Thanks for the Hulu Plus tip. It's good to know the films are readily available on streaming.

Me too- I had never heard of Les Blank before but am a firm fan of his style and the subjects he chose to cover. 'Sprout Wings And Fly' and 'The Blues Accordin' To Lightnin' Hopkins' are particularly excellent. The more esoteric things like the one on garlic, I'll eventually get around to, but the music docs are…

I second this. Having grown up with these guys as a large part of my personal soundtrack, I'm looking forward to hear what this new album offers.

Considering that it's totally focused coverage on a single event, it's probably a lot easier for the broadcast crew to bring you all the action as it unfolds.

I'm really impressed by how quickly CV got into the swing, too. I always enjoyed interviews with him when he was competing, and was really pleased to see him on the lineup for the Tour of California coverage.

Just read it this weekend- twice. Great story that leaves you asking for the next one. Gotta love a book that puts Clark Gable in it. Brubaker and Phillips are master storytellers. Highly recommended.

Compared to the ponces on BeIn TV who covered the Giro this year? Really?? It was like listening to two Richard Quests for three weeks.

This is why reason 7 above is so important. Liggett and Sherwen make the tour understandable. Evening coverage by the US anchors also helps. Give it a try- it might reward your curiosity.

Right? Let's go back to steel frames, no derailleurs, no team radios, no helmets, wool outfits, clips and straps…

Thank you for this excellent article. Every year I spend hours explaining why I spend 3-5 hours a day for three weeks watching guys riding bikes. Now I can point the next person to this story.

It's also directed by Jonathan Demme before 'Silence of the Lambs' made him a big name.

Great recommendation here- such a superb film with incredible lines. Cagney's mastery is on full display.

Three of the best shows on TV all in a row. It's almost an overload of ridiculously high quality entertainment.

Exactly- the episode had just the right amount of plot development to allow all the characters to shine in each of their individual misadventures and believably brought everything to convergence at the end. The greatness of Blake falling- unwillingly no less- into exactly the situation that Adam is desperately…

'Cobblepot is like a Bonsai tree to Maroni. He’s also a monkey, and
Maroni is the zookeeper. Maroni loves ridiculous, scattered metaphors.'

When they spelled out that ridiculous password in the lyrics I pretty much lost it- how did they get the internet password at my mom's house?

And now that song just pops back into my head right now for the first time in decades— 'Me and my llama, me and my llama, we're going to the dentist to-dayyy…'

I didn't get the watch's significance or the reason Alfred was choosing that particular moment to pass on a valuable family heirloom, until I saw it in Bruce's hand as he was decking the kid.

House Of Bamboo and Pickup On South Street are big favorites of mine. Thelma Ritter is great in Pickup, ditto Robert Ryan in House of Bamboo. And like the review says, the cinematography on Bamboo is pretty excellent- it might be the first color film shot on location in Japan, but I'll have to check.

You, sir, are a hero. Thanks for this most excellent description.