konrad4489 Reviews

The Valentine's Day that Almost Wasn't (1982– )

One of six brilliant holiday specials from Paul Fusco

[14 February 2006]

Sam Cupid (or Sam Spade) and Cosmo Cupid try to save Valentine's Day from the hostile, arrogant, and terribly evil Rubella Slime and her brothers. I first saw this and Paul Fusco's other pre-Alf shows back in the early 80s when I was just a kid, so I didn't get many of the jokes, nor the references to Bogart and Casablanca until years later.

What set this show apart from other kids shows was that it was hilarious for adults as well as children. I think there is more of that in today's cartoons, but this show did it without being vulgar or containing material kids shouldn't see. Check out the great review someone gave "A Thanksgiving Tale." This show and "A Thanksgiving Tale" are probably my favorites of all the shows they did, but I love them all. Dare I say I like them better than the Muppets.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen this show on television since the late 80's. If you haven't seen it yet, you may not ever get to. I talked to a couple of the puppeteers and they said I should ask NBC about it, but I fear I won't get too far with my army of one.

Moonlighting (1985–1989)

brilliant writers

[19 October 2004]

When I was 12 this was my favorite show on TV, but I've come to appreciate it more in my old age. Bruce and Cybill are great, but above all, the writing is among the best I've seen in a television series. The nonstop sledge hammer wit for a full hour makes me laugh out loud every episode. The scenes are always brilliantly constructed, the jokes always intelligent. The writers never got all the credit they deserved, I'm sure. No matter how funny one joke is, there is always a come back line. I think you have to get past the early episodes that were a little more serious. I didn't start watching until around the beginning of '86.

So much on TV nowadays is either over-the-top dramatic, or toilet humor. No one knows how to just have fun anymore. Moonlighting never forgot that it was just a television show, and it didn't mind poking fun at itself. Some lines that demonstrated this were, "Two teams [...] with the same story. Either someone's lying or the writers just Xeroxed the other scene", and, "What do we do now?" "Wrap this up in about 12 minutes so another show can come on the air."

After David and Maddie got together, then weren't together, then were, how did it end anyway? The show became a bit of a soap opera. But it was always a treat to watch. Everyone mentions Moonlighting's version of "The Taming of the Shrew." Some of my other favorite episodes are "The Bride of Tupperman", which ends with a hospital scene chase to 'Dem Bones, "Symphony in Knocked Flat" (guest appearance by Don King), "Yours Very Deadly" (Burt Viola's first appearance), and both Christmas episodes. And the show wouldn't be complete without the rhymes of Agnes Dipesto. If you aren't that familiar with the show, don't miss your next opportunity to see Moonlighting!

A Charlie Brown Celebration (1982 TV Movie)

An hour of short, creative, hilarious skits!

[10/10 · 19 January 1999]

This is probably my favorite of all the Charlie Brown specials. Okay, I haven't seen all of them, but it's my favorite of the ten or so I've seen. It's an hour of short, creative, hilarious skits. This format (more like the comics) allows the characters to do more "off the wall" type stuff because they aren't preoccupied with a long story or a holiday, as in some of the other specials. This is sad I'm reviewing cartoons, but I love this one! "It's woman against piano! Woman is winning!! Woman is winning!!"

Troll (1986)

Some good scenes if you like fantasy/adventure stories

[6/10 · 19 January 1999]

I thought the story, especially the ending, could have been done a little better, but there are still some good scenes if you like fantasy/adventure stories. The music is pretty eerie, too. I especially liked "The Fairy Queen" reading and Galdwin the mushroom. Torok (the Troll's) buddies are a bit like the goblins in Labyrinth, but Labyrinth is definitely the better of the two films.