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Friday, January 30, 2015

Why I Can't Stand Chris Matthews Any More, Part 3, And Why I Can't Stand Dick Cavett Any More, Part 2

Dick Cavett appeared on Chris Matthews' show last night on MSNBC.
You know.
Chris Matthews.
The idiot.
Cavett was there to plug 'Brief Encounters', his "new book"
"Brief Encounters" is a collection of essays.
Nowhere during the interview was it mentioned that these essays were already printed in his column for the New York Times over the last few years.
Did Cavett not want to tell this to Matthews?
Did Matthews not do his homework?
All he seemed to want to do was fawn over Cavett at every opportunity.
This is not the first time Cavett has tried to put one over on his readers and viewers.
He had another "book", 'Talk Show', that was assembled the same way.
I am going to reprint what I experienced when I ordered THAT book from Amazon, with some slight updating.
At least I'm telling you that this is a reprinted article:

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

I should warn you up front that in todays post, the rant level will be ramped up significantly.
I will be capitalizing words for loud emphasis.
That's the kind of mood I'm in.

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from Amazon.com, inviting me to pre-order Dick Cavett's new book, "Talk Show".
Whenever you order a book from Amazon, they e-mail you to inform you that there are books that you might like based on previous books you've ordered from them.
I like when they do this.
I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH.
I LIKE WHEN THEY DO THIS.

I have read Dick Cavett's blog on the New York Times website since it began.
He writes very well, even though a lot of what he writes there are things he has written in his other books.

Amazon was offering a very good discount on "Talk Show".
So good that it required me to order something else to get the order over $25 to qualify for free shipping.
There was another book that also offered a good discount that sent the order over $25.
So I took a flyer and placed the order, hoping that Cavett wouldn't be repeating himself too often.

The blurb for Cavett's book was:
"Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets."

Now I like confrontations as well as the next guy.
More, even.
And who doesn't like pointed commentary?
Off-Screen Secrets?
I live for them.

I received the e-mail informing me that the order was on its way.
In the interim, I read Cavett's current entry on his N.Y. Times blog.
It's an entire blog devoted to bellyaching about having to go out to the hinterlands to promote this book.
As someone has worked on turning my blog into several books, I would kill for the opportunity to go wherever necessary to hawk the shit out of my books.
If I wouldn't, I simply wouldn't make the effort to turn them into books.
In this current column he mentions, in passing, that this book is a compilation of his blog articles.
You know.
The ones that I have already read.
And I'm now paying more than twenty bucks to have in my possession.
A word to Cavett: an off-screen secret can not still be a secret IF IT HAS ALREADY BEEN PUBLISHED!!

So he's complaining about having to promote a book he didn't even have to WRITE.
Only COMPILE.
From the Motion Picture "Boy, He's Got It Tough".

There was no indication on the Amazon page about the book being a compilation of the blog articles.
Nor is there one now.
For Brief Encounters, you have to hunt down the One-Star reviews to find this information.
Now I must make it clear that I don't blame Amazon for any of this.
For two simple reasons: I have since published four Kindle books there, and I don't want to piss them off.
And I don't want any problems with my customer account.

No, I place the blame purely on the little shoulders of Dick Cavett.
I don't care if I piss him off like crazy.
It behooved him early in the process to place the information on the Amazon Page prominently that THIS IS A COMPILATION OF ARTICLES HAVE BEEN READ ALREADY BY MANY!
That MANY people have read these articles already!
ALREADY!

I can't believe that I am alone in this dilemma.
I imagine that many of his potential pre-order readers were culled from the people who read his blog regularly.
His blog appears on the N.Y. Times website, where there are many, many readers.

I have now had to deal with Amazon to try to get a refund.
Finally after several jousts, where conflicting information was offered, I was able to return the package.
And of course, I couldn't open the package to retrieve the other book that was in the same box, so I had to return that too, and have to re-order it.
Somewhat of an inconvenience.
But, again, I' M NOT BLAMING AMAZON!
I DON'T WANT TO PISS OFF AMAZON!
THIS IS PURELY DICK CAVETT'S FAULT!

I undersand that my complaining about what Cavett did might seem as insignificant as Cavett complaining about having to hawk his book in the hinterlands.
At least to him.
The difference being that if I don't get my refund from Amazon, Dick Cavett owes me twenty four bucks.

----------------
So I didn't make the same mistake twice.
I advise you regular Cavett blog-readers to not make the same mistake once.


*****

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

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".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Report Card----"American Sniper"

"American Sniper" is another version of "The Hurt Locker", which, if you might recall, I hated.
I didn't hate "American Sniper" quite as much.
Probably because I had the low expectations of it being another "Hurt Locker"
It's point of view seemed to be all over the place.
It condemned war.
It glorified war.
Apparently, it also futzed around with the truth.
This is something that has become something of a hallmark of Clint Eastwood.
That, and talking to empty chairs.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Only occasionally.
C.

Compelling even?

Never.
F.

Is it controversial?

The incompleteness of the details and the ending is somewhat controversial.
That it made 90 million on opening weekend is controversial.
D.

Is it a story worth telling?

Not to me.
C-.

Is it good storytelling?

It consistently rambles.
C-.

Is it well written?

No.
C-.

Is it well cast? Well played?

I've never gotten what all the shouting is about Bradley Cooper.
James Lipton had him on "Inside The Actors Studio, and spent the whole hour practically blowing him.
Cooper added nothing to this.
C-.

Well shot?

Eastwood basically photographed a shoot-em-up, and did nothing to advance the form.
C.

Is it too long? Too short?

Way too long.
C-.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

I don't know what to believe. I don't know what to care about.
C-.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

I didn't know what to expect. The ending seemed to be left deliberately unclear.
C-.

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

Only with dismay.
C-.

Is it funny?

Never.
F.

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

I can't imagine that it would, knowing that I'm in the vast minority.
F.

Is it impressive?

No.

Overall grade: C-.

It was just another empty chair for Eastwood to talk to.


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

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 and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Underinflated.

Okay.
Here's an opportunity for Roger Goodell to redeem himself.
Bill Belichick obviously cheated the Indianapolis Colts by deflating his team's footballs.
To me, this is far more egregious than Pete Rose betting on the Reds, thus being banned from baseball.
I'm not suggesting that Belichick be banned for life from coaching, although I'd consider it, because he has an extensive track record for doing this kind of thing.
He is a cheat, and always has been.
But it's not fair to take it out on the Patriots.
It's also not fair to take it out on the Colts.
My first reaction was that the Patriots should forfeit the game to the Colts, but perhaps that's too severe.
So I'd stop short of that.
But if I were Goodell, here's what I'd suggest.
Not suggest. Demand.
Reschedule the Colts-Pats game this Sunday.
There would still be a week to go before the Super Bowl.
Hold the game in Indianapolis.
Foxboro had it's chance.
Make sure the balls aren't underinflated.
Don't let anyone on the Patriots touch them.
Let the Colts do whatever they want to THEY'RE balls, so to speak.
And the winner of THAT game goes to the Super Bowl.
Think of the ratings!
If Belichick doesn't accept these conditions, the Patriots will forfeit the game, and the Colts then waltz their way into the Super Bowl.
If I was Roger Goodell, that's what I'd do.
But then, I have balls.
Roger Goodell most-likely doesn't.
He's never shown any in the past.
And MY balls are not underinflated.

-----
P.S.---I just watched Keith Olbermann, and he echoed virtually all of my sentiments.
He elaborated by quoting the NFL Rule Book, which gives Goodell the authority to do ALL of this.

------
Thursday---Things are going predictably.
Not a word from Goodell, except that it's all "under investigation".
The clock is ticking.
What's there to investigate?
Who actually deflated the footballs?
Isn't it enough to know that they WERE and that it's CHEATING?
We know it wasn't anyone on the Colts.
So today, we were treated by the media to a medley by Belichick and Brady of "There Ain't No Flies On Me"
It all happened under Belichick's watch, so there ARE flies on him.
So it looks like Goodell's just running out the clock.
I know that he's in the pocket of Robert Kraft, the Patriots owner, but don't both of them realize that the integrity of the Super Bowl is more important to all concerned than whether or not the Patriots get into it?
Goodell is worth over $44 million.
Is he really worried about losing his job and having to stand on a breadline?
To quote a line from the film "On The Beach", "There is still time, brother!"

-------
Friday---The media discussion on this subject has now degenerated into extended double entendre "balls" jokes.
Nobody is taking the Cheating issue seriously.
I believe that I was the first person to deliver a "balls" joke.
But it was part of a more serious discussion.
And now, it's just descended into "balls" overkill.
The media is no better than Roger Goodell.
Particularly NBC media.
Because they're hosting the game.
Bob Costas and Lawrence O'Donnell were particularly disgraceful about "balls" last night.
We're all screwed.

---------
Saturday---Belichick addresses reporters and blames the whole thing on the weather.
Weren't the Colts and their balls on the same field, playing in the same weather?
Belichick then took some questions, and none of the esteemed members of the press asked him that one.
Sheeesh!!!


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

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 and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Report Card---"The Grand Hotel Budapest"

"The Grand Hotel Budapest" is, in fact, grand.
It is, to quote Forrest Gump, a box of chocolates.
A box of Godiva Chocolates.
This isn't Hershey's, or Nestles.
This is a very fancy movie.
It is a lovely gift for the audience.
It is simply this delightful chunk of whimsy.
If you're looking for more than that, go someplace else.
Accept it on it's own terms, and fall in love with it.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Always. Mainly because you are dazzled by the look of it.
A+.

Compelling even?

It's really not designed to be taken that seriously.
No Grade.

Is it controversial?

It is a glorious soufflé. No room for controversy.
No Grade.

Is it a story worth telling?

Absolutely.
A+.

Is it good storytelling?

Superb.
A+.

Is it well written?

Extremely.
A.

Is it well cast? Well played?

There are a lot of big names doing virtual cameos. That only adds to the fun. And WILLEM DAFOE is in this one too!
A+.

Well shot?

That's where this really shines. Wes Anderson is an utter master of using the camera to tell visual jokes, much like John Hughes used to. And even better, to paint stunning pictures with it.
A+.

Is it too long? Too short?

Just right.
A+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Believable enough. And I cared totally.
A.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Slightly predictable, but it never mattered.
A-.

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

Only about how so many inferior directors are given so much more credit than Wes Anderson, who is, unlike the others, a true visionary.
A+.

Is it funny?

Hilarious.
A+.

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

Yes. And don't watch it on a little screen.
A+.

Is it impressive?

Visually, unsurpassed.
A+.

Overall grade: A+.

I'm glad to see that there is at least some room at the Oscars for a soufflé.

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

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 and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****

Friday, January 16, 2015

Report Card---"The Fault In Our Stars"

"The Fault In Our Stars" is about two young cancer patients who fall in love as life is slipping away.
Sounds like pretty depressing stuff, huh?
NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST!!!
It never succumbs to that.
It is warm, touching, caring, and contains many delights.
I have only the highest praise for it.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

It can't help itself. You are consumed by it.
A+.

Compelling even?

Totally.
A+.

Is it controversial?

Very.
The characters continually wrestle with their prospects for immortality, or whether everyone whoever was anyone will imminently turn into dust.
It made me ponder the same questions.
A+.

Is it a story worth telling?

Unquestionably.
A+.

Is it good storytelling?

There is a bit of a sag at the two-thirds point, but it rallies tremendously at the end.
A-.

Is it well written?

Extremely.
A.

Is it well cast? Well played?

The two kids were wonderful. Laura Dern played the girl's mother. You can't go wrong with that.
Willem Dafoe has a key part in it, and is terrific, and for the life of me, while I was watching him, throughout the movie, I couldn't think of his name. I kept thinking "C'mon!! He played Jesus in that Scorcese movie!! The man's a star!!
I needed the end credits to tell me it was Willem Dafoe. Then, a half-hour later, I was in bed, and the name flew out of my head again!!
In the film, there is an exchange of dialogue where one character says to another "Pretty soon, nobody will remember Cleopatra, or
Muhammad Ali. And I've already forgotten Willem Dafoe twice in two hours!
A+.

Well shot?

Very.
A+.

Is it too long? Too short?

A tad long. But just a tad.
B+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

I believed it totally, and I cared totally.
A+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Some of it is predictable, but it takes a very satisfying left turn at the very end.
A+.

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

It leaves you with all sorts of thoughts swirling around your head.
A+.

Is it funny?

That's the thing of it. Considering what it's about, it is EXTREMELY funny.
This is not a comedy, but it's far funnier than many that purport to be. (See "Report Card---"Bridesmaids")
A+.

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

I could have waited, but was glad I didn't have to.
A+.

Is it impressive?

It is an outstanding movie, and what movies should be.
A+.

Overall grade: A+.

WILLEM DAFOE!!! WILLEM DAFOE!!!!

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

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 and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Report Card----"Get On Up"

This is the one about James Brown.
I was never that big a fan of James Brown.
My intelligent college friend, the one with the Barbara Walters lisp, was once quoted as saying "People buy James Bwown wecords to wisten to him dance."
I understood totally.
Watching this movie doesn't wequire buying any of his wecords.
There is pwenty of dancing and singing.
And the combination is vewy entertaining.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Very. I knew almost nothing about him beforehand. Now, I do. It is a gritty, gut-level show business story.
A+.

Compelling even?

Occasionally.
B+.

Is it controversial?

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

Is it a story worth telling?

Why not?
B.

Is it good storytelling?

Pretty good.
B+.

Is it well written?

Not bad
B.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Chadwick Bozeman, formerly known for playing Jackie Robinson, showed enormous range playing Brown.
He displayed an equal amount of incoherency as Brown did.
A+.

Well shot?

Very. It added to the dynamism of the proceedings.
A+.

Is it too long? Too short?

Maybe a tad long.
B+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

I believed it, and I cared.
A.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

All I knew was that he died at the end. I didn't know how he got there.
B+.

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

Not really.
C.

Is it funny?

Not really.
C.

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

It may have been more impressive that way, but not thirteen bucks worth.
C+.

Is it impressive?

It is an overwhelming movie, with tremendous entertainment value.
A.

Overall grade: A-.

I still wouldn't buy any of his wecords.

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

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 and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Report Card----"The Imitation Game".

"The Imitation Game" is an incredibly wonderful, intellectually and emotionally stimulating movie, that has you hooked from the get-go, and never lets up.
It is easily the best movie I have reported on this season, which isn't saying much, and knowing what I'm going to report on in the near future, is saying even less.
But in any year, it can easily be the best film.
As of now, it gets my vote.
It is about the trials and tribulations of a young genius Britisher who attempts to break the Nazis code machine, Enigma, during World War II.
And that's all you need to know going in, if that much.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Constantly.
A+.

Compelling even?

Almost constantly.
A+.

Is it controversial?

Extremely.
A+.

Is it a story worth telling?

Undoubtedly.
A+.

Is it good storytelling?

It is GREAT storytelling, on all levels.
A+.

Is it well written?

Excellently written.
A.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Uniformly excellent on all scores.
A+.

Well shot?

Very.
A+.

Is it too long? Too short?

Not even an issue.
A+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

It's a true story, and there is overwhelming caring.
A+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Only one element is predictable. He's going to crack the code. If he didn't, there would be no point in making the movie.
So that's a given, and it doesn't matter. But so many surprising things happen after that.
A+.

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

So far, often.
A+.

Is it funny?

It doesn't aim for that too much, and it isn't missed.
No grade.

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

Whatever it takes.
A+.

Is it impressive?

I was ten pins, and it was a bowling ball.
A+.

Overall grade: A+.

Don't have the bad taste to miss it.

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

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 and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Pushin' Forty.

When I wrote the article "The Match Game", a few weeks ago, about Cosby, I mentioned that one of my plays, set in the 1980s, contained a throwaway reference to him, which I felt I had to change, due to current circumstances.
In the same play, in order to give myself the flexibility to use an older (than mid-to-late thirties) actress in the role, I provided extra additional dialogue to cover it.
The character is an actress who was just barely nosed out for the Jaclyn Smith part in "Charlie's Angels" ten years previously, and has never gotten over it.
When an older actress is cast, dialogue is needed to explain her age.
So the characters, Earl and Patty, have this exchange of dialogue:
Earl: Uh, forgive me for bringing this up, but weren't you a little old for "Charlie's....?"
Patty: Remember Elly May?
Earl: Elly May? "The Beverly Hillbillies"?
Patty; Uh huh. When she got that part, she was pushin' forty!
Earl: Really?
Patty: Yup. (Gesturing) P---forty!
Earl: oh-h-h! So when you were up for "Charlie's Angels", you were...
Patty: Pushin' F-thirty-five!!

And at the time, Donna Douglas WAS pushin' forty.
It may not seem like much now, but in 1962, when I was fifteen, and Donna Douglas was pushin' forty, forty seemed ancient.
Forty hadn't yet become the new twenty-five.
It was still the old forty.
If I had known that at the time, it really would've freaked me out.
A lot of people were surprised when they learned of actress Donna Douglas's death last week that she was 81, or 82.
Nobody in the preaa ever gets it exactly right.
I wasn't surprised.
I knew it.
And I knew I was being accurate when I wrote that dialogue.
I don't remember why or how or when I knew, but I knew that I knew.
She was at least four years older than Jethro.
In a way, I was kind of sad when they showed very recent pictures of her on the news.
She did not age well.
As one who found her to represent the first erection of many of my generation, it did not sit particularly well.
But at least she didn't seem to have any plastic surgery done to grotesquely stretch her face.
We take our small blessings where we can find them.
R.I.P., Donna.


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

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 and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Report Card----"Chef"


"Chef" is your classic "little" movie.
It is amiable, and harmless, and just lopes along for major stretches.
As the title indicates, it is about food.
As such, it is probably more effective if you watch it when you're hungry.
I watched it after dinner, which didn't help.
It is also about the yearning for independence.
It is written, directed and starring Jon Favreau, whose work I've always been partial to.
The problem between Favreau, as the chef, and the food critic, who reviews his restaurant, is similar to the problem between Favreau, the film-maker, and me, as the film critic.
His latest work is simply not up to his earlier work.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Not often.
C-.

Compelling, even?

For a couple of brief moments.
B.

Is it a story worth telling?

I don't think so.
C-.

Is it good storytelling?

The ending, once we get there, is nice. But there is an awful lot of boring before we get there.
C-.

Is it well written?

Not great, not bad.
B.

Is it controversial?

Not at all.
F.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Favreau must have called in a lot of markers on this one.
Dustin Hoffman, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, and Robert Downey Jr. have throwaway parts in this.
They weren't needed.
They must have been doing Favreau a favor. Hoffman was the only one who made an impression.
C+.

Well shot?

Nothing exceptional.
B.

Is it too long? Too short?

The lulls in the action make it feel very long.
C-.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Yes, and just barely.
B.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

The very end is surprising and rewarding, and almost redeems the tedium that precedes it.
A-.

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

Not at all.
C-.

Is it funny?

Occasionally. It could have been funnier.
B-.

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

This one is pure HBO.
F.

Is it impressive ?

Not hardly at all.
C-.

Overall grade: C.

Go back and watch "Swingers"


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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 and 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 and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

*****

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About Me

Hi. I am, according to my Wikipedia entry,(which I did not create) a noted television writer, playwright, screenwriter, and occasional actor. You can Google me or go to the IMDB to get my credits, and you can come here to get my opinions on things, which I'll try to express eloquently. Hopefully I'll succeed. You can also e-mail me at macchus999@aol.com. Perhaps my biggest claim to fame is being responsible, for about six months in 1975, while Head Writer for the "Happy Days" TV series, for Americans saying to each other "Sit on it."