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Comedy

Desk Set

It’s hard to top a film team of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Although lovers in real life, their films have a chemistry that is almost electrifying. Desk Set is one of their best. Adam’s Rib comes in at a very close second place, but to me Desk Set is their perfect film.

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Posted by Keith C. on Nov 7, 2011

A Thousand Clowns

A Thousand Clowns has long been at the top of my favorite movie list. Based on the play by Herb Gardner it is the story of Murray Burns, a former television writer for a local Children’s show and his nephew “Nick.” There is a reason for the quotes around Nick’s name which becomes apparent as you watch the movie. Murray has been unemployed by choice for a considerable length of time because he wants to have fun in life. His philosophy can be summed up by the following exchange between Murray and Nick at the beginning of the film,

Murray: “Nick, you are about to see a horrible thing.”
Nick: “What’s that Murray?”
Murray: “People going to Work.” Read more »

Posted by Keith C. on Oct 4, 2011

Mark Twain Tonight w/Hal Holbrook

“I haven't a particle of confidence in a man who has no redeeming petty vices.” Mark Twain – A Biography

Hal Holbrook’s recreation of Mark Twain in the one man show Mark Twain Tonight has long been a favorite of mine. Mark Twain was controversial in life and has remained so long after his death. One of his most famous books Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been called everything from the father of the American novel to trash, though the latter has been for differing reasons through the years. Often we forget that Mark Twain was not just a writer. He was, in his time, highly regarded and in demand on the lecture circuit. Today we might think of him as a standup comic. Read more »

Posted by Keith C. on Aug 18, 2011

Rubber

The first thing I want to tell you about Rubber, directed and written by Quentin Dupieux, is that I really wanted to hate this film. I mean it, I really wanted to hate the film; but I couldn’t. Read more »

Posted by Keith C. on Aug 10, 2011

Fido

Back in the days of B&W TV, when I was growing up, there were two shows that I remember watching quite a bit. Leave It To Beaver and Lassie. Today I find both laughable, but still entertaining for different reasons. Read more »

Posted by Keith C. on May 2, 2011

Parks and Recreation

As an Indiana native and someone who finds bureaucracy ridiculous, Parks and Recreationconsistently tickles my funny bone.

The key for me is Amy Pohler’s performance as Leslie Knope. As the deputy director of the parks and recreation department for Pawnee, Indiana her eagerness and honest belief in the system make her as sympathetic as she is funny. The rest of her colleagues have a more realistic view of their positions and their town but either like Leslie enough or are bored enough to help her on her many crusades. Read more »

Posted by Library Intern on Apr 15, 2011

Without A Clue

I’ve often wondered what Michael Caine would have done if he had been given the part of Sherlock Holmes. Without A Clue doesn’t answer that question. It does, however, give me an idea what he would look like playing Sherlock Holmes. Instead Without a Clue answers a question I didn’t even know I had. Read more »

Posted by Keith C. on Apr 13, 2011

We're No Angels

We’re No Angels possesses perhaps the dryest humor of any movie I’ve ever seen. The film stars Humphrey Bogart as Joseph, Aldo Ray as Albert and Peter Ustinov as Jules escaped criminals from Devil’s Island prison and passing themselves off as convict workers until they escape from the island onto a passing ship. In an effort to hide themselves they work for an inept storekeeper and his family. For some unknown reason they take a shine to the family and help them through both their financial and personal problems. They are aided in their efforts by their companion Adolphe, a small Eastern Coral Snake kept as a pet by Albert. Read more »

Posted by Keith C. on Mar 10, 2011