We learn, I think, valuable things about nuclear power from Robert Stone‘s documentary, Pandora’s Promise (2013), which dutifully reveals people of science and environmentalist activism who have come to favor nuclear power as an energy source.  We are told, for example, than nuke energy is even safer than solar power because the making of solar panels is a very toxic process.  We are told how speedy France was in converting to nuke power and how well the “clean” stuff is working out for it.  Writer-director Stone seems to believe that global warming is a threat to the human race (I myself doubt it), and so he never beats the drum for fossil fuels.  Nuclear plants, however, release no carbon emissions—happy news.

There is nothing brilliant about Pandora’s Promise, and it could stand to be a little more analytical.  It is involving and usually cogent, even so, and is never too hard on either Democrats or Republicans.  The world is not listening to pro-nuclear messages, though.

What’s Up, Doc? (1972 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With his famous nostalgia for (truly) old movies, Peter Bogdanovich was right to make in the early ’70s a screwball comedy—What’s Up, Doc? (’72)—for he directed with a fine sense of pacing and a flair for sight gags.  The flick is mere entertainment, but it stays unassuming—not always having funny lines, but sufficiently laugh-inducing nonetheless.

In her first movie role, Madeline Kahn plays the scolding fiancee of a musicologist (Ryan O’Neal) with amusing poise and impeccable timing.  O’Neal is passable and occasionally more than that, and some of the other actors are invariably more than that.  The woman Kahn vies with for O’Neal’s affections is, unfortunately, Barbra Streisand—the movie’s most important flaw.  I suppose Streisand looks right for musicals, but she doesn’t look right at all for a Carole Lombard role in a romantic comedy.  She is unglamorous and unfunny and hollow.  She nearly wrecks the entire film.

But not quite.  What’s Up, Doc? is still pleasurable, an inspired tribute to the screwball productions.  Possibly it is the best Bogdanovich movie I’ve seen.

What’s Up, Doc? (1972 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With his famous nostalgia for (truly) old movies, Peter Bogdanovich was right to make in the early ’70s a screwball comedy—What’s Up, Doc? (’72)—for he directed with a fine sense of pacing and a flair for sight gags.  The flick is mere entertainment, but it stays unassuming—not always having funny lines, but sufficiently laugh-inducing nonetheless.

In her first movie role, Madeline Kahn plays the scolding fiancee of a musicologist (Ryan O’Neal) with amusing poise and impeccable timing.  O’Neal is passable and occasionally more than that, and some of the other actors are invariably more than that.  The woman Kahn vies with for O’Neal’s affections is, unfortunately, Barbra Streisand—the movie’s most important flaw.  I suppose Streisand looks right for musicals, but she doesn’t look right at all for a Carole Lombard role in a romantic comedy.  She is unglamorous and unfunny and hollow.  She nearly wrecks the entire film.

But not quite.  What’s Up, Doc? is still pleasurable, an inspired tribute to the screwball productions.  Possibly it is the best Bogdanovich movie I’ve seen.

A new song by Taylor Swift is supposed to feature the line, “I only bought this dress so you could take it off.”

That’s rich.  NO woman buys a dress for that reason.  I think I’ll be better off avoiding a racy Taylor.

A new song by Taylor Swift is supposed to feature the line, “I only bought this dress so you could take it off.”

That’s rich.  NO woman buys a dress for that reason.  I think I’ll be better off avoiding a racy Taylor.