Review of "Mr. McBeevee," episode 1 of season 3 of the Andy Griffith Show

 Review of

Mr. McBeevee, episode 1 of season 3 of the Andy Griffith Show

Five out of five stars

When to believe in a child, even when it seems impossible

 This is easily one of the best of the episodes of the Andy Griffith Show, because it deals with a real life dilemma. There are some comedic moments, but the thrust of the show is whether a parent should continue to believe in their child when what they are saying seems impossible.

 When wandering through the forest, Opie encounters a man that is stringing power lines. He walks in the trees, wears a silver hat and has many tools that jingles. He calls those tools his extra hands. The man’s name is McBeevee and he gives Opies some small gifts.

 When Opie reports this to Andy and Barney, they are skeptical so Andy and Opie go out to where McBeevee was working. Not finding him there because McBeevee had to leave to pick up a co-worker, Andy is faced with a tough parental decision. Whether to believe in Opie or to punish him for lying. Frustrated and uncertain, Andy goes back out to the forest and suddenly encounters McBeevee in one of the most moving moments of the entire series.

 This episode is also a look back at what was considered the social norm of child discipline at the time the show aired. Andy openly talks about giving Opie “a whipping” for lying. While that does not happen, the fact that it was casually mentioned on a wholesome family show demonstrates that such punishment was standard practice.

Review of "Battle of Los Angeles," DVD

 Review of

Battle of Los Angeles, DVD

Two out of five stars

Poorly acted with  “borrowed” plot

 This movie is based very much on the blockbuster “Independence Day.” A large disc-shaped ship hovers over Los Angeles and fires a powerful weapon from the lower center. That weapon creates an expanding circle of destruction emanating outward from the center of the ship. It is an alien invasion of some kind, yet there is never any determination of the real reason why they are now on Earth.

 The center of initial resistance is a local military unit with a commander that takes the gruff, hard-nosed military leader persona more than a little over the top. There is an air squadron nearby that is scrambled to meet the alien threat, but they prove to be generally ineffectual.

 From this point, the action and direction is difficult to follow, there is a mini-Roswell type research structure in the Los Angeles area. Most of the weapons that the American soldiers have are standard issue rifles, handguns and grenades, there is a deviation from this that mimics what happens in the move “Men In Black.”

 I found the movie tedious and uninteresting with one moment of outright hilarity. That is when a tough woman with a samurai style sword jumps onto an alien fighter and destroys it by stabbing it. This is a spaceship capable of surviving the tough environment of space, the idea that it could be destroyed by penetrating the hull with a sword was one that I found hilarious.

 The special effects will also be interpreted as second-rate by viewers familiar to what appears in other science fiction movies. It would have been very helpful if we were to learn precisely why the aliens are on Earth and what their motives are.

Review of "The Howls of Ivy," edited by Henry Boltinoff

 Review of

The Howls of Ivy, edited by Henry Boltinoff

Five out of five stars

Clear evidence of rising talent

 This book is a collection of cartoons drawn for college and university newspapers by students and it is clear that there is a great deal of talent roaming the halls of higher learning. The humor is what was considered acceptable in a college paper in the early 1950’s, so while there are a few hints of a sexual nature, it is very understated.

 My favorite is from the University of Purdue and features two outhouses, one of which says
“Pointers” and the other says “Setters.” The images are of dogs, but the point is still clear. As was the case in many cartoons of that time, there are some that are quite sexist, the main point in most is a man aggressively pursuing a woman.

 Whatever you may think of humor of that era, these cartoons demonstrate some real artistic talent and cleverness.

Review of "The Diamond Cave Mystery," by Troy Nesbitt

 Review of

The Diamond Cave Mystery, by Troy Nesbitt

Four out of five stars

Lost mine premise, this time it is diamonds

 There are many legends of lost mines in the western states of the United States, some of which are no doubt true. The fact that there have been many gold and silver mines in those states adds credence to the stories. The plot of this book uses the premise of a lost mine, only in this case it contains diamonds, something that is less likely in the geological sense.

 The Bennett family lives in New Mexico close to Carlsbad, home to the famous massive underground caverns. Chuck is a teenage boy and his father owns a store, Hal is his best friend and his father works on an oil rig that is drilling nearby.  

 Lefty is a local newspaper reporter and he recalls an old story about a man named Abijah Jones that claimed to have found a diamond mine and extracted a significant number of diamonds. Jones arrived at the home of Chuck’s father and requested lodging as he was not feeling well and he talked about hiding the diamonds in a cave. Jones was an engraver and he was carrying a bible, shortly after he arrived, he died. Chuck’s grandfather tried to track down Jones’ relatives but never had any luck.

Chuck and Hal start their search by going through the bible looking for clues. There are many underlined passages and a coin with fine engraving on it. Their efforts are strenuous and become dangerous as the word gets out that it is likely there are missing diamonds to be found.

 The story moves along fairly well and stays within the bounds of what teenage boys would be capable of. Chuck and Hal can drive, but when they see no path forward, they do what boys that age are likely to do, they went swimming. There is a plausible and sensible conclusion, generally better than stories featuring other adolescent boys that has them doing things that are not as plausible or believable.

Review of "Green Lantern: First Flight," DC Universe DVD

 Review of

Green Lantern: First Flight, DC Universe DVD

Five out of five stars

Existence proof of the value of animation

 Technology has advanced to the point where actors can be completely integrated into electronically generated special effects to the point where it appears that the superheroes are really super. Many blockbuster movies have been created based on comic book characters coming to life. However, this movie is a demonstration that there is still a role for animation when it is done right. This one is done right.

 The story is about the interstellar Green Lantern corps and how one member crash lands on Earth. The power ring seeks out a worthy replacement and daring test pilot Hal Jordan is selected. Once the ring is on his finger, he is transformed into a Green Lantern and he is summoned to appear before the Guardians to argue for his inclusion in the corps.

 There is some significant resistance to his presence as well as a cancer within the corps. Green Lantern’s longtime prime adversary in the comics was the renegade Green Lantern known as Sinestro. In this story, Sinestro is a member of the Green Lantern corps, but is actively plotting against the Guardians. Hal Jordan becomes his apprentice, not knowing what Sinestro’s real motives are.

 This is a great action feature, the animation, writing and delivery of the audio are all first rate. The viewer is injected into the storyline to the point where they truly care about the consequences. Hal emerges as a bulwark against the overthrow of the Guardians and comes face-to-face with a very powerful Sinestro.

 One of the simplest determiners of the quality of a movie is that when it ends, you look forward to a potential sequel. That is the case here.

Review of "Journey Into Q-Space," by Brad Quentin ISBN 0061057215

 Review of

Journey Into Q-Space, by Brad Quentin ISBN 0061057215

Three out of five stars

 Virtual reality taken beyond the currently reasonable.

I have been a great fan of the Johnny Quest show since I was a child. Although he and his companion Hadji were younger than Tom Swift and his pal Bud, the two series shared an important characteristic. Although he was a teenager, Tom Swift was a superb scientist and technocrat, considered a peer and even superior by accomplished adults. Johnny and Hadji were always treated as equal members of the team headed by Benton Quest. So, in both cases, they appealed to adolescents that were interested in science and technology.

 This story fails to rise to a high level because the action is all based on virtual reality. All players, including those of the opposition, are plugged into virtual reality modules, which makes anything possible, including a transformation into alien creatures. In my opinion, this is a failing that I have found in sorcery novels. When the hero gets into a bind, they suddenly discover powers previously unknown. When everything is possible, it is hard to reach a point where the reader considers the hero at risk.

 While the original animated series did stretch science and technology, for the most part it did not extend beyond the plausible. The plot of this book does.

Review of "Timeless Moments From the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson," Discs 1 & 2, DVD

 

Review of

Timeless Moments From the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, Discs 1 & 2, DVD

Five out of five stars

The master of situational improv

 Although the show was scripted, when Johnny Carson was delivering the monologue and interviewing guests, there was always something unpredictable happening. When it did, Carson demonstrated time and time again that he was the master of situational improvisation. That is clear in the clips in this two-disc collection.

 Some are from his monologue where he responds to the crowd reaction, playing off them as well as Ed McMahon and Doc Severinsen. While some of the guests are stars, many are offbeat and unusual people. There is the man that makes jewelry from quail droppings, the queen of polka, a woman that set the record for cutting wood with a hatchet, two darling little girls that tell jokes and a weird segment where Johnny steps into a shower so that women can, “shower with a star.”

 My favorite was the woman that played flutes through her nostrils. She was wearing a dress and the show really went sideways when she stood on her head to play the flutes. Of course, her dress dropped down to near her chin. Carson was known for being willing to tolerate having animals on the show, knowing that they were completely unpredictable. There is one segment with Jim Fowler.

  Carson’s time has passed, and others have taken his place in the talk show format that he pioneered. Yet, none of them can match his ability to take an unusual or difficult situation and milk it for laughs. You can watch these clips several times and never fail to be amused.