tponeil

Here is another movie that will never turn a profit. The reason is quite apparent. There are no sex scenes, no nude scenes, no foul language to speak of, no explosions or idiotic car chases. Also, there really isn't much of a story line. But on the other hand,,,,,,,for those of us who have lived through that era of small sleazy night clubs (and big ones too), supper clubs, piano bars, and many other neighborhood "show" bars, and thrived on the music and excitement of small jazz groups, this modest little movie was an epiphany. It was a throw back to the times when, if you had the right contacts, you were invited to stay in an "after hours" joint and listen to some great talent "jam' until dawn for no other reason than the thrill of the music that those musicians loved to play.

We know the plot of the movie because we lived it, if only vicariously. I call it a "bomb" because that is what it takes to keep me awake throughout a movie, without looking at my watch. It was in fact, a serendipity. I give it an unqualified "10." Thank goodness some movie producers send us a crumb, now and then, that we can much on,,,without getting indigestion.

# 1. I sit and enjoy a movie. # 2. When I start looking at my "glow in the dark" wrist watch, I count the number of times that I look at it. When I get to 5, I suspect that the movie is not going to be very good. When I count to 10, the fuse is lit. When I get up to 20, I know it is a bomb, but I continue to watch it, just to see how bad it becomes. I lost count with Excess Baggage! # 3. This mood mimics the fictional/real movie producer who said he judges movies my the seat of his pants. When he begins to squirm, he knows it is going to be awful. While watching Excess Baggage, my squirming induced blisters on my backside. Moreover, when I went to bed that night I was still staring at my wrist watch. I was scared to take my eyes off of it for fear that the movie was not over. Benicio El Toro is aptly named. He sleep walked through the movie like a bull in a yard full of other bulls. He made Brando and Dean look animated. What ever possessed Chris Walken to contaminate his career in a movie that should have been entitled, "Excess Garbage!" They only had to change one "g" to an "r."

Yes, this series came from another world. Like other people, I also thought it was for morons only until I began to listen very hard and realized that it had that long lost quality, called originality. The trouble with the music in this production was that there were no repetitive, "Baby, baby, baby, yeah, yeah, yeah" lyrics. In fact, if you listened carefully, you would realize that the lyrics tied right in to the story line. Of course I know that understandable lyrics and melodies being played as they were written is taboo in the modern world. If you can't musically mangle the Star Spangled Banner you will never become a singing sensation. Cop Rock is like the esoteric Sid Caesar. They both catered to a very small but selective audience.

Your Show of Shows does not deserve to be rated on the 10 Star system of rating. It was, is and always will be in a class by itself. It was pure, unadulterated, funny comedy. It is a toss-up as to who deserves the most credit; the actors or the writers. No dirty jokes or language, No T. & A. to titillate the audience. Hail to Caesar and his gang. Sid Caesar was not an actor trying to be a comedian nor was he a comedian trying to be an actor. He was simply a naturally gifted funny man as was all of his cohorts.

When this movie came out in 1942, technicolor was still a novelty. No new process has surpassed this technique. The star quality of the actors was of the highest order. The story line, while a bit contrived, was and still is entertaining compared to other vehicles of similar themes. The scope of the movie, which includes cast, sets, costumes and scenery, can hardly be duplicated today. It is an outstanding icon of what movies used to be,