Top 5 Tuesday: My Favorite Movie Endings

Everyone likes a good ending. Some movies are so-so but have a memorable conclusion, which helps you forget the previous 90 minutes you felt like you were wasting. Others are great throughout, and as the movie winds down, you hope and pray that the ending doesn't ruin it. And when it doesn't, you walk away with a great movie experience. A real bonus is when the ending isn't what you were expecting, and was even better than you were hoping for. And that's the category the following five films fall into. These are movies I enjoyed watching for two hours, hoping for a satisfying ending. And got one that was more than I expected.

1. The Usual Suspects (1995):  Simply a brilliant ending to a great mystery where you spend most of the movie trying to figure out who's doing what. And when the answer is revealed at the end, most people would be surprised. The film did a great job not providing too many hints. 

2. La La Land (2016):  Another movie that blew me away while watching it, and I remember sitting there thinking to myself, "please don't ruin it with a cheesy ending!". And they didn't. I actually choked up a little as the two main characters, both living their separate dreams, acknowledged what each did for the other to help accomplish them, with a subtle nod and smile as they parted, probably forever.

3. Mr. Holland's Opus (1995):  Very moving ending as a school and community celebrate the forced retirement of a long time music teacher in a very memorable and touching way. Didn't see it coming.

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1948):  My favorite Christmas movie about a man who insists he's the real Kris Kringle. The movie never gives us an answer, but leaves us with a tantalizing clue in the last scene of the movie. Basically, they left the decision to us!

5. Big Fish (2003):  My favorite Tim Burton movie about a dying man retelling an amazing life story to his estranged, and skeptical son, who tires to verify his dad's elaborate stories. After his dad dies, some interesting revelations are revealed at his funeral. Again, a very moving and unexpected ending.

Top 5 Tuesday: My Favorite TV Sitcoms

Thought it only fair to follow up my favorite TV drama's post with my five personal favorite comedy sitcoms! I was able to rank the top four very quickly, as to me, they stand out from the rest.  But number five was a bit tough, so I included the most recent one I discovered and really enjoyed. Wondering how many of you actually have heard of it! Again, these are my favorite shows, not what I necessarily consider the best. But they could be!

1.  I Love Lucy-  To me, this is the show that started sitcoms as we know it. And it still holds it own. Love the California and Europe trips!  Always thought Desi Arnaz was underrated as a sitcom actor. You never hear his name when the all-time best sitcom actors are mentioned. He was hilarious, and a vital piece to the success of I Love Lucy.

2.  Seinfeld-  A real close second.  For most sitcoms, a single episode will usually feature one memorable storyline. But it wasn't unusual for a single Seinfeld episode to feature two or three unforgettable storylines.  And it consistently did this for nine seasons!  That's what you call great writing.

3.  Get Smart-  I'm probably in the minority here, but this is still one of most hilarious shows ever on TV.  James Bond meets Inspector Clouseau.  Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Buck Henry were a great writing team. And I particularly liked Hymie the robot!

4.  All in the Family-  Ground breaking, brave comedy.  Very well written.  There weren't very many sitcoms where I laughed and was moved to the point of tears in the same episode.  Happened more than once in All in the Family.

5.  The Detectorists-  I know, where did this one come from? The Detectorists is a show from the BBC that feature two metal detector professionals who are a part of a group in a small rural town in England.  

Honorable mention (no particular order):  Barney Miller, The Odd Couple, M*A*S*H, Friends, Cheers, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Larry Sanders Show, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Happy Days, The Munsters, Frasier, The Office (BBC),  Green Acres.

So those are my five favorite sitcoms. Feel free to chime in with yours and why you chose them!

Top 5 Tuesday: Guilty Pleasure Fast Food Items

Now that the new year has begun and people are beginning to make New Years resolutions to lose their holiday weight, I thought this list was fitting! Well, sort of....

Fortunately, I don't eat much fast food anymore, but there was a time in my pre-marital life when I did indulge from time to time. Ok, maybe slightly more than time to time. During that time, I did develop some go-to favorites during that period, which I'm sure will cause some of you to roll your eyes! Regardless, here the top 5:

1. Der Weinerschnitzel chili cheese dog:  hot dog covered with Der Weinerschnitzel chili and melted cheese, creating a blended mixture of yumminess. Had one with my mom a few months ago for the first time in a while, and they are still delicious.
   
   
2. Burger King traditional chicken sandwich w/cheese:  The cheese again, was the key here. Nice and melted on a toasted white meat chicken patty with just the right amount of lettuce and condiments.  
   
   
3. McDonalds double cheeseburger: Not really sure why I liked these, but I just know I enjoyed how McDonalds made them. They were a frequent, cheap go-to destination when I need a quick snack.
   
   
4. Jack-in-the-Box tacos: By far the greasiest thing on this list, with no real resemblance to a traditional taco. But they tasted very good, with just a little kick, in a weird taco kind-of-way.
   
   
5. Carl Jr's Western Bacon Cheeseburger:  Loved the onion ring, melted cheese, BBQ sauce combo atop the 1/4 pound burger. 

Honorable mention: Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, Togo's toasted roast beef/avocado sandwich, Carl's Jr. Fish sandwich, Colonel Sanders extra crispy chicken breast. 

Top 5 Tuesday: My Favorite Obscure TV Characters

Everyone is familiar with the leads of many of the classic TV shows going back throughout history, like Carrol O'Connor and All in the Family, Alan Alda and M*A*S*H, Peter Falk and Columbo, and Raymond Burr and Perry Mason. But these and many other shows wouldn't have been the success they were without the contributions of the supporting roles in these shows, and the actors who played them. 

This list will address my five favorites throughout the years. I'm not claiming they are the five best, but five I particularly like. Some I'm sure you have heard of, and others you might not of. So here we go, in no particular order:

1. Dick Gautier as Hymie the Robot in Get Smart 

Most people agree that Get Smart was undoubtedly one of the funniest shows in TV history, and is one of my personal all-time favorites. In fact it's #3 in my top 10 favorite TV sitcoms blog. Don Adams as Agent 86 rightfully gets most of the attention for the comedy in the show. But the show also features many other agents in bit roles that are crucial to the show's comedic success. One such character is Hymie the Robot, played brilliantly and hysterically by actor Dick Gautier. 

Hymie looks human but internally is a wired robot. His mannerisms are mostly robotic, so all of the commands he's given he takes very literally. Which makes for some very funny interactions with Adams. An example: "Hymie, give me a hand", after which Hymie would physically remove his hand and give it to Smart. 

Gautier plays Hymie very stoic without emotion, i.e. deadpan, which I'm sure wasn't easy for him if you've ever watched him out of character on game or talk shows. He's quite the goofball, which I'm sure led to many funny bloopers and second takes on Get Smart. Hymie only appeared in six episodes of Get Smart, but they are worth keeping an eye out for.

2. Larry Drake as Benny Stulwicz in L.A. Law

Right in the middle of his seven year stint as the mentally challenged office clerk Benny Stulwicz in the popular series L.A. Law, Larry Drake made a movie called "Darkman" where he played the most evil, detestable villain imaginable. I was familiar with him as Stulwicz, so when I saw him in Darkman in the theater during the summer of 1990, I was shocked. I couldn't believe this was the same actor I saw until that point play a sensitive, kind, innocent and lovable office clerk who you can't but be drawn to and root for. If you didn't know Drake wasn't mentally challenged in real life, you would have bet your last dollar that he was. His portrayal was that good. And for the role, Drake won two well-deserved Emmy awards. 

3. Anthony LaPaglia as Simon Moon in Frasier 

LaPaglia only made eight appearances in the comedy show Frasier as the alcoholic brother of Daphne Moon, but they were all memorable. Playing intoxicated in nearly every screen appearance, LaPaglia's portrayal was hilarious. and made a funny show even funnier whenever he was on. And even though he was in only eight episodes, he was nominated for three Emmy's for the role, winning once.

4. Adam Arkin as Adam in Northern Exposure & Dr. Stanley Keyworth in The West Wing

Adam Arkin is no doubt one of the most underrated, or at least underappreciated, TV character actors from the past 30 years. He's one of those actors that you recognize when you see him, but never knew his name. Son of well known actor Alan Arkin, Adam made a name for himself in various TV roles, but two in particular that stand out to me. As Adam in Northern Exposure, Arkin played a recluse who lived deep in the woods outside of Cicely, Alaska. Initially thought of as a legend or myth, Adam was accidently discovered by one of the town's residents, and exposed to the townsfolk. After that, Adam would periodically appear in public, despite his dislike of people, which is why he became a recluse to begin with. 

So with his hidden identity revealed, Adam was almost always bitter, harsh and sarcastic, but in a very funny way. And that's mainly because of the top notch writing that came out of Northern Exposure. During it's five year reign, the show was nominated for it's writing four times, winning an Emmy once in 1992. The show was also nominated for a Best Drama Emmy four years, winning once in 1992 as well. Arkin himself was nominated in 1993 for an outstanding guest actor Emmy for his role as Adam, despite only appearing in 10 of the shows 110 episodes.

In 2000, Arkin would appear four times in the Emmy winning show, The West Wing, as Dr. Stanley Keyworth, the secret, psychiatrist to the White House, specifically the Deputy Chief of Staff and the President of the United States, Josiah Bartlett, played by another of my favorite actors, Martin Sheen. Both were victims of an assassination attempt at the end of the first season. Several times during those four episodes, we got to sit in on several therapy sessions, which were expertly written by the multi-award winning writers of the show. The appealing part was that Keyworth was not a simple yes sir, you're right sir push over. He was not intimidated by either man, particularly the President, but instead was very honest, and very blunt with the Bartlett if he didn't think he was being honest or beating around the bush. This made for some pretty intense scenes. Bartlett, initially thought the approach as being disrespectful of the office of the President, but slowly began to appreciate Keyworth's tact and gall. To the point where a mutual respect grew between the two, to the point where they could have been friends if the situation was different. 

5. Bruce Weitz as Lt. Mick Belker in Hill Street Blues 

Crazy, nutty, unpredictable, odd yet likeable. That would just about describe Lieutenant Mick Belker from the Hill Street precinct on the ground-breaking police show, Hill Street Blues. Although there were many police shows on TV prior to Hill Street Blues' premiere in 1981, none were as gritty, violent, realistic or suspenseful as Hill Street. The show turned out to be a trend setter, with successful shows like NYPD Blue, Law and Order, and non-police shows like L.A. Law, ER, and the West Wing following in it's footsteps using the same kind of formula.

Belker, played by Bruce Weitz, is a detective in the Hill Street precinct who tended to be a loner when working on cases, partially because no one wanted to work him and all of his quirks. But that's how he preferred it as well. His forte whenever he was in a squirmish with a suspect was to bite them. That should tell you something! Belker also had a soft side to him, which made him hard not to like. And Weistz did a great job conveying all of this on the screen. So much so that he was nominated six times for the role, winning once in 1984.

Top 5 Tuesday: My Favorite TV Dramas

Here are a list of my top 5 favorite TV drams  The first two are virtually a tie in my mind, but I had to pick one. Again, these are my favorite shows, not what I necessarily consider the best!

1.  The Sopranos-  Talk about drama. Look up the word "drama" in the dictionary and you'll find the Sopranos in the description (or at least should). Each week was gritty, occasionally violent, and completely engaging. Probably TV's first R-rated show. Although a couple of the final years dropped off a notch in quality, and the series finale somewhat controversial, the entire run of the show was highly entertaining.  Great acting, top notch writing....and only one Best Drama Emmy?  Read on....

2.  West Wing- A close second, and the reason why The Sopranos only won one Best Drama Emmy. It's funny, but there was a time when I refused to watch the West Wing because it kept defeating The Sopranos! But when I finally got around to watching it, I was hooked. By that time, the show had come out on DVD, and I was renting them left and right in order to get caught up. Like the Sopranos, a couple of the final seasons were a little weaker, but overall the show provided a fascinating look into the lives and work of the staff of a (fictitious) U.S. President.  Sure, it was based on a democratic White House, but it was written well enough for right-wingers to enjoy.

3.  Rockford Files-  One of my must-see shows in the 70's. Loved the combination of drama and dry humor throughout the show about the weekly cases of private eye Jim Rockford (James Garner). Rockford was an every day, easy to relate guy, which was a big part of the shows appeal.  He would frequently get hit, hurt and cheated on, but he always managed to solve the crime.

4.  Hill Street Blues- Ground breaking, realistic police drama about the goings on of a New York police station.  This show had some of the most memorable characters in TV history (Belker, LaRue, Renko, Furillo, etc.). The acting and writing were superb.  The show wasn't shy about killing off it's stars either, which provided some of the most shocking and at the same time emotional episodes on dramatic TV. Probably the first real gritty, violent show on TV. Paved the way for several other shows (NYPD Blue, Law & Order, etc.)

5.  L.A. Law- Another well written, well acted show featuring the daily activity of a Los Angeles Law Firm.  If you like courthouse drama, this is your show. Takes Perry Mason to another level, although it wasn't shy to slip in some pretty funny humor from time-to-time.  Once most of the major stars left the show in the early 90's, the final two seasons were a bit weaker. But overall, a very enjoyable drama that I watched on a regular basis. 

Honorable mention (no particular order): E.R., Lou Grant, Thirtysomething, NYPD Blue, Mission Impossible, Northern Exposure, Perry Mason, Quincy, McMillan & Wife, Police Story, Adam 12, Mad Men, Ellery Queen (anyone remember this?), LOST, Emergency!, Highway to Heaven, This is Us, The Crown.

So those are my five all-time favorite TV dramas. Feel free to chime in with yours and why you chose them!

JW

My Top 10 Favorite TV Dramas

A few weeks ago I posted my top 10 favorite TV sitcoms, so naturally I had to follow that up with my top 10 favorite TV dramas.  The first two are virtually a tie in my mind, but I had to pick one. Again, these are my favorite shows, not what I necessarily consider the best. Here's what I eventually came up with:

1.  The Sopranos-  Talk about drama. Look up the word "drama" in the dictionary and you'll find the Sopranos in the discription (or at least should). Each week was gritty, very violent, and completely engaging. Probably TV's first R-rated show. Although a couple of the final years dropped off a notch in quality, and the series finale somewhat contraversial, the entire run of the show was highly entertaining.  Great acting, top notch writing....and only one Best Drama emmy?  Read on....

2.  West Wing- A close second, and the reason why The Sopranos only won one Best Drama emmy. It's funny, but there was a time when I refused to watch the West Wing because it kept defeating The Sopranos! But when I finally got around to watching it, I was hooked. By that time, the show had come out on DVD, and I was renting them left and right in order to get caught up. Like the Sopranos, a couple of the final seasons were a little weaker, but overall the show provided a fascinating look into the lives and work of the staff of a (ficticious) U.S. President.  Sure, it was based on a democratic White House, but it was written well enough for right-wingers to enjoy.

3.  Rockford Files-  One of my must-see shows in the 70's. Loved the combination of drama and dry humor throughout the show about the weekly cases of private eye Jim Rockford (James Garner). Rockford was an every day, easy to relate guy, which was a big part of the shows appeal.  He would frequently get hit, hurt and cheated on, but he always managed to solve the crime.

4.  Hill Street Blues- Ground breaking, realistic police drama about the goings on of a New York police station.  This show had some of the most memberable characters in TV history (Belker, LaRue, Renko, Furillo, etc). The acting and writing were superb.  The show wasn't shy about killing off it's stars either, which provided some of the most shocking and at the same time emotional episodes on dramatic TV. Probably the first real gritty, violent show on TV. Paved the way for several other shows (NYPD Blue, Law & Order, etc.)

5.  L.A. Law- Another well written, well acted show featuring the daily activity of a Los Angeles Law Firm.  If you like courthouse drama, this is your show. Takes Perry Mason to another level, although it wasn't shy to slip in some pretty funny humor from time-to-time.  Once most of the major stars left the show in the early 90's, the final two seasons were a bit weaker. But overall, a very enjoyable drama that I watched on a regular basis. Now when is it coming out on DVD?

6.  Lou Grant-  This is probably a surprise to some, but this show was actually a two-time best drama emmy winner in 1979-1980. Lou Grant, if you don't know, is actually a character from the old Mary Tyler Moore comedy played by Ed Asner. When the MTM show ended, "Lou Grant" was spunoff as a drama, a bold move in itself. But it worked, as it provided an interesting and and entertaining look into the grinds of a daily newspaper.  It didn't hurt that during that time I was a Journalism major in college, so I automatically had an interest in it! I recently watched some episodes of Lou Grant on Hulu, and still found them entertaining.

7.  NYPD Blue-  Another classic, gritty, violent police show inspired by Hill Street Blues a decade earlier and developed by it's creator, Steven Bochco.  Although based on a New York police station as well, the show was completely different than Hill Street.  This time around, Bochco focused primarily on one cop, Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), and his rotating list of partners (David Caruso, Jimmy Smits, and a few others) throughout the 12 year run of the show.  Predictably, the first few years were better than the last few, but the show did a pretty good job keeping continuity during the entire decade despite the different cast changes. It was particularly interesting to watch the evolution of Sipowicz during that entire time.

8.  LOST-  Although I admit that I didn't really care for the final two seasons of this show, which featured the saga of the survivors of a commercial airline crash on a remote island in the southern Pacific, I really did enjoy the first three.  The first two, in particular, were among the best of any TV drama in television history. It was groundbreaking and unique, as there really hadn't been a dramatical series on TV like it before. A serious Gilligan's Island, I guess you can say.

9.  Emergency!-  Now the surprises begin.  I'm not shamed to admit that this was one my favorite shows in the 70's....I never missed it. I recently watched a few episodes of this on Netflix and have to say I still enjoyed it.  In case you don't know, this was a Jack Webb-produced action/drama based on the day-to-day life of fire station 51, and in particular paramedics Gage and DeSoto. I have heard that many a real life paramedic/fireman credited this show for inspiring them to become a firefighter/paramedic.  My cousin's husband is one of them!

10.  Highway to Heaven-  Ok, either your mouth is wide open right now, or you have fallen off of your computer chair.  Either way, I know you didn't expect to see this on my list. Sappy at times....yes;  occasionally cheesy.....yes.  But I found this show to be one of the most heartwarming ever produced on TV.  The show had heart and nothing but good intentions. Plus it lasted five seasons, so I wasn't the only one to feel that way!

Next 10 (no particular order): Mission Impossible, Picket Fences, Northern Exposure, Perry Mason, Quincy, McMillan & Wife, Police Story, Adam 12, Mad Men, Ellery Queen (anyone remember this?).

So those are my 10 all-time favorite TV dramas. Feel free to chime in with yours and why you chose them!

JW

My Top 10 Favorite TV Sitcoms

Thought this would be a good conversation starter!  Everyone has their personal favorite comedy shows (sitcoms), but have you ever ranked them?  I sat down and tried ranking my top 10 recently, and actually listed the top four very quickly, as to me, they stand out from the rest.  I found the 5th-10th spots a little tougher to place. Coming up with the shows wasn't a problem, but ranking them was a bit difficult.  Again, these are my favorite shows, not what I necessarily consider the best. Here's what I eventually came up with:

1.  I Love Lucy-  To me, this is the show that started sitcoms as we know it. And it still holds it own. Love the California and Europe trips!  Always thought Desi Arnaz was underrated as a sitcom actor. You never hear his name when the all-time best sitcom actors are mentioned. He was hilarious, and a vital piece to the success of I Love Lucy.

2.  Seinfeld-  A close second.  For most sitcoms, a single episode will usually feature one memorable storyline. But it wasn't unusual for a single Seinfeld episode to feature two or three unforgettable storylines.  And it consistently did this for nine seasons!  That's what you call great writing.

3.  Get Smart-  I'm probably in the minority here, but this is still one of most hilarious shows ever on TV.  James Bond meets Inspector Clouseau.  Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Buck Henry were a great writing team. And I particularly liked Hymie the robot!

4.  All in the Family-  Ground breaking, brave comedy.  Very well written.  There weren't very many sitcoms where I laughed and was moved to the point of tears in the same episode.  Happened more than once in All in the Family.

5.  The Larry Sanders Show-  Very funny, well written parody of late night television (in front of and behind the camera), particularly in the early to late 90's when the show was on and the Carson/Letterman/Leno drama was at it's peak. The casting was dead on, in particular with Garry Shandling, Jeffrey Tambor and Rip Torn. .

6.  Barney Miller-  Hilarious spoof on every day life in a New York police precinct, sprinkled with some pretty decent drama. Hal Linden makes the whole thing work as the Captain of the station. As the "straight man" of the group, Linden frequently sets the table for all of the humor in the show.

7.  The Odd Couple-  Terrific small screen version of the Broadway play. The chemistry between Jack Klugman and Tony Randall is as good as it gets.  Their banter plus the great writing makes for episode after episode of laughs.

8.  Arrested Development-  This show wins the award for the darkest comedy on my list! Only lasting three seasons, this Ron Howard-created (and narrarated) show about a disfunctional family is quite different than the other comedies listed as you'll either love it or hate it. There's no inbetween!

9.  M*A*S*H-  Not much to say about this all-time classic. It's probably lower on my list then other lists, but it has to be on it.  The most impressive thing about this show to me is how it survived not one, but three major casting changes in it's first five years without skipping a beat.  Great casting, great writing, great acting!

10.  Friends-  Probably a contraversial inclusion, but I can't help by laugh whenever I catch an episode. The show was on almost 10 years, with the quality of the writing remaining strong nearly the entire time. There are other long running comedies where they can't be said.

Next 10 (no particular order):  Cheers, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Happy Days, The Munsters, Frasier, The Office (BBC), The Monkees, Green Acres (yes, Green Acres!).

So those are my 10 all-time sitcoms. Feel free to chime in with yours and why you chose them!

JW