Too much of everything

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

"Targets": idiotic. "The Last Picture Show": dull, filmed in pretentious black-and-white. (Okay, at least he cast his bimbo girlfriend Cybill Shepherd naked there...) "What's Up, Doc?": as bad as every comedy with Big-Nose.Peter Bogdanovich was probably the most overrated director in the 60s/70s, and this painfully unfunny "comedy" only underlines the ineptitude that this pretentious ex-critic always exhibited. Bogdanovich, whose name very ironically means "God's gift", has stated on numerous occasions his belief that the best movies had already been made by the late 60s - which, of course, couldn't be further from the truth. His almost sexual obsession with dumb black-and-white movies, the so-called "classics" of the 20s/30s/40s, had gotten so bad that he had decided one day to make this quasi-tribute to the "golden comedies" of the Silent Era by making a piece of junk called "Nickelodeon". And what better way to enhance an already awful script than by casting such comedy "giants" as Ryan O'Neal and John Ritter...If you think Bogdanovich's "Noises Off" was a pathetic, embarrassing-to-watch farce, then check out this little stinker: it's quite hard to figure out which is more cretinous or childish. "Nickelodeon" is full of sight gags that the writers of Loony Toons would reject on the basis that they are too stupid. This inept comedy can only be enjoyed by two types of people: 1) those who find circus clowns funny, and 2) those who have forced themselves to believe - despite the glaring contradicting, abundant evidence - that Bogdanovich must be a great director, simply because he is the critics' darling. And as we all know, you can't be a good movie student unless you agree with the film critics...A mystery that is on par with why Madonna has had a long career in music or what drugs you have to be on to enjoy Kanye West's excremental produce is certainly the film-critics' love for Bogdanovich's crap. I have no explanation for it, other than that perhaps it may have something to do with the fact that he used to be a critic himself hence knows all those guys by first name. They probably all drink in the same pub, and weep together whenever they hear Barbra Streisand being played on the radio...

As Peter called it his Director's Cut and this was also a World Premiere. It was completely in black in white in a movie theatre for the first time ever. PB said he hadn't seen it ever on the big screen in this new and preferred way either. What a wonderful ode to the way that it was back in the 1910's. I laughed frequently to the gags, film in-jokes, and silent film style action. Period detail was fun to see with the clothing, cars, white face for silent scenes, and silent inter-titles between scenes. All around this is one of those fun movies that's filled with a lot of info layered into the story. Even more so to those fans that know what it took to create and record performances on the first motion picture film stocks. The film score by Richard Hazard sounded like it was lifted from one of the Keystone Kops films. The cinematography by Laszlo Kovacs was superb. I loved the closing credits sequence showing a studio of glass with bright lights at night and showing the filming of soldiers marching through the set and then coming outside to go around again and again. The level of authenticity was undeniable and enjoying both at the same time. A Rare Feat.Within the film it would show people watching silent films and what it took for those employees of that theatre to recreate with the in house orchestra and sound / special effects to be heard alongside the audibly silent film performance.I miss John Ritter, Jane Hitchcock was gorgeous, James Best in his western garb, George Gaynes (the Commandant who got blown away in Police Academy 1), Harry Carey Jr, M. Emmet Walsh, Brian Keith, and the juicy Stella Stevens.* Before the movie started there was a Q&A. Among the facts before the screening were these: Peter stated that the studio wouldn't let him use Cybil for this film (even though it was written only for her) or that if she would do Nickelodeon they would NOT let her do Taxi Driver. Also Peter wanted to go with Jeff Bridges in Burt's role.That the then head of Columbia said it would be OK to film it in color and then we'll let you release it black and white. The studio also forced him to remove a scene of Ryan romancing Ritter's girl Stella. It was nothing more than Ritter seeing Ryan go into Stella's room and close the door. Ritter in that moment had Tatum at his side.The copy we saw last night was on a Beta type tape. So there was a delay of perhaps 15 seconds in the theatre for switching the tapes. It came from the acting Columbia library mgr within the last few months. PB had only seen this print once before at Quentin Tarantino's house. QT has the gadgets necessary to play this apparently rare type of Beta stock. QT's quote for last night's theatrical screening was "It's F'ing Rad"; although QT was not in attendance.Peter said that he hopes that there will be a future director's cut release onto DVD here in the states. As the abused Columbia release is so far only on DVD in the UK. I told him I'd love to hear his commentary for the movie. What a movie!!!

Clearly Peter Bogdanovich was running out of ideas and commercial luck by the time this movie hit the theaters. Ryan O'Neal repeating the role ( with much less success ) from What's Up Doc? is hardly watchable and very predictable. Burt Reynolds totally miscast and trying to be funny at all costs (as is the movie from time to time, the scenes don't work because they are too calculated to make us laugh ). The best comes from the three female leads, Stella Stevens is always a pleasure to watch even in a nothing role as hers in this movie, Tatum O'Neal steals all the scenes she is in ( not a very difficult endeavor )and the stunningly beautiful Jane Hitchcock ( a Cybill Shepherd look-alike ) makes the movie worth-watching again and again and again . For Jane ( whatever happened...), for the great movie that could have been ( and never was )and comparing from the crap we're getting today ( SNL comedians, Farrelly Bros, Stiller & Friends ... ). Nickelodeon is a must see.

A lot is wrong with Peter Bogdanovich's NICKELODEON, which is particularly disheartening since it surely had a good deal of potential. What could have been --- and should have been --- an affectionate tribute to the silent movie masters Bogdanovich clearly idolizes is botched in every way imaginable: The pacing is sluggish, the casting is mostly bad and the acting ranges from the smarminess of Burt Reynolds to the lifelessness of Ryan O'Neal. Reliable actors like Stella Stevens and John Ritter barely register. In a role meant for Orson Welles, Brian Keith overacts to an embarrassing degree. A one time model named Jane Hitchcock has a pivotal role and although extremely fetching, she has the acting range of a young Cybill Shepherd, a distinction that should not be worn as a badge of honor. One major ASSET is the presence of Tatum O'Neal, whose caustic wit is matched by her really great driving! After directing one great movie and a few really good ones, Bogdanovich's ride to obscurity was propelled by this wreck and AT LONG LAST LOVE released a year earlier. He has yet to fully recover.