Happy Halloween!

In honor of my favorite holiday, I've watched five horror movies back to back on Hulu.


Black Sunday (1960)
Directed by: Mario Bava
Written by: Nikolai Gogol; Ennio De Concini, Mario Serandrei, Marcello Coscia
Starring: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici, Enrico Oliveri

Atmospheric chiller about a family haunted by the presence of an evil centuries old vampire, who on the anniversary of her death must resurrect herself and claim the life of her descendent. This creepy black and white film is a must see. A-



Moon of the Wolf (1972)
Directed by: Daniel Petrie
Written by: Leslie H. Whitten; Alvin Sapinsley
Starring: David Janssen, Barbara Rush, Bradford Dillman, John Beradino, Geoffrey Lewis, Royal Dano

A woman is found clawed to death and it is up to the local sheriff of a backwater Louisiana town to find the murderer. He gets more than he bargained for when he discovers a werewolf may be the culprit. If this run-of-the-mill TV movie had a bigger budget, better actors and a more compelling storyline, this could have been better. Instead it's just a dull murder mystery where we don't see the "werewolf" until the last ten minutes. F



The Spell (1977)
Directed by: Lee Philips
Written by: Brian Taggert
Starring: Lee Grant, Susan Myers, James Olson, Helen Hunt, Kathleen Hughes, Barbara Bostock

A chubby girl grows tired of being terrorized by her classmates at school and ignored by her parents at home, so she uses her supernatural powers to get revenge. This made for television movie, a rip-off of 'Carrie,' is unintentionally hilarious campy fun. F (A)



Fright Night (1985)
Directed by: Tom Holland
Written by: Tom Holland
Starring: William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall, Stephen Geoffreys, Jonathan Stark, Dorothy Fielding

Fun horror comedy about a teenage boy who suspects his new neighbor is a vampire. He soon learns that his suspicions are not unfounded when he is confronted by the vampire neighbor, so he enlists the help of his friends and a local late-night horror host to destroy him. B+



Scarecrows (1988)
Directed by: William Wesley
Written by: William Wesley, Richard Jefferies, Larry Stamper, Stephen Gerard, Marcus Crowder
Starring: Ted Vernon, Michael David Simms, Richard Vidan, Kristina Sanborn, Victoria Christian, David James Campbell, BJ Turner, Dax Vernon

A group of thieves hijack a cargo plane and end up in the Mexican jungle. They soon discover that they are being murdered one by one by a group of supernatural killer scarecrows. Some decently creepy shots of scarecrows can't save this run of the mill movie, which is basically a zombie movie without the zombies. D



----------------
Listening to: Kate Bush - Hello Earth
via FoxyTunes

Read a Goddam Book!

Click

Click

----------------
Listening to: Bionic Boogie - Chains (Extended)
via FoxyTunes

See It 10/30

Matinee (1993)
Directed by: Joe Dante
Written by: Joe Dante, Charles S. Haas
Starring: John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz, Lisa Jakub, Kellie Martin, Jesse Lee Soffer, John Sayles

A nice little tribute to schlock-meister William Castle and the cheesy gimmicks he used to get audiences butts into seats at the cinema. The Cuban missile crisis figures in here, but the real reason to see this is John Goodman and Kathy Moriarty. B



Winter Light (1962)
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Written by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow, Allan Edwall, Kolbjorn Knudsen

Ice cold drama about a pastor of a small rural church, and the lonely spinster who adores him. The acting is impeccable, the atmosphere chilly and depressing, and the direction is stark and captivating. A-



Cheri (2009)
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Written by: Colette; Christopher Hampton
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones, Frances Tomelty, Anita Pallenberg

Michelle Pfeiffer is pretty good in this, shedding her vanity to play an aging courtesan. But for a film set in France everything seems awfully English. This would have been better if the role of the love interest were better cast, but it's still pretty entertaining. B



World's Greatest Dad (2009)
Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait
Written by: Bobcat Goldthwait
Starring: Robin Williams, Alexie Gilmore, Daryl Sabara, Michael Thomas Moore, Jermaine Williams

Pitch-black comedy involving suicide, voyeurism, auto-erotic asphyxiation and zombies. Robin Williams successfully forgoes his manic schtick to play a failed author who does his best to raise, and control, his delinquent, perverted son. B+


----------------
Listening to: Jean Carne - Was That All It Was
via FoxyTunes

See It 10/18

Were the World Mine (2008)
Directed by: Tom Gustafson
Written by: Tom Gustafson, Cory James Krueckeberg
Starring: Tanner Cohen, Wendy Robie, Jusy McLane, Zelda Williams, Jill Larson, Ricky Goldman
At an all boys school, a gay teen discovers the recipe for a magical potion that somehow changes a person's sexual orientation. He sprays it all over the place and complications ensue. Whimsical little movie with a good heart. B


The Unknown (1927)
Directed by: Tod Browning
Written by: Waldemar Young, Tod Browning
Starring: Lon Chaney, Joan Crawford, Norman Kerry, Nick De Ruiz, John George, Frank Lanning
Lon Chaney plays a murderer posing as an armless knife thrower in a circus who falls in love with the big top beauty, played by a young Joan Crawford. To win her love he goes to great lengths, which include murder and self-amputation. B+


The Stepfather (1987)
Directed by: Joseph Rubin
Written by: Carolyn Lefcourt, Brian Garfield, Donald E. Westlake
Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Jill Shoelen, Shelley Hack, Charles Lanyer, Stephen Shellen, Stephen E. Miller, Robyn Steven
A crazy conservative serial killer goes from family to family marrying widowed mothers, then killing the families when they disappoint his moral standards. Really fun and probably one of the best horror films of the 80's. B+


Whatever Works (2009)
Directed by: Woody Allen
Written by: Woody Allen
Starring: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Michael McKean, Henry Cavill, Ed Begley Jr.
An angry pessimistic man takes in a dumb teenage runaway and they manage to help eachother deal with life, and soon they fall in love. Things get complicated when the girl's mother comes to town. As far as Allen's recent comedies go, this was pretty good. It's not a deep movie by any means but it's enjoyable, but not very memorable. B+

Skip It 10/18

Horror House (1969)
Directed by: Michael Armstrong
Written by: Michael Armstrong
Starring: Frankie Avalon, Jill Haworth, Dennis Price, Mark Wynter, George Sewell, Gina Warwick
A bunch of teenagers go to a supposedly haunted house when a party gets boring and someone gets murdered. The rest of the movie consists of the kids arguing and the cops trying to find the killer. F


American Werewolf In Paris (1997)
Directed by: Anthony Waller
Written: Tim Burns
Starring: Tom Everett Scott, Julie Delpy, Vince Vieluf, Phil Buckman, Julie Bowen, Pierre Cosso
Typically cheap, scare free late 90's horror. Boy meets girl, girl bites boy, boy turns into werewolf, bad special effects abound. Nothing interesting to see here. D-


Deranged (1974)
Directed by: Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby
Written by: Alan Ormsby
Starring: Roberts Blossom, Cosette Lee, Leslie Carlson, Robert Warner, Marcia Diamond, Brian Smeagle, Arlene Gilleb, Robert McHeady
Loosely based on the true horror story of Ed Gein, 'Deranged' will definitely make you question why you watch movies like this. A lonely, borderline retarded man digs up his mother's corpse and keeps her in the house and goes about trying to seduce women and lure them back to his house so he can kill them and make furniture out of the skin and bones. Some parts are so ridiciulous I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be funny or not. Watch this movie, 'Psycho,' 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre,' and 'Silence of the Lambs,' to see how different filmmakers have used (or exploited) the Ed Gein crimes for their own artistic visions. D+

Returning Favorites: Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Starring: Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, Teri Hatcher, Dana Delaney, Kathryn Joosten, Drea DeMatteo, Kyle MacLachlan, Ricardo Chavira, Doug Savant, James Denton, Richard Burgi, Kevin Rahm, Tuc Watkins, Jeffrey Nordling, Beau Mirchoff

Ah Desperate Housewives. Even though at the end of last years season finale I vowed that I was done with this show, I still find the ladies of Wisteria Lane irresistible. Of all the shows I watch I consider this my guiltiest of guilty pleasures.

Last season was without a doubt the worst season so far. It started off well with the series jumping ahead five years into the future. Gaby was a harried housewife with two young daughters and a blind husband, Susan and Mike had gotten a divorce due to an auto accident they were involved in, Bree and Katherine's catering business had taken off, resulting in Bree becoming a Martha Stewart-like celebrity, Orson had gone to prison for three years due to his attempted murder of Mike at the end of Season 2, and Lynette and Tom now had three teenagers to deal with, as well as a struggling pizza restaurant.

Edie, who had left the neighborhood five years ago after getting on the wrong side of the other women, returned, now married to the creepy Dave Williams. As is tradition with this show, Dave had a secret agenda for wanting to move to Wisteria Lane. It turned out that he had lost his wife and daughter in the accident Mike and Susan were in during the five year gap, and he wanted to hurt them both by killing their young son MJ. Unlike past mysteries on this show, his secret was predictable from the very first episode, and his storyline was dragged out for the entire season.

This season picked up by answering the cliffhanger question from last year: Who did Mike marry? Susan or Katherine? The answer, although incredibly predictable, is Susan. But this is a good thing because it allows Katherine to drop the needy nice girl act and return to her Season Four roots as the manipulative bitch I loved so much.


We also have new neighbors. New Yorkers Nick and Anglie Bolen move into Mary Alice's old house with their college aged son Danny. Danny quickly gets involved with Susan's daughter Julie, and Karen witnesses them fighting one evening. When Julie is strangled and left in a coma by a mysterious assailant, the neighborhood is thrown into an uproar. Hopefully the mystery as to who attacked Julie will be better than last years lame mystery. There are already several suspects, and I have a feeling there will be several twists along the way until we find out who attacked her, and why. Are the mysterious new neighbors involved? Maybe, maybe not.


Other things happening on the street include Bree having a secret affair with Karl, Susan's ex-husband, Katherine slowly losing her grip on reality as she tries to sabotage Mike and Susan's relationship, Lynette and Tom expecting twins, and Gaby and Carlos dealing with his live-in troublemaking niece Ana.

Last season I was worried that when Edie was electrocuted by some downed power lines that the show wouldn't be the same without her. So far I haven't even noticed her absence. There are enough characters in this large cast to keep things interesting.

So far, this season, now three episodes in, is much better than last year. All the characters are getting decent amounts of screen-time, the storylines are all entertaining, and the mystery is so far so good. Hopefully it doesn't run out of creative steam by the halfway mark like it did in Seasons 2, 3 and 5. But even if it does I'll keep watching.

Watch On Hulu

Returning Favorites: Nip/Tuck

Nip/Tuck (FX)
Starring: Dylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, John Hensley, Roma Maffia, Kelly Carlson, Linda Klein, Rose McGowan, Mario Lopez, Joely Richardson

When we left off last season Christian (McMahon) was diagnosed with breast cancer and he married Liz (Maffia) in order to have a companion in the last stages of his life. The night they were leaving for their honeymoon, Christian discovered that the lab screwed up his results and he does not have cancer.

All is not well for Sean (Walsh) either. We found out that his wild-child girlfriend Teddy (Katee Sackhoff) is a murderer who apparently gets off on killing doctors. Of course, Sean doesn't know this yet.

We pick up this season with Christian and Sean in the midst of financial collapse. The crappy economy is affecting the plastic surgery industry pretty hard. On top of that, Liz and Christian are getting a divorce, with an angry Liz demanding half of everything. Sean is struggling with insomnia, trying to keep Teddy (now played by Rose McGowan) happy with the wealthy lifestyle she's grown accustomed to. I'm not sure why Teddy was recast for Season Six. Last season Katee Sackhoff hit it out of the park with her slow-burning psycho, but so far Rose McGowan fits into the role well.


Sean and Christian luck out when they partner up with the young Dr. Mike Hamoui (Lopez, reprising his Season Four role.) After witnessing the young doctor at work, both Sean and Christian realize they aren't the young men they used to be.

Jammed into all of this is Matt (Hensley,) Christian and Sean's co-son. Always having trouble leading his own life without ruining it, Matt, who has been involved with transsexuals, Neo-Nazi's, and Scientologists in the past, has now become a street performing mime. Why is this character still around? Can't be just be written off already? He hasn't been useful since the third season.

Julia (Richardson,) who used to be a main player on the show, will appear this season, but did not show up in the premiere. Her character has been handled pretty unevenly since she and Sean got a divorce during Season Four. For both parts of Season Five she appeared sporadically, but hopefully she'll have more screen time this season.

Also back in the mix is Kimber (Carlson,) the washed up porn star, who is now working as a freelance electrolocist, and Nurse Linda (Klein) the golf-loving nurse who over the course of the series' run has become the source of most of the comedy relief in this very dark show.

I've had a love/hate relationship with Nip/Tuck for a couple years now. Sometimes I love it, and other times I vow I'll never watch it again. But it always pulls me back in. Season One and Two were brilliant, Season Three was haphazard and dark, Season Four was too much of a soap opera, and Season Five was practically schizophrenic. Hopefully for Season Six they find a balance between the violence, sex, humor, suspense, glitz, campyness and soap opera aspects. The first episode showed a ton of promise, and I hope the intensity and freshness doesn't wear off as the season wear on like it has in the last couple seasons.

See It 10/15

The Believers (1987)
Directed by: John Schlesinger
Written by: Nicholas Conde; Mark Frost
Starring: Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Harley Cross, Robert Loggia, Elizabeth Wilson, Harris Yulin, Jimmy Smits, Lee Richardson, Carla Pinza
A good supernatural thriller concerning a father and son who get caught up with a satanic cult in New York City who sacrifice children. Despite some hokey elements, this has some pretty creepy sequences, and an unsettling atmosphere. B


Orphan (2009)
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Written by: Alex Mace, David Johnson
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett, Margo Martindale, Karel Roden, Aryana Engineer
A nifty little thriller about a family recovering from personal tragedy who decide to adopt a sweet and friendly little girl. But this girl happens to have a disturbing secret and an evil agenda. Vera Farmiga and Isabelle Fuhrman are both excellent in this. So far, the best horror film of 2009. B+


RoboCop (1987)
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Written by: Edward Neumeier + Michael Miner
Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui, Ray Wise
One of the better action movies of the over-indulgent 80's. In Detroit, a good cop is gunned down by a bunch of crooks and is resurrected by a corrupt corporation as a robotic policeman and uses his new abilities to avenge his death. Not great, but pretty entertaining. B

See It 10/13

Remains of the Day (1993)
Directed by: James Ivory
Written by: Kazuo Ishiguro; Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Reeve, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Peter Vaughn, Paula Jacons, Ben Chaplin, Hugh Grant
Anthony Hopkins gives the performance of his career in this wonderful story about a devoted butler in 1930's England, who learns how misguided his loyalty to his Nazi sympathizing boss has been. Fascinating, low key film opens a window on a world so foreign to most people. A


Wild Strawberries (1957)
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Written by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Victor Sjostrom, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Julian Kindahl
An elderly professor reflects on his childhood and adolescence while traveling with his daughter-in-law by car on his way to receive an award. Victor Sjostrom is absolutely fantastic as we witness various memories through his eyes, the expression of his face remaining with you long after the film is over. A


Auntie Mame (1958)
Directed by: Morton DaCosta
Written by: Patrick Dennis; Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Starring: Rosalind Russell, Forrest Tucker, Coral Browne, Fred Clark, Roger Smith, Patric Knowles, Peggy Cass, Jan Handzlik, Joanna Barnes
In the roaring 1920's, young Patrick goes to live with his eccentric, modern, free spirited Auntie Mame after his father dies. She introduces him to all that is good about the world, her lifestyle epitomized in her expression, "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" Rosalind Russell is wonderful as Mame, and we follow her and Patrick through various ups and downs over the years, culminating is a hilarious dinner party thrown for Patrick's prospective bigoted in-laws. Based off a book and a Broadway play, later a Broadway musical starring Angela Lansbury, and a movie musical starring Lucille Ball. A-

Skip It 10/13

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975)
Directed by: Sam O'Steen
Written by: Jerome Kass
Starring: Maureen Stapelton, Charles Durning, Michael Brandon, Elizabeth Berger, Lewis Charles, Natalie Core
Nice sentimental low key TV movie musical about a widow finding new romance is ruined by a really stupid, needless ending. C+


Return To Me (2000)
Directed by: Bonnie Hunt
Written by: Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Andrew Stern, Samantha Goodman
Starring: David Duchovny, Minnie Driver, Carroll O'Connor, Robert Loggia, Bonnie Hunt, David Alan Grier, Joely Richardson, James Belushi, Marianne Muellerleile
The supporting cast fares better than the two leads this schmaltzy, overly sentimental romantic comedy where a widower falls in love with the woman who received his dead wife's heart. This movie has it's moments, but on a whole it's pretty forgettable. C+


Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Directed by: David Yates
Written by: J.K. Rowling; Steve Kloves
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman
Yet another year at Hogwarts. After the last two decent installments in this seemingly endless series, this was a major letdown. It's just boring. Running for nearly two and a half hours, how kids (let alone adults) can find this film interesting is beyond me. D


Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
Directed by: Robert Hamer
Written by: Roy Horniman; Robert Hamer + John Dighton
Starring: Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, Alec Guinness, Audry Fildes, Miles Malleson
I expected so much from this purported dark comedy. A poor young man decides to murder all his relatives one by one in order to claim a royal title. The only reason to see this boring film is Alec Guiness, who plays eight different roles. Sadly, his screen time is limited, with each role a glorified cameo. The rest of the movie is never that funny or engaging. Overrated. C-

See It 10/6

The Hustler (1961)
Directed by: Robert Rossen
Written by: Walter Travis; Sidney Carroll + Robert Rossen
Starring: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, Goerge C. Scott, Myron McCormick, Murray Hamilton, Michael Constantine

In this wonderfully acted film about a cocky pool-shark (Newman) who goes up against a long-time champion (Gleason) in a single high0-stakes match, Paul Newman has never better than he was here. A-



Dead Man Walking (1995)
Directed by: Tim Robbins
Written by: Helen Prejean; Tim Robbins
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry, R. Lee Ermey, Celia Weston, Lois Smith, Scott Wilson, Roberta Maxwell, Margo Martindale

Susan Sarandon is excellent as a nun who becomes aquainted with a death row inmate (played brilliantly by Sean Penn) and becomes a target of outrage from the killer's victims parents. Very well done all around, and it doesn't get too preachy about the rights and wrongs of capital punishment, which surprised me given the reputations of Sarandon, Robbins and Penn. A-



Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (1994)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Written by: Ang Lee, James Schamus + Hui-Ling Wang
Starring: Sihung Lung, Yu-Wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu, Kuei-Mei Yang, Sylvia Chang, Winston Chao, Chao-jung Chen

This delightful film centers around an elderly cook and his three grown daughters, and their lives, all connected by their weekly family dinners. All four story lines intersect beautifully, with excellent performances from all. By the end of the film you won't help but smile. A

Read a Goddam Book!

Click

Click

New Show To Check Out: Modern Family

Modern Family (ABC)
Wednesdays at 9:00
Starring: Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Sarah Hyland, Nolan Gould, Ariel Winter, Rico Rodriguez

This hilarious new show centers around three families which are interrelated through Jay Pritchett, his uptight gay son Mitchell Pritchett and his married and harried daughter Claire Dunphy. The families occasionally meet with each other at family functions, such as the meeting of Mitchell and Cameron's new baby in the first episode.

The stand-outs on the show are Sofia Vergara as Jay's fiery Colombian wife of six months, Ty Burrell as the wannabe 'cool dad,' and Eric Stonestreet as Mitchell's flamboyant boyfriend.

'Modern Family' mostly reminds me of a more grounded 'Arrested Development' mixed in with the documentary-style laughs of 'The Office.' Each episode has three main storylines that involve the members of each branch of the family, and unlike some multiple strand shows where some storylines get boring, this show makes them all work.

Watch On Hulu

Skip It 10/2

September (1987)
Directed by: Woody Allen
Written by: Woody Allen
Starring: Mia Farrow, Elaine Stritch, Sam Waterson, Denholm Elliott, Dianne Weist, Jack Warden
A group of people clash in a summer house. Nothing substantial happens here in one of Woody Allen's more annoying movies. D



Bullitt (1968)
Directed by: Peter Yates
Written by: Robert L. Fish; Harry Kleiner + Alan Trustman
Starring: Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell
A policeman is assigned to guard a witness from the mob. The movie is famous for a chase scene, that isn't even that impressive by today's standards. The rest of the movie is so slow it's hard to keep track of the plot, or remain interested. C



Time After Time (1979)
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer
Written by: Karl Alexander; Steve Hayes + Nicholas Meyer
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen, Charles Cioffi, Kent Williams, Andonia Katsaroos, Patti D'Arbanville
H.G. Welles travels back in time to present day San Francisco to track down Jack the Ripper. Despite the subject matter, it's more of a fish out of water comedy than a thriller. C



Darkman (1990)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Sam Raimi + Chuck Pfarrer + Ivan Raimi + Daniel Goldin + Joshua Goldin
Starring: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Grant, Nelson Mashita
Like most of Sam Raimi's films, this one, about a scientist scarred in a chemical fire turned vigilante, is obnoxious, overblown, loud and ultimately hollow. C+

See It 10/1

The Four Seasons (1981)
Directed by: Alan Alda
Written by: Alan Alda
Starring: Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, Bess Armstrong, Elizabeth Alda, Beatrice Alda
A group of adult friends deal with one couple's divorce throughout the course of a year. Even though the story is routine and the direction pretty stagey, the cast is great. Woody Allen-lite.
B+



Silver Streak (1976)
Directed by: Arthur Hiller
Written by: Colin Higgins
Starring: Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Jill Clayburgh, Patrick McGoohan, Ned Beatty, Clifton James, Ray Walston, Len Birman, Valerie Curtin, Lucille Benson, Scatman Crothers, Richard Kiel, Fred Willard
A mild mannered man witnesses a murder aboard a train. After getting thrown off by some hoods, he does whatever he can to find the killer, prove he isn't guilty, save the girl and get to Los Angeles. The best parts of the movie feature Wilder and Pryor on screen together. The rest is pretty forgettable. B-



The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Written by: Richard Matheson; Jane Wagner
Starring: Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, Ned Beatty, Henry Gibson, Elizabeth Wilson, Maria Smith, Pamela Bellwood
A suburban housewife is exposed to a combination of chemicals that cause her to rapidly shrink. She subsequently becomes a celebrity and her life is changed even more. Lily Tomlin is great, as always, but something just seems off about the whole thing. Regardless, see it for Tomlin, playing duel roles. B-



Mother, Jugs, & Speed (1976)
Directed by: Peter Yates
Written by: Stephen Manes; Tom Mankiewicz
Starring: Bill Cosby, Raquel Welch, Harvey Keitel, Allen Garfield, L.Q. Jones, Bruce Davison, Dick Butkus, Larry Hagman, Valerie Curtain
A group of drivers for a private ambulance company in LA deal with the competition, day to day excitement and shenanigans, and eachother. Cosby and Keitel are good, Welch is beautiful, and there are some really funny moments. Does have some slow patches and a rather depressing section, but all in all it's a fun movie. B