louise on the left (coast)

Okay, so I watch TV.   I know I should do more chores, or bake, or read to my kids more, or weed the garden or build works of great art or cure cancer, but instead, I find that I often watch TV. A lot of TV.   I probably shouldn't, but I do.   However, in my defense, I do remember a time when TV wasn't just "good," it was great .   Why?   Because the pioneers of television were all seasoned theater actors who knew how to act. This meant they knew how to be funny.  They had something called experience in front of live audiences.  What happened to this?  I don't get it. An example of the kind of timeless television I'm talking about, the kind based on good old fashioned acting talent, is found in this random clip from The Honeymooners .   Perhaps the theme is dated, but these actors were former Broadway hams who simply had the chops to pull off how to keep a scene moving, the audience engaged and knew precisely what character driven com

Here it is, the holidays again. For me, there isn't a story that isn't more about Christmas or winter redemption than the tale of "J.T." and the abandoned cat he rescues. However, once again the best the TV networks can come up with is a Hallmark presentation of "A Dog Named Christmas?" Really? Is this because right now most of America can relate to a story about a white family with a purebred Labrador when the truth is we have kids on breadlines right now? Wow. And now Hollywood decides to crank ONE MORE BORING VERSION of THE CHRISTMAS CAROL? Is this because we just haven't seen it enough, yet? We've probably all sat through watching Scrooge be played by likes of Mr. Magoo, George C. Scott, Albert Finney, Bill Murray and now, Jim Carrey. Tired. From what I can tell, and I have not watched anything other than the trailers, but it looks like this one isn't even a GOOD version of the true Dickens tale. My third grader is terrified of the t

If you have to spend time at home with family this Christmas, and that doesn't always sound like the easiest thing to do -- and --- If you and your spouse don't always see eye to eye with each other about the kids and your parents, then here's your movie. Dennis Leary and Judy Davis aren't just funny, they're razor sharp-hilarious in this film.   In my personal best movies book, this one is a classic.  But, you do have to have a cynical side to enjoy it.  If you are zen and yoga and light and love, then this probably isn't your kind of flick.   But, if you find family issues as thorny and challenging as I do, then I highly recommend this movie. Let me put it like this, when it came out it made me laugh so much I actually went out to buy a copy. And that was when one bought them as tapes. As in VHS. That was then, this is YouTube.