vitoruss

The second part of "Tyger, Tyger" is frankly a little dull and padded. At one point, people set up a movie projector and we watch surfing movies for what feels like minutes and then later, Kildare, Pat and a group of surfers sit around a campfire while Kildare croons a song.

The one thing going for this episode is Yvette Mimieux's excellent performance (she gives her all to her numerous grand Mal seizures). There's also beefcake and cheesecake when Mimieux dons a bikini and Chamberlain gets into tight white bathing trucks to go surfing. (Robert Logan and Clu Gulager provide excellent eye candy on the beach too.)

But, there's very little development of Anjanette Comer's alcoholic character over the length of two episodes. At first, she seems to be auditioning for the part of Neely O'Hara in "Valley of the Dolls" and she lets out at least three blood-curdling screams that any screen queen would envy. But, there's nothing for her to play here.

The excellent Clu Gulager is also left with nothing to do after it looked like he was being set up as a love rival between Kildare and Pat Holmes. He shaves his beard and then there's no big scene between his character and Pat.

There's so many scenes of surfing stock footage it almost makes you think they bought ten minutes of footage and were going to show every minute of it.

This has to be the funniest episode of CAGNEY AND LACEY. Both Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless give wonderfully funny performances. This episode will have you laughing out loud. Chris and Mary Beth have very different attitudes at a mandatory refresher for their precinct at the police academy. The class reunites Mary Beth with her arch rival Det. Harry Dupnik (Dan Lauria) with surprising (and flirtatious) results. Doris Roberts has fun as a suspect's mother and Gless and her gay neighbor (Barry Sattels as Tony Stantinopolis) have a great slapstick scene involving a turkey. This was the final of four episodes written by Allison Hock.

Almodovar's latest film is a tantalizing, hypnotic and sexy mixture of VERTIGO, MEMENTO and MULLHOLLAND DRIVE. It's Almodovar's meatiest and most complex script in years. Although you may be confused early on as you're trying to figure out whats going on, its all revealed later and very satisfyingly. Gael Garcia Bernal is outstanding in his multi-dimensional, multi-character performance. Alberto Iglesia's music is wonderful--a homage to Bernard Herrmann.

The film is rated NC-17, which has more to do with the MPAA Board's homophobia than anything else. Sure, its a sexy drama with elements adult plotpoints, but had the sex scenes in this film been between a man and a woman, rather than two men, this would have easily gotten an R rating. All of the sex scenes are artfully filmed (there is no frontal nudity) and even the subplot concerning a pedophile priest is handled with care.