Surfer-23

"Best Friends" is a nice film for a weekend afternoon. It is entertaining, has an easy-to-follow storyline, and shows some respect for the viewer. Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn are quite appealing in the leads, but so is the supporting cast, which includes Barnard Hughes, Jessica Tandy, Keenan Wynn, and Audra Lindley (best known as Mrs. Roper on "Three's Company").

Though a comedy, "Best Friends" has, alas, very few laugh-out-loud moments, and is almost too casual in pace for its own good. The near-classic wedding scene (with Richard Libertini) offers perhaps the most genuine laughs, although Reynolds, a very underrated comedic actor, adds some subtle bits of his own throughout the movie.

"Best Friends" is a competently-made and sometimes touching film that also lacks drive and usually fails to produce much more than an occasional smile. But it's worth a look, to be sure.

I'm glad to see that this movie has been defended by so many. I was never a regular viewer of the TV series, which seemed interesting enough, but many criticized the movie for not being properly dark and brooding and cynical. It seems that writer Joss Whedon had more that kind of atmosphere in mind when he began "Buffy," but I think the meddling that took place with his script is not without merit.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is about a cute but vapid high school cheerleader who finds out that she is the one chosen to kill creatures from beyond the grave. This, I think is a pretty good premise for a comedy, and one that was successfully realized. It is a fun and funny movie that never takes itself seriously. Kristy Swanson is just right in the title role and Luke Perry is amusing as a wannabe hero who is also fine, it turns out, with being saved by his girlfriend.

This episode, written by Rod Serling, is essentially a Twilight Zone-d version of his film "Patterns," though the dialogue and the characters' motivation are nowhere near as interesting or as subtle as in that film. The ending is also somewhat predictable, unlike that of "Patterns," and the final speech is a tad obvious.

Comparisons to that film aside, however, the episode is not bad and certainly makes its point about dehumanization. It is also notable for having a black actor, Jack Crowder (the future Thalmus Rasulala), in a completely normal and important role, namely, that of a computer technician. Such casting was certainly a rarity for 1964, though at the same time it is not surprising for the series considering Serling's progressive views on race relations. Crowder's character even engages in some verbal sparing with Richard Deacon's character, Mr. Whipple.

All in all, the episode is worth a look, and is a must for "Zone" fans.