This documentary benefits from its lovable subject.
After almost seventy years on television, and some feature films, Betty White is finally slowing down (a little). Up for interviews are former co-stars, with some clips from her first forays into television, her marriage to Allen Ludden, and her sudden second career that started in the early 2000s.
She's a talented, funny actress, but the film makers don't go for a complete picture of her work and life. Ignored are her other sitcoms besides "Life With Elizabeth," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Golden Girls," and "Hot in Cleveland." Some spoiler footage from "The Lost Valentine" is played to show her versatility. Everyone loves Betty, and it comes through in the interviews, which seemed to be shot at different times or taken from other documentaries, and the amount of people who have passed away now is shocking (Betty White will be 99 next month as of this writing).
Funny clips, some interesting biographical information, a lovable subject, but there's got to be more out there than just this. Less than an hour is NOT enough time to cover seventy years.
Stats:
-Directed by Steve Boettcher
-Cast: Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Reynolds, Carl Reiner, Valerie Harper, Tom Sullivan, Kiersten Mikelas, Jeff Witjas
-Media: Streaming on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 57 minutes
-Letterboxd rating: (* * */* * * * *); IMDb rating: 6/10
-MPAA Unrated, contains some sexual references, some adult situations
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)
Despite the title, NOT an adult film, and oh, how the mighty have fallen! I don't mean the medium-name cast, I'm talking about director Ron Underwood, who helmed the cult classic "Tremors," as well as "City Slickers," "Heart and Souls," "Speechless," "Mighty Joe Young," and, oh, yeah..."The Adventures of Pluto Nash"...okay, I understand now. Melissa Joan Hart plays a quirky artist whose jerk Wall Street boyfriend (this film is VERY anti-Wall Street, anti-capitalism, etc.) breaks up with her. She kidnaps Mario Lopez, who has his own awful but rich girlfriend, and presents him as her beau at the family gathering at a conveniently isolated cabin in the woods. Assorted family secrets eventually come out, as Hart and Lopez grow closer. June Lockhart fails miserably in the wild grandma role probably written for Betty White, and the plot is preposterous and predictable. Hart has a few funny scenes, but unless you've never seen a Hallmark Channel film before (this debuted on the old ABC Family Channel, hence it's mild edginess), this can run dull.
Stats:
-Directed by Ron Underwood
-Cast: Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Markie Post, Timothy Bottoms, June Lockhart, Kyle Howard, Vanessa Evigan, Gabrielle Miller
-Media: DVD
-Running Time: 86 minutes
-Letterboxd Rating: (* * */* * * * *); IMDb Rating: 6/10
Stats:
-Directed by Ron Underwood
-Cast: Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Markie Post, Timothy Bottoms, June Lockhart, Kyle Howard, Vanessa Evigan, Gabrielle Miller
-Media: DVD
-Running Time: 86 minutes
-Letterboxd Rating: (* * */* * * * *); IMDb Rating: 6/10
Serviced with a Smile (1979)
This is a French porno badly dubbed into English, and released on an unsuspecting grindhouse crowd. Bored and beautiful housewife Barbara (Brigitte Lahaie) and her husband take in a mysterious butler, who promptly turns their household upside down sexually. The film is also a bore, despite Lahaie being easy on the eyes. Yeah, nothing more bourgeois than a loving monogamous relationship! Lahaie, as opposed to many adult film performers (I refuse to use the term "star"), is still around and mystified by the fascination with her early films. Honestly, there is nothing sadder than the pornography industry, a topic that is both taboo but also pulling in billions of dollars every year. Performers' careers are short-lived, but the effect on their bodies and mental state are lifetime sentences. You rarely see performers who handled their choices well, with many of them turning to alcohol, drugs, and suffering early deaths. I pity the performers here, and their inability to lead normal lives- you can't commit this kind of intimacy to film and not experience some kind of shame and guilt no matter how actors, actresses, and crew have justified it over the past few decades; with many having to explain what they did to their own children- I cannot even imagine what that would do to any offspring- child or adult. Also known as "Couple Cherche Esclave Sexuel."
Stats:
-Directed by Jean-Claude Roy as "Patrick Aubin"
-Cast: Brigitte Lahaie, Nicole Velna, Alban Ceray, Dominique Aveline, Marie-Claude Viollet, Hubert Geral
-Media: DVD
-IMDb Rating: 1/10
Stats:
-Directed by Jean-Claude Roy as "Patrick Aubin"
-Cast: Brigitte Lahaie, Nicole Velna, Alban Ceray, Dominique Aveline, Marie-Claude Viollet, Hubert Geral
-Media: DVD
-IMDb Rating: 1/10
"Bonanza" {"A Passion for Justice" #5.2} (1963)
Jonathan Harris brings his Dr. Smith character from "Lost in Space" out to the Ponderosa, portraying author Charles Dickens as a mincing snob in this badly written episode.
Ben (Lorne Greene) and a Virginia City literary society invite Charles Dickens (Jonathan Harris) out west to give a presentation of his works. The ruffians in town surprisingly know Dickens' works, thanks to their publication by Sam Walker (Frank Albertson) in the local newspaper. What the townspeople don't know is that Dickens never authorized the American serialization of his novels, and soon browbeats the townsfolk for stealing from him. Walker's printing equipment is destroyed, Dickens is implicated, and soon a trial is on with absolutely no suspense in its outcome and repercussions.
This misstep in the series feels off-kilter from the beginning. Instead of portraying Dickens as slightly haughty or even a little snobbish, Harris portrays him as an ass of the highest order, turning off the townspeople and the audience. No one is concerned that this child inmate of a debtors' prison is getting cheated out of money that is rightfully his, I saw no motivation why he doesn't defend himself in his trial- telling people the real reason he was in Walker's office when the damage was found (the screenwriter also dropped the ball here, as the real culprit is made more than obvious). Harris' final scene as Dickens is fantastic, he does a 180 and plays him as he should have been playing him for the last forty-eight minutes, with the exception of another nicely done bit with Dickens working with Hoss (Dan Blocker).
Of course, the Cartwrights know better than everyone else all along, but this episode is such a turn-off, I was thankful when it ended. I still love Dickens' work, Great Expectations is one of my favorite novels, but based on this episode alone, Dickens is a jerk.
Stats:
-Directed by Murray Golden
-Written by Peter Packer
-Cast: Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, Michael Landon, Jonathan Harris, Victor Maddern, Frank Albertson, Ray Teal
-Media: DVD
-Running Time: 56 minutes
-(* * 1/2/* * * * *); IMDb rating: 5/10
-Contains very mild physical violence, very mild gun violence, mild alcohol use
Ben (Lorne Greene) and a Virginia City literary society invite Charles Dickens (Jonathan Harris) out west to give a presentation of his works. The ruffians in town surprisingly know Dickens' works, thanks to their publication by Sam Walker (Frank Albertson) in the local newspaper. What the townspeople don't know is that Dickens never authorized the American serialization of his novels, and soon browbeats the townsfolk for stealing from him. Walker's printing equipment is destroyed, Dickens is implicated, and soon a trial is on with absolutely no suspense in its outcome and repercussions.
This misstep in the series feels off-kilter from the beginning. Instead of portraying Dickens as slightly haughty or even a little snobbish, Harris portrays him as an ass of the highest order, turning off the townspeople and the audience. No one is concerned that this child inmate of a debtors' prison is getting cheated out of money that is rightfully his, I saw no motivation why he doesn't defend himself in his trial- telling people the real reason he was in Walker's office when the damage was found (the screenwriter also dropped the ball here, as the real culprit is made more than obvious). Harris' final scene as Dickens is fantastic, he does a 180 and plays him as he should have been playing him for the last forty-eight minutes, with the exception of another nicely done bit with Dickens working with Hoss (Dan Blocker).
Of course, the Cartwrights know better than everyone else all along, but this episode is such a turn-off, I was thankful when it ended. I still love Dickens' work, Great Expectations is one of my favorite novels, but based on this episode alone, Dickens is a jerk.
Stats:
-Directed by Murray Golden
-Written by Peter Packer
-Cast: Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, Michael Landon, Jonathan Harris, Victor Maddern, Frank Albertson, Ray Teal
-Media: DVD
-Running Time: 56 minutes
-(* * 1/2/* * * * *); IMDb rating: 5/10
-Contains very mild physical violence, very mild gun violence, mild alcohol use
Book Review: "Kops and Custards: The Legend of Keystone Films" by Kalton C. Lahue and Terry Brewer
"Kops and Custards" is a history of Mack Sennett's Keystone Films. It recounts a little bit of Sennett's background and how he founded Keystone Pictures, and how he eventually lost his fun factory through shady financial dealings. While the book is effective in recounting how Sennett had to work hard to convince others that his comedy theories would work on film, it does tend to confuse the reader by throwing in too many facts and figures concerning the finances of Keystone Corporation.
Half of the book concerns who bought what, financed this, then sold it for less to others. The amount of names brought up is dizzying, and not very enlightening. The other half of the book concerns the daily running of the studio, and the many comedians who passed in and out of Keystone's doors. Sennett's relationship with Mabel Normand is touched upon, although no explored thoroughly. Charlie Chaplin is not mentioned as often as he should have been. He is treated as just another actor who left the studio for broader horizons. One interesting fact that came out of the book was the rising film career of Charlie's brother, Sydney Chaplin, at Keystone. Sydney's career could have been very successful if he hadn't turned his sights on his brother.
Another problem with the book is the arrogant attitude it takes toward its subjects. Authors Lahue and Brewer constantly discount stories Sennett and Chaplin told in their autobiographies. The authors make many of the major players of that era as simple-minded buffoons whose only concern was money. I do not think I can recommend this book. For studying Charlie Chaplin, it doesn't cover any new ground. If you are interested in the financial goings-on of Keystone, then this book would be helpful. The book's text is just 134 pages. The book features a very impressive appendix listing all the known Keystone comedies from September 1912 through September 1917. Also listed is a bibliography, titles index, and a general index.
Half of the book concerns who bought what, financed this, then sold it for less to others. The amount of names brought up is dizzying, and not very enlightening. The other half of the book concerns the daily running of the studio, and the many comedians who passed in and out of Keystone's doors. Sennett's relationship with Mabel Normand is touched upon, although no explored thoroughly. Charlie Chaplin is not mentioned as often as he should have been. He is treated as just another actor who left the studio for broader horizons. One interesting fact that came out of the book was the rising film career of Charlie's brother, Sydney Chaplin, at Keystone. Sydney's career could have been very successful if he hadn't turned his sights on his brother.
Another problem with the book is the arrogant attitude it takes toward its subjects. Authors Lahue and Brewer constantly discount stories Sennett and Chaplin told in their autobiographies. The authors make many of the major players of that era as simple-minded buffoons whose only concern was money. I do not think I can recommend this book. For studying Charlie Chaplin, it doesn't cover any new ground. If you are interested in the financial goings-on of Keystone, then this book would be helpful. The book's text is just 134 pages. The book features a very impressive appendix listing all the known Keystone comedies from September 1912 through September 1917. Also listed is a bibliography, titles index, and a general index.
"Bonanza" {"Rain from Heaven" #5.3} (1963)
Another misstep in the season finds the Cartwrights hosting a rainmaker during a terrible drought.
Tulsa Weems (John Anderson) and his family arrive in Virginia City, and for a couple of hundred dollars, will make it rain again. In tow are his wife ('60's TV mainstay Claudia Bryar), uppity son Jube (Mickey Sholdar), and his sick daughter Mary Beth (Eileen Chesis). Ben (Lorne Greene) is the only person in town who doesn't kick in money for Weems' services, and Tulsa is infuriated with him since rainmaking is doing the Lord's work (in many an embarrassing scene). Ben offers the family his home after Tulsa is locked up for a half-hearted attack on Ben, but they don't take charity. They eventually break into the Cartwright barn, sure, they don't take charity, but they do what they need to to survive.
As the family waits outside, still not taking charity, Hoss (Dan Blocker) brings Mary Beth into the house and locks her up in a bedroom. She has typhoid fever, and Hoss believes that some itchy cold compresses will cure her of the disease. Tulsa begins his rainmaking ceremony as his family still don't take charity, and his actions may or may not work. Oh, and his family don't take charity.
This misfire is very padded, with repetitious lines and situations. I was sick to death of hearing the family's justification for not taking charity, despite Anderson's good performance. Pernell Roberts has just one line and ducks out of the episode after the first two minutes. Another mistake made is dubbing in Mary Beth's moaning, which is unintentionally hilarious. Tulsa's rainmaking efforts, involving a teeny cannon and stock footage of fireworks, also runs too long. Hoss locking himself in a bedroom with a ten year old girl is a little weird, as well. The episode feels forced and stale, and the abrupt conclusion wraps everything up in a couple of minutes, with no consequences, or word from Roberts' Adam.
A definite letdown, I hope the rest of the season improves from this.
Stats:
-Directed by Lewis Allen
-Written by Robert Vincent Wright
Cast: Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, Michael Landon, John Anderson, Ray Teal, Claudia Bryar, Mickey Sholdar, Eileen Chesis
Media: DVD
Running Time: 56 minutes
(* */* * * * *); IMDb rating: 4/10
Contains very mild physical violence, very mild gun violence, alcohol use
Tulsa Weems (John Anderson) and his family arrive in Virginia City, and for a couple of hundred dollars, will make it rain again. In tow are his wife ('60's TV mainstay Claudia Bryar), uppity son Jube (Mickey Sholdar), and his sick daughter Mary Beth (Eileen Chesis). Ben (Lorne Greene) is the only person in town who doesn't kick in money for Weems' services, and Tulsa is infuriated with him since rainmaking is doing the Lord's work (in many an embarrassing scene). Ben offers the family his home after Tulsa is locked up for a half-hearted attack on Ben, but they don't take charity. They eventually break into the Cartwright barn, sure, they don't take charity, but they do what they need to to survive.
As the family waits outside, still not taking charity, Hoss (Dan Blocker) brings Mary Beth into the house and locks her up in a bedroom. She has typhoid fever, and Hoss believes that some itchy cold compresses will cure her of the disease. Tulsa begins his rainmaking ceremony as his family still don't take charity, and his actions may or may not work. Oh, and his family don't take charity.
This misfire is very padded, with repetitious lines and situations. I was sick to death of hearing the family's justification for not taking charity, despite Anderson's good performance. Pernell Roberts has just one line and ducks out of the episode after the first two minutes. Another mistake made is dubbing in Mary Beth's moaning, which is unintentionally hilarious. Tulsa's rainmaking efforts, involving a teeny cannon and stock footage of fireworks, also runs too long. Hoss locking himself in a bedroom with a ten year old girl is a little weird, as well. The episode feels forced and stale, and the abrupt conclusion wraps everything up in a couple of minutes, with no consequences, or word from Roberts' Adam.
A definite letdown, I hope the rest of the season improves from this.
Stats:
-Directed by Lewis Allen
-Written by Robert Vincent Wright
Cast: Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, Michael Landon, John Anderson, Ray Teal, Claudia Bryar, Mickey Sholdar, Eileen Chesis
Media: DVD
Running Time: 56 minutes
(* */* * * * *); IMDb rating: 4/10
Contains very mild physical violence, very mild gun violence, alcohol use
The Croods: A New Age (2020)
Audiences were finally (after seven long years) treated to a sequel to the original film about a family of cavemen, and while not as good as "The Croods," we'll take what we can get.
After all the events of the first film, which was a fantastic combination of action and comedy, the Croods are still looking for their perfect "Tomorrow" to call home. Dad Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage) remains a brute, with understanding wife Ugga (voiced by Catherine Keener) in tow. Gran (voiced by the late Cloris Leachman) hasn't changed much, and neither have the kids Thunk (voiced by Clark Duke) and Sandy (voiced by Kailey Crawford). However, Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) and Eep (voiced by Emma Stone, who brings so much to her character) are in the throes of teenage love, being overly cutesy and annoying under the watchful eye of Grug.
The family runs across a walled Eden run by the Bettermans, Phil (voiced by an absolutely fantastic Peter Dinklage), his wife Hope (voiced by Leslie Mann), and their teenage daughter Dawn (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran). The Bettermans have built their own oasis with amazing inventions like elevators and indoor plumbing, and all the Croods, with the exception of Grug, are enamored with the place. The Bettermans were the best friends of Guy's now deceased parents, and have designs on the lad for their own Dawn. All is not what it seems behind the walled Utopia, and as the two families clash, there's something outside the wall that will eventually bring them together.
This sequel falls a little shy of the first film, but not due to the voice talent. Peter Dinklage's Phil had me laughing the hardest. His New Age-ish approach to fathering and relationships with his family and the Croods had me rolling. The screen is so full of vibrant colors, they almost singe the retinas. I'm not kidding, the neon colors are nearly blinding. The overall look of the Croods has changed as well, maybe thanks to newer technology? Facial features seem smoother, but once in a while director Crawford (or the SIX credited writers involved) add a touch that we didn't see before- the film makers contort the facial features of the cast in a few scenes that are a little unsettling, and a lot creepy. Some new running gags work (Gran sleeping with her eyes open), and some don't (Gran's hair), but the action-packed climax falls well short of any of the action set pieces of the first film. Younger kids might be bored with a lot of the social commentary humor, not getting the bromance or empowered women gags. The screenplay doesn't play it as "woke" as some other recent films, but it does try some stuff here and there that doesn't work. I did like the couple of musical choices, with some fun Jack Black/Tenacious D songs over the end credits.
Throw in a rather startling amount of violence (the constant sticks in eyes had my own eyes watering), and I appreciated this film for what it tried to do but it falls on the lower end of "good" in the grand scheme of things. I hope we don't have to wait another seven years for a sequel, I would love to see the Croods and Bettermans a lot sooner than that.
Stats:
-Directed by Joel Crawford
-Screenplay by Kevin Hageman & Dan Hageman and Paul Fisher & Bob Logan, Story by Kirk DeMicco & Chris Sanders
-Cast: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, Cloris Leachman, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Kelly Marie Tran, Kailey Crawford
-Media: Digital Copy
-Running Time: 95 minutes
-Letterboxd rating: (* * * 1/2/* * * * *); IMDb rating: 7/10
-MPAA Rated (PG), contains physical violence, adult situations
After all the events of the first film, which was a fantastic combination of action and comedy, the Croods are still looking for their perfect "Tomorrow" to call home. Dad Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage) remains a brute, with understanding wife Ugga (voiced by Catherine Keener) in tow. Gran (voiced by the late Cloris Leachman) hasn't changed much, and neither have the kids Thunk (voiced by Clark Duke) and Sandy (voiced by Kailey Crawford). However, Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) and Eep (voiced by Emma Stone, who brings so much to her character) are in the throes of teenage love, being overly cutesy and annoying under the watchful eye of Grug.
The family runs across a walled Eden run by the Bettermans, Phil (voiced by an absolutely fantastic Peter Dinklage), his wife Hope (voiced by Leslie Mann), and their teenage daughter Dawn (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran). The Bettermans have built their own oasis with amazing inventions like elevators and indoor plumbing, and all the Croods, with the exception of Grug, are enamored with the place. The Bettermans were the best friends of Guy's now deceased parents, and have designs on the lad for their own Dawn. All is not what it seems behind the walled Utopia, and as the two families clash, there's something outside the wall that will eventually bring them together.
This sequel falls a little shy of the first film, but not due to the voice talent. Peter Dinklage's Phil had me laughing the hardest. His New Age-ish approach to fathering and relationships with his family and the Croods had me rolling. The screen is so full of vibrant colors, they almost singe the retinas. I'm not kidding, the neon colors are nearly blinding. The overall look of the Croods has changed as well, maybe thanks to newer technology? Facial features seem smoother, but once in a while director Crawford (or the SIX credited writers involved) add a touch that we didn't see before- the film makers contort the facial features of the cast in a few scenes that are a little unsettling, and a lot creepy. Some new running gags work (Gran sleeping with her eyes open), and some don't (Gran's hair), but the action-packed climax falls well short of any of the action set pieces of the first film. Younger kids might be bored with a lot of the social commentary humor, not getting the bromance or empowered women gags. The screenplay doesn't play it as "woke" as some other recent films, but it does try some stuff here and there that doesn't work. I did like the couple of musical choices, with some fun Jack Black/Tenacious D songs over the end credits.
Throw in a rather startling amount of violence (the constant sticks in eyes had my own eyes watering), and I appreciated this film for what it tried to do but it falls on the lower end of "good" in the grand scheme of things. I hope we don't have to wait another seven years for a sequel, I would love to see the Croods and Bettermans a lot sooner than that.
Stats:
-Directed by Joel Crawford
-Screenplay by Kevin Hageman & Dan Hageman and Paul Fisher & Bob Logan, Story by Kirk DeMicco & Chris Sanders
-Cast: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, Cloris Leachman, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Kelly Marie Tran, Kailey Crawford
-Media: Digital Copy
-Running Time: 95 minutes
-Letterboxd rating: (* * * 1/2/* * * * *); IMDb rating: 7/10
-MPAA Rated (PG), contains physical violence, adult situations
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