Henry Rollins Week: The Chase

Hola folks! So this week is intended to be about Henry Rollins, more specifically any film, TV and specials he had a direct involvement with. Many of you are aware of this man's spoken word tours, his band Rollins Band and even his autobiography " Get In The Van" but few know that he went to see Black Flag in 1980 when he jumped the stage and took the mike for a song. As lead singer of the failed DC punk band State of Alert came and went, fate took Henry by the hand. A few days later, he got a a call to head and audition for Black Flag. At 5'9" he has had the balls to try to outdo Iggy Pop at the punk scene, he has whored out for MTV and even voice over acting for Batman Beyond. This is The Chase.

Gimme the Jack or she takes two in the spine!

Jack Hammond (Charlie Sheen of Grizzly II: The Concert, Red Dawn, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Platoon, Young Guns, Major League, Men at Work, Hot Shots!, Shadow Conspiracy, Two and a Half Men and Machete Kills) a schmuck wrangling birthday gigs as a clown has been sentenced for life in prison but manages to give the slip and disappeared fleeing for Mexico. Getting stopped at a convenience store by a couple of cops in harness, Jack grabs a nearby debutante Natalie (Kristy Swanson of Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Knots Landing, Nightingales, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Phantom, 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag, Early Edition, Grapevine and Swamp Shark) at gunpoint.

Escaping the clutches of the cops and now engaging for in a high speed pursuit, two cops are getting the "Cops" reality TV recording in a daily patrol when it hits the radio about an ongoing chase and demand for back up. Officer Dobbs(Henry Rollins of Johnny Mnemonic, Heat, Lost Highway, Oddville, MTV, Batman Beyond, The New Guy, Bad Boys II, Teen Titans, Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, The Devil's Tomb and Feast) and Officer Figus (Josh Mostel of Jesus Christ Superstar, Delta House, Star 80, At Ease, Windy City, The Money Pit, City of Hope, City Slickers, The Maddening, The Out-of-Towners, Knockaround Guys, Growning Up and Other Lies and Blue Bloods) pop the clutch and go into action. As the license plate has been taken down, it is revealed that Natalie is heiress of Dalton Voss (Ray Wise of Swamp Thing, Robocop, Dallas, Seduced, The Colbys, Knots Landing, Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Body Shot, Command& Conquer: Red Alert 2, Jeepers Creepers II, 24, and Reaper) multimillionaire and pillar of the community. This whole event goes down from Newport Beach all the way down the I-5 through San Diego to the desperate attempt of escape to Mexico.

JAYWALKER!!!!

 With the gaining press of this dangerous pursuance throughout the towns, live coverage is being recorded from the air as well as vans trying to get footage of it in progress. Jack and Natalie find in this romp on the road that while from different backgrounds they actually have quite a bit in common and Jack finds himself regretting never having the balls to ask a girl like her out. Will they escape to Mexico? Can Jack and Natalie form a real relationship? Will this be one of Dobbs and Figus's better collars? Screw the potential love story, this is only to be watched for Rollins and Mostel's scenes.

One of my favorite scenes of this movie is still Flea and Anthony Kiedis of The Red Hot Chili Peppers trying vigilante justice to smash the BMW into the guard rails, quote smack the punk out end quote and rescue said hottie. They do this with a bright green monster truck. Director/writer Adam Rifkin (Tale of Two Sisters, Nutt House, Psycho Cop Returns, Bone Chillers, Without Charlie and Shooting the Warwicks) found most of Mostel and Rollins' ad lib more entertaining that what was written for them so he gave Mostel and Rollins the go for it. The I-5 freeway scenes were predominantly shot in Houston TX via Highway 290 and then new Hardy Toll Road so dozens of palm trees were trucked in and planted along the highway. Yeesh, that is a crappy prop job.  

This movie hit the screens a mere 3 months prior to the infamous O. J. Bronco Chase. See? Life can imitate art.

What do you think of the Padres' chances for the pennant??

Chasing Amy

Hey there folks. Sorry about the delay yesterday but migraine day cannot always be altered or able to avoid it. Getting back to our wordsmith, Kevin Smith who managed to create his own comic book series (Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob, Bluntman and Chronic) for what is referred as the View Askewverse manages to churn out a romantic comedy with an original idea. An original idea bringing cultures and subcultures together with a fairly objective view. This is Chasing Amy.

Daredevil or Bat-Man?

Comic book writer/artist calm and collective Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dazed and Confused, Mallrats, Going All the Way, Good Will Hunting, Armageddon, Reindeer Games, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Daredevil, Clerks II and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) and loud and obnoxious writer/inker Banky Edwards (Jason Lee of Mallrats, Kissing a Fool, Enemy of the State, Dogma, Mumford, Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky, Big Trouble, Clerks II, My Name is Earl and Alvin and the Chipmunks) best buddies for more than 20 years are living the dream that they wanted for so long. Attending a convention for the sake of their book, fellow writer/artist Hooper X (Dwight Ewell of Stonewall, Flirt, Chasing Amy, Kiss Me, Guido, The Waiting Game, Dogma, Intern, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Wheelmen and Street Poet) rouses a room for the lack of African Americans in popular culture of Sci-fi and comics makes like a Black Panther to get his book out there but is as butch as an ice skater's partner.

Amusing scene aside, artist/writer Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams of Dazed and Confused,Mallrats, Big Daddy, Bruno, Harvard Man, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Big Empty, Endure and She Loves Me Not) a smart, funny and very easy on the eyes girl that practically beams as she enters the room. Holden is almost weak in the knees because of this girl and the foursome make their way to a bar for late night celebration. No sooner does Alyssa takes the mic it is pretty clear she is batting for the other team and crushes Holden but he finds himself captivated by Alyssa and the two develop a friendship and hang out. Holden finally breaks down and confesses his love to Alyssa. The two fight but later that evening the two start a romantic relationship.

Yeah I'm dishy.  What's yer point?

Holden now "distracted" by Alyssa means he is not as focused on the book, the cartoon offer and life itself. Banky hates her outright and does not trust her, proceeding to dig into her past finding out her sexual trysts of the day and how that clearly is not something Holden should have to deal with it. Holden is confused, befuddled by Banky and his love for Alyssa.

What is Holden to do? Can he keep both Alyssa and Banky in his life? Is his funny book worth it?

Fun trivia on this film, Chasing Amy is one of Smith's favorite films and Tarantino favorite flick of 1997. Holden and Hooper X are at the music store looking at Cds at Jack's Music Shoppe across the street from Kevin Smith's comic shop, Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash. One of the hecklers at the beginning of the flick, calling Banky an inker as a tracer was played by Casey Affleck, little brother of Ben Affleck.

Back off Batboy, you can't handle all of this.

Mallrats

How do madams and sirs and welcome back to more Kevin Smith. The self-proclaimed tubby bitch and so on. Fun fact for you. Kevin has written at least two Marvel story arcs. Spider-Man and The Black Cat and Daredevil:Guardian Angel. Both have a great deal of tongue-in-cheek humor, some dark effects and several real life evils that occur. Both are impressive works but be warned there is some adult scenarios there to contend with. Well this time around we have some geek fan boys embracing comics, movies and their mutual love lives that have gone belly up. This is Mallrats.

You can be my wingman always.

Prior to Clerks, this day occurred as T.S. Quint (Jeremy London of I'll Fly Away, Party of Five, Journey to the Center of the Earth TV movie, Gods and Generals, 7^th Heaven, Kiss Me Again, Basilisk: The Serpent King and The Grift) is taking his girl Brandi (Claire Forlani of Mallrats, The Rock, Meet Joe Black, Mystery Men, Boys and Girls, Antitrust, Triggermen, The Medallion and Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius) out to Florida and away from Jersey so they can have time to themselves...but she cannot go because she volunteered to fill in for her father's dating game after the original contestant dropped dead in a pool from an embolism. Naturally they fight over this and end up breaking up.

No sooner is T.S. Quits with Brandi his best friend Brodie Bruce (Jason Lee of Almost Famous, Mumford, Vanilla Sky, The Incredibles, My Name Is Earl, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Cop Out and Shredd) with his many distractions of video games, comic books and fear of change leaving his girlfriend Rene (Shannen Doherty of Heathers, Beverly Hills, 90210, Charmed, Mallrats, Another Day, The Battle of Mary Kay, North Shore, Kiss Me Deadly and Burning Palms) at her wit's end. She sneaks in the middle of the night for a bone fest and that feels like that the better portion of their relationship. Neither of our protagonists know were they went wrong and find mutual healing from the only place of enlightenment...the mall. They find themselves at the mall only to learn this is the very spot in which Brandi's father, Jared (Michael Rooker of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Above the Law, The Dark Half, Cliffhanger, Mallrats, The 6^th Day, Archer, Lollipop Chainsaw, The Walking Dead, and Guardians of the Galaxy) is hosting his Truth or Date show.

For the last time, I am not Superman!

T.S.wants revenge but knows he cannot do the deed himself and Brodie points out the potential lackeys of destruction Jay (Jason Mewes of Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Scream 3, Vulgar, Clerks: The Animated Series, Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back and Clerks II) and Silent Bob (writer/director/actor Kevin Smith Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Scream 3, Vulgar, Clerks: The Animated Series, Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, Clerks II, Catch and Release, Manchild and Live Free or Die Hard) to search and destroy (Cue Metallica!). Misadventures continue as the dynamic doofuses run into T.S.' ex Gwen (Joey Lauren Adams of Dazed and confused, Sleep with Me, S.F.W., Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Big Daddy, Bruno, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks: The Lost Scene) and they have some heart to heart.

Will T.S.get Brandi? Will Brodie win Rene's heart again? Will Jay and Silent Bob consummate their unspoken love?

Trivia time! Originally Stan Lee of Marvel Comics was not going to have a cameo but through a mutual connection Stan was asked to appear and he agreed. The episodic collection of comic book boxes was Kevin Smith's collection, much of which he purchased thanks to Clerks. Shawnee Smith of Becker and Saw fame came in for an audition but apparently she thought very little of the script and mocked the whole process. Later casting director Don Phillips apologized for her behavior.

The funniest trivia is while this takes place in Eden Prairie Center Mall in Eden Prairie Minnesota, down the road Fargo written and directed by the Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel was being shot at the same time. Yeah must have been hell to drive around those weeks.

Man the cast of 90210 went downhill.

Slow on the blog: Sideways

Greetings readers for Day 3 of Local Talent and we might as well talk about a writer/producer/director that has managed a great deal with his talents of covering drama and dark humor. He has a few themes commonly associated with his film. Using actually people for minor roles, cops as cops, teachers as teachers and so on. He seems to enjoy museums and monologues over the phone and more of his film revolve around marriage trials and tribulations and the odd spot of adultery. The main character is always complex, lonely and on the verge of depression. Director of said films such as: Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt, The Descendants and Nebraska. I speak of the talented Alexander Payne and this is Sideways.

So the beard makes me look more like Charlton Heston, right?

Miles (Paul Giamatti of Private Parts, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, Man on the Moon, Cinderella Man, John Dies at the End and Billions) is a writer...a rather failed writer that everything he has submitted. Attempts has brought him nothing aside from being an English teacher in San Diego. Middle-aged and irked at the writing community he has a book waiting to be approved by a publisher. His best friend and former college roommate Jack (Thomas Haden Church of Wings, Ned and Stacey, One Night Stand, Mr. Murder, 3000 miles to Graceland, Spanglish, Spider-Man 3 and Easy A) is a television actor whose career peaked long ago starring in a soap opera he is relegated to doing voice over work just to make ends meet. To be honest, he is about 3 months away from doing boat shows with David Hasselhoff.

Jack is getting married and will be taking over his soon-to-be father-in-law's used car dealership. Miles is a wine aficionado and will drag Jack off for some golf, wine and good times. Jack tells Miles he is looking to sow his oats and have one last fling Miles isn't really disgusted by this notion but he is uncomfortable until he re-connects with Maya (Virginia Madsen of Highlander II: The Quickening, Candyman, The Prophecy, The Number 23 and The Haunting in Connecticut) as one professional to another and some mild flirting but nothing of fruition. Jack points out Maya's lack of a ring and pointed out so clearly she is available.

What? I'm eye candy? Oh what a rip.

Jack starts hitting on Stephanie (Sandra Oh of Arli$$, The Proud Family, Under the Tuscan Sun, Mulan II, Cake and American Dragon: Jake Long) a waitress and they start hitting it off as Stephanie suggests some Netflix and chill. Okay, more wine and tommyrot but Netflix and chill sounded saucier. Jack and Stephanie go upstairs to bone and Miles and Maya converse over wine and the love of such. He gives Maya a copy of his manuscript for her to peruse.

The weekend goes pretty well that Jack has second thoughts about his marriage as he sees himself moving to wine country and starting a new life and so on. Miles and Maya get busy and start having a genuine relationship until he let slip Jack is supposed to get married.

Will Jack make it out alive?? Can Miles keep Maya in spite of concealing the truth?

A teensy bit of trivia now. The food that Miles, Jack and Mile's mother eat dinner at Mile's childhood home gave all three actors food poisoning. During his audition, Thomas Haden Church stripped down because the scene called for it. Of course he later learned that he was the only actor that did that. 

When in doubt, booze it up!

Local Talent: Gabrielle Union in Deliver Us from Eva

Welcome back for Day 2 of Local Talent. Our next actor may have left the Husker lands in search of acting gigs and while that does happen you cannot fault Omaha from holding her up as a beacon of talent. Graduated with honors from UCLA, voted #52 in Maxim's 100 Sexist Women, this girl was performing below her capabilities. Now going through her filmography she has been a femme fatale, other woman character actor for more than a few films. The whole let's use this girl for her looks rather than any depth in acting cliche'. Until I came across the romantic comedy giving her center stage and brother let me just say, "She took it and ran with it." This is Deliver Us From Eva.

There is a corner pocket joke but I will behave.

Evangeline 'Eva' Dandrige (Gabrielle Union of City of Angels, Two Can Play That Game, Abandon, Cradle 2 the Grave, Bad Boys II, Flashforward and Being Mary Jane) is part of the Health Department in Los Angeles as an inspector which works for her very perfectionist nature and bossy demeanor. Everything and everyone should be just so for the world to be in order. Her order. Eva drives her sisters Kareenah (Essence Atkins of Here and Now, Under One Roof, Malibu Shores, Smart Guy, Half & Half, Love for Sale, My Sister's Wedding and Girlfriends' Getaway), Bethany (Robinne Lee of National Security, Hitch, Seven Pounds, 13 Going on 30 and Forgiveness) and Jacqui (Meagan Good of Miles From Home, One Missed Call, Saw V, The Unborn, Californication, Deception and A Girl Like Grace) to bettering their lives.  She constantly judges her sisters by their choices in life as well as in men. This close connection is due to them basically raising themselves after the death of their parents so older sister Eva's words of wisdom and advice holds great weight for the girls.

Damn, Union got booty fellas.

Our collective boys: Tim (Mel Jackson of Soul Food, The Temptations, Where Is Love Waiting, Abduction of Jesse Bookman and Four Seasons), Mike (Duane Martin of White Men Can't Jump, Above the Rim. Any Given Sunday, All of Us, Rita Rocks, The Paul Reiser Show and Sister Code) and Darrell (Dartanyan Edmonds of Ride, Woo, Bulworth, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Trippin', Rangers and NYPD Blue) are losing their damn minds, not getting any quality time, privacy and in general lives of their own with Eva popping by whenever. Fed up with this, the fellas feel they need a player to seduce Eva and get her out of their hair. Mike calls his boy Ray (LL Cool J of Toys, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Deep Blue Sea, In the House, Rollerball, S.W.A.T., Last Holiday and NCIS: Los Angeles), offers him 5 grand to make this spoiled princess bounce for a few so they can get their own. Okay, I cannot write this dated street lingo worth a damn. Ray agrees to the deal, meets Eva for dinner for what can only be considered as "THE DATE FROM HELL." and throws the boys' lettuce back at them saying she is impossible.

Later Ray bumps into Eva delivering meat to the local restaurants and offers an olive branch and the two look like they are forming a friendship to a relationship. The sisters start seeing Ray and Eva as the ideal couple but notice how their own relationships aren't as solid and the boys are back in hot water. Rather than be grown-ups, owning up to their faults and striving to be better men (Like we all should, fellas.), they choose an elaborate plan to fake Ray's death so it will convince Eva to leave the city and go elsewhere and out of their lives.

Does the plan succeed? Will they have to actually kill Ray? What the hell is going on?

This film feels like a take on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and about seeing people for who they really are. It has heart and soul and some really good lines. This film also showcases both Gabrielle and LL in starring roles rather than the typical stereotypes they have both played in the past. It is fun, wrong and entertaining. Give it a view. Rated R for a bit of language and some implied sex but other than that, hell the kids can watch it.

I am not mugging...well maybe a bit.

David Tennant Week: The Decoy Bride

A hearty greetings back to Day 3 of David Tennant Week. As per the request of my co-host for Rotten Ramblin' On, the podcast associated with Rotten Reelz Reviews, my friend Shawn requested a heartfelt romantic comedy. The comedy is about a famous film star and her writer fiance' attempting to have a traditional church wedding but it is crashed by the paparazzi the couple have no idea where to go to just have their wedding in peace. Scotland perhaps? This is Decoy Bride.

There's a bee just following her.

Lara Tyler (Alice Eve of Agatha Christie: Poirot, Starter for 10, She's Out of My League, Men in Black 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness) is recognized for her smile, poise and grace. While being on chat shows, constantly placed on magazine covers and films she simply wants to wed her writer fiance' James (David Tennant of Takin' Over the Asylum, Duck Patrol, The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries, Terri McIntyre, Broadchurch and Gracepoint) when they hit on the idea of this remote Scottish island of Hegg. Land developers months prior take the local keep and rebuild it in the hopes to make it a tourist destination.

The Adventures of Young Jessica Fletcher.

To avoid the mass levels of media, Lara's manager Steve (Michael Urie of WTC View, Mode After Hours. Ugly Betty, Brain Trust and Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life) co-ordinates the whole event in the hopes to get this off the ground. Meanwhile the locals of Hegg smell the chance of money and want to milk this once in a lifetime opportunity alerting to paparazzi causing Lara to leave the island in secret. Desperate to avoid any bad press Steve hits on the idea of creating a fake wedding, a scandal and the media will get bored, move on and go home. They snare local girl Katie (Kelly Macdonald of Trainspotting, Splendor, Entropy, Gosford Park, Finding Neverland, Nanny McPhee and Broadwalk Empire) to play the part of Lara. What will happens next is up to the story to tell. Of our collective town I admittedly recognized comedian/writer Dylan Moran who is a slug and absolutely brilliant in this and Sally Phillips of Bridget Jone's Diary who elevates to the town in morality but the greed seems to almost outweigh good decency for a change.

A few points to make in this is not the typical American rom-com that need zany BS, a bloated budget and people playing larger than life divas. What you have is a simplistic story about a couple that feel they have reached that point in their lives that they don't see each other the way the rest of the world does. Writer Neil Jaworski and Sally Phillips really flush out this script bringing dimension into the characters, making them well rounded, feasible and human. None of that one dimensional crap, the supporting cast get the love, people.

A few facts on the film now.

The script was pricing the film at seven million pounds which tallying to ten million, seven hundred twenty-two thousand dollars via stateside but of course the film itself only had a budget of 2.5 million. This of course led to scenes and characters being cut during the filming process to cut corners and give them enough capital to work in the story.

The plot summary seems done to death but what you get is a smart, warm comedy that makes you really feel for the love in it. This film is by the way safe for the whole family as there is no mass amounts of swearing, nudity or offensive material. Fellas, your lady friend will thank you for suggesting this movie and you will thank yourselves for giving it the once over. With wonderful performances, cast we can all understand (so sad an American cannot distinguish accents of Irish, Scottish and English brit from one another) and a music score that sends your heart up and down with the motions, you should have a good time. Draw your own conclusions though. Good date night film.

Black Books: Bernard Buggers off to Scotland

Michael Caine Week: Alfie

Hello and welcome back one and all for the third day of Michael Caine Week. Well we have had some thrills, spills and more than enough violence to rival The Wild Bunch, so what say we move more into a comedy? Howsabout a film that allowed Michael Caine a range of seduction, charm and good humors? In 1966, a play by Bill Naughton had done so well on stage that it wad decreed by Paramount that it be made into a film. With a budget of 500,000,  director Lewis Gilbert set out to find out lead role but actors of the range of Richard Harris, Laurence Harvey, James Booth and Anthony Newley turned down the title role due to the taboo subject of abortion. When the original play actor Terrence Stamp declined the reprise the role he suggested his friend and roommate Michael Caine. This is Alfie.

I'm afraid I am a bit of a dog in this one, folks.

Alfie: Make a married woman spoil and you're halfway there.

Our story centers around a veteran womanizer Alfie (Michael Caine of Shiner, Last Orders, Quicksand, Secondhand Lions and The Statement), who is living up life in the fullest of enjoyment as he realizes how badly he treats women. In spite of being charming to them he reflects that maybe he isn't the best example on how to behave.

The movie begins with him ending a relationship with a married woman Siddie (Millicent Martin of Stop the World: I Want to Get Off, From a Bird's Eye View, Moon and Son, Fraiser and Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont) after a brief liaison in a parked car with her and getting out from under his other lady Gilda (Julia Foster of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Half a Sixpence, The Great McGonagail and News at Twelve) who is carrying his child. Trying to remain unfeeling and aloof of these women, he is curious about his child turning out to be a son. Try as he might, he simply cannot make things work with the child's mother and she in turn marries a bus driver.

Care for a titillating photo of your wife?

Getting a physical, Alfie finds he has tubercular shadows in his lungs, compounded with the total banning of seeing his son, he has a nervous breakdown forcing him to stay at a convalescent house (recuperation ward) and is visited by Harry (Alfie Bass of The Lavender Hill Mob, The Army Game, Bootsie and Snudge and The Fearless Vampire Killers) who tells Alfie his detachment to women has been more harm than good. After being informed he is such a louse, our fellow picks up where he left off in pursuit of love. Will he find it or is he simply spinning his wheels?

Some trivia about the movie now. Sporadically, Alfie gets to break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience which is not a common occurence for film and TV but occasionally such is used for a character on reflection and pointification of the soul.

The entire movie was brought in at cost of $500,000 or as the director put it the sum total money executives spend on cigar bills. While the entire film had an instrumental soundtrack by Sonny Rollins, the Oscar nominated song same title, Alfie by Burt Bacharach and Hal David was added for the American release and then later added to British re-release. The British version of which I watched was sang by Cilla Black while the US version was sang by Cher as a last minute replacement for Dionne Warwick. Heck of a way to handle your end credits.

Upstairs neighbor is playing that banjo, again!

Mickey Rooney Week: Girl Crazy

Welcome back kiddies to Day 4 of Mickey Rooney Week.  As you already know. Mr. Rooney could do physical comedy, deep seeded drama and had a rather impressive pace of dialogue but, did you know he could sing and dance too?  NOoOoOOo???   Well, shame on the load of you.  Ahem, this particular flick is a musical that showcases both Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland's comedy, song and dance numbers featured by none other than Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra.  This is Girl Crazy.

HelloooOoOoO Debutante!!

Ginger Gray: Were you always out of your spoiler?
Danny Churchill, Jr. : No, no just lately.





Our story begins with disappointed father Danny Churchill, Sr. (Henry O' Neill of The Life of Emile Zola, Jezebel, Santa Fe Train and Anchors Aweigh) reading the latest headlines about his scandalous playboy son Danny Churchill, Jr. (Mickey Rooney of Mickey's Big Broadcast, The Big Chance, Broadway to Hollywood, Beloved, I Like It That Way, Hide-Out and Reckless) gadding it up on Broadway and how it makes him look.  With the lad's head filled with fun and girls, Senior decides to ship Danny off to a college away from the hustle and bustle distractions of New York and to a remote mining town in the desert called Cody. This way there are no girls to distract him and he can knuckle down on his studies.  Careful Dad, he could be a liberal arts major just to spite you.

Silly hobo!  Never get in front of Judy's ride!

His bus drops him out in the desert and Danny is forced to walk no less than 8 miles to his impeding doom and/or college.  He bumps into a dish with car trouble by the name of Ginger (Judy Garland of Everybody Sing, The Wizard of Oz, Babes in Arms, Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, Strike Up the Band, Meet Me in St. Louis and A Star is Born) who is aware of Danny's reputation via newspaper and brushes him off after he tends to her engine.  Danny thoroughly exhausted makes his way to the dorm and meets his roommate Bud (Gil Stratton of Dangerous Years, Tuscon, Hot Rod, Army Bound, Waldo, Stalag 17 and Dismembered) who explains the rigorous scholastic Danny is to endure.

After some horseback riding all day to a wilderness camp, Danny is probably cursing God, his father and all that is mouth breathers when he runs into a former NYC hack driver Rags (Rags Ragland of Born to Sing, Sunday Punch, Whistling in Dixie, 3 Men in White and Meet the People) who tries to assist our poor tenderfoot East Coaster.

Tempted to leave, Danny preps to go home when he realizes that Ginger is the girl to end all girls.  The one if you will and decides he will buckle down, pass his classes and woo this dame with all his might can muster.   Ginger seemingly impressed will see if Danny can be true to his boasts and gives him the benefit of the doubt.

I had just a bit of trivia about the flick now.  Being this is an MGM musical, composer  George Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and Porgy and Bess) wrote I Got Rhythm for the play Crazy For You which has had covers by Ethel Waters, Charlie Parker's saxophone and even Ella Fitzgerald's pipes has made its way into cinema and the small screen for decades to come.
The play Girl Crazy was performed by Ginger Rogers and Allen Kearns and included Ethel Merman singing "I Got Rhythm" as her very first Broadway production.

Little lady, my dog seems to have wandered to that cheap hotel across the way. Accompany me?

Wil Wheaton Week: The Buddy System

Howdy all and welcome to Day 1 of Wil Wheaton Week and I have dug through the archives of both memory and IMDB to bring us Wil’s first major film role after the TV movie known as: Hambone and Hillie.  I recall viewing this particular movie of topic with my folks and thoroughly enjoyed it so yes like myself, it is also dated.  So grab some S’mores, toast them by a fire and take in this light hearted romantic comedy.  This is The Buddy System.

No I don't want candy or a ride ya perv.

Tim: I said he could follow me home and that you weren’t really seeing anybody and you know…spoiler

Precocious Tim Price (Wil Wheaton of Stand by Me, The Curse, Toy Soldiers, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Teen Titans, Legion of Superheroes, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and The Guild) doesn’t live in the best neighborhood, has a tendency to speak whatever is on his mind and lives in a single parent environment.  

His mother Emily (Susan Sarandon of The Front Page, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Witches of Eastwick, Bull Durham, Thelma & Louise and The Client) is struggling to become a court reporter but manages to flunk her test every time due to nerves and frustration.  Forced to live with her mother (Jean Stapleton of Bells Are Ringing, Something Wild,  All in the Family, Archie Bunker’s Place, Lily Dale and Michael) who showers her boy with affection but somehow has forgotten her own daughter at times.  To keep her son in a great school they have lied on the address to where they live but Tim is lonely and can’t have friends over to visit or even play after school. 

So I am thinking a career in Sci-Fi...too obvious?

Joe (Richard Dreyfus of American Graffiti,  Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, Stakeout, The American President and Mr. Holland’s Opus) an aspiring Great American Novelist/ Inventor and the truant officer the school is hip to the big fib and catches Tim in the act of checking the mail.

Being a sly rascal (euphemism big pain in the tuckus) Tim thinks this is an opportune time to get his mother dating again since his father walked out on him given the guy she is on and off seeing is in Tim’s eyes a bit of a peckerhead. 

Joe is having his own dating hell as he and his self-obsessed girlfriend Carrie (Nancy Allen of Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out and Robocop) keep a steady diet of on and off relationship and strikes up a friendship with Tim and starts to feel genuine emotions for Emily but hang on kids because we need the cliché twist whether or not he should stick with the old girlfriend or pursue this new and amazing relationship with Emily and Tim.

Well at least I am not starring in a film with a Sheen. Phew!

I have just a few side notes about the film itself.  The director Glenn Jordan (The Promise, The Typists, Particular Men, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Echoes of Darkness, Barbarians at the Gate, Jake’s Women and A Streetcar Named Desire) is known primarily for doing dramatic and heart wrenching TV movies and while foul mouthed Wil was a bit of a shocker for the audience it was also true to life that an eleven year old boy would swear up a storm. The timing and reaction between Dreyfus and Sarandon felt like a couple with all the ups and downs. You can really believe what you see on the screen and Wheaton’s performance just steals the movie.  I feel the comparison to the Good Bye Girl and The Buddy System is a bit unfair but I cannot speak for all viewers.

Alternative Title Week: The Amazing Adventure

Hold on to your hats kiddies because we end Alternative Week this Friday on a Cary Grant flick? Gasp!  I know right?  To comment and critique about a film of class and elegance on my blog?  Poppycock you may say, but I say sit on your blood pressure and keep it down, ya hear me?  So dash out to the lobby, and get yerselves a drink and popcorn.  This is The Amazing Adventure a.k.a. The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss, The Amazing Quest, Riches and Romance and Romance and Riches.

Heavens, man. Is that your mustache or a small ferret nesting?

Ernest Bliss: Here’s to spoilers!

A fancy dan, a shiftless lay about millionaire of the name of Ernest Bliss (Cary Grant of His Girl Friday, My Favorite Wife, Notorious, Monkey Business, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest and That Touch of Mink) is a rich, young man with too little to do and too much money to do it with; he suffers from "ennui." Not realizing the depression he's in is due to boredom, Ernest consults a doctor. Sir James Aldroyd (Peter Gawthorne of Good Morning Boys, Ask a Policeman, Much Too Shy and Soho Conspiracy) disgusted that a healthy young man is ill simply because of laziness and an indulgent lifestyle, gives Ernest a prescription he doesn't think Ernest can fill: Ernest must earn his own living for one year using none of his current wealth. Ernest bets him 50,000 English pounds that he can. 

I dare say I fancy more than a cup of tea.

Settling on a struggle oven company name of Alpha, Bliss reports directly to Frances Clayton (Mary Brian of The Front Page, Charlie Chan in Paris, Three Married Men, Killer at Large, Navy Blues and Affairs of Cappy Ricks) for his duty roster.  Sadly Bliss learns soon that he may not have the knack for salesmanship.  His boss Mr. Masters (John Turnbull of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Murder at the Baskervilles and The Hangman Waits) fears he will have to close up shop soon if supply and demand does not start to pick up.  With Clayton being sweet to him as a person he soon comes up with a publicity stunt to make up for their lack of sales brochures and details.   With a little ingenuity, Bliss helps the company and decides he has done all he can here and has several more months to go so back on the old work horse he heads.

Flailing in the rivers of hard work without a paddle; Ernest learns the true value of effort through working; the value of humankind, both good and bad, through living amongst the masses, the love of a good woman not dependent upon his monetary value and the blessing and responsibility of possessing money.

Darling, these dancers are a bit distracting.

And now I have just a few observational notes about this film.   This is director Alfred Zeisler’s fourth American major motion picture.  The film was shot on 35mm Spherical of which modern films could take a cue from.  It gives a wide range scope on your story and characters involved without snubbing the film quality and I have to hand it to the actor dealing with only a boom mic with a windsock for scenes.  Also the boom operators must have had the beefiest arms or the editor spotted every shadow.   It is simply flawless sound for it being shot in mono. 

Being clever, diverting and plenty of Grant snappy patter you will find this film moving, entertaining and just might make you smile. I dare say this film truly put Grant in the eyes of many and really pushed his career.   

Sydney Pollack Week: The Electric Horseman

Howdy buckaroos!   Day 3 of Sydney Pollack Week and we will examine how far a man can fall from grace and yet still have an award winning smile.   A story of a man that plummeted from the upper echelons of his career, sells out to be a corporate shill and still get the girl in the end.   Preposterous you say?   Perhaps but this little romantic thriller/comedy may surprise you.   So gather your spurs, get in the shoot and hang on for at least 8 seconds.    This is The Electric Horseman.

Absent of dignity

Spoilers be the damnedest things…

Sonny Steele (Robert Redford of This Property Is Condemned, Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, Three Days of the Condor, The Last Castle and Spy Game) is a former championship rodeo rider fallen on hard times is using his last gasps of fame to market breakfast cereal.  Yes, Wheaties can help any fallen athlete in struggles of destitute but sadly he is plugging Ranch Breakfast.   His fat cat boss, Hunt Sears (John Saxon of Enter the Dragon, Mitchell, Desire, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Craving Heart and War Wolves) is not worried about keeping Sonny on a leash and therefore is all sorts of vile. 

Don't wanna go barefoot in the park, woman!

Chasing disappointment away with booze, Sonny is dressed in this ridiculous lit up cowboy suit and prances about almost as much as his equine counterpart Rising Star. It was only later is discovered the horse was drugged and previously injured.   Wow, Sin City lied to the world and you Sonny?  Say it ain’t so.   After discovering this horrendous mistreatment of an animal Sonny becomes disillusioned and disgusted with the current course of his life.   He then steals Rising Star from Caesar’s Palace where they are being held, gallops out the Strip and travels cross-country to release him in a remote canyon where majestic herds of wild horses roam.

Hallie Martin (Jane Fonda of Barefoot in the Park They Shoot Horses, Don’t They, Barbarella, Klute, Julia, Coming Home, The Morning After and Old Gringo), an inspiring TV reporter assigned to cover this decadent event hears of the reward that Sears offers and the lack of concern wither or not Sonny comes back alive so long as Rising Star is returned.  Sensing there is more to this story than Sears will cop to, tracks Sonny down for the headline that may just make her career solid.  She missed Watergate so it is Horse Thief or nothing.  Still struck me as odd that you drop 12 million clams on a horse and no protection in the event your star goes diva and rides away?   Guess even Vegas couldn’t cover the odds of that happening.

Aww what a downy clowny...

Okay this is the part where I will nitpick a bit.   The villains in this piece are a bit one-dimensional and easily thwarted in my opinion, the sheer bravado of out foxing the local authorities, the quest in question feels a bit farfetched but the story overall is got a good tone of one man sticking it to hypocrisy of just making a buck, romance is found on the way and while this is a late 70’s film the tone is more hopeful than the typical cynical writing of the time.   Writer Robert Garland (Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty, Toostie, No Way Out and The Big Blue) created a decent romp through the desert and made an unlikely pairing of two completely different people.   No I do not think the film is genius but it is clever and warm.   Also has starring Willie Nelson as a ranch hand with the infamous quote of the film and NO I am not about to ruin it but suffice to say it will curl and straighten your hair.