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455,229 | 11,228,318 | 57,169 | 9 |
I Was a Teenage Thumb was another latter-day Warner Bros . - Chuck Jones cartoon I watched on YouTube
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Just watched this latter-day Warner Bros . Merrie Melodies cartoon on YouTube . Directed by Chuck Jones with Maurice Noble , this cartoon seemed to be their version of the Tom Thumb story with the parents , especially the wife , wanting a child . Then Merlin , who changes into anything for seconds at a time , grants the wife's wish when he overhears her . Then after the boy is taken away by a cat . . . oh , watch the short on YouTube or anywhere you encounter this if you want to see what happens . What I'll tell you is this cartoon has a " Fractured Fairy Tales " vibe that you'd recognize if you've ever seen that particular segment on " The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show " . Quite dryly funny throughout with a sort-of British flavor that Jones seemed into during this period . So for that reason , I highly recommend I Was a Teenage Thumb .
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454,010 | 11,228,318 | 50,933 | 9 |
Sayonara was an entertaining look at America-Japan relations of the time
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Having borrowed this movie from the local library a couple of weeks ago intending to originally see this on or a few days after Memorial Day , I finally got to seeing Sayonara just this morning . In this one Marlon Brando plays Major Lloyd " Ace " Gruver , a General's son who's been raised a certain way , being transfered from Korea to Japan where his girlfriend Eileen Webster ( Patricia Owens ) conveniently happens to be . Before leaving , he tries to persuade one of his men , a Joe Kelly ( Red Buttons ) , out of marrying Japanese woman Katsumi ( Miyoshi Umeki ) since that's a violation of military fraternization laws . With the romance of him and Eileen on the outs , however , Ace not only becomes the best man at Joe and Katsumi's wedding , he falls for an Asian himself after he and Captain Mike Bailey ( James Garner ) go out on the town and watch headlining entertainer Hana-ogi ( Miiko Taka ) on stage . Bailey himself is dating one of the dancers , Fumiko-San ( Reiko Kuba ) . Eileen herself seems to have a fancy for one of the Kabuki performers , Nakamura ( Ricardo Montalban ) . I'll stop right there and say that this was a mostly compelling drama about the prejudices concerning American-Asian relations of romance that was very touching from beginning to end . Even seeing Hispanic Montalban playing an Oriental isn't too embarrassing ( though it's a good thing his part is short ) . And there's some nice touches of humor like that of Brando's head hitting the top of Button's and Umeki's inside doorway more than once . Red and Miyoshi themselves deserve their Oscars especially Red with his defiant and proud emotions throughout . Rookie Garner , before being cast in his legendary role on TV's " Marverick " , is fine in his scenes with Brando and Miiko Taka shows great restraint in her initial characterization as an anti-American . While I've read there were some changes from James Michener's novel , I can't imagine director Josha Logan , who had previously adopted another Michener work into the Broadway musical " South Pacific " and would eventually make that into a movie as well , not staying true to the original source . He certainly provided some inspiration with the ending scenes that made the heartbreaking earlier tragedy in the film a somewhat necessary plot twist . Some of the production numbers may have made the movie a little longish but otherwise , Sayonara was wonderful educational experience about the ' 50s mores that permeated America and Japan at the time .
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454,236 | 11,228,318 | 62,873 | 9 |
The Young Girls of Rochefort is a wonderful French musical possibly inspired by American jazz
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This French musical inspired , I'm sure , by the American M-G-M musicals ( with Gene Kelly's presence being possible evidence of that ) takes a while but once you get into the dances and mostly dubbed singing ( Danielle Darrieux excepted ) the rest of the story and picture takes you to a realm that seems out of this world . The lead twin sisters Solange and Delphine , played by real-life sibs Francoise Dorleac and Catherine Deneuve , provide much of the appeal for me as they appear in various glamorous costumes-and in one scene wigs-for their very appealing numbers with music provided by Michel Legrand ( who actually gets referenced in a number ! ) . Ms . Darrieux is also very appealing as their mother , Yvonne . Nice to see West Side Story performer George Chakiris dancing as one of the two male leads and finally see Kelly actually doing his steps in actual French streets as opposed to the studio backlots in An American in Paris ( though it's a shame that part of his dialogue is dubbed since it's so obvious when that happens ) . His charm as a dancer is still evident even when doing simple steps and his pairing with Ms . Dorleac brings some romantic sizzle to the proceedings . And the many coincidences and missed opportunities that abound bring such delicious irony to the possible inevitable happy endings that make dreamers be glad to dream what they dream . In summary , The Young Girls of Rochefort is an American musical-inspired French delight ! P . S . I realized I had to change screen sizes in the middle of this movie when I found some of the subtitles were obviously not on screen . So I watched the beginning all over again to get the full treatment and I'm so glad I did !
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454,902 | 11,228,318 | 1,127,265 | 9 |
Bitter Sweets is another enjoyable episode of " Pushing Daises "
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All right , here is this episode in a nutshell : The murder of a man named Tony is blamed on his girlfriend Tina , Tina gets out of jail when Tony's friend Alfredo is fingered by Tony after Ned revives him for a minute , Alfredo blames it on his girlfriend who is an inflatable doll but takes the rap for her anyway , Billy and Dilly Balsam ( Mike White and Molly Shannon , director and star of Year of the Dog from earlier this year ) have opened a candy shop called Bitter Sweets across from The Pie Hole ( which now reads " The Pie Ho " after the lights of the last two letters fritz out ) meaning rivalry between the shops though Ned doesn't believe in competition , Billy later turns up dead in a candy vat that Ned discovers as Dilly catches him thinking he's the culprit and has him arrested , Chuck and Emerson resolve to solve the crime without Ned's help , Ned ends up in jail with Alfredo who's happy knowing his " girlfriend " is waiting for him , and after the case is closed and Ned's free , he finally confesses to Chuck that he killed her father which stuns her as the episode ends . . . I've skipped through some plot points but if you've already seen " Bitter Sweets " you know what happened between the lines . Another enjoyable episode of " Pushing Daises " and it's nice to see Olive think of someone other than Ned , specifically that salesman who likes her who's now gone to other places . Here's hoping he returns soon . Next week's preview shows that Chuck leaves after knowing Ned's truth about her father . Hope she doesn't go too far away . Knowing that the next episode that comes two weeks from now was the last before the writer's strike , I hope that gets resolved ( to the writers ' favor ) in time for some new ones at least next spring . " Pushing Daises " is just too good a show to just disappear . Fingers crossed ! P . S . Loved seeing Molly Shannon again .
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455,144 | 11,228,318 | 55,278 | 9 |
Paris Blues make Poitier and Carroll luminous together
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Having just reviewed Sidney Poitier in 1960's All the Young Men for Black History Month in commenting on African-Americans in film in chronological order , we're now at 1961 with another Poitier movie , Paris Blues . Actually , he's a co-star with Diahann Carroll , Joanne Woodard , and her real-life husband , Paul Newman . Poitier and Newman are American jazz musicians in the French city while Carroll and Woodard are U . S . tourists who fall for the leading men . The most interesting scenes , to me , were those between Poitier and Carroll about discussions of living in America to experience the emerging civil rights cause which Diahann's character Connie wants vs . staying in France where people are colorblind which Sidney's character Eddie prefers . The other romance between Newman and Woodard is the kind you've seen in other movies though they make the scenes work nonetheless . And how cool was it to see Louis Armstrong as Wild Man Moore play his trumpet with the Poitier and Newman characters trying to keep up on the saxophone and trombone , respectively . Also cool was the Duke Ellington score ( with possibly some of it done by his longtime associate , Billy Strayhorn ) that got him his sole Oscar nomination . Director Martin Ritt lets the scenes flow at a leisurely pace with only some subplots threatening to interrupt the flow ( such as the cocaine addiction of the band's guitarist ) . All in all , Paris Blues was one of the most pleasant surprises I've seen in a while . P . S . As a longtime Louisiana resident , I have to take note of both New Orleans native Armstrong and LSU graduate Woodard in their only film together . And I just found out Sidney Poitier turned 81 today so on that note , Happy Birthday , Mr . Tibbs !
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455,068 | 11,228,318 | 1,127,269 | 9 |
The Boss is another charming and endearing episode of " Samantha Who ? "
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As if her amnesia and attempts to get reacquainted with her friends and parents weren't enough , Sam's workplace gets a visit from the rarely seen partner of Chapman and Funk : Winston Funk ( Timothy Olyphant ) . Andrea coos like a teenage girl when she sees him as she reveals to Sam her crush on him and not just because of his money . ( " I'd love him even if he were a millionaire . " ) When Sam sees him in his office , Funk reveals an engagement ring for her since he's now divorced from his previous wife . Turns out he and Sam had an affair in her old life . Sam explains her condition to him and leaves before coming back to return the ring . Later , after getting another brush-off from Todd who stopped returning her phone calls , Sam talks to Dena , who is practicing writing for an online class , about her situation . Dena takes all this down as material for her story annoying Sam with her constant accents . At home , Sam gets a surprise as Funk shows up with her parents who are happy for her engagement especially since Dad is promised a ride in the helicopter ! Though she still refuses , Sam seems to fall under Winston's charm as he makes snow suddenly appear falling ( though he just saw it coming through a street lamp ) . So a spell seems to cast under the couple . . . then the parents ruin it with Mom taking a picture . At work the next day , Sam giggles at a joke told by Winston . That alone is enough for Andrea to figure out her relationship with him . She leaves , declaring her and Sam no longer friends . While discussing this latest development with Dena who's still writing her story , a limousine arrives to take Sam away . She refuses at first then accepts knowing Todd still doesn't want her back . In the limo , after Sam asks for a coffee from Winston ( the drink , not the franchise ) , she remembers her old self walking into Chapman's office and telling him not to give Andrea that promotion in New York , just so they can stay together . Sam starts to leave again but Funk tells his driver to take her to wherever she wants which turns out to be a cupcake shop where she and Andrea used to just smell since that was " like eating without the calories " . As the best friends reminisce and make up , Todd finds a paper that has the mother's picture of Sam and Winston on the front page . As Sam relaxes at home with a cup watching television , she hears a knock on the door . It's a snow-globe with a note to shake it . As she does , Todd comes in and reveals how jealous he is by kissing her ! Sam smiles as he leaves and the scene ends . . . This was another very funny episode of " Samantha Who ? " told with heart and romance galore ! Andrea is especially charming with her schoolgirl regression concerning Funk and her later hurt when she finds out about Samantha's inadvertent betrayal . And it's nice to see Dena find a new creative outlet for her spare time . She's quite hilarious with those accents ! And Olyphant , who I previously saw as the villain in Live Free and Die Hard , oozes such charm here that it's so easy to see why everyone seems to fall in love with him on first sight . I'm guessing we'll see him in a few more episodes . So with all that , " Samantha Who ? " just keeps getting better and better ! Chirstina Applegate can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned and it's nice to know ABC will renew this show for another season . Certainly the fact it's after " Dancing with the Stars " has something to do with that !
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454,703 | 11,228,318 | 462,322 | 9 |
Grindhouse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Tarantino / Rodriguez fans
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Wow ! Grindhouse is one of the most awesome movie theatre experiences in my life of 39 years ! This Quentin Tarantino / Robert Rodriguez joint effort is the closest I'll ever come to what it was like to see a double feature from the ' 70s of exploitation movie fare . The first thing shown is a bogus trailer for something called Machete , a revenge flick about an assassin turning back on his employers after one of them betrays his trust in a surprise shooting . Cheech Marin has an amusing appearance as a priest . " They've ( f-word ) the wrong Mexican " , indeed ! Oh , and it has an X rating ( what NC-17 was then ) . Then just after the rainbow-colored ' 70s " Our Feature Presentation " intro with the funky music ( boy , does that bring back childhood memories ! ) , Rose McGowan-looking all hot in her stripper ( or go-go ) outfit-dances oh so sexily during the opening credits for Planet Terror . Also appearing are Freddy Rodriguez , Bruce Willis , Naveen Andrews , Michael Biehn , Marley Shelton , and Stacy Ferguson , better known as Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas . Robert Rodriguez doesn't stint on the gore but many of it looks so fabulously over-the-top entertaining that you can't help but be highly awestruck by it all . Of course , there had to be a missing reel for the sex scene ! Oh well , maybe it will be on the DVD ! Next , come three " Prevues of Coming Attractions " ( There's that funky music with the psychedelic rainbow colors again ! ) First , is Werewolf Women of the S . S . with Sybil Danning and Nicholas Cage as a Kung Fu master . Talk about a politically incorrect portrayal of a white playing an Asian ! Then comes Don't , a promo for a haunted house horror movie so common during the ' 70s . Next , is Thanksgiving , a parody of various holiday slasher offerings from the ' 80s ( Halloween , Mother's Day , April Fools ' Day , My Bloody Valentine , Silent Night , Deadly Night and let's not forget , Friday the 13th and its sequels . . . ) See the parade turkey get beheaded ! See that topless cheerleader get knifed in the anus ! ( this scene got heavily edited for the MPAA ) Perhaps the most sick and hilarious fake trailer there was ! Finally , after a cartoon cougar morphed into a Restricted title card , we have Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof ( though there is another title that appears briefly before DP crudely appears on a black card ) . Like many Tarantino movies , this one has many conversations about various pop culture references like the movie Vanishing Point which heavily influenced this movie . Kurt Russell plays Stuntman Mike who likes to kill women either in or with his car . Among some of his victims are Sydney Tamiia Poitier and a blond Rose McGowan . Marley Shelton plays the same character she played in Planet Terror . Then there's a group of stunt women that includes Rosario Dawson and the double for Uma Thurman in the Kill Bill movies , Zoe Bell . The Tarantino dialogue can get a little monotonous here but it's worth it to see the climatic car chase that takes one's breath away . I especially loved the point-of-view shot of Zoe's from the hood of the car . So , in summation , Grindhouse is one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had in a movie theater short of actually experiencing a real grindhouse or drive-in . Loved the fake splices and scratches of most of Planet Terror , the previews , and some of Death Proof . Dig Rodriguez's score in his movie and Tarantino's choice of vintage songs in his . Well worth it to experience Grindhouse in a theatre near you ! Oh , and Quentin does fine cameos in both movies .
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454,372 | 11,228,318 | 12,320 | 9 |
Invisible Ink is another entertaining short of Max Fleischer's Koko the Clown
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Max Fleischer keeps losing the tip of his fountain pen in the inkwell . It seems Koko's been removing those tips from inside . Max doesn't want to play with him on the drawing board so he draws an exit door for him to go through . Koko just dances around so Max draws chains on him and uses a sticker to keep him in one place . Thinking of a better idea , Max then uses invisible ink to draw a bike and some gymnastic equipment so when Koko is set free those items disappear . Koko does , however , ride the invisible bike ! He then draws a line off the drawing board and on to various buildings which Max follows to the letter . The clown then finds other drawing boards where he copies himself hundreds of times . Just as Fleischer finds the real Koko , Koko dives in the invisible ink and disappears . . . Another funny live-action / animation hybrid from the early days of Max Fleischer that were real steps forward in the silent days of films . Well worth seeing for any animation buff .
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455,177 | 11,228,318 | 452,716 | 9 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer : Welcome to the Hellmouth is very good beginning for cult series
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Sunday , September 17 , 2006 marked the last broadcast of the WB . It was marked by airing the pilots of the following classics : Felicity , Angel , Buffy the Vampire Slayer , and Dawson's Creek . Buffy the Vampire Slayer was originally a movie from 1992 starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry . That movie's writer , Joss Whedon , wasn't satisfied with the final result so he tried again with a TV series with himself as executive producer . Buffy Summers ( Sarah Michelle Gellar ) moves to Sunnydale from L . A . with her mother ( Kristine Sutherland ) , having been kicked out of her last high school . There she's befriended by Cordelia Chase ( Chrisma Carpenter ) who tries to introduce Buffy to her clique . But Buffy takes more of a shine to shy Willow ( Alyson Hannigan ) and her friends Xander ( Nicholas Brendan ) and Jesse ( Eric Balfour ) . As she enters the school library , she encounters a bespectacled man with a British accent named Rupert Giles ( Anthony Stewart Head ) who knows Buffy's a slayer and identifies himself as her watcher . Buffy really just wants a normal life . Giles explains what his and her duties are . Meanwhile , a dead body appears in a girl's locker . . . Very good first episode of what would be an outstanding series . Gellar , Hannigan , Brendan , and Head already make a fine team with Carpenter perfect as the stuck-up one . Also making first appearances are Angel ( David Boreanaz ) who is not yet identified as a vampire and Darla ( Julie Benz ) , not yet known as Angel's former lover . This was the first WB show that truly gave the network an identity as the one that teens could relate to . So it's fitting that it should air on the WB's last day . So long , WB . It's been nice knowing you for the past 11 years . . .
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454,005 | 11,228,318 | 441,773 | 9 |
Kung Fu Panda is one of the best from Dreamworks Animation yet
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While I admit to falling asleep at some scenes ( parts of Tai Lung's escape and some of Po's training ) , I was mostly highly amused and entertained by what Shifu ( Dustin Hoffman ) was teaching Po ( Jack Black ) . In fact , this was one of the most entertaining of the Dreamworks Animation features . Po gets befriended by five other of Shifu's students : Viper ( Lucy Liu ) , Monkey ( Jackie Chan ) , Crane ( David Cross ) , Mantis ( Seth Rogen ) , and Tigress ( Angelina Jolie ) . The villain , Tai Lung ( Ian McShane ) , was another student of Shifu's whose attitude got him jailed for 20 years . Also of interest is Mr . Ping , Po's restaurateur father ( James Hong ) , who turns out to be quite an inspiration to his son though it doesn't seem that way at first . Black's line readings and the animation movements of his panda character are some of the funniest I've seen and heard on the screen yet and the relationship between Po and Shifu are some of the best mixture of funny and touching especially the end scenes that end up quite differently than you'd expect ( perhaps the fact Kung Fu Panda is mainly meant for kids have something to do with it ) . So on that note , this movie comes highly recommended for the whole family though it's okay if you just watch this alone or with a friend as I did . P . S . I loved the 2-D animation that began this movie ( which included the unique way the Dreamworks logo was done here ) .
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454,014 | 11,228,318 | 37,758 | 9 |
A Gun in His Hand is another " Crime Does Not Pay " short well worth seeking
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This is another of M-G-M's " Crime Does Not Pay " shorts that appeared in the " Special Features " section of the DVD " Film Noir : Bringing Darkness to Light " . In this one , rookie cop Dennis Nordell ( Tom Trout ) , after graduating from police academy , goes back to his crooked friends in order to pull one heist after another of various warehouses . He seems to have thought it all out , but at the last minute , after he killed a veteran on the force and got transfered to homicide and then tries to finger a crook with a record , some small clues trip him up . . . Another compelling entry in the series that provides some added excitement of underscoring and narration by a mentor of some new recruits about Nordell with a lesson to them at the end . Well worth seeking out for anyone interested in these vintage stuff .
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453,879 | 11,228,318 | 861,136 | 9 |
Heores : Better Halves is a bit slower but still moves plot along
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As the last episode ended , Peter has answered Issac's phone with Present Hiro on the other line . Peter's message to him , " Save the cheerleader , save the world . " This was the same one Future Hiro had said to Peter previously . Peter also relays to Present Hiro and Ando about Hiro's future self . After he hangs up , Peter asks Issac if there are any missing paintings . Issac mentions Simone taking them to the art gallery to be sold . In Las Vegas , as Hiro and Ando try to drive away , they are stopped by the cowboy-hatted gambler that Ando and Hiro had defeated some hours before . He challenges them to another game . Hiro once again stops time during the card game and changes the cards position . Ando later notices a gun under one of the players ' side and excuses himself and Hiro to the bathroom . While there we hear some violent sounds and see the bathroom door get dented . As Hiro and Ando get out we see all of the players dead on the floor full of blood . Claire agrees to meet her " bio-parents " and asks if there was anything in either parents history she should know about . The bio-father mentions some of his family having diabetes . After meeting is over , Claire's current dad is asked by bios if they'd done well . Also during this time , he gets a call from Eden , the young lady who's been with Mohinder , and she tells him about Peter and Hiro as well as the " Save the cheerleader " phrase . Meanwhile , back in Vegas , Niki gets a surprise visit from her ex-husband who tells her that it was a woman , not him , who took a suitcase containing millions of dollars and killed his ex-cohorts . After making love with him , Niki sees her reflection as well as that of her different self . She later confronts her alone as this different self confesses to both killing those thieves associated with her ex and the gamblers that Hiro and Ando met . Niki's bad self then finds the hidden suitcase , confronts ex as she tries to kill him , and finds herself knocked out by him when he phases his fist through her body . Ex then takes Micah who cries when he sees his mother down . Back in New York , Issac answers the door . It is Eden . . . A bit slower than previous episodes but still compelling enough to move some plot lines along . So Eden is in cahoots with Claire's dad . Whether this means there's something evil going between them or what may be answered in future installments . And what's going on with Matt the cop at the convenience store where we found him last week having took the potential robber's gun and then fainted as he keeps hearing fellow customers ' thoughts on him being the robber . Maybe we'll find out next week . I can hardly wait . . .
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454,808 | 11,228,318 | 65,916 | 9 |
Joe marks a great performance of the late Peter Boyle and the debut of Susan Sarandon
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Though I saw this movie about 4 years ago long before I started commenting on IMDb , I decided to review it now which is unusual for me since before now I often reviewed something just after seeing it . What can I say ? Well , the best performance is that of the late Peter Boyle as the title character who , after finding out about a man's killing the drug-dealing boyfriend of his daughter , wants to bond with him even though he's a Madison Avenue executive who has nothing in common with the very lower-class conservative Joe . In fact , there are plenty of funny scenes of Joe at this guy's party making smart alecky remarks there . Oh , and it should be noted that the actress that plays the daughter who they're looking for after she disappeared from the hospital after overdosing on some drugs is none other than Susan Sarandon making her film debut ! This was a pretty hard-hitting movie for the time it was made ( late ' 60s-early ' 70s ) and was compelling work from scripter Norman Wexler ( later of Saturday Night Fever ) and director John G . Avildsen ( later to do Save the Tiger , Rocky , and The Karate Kid ) . Certainly the ending packs a wallop even today after all these years ! Highly recommended for anyone curious about the counterculture of that time . P . S . Among the cultural artifacts seen here are a Raggedy Ann doll , a box of Ritz crackers , a bottle of Heinz ketchup , and , unique for the era , a Nixon poster asking , " Would you buy a used car from this man ? "
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454,524 | 11,228,318 | 148,453 | 9 |
Marvin Digs hints at Ralph Bakshi's work post-Terrytoons
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In honor of Ralph Bakshi's 69th birthday on this day in 2007 , Jerry Beck linked from YouTube on Cartoon Brew this , Marvin Digs , the first one Bakshi made for the fading Parmount Cartoon Studio ( formerly Famous Studios ) . Very much of its time , the title character is a teenager with hair all over him who exasperates his father because he lays around all day without working for a living and gives flowers to everyone he meets outside . So he gets him to do what his wife wanted her husband to do while she's gone : Paint the house . When the mayor on TV , however , asks his audience to decorate the city as they would their own home , Marvin enlists his friends to help decorate the entire apartment building in psychedelic colors to the horrors of his dad . After the mayor comes by and praises the effort though , dad has a newfound admiration for him as he tells stories of his youth to him as the cartoon ends . . . What a radical effort from Bakshi away from his former home studio Terrytoons in the waning days of theatrical short animation from the major studios as Marvin Digs hints at his more ambitious efforts in feature films like Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic . Wonderful vocal rock score by The Life Cycle and such imaginative backgrounds by Cosmo Anzilotti , James Simon , John Zago , and Bakshi himself . Well worth seeking out if you're a die-hard Ralph Bakshi fan .
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455,070 | 11,228,318 | 1,127,386 | 9 |
The Jerusalem Duality explores Sheldon's weak side in " The Big Bang Theory "
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Dr . Eric Gablehauser ( Mark Harelik ) brings 15-year-old Dennis Kim ( Austin Lee ) to Sheldon and Leonard's attention . He wants Sheldon to welcome him in as a fellow associate . Unfortunately , Sheldon is jealous of him because he accomplished so much at a younger age than when Sheldon was during his teen years ( except for when Dennis ' family was digging themselves out of Korea ) . Depressed , Sheldon then busts in on assignments of his friends ' which results in the same admonition from Leonard , Howard , and Raj : " Go away ! " So those three resolve to get a girl to socialize with Dennis by bringing a bunch of many of them his age to the welcoming party . For a while , he seems uninterested but after Gablehauser introduces him , Dennis comes in and says " no thanks , I'm taking Emma to the mall " as a tall blonde accompanies him . Sheldon than steps in confidently and says , " While Mr . Kim , by virtue of his youth and naiveté , has fallen prey to the inexplicable need for human contact , let me step in and assure you that my research will go on uninterrupted , and that social relationships will continue to baffle and repulse me ! " We then see Dennis enjoying kissing Emma under the tree while Leonard , Howard , and Raj look on wondering how he got so lucky when they weren't as fortunate at his age while Sheldon couldn't care less . . . Another hilarious episode of " The Big Bang Theory " that explores Sheldon's venerability concerning himself no longer being the unique prodigy he once was . We also find out here , with Penny's questioning of why the other three hang with Sheldon who can be so arrogant at times , Howard simply says , " We liked Leonard . " Also hilarious was hearing painful dating stories of Leonard and Howard when they were teens . So glad CBS renewed " The Big Bang Theory " for another season . You rock , Chuck Lorre ! By the way , Emma Degerstedt had previously appeared on " Samantha Who ? " as a teen Sam .
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454,644 | 11,228,318 | 146,461 | 9 |
The Bandmaster is a very good Walter Lantz / Andy Panda cartoon
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Just watched this Walter Lantz / Andy Panda cartoon on YouTube as linked from Mayerson on Animation blog . Like Mickey Mouse in The Band Concert , Mr . Panda is the conductor of a symphony orchestra though here it's in a circus . They're playing the overture to " Zampa " . While an early version of Donald Duck was the nemesis of Mickey in Band Concert , here it's just a series of unrelated gags that mostly hit the mark . Among them : An audience member attempts to give one band member a " hot " foot but a miniature fan inside the shoe puts it out , a female trapeze artist loses her hair when she goes down , and a drunk tightrope walker sees pink elephants dancing to a particularly dainty section of the piece . Andy himself is used sparingly but has some moments at the end . So on that note , The Bandmaster is recommend .
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454,268 | 11,228,318 | 1,261,346 | 9 |
Surprise lived up to the episode's name in this edition of " Swingtown "
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Having finally watched this episode after surviving Hurrricane Gustav ( a tree fell in my parents ' house but neither me nor my dad were anywhere near the master bedroom where the disaster happened , thank God , and my mom was at work at Women's Hospital at the time ) , here's the synopsis in a nutshell : This being the day of Janet's surprise birthday party , Susan tells Roger that they should not see each other for awhile after that since she's mixed about their kiss the last time . During lunch hour , Janet is seen by her male co-worker at the paper she's a secretary at giving advice to many of her fellow female associates who hang on to her every word . That gives him an idea to offer her the replacement stint of the " Dear Trudy " column since the last one took a sabbatical because of her drinking problem . Janet wants to " sleep on it " and turns down a drink offer from her co-worker but invites him to her " surprise " party . Meanwhile , as the swinging Deckers say goodbye to the black couple that we saw a couple of episodes ago , Susan comes over to discuss with Trina her kiss with Roger . She also mentions to her how easy it seems with her and Tom , then apologizes when Trina says how she likes to think she's more complicated than that . While this is going on , at work Bruce strikes a conversation with Melinda as she passes by his bar . Bruce tells her about overhearing her offer to move to another company and he tells her not to . Melinda wants a very good reason not to and asks her to come see her later that night at the bar . Bruce tells her about the dinner he and Susan are supposed to have with the Thompsons later ( he's unaware of the surprise party his wife and Roger are planning ) as Melinda tells her offer to him might not be so open the next day . With school just two weeks away , B . J . and Samantha and Ricky and Samantha's cousin Lisa fool around with Ricky's family's C . B . unit . ( with Sam's C . B . name being " Goldilocks " and Ricky's " Lady Killer " ! ) With B . J . and Sam at their neighborhood and Ricky and Lisa at the beach their signals are still clear indeed . So clear that when Ricky accidentally keeps his radio on , he and Lisa reveal secrets ( Ricky ran away when Lisa took her top off , Sam's going to move due to Mom's drug problems ) that first amuse and then startle Sam and B . J . Supposedly during that time , B . J . ' s sister Laurie is with former teacher / now lover Doug playing volleyball and during one moment when Doug gets a drink for her , Laurie says " I love you too " when Doug was actually saying " I only have Yoo-Hoo " . Since their voices weren't very clear at the time , they both shrug it off as they go to their game . During that game , one of Doug's teammates mentions how Laurie seems to last longer than a milk carton " with only a month left of the expiration date " compared to his previous relationships . That gets her wondering about her future with Doug . Doug eventually tells her he's rejecting his teaching position to be with her . They kiss . Before we get to that night's party , let's see about Roger's landscaping job offer he revealed that morning : he's accepted but the project is in Cincinnati . He reveals this to Susan but not Janet who's also still unaware of their kiss and thinks they've been together during much of her absence because of the planning . Roger wants Susan to tell him of her feelings for this possible change . Susan tells him he should discuss this with his wife as she leaves to check on Bruce who's talking on the phone with Melinda as his wife overhears him saying how much he needs her . Susan then comes back to Roger and tells he should take the job . During much of this , Ricky has taken more than a few drinks and almost ruins the party but mother Janet sets him straight and tells him to do something about his friendship with B . J . if he doesn't want to lose him to Samantha forever . Trina , having just talked with Bruce about his problems with Tom likewise with Susan , watches this and marvels at Janet at how she handles things . Janet mentions how she just takes things as they come . It's at this point that we found out why Trina seemed somber faced in some scenes : she's pregnant ! Janet congratulates her before asking if she knows who the father is . Trina confirms it's Tom's mentioning " We abstained at the right time . " After the party's over , Trina hints to Tom about her condition but Tom shrugs it off as joking . Bruce tells Susan he needs to go back to work and not to expect him home so soon with neither revealing the phone call . Janet does indeed accept her new job offer . And Ricky gives B . J . and Sam his C . B . unit so they can talk long-distance . . . First off , I wonder just what Doug is thinking when he decides to refuse his teaching offer just to be with Laurie . This can't go well , I tell you . And Ricky has actually grown a spine with the way he handled his jealously over B . J . and Samantha . Good for him . And I agree with someone at tvguide . com about how the writers on the show can suddenly treat the Deckers like idiots by having Trina become pregnant when they know about protection like the pill that was prevalent during this ' 70s setting . While part of me thought the hug between Janet and Trina was a bit soon , it was nice to see nonetheless and hope their friendship only grows . That Bruce really is selfish here , isn't he ? Poor Susan . Her mixed emotions between her husband and Roger are really testing her , aren't they ? Judging from previews for the next episode , they're going to be even more intense . Until next time . . .
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454,303 | 11,228,318 | 22,083 | 9 |
Little Daddy is one of the best of Stymie's " Our Gang " shorts
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This Hal Roach comedy short , Little Daddy , is the one hundred fifth in the " Our Gang / Little Rascals " series and the seventeenth talkie . With their father in jail ( no mention of the mother ) , Farina is Stymie's sole caretaker . In the mornings , the older brother prepares breakfast using various makeshift contraptions that also gives Stymie a shower ( who uses an umbrella for the occasion ) . Since the authorities are going to take the little brother away , Farina gives him a farewell party but Stymie eats everything when the rest of the gang finally arrives . Their initial upset over that turns over to the orphanage official who gets a handful from the gang . After Farina gets Miss Crabtree , she resolves to find a nice home for Stymie but not before he stows a ride on the official's car trunk ! This was a pretty touching " Our Gang " entry that nevertheless provided nonstop laughs mainly courtesy of Stymie's quips . Particularly funny is Farina's telling of Noah and the Ark that Stymie , because his older brother says " Yeah " before mentioning the leading character's name , confuses the two as brothers ! What a great " Who's On First ? " - type routine ! There's also a gratuitous scene of Chubby lip-syncing to Charlie Chase's vocals on " Asleep in the Deep " . It obviously could have been cut without hurting the story . A final note : During the 1970s , this short , along with A Tough Winter , was banned from syndication . The other one has Stepin Fetchit in a stereotype role that is considered offensive today but in this one , the poor kids just happen to be black and , other than the fact that their father is in jail , are not negative in characterization . Good thing Leonard Maltin put this on a " Little Rascals " VHS tape issued in 1995 with an introduction explaining the kind of humor accepted during the shorts ' time in production . So on that note , I highly recommend Little Daddy .
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453,843 | 11,228,318 | 1,248,351 | 9 |
Retreat to Move Forward was another nearly-great episode of " 30 Rock "
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In this episode , Jack invites Liz to a keynote speaker address meeting where he'll encounter some elderly members of a Six Segma club , Jenna , on Frank's suggestion , looks up Wikipedia for research on her preparation in playing Janis Joplin not knowing Frank put some lies there , and Tracy , after a visit to Dr . Spaceman , finds out he has diabetes but even with Kenneth's telling of a which who eats brains for those how don't eat vegetables , Tracy still eats his candy . . . Another very funny episode of " 30 Rock " with my favorite scene being when Liz was making that Lego train and she mentions dropping it because she thought it was her penis then saying , " Robot penis . " in a monotone voice ! And how about when Jack embarrasses himself by accidentally leaving his body mic on when practicing his speech in front of a mirror . And that twist about Frank being too embarrassed about macking with Jenna to tell his fellow writers when Jenna feels she should be the embarrassed one so she tells them ! And then there's Kenneth posing as the witch . So with all that said , Retreat to Move Forward was another very funny episode of " 30 Rock " .
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454,943 | 11,228,318 | 1,248,346 | 9 |
Gavin Volure with Steve Martin was another very funny episode of " 30 Rock "
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In this one , Liz and Jack are invited to a party at Gavin Volure's ( Steve Martin ) mansion where among the guests is John McEnroe who's an art lover who yells ! Volure is interested in Liz who agrees to spend some time with him despite his agoraphobia . Actually , that's a cover since he's under house arrest for embezzling and racketeering ! Meanwhile , Tracy fears for his kids after watching a Melendez brothers special on TV . Good thing he has a Japanese sex doll doppelganger in tow . . . After the partly underwhelming Jennifer Anniston / " Night Court " reunion episode , we're back in shape with this very funny Steve Martin installment of " 30 Rock " . And that Tracy Jordan sex doll was the funniest thing in the show this year . Especially loved " The More You Know " public service ad done by both Jordan and the doll . Thanks to Hulu for providing me the eps I couldn't watch because of house renovation that resulted from the tree that fell on us during Hurricane Gustav . At least I can watch the last two that aired on the disc I taped them when our house was coming back to normal . So until next time . . .
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454,841 | 11,228,318 | 148,276 | 9 |
The Herring Murder Mystery is a rare Columbia cartoon that's nearly excellent
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This Columbia Screen Gems cartoon begins with a fish screaming as she gets marinated and put in a sardine box . The man who does it feels guilty and as he starts to walk out he hears footsteps that he repeats a few times . Then smoke appears and when it fades a talking fish that's taller than the man shows his card that says " Sherlock Shad " , a detective investigating a " murdered herring " . He and a fellow fish put the man in a barrel and toss him underwater where he ends up in trial with other fish and a shark lawyer . The rest of the short is filled with bad puns ( like " boiled lobster " or , oh , I can't remember ) and a fish jury constantly singing , " There's something at the end of a hook . . . but it's shad roe / shad roe / shad roe to me / ! " ( shad roe basically meaning baloney ) This is one cartoon from Columbia that has the kind of nuttiness that you expect from Tex Avery or Bob Clampett from Warner Bros . or MGM . In fact , there's an Avery-type gag of no sound coming out of the man's mouth with the judge and lawyer asking why and the soundtrack line basically saying there's nothing wrong and telling the man to just speak clearly ! What a hilarious surprise that was ! Found this on Daily Motion as linked from a blog by someone named Thad . Highly recommended .
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454,921 | 11,228,318 | 404,802 | 9 |
The Notorious Bettie Page is an interesting look at the title character's period
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First , I've got to say that the black and white cinematography on the Tennesse and New York scenes and the color ones on Miami have an authentic period feel for the ' 50s that takes you back to a time that seems so long ago . And Gretchen Mol looks stunningly and uncannily close to the title character in all her attitude and revealing poses . Director / co-writer Mary Harron brings some of the contrasts of attitudes concerning what constitutes obscene material by having the Irving Klaw character mentioning that while some bondage scenes of the Broadway musical Kiss Me , Kate is considered acceptable , his bondage photos are considered too raunchy for mailing for certain customers ! Another person who's prosecuting the pictures defends a slave girl scene in a Tarzan movie as being in a " film meant for families " ! Any abuse Ms . Bettie Page suffered growing up is mainly implied though she seems to have mostly a sunny disposition concerning both her career and life . Nice to see Sarah Paulson ( Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip ) as legendary Playboy photographer Bunny Yeager , Lilly Taylor as Irving's sister Paula , and John Cullum ( formerly of Northern Exposure ) as a Nashville preacher during Bettie's teen years . If not a complete biographical look at the life of Ms . Page , it's certainly a very compelling look at the times and conventions she lived through . Update - / 08 : I just found out Ms . Page died . All I can say is , Rest in Peace , Pin-Up Queen .
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455,244 | 11,228,318 | 1,248,337 | 9 |
Apollo , Apollo was another very funny episode of " 30 Rock "
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In this episode , Liz is visited by former " sex partner " Dennis who's trying to make amends for his behavior . She then finds out on Jenna's phone that Dennis had sex with her as well . Having accomplished almost everything on his list since his 10th birthday , Jack wants the excitement of that childhood back in a bad way . And Tracy wants to fulfill his own dream of going into space . . . How welcome to see Dean Winters back as Dennis ( not to mention as Charlie on the next to last episode of " Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles " this season ) ! This particular episode of " 30 Rock " was very funny from beginning to end especially the way Kenneth sees everybody he encounters as Muppets ! And hearing Liz impersonate Jenna as British on Jenna's phone to Dennis and then Jenna explaining that she lost her virginity to the My Fair Lady soundtrack was a clever touch . And then there's this commercial Liz did for a phone sex line in Chicago . And how about that Adam West cameo . . .
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454,416 | 11,228,318 | 974,983 | 9 |
The Fighting Irish ends a hilarious first cycle of 30 Rock
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This will be the last 30 Rock to air until late April as the next several weeks will have " Andy Barker , P . I . " show in its stead . Another funny episode has Jack telling Liz she has to fire some of her staff . Liz doesn't know who to let go and everyone around is extra nice to her as a result . Then she meets the Flower Guy who she has a crush on and his girlfriend , the other Liz that was supposed to get the flowers Lemon got instead on Valentines Day . Turns out the other Liz works under Lemon as an accountant . Tracy wants to find a religion . Jack's brother comes back to mention their father is dead . That's all I'll mention of the plot . Kudos to guest stars Nathan Lane as Jack's brother , Anna Chlumsky as the other Liz ( remember her in the title role in My Girl ? ) , current SNLer Jason Sudeikis as Flower Guy , and former SNLers Molly Shannon and Siobhan Fallon ( no relation to Jimmy ) as the Donaghy sisters . Loved Pete mentioning Liz's eyes after firing the other Liz looking like " that astronaut woman on diapers who attempted to kill the other woman " ( not a direct quote but you know what I mean ) and Jack insisting his last name is pronounced DON-A-GY ( hard g instead of an h ) . Keep up the good work , Ms . Fey . Hope ratings improve when you come back .
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453,893 | 11,228,318 | 35,341 | 9 |
The Sky Princess is one of George Pal's best Puppetoons
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The Sky Princess is a George Pal Puppetoon in which the title character is kept asleep in a chamber up in the sky ( or space ) by a wicked witch . A prince manages to wake her up with his violin as he plays some instrumental music that when put to words for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty became " Once Upon a Dream " . With help from an apprentice magician , the prince rescues the princess from her slumber as she nonchalantly breaks the glass from her chamber without hurting herself ! It's at this point that the witch gets killed by a lightning as she flies out ! So they all dance happily ever after as " Once Upon a Dream " plays out with the Paramount logo appearing . One of Pal's most charming cartoons with puppet animation worthy of the best Disney cel ones . Definitely worth seeing for any George Pal enthusiasts .
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455,248 | 11,228,318 | 1,248,334 | 9 |
Goodbye , My Friend was another hilarious episode of " 30 Rock "
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In this episode , Jack bonds with Frank as they and the other writers watch Harry and the Hendersons when they find out their fathers abandoned them as children , Liz bonds with a pregnant donut shop registrar hoping to adopt her baby when it's born , Kenneth gives Tracy his first birthday party and makes Jenna share it with her actual one , and besides Frank , Pete and even the long absent Josh have roles ! I'll stop there and say this was another hilarious episode of " 30 Rock " that mixes the plots of both Juno and that other movie I mentioned to wonderful effect especially when the star of that latter film , John Lithgow , makes a cameo here . Also good in her brief role was Patti LuPone as Frank's mother . And seeing Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski in their wacky situations was pure gold ! So on that note , I highly recommend this " Goodbye , My Friend " episode of " 30 Rock " .
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453,925 | 11,228,318 | 351,382 | 9 |
Atama-yama is one wonderfully weird animated short from Japan
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I just discovered this animation artist from Japan , Koji Yamamura , from Amid on Cartoon Brew . One of Yamamura's animated shorts showcased there was this one as linked from YouTube , Atama-yama ( Mt . Head ) , that was nominated for the Oscar as Best Animated Short for 2002 . It tells how a man who chews cherry pits keeps having some leaves grow on top of his bald head that he frequently cuts off and saves in a jar . After a while , he lets the leaves grow into a tree but then people start hanging around on his head so he tears the tree off leaving a hole with water . As all this happens , a narrator tells what goes on in various pitches . This was such an interestingly weird short that I may watch it again to catch up on all the images . Yamamura is truly an artist among his country's animators . Uniquely funny especially with the way it all ended . So on that note , I highly recommend Atama-yama .
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455,126 | 11,228,318 | 776,520 | 9 |
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is an essential " MST3K " episode
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I watched this episode on a 2-DVD set of " Mystery Science Theater 3000-The Essentials " of which the other disc had the short Hired , Part II and Manos , The Hands of Fate . In the invention exchange , Dr . Forester and TV's Frank show a machine that turns great presents into crappy ones while Joel and the ' bots have additions to The Island of Misfit Toys from the Rankin / Bass " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer " . During the movie we get references to " Twin Peaks " , the LAPD , dyslexic kids , Larry Storch , Dr . Stranglove , etc . ( incidentally , the same stock footage of planes refueling also appeared in that Kubrick masterpiece ) . Second segment had Joel and the ' bots singing " A Patric Swayze Christmas " with Crow especially enjoying warbling about kicking butts as Swayze does in his favorite movie Road House ! Another one after that had them doing poems of what Christmas means to them with Servo getting upset at the possibility of Santa being killed if he came to the Satellite of Love ! My favorite riff in the entire show came from Crow when , after some noticeable splices during a news anchor's segment in which he mentioned two children seeming to " disappear in thin air " , he says , " Just like some frames of this film ! " LOL ! John Call plays Santa here , Bill McCutcheon plays the dim-witted Droppo , Ned Wertimer ( Ralph the Doorman on " The Jeffersons " ) plays a reporter who interviews Santa and , in her film debut , 10-year-old Pia Zadora plays one of the Martian children . And , yes , Joel and the ' bots make fun of her Golden Globe award . Not every riff line works but this was one of the funniest episodes of " MST3K " I've seen and there are even some touching moments that were a little unexpected to me here . And I loved the snow globe on Tom Servo's head . The movie itself , both intentionally and not , can be funny on its own especially with scenes of Droppo or the villains or both . And you gotta dig a theme song that spells Santa right then calls him Santy in the next line as the words are printed on the screen ! So on that note , Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was truly an essential episode of " MST3K " .
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454,952 | 11,228,318 | 159,774 | 9 |
The Story of George Washington provides a unique kid's view from his drawings
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This is a unique cartoon in the Paramount archives in that most of it is an animated version of a child's drawings ( or at least what they'd look like according to adult writer / director Jack Mendelsohn ) . It's also narrated by a child who mixes words like saying how George Washington was " the most famous dead American living " or how " Honesty is the best Polly Seed " . LOL ! Or how about when the boy says that George " mustard " his troops with a visual of him spreading that sauce on his first soldier before the next one shows his hot dog or when Paul Revere asks for some minutemen with a couple of them saying , " Just a minute ! " This animated short was part of a brief series called " Jacky's Whacky World " . I found this on the Daily Motion site . The Story of George Washington is well worth seeking out .
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455,004 | 11,228,318 | 18,213 | 9 |
Oh , Teacher is another funny Disney Oswald outing
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In this Disney Oswald short , the rabbit is , it seems , an elementary school student about to take his fellow rabbit girlfriend on a bike ride to the learning place . A fellow cat student is his rival for the girl . There are plenty of gags inspired by the Felix the Cat cartoon series like a question mark over the cat's head used to become a rope or string in order to trip Oswald or the word ' help ' ( from the girlfriend's scream after falling in the water ) used by the rabbit to ride like a bike , after losing his , in order to rescue her . Another funny outing from the master of animation before Mickey Mouse put him on the map for good . Well worth seeing for Disney and animation fans in general .
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453,921 | 11,228,318 | 27,260 | 9 |
Disover the charms of Powell and Loy in After the Thin Man
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After the Thin Man is the first movie I've seen in the William Powell-Myrna Loy series and what a treat it is to finally discover the charms of Nick and Nora Charles as well as their dog Asta ! Returning to their San Francisco home on New Year's Eve , they find a surprise party at which only the servants recognize them ! Nora later gets a call from her female cousin about her missing husband . That's all I'm going to reveal about the plot so I'll just mention that James Stewart makes one of his most interesting early appearances on film . Also , a dark-haired pre-Blondie Penny Singleton ( then billed under her real name Dorothy McNulty ) contributes a hilarious line about illiteracy that I won't reveal here . Also , wasn't that Arthur Housman as the drunk at the surprise party ? He certainly looked like the same guy I saw in some Laurel and Hardy shorts ! If you like murder mystery screwball comedies , this movie is highly recommended that you seek out !
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454,069 | 11,228,318 | 892,439 | 9 |
The C Word is another excellent episode of 30 Rock
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Jack invites Tracy to a party of the network CEO . Tracy accepts . Liz has been driving the writers crazy with her demands for scripts and overhears one of them calling her a very nasty word . It's the one that rhymes with " runt " which is what the animal wrangler says when the other word is spoken . Kenneth is awkward around fellow page Grace Park and tries but can't avoid her . Tracy makes a fool of Jack when he wants to know why there's only one other black man at the party . Liz tries to overcompensate for her bossiness by giving various treats . I think that's all I'll reveal for now except to say this delayed episode was one of the funniest I've seen though still not close to Tracy Does Conan levels . This was Rachel Dratch's third ( or second , depending on when this was originally supposed to air ) appearance as the animal wrangler and is hilarious in the constant saying of " runt " . Rip Torn is sublime as the CEO and everything between Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin is way funny . And Tina Fey's speech at the end proves her worth as an actress as opposed to just being the writer and producer of this often ratings-challenged show . ( Damn you CSI and Grey's Anatomy ! )
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453,932 | 11,228,318 | 135,485 | 9 |
Watch a pre - " I Love Lucy " Desi Arnaz entertain you in Jitterumba
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Found out about this musical short on Mark Evanier's website " News from Me " as linked from YouTube . With the exception of the " Managua , Nicaragua " musical segment which takes place in a classroom with the star Desi Arnaz as the teacher , this appears to be a concert film directed entirely straight through ( give or take a few wipe dissolves ) a single performance in real time during one of Desi's shows with natural audience responses throughout . Another Cuban singer named Dulcina ( who just finished a New York engagement with " Xavier Cumquat " ! ) warbles one number in Spanish , then American singer Judy Clark does a comic turn about hating the rhumba just before Arnaz interrupts and showcases with Duncina how the " Lindy Hoop " is more " back-breaking " than their Latin dance ! The whole short was very entertaining and showcased Desi's comic talents that unquestionably made him such a great partner with wife Lucille Ball a few years later on television . So for any Desi Arnaz completetists out there , I highly recommend Jiterumba . P . S . The YouTube print was from the home movie company Castle Films which renamed this short Melody Masters and misspelled Arnaz with an " e " , instead of an " a " , before the " z " .
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454,714 | 11,228,318 | 150,556 | 9 |
Finnegan's Flea is Famous / Paramount's partial version of One Froggy Evening
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Just watched this Paramount Modern Madcap cartoon on YouTube . The story here is similar to Chuck Jones ' One Froggy Evening except the creature singing is a flea , there's dialogue as opposed to pantomime , and the people Finnegan goes to actually sees the fly warbling . So Finnegan should be getting in the riches but 13 years later , he's in a standing coma at a bar where the bartender tells why to a fellow customer . . . I'll stop there and just say that nothing funny happens until the cause of Finnegan's coma are shown . This is , however , a well told story with interesting limited animation shown throughout . The bartender telling the tale is Jackson " Bluto " Beck . And among the songs sung by the flea is the Fleischer / Famous standard " It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day " which was co-written by the music director of this short-Winston Sharples . So with all that said , Finnegan's Flea comes highly recommend .
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453,828 | 11,228,318 | 146,312 | 9 |
Tire Trouble is another winner in the " Our Gang " series
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This Hal Roach comedy short , Tire Trouble , is the twenty-second entry in the " Our Gang / Little Rascals " series . In this one , Mickey drives his own makeshift car with Mary , Joe , and Jackie in tow . Among the unusual gadgets : a boxing glove attached to the outside front that knocks out any passersby ! When they stop where Sunshine Sammy and Farina are standing , Sammy gets punched by that glove twice and also gets hit by the front grille that moves ! He's making a delivery to a rich man named J . William McAllister . This man believes he's very sick because of what his doctor and wife says but after the gang come in uninvited , they look at him and think otherwise . He agrees and since all his cars are elsewhere , rides in Mickey's car . After being frightened by a trolley that almost hits the car ( Mickey : " I can come closer than that . " ) and being stopped by a cop ( " You should drive , that kid will do the loop de loop next . " ) , they arrive at the amusement park where the real fun begins . . . Another very funny winner from director Robert McGowan , this is a wonderful with-fulfillment episode that explores the relationship of the old and sickly millionaire with a bunch of kids that give him a new appreciation of life . Loved seeing them all go down a large slide , going on a moving circular floor , and riding the roller coaster with a point-of-view shot that rivals the dog fight scene in Star Wars ( or if you prefer , Episode IV : A New Hope ) for massive thrills . Also loved the way the inter-titles , when Mr . McAllister is truly feeling excited as he descends quickly on the ride , prints " Hot-Diggity " in such a crooked way that conveys the full meaning . Then there's scene stealing Farina , who's left on the moving circular floor while everyone else is on the coaster , moving slowly after it ends and then the director conveys that dizziness by showing the point-of-view of the picture going slowly around . I've really got to give special props to the actor that played McAllister but there's no name on the cast list , either on IMDb or in the book " The Little Rascals : The Life and Times of Our Gang " by Leonard Maltin and Richard W . Bann , of who played him . So on that note , I highly recommend Tire Trouble . P . S . Once again , kudos for the YouTube poster who added the familiar LeRoy Shield music from the " Little Rascals " talkies for this short .
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454,500 | 11,228,318 | 774,068 | 9 |
Marvel at the art of Bill Irwin : Clown Prince
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Bill Irwin : Clown Prince is a fascinating documentary of Irwin's experiences from graduating from Ringling Bros . Clown School to his first public performance in the Pickle Family Circus to his performance of The Swinger ( a mime dance to Peaches and Herb's " Shake Your Grove Thing " ) to The Regard of Flight ( there's a funny segment involving the word " Okay " ) . There's also a hilarious segment of the short film As Seen on TV ( from the TV show Alive from Off Center ) that would later get staged as Largely in New York and there are segments of Waiting for Godot in which Irwin just babbles while Steve Martin and Robin Williams try to stop him ( By the way , Martin and Williams do a funny switching hat routine that reminds me of Laurel and Hardy ) . Irwin is proof that silent comedy of the Chaplin / Lloyd / Keaton style is alive and well on the New York stage . Here's hoping someone is watching that may top Irwin some day !
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455,009 | 11,228,318 | 377,743 | 9 |
A Date with Dizzy is interesting short for Dizzy Gillespie / John Hubley fans
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I found out about this rare John Hubley / Dizzy Gillespie short from Cartoon Brew and viewed it on YouTube . In it , a commercial director is trying to get Gillespie and his band to score music for an animated spot for " Instant Rope Ladder " . Also present is the product's ad representative . The band plays their first music submission which the director says is too long . The next one is then considered too short . Gillespie then plays one that has nothing to do with rope ladder so the filmmaker shows three commercials that Hubley had actually filmed for his Storyboard Studio in Los Angeles . The first is for E-Z Pop , a popcorn product for stove heating with some of the most entertaining jazz riffs I've ever heard in a TV spot . Then there's Heinz Worcestershire , which the animated spokesperson has trouble pronouncing at first that's quite hilarious . Finally , there's one for Speedway " 79 " , a gas company spot with some of the most entertaining abstract animation I've ever seen . At this point , Gillespie gets it and plays one that gets the ad representative singing along ! The end . Well worth seeing for Hubley / Gillespie fans , A Date with Dizzy is also a wonderful satiric look at the advertising industry . Don't miss it !
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454,558 | 11,228,318 | 60,390 | 9 |
Francois Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 is a nearly fine adaption of Ray Bradbury's novel
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Having not seen this movie in 25 years ( when it aired , I think , on cable station WGN-TV in Chicago ) , I had an inkling to watch this again when my local paper , The ( Baton Rouge ) Advocate , had an item on their opinion page with the headline , " Smoking hot book event " . It mentioned that Ray Bradbury's original book was the selection of " The Big Read : One Book / One Community " which is a program that encourages a discussion among readers of the same title . Today , February 9 , was the official start of this event which will last through April . The " Smokin ' Hot Kick-Off " Film Screening and Panel Discussion started around 2 in the afternoon at the BREC Independence Park Theatre and Cultural Center when , after a reception that included hot chili , a free screening of Francois Truffaut's version was shown with Louisiana Public Broadcasting president Beth Courtney taking a call from Bradbury just before the movie began . Bascally , the author said that children should start reading at least at 3 or 4 because after that they won't be as motivated . He also mentioned writing a new one called " We'll Always Have Paris " , a title inspired by the fact that every year when his wife was still alive , they'd visit the city at least once during that time . Ms . Courtney also mentioned to the author of the possibility of maybe filming a new version of his novel in Baton Rouge because of the tax revenue the city gets . Mr . Bradbury mentioned that since he's 85 and now on a wheelchair , he can't travel as much anymore . Then Beth thanked him for the call and the movie started . After which there was a forum discussion that I stayed for 30 minutes before I had to leave for work . Now that I've gotten that out of the way , let's discuss the film : It starts with an announcer mentioning the standard movie credits , as opposed to being printed on screen , with a rooftop antenna moving closer each time . Then as Bernard Herrmann's haunting music plays , we see firemen going down the road . A man is in his house eating . He gets a call to get out . After he's gone , the firemen come in , put various books that were hidden in places like behind an old television screen in one pile , and burn them . Okay , I've now realized this review may be a little long so I'll just state my opinion : Truffaut may have thought the English-language dialogue may have been stilted but that seemed perfect for the way various people are being controlled by the way books have been banned from ever entering their thoughts . I almost cried when that old lady decided to burn herself among her pile of books instead of letting herself be forced to leave . And Montag's transformation , as portrayed by Oscar Werner , comes gradually when he first starts reading Charles Dickens ' " David Copperfield " ( including the publisher and copyright date ) and then completely after he confronts his wife's lady friends by reading a book passage that makes one of them cry . Julie Christie herself is fine in portraying both Linda Montag and Clarisse , a girl Montag met on the monorail and befriends after she's let go of her teaching position . By the way , the boy who runs from her after she briefly returns to her former school is Mark Lester who would gain worldwide fame in the title role of Oliver ! a couple of years later . One of the most disorienting scenes is when Montag , after work , discovers his wife lying on the floor , apparently passed out from prescription drugs , and , after the doctors have cured her , she just goes on as if nothing happened and becomes so bubbly she just can't wait to bed him ! Then there's the now-common large wide screen TV and the characters on it asking " Linda " a question of whether she agrees with them or not and then saying she answered in the affirmative even when she doesn't say anything . At the end when one of the book people mentioned being " The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury " , that got a little chuckle from the audience . With all that I've just mentioned , I'll just say Truffaut did a pretty good job in adapting " Fahrenheit 451 " .
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454,463 | 11,228,318 | 190,225 | 9 |
Ain't Misbehavin ' is entertaining Waller " soundie " with Myra Johnson providing additional vocals
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This last short I'm reviewing from the Kino Video DVD " Hollywood Rhythm Vol . 1 : The Best of Jazz and Blues " was actually a " soundie " ( music videos of the day played on specially made jukeboxes ) starring Fats Waller playing and singing the title song with a bevy of girls , one of whom is Myra Johnson , fighting for his attention . Johnson threatens one of them before joining in song for the finish . She has a good singing voice that's perfectly matched with Waller's . After his appearance in the feature film Stormy Weather a couple years later , Waller would die of pneumonia before appreciation for his achievements were truly publicly acknowledged . It's films like these that keep his image alive for anyone really wanting to see him . Thanks , Mr . Waller for all the great music .
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454,344 | 11,228,318 | 1,245,068 | 9 |
Samson and Delilah was a nearly excellent start for the second season of " Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles "
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In a wonderful silent slo-mo sequence scored with a song by Garbage , we see Cameron wake up after the explosion in the van and , after we see Sarah and John take care of their kidnappers , Cameron sees them and as we cut to her point-of-view , the words she sees says , " MISSION : TERMINATE " ! That was a great shock for me as John and his mom rush out and drive . There's another great sequence in the middle when , as Cameron is smashed between John's and Sarah's trucks , she unemotionally declares her love for John as he tries to take her chip out before succeeding . Also compelling were the scenes Charlie had with both that FBI agent and Derek Reese . And then there's Shirley Manson , lead singer of the beginning scene's song , playing Catherine Weaver who turns out to be a very formidable enemy indeed ! If you know about the villain in T2 , you'll surely know what Weaver is capable of ! I wish the computer I watched this episode on had a louder volume . ( the power in our house was off when this aired due to Hurricane Gustav ) Other than that , this was a very enjoyable start for the second season of " Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles " .
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453,992 | 11,228,318 | 141,831 | 9 |
Ub Iwerks ' Skeleton Frolics is a worthy successor to his earlier Skeleton Dance
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Having just seen Walt Disney's The Skeleton Dance on the Saturday Morning Blog as linked from YouTube , I used those same sources to watch a remake done in Technicolor for the Columbia cartoon unit and animated by the same man-Ub Iwerks . The colors , compared to the earlier black and white , are really used imaginatively here and many of the new gags-like when one of the skeletal band players hits a wrong note constantly or when one loses his head and takes another one's off or when one dances with the other with part of that other gone-are just as funny as the previous short . It does get a little repetitious near the end . Still , Skeleton Frolics is well worth seeing for any animation buff who wants to compare this with the earlier Silly Symphony .
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454,512 | 11,228,318 | 1,055,795 | 9 |
The Demon Hand was another compelling episode of " Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles "
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As the episode begins , Cameron is dressed as a cop . She's going to the police station to put the power out with her hand so she can get the dismembered hand from the Terminator she killed . A look at the sheet list reveals it's in the possession of Agent Ellison . After Cameron goes home and tells Sarah about the hand , Sarah tells her to look for the man who took the Turk from Andy , Dimitri . Cameron poses as a ballet dancer to find his sister , Maria . It's there she overhears her and Dimitri talking about their troubles with the Russian mob in their native language . Agent Ellison watches some tapes of Sarah when she was put in a mental institution and watched by a Dr . Silberman . He goes to where the doctor now resides : a cabin in the woods . Silberman acts kindly towards him initially then cuts his knee after poisoning him with tea to find out if he's a machine . Ellison then gets tied up and almost killed when Silberman sets fire to his own house . Sarah saves the agent after punching Silberman before taking back the hand to later burn . Ellison then turns Silberman in the same room Sarah was held in . After Cameron gets info from Dimitri about where the Turk is , she leaves him and his sister just as the mob comes up to kill them . During much of this time , John watches one of the tapes of his mother that she earlier took from Ellison's house and is saddened to find out she had years before singed away parental rights when she left him in the care of some now-dead foster parents . And Derek and Cameron each declare that they knew each other from before and Derek tells her , " You may have fooled the others but you haven't fooled me . " Though he must wonder how human-like she's becoming when he sees her ballet dancing to some familiar music . . . While this was more of a drama with expository dialogue that references T2 : Judgement Day , most of it was compellingly played . Certainly the scenes involving Silberman and Ellison were some of the most shocking I've seen so far in this series . And how wonderful to see Summer Glau put her dancing skills to good use here ! No wonder she has such a nice figure . Brian Austin Green gets better with each episode and has managed to ditch his previous role as 90210's David Silver forever ! Can't wait for the two-part season ( hopefully not series ) finale so until next time . . .
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453,853 | 11,228,318 | 102,167 | 9 |
The Josephine Baker Story provides nearly excellent depictions of her life and career
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In continuing to review African-Americans in film in chronological order for Black History Month , we're now at 1991 with HBO's biographical movie , The Josephine Baker Story . Before going on with my comment , I'd like to mention that star Lynn Whitfield is a native of the city I now live in , Baton Rouge , La . As the title indicates , this TV film chronicles the life and career of Ms . Baker , who rose from poverty in St . Louis to become the toast of France . In between , she tries and fails to integrate the U . S . ( at least outside of her shows ) and adopts lots of multicultural children to the consternation of her second husband . That husband-band leader Jo Boullion-was played by the late David Dukes who I remember first seeing as the man who attempted rape on Edith Bunker on " All in the Family " . Other familiar faces that appeared here were Kene Holliday-who I remember as Baker on " Carter Country " - as musician Sidney Bechet , Louis Gossett Jr . as army leader Sidney Williams , Ruben Blades as Count Giuseppe Pepito Abatino-Baker's first husband , and Craig T . Nelson-who I first saw in Poltergeist-as columnist Walter Winchell who contributes to Baker's decline in the U . S . I'd also like to note Vivian Bonnell as Jo's mother , Mayah McCoy as Baker at 8 , and Ainslie Currie as Baker at 13 . All these performances and especially Ms . Whitfield's are excellent throughout . The director was the late Brian Gibson who briefly married Lynn and later guided Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne to Oscar nominations as Tina and Ike Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It . Like that movie , this one ends with real-life documentary footage . It's of Ms . Baker's funeral with her adopted kids attending . While I'm sure some liberties were taken in the depiction of Josephine Baker's life , the story flows so smoothly that one doesn't notice where those spots might be unless some viewers had read some of the books about her . So on that note , I highly recommend The Josephine Baker Story .
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454,004 | 11,228,318 | 123,099 | 9 |
Happy New Year , Charlie Brown ! was another fine animated " Peanuts " holiday special
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Well , New Year's Eve is coming up but poor Charlie Brown is stuck with having to read " War and Peace " ( which is about a thousand pages ) for his school book report . On top of that , Peppermint Patty invites him for her and Marcie's party while Linus tries to avoid Sally and her calling him her " Sweet Baboo " . Oh , and there's a certain " Little Red Haired Girl " that Charlie's crazy about . . . Another funny and insightful " Peanuts " special with a wonderful script by creator Charles Schulz , direction by Sam Jaimes and usual helmer Bill Melendez , and a not bad musical score by Ed Bogas and Desiree Goyette who also wrote a couple of songs as well as sang on one of them . Too bad no one thought to put the late Vince Guaraldi's " Linus and Lucy " in there but otherwise , this was another fine " Peanuts " holiday special .
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455,172 | 11,228,318 | 1,035,916 | 9 |
Chuck Versus the Marlin is a wonderfully amusing supposed season finale of " Chuck "
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Chuck finds a bug hidden in one of the Buy More appliances . He gives it to Casey who shares the find with Sarah as they share the info to their superiors on the computer screen . Devon arrives at the store to ask Chuck for approval of his sister Ellie's hand and hands him the ring for safekeeping for a couple of days . The next day , the store is stripped clean as boss Big Mike discovers when his marlin is missing . Turns out the agencies ordered all items removed when more bugs were discovered which blows Chuck's cover for an enemy station whose mole is someone inside the store . . . Perhaps not as hilarious as the previous episode of " Chuck " that aired earlier last Thursday but very funny nonetheless with a very exciting girl-fight between Sarah and the female enemy agent . Also loved Chuck's awkward attempts in trying to use the gun to unlock the freezer that Sarah was stuck in . Chuck's Buy More co-workers , especially Morgan , were probably a little annoying again though not by much but I wondered , where's Anna ? Nice to see everything turn out well though Sarah's face at the end seems to tell me she now cares enough about Chuck that she hopes Chuck won't eventually have to relocated . Oh , and the show's promos with the cast being themselves , down to Yvonne Strahovsky's natural Australian accent , that aired throughout the night brought out their charms considerably . Hope that NBC's promise of " More Chuck . . . Coming Soon " is indeed fulfilled !
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453,796 | 11,228,318 | 1,035,914 | 9 |
Chuck Versus the Crown Vic is another entertaining episode of " Chuck "
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Okay , this is the last episode of " Chuck " before the Christmas break . Since there's still a writers ' strike , only two more new episodes have been filmed so it's hard to tell right now if we'll get an actual full season of this bright new action-comedy . In a nutshell : Chuck , Sarah , and Casey are trying to stop a shipping tycoon from bombing in certain places having found out about his counterfeiting scheme . This guy seems to be way ahead of the game since he makes fools of Sarah and Casey after Chuck ID's one of his boxes and they find nothing to incriminate him . Both of them are taken off the case as a result . After Morgan sends a picture of him and Anna on her parents ' ship , Chuck identifies something in the back and warns first Casey who passes , then Sarah who accepts Chuck's prognosis and rushes off to action . We find Casey in his beloved car waiting for them there as they rush to beat the bad guys and Chuck uses a scanning device to direct the flying bomb to Casey's car . Casey's not too happy about that though he seems to like Chuck now . So when his superior tells him on the phone that the new intel is close to being developed and Chuck may not be needed anymore , Casey declares he will do what he is ordered . Is this the end of Chuck ? Gusee we'll find out next month . . . Another entertaining episode of " Chuck " . Loved hearing an approximation ( to avoid copyright infringement ) of the " James Bond Theme " as we see Chuck enter a casino with Sarah and say his alias like James Bond would say his own name when introducing himself . Morgan himself was hilarious when trying to impress Anna's parents especially when he smokes a pipe and mentions Popeye as the person he idolized when he did that ! The Buy More Christmas . . . uh , Holiday party was also pretty funny with the dreidel gambling and Run-DMC's Christmas song playing in the background . Can't wait for the next episode to air . Until next time . . .
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454,895 | 11,228,318 | 1,035,924 | 9 |
Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami is another exciting episode of " Chuck "
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Chuck is now going out with Lou , the sandwich girl we met in the last episode . Morgan , hearing this , makes a play for Anna . Too sudden . Lester , on hearing of breakup of Chuck and Sarah , tries to make his moves on the Weinerlicious lady . Sarah comes on too strong for him so he leaves . When Chuck and Lou are kissing in her office , Chuck notices a poster and gets Intel in his brain from it . It has the name of Lou's ex-boyfriend who owns a dance club . He's also the son of an arms dealer . So Chuck is ordered by Sarah and Casey to wear a bug to tail this dealer . Unfortunately , this interferes with Chuck's date with Lou at the club . They make up the following day in her deli after a long wait with other customers but after seeing a photo provided by Sarah and Casey of Lou with one of the dealers , Chuck confronts Lou after seeing her with her old boyfriend . Turns out she was delivering meats . Nevertheless , after this , the ex puts Chuck and Sarah in the car trunk as Casey , having found the watch tail bug in the water glass , goes to Lou's place as an FDA agent and gets Lou to reveal her delivery number after revealing Chuck's true identity . After Casey manages to shoot the captors , Chuck and Sarah run toward a box that carries a bomb that has only seconds to explode . Sarah tells him to run but Chuck refuses . Thinking they'll die right away , Sarah kisses Chuck ! Bomb doesn't explode so Sarah now feels awkward while Chuck feels great . The next day , Lou and Chuck mutually agree not to see each other again . As Chuck leaves a message for Sarah to ask for a date , Sarah and Casey open the " bomb " and find a man inside . It's Bryce ! And he's alive ! . . . Another exciting episode of " Chuck " that is often funny and action packed ! Many wonderful scenes between Chuck and Sarah and Casey , not to mention Morgan and Anna and Lester . Not as funny and touching as the last episode especially with no Ellie and Awesome but entertaining enough that I can't wait for the next one . So until next time . . .
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454,670 | 11,228,318 | 421,715 | 9 |
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button provided a unique performance from Brad Pitt
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While my friend wanted to watch this movie because he's a big fan of Brad Pitt , I was simply more interested in the premise and the fact it was shot in my neighboring city of New Orleans whose scenery is breathtaking here ( the fact that present scenes are set during Hurricane Katrina was also a fine dramatic touch ) . Pitt is quite touching as a man aging backwards in time and I loved the romantic scenes with both Tilda Swinton as the middle-aged wife of a spy and Cate Blanchett as his childhood friend Daisy especially her dancing scenes . Those scenes on the tug boat with that tattoo captain were also good especially the wartime sequences . If there's one quibble , it's that I didn't see enough of Queenie's daughter to really discern how she got along with either her mother or her brother Ben . Otherwise , this was a fine piece of work from director David Fincher and screenwriter Eric Roth who mined similar adapted territory when he previously worked on Forest Gump .
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454,811 | 11,228,318 | 46,908 | 9 |
Tasmanian Devil makes a hilarious debut in Devil May Hare
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Robert McKimson's Devil May Hare marks the first appearance of the Tasmanian Devil , an ugly little monster who constantly spins around that will eat any animal especially rabbits . When he comes upon Bugs Bunny , however , he's in for a surprise ! First , he eats a pig that's actually an inflatable raft , then chicken made of bubble gum . Taz is on to Bugs , however , when the rabbit tries to pass a barrel with sticks as a deer even as Mr . Bunny tries to warn a real deer of the monster . He finally gets the Devil a bride as he hilariously marries them in their language ! Those grunts alone make this one of the funniest moments in a McKimson short . So once again , like I've done before commenting on cartoons included on The Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD , Vol . 1 , I highly recommend Devil May Hare .
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454,945 | 11,228,318 | 150,876 | 9 |
Hector's Hectic Life is a wonderfully funny holiday cartoon from Famous Studios
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Last week , I reviewed Chips Off the Old Block which concerned a cat who found out about his offspring and kept them away from his female master because he was afraid of being thrown out . That's the same premise here except it's now a dog named Hector with his pups who all wave one of their ears just like dear old dad . Director Bill Tytla-a former Disney animator-provides just the right amount of sentiment with slapstick that makes this one of the more enjoyable one-shots from the Famous Studios factory . There's also Hector's angel and devil fighting it out for his soul after he initially throws his children out that I liked as well . If there's one quibble it's with the obvious stereotypical Swedish ( or is it Norwegian ) accent that is heard from the female head . It least she's only seen from the waist down like Tom and Jerry's Mammy Two-Shoes . Other than that , Hector's Hectic Life is a fine Christmas cartoon that should by seen by the whole family . P . S . I first saw this public domain short in the late ' 80s on a bargain basement VHS tape .
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454,345 | 11,228,318 | 253,729 | 9 |
R . O . Blechman's The Soldier's Tale does Igor Stravinsky's music justice
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Anyone who's read many of my comments here know what an animation buff I am . So it was as one that I decided to check out R . O . Blechman's The Soldier's Tale from my local library . Based on compositions by Igor Stravinsky and a popular Russian folktale , this concerns a soldier's post-war trials and tribulations after making a deal with the devil to trade his beloved violin for a book that guides him to his future . Various styles of animation come together to form a mostly cohesive whole with Fred Mogubgub , Bill Littlejohn , and Tissa David among the animators . Among the voices , Max von Sydow provides his charming self as Satan . Might be confusing at times but The Soldier's Tale never gets boring . Well worth seeing for animation fans .
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454,044 | 11,228,318 | 35,211 | 10 |
Gary Cooper is excellent as Lou Gehrig in The Pride of the Yankees
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To celebrate the 4th of July , I decided to watch this excellent movie about a great American hero , The Pride of the Yankees , which is an account of the life of the late , great baseball player , Lou Gehrig . Gary Cooper has just the right mix of shyness , joy , humor , and love of the game to portray what was considered the real Lou's personality . Teresa Wright has the moxie to match the chemistry with Cooper as Gehrig's eventual wife , Eleanor . What a treat to see Walter Brennan , who previously appeared with Gary in Sergeant York and Meet John Doe , again support him as sportswriter and friend Sam Blake . His scenes with Dan Duryea are some of the most humorous here . Loved seeing Lou promise a bedridden kid to hit two home runs and then seeing that kid years later come back for Gehrig's farewell address . I was also very amused to see Charles Williams , Cousin Eustace in It's a Wonderful Life , here playing a bell ringer in a carnival . Babe Ruth is not so bad playing himself ! Leigh Harline , composer of Pinochio , has a fine score here . Irving Berlin's song , " Always " , is nicely performed by a female singer on stage and is used appropriately in parts of the score . And certainly one of the greatest words ever spoken comes from here : " I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth . " So , show your pride and watch a biography of one of America's greatest heroes , Lou Gehrig , this Independence Day !
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454,609 | 11,228,318 | 427,309 | 10 |
Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters is an inspirational true-life based movie
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On this , the day of the vice presidential debates that I recorded and will watch later , I decided to watch director Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters right after watching " Survivor " . Co-produced by Oprah Winfrey and inspired by actual events , The Great Debaters is a very compelling history lesson about a small black college called Wiley and that school's debate team that wins enough of them to be challenged by perhaps the biggest university of the country : Harvard . ( Okay , I get that the actual final debate was at USC . Still , Harvard made a more compelling institution here . ) Washington plays the teacher , Melvin B . Tolson , who also organizes a sharecroppers ' union at night that temporarily gets him in trouble with the law . The students who comprise of his team include Henry Lowe ( Nate Parker ) , Samantha Booke ( Jurnee Smollett ) , and James Farmer , Jr . ( Denzel Whitaker ) and yes , he was named after Washington ! Forest Whitaker plays James Farmer , Sr . and no , he and Denzel are not related . With that cast , there was , no doubt , some expectation of quality and that's what you get throughout the picture . All the conflict and some romance between Parker and Smollett are handled with great dramatic clarity and when Washington and Forest are not on screen Parker , Smollett , and the younger Whitaker have enough presence in filling in . All in all , The Great Dabaters is one of the most inspirational movies I've yet seen . P . S . As a Louisianian , I was pleasantly surprised to read that parts were shot in Shreveport and Mansfield and that there was a " Filmed in Louisiana " logo in the end credits .
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453,906 | 11,228,318 | 36,874 | 10 |
Goldilocks and the Jivin ' Bears is one more " Censored 11 " cartoon I'd recommend
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This is the last of the Warner Bros . " Censored 11 " cartoons I've seen on Thad's Animation Blog and what a cartoon to watch as the final entry since it has hot jazz music performed by the title character animals , the Big Bad Wolf from Red Riding Hood ( who's off riveting ) , Goldilocks wearing out the Wolf from jitterbugging with him , likewise with the returning Red Riding Hood and her Grandma ( with voice by Dorothy Dandridge's mom , Ruby ) . In fact , the story starts with the instruments that the bears are playing ( clarinet , piano , and bass ) all literally getting red hot from rehearsing too much ! So they all take a walk while both the Wolf and Goldilocks go inside . While nearly all of the characters have African-American features , only the piano-playing bear has the stereotyped face , voice , and characterization ( of the Stepin Fetchit kind ) . And with Friz Freling at the helm , you know you're in for an animated musical treat . In fact , Goldilocks and the Jivin ' Bears seems like one of the least offensive of the " Censored 11 " cartoons I've seen here . It's certainly way better than the worst one , Angel Puss . So on that note , I highly recommend this short for animation buffs and jazz music lovers .
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453,804 | 11,228,318 | 1,054,851 | 10 |
Four Months Ago . . . was a compelling flashback for our " Heroes "
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As Peter meets with Adam , who previously we saw as Takezo Kensei , we find out they have a history . Adam gives Peter something that makes him remember what he was doing four months ago : After brother Nathan flew Peter away from New York into the stars , Peter told his brother to let him go . Nathan obliges just as he's caught much of Peter's flames so Peter , after dousing his in the wind , catches Nathan again with his charred body and takes him to a hospital , only to disappear through walls before anybody can reach him . In the Dominican Republic , Maya witnesses his brother Alejandro getting married . She also witnesses his new wife getting it one with her ex-boyfriend soon after and after a few choice words , Maya kills them as blood spills from their eyes . Soon , the entire wedding party is dead except her brother who is puzzled . They escape . Back in Las Vegas , Niki , D . L . , and Micah are a happy family again . But Niki still worries about herself and starts taking pills provided by the Company . Then she stops . D . L . gets a job as a fireman and saves Molly on one of his assignments . He's now a hero on television that Micah sees again and again . On his 11th birthday , Nikki puts up a brave face but with the pills gone she gets a new personality : Gina . Gina runs to L . A . where D . L . finds her at a club as she snaps back to Niki . He then gets shot by Gina's partner as Niki looks on . Back in New York , Peter is with The Company with Bob and Elle keeping an eye on him . Elle develops more than a passing interest in him with the way she keeps electrifying him with her hands and her teasing how he'll like it along with those pills he keeps taking . In the adjoining cell is Adam who had been there for about 30 years . He convinces Peter to break out and stop taking the pills . Meanwhile , Nathan's mother convinces his wife Heidi that Nathan is suicidal like his late father . She tells her that he needs some space . Heidi agrees . Back in the Dominican , Alejandro finds Maya is a nun at church and proceeds to have her arrested but she kills the cops then stops as her brother holds her hands . At the funeral , Niki is holding his father's award plaque as the family from New Orleans console him and Niki . After the breakout , Peter and Adam find Nathan and Adam fills Nathan's vial with his blood which cures Nathan as his skin goes back to normal . Peter and Adam leave quickly as Elle and the Haitian find them . Elle causes Peter's shirt to go on fire but Peter takes it off before it could burn him . The Haitian stops him and uses his hands to wipe his mind and then puts him in a crate that ends up in Ireland . It's at this time that we return to where Peter starts remembering as Adam tells him it's time to save the world . . . Wow ! Great chronicles of what happened between the last season finale and the beginning of this season that included many of the main characters and some of the new ones . Too bad about D . L . Kristen Bell sure is creepy and sexy at the same time . So we now know why Heidi left Nathan . And what Elle's connection to Peter is . Can't wait to see the next episode so until next time . . .
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454,860 | 11,228,318 | 1,054,850 | 10 |
Out of Time is a way excellent episode of " Heroes "
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Before I start , let me make a correction : The woman that Peter has been hanging with is named Caitlin , not Kate . Okay , so while Noah was in Odessa , Ukraine , his wife has allowed West to come in the house to have breakfast which Claire just found out when she and West were text messaging each other . Her mom loves him . Still in 2008 New York which has been mostly abandoned because of a virus , Peter and Caitlin are separated-with Caitlin about to be deported back to Ireland-as Peter encounters a man who explains about the various dead bodies in a warehouse and then Mrs . Petrelli who tries to bring her son back some of his lost memories as well as mentions that his brother , Nathan , is dead . Still in the Ukraine , Noah calls Mohinder , who's having second thoughts about bringing The Company down , and tells him not to stray from the original plan . He also tells him about one of the paintings depicting Mohinder shooting a gun . Mohinder doesn't understand since he has no gun in his possession . Later , as he's talking to Bob , they're confronted by Nathan and Matt as they reveal the picture with marks on people indicating their deaths with Bob being the next victim . Seems Matt's dad is in the building to wreak havoc on everyone's minds with Niki confronting her late husband D . L . , and Matt confronting his dad in their old apartment with Molly-still in coma but recovering-also stuck there . Matt , using his newfound power of keeping people in their hellish nightmares for good , traps his dad in his prison just as in reality the father is lying comatose on the floor and Molly wakes up having heard Matt say , " I love you . " Nathan helps Niki by having her inject the anti-virus needle on herself . However , despite that , she may still die . It is around this time that Bob tells Nathan that his brother Peter is still alive . Back in 1671 Japan , Takezo Kensai had Hiro drugged and captured but Kensai's former girlfriend , who now loves Hiro knowing of his abilities and heroics , convinces him to teleport them to safety . Later that night , Hiro attempts to defeat the enemy troops by setting fire to their tent of weapons but Kensai tries to stop him there . After the fires spread , Hiro tries to save his idol but Kensai chooses to stay as Hiro teleports to safety . Next morning , he reluctantly says goodbye to his love as he quickly goes back to the present and an ecstatic Ando who then has to tell Hiro about the tragic fate of his father . In California , as Claire and West are kissing , Noah has arrived back . This scares West as he leaves abruptly just as Claire explains that the Horned Rimmed Glasses guy that abducted him was her dad . Noah now knows a little about Claire's boyfriend . Back in future New York , as Peter sees Caitlin about to be taken away , he suddenly finds himself back in the present in a strange place with a guy named Adam waiting for him . He looks just like Takezo Kensai . . . Better than usual episode for this season . My favorite scene is when Matt hugs the still comatose Molly and declares his affection for her which she later reciprocates . His father looks dead but I couldn't really tell for sure . Nice to see Leonard Roberts back as D . L . Should be interesting to see how he dies in next weeks flashback episode . Lots of things to ponder so until next time . . .
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455,145 | 11,228,318 | 1,054,848 | 10 |
Fight or Flight is another excellent episode of " Heroes "
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With Molly in a coma , Matt vows to find his father who made her that way . When he gets to the station , Nathan's still there confronting him about his mother . Matt promises no harm to his mother and tells him about his journey . Nathan wants to come along and won't take a " no " . When they arrive there , Matt is reluctant to knock so Nathan does . He also tells Matt to treat his father , who he hasn't seen in 25 years , as just another suspect . Matt does his duty and arrests him then , in trying to read his mind , finds out Dad has the same power . In fact , after he leads his son to a secret room , which Nathan later follows in , his powers are a little more advanced in that he can project Matt and Nathan's worst fears in their heads with Matt confronting his ex with a baby she says is theirs and Nathan confronting his bloody self climaxing in them fighting each other with Matt's dad long gone ! In New Orleans at work , after talking to the police and lying about not knowing the attacker's face , Monica goes home to find Micah playing the piano . Then , without knowing it , she suddenly copies his skills with a quicker pace ! This frightens her but Micah puts her at ease when he reveals his skills with the TV . So she tests her skills by doing the " Double-Dutch " jumping rope she couldn't do before . She succeeds . Ando goes to a scientist to help clear some characters on an ancient parchment left by Hiro from the 17th century Japan . Hiro had remained to help find Tekezo's girl's father . The last part is really difficult to read so now Ando wonders if Hiro is still alive . Feeling he has no other choice , Mohinder takes Molly to the Company's headquarters to have her taken care of there . As he talks to his superior , Niki as Jessica storms in and tries to kill the superior whose name is Bob . Mohinder tazers her and then later tries to get her to escape but Niki really wants to stay in order to get cured . Bob gives Mohinder an assignment which leads him to New Orleans where Monica answers the door . It's during all this time that Noah on the phone , who's with the Hatian in Odessa , Ukraine , ( not Texas like I thought last week ) warns Mohinder what the Company is capable of . In Cork , Ireland where Peter and Kate share some intimate time , Peter looks into his box and finds some plane tickets to Montreal . He then looks in Kate's canvas and paints a picture of two men at the doorway under some street signs there . Also , a mysterious woman named Elle ( Kristen Bell ) is looking for Peter . She's revealed to have powers of lightning coming out of her hands which Peter also had the last few episodes . When she confronts Kate's brother Ricky at the bar , Ricky claims he's never seen Peter but Elle had already talked to others ( including the one who tried to kill Rick the previous week ) who had seen him and locks the door before she does her deed . So when Kate finds out about it , she's in tears as Peter tries to console her and vows vengeance . . . Wow , another exciting episode of Heroes has come and gone ! Loved the editing of the Nathan / Matt fight in which Matt was supposedly fighting a guard from jail and Nathan was supposedly his bloody self . Also loved the Monica / Micah bonding . Looks like Peter is getting out of Ireland with maybe Kate in tow . How is Mohinder going to fare in New Orleans with Monica and Micah ? And just what is Noah and Hatian doing in the Ukraine ? Kristen Bell was okay in her " Heroes " debut . And was that really her " Daddy " she was talking on the phone ? Lots that and more to ponder so until next time . . .
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453,803 | 11,228,318 | 1,054,852 | 10 |
Cautionary Tales was another great episode of " Heroes "
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Because his family is in danger again , Noah tells his family they must leave but Claire refuses . She later writes " Sorry " with stones for West to see . When she tells West she's staying , West doesn't seem happy to hear it , in fact he's miffed she didn't tell about her father before . That's what the " Sorry " stones were for . Ando and Hiro attend Hiro's father , Kaito's , funeral . Hiro doesn't accept his father's death and goes back to one week before when Kaito was talking to Angela Petrelli . As Kaito greets his son , they go back to the mother's funeral where Hiro meets himself as a young boy . It's there that he accepts his father's words that " you can't play God . " Matt now has the power to change people's minds as he finds out with Molly and his partner . He then uses it on Angela who's fighting the best she can especially when he questions about a woman standing next to his father in the Company group photo . She tells Matt the way he's going , " You're not just like your father . You are him . " When Bob introduces Mohinder to his partner in getting Claire away from Noah to get Claire's blood , it's Elle who's revealed to Bob's daughter . As Noah gets confrontations about his methods from both Claire and his wife Sondra , he goes out and gets attacked by a flying West . Somehow , he convinces West he meant no harm to him . As Claire is at cheerleading practice , she is interrupted by the coach as she leads her to Bob , who's asking about Debbie's underage drinking and then mistakenly calls her " Ms . Bennett " . As Claire goes back home to warn her parents , Sondra recognizes Bob from her husband's former job at the Primatech Paper building . Noah manages to hold Elle's feet in water for a while as she temporarily gets electrocuted but Mohinder , in having to pick sides , puts Noah at gunpoint and has him lead him to Claire . Bob now has Claire tied up . Noah makes a deal to switch Elle for his daughter with West's help . All ends tragically as Noah threatens Mohinder at gunpoint , West flies Claire away as soon as possible just before her father gets shot in the eye , and Elle also gets shot . Bob manages to get Claire's blood in a vial before any of this happens . Back at the funeral , Hiro does a speech in which he says , " as long as my father word's and deeds live in me , he'll always be here " . Before this , Hiro was shocked to find , when he stopped time as his father fell to his death , that his killer was Takezo Kensei a . k . a . Adam Monroe . As the last words of the eulogy are being said , we find Noah lying with his eyes suddenly regenerating . He then gets up and says , " Holy - " as " To Be Continued " appears on screen . . . Wow ! What another great episode of " Heroes " . Lots of great stuff about fathers and their children . Nice to see George Takei one more time . Also great stuff from Jack Coleman as Noah Bennett . Hiro was the coolest especially with the eulogy . Only two more episodes before the strike happened so until next time . . .
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455,028 | 11,228,318 | 740,025 | 10 |
Beneath the Southern Cross is another essential Victory at Sea episode
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It's the battle of the South Atlantic between the British ship Devonshire and the German ship Atlantis . Plenty of footage of South America , both as sympathizers to the Nazi cause and , much later , as American allies willing to aid their northern neighbor's cause . . . More compelling footage of sea battles accompanied , as always , by the stirring music of Richard Rodgers and likewise that of Leonard Graves ' narration . Highly essential viewing for anyone interested in the way World War II was filmed for the record of depicting the what , how , and why of the decisions of the various world leaders and the way it affected the rest of the fighting men doing the actual battles .
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455,026 | 11,228,318 | 740,026 | 10 |
Conquest of Micronesia is an inspirationally balanced Victory at Sea
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In the Central Pacific , Americans are ready for the battle with the Japanese as both sides sustain multiple casualties with neither side wanting to surrender . Eventually , more deaths occur on Japan's front than the United States ' . . . This episode seems to live up to the series ' title , at least on the Americans ' side . Wonderful footage of a funeral at the end with appropriate reading of a prayer by narrator Leonard Graves as accompanied by the always stirring music of Richard Rodgers . Also nice footage of our country's military men relaxing in Hawaii , whether having their picture taken with a hula girl , seeing many of them dance , or simply going to the beach . The balance between resting and fighting is inspiring . Worth seeking for any World War II scholars out there .
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453,819 | 11,228,318 | 52,603 | 10 |
Baton Bunny is another wonderful mix of classical music and animation
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Like Mickey Mouse , Andy Panda , and Tom and Jerry before him , Bugs Bunny plays a symphony conductor in Baton Bunny . Even without his voice , Bugs is hilarious whether inadvertently putting his glasses upside down making the pages look that way , having cuff links move around him , or being annoyed by a fly while he's conducting . Oh , and watch him play lots of instruments ! Once again , Chuck Jones with Abe Levitow as co-director , mixed classical music with quality animated comedy in a heavenly inspiration of styles . Highly essential for fans of both genres I just mentioned . This is on disc 3 of The Looney Tunes Golden Collection , Vol . 1 .
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454,932 | 11,228,318 | 740,027 | 10 |
D-Day details the most important battle in World War II history on Victory at Sea
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The Allied invasion of the Normandy Beaches of France is detailed to very compelling effect courtesy of vintage footage taken there . Among the leaders there was General Eisenhower . One of the most important turning points for victory from the Allied side . . . Perhaps one of the most exciting episodes of the entire Victory at Sea series . Certainly well worth it to see all the U . S . soldiers and their allies get off their ships and planes as they ready themselves for the biggest confrontation of their enemies during this pivotal moment of World War II . As always , there was great narration from Leonard Graves and very stirring music from the legendary Richard Rodgers . Most recommended for any World War II scholars out there .
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453,778 | 11,228,318 | 740,028 | 10 |
Design for Peace marks final U . S . triumph in Victory at Sea
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This episode starts with footage of the atomic bomb that was tested in New Mexico before it goes on to the devastation that happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki . With that Japan surrenders as that country's diplomat signs the official document prepared by the U . S . military before General MacArthur and fellow offerers also sign on . Before the war's end , however , President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dies during his fourth term in office . Millions attend his funeral to see his casket go by . As the day comes , the U . S . military comes to signs saying , " Welcome Home " before they are treated by mothers , wives , children's , and fellow neighbors . They also attend a parade in their honor as the series come to a close . . . Kudos as always for Leonard Graves ' narration and Richard Rodgers ' music . Also thanks to Henry Saloman and Richard Hanser for writing the whole thing , M . Clay Adams for the direction , Isaac Kleinerman for editing , and Saloman again for producing Victory at Sea . They all deserve a grand round of thanks for making perhaps the most important television documentary series ever made about World War II . Congrats all !
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453,898 | 11,228,318 | 740,029 | 10 |
Design for War is great start for series Victory at Sea
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In honor of Memorial Day , which this year is on May 28 , I started watching the first two episodes of the documentary series " Victory at Sea " . This one titled " Design for War " is the first . It chronicles the first two years of World War II in Europe before the United States ' full involvement . Germany succeeds in invading Poland and France but is held back by England thanks to Canada and much of the American naval forces . Very compelling use of actual footage is memorably accompanied by the resounding music score of the great Richard Rodgers . This is an excellent start to one of the most historically important documentaries on television . A must for any history buff .
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453,783 | 11,228,318 | 740,030 | 10 |
Full Fathom Five is exciting tale of U . S . submarines aid in Japanese defeat on Victory at Sea
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In this episode of Victory at Sea , we see how the U . S . submarines contributed to the Japan empire's downfall when they sunk thousands of their battleships . . . Nice footage of American sailors relaxing and having fun between drills before they are ordered into action . And what action there is as we see footage of ship upon ship from the House of the Rising Sun destroyed making Japan very weakened by the time it's all over . As always , stirring narration and music courtesy of , respectively , Leonard Graves and Richard Rodgers , contributes to the excitement of this segment of this classic World War II documentary series as well as perfectly chosen clips to illustrate just what went on . Another highly recommended episode for World War II history buffs out there .
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455,032 | 11,228,318 | 740,031 | 10 |
Guadacanal depicts some of the bloodiest WWII battles on Victory at Sea
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While also taking sights in Australia and New Zealand , the U . S . Marines suffer defeat after defeat at the hands of the Japanese at the base of Guadacanal . As the reduced crew retreats , however , a new one comes to take its place in a remarkable example of endurance . . . Interesting scenic shots of what the jungles of Guadacanal looked like during this time in history . Essential information is conveyed by the narrator about how some deaths are caused not just by battle but also by malaria that comes from the long stays in the Guadacanal rain forests . The number of people dying on both sides is especially emphasized here . Despite that , a can-do spirit ends another Victory at Sea episode as helped , as always , by the stirring music of Richard Rodgers . . .
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454,934 | 11,228,318 | 740,039 | 10 |
Roman Renaissance is compelling account of Mussolini's decline in Victory at Sea
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While Hitler's Germany continues to rise , Mussolini's Italy falls leading to a battle between the U . S . and Germany for the European country's soul . Eventually , as destruction upon destruction surrounds Naples , Italy accepts defeat and allows the U . S . to liberate their people as this episode ends with Rome celebrating freedom from tyranny with American flags and the Pope addressing the audience . . . Spectacular footage of air battles and explosions along with the ruins of many buildings and ships of Italy provide some of the most interesting results of the folly of Mussolini's regime . This episode also provides the beginning of the end of Hitler's as well . Compelling series made more so by Leonard Graves ' narration and Richard Rodgers ' music . Highly essential viewing for World War II history buffs .
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455,031 | 11,228,318 | 740,038 | 10 |
Rings Around Rabaul is another excellent episode of Victory at Sea
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The title of this Victory at Sea episode refers to the circle of ships the military of the U . S . , Australia , and New Zealand manage to surround around the Japanese base of Rabaul in the Solomon Islands . Many of these events happened in the fall of 1943 . . . Besides the stirring action accompanied by such likewise narration and Richard Rodgers ' music , there's some humor concerning the R & R of the military like the sign of Maude's Mansion Masseur : " Sorry , he's a he , not a she " as we see men get massaged by such a man . I also liked the one beer-drinking man seen here who has a shirt with " Vestal Virgin " printed on it . By the way , they're all drinking at a place called Duffy's Tavern which was supposedly named after a then-popular radio program . Another excellent segment of Victory at Sea that should please all World War II buffs !
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454,926 | 11,228,318 | 740,037 | 10 |
Return of the Allies showcases the U . S . taking back their Philippine commonwealth from Japan on Victory at Sea
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Just before the U . S . entered World War II , the Japanese managed to conquer their Commonwealth of the Philippines . After Pearl Harbor , some plans began formulating on freeing the Asian island from the Land of the Rising Sun but a full scale invasion didn't come to fruition until 1944 . By January of the following year , much of the Philippines was liberated as its people cheered the Americans and looked forward to complete independence two years later . . . A touching tribute to the will of the Philippine people to survive among insurmountable odds the barbaric regime of Japan as they waited for the U . S . liberation . On a personal note , my dad was there as a toddler while my mom was born there during some of those battles . Maybe someday I'll ask them about this period . Anyway , kudos as always for the stirring narration and music from , respectively , Leonard Graves and Richard Rodgers . Most highly recommended for World War II history buffs as well as those interested in their Philippine heritage .
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455,034 | 11,228,318 | 740,036 | 10 |
Some U . S . victories abound in Midway Is East segment of Victory at Sea
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After the Japanese successfully invade Singapore and the Philippines with the U . S . bases there , the Americans on another base in Midway manage to bomb many of Japan's ship carriers making the Asian country beat a hasty retreat and giving the U . S . some early victory in the second World War . . . Once again , stirring narration as well as such music from the great Richard Rodgers makes a most compelling episode in this , the fourth installment of the wonderful television documentary series Victory at Sea . For anyone very interested in a visual depiction of World War II as depicted in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans , Victory at Sea is as good a start as any .
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455,025 | 11,228,318 | 740,035 | 10 |
Melanesian Nightmare is compellingly somber episode of Victory at Sea
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In New Guinea , the Japanese fight a never-ending losing battle against the Allies of Australia and the United States as more and more casualties pile up while their homeland only hears news of victory being broadcast on radio . Eventually , the soldiers ' ashes arrive in white boxes to a mournful nation . . . While depicting several battles between Americans and their Asian enemies , we see just how Japan's people are suffering in defeat as especially shown in a scene of all their bodies laying in waste . Also , a very touching scene of the massive funeral of the Pacific country's men concludes this segment providing a balance of how universal grief truly is . Great narration from Leonard Graves and , as always , touching music from Richard Rodgers . This series is highly essential viewing for World War II scholars .
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454,947 | 11,228,318 | 734,666 | 10 |
The Night of the Meek was an excellent Christmas episode of " The Twilight Zone "
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This is my fifth consecutive comment on a Rod Serling-related project and my first this month of December on a Christmas-related one . Having never seen this particular episode when " The Twilight Zone " was airing on Superstation WGN-TV in Chicago on cable during the ' 80s , I was ecstatic when I found this on joust . com as linked by Google Video . One of six episodes shot on videotape , Art Carney is Henry Corwin , a drunkard who arrives late and inebriated at his job of a department store Santa . When one parent in particular complains , the manager ( John Fielder ) fires him on the spot but not until Henry expresses his wish to help less fortunate folks , as opposed to the arrogant and spoiled ones in the store , does he leave . Outside as he stumbles into his alley , a cat drops a big bag down in front of him . When he comes to the church of salvation , all the poor souls there miraculously get whatever presents they wanted from that bag ( one of those souls is played by Burt Mustin , who I remembered from a couple episodes of " All in the Family " ) . The organ playing woman there does not approve and gets a cop who takes him in . At the station , Henry's former manager tries to take back what he thinks are his store's stolen goods but sees nothing but tin cans and thinks the cop wasted his time bringing him there . But when Corwin reaches back in the bag , he presents his ex-boss with a bottle of a certain vintage wine that he wished for . I'll stop there and mention how wonderful to discover another great Art Carney performance after years of seeing him as Norton in " The Honeymooners " as well as his Oscar-winning turn in Harry and Tonto . He brings such belief and optimism to his role that when the whimsical turn of events come at the end , you can't help but be happy for him . Not a typical " Twilight Zone " episode , that's for sure , but one worth seeing for anyone who loves the Christmas spirit .
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455,033 | 11,228,318 | 740,034 | 10 |
Mediterranean Mosiac is another compelling episode of Victory at Sea
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British forces head on to Gibraltar and Malta to hold off the Italian Navy and the German Luftwaffe from invading there . While the English do get constantly bombarded at the Malta Islands , they remain steadfastly determined to keep charging especially after King George VI pays a visit there . . . The most interesting part of this episode is the amount of mealtimes the British sailors have in a day : 5 ( cocoa , breakfast , dinner , tea , and supper ) ! There's also scenes of relaxation on board ship before the , we later find out , 17 months of battle that occurs on the Malta shores . Once again , great narration and wonderfully stirring music as written by the legendary Richard Rodgers . Victory at Sea is essential viewing for the World War II scholar interested in seeing history come alive on television !
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455,030 | 11,228,318 | 740,033 | 10 |
Mare Nostrum is compelling depiction of European fight in Victory at Sea
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The British and the Greek military teams manage to defeat the Italians and later the Germans in the battle to take over the Mediterranean . At issue is who controls the Suez Canal in Egypt . . . One team of Europeans unite against another team in order to fight for what's right ! Another compelling episode of the great TV documentary series Victory at Sea with stirring narration and music by the legendary Richard Rodgers . History doesn't get better depicted on film than this ! How exciting to see such footage come to life almost as if we're living it now ! One of the most essential documentaries to come about the way World War II was fought and won for the democracy of the world . Can't wait for the next installment !
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454,931 | 11,228,318 | 740,032 | 10 |
Killers and the Kill details German defeat in the Atlantic Ocean on Victory at Sea
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As the Allies form bombing bases in lands bordering the Atlantic Ocean , the Germans try one more chance at conquering that area by sneaking a submarine from west of Europe . Unfortunately for them , they get caught and attacked from all angles . . . Perhaps the episode of Victory at Sea that most details the German defeat in the Atlantic Ocean at the Allies ' side . Exciting footage dominates the last several minutes with stirring narration from Leonard Graves and likewise music from Richard Rodgers contributing the appropriate mood throughout . A salute to all the men , living and dead , who helped make the world safe for democracy during these trying times indeed . As always , this and other episodes of Victory at Sea are most highly recommended .
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454,365 | 11,228,318 | 36,968 | 10 |
Jammin ' the Blues is most innovative of its time
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Jammin ' the Blues is an Oscar-nominated short from 1944 that is basically 10 minutes of improvisational jazz played in one long jam . Marie Bryant sings " The Sunny Side of the Street " at one point for the film's highlight then jitterbugs with Archie Savage to bring this most entertaining " jam session " to its exciting end . The director Gojn Mili was a photographer and that experience shows in some of the double exposure shots of some of the musicians that makes this one of the most innovative angles of the ' 40s . According to some notes I read one of the musicians was white and had to be filmed in silhouette in reflection of the social attitudes of the time . What a shame . Still , this most unusual film of the time is available on YouTube so if you love jazz , I suggest you seek it out there .
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454,616 | 11,228,318 | 2,260 | 10 |
Winsor McCay's How a Mosquito Operates shows how something made 95 years ago can still be effective now
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As a person who doesn't normally watch horror films but has taken in some once in awhile and , while somewhat scared , was also entertained enough to not be too grossed out , I found Winsor McCay's How a Mosquito Operates a little mind-frightening enough to think if I was still an under-12 kid watching this for the first time , I'd walk out of the room ! Seeing the bottom of this creature grow every time he sucks some blood out of this human man who's just trying to sleep seriously gives me the creeps ! And that ending when he explodes after draining too much blood ! Aaargh ! Other than that , this was one of the most compelling and unique animation films made in the early 20th century and it shows that not everything made way before I was born can seem so old-fashioned . So to anyone who's wondered if things made way before your time can seem so quaint and old hat , watch this and see if this doesn't blow your mind !
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453,897 | 11,228,318 | 740,047 | 10 |
The Pacific Boils Over is great depiction of Pearl Harbor in Victory at Sea
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In honor of Memorial Day , which this year is on May 28 , I started watching the first two episodes of the television documentary series " Victory at Sea " . This entry , " The Pacific Boils Over " is the second . Using Japanese footage , we see the planning , execution , and ultimately the celebration of the Asian country's attack on Pearl Harbor . There's also an explanation provided for the attack and some peaceful moments depicted among the U . S . sailors before the fateful events that use some of the most exciting film provided with the accompaniment of the stirring music score of Richard Rodgers to great effect . Essential viewing for anyone with interest in U . S . involvement in World War II , this one should make you sit up and take notice !
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455,027 | 11,228,318 | 740,046 | 10 |
The Magnetic North is another compelling Victory at Sea episode
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This episode of Victory at Sea explores the battles between the Americans and the Germans over the Arctic Circle concerning the Nazi-occupied Norwegians and other like-minded nations . After the Germans ' defeat , the Japanese take their turn resulting in another long , drawn out battle . . . A more somber segment in this classic World War II documentary series is once again given excellent treatment by the narration of Leonard Graves and the appropriate music of Richard Rodgers . Spectacular battle footage and the aftermath dominates to pay tribute to the fighting men who died in honor of their country . Well worth it to anyone interested in history as it was filmed for posterity .
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453,782 | 11,228,318 | 740,045 | 10 |
The Fate of Europe is another compelling segment of Victory at Sea
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The final defeat of Germany is chronicled here due to the Russians and now liberated France's determination to keep fighting . We also witness the meeting of Roosevelt , Churchill , and Stalin on final plans for Germany's surrender and the forming of the United Nations . At the end as Hitler's suicide is mentioned by the narrator , we see the Nazi flags get torn and German military uniforms and hats laying on the ground like discarded garbage . . . Compelling footage of Russians fighting , France celebrating their freedom , the world leaders conferring , and German cities in ruins make this one of the most triumphant as well as somewhat somber episodes of Victory at Sea due , as always , to the narration of Leonard Graves and music of Richard Rodgers . Kudos also for the well chosen clips . Another highly recommended episode for history buffs of World War II .
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454,927 | 11,228,318 | 740,044 | 10 |
The Battle for Leyte Gulf is another exciting episode of Victory at Sea
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Japan feels the agony of defeat more and more as the Americans attack them at every turn in the battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines . The empire of the Japanese is fast disappearing . . . The narration , music , and cuts of shot after shot of explosions dominate this episode in a bombastic show of the battleships of Pearl Harbor avenging their attack with gusto . If anyone wanted to know how different the Japanese of today were from how they were during World War II , watch this episode to witness how determined they were to die without surrendering . This Victory at Sea segment marked the counting of the number of days when the Asian country would accept utter defeat and fully surrender to America . As always , special thanks to narrator Leonard Graves and musician Richard Rodgers for their stirring contributions . Another highly recommended episode for any World War II history fans out there .
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453,781 | 11,228,318 | 740,043 | 10 |
Target Suribachi is about the Marines triumph at Iwo Jima on Victory at Sea
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The U . S . Marines fight a never-ending battle against the Japanese in their attempt to place their flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima during the now-legendary events depicted in this episode . . . As we reach the final throes of battle in the Pacific war against Japan , we are once again reminded of the price of lives lost that comes before true victory can be achieved . We also , however , are treated to how our men relax by playing sports and eating and dancing and having a good time just before they fulfill their duties . Kudos , as always , to Leonard Graves ' narration and Richard Rodgers ' music for stirring us to the climatic battles and flag-raising conclusion that made this documentary series the classic that it is . So , as always , this was another highly recommended episode of Victory at Sea .
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453,779 | 11,228,318 | 740,042 | 10 |
Suicide for Glory depicts Japan's last attempt at conquest in Victory at Sea
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In one last ditch effort at glory , having lost most of their best men in military uniform , Japan employs kamikaze pilots-men who willingly crash their planes on carriers in order to destroy the enemy-to crush the American spirit . But the U . S . Navy and Marines are ready for them with their battleship guns through night and day . On Okinawa , Americans fight one last battle with the House of the Rising Sun before an atomic bomb hastens Japan's surrender . . . Lots of battle footage of carrier guns shooting at Japanese planes dominate this episode with the night film clips of glow-in-the-dark bullets especially compelling to watch . Many casualties and victories are also recounted here aided , as usual , by stirring music and narration from , respectively , Richard Rodgers and Leonard Graves . Another highly recommended episode of Victory at Sea with one more to go !
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454,915 | 11,228,318 | 740,041 | 10 |
Sealing the Breach is another compelling episode of Victory at Sea
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With war now declared on the U . S . front , naval branches throughout the southeastern states have banded together to bring battleships and submarines with supplies across the Atlantic Ocean to our Allies in England . Among those branches are those in New Orleans which is a two-hour drive from my current hometown of Baton Rouge , La . and one in my former hometown of Jacksonville , Fla . German U-Boats come through and manage to bombard some of the sailors and airplane pilots along the way . Still , Americans are resilient . . . Another compelling episode of World War II history with , as always , stirring music from the great Richard Rodgers . Great narration matches that music to a T and keeps things in perspective . Well worth viewing for any U . S . history buffs there .
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455,029 | 11,228,318 | 740,040 | 10 |
Sea and Sand is another compelling episode of Victory at Sea
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In this one , the U . S . Army goes forward to defeat German General Rommel's military men in North Africa while the Allies also overtake many of the Mediterranean supply bases . We also see footage of Russians as they try to survive many invasion attempts and American President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill in conference as they plot the next move which for many soldiers of each country takes place somewhere in Casablanca . . . Exciting footage of lots of tank firings on land dominate another compelling documentary series entry of Victory at Sea aided most suitably by stirring narration and the symphonic music of the great Richard Rodgers . Another worthy entry of Victory at Sea for World War II buffs .
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454,929 | 11,228,318 | 740,050 | 10 |
Two If By Sea is another serious segment of Victory at Sea
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The United States prepare to attack the Japanese as they attempt to conquer Peleliu and Anguar near the Philippines . Various casualties on both sides as we witness many deaths and captures at the end . . . This episode begins with a quote from the bible that starts with " To everything turn , turn , turn . . . " that would later become the Pete Seegar-The Byrds song , " Turn , Turn , Turn " . Appropriate beginning with various other inspirational messages throughout . Was very surprised to see some mens ' naked backsides here ! One of the most somber episodes of Victory at Sea aided by , as always , the stirring narration and music by Leonard Graves and Richard Rodgers , respectively . Another segment highly recommended for World War II history buffs .
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453,780 | 11,228,318 | 740,048 | 10 |
The Road to Mandalay describes Japan's conquest of Asia in Victory at Sea
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This episode details Japan's invasion of China in 1936 and subsequent conquest of Burma after Pearl Harbor before China's liberation was aided by the Allies especially the British as they come back to the Mandalay crossing that helped make victory possible . . . Lots of info for a segment that dealt with how obsessed Japan was with conquering the world starting with its Asian neighbor , China . India is also mentioned as one of the Allies that received supplies in the fight against the House of the Rising Sun . As always , stirring narration and music by , respectively , Leonard Graves and Richard Rodgers help make this episode of Victory at Sea as exciting as it is . Most highly recommended for World War II history buffs and anyone interested in real-life drama presented on film .
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453,916 | 11,228,318 | 378,879 | 10 |
Tintin and I is excellent documentary of Herge
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Tintin and I recently aired as an episode of PBS's P . O . V . series . It's based on a taped interview of Georges Remi a . k . a . Herge , Tintin's creator , from 1971 in which in discusses his various experiences publishing his popular character , first in a Catholic newspaper , then in his own series of comic books . Awesome sweeping views of various comic pages and surreal images of Herge's dreams . I first encountered Tintin in the pages of Children's Digest at my local elementary school library reading The Secrets of the Unicorn . My mom later got a subscription to CD and I read the entire Red Rackham's Treasure every month in 1978 . I remember seeing some Tintin comic books in a local book store after that but for some reason I didn't get any probably because I was 12 and I thought I was outgrowing them . I do have Breaking Free , a book written and drawn by J . Daniels , published in 1989 , six years after Herge's death . Haven't read it yet . This film also covers the artist's personal life as when he left his first wife after his affair with a colorist in his employ ( whom he later married ) . Her name is Fanny and she is interviewed here . If you love Tintin and his creator , this film is definitely worth a look . Update : / 07-I've now read Breaking Free . Tintin and The Captain are the only regular characters that appear here and they are tailored to the anti-capitalist views of Mr . Daniels with Tintin portrayed as a rabble rouser with a chip on his shoulder who nevertheless cares for The Captain who he's staying with . The Captain here is just trying to make ends meet with a wife and daughter that he loves dearly . They and other construction workers vow to strike after a fellow employee dies from a faulty equipment accident . The whole thing takes place in England with working-class cockney accents intact . Not the kind of thing Herge would approve of but an interesting read nonetheless . Oh , yes , dog Snowy only appears in the top left corner of the cover ( which has Tintin running over the police ! ) and the dedication page .
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454,930 | 11,228,318 | 740,049 | 10 |
The Turkey Shoot showcases Japan's invasion and eventual U . S . rescue of Guam in Victory at Sea
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Guam , a U . S . territory , gets invaded by Japan a few days after Pearl Harbor and continues under the Asian country's occupation for two and a half years before the Americans take Guam back amid various Japanese casualties , either by suicide or self-defense . The Guam people are thankful as the episode ends on their smiling faces . . . A wonderful tribute to Guam and their resilience of survival from the Japanese invasion and eventual American rescue that makes this one of the most inspiring segments of Victory at Sea aided , as usual , by the stirring narration of Leonard Graves and music of Richard Rodgers . Another essential recommendation for any World War II historical fan out there .
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454,400 | 11,228,318 | 43,953 | 10 |
Rabbit Fire is one of my favorites from the " Hunting Trilogy " series
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Of the three shorts directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese that starred Bugs Bunny , Daffy Duck , and Elmer Fudd in the " Hunting Trilogy " series , this , Rabbit Fire was the first . When I originally saw this as a nearly 10-year-old kid in the late ' 70s , I laughed out loud at the way Bugs kept tricking Daffy into saying , " Duck season , fire ! " with the result of Elmer shooting the duck's face and Daffy's beak either falling off , or spinning , or his head hanging upside down . Other funny stuff involves the wabbit and duck impersonating each other in costume , their reading recipes of what each other would taste like followed by " mmmm-mmm " sounds , Bugs fooling Elmer with his female disguise ( again ! ) , an " elephant gun " gag , and the final twist that I won't reveal here . After all these years , this is one of my favorites among many classic Warner Bros . cartoons .
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454,156 | 11,228,318 | 45,585 | 10 |
Bully for Bugs is another classic Chuck Jones Bugs Bunny cartoon
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This is another cartoon in which Bugs should have taken a " left turn at Albuquerque " and ends up at a place not of his choosing , in this case a bullfighting ring . After Bugs insults the bull , the bull butts the rabbit sky high as Bugs declares , " Of course you realize , this means war ! " Boy , does it ever ! Watch Bugs one-up the stubborn animal at every turn . Love the slaps the rabbit gives him to the beats of some Mexican music . Like Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam , this animal will not give up no matter how much Bugs manages to defeat him at every turn . Once again , kudos to Chuck Jones and Micheal Maltese for making another hilarious classic cartoon . And special thanks to their boss Eddie Selzer for telling them " bullfights aren't funny " !
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454,404 | 11,228,318 | 405,159 | 10 |
Million Dollar Baby was certainly one of the best pictures of 2004
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I've now seen this movie twice . The first time was in the theatre after it won the Oscars for Best Picture , Best Director ( Clint Eastwood ) , Best Actress ( Hilary Swank ) , and Best Supporting Actor ( Morgan Freeman ) . The last was hours ago on HD DVD with my parents . My dad thought it dragged a little while my mom thought it was about more than boxing and liked the slow passages . In between the drama with the three stars , there's some humor involving Clint and Morgan as well as with Morgan and some of the other boxing hopefuls including a really enthusiastic kid who initially calls Freeman the " N " word but says he doesn't really mean it . Morgan's character also narrates the story in what is revealed to be a letter to Eastwood's long-estranged daughter who we never see . The movie does take its own sweet time and makes Paul Haggis ' dialogue shine throughout . Since I've only seen one of the other Best Picture Oscar nominees of 2004 ( The Aviator ) , I can't judge if this was indeed the finest of that year . However , Million Dollar Baby was certainly one of the most compelling .
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454,367 | 11,228,318 | 45,626 | 10 |
Christopher Crumpet is wonderfully animated UPA short
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Just saw this classic UPA short on YouTube . It concerns a little boy who turns into a chicken when he doesn't get what he wants from his parents . In this one , he wants a rocket ship . His father gets a toy one . " I want a REAL one ! " , Christopher exclaims . The father sees an ad for a real one in the paper . He gets it but it turns out ( as evident when the boy comes outside and sees it fall apart ) to be used . " I wand a NEW one ! " , comes the reply . Christopher keeps turning into a chicken every time he gets disappointed . During all this , the dad's officemate tries to win a bet with his boss about this unbelievable event . While the boss does see the boy and the chicken , he never sees the transformation so the officemate loses his pay for a year . All this is narrated by an illustrator to a dog that results in a surprise ending that I won't ruin here . Well worth seeing cartoon directed by Robert Cannon with Bill Melendez as one of the animators . Many other UPA classics like Gerald McBoing Boing and The Tell Tale Heart are also available for viewing on YouTube so to anyone with a love of all things animated , I highly recommend you seek them out there .
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454,795 | 11,228,318 | 325,306 | 10 |
Elvis : From the Waist up showcases great Presley performances in his first year on national television
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Elvis : From the Waist Up was a VH1 special I taped about 10 years ago that I'm just now seeing since a few days from now , it will be 30 years since Elvis " left the building " . This special , narrated by Bono of U2 , chronicles Elvis ' national television appearances in his first year from his debut on the Dorsey Brothers ' " Stage Show " to singing to an actual hound dog on " The Steve Allen Show " to his first " Ed Sullivan Show " appearance when he was introduced by guest host Charles Laughton to his third and last one in which Ed called Presley and his backup singers , The Jordanaires , " fine young boys " . All those performances are shown completely intact and with such clear picture considering they're all kinescopes from 50 years ago . Oh , and there's an appearance on " The Milton Berle Show " that ends with Berle himself trying to impersonate Elvis ' moves to hilarious effect in front of the King himself ! If you find this on VHS or DVD , I strongly suggest you check it out !
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454,547 | 11,228,318 | 149,578 | 10 |
Abou Ben Boogie is a wonderfully sexy Walter Lantz ' 40s cartoon
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Abou Ben Boogie is one of Walter Lantz ' Swing Symphony cartoons that relied heavily on the swing-jazz music that was so popular during the ' 40s era this short was made in . It takes place in some Arabian country at a restaurant where all the men go ga-ga over a dancing harem girl with bare midriff who sings the title song . Many gags abound around the men , that girl , and a camel who also dances . Lots of Tex Avery-inspired scenes like the enormously widening eyes and other funny reactions to the sexy dancing of the girl provide most of the short's humor as hilariously directed by Jimmy " Shamus " Culhane . Well worth seeing for any ' 40s animation buff .
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455,058 | 11,228,318 | 33,123 | 10 |
Swinging the Lambeth Walk is another unusual Len Lye animation short
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Another Len Lye animated short which has paint abstracted directly on film . The music is , as usual , an excellent score for its period . It begins and ends with a silhouette of a hand with its thumb pointed up . I guess all I can say after having seen so many of these Len Lye shorts on YouTube is if you've got a taste for the unusual , or the possibly bizarre , or a collage of colors , white lines , and shadows , if you don't mind seeing something that makes you think you're in some kind of mind trip , then anything by Len Lye should be what you're looking for . Swinging the Lambeth Walk can be one of the most trippiest experiences you've ever have without taking any controlled substances . So by all means , seek this one out !
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453,930 | 11,228,318 | 1,066,329 | 10 |
This French animated short highly deserved its Oscar nomination from yesterday
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Meme les pigeons vont au paradis is one of five Oscar-nominated films in the Best Animated Short category . In this entry from France , an old man with a red bag of lots of gold coins is visited by a priest who tells him to sign something in order to insure his entry into heaven . He also brings a machine that gives the old man a " preview " of what the afterlife will look like . I'll stop there and mention that there are many amusing characteristics in the short's brief running time that abounds in the dialogue exchange between the two characters . And the way the whole thing ends is a hilarious shocking surprise ! This was an excellent short that highly deserves it's important nomination that was announced yesterday . If if wins , I'd be very glad indeed !
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454,264 | 11,228,318 | 26,160 | 10 |
Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party was another entertaining musical short
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After performing two numbers in the Cotton Club-the first one with nothing but gibberish , Cab takes some friends to the title party where he sings one more number , " The Call of the Jitterbug " before it's called a reel . . . The announcer is the only white guy I saw here so this is obviously a major studio production ( Paramount ) . Since there's no contrived plot and just Cab calling to his friends at a table is the only dialogue here , this was another entertaining musical short that appeared on the DVD from Kino Video called " Hollywood Rhythm Vol . 1 : The Best of Jazz and Blues " . It's nice to know so many of the Hi-De-Ho man's early music performances have been preserved for posterity .
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454,577 | 11,228,318 | 70,544 | 10 |
Fantastic Planet is very innovative French-Czech animated feature
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I just discovered on YouTube this English-language version of Fantastic Planet , which was distributed in the U . S . by Roger Corman's New World Pictures . A kid Traag adopts a human-like little Om after the mother dies . This Traag learns lessons from a multiple-headphone-like device . As the Om grows , he absorbs all the Traag knowledge and eventually escapes to his homeland when he steals the Traag learning device . From there comes the climactic battle that leads to the pacifist denouement . Wonderful animation throughout with weird touches provided in this French-Czech production . Among the voices : Barry Bostwick ( Rocky Horror Picture Show ) , Janet Waldo ( Judy on The Jetsons ) , and Hal Smith ( Otis on The Andy Griffith Show ) . By all means seek this rare gem out !
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454,253 | 11,228,318 | 19,688 | 10 |
Big Business is the best Laurel and Hardy holiday comedy I've seen
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Hours after I rewatched The Fixer Uppers , I remembered another Laurel and Hardy short that had something to do with Christmas : This one called Big Business ( also the title of a feature starring Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler from 1988 ) . The boys sell Christmas trees in this one and are not very successful at it ( maybe because it's sunny in this short's setting ) . One customer who's particularly annoyed is played by usual nemesis James Finlayson . The gradual destruction caused by these three as well as their reactions to each indignity make this one of the funniest of the L & H silents . There's also notable bit players like Charlie Hall , Lyle Tayo , and as a cop watching all the shenanigans , Tiny Sandford who's also good in his role . So on that note , this is my favorite of the Laurel and Hardy holiday comedies . P . S . If you can read lips , you've probably noticed Stan addressing Ollie by his nickname , Babe , which he was called when he first worked in the film industry when it was briefly based in Jacksonville , Florida , which is where I once lived during the late ' 80s-early 2003 .
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