Billy and Bing

The In-Laws” is one of my favorite movies of all time, and likely a top-fiver.

Among the many, many unforgettable scenes is stolen by legendary actor James Hong. (Many people will know him from his role in the Seinfeld episode, “The Chinese Restaurant.”) Hong’s character, Bing Wong, is part of a pilot duo, along with his brother, Billy.

Billy and Vince Ricardo, played by Peter Falk, fly the plane and Bing provides the safety instructions, in Chinese, to Alan Arkin’s character, Sheldon Kornpett.

On today’s episode of CBS Sunday Morning, Hong — now 92! — talks with Ben Mankiewicz about his amazing career.

The man is a treasure.

RIP, Yaphet Kotto

The first movie I remember seeing Yaphet Kotto in was “The Running Man.”

As much as I loved him as Al Giardello in “Homicide: Life on the Street“, he’ll always be FBI Special Agent Alonzo Mosely in “Midnight Run“, a top-five movie for me.

Kotto died this week at 81. His obituary contains several items I didn’t know, namely that he was a Bond villain … or kinda two of them, and that his birth name was Frederick.

“Rocky” Movies, Ranked

I love all of the Rocky movies and some more than others.

Here’s where I rank them — as of this moment, and always subject to change based on which one I’ve seen most recently:

  1. Rocky
  2. Rocky Balboa
  3. Rocky III
  4. Rocky IV
  5. Rocky II
  6. Rocky V