FYI (Kristen Bell Related)

Kristen Bell is scheduled to be the guest on Craig Ferguson, this coming Monday night - these two are magic together - I have to settle for watching it online, but if your reading this and in America, there is no reason why you shouldn't be watching it when it airs.

DVD Update (12/08/2012 - 25/08/2012)

Hey you guys... how's things with you? Welcome to another edition of DVD (and Blu Ray) Update. Here is what as been added to my collection.

Eight Crazy Nights

Gangster No. 1

Scorched

Rachel Getting Married

Hereafter

Demolition University

Four Weddings and A Funeral

Tunes Of Glory

Bunraku

Survival Of The Dead

Fatal Attraction

All That Jazz

Magic

Jacob's Ladder

The Trouble With Girls

Double Trouble

Dangerous Liasions

The People vs Larry Flyny

Flightplan

Broken Flowers

Amnesia

The Corruptor

Thrist

In Cold Blood

Mo' Money

Something's Gotta Give

The War Bride

New Gall Force

The Magnificent Ambersons

X-Men Season 1 Volume 1

X-Men Season 2 Volume 2

X-Men Season 3 Volume 1

X-Men Season 3 Volume 2

The Original Spider-Man Season 1 Volume 3

Fantastic Four Season 1 Volume 1

Fantastic Four Season 1 Volume 2

Airplane - Special Collector's Edition

All Dogs Go To Heaven

An American Tail

Rear Window

See you in two...

R.I.P. Tony Scott

Sad to hear of the death of Tony Scott at the age of 68. He committed suicide after finding out he had incurable brain cancer.

There are films of Tony Scott I really, really love. The two films of his I adore are TRUE ROMANCE and THE LAST BOY SCOUT and it says a lot about his talent they he never was considered in Ridley Scott's shadow (who as made more critically acclaimed films then him). I also enjoyed films like Top Gun, Enemy Of The State and The Hunger, but there was often still enough to enjoy in his lesser work.

Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 6

So I'm now five and a half hours in and already there's been the good, the bad and the ugly. Members of the Not Ready For Prime Time Players have started to shine through, guests are getting in on the sketches and famous characters and sketches have already started to appear. Tonight's host is Lily Tomlin, who I've enjoyed in a number of films especially All Of Me. Anyway on with the show.

• Looks like we are starting with a presidential address, Chevy is doing "Gerald Ford", they acknowledge in writing at the bottom it's not a good impression ha ha. He does the shtick you expect - the phone rings and he answers a glass, bangs his head on desk - he tries to show a popularity chart but somehow falls over his desk before Chevy does the usual "Live from New York..."
• Now the credits, starring Lily Tomlin with Howard Shore and His All Nurse Band. Shore is/was the leader of the house show band - is it possible a singer dropped out at the last minute?
• We also get Jim Henson's Muppets and a film by Albert Brooks. 
• Lily Tomlin is out for the monologue with a shiny top on - as she had the same haircut for 40 years? 
• She brings out a notebook and reads out some thoughts - they are stuff like "have you actually seen somebody laughing all the way to the bank?", "being a New Yorker is never having to say you're sorry" etc., not too bad, slightly old fashioned humour but it's not really a bad thing. She does a weird song and dance about New York which just comes across weird rather then funny. She seems happy to be here anyway.
• John Belushi up now as Beethoven at the piano with Gilda Radner has his wife (love her attempt at an accent), Moonight Sonata is playing until she and the maid leave the room where he starts hearing another tune and it turns into Tie A Yellow Ribbon. Funny with cool performances
• Lily Tomlin introduces Howard Shore and The All Nurse Band, the nurses are all sadly males, she is singing with them. Good little number.
• Triopenin advert, wasn't funny the first time, guess what? It hasn't become funny by the third time.
• Laraine is on the phone to her mother (who's off screen)... yes it's another LAND SHARK, brilliant, one of the things the land shark aks his "are you double parked I think you're locking me in" - they are calling it Jaws III now, Belushi and Aykroyd are reprising there characters "Land Shark... still the cleverest species of them all". Jane Curtin turns off the radio and goes to the door. Aykroyd is on the other side of the door and she opens the doors and hits him on the head, Belushi gives her the advice. She is killed quickly after they leave. Aykroyd has a funny bit left alone with the shark. Gilda Radner is listening on the radio and the announcer is killer, where the shark takes over and says to let them in. Gilda is stupid enough to fall for it. Belushi is on his own now, Lily Tomlin is playing Aykroyd's wife, she's in mourning and hitting on Belushi, the scene gets cut short which was a trick by the shark. Awesome sketch.
• Garrett and Jane are making out on the couch. Chevy comes in as a bellboy with loads of newspapers, he keeps dropping them all.
• Lily Tomlin is being a little girl ice skating in a pre-recorded bit now. She is having a lot of trouble skating, her dog is not allowed to skate with so she pasted his paws to the floor. Not bad
• Beethoven again, it's similar to the one before but he goes into My Girl, funnier then the last Beethoven bit.
• Gilda Radner says there is no show for a couple of weeks, and everyone can go on a date, and they should ask her, she says Richard Pryor will be the host when they come back then. Adorable
• Chevy Chase is now doing Weekend Update. More Gerald Ford jokes. I know Chase is held up in high esteem as Weekend Update anchor but he's yet to really, really make me laugh. He does like I think I've said before seem to get comfortable with more episodes
• Advert for a Spud Beer... for people who can't tell the difference... not really funny
• Chase is now pouring Spud Beer on his suit as we come back to Weekend Update. Funny bit about a new Peanuts characters. Garrett does the hard of hearing bit yet again.
• Lily Tomlin is up next playing a sorority girl writing, when Laraine comes in, she's writing a letter to an old sorority sister that she reads out until it turns into a song. I' guessing the song was about Patty Hearst? Was a time waster for me.
• Speaking of time wasters - The Muppets - Scrat is not about and getting shouted for, he s not about, they says he's in love.. and the main Muppet and his wife check his crater where he lives, he has a picture of Lily Tomlin... they also find a draft to a love letter to Lily. 
• We know cut to Scrat and Lily Tomlin, the first interaction between a Muppet and a guest. He tells her he loves her, she says its hard for a woman in her position to be romantically linked to a puppet they both go into a duet of I Got You Babe. He gives her a rose at the end of the song in a sweet moment.  Good moments
• Lily Tomlin is back after the break still with a rose in hand, she is introducing Albert Brooks film, she says we are going on hiatus, which is funny when she points out she's made herself as part of the collective. They are replaying The Impossible Truth, I am going to skip it for the purpose of this recap.
• After the film, we are back to Beethoven again, same set up as before, he snuffs something this time though (chance it's real with it being Belushi), he's goes into a funny version of What I'd Say. Gilda and Laraine who where at the start of the sketch come running in and become his backing singer. Very Funny.
• Lily Tomlin is in a classroom as a drilling showing the female cast members how to call for men. Dan Aykroyd is brought in for them to call out too. She gets Jane to say something but she's too shy before getting told different before going full on. Gilda's turn is hilarious when she follows Aykroyd going boom boom ba ba. Funny stuff and done on a role reversal angle. Lily as been at her funniest in this so far. Gilda and Aykroyd also have a really sweet moment at the end.
• Fake advert, about a mother and how she manages to do everything, it's an advert for speed. Cool advert for a change.
• Lily is back dressed like it's the 50s. it's her doing a sort of monologue at a 50s club. The audience don't really laugh and neither do I - goes on too long and stops the show dead.
• Lily Tomlin is around the piano with 4 of the casts as Bees (Gilda, Garrett, Chevy and Laraine), Gilda gets Lily to sign a record for her, and they all start singing along (mostly just jibberish) with Howard Shore and The All Star Band. Gilda stands out with her deep throat singing that makes her cough. Seems like there all having fun as it's time to say good night.

Overall Thoughts - I don't know, a couple of Lily Tomlin solo bits dragged down the show but it had the return of the Land Shark, Belushi doing Beethoven and other sketches which made the show work. The Lily Tomlin bit singing with the Muppet Scrat maybe gets you thinking is what they needed was to interact with humans.

DVD Update (29/07/2012 - 11/08/2012)

Hello and welcome to another of these regular DVD updates.

Too Cool For School (12 Movies) - 12 movies with a teen comedy flavour from the good folks at Mill Creek Entertainment.

Absolute Power

Def By Temptation

What About Bob? - I hadn't seen this film in a long time but I remembered really liking it, and it still stands up to my memories of it.

The Bucket List - I saw this at cinema on it's release with a free ticket, and though I liked it I haven't had the urge to see it since until now.

100 Girls

Snake In The Eagle's Shadow

Away We Go - True Fact*: Maya Rudolph is pregnant in 75% of the films she has made

The Good Night
The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1985)
The Fighting Kentuckian
Erik The Viking
Hell Is For Heroes
The Negotiator
Enter The Dragon - Special Edition
Kenny Everett - The Complete Naughty Bits
1408
Moving Target
An American Tail - Fievel Goes West

Larry Crowne - Blu Ray buy.

Street Fighter - The Legend Of Chun-Li  - Blu Ray buy.

The Mercenary  - Blu Ray buy.

Seed - I believe this is the first Uwe Boll film I've got since last Christmas Day.

Swinging With The Finkels
Rules Of Engagement
Sign Of The Killer
Snakes On A Plane
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Twelve Monkeys
Stage Fright
Strangers On A Train
A Perfect World
Fever Pitch
Clue
The Italian Job (2003) / Shooter / Four Brothers
Pusher
Missionary Man
Against The Wall
The Twilight Zone Season 1 (1985 - 86)
The New Addams Family - Deadbeat Relatives
Best Seller
Drive (2011)
Gone In Sixty Seconds (1974)
Gung Ho (1986)
The Great Ziegfeld
The Party

That's it see you in another two weeks for more exciting buys...

Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 5

A tough act to follow - that's what this episode as, the previous Candice Bergen episode had so much that clicked, the previous episode also was the first to feel like an SNL episode. Tonight's host is Robert Klein, a stand up comedian I've never seen perform and a sometime actor. I was trying to place my finger on something that h had been an host/interview for, then it hit me it was the Monty Python reunion at Aspen in 1998. Anyway I digress, so on with the show -

• Laraine and Chevy open the show, Laraine is dressed as a beauty queen with with roses and a crown. She can't expect the crown and goes on a rant about the sexist of it and dressed Chase in her clothing, who has to walk down the aisle instead, he falls off the stage in his best fall yet (managing to keep the crown on even).
• Credits, Robert Klein hosting with musical guests ABBA and Loudon Wainwright III.
• No film by Albert Brooks (that is the credit), Jim Henson's Muppets and The Not Ready For Prime Time Players lists everybody you expect - I'm thinking I could have missed something last time.
• Robert Klein is out for the monologue, like I said above I've never his stand up but he seems a natural up there, he's probably doing bits from his stand up act like George Carlin did, his act is quite animal related talking bears, chimps etc. Not bad if some of his stand up come my away I wouldn't turn it off.
• Robert Klein (with Michael O'Donoghue playing another passenger) are on the Titanic and so are ABBA, who are singing SOS, not sure if it's this episode but ABBA where one of the few acts (in the time period at least) who lip synced on the show. The Titanic springs a leak at some point during the song.
• Pong again with the voice over, there talking about essays and tests. Not as good as the last time they did (which didn't even blow me away to begin in).
• Minute Mystery with Aykroyd taking pictures of a dead woman like a fashion photographer, Belushi plays Lopez an inspector, Chase is getting questioned, he is asked what he was doing when the murder happens he confesses everything but they tell him he's free to go. They then give the audience 15 seconds to work out the crime - they are about to reveal the information but another bit of evidence is found and Aykroyd's camera is took, Belushi then gives them 10 seconds to find out who did it - when there back they tell announcer Don Pardo to say who did, but he doesn't answer, Belushi then gives the audience a year to work out who did. Likeable and fun stuff
• Bee Centennial Minute, with Garrett, he tells a story that I barely remember while I'm writing this. At least it was quick. This means the Bees have been in every episode so far.
• Loudon Wainwright III is up now, I'm a fan of his so I'm going to be biased here. He sings about the Bicentennial. Cool song.
• 22 minutes check in - good songs, the Minute Mystery sketch is the only thing with the cast that's really sparkled for me so far.
• Chevy Chase is now dressed as Greg Allman, who at least as put effort into his costume and impression, who keeps dodging the question about how's his love life. When he finally does answer he collapses into his piano. Funny stuff.
• Gilda Radner is introduced to Robert Klein as Rex, in the next sketch, there waiting for Sam Peckinpah, Gilda is nervous about working for Peckinpah who has never done a romantic comedy before. Belushi comes out as Peckinpah, who doesn't like the first take for some reason, he smacks Gilda for no reason when he's explaining the scene. Take 2 sees him stop at the same place, he kicks her in the leg after explaining what he wants. Take 3 is the same problem, explaining what he wants he punches Gilda in the stomach, then slaps her in the face. Take 4 as him now pulling her hair then pushing her while he's down. Take 5 he's got a problem with Rex who attacks Peckinpah before he can strike. Funny stuff because of how great Belushi and Gilda Radner are.
• Weekend Update opens with Chevy doing his phone shtick. Opens with shockingly a President Ford joke and even more shockingly about his clumsiness. A bunch of jokes, the Nixon Joke was one of the better ones, there is another David Eisenhower reference, lots of jokes don't make me laugh probably because I wasn't alive or living in the USA in 1975. Chevy is obviously comfortable in his role now as anchor.
• Filmed message (advert) with Jane, who is the overworked wife of a guy who can't get a word in edge ways, like Jane's performance in this.
• Aykroyd with an editorial reply to the thing from last week, Chevy does the funny face thing again, it's probably Chevy at is funniest in the show (as a whole I mean). More Weekend Update news items after, same as before.
• Garrett does News For The Hard of Hearing, same as it usually is.
• Robert Klein and Belushi in army gear as exterminators in a basement, Belushi is playing the hard nosed experienced vet. Belushi is fun because he's killing cockroaches as revenge for the death of his brother Billy. Klein tells us a story about the cockroach, and it's history - does he love animals or something? - Belushi was cool in this sketch.
• Gilda is a fireman with an ax and everything, it's a risk being a fireman but you get a dog, get to play board games or see people in their underwear when there house is burning down, the other firemen call her Gil cause you need short names. She is here to give tips on fire prevention before reading a  poem about being a fireman. Cool because of Gilda been so damn adorable
• The Muppets - the most challenging moment of any episode - the main Muppets wife is gonna sing to him which gives him a bigger headache then the one he already have. His girlfriend (or bit on the side dance for him), and I gotta say it's quite sexy for a Muppet (maybe it's those boobs). The main Muppet tries acupuncture to get rid of the headache in a bit that is admittedly quite funny. To end the sketch they go to see Fafarg to no doubt end with a dodgy punchline, and it sort of does. Actually the best Muppet bit so far.
• Robert Klein on stage to do some more stand up, he does a bit on college audiences and him been at college, as well as science, this bit didn't work as good as the monologue, he goes back to talking about animals (monkeys).
• Advert in a supermarket, A Price Is Right price gun where you put a sticker over the supermarket's price, actually a genius idea.
• Loudon gets another song "Unrequited To The Nth Degree", awesome song and performance.
• Looks at Books with your host Jane Curtin and her guest Gilda as Emily Litella, for the first time, though she sounds like the Emily we know and love, it's not quite her she's more of a divera then a hard of hearing woman. At the risk of repeating myself Gilda was adorable here.
• The Ambassador for Foreign Country advert is repeated. Was not hilarious to me first time, not hilarious to me the second time. Maybe they had time to fill.
• Robert Klein wants some blues, he looks like he's not really playing the harmonica but maybe he is. He is singing he can't stop his leg, he ain't actually got a bad voice. Somewhat funny.
• Back to the Titanic and ABBA are doing Waterlooo
• Good nights with Robert Klein alone on stage in a bathrobe.

Overall Thoughts - While it's not as strong as the Candice Bergen episode, it does have moments that I enjoyed, ABBA's Titanic performances where cool, Loudon Wainwright III songs. Gilda was awesome as was Belushi here. I didn't miss Albert Brooks film and a Muppet was sexy to me. So there.

Natalie Portman weds Benjamim Millepied

Congratulations to The Natster, who got married Saturday. I could sit here and write about how gutted I am, but it's not like that even if I ever met her I would have had any chance with her whatsoever Millepied was a choreographer on Black Swan (and even had a small part).

Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 4

After the previous Rob Reiner hosted episode, it was good to see the main cast finally get to show there personalities. For this episode I am hoping for them to build on the great of the previous episode. Tonight's host - Candice Bergen

• Chevy Chase is out as Gerald Ford in the cold opening, I say Gerald Ford - he looks and sounds a lot like Chevy Chase - he keeps doing forgettable things and bangs his head. He ends the bit tripping over some chairs.
• Host is Candice Bergen with musical guest Esther Phillips. We are also going to be treated to Jim Henson's Muppets and a film by Albert Brooks.
• Andy Kaufman is also here. The Not Ready For Prime Time Players is oddly missing half the cast.
• Candice Bergen is happy to be the first woman host, John Belushi, who apparently is in the cast tonight, comes out with Chevy Chase - Belushi is in bee clothing and just sat next to Bergen. Chase hits him with a script and Bergen feels sorry for Belushi. Belushi goes away but comes back to end the segment. Likeable sketch.
• Dan Aykroyd and Laraine Newman are in advert for becoming an ambassador but are only in the beginning. Parts of this advert are funny, which is more then can be sad for some adverts
• Aykroyd is in a messy CIA office (Department of Records). Garrett Morris comes in a citizen asking by law that he could see the file they keep on him. Aykroyd is good in the sketch playing the stressed bureaucrat. Aykroyd can't find a file even though Morris keeps listing all the criminal stuff he's done.
• Gilda Radner is home at home - wait, this is an awesome LAND SHARK sketch - this is one of the funny stuff, love how the shark tries to gets victims. Belushi looks awesome as the Hooper character. Laraine Newman up as the next victim... flowers? plumber? candy gram?... "I'm only a dolphin ma'am", Jane Curtin is the next victim, she is easily tricked, she think's it's her husband Walter, next scene Aykroyd and Belushi ring Walter in a funny bit. Candice Bergen is up next listening to a radio report, she as a mallet, she accidentally hits a JeohavsWitness with it... EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT sketch.
• Candice Bergen introduces Esther Phillips... Phillips sings "What A Difference A Day Makes" not sure I like it, she sounds like a dolphin (ironic considering the sketch that came before it).
• Chevy Chase doing Shakespeare? The jokes appears to be he as written in the words on the skull, which is ends up dropping and breaking, then just reading random bits from the bits he finds before he makes stuff up. 
• He goes straight into a Polaroid commercial (done on stage) with Candice Bergen dressed as a bee. Is this a legit advert I think so? Ends with a bad punchline that actually works.
• Advert now about ringing long distance, not sure of the joke here actually.
• Chevy Chase is on the phone at the beginning of Weekend Update, worrying a random girl is two weeks later, Chase does "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" for the very first time. More Gerald Ford jokes, and more jokes to do with Ford's White House staff. Good thing about live is when jokes don't hit the spot, there is a bit of silence, shows there still working out kinks. Most of the jokes hit the spot though.
• Advert with hands, I knew this was going to be "Triopenin", I'm not sure this is just a repeat of the advert from a previous episode, I think it is... but if it isn't it doesn't try anything new.
• Jane Curtin on Weekend Update to do an editorial on funds for New York City, Curtin is being really serious while Chase does faces mimicking her all the way through. Chase is very funny in this bit.
• News for The Hard of Hearing is back, just like any other Hard of Hearing bit, it's the same schtick anytime.
• Channel No. 5 with Candice Bergen playing Catherine Deneueve with a funny french actress. It ends with the Channel No. 5 being stuck to her head.
• Bergen introduces Andy Kaufman and uses the word genius. Andy Kaufman is doing the foreign man bit (so he speaks on SNL for the first time, obviously not with his real voice), he is talking about carrying a canon up the highest mountain, he cracks himself up (in character) telling this lame story, the story goes no where which is brilliant. Kaufman is doing imitations - Archie Bunker - which is bad, he has an awkward pose after Bunker forgetting who is doing next, so he does an bad dance then sings terribly, he asks to stop the tape then says I think we should turn off the TV asking I don't know if your laughing at me or with me, he says he's trying to do his best. He goes into crying which goes into playing bongos, this bit was EXCELLENT.
• Gilda is sat with Candice, Gilda talks to her about been pretty, Gilda wants to look at her face and find something wrong, Bergen says nobody likes the way they look. Gilda likes hearing when stuff goes wrong for Bergen to do with guys, it makes her feel like she's not strange. Cool interaction between the pair - like this bit like the previous episode, it's easy to fall in love with Gilda.
• Albert Brooks film, with fake trailers for new TV shows - MEDICAL SEASON set as you guessed it  an hospital, nails melodramatic soap opera drama pretty well - THE THREE OF US,  a man and wife  and her best friend live together and it makes for an whole lot fun, it's a sit-com, kind of funny it predicated Three's Company, a couple of years before it came out, except Three's Company was not about getting a threesome. BLACK VET - is about a black veteran from the Vietnam War becoming a vet (animal sort), and encounters racism in a small town, the jokes actually work better in this then the other. There is also bits on a Tuesday Night Club and Death of a Salesman entirely cast with children. Not bad, one of the better Albert Brooks bits.
• Midnight Probe talk show with Bergen playing the host, with Belushi and Aykroyd as Vietnam vets  (whats with two bits having Vietnam vets with them in a row), who are now Kiwi hunters. Not the most memorable of sketches but the performances make it work.
• Michael O'Donoghue is using a payphone to ring Laraine Newman at Trans American Airlines, he says he'd like to stick tacks in her, throw garbage at her face etc, all sorts of threatening stuff, she remains polite. Dark and funny.
• Those fucking Muppets in the land of Gort are back. It's do with an animal nearly going extinct, the main Muppet (I'm not going to bother trying to remember his name by this point), he seems to be having a bit on the side. The audience are barely reacting to any of this which I can't stay I blame them. Flat, worst part of the show by far.
• Belushi playing a king of foreign country (they don't actually name the country, it's not me not been bothered to try and name the place) and Bergen is interviewing him. Bergen seems to be bullying this nice King as soon as the camera is rolling. She cuts his tie, draws a beard on his face, ends up pouring coffee on his lap, stamps on his foot and even burns him.  She did it to get him angry so she threatens him with death so she got a good story. Good skit.
• Black Perspective with the only black cast member Garrett Morris who is interviewing soul sister Jane Curtin. I guess the joke here she is white and he doesn't seem to realize, he asks her which she prefers black etc and she gives a racist answer which makes Morris laugh. I liked their performances in this, good sketch.
• Pong sketch, with voice over, treating it like they are playing real tennis. Not a bad sketch.
• Dolphin Esther Phillips is back, better song then earlier, not sure what it's called.
• Candice Bergen is on stage with the cast been given roses off of all of them. Lots of hugs and kisses between them all.

Overall Thoughts - The best episode so far, Candice Bergen was the first host to go full throttle appearing in a number of sketches with the cast, there was also the brilliant Land Shark sketch as well as Andy Kaufman just been awesome. Albert Brooks film was not too bad, but I'm kind of waiting for him and The Muppets (who where a waste of time) to be out of the show.

Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 3

Episode number 3 is here, tonight's host is Rob Reiner, still on All in The Family at the time. Reiner would go on to direct some awesome movies and some pretty bad ones. This is an episode I have quite high hopes for, anyway let's get straight into this...

• Chevy Chase gets pushed in on a wheelchair by a nurse (Jane Curtin), he drops his lighter and stands up easily out of his wheelchair. He looks at the lighter and stands up to get it, realizing what he just did, he falls straight to the floor then does the "Live From New York..." bit
• Rob Reiner is the host with guests Penny Marshall and The Lockers, there's also The Muppets (noooooooooooooo) and a film by Albert Brooks (please be good, please be good)
• The Not Ready For Prime Time Players has Michael O'Donaughue added back to the line up.
• We're also getting Andy Kaufman, as well as Denny Dillon and Mark Hampton.
• Rob Reiner comes out been a bit all lounge singer. Reiner wears a weird wig. Reiner doing a cheesy voice he's going to some funky sounds for us. He introduces a random guy as Irving Berlin in the audience who is not Irving Berlin. He seems to believe Bob Dylan is dead and he's going to perform one of his songs "Blowin' In The Wind", such a cheesy fun version. 
• This segment was funny thanks to Reiner who is giving it 100%.
• Rob Reiner takes off the wig and reveals his real hair which is still weird to me even after all them All In The Family episodes I've seen, I just always think of him as a bald man.
• John Belushi and Gilda Radner are in a message from the National Pancreas Assocation. Dan Aykroyd is playing a doctor for Belushi. There chemistry is already shining through. But the sketch is not particularly funny.
• Rob Reiner is going to a fashion show, he says hi to his wife Penny Marshall who's in L.A. but as secretly been flown out, but he seems to know. Gilda Radner is wearing her underwear on the outside, she is wearing the wrong day (Thursday) which is funny, Laraine Newman still has her cellophane and hanger on. Garrett Morris is wearing furniture, he didn't have faith there would be a place to sit if needed, Jane Curtin is wearing a hamster head(?), don't wear a hamster head, you've got a face let's see. Dan Aykroyd is wearing a leisure suit, he's fashion mistake he's wearing a leisure suit, Belushi is wearing a beach suit and wearing lobster's on his forehead. Michael O'Donaughue is wearing top hat but also wearing toilet paper. Funny stuff, most involved where on top form.
• An advert for voodoo surgery. One of the funnier adverts I've seen so far.
• Reiner, still in the same suit from earlier introduces Andy Kaufman, he's got the record he's going to do Pop Goes The Weasel. He's miming to it, this is not as familiar to me as Mighty Mouse. It's especially funny when he pretends to be the Dad. Kaufman's expressions make this bit work
• Welcome to Dangerous But Inept presented by Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman as Squeaky from The Manson Family. Newman is entertaining as crazy. Short and sweet and funny.
• Cat food advert now, 2 casseroles, one prepared with tuna and the other with 40c of cat food, they do a taste test with a woman, he tells the one she prefers is with cat food. Not particularly funny.
• The Lockers, I'm not familiar with them, they seem to be a dance troupe with a funky edge, they've all got really good moves going on, I'm not usually usually fans of just dance bits, but these are cool in my book. Music stops and they continue dancing. I was impressed with the energy they brought.
• Chevy Chase with Weekend Update, more Gerald Ford jokes, jokes about Reagan (who is a former governor at this point). Another reference to Blaine Hotel with 3 kidnappers, they cut to Laraine who gets the announcer Don Pardo to read out there demands with reads things out like they are game show prizes.
• Advert about a moving company, they joke is they pack the people to move them house. Not too funny.
• Blaine Hotel joke about the guests staying is repeated here.
• Back to Weekend Update - Chase, makes another couple of jokes, Garrett Morris is now going to do the News For The Hard of Hearing, it's very short - this is probably the joke Morris is best known for on his show, and to be honest my opinion of Morris is he was the weakest of the original cast members, maybe going through these episodes might help change my mind.
• Rob Reiner excitedly introduces Joe Cocker, but wait a minute... that's John Belushi, doing an absolutely unbelievable impression. He nails the facial expressions down perfectly and as the voice to the matches too. Excellent
• How do you follow that? With "The Muppets" of course, the new character, the main Muppets son is actually a fairly entertaining addition. His son is on some sort of marijuana expy drug (with a bit of LSD in I'm guessing). This was a touch better then the other Muppet sketches, the jokes hit the mark a bit better.
• A public service message with Chevy Chase with a mustache and glasses, the PSA is about droolers and he's talking about how they are discriminated against, he's doing this while drooling, and there is absolutely loads coming down his chin, Chase nearly cracks up a couple of times. Short, sweet and funny.
• Dan Aykroyd is singing at a hoe down, which features some of the cast and Penny Marshall dancing, the lyrics suggest about hitting each other, ripping dresses and finally shooting each other. Crazy and funny.
• Rob Reiner introduces Mark Hampton and Denny Dillon, dressed as nuns, Hampton is on the organ. Dillon is reading announcements etc, it's not particularly funny and the audience so far seemed to be following my same opinion, there is barely a peep of laughter. I didn't really like it, I basically just wanted it to finish.
• Rob Reiner introduces a new segment "What Gilda Ate?", she randomly lists what she ate for each meal and snacks, she is adorable so I like it however it's kind of hard to watch knowing her problems with eating disorders which troubled her the rest of her life.
• Albert Brooks film - it's the open heart surgery film - my memory of seeing it first time is that it really dragged... Brooks gets somebody to agree to have him perform heart surgery on him for the camera.  Brooks, has doubt about doing the surgery, argues with a doctor etc, he takes an age to get to his points it seems like, but that is probably the idea behind it. THIS SEGMENT STOPPED THE SHOW DEAD IN IT'S TRACKS, it just went on on so damn long.
• Reiner and Penny Marshall are in a restaurant are having an affair and are arguing, he wants them to get married etc... but the bees for some reason have come down the stairs and are now sat behind them - there's now bee fiddle player and guitarist. Rob Reiner stops the sketch saying it's ridiculous saying he said that he didn't want to work with the bees, he goes on a rant saying they where horrendous in earlier episode. Penny tries to calm him down when says their ruining the show. Belushi goes up to him upset and says they have no choice that's all they came up for them, Belushi starts having a go at Reiner.Reiner feels terrible. Funny, funny stuff.
• No proper goodbyes just the credits...

Overall Thoughts - This is closer to what Saturday Night Live is known for, cast members had moments to shine - Belushi and Radner show great moments of their personality. Rob Reiner was an enjoyable host, and one of the first to properly interact with the cast. There was still bad spots but they where totally related to non-cast members i.e Albert Brooks movie, Muppets (who weren't as bad here as the previous two episodes) and Dillon and Hampton.

Why I Haven't Done A Top 10 Movies Yet

I read or watch other people's Top 10 (or 20 etc) movies of all time, and one thing that strikes me, personally is that I wanted to do something like that here but the only reason I haven't yet is that it's SO BLOODY HARD. I tried to do a list just the other day and it was just impossible to put some sort of order I was happy with, so I decided I'm just going to do top lists on here that reflect a particular genre, actor, director or something else, not until a time I can actually come up with a list, actors is probably hard, directors is probably somewhat easier and actresses if I'm honest will be controlled by my attractiveness to them.

Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 2

After a first episode, that had moments of brilliance, coupled with moments of a show still trying to work out what it wanted to be, the second show with host PAUL SIMON might still have some of the kinks to sort out but the great is already there to build on, so let's get on with it...

• Paul Simon opens the show singing "Still Crazy After All These Years", there really can't be that many episodes of SNL that open with a musical performance. loving Paul Simon's hair and mustache.
• Chevy Chase falling over the instruments, not quite as dangerous as later pratfalls but he's gets to do the Live from New York bit.
• And now the credits - guests are also Randy Newman and Phoebe Snow, but more importantly special guest star Simon Garfunkel, we also are going to be treated to The Muppets (ugh), a film by Albert Brooks (hopefully he's alright here) and The Not Ready For Prime Time Players are what I expected.
• Paul Simon as a bunch of gospel singers around him, he introduces them and goes straight into a song - no monologue - he is performing Love Me Like A Rock (is that what it's called)
• Jerry Rubin is doing an advert for graffiti wallpaper, the graffiti wallpaper actually looks cool, it's a shame it's not a real advert. Rubin was a social activist in the 60s and 70s, he came a businessman in the 80s (I had to look him up)
• the show a random woman in the audience with the caption "A Good Friend Of David Eisenhower", don't know who he is, I assume he's related to the ex-president...
• Paul Simon does a short song from Randy Newman, which was a cool way to introduce Randy Newman actually.
• Randy Newman sings Sail Away like only Randy Newman can perform with his unique styling.
• 15 minutes in it's very song heavy, and only Chevy Chase from the cast as appeared so far.
• The cast are now up all dressed as bees (minus Chevy Chase), Paul Simon tells him the bees number is cut and they all walk off. Funny
• And that's why Chevy Chase is not dressed as a bee he's doing Weekend Update, more President Ford jokes, Chase is more comfortable out here then the first jokes and the jokes are funnier off the bat, there's a video segment of Paul Simon taking on a Harlem Globetrotter, I guess he's done more then George Carlin in interactions with cast and in a skit. The interviews are doing serious which makes it kinda funny.
• Back from the break and Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard is playing over Paul Simon kicking the arse of the Harlem Globetrotter. Funny bit when he's needs three shots to do a basket. This bit gets better as it goes on. - The Globetrotter jumping over Paul Simon was quite impressive.
• I'm glad there's laughing over a pre-taped bit, it seemed odd in the first episode silence over the fake adverts.
• I guess that's it for Chevy Chase and Weekend Update, they didn't come back to it, seemed a bit short but I guess he's still had more to do then Belushi, Radner, Aykroyd etc.
• Mrs. Robinson is playing over old clips of Simon and Garfunkel. I love this song,so no complaints from me.
• Paul Simon introduces Art Garfunkel to standing ovation, Paul Simon says to him "so Artie you've come crawling back" which is excellent, Art seems a bit shyer then Simon.
• They go straight into The Boxer after a little banter, now this is cool... another song I love. Like Paul Simon's acoustic on this really gives it a difference to a studio recording.
• S&G wait for the applause to die down and go into Scarborough Fair, again no complaints from me.
• back from the break and both are now standing on stage - there going to do My Little Town - which is a song I absolutely adore, which nobody ever seems to know of there's. Honestly check that song out if you don't know it...
• Paul Simon introduces Art Garfunkel to do a solo number - I Only Have Eyes For You - not bad, perhaps a tad too slow.
• And now to stop the show dead in it's track - The Muppets - no seriously, I'm going to give them another chance. There is something unappealing about these Muppets like Scrat. 9 out of 10 jokes really miss the mark, which is a shame. Thankfully it's shorter then first one, but ends with another lame punchline.
• Albert Brooks film now featuring himself. He's interacting with his daughter, she throws a tantrum and he tells her off and a policeman takes her away, not particularly funny. We are watching his home videos, his parents push him back when he is a baby, he is narrating over embarrassing videos like he's dad trying to film him using the bathroom for the first time, then hidden camera kissing a girl who the dad chased off, and it's the same for his first time about to make love to a girl, not too bad this bit. Albert Brooks is now dressed as cow trying to purchase an aeroplane ticket, the performance of the girl he's trying to buy from his likeable. Albert Brooks films haven't been perfect so far but a damn site better then The Muppets.
• Paul Simon is standing with Phoebe Snow (who is pregnant) she is here to sing a Billie Holliday song "No Regrets", good voice on her
• she is now doing a duet with Paul Simon, got an alright energy to it but it's not particularly memorable.
• Advert, where they have purposely left the pacemakers of 5 old people over night to prove there's is better then the normal brand. Short and sweet, but you expect it to be a touch darker.
• Paul Simon sings American Tune, not a bad song really.
• It's time for good nights, Paul Simon thanks all the guests, somebody from the New York Knicks presents him with a trophy related the one and one from earlier. The trophy dwarfs him, he makes a challenge out to Kareem Abdul Jabber.

Overall - It's a nice show because you can't fault Paul Simon's talent. The reunion with Art Garfunkel was magical. Belushi, Aykroyd and Radner (as well as the others) are seen for about a minute if that though but there was still time for The Muppets and Albert Brooks film could have been shorter to give them more things to do.

Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 1

Saturday Night Live is still going strong after more then 35 years (or still rotting depending on people's opinion), now I'm a big fan of SNL, but the problem being based here in the U.K., TV channels when they've shown it have half arsed it at best. I have decided since I own the entire first season on DVD to start from the very start and decide from myself if the much loved original cast really do stand up to all the hype. I am going to try and do this every week so I don't get burn't out by it.

• The show starts with a cool sketch featuring Michael O'Donaghue and John Belushi, Belushi is trying to learn English from O'Donaughue but is teaching him stuff like "I'd like to feed your fingertips to the wolverines", O'Donaughue as a heart attack, and Belushi mimics him, we then cut to a stagehand played by Chevy Chase looking confused who utters the very famous lines "Live from New York... It's Saturday Night" for the very first time. This sketch was pretty short and sweet (coming in at about a minute and a half) but I think it help the set the standard that the show would be something different.
• wait a minute NBC's Saturday Night?
• Starring George Carlin with Janis Ian and Billy Preston, as well as film by Albert Brooks and also with Jim Henson's Muppets (sounds awesome!)
• The title sheet for The Not Ready For Prime Time Players seems weird, it's not in alphabetical order and George Coe and Michael O'Donaughe's names are also on their.
• Comedy from Valerie Bromfield and Andy Kaufman. One of these is not like the others.
• George Carlin comes out looking snazzy for him. He's doing a monologue, he's talking American Football, being from the UK I don't particularly stand the appeal but I'm sure the differences between that and baseball where very funny to a US watcher. This seems very safe for Carlin, I've seen and heard some of his material that as made me laugh until I hurt, not so much here so far. It ends and sadly it didn't raise any laugh from me.
• Dan Aykroyd's first appearance on the show with funny teeth with a kid and a wife who I don't recognize in a pre taped advert advertising New Dad. Chevy Chase already gets to make his second appearance of the show. I'm audience clap at the end, that's the only part you hear anything from the audience, I'm going to say it was mean't to be like that.
• Billy Preston singing comes Nothing From Nothing FUCK YES!!! I love this song. Cool performance.
• At about 10 minutes it's cool there's been a couple of sketches, a stand up act (Carlin's monologue was pretty much that) and a musical performance. Pretty cool so far.
• A courtroom scene, Jane Curtin is on the stand, Chevy Chase is playing the opposing lawyer (his 3rd appearance on the show so far), Garrett Morris playing her lawyer, it's about somebody saying something disgusting to her. She can't bring herself to say it so she writes it down. The judge is shocked as are Morris and Chase. It passes through the jury of Aykroyd, Belushi and finally the wonderful Gilda Radner who gives the most wonderful reaction. That appears to be Detective Munch himself Richard Belzer sat next her - he says nothing.
• Andy Kaufman!!! he's doing the Mighty Mouse bit, which I feel like I've seen a million times now, which never fails to raise a smile at the very least from me. It's his awkward movements that really make this bit work.
• George Carlin is back - he's not appearing in any sketches - just doing stand up bits. This bit is funnier because of better jokes (crowds in old movies, good underwear etc) just (and not surprisingly) clean and safe for him. Carlin's eyes look a bit glazed, let's just leave it at that...
• He introduces Janis Ian, with cool 70s hair and thankfully she's singing At Seventeen, that's two songs I really like...
• Victims Of Shark Bite up now - Jane Curtin is hosting this talk show with John Belushi doing the one armed man thing. He brought out his right hand to count which was funny stuff, and Curtin points out e as got an arm, Belushi tries to convince it was it's leg where it cut off but it's just the way he's sat
• Chevy Chase and Michael O'Donaughue doing an advert, O'Donaughue is Chase's wife despite not being in any drag so far and sporting a full beard. Funny for just how serious the performances are.
• Paul Simon is telling us he's hosting next week
• Now Weekend Update with Chevy Chase, and shockingly he didn't do "I'm Chevy Chase... and You're Not".
• The first couple of jokes where probably funnier way back in 1975. Plenty of Gerald Ford jokes, seems like one of the jokes was spoiled by the screen on TV. He hits the spot with the first home run joke - "the post office announced today it was going to issue a stamp commemoration prostitution in the United States - it's 10c stamp but if you want to lick it it's a quarter."
• Laraine Newman is on the field reporter which I don't care what the joke is supposed about a murder at the Blaine Hotel.
• Another fake advert, a tablet adverts "Triopenion" which explains the joke for you
• and now the joke makes sense, there's an adverts guests stay at the Blaine hotel from this show, now it's funnier.
• What's this? Look's puppet-y, this is not the Muppets is it?, where the hell is Kermit, Miss Piggy etc?, who are these impostors. This is the Muppets, the king sounds like Rowlf. None of these characters are that familiar, it's seems to be about an ugly king and his ugly wife (monster like) who have trouble conceiving; The audience are laughing at bits of it but it's just missing the spot - I never thought I would say it but Jim Henson AND The Muppets have stopped this show dead in it's tracks. The Mighty Babard (spelling) seems enjoyable (he does sounds like Fozzy though).
• There's not a lot I can say about these (impostor) Muppets, it ends with a (sort of) punchline that's just a bit weak.
• Another George Carlin stand up bit, this is certainly an usual set up from most future hosts in the fact he's had zero interaction with the cast so far. We get a cleaner but a closer to a George Carlin I know and love here.
• Albert Brooks film up now - The Impossible Truth - there is an interview with a blind taxi driver, sounds funnier on paper I guess. Israel and Georgia trade places, can't fault the performances in this bit just nothing hilarious. Oregon lowers the age of consent to 7 is more quaint, something could have been funny here and it sort of stops itself being hilarious. The Impossible Truth wasn't bad there just needed to be a bigger spark.
• Bee Hospital - love me some bees. This features all the faces of the cast for the first time this episode. The women get to play bee nurses, the males get to be expectant fathers, funny but short.
• Advent with Gilda Radner answering the phone to a guy I don't recognise (is it George Coe?) it's about a recruitment to be a phone line operator, not sure of the joke.
• And now Valerie Bromfield, whose pretending to be a teacher I guess. Whatever she is doing is kind of over the top but never truly funny. Now she's been a cheerleader I guess. Not very funny, shockingly she never came back but 
• Show Us Your Guns? Funny bit they go around getting people to show them their guns, a woman clipping their edges, a woman walking her child, gangsters, an old woman, a man mowing the lawn, a married couple (the wife with a tommy gun no less), the police man doesn't have a gun, he lost it... funny, funny stuff.
• George Carlin stand up again, now this is closer to George Carlin, maybe it's because on original airing it was very late. He's talking about Jesus and religion, he's cooking on all cinders here but still remaining clean. His best of his four bits.
• Another song from Billy Preston - "Fancy Lady" not so familiar with this one. I like it from the start though. Preston is actually very underrated for stuff he did.
• Next sketch John Belushi and Gilda Radner are a couple at home who get robbed in their home by Dan Aykroyd who is actually only doing a simulated burglary, he is trying to sell them on his company Trojan Horse, Garrett Morris shows up as his assistant. Aykroyd is doing one of his great fast talking performances, Radner and Belushi sadly mostly get to react in this sketch though the pair are good in this. Best lines "Would you like to be sexually assualted in your kitchen? - Radner's reply "Well it depends who...". I liked this sketch.
• Another advert starting in caveman days about men always wanting the closest shave. Now this bit is really lost on a modern audience, the joke is a third razor on a shaver, you get it because its not necessary.
• Another Janis Ian song, quite downbeat performance to end on.
• George Carlin is back on stage to say the goodnights, sans the cast, the Muppets and the singers. He embarrassingly advertised his brand new album out, and so it ends the first episode of Saturday Night Live, erm, I mean Saturday Night...
• A lot of people have 'Bud' as their middle name on the credits, wonder what that mean't...

Overall Thoughts - Obviously it's a show that was like nothing that came before it so it needed to find it's feet, there's bit that's don't work - Valerie Bromfield, The Muppets - but there's plenty that does - Andy Kaufman, the musical performances, most of Carlin's performance and performances from the NRFPTP already starting to shine. 

Top 5 Women For July 2012

As always the reminder of the Top 10

10 - Jane Krakowski / 9 - Melissa Joan Hart / 8 - Marion Cottilard / 7 - Jena Malone / 6 - Tina Fey

So now as always onto the TOP 5

5 - EMILY BROWNING

I watched and enjoyed Sucker Punch with her.

4 - ANNE HATHAWAY


She looked so hmmmmmmmmmm in The Dark Knight Rises.

3 - NATALIE PORTMAN


Watched Hesher which I enjoyed, but she still would have got on this list anyway.

2 - ZOOEY DESCHANEL

With New Girl's return to E4, it's great seeing the adorable Zooey every week at the same time.

1 - KRISTEN BELL

Okay, there is actually no reason while she is still getting the number one spot other then the fact I'm so madly in love with her.