non-sports fan, I found the first episode very informative, and I foresee it going over very well with the masses.
Episode 1 of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty premiers this Sunday, March 6th, on HBO. New episodes will air every Sunday for the next ten weeks.
Final Grade: A
Aldis Hodge is back on the case as Alex Cross for Season 2 of Prime Video’s “Cross”. Ben Watkins returns as showrunner, with directors including Stacy Muhammad and Craig Siebels.
Civil War dramas often measure valor through cannon fire and cavalry charges. However, “The Gray House*“valuates valor through coded messages, calculated risks, and the steady nerves of women who understood that information could be deadlier than any rifle. This eight-episode limited series reframes the conflict not from the battlefield, but from the drawing rooms of Richmond, where loyalty is performed, and survival depends on silence.
It’s been a month since I finished my first run at Sundance, and I’m finally getting the chance to see some of the films I missed as they began to premiere. One of those films is “In the Blink of an Eye,” which is available on Hulu. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton and written by Colby Day.