'Angie' Complete Series DVD: Long Awaited Release of Garry Marshall '70s Blue Collar Weds Blue Blood Sitcom

The September 1, 2017 CBS Home Entertainment (through a license with Toronto-based Visual Entertainment) DVD release of the complete series of the Garry Marshall '70s sitcom "Angie" meets every requirement for such releases. It provides a chance to see a rarely syndicated loved show from the past.

The "Angie" release roughly coinciding with the DVD release of the complete series set of the '70s quirky procedural "The Magician," which stars Bill Bixby of "My Favorite Martian" and "The Incredible Hulk" as the the titular illusionist/amateur sleuth, provides another reason to be grateful to CBS and Visual. A review of that one will appear soon.

The unlikely romance/"Love Story" (sans tragic death) concept of the 1979-80 two-season "Angie" is that "disgustingly" rich blue-blood pediatrician Brad Benson and blue-collar waitress Angie Falco fall in love and wed within three episodes. The pedigree of this film also includes the '70s Meredith Baxter Birney/David Birney sitcom "Bridget Loves Bernie," which centers around the daughter in a devout Irish Catholic family marrying a Jewish man.

This merging of two "different worlds" drives much of the inaugural "Angie" season. Sharing a Philadelphia setting with the film "The Sixth Sense" adds a fun "I see rich people" aspect to the series.

The trifecta regarding the cute appeal of "Angie" is the likable leads Donna Pescow of "Saturday Night Fever" and Robert Hays of "Airplane," the breakout "Fonzie" character in the form of stereotypical lower middle-class Italian mother Theresa Falco (Doris Roberts of "Remington Steele" and "Everybody Loves Raymond,") and a catchy theme song (courtesy of Maureen McGovern) that explains the premise of the series.

The following YouTube video of the S1 opening credits highlights the three elements described above. Briefly drifting into Blogland, the Nelson household often recreates the "take the money already" scene from the credits.

"Angie" gets a blessed start in a few senses. It premieres in the ABC Thursday night 8:30 slot after (Unreal TV reviewed) fellow Marshall/executive producer Dale McRaven series "Mork and Mindy" and has a strong opening story arc regarding the rapid courtship, engagement, wedding, and adjustment period of the central couple. The remaining S1 "clash of worlds" episodes remain strong.

One of the best S1 outings has Theresa and younger daughter Marie (Debralee Scott of "Mary Hartman. Mary Hartman") move themselves and their distressed furniture into the large and elegant town house of Brad and Angie. This creating an opportunity to thoroughly embarrass Joyce (Sharon Spelman), the ubersnobby socialite sister of Brad greatly contributes to the hilarity.

Some S1 (and S2) episodes support the theory of Roseanne Barr that there are 10 basic sitcom plots. Early outings have Marie falling in love with Brad and being comically inept (of course including a wacky alternate filing system) in her attempt to work as his receptionist.

Playing time slot roulette with "Angie" in S2 prompts otherwise not strongly needed (repeated) retooling of the series. Moving the series to Monday night against "Little House on the Prairie" on NBC and an always strong CBS comedy lineup presents a tough challenge for any show.

"Angie" further has a particularly tough "Rhoda" challenge in that conflict in a marriage generally is more amusing than a happy relationship. In the case of "Angie," the concept of a mixed marriage does not work as well if that union is history. Additionally, the in-laws cannot have too much ill will without it badly affecting their relationship with their blood relative. Joyce even loosens up to the extent of wearing casual clothes and discussing sex with the Falco women.

The initial changes include replacing best friend/fellow waitress Didi with the trio of high school friends "the Marys." Of course, the first outing with that group centers around these girls from the 'hood getting upset with Angie for what they consider snobbish behavior. Further, tween niece Hillary (Tammy Lauren) follows Chuck Cunningham of Marshall classic "Happy Days" into unexplained sitcom oblivion.

S2 also sees the arrival of Benson family butler Phipps and previously oft-mentioned by never seen coffee shop cook Hector.

Other changes include the Bensons moving into a more modest home that is "theirs" and Angie going from the coffee shop to a beauty parlor.

The best S2 outings continue the "Angie" tradition of combining the underlying economic backgrounds of the leads with '70slicious sitcom plots. One episode has the Falcos and the Bensons competing on "Family Feud." The "Angie" writers additionally recycle the unwanted house guest plot by having crude Uncle Cheech (special guest star Danny DeVito) show up unannounced and overstay his welcome at Chez Benson. Further, Theresa quickly develops a gambling addiction and just as rapidly kicks it. Brad telling his mother-in-law that she has an "infection" is pure sitcom schmaltz gold.

The one bonus in the set is the "lost" unaired series finale titled "Angie and the Doctor."

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Angie" is encouraged to email me; you alternatively can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'Yellowjackets' S1' DVD and BD: The Facts of the Blair Witch Project Life

The CBS Home Entertainment separate July 19, 2022 DVD and Blu-ray releases of Showtime series "Yellowstone" S1 follows the tradition of wonderfully off-beat summer cult series that include "Under the Dome," (2013-15) that airs on Showtime sibling streaming service Paramount Plus. The (hopefully lucky) 7 Emmy nominations for "Yellowjackets" show that this is "must-see TV." 

This tale of the titular New Jersey high-school women's soccer team struggling to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash also follows another couple of television trends. The "too-much too-soon" aspect of the first couple of episodes may prompt an ill-advised desire to abandon this soon compelling series. The rapid improvement relates to a similar saving grace of a long-running classic show that otherwise might have been a one-season wonder. 

The following official promo. for "Yellowjackets" provides an excellent sense of the trauma and the drama of this series that adds a strong girl-power element to a tale that evokes strong thoughts of "found footage" film classic "The Blair Witch Project" (1999) and the ABC drama "Lost" (2004-2010).

Our story commences with the frequent time-shifts that support the comparisons with "Lost." As indicated above, these initially are a bit overwhelming and confusing. 

The constant quantum leaps bring us between a horrifying ritual in the forest in the wake of the 1996 crash, the present-day 25th anniversary of that event, and the period leading up to the fateful flight. An early episode adds in a storyline that occurs several years before 1996.

Showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson soon literally get their act together by only dividing the focus between the post-crash period and the present. They also aptly learn a "life" lesson from the long-running NBS sitcom "The Facts of Life" by reducing the confusing number of primary characters to a core group of four and having "and the rest" pop in and out of the spotlight. 

The present-day versions of these women is interesting in that we get to see the adults that they become in a manner that shows how the Eastland/Langley girls of "Facts" become slightly younger versions of the golden girls.

An unrecognizable Christina Ricci shines as annoyingly naive Tootie/Rose Misty with a heavy dose of Annie Wilkies of "Misery." The latter aspect includes an extended keeping of a strapped-down captive. A scene with a variation of "Hey, Mister. I got your dog down here" is a wonderful homage to "The Silence of the Lambs."

Misty also adds great entertainment by quickly amputating the leg of her coach soon after the crash. She doubles down by attempting to be the school-girl fantasy of this guy who plays for the other team and does not want her standing so close to him. 

Coach shines in a scene in which he shows that he has ample protective gear for his personal championship tournament. This makes the prophylactic measure of the amputation especially amusing.

Natalie is the Jo/mentally competent Sophia tough girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Her teenage self is a promiscuous moderate drug user; her adult self is an ass-kicking brutal addict. The HILARIOUS partners-in-crime storyline between Natalie and Misty SCREAMS for them to get a spin-off.

Shauna is the somewhat Blair/ stronger Dorothy of the group complete with unwanted teenage pregnancy and philandering yutz of a high-school sweetheart/ex-husband. Her current life is that of a desperate housewife complete with a mysterious younger boyfriend and a moderately wild child teen daughter. Shauna telling the latter of the facts of life of an adolescent child of divorce is an S1 highlight. 

Current married state senate candidate/black lesbian Taissa is only marginally the socially conscious highly involved Natalie of the group; she is not at all a Blanche. Her most compelling attribute is her "dark passenger," who hopefully will more fully emerge in S2.

Ala "Lost," the 1996 focus soon shifts from survival to getting the warring factions to somehow form a family. We also get very comparable underlying factions that include a corpse, a means of escape that goes up in flames, odd animal encounters, and evidence of a cult-like group of "others."
 

Also ala "Lost," the post-crash period finds the survivors contending with their fame and efforts to find out what occurred "on the island." Also, like the losties, the surviving Yellowjackets do their best with their personal forms of PTSD. An unknown blackmailer does not help matters. 

All of this leads to two apt climaxes. The 1996 action closes "the morning after" a wild night full of debauchery and associated trauma-and-drama. Our present-day gang is back from an oft traumatic 25th high school reunion only to essentially find that the threat from the island has tracked them down.

"Yellowjackets: The Female Lens" has cast and crew discuss the series in general and the feminist elements of this modern gothic tale. 

"Yellowjackets: Favorite Moments" is a cast-and-crew hosted highlight reel.

The bottom line this time is that "Yellowjackets" is one of the most fresh and creative recent series. It chooses wisely both in front of and behind the camera to expertly blend elements of shows that seemingly are incompatible. GO TEAM!

'Star Trek: Lower Decks' BD & DVD: Mortyfication of the Federation

 

If you buy only one physical media set of an animated sitcom action-adventure sci-fi streaming-service series that parodies a franchise that is stronger than ever nearly 70 years after the OS premiere (and that has the enthusiastic support of the keepers of the flame) make it either the July 12, 2022 CBSHE Blu-ray or DVD release of the Paramount Plus series "Star Trek: Lower Decks" S2. This one exceeds the "one more" test by prompting outrage regarding this season not having more than 10 episodes. Today is a good day to become a sofa spud. 

The better news is that Paramount Plus is premiering S3 on August 12, 2022. 

Much of this not-so-youthful enthusiasm for this release is due to the talent of "Lower Decks" creator Mike McMahan. This guy who out Kevin Smiths Silent Bob astonishingly amps up the irreverent sci-fi humor of his must-see animated series "Rick and Morty." That cult classic does to for the "Back to the Future" franchise what "Lower Decks" does for "Trek." 

Although your not-so-humble reviewer is very happy with his review DVD copy that he watched on a Sony 4K player on a Sony Bravia set, the motion-picture quality video and audio support buying the Blu-ray set. This also makes one wonder why CBSHE did not release a 4K version. 

On the subject of sound, the home-video special feature "A Sound Foundation" evokes memories of a similar version that UPN ran during the original broadcast era of "Star Trek: Voyager." A scene that compared a "Voyager" door silently sliding open and then doing the same accompanied by the sound that is very familiar to Trekkies and Trekkers alike illustrates the importance of that enhanced production value.

Other outlets consistently praising S2 for being even better than S1 validate that belief by your not-so-humble reviewer. Each episode so expertly blends "Trek" references, "Dilbert in Space" elements regarding the woes of those on the bottom of the corporate food chain, and clever variations of tried-and-true sitcom tropes that doing the season justice within the confines of this site is virtually impossible. Not even trying to fully address the perfection of S2 is apt regarding the half-assed attitude of our lovable lower decks losers. 

The following S2 trailer nicely conveys the above. The infectious elan of the second-tier peons who keep their second-tier support ship operating will make you laugh and cheer.

An aptly obscure reference to "Lower Decks" is to the 2014 Fox failedcom "Enlisted." That one focused on a group of misfits doing the grunge work at a Florida army base that supported high-profile overseas combat heroes. Our main doofus with a heart-of-latinum is Brad Boimier, who is voiced by Jack Quaid. The art-imitates-life aspect of this is that Jack is the son of one-time matinee idol Dennis Quaid.

S2 starts out strong with "Trek" god Jonathan Frakes voicing Star Fleet god Riker in an episode that has Boimier serving on the ship of that space stud. Very true to the hilarious fanboy hero-worship personality of Boimier, he takes a WWWRD approach to extricating himself from a perilous situation. This leads to realizing that where there is a Will there is a way. In true "Lower Decks" style, this direct homage to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" leads to a wonderfully cynical outcome. 

The TNG homage continues with S2E2. This one finds the universal translator that allows natives of scores of planets to communicate not being so universal. New crew member Kayshon has a hilariously frustrating time conversing with his new crew. Team McMahan doubles down by having this newbie discover that he is no more than a Star Fleet puppet. 

The next episode revolves around Boimier finding that he don't get no respect on his return to support ship U.S.S. Cerritos. This time, he is geeking out over an impending visit by defiant (of course, pun intended) "Voyager" stud Tom Paris. Paris portrayor Robert Duncan McNeill joins Frakes in fully embracing the "Lower Decks" spirit. Borrowing from another legendary sci-fi franchise, this episode illustrates that the McNeil with one "l" is the one with no sense of humor. 

S2 E5 turns its humor phaser on the OS by expertly parodying a classic episode, which receives similar love in a "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode, of that series. Instead of having trouble with tribbles, the Cerrritos crew is overrun with a rapidly growing population of duplicates of an uber-whiny alien. McMahan chooses wisely by having Richard Kind voice this animated version of the well-known Kind persona. 

S2 E6 indisputably includes the most humorous S2 scene. The element of Boimier ditching his "crew" to hang with the "cool kids" already provides strong laughs. This leads to the predictable sitcom lesson that Boimier is more compatible with the "junior varsity." Sublime hilarity ensues when our ensigns use future tech to hilariously verbally pulverize one of the most odd villains of all "Trek" lore. This TNG big bad is at the center of indisputably one of the top 10 episodes of that seven-season (and four movies) series that literally launched Troi and figuratively 1,000 ships. The rest of this story is that this episode is the first that shows that any star of any series is a red shirt. 

The "and the rest" S2 "Trek" moments include  having a crew member transform into a god, giving us a look at the lower decks of Klingon and Vulcan ships, and having Boimier fully channel his inner toddler by organizing his version of "Captain Picard Day" from TNG. Team McMahan also includes a car chase that is straight out of the 1996 Arthur Hiller film "Carpool."

The bottom line this time is that resistance to the timeless humor of "Lower Decks" is futile. Folks already assimilated into the "Trek" 'verse will be giddy, and "virgins" will gleefully join our collective. 

'Shirley, I Jest!' Cindy Williams Shows How She Made All Her Dreams Come True

The strongest endorsement of the Cindy "Shirley" Williams (with co-author Dave Smitherman) auto-biography "Shirley, I Jest! A Storied Life" is that it proves that sometimes you can meet your idols. Although one can assume that child of the '60s Williams joined her peers in experiencing voo de o doo and many other pleasures that The Summer of Love involved, we see that she is good-girl Shirley Feeney at heart. 

Our story aptly begins with the troubled childhood of Williams that involved poverty, a father with challenging issues, and multiple moves. Like many of her professional peers, Williams discovers her love of show business during her teens and starts trying to make her dreams come true on graduating from high school. In this case, we see that karma prevails by giving Williams the breaks that she deserves.

Williams shares how she comes to enroll in a college of the performing arts. In true sitcom fashion, helping a fellow student with his audition for The Actors' Studio lands our heroine a spot in that prestigious program. Another unsolicited lucky break leads to Williams becoming a client of rookie talent agent Garry Marshall years before he casts her in "Laverne and Shirley." This, of course, leads to the sometimes beautiful friendship and always gorgeous collaboration with "Laverne" co-star/Garry sibling Penny Marshall.

The post-adolescent period of Williams includes tales of following the pattern of waitressing and doing odd jobs while pursuing an acting career. One of the most memorable stories in "Shirley" revolves around Jim Morrison of "The Doors" participating in the hazing of Williams during her first shift as a waitress at The Whiskey A Go Go. 

The tale of Williams working at a bank is a missed opportunity for a perfect "Laverne" episode. She tells of taking pity on customers and worrying about the backlash. The TV version would have that kindness come back to bite her and have Laverne tell her to not be such a sucker only to be rebuffed.

While doing these day jobs, Williams lands roles that include playing opposite future "Happy Days" star Ron Howard in the George Lucas film "American Graffiti." This gig later puts Williams in the running for the role of Leia in "Star Wars." 

We also get the tale of how pre-"Laverne" conflict with Penny comes very close to Williams not being cast in the series. A frustrating aspect of this is we never learn why Penny leaves her then-writing partner in the lurch. 

The "behind-the-scenes" tales of "Laverne" include how our two favorite bottle cappers show perfect instincts by subversively changing their living room set. The background here includes stating that that set was the living room set of the Garry '60scom "The Odd Couple," in which Penny had a supporting role. 

An omitted topic is the story behind the two adorable small dogs who often appear in the establishing shot in Milwaukee-based episodes of "Laverne." 

We also learn how Williams is behind fan favorite stuffed cat Boo Boo Kitty joining the "Laverne" cast. The manner in which these co-stars reunite years later is another example of karma rewarding those who earn good things in life. 

Another rare disappointing aspect of "Shirley" is not addressing the reason for having the girls pack up up the beer truck and move to beautiful downtown Burbank in the sixth of eight seasons. Williams does note that that change facilitates adding two stereotypical characters to the series. Hunky stuntman Sonny and bimbo starlet Rhonda do expand the scope of the show. 

The saddest part of "Shirley" is the tale of how Williams comes to leave that series that successfully turns Lucy and Ethel into an odd couple. Fans knew at the time that Williams was pregnant and that her relationship with Marshall had ebbed and flowed while starring in the series. 

Learning of how Williams tried to help the show go on only to be treated worse than Joan Crawford on Mother's Day will diminish Garry in the eyes of his fans. There does not seem to be any reason that Shirley could not have regularly called Laverne after moving away only to return to temporarily room together for the final several episodes of the season.

The better news is that the book ends with karma once again rewarding Williams. Trying to calm her excitable boy leads to Williams watching TCM. This inspires her to pitch an awesome remake of a classic. This update introduces us to one of the best modern film characters. Like "Laverne," the original classic and the Williams joint prove that PG can be very funny.

The bottom line is that Williams is living a life about which it is well-worth reading. It is awesome to know that keeping high hopes paid off for that '70s American Sweetheart.

'Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection' BD and DVD: Watching the Detectives Has Never Been More Fun

 

The recent Film Detective separate Blu-ray and DVD releases of "The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection" awesomely resurrect several of the rarest film adventures of the first consulting detective. This franchise still going strong more than 100 years after the first mystery proves that the game still fully is afoot.

The even better news is that Detective paired the "Holmes" releases with a reviewed equally expertly restored version of the 1947 biopic "The Fabulous Dorseys." This educational and entertaining depiction of big band legends Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, who star in the roles that they were born to play. is music to the ears of both audiophiles and anyone who does not experience brotherly love.

Detective shows what becomes a legend most as to the following promo. One unsolved mystery regarding this amusing "but wait there's more" presentation is whether every set includes the advertised tote-bag and 13-month calendar. The set sent to your not-so-humble reviewer lacks those items. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

"A Study in Scarlet" (1933) is the centerpiece of this quartet. It stars well-known Holmes portrayor Reginald Owen in the titular role. This one somewhat typically finds our hero trying to protect an "innocent." The damsel in distress this time is a young woman facing having to pay for the sins of her father in a tale that is reminiscent of the truly classic star-studded non-Holmes thriller "The List of Adrian Messenger" (1963). 

"Scarlet" also is noteworthy for being the film that includes the always spectacular Ballyhoo Motion Picture documentary that adds great value to Detective  releases. Ballyhoo outdoes itself this time by providing an in-depth look at the source material and the early live-stage and film productions of the adventures of the resident of 221-B Baker Street.

"Sherlock Holmes Fatal Hour," "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes," and "Silver Blaze" all star Arthur Wontner as the man who will psych you out in the end. Wontner plays his role well, but the other Ian Fleming particularly shines in his portrayal of pal and confidante Dr. John Watson.

All three films are well-worth watching. "Blaze" stands out for being a sequel to the classic Holmes tale "The Hound of the Baskervilles." This one also entertainingly oddly embroils Holmes in the sometimes-dirty world of horse racing.

Detective additionally outdoes itself as to the plethora of vintage shorts that each film includes. Highlights include a "Felix the Cat" cartoon and the hilarious "Sherlock Holmes Baffled" (1900) that puts the then-new technology to good use by showing that the god must be crazy."

The "but wait there's more" element of this must-own set extends to the written essays that one could picture the late-great film host Robert Osborne reading before each screening. The final element is the high-quality postcard replica of the movie poster for each film. One truly could not ask for anything more.

The bottom line is that it is elementary that anyone who loves Holmes, enjoys a good mystery, or is even a moderate cinephile should buy this set. 

Joyce Meadows: From Alberta to "Arous" and Beyond

The intense joy regarding the (reviewed) June 21, 2022 DVD and Blu-ray releases of the '50s scifi cult classic "The Brain From Planet Arous" extends well beyond discovering that hidden gem. The righteously awesome dudes at The Film Detective arranged an interview with "Arous" star Joyce Meadows. 

This Silver Age starlet native is the separated-at-birth sister from another mother of voice-over legend June "Rocky the Flying Squirrel" Foray. Meadows is a big fan of Foray but stated that their paths never crossed. 

When asked if she had ever considered voice-over work, this star of stage, television, and film with 73 IMDb credits replied "voice-over work did interest me; it is tough to break into." The best reply to this is that Matt Groening can eat my shorts regarding not casting this woman who was born to voice passive-aggressive church lady Helen Lovejoy. 

The support that Meadows is providing the Detective release further proves the team spirit that helped her get rare multiple roles on classic series such as "Wagon Train" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." She literally goes above-and-beyond by supplementing her audio commentary with a witty video introduction to the film. Meadows seamlessly transitions between appearing as herself and her "Arous" character Sally in a manner that will make you believe that a brain can fly. 

"Arous": The True Hollywood Story 

 The cult status of "Arous" required asking Meadows about the extent of that fandom. She responded that "that role has followed me around like a little puppy all of my career." She added that she gets a great deal of fan mail. 

Much of this correspondence is available on her website, which includes a wide selection of merchandise that Meadows will inscribe. Your not-so-humble reviewer is not just a fan, he is a paying customer. 

The aforementioned post on the "Arous" release refers to the quality of the film including Meadows and co-star/love interest John Agar making you believe that they believe that a best brain is threatening mankind. Part of this challenge is having to film several scenes without actually seeing the animated image of the villain. 

Citing her extensive theater background, which includes scads o Shakesepearean roles, Meadows commented that she "used a lot of imagination" when talking to and battling with empty space. She added that she was "living the moment" and that "when you are on the set, there are a lot of technical things that the audience never sees." 

All of this makes it very apt that "Arous" was the first film of 21 year-old Meadows, which is the stage name of our living legend, fresh off starring in a stage production of "Romeo and Juliet." The portrayals by Meadows of the world's most famous star-crossed lover and the feisty and brave Sally prove that a strong independent woman by any other names is just as sweet. One spoiler is that Sally does the complete opposite of denying her father. 

On a more general level, Meadows stated that she fully commits to every role. A very bizarre "Arous" plot point involving a dog required asking animal-lover Meadows about that aspect of the film. She replied that "I thought that was wonderful; I love animals and can accept that [her canine co-star had a pivotal role in saving his best friends]." Her praise for that good boy included that "he was beautifully trained; we got along wonderfully." 

The larger truth this time is that Meadows showed that W.C. Fields was wrong in saying to never work with animals. 

Its A Living

The bigger picture this time was discussing the life of a working actress. Meadows aptly summarized the negative aspects of her profession by stating that it involves "a lot of rejection and conflict." She added that her commitment to a project often precluded auditioning for other (sometimes more prominent) roles. 

Meadows further observed that "Hollywood is a small town" and that the news "spreads like wildfire" if an actor does not show up, arrives late, or has been drinking. The clear message was that a bird-in-the-hand is worth more than a flock in the bush. 

Meadows was living with her family in Sacramento when the opportunity to move into the Hollywood Studio Club residential hotel for women facilitated her transition to television and film work. This safe space also was the home of Marilyn Monroe and Rita Moreno early in their careers. 

The only misconduct of Meadows during that period was sneaking in a bottle of whiskey to cure a cold. She shared that the whiskey put her to sleep but did not help her illness. 

An amusing (but not surprising) insight was that Meadows noted that she has worked with (unnamed) well-known female character actresses who would only be on set when filming. Meadows added that these divas would refuse to even acknowledge their co-stars. 

Conversely, Meadows lit up when discussing appearing in the "Golden Girls" spinoff "The Golden Palace." Meadows described her role as a "nasty southern girl" and stated that she "so enjoyed watching those people work together" in reference to the three female stars. The southern accent that Meadows adopted in discussing her character makes one wish that she at least had been cast in a recurring role as a relative of Blanche in "Girls." 

A personal highlight was discussing the few episodes of the awesomely off-beat NBC daytime soapcom "Santa Barbara" in which Meadows played a psychiatric ward nurse. She recalled that that was her first role after leaving Hollywood to do live theater. That transition in her career was the reason that the numerous westerns in which Meadows appeared did not include "Gunsmoke" or "Bonanza." 

Asking Meadows about any high-profile roles for which she was a strong contender but did not get showed how casting can be very unpredictable. Meadows shared that her audition for "The Ten Commandments" caught the eye of Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille approached Meadows and gave her "a great deal of compliments." In the end, Debra Paget edged out Meadows for the role of Lilia in that epic of Biblical proportions. 

Our conversation also showed that Meadows had a wonderful time making movies and television episodes and put her heart-and-soul into that work but that theater was her true love. 

You Oughhtta Write a Book 

Our much too short hour-long talk concluded with my asking Meadows why she has never written an auto-biography. Replying "I am probably in the minority of the actresses who have not written a biography" shows the wit and wisdom that screams for such a tome. The bigger picture this time is the importance of documenting the experiences of performers from the era in which they were actors, rather then stars, requires such works before it is too late. The bottom line regarding all this is that Meadows goes beyond being a celebrity with whom you would want to sit down for coffee. She would bake you cookies and regale you with tales of being a being a working actress who proves that good guys sometimes finish first. I'm ready for my snickerdoodles, Ms. Meadows.

'The Brain From Planet Arous' DVD and BD: Dogged Effort to Save Earth

The Film Detective provides folks man (or woman) enough to admit to non-ironically loving low-budget '50s scfi an especially delectably cheesy treat next week. The June 21, 2022 separate DVD and Blu-ray releases of "The Brain From Planet Arous" far exceed all expectations. The "but wait there's more" extras this time include full-screen and wide-screen versions of this film that criminally is not mentioned in the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" opening theme. 

The only thing that would have made "Arous" any better would have been the outer-space threat originating from either Pluto or the Dog Star. 

An even special treat for your not-so-humble reviewer is an interview with delightful "Brain" star Joyce Meadows. 

The following SPOILER-LADEN Detective promo. provides an excellent sense of the bizarrely eerie tone of this "goofy" cult classic. We additionally get copious looks at the hilarious intro. by Meadows, who shows great elan, and the other special features. The latter shows that Detective partner-in-crime Ballyhoo Motion Pictures ALWAYS comes through.

 

Our story begins with nuclear scientists Steve March (John Agar) and Dan Murphy detecting an anomaly. This prompts this pair, who are more Nelson and Healey than Einstein and Grossman, to trek (of course, pun intended) to the aptly named Mystery Mountain. This soon leads to exploring a cave that seems to be the center of the oddity. One spoiler is that two men enter, one man leaves. The rest of this story is that subsequent events surely cause Steve to wonder what possessed him to enter the cave. 

Meanwhile back at the ranch, main squeeze Sally Fallon (Meadows) is waiting for her man to return. The usually bland Steve being aggressively amorous is an early sign that something is wrong. The audience additionally learns that a trip to Vegas can be analogous to going to live on a farm. 

Our Lois Lane and her non-military father John Fallon then retrace the steps of Steve and Dan in an effort to determine what they must do to put right what once went wrong. This results in a "sliding doors" moment in which they learn the nature (and the extent) of the threat. 

This leads to one of the weirdest twists in any film. The general idea is that a good shepherd undertakes the task of saving humanity. 

All of this results in the final countdown that involves Sally essentially having to take a crash-course in brain surgery and making Steve the teacher's pet to avoid all of humanity being subject to the tyranny of the evil Gor. Of course, the latter element became especially hilarious in 1992. 

This leads to a well-executed essentially split-second confrontation with the expected setback before the population of earth experiences either death or an even worse fate. It is fair to say that two lassies deserves thanks for this outcome that can be considered a tale of two hemispheres. 

"Arous" works because low-budget scifi veteran Agar and Shakesepearean actress Meadows make the audience believe that they believe that an enormous floating brain that fluently speaks English is a real threat. Agar deserves special kudos for playing dual roles very well. 

For her part (of course, pun intended), Meadows strikes a PERFECT balance between a shrieking wimp and a kick-ass Ellen Ripley. The aforementioned other special features are equally educational and entertaining looks at "Arous" director Nathan Juran. Learning of his dual professional life and of his connection to 1313 Mockingbird Lane are highlights.

'Billions' S6 DVD: Drama of Olympic Proportions Improves With Age

CBSHE aptly provides the cure for the Covid-era summertime blues by releasing the sixth season of the Showtime drama "Billions" on DVD on June 14, 2022. This essentially Blu-ray quality 4-disc set shows that there is plenty of "Wolves of Wall Street" spirit left in this always strong series. Any failure to deliver a seventh season REQUIRES hauling co-creator Andrew Ross Sorkin, who masterfully honors a television legend with whom he shares a surname, before the New York legislature. The following S6 clip expertly entices masters of their universe and lovers of good drama to sceam for more. The well-chosen snippets illustrate the trifecta of "ripped from the headlines" plots, cinema-quality writing, and ideal casting. Seeing the aforementioned Dartmouth frat boy level alphas will evoke thoughts of where is Will Smith when you need him.

S6, which builds on the exceptional (reviewed) S5, proves that this season bucks the trend of series deteriorating with age. Nothing illustrates this trend more than the myriad of classic sitcoms that literally become live-action cartoons during their dotage. Team Sorkin successfully shifting the central conflict of "Bilions" is the primary factor regarding transforming "Billions" from a Tivo-worthy show to a water-coooler-worthy topic of discussion. Your not-so-humble reviewer came to "Billions" via the CBSHE S4 VD release. That series largely centered around hungry-like-a-wolf Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) battling with rival (but not lover) Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillon). While monotonal, robotic, androgynous (not that there is anything wrong with that) Mason likely appeals to "kids" of all ages, at least this man of a certain age finds that character almost unbearably annoying SOLELY based on their personality and almost literal failure to blink. S5 finding Axe and Mason as strange and uneasy bedfellows allows the animosity between Axe and New York Attorney General Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) to take center stage. This time it is personal in that Chuck's ex-wife Wndy Rhoades (Maggie Siff) is literally and figuratively sleeping with the enemy as the Team Axelrod performance coach. Further, Mason playing more nicely makes competing finance god Michael Prince (Corey Stoll) the new Reggie to Axe's Archie. This matchup is more compelling than Axe v. Mason. The events of S5 lead to Axe being absent for S6 and Prince being his successor. This change in leadership seems to only enhance the desire of Chuck for truth, justice, and the American way. Those of us who have enjoyed the urban oasis peace and tranquility of Gramercy Park in NYC will find an episode in which Chuck fights to open the gate to the masses particulalry compelling. The manner in which these events fully unfold proves that our warriors must always remain vigilant. What begins as a battle regarding the campaign of Prince to bring the Olympics to NYC leads to a ruthless scorched-earth strategy on both sides with ample collateral damage that extends to folks who put their money where their mouth is. This plotting PROVES that you should not challenge Sorkin to a game of chess. The fallout from the Olympics bid arguably can be seen either as straying very close to cartoon territory or as being a morality tale regarding national politics in 21st century America. Pop-culture loving Team Sorkin would be proud of your not-so-humble reviewwer for making an analogy to Clark Kent trying to prevent what seems to be an inevitable (and catastrophic) Lex Luthor presidency on the CW teendram "Smallville." The S6 finale serves its dual purposes of tying up most loose ends and serving as a satisfying series finale in the event that Showtime precludes any possibility of seven seasons and a movie. At the same time, fans are eager to see whether Chuck or Prince can succeed to the point that the former is a guest of the state or an ambulance chaser or Prince is a Walmart greeter plotting to unionize his co-workers as the first step of his well-plotted comeback. CBSHE enchances all this with a handful of special features on Giamatti, wonderfully quirky Axe "number one" "Wags," and the well-cast cameos.

Briar Barn: Inn Credible New England Property Better Than Ever

A recent repeat visit to the Briar Barn Inn in Rowley, Mass. proves not only that you can go home again but that things can be even better the second time around. Much of this is due to the hiring of manager Billie Sue Hutchins, who reflects the "avoiding getting inn trouble" principle of being born into hospitality. The first stay was wonderful, but Billie Sue has greatly enhanced the spirit of the place and it shows. The exuberant welcome from exceptional desk clerk Jordan shows that Billie Sue clearly treating her staff right benefits those folks and the guests. Furhter evidence that the Briar Barn treats staf members well came in the form of two housekeepers hugging Jordan and wishing her a happy birthday on their arrival. The delicious-looking confetti cake, which your not so-humble reviewer was very tempted to poach, at the party for Jordan the next day shows that the on-property Grove restaurant has wonderful food. Covid concerns related to an "underlying condition" have prevented eating at Grove, which offers outdoor dining on its wonderful patio in warmer waether. There is not doubt that the employees of this property meet the challenge of regularly contending with bridezillas and monsters-in-law at this largely wedding venue. On a broad level, the Briar Barn is the right place that fills a long overdue need in this area that is an easily accessible 45-minutes from The Hub of the Universe (a.k.a. Boston). The inn in the center of Rowley, which is a 15-minute drive from the charming seaside community of Newburyport. Attending local prep. school The Governor's Academy (formerly Governor Dummer Academy) and having lived in Newburyport for 15 years shows that your not-so-humble reviewer knows that of which he writes. This area is attractive enough in every sense to warrant a visit at least twice a year. The generally central geographic location of Newburyport and its moderate selection of shops and restaurants make it a logical place to stay in the area. Further, the decades-old long intent to build a hotel on the waterfront are as old as the promises to repair the treacherous sidewalks in the residential neighborhoods. The Briar Barn awesomely boldly went where no Newburyport hotelier has gone before. This begins with the owenrship being local, rather than being an absentee holding company that is a big "avoding getting in trouble" no-no. Further, the Briar Barn is bright and new where the competition is darker and more historic. On a more practical level, the Briar Barn has ample parking in a well-maintained and beautifully landscaped parking lot compared to inadequate parking at the Newburyport hotel lots. The personal experience here is consciously not moving my car after getting a coveted spot in the lot of one such Port City place. The Briar Barn additionally has abundant inviting open space that has rocking and Adirondack chairs galore, a fire pit, and a charming porch. Both visits have include porech picnics. The most recent repast consisted of fare from nearby Pomodori, which has the best sandwiches and pizza in the area. The nostalgia this time is years of getting take-out there at least once a month and watching "Stargate SG-1" and the rest of the Sc-Fi Channel Friday-night line-up at the Rowley hobby farm of friends. This hiden gem also reflects the "inn credible" principle of splurging on relatively local top-of-the line accommodations. This truly makes your time away close to home even more special. The standard room at the Briar Barn offers a well-appointed comfortable oasis for two; the king suites enhance that with a separate seating area that allows relaxing away from the bedroom area. Having the privilge of upgrading from the VERY comfartable and homey king suite my last visit to the "wow factor" worthy grand king suite PROVES that the few extra bucks are an excellent investmenmt. As the below photo of the living room shows, a grand suite offers exceptional country home comfort. Having a full-size couch, gas fireplace, and smart tv loaded with the apps of every "household name" streaming service greatly facilitates forgetting about the cold cruel world outside. A bath-salt enhanced session in the soaking tub greatly enhances healing from the intense stresses of live during an never-ending pandemic.

The bottom line is that your not-so-humble reviewer literally is going to put his money where his mouth is by booking a grand king suite stay for later this year and my numerous future stays at this best-of-both worlds little bit couuntry and little bit rock-and-roll sanctuary.

'Ray Donovan: The Movie' DVD: The Many Saints of Bawstan

The CBS Home Entertainment May 24, 2022 DVD release of "Ray Donovan: The Movie" FULLY embraces the spirit of seven seasons and a movie that reflects the fan desire for closure regard a beloved cult series. This "family" drama exceeds expectations as to finality regarding the literal and figurative trials and tribuilations of the titular connected clan. One spoiler is that the final scene does not involve the titular fixer and his relatives breaking bread in a diner. The following "Donovan" trailer strikes the perfect balance between teasing about film and avoiding spoilers. It also shows that this franchise finale stays very true the series on which it is based.

CBSHE provides lazy reviewers everywhere a gift in the form of the followning synopsis that provides a perfect "25 words or more" recap of the film. "A showdown decades in the making brings the Donovan family legacy full circle. As the events that made Ray who he is today finally come to light, the Donovans find themselves drawn back to Boston to face the past. Each of them struggles to overcome their violent upbringing, but destiny dies hard, and only their fierce love for each other keeps them in the fight. Whether they stand together or they go down swinging, one thing is certain – Ray doesn’t do loose ends." The strongest vibe of "Donovan" is of the 2021 six seasons and a prequel movie "The Many Saints of Newark." This one tells the comning-of-age tale of an teen and post-adolescent Tony Soprano. That guy figuratively is hte Jersey boy cousin of our titualr antagonistic anti-hero. "Donovan opens with the almost ubiquitous present-day scene that leads to recent past series of events leading up that dramatic event. In this case, we get a plethora of flashbacks that show how all this comes to be. The Asian lesson is that Donovan (Liev Schreiber) should double his workload. One spoiler is that the SUBLIME surprise climax shows the only effective means for ending toxic family cycles. Sometimes one literally must take a bullet for to pay for the sins of the father. We also see that daddy's little girl does not like Mondays. The central time period of "Donovan" is in the wake of the dramatic season-seven finale. Ray has left Los Angeles in lukewarm pursuit of his father Mickey (Jon Voight) who has fled the City of Angels for the Donovan home turf of the Hub of the Universe (aka The Athens of America) (aka Beantown) (aka Boston). The motive for that sort of a homecoming is to abscond with goods that were ill-gotten during season seven. Commentary regarding this will have you chanting "hookers and coke." Returning to his roots triggers memories that remind Ray and the audience of how he comes to be the wise guy that he is today. We see the oft-portrayed southie Irish tale of an abusive and thieving father, a pedophile prist who merely is transferred to another parish when an altar boy is caught with his pants down, and a teen who has nothing but negative role models. We also get the defining moment in the development of Ray as a person and of his relationship with Mickey. This meta storyline has a California film crew coming to the neighborhood in a flawed attempt to make a realistic movie about the just-below-the-surface undebelly of that section of Bawstan. One of the best scenes has a 40-ish Mickey providing a hlariously graphic demonstration in his self-declared role of technical advisor. This leads to a beautiful friendship with the young method star of the production. The ensuing shock-and-awe provides the previously mentioned turning point for the Donovans. The bottom line this time is that "Donovan" is must-see for both series fans and virgins of this saga. Fully enjoying this Shalesepearen tale does not require having watched what has led to these dramatic events. Furthr, there is never a dull moment and everyone from the leads down to the background characters play their roles well. The highly relatable (pun intended) theme is that our mother (and or father) are responsible for our lifelong angst; we also see that cutting the apron strings is the only final solution. Audiences everywhere can rejoice as to Ray taking a page from Thomas Wolfe by learning the consequences of coming home again.

'Girl On a Chain Gang' BD and DVD: Hazzard County Burning

The Film Detective separate Blu-ray and DVD releases of the pristinely restored black-and-white 1966 "hickplotation" film "Girl On a Chain Gang" (1966) provides a good chance to see a "Night of the Living Dead" style take on the murder case on which the 1988 film "Mississippi Burning" is based. TCM host and co-host (with her charming young son) of the Detective series of classic films for kids Jen Churchill coins the descriptive phrase and offers great pairings for "Girl" in her insightful audio commentary. The Ballhoo Motion Pictures documentary "It's All in the Title: Exploiting Jerry Gross" provides additional entertaining and educational tidbits about the film and the titular softcore producer. Learning about the casting call (and probable casting couch) descriptions alone is worth watching this short. The campy fun of this one includes shooting it on Long Island, all of the hicks playing their roles as if they are in an Edward Albee film adaptation of "The Andy Griffith Show," and the local good-time girl being a perfect morality tale. Modern macro and micro events make the release of this film sadly timely. It seems that claims of police brutality agaainst black people and efforts to suppress voting by that demographic make headlines at least once a month. A personal experience supports the theme of "Girl" that police misconduct is not limited to black people; the larger problem is resentment against those whom the arrested development boys-in-blue consider the enemy. The sad mesasage, which "Girl" conveys, is that it CAN happen here. Your not-so-humble, white, middle-aged 5'8, 150 pound reviewer who always dresses nicely was subject to the almost full force of a small-town law enforcement group in June 2020; continued fear of being dragged out of my home on completely false charges is behind not revealing more details. I had made a rare Covid-era venture to a grouping of outlet malls two hours from my home. My first stop was at a store that plays a large role in these events. I had filed a corporate complaint as to the horrific service, which included the clerks literally pushing me out of the way and refusing to help me get items from a top shelf, several months before. On arriving in June, I merely looked in the store window and saw that it was closed. I had a nice conversation with a mall maintenance worker, who saw me from the mooment that I approached the store until I walked away. On walking back 15 minutes later, I saw a police car in front of the store and figured that there had been evidence of a break in; I also thought the store would open 15 minutes later. I sat on a bench near the store, and a second police car soon raced around a corner and parked near me. The cop who got out REFUSED to accept my story that I had not pounded on the store door or yelled at the employees. He also REFUSED to try to find the maintenance guy to whom I had spoken. Two more police cars soon arrived to surround me. This resulted in four police cars in this community of 10,700 residents responding to an offense that was no worse than essentially being a "college boy." I never acted assertively or got off the bench. A friend with whom I discussed this commented that this alone made a good case for defunding the police. Doubling down involved the cops lying about the presence of video cameras that would have shown that I only looked in the window. The bigger picture (pun intended) is that I supposedly was so stupid that I created mayhem, left my car parked near the store, saw a police car when I returned 15 minutes later, and then sat on a bench by the store to make a telephone call. The police chief merely stated that his officers "misinterpreted the information" and stated that my being a "frustrated customer" months earlier justifed the abuse and the related no-trespss order. I knew that the cops would avoid any liablity for the incident and that filing a complaint would only brighten the target on my back. Our fictional story begins with titular future damsel-in-distress Jean and fellow freedom riders Ted, who is white, and Audie, who is black, driving through (presumably) deep south Carson's Landing while on a voter registration campaign. This predictably leads to red-neck deputy, whom the casting call refers to as a Barney Fife type, pulling the group over on a trumped up speeding charges. This just as expectedly leads to an arrest and a visit with textbook red-neck Sheriff Sonny Lew, who is more Buford T. Justice than Andy Taylor. Sonny Lew ratchets up the terror by relentlessly trying to find offenses that will justify locking up his latest prey. Right-minded viewers will delight as each failed effort further frustrates this psychopath with a badge. The mnost memorable line in this scene is Ted telling his friends that these corrupt cops staying within the law provides some protection. Our gang is set free only to make the rookie mistake of not getting out of Dodge. Ala your not-so-humble reviewer returning to the scene of the "crime," Jean and the boys stop at the local dive only to have a local succumb to the pressure of Sonny Lew to make a completely false claim. This empowers Sonny Lew to lock up the intellectuals before his blatantly kangaroo court convenes in the morning. This unfortunate incarceration leads to a night of terror for our literal innocents. The psychological warfare and physical attacks will make all Yankees want to avoid driving through small southern towns. A real-life perspective this time is that many residents of Savannah remain angry about Sherman burning that city. All of this leads to the climax to which the title of "Girl" refers. This is reminiscent of the classic "Charlie's Angels" episode "Girls in Chains" that finds that trio purposefully becoming the guests of a Bible Belt state. This portion of "Girl" also has a line that not only is the best on of that film but earns a place on the list of best film lines ever. Ala Scarlett O'Hara declaring that she never will go hungry again, Jean assertts that she will continue her hard labor before she will give into the lust of her jailor. Although "Girl" provides a typical quasi-Hollywood ending for this type of film, personal experience shows that the survivors of the events of "Girl" and their real-life counter-parts will never fully heal from their experiences. All of this warrants following the advice of Churchill to make yourself a 60s-era cocktail and watch this micro-budget grindhouse cult classic at the witching hour.

'Mary Tyler Moore' From an Adult Perspective

 

A medical condition that requires an abundance of Covid-era precaution is behind a deep dive into a collection of DVD sets of at least 500 sitcoms. This recently led to revisiting "Mary Tyler Moore" after several decades. The first bit of realization as to the TV Land classic is that the brightly lettered title in the opening credits reveal that the title is not "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." 

Introduction to the series came via UHF station evening reruns that coincided with a CBS broadcast run that was past the bedtime of your then quite youthful not-so-humble reviewer. It remained a cherished memory but was never so personally deeply loved that subsequent indie station and basic-cable runs made the cut as to the plethora of similar fare. 

Literally watching the show through the eyes of a child supports the image that the program chronicles the personal and professional lives of a thoroughly modern '70s-era career woman with the morals of a girl scout. Seeing MTM through significantly older eyes shows that America's sweetheart was not so pure and that her show was not always suitable for young children. Finding humor as to "Aunt Flo" not visiting Mary until the sixth season and not stopping by monthly is a subtle example of this.

It should be undisputed that the MTM cast and the behind-the-scenes talent were exceptional. The real issue is that the show did not live up to the hype even back in the day. The primary nature of this is that any show that touts itself as ground-breaking really is not ala personal experience that EVERY CEO or public figure who promotes that she is a mother does not demonstrate any caring or compassion in her professional life. 

As an initial matter, Our Miss Brooks and Ann Marie are single career gals long before Mary Richards came along. This is not to mention Sally Rogers of Tyler Moore's first series "The Dick Van Dyke Show" being one of the boys in a show that divided its focus between the highly combined professional and personal lives of the star ala MTM. A related observation is the absurdity as to the frequency of the unannounced evening and late-night visits by WJM colleagues to the home of local news producer Mary Richards.

Much of the humor of MTM relates to Richards being a virtuous in every sense woman in a world of people whose values are more typical of a '70s everyman or woman. The ugly truth is that "Virgin Mary" (and the series) is less pure than largely considered. 

Our story begins Richards being a 30 year-old woman fresh off a break-up with her fiance. Chances are quite good that a late-20s woman in a committed relationship in the late '60s has carnal knowledge. That episode also involves Richards moving into her apartment despite fully knowing that neighbor/soon-to-be-best friend Rhoda was promised those lodgings.

Even the early MTM seasons included numerous indications that Richards was not saving herself for marriage. The arguably most blatant example of this is our "innocent" is unapologetic on her father learning that his little girl stayed out all night. A more amusing moment involves the priceless expression on the face of Richards on learning that boss/friend Lou Grant (Ed Asner) considers the mid-single digits as the threshold as to a woman being a slut.

A very creepy early-season episode apparently did not raise any eyebrows even in an era in which a blind eye was turned as to most workplace sexual harassment. Richards had invited then quasi-swinging single/anchorman Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) for a friendly dinner that he turned into an opportunity to try to fish off the company pier. This culminated in Baxter forcing his way into the apartment of Richards and refusing to leave.

The MTM writing staff may actually have been groundbreaking by having the story evolve into Baxter lying about having hit a home run with Richards at what is recalled to be a time before such a plot became a sitcom trope that typically involved a bragging high-school or college boy lying about a classmate. 

Related observations are that MTM matured as a show in every sense in the post Rhoda and building manager/real housewife of Minneapolis Phyllis era. It is highly likely that, ala a 14 year-old who is sick of carrying around a doll and talking with a lisp on a sitcom, Tyler Moore demanded that Richards grows up. A symbolic aspect of this is having Richards move from essentially a glorified bedroom in what can be considered the house of her parents into a one-bedroom apartment in a high-rise.

An amusing aspect of this era is that Ted Bessell of Ann Marie series "That Girl" has a recurring role as a highly amorous boyfriend of Richards. It is strongly implied that the Bessell character regularly gives Richards reasons to figuratively call out "Oh, Donald."

These also are the seasons in which Happy Homemaker (and borderline hooker) Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White) is promoted from recurring character to series regular. This arguably is a jump-the-shark moment in that it leads to MTM transitioning from a modern version of  "Van Dyke" to an early version of network-friendly raunchy sitcom "Three's Company." 

The racier Sue-Ann era extends beyond an amusing episode in which her long-term efforts to get Grant in bed succeeds to the same lazy writing behind the equally predictable (but still entertaining) innuendo humor of "Company." The first few times that Nivens provides wisecracking news writer Murray Slaughter (Gavin MacLeod) a set up are amusing. This getting to the point that virtually every episode essentially includes a moment in which Nivens asks to borrow a quarter (i.e., two bits) for a parking meter and Slaughter suggests that she just make a date. 

The later-season writers also regularly resort to the old make a comment right before someone walks in joke. A hypothetical example is a hungry Lou telling Murray that he is in the mood for a tart just before an oblivious Nivens enters the newsroom. It is equally predictable that someone will comment on a missing houseplant only to have the dim-witted Baxter arrive seconds later.

The bigger picture regarding all this is that the best of MTM reflects the wisdom of fellow '70s CBS comedy goddess Carol Burnett. Burnett has commented within the past few years that funny always will be funny and that one need not turn to blue humor to get laughs.

Most MTM fans believe that "Chuckles Bites the Dust," which includes numerous hilarious one-liners about the death of the titular kiddie-show host, is the best episode of the series. Perhaps because that episode was strongly remembered,  watching it earlier this week indicates that that outing does not fully pass the test of time. 

Coincidentally, Nivens has a prominent role in every personal favorite episode. "The Dinner Party" earns the top spot on this list. Richards hosts the titular event at which the guest list gets comically out of hand. An episode a few years later has Nivens hire Slaughter as her producer only to demand that he perform increasingly humiliating tasks. The climax of this episode deserves a high-rank in sitcom history because it is unexpected and involves a timelessly hilarious element. This moment additionally reflects the fondest wish of anyone with a horrible boss. 

Another favorite puts an interesting twist on the Christmas episode. The newsroom staff is experiencing very rare animosity towards each other when a November snowstorm strands them on the same night that Sue Ann has an abundance of extra food from the episode on international Christmas traditions. The gang opts for eating together despite their anger and agrees to wear silly hats over going hungry. Hilarity truly ensues until they predictably hug it out in the end. 

The best news regarding all this is that the writers and the cast fully step up to combine the best elements of the show for the season finale that deserves a place on the list of the top 10 episodes of the series. The "sit" that drives the "com" is realistic in the world of independent television stations, and the best moment comes before the perfect final scene that is indelibly etched in the minds of fans. This lead up provides Richards an epic comeuppance as to her considering herself the untouchable darling of the newsroom. 

'Monster From Green Hell' BD and DVD: Safari Not So Good

 

Film Detective separately releasing the awesomely campy subterranean budget creature feature "Monster From Green Hell" (1957) on Blu-ray and DVD today once more proves that they don't make 'em like they used to. The bonus fun this time extends beyond the criminally blatant use of stock footage to having Jim "Jock" Davis of "Dallas" fame star as stalwart scientist Dr. Quent Brady. Further, Detective includes both the widescreen and full-screen versions of the film. 

On a technical note, "Monster" greatly benefits from the usual but far from typical restoration by Detective. The contrast in the black-and-white images on the Blu-ray version is phenomenal. Being almost literally blown away when inadvertently having the sound bar turned marginally too high was reminiscent of the opening scene of "Back to the Future" when Marty McFly cranks up his amp.

The following CLUES-LADEN promo. from Detective provides a goods sense of the cheesy goodness of the film and of the Silver Age leading-man cred. of Davis. 

Our story begins with Brady sending a literal guinea pig and other critters up in a rocket that can be considered an outer-space version of Noah's Ark. This launch is part of an ongoing research project to discover the impact of groovin' way above the atmosphere before trying to get back to here.

Although it is known that the ship has not landed on Mars or another kooky planet, Brady is uncertain (and initially not unduly concerned) that the craft seems to have landed off the coast of Africa. The concurrent rumors of a horrific monster in the titular region of the Dark Continent allows even the dullest mind to put two-and-two together. 

A combination of a strong sense of integrity and a desire to fight them over there so that we do not need to fight them here prompts Brady to travel to Africa to battle the giant wasps that his research created. This leads to typical filler as our hero and his assembled bunch makes the 450-mile trek from a developed area of Africa to the arena where the action is occurring. 

This leads to the usual love interest, who of course become a damsel-in-distress, and the equally predictable confrontations with the big bad. The related exceptional elements that make "Monster" Detective worthy are that the plan of Brady fails and the ending scenes add something truly special and unexpected ala the final scene of the first season of the original "Lost in Space."

Detective further steps up by including a usual insightful and entertaining Ballyhoo Motion Pictures featurette. This time, film historian/Ballyhoo regular C. Courtney Joyner tells the tale of the career of Davis. This clearly shows the logic behind Davis going from being a B-movie character actor and occasional leading man to becoming the Ewing patriarch. 

The bottom line this time is that "Monster" is a perfect choice for a weekend kiddie matinee, and the Detective restoration does this shouldabeen a cult classic proud. 

'Sordid Lives Saga: Before the Trip': Del Shores Novel Approach to the Winters of Discontent

 

Son of a southern Baptist preacher man Del Shores fulfills the fondest wishes of his biggest fans by releasing the short-story collection The Sordid Lives Saga: Before the Trip. This collection of character studies of the fictional discontented residents of real-life small-town Winters, Texas is available for pre-order on delshores.com.

Folks unable to wait for that April 15, 2022 release can order it on Kindle beginning on March 31, 2022. The benefits of getting a physical copy include a personalized message from the author. Such a tome will get a place of honor in the library of your not-so-humble reviewer. 

The fun begins with a foreword by Leslie "Brother Boy" Jordan that explains how his beautiful friendship with Shores and the related spark of inspiration that led to oodles of sordid delight began. The 25-words-or-less version is that Jordan gave Shores a book by a southern writer that inspired the latter to share his stories of his eccentric friends and relatives. Those white papers on white trash led to the (reviewed) film "Sordid Lives." The rest is history. 

The introduction by Shores largely repeats the insight of his pint-sized brother from another mama. Shores adds that the origin of all this is a short-story titled Nicotine Fit, which is a bonus chapter in Saga. That tale centers on his real-life Aunt Sissy (nee Marie) using a popular negative reinforcement method to try to stop smoking. That true Winters story is included either in the "Lives" sequel "A Very Sordid Wedding" or the Logo prequel series "Sordid Lives the Series," which stars a perfectly cast Rue McCalanahan as Peggy Ingram. 

Speaking of Peggy, Saga introduces us to her before her fatal attraction that leaves a philandering husband without a leg on which to stand. We met her in the wake (no pun intended) of the death of her not-so-dearly departed husband. Ala fellow Tennessee Williams style southern widow Blanche Deveraux, Peggy has long unrequited lust in her heart for much younger man Wardell Owens. A related reveal is the real heat that Wardell is packing. This likely further endears Shores to former brother-in-law Newell Alexander, who portrays Wardell. 

This ties into the saga of the "night of" that changes everything. Good southern Baptist Peggy allowing freshly released guest-of-the-state/bar singer Bitsy Mae Harling to coerce her into going to Wardell's dive bar sets off a chain reaction that allows genuine hilarity to ensure throughout the entire "Sordid" franchise. 

We also get further insight into L.A.-based actor Ty Williamson, who is a small-town boy who gets out in more ways than one. The introduction by Shores verifies the theory of many fans that Williamson is a semi-autobiographical character. This reveal (pun intended) enhances speculation that Shores once appeared in a play that required going the Full Monty. 

A highlight of this portrait illustrates (pun once more intended) the talent of Shores for expertly taking things one step further. The book includes the "Lives" tale of Ty's mother Latrelle remedying the distress of her young son as to having to wear husky pants that are designed for chubby boys. Saga adds the element of getting stuck in an elevator immediately after that traumatic event terrorizing Ty.

Hairdresser Roger of the Beehive beauty shop is another secondary character whom Saga fleshes out. We learn more about the woes of being the only openly gay man in a small Bible Belt town. 

The bottom line is that no one who revels in the exceptional wit and wisdom of Shores can ever learn everything that he or she wants to learn about the lives and loves of the fictional folks of Winters, Texas. However, Saga  comes close. 

'Six Characters in Search of a Play' DVD: Shores' Sordid Sources

The Breaking Glass Pictures DVD of the one-awesome-man stage show "Six Characters in Search of a Play" provides a nice segue to the soon-to-be-released Del Shores short-story collection titled The Sordid Lives Saga: Before the Trip. The DVD is available from online retailers; fans of the written word can pre-order a personalized copy of the book from delshores.com for the apt price of $32.09, rather than the inflation -adjusted cost of $34.09.

The performance focuses on the titular sextet that plays a role in the hilarious white-trash fare of southern Baptist sissy Shores. The MUST-READ book consists of the intertangled character studies of the fictionalized trailer and tract-home dwelling residents of Shores' hometown of Winters, Texas. These works add to the mountain of proof that nobody does Dallas better than Del. 

The final digression before discussing "Characters" is a PSA for a cause that is near-and-dear to the heart of everyone's favorite son of a preacher man. The Del Shores Foundation financially supports screenplays and scripts by LGBTQ authors. The general idea is to allow these voices from The Bible Belt to be heard.

"Characters" is filmed live before a studio-theater audience. It opens with righteous dude Del gleefully making the sordid confession that he is a thief. The basis of this admission of grand-theft guffaws is that Shores bases the 'verses of "Sordid Lives" and of other work that includes the aggravatingly difficult-to-find "Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will?" on friends, family, and people whom he encounters in his travels. 

The rest of the origin story relates to the title of the work. Shores shares that the inspiration this time is a play titled "Six Characters in Search of an Author." That one has a group of fictional characters unexpectedly pop up in the real world. 

The most prominent character in this bunch is the real-life Aunt Sissy of Shores. His telling of her final days reinforces the sense that Beth Grant nails that role in the "Sordid" series. 

This story begins with Sissy being on her deathbed not preventing her from expressing disappointment that Shores, who has gone out of his way to visit her, has not brought one of his beloved chihuahuas. We also hear how this real-life Thelma "Mama" Harper does not care that her desire as to her final resting place is illegal. One can easily picture  Vicki Lawrence saying "Good Lord, Eunice. I don't give a damn if it is illegal. I'm an old woman, and I can have my ashes spread wherever I damn well please. Now hand me the pork rinds and get the Hell out of here." 

In true Shores style of taking a joke one step further, our host shares that the potential for publicity is behind his willingness to risk an unfortunate incarceration to spread the ashes of Sissy as requested. Readers of Saga will know that Shores does not consider losing a gym membership an acceptable penalty for breaking the law.

The next best-well known character is real-life actress Sarah Hunley, who portrays barfly Juanita Bartlett in the "Sordid" franchise. The Saga insights include the childhood experiences behind Juanita becoming the Norm Peterson of the Winters dive around which much of the "Sordid" activity is centered.

The vivid storytelling of Shores evokes strong images of real-life Golden Age star turned tragic alcoholic Marie Prevost. Unlike Prevost, Bartlett never became a household name but was beloved among the version of The Mercury Players in the plays and films of Shores. 

This portion of the film arguably has the best line in "Characters." Shores shares that "Characters" producer Emerson Collins, who is the Joseph Cotton in this tight-knit group, states that he does not need Bartlett to be completely sober for the filming of the "A Very Sordid Wedding" sequel but does need her to be able to stand.

We also hear how Shores (presumably with a box of Whitman chocolates) goes to visit Bartlett in her (presumably shabby) WeHo apartment to find her engaged in her daily routine of drinking alcohol, chain smoking, and watching The Game Show Network. The response of Bartlett to Shores expressing concern that she is drunk every time that he telephones her truly is laugh-out-loud funny.

The "unsung heroes" of characters include an encounter with a fan who becomes a monkey on the back of Shores, and an ultra right-wing Republican relative with good intentions who essentially crashes the funeral of Sissy to which the aforementioned pet is invited. 

A chance encounter with a good-ole boy at the hilariously named real-life Kum & Go gas stations is the segment that proves that Shores is more than a pretty face. This story has Del make an amazing transformation with a minor costume change and incredible alteration of his facial expression and mannerisms. 

BGP does its usual excellent job with special features. An introduction by Shores tells the tale of the inspiration for this depiction of the source material for the work that has made him a minor gay celebrity. The extras also include an interview with Collins and promos for the "Characters" tour.