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The Whale (2022)
Tried for months to finish this.
So I got Paramount+ in November (5 months ) and have tried to watch this much revered movie.
Finally quitting just after the one hour mark. It is slow, depressing and not all that wonderfully acted. Sorry, it's just not!
As noted elsewhere, the morbidly obese character was much better - and honestly depicted - in the excellent Gilbert Grape. You could actually feel for the mother when she said "I wasn't always this way."
Fat suit aside, there isn't much praiseworthy here. Like Mickey Rourke, it's a comeback for Brendan Fraser. That's nice but not Oscar worthy.
You've been halfway through this, I feel like Flynn (Walter Jr.) in Breaking Bad: why don't you just die already?
Frasier: Docu.Drama (2001)
John Glenn shows his comedic chops!
I thought this was a solid episode.
Frasier being even more overbearing than usual, his passive/aggressive treatment of Roz being quite "on the nose" (cone).
The best part of this was Sen. John Glenn tortured memories of what he really saw in space. To me, his performance was far from wooden. Being shamed for working sub rosa with Frasier played off his upstanding hero image. And his wild gestures as he pantomimes scary creatures shooting by are priceless.
Niles trying to fly a kite is another example of David Hyde-Pierce's physical comedy chops - as witnessed elsewhere when he duels a fencing instructor and his incredible pressing of the pants scene.
This is a nice change of pace show with an actual American Hero and it definitely lifts off!
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Doll (2001)
Maybe the best Curb EVER!
I've been so disappointed by the 12th and final season of CYE that I questioned if I was being unfair and had faulty memories of what heights it once reached.
Rewatching this well-constructed, genuinely funny episode allayed any doubts of my critique. It was Seinfeldian in all the good ways, with brilliantly intertwined storylines.
Overhydration. Faulty bathroom locks.
The doll's head. Susie's sick voodoo tirade.
Cheryl exacting revenge, abandoning her role as toilet lookout. And possibly the best closing line of any series: "Mommy mommy - That bald man's in the bathroom and there's something hard in his pants!"
Car 54, Where Are You?: No More Pickpockets (1962)
The best episode of a brilliant series...
I was only 7 when I saw this the first time (Car 54 and Dobie Gillis were my childhood faves - both hold up 60+ years later).
Joe E. Ross was such a ham - but between his OOH-OOHs and "Do you mind? DO YOU MIND?", he was such a lovable nincompoop.
Tall, long in the face Fred Gwynne was the perfect foil for the short, pie-faced partner.
Wally Cox made his guest spot memorable.
But this episode was really Paul Reed's, the long-suffering Captain Block. His reactions to Toody, followed by Muldoon, being arrested were absolutely priceless.
Kudos to Nat Hiken for creating this consistently laugh out loud series. Just wish it lasted longer than two seasons - but grateful for being able to rewatch the.60 episodes all these years later.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Ken/Kendra (2024)
Even The Boss can't save this enfeebled melange of retreads...
Well, the good news is Larry isn't dead (sadly Richard and his parakeet are) and that we only have one more episode to endure.
Happy ending? Asian masseuse with accent as subtle as Mickey Rooney's? Wasn't that done before with the star-tattooed woman and the Asian fortune-teller reported the abbreviated handy to Cheryl? (WHOOSH!)
Woman to man sex change - with the hilarious complications entailed. Didn't Chaz Bono break a watch and start a fire with his new equipment? Which was forced humor but light years ahead of the supposed floor-hooking up argued here.
The Covid plot was done better with Albert Brooks' hoarding and seems at least 3 years too late (Springsteen's real health issues put a damper on what little humor is involved). Larry's inadvertent heroism of the water bottle was better played on the airplane when he tripped on his shoelaces. The director he hates story was much better with Michael McKean or even the Everybody Loves Raymond guy.
Cheryl - who was once, long ago, such a nice balance to LD - has become the new Susie. Her anger may have been justified when Larry did her sister but her barging in nowadays, her look and demeanor now add up to "repugnant".
Susie, Jeff and especially Leon are like Seinfeld's belated realization of the "HellOOO" - so played!
It all just seems so tired. Big name stars (Buscemi! Conan! Springsteen!!!) don't matter when the storyline and improv are so lame.
Sadly, like Larry in Leon's eyes, this show has become ENFEEBLED!
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Dream Scheme (2024)
Circling The Drain - Nearly Unwatchable
Is the show TRYING to be so unfunny we won't miss it? Nah - Larry David wouldn't care.
But wow, this one is bad. Like "turn it off" terrible (which I did twice last night as soon as it was released, struggling through the end this morning to see if there was ONE funny moment. Alas, there wasn't
It's out of ideas. "Callbacks" from previous episodes that were awful: LD being awakened at 3 am with the burglar led to the terrible addition of Sofia Maria, housekeeper walking in on inflatable doll was funnier but still cheap humor; faux dreams as an evasion strategy is absurd (ESPECIALLY when Freddy starts mumbling immediately after his supposed falling asleep). Oral sex was funnier when it had a remnant hair lodged in the throat - as was the cleaner's PTSD from Susie's foul mouth rather than a brief glimpse of a common act. Fighting over violin with obviously inevitable results reminds me of Chet's Shirt - predivtable and unfunny.
Larry would have rejected any demand on him by a couple he barely knows and would opt out of a text chain without a second thought. Leon adds nothing now, Jeff's parroting of every Larry line as if it was comedy gold is beyond played out, and Freddy continues to be the worst Funkhouser ever.
Ironically, Freddy from the original Frasier appears here as Wayland. Had he been rightfully cast as Frasier's son in the lame reboot, it might have been been SOMEWHAT interesting.
Sadly, Frasier II and Curb XII are the worst of what happens when you try to hold on too long. Two once great shows dying with a whimper.
The Larry Sanders Show (1992)
The parody of all parodies!
Garry Shandling apparently had the decision to permanently host the post-Johnny Tonight Show or do this satire. SO glad he chose the latter.
The phoniness of Hollywood and the insecurity of its star names is brilliantly portrayed in a very creative manner - "on camera" in videotape, behind the scenes action on film. If it's on tape, the showbiz insincerity oozes; before and after, not much better.
This was one of the three great 90's comedies - Frasier and Seinfeld the others. The strength of that era is reflected in the 1997 Emmy nominations for Comedy Supporting Actor: Kramer and George for Seinfeld, Niles for Frasier and Artie and Hank here. All hilarious, all parts of sensational casts, all worthy.
The show warrants repeated viewings.
Rip Torn's Artie has no last name - he's the sycophant who challenges his boss in between his praise, and is all-knowing and ever-valuable.
Then there's the know-nothing, never-valuable Hank. Before he excelled as Uncle Oscar/George Bluth, Jeffrey Tambor was wonderful in his petty, self-serving and thick-as-a-brick sidekick.
Neither Garry S. Nor Jerry S. Were actors, but deserve huge credit for creating/carrying Sanders and Seinfeld. They had the vision and handled their exaggerated on-screen personas believably. Thought both of them were good-not-great comedians but in their alter egos, constantly hilarious!
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Gettysburg Address (2024)
Lori Loughlin has a good lie - and steals the show!
The return of Lori Loughlin - who out "amorals" amoral Larry - makes this the best episode of season 12. Well, that and some graffiti!
The only time I've seen LL before was in her Seinfeld episode - which Larry was NOT involved with (though as Ted needlessly and needingly confirms, he DID write the finale!)
Always thought the prosecution/persecution of Lori and Felicity Huffman (who I would love to see next) in a time when violent criminals are sprung was insane. So maybe that opinion contributed to the love of her performance.
Regardless, Lori's scenes in which she's so rude to her country club benefactor (for the sin of missing a putt and chit chatting when he should be chipping) along with her clueless amorality in golf cart usage - claiming disability based on a favorable hematologist report that she can't remember when applied to preferred parking)- is OUTSTANDING!
So is Larry's take on Lincoln - "This exclusive club, of specific people, by specific people, for specific people" - shows that all his time learning while urinating has not been in vain.
The added alopecia outrage debuting on Oscar night was a bonus (as was Susie's billboard for her latest dumb style innovation being defiled.)
Because of Jeff/Larry's idea and Lori's self-deprecating humor in her willingness to maximize the laughs, funniest episode of the year. And one of Curb's all-time bests.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Fish Stuck (2024)
Curb Your Regurgitation.
Keep wanting to love CYE in its final season. Especially with the death of Richard Lewis (whose passing was rightfully acknowledged immediately).
But it's not so much a self-referential homage as lazy scripting (or ad-libbing following the general narrative, since the show is unscripted.)
The pen gift (writes upside down, said Jack Klompus).
The jacket gift (Chet's Shirt)
Acting badly to get out of a relationship ("how so you handle a Hungry Man? The ManHandler!")
The spite brick (as if a personal attack would be allowed to live forever) and the Anonymous Donor.
Groat's Disease (Kramer - but at least it's not Lupus. God, is it LUPUS?)
Loved this show in the past. But repeated callbacks instead of any new direction is what? No good?
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Here's to you, Ashly Holloway!
As Curb (somewhat mercifully) comes to an end, there have been so many well-deserved kudos to individual actors.
To Larry, of course, the star and creator. To Susie Essman, whose profanity knew no limit and easily-triggered anger was always a highlight (along with the bell tolling wicked witch music preceding her tirades).
To the late Bob Einstein, the irreplaceable Funkhauser (sorry, Vince Vaughan, Freddie is no Marty). Shelley Berman, Cheryl Hines (the early years), even Jeff Garlin (again, the early years - his squawking and parroting of everything Larry said became a big bowl of tiresome).
But let's hear it for the underrated Ashly Holloway, who as Sammi grew up before our eyes. And was consistently great throughout her various phases.
The child who Larry got "all liquored up" and gave away Oscar. Whose Judy doll got decapitated (obviously some "sick voodoo" - she is hy-STER-ical, in Susie's best monologue of the series.). Who was allegedly upset about a tasteless joke at the adults' table. Who was rudely cut off singing Ted Danson's birthday song (then later told to STFU by a sleeping Larry, again setting off Susie). Who blackmailed Larry into a confrontation about her mom's obnoxious lip-smacking ways.
And finally as the bride justifiably angry at her husband's lack of attention over a busty ASL signer in her marital bliss moment. What a character arc!
Rarely does a child actor mature gracefully in a role (Jerry Mathers as the Beaver comes to mind) - certainly not in a two decade time span.
From singing to Ted Danson to being miffed that Larry didn't thank her fiancé for his service, Sammi was consistently great.
Well done, Ms. Holloway!
Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie (2023)
A blessing, not a curse!
Really didn't expect a lot from yet another reboot/rehash (especially after my review slamming the awful Frasier 2.0).
But unlike with Dr. Crane, Mr. Monk's reemergence stayed within his character - and was surrounded by familiar characters (who were fun to see). The mass overreaction to Covid was alluded to, but if anything, not played up enough (Adrian would still be triple masked - we'll thank him later).
Nice to see the wonderful Melora Hardin and Traylor Howard (who apparently hasn't acted for years) aging gracefully and minimally, without counterproductive face-changing measures. Stottlemeyer's delayed entrance after the Randy Disher Project prank was great. Disher, Dr. Bell - the gang's (almost) all here! (No Sharona, which was explained, but I WAS hoping for an appearance by Harold Crenshaw).
The show felt too long - the chase scene dragged. And the $1 Billion offer was ridiculous - the opposite of Dr. Evil's pathetic One MILLION Dollars demand. In fact, the whole story line was pretty weak.
But no matter - the stories ALWAYS were pretty out there - the ending was touching and Tony Shalhoub was temendous in his return!
Frasier (2023)
From great to AWFUL - Frasier turns 30!
Whoever thought this was a good idea (*cough* KELSEY! *cough*) made a huge mistake (to quote Arrested Development, the reboot of which was weak but not this level of terrible).
The writing: Original Frasier (OF) had the most intelligent writing of any sitcom. It holds up after multiple viewings. This Atrocious Frasier (AF) leans on clunky setups to such payoffs as "Stop YALING at me" and "I can't see the florist for the trees". No laugh track needed for OF; canned hilarity galore in AF, nary a viewer chuckle.
The casting: Martin's gone, the others (sans Lilith) wisely stayed away. The characters added are unlikeable/unmemorable/unfunny. Worst choice was not including the real Freddy. Trevor Einhorn would have given the character the oddness factor continuity (from Goth Freddy to.creepy neighbor kid on Mad Men). Instead the third generation Cranes are bland and unrecognizable (New Freddy the handsome fireman!) to absurdly inept/geeky (the nephew who is unbearable, looking and acting nothing like his parents).
Reboots in general: the difference between OF being a successful spinoff and AF flailing away as tired reboot is night and day. His days as successful talk show host would have been far funnier comedy fodder with Frasier being so easily puffed up (as he was on morning show with Bebe). But no - he has sudden wealth but still struggles at Harvard. What merriment will ensue? (Watched most of all 10 painful episodes - the answer is none!)
No reboot has come close to recreating the strengths of its original. Original Frasier being so witty, well-cast (even those not cast - the imagined Maris was far funnier in our minds than anyone could possibly portray) and well balanced between humor and pathos made it one of the all time greats.
Kelsey Grammer was an integral part of three great franchises (Cheers, Simpsons and OF). But now Frasier is old and tire - and should be permanently REtired!