Peckerwood Manor

Why praise? Because to paraphrase Tallulah Bankhead after seeing the rushes of her close-ups in "Die, Die, My Darling," I'm older than God's wet nurse! I remember "Battle of The Network Stars," and they were EVERYTHING to this little blond homo. Where else could you see little Joanie Cunningham competing at gymnastics against "Barney Miller's" Abe Vigoda? Or see the know-it-all eldest sister from Eight Is Enough kick-boxing Robert Urich right in his meaty crotch and then doing a victory dance over his prone, writhing body? Or Linda Evans fighting an exfoliation deathmatch against Joan Van Ark? (okay, maybe that last one didn't happen but it should have!) Those were the days, my friend, I hoped they'd never end! Just check out the sheer STAR WATTAGE in this clip! I mean, could you just? Robin Williams, Dave Letterman, Val Bertinelli, Bill Shatner, the adorable LeVar Burton (pre Geordi La Forge), and Gabe Kaplan. Also Robert Conrad, Tim R...

While watching Lee Daniels' new movie, "The Deliverance," I was struck by the three lead actresses, Glenn Close, Andra Day and Demi Singleton, by how believable they were as a troubled, but close-knit, family. In one key scene, Close, the matriarch, tends to her adult daughter's hair, played by Day, and in turn, Day tends to her pre-teen daughter's hair, played by Singleton, while they all half-watch "Valley of the Dolls" on TV and chat about their day. It's a brief, near-throwaway scene, but it felt so real, so casually lived-in, that it almost seemed documentary-like - but much fuller, juicier, as much of this movie is before the horror kicks in.  This one haircare scene, I think, exemplifies why "The Deliverance" works so well, even with its minor missteps. The actresses, especially Close and Day, give masterful, but not showy, performances; they're relaxed in their characters' skin in a way few actors are. Likewise, Daniels'...