A truly unique HBO series piloted by Deadwood producer David Milch and “surf-noir” novelist Kem Nunn, John From Cincinnati split viewers into three categories during its brief run: the enthralled, the puzzled, and the annoyed. The series unfolds in and around Imperial Beach, a small Southern California surfing community dominated by the Yosts, the sport's royal family of sorts. The patriarch Mitch (Bruce Greenwood) and his wife Cissy (Rebecca De Mornay) own a surf shop that's managed by family friend Kai (pro surfer Keala Kennelly), who is also the ex-girlfriend of their son Butchie (Brian Van Holt), a once-famous surfer who became a drug addict and fathered a son named Shaun (Greyson Fletcher) with notorious porn star Tina Blake (Chandra West). Got all that? There's more. Successful surfing-product merchandiser Linc Stark (Luke Perry) would love to have talented, up-and-coming surfer Shaun as a spokesman for his line, and towards that end he inveigles beautiful wannabe filmmaker Cass (Emily Rose) to seduce Shaun. Into the midst of this intrigue walks a self-proclaimed student surfer named John Monad (Austin Nichols), who claims to hail from Cincinnati, but is clearly from somewhere else, as becomes readily apparent when he begins working miracles. You might expect this sort of thing in a series that was openly mystical or allegorical, but John From Cincinnati seems firmly grounded in its contemporary setting, with characters interacting in perfectly normal (or at least recognizable) ways. John himself is the epitome of an enigma: Is he an alien? Is he an angel? Is he the ghost of a former Imperial Beach surfer? Is he…God? This is a show that demands of its dedicated viewers full mental and emotional engagement, and many who are willing to make the commitment may find it quite rewarding. Compiling all 10 episodes of this short-lived series aired during 2007, DVD extras include two audio commentaries with creator David Milch, and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
John From Cincinnati
HBO, 3 discs, 600 min., TV-MA, DVD: $59.99 Volume 23, Issue 4
John From Cincinnati
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