ad1965's Reviews

ABC Weekend Specials: The $100,000 Bill (1978)

Season 2, Episode 4

6/10

6 January 2010

Warning: Spoilers

I haven't seen this in years, but after recently watching "Christmas in July" on TCM, I realized that this episode is essentially a remake of that great film.

Donny Most (best known as Ralph Malph of Happy Days) plays Henry Cooper, who has troubles with his boss, the boss's son, and most of the other people he has to deal with on a daily basis. After he finds a $1,000 bill, he suddenly finds new confidence in himself, which leads to him earning more respect from everybody else. In fact, he is catapulted from a nobody into a minor sensation in his small town.

This program is not exactly earth-shattering, but it is fun to watch, mostly just to see Most as well as classic television actors Richard Deacon (Mel Cooley, Fred Rutherford, etc.) and Charles Lane.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation: Encounter at Farpoint (1987)

Season 1, Episode 1

A Touch of Doctor Who

29 October 2009

Warning: Spoilers

I think the pilots of most beloved shows tend to look silly or awkward when viewed in retrospect, and this is no exception. As the actors grow into their roles, the characters develop, and viewers become accustomed to the finished product. This pilot had to convince a lot of fans of TOS that it was going to be worth their time, as well as win over new viewers, and I think it accomplished that, rough edges and all.

I missed the first three episodes when they originally aired, and only recently watched this one for the first time. I did notice that the Farpoint plot itself was very similar to "Doctor Who - The Creature from the Pit".

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Star Trek: The Next Generation: First Contact (1991)

Season 4, Episode 15

7/10

Interesting Twist

4 August 2009

Warning: Spoilers

This episode is essentially a look at how different elements of our own society would react if aliens were discovered to be living among us, a subject which has been covered in sci-fi since the days of the flying saucer and the Red Scare. This time, we are the aliens, and we have been living among a very human-like civilization which is just beginning the exploration of space. We see doctors treating the captured alien (Riker) just as they would one of their own, the scientist reacting with great interest and curiosity, the security person reacting with fear, and the politician deciding to cover everything up.

Overall, a pretty good episode, and a look at what would happen if the shoe were on the other foot. Yes, there are plot holes and unanswered questions, but look how many people are credited with having a hand in the writing of this episode: story by one person and teleplay by five others (two pairs and one individual). Good soup for so many cooks.

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The Dick Cavett Show: Alfred Hitchcock (1972)

Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

8/10

Great Interview for Content

27 June 2009

I agree this interview gives a lot of insight into Hitchcock's personality, as well as his feelings about film-making, actors, the creative process, etc. He talks about some of the special effects innovations used in his movies, which were very clever for their time, but sound a bit dated now, naturally.

As far as interviews go, this must have been a tough one for Cavett. Hitchcock was a very low-key kind of guy, and most of his answers are brief. Cavett (who obviously did his research in preparation for the interview) spends a lot of time trying to draw Hitchcock out, with only partial success. And Hitch's deadpan delivery often makes it hard to tell when he's serious and when he's joking.

If you're a Hitchcock fan, though, it goes without saying that you will enjoy watching this show. Just be prepared for a very disjointed interview that moves in fits and starts.

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The Maltese Bippy (1969)

8/10

This movie is funny!

13 February 2009

A number of people have commented negatively on this film, and also slam Rowan and Martin, Laugh-In, and the fact that this movie was made in 1969 and is therefore dated. I wonder why they bothered watching it.

I was but a toddler when Laugh-In was on, but I watched it with my older siblings. I've seen clips from it more recently, and yes, it is horribly dated now. So are bell bottoms, peace signs, and harvest gold appliances, but they were very popular at the time. People seem to have a hard time believing that something they really like today will ever look ridiculous, but it happens to every generation.

This movie is not particularly dated. Maybe 3 lines will go over your head if you have no knowledge of Sixties culture. This film is a silly spoof of monster/mystery films. Rowan and Martin act a lot like Hope and Crosby in their "Road" pictures, without any singing, and even speaking to the audience and acknowledging that they are in a movie. Every cliché from the aforementioned genres is skewered in this film, and I think it accomplishes everything it sets out to do.

You don't need to know anything about Laugh-In, Rowan & Martin, or the Sixties to enjoy this film. If you've ever enjoyed, or enjoyed groaning at, movies about werewolves, vampires, old houses, hidden treasures, and dead bodies appearing unexpectedly, you will get a laugh out of this movie. Personally, I watched it expecting the worst, and was very pleasantly surprised.

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