One thing I didn’t appreciate about this movie as a kid was how damn good Jason Robards was. Most of the townspeople actors came across as pretty regional theater-caliber, so when Jason Robards was onscreen the difference in acting quality was palpable.

Sky High is unfortunately not available until December 2020 due to licensing issues.

I don’t remember that one as well, although I’ve seen it. The one I remember more distinctly is The Strongest Man in the World. I think of Sky High (a movie I’m very fond of) as being sort of the spiritual successor to it, and to those old Disney live-action movies in general.

Escape to Witch Mountain was solid. I inaugurated Disney+ by watching that with my kids, and then followed up the next night with Return from Witch Mountain.

[T]he network did ask Hunt to undergo sexual harassment training (which he completed after Gupta had already quit).

I just assumed it was fallout from the original event, perhaps unintentional.

Did it better and definitely funnier.

At the turn of the last century, the reading material for schoolchildren was much more demanding than  what we’re used to.  I have an old, old copy of Sir Walter Scott’s epic poem, “The Lady of the Lake”, and that was an elementary school textbook for like fourth-graders.  Very common elementary school reading back in…

I remember him using the exact phrase “tarry stickiness” to describe things at least three times in the same story, can’t remember which one. That’s when it occurred to me, “You know, Lovecraft’s not a particularly good writer, is he?” Highly imaginative, visionary mythos creator, sure, but good prose stylist he was…

The Mandalorian With No Name

They should change its name to “Strawz” to mark the occasion.

Man, I have never been gladder that I don’t have Starz.

Ernest Gets Ripped

“Because Depp...is the most dangerous animal of all.”  —Amber Heard

I’m at work, so I can’t listen to video, but just looking at the guy, I’m wondering, did he say “himself” or “hisself”?

That’s possible, but I think it’s probably a reference to the legendarily well-endowed, high-endurance “Superman” of the famous sex shows in pre-revolution Cuba, as referred to in The Godfather Part II and Graham Greene’s Our Man in Havana. This is a good read:

Great, now I’m singing this in my head:

I don’t know. That’s part of what makes it funny..

“Baby, please. I am not from Havana!”