And They Want Money For This.

Why I hate my local PBS station THIS month:

A couple of weeks ago, around 8:45 pm, I had to take my wife to the Emergency Room.
It turned out to be nothing serious. She was just feeling faint, and she's all right now.
The ER was just a couple of miles from my house.
There was a TV in the waiting room.
I asked the receptionist if I could have the remote to change the channel, so I could put on Rachel Maddow.
I couldn't find Rachel Maddow, but I did find a special on PBS: "Live From Lincoln
Center---"Ring Them Bells", a salute to Kander and Ebb"
You know. The guys who wrote "Cabaret" and "Chicago"
Great songwriters. It was hosted by Audra McDonald.
I started watching the first ten minutes, it was wonderful, and the usual questions entered my head.
This was NOT the same PBS station as I get in my house.
I have my Tivo set to get every episode of "Live From Lincoln Center", but as usual, I had no idea whether MY PBS station, the biggest one in the Detroit area, was showing it.
I hadn't checked ahead before leaving the house.
My wife was released, and we left, with my thinking that it was at least likely that the first ten minutes was all I was going to see.
We get home, and sure enough, MY PBS station is NOT showing Kander and Ebb.
They are showing a rerun of "The Spirit of St. Louis".
The biopic of Charles Lindbergh, with Jimmy Stewart.
You know.
The one that shows up on Turner Classic Movies at the drop of a hat.
'Cause they didn't want to spring for the dough for Kander and Ebb.
So once again, I was screwed.
And it wasn't scheduled for any other time.
But there seemed to be a silver lining.
I checked the Tivo guide, and right after "Spirit of St. Louis", there was an hour long Carl Reiner-Mel Brooks special about the inventing of the 2000 year-old man.
I knew that I had not seen this special, so this was somewhat of a sop.
I set the Tivo for that.
The next day, I attempt to watch the 2000 Year-Old Man special.
The first twenty-five minutes were taken up by the last twenty-five minutes of
"The Spirit of St. Louis"
So guess what I didn't have the last twenty-five minutes of?

Last week, my friend and great blogster Mark Evanier wrote about what looked like a great documentary called "Troupers".
It was about actors in their 80's who still have thriving careers.
It was airing on the local PBS station in Los Angeles.
Guess where it didn't and won't be airing?

They're going to get another earful from me during pledge week.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Report Card---"Hyde Park On Hudson"

Gee, a really good movie where a first-rate actor plays one of our greatest presidents,
and it doesn't get nominated for anything?
All right.
Maybe it was no "Lincoln", but it was about FDR, who was no slouch.
Well, maybe he slouched, 'cause he didn't walk much.
And it starred Bill Murray, who is no slouch, even though he acted slouching.
"Hyde Park On Hudson" is a delightful movie.
It wasn't about the Civil War, but it was about civility.
About FDR entertaining the King and Queen of England, who were on a mission to elicit
Roosevelt's support for their war against Hitler.
It is quite entertaining and pleasurable to watch, and Murray, who looks nothing like
Roosevelt, still made you buy into it.
I said that I had one report card left, and this is it.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Extremely.
A+.

Compelling even?

Occasionally.
B+.

Is it controversial?

Not really, but it doesn't matter.
No Grade.

Is it a story worth telling?

Absolutely
A.

Is it good storytelling?

Very.
A.

Is it well written?

Very well written.
A.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well shot?

All of the above.
A.

Is it too long? Too short?

Just right.
A.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Yes, and yes.
A.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

It is predictable to some extent, but there are delightful surprises.
A.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Only about how good Bill Murray was.
A.

Is it funny?

Often.
A.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

I could have waited to see it on HBO. Which will probably be soon.
C.

Is it impressive ?

Quite.
A.

Overall grade: A-.

This one deserved a Best Picture nomination over at least half that got them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Rothman's 2013 Oscar Choices. Part Two..

Best Actor:

Daniel Day Lewis, "Lincoln"

Denzel Washington, "Flight"

Hugh Jackman, "Les Miserables"

Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"

------------------------------------------

To me, it's a two horse race.

Daniel Day Lewis was wonderful as Lincoln.
So was Henry Fonda.
It was a great movie.
It's tough not to be great in a great movie.

Denzel Washington was really good in "Flight".
Just about anybody would have also been really good.

Hugh Jackman was absolutely compelling in a movie that was only absolutely
compelling when he was on the screen. Also, he had to sing, which he did awesomely.

Bradley Cooper was pretty good in "Silver Linings Playbook", but he did not blow me away.

Joaquin Phoenix is totally along for the ride. I barely noticed him in this movie.
I barely noticed the movie.

I've got it down to Daniel Day Lewis and Hugh Jackman.

The much higher bar was set for Hugh Jackman, so he gets my vote.

Best Actress:

Naomi Watts, "The Impossible"

Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"

Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I didn't see the little kid in "Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Of the other four, there was only one that I even liked.

Naomi Watts got that "Oh, wasn't her character brave and noble" nomination, and couldn't save a really bad movie.

Jessica Chastain apparently got Bin Laden all by herself. I wasn't sold or impressed.

Emmanuelle Riva was simply old and sick. If she's only 28, then you got something.

Jennifer Lawrence was spectacular in "Silver Linings Playbook", and she gets my vote.

Best Picture:

"Beasts of the Southern Wild"

"Silver Linings Playbook"

"Zero Dark Thirty"

"Lincoln"

"Les Miserables"

"Life of Pi"

"Amour"

"Django Unchained"

"Argo"

Again, I saw everything except "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

There are only two that I would be enthusiastic voting for.

"Silver Linings Playbook" is not one of them. The field is too tough.

"Zero Dark Thirty" is less than good.

"Lincoln" is more than good.

I've expressed mu very mixed feelings about "Les Miserables"

I've expressed my very ill feelings about "Amour".

In a weaker field, I could picture myself voting for "Django Unchained"
It was nothing but fun.

"Life of Pi" was magnificent. I would not be sorry to see it win.

"Argo" was tremendous storytelling of a true story I didn't know about.
Great performances, and you leave the theater on an enormous high.

A two horse race. "Life of Pi", and "Argo".
And it's very close.
But I've got to give it to "Argo".

Good luck to all.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Rothman's 2013 Oscar Choices, Part One.

Please bear in mind that these are my choices.
Not necessarily who I think is going to win.
It's who I think SHOULD win.
Based on having seen most of the movies nominated.

I'll limit myself to six categories.
Three today, and three next time.

Best Supporting Actor:

Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"

Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"

Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Alan Arkin, "Argo"

Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A VERY tough call.

Tommy Lee Jones was great in a role where it was easy to be great.
The writing was great. The part was great.

Christoph Waltz was wonderfully empathetic in what was arguably a leading role.

Philip Seymour Hoffman couldn't save "The Master" from being a disaster.

Alan Arkin was terrific in a great movie that would have been great without him.

Robert De Niro singlehandedly raised the level of a very good movie.

My vote goes to De Niro.

Best Supporting Actress:

Sally Field, "Lincoln"

Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"

Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"

Amy Adams, "The Master"
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally Field was wonderful in what could be deemed a leading role.

Anne Hathaway was quite touching in a pretty small part.

Jacki Weaver, I barely noticed.

Helen Hunt was in a movie I didn't see.

Amy Adams, I didn't notice at all. See Hoffman, Philip Seymour.

It's a one-horse race, and Sally Field is Secretariat.


Best Director:

David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"

Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"

Michael Haneke, "Amour"

Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

-------------------------------------------------------------

There was a lot of bellyaching about who didn't get nominated in this category.
Some of it from me.
The Ben Affleck camp probably had a legitimate beef for "Argo"
The Kathryn Bigelow camp should just shut up.
My beef was about Wes Anderson for "Moonrise Kingdom", where his directing was all
over the screen.

Of the ones who WERE nominated,

David O. Russell apparently poured his heart into "Silver Linings Playbook", and certainly elicited some wonderful performances.

Ang Lee's work in "Life of Pi" was nothing short of astounding.
He uses the camera as a paintbrush.

"Lincoln" was essentially a written movie, and I have no idea what Spielberg added
to it.

Michael Haneke in "Amour" went to the John Cassavettes School of Not Shutting off the
Camera and Not Yelling "Cut!"

I did not see "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Ang Lee by a country mile, even if Wes Anderson was nominated.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Report Card---"Zero Dark Thirty"

For those of you who might recall, I really hated "The Hurt Locker", which won the Oscar
as Best Picture a few years ago.
Kathryn Bigelow was its director, and it is safe to say that I am not a fan of her work.
So I was really not expecting much as I approached watching "Zero Dark Thirty"
Nor did I get much.
It's the movie about how Bin-Laden was killed.
The kind of movie that you really have to have clout to make.
Who's going to say "No!" to her?
I would have.
She has already admitted that it is a "condensing" of the truth, which indicates a concession that at least some of it is bullshit.
With it all, I did not hate it nearly as much as I hated "The Hurt Locker"
But I certainly didn't like it much either.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Intermittently
C.

Compelling even?

Never.
F.

Is it controversial?

Nobody seems to have any trouble accepting what Bigelow lays out as gospel.
So no.
No Grade.

Is it a story worth telling?

Yes, but I have no evidence that it is worth fictionalizing.
F.

Is it good storytelling?

It is long, dreary, predictable storytelling.
F.

Is it well written?

It has its moments.
B.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well shot?

Jessica Chastain has gotten the hype of the century.
James Gandolfini has an interesting cameo as Leon Panetta.
The direction is no great shakes.
C.

Is it too long? Too short?

Asked and answered.
F.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

It's believable in that we can assume that at least much of it happened the way it was portrayed. I didn't care one whit about the characters.
D+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Asked and answered.
F.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

To reiterate what I said about "Les Miserables", I wasn't even thinking about it WHILE I was seeing it.
F.

Is it funny?

No.
F.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

My shit detector would have automatically and rightfully kept me away.
F.

Is it impressive ?

No. And if it isn't impressive, you've got nothing.
F.

Overall grade: D+.

This is the last movie that was nominated that I'm doing a report card on.
Next time, and perhaps the time after that, I will post my choices for the winners.

I still have one more report card to do, for a movie I thought deserved a couple of nominations, but it didn't get any, and will wait until after I post my choices.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Report Card---"Les Miserables"

I approached "Les Miserables" with lots o' caution.
I've had many opportunities over the years to see the musical on stage, and never availed myself of any of them.
It was my shit detector at work, I guess.
Also, save for the Oscar nominations, it got pretty rotten reviews.
My reaction was somewhat in-between.
I don't think it deserved its Best Picture nomination, or its rotten reviews.
It had much going for it, and some going against it.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Much of the time.
B-.

Compelling even?

Never.
F.

Is it controversial?

The only controversial element I've heard about is Russell Crowes singing.
I had no problem with it.
B+.

Is it a story worth telling?

It's always been a classic.
A+.

Is it good storytelling?

For the most part, except that it is virtually through-sung, like an opera.
For me, this diminishes the impact of the storytelling.
B.

Is it well written?

The music is wonderful. The dialogue doesn't get in the way of it.
A-.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well shot?

Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe are wonderful. Anne Hathaway is too, but she's not around that long. It is shot as overwhelming spectacle, and certainly is overwhelming.
A+

Is it too long? Too short?

It is very long. Long enough that, unless you're in the darkness of a movie theater,
you start looking around for other things to do while it's running.
D-.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Considering that nobody stops singing. yes, and yes.
A-.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

I didn't know how it ended. Maybe I was the only one.
A-.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

I wasn't even thinking about it WHILE I was seeing it.
F.

Is it funny?

On rare occasions.
C+.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

No. And if I had gone, it would have been at least another fifteen, due to all the trips I would have made to the refreshment stand.
F.

Is it impressive ?

In a big way. That's what it's got going for it.
A+.

Overall grade: B-.

You could certainly see all the money spent on it on the screen.
I'm glad that none of it was mine.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

A Major Announcement.

I know that I have done a lot of promoting of my paperback and my e-books on this site.
You probably know that as well.
Some of you might think that it has been shameless and relentless.
To quote Chuck Hagel in his recent hearings, I leave that judgement to history.

Anyway, I am going to explore that territory once again.
I have just had my first novel published.
You, my lovely and loyal readers, are the first to become aware of this.
The book is called "I'm Not Garbo".
It is a paperback, and not an e-book.
I refer to it as a fable about Hollywood.
Most of it takes place in the 1930's.
It is completely original, and unlike my previous books, none of it has been ransacked
from the blog.
It is all new material, that has never been available elsewhere.
I immodestly think that it is the best thing I have ever written.

An interesting fact about it is that the idea for it came to me in my sleep.
I was sleeping, and had a dream that I was sitting in the movies, watching this movie on
the screen.
It had a great cast: Nathan Lane, Lisa Kudrow, and Meryl Streep.
And I loved what I was watching.
Now, I had had dreams previously where I was watching a movie, and loving it.
Then, I'd wake up, having total recall of my dreams, and realize that what I had seen was complete gibberish.
But this one, the one with Nathan, Lisa, and Meryl, was actually terrific.
And I couldn't wait to start writing it as a screenplay.
What I dreamt ended up consisting of half-a-movie.
I then had to come up with the rest of the movie consciously.
It flowed quite easily.
The problem with doing it as a movie is that it would be quite expensive to make, and I
would most-likely lose creative control of it.
So I turned it into a novel.
And it's a better novel than it was a screenplay.
And it became "I'm Not Garbo"
It could eventually be bought as a movie, but this is most-likely the best opportunity
to witness my original vision of it.
If you are interested in obtaining a personally autographed copy from me, e-mail me at
macchus999@aol.com with your address, and I will give you all the pertinent information.
The book will not be available in stores.
You have my word that "I'm Not Garbo" is a major page-turner.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays", and now, "I'm Not Garbo" are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like either or both, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Report Card---"Friends With Kids"

I approached this one very cautiously when I opened the DVD envelope it came in.
The advertising on the box featured the word "Hilarious!" prominently, and featured Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph in the cast.
It had the smell of "Bridesmaids" all over it.
And it was obviously a chick-flick.
A woman, Jennifer Westfeldt, wrote it, directed it, and starred in it.
The prominent roles were womens roles, exxcept for her love interest, who, because he
passionately wanted a baby, pretty much made him a woman as well.
But it didn't smell.
Like "Bridesmaids" did.
What it was, was one of the most pree-dictable movies you'd ever come across.
You knew where it was going on page four.
Two people, a young man and a young woman, best friends since they were kids, both are unattached, both professing their mutual lack of physical attraction towards each other (these are two very attractive people, by the way) both decide to have a baby together, because they both really want one, and neither have romantic partners. And they vow to each other that it won't get in their way of pursuing active social lives with others.

Now, where in the wide world do you suppose this might be headed?
I won't "spoil" it for you.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Actually, it is. Once you get past knowing where it's headed, the only issue remaining is "Are you enjoying the ride to its destination?" And I have to admit that I did.
B+.

Compelling even?

Occasionally. It approaches the subject matter intelligently, and there are very good arguments made.
B+.

Is it controversial?

Somewhat. For the reason listed above.
B+.

Is it a story worth telling?

I'm on the fence about that.
B.

Is it good storytelling?

In the context of what it is, yes.
B.

Is it well written?

Rather.
B+.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well shot?

I still don't like Kristen Wiig or Maya Rudolph. Jennifer Westfeldt is very appealing.
Jon Hamm puts in a nice turn as well. The direction is nothing but perfunctory.
B.

Is it too long? Too short?

No problem with the length.
A.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Yes, and yes.
A.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Asked and answered.
F.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

No.
C-.

Is it funny?

Not really. It rarely tries to be. Strange for a movie advertised as "Hilarious!"
C-.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

It would not have.
F.

Is it impressive ?

It was simply not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.
C.

Overall grade: B.

I walked away generally feeling more positive than negative about this one.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Reporte Carte---"Amour"

"Amour" is this French picture that was nominated for Best Picture, as was it's leading lady, Emmanuelle Riva.
It has English subtitles, which meant I had to read along with it.
It begins with the police, or fire department finding Riva dead in her bed.
Now, you know the rest of the movie will be in flashback, because you don't nominate an actress for just lying in bed, dead.
And the rest of the movie is her husband trying to take care of this dying woman, not wanting to let go of her.
It is agonizingly slow and dee-pressing.
Appropriately, the Report Card scoring will be conducted by the late, great French filmmaker,
Francois Truffaut, in French.
I will provide English translation in parentheses.
You'll have to forgive M. Truffaut if his French isn't perfect.
After all, he has been dead for years.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Un petit peux. (A little bit.)
B+.

Compelling even?

Non. (No)
C-.

Is it controversial?

Un petit peux. Le determination pour euthanasie est toujours interessante.
(A little, Having to decide about performing euthanasia is always interesting.)
B-.

Is it a story worth telling?

Peut-etre. (Perhaps.)
B.

Is it good storytelling?

Non. Il ny'a pas un fin. (No. There is really no satisfying ending.)
D.

Is it well written?

Non. C'est simplistique et du minime. (No, it's simplistic and minimal.)
D-.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well shot?

Les performances, c'est tres bien. Le camera "dwells" beaucoup, a la Cassavetes.
(The actors were very good. The shots linger way too long, like a Cassavetes movie.)
B-.

Is it too long? Too short?

Tres, tres extensive. (Very, very long.)
F.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Oui, et oui. (Yes, and yes.)
A.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Oui. Elle est morte. Nous savons la. (Yes. She's dead. We know that from the beginning.)
C'est un surpris parce que nous n'avons pas l'idee de la methode.
(It's surprising because we don't know how she dies.)
B.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Non. (No.)
C-.

Is it funny?

Non. (No.)
C-.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

Pas de francs. (Not any money.)
F.

Is it impressive ?

Je ne pense pas. (I don't think so.)
C-.

Overall grade: C-.

Sacre bleu! (I really rather disliked this movie.)

Thank you, Francois. I'll try not to bother you again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

No, I'm Not Going To Disneyland, I'm Going On Letterman.

There are two things I'm going to bellyache about today.
First, selecting Joe Flacco as the MVP of the Super Bowl.
That honor should have undoubtedly gone to Jacoby Jones, who made that record-tying kickoff return at the beginning of the second half, and that astounding touchdown catch earlier in the game.
Flacco was only involved in less than half of that.
He was more involved in the Ravens' impending collapse that didn't quite happen.
Jones was only involved in the valuable stuff.
It was a no-brainer.
And it turns out that the folks who handed out the MVP award had no brains.
Okay. That's one bellyache.
Here's the other one:
Every year, for every major sporting event, David Letterman will book the MVP of that game on his show the very next night, for an out-and-out suck-up interview.
No matter how boring this MVP might be, and how little story value there is to having him on.
It's a long, well worn-out tradition with Letterman.
And in this case, there are so many better options he could have had for booking someone from the Super Bowl.
Like Jacoby Jones, for instance, who deserved the MVP, and was flashy as hell.
Or Ray Lewis, who won his very last game in the Super Bowl, with at least half the crowd
hating his guts.
But the booking I really wanted to see was the Harbaugh Brothers.
That was a great story and would have been a great get even before the game was played.
And so much better afterward.
But what do we get?
The oh, so predictable Joe Flacco.
Probably not even the best Quarterback on the field Sunday.
He should have just gone to Disneyland like he was supposed to.

P.S., I have since seen the show, and it was everything I thought it would be, and less.
And Flacco said that he went directly to Orlando from New Orleans, undoubtedly to pick up the extra change for going to DisneyWORLD.
Even booking the guys who fixed the lights during the blackout would have been a better idea.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Report Card---"Promised Land"

"Promised Land" is a movie about "fracking".
Turning rock into natural gas.
It does not turn celluloid into a good movie.
If you're me, you don't like any of the characters in it.
And they don't grow on you.
They figured out a way to make Frances McDormand unlikeable.
Previously, I had never found Frances McDormand unlikeable.
She is written unlikeably.
This doesn't help.
The whole thing really seems contrived.
Matt Damon is supposed to emerge heroic.
Not in my eyes.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Kind of.
B.

Compelling even?

No.
C-.

Is it controversial?

The subject matter is, but there really is no conflict there.
C.

Is it a story worth telling?

There is a story about this subject that's worth telling.
I don't think this is it.
C.

Is it good storytelling?

No, and the result is that I felt sort of ripped off.
D.

Is it well written?

Not particularly
B-.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well shot?

There were very good actors, who were wasted.
C.

Is it too long? Too short?

It felt a little long. Not much.
B.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

No, and no.
C.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Not predictable. But the surprises are jarring and unfulfilling.
C.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Only about the disappointment.
C-.

Is it funny?

No. It took itself WAY too seriously
C-.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

What do you think?
F.

Is it impressive ?

It's depressive.
D.

Overall grade: C-.

It certainly deserved to be as ignored as it was.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******