magicdog

Funny you should mention sitcom. It was made into a short lived sitcom not long after; Dolly Parton's sister played Dora Lee, and Rita Moreno played Violet.

Didn't see that one either ;o)

ITA! One could edit Julie's scenes out and there'd still be an enjoyable film. As for Julie herself - I hadn't read her blog nor her books (she has since published another) but from what I'd read of her, she seemed like a real.....shall we say, piece of work?

Thank. You. I have no clue why this movie is so liked. My coworker is an anchor for a popular morning show and loves this film. Almost every Friday in the last hour of the show, he had clips of the show play on screen. It looks stupid from all the clips I'd seen. Coming from a family of Sicilian heritage, my father refused to watch this film or have it on our TV at home. I saw the first film last week on TV and I have to say it's boring. There are two versions of the novel - one made in 1931 and the better known remake. The pre-code version is worth a look - they got away with stuff the Code wouldn't allow in the 1941 version. Other films: Avatar - As mentioned, I already saw Dances With Wolves and I didn't need to see how a bunch of military meanies seek out "unobtainium". The Thor Movies Iron Man 2 - I was told it paled to the first one anyway and only meant to set up the Avengers film. Lauded horror movies like "Friday the 13th" (any version/sequel/reboot), Freddy Krueger movies ("Nightmare On Elm Street", et al), "Blair Witch Project", "The Amityville Horror" "Saw", "Hostel" or "Carrie". Maybe I'm soft, but slasher films and gore fests just aren't what I'm looking for in films. The Color Purple 13 Years a Slave Selma Precious Django Unchained Crystal Skull - I thought the Indiana Jones films ended just fine with the third film, and this one was unnecessary. Almost Famous TLOTR trilogy and The Hobbit film - Nothing against Tolkein, but it just doesn't grab me. Planes, Trains & Automobiles Good Will Hunting Patch Adams The Crying Game Ghandi Children Of A Lesser God Shakespere In Love Cider House Rules The Green Mile Philadelphia Gladiator Chocolat Like Water For Chocolate The Piano Lost In Translation Sideways Million Dollar Baby Juno There Will Be Blood Milk The Blind Side The King's Speech The Social Network The Help War Horse Silver Linings Playbook Birdman - Whenever I hear the title, I keep thinking of this guy. Gravity - the previews alone made me want to puke with all that spinning! Theory of Everything - I'd read that according to his first wife's original memoirs (which were republished and reedited) Hawking was a bit of a douche to her and made her feel stupid and small because he was such a lauded genius. Boyhood - a co-worker told me he'd seen it and said the only thing this film had going for it was the gimmick of being filmed over a period of years. Nearly every Academy Award Winning film for best picture for the past 35 years (with three exceptions). More often than not, most films I end up not seeing are those which get tons of press from "auteurs" who INSIST I'd be a mouth breather if I didn't see them.

The timeline was altered slightly due to Phoebe not being at the top of the stairs to read the spell to vanquish Shax and make it easier for Leo to save Piper & Prue. Much of the action (Leo, Phoebe & Cole escaping the Underworld ) took place off screen, but infers that while they escaped as fast as they could once they realized they were tricked, the delay caused Leo to choose which sister to save - Piper was supposedly less injured than Prue and not as far gone. Piper later tells him he should have tried to save Prue instead of her and accused him of saving her only because she was his wife. Despite the bad blood between SD and TPTB, she had a better "character death" than most (see Professor Arturo on "Sliders" for more reference) since the writers could have really put her through hell onscreen if they wanted to. I would have loved this - and it could have been one of the ways SD could have revisited Charmed. One of the suggestions at the time was the alternate reality created in "Deja Vu All Over Again" - a reality in which Prue lost both her sisters, or one in which Piper and Phoebe were never born. She also could have made a visit in "Death Becomes Them", in which Zankou has Prue brought back the same way he brought back Phoebe's boyfriend and Inspector Reese. Imagine how devastating it would have been for Piper and Phoebe to find themselves battling Zombie!Prue and having her constantly blaming them for letting her die. It goes without saying that I had hoped SD would make another appearance on the series - even if it was the finale, but it was not to be.

Which goes back to his actions early in Season 6. He killed a Valkyrie to get access to Valhalla, he was treated with suspicion by baby Wyatt (who seemed to have a bit more sense than his mother and aunts!), sent Leo to Valhalla to get him away from the sisters, went to a demon to keep the sisters distracted with their own fantasies (putting their lives at risk), and had a potion made up to purposely block Phoebe's empathy power so she couldn't get any clues off of him. It never made sense for him to go through all that, risk his existence and "make a surgical strike" to save Wyatt from becoming evil in the alternate future. If he was evil (or at least morally gray), he could have obtained the powers via another WL, or he wasn't originally going to be Piper's son at all (perhaps another WL half breed).

Totally with you on this one Spartan Girl! O'Hara's character DID have it coming. I was curious where the snobby behavior came from - since she was out on the frontier with her husband, McClintock and dealt with all the things they had to do to survive before the area was tamed. Plus, they had a great spread and servants and all the modern niceties of the era; it wasn't as if she left a patch of dirt and a lean to.

Love this film! It's so watchable and so much of what occurs in the film is still affecting vets to this day. I also enjoy silent - I was impressed by the original version of "Ben Hur" . It's a spectacle in its own right. Metropolis was also fascinating! I saw a version that was reedited from film pieces located from prints all over the world. It had a few black gaps with title cards describing what the action we were supposed to have been seeing but was no longer extent on film. I'm guessing it was from an original shooting script.

Oh I know all that. It was weird but memorable. Back then of course most series finales didn't have "wrap up" storylines. If The Monkees could have had one, I'd have wanted to see them realize their dream of being rich and famous (since all through the series, they were depicted as a struggling band). Personally, I'd have loved to have seen the Monkees variety show play out; trouble is Raybert/Screen Gems/NBC had enough of them and were ready to dump them as soon as they legally could do so.

Hated trope #12899: People eating Chinese food with chopsticks. Every. Single. Time. I'm not against trying it when the opportunity arises, although it can be quite tricky for those not used to them. Everyone I know (including myself) just use a fork - especially when it comes to eating rice! I honestly believe it to be a superior eating utensil. Hated Trope#12900: When the good guy is battling a villain, and the good guy is in a position to use a weapon to destroy said villain. Despite encouragement from everyone else viewing the battle, the good guy announces s/he won't do it, because "That would make me no better than you, [Villain]!". Give me a break! Considering the villain WOULD use the same weapon against you if the situation were reversed, there's nothing wrong in killing your deadly enemy in self defense. I know in many ways this trope was to promote good behavior in young viewers and it allows the villain (say, The Joker) to return to fight another day. An internet commentator once brought the subject up and mentioned heroes like Batman never killed their villains despite the horrible things they did. His job was to capture them and minimize the damage. It was the justice system that was supposed to punish them. Of course when you think of all the times The Joker (or others) came back over and over again, it makes you think the system is pretty screwed up since they keep letting them go or just put them in sanitariums rather than the electric chair.

This is a bit of a conundrum since TTA tried to do what the original Looney Tunes shorts did - use topical situations for humor. It's true the 90s references are dated but so was Bugs' joke about James Petrillo in "Hurdy Gurdy Hare" (1950). It wasn't until after Petrillo's death was announced in the media before I got that joke. Or how about the references to Bing Crosby's horse in "The Old Grey Hare" (1944)? Did the viewing audience of the original shorts know actors like Bogey, Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, et al were going to be known decades later? Probably not, although it helps that their performances have lasted the test of time and the Looney Tunes humor can cross generations. Did the writers for TTA know about Mel Gibson's meltdown? Obviously not. Sometimes you just can't tell what will stick and what won't.

Largely it was due to the meandering clues and red herrings. By the time HMC was pregnant, the writers were still not sure what to do with him and then said they would make Chris the product of Piper's affair with the firefighter. HMC finally put her foot down and insisted that Chris be Leo's child.

The problem was Chris had a different storyline altogether, but it was changed hastily when it seemed unpopular. Initially he was going to be Prue's reincarnated self. That was tossed when it was realized they could receive backlash from Prue fans since it would have meant SD would NEVER have been able to return even in ghost form. Then he became something else potentially evil (since little Wyatt put up that forcefield when they first met) with an agenda we had yet to see. Then HMC got pregnant and insisted Chris be her second son with Leo. That's why there seemed little reason for the character to jeopardize his very existence (like sending Leo to Valhalla) or kill that Valkyrie early in Season 6. Agreed. Cole had lots of potential but it was squandered with the "is he good or evil now?" storylines. He deserved better - especially since the storyline about his father's soul was dropped with nary a word! We needed to know why he was targeted by his demon mother or why his soul was kept captive all that time. It could have lead Cole to a special destiny all his own. I rooted for him and Phoebe to make things work, but the writers messed it up.

Dead Man Dating: This was a good episode but it is also the beginning of the inconsistent way the dead/ghosts are depicted on the series. Hard to believe Jon Cho would become so popular thanks to the Harold & Kumar movies! I'd like to see him in something other than a latter day Cheech & Chong series. Plenty of contradictions in this ep about ghosts - Mark couldn't be seen by anyone except the sisters, and couldn't turn the TV on, but he could sit on their couch and Piper even opened the car door for him! No way the gangster could have been mistaken for Mark - huge difference in height and build. Not to mention dental records early on should have confirmed who the charred remains were. I don't know if the legend of Yama is real in Chinese folklore, but it was interesting to have to keep hiding Mark's soul. I'm assuming it's only Chinese souls he's after? I felt sorry for Mark's mom by episode's end; she had already lost her husband and had no other children and was now alone. A sweet scene when Prue & Phoebe comfort Piper over losing her latest "boyfriend". Poor girl had a bad track record wtih men. The final scene at the funeral in which Mark and his dad go off into eternity was quite sweet, but again, seems to contradict what we'd see later on with The Angel of Death. Regarding the B-plot with Phoebe at the hotel: was she really giving a premonition to the manager to convince him to hire her or just faking it? I would have loved it if she could have kept that job a bit longer - it did help her help one innocent and maybe she could have found more. Her past self (P. Russell) did the same thing.

Exempting his true motives, I took it a bit differently. I pictured Piper crying her eyes out, and Jeremy came to her to offer comfort. I can imagine him talking to her, telling her some jokes to make her feel better, letting her rest her head on his shoulder and then giving his number to her telling her she could call him anytime for additional support. Then he had her.

They did explain Piper opened a club because it was less risky to opening a restaurant but I agree that I would have sooner expected her to have had a food truck or run a catering business out of her home than running P3. IMO, someone at WB wanted to get some cross promotion with the artists signed to the Warner Records label. At least I credit them for introducing me to the music of Barenaked Ladies and Tal Bachman. Monster of the week?

A bit late but I just found out Lynn Borden, former Miss Arizona (1957) and actress best known for being "Barbara Baxter" on Hazel passed away last month at age 77. According to IMDB, her last credit was a 2006 episode of CSI NY.

Technically I think the first single mom (widowed) was Ellen Miller from the Lassie series (1954). Gene Roddenberry based much of ST technology from a contact at NASA. Much of what turned up on the show was in development for use by astronauts. Eventually many of them turned up in mainstream use (like flip phones which were "communicators" on the show). Despite the now laughable SFX, I still found the show itself very interesting and addicting. I remember seeing it for the first time in the fall of 86 I think - airing on PBS. The Rockford Files isn't the only show that holds up well. The first movie featuring Lt. Frank Colombo, Prescription: Murder (1968) seems almost current - if you can ignore the rotary dial phones! Fair enough. Although I find reruns of the other shows mentioned a bit more "alive". Perhaps it's due to having more than one standout character actor. MRFD I've been catching on ME-TV and many of those eps are still really funny to me. M3S is also a bit livelier - maybe because William Frawley & William Demarest worked so well off of Fred MacMurray and the boys. As for Hazel, I am currently watching the last season when the series was winding down. Perhaps when Antenna TV rolls back to the earlier seasons (pre-1964) I'll feel differently. I don't hate the series mind you, and he character herself I adore. I credit Shirley Booth for that.

Just finished the pilot: It's nice to see the cast have heart and enthusiasm! Since it's so early in the show's run, they weren't phoning it in as they would by season 7. Jeremy from the get go was "Chekov's Boyfriend". You just knew he'd either be the victim or the villain. It was never explained why the dead witch had a triquetra tattoo. Was she supposed to be on the lookout for The Charmed Ones? In fact, how did Jeremy know the Halliwells were Charmed? Loved the introduction of Andy! He and Prue had great chemistry from day one and were believeable as a couple/former couple. The Andy character also seems to be strongly influenced by Fox Mulder. Early on, he is shown to be a believer (or at least open minded) in witches and the craft. I liked how the magic from the beginning was not only tied to their emotions, but the magic as we saw it practiced was similar to what we saw in "All Halliwell's Eve" - the use of poppets, candles, spells, and herbs. The powers as they manifested seemed fairly natural. Prue's however did vary when she "choked" Roger (if anything, he should have been gasping for air and holding his throat not his tie) and the coffee creamer should have "jumped" from the pitcher to the cup rather than in a manner similar to Paige's TKO. The photo. It was always a symbol of how things changed between the sisters. I wish they had done something similar with Paige to help bring their relationship full circle. Trivia: The sister on the far right in the photo is NOT Alyssa Milano! I originally thought is was Lori Rom, but after seeing this pic from the unaired pilot, I'm thinking it's a stand-in. The sisters themselves. Their personalities were in place firmly despite being just the pilot. Sure they loosened up a bit more as the seasons went on, but each actress seemed to have a handle on their characters from the beginning. Prue must have been really lonely to have taken up with Roger. I also had an issue with her believing him over Phoebe regarding "the incident". The spirit board. It's a shame it was all but forgotten in subsequent seasons. It was never mentioned who did move the pointer, although I like to think it was Grams. Even from the very beginning, Piper was all about the "Nancy Drew"!

Worst: Malcolm In The Middle. Best of all, if you didn't see it, this reviewer went through the agony for you - and hits every point. Best: For me it's the Newhart finale hands down. Totally unexpected. The Monkees series finale went out on a similar note of weirdness.

I must agree. I caught some eps on Antenna TV and I can't imagine this show lasting as long as it did. Bea Arthur was way funnier on "Golden Girls" (which IMO was written better and didn't make her Norman Lear's mouthpiece) and much more likeable. Maude was great to watch when she was dueling directly with Archie (as she did in her original appearance and in the Maude pilot) but the rest of the series was about people I couldn't stand. Another show I find a bit outdated is, "Hazel". It's not a bad show really but a bit pedestrian compared to some sitcoms at the time. Other sitcoms were going into supernatural/fantasy territory ("Bewitched" & "I Dream of Jeannie") or appealing to teens by touching on unique premises ("Batman" and "The Monkees") which seemed to set them apart more. This show wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for Shirley Booth in the title role.

JLH would have performed the role in a similar manner to her Melinda character from "Ghost Whisperer". She would have been competent, but not the character Rose ultimately made it - if anything she would have been better suited if the character had been the "second coming of Phoebe" she was intended to be. Thiessen would have been the opposite - I see her as a similar type of actress to Shannen Doherty. She might have worked if Prue were to have been recast or if they had used the storyline in the comics and had Prue's soul placed in a different body. Dushku was too associated with the Faith character to have been seen as Paige although she could have done it if she was wasn't. Soleil Moon Fry could have pulled it off IMO. I had seen a few eps of her run on "Sabrina" and I thought she was pretty good, especially with her comic timing. From what I remember, Paige admitted to drinking alcohol a lot but quit drinking. We never saw her go to or mention AA meetings or intense scenes like going through the DTs or falling off the wagon. I had always thought of her as a once heavy drinker just on the brink but pulled herself back. She couldn't have been too heavy a drinker since she was going to college and trying to have a career in social work. I can see her quitting drinking after her parents died (seeing her as a wild teen in the 90s, I don't doubt she was kicking back in HS) but I don't think the show was specific in when this all occurred.

The initial idea was to make her the New Phoebe since she was the new youngest sister but IMO they should have let Paige be more Prue-ish in her personality. The backstory they gave for the character was a girl who while rebellious as a teen, a bit of a party girl (there's always been a debate if she was a recovering alcoholic or not) who took the reins of her own life, went to college, got herself her own job and an apartment in a tough city. Plus she was raised as an only child so from her I'd expect her to be someone who is independent, a bit stubborn, and accustomed to doing things without necessarily consulting others. Since her parents' death I'd expect her to feel a bit guarded and private. When Paige moved into the Manor so soon, I thought that was out of character for her; if anything, I'd have wanted to see that happen by the end of that season. Since it's been mentioned that Season 4 was a combination of two seasons worth of storylines merged into one, it makes more sense in retrospect, but still not what I'd have expected her to do.

I have almost all the dvds so I could join in.

The rest: Season 2: Morality Bites - The premise of modern day witch trials in one of the most liberal cities in the US was silly, but it worked! Plus there was the promise of how powerful the sisters COULD have been has Kern & Company bothered to develop their powers properly. P3H2O - A call back to how Patty died, her parallels to Prue and Piper, and an unintentional out for Paige to exist. Emotions were really strong here. Pardon My Past - More info about the Halliwell's ancestors, reincarnation and how past acts can haunt you. Murphy's Luck - Seeing Prue take action to protect Maggie (Amy Adams in an early role) from a Darklighter that pushes its victims to commit suicide. Also a bit of insight into Prue's state of mind earlier in her life the DL tried to exploit. Plus, Arnold Vosloo! Chick Flick - Not only a send up of horror movie tropes, but a jab or two at Charmed itself! Season 3: The Honeymoon's Over - Introduction to Cole and learning he was more than what he seemed. All Halliwell's Eve - More on the Warrens and time travel make for fun times. Sight Unseen - Cole working to destroy the sisters and having demonic rivals. Plus Abby goes psycho! Primrose Empath - a look at the responsibility of Empaths and an unstoppable demon who could only be destroyed by pure emotion. Best of all, we got to see Prue's potential power growth had she lived. Power Outage - Cole succeeds in depowering the sisters and could have killed Phoebe without a problem - except he began to have those darn feelings of love. Sleuthing With The Enemy - The first time we see Phoebe of her own free will lie to her sisters to save Cole's life. We All Scream For Ice Cream - Victor returns (as Victor 2.0) and it was amusing to me to see the girls battle kiddie demons and getting them into the truck. All Hell Breaks Loose - The stakes so high, Prue dies and nothing will ever be the same again. Season 4: Charmed Again - The introduction of Paige. Hell Hath No Fury - A well done episode overall. Brain Drain - Derivative but I liked the idea of Piper possibly imagining the whole Charmed experience. They should have worked harder to keep viewers guessing what the truth was. Black As Cole - Cole loses his powers, and we had the potential for him to find a new path - unfortunately, this would be the beginning of a rollercoaster ride for him and Phoebe. Trial By Magic - My main issue was that Phoebe could have just held out and caused a hung jury, but it was still an enjoyable episode. Plus, we get a bit more background on Paige. Lost & Bound - I liked the kid and part of me wanted him to stick around. It would have made sense for him to have been Piper's and Leo's foster son. Still, Season 5: Siren's Song - interesting premise and give's truth to the old axiom, you always hurt the one you love. Y Tu Mummy Tambien - The presence of Adrian Paul alone makes this a fun watch Sense & Sensibility - Well done all around even if there was no violence against the monkey. Sand Francisco Dreamin' - a look at the girl's dreams, and Henry Gibson as The Sandman! Season 6: Chris Crossed - Seeing Chris' mission and what happened to Wyatt. Spin City - Chris' turn as a spider demon and his anger issues with Leo. Season 7: Imaginary Fiends - Seeing a good Wyatt and a Bad Wyatt. I may be reading too much into this, but I think this episode was a veiled warning about sexual abuse. Season 8: Forever Charmed - The end, and the beginning of a new Charmed line decades into the future. Plus Billie gets a beating!