The Movie Journal

3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 1, Episode 20 "See Dick Run" May 21, 1996 “See Dick Run” is the twentieth and final episode of the first season of 3 rd Rock from the Sun . It’s a very good finale and sets up the next season very well. It also has a surprising finish. Dick wanted to take Mary out on a date for the longest time, and he finally gets his wish. Their date turns out to be something else. Sally also has some success with her date, Mr. Randell. But things turn sideways when the Solomons learned they have failed their mission and must leave Earth immediately. This was a funny, fitting end to the first season. I wasn’t sure this show would work based on principle alone. But I made it through this season with a smile on my face and wanting some more. It’s a light-hearted sitcom with a sci-fi twist. No ruining the very end, but I liked the cliffhanger. I also liked when Harry uses his communicator with the Big Giant Head for the first time. Very weird, but

3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 1, Episode 19 "Selfish Dick" May 14, 1996 “Selfish Dick” is a great episode. We get to see Dick at his selfish best and the rest of the storylines are great as well. Dr. Albright finally gets her own office- a bigger, more personal space for herself. Dick is devastated at the news and cannot have that. Meanwhile, Mrs. Dubcek cuts herself and Sally faints as the sight of blood. Taken to the hospital, Sally and Harry begin to act like doctors they are familiar with from television. Great storylines all around. Compared to the previous episodes, I laughed a lot more. Dick being very self-centered is nothing new, but he brought his antics up a notch here. Even though I really liked what Dick went through, the storyline with Sally and Harry is better. Harry going around telling each doctor that their patient has a burst appendix is absolutely hilarious. Excellent episode! My Grade: A-

3rd Rock from the Sun, Season 1, Episode 18 "Father Knows Dick" May 07, 1996 “Father Knows Dick” is another solid episode although it tends to be a bit vanilla at times. Most of the episode focuses around Harry. He is acting more rebellious, so Dick comes up with a solution. He believes Harry needs a father figure, and Dick believes he is the perfect one for Harry. Sally continues her relationship with Tommy’s teacher, Mr. Randell. She believes that she is ready to meet his parents, but he is not really too sure. I liked the concept of Dick becoming a father figure, but I felt like this part of the story could have been fleshened out a little more. I was surprised how much I liked Sally’s role here. She met the parents and well…..they do not exactly get along. There were some good lines of dialogue within this storyline. My Grade: B

3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 1, Episode 17 "Assault with a Deadly Dick" April 30, 1996 “Assault with a Deadly Dick” is the seventeenth episode of the first season of the hit comedy series 3rd Rock from the Sun. It’s a solid episode that introduces fan favorite Officer Don, played by Wayne Knight. After a day of shopping, The Solomons have their car radio stolen from them, which causes Dick to give up on his fellow earthlings. In all this hubbub, Sally meets Officer Don and falls for him. Meanwhile, Dick forces Tommy to play basketball. But, he may not be cut out for the sport. I thought this was a good episode, if not a little forgettable. Officer Don will end up being one of my favorite characters, but he did make a good first impression here. I did like Tommy failing at basketball. That was pretty funny. While the rest of the episode is solid, there could have been better jokes and a tighter screenplay. My Grade: B

Rumble Fish (1983) Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying what an auteur Francis Ford Coppola is. He works incredibly hard to make changes within Hollywood and always experiment with new techniques. He does have a flair for extreme visual style, which is prevalent in his 1983 film Rumble Fish . I admired this film, but I was left in too many bouts of frustration to truly enjoy it. Coppola chooses style over substance and that may have doomed the film in my eyes. This was Coppola’s second film of 1983-his first was The Outsiders which I thoroughly enjoyed. The screenplay was written and adapted from a novel by Coppola and the novel’s author, S.E Hinton. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Hinton also wrote the novel The Outsiders . Both are relatively similar films that deals with themes of brotherhood, parenthood, and the life of being hoodlums in the 1950’s. Coppola was attracted to this film because of the theme of brotherhood. This movie has th

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) What a rousing, inspirational film! I’ve heard all the positive things people said about 1942’s Yankee Doodle Dandy , but I truly understood these reviews after placing my own eyes on this wonderful movie. Released at a time the United States was hard at war, this film was great for the public’s morale as well as instilling a sense of patriotism in everyone. In fact, this movie is about as much as a patriotic film as it is a film about the life of legendary performer, George M. Cohan. As an upbeat and wonderful musical, it is one of the finest biographies you will see. That is, if you do not mind certain liberties were taken when it came to Cohan’s own life. But considering the quality of the movie, I did not mind at all. Without George M. Cohan, we would not have Broadway shows the way we have it today. He had a very distinct song-and-dance style that relied upon flag-waving and comedy. He was often given drama for not being serious, so it wa

The Big Chill (1983) In my humble opinion, 1983’s The Big Chill is a classic. Up to this point, I have seen the movie twice. Each time I have viewed the movie, I was affected in ways I did not think I would have been. I find that funny because both times I have seen this film, I am not even close to the age of the characters. As a man still in my 20’s, obviously I haven’t had to ask the question, “What is it like to be in your 30’s”? But the theme of reminiscing about your past, about your college days is very prevalent to me. College shaped my life in an enormous way and five years after graduation, not a day go by as I think about these experiences I collected. I guess ten years down the line, I will be like the characters as seen in the movie. Also, this film is about friendship, love, and sex. Very important themes for any rational human. What I truly liked is how Lawrence Kasdan’s script and the performances from the ensemble cast were able to effectively use these themes

3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 1, Episode 16 "Dick Like Me" April 23, 1996 “Dick Like Me” is a very interesting episode. It explores the themes of ethnicity, which of course is a very hot topic. I am not sure an episode like this gets made today, but I did think this was a really funny episode. The Solomons are called to Tommy’s school to have a conference with Tommy’s teacher, Mr. Randell (John D’Aquino) because he believes Tommy does not fit in. At this meeting, Mr. Randell asks Sally out to the school dance. But she does not know how to dance! Meanwhile, the family try to decide which ethnicity they belong in-and they have a hard time doing so. I thought this episode was well-done considering some of the plotlines. Some quotes are a little risky, and that may be a bit kind. But I did have a fun time watching this episode. At least we learned that Mary Albright is Irish! My Grade: A-

3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 1, Episode 15 "I Enjoy Being A Dick" April 21, 1996 “I Enjoy Being A Dick” is a really good episode, because yes, this title applies to Dick’s personality very well. At work, Dick overhears Dr. Albright and Nina talking about a study club for women. Dick feels left out when he is told he cannot go, so he will do everything in his power to attend. Meanwhile, Sally goes shopping and does lots of it. When Dick reminds her how much shopping costs, she becomes angry but finds a job at a pancake house. Harry also finds a job. Tommy continues his relationship with August but has thoughts about whether he should tell her who he really is. This episode is better than the last episode. It’s funny and has some very surprising moments. Did not expect to see John Lithgow dressed in drag. But that was absolutely hilarious! One of the funniest moments of the first season, in my humble opinion. The other storylines are also really good-especially

3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 1, Episode 14 "The Dicks They Are A-Changin" April 09, 1996 “The Dicks They Are A-Changin’” is the fourteenth episode of the hit comedy series, 3 rd Rock from the Sun . It’s a good episode, but it could have been great considering the subject matter. When the Solomons first came to Earth, Tommy did not give the family his personal background. That makes it interesting when Dr. Albright brings up their past. She believes that Dick was an activist hiding from the FBI- a man that she met in the 1960’s. Dick pretends he is that guy. The Solomons also get to experience the sound of music when Harry joins a CD fan club (wow, I remember these!). The whole subject matter certainly intrigues me, but I do not think the episode played it to its high potential. That said, there are still plenty of jokes. Apparently, frozen French fries can be passed off as joints, as least in the mind of Dick Solomon’s. I do the B-storyline about the CD’s. Ma

3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 1, Episode 13 "Angry Dick" April 02, 1996 In this solid episode, “Angry Dick,” the Solomons meet their neighbors for the first time! Dick comes up with the brilliant idea of actually meeting their neighbors in person instead of just merely observing them. They become fast friends with the Mullers (played by Mike Starr and Lois Foraker) until Dick begins to extend his boundaries to unwanted levels. Sally, who is horrible at cooking, takes advantage of these new neighborly functions to learn kitchen skills. Finally, Harry becomes an expert at television as he becomes addicted to it. I really liked this episode. I was a little surprised it took twelve plus episodes to involve the neighbors, but here we are. I liked how Dick becomes angry at his neighbors and wants to pulverize them-all because they got angry at his four am visit. There was some great comedy here. I definitely recommend this episode! My Grade: A-

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) The National Lampoon franchise was the face of comedy in the 1980’s, no doubt about it. Honestly, I initially shied away from these films because I thought they looked pretty lame if I am to be blunt. Given the fact that I really enjoyed National Lampoon’s Animal House and given the talent behind and in front of the camera, I knew I would have to give in at one point. Plus, there was a much-heralded remake of this film (which was maligned). I saw the movie, and well I can say I did not hate it. It was silly, but in a fun way. There are jokes that were actually hilarious. The script, which was written by 80’s lovable stalwart John Hughes, was pretty decent. Harold Ramis, who previously directed an 80’s favorite Caddyshack , was behind the camera for this feature and does quite well with the material that is given to him. This film introduces us to the Griswold family, headed by patriarch Clark (Chevy Chase). He, along with his wife