The same old gang . . . playing the same kinds of roles as in Splash, Best in Show, Second City and the rest . . . but no less funny than any of their other work. It is amazing, how addictive this movie is. There are no special effects, no glamour, no fancy sets . . just a bunch of supposedly every-day kinds of people who, with their display of integrity and seriousness, mirrors how so many of us would react in the same situations. I have a real problem not perseverating with this move . . watching it over and over again! From Parker Posey's audition to Eugene Levy's Martian, or Christopher Guest's solo dancing, this movie is more than hysterical . . it is fun to watch.

There is so much here. The Greeks must have been very prosperous, or else they could not afford to spend so much of their time fighting. It appears that their main activity was fighting each other, and there were very many City-states involved, at odds with one another as well as with Sparta and Athens. There is a tremendous sense of personal responsibility. Every action of the Athenian generals and politicians was rigorously examined, judged, and if found wanting the man in question was exiled, put to death, or given some other form of punishment. When one considers the fighting, it must be remembered that there was no gunpowder, and no long bow. Most of the fighting was hand-to-hand combat, which puts a completely different dimension on warefare, stressing training, disipline, physical strength and the like, and with particular emphasis on heroism in the field as opposed to running away from a fight. Not infrequently a Greek General was killed because he was there with his troops. Quite a difference from today when a war is fought in Afganistan or Iraq by Generals thousands of miles away, in Tampa, without even the pretense of being at one with the men they are sending out to face the possibility of death.

There are different features of democracy that are illustrated in this history. The indecision, the susceptibility to popular will (like the killing of the Generals after they supposedly failed to rescue downed sailors or retrieve their dead), general stupidity (the invasion of Sicily). Also, the mercurial nature of their decisions, as well as the stubborn lack of change in direction . . these are conflicting actions, but both are present from one campaign to the next. No doubt the Oligarchies were not much better. This points to the government we have in the USA, as the recipient of that prior history ... implying that the ancients must have been studied in depth by Jefferson, Madison and the others of our founders, and thanks to the influence of the Greeks and recognition of their mistakes, we here in the USA wound up with a better government than the Greeks or anyone else has ever had.

Throughout this book I was thinking of Machiavelli and how the Greeks could have used his insights. Particularly with Alcibiades, who went from one side to another . . old Noccolo would never have sanctioned bringing him back, or the widespread use of merenaries . . if these people could be bought, then they could be bought by either side. Machiavelli must have been very familiar with the ancient Greeks because so much of the Prince seems to have originated with the mistakes made by both Athenians and Spartans.

This is a book in the Tuchman mold, very much reminiscent of Guns of August in the presentation of the historic context for actions, delving into personalities of the players, and putting the entire action in an appropriate and understandable context.

This text gives real insights into a period of history unknown to so many, and should be required reading for anyone in a position of leadership, or aspitring to leadership in this country . . to see what came before, and its true relevance to todays events. I remember quotes from Kennedy and Clinton regarding this period of history, but I can't imagine anyone in the present administration who knows more about Attica or Pelopennesia than the quality of their olives.

There is nothing that I don't like in this movie. The characters are all well-drawn and the plot follows along from life. So much of the world is beyond comprehension . . . even with all our knowledge of science and mathematics and philosophy, we can explain the "how" but not the "why" of things. And any attempt to do so would be meaningless, just as the phenomenon we see in The Birds is not just beyond understanding, but there is no attempt at explanations. It is not blamed on a divinity, nor on bad behavior of the people as a prophet would say. What's the point, that would just be idle speculation. My favorite scene . . the stares of the people in the Cafe looking out of the window at the man at the gas pump. Classic.

This is proably Peter Seller's most enduring work. It is funny, tense, enlightening, wierd, and it is still relevant. There always were and will always be demagogues (George C. Scott), heroes (the President), and people so sure of their own importance, that they will ruin the earth to make their point (Sterling Hayden). In the decades since this film was made we have the same kinds of characters, particularly those who see the only acceptable future for themselves is to destroy our world, who believe that individual lives are unimportant.

He is famous, he is fawned on by well-paying Japanese clients, but he is frustrated in his professional life (wanting to be a stage actor) and he has problems at home. What does he need to find a more meaningful existence, for more self-fulfillment. She has made what seems to be a bad marriage, with a man whose entry to the world means passing through mindless no-talent personalities, and denegrating his wife . . . what does she need for self-fullfillment. The choice of Japan with fake dinosaurs flashing on the screen, with ersatz Western parties and Western style clubs and Western style everything else gives us a picture of incinserity that parallels the lives of the two main characters. This movie portrays a slice of life, that is perhaps more genuine than so many other attempts. These two don't jump into bed with each other, no overt voiolence . . just an almost overbearing sadness where one would expect something a bit more uplifting . . . and it can happen to people of any age.

I never tire of watching this movie and take delight in all the characters. That the story is a bit convoluted is irrelevant. But all the moods work, whether the terror in the opening shot of the man running from the police, or the depth of love in Paris, or the affection for everyone for Sam, or the spirit at Rick's, or tears during La Marsielles, or of the relationship between Ilsa and Victor . . this is as close to the perfect movie as I've ever seen . .

A very, very good movie. What makes it so good is the utter credibility of Guy's actions and responses to Bruno's unrelenting push to have him kill his father. The scene at the cocktail party gave me the creeps, and I feel the same each time I see it. That is probably the definition of an exceptional work, that you never tire of it, and that it always tugs at you one way or another.

So many scenes are forced and not credible, when you think about it. Why was he lured to an open field and how was a plane supposed to kill him .. why not just run him down on a Chicago Street, or just knife him, as was done at the UN. And why was that fellow killed at the UN anyway? It seems the only reason was to put Cary Grant in the position of a murder . . he could have murdered anyone, anywhere . . . How convenient that Cary Grant just hapened to meet Van Dam's mistress on the train and why did she lead him on and then drop him. Makes no sense. Either does it make sense that his mother is his own age . . . couldn't they find an actress at least ten years older than him. She looks his own age too. This movie doesn't wear well at all...

The premise of the movie was good but after the first half it dissolved into unitelligible nonsense. Looks like the writer ran out of any ideas as to what to do with it at the end and dreamed his way into nothingness. Pinocchio is a much better story, has much more meaning (actually that isn't hardto do because this was very little meaning in AI) and is much more satisfying to watch. AI tried to be a modern-day (future-day) Pinocchio but fell flat.

It wears a bit with age, but it is still funny . . very funny. The premise of resuscitation is not yet here, but it is undoubtedly getting closer to a possibility and it will be interesting to see how accurate Woody's gem is then . . .