Thoughts on "The Aviator."

Great filmmaking, too bad it's focused so much on Howard's flaws.
An heroic cinema epic, about a great man of achievement,
would do so well right now.

And that ending...please. The movie goes and goes, three hours, and then it
just...ends. Like somebody forgot to put up the last reel, or money ran out,
or he's heard just one too many complaints it's three hours, so Martin chops
the film off with a hatchet, and says "There - it's done." Too abrupt.

End it with Howard wrestling his Hercules into the air, in triumphant music.
End it with he and Kate (brilliantly played by Cate) finding some resolution.
End it any way but how they did it, and lose that awful Leadbelly credits song.

Leonardo is a wonderful actor, gave a marvelous performance. Really excellent.
Everybody's acting was great, even oily Alan Alda. Sorry, (I'm Libertarian),
but he's perfect as an Ayn Rand-style contemptible pragmatic slimy villain.

I met Terry Moore, Howard Hughes's gorgeous actress widow 20 years ago, still
incredibly sexy. (I was consulting on her picture, for a backer. I got wobbly
knees, as she signed my "Playboy" magazine, and "Come Back, Little Sheba" poster.)
I'd love to hear what she thinks about "The Aviator." Terry, please write.

I think "The Aviator" will win "Best Picture," although I'm rooting
for "Finding Neverland," and liked Brad Bird's "The Incredibles"
much more than anything else. Go Brad!

Minor error - As a 35mm camera goes by, while they're filming "Hell's Angels,"
its magazine takeup belt is looped around both feed and takeup pulleys. It
just grabbed my eye, and I thought "There's gonna be a film jam!" I know,
it only bothered me in all the world. I said it was minor.

Oh, and the camera mag that spills film, spills color negative.