reviewId
int64
363k
588k
userId
int64
33.9k
15.9M
itemId
int64
1
1.42M
rating
float64
1
10
title
stringlengths
1
10.9k
content
stringlengths
81
11.6k
453,814
11,228,318
300
7
The Enchanted Drawing still retains some charm nearly a century or so later
J . Stuart Blackton is an unsung pioneer in the history of animation possibly because many of his short film projects had techniques that have been improved time and time again . Having said that , The Enchanted Drawing in which he draws a face with a cigar , a glass , and a wine bottle and proceeds to take many of tho...
455,221
11,228,318
654,729
7
My Little Margie : Kangaroo Story is funny if contrived
Freddie managed to sneak a kangaroo into the apartment . Margie wants to get rid of it . She puts it in a usually empty room . Her father Vern is expected to meet and entertain neighbor Roberta's father from Minnesota . He sees kangaroo in empty room and goes crazy unknowingly bumping into the Minnesota father . When R...
453,957
11,228,318
105,435
7
Sneakers was a pretty entertaining , if partially confusing , thriller
Having just watched this early ' 90s suspense thriller about computer hackers ( I think ) for the first time , I was partially confused about some scenes though overall , I was a little entertained by some of the comedy elements that were sprinkled throughout . My favorite was between Robert Redford and Lee Garlington ...
454,745
11,228,318
52,225
7
1958 film version of South Pacific is a fine addition to R & H canon
Having taped this off HBO nearly 22 years ago , I finally got to see the 1958 version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific just now ( I had also seen the PBS Great Performances Carnegie Hall version with Reba McEntire , Brian Stokes Mitchell , and Alec Baldwin last year ) . Mostly wonderful film version although ...
454,574
11,228,318
1,114,740
7
Paul Blart : Mall Cop makes a nice time-filler for fans of likable Kevin James
After previously starring with Will Smith and Adam Sandler in their hits Hitch and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry , respectively , Kevin James has his own solo success with this movie-Paul Blart : Mall Cop . It took a while for me but after the first 20 or so minutes , I was very willing to go for the ride and jus...
454,093
11,228,318
126,049
7
So You Want to Be a Gambler is another amusing Joe McDoakes short
This was another Joe McDoakes short that I recently watched , this time on the TCM site . In this one , the character played by George O'Hanlon is a gambler who's always broke . But he keeps playing on from a pinball machine to poker to dice to roulette wheel . My favorite was the dice part where his partner gives him ...
454,917
11,228,318
89,647
7
My American Cousin is a fun look at ' 50s teen life in Canada
Having just seen the disturbing ' 95 teen film Kids and then the ' 71 pre-teen coming of age romance Melody , I grabbed one of my brother's tapes and watched for the first time the Canadian coming-of-age movie from 1985 that takes place in the summer of ' 59 , My American Cousin . The " My " of the title is one Sandy W...
454,578
11,228,318
147,167
7
Pest Pupil is an outrageous slapstick cartoon
Baby Huey is an overgrown kid duck that keeps annoying the other kids and the teacher . His mother brings in a tutor that has a German accent that made me think of Ludvig von Drake . While Huey causes trouble here too , he eventually redeems himself when he saves his tutor from a shark . On receiving his diploma , howe...
454,388
11,228,318
920,916
7
The Head and the Hair is another pretty funny episode of 30 Rock
Liz and Jenna are hot for two MSNBC employees that , because they don't know their names , are referred to as " The Head and the Hair " , Jenna for " the Hair " , Liz for . . . well , you know . Jack and Kenneth switch jobs for a day with Jack having to do such humiliating things like cleaning up Brian Williams ' dress...
454,660
11,228,318
21,611
7
Burns and Allen in The Antique Shop
George comes to an antique store to buy a statue . The salesman keeps telling him he's not buying anything . It almost escalates into a fight until the manager fires him . The fired salesman exclaims that five minutes before he had simply started walking into work without even being hired ! He then asks how he can neve...
454,718
11,228,318
151,560
7
Mighty Mouse Meets Deadeye Dick was another Terrytoon short I enjoyed
Just watched on YouTube as linked from the Saturday Morning Blog this Terrytoon cartoon starring Mighty Mouse . The villain he's after this time is the title character who's a western cowboy wolf who comes into a bar to order a real tough drink that makes him spin constantly around . Quite a few funny gags involving sp...
454,481
11,228,318
23,783
7
Beau Bosko is a highly amusing Looney Tunes cartoon short
Since the previous reviewer mentioned nearly everything that happens in this cartoon , I really have nothing to add except to say , yes , this is a very amusing Bosko cartoon . And what a treat that the musical sequences is mostly limited to the beginning and not played or sung throughout ! Of course , many of the thin...
453,998
11,228,318
149,944
7
Bowery Daze is another Krazy Kat cartoon I just discovered on the internet
Just watched on Thadblog as linked from YouTube this Columbia / Charles Mintz cartoon starring Krazy Kat that was made just as the Production Code was really about to have an effect on the movie industry . This one takes place mostly at a saloon where Krazy is the bartender . Plenty of gags here involving inebriation (...
454,804
11,228,318
43,618
7
Happy Go Lovely is a highly amusing British musical comedy
A few years ago , I bought several $1 DVD's that contained two movies each . One of them had Three Broadway Girls ( an alternate title for The Greeks Had a Word for Them ) and this one , Happy Go Lovely . It's basically a backstage musical comedy that takes place in Scotland and concerns mistaken identity involving one...
454,836
11,228,318
13,014
7
This early Disney version of Cinderella is worth a look for his fans
Nearly 28 years before making the classic feature-length animated version of Cinderella , Walt Disney made a short 7-minute version for the Laugh-O-Grams studio in Kansas City . In this one , the title character is doing dishes with her cat while her stepsisters are lying around reading the papers ( there is no evil st...
455,037
11,228,318
910,580
7
Jack Meets Dennis is another amusing episode of 30 Rock
Liz is walking with her boyfriend Dennis to work . After he leaves , Jenna asks , " How's the sex ? " " Fast . And only on Saturday night , " Liz replies . Otherwise , it's not a very good relationship since he sells out-of-date beepers and attempts to sell them to Liz's staff during office hours . Tracy Jordan is upse...
454,528
11,228,318
1,008,002
7
Three-hour Live Earth on NBC had mostly enjoyable musical performances
Just finished watching the Live Earth three-hour concert version that I taped from NBC last weekend . Performance highlights include : John Mayer's " We Keep Waiting for the World to Change " , a reunited Genesis ' " Land of Confusion " , Alicia Keys ' " Mercy , Mercy , Me " which blended into Corrine Bailey Rae's vers...
454,422
11,228,318
971,260
7
The Source Awards is another amusing episode of 30 Rock
Liz accepts Tracy's invitation for all the " after-after-after " etc . parties . At many of these , she meets a nice African-American whose last name is Black and accepts a dinner invitation . At his office , Jack shows his new wine to Liz but after tasting it , they both get sick . Kenneth tells Tracy about encounteri...
454,147
11,228,318
153,785
7
Who Killed Cock-Robin was another rare Terrytoons short I was pleasantly surprised by
Just discovered this Terrytoons cartoon by Paul Terry and Frank Moser on the Saturday Morning Blog . It begins with several birds swimming in their bath bowl with one female having a long swimsuit diving from a high branch like she's Ester Williams ( even though she wasn't doing her famous dives at the time this short ...
454,696
11,228,318
971,259
7
Fireworks is another funny episode of 30 Rock
After his wife threw him out , Pete is adjusting with living in Liz ' apartment . Jack meets a West Coast executive rival ( Will Arnet ) who has a crush on Kenneth . Jack finds this out and has Kenneth ask him pertinent questions about his sexual orientation . The rival for his job has Kenneth tell him about Jack which...
454,629
11,228,318
795,421
7
I finally know why my mom loves the musical Momma Mia !
Okay , so I finally saw what now seems to be my mother's favorite musical-her being an ABBA fan and all-in both stage and movie versions since she loved this when she saw it on her birthday last year and requested it for a Christmas present from me . Overall , it was indeed enjoyable despite the somewhat shallow charac...
454,614
11,228,318
32,932
7
Porky's Last Stand was another Bob Clampett cartoon I enjoyed
Just found this rare Porky Pig-Daffy Duck cartoon directed by Bob Clampett on the Misce-Looney-ous blog as linked from YouTube . In this one , Porky runs the title stand that claims " Our Fried Chicken Has That Real Fowl Taste " with the Special being the " Sheridan Salad with plenty of Oomph and no dressing " ! Daffy ...
453,924
11,228,318
19,959
7
Hallelujah ! is King Vidor's All-African-American Opus
King Vidor had always wanted to make an all-black feature . Hallelujah ! was his chance in the early talkie era . Zeke ( Daniel L . Haynes ) , a poor cotton farmer , falls for Chick ( Nina Mae McKinney ) who's a mercenary honky-tonk girl . After his younger brother gets killed in the line of fire , Zeke repents and bec...
455,207
11,228,318
136,324
7
Ko-Ko's Harem Scarem is pretty entertaining despite some stereotypes
In Ko-Ko's Harem Scarem in the live-action portion , a man dressed in an ancient Middle Eastern outfit is waiting for his treasure . His assistant brings the chest and as it is opened , the ME man finds an inkwell inside . As he opens it , Ko-Ko and his dog Fitz come out . The man chops their heads as he exits and laug...
455,206
11,228,318
136,328
7
Ko-Ko's Hpynotism is another amusing entry of Inkwell Imps for Max Fleischer
Using two special fake eyes , in this live-action segment a man uses them to hypnotise his dog into jumping in slow motion . He then gets an inkwell and , opening it , makes two drops of ink go on the drawing board and appear as Ko-Ko the Clown and his dog Fitz . He then turns Ko-Ko into a squirrel and Fitz into a nut ...
454,339
11,228,318
26,468
7
Hey , Hey Fever is a pretty entertaining initial Bosko outing for M-G-M
Just discovered this on the Misce-Looney-ous blog which usually posts shorts and other film and TV spots related to the Warner Bros . cartoons and characters . This M-G-M cartoon short was included because it was the first that featured a former Warner character named Bosko . He was the creation of Hugh Harmon and Rudo...
453,952
11,228,318
992,570
7
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ' second SNL stint is slightly less enjoyable than first
On the cold opening of SNL during St . Patrick's Day of March 17 , 2007 , we see SNL Special Report : The Road to the White House printed on screen . A figure turns around in his chair . It's Chris Rock ! Talking about the Republican side of the upcoming election next year , he says about Rudolph Guiliani : " He's like...
455,183
11,228,318
856,639
7
I Married Joan : Country Club is pretty hilarious
Joan and Bradley have another couple at their house in which the wife talks about her golf swing . Joan feels left out because she doesn't play golf and her husband declines to join a country club because he doesn't want to leave wife alone . So Joan takes golf lessons . With Sheldon Leonard as her instructor , the les...
453,769
11,228,318
151,657
7
Mr . Money Gags is a very amusing Famous cartoon in late-'50s UPA-style
This was one of the late Famous cartoons done in the style of the UPA-inspired limited animation look . Tommy Tortoise is driving from Hicksville to New York where he encounters Moe Hare as a cheating gambler who keeps trying , and failing , to swindle Mr . Tortoise out of his money . First Moe does the shell game , th...
454,391
11,228,318
151,661
7
Mr . Strauss Takes a Walk is fine for exposing a new generation to classical music
Mr . Strauss Takes a Walk is a George Pal Puppetoon that purports to tell the story of how famous composer Johann Strauss got the inspiration to write " Tales of the Vienna Woods " . We see him going to the woods to observe all the animals doing what comes naturally to them . As all this is going on , Strauss writes mu...
455,123
11,228,318
223,622
7
The Magic Lantern is enjoyable Georges Melies short
Georges Melies really outdoes himself in The Magic Lantern . We see two clown-like men assembling a giant projector lantern where we see film of some couples talking . Then it opens to reveal some dancing girls followed by one particularly athletic one . Then they close and open the lantern to reveal some more girls , ...
454,623
11,228,318
151,672
7
The Museum is a pretty entertaining Toby the Pup cartoon
The Museum is a Toby the Pup cartoon from Charles Mintz that I just saw on Google Video . This is one of those many typical musical cartoons made in the wake of the success of Steamboat Wille , the first successful sound cartoon that made Mickey Mouse a star and Walt Disney famous . By comparison , Toby is one of the m...
454,878
11,228,318
18,150
7
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in The Mechanical Cow is amusing
The Mechanical Cow is the first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon I've ever seen . If the plot seems familiar , maybe because it's done by Walt Disney before he lost Oswald to the character's copyright owners and started his own studio to create Mickey Mouse . The rabbit gets waken by an alarm clock who punches him in th...
454,881
11,228,318
12,646
7
Oliver Hardy provides good support to Larry Semon in The Sawmill
I found this short , The Sawmill , on a Platinum DVD collection of Laurel and Hardy shorts . It stars Larry Semon as one of the workers . Oliver Hardy plays the foreman and chief tormentor of Semon who shares with him a rivalry for the owner's daughter's hand . Unlike the Laurel and Hardy classic Busy Bodies , not all ...
455,135
11,228,318
76,543
7
A Piece of the Action provides an enjoyable final teaming of Poitier and Cosby
In reviewing films involving African-Americans in chronological order for Black History Month , we're now at 1977 with A Piece of the Action . This is the third and last teaming of Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby and the fifth directorial effort of Poitier . Before I go on , I'd just like to note that this movie takes pl...
453,996
11,228,318
150,025
7
Camping Out was another early Columbia / Charles Mintz cartoon that starred Scrappy
Just watched this Columbia / Charles Mintz cartoon starring a now-forgotten character . A boy named Scrappy . Here he's driving ( What ? An underage boy driving a car ? Oh , well , this is just a cartoon so anything's possible here ! ) himself with his little brother and a dog to camping grounds . All that happens here...
454,110
11,228,318
146,845
7
Gypped in Egypt is an entertaining early Van Beuren Aesop Fables entry
Gypped in Egypt is a Van Beuren Aesop Fables entry that features a cat duo-one tall , one short-who seem to be the precursor of the humans , Tom and Jerry , Van Beuren introduced a year or so later . They somehow get stuck in Egypt where they encounter various skeletons-one of whom plays a mean swinging " Chopsticks " ...
454,188
11,228,318
516
7
El Hotel electrico is a fascinating early use of stop motion photography
Just saw on YouTube what must have been one of the earliest uses of stop motion animation in history . In summation , as baggage is checked in that baggage moves by itself to a room where it opens itself revealing lots of brushes that now move out . We next see a man and a woman sitting down before we see the man's boo...
454,762
11,228,318
785,097
7
The pilot for Andy Barker P . I . is moderately amusing
Andy Barker P . I . is Andy Richter's third try at a series since he left Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2000 . This pilot is moderately amusing with Barker opening his own CPA office above a video store owned by Simon ( Tony Hale ) . Also occupying space is a Middle Eastern restaurant whose owner has a " Down with M...
454,247
11,228,318
152,458
7
Woody Woodpecker gets his comeuppance in Ski for Two
Having been watching many cartoons on the Saturday Morning Blog , I rediscovered this Woody Woodpecker cartoon there . In this one , Woody goes to a lodge to get some food . That lodge is owned by one Wally Walrus and he is strict about no trespassers unless by reservation . But of course , that doesn't stop Woody who ...
454,858
11,228,318
1,055,416
7
Gracie's Bully is another funny episode of " Back to You "
Kelly takes her daughter Gracie to the TV station for her class field trip since Gracie doesn't like the bus especially not with a boy who keeps pulling her hair there . Montanna wants to avoid a report on a flood since she can't pronounce the river's name . Gary bets Marsh he can't go through with " Casey at the Bat "...
455,205
11,228,318
14,811
7
The Cure is amusing old hat animation from Max Fleischer
As Ko-Ko and a rabbit are drawn in a forest , Ko-Ko has a toothache . When he asks why , Max says , " Shut up ! " as we see him also have one . The rabbit then tries to pull the tooth manually before he asks for help . Max obliges by drawing an instrument that pulls teeth . When the rabbit uses it as he pulls , he noti...
454,207
11,228,318
1,055,414
7
A Gentleman Always Leads is another funny episode of " Back to You "
As Chuck waits for a ride on an elevator at his hotel , he meets a couple of network news guys who are having a meeting at Carnegie Hall . They complement him for getting back his anchor job at his old stomping grounds before parting as Chuck goes to his ride . Once the elevator goes back up , those same guys come on a...
454,258
11,228,318
30,089
7
The Duke Is Tops is noted for being Lena Horne's film debut
The only reason The Duke Is Tops , one of several " race movies " made during the times of segregation , would be worth noting today is because it made the film debut of a 21-year-old singer named Lena Horne . She plays Ethel Andrews , a singer who has to leave her producer mentor Duke Davis ( Ralph Cooper ) in order t...
453,967
11,228,318
22,506
7
The Tree's Knees is interesting early Warner Bros . cartoon
Since the previous reviewer mentioned most of the story and gags , I'll just mention once again that the two mice in this short-as in many Harmon-Ising cartoons-bear a resemblance to a certain Famous Mouse from Disney except this time , besides the fact they are so small , they also wear no clothes ! Most of the gags a...
454,649
11,228,318
1,055,411
7
The pilot of Back to You brings Grammar and Heaton back to familiar turf
At the start of the pilot episode of " Back to You " , we're in Pittsburgh-1996 , at a news desk on New Year's Eve where anchorwoman Kelly Carr ( Patricia Heaton ) says goodbye to her partner of six years , Chuck Darling ( Kelsey Grammar ) . Sportscaster Marsh McGinley ( Fred Willard ) is also there . 10 years later , ...
455,199
11,228,318
130,629
7
Don't Tell Everything is a funny Max Davidson short from Hal Roach
Max Davidson is an unsung comedian of silent movies from Hal Roach Studios . Maybe the fact that he was obviously Jewish and therefore not very appealing to much of America at the time might have been the reason he wasn't very popular then and is pretty much forgotten now . Maybe some of his characterizations tended to...
455,142
11,228,318
609,422
7
Second episode-A Cup of Kindness-was a pretty good one of " I Spy "
Continuing my reviews of African-Americans in film and television for Black History Month in chronological order , we're now at 1965 with the second episode of " I Spy " , A Cup of Kindness . In this one , Kelly Robinson's ( Robert Culp ) former mentor ( David Friedkin ) comes to his old pupil in Hong Kong for help in ...
454,323
11,228,318
56,851
7
Banty Raids was a pretty amusing final Foghorn Leghorn cartoon
Just watched this last Foghorn Leghorn cartoon on Daily Motion as linked from ThadBlog . In this one , a beatnik rooster-having been literally kicked out of one chicken coop-disguises himself as a baby chicken to get through Leghorn's place of residence which has lots of hens for the new guy to woo . . . Many amusing l...
453,756
11,228,318
69,994
7
Don't Look in the Basement is a pretty entertaining ' 70s B-horror film
I just discovered this obscure ' 70s horror movie while browsing on YouTube . For a low-budget effort , it has plenty of compelling moments in gradual pacing in leading to the surprisingly shocking finish . While there is one woman who takes off her shirt constantly , the fact that she's a nymphomaniac makes those scen...
454,752
11,228,318
917,146
7
Distractions improves on the last episode of Heroes
After Claire's dad finds Sylar still alive in his jail cell , Sylar knocks his glasses out and manages to lock him inside . He then shows him his driver's license ( which I tried to slow down to find his first name but it was too blurred . I read some other comments on this show and one of them said it only printed " B...
454,744
11,228,318
45,063
7
Rabbit's Kin is a partly amusing Bugs Bunny cartoon
Robert McKimson's Rabbit's Kin is not a great Bugs Bunny cartoon but it does have a great voice for Bugs ' adversary here , Pete Puma , that of Stan Freberg's with that screeching laugh ( or maybe it's just some kind of disgust reaction ) . A little rabbit with a highly-speeded up voice is afraid of this puma and goes ...
454,987
11,228,318
76,416
7
The Mouse and His Child was a very interesting non-Disney animated feature
After 30 years of knowing about this non-Disney animated feature , I finally decided to watch The Mouse and His Child on YouTube . The animation is both haunting and beautiful in many places . The characters are appealing when they concern the " wind-ups " and some forest animals and suitably creepy when displaying mos...
454,990
11,228,318
981,227
7
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is one of the most sweet teenage romantic comedies of the year
When I was in Maryland to see my sister's firstborn get baptized , we both decided to see this movie when I was there . This was a nicely cutting edge teenage romantic comedy about two strangers played by Michael Cera and Kat Dennings who find out about their similarities only after their friends accidentally put them ...
454,939
11,228,318
148,216
7
Gifts from the Air is a quite charmingly sentimental Columbia cartoon from the late ' 30s
In this Columbia Rhapsody cartoon , an orphan boy is looking at a toy store window and sees a toy soldier dancing whose limbs are so loose , the owner throws him in the trash . The boy then takes that toy soldier as his own and tells him how much fun their going to have when they get home . After the boy falls asleep ,...
453,774
11,228,318
443,299
7
This was another wonderfully bizarre ' 30s cartoon from Japan
This was another weird and wonderfully bizarre Japanese cartoon from the ' 30s . In this one , planes stop at traffic in the sky like the cars below . And one of these planes is a cab that takes passengers . This cabbie , though , doesn't seem to be very good for humans since one of them has a bad encounter with this o...
454,130
11,228,318
878,090
7
The Proffer moves Vanished plots along
With Judge Wallace Rainer now confirmed , Senator Jeffery Collins waits for Sara to come home . Marcy , recovering from her miscarriage , asks her doctor to test her blood to find out if her condition was induced . At FBI , Agent Daniel Lucas gets a call from someone who contacted the late Agent Graham Kelton before hi...
454,075
11,228,318
1,083,965
7
Swingtown : The Pilot got me really intrigued by episode's ending
I just finished watching " Swingtown : The Pilot " four weeks after it aired . The ' 70s setting intrigued me from the start along with all the free love and music that came with it . I'm surprised IMDb didn't also mention a couple of songs that played here as anachronisms : both Rita Coolidge's " Your Love is Lifting ...
455,127
11,228,318
1,001,594
7
Ludachristmas ( or Episode 209 ) is another funny episode of " 30 Rock "
Liz ' parents and brother Mitch ( Andy Richter ) are coming over for Christmas as well as Jack's mother ( Elaine Stritch ) . Due to too much drinking , Tracy now has an ankle on him . While Liz seems to get along well with her family , even Mitch whose skiing accident at 17 causes him to relive the previous day over an...
453,909
11,228,318
27,776
7
I Don't Want to Make History is another amusing Screen Song cartoon from Max and Dave Fleischer
The setting is the New News Theatre with a sign saying " News Reel Scoops " with the awning literally scooping customers inside ! From there we see the newsreel with items from places like Wishy , Wash . Spot gags abound like a giant bullet inside a likewise gun taking travelers around the world to an easy parking car ...
454,958
11,228,318
39,429
7
The Golden State is another amusing Famous Studios Screen Song cartoon
I went to the Matinée at the Bijou blog and found this rare Famous Studios cartoon short that had a " follow-the-bouncing-ball " line attached to it since this is a Screen Song short that features the song , " California , Here I Come " . Among the gags are the Big Chief train that briefly turns into a head of an India...
454,966
11,228,318
1,204,544
7
Hot Sub with guest ( who's also the show's producer ) Ashton Kutcher improves on previous first episode of " Miss Guided "
In this episode , executive producer Ashton Kutcher guests as " educational wanderer " Beaux who's teaching Spanish during his stay . Regular Spanish teacher Tim O'Malley is worried about going back to teaching shop so when the principal and his vice check on him a day or so early , Tim calls Becky for help . Unfortuna...
454,440
11,228,318
148,001
7
Cockatoos for Two was a not bad Columbia cartoon from an idea by Bob Clampett
This Screen Gems-Columbia cartoon was written by Bob Clampett after he left Warner Bros . The director , however , was Bob Wickersham . In this one , a Peter Lorre caricature is awaiting the arrival of a $6 , 000 parakeet from a friend . " Lorre " has just gotten tired of the same kind of dinner every night and wants a...
454,588
11,228,318
14,656
7
Alice Gets in Dutch is highly amusing live-action / animated hybrid
Alice Gets in Dutch begins in live-action with the title character in a classroom with a lot of other kids , one of whom looks like Mickey Daniels of the Our Gang shorts , singing off-key . The teacher seems stern with her hair bun and glasses . The freckle-faced child who looks like Mickey starts to blow a balloon whi...
455,212
11,228,318
126,879
7
Bug Vaudeville is a slightly fascinating Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend animated short
Bug Vaudeville is just that : a series of insects performing various acts ( boxing , dancing , acrobats , etc . ) while a man watches . Give Mr . Winsor McCay credit for detail in the insect drawings and , unlike his mosquito short , there's nothing frightening here . Well , except maybe near the end when a spider appe...
454,122
11,228,318
29,969
7
While chaotic , The Captain's Christmas was a pretty enjoyable holiday cartoon starring The Captain and the Kids
Having just discovered this Christmas cartoon starring The Captain and the Kids on YouTube , I have to say-the plotting is all over the place what with peg-leg John stealing The Captain's disguise as Santa Claus , breaking into Mama and her boys'-Hans and Franz-house not to mention their toys and then vowing to make am...
454,353
11,228,318
24,555
7
Shuffle Off to Buffalo is another pretty entertaining Merrie Melodies cartoon short
Another Warner Bros . Harmon-Ising Merrie Melodies cartoon short produced in association with Leon Schlesinger that I found on YouTube . Using the title song for inspiration , Shuffle Off to Buffalo is a series of gags surrounding a baby making factory with storks delivering various nationalities ( and their representa...
454,256
11,228,318
32,158
7
Zenobia is a mostly entertaining Oliver Hardy vehicle with Harry Langdon in fine support
Since this is Black History Month and I'm reviewing African-Americans on film in mostly chronological order , let's start my review of Zenobia by mentioning three of the players : Stepin Fetchit , Hattie McDaniel , and Philip Hurlic . Stepin ( spelled Step'n in the credits ) is Zero-the butler . He's quite funny with h...
454,349
11,228,318
24,569
7
Sittin ' on a Backyard Fence was another Schlesinger Merrie Melodies short from the early Warner Bros . cartoon years
This was a Merrie Melodies cartoon short from Leon Schlesinger incorporating a song owned by the Warner Bros . publishing company with its title being the one here . It involves a couple of male cats fighting for the love of one female feline . Loved scenes of the cats ' skeletons appearing when they cross a full moon ...
453,865
11,228,318
402,593
7
The Wrong Type is hilarious
A lady comes to Supertemps applying for a job . The Supertemps lady , Roxanne , asks if she can type . " A bit . " comes the reply . Roxanne tests her on the typewriter . The lady typist can't find the ON button before she starts and by the time she finds it , types the letter T , and uses liquid paper on it , times up...
454,736
11,228,318
791,312
7
Jackie Gleason : Genius at Work is a fairly good compilation of Gleason sketches
This special about The Great One is hosted by Jeff Garlin of " Curb Your Enthusiasm " . He basically just stands there and mentions many things about what makes Jackie Gleason what he was . His widow , Marilyn Taylor Gleason , is also interviewed about her late husband's work habits-such as his refusal to rehearse more...
454,073
11,228,318
944,245
7
Up All Night is another funny outing for 30 Rock
Jack and his ex-wife , after being formally separated for 18 years , are getting a final divorce . Liz and the staff have to pull an all-nighter on Valentine's Day because Jack sent some food that poisoned many the previous night . It's during this time that many staff members do a Kill / Boff / Marry game about variou...
454,636
11,228,318
1,001,508
7
He's Just Not That Into You was a nice rom-com surprise to me !
If you were fans of the following television shows : " My So-Called Life " , " Freaks and Geeks " , " Friends " , " Alias " , " Ed " , and " Dawson's Creek " , then I'd highly recommend this movie to you as a player or two from each of those series are in this movie ! Among them : Wilson Cruz ( MSCL ) , Busy Philipps (...
454,982
11,228,318
512,020
7
Leroy's Suits is a pretty funny early episode of " Amos ' n ' Andy "
This " Amos ' n ' Andy " episode , Leroy's Suits , was the third in the show's television history . Kingfish's brother-in-law Leroy is moving out of his apartment and he wants all his suits there sold with the profits going to him . When the not-too-bright Lightnin ' gets the address on the phone from Sapphire , he ina...
454,376
11,228,318
1,252,355
7
Voice of Hollywood pleased this fan of the silent " Our Gang "
We begin with Don Alvarado at the STAR radio station introducing various stars walking to the microphone outside of presumably a premiere . Among them : John Boles , Betty Compson , Bebe Daniels , Louise Fazenda , Ruth Roland , and Tom Mix without his horse Tony who's back in Peru , Indiana . Then Alvarado gets a fan l...
455,134
11,228,318
58,725
7
Silly Viva Las Vegas showcase Elvis and Ann-Margret to great effect
Of all the lightweight musical movies Elvis Presley would make throughout the ' 60s , Viva Las Vegas is possibly be the most tolerable of a very silly group that became more ridiculous as the decade wore on . The plot has Elvis playing a race car driver named Lucky falling for swim instructor Rusty played by Ann-Margre...
453,822
11,228,318
41,380
7
For Scent-imental Reasons is the Oscar-winning Pepe Le Pew cartoon
Like just about every Pepe Le Pew cartoon , there's a female cat who's mistaken for a skunk because of white paint that conveniently forms a straight line on the cat's back . As a result , Pepe falls madly in love with her while she is repelled and tries to escape with her running frantically and he just hopping along ...
453,903
11,228,318
988,308
7
Landslide is appetizer to the Heroes season finale
In the last episode , Peter had given Claire a gun so she can shoot him when Peter's hands heat up . It had ended just like that so we now see Claire get her weapon but Peter now says , " Stop ! " Seems he can control his powers . Ted goes with them while Matt and HRG look for the tracker of special-powered people . Hi...
454,279
11,228,318
24,151
7
Claudette Colbert fans should enjoy I Cover the Waterfront
With the title I Cover the Waterfront , I expected a social-conscience picture on the order of Warner Bros . ' then contemporary I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang . What I got was a part screwball comedy , part romance , part soap opera . Ben Lyon is the " I " in the title , a Joe Miller who hates his reporting job for...
455,254
11,228,318
22,219
7
Ol ' King Cotton was my first look at singer George Dewey Washington
Having just discovered this obscure singer named George Dewey Washington on Ol ' King Cotton from a series of shorts compiled for the DVD " Hollywood Rhythm , Vol . 1 : The Best of Jazz & Blues " , I must say he's a fine singer ! The first part takes place in his yard near a shack in the South as he sings a song that s...
454,474
11,228,318
146,563
7
A Close Call is good early sound Aesop's Fables short
The short starts with a mouse playing some bell-like tulips like musical bells . He then dances with his girlfriend whose skirt falls in the middle of the number ( leaving only her panties ) . Her partner plays that skirt like an accordion until she takes it back ! A cat is driving on the highway and stops to try to ge...
454,801
11,228,318
349,352
7
Dim Sum Take Out is a short of outtakes from Wayne Wang's feature Dim Sum
Dim Sum Take Out is outtakes from Wayne Wang's Dim Sum : A Little Bit of Heart . That 1985 film originally was supposed to focus on the lives of young first generation Chinese-American women before Wang chose to focus on the mother ( Kim Chew ) of one of them ( real-life daughter Laureen ) . Of note here : Joan Chen , ...
454,333
11,228,318
910,936
7
Pineapple Express is another quite funny Judd Apatow production
Since tomorrow is the birthday of my friend who works at a movie theatre , I let him pick the movie we were going to see today . He picked this one ( I'm just glad he didn't pick the third Mummy movie ) . Once again produced by Judd Apatow , this is star Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg's second screenplay after Superbad f...
453,800
11,228,318
1,127,274
7
The Car was another amusing episode of " Samantha Who ? "
In this episode , Samantha convinces her father to use his car for the first time since waking up from her coma . As she drives with Dena , Sam is being reckless on the road . So much so she manages to avoid hitting a raccoon but crashes into a tree . With Dena reluctantly helping , Sam pushes the car into a lake with ...
454,081
11,228,318
204,027
7
Pete Smith's Victory Quiz provides questions that must have fascinated World War II-era viewers
In this short from Pete Smith , Mr . Smith asks questions pertinent to World War II . He asks what a " Bubble Dancer " is , and when tanks , planes , parachutes , and submarines were invented . Also , who invented them . There's some amusing visual gags accompanying many of the answers . You're given 10 or 15 minutes t...
453,936
11,228,318
33,406
7
The Blood of Jesus was a pretty good drama from writer / director / actor Spencer Williams
Before I comment on the movie , I'd like to mention two cast members from my current home state of Louisiana : Reather Hardman-Sister Ellerby-was from the St . Landry Parish and writer / director / actor Spencer Williams-Razz Jackson here and later known as Andy Brown on the TV version of " Amos ' n ' Andy " - was from...
454,880
11,228,318
12,347
7
Kid Speed has Larry Semon with Oliver Hardy in good support
Kid Speed is another Larry Semon short with Oliver Hardy in support that I found on a Platinum DVD Laurel and Hardy collection . This time Hardy and Semon are car race rivals for a girl's affection . Since Hardy is the heavy , he's the one who tries to keep Semon from winning with help from various friends . One of my ...
454,028
11,228,318
29,950
7
Cecil B . DeMille's The Buccaneer is a rousing historical epic
Having just moved back to Baton Rouge , La . in 2003 after living in Jacksonville , Fla . for the previous 16 years , I started getting reacquainted with the history of the state I had first lived much of my life from age 7 to 19 . One of those sources was from this Cecil B . DeMille account of Louisiana's pirate-hero ...
455,258
11,228,318
234,787
7
Spook Spoofing is a thrillingly funny " Our Gang " short
This Hal Roach comedy short , Spook Spoofing , is the seventy-first in the " Our Gang / Little Rascals " series . Superstitious Farina carries a special charm on him to ward off goblins . Joe , however , loves playing practical jokes so he plans with the gang , assisted by the undertaker's son Jay R . , many elaborate ...
455,182
11,228,318
858,124
7
My Little Margie : Meet Mr . Murphy is pretty hilarious animal show
Margie's father Vern refuses to give his daughter a $50 raise in allowance just so she can give it to boyfriend Freddie . He has enough troubles not being let in on boss ' deal with a movie producer . So Margie goes behind father's back at Honeywell and gets a job to housesit the movie's star : a chimp named Mr . Murph...
454,844
11,228,318
898,023
7
Pilot of " Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles " is pretty good start of new series
It's 1999 and Sarah Connor ( Lena Headey ) has a nightmare that her teenage son , John ( Thomas Dekker ) , gets killed and a terminator robot chokes her . She wakes up at this point in bed with her fiancée who is offering her a ring . Next day , she tells John they're moving . John is puzzled . At the new school , he m...
454,255
11,228,318
31,828
7
The Proud Valley is one of Paul Robeson's finest achievements
In reviewing the achievements of African-Americans on film in chronological order for Black History Month , we're now at 1940 with the entry of The Proud Valley , considered by star Paul Robeson as his favorite . In this one , he's an American named David Goliah coming to Wales to find a job . After hearing his voice f...
454,127
11,228,318
152,285
7
See Little Audrey's debut in Santa's Surprise
Santa's Surprise is a charming Christmas short from Parmount's Famous Studios cartoon division that features the first appearance of Little Audrey . Santa sings of bringing presents to children around the world . We see him stop at various children's houses in countries such as Russia , China , Holland , and America as...
454,449
11,228,318
219,251
7
Plastilinovaya vorona segment I saw was charming
Just saw the last 4 minutes of this Russian clay-animated short from Alesandr Tatarskiy on YouTube . In this one , Russian folk singers sing about a cow , or a crow , or a dog getting watermelon . There's also a fox , or an ostrich , or a sweeper running some track race . And the moral is something about don't sing or ...
454,244
11,228,318
35,527
7
The Wabbit Who Came to Supper is another Bugs-Elmer cartoon I recommend
In this Friz Freeling directed cartoon short , Elmer stops trying to hunt for Bugs in the forest with his dogs after receiving a telegram telling that his Uncle Louie will give him three million dollars if Elmer stops harming animals-especially " wabbits " . Well , when Bugs hears of this , you know he'll annoy the " f...
454,218
11,228,318
1,127,384
7
The Loobenfeld Decay was a mostly amusing episode of " The Big Bang Theory "
Sheldon and Leonard are arguing the logic of the Terminator movies and TV series when they hear some awful singing . It's Penny who tells them she's performing in a local production of " Rent " for one night only and invites them to see her on stage . Leonard mentions that he and Sheldon are going to a symposium that n...
454,999
11,228,318
756,960
7
The Crawling Eye is a good national cable start for MST3K
Eight years after seeing the last episode , " Diabolik " on the Sci-Fi Channel , I've discovered on YouTube the very first MST3K shown on national cable-specifically on Comedy Channel ( which eventually merged with rival Ha ! to form Comedy Central ) , " The Crawling Eye " . The main cast includes creator Joel Hodgson ...
454,203
11,228,318
911,101
7
The Big No Sleep is the second-to-last episode of Andy Barker P . I .
This is one of the two last episodes of Andy Barker P . I . that aired on April 14 , 2007 on a Saturday . After constantly getting dunked in a water tank at a carnival , Andy and his wife Jenny have trouble sleeping because their little daughter Molly has lost her stuffed toy elephant , Snowball . At work , Lew has Bar...
455,041
11,228,318
156,031
7
Max Fleischer's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is enjoyable animated Christmas short
Long surpassed by the 1964 Rankin / Bass version , this 1948 animated version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer directed by Max Fleischer is enjoyable in its own right . Narrated by Paul Wing , the story begins with the lead character already not allowed to skate on ice with the others ( all of whom wear pillows on the...
454,202
11,228,318
911,102
7
The Lady Varnishes is the final episode of Andy Barker P . I .
This is the second of the last two episodes of Andy Barker P . I . that aired on a Saturday , April 14 , 2007 . Andy and Lew visit Lew's former detective office which is being torn down . Andy finds in the mail slot a 45-year-old letter from a Rita Spaulding ( Amy Sedaris ) addressed to Lew about her innocence in the m...