While Federico Fellini's "classic" about the woes of writer's block is of interest to film buffs for the strange, memorable manner in which it riffs on the creative process itself, it takes this idea and drags it out painstakingly over 138 tiresome minutes, such that most all appeal of the central idea has pretty much evaporated by film's end. Fellini's critics will take him to task for being obnoxious and bloated, and 8 1/2 is the epitome of that critique; while he clearly has some inspired ideas, he can't seem to make head or tail of them, resulting in this dull, plodding, occasionally incomprehensible existential drama that wastes its fine premise and great actors. Still, I didn't like La Dolce Vita either, but at least that doesn't have the same beguilingly untouchable reputation as this, whereby attacking it is considered tantamount to sacrilege.