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planktonrules
I am a school teacher--psychology and history. I used to be a psychotherapist but changed careers after nearly getting killed twice--it's a lot safer and less stressful being a teacher, believe me.
Other than commenting on films, I write fishing articles and have recently taken up scuba. Life is great here in sunny Florida.
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That Guy... Who Was in That Thing (2012)
Good.
"That Guy...Who Was in That Thing" is a great documentary for film buffs but is probably something that the average person might not care to see. But, since I love films, I love the idea of learning more about some of the familiar supporting actors that are ubiquitous--the guys whose names you usually don't know. The movie stars about a dozen of these folks who talk about a wide variety of topics. And, since there is no narrator, the film seems, at times, a bit directionless--more just musings about their lives, careers, the ups and the downs. This same lack of direction does, after a while, make the film seem a bit overlong--though still interesting if you can stick with it.
By the way, I would love to see a sequel--one in which they progressively give the actors more and more and more alcohol in order to find out what they REALLY think. Also, interestingly, no female actors were interviewed.
Quincy M.E.: Quincy's Wedding: Part 1 (1983)
This didn't need to be a two-parter.
This is the first of a two-part episode of "Quincy". While some might like the fact that the Doctor was getting married, to me this marks the absolute lowest point of the show. In my opinion, bringing in a new Mrs. Quincy is just a sign that the writers had run out of ideas. It also damaged the series because of the sort of woman she (Anita Gillette) played, as she was as big a know-it-all as Quincy and offered no counter-point to him. Instead, it was like having TWO Quincys!! Two means two on crusades and two preaching about various social ills. And, the social issues episodes were among the worst in the series--and the better crime investigation shows were no longer the norm.
The show begins with Dr. Hanover (the soon-to-be Mrs. Quincy) preparing for the wedding with her very efficient wedding planner. As for Quincy, he just stands back and says very little--just content to show up for the ceremony.
At the same time, there is another plot involving a wonderfully annoying couple (John McIntire and Jeanette Nolan). The scenes with the two of them together are great, as the couple bicker horribly and say amazingly awful things to each other. In particular, McIntire was fabulously despicable. Unfortunately for the episode, however, he dies midway through episode one--and without him, his widow comes off as a bit too kooky and annoying. You might like her--I think having so much of her in episodes one and two was a mistake.
Later in the show, Quincy's eagerness to marry ebbs after Dr. Hanover tries to emotionally castrate him (the show never deliberately makes this point, but as a guy, I sure felt bad for him). Although Quincy adores his boat and lives in it, his fiancée unilaterally decides he must sell it--and from then on, Quincy seems less certain of the marriage*. Ultimately, episode ends with the marriage being called off--as both were reassessing whether or not Quincy was really ready for this commitment.
As I mentioned above, I never liked the introduction of Dr. Hanover--she threw off the balance on the show and it seemed like the series has jumped the shark, so to speak. As for this particular show, there was stuff to like (McIntire) and stuff not to like. Overall, I didn't love the show and thought it overlong, but it is reasonably entertaining.
*Although the show NEVER seems to draw this conclusion--as for me, I wanted to punch Hanover in the nose and could understand Quincy's feelings about the boat! Let the guy keep his boat--you're both doctors and can EASILY afford a boat AND a real house!! This insistence on her part REALLY made me dislike her character. See part two to see what happens with this.
Quincy M.E.: A Loss for Words (1983)
Quincy on the soapbox...once again.
There were two main sorts of episodes on "Quincy"--those which are focused primarily on crime investigations and those which were simply soapbox pieces which addressed about various social issues. Generally, these social issues programs were weaker and often they came off as preachy and annoying. While "A Loss for Words" involves the investigation of an arson, this is really secondary--the main thrust of the show is on adult illiteracy. And, like so many of the social issues shows, there really isn't much Dr. Quincy in the show.
An additional weakness in this show is the way the show takes a cheap shot at a teacher. While it is true many kids do graduate who cannot adequately read, why JUST blame one teacher? What about the other teachers, lousy neighborhoods, a school system or principals that won't allow teachers to fail students, parents who would rather sue than accept that their child is failing and many other factors?! As a retired teacher, it just seemed like a cheap shot--and too simplistic an answer to a complex problem.
Finally, I did have to laugh at the portion where Lt. Monahan was angry at the arson investigator (Gerald O'Laughlin) for rushing to judgment--something Monahan seems to do in every other episode!! Unintentionally hilarious.
Desert Killer (1952)
Meh...
"Desert Killer" was nominated for Best Short Film, One Reel--so it could be assumed it's a pretty good picture. After seeing it, I am not so sure. When the film began, I was surprised to see that it was made in color--something unusual for a live action short back in 1952. The film looks a lot like a high quality home movie--not just in style but because the film has no sound--just narration and a few sound effects which were added later. The story is about a mountain lion which is being hunted by hunters since it's preying on their livestock. Hunters might enjoy watching the film--others might feel sorry for the animal. Regardless, it just didn't seem all that interesting and the narration was, at times, a bit too much. Perhaps it was a slow year at the Oscars.
Sleepy Time Possum (1951)
A nice change of pace.
This Looney Tunes short is a big departure from the norm, as none of the characters are familiar. Instead, it's about a cute family of opossums and their problem child. It seems that Junior is very lazy and all he wants to do is sleep. So, Dad comes up with a strange plan--to dress up like a dog and scare the boy into waking up. Still, however, despite the costume, the boy is seriously intent on sleeping and scheme after scheme to rouse the boy seem to be fruitless. In many ways, it plays a lot like a Wiley Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon--with weird plans, gadgets and the like. But, being an early 50s short, the animation is higher quality (in the mid-late 50s, the cartoons and especially backgrounds were MUCH simpler). So is it worth seeing? Yes. It's cute and original. Not brilliant but quite nice.
Oh, and by the way, despite what you see in this cartoon, possums cannot hang by their tails--this is a myth.
Quincy M.E.: Beyond the Open Door (1983)
Okay, while I might have thought that a particular episode of "Quincy" was the worst ever, here I have one that truly is the worst!
"Beyond the Open Door" begins with perhaps the dumbest openings in the history of "Quincy". A teenage girl is hitchhiking and the old guy who picks her up does NOT drive to the school where she wants to go. Instead he goes down some alley. Not surprisingly, she assumes he's some sicko. OK. No problem. She then screams at him--telling him she's going to report him to the police and storms off. OK. No problem--all this seems possible. But, then she walks directly in front of the car and stands there--until, surprise, surprise, the guy runs her down!! Who thought this scene made any sense?! She escapes from a sicko and then walk directly in front of the car? And, when there are lots of places to move to in order to avoid this car barreling down on her, she just stands there waiting to be killed?!?!?! Huh?!
Sadly, after a horrible opening, the show only gets worse! That's because the show turns out to be all about some psychic who is helping the police locate a serial killing rapist. This is odd, as you'd think a show about the scientific investigations of crimes would be scientific and not degenerate to a world with about as much validity as voodoo! Does it get worse? Oh, yeah, as ultimately the show takes a PRO-PSYCHIC angle--like these folks are of as much use in investigations as the police, forensic scientists and the like. Gimme a break! Talk about being irresponsible--feeding the public this sort of bilge when there are no critical scientific studies that show that these folks are of any value to police.
This episode is ample proof that by season eight, "Quincy" was moribund and bereft of new ideas. Further proof is marrying off the doctor a couple episodes later--with the writers trying ANYTHING to push some life into a show that should have probably ended a season or two earlier.
By the way, as I watched this re-run, my daughter kept asking me why I was watching such a dumb show. And, I sure had a hard time justifying sticking with this particular one.
Viking Apocalypse (2011)
Mildly interesting.
I saw this National Geographic show today and noticed, at least when streamed through Netflix, that the sound mixing was simply abysmal. The background sound effects and music were MUCH louder than the narration and dialog. I assume it was not this way originally--but here it's very, very difficult to watch. Fortunately, the captions were quite good, so I could follow along this way.
The documentary is about an unusual archaeological site in Dorchester, England. All in one small area are the remains of 54 dead men--well, actually, of the 54, only 51 had skulls that could be found. However, and this is weird, all had been beheaded and their skulls stacked to the side. To make it more difficult to do the modern forensics is because the bodies lack the usual identifying material you'd expect with the bodies--no weapons, no jewelry...nothing! Using carbon dating, they determine the dead men are from around the 11th century--so they probably are either Saxons or Vikings. A more vivid picture of who they exactly were and how they were killed is given through interviews and the usual recreations. However, be prepared as you hear a lot of 'could have been', 'mights' and the like, as in the end, the scientists really could not establish much as fact about these folks. Additionally, sometimes the show seems too overly dramatized and drawn out--making for tough viewing at times. Overall, watchable but frustrating, too, as it really couldn't establish much for certain and seemed padded heavily.
So You Want to Be a Bachelor (1951)
A bit better than average
George O'Hanlon is back for another Joe McDoakes short. And, as in some of the films, his wife is played by Phyllis Coates--Lois Lane from the TV "Adventures of Superman"--who appears here uncredited.
After Joe and his wife have a scrap, Joe goes into the basement and looks through his old mementos from his bachelor days. As he does so, he reminisces about these good 'ol days and you see his relationship with the woman who would later become Mrs. McDoakes. What follows is insane--often quite funny but occasionally the laughs come so fast you almost wish they'd slowed the thing down a bit. Either way, it is funny and better than the average McDoakes film. I'd say more about what exactly happens, but you just have to see it to believe it!
If I Were You (2012)
Quite uneven but often quite good
"If I were You" is a frustrating film to watch, though I do recommend it. Why frustrating? It's because it is almost like two or three different portions of films tossed together--and this is disconcerting. For example, the film starts off as a funny little comedy but then later it's depressing and maudlin and later it's a romance! I really wish the film had maintained a tighter focus--perhaps then it would have made money. Still, with some wonderful acting from Marcia Gay Harden and many wonderful moments, it is still very good.
The film begins with a woman (Harden) discovering that her husband is cheating on her. However, in a weird (and funny) twist, she sees the mistress about to kill herself and must intervene. No matter how much she hates her, she has some compassion and won't just stand back and see her die. Soon, in a weirder twist, the two become very good friends--though the mistress has no idea that her new friend is her lover's wife! There is MUCH more to the film than this--and as I said before, the film has great difficulty maintaining focus in style or plot. It's a shame, as the film is VERY funny in places.
So would you like my advice? Well, you are reading this, so I assume you do. First, don't let kids watch the film--it's just too adult. Second, watch it if you are willing to look over the uneven bits, as there is so much good in this one.
By the way, if you like this film, try watching Harden in "Canvas"---another small and overlooked film in which her acting really, really shines.
Starlift (1951)
Sort of like a Korean War era reworking of films like "Hollywood Canteen" and "Thank Your Lucky Stars".
During WWII, Warner Brothers made several films which were a combination of a showcase for the various talent at the studio as well as a chance to bolster the war effort. These films had very little in the way of plot and featured lots of cameos as well as singing and dancing. They were entertaining but rather shallow entertainment. Here with "Starlift", Warner has resurrected the old formula and updated it for the Korean War.
The film begins with two soldiers insinuating themselves into the lives of a couple famous Warner stars--Doris Day and Ruth Roman. The pushy soldier does this by pretending that his buddy is friends with Nell Wayne* and the two ladies offer to bring them back to their hotel to see Nell. There, the guys meet James Cagney and Nell--but Nell is confused--who are these guys? Well, by now, Ruth and Doris really like the two guys and although they DON'T know Nell, they agree to accompany them back to the base to meet the rest of the fellows. There, the stars agree to put on a USO-type show for the men. What follows are mostly song and dance routines as well as a disappointing plot involving Nell and one of the soldiers. I say disappointing because it went from kind of cute at first to strange and confusing--and unsatisfying. And, considering that the film is really just a showcase for their talent, this might explain the weakness of the plot.
By the way, among the man soldiers in the film you will probably notice Jack Larson. Jack played Jimmy Olsen in "The Adventures of Superman".
*I have no idea why Janice Rule is called 'Nell Wayne' in this film. Perhaps the studio was considering using this moniker for her but soon dropped it. However, apart from Miss Rule, the rest of the stars go by their own familiar names. I was a bit confused by this--especially since the film acted like 'Nell Wayne' was an established star and I'd never heard of her before this!
