It's time for Indiana Jones to go to the Great Fadeout in the Sky.

Enough is enough. "The Crystal Skull" is one movie too far for that series. The first and the third Indiana Jones films were hoots. It's sad the series didn't stop there.

"Crystal Skull" is a tired retread, stealing from its predecessors shamefully. As I sat through it on opening day, I kept asking myself, "Haven't I seen something like this before?"

Indiana and company going over three huge waterfalls ... of course he survived. In "The Fugitive," Harrison Ford's character leaps into a waterfall from a dam that must have been 800 feet high. Oh, yes. He survived, too. In the first Indie film, he raced the Germans in an almost parallel path where he seemed to fall off and then fall back onto speeding vehicles. In the "Crystal Skull," the jungle chase is bigger but yet similar in setup to what was shot in "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

The Indiana Jones films and the early James Bond movies offered the same affliction. That is, they relied on a formula the producers tweaked just a little bit in each film so that the viewer thought he was seeing something new.

I realize that nothing is really new. Indiana Jones is a homage to all B flicks ever made, or so the producers lovingly claim. Yet I would recommend seeing a 1968 film, "MacKenna's Gold," with Gregory Peck. It was not a B picture and had a huge cast of well-known actors. It is a slow-paced film until its last 40 minutes. Then it becomes a major ending fit for any Indie Jones film. It includes secret maps, nasty people by the score, mountains made of gold, Ghostly Apache Indian guardians, and a final collapse of what must have been an entire mountain range. Does that sound familiar?

And, of course, Gregory Peck's character, just like Indie, rode his horse skillfully, raising just slightly ahead of the dust of doom that enveloped everyone except our hero and a fair maiden who had been in considerable distress.

Upon doing a bit of research on the film, I discovered that George Lucas was a young student filmmaker who was doing a documentary on the making of "MacKenna's Gold." In fact, Lucas helped set up some of the scenes for the film.

Regardless of who stole from whom, Indie, himself, is a bit long of tooth for this type of nonsense. He should get his kicks just by going out to the mailbox to get his economic stimulus check.

Mike Schultz
Penn Hills

In Barbara Vancheri's "Bugs, snakes and monkey brains: A taste of Indy's past exploits" (May 22), she states that "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" does not hold up well. She is incorrect. The movie does not look or feel old and the reasons she gives for it not holding up well is politically correct nonsense.

Only insofar that it's the weakest of the first three and probably of all four movies does it not hold up well, but still is much better that 95 percent of the special effects-laden (drivel) that passes for action movies these days.

Bart Donnelly
Mount Washington

What devastating news to learn that Carnegie Mellon University School of Music is ending its association with the Cuarteto Latinoamericano ("CMU ends Cuarteto funding," May 24).

I am one of the relatively new kids on the block in knowing and appreciating the Cuarteto Latinoamericano's amazing artistry. That said, we here at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall are deeply proud of the fact that the Cuarteto has made so many recordings in our lovely Music Hall with the wonderful acoustics.

More to the point, I will always consider "DANSAQ," the American premiere performance featuring the Cuarteto in its extraordinary collaboration with Tapage, a professional and audience highlight. I pinch myself that "the Carnegie Carnegie" presented something that outstanding and cutting edge, and that we drew such a great "house" on a Thursday night in February. I am forever grateful to everyone associated for the gift of such a memorable blending of music and dance.

I have to say -- and my husband has been on the faculty at CMU for 25+ years -- that I was completely flummoxed by the fact that CMU did nothing to help us promote or get the word out about DANSAQ. We offered free tickets, would have worked with CMU to provide a reception for alumni to showcase amazing artistry combined with community outreach, etc.

We cherish the fact the Cuarteto Latinoamericano has such a long and distinguished musical association with Pittsburgh, and hope that there is some way to keep it going. You're always welcome in Carnegie.

Maggie Forbes
executive director, Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall

I cannot understand why Christopher Rawson has such a problem with Point Park University naming its new theater complex "The Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University," unless he's allergic to the letter "P," as in "persnickety purist" ("Critic's Corner: Let's lay the Playhouse name to rest," May 21).

The old Pittsburgh Playhouse in Oakland had a rich history, but Rawson says its "days have been numbered ever since the institution died in 1973" and that "maybe it's time to put the Playhouse name to rest." Why? What's the big deal? If the old Playhouse "died in 1973," that's more than a generation ago.

Point Park's recent graduates and current students have no memories of the old Pittsburgh Playhouse, and neither do most of the people who have moved into the region over the past several years. I don't doubt that Rawson's probably more concerned about it than Dick Rauh, who virtually grew up in the old Playhouse.

The dictionary defines "playhouse" simply as "a theater." It seems to me, that's a pretty good name for the complex. It's in Pittsburgh. It's a playhouse. And, it's part of Point Park University. Was that too many "P's" for you, Chris?

Dave James
Bridgeville

Watching Ellen DeGeneres announcing she will marry her girlfriend was not what I wanted to hear, nor did I want to see her audience applauding.

Isn't it funny that we can talk openly about gay affairs on TV, but we cannot freely talk about Jesus.

Is this what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wanted freedom for all?

Craig Galik
Duquesne

I was not surprised when I read that Fox had canceled the Pittsburgh-based Kelsey Grammar sitcom, "Back to You" ('Back to You' the latest victim of Fox's flirtatious nature,) May 18. After watching a few episodes it was clear the program simply could not compete with the laugh-a-minute comedy channeled by our own local "news" professionals.

Whether it's a bacteria-laden hotel glass expose, a touching piece on the hidden victims of hangnails, or the dire warnings from the "Real Scary Weather Team," our yakking (on)air heads can deliver real entertainment ... now in high definition!

John Kelm
New Castle

Oprah Winfrey has decided to go vegan for 21 days and has invited her viewers to join her. Her Web site offers a helpful menu, recipes, and opportunity for comments at tinyurl.com/6ha8gv.

Oprah's stated: "How can you say you're trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony?" She anticipates the additional benefits of cleansing her body of the saturated fat, cholesterol, pesticides, antibiotics, and pathogens present in animal products.

I'm hoping Oprah's experience convinces her to adopt a vegan diet for life, and I invite readers to take Oprah's 21-day challenge and discover for themselves all the benefits of going vegan!

Chris Lohman
Monroeville

It starts at noon, five days a week, and continues around the clock until 5 a.m. the next day -- a continuous barrage of right-wing rhetoric (I'm being polite using the word "rhetoric") on KDKA Radio.

First, we have the new boy in town starting at noon and continuing until 3 p.m. If Luke Ravenstahl were not the mayor, Kevin Miller would have nothing to whine about. He even had the audacity to take on the Rooney family. He'd better watch his step. Dan Rooney will buy KDKA and fire his Round Mound.

At 3 p.m., Miller is followed by "The Honz Man," the Prince of Darkness. Honsberger has been spewing the same right-wing drivel for years -- same old, same old. He is on the air until 5 p.m. when we get a two-hour break until 7 p.m. when another blowhard, John Steigerwald, takes the air.

Then, Bill O'Reilly shows up with his brand of "fair and balanced" (yeah, right) commentary. He's on till midnight when Dennis Miller (an O'Reilly wannabe) shows up with more of the same right-wing b.s. Miller is on the air for a couple of hours, and then we finish the night with an infomercial.

Occasionally, Rick Bergman would fill in. His was a lonely liberal voice crying out in the vast right-wing wasteland that KDKA Radio has become.

Bob Bittner
Zelienople