Dramatic biographies of an American hero are available for the first time from MGM/UA Home Video. Barry Bostwick stars as our first president in the TV miniseries George Washington (three cassettes, no suggested retail price) and its sequel George Washington: The Forging of a Nation (two cassettes, $29.98).
Patty Duke Astin, Jaclyn Smith, David Dukes, Hal Holbrook and Lloyd Bridges co-star in the programs, which portray Washington not as a totally fearless leader, but as a real man with the usual quota of flaws and insecurities.
Clint Eastwood seems to be the “man of the week” in video stores.
Along with Wednesday’s premiere of In the Line of Fire (Columbia TriStar Home Video, R, priced for rental, $29.95 for 8 mm, $34.95 laserdisc, closed-captioned) and the repricing of “Unforgiven” (now $19.98 from Warner Home Video), you’ll find a new documentary called Clint Eastwood: The Man From Malpaso (Warner, $19.95).
The program is named for Eastwood’s production company and traces the actor/director’s long career; also, Genevieve Bujold, Frances Fisher, Gene Hackman, Marsha Mason and Forest Whitaker talk about working with Eastwood.
Fitness video collectors will hardly recognize their former drill sergeant, whose notorious “feel the burn” routines have given way to the easy-going Jane Fonda’s Yoga Exercise Workout (just released by A+Vision Entertainment, $19.98). It’s a gentle stretching and toning program that, according to Fonda, “leaves you centered, focused and tingling,” but thankfully, not burning.
