Woody Allen on Woody Allen Movies

Woody Allen, in an interview with a UK newspaper via Cinematical, listed his favorite Woody Allen films.

The six films are:

PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO

MATCH POINT

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY

ZELIG

HUSBANDS AND WIVES

VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA

I find that to be a fairly interesting list. Especially since none of those would make my top six.

If I were to name my top six Woody Allen films, they would be (in chronological order)

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN

BANANAS

ANNIE HALL

ANOTHER WOMAN

CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS

Actually, that is only five. I realized that some of the rest of his films I haven't seen in over 20 years, so I can't remember which I would pick (maybe BROADWAY DANNY ROSE?). It certainly wouldn't have been anything made in the past twenty years.

SMALL WONDER SEASON TWO (1986-1987) DVD Review

When a sitcom makes it to DVD, audiences can reevaluate it and judge for themselves how the show holds up. After the release of MR. BELVEDERE a while back, critics everywhere wrote that the show was a lot better than they remembered. I for one think BELVEDERE can now be named as one of the better family sitcoms of the 80's, thanks to the DVD release.

And then there is SMALL WONDER.

When the first season of SMALL WONDER made it to DVD a few months ago (reviewed here), it brought with it a legacy of long being thought of as one of the worst sitcoms of all time. The sitcom about the family with their own robot, frequently made the list of the all time worst shows of all time.

It turns out, SMALL WONDER really wasn’t as bad as people remembered. Yes, it was a low budget sitcom (the lowest budget show on the air at that time) and it was geared for younger kids, but the show still held up pretty well. Today, parents can feel safe showing it to their younger kids.

Now, Season Two is being released. Season two, which aired from 1986 to 1987, continued the adventures of Ted (Dick Christie), Joan (Marla Pennington-Rowan), Jamie (Jerry Supiran) and robot VICI (Tiffany Brissette).

Once again, the show isn't as terrible as it is joked about being.

Season two didn't change the series drastically. Edie McClurg is back in a recurring role as the wacky neighbor, and is always fun. Look carefully and you may notice 90210's Brian Austin Green (billed as just Brian Green) as one of Jamie's classmates in a couple episodes. There is also a guest starring episode by future Governor Jesse Ventura as himself.

This is a 4 DVD set with all 24 episodes. The episodes on the disc are:

DISC ONE

CHEWED OUT

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

MY MOTHER THE TEACHER

HERE COMES THE JUDGE

HOME SWEET HOMELESS - Featuring Foster Brooks.

CRAZY LIKE A FOX

DISC TWO

THE OLDER WOMAN

WHO’S THE BOSS

P-P-P PAULA

YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART

THE SHOPLIFTER

THANKSGIVING STORY

DISC THREE

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

MOVIN’ UP

TOP SECRET

THE PERSONALITY KID

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER

LITTLE MISS SHOPPING MALL

DISC FOUR

VICTOR/VICKI-TORIA



LOOK INTO MY EYES

WALLY THE WIMP - Featuring Jesse Ventura

THE CAT’S MEOW

VICKI GOODWRENCH

DOUBLE WEDDING

WHAT IS ON THE DVD?

While the first season had commentary tracks that were quite entertaining, season two only has a “Printable Coloring Sheet”

SHOULD I BUY IT?

Fans of the show who are now parents themselves may find this a fun series for their family.

SMALL WONDER SEASON TWO is being issued as a Shout! Factory Exclusive, available only through their website.

The Top 10 Songs of June 20, 1985

ROLLING STONE listed the Top Ten songs from 25 years ago, June 20, 1985.

How do they hold up?



10. “The Search is Over” by Survivor



9. “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves



8. “Things Can Only Get Better” by Howard Jones



7. “In My House” by the Mary Jane Girls



6. “Angel” by Madonna



5. “A View To A Kill” by Duran Duran - One of the more memorable Bond theme songs from one of the worst, possibly THE worst, Bond films.



4. “Raspberry Beret” by Prince



3. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears For Fears



2. “Sussudio” by Phil Collins



1. “Heaven” by Bryan Adams

FORGOTTEN FILM: ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT (1986)

With Al Franken now in the Senate, you have to wonder why their hasn’t been a resurgence for his 1986 film ONE MORE SATURDAY NIGHT. Senator Franken starred and co-wrote the film with his SNL partner Tom Davis.

In fact, the film has essentially disappeared. I saw part of it on TV in the 1980’s and the full film on laserdisc in the 90’s but I haven’t seen it since.

What I remember about the film was it was about a group of characters in a Minnesota town on a Saturday Night. Franken and Davis played band members if I remember correctly. It was reminiscent of DAZED AND CONFUSED, but not at the same level.

Of the cast, only a couple of the members, Nina Siemaskzko (LICENSE TO DRIVE) and Meschach Taylor (DESIGNING WOMEN) would do that much after.

Written by Franken and Davis, it was directed by Dennis Klein, to date his only theatrical feature. Klein has spent more time as a writer, Emmy nominated for his work on THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW. He also wrote for THE ODD COUPLE, ALL IN THE FAMILY, THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, REPORT TO MURPHY and the great Dabney Coleman sitcom BUFFALO BILL (where he also directed).

Reviews weren’t all that kind. Leonard Maltin gives it a very negative review. I don’t remember disliking it that much, but neither do I remember it...at all.

It was released theatrically by Columbia meaning it is now with Sony. Maybe Franken passed a law that Sony can’t release it on DVD? You would think it would be dusted off for cable airings. But, it hasn’t been shown in years.

GINGER ROGERS: MY STORY By Ginger Rogers

 

Ginger Rogers was TCM's "Star of the Month" in March. They showed something like 50 films of hers and I DVRed all of those I hadn't seen.

I watched them all. I can now easily claim that she is one of my favorite actresses of all time.

And I can say this even though the films she is best known for, the musicals with Fred Astaire, are some of my least favorite of hers. Not that they aren't fun, but she was just as fine of a comic actress.

Along with watching the films, I was reading her autobiography, MY STORY. Published in 1991, this is one of the most entertaining autobiographies I have read.

It is also one of the most complete. In watching each film, I would look up in the book to see what she had to say about it. Many biographies or autobiographies manage to leave out many of the films the star makes, especially when they are as prolific as Ginger. Not this one. She had something to say about every film.

Among the interesting moments from the book.

• As a baby, Ginger was kidnapped and taken to another state by her estranged father. Her mother almost accidentally tracked her down, remembering the father at one time mentioning a city in Texas where the father had family. She went there by chance and found Ginger.
  
  
• All her life, she was a devout Christian Scientist. The book almost acts as a recruitment brochure for the religion, with her telling miraculous events that occurred through its practice.

• On her relationship with Fred Astaire, according to Ginger, it wasn't quite as antagonistic as many critics like to state. They dated briefly when they were both on Broadway. But by the time they met up again in Hollywood, Fred was married and his wife was very jealous. This led to them having a mainly professional relationship.

• For their final film together after a lengthy break, THE BARKLEY'S OF BROADWAY, Fred was not happy to be teamed with Ginger again. Not because of her, but because he wanted Judy Garland, who he was involved with, as the star. MGM was then punishing her for her behavior at the studio and wouldn't allow her to star. At one point during production, Judy wandered onto the set and threw a tantrum. Ginger was taken away so that it wouldn't have an impact on her.

• While Ginger has good things to say about everyone, their was one rivalry that she talks about, with Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn seemed to be always jealous of the roles Ginger was getting. At one point, Ginger wanted to audition for a supporting role in John Ford's MARY OF SCOTLAND. She put on a disguise, so that she could prove herself and get a screen test. Ford was let in on the joke and he told Hepburn. When it was time to shoot the screen test, Hepburn looked at her angrily and said "Who do you think you are fooling?". When the two filmed a scene sitting at a table, Hepburn kicked Ginger under the table, she disliked her so. Later, while filming STAGE DOOR together, Ginger sent Hepburn some diamond jewelry on her birthday. She never received a thank you or acknowledgment. Years later, Ginger asked her if she ever got it. Hepburn replied "Oh, I think I gave it away to someone.

• On her directors, Ginger loved working with Billy Wilder and George Stevens, but not with Marc Sandrich, the director of most of her Astaire films. Mitchell Leisen also does not come across well.

• While she was married five times, she also dated Jimmy Stewart and Howard Hughes (the two were even engaged) among others. At one point, when she was dating Jimmy Stewart, she went on a double date with his then roommate, Henry Fonda. Fonda was dating Ginger's good friend Lucille Ball. The four went back to the guys apartment after dinner and, as Ginger wrote, the guys "Danced them into the kitchen" where there were a weeks worth of dishes that hadn't been cleaned. The girls then washed them.

• In the 70's, while in Georgia, Ginger met with then Gov. Carter. He gave him a tour of his office and took delight in talking about the collection of construction workers helmets he had along one wall. Years later, when Carter was President, Ginger was invited to the White House. On the receiving line, President Carter said to her "Ginger, do you remember me?"

The book is filled with great stories.

For Ginger Rogers fans, it is a must read if you haven't read it yet.

TOM AND JERRY DELUXE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (2010) DVD Review

Tom and Jerry have been one of the most popular, and longest lasting, cartoon comedy teams. To celebrate their 70th Anniversary, Warner Home Video is releasing the TOM AND JERRY DELUXE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION

There have been several DVD releases of their shorts in recent years. If you have those previous sets, the new DELUXE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION is probably not for you. Most of the shorts in the set are from the previous collections. This is mainly for casual fans, to remind them of the shorts and hopefully get them to pick up the new sets.

The shorts on the 2 DVD set are:

DISC ONE - OSCAR WINNERS AND CLASSICS

PUSS GETS THE BOOT (1940) - The first cartoon of the duo.

THE MIDNIGHT SNACK (1941)

DOG TROUBLE (1942)

FRAIDY CAT (1942)

PUSS ‘N TOOTS (1942)

THE LONESOME MOUSE (1943)

YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE (1943)

MOUSE TROUBLE (1944)

MOUSE IN MANHATTAN (1945)

QUIET PLEASE (1945)

THE MILKY WAIF (1946)

THE CAT CONCERTO (1947)

THE LITTLE ORPHAN (1949)

SATURDAY EVENING PUSS (1950)

THE TWO MOUSEKETEERS (1952)

JOHANN MOUSE (1953)

TOUCHE, PUSSY CAT! (1954)

THAT’S MY MOMMY (1955)

THE EGG AND JERRY (1956)

TOPS WITH POPS (1957)

This disc also contains MUCH ADO ABOUT TOM AND JERRY (18:51) a very good documentary on the duo over the years.

DISC TWO - THROUGH THE YEARS

JERRY DANCES WITH GENE KELLY IN ANCHOR’S AWEIGH(1945)

TOM AND JERRY SWIM WITH ESTHER WILLIAMS IN DANGEROUS WHEN WET (1953)

PENT-HOUSE MOUSE (1963)

THE CAT ABOVE AND THE MOUSE BELOW (1964)

THE CAT’S ME-OUCH (1965)

COSMIC CAT AND METEOR MOUSE (1975) - Excerpt from THE TOM AND JERRY SHOW

JERRY’S COUNTRY COUSIN (1980) - From THE TOM AND JERRY COMEDY SHOW

FLIPPIN FIDO (1990) - From THE TOM AND JERRY KIDS SHOW (sort of like THE MUPPET BABIES version of Tom and Jerry).

THE KARATE GUARD (2005) - Directed by Joseph Barbera

A GAME OF MOUSE AND CAT (2008) - From THE TOM AND JERRY TALES.

Overall, this is a very good look at the series. While there is nothing from Gene Deitch years (1960-1962) that is discussed in the documentary, where the series was outsourced to Prague, it is fun to see THE TOM AND JERRY SHOW again. This series, where the two were friends, may not be a favorite, but it is the way I first saw the duo (although I wish they had included the full theme song, one of my favorites).

NOTE: The DVD packaging states that the widescreen shorts in the series will be enhanced on widescreen TVs. That does not appear to be the case at least on my copy. While they do appear letterboxed, they are letterboxed within the standard screen size. A couple of the widescreen shorts are even panned and scanned!

SHOULD I BUY IT?

Once again, this is not for the serious Tom and Jerry fan. This is for those that want to watch a few of their shorts. It is a very good overview of the series.

THE TOM AND JERRY SHOW DELUXE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION will be available on June 22, 2010 from Warner Home Video.

THE RED SKELTON WHISTLING COLLECTION (1941-1943) DVD Review

Red Skelton is virtually unknown today, at least by those under 40. A popular comedian in both television and film, younger audiences are likely to have never heard of him.

While I was well aware of Skelton, I will admit that his film work isn't something I have seen enough of. In fact, I just caught his debut film, HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME on TCM and was interested in seeing what else he did on film.

The Warner Archive is hoping to change this with a three DVD release of his WHISTLING films that he made for MGM in the early 40's.

The three films feature Red as "The Fox", a radio mystery star. Each film has his character leaving the studio and getting involved in some mystery of his own.

In the first film, WHISTLING IN THE DARK from 1941, Red is kidnapped by a cult leader (Conrad Veidt). It seems that the cult is to inherit a large sum of money from one of their followers after her nephew dies. Not wanting to wait, the cult tries to get Red to come up with "the perfect crime" in order to kill the nephew.

This is a very entertaining film, with a surprisingly exciting finale involving an improvised radio show. Red is joined by Ann Rutherford as his girlfriend, Virginia Grey as the daughter of a sponsor, and Rags Ragland as one of Veidts's toughs. Eve Arden also appears in a small role.

Next up is 1942's WHISTLING IN DIXIE. Here, Red and Rutherford head to the South to investigate a murder at an old mansion. Guy Kibbee joins the fun. Rags Ragland returns as the brother of the character in the first film. And there is even a cameo by Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas.

DIXIE takes a while to get going but, much like DARK, it more than makes up for it with a finale set in a flooding room. For a comedy, they are able to really pull off the suspense.

WHISTLING IN BROOKLYN is the final film in the series, from 1943. Here, Red is mistaken for a murderer and has to clear his name while traveling across Brooklyn. Rutherford and Ragland are back again.

This is probably the weakest of the three, with a finale that seems to go on too long. There is a great sequence involving four characters hanging and having to swing to safety that is quite well done. And baseball fans may get a kick out of seeing the Brooklyn Dodgers, but as for the film, it isn't up to the earlier ones.

After watching the films, and seeing Red Skelton at work, I came away with one thing. I didn't become a bigger fan of Red Skelton. I became a big fan of supporting actor Rags Ragland!

Ragland is flat out hysterical in these three films. He is far and away the best thing about them. He essentially plays a big dumb tough guy, an "oaf", and just about every line he has is funny.

Ragland, an ex boxer turned theatre performer, made only 19 films, all for MGM, and most of them within a five year period. He passed away of kidney failure (after one report states going on an drinking binge in Mexico with Orson Welles) in 1946, only three years after BROOKLYN.

While Skelton was a good performer, Ragland was a great performer.

Let's hope to see more of his work available in the Warner Archive.

WHAT IS ON THE DVD?

As with all Warner Archive releases, these are all DVD-Rs with the only extra being a trailer.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

For fans of Red Skelton, these should be must buys. If you have never heard of him, it might be worth a look. And if you have never heard of Rags Ragland before, be prepared to become a fan.


THE RED SKELTON WHISTLING COLLECTION is available now from the Warner Archive.

LEAVE IT TO BEAVER SEASON THREE (1959-1960) DVD Review

LEAVE IT TO BEAVER is one of those timeless sitcoms that can be enjoyed by generations. I watched the show regularly in the 70's and 80's, without thinking twice about it being dated. It was just fun.

The adventures of Wally, Beaver, and the rest of the Cleaver family have been quiet lately. It doesn't turn up on TV all that much anymore, now that the syndication of classic programs on local TV stations has become a thing of the past. And, the DVD releases have been on hold for the past few years.

All this is about to change.

Shout! Factory is releasing season three on DVD. And, to make up for lost time, on June 29th, they are also releasing a complete series set featuring all five seasons.

Season three (the 1959-1960 season) is made up of 39 episodes, on six DVDs with an episode guide. All the episodes are complete, fully restored and looking great.

This is the mid point of the series, where the credits open with Wally and Beaver being woken up for school. Not having seen the show since the 80's, I went in wondering how it would hold up. I'm happy to say it is still as much fun as I remember.

WHAT IS ON THE DVD?

The only extra is a lengthy internet radio interview with Jerry Mathers and Frank Bank (Lumpy). It plays over several episodes, but is not scene specific.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

The only question should be if you should buy the season sets or the complete series collection. Season 4 is scheduled for release in September. No date is set for five. If you own seasons one and two, I'd say continue with the season sets. If not, why not get the entire series now?

WHEN IN ROME (2010) Blu-Ray Review

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

A woman in Rome (Kristen Bell) steals some coins from a fountain. The men who threw the coins in begin to fall for her.

Josh Duhamel, Jon Heder, Danny De Vito, Dax Shepard, Will Arnett and Anjelica Huston also star.

WHO MADE IT?

The film was written by David Diamond and David Weissman, the writing team behind EVOLUTION and OLD DOGS.

It was directed by Mark Steven Johnson, director of SIMON BIRCH, DAREDEVIL and GHOST RIDER.

IS IT ANY GOOD?

Kristen Bell should be a big movie star. Anyone who saw VERONICA MARS became an instant fan.

While she had a very good supporting role in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL,with WHEN IN ROME, she got her biggest starring role yet (I’ll forget about that cell phone horror film).

The ads for this film played so often that I kind of had the feeling I had seen the first hour many times before. Because of that, I found it a bit slow going.

That said, the final twenty minutes or so actually pick up a bit. The story resolves itself well.

The cast is likable, the finale involving a little car is kind of cute, but you get the feeling that Kristen could /should be doing better films.

This will do for a start, but she should be working with better material in the future.

WHAT IS ON THE BLU-RAY?

The extras include

KERPLUNK! BLOOPERS FROM ROME (3:07)

DELETED SCENES (7:45) - Eight deleted scenes

MUSIC VIDEOS - For “Starstruck” by 3OH3! featuring Katy Perry and “Stupid Love Letter” by Friday Night Boys.

ALTERNATE OPENING AND ENDING (7:17) - A lengthy sequence from the opening party.

CRAZY CASANOVAS: MISCHIEF FROM THE SET (12:28) - Making of featurette.

EXTENDED SCENES: PAIN WITH THE SUITORS (2:39) - Three deleted scenes.

There is also an Easter Egg.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

WHEN IN ROME isn’t a great comedy, but Kristen Bell is always likable. Fans of romantic comedies may enjoy it more.

WHEN IN ROME will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on June 15, 2010 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

THE BOOK OF ELI (2010) Blu-Ray Review

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

In a post-apocalyptic future, Eli (Denzel Washington) travels across the deserted landscape.  He is carrying a book that Gary Oldman wishes to take possession of.  Mila Kunis joins Washington in his travels. 

WHO MADE IT?

The screenplay was written by Gary Whitta, a former editor of PC Gamer.

It was directed by Allen and Albert Hughes, who previously directed MENACE II SOCIETY, DEAD PRESIDENTS, and FROM HELL.

IS IT ANY GOOD?

When MENACE II SOCIETY premiered in 1993, the hype for the Hughes Brothers was such that I was there first show of opening day to see the film.

It didn’t live up to expectations.

In the years since, the two have worked on and off, with their last major film being FROM HELL in 2001. I remember little about that film.

When I saw THE BOOK OF ELI theatrically, I came out of the theatre hoping we don’t have to wait nine years for their next film.

This is a terrific action film.

Denzel Washington is at his most Denzel-like in this. He is just a movie star, pure and simple. He makes it all look so easy. Whether taking down a team of bad guys with a machete, or trying to strike a deal with Tom Waits, he is just effortless in what he does.

Like with FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, Mila Kunis proves that she could have a big movie career. The rest of the cast, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon, Jennifer Beals, and a cameo by a star I won’t give away at the end, all serve the material well.

The Hughes know how to stage an action scene. There is one sequence, a battle in and around a house that is just stunning. The camera acts as a sort of referee, running in and out of the house, moving in a seemingly unbroken shot to each side of the battle. On Blu-Ray especially, I can see this scene being played and rewinded and watched over and over again.

The less I say about the story the better. I really don’t want to give too much away.

WHAT IS ON THE BLU-RAY?

The Blu-Ray is a 2 disc Blu-Ray / DVD / Digital File combo set.

The extras are:

WB MAXIMUM MOVIE MODE - A picture in picture pop up commentary of sorts. During the house shootout, a side box appears showing the original 3-D computer design of the sequence.

FOCUS POINTS (34:21) - Nine different segments on the making of the film, with Play All available.


THE BOOK OF ELI SOUNDTRACK (4:59) - Composer Atticus Ross talks about the music.

A LOST TALE: BILLY (5:01) - A sort of animated origin story of one of the characters in the film.

BEHIND THE SCENES - Two featurettes expanding on themes in the film, STARTING OVER (13:03) and ELI’s JOURNEY (17:54).

DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENES (1:53) - Several brief scenes.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

THE BOOK OF ELI is well worth seeing.  For action fans, this is one that will hold up to multiple viewings.

THE BOOK OF ELI will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD on June 15, 2010 from Warner Home Video.  It will also be available On Demand and for digital download.

TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY (1983-1984) DVD REVIEW

TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY featured Stephen Collins as an adventurer in the 1930’s. Collins plays Jake Cutter who, with his one-eyed dog, pilots a seaplane in a fictional island country. Caitlin O’Heaney, Roddy McDowell and Jeff Mackay co-starred in this Don Bellisario production.

While compared to Indiana Jones in the day (even by myself) the show was actually pitched before the success of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, intended to be a reworking of the Howard Hawks classic ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS with Cary Grant. It was only after the success of RAIDERS that ABC went back and picked up the series. In watching the series today, it is indeed closer to ANGELS than RAIDERS.

Over 25 years later, it finally has made it to DVD, the complete run in a six DVD set from Shout! Factory.

When TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY aired in 1983, I was aware of the series. I remember seeing ads for it. I had friends that watched it. Yet, I honestly never saw an episode. Watching it for the first time today, it holds up pretty well.

WHAT IS ON THE DVD?

All 20 episodes are here, with the two hour pilot (the most expensive pilot at the time). Five of the episodes have commentary tracks. And, the set comes with a 24 page collector’s booklet.

There is a new 36 minute documentary on the series, with new interviews with Collins and O’Heaney along with writers and directors. My favorite bit from this, other networks actually cheered when the show was canceled after one season as they knew it was going to be a hit and didn’t want the competition.

There are also several text based extras on trivia and photo galleries.

SHOULD I BUY IT?



If you were a fan of the show, you should enjoy the new set.

TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY will be available June 8, 2010 from Shout! Factory.

A CALIFORNIA DREAMS Reunion

He Shot Cyrus just had a note asking how he missed this.

I missed it too.



The entire cast of "Forgotten TV" favorite CALIFORNIA DREAMS was reunited on Jimmy Fallon. More cast members got together than on the DVD reunion documentary.

I need to watch Jimmy Fallon more.

BURN NOTICE SEASON FOUR PREMIERES TONIGHT

A few months ago, there was a sketch on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. It was a game show thats central question was "What is BURN NOTICE?". Clips from the series were shown with contestants trying to determine just what it is.

The joke was that there was a much talked about cable series that no one was watching.

As a big fan of BURN NOTICE, I was offended by the sketch. BURN NOTICE is a great show and shouldn't be mocked this way.

So, if you saw that sketch, didn't know what BURN NOTICE was, then be sure to tune in tonight at 9 P.M. EST to watch the premiere of season four on USA NETWORK.

To give you a brief overview (and the previous seasons are on DVD for you to catch up), the series follows former government agent Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan). He receives a "Burn Notice" meaning that the government is cutting him off. He is stranded in his hometown of Miami trying to find out what happened to earn him the notice.

Each week, he teams up with his friends Sam Axe (the great Bruce Campbell) and on again / off again girlfriend / gunrunner Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) to help out those in need. They are sort of like THE A-TEAM, in Miami, without the van or Mr. T..  Sharon Gless is wonderful as Michael's chain smoking mother.

While each season has an overall story arc, with Michael trying to find out more about some aspect of the Burn Notice, don't let that scare you away from joining in the fun. They do a great job of recapping the story before each episode. And, each episode has its own self contained storyline.

This is an always fun, fast paced, suspenseful series. Season Four, which will feature Burt Reynolds, should be the same.

BURN NOTICE airs Thursday nights at 9 P.M. EST on USA NETWORK.

CADDYSHACK 30TH ANNIVERSARY DVD Review

Is CADDYSHACK the funniest film of all time?

Quite possibly.

Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, it just doesn’t get any better.

Released thirty years ago, I was too young to see it in theatres. But, I caught the first airing on cable, and probably every other one for the next year. I loved it.

Just think of all the quotes from it?

“Nanananananana”

“So, I got that going for me, which is nice.”

“I’ll have a hamburger..no, a cheeseburger..no”
“You’ll have nothing and like it.”

“You take drugs Danny?”
“Every day”
“Good”

“This isn’t Russia. Is this Russia?”
“No”

“I think this place is restricted, Wang, so don’t tell them you’re Jewish.”

“Oh, he got all of that one!”

“Noonan! Noonan!”

“You have a pool?”
"Well, we have a pond, that might be good for you.”

“What did you shoot today?”
“Oh, I don’t keep score, judge.”
“Then how do you measure yourself with other golfers?”
“By height.”

"I like you Betty"
"It's Danny sir"

“I’m no slouch myself”
“Don’t sell yourself short judge, you’re a tremendous slouch”

CADDYSHACK is now being rereleased on DVD and Blu-Ray in a 30th Anniversary Edition.

WHAT IS ON THE DVD?

There is one extra

CADDYSHACK: THE 19TH HOLE (30:59) - The 1999 documentary that has been on previous releases.

I do wish that some of the deleted scenes shown in the documentary were available as their own extra. On TV versions, they are often added to the film.  But, you can only watch them as part of the documentary.

The Blu-Ray (not sent for review) features the recent, and very good, Biography Channel documentary.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

If you already have it on DVD, there really is no reason to upgrade as it is the same as previous releases. The Blu-Ray would most likely be worth upgrading.

DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME (2009)

With the passing of writer / director John Hughes, I heard talk of a 2009 documentary about him called DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME. It was about his films and influence. Although, it didn’t seem to have much of a release.

Yesterday, I happened to find it on cable, playing on one of the Starz channels in the early morning.

The film has interviews with a great cross section of those that worked with Hughes and his fans. There are interviews with Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Kelly LeBrock, Andrew McCarthy, Gedde Watanabe (who in one funny moment admits to being from Utah), Annie Potts, and Justin Henry. Others such as Kevin Smith, Jason Reitman, and Rogert Ebert and Richard Roeper are interviewed as well.

About 60% of this film is terrific. There are a lot of great clips and stories about his career. They only talk about the mid to late 80's films. No mention of his early days at National Lampoon and only a mention of the VACATION films in passing. But it does a good job covering his best known films.

And then there is the other 40%.

Part of the film is the filmmakers traveling from Canada to Chicago to try and find Hughes. Unfortunately, this part goes on much too long. The group of producers and directors and writers talk endlessly, with little of importance to say. From looking over the credits, many of them were actors (the director was it looks like actually a regular on POWER RANGERS) so they seem to like the camera time. It really hurts the film though.

Not that a great film couldn’t have been made about the search for Hughes. Mark Moskowitz’s 2002 film STONE READER followed the filmmaker trying to track down an obscure writer and turned out to be one of the best films of the past twenty years. The difference was Moskowitz was only one person and the quest added to the understanding of the subject.

Even the quest documentary MY DATE WITH DREW, about a guy trying to get a date with Drew Barrymore, was a success in the search portion. In DYFAM, you didn’t care about the quest and wanted to go back to see what made his films so special.

Do they get to talk to Hughes? I won't give that away.

Watching the film, I was once again struck by how Judd Nelson gave one of the best performances of the 1980’s as John Bender in BREAKFAST CLUB, my favorite Hughes film. Every time I see him in it, I like it even more.

And, dare I admit this, but I now am in 100% agreement with Gene Siskel’s negative review of FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (which is shown in the film). I remember being angered when I first saw it, as I saw the film in a sneak preview and was already championing it. Now, years and dozens more viewings later, everything he said I agree with.

The film is worth seeing for the interviews. Since the film doesn’t seem to have had much of a release (there is a listing at Amazon, but the disc seems to be out of print), I wish the filmmakers would go back and cut out about 15 minutes. Then, they would have a great film about John Hughes.