Another terrible "My Name Is Earl."  The narration on this show has really gotten out of hand.  It's just lazy writing.  So much of tonight's story could have been explained in dialogue.  The whole motel showdown at the end with the police outside was totally made up and unrealistic.  It might be the end for me with Earl.

However, "The Office" was great.  The writing on that show only improves each week. We are slowly getting to know each of the office workers and thier characterizations.  This has become my favorite TV show after "Lost".

Yesterday, I went to a movie that was a mistake!  Val and I went to see Larry, the Cable Guy---Health Inspector.  I was fooled into seeing it because of the funny trailer I saw.  However, the first 15 minutes of the film was terrible.  The trailer that I saw edited the scenes differently than they happen in the movie and were funnier (probably due to the timing and inserted scenes that did not exist in the movie).  They should of had the editor of the trailer edit the entire movie!  We walked out after 15 minutes and got our money back!

Later the day, Valerie, Rebecca, Emma, and I watched Demons. A film that has achieved some cult status.  It's all about a group of people that are trapped inside a movie theater by some demonic force.  It's rather gruesome at points, which caused Valerie to leave after 30 minutes!   The movie has a great soundtrack which adds to the horror!

Yesterday, I watched two movies.  The first was Thank You for Smoking, which I saw with Valerie and Rebecca. This is a film that pokes fun at public relations people who constantly have to put a good spin on events that effects the company that they are working for.  In this case it involve the spokesperson for a tobacco company.  It was humorous in parts---never laugh out funny.  I found the narration, which the director used haphazardly (probably because he wasn't clever enough to convey parts of the story in the spoken script) to be annoying.  I also felt the film poked more fun at those speaking for the tobacco industry than the people on the other side who always want to control what people can do.

The second film was a over-looked horror classic, Event Horizon.  Rebecca, Emma, and I watched it on DVD. The film takes place in the future when an rescue ship from Earth travels to the edge of our solar system to investigate a earth spaceship that has suddenly reappeared after being missing for many year.  no one is alive on the ship. Although, one would think of this as a science fiction film, it is at its core a horror story.  A top-notch film!  

Last night was another disappointing "My Name is Earl."  Once again the writers entered into fantasy land trying to create a story about Y2K situation a few years back.  They created impossible scenarios to try to get their jokes in (e.g., the fact that Earl and his friends wander out of the house on Jan. 1, and meet and see absolutely nobody-not one single person or car! ---all the people in town were supposed to be at a parade). This used to be my favorite show.  A few more shows like this one and I will mark it off my must-see list.

Valerie, Emma, and I went to the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood today and saw two 1971 films.  The first was John Huston's Fat City, a gritty drama about small time boxers in Stockton, California.  It stars Stacey Keech as a real loser who dreams of being a success at boxing and a young Jeff Bridges as a young man who wants to learn the boxing game.  As boxing pictures go, this is far superior than Million Dollar Baby, due to its realism and sharp performances.

The second feature was The Panic In Needle Park, a film documentating the drug culture in 1971's New York.  This was Al Pacino's first film.  Its very realistic depictures of drug use is quite disturbing.  I don't know why, but there were several times I got confused during the story (exactly who was who and what was going on!). Maybe I was tired!

Of the two films Fat City is the one not to miss.

Two films again today!!!!  The first was Bio-Dome starring Paul Shore and Steven Baldwin.  My kids insisted I watch it and much to my surprise it was rather funny.  I actually liked Steven Baldwin in this film.  The film was goofy and sweet.  Although their characters were annoying losers, their transformation into people who cared was what saved the film for me.

The second film I watched was the original The Hills Have Eyes.  I enjoyed this early version but I think the remake was far better (which is unusual for remakes). The two versions are extremely similar, right down to some of the dialogue.  However, I really enjoy the new version's interpretation of the killers as mutants of atomic testing.  Both films deserve to be consider classics of terror films.

Today was once again a double-headed.  I watched two films that were total opposites.  The first was the classic Rebel Without a Cause, a film that still holds up today.  A character driven film about well-off kids who are troubled gave James Dean his greatest role (he only played in three films before his tragic death). He was indeed destined to become one of Hollywood's greatest stars if he had died so early in his life.  Natalie Wood also shines in what might also be her greatest role.  This is a film that everyone interested in cinema must see.

The second film I saw today was She's the Man.  I went to see it because the previews did make it look cute.  The film proved to be harmless and it was occasionally funny.  The film was like a cartoon but with real people.  Much of it was forced and unbelievable.  In a nutshell, the story was about a girl who had to pose as a boy in order to get on a soccer team.  For this to work, we the audience, have to believe that no one ever caught her taking a shower, that her wig covered her long hair, and that it was real easy to change posing as a girl one minute and then changing into a boy's outfit the next minute.   This is a film everyone can miss.

Yesterday was a double header.  First, Valerie, Rebecca, Emma, and I watched Metropolitan, a 1990 film about a group of young New York preppies that sit around and talk about life and their friends.  Doesn't sound too interesting does it?  However, because of the smart writing and excellent direction, the film is quite engrossing as one is pulled into the characters' lives.  The director of this film, Walt Stillman, has only made three films, of which this was his first.  In the wrong hands, this film could of been a disaster, as it is basically only talking.  However, Stillman, directs his scenes so we can see other actors reactions as someone is speaking.  A poor director (there are many today) would want to have each speaking person in a close up, and therefore deprive us of glancing to the person being spoken to so we can see their reaction.

The second film, The Mouse that Roared, I watched with Rebecca. When this film first came out in 1959 it was the darling of critics.  It got much press and it seemed, because of the press, that this was supposed to be the funniest movie in years.  I saw it when it was originally released and was not impressed. I watched it yesterday and I was even less impressed.  It's a story about a small country in Europe, that, because they are bankrupt, decide to declare war on the United States so they can lose and receive tons of money to rebuild.  They inadvertently win the war (through quite unbelievable circumstances). The whole movie is quite (not-funny) silly and everything that happens is forced.  Peter Sellers, who plays four parts in the movie, is strangely subdued.  Back in 1959, because of the dearth of independent films and of movies politically charged, I think this film wowed the critics because they fell in love with a film (even through it was bad) that explored US and world politics (even though the jokes fell flat in the film).

Yesterday Valerie and I watched Call Me Madam, a 1953 film based on the Irving Berlin Broadway musical.  The film's story is loosely based on an actual character who broke into the 1950's Washington scene by giving fantastic parties.  She was later made (in real life) an ambassador to Luxemburg.  The movie was filmed in the type of GLORIOUS Technicolor that you no longer see.  All the film's colors are deeply saturated---I've never seen blues that blue!  I wish today's films would occasionally use this color method.  This was Ethel Merman's best filmed record of her talent.   She was a big star on Broadway, but whenever they filmed one of her successes, she was always replaced by a Hollywood star (e.g., Rosalind Russell replaced her in Gypsy). Her duet with Donald O'Connor as they sing "You're Just in Love" is one of the top Hollywood numbers ever filmed. One of the reasons this film and its numbers have been forgotten about is the fact that, apparently, the film has been tied up in legal limbo foWednesday, March 5, 2008of all time, the film is a must just to see Ethel Merman perform.

Later that evening, we watched Two and a Half Men.  Once again, it was an extremely funny episode. What puzzles me is that while the humor is often extremely juvenile and sophomoric, I find the show funny.  It must be the Charlie Sheen delivery of his lines. Usually, I hate that time of humor.

Last night was only the second time in my life that I, voluntarily, did not watch the Oscars.   The Academy Awards used to be one of my most favorite events of the year.  But ever since they started only nominating films released in December (and forgetting about all the great films released earlier in the year) they have become irrelevant in noting the best movies of the year.   The new left-leaning Hollywood (once the bastion of patriotism and everything American) has almost consciously chosen movies so they can "stick it" to Middle America.  Chronicles of Narnia was an awesome picture (and made millions) and completely ignored (except for make-up).  Doesn't Hollywood get it when their agenda movies are shunned by most movie goers. Doesn't Hollywood understand that if a movie was so great that wouldn't people rush out to see it.  Brokeback Mountain only made some money because it won other awards---of all the people I know that have seen it, they saw it's an OK movie---nothing special.

I did watch about 10 minutes of the opening of the show yesterday.  Jon Stewart did not make friends with his monologue.  I especially like his joke about "please people, don't pirate DVD's---that's stealing---and look around here at all these poor people who you are stealing from."  Jon in the rest of his monologue was a little too smug and they should of had a meter on screen to keep track of every gay joke---after the first few, they weren't funny anymore.

Maybe someday, the old Hollywood will return with real stars, real movies, and some real glamour (not borrowed gowns and borrowed jewelry--gee, can't these stars afford to buy there own clothes!)

Last night , Emma and I watched Trainspotting, a movie about the low-life drug culture of Edinburgh, Scotland.  At first the movie was hard to get into, partially due to the extremely heavy Scottish accents which almost made the movie unaudible.  Even though I sat through the whole movie I only understood half of what they said.  The film felt realistic as it examines drug addicts. I was extremely graphic at points and throughly depressing.  I was hesitant to initially commit myself to this film (I'm not a fan of foreign films) but after about thirty minutes of the movie, I did start enjoying it.

This afternoon, Emma and I watched the complete opposite of yesterday's movie---Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band.  This movie is almost like a dream.  This is no dialogue (except for some narration) as the movie presents a story that incorporate 20 of the Beatles' biggest hits.  The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton substitute for the Beatles.  When I first saw this film 28 years ago, I hated it ( I guess I wanted the Beatles to be in it---and they weren't!).  However, today, it seems marvelous with its innocence.  The numbers are presented in unique ways that are delightful.  And of course, Steve Martin's first film appearance is one of the highlights of this film.  This would be a great film with the sub-titles on for a party where everyone could sing along.

The next film I watched today was Star-Spangled Rhythm.  This was a film produced in 1942 by Paramount in which the studio joined into the war effort by producing a film where all of the studio's stars participated. This is a must for anyone who considers himself an old movie buff.  Unfortunately, other than the really big stars like Susan Hayworth, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Fred MacMurray, and a few others, many of the performers are slowly being forgotten, even though they were big in 1942.  There is an absolutely hilarious vaudeville number in which Betty Hutton and two men try to help Betty get over a high wall. It is an absolute classic! One of the best parts of this movie is a patriotic number sung by Bing Crosby at the end of the movie where he asks everyday Americans what this country means to them.  I know today it is chic in some circles to be blase about our country, but the reasons those Americans gave of why this country is great rand so true.  It makes one want today's movies to add a little old-fashioned love of our country into them.

Whenever one of my favorite shows begin to head south, it feels like I am losing an old friend.  Last night I watched My Name is Earl and, just like last week, the writing was sub-par and the situations forced.  Earl tries to repay the government some back taxes he never bothered to pay.   The scenes at the government offices where he is dealing with bureaucracy were cute but then the show has Earl concoct some plan where he decides to trepass on top of an abandoned water tower so that he will have to pay fines---thus paying the US what he owes them.  However, the whole water tower incident was stupid and extremely forced.  Unless the writing picks up it looks like I lost a friend.

Similarly, the Office was less than spectacular, although I am not quite as worried about it as I am about Earl.  Although mildly funny last night it was not one of their top editions.  Still, it was far better the My Name is Earl.

Last night I actually watched some of Dancing With The Stars. It was kind of fun but I can't believe what a rip-off it is of American Idol---especially with the three judges. The dancing was great to watch but they definitely need better hosts. Tom Bergenon looked boored and had very little facial expression. The girl (I don't know her name) was hyper-active and talked way too fast! The camera work was better than I expected---not too much cutting (there could have been less) which resulted in letting us viewers actually watch them dance in segments.

After Dancing with the Stars, I watched The Family Guy. It was a repeat but a great episode involving Stewie going to college and Peter starting his own A-Team with his friends. A truly hilarious episode!

Today we watched some old TV shows. The first show was an episode from the Loretta Young Theater which was on for several years in the 1950's. The show was an anthology series where each episode was a different and new story. They were like mini-plays. The episode we watched was not the greatest story, but since it was only 24 minutes long any faults in the story were forgivable.

The second old TV show we watched was an episode from the Jack Benny Program that aired on CBS in the 1950's. Jack Benny is hilarious. It had as a guest star Liberace. Much humor was derived from his piano playing, candelabras, and his constant smiling. And Jack Benny could get the most laughs by not saying anything---he was the master of the silent reaction to humorous situations.

Last night we watched My Name is Earl. This used to be one of my favorite shows but lately, the writing has gone downhill. The situations are not as clever as they once were and they are now doing too much narration. The situations on last night show seemed forced (such as the bus not stopping at a stop simply because the sign has been knocked down). I hope they haven't got lazy in the writing department. Joy and Darnell were sadly "missing in action. "

The Office is getting to be one of my favorite programs. When it first went on I didn't like it too much. However, now, as we are getting to know the characaters, I find myself sympathizing with those office workers.

This afternoon I watched with my daughter Emma "The Untouchables." This is a great exciting film. Kevin Costner stars with Sean Connery. Next to Scarface, I think this is Brian DePalma's best film. The movie starts a little slow in the first thirty minutes, but after that it takes off and is never boring. The two hours went by really fast.