CALIFORNIA SPLIT. You can enjoy Robert Altman's 1974 movie California Split in a new 35mm print (with Dolby digital stereo) during its Film Forum revival, which runs through Thursday. This Seventies buddy movie casts George Segal and Elliott Gould (in an outstanding performance) as gamblers on a roller-coaster spree. The movie itself is uneven--some scenes age better than others--but it was fascinating to watch and hear...and it's growing on me as I think about it. It reminds me of On the Road, actually, with backstories that are almost entirely omitted. Part of the pleasure of the movie comes from imagining what's left out.

A curious aspect of California Split is that a number of cast members were from Synanon. Apparently, THX-1138 also drew extras from the cultish group, originally established as a drug rehabilitation center.

This theatrical release of California Split is superior to the current DVD in that it includes three minutes or so that were deleted due to rights issues. Plus, the composition tends to come across better on a movie screen.

BLOGORHYTHMS BONUS Here's a kind of gambling addiction: Marcia Schroeder of Sheboygan, Wisconsin played McDonald's Monopoly for years before winning her million. She's got a blog called The Monopoly at McDonald's Millionaire.