The Late Shift
by Betty Thomas
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bob Balaban, Daniel Roebuck, Ed Begley Jr., John Michael Higgins, Kathy BatesDirector: Betty Thomas
Brand: Warner Brothers
Cinematographer: Mac Ahlberg
Producer: Daniel Goldberg
Producer: Don Carmody
Producer: Ivan Reitman
Producer: Joe Medjuck
Writer: Bill Carter
Writer: George Armitage
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 95 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-08-30
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Movie Reviews of The Late Shift
Movie Review: Humorous account of the Battle for The Tonight Show
Summary: 4 Stars
If you are fascinated by what went on behind the scenes in the battle for who will succeed Johnny Carson between up-and-comer David Letterman and seasoned Carson fill-in Jay Leno then you will find this movie very entertaining. This movie orginally aired on HBO in 1996 and by then Leno was beginning his long run as King of Late Night over Letterman.
While John Michael Higgins (as Letterman) and Daniel Roebuck's (as Leno)only somewhat phyically resemble the late night giants, what drives this movie are the supporting roles. Most memorable is Kathy Bates as Leno's fiercely devoted but horribly misguided Agent Helen Kushnick; the fall from her position of power in the Leno camp evokes a feeling of someone getting what's coming to them, but nonetheless sad. Bob Babalon and Reni Santori are excellent as the exasperated, but ultimately triumphant NBC exces Warren Littlefield and John Agoglia who fret over choosing Leno but are rewarded with big ratings (this was before Littlefield's next cash cow - a guy named Seinfeld). Finally, Steven Gilborn's portrayal of Letterman's confidant and moral center Peter Lassally is superb. The one role which truly stretches the boundaries of credibility is Rich Little, who briefly portrays Johnny Carson; he sounds like Carson, but physically is really not a match.
The movie is based on the book by Bill Carter of the same name; it is fairly faithful to the book (it includes the must-see scene depicting the now-infamous true story of Leno hiding in a closet eavesdropping over NBC execs who are meeting to discuss his fate)
While this movie doesn't quite reach the height's (or is it lows?) of the funniest and most bitingly vicious depiction of what goes on behind closed doors in Hollywood portrayed in the criminally under-apreciated Larry Sanders Show, it is a excellent way to spend an hour and a half if you are up for a funny, true tale of Hollywood hi-jinks.
Summary of The Late Shift
When two heads are fighting for the late-night crown, one head has to roll. Based on the true story of the battle between Letterman and Leno for Johnny Carson's Tonight Show hot seat!Loyalties ran deep. People were polarized. And, for a while, folks followed it in the news with bated breath. No, it wasn't an election year; it was the battle for late-night television, bitterly fought by Jay Leno and David Letterman.
Even before Johnny Carson retired, Letterman and Leno were jockeying for The Tonight Show. Letterman had a proven record, but at a later time slot, with an edgier crowd. Leno had the guest-host position and the support of the network. HBO dramatizes the struggle for the 11 p.m.?slot in The Late Shift, a made-for-cable movie that reveals the seedier side of talk television. Kathy Bates gives a hysterical--both in the funny and the manic sense--performance as Leno's manager. John Michael Higgens is a convincing Letterman and Daniel Roebuck (with mounds of latex on his chin) gets the Leno voice right. And while the studio execs and agents (played humorously by Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr., Treat Williams, among others) appear as sharks, both Leno and Letterman come off sympathetically. Even though the outcome is well known, The Late Shift is an entertaining look at the craziness that is late-night TV. --Jenny Brown
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