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Show MLKj Pulse : by Steve K. Wab . Every week this colt mn reviews the merits or demerits of a s network series, miniser ;s, movie or special. More Importantly i' though, we'd like you, I ?e viewer, to get involved with the column col-umn by sending in your opinion about a certain show so we can t register your tele-pulse We'll pass on some of the more in-; in-; teresting comments to 'he network honchos in New York. 7 V MASADA : There were those ifi the industry who felt that the mini-series mini-series as an artform was virtually dead, but those doomsayers were knocked for a loep when NBC's "Shogun" and ABC's "fcast Of Eden" achieve superlative ratings. Tis a shame that : the networks can't offer us more miniseries during the course of the TV season, for most if these small-screen epics are handled with as much tender loving care as the big-budgeted major motion mo-tion pictures. Such is !he case wjth.this week's telecast of ." "Masada," which some, people have dubbed the real 'Jewish Roots.' s "Masada" is not a biblical story, in that it took place after , the Romans had conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the temple and ruled all of Israel except for a small piece of land in the southeast province of Judea (which is still a focal point of contention con-tention even today). There, a ragtag band of fiery Jewish Zealots '.and a flock' of ultra-religious Essene Jews meshed to defend and harass their Romari oppressors. The Romans, under the supreme command of General Flavius Silva, marched to Judea . to rid themselves of these fanatics only to be stifled by the , . desert heat and the Zealots' encampment on the fortress-like ' mountaintop called Masbda. It's a compelling tale of treachery and : counter-treachery;, which ultimately asks the ques- tion Does might make j-ight? . - ' . ' .-."Masada," penned fpr TV by Joel Oliansky, captures the im-agination im-agination with-its Cecil DeMille-like proportions. You have to see it to believe it. And the. performances, rendered by the :;v"; assembled international! cast, are probably the best you will I . ever, see on the smaluscreen. Peter OTooie, who portrays '. Flavius Silva, gives his best performance since "Lawrence of .-.v.:s. Arabia."- He literally dopinates every scene. His antagonist, ;fEI6fear played by Peter Strauss, is almost every bit as good. $ -iBtrauss thrives ; on ' roles which seem to have an anti-'f.' anti-'f.' establishment theme, with this particular part adding extra let- vo'r to his repertoire. There are other fine performances by Barbara Bar-bara Carrera, Silva's Jewish mistress, David Warner as Silva's nemesis Falco, and Anthony Quayle as Silva's brilliant siege strategist Rubrius Gallus; IV K .1 could go on and on about this visually spellbinding pro-S pro-S if duction, but that wouldn't be fair to you. See it; let it affect you. v And. then, perhaps, try and tie a parallel between the events at j.1: "Masada" and contemporary history. You might come away " i with a better understanding of Middle Eastern politics. - Send your comments to Tele-Pulse, co TVCompulog, P.O. Box 123, Lyndhurst, N.J. 07071. |