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Reviews
The New Adventures of Batman: He Who Laughs Last (1977)
Bad by bad's standard.
I know. Low budget cartoon, but damn. This one has Joker as the villain, but using the Riddler's schtick. It's not only like the writer never read a Batman story, but it is just that: they really, truly actually haven't. Garbage, but nostalgic garbage.
Bat-Mite - an unwelcome addition to the cast based off a 1950s incarnation of the character in the comics is inexplicably more annoying than his comic counterpart. Batman invents "helium paint" for no reason whatsoever. Batman has a "Bat Tower" which the Joker inexplicably knows where it is to drop off his first riddle. The whole thing is bananas.
James Stewart, Robert Mitchum: The Two Faces of America (2017)
Uniquely Framed.
This is a fascinating contrast of the very different careers of the two men and American culture through the most prolific decades of their work. It's not the world's greatest documentary; it has its flaws. Still, I found it incredibly ambitious in scope, and impressed with the extant to how, albeit unevenly, the documentary managed both to successfully shine light on how the work of these iconic actors reflected the polars of American culture, and how in turn American culture shaped the lives of the men themselves.
For me, it earns its 10 for that ambition and extent of success. Give it a whirl. You will not see a Hollywood history documentary quite like this one.
Medical Center: Undercurrent (1970)
A fascinating cultural artifact
That's a big headline for a kind of lame show, but this early prototype for "a very special episode" shows how being gay was thought of in 1970 and how it was acknowledged in pop culture. It's...not pretty, but it at least makes the point that one's sexuality has no bearing on the quality of one's work. That had to be a little progressive for its day, but there is enough cringe here to last a lifetime. Well worth a watch so long as you understand that ignoring someone's sexuality is not the same as acceptance or basic respect.
Hunter (1984)
No. Don't do it.
Former NFL star Fred Dryer (Yes, his name is a home appliance.) is told somewhere down the line, "Gosh, Fred, you'd be a great actor", and he freaking believed them. The end result is this soft Stephen Cannell-produced cop show that managed to run for what felt like an eternity on NBC Saturdays.
The show spends literally years trying to convince you the lead character - Hunter, clever that - is Dirty Harry, but on television, so not as dirty, but oooh, he's dirty enough. But no, he's not.
Inexplicable chemistry between Dryer and his sidekick/partner played by Stepfanie Kramer, who apparently never properly learned to spell her name, manages to carry this show for SEVEN SEASONS AND A REUNION MOVIE.
Seriously, this is the longest-running worst crime drama of the 1980s to early 90s. If you're looking for some of that gritty Hallmark Channel "intensity", keep changing channels because you're bound to eventually hit "Matlock" instead.
Perry Mason: The Case of the Meddling Medium (1961)
One of the great camp episodes
The show really varied widely in terms of script quality week to week. This one is one of the better unintentionally funny episodes. Stupid story. Over the top acting by the guest stars making silly faces. Perry Mason considering ESP a real thing. It's beautiful. Rated highly for great camp value only.