You may watch this to see how well Robert Downey Jr. pulls off playing an African-American man, or rather, a white Australian method actor’s idea of an African American—and there’s no denying he’s great (it didn’t hurt that his makeup was designed by the legendary Rick Baker). But very nearly as great is Tom Cruise as a bald, overweight, cutthroat Hollywood producer with a personality that makes Donald Trump look like Arrested Development’s Michael Bluth. My wife hated Tom Cruise for the longest time, but admitted that seeing him being such a good sport to play this role gave her new respect for him.

(Speaking of Michael Bluth, keep a sharp eye out for Jason Bateman among the celebrity cameos.)

While this movie hits all the right notes you’d expect from a blaxploitation flick, Black Gunn has an added bonus: Bruce Glover. Consider that he is the father of Crispin Glover, and you know what you’re in for. The apple certainly didn’t fall far from the tree.

I’ve also heard this called “Boddingtons Cream Ale,” though this is not its official name. It’s the smoothest beer I’ve ever had. I would recommend it to anyone who says “I don’t like beer”; you can’t say that with honesty until you’ve decided what you think of Boddingtons.

This is my favorite beer. Period.

An amusing trifle of a movie. Think star-studded cast in a community theater comedy. In fairness, I should mention that my wife loved it.

Imagine the Brothers Quay doing Alice in Wonderland, and you will have a good idea of what to expect from Alice. I will agree with the complaint that some scenes feel like they drag on unnecessarily, but a film as stark and unusual as this demands to be taken on its own terms.

As I write this, I am only a few episodes into the last season. I enjoyed the first, but this one feels like everyone is trying a little too hard. I’m going to stick with it to see how it all wraps up, though.

If only they could have lost the cheesy title sequence, filmed the “Seattle” locations in Seattle (Vancouver B.C. fills in as usual), and found some way to keep Rebecca Gayheart’s character. Oh well, it is still a very enjoyable show, a unique blend of black comedy, fantasy, and character study.

(Mandy Patinkin as Rube is excellent, and personally, I have never found him to be annoying.)

I had a tough time sticking with this series through the first two seasons, even though I’m a big P&T fan. But for reasons I can’t put my finger on, it seemed to hit its stride during this third season. I really enjoyed “The Best,” which exceeded my expectations by not being a best-of show; it also had a brilliant sequel to the “Water Steward” setup.

I have to confess that even though I’m a huge P&T fan, it took a while for this series to grow on me. Now that I’m all the way through the first three seasons, I’m glad I stuck with it.