THE DROWNING POOL REVIEWED
“The Drowning Pool” is the sequel to Harper. But, it’s done in the same way that Fletch Lives was a sequel to Fletch. Newman and Woodward continue their real-life love affair onscreen. What happens next is a young Melanie Griffith gets to seduce Newman. After that gets out of the way, what comes next plays like an extended NBC Sunday Night Mystery. Though, the film’s title comes from a rather creative set piece, it feels odd. It’s not like “A New Hope” was named “Trash Compactor”.
What’s weird about this film ultimately boils down to two factors. Newman waited too long to return to the film and it felt out of place in the 1970s. Network TV had taken over the mystery angle and film was required to do something bigger. There is nothing in this film that couldn’t be shown in a weekly hour-long drama. Well, outside of the 17 year old young woman trying to solicit sexual favors. HBO was around back then, but not in a ton of homes.
Also, what was up with Melanie Griffith getting those kinds of roles back in the day?
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Vintage Featurette
- Trailer
A/V STATS
- 2.40:1 1080p transfer
- DTS-HD 2.0 MONO