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When I was young in the early eighties I would stay up late every weekend to watch Benny Hill and just got the DVD set not having seen it since. I have to say it's still as funny as I remember (probably even more so now that I understand more of the jokes) and one of the funniest things I've seen in years. After growing up watching Benny Hill I now understand why I just don't find many of today's comics funny, because they're not. You can all have your Adam Sandlers and the like I'll take Benny any day. I find it very sad reading about his early death and treatment in his home country, to think we were all denied probably years more of his comic genius because of a bunch of over sensitive loudmouth idiots is beyond me. I can understand if you didn't like him, not everyone has the same taste, but to vilify the man who was obviously doing something right by staying popular for so long is a true travesty. Thank goodness we have video to enjoy what he did do to keep those of us who do find him funny laughing for as long as we like.

Ugh I've been trying to watch screwball comedies from the 30's and 40's and thoroughly enjoying most of them. In reading about them Carole Lombard's name often comes up as the "Queen" of screwball comedies, so when I saw this movie was on I decided to sit back and enjoy seeing the "Queen" at work. While Lombard was funny the movie itself just wasn't, in fact I barely got through it all. As in all movies and especially screwball comedies suspension of disbelief is definitely needed to enjoy the ride but in this case I just couldn't. Ralph Bellamy plays his usual guy who gets dumped for the more fun handsome or charming leading man, in this case played by Fernand Gravey, but for once I can't see why Lombard or anyone would take Gravey over Bellamy. His penniless chef or marquis or whatever he was supposed to be was just plain annoying, I'm assuming this was meant to come off as charming(Lombard's character at least thought so, I think, even that wasn't very convincing) but it wasn't at all.

If I'm to believe Lombard's character is this easily pestered into a relationship then I have to wonder why Bellamy's annoying character hasn't already pestered her into marriage. And her chasing Gravey down the street begging him to take her back after he reveals he has some title was just plain ridiculous(though I guess they had to make something up to set up the final scene). For my first Lombard movie I must say I'm pretty disappointed and really hope this isn't her best work. Hopefully a better leading man or director or script will help.

I tend to fall in and out of love with anime, as the more you watch the more you notice a lot of shows are just poor copies of the few gems or rehashes of old formulas. But every once in a while one of the true gems comes along and it's originality just blows you away. Haruhi is truly one of those shows. Many anime series are originally manga and sometimes the translation into an animated show is rather poorly done and doesn't utilize the benefits animation has over static drawings. Haruhi is actually based on a series of light novels and fires on all cylinders, beautiful animation, great voice acting, great music and a complete and well paced story. Watch it you won't be disappointed, and I'd suggest watching it in broadcast order it works so much better that way.