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John Schlesinger’s adaptation of Nathanael West’s novel is one of the best ‘Hollywood on Hollywood’ pictures ever, even if it soaks everything about The Golden Age of Tinseltown in an acid bath of cynicism. The perverse dystopia of dreams and vice is beautifully rendered in every respect, and culminates in a finale that caught ordinary audiences by surprise. Is this an indictment of the shallow aims of America’s Fantasyland, or one misanthrope’s vision of self-loathing and apocalyptic wish fulfillment? Don’t look for anyone to root for, as even the benign characters are moral freaks. Karen Black, Burgess Meredith, Donald Sutherland and William Atherton give utterly original performances; [Imprint] has a secured a great new interview extra with Atherton.

The Day of the Locust

Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 13

1975 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 144 min. / Street Date November 6, 2020 /

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Karen Black, Burgess Meredith, William Atherton, Geraldine Page, Richard Dysart, Bo Hopkins,...

Norman Lear’s Cold Turkey is preferred by 4 out of 5 doctors, and the other doctor is a fool that doesn’t smoke cigarettes. Lear’s triple-threat writing, producing and directing effort is by no means a lazy comedy, with its twenty featured actors dashing around like asylum inmates for ninety minutes. It’s not the show to help one kick the habit, that’s for sure — even though it makes smoking look appropriately disgusting.

Cold Turkey

Blu-ray

Olive Films

1971 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 99 min. / Street Date May 29, 2018 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98

Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart, Pippa Scott, Tom Poston, Edward Everett Horton, Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding, Vincent Gardenia, Barnard Hughes, Graham Jarvis, Jean Stapleton, Barbara Cason, Judith Lowry, Sudie Bond, Helen Page Camp, Paul Benedict, Simon Scott, Raymond Kark, Peggy Rea, Woodrow Parfrey, M. Emmet Walsh, Gloria LeRoy, Walter Sande, Harvey Jason, Ted Knight, Stan Gottlieb.

Cinematography:...

It is still a question of how, surrounding the death of Edie Brit in the next episode of "Desperate Housewives". The March 22 episode leaves little clue to why Edie was smiling in her death. ABC decides to make this a cliffhanger, returning the show only on April 19.

In the preview for the new episode called "Look Into Their Eyes and You See What They Know", Susan whispers to Edie's ears, "you're gonna be just fine". The women, Lynette, Mrs McClucksy, Bree, Susan and Gaby, then carry the urn on a road trip to find Edie's long-lost son, Travers.

During the trip, the women have flashbacks on their time with Edie. They visit Travers at school to tell him what happened to Edie. Meanwhile, Bree's marriage is troubled to the limits with her paying a visit to Orson.

In a scoop by EW, it is revealed that a new character will...