Sunset Strip

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - The Complete Series
$59.98
For fans of The West Wing

If you've been wishing Jeff Bartlett could run for a third term, check out "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Aaron Sorkin, creator of "The West Wing," is also responsible for this one-season series about life backstage at the West Coast competitor to "Saturday Night Live." I couldn't help suspecting the show lasted only one season because it bit too close to the bone for television.

Bradley Whitford, Bartlett's deputy chief of staff on "The West Wing," plays Danny Tripp, Studio 60's producer. He is teamed with Matthew Perry as Matt Albie, the show's chief comedy writer (and possibly Aaron Sorkin's alter ego). Allison Janney, Bartlett's press secretary and ultimately chief of staff, appears in one segment as herself and the week's host for "Studio 60."

The tension of being funny every Friday night is no less gripping than, say, 500 well-armed Haitian troops invading the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince. Politics enters into the plot almost exclusively in nonstop conflict with television industry censors. Romance is the main plot-turner here. Matt Albie has a conflict-riddled on-again, off-again love affair with one of his stars, comedienne Harriet Hayes, played by Sarah Paulson. He also has a drug problem. And Danny Tripp (spoiler alert!) falls reluctantly in love with the network boss, Jordan McDeere, played by Amanda Peet.

I was sorry to reach the end of the last disk.

Sunset Strip (2000) [VHS]
$9.98
"Sunset Strip" is a waste of time. At first, I thought the concept of the Strip as the basis for a film would lend itself to comedy or, at the very least, nostalgia about the place and the time... But it's not any of that. It's not entertaining, funny or even nostalgic.

I'd say "Sunset Strip" was a "chick flick", but that would be too much of an insult to the line of films specifically targeted at female audiences. Most "Chick Flicks" are composed of mainly dialogue and no physical action; The lead character usually has feelings he or she can't resolve, and then through some unforeseen event, is able to reconcile his or her personal difficulties by the end of the film.

If that were the case with "Sunset Strip", it would be a much better film.

Instead, the viewer is witness to a parade of self-absorbed individuals caught up with becoming the "next big thing". That's the real premise of the film, as the beginning narration alludes to with a remark about how "everything could change in 24 hours".

However, 24 hours wouldn't be fast enough to change the lives of the people this story centered around. Having to watch this film and the characters interact aimlessly for 24 minutes was a hateful experience in itself.

What made "Boogie Nights" unique was that the script was based on the activities of actual individuals who were closely associated with the porn underground in Hollywood. Watching that film was sort of like picking up a rock to see what's crawling around underneath it. I knew I probably wasn't going to relate to any of the characters in that film either, but the film's story unfolded with each event with precision; That made it a good film.

"Sunset Strip" is none of any of the above. It's like watching someone do an impression of someone else doing an impression of a 70's club burnout. There's not really any story, nothing to say. It's a carbon copy of a carbon copy. And it sure isn't going to inspire anyone to do anything beyond getting up and turning the video player off.

Sunset Strip
$9.98
"Sunset Strip" is a waste of time. At first, I thought the concept of the Strip as the basis for a film would lend itself to comedy or, at the very least, nostalgia about the place and the time... But it's not any of that. It's not entertaining, funny or even nostalgic.

I'd say "Sunset Strip" was a "chick flick", but that would be too much of an insult to the line of films specifically targeted at female audiences. Most "Chick Flicks" are composed of mainly dialogue and no physical action; The lead character usually has feelings he or she can't resolve, and then through some unforeseen event, is able to reconcile his or her personal difficulties by the end of the film.

If that were the case with "Sunset Strip", it would be a much better film.

Instead, the viewer is witness to a parade of self-absorbed individuals caught up with becoming the "next big thing". That's the real premise of the film, as the beginning narration alludes to with a remark about how "everything could change in 24 hours".

However, 24 hours wouldn't be fast enough to change the lives of the people this story centered around. Having to watch this film and the characters interact aimlessly for 24 minutes was a hateful experience in itself.

What made "Boogie Nights" unique was that the script was based on the activities of actual individuals who were closely associated with the porn underground in Hollywood. Watching that film was sort of like picking up a rock to see what's crawling around underneath it. I knew I probably wasn't going to relate to any of the characters in that film either, but the film's story unfolded with each event with precision; That made it a good film.

"Sunset Strip" is none of any of the above. It's like watching someone do an impression of someone else doing an impression of a 70's club burnout. There's not really any story, nothing to say. It's a carbon copy of a carbon copy. And it sure isn't going to inspire anyone to do anything beyond getting up and turning the video player off.

Live on the Sunset Strip
$14.94
Richard Pryor will remain the most ontroversial,no holds barred comedic genius of all time!!!! Its been years since I've enjoyed Richard..it's brought back alot of memories. I highly recommend this to his true fans.