Top of the Rock- Book

Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See Tv
by Warren Littlefield

During my high school years in VERY rural Louisiana there were two tv stations available using our antenna.  We got NBC and NBC.  No kidding.  My closest neighbor (1/2 mi away) had a deluxe tv antenna that after dark could pick up CBS.  So all those tv shows in the late 70s that didn't come on NBC (Dukes of Hazard, Charlie's Angels, ect) I never even heard of.

What does this have to do with the book?  Well, I was kinda forced to be partial to NBC and the tv shows on it.  Lucky for me NBC was just starting a twenty plus year run of exceptional tv shows.  Back then it was Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere.  In the 80s it was LA Law and Miami Vice.

In 1993 NBC's ratings were starting to fall as the once big hits were getting long in the tooth the reins of the Network were passed to Warren Littlefield.  The president of a network has the final say on what tv shows make it to air and much say on casting and suggestions on plots or characters.  Littlefield had a knack for picking tv hits and also lucked into having some dropped into his lap.

This book chronicles Littlefields ten year run of exceptional tv shows that in a time before all the cable channels took off and ate into the Networks viewership.  At one time the Thursday nights lineup of Must See Tv was generating more income than all of CBS or ABC.  Shows like Seinfeld, Friends, the Cosby Show, Cheers and ER ruled the roost.

The good part of the book is the telling of so many behind the scenes stories on all these popular tv shows.  On Cheers Sam Malone was first going to be a retired football player staring ex-NFL player Fred Dryer (Who instead went on to star in the show Hunter a few years later).  When they changed him to a baseball player they ended up with Ted Danson. It was hardly a huge success right off the bat.  After Cheer's first season it was dead last of all tv shows in the ratings.  The only reason NBC didn't cancel it was because they had nothing better to add.  Several bigger named actors were thought about for Friends.  Amazingly the hardest to sign on was David Schwimmer who didn't really want to be a tv actor.  On the tv show Mad About You many NBC exits wanted Valerie Bertinelli but she just didn't test well. Nicollette Sheridan of Desperate Housewives was considered for Grace of Will and Grace.  There was no confidence in Seinfeld as it was thought too Jewish.  NBC only gave the green light for four episodes.  There was only the three guys.  Elaine was added at the last minute to try to get females to watch.

On a down side it's a little stiffly written. You can tell Littlefield handed a bunch of notes to real writers and they did what they could.  He also still has bitter feelings of being dumped by NBC after ten years of record profits and does not mind whining about it in the last chapter.

With it's small warts I liked this book alot.  I enjoyed all the behind the scenes stuff on tv shows I spent alot of time parked in the recliner watching.

Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows

Rating 3 out of 10

There was a tv show way back in the 1960s called Dark Shadows.  I barely remember it as a little kid.  I can only guess the tv show was far better than this movie or no one would have remembered it.  This movie is just a mess.

Again I don't know what the tv show was about.  In the movie we start off in the 1700's when the ultra rich Collins family come to Maine and start a fishing dynasty.  Young Barnabas watches the empire grow as he does.  In his early 20's he falls for a young local girl much to the dismay of one of the young maids at the Collins mansion.  The problem is this maid is a witch who casts evil spells on the whole family.  Killing his parents and somehow turning Barnabas into a vampire and then locking him into a lead coffin and planting him in the ground for nearly 200 years.

Now we flash forward to 1972 when a construction crew stumbles upon Barnabas coffin and makes the mistake to open it.  He finds the Collins empire on it's last leg and the evil witch in charge of the town that once belonged to his family.

The biggest problem here (besides the bad writing and wondering who ever thought this was a good idea to start with) is it's gross in parts but not scary and it's a farce that is not funny.  Attempts at humor go with blank stares and groans.  An hour into the film the wife was asking me if it were almost over.  Unfortunately we still had 53 more minutes to sit thru.

Can't really blame the acting.  I'm not a huge fan of Johnny Depp, but he gives it his all as Barnabas Collins.  Eva Green does what she can as the witch and looks quite fetching in the process.  Michelle Pfeiffer is okay as Elizabeth what is left of the Collins clan.

It's just poor writing and a bad idea.  Lots of cliche jokes about the early 70's (bell bottoms, hippies, VW Buses, ect) are stale and predictable.  This is just a bad movie.  Don't even bother to rent this one.

The Avengers

The Avengers

Rating 9 out of 10

I have enough kid left in me that I like most all super hero movies.  Always have.  I have seen most if not all of the super hero movies released.  Some were very good, some not so much.  I would say the Avengers is hands down the best movie of this genre and one of the best movies of any genre I have seen in a while.

If you saw last years Thor movie you will remember the evil brother Loki who wanted to conquer their planet before Thor banishes him to a place far, far away.  Turns out it wasn't far, far enough.  Loki is back  and determined to take over Earth.  He has brought some very mean friends with him.  This many bad guys would be too much for one super hero to handle.  Lucky for us on Earth Nick Fury (played by the always great Samuel L. Jackson) saw this coming and has put together a group of the super heroes.  Besides the heroes every one has heard of (Captain America, Hulk, Ironman and Thor) there are a couple you may not know as well (Black Widow and Hawkeye)

The first half of the movie moves at a slower pace as they assemble the team.  Slow compared to the second half of the movie.  Once the action starts hold on to your hat because you are in for a ride.  The casting is near perfect.  The effects are very good also.  As I said lots of action and also several laugh out loud funny parts.

I think even if you are not generally into these type of movies you should give the Avengers a try.  If you like hero movies you should run to the theater and see this one.  It delivers the goods and then some.

Lockout

Lockout

Rating 6 out of 10

When I saw the previews and read the reviews on this movie I knew it was a rental.  I was bored and even though I want to see Titanic again I didn't feel like sitting for three plus hours.  I gave it a shot.

If you like action type movies like this I feel if you rent or maybe see this on an early show you will be mildly entertained.  You won't come out of the theater wowed, but you won't feel you have wasted your money either.  I'd lean toward the rental.

One of the trailers I saw for this move touted it as a Die Hard in space or something like that.  The funny part of that is if only Bruce Willis had starred in this movie it probably would have been a blockbuster.  Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace are serviceable yet don't really have the star power or acting chops to make this even above average.

Pearce plays our hero Agent Snow.  Fifty years in the future the worst criminals are being taken to a space station prison where they are kept in a frozen state.  When the Presidents daughter visits (Grace) things go wrong and the inmates thaw out and take over.  Snow has been railroaded for something he didn't do and is told if he goes in and saves the daughter all will be forgiven.

The effect is how a movie like this will be judged.  Sometimes they are good.  Other times the movie looks like a video game.

If you watched the trailer and thought it looked interesting wait a couple months and rent this movie.  I think you'll be okay with it.

The Lorax

The Lorax

Rating 7.5 out of 10

I am generally not a fan of all the Dr. Seuss books turned movies.  The Grinch is a classic of course, but most of the rest of the movies have been on the boring side.  Yet I had a chance for a date with one of my favorite females and the Hunger Games or American Reunion would not do.  I was taking my two year old granddaughter to the movies.  This movie was the perfect pick.

I was going to the movie more for the company than movie content.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I found the movie laugh out loud funny several times and kept my attention the whole time.  I had not read this book nor knew the story.  Young Ted wants to impress the pretty redhead girl Audrey.  All she wants is a tree in her backyard.  The problem is all the trees were cut down many years ago by a well meaning guy named the Once-ler to make these cool widgets.  Ted is on the mission to find that one tree seed left in the world.

I always drive myself nuts in these animated movies trying to figure out who the voices are.  The only two I figured out on my own were Danny DeVito as the Lorax (he was put in charge of protecting the trees) and Betty White as Grandma Norma.  Zac Efron voices little Ted and Taylor Swift is Audrey.

The animation is absolutely incredible in the 2D version I saw.  Had a couple musical numbers that Delilah liked.  She enjoyed the movie.  She could have enjoyed the bag of Reeces Pieces or all the ice cubes out of my drink more.  

I know Grandpa enjoyed the time spent with Delilah and also liked the movie alot more than I thought I would.

Best Movie Year Ever???

Best movie year ever?

For me it was 1987.

I started a database back in 1985 of all the movies I saw. When my database was put to pasture by Apple I had to type in all my 1200+ movies into the new program.  I started wondering what was my favorite year for movies ever.  Not the movie I liked the most, but the year that had the most above average movies.  Movies that if I'm flipping thru the channels I'd watch again with a smile on my face.  I was surprised at how many very good movies were released in 1987.   I knew it was a great year for movies with The Princess Bride didn't even make my top ten!

Here are some of the movies from 1987 that I still enjoy watching.

Platoon-  This is actually considered a 1986 movie.  It was released in very few theaters on Christmas day 1986.  I consider it to be a 1987 release.  What a great movie.  It showed how crazy things were in Vietnam.  Also shows Charlie Sheen was crazy back then too.

Hoosiers-  Probably the best basketball movie ever made.  Gene Hackman at his best.  This movie reminded me alot of my high school days playing basketball in small town Louisiana.  I own this dvd and have watched it several times.

Lethal Weapon-  This movie was brought down by all the stupid sequels they made later on.  One of the best Buddy Cop movies ever made.  This Lethal Weapon was funny but had plenty of action too.

Overboard-  I have watched this movie a dozen times and when it's on TNT I'll hit play and grab a glass of iced tea.  Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.  A funny feel good movie.

La Bamba-  This movie didn't get as much play as it deserved.  Tells the story of 1950s rocker Ritchie Valens up to his untimely death in a plane crash that also took Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.  Lou Diamond Phillips is perfect in this role.

Roxanne- A funny Steve Martin comedy with Daryl Hannah. I saw this movie last year and it still holds up today.

Robocop- Okay this movie is a little dated now with special effects being so much better.  It is still a fun movie to watch.

Extreme Prejudice-  I liked this movie alot even though few others saw it.  A good modern day western staring Nick Nolte as a tough Texas Ranger in a small Texas/Mexico border town.

Three Men and a Baby- Hard not to like this Tom Selleck movie.

The Princess Bride-  I can't believe I left this off my top ten list!!!  One of my top ten favorite movies of all time. I can't tell you how many times I've seen this movie and I'd watch it tonight if it were on tv.

Dirty Dancing-  I wasn't as big a fan of this movie.  Thought then and still feel Jennifer Grey was completely wrong for her part.  Yet Cassie has seen this movie a hundred times and loves it.

Predator- Arnold goes into the jungle to kill bad guys and finds a bad alien instead.

Most years you are lucky to get 2-3 movies you would want to see again.  In 1987 there were more than a dozen.   Anyone have a year that was better for movies?

Wrath of the Titans

Wrath of the Titans

Rating 7 out of 10

I saw one review on this movie that complained that it was one high powered action scene after another that hardly gave any time for a plot.  Well yeah!  Haven't they seen any of these type movies?  You don't go to any of the Zeus type movies for a complicated plot.  This is pretty easy.  If you watch this trailer and feel compelled to see it you will probably leave the theater entertained and feel you got your money worth.  If it is not your cup of tea you should shy away.

Wrath of the Titans takes place atleast ten year after Zeus (Liam Neeson)  bellowed the famous Release the Kraken in the earlier Clash of the Titans movie. Our hero Perseus (Sam Worthington) killed the Kraken, saved the village and won the heart of of the lovely princess.  Now we find Perseus living in a small fishing village raising his son.  The princess has died.  Either they didn't say how or I don't remember.  Although the village is on the ocean they clearly have no showers as everyone is in great need of a scrubbing.

Seems in the last ten years the mortals have quit believing  in the Gods and quit praying to them.  Somehow this causes the Gods to lose their powers and turn mortal themselves.  In their weakness their powers are being taken to release what is much worse than the Kraken, Dad.  Kronos is the father of Zeus, Hades Poseidon.

Action is everywhere.  Some cool effects even in the 2D we saw it in.  Lots of cool monsters.  Even 100ft cyclops that can use huge trees as toothpicks.  If you like things to go boom you will enjoy yourself here.