Change Your Image
JoyLynn
Reviews
Happy Days (1974)
Sunday, Monday, Happy Days!
What am I supposed to say about Happy Days? What? That it's one of the best shows ever? Because it is! Of course after you lose Richie and Ralph, you kinda go... "huh?" but I suppose that Henry Winkler kept the show going. But tell me this: why did Potsie seem to get dumber after his two friends left? My favorite character isn't Fonzie, as the popular majority goes, but rather Potsie, and also Ralph. And wouldn't you know it...they both made record albums. Sorry, just a thought. Anyway, I love Happy Days, and I don't think there are many people out there who can't give in once in a while to one of the best shows ever! :)
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)
A great show
I really love this show. I love Buddy and Sally and how all of the characters mesh nicely, and it feels comfortable when they play off of each other. The plots keep my attention...not all shows are so good at doing that, haha! The only thing is I sometimes forget that it's Mary Tyler Moore before her own show came about...she just doesn't seem like the same person to me! :)
33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee (1969)
A look at music and the Monkees
I love 33 1/3, not just because I'm a Monkees fan, but the fact that it is an incredibly thought-worthy show. The Monkees take us through the history of music, as they have lost their identities, becoming Monkees number 1, 2, 3, and 4. Beautiful...marks the departure of Peter Tork from the group, leaving shortly after this was shot. Wonderful music and a blast-out end...I love it!!
Head (1968)
A fantastic movie...
What can I possibly say about his movie? My favorite movie of all time? The one that practically killed off the Monkees. Why the producers felt the need to do this I don't know, but the plan was to change the image...and they did! I love this movie beyond belief. Swirling feelings and emotions mix you up, it's kind of like a psycadelic sixties trip, only without the drugs! It's more about the Monkees themselves, the world as we know it, and at times, fun. Peter Tork, my favorite Monkee, finally gets his chance to shine here, with songs of his in the movie, and scenes where he stands out. Maybe he isn't the dumb one after all. Aside from all that, the movie is very well rounded out, and by the end you can't remember everyhting that happened, and it kind of blows your mind...wouldn't appeal to everybody's tastes, but I'd say go buy it, rent it, just see it! You won't look at the Monkees the same ever again...
Laverne & Shirley (1976)
Shlameel, Shlamazel...
In the seventies, so many sitcoms were making an effort to change something, to make a point. And this show did it without anybody really ever realizing it. Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney are hardworking girls, out on thier own, putting up with men, work, neighbors, and other life problems. Laverne had her "L", on every single item of clothing that she owned, Shirley had her security Boo-Boo-Kitty, and wrote in her diary. The annoyance and sometimes utter stupidity of Lenny Kosnowski and Andrew Squiggmann just made you have to love the guys. Lenny was the soft one, who looked up to his best friend, had a toy lizard, a slight crush on Laverne, and a tough childhood. Squiggy seemed to be above the world, yet he did show emotions, if you only looked. He loved Lenny more than anything. Laverne and Shirley had their quarrels, but they were always best friends, and Shirley did finally achieve her dream: she married a doctor and lived happily ever after (much to the downfall of the series, but none the less). Laverne and Shirley is my favorite show, as you may have noticed, and there is so much to be seen in it, as there is with many comedies, if we only try to look hard enough!
Across the Moon (1994)
Michael McKean as Frank
Here's the deal: a lot of stuff in this movie I didn't like. But I first saw this movie because I knew that Michael McKean had a role in it. He is not in much of the movie, but what he is in took my breath away. More people should really acknowledge that he has so much more to offer than Lenny Kosnowski (Laverne and Shirley) and David St. Hubbins (Spinal Tap). He is a magnificent actor, and one of my very favorites. His performance in "Across the Moon" should have gotten much more recognition than it ever did. If you have not seen this movie, rent it, just to see his few lines, and his few scenes. All together, this movie has a nice feel to it, and women would definitely be able to identify with the situations and the characters.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
One of the best rock movies ever
The most confusing thing about Spinal Tap is who they really are. They were treated as a real band, and it all started with a movie. The members of Spinal Tap aren't who they are, yet the immense popularity is all confusing...the actors are all talented musicians (as a matter of fact, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean had worked together before with David "Squiggy" Lander, as the Credibilty Gap,and as Lenny and the Squigtones). Michael McKean, one of my very favorite actors, hadn't had this big of a break since the role of Lenny Kosnowski on "Laverne and Shirley". Very different roles, yet he was still the same person. It is all a ball of confusion, yet it took off, and the movie was a hit, as well as the songs, written, and performed by the actual actors. With people working on this movie like Rob Reiner, it had to be wonderful, and it is just that. Wonderful. Full of satires, original humor that only could come from these people, and a smash hit musical score, Spinal Tap really rocks!