Make 'Em Laugh

Make 'Em Laugh (PBS, 2009)

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Rating: DOCQ=6, DOCP=7 / First Rate
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4

Documentary Series, Comedy

If you enjoy American comedy and a cultural history lesson, this series will not disappoint you. It would be impossible to include every comedian in such a program, but the significant and groundbreaking are all here. My biggest issue was the amount of overlap between episodes -some comedians fit in multiple places- and so you really have to watch the entire series. I wish someone would make something like this about British comedy!

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The Artist

The Artist (Michael Hazanavicius, 2011)

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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4

Silent, 1920s-30s, Movies, Being an Actor, Romance

Finally. After what seems like years, I've finally watched The Artist and I couldn't have been more delighted. This is truly an amazing and ambitious film. The film student in me was sitting on the edge of the sofa- so many moments of homage to the classics, so much going on in the background. The storyteller in me was drawn in by the wonderful acting, humor, and timeless quality of the narrative. Yes, this is a movie about movies and love and revisiting the golden days of cinema. But above allThe Artist is about change. It is about fate. It is the artist's job to reflect the times and we must adapt in order to survive.

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The Flying Deuces & Look Around You

The Flying Deuces (A. Edward Sutherland, 1939)

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Rating: Q=4, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1

Early Comedy, Comic Duo, Slapstick

I adore the Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin. Their films are genius, to me, and no matter how many times I watch them they will never lose the spark. But I've never felt that way about Laurel and Hardy comedies, for some reason. While The Flying Deuces has its moments -usually when Stan is being his naive, patient, loyal self and Hardy is flailing around miserably- the humor is just not my cup of tea. Slapstick can be magical when Chaplin and Keaton dress it up with acrobatics and subtle charm but Laurel and Hardy just don't hold my attention. If you've never watched one of their films, though, you should. It's hard not to have an appreciation for how they paved the way for future comic duos.

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Look Around You Season 1 (Peter and James Serafinowicz, 2002)
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Rating: CSS=11, SP=7 / Double Whoopee!
Scale F=4, Scale G=3, Scale H=4, Scale I=3, Scale J=4

BBC Comedy, Wacky, Spoof Series, Satire

OK... why I hadn't heard of this show before is beyond me. Absolutely HYSTERICAL. If you enjoyed watching "made-for-kids" documentary and educational television programs when you were growing up, you just might love this spoof show. Absurd doesn't even begin to describe it. You'll just have to watch. I know I'm going to keep coming back to watch each ten-minute episode. Favorite one = Sulfur.

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The Forsyte Saga

The Forsyte Saga (Christopher Menaul & David Moore, 2002-2003)

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Season 1 Rating: DSQ=11, SP=7 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=3, Scale D=4, Scale E=3

Season 2 Rating: DSQ=10, SP=6 / Can't Get Enough
Scale A=4, Scale B=3, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=3

Melodrama, Late 19th/Early 20th Century, Complex Relationships, Emotional

What an absolutely captivating and whirlwind drama series. The art direction is stunning; like a painting, every scene is layered with color and complexity. The acting is superb. Damian Lewis's portrayal of Soames Forsyte is excruciatingly superb. I found myself cringing and becoming totally furious at his character but someone also sympathizing. Both seasons of the saga are intense in the stories and scenes, characters and utterly complicated relationships. If you enjoy soap operas and melodramas, this is for you. If you love period dramas that are lovingly crafted and timeless, this is for you.

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