Sleepin_Dragon

Restaurant owner, food critic and television personality J. Hamilton Goodfellow gets a huge shock when his business partner's head is served up inside a gigantic jelly. Several attempts on Goodfellow's life soon follow, and Matt Houston finds him a rather unusual challenge.

This is such a fun episode. It's camp, brash and gloriously outlandish, with an opening sequence worthy of a low-budget horror movie. The mystery itself is packed with suspects, but it's the sheer audacity of the presentation that makes it memorable.

Polansky's Russian accent is wonderfully 1980s - not quite Moscow, more somewhere between Denmark and South Africa.

I also adore the sheer size of that birthday cake. This is 1980s Texas after all, so naturally it's enormous, along with the hair and the attitude. A giant, exploding birthday cake is exactly the sort of uber-camp nonsense that makes this show such a joy.

The ultimate moment, though, has to be the belly dancer in Houston's office. She's terrific, although perhaps the word "interesting" best fits the bill.

James Coco is an absolute joy as Goodfellow - wildly theatrical, totally over the top, like a camp Gordon Ramsay before such a thing existed. His food obsession even brings to mind his role in 'Murder by Death' as Perrier.

Utter nonsense, but enormous fun.

8/10.

Taki and Mitsuha suddenly find themselves temporarily living each other's lives. What happens when they finally decide to meet?

This film boasts glorious storytelling, blending modern fantasy with traditional Japanese history, which explains its universal appeal. It's enchanting without being overly complicated, and the emotional beats land beautifully thanks to careful pacing and attention to detail.

The animation is genuinely beautiful, full of warmth and intricate detail that supports the story without ever feeling excessive. There's no violence, no chainsaws, just a romantic fantasy that unfolds with quiet, old-fashioned enchantment.

I often struggle with dubbed movies, but having seen this both in the original Japanese and the dubbed version, I can say it works very well either way. The voice performances are excellent, and neither version diminishes the charm or impact.

Compared to a lot of the generic, overblown output coming from Hollywood right now, this feels like a masterpiece of subtlety, heart, and craft. Funny, heartwarming, and dare I say, unexpected - a film that even non-anime fans can fall for.

9.5/10.

Rose is happy to show off Jerry Kennedy, her colleague and the famous newsreader. Blanche takes a shine to him, but quickly finds his mother, Millicent, a problem. Meanwhile, Stan takes Dorothy to a meeting with his psychiatrist.

This is a very funny episode - quirky, but full of great moments. Dr. Halperin is a terrific character and really brings out the best in Stan and Dorothy. The banter is superb.

I adore Stan; he's such a great character. I like that he's on a bit of a journey, and Dorothy still loves him, always seeing the best in him.

The story with Blanche and Jerry is amusing as well, seeing her meet her match in a domineering mother. Jerry really is a mummy's boy. Peter Graves was excellent, as was Meg Wyllie. Poor Blanche, unlucky in love again.

That line about the newsstand was hilarious - genuinely one of the funniest moments.

7.5/10.