AUDIOCASSETTES : Excellent Good Fair Poor

“Final Cut.” Read by Roddy McDowall. Dove. Upon first reading, Steven Bach’s story of the “Heaven’s Gate” debacle struck this reader as a fascinating if often overwritten yarn that revealed a great deal about the high-risk pitfalls of the movie business. Somehow, hearing Roddy McDowall’s tempered and precise reading of the book does wonders to smooth out the rough edges of the text and bring the characters to life (frightening as that may be in this case). One note: Like most books on tape, this is an abridged version, but the editing keeps the tangled story intact. 1/2