SpaceComics

I found Aquarius watchable, but not absorbing, not commanding my attention enough to easily follow the story. The 60's are reasonably well simulated but with an occasional anachronistic phrase spoiling the effect. Acting is fine. I like David Duchovny and if it starred someone I didn't know, I wouldn't have been able to keep watching past two episodes. But the writing distracts us with too many subplots about other "'60s issues," clouding the main story aimlessly. It seems like they're trying to imply a bigger conspiracy behind what was already a horrible conspiracy. In true Hollywood fashion, trying to connect Manson via a fictional character to Nixon and any Republicans, even Reagan. A Michael Moore "docu-comedy" hidden inside an Oliver Stone movie all wrapped up in an X-files wannabe.

Dinah! was an afternoon variety talk show similar to Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas, in the same era, and in my opinion the best of those--my mother used to watch it and I saw many episodes in the summers when school was out. Dinah Shore was a famous singer in the 1950s-1960s, and often sang on the show.

Guests included every star of screen, records, and TV you can think of, from Bob Hope, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Burt Reynolds to Michael Jackson, Debbie Reynolds and Vincent Price.

I sure wish Dinah! was available on DVD! Orson Welles, Sammy Davis Jr., Henry Fonda, Shirley MacLaine, Olivia Newton-John, Raquel Welch, Helen Reddy, Frankie Valli -- Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1976! -- George C. Scott, Sean Connery, Victor Borge, Jeff Bridges -- hundreds more stars, see the IMDb cast list for yourself!

SPOILERS Dinner for Schmucks is one of the best comedies I've seen in recent years, possibly since Austin Powers. It's funny without getting as crude and disgusting as other recent funny comedies like Borat, Team America, Harold & Kumar, and Super Bad. The characters are likable with their funny flaws, and Steve Carell performs his role better than anything I've seen from Adam Sandler, Will Farrell or any of the other current lead comics. Carell plays a not so bright, nerdy amateur taxidermist who makes dioramas featuring stuffed mice. But you like him because he's very talented at his hobby. Paul Rudd befriends him with an ulterior motive, to invite him to the title dinner to impress his boss - but humiliating him in the process. But even before the dinner, Carell, trying to helpful, creates a series of misunderstandings that mess up Rudd's relationships. This makes up the bulk of the movie and is very funny, if typical comedic misunderstandings, well staged with good comic timing. SPOILER: But the dinner finally comes and that's the outstanding part, as we see the schmucks invited really are better people than the snobs who invited them, just ordinary people with some extraordinary talents -- but intensely funny. This is one to watch over again every couple years.