The Godfather Returns to Theaters

The blockbuster film of 1972 was Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. 50 years later, it is returning to theaters so fans can view it on the big screen. I have watched this film probably 20 times at home, but it was nice to see it in a movie theater. The cast includes many big stars such as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and more. The term masterpiece is thrown around too much, but in this case I think it is applicable. Some may wince at the running time of almost three hours, but this is such an oustanding movie, that the length did not bother me. I think that the writing, acting, and cinematography are so well done that this qualifies as a film with no flaws. This has many iconic scenes and memorable quotes. The character of Clemenza says "Take the gun, leave the canoli." Later he says "Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes." Luca Brasi practices his speech to Vito Corleone over and over..."Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your home on the wedding day of your daughter. And may their first child be a masculine child." Marlon Brando's character said "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." He also stressed the importance of family when he said "A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man." Two more of my favorite films are also 3 hours long...Casino and Scarface. I'd love to see those on the big screen as well.

Book Review: Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America by Richard Zoglin

Despite its title, this book talked quite a bit about comedy in the 60s and the 80s. It started with information about Lenny Bruce, the groundbreaking, controversial comic of the 60s who influenced many after him. It also looked at contributions to the world of stand up by George Carlin, Robert Klein, Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield, Steve Martin, Andy Kaufman, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor and more. The book talked about the importance of comics getting a shot on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. It mentioned how Freddie Prinze became an overnight sensation after a strong first appearance with the king of late night. The day after his debut with Johnny, he was offered his own sitcom which became Chico and the Man. Prinze was so young, and the fame hit so quickly that he had trouble handling it. At only 22 years old, he shot himself. The book mentioned the iconic Los Angeles Comedy Store,and how a strike by comedians in the 70s had an effect on how comics would be treated in the future. Club owner Mitzi Shore saw no reason to pay the comics for their stand up sets. Comedian Tom Dreesen headed up the union, and some comics crossed the picket line. This was in the era of David Letterman and Jay Leno performing at the club. The book talked about other iconic comedy clubs like Budd Friedman's Improv, The Laugh Factory and Catch a Rising Star. The book mentioned the challenges for women in comedy. Many female comics wanted to appear on Johnny Carson's show, but only a handful made it on the program, such as Joan Rivers, Roseanne Barr and Ellen Degeneres. The main goal for many comics is to land a sitcom, which proved to be lucrative for people like Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Ray Romano and more. This book could have been more comprehensive, going into depth about the comics, but overall it's a good analysis of a pivotal period for the art of stand up comedy. A more thourough book was The Comedians by Kliph Nesteroff. The author of this book, Richard Zoglin, has also written books about Bob Hope and Elvis Presley. He wrote about entertainment for Time magazine for over 20 years.

Book Review: The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, by Ron Howard and Clint Howard

We hear a lot about child stars gone bad (think Lindsay Lohan or Gary Coleman). It seems like many people who make it big in Hollywood early in life end up having issues with substance abuse and ending up on the wrong side of the law. But, it does not always turn out that way. Ron Howard is someone who had admirable success as a child actor, then he transitioned into a successful director, while avoiding the pitfalls that destroy the careers of so many that work in show biz. From what it says in the book, Ron's parents instilled good values in their kids that served them well. The elder Howards were from Oklahoma and both dabbled in acting. In the book The Boys, Ron Howard and his younger brother Clint offer many fascinating anecdotes about a life in entertainment. Clint is not as well known as his brother, but both have been successful in a business that can be brutal and short lived for many. Clint has appeared in many Star Trek TV episodes, and films including Frost-Nixon, Austin Powers, The Waterboy, Tango and Cash and many others, over a 60 year acting career. Ron Howard has a net worth of $200 million while Clint has a net worth of $4 million. Ron has cast his brother Clint and his father Rance in supporting roles in his films. Also, Ron has directed his wife in eleven films. The book talks about Ron's success as Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show. Ron worked with Andy, Don Knotts, Jim Nabors and other stars on this beloved show. As a kid, Ron had an interest in the behind-the-scenes aspects of shooting the show, and developed aspirations of being a director. He directed such films as: Splash, Cocoon, Backdraft, Apollo 13, A Beatiful Mind and The DaVinci Code. He won 2 Oscars, 4 Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Grammy. He has directed nine different actors in Oscar nominated performances, including Don Ameche, Dianne Weist, Russell Crowe and Glenn Close. Ron studied filmmaking at USC, a top-notch cinema school who can count George Lucas and Steven Spielberg as alumni. In 1976, Ron Howard was thrilled to earn a role in the film The Shootist. The stars were legends John Wayne, Lauren Bacall and Jimmy Stewart. The following year, Ron directed his first full length film, called Grand Theft Auto, with the assistance of executive producer Roger Corman. This was an action/comedy film that included a demolition derby scene where a Rolls Royce was destroyed. Many people from Happy Days wanted to help out Ron by appearing in his film. Various members of the Howard family appeared in the film too. The budget was $600,000 and it earned $6 million, so it was a big hit financially. Ron was still appearing in Happy Days, but he was becoming disillusioned with the project. Clint Howard mentioned his use of marijuana, cocaine and alcohol, and how they affected his life. His brother Ron felt guilty that he did not stop Clint from indulging in these chemicals in the 1970s. Ron would steer clear of such substances. By the 1980s, Clint's drug use was affecting his life in a serious way and Ron had to step in to tell him that he needed to turn his life around. In 1984, Clint seeked out help and entered rehab. He needed a few tries to get straight. By 1991, Clint was on the right track. Clint lasted less than a semester at Pepperdine University. As a character actor, Clint carved out his place in Hollywood. He has over 200 TV movies to his name. In reading the book, I learned about the connections between 2 of Ron's most popular roles in American Graffiti and Happy Days. Both were made in the 1970s and took a nostalgic look at life in the 1950s. It was fascinating to hear some of Ron's anecdotes about working on American Graffiti with George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfus and others. After the success of American Graffiti, the TV networks wanted to capitalize on the popularity of nostalgia. The show Happy Days arose from a story in the anthology TV show Love American Style. Originally the show Happy Days was to star Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham but the popularity of Henry Winkler as The Fonz became evident. At one point, ABC considered changing the title of the show to Fonzie's Happy Days. Ron was offended by this suggestion, and it did not happen. Howard recounted what it was like to work with actors such as Winkler, Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Donny Most and more on stage 19 at Paramount. Henry Winkler is the godfather of Howard's children. Happy Days went head-to-head against Good Times, which featured Jimmie Walker and his catch phrase "Dyn-o-mite." Happy Days was the victor. Ron Howard recalls the appearance of the immensely talented Robin Williams as Mork from Ork. Mork and Mindy became a Happy Days spin off, along with Laverne and Shirley and Joanie Loves Chachi. Those who want to learn more about the behind-the-scenes aspects of iconic shows like The Andy Griffith Show, Happy Days and the world of a family navigating life in Hollywood will enjoy this book.

Disney Plus Offers an Impressive Array of Programming

Remember back in the day when we ordered DVDs through the mail from Netflix? Today that seems like ancient history when you look at all of the streaming options. Netflix competitors include Amazon Prime video, Hulu, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount, Apple TV and more. ABC is part of a big conglomerate that includes Disney, Hulu, ESPN and more. I have been impressed at the variety of programming on the Disney Plus streaming platform. Star Wars fans will be pleased to find every movie as well as shows like The Manalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and many shows that reveal behind-the-scenes secrets of the George Lucas creations. Every episode of The Muppet Show is on Disney Plus. Animal lovers will enjoy the National Geographic programming, such as Secrets of the Zoo. Disney has the rights to Homer, Bart and The Simpson clan, so every episode, spanning over 30 years can be found here. Disney Plus has every Pixar movie ever made, from Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Soul, Encanto and more. The entire Marvel universe of super hero films is included. The platform has plenty of cartoons, going all the way back to Steamboat Willie, which had the first appearance of Mickey Mouse. Some of the best gems of this platform are shows that document the history of Disney, from the theme parks, movies, and executives that made the company a giant in the world of entertainment. The Disney bundle includes Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus.

Book Review: Starstruck by Leonard Maltin

Film critic Leonard Maltin has written several books about his love of cinema. His latest book is an autobiography about his life as a movie maven who worked for Entertainment Tonight for many years. He tells of his upbringing in New Jersey and eventually moving to California to dedicate himself to covering the world of film. Besides Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Maltin has been the best known movie critic for decades. I enjoyed his stories about teaching film classes at USC, the nation's premiere film school. Being in Los Angeles, he could screen films in class and get the stars or directors to show up to talk to students about their work. I think it would have been fascinating to attend his classes. Jerry Lewis also taught film at USC and two of his students were Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. In the book, Maltin mentioned the incredible experience of interviewing Lucas at Skywalker Ranch. Maltin talks about his adventures in podcasting, working for Turner Classic Movies, and attending film festivals around the world. My main issue with the book is that there was too much focus on classic films and their stars. Maltin talked a lot about films of the 1940s and before. I would have appreciated more discussion of contemporary films and stars. The book wrapped up with a chapter where Maltin revealed his health challenges since being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few years ago. Overall I enjoyed this tale of a man's dedication to what he loves...the world of Hollywood, film and celebrities.