Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Happy Happy Time...
Happy 59th birthday to Steve Landesberg. He played my 2nd favorite* character in any TV show: Det. Arthur Dietrich in the brilliant sitcom Barney Miller.
(* All-time favorite character is, of course, Dylan McKay.)
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Mr. Tony is back...
9-11, replayed from 11-1 every weekday. He's still got it too: my favorite quote from last week: "I could have a book signing today, with no notice, in the basement of a crack house and draw 700 people." Also: "Bang your monkey for the third and fourth hours, or you're not getting a tour stop."
Movie update...
Saw Sideways last night at the Mariemont. Really great! Starring Paul Giamatti, who played Harvey Pekar in my 2nd favorite film of last year, American Splendor, as a near-alcoholic middle-aged schulb who is taking a bachelor party trip with his college roommate, played by Thomas Haden Church (of Ryan's favorite TV show, Ned and Stacey). Really really really good -- funny, sad. Glad I took the trip out of the apartment, and it's not often I can say that about anything these days...
EDIT: Sorry, Ned and Stacey is Ryan's second favorite TV show, to Boston Common. How could I have forgotten?
EDIT: Sorry, Ned and Stacey is Ryan's second favorite TV show, to Boston Common. How could I have forgotten?
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Good movie update...
Since I've succeeded in my plan to alienate all my remaining friends, and since I've grown even more agoraphobic* in the past 5 months, I've been TiVo-ing movies that I wanted to see, but because of the near-agoraphobia, movie theaters are generally out (except for a must-see, like a Harry Potter film, or Kill Bill). I get mostly hits. Anyway, in no particular order, here are some good ones:
(
*: agoraphobia (sp?) is where you're afraid to leave the house. I've also become more OCD.
)
- Barcelona: Good stuff right here. Very talky, but good talky -- clever, smart. People acting like real people, not people in the movies, if that makes sense. A dramedy about two cousins living in, well, Barcelona during the dying days of the cold war. One is a salesman, the other a naval officer, and they're both on the prowl for love, etc.
- Cidade de Deus: That's City of God for those of you who don't speak Portuguese. The Brazillian Goodfellas. Just blew me away. Totally. A must-see.
- The Magnificent Ambersons: Orson Welles' follow-up to Citizen Kane. Re-cut by the studio without his approval, but what is there is gold. Story of a rich family in decline, specifically the youngest son. In black and white.
- Sunset Blvd.: Really great noir. About a hack screenwriter who lucks into moving in with a washed-up silent movie star.
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips: Besides Red Dawn, the only movie to make me cry as an adult. About the life of an English boarding-school teacher.
- Black Spring Break 2: The Sequel: As dumb as the first one.
- National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze: Didn't actually TiVo this, but my cousins and I rented in when I was down in DFW. Straight to video, but very funny -- worth a rental or a used DVD purchase. Bunches of hot starlets in it, but not why I liked it.
- Dark Blue: Not as good as I thought it was going to be. Kurt Russell gives a typically excellent performance.
- Narc: Exceeded my expectations, which were high to begin with. Ray Liotta is great in this one.
(
*: agoraphobia (sp?) is where you're afraid to leave the house. I've also become more OCD.
)
R.I.P., O.D.B.
