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spats1
Reviews
The Odd Couple (2015)
there is no LAUGH TRACK in this
OK, I just came here to say, enough with all the foolish reviewers who think there is a "laugh track" in this or ANY show. Laugh tracks haven't been used for over 30 years.
These shows are filmed in front of a live studio audience. They do this not (only) to add the sound of a real audience reacting, but to gauge how well the jokes are working. If you ever been to a live taping, you'd see them play the scene, and if any of the jokes got no reaction, and you're paying attention, you'll see the writers huddling in a corner, literally writing new jokes on the spot, printing them out, and doing the scene again. You're thinking "geez, then it would take many many hours to film a sitcom!" Well, you'd be right. That's why sometimes they feed you, they have games and prizes while the director/writer/cast work out a scene, etc.
They might "sweeten" the sound of the laughs some time, but in my experience, they don't need to. The audiences that are generally there are fans, and usually they love the show they're seeing, and they LAUGH.
So please stop whining about the "laugh track". If you don't like shows that are filmed in front of a studio audience, then watch Modern Family, or The Mindy Project, or The Middle or The Simpsons, or New Girl, etc. etc.
Desk Set (1957)
Surprisingly relevant
I finally caught this old movie this week, and I enjoyed it, it was cute and fun, and Spencer and Tracy were great to watch dueling, as usual. The amazing thing I found was how surprisingly relevant it is. I mean, unbelievably foreseeing of situations that wouldn't happen in great numbers until 40 years later, because the theme is people losing their jobs as computers "take over".
It is even right on target at the finale when *****SPOILER****** they discover that computers do not exactly take away jobs, they often end up creating more jobs.
The King and I (1999)
horrifying
Easily the worst movie I've ever seen. Disastrous attempt to copy the Disney formula of adding magical bad guys and silly animal sidekicks -- TO A TRUE STORY? This story actually happened to an English teacher who went to Siam in the 1800's! And was made into a hit Broadway musical with the same Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. And they didn't just add ridiculous characters, but REWROTE major parts of history? Watch "King and I" starring Yul Brynner before watching this, and your jaw will drop from beginning to end. Worth watching, although it's not "so bad it's good", but because of a near perfect constant stream of over the top errors.
Shallow Hal (2001)
Surprisingly good
When I finally saw this movie, I was surprised how good and full of heart it was. All the marketing seemed to tell you to see it because "It's a laugh riot! He thinks she's thin BUT SHE'S FAT! HA HA HA". But of course it was actually about seeing through exteriors to the true person inside. I was also surprised Gwyneth Paltrow took a part in such a goofy movie, but it turned out it WAS a juicy role, to play someone with such a poor self-image, when she is actually so beautiful. The only reason I didn't give this movie a 10 was because of a lame minor story-line with Jason Alexander which came to an idiotic conclusion at the end of the film. Really good otherwise.