Welcome to the 205th Edition of my blog. I have one selection from the
Random Myspace Profile selection process. Next week will have none. I
am releasing this one a little early since I don't know when I'll be
home tomorrow because I'm trying out again for AMERICA'S GOT TALENT to
give it another shot. Get out your Netflix and Blockbuster Queues and
read on.
The Union: The Business of Getting High (2007): I saw
this movie at Pruis Hall for the viewing of the Truth Movement group at
Ball State. This is a great documentary which talks about that drug
marijuana. Brett Harvey directed this and goes around to explore the
history of marijuana and hemp which is used for it along with the
effects. They made a big argument that there really are no effects and
that it has always been blown way out of proportion. It shows how
alcohol and cigarettes lead into more deaths than marijuana. People
being interviewed include Joe Rogan and Tommy Chong plus many other
politicians and doctors who support the legalization. There are also
some interesting comparisons to Prohibition of 1920 showing how
criminals take full advantage of the prohibition. This movie has some
humorous moments, good archival footage, and soundtrack. I also enjoyed
seeing Tommy Chong reflect on his life and his recent arrest. I have
only seen him in shows and movies playing the stoner but he was very
informative in what he had to say. I will start by saying that I do not
smoke pot but I do support the legalization of it. If you are totally
against pot, this could change your mind. For you stoners out there,
you will love this one.
Ocean's Eleven (2001): This is a
selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for
this one I chose Juliana. This is a remake of the 1960 film which
starred the Rat Pack. Steven Soderbergh directed this film which stars
George Clooney as Danny Ocean who is just getting paroled from prison
and goes straight...straight into plans for a heist of three casinos.
He then gets a group together that consists of Brad Pitt, Elliot Gould,
Scott Caan, Casey Affleck, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Matt Damon, among
others. Andy Garcia plays Terry Benedict, the head of the casinos and
Julia Roberts is Tess, Danny's ex-wife who is now with Terry. Reiner is
very amusing as one of the elderly members of the heist. I have seen
the original one a while back but have not seen any of these until now
and I must say it kept me engaged the whole movie. There is an
interesting opening scene with Brad Pitt trying to teach former tv
stars like CHARMED alum Holly Marie Combs, 7TH HEAVEN alum Barry
Watson, and THAT 70S SHOW alum Topher Grace how to play poker.
The
General (1926): I actually had the pleasure of viewing this silent
comedy classic on the big screen at the Paramount Theater in Anderson.
Ball State was shooting a movie and needed extras so the reward was to
see this movie. This is considered by many to be Buster Keaton's best
work and though there are others of his I prefer, this was a very
groundbreaking comedy. Buster stars as Johnny Gray, a train conductor
during the Civil War. He tries to enlist in the south but is declined
because they feel he is valuable as a train conductor. The woman he
loves, Annabelle Lee, believes that he is a coward and will not speak
to him unless he is in uniform. Things change when his locomotive is
stolen and at the same time they kidnap Annabelle Lee. He then sets out
to rescue Annabelle Lee with some comic results on a train as he is
pursuing soldiers in the north. He is able to come up with all kinds of
hilarious gags on that train. It is loosely based on a true story but
I'm sure not this funny as Buster Keaton, like Chaplin, made comedy out
of some pretty dark events just not as extreme as Chaplin.
Written
on the Wind (1956): Douglas Sirk directed this great drama which stars
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES alum Robert Stack as Kyle Hadley, a rich playboy who
marries Lucy, played by Lauren Bacall. Lucy is secretly loved by Kyle's
best friend Mitch Wayne, played by Rock Hudson. Kyle learns that he is
sterile but his wife gets pregnant causing him to suspect Mitch of
having an affair. Dorothy Malone plays Kyle's conniving sister who
watch Mitch for herself and puts the belief in his head that Mitch and
Lucy are having the affair which leads to disastrous results. The
performances by all were great and was a soap opera and love story with
intelligence. I really liked Malone in this movie.
Shortbus
(2006): The Facebook friend I chose for this week was Zach who I was in
12 BAR BLUES with at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater. This movie is by
no means for everyone, I'll get that out of the way now. John Cameron
Mitchell wrote and directed this movie. First we got Rob and Sophia, a
happy couple but Sophia, who is a sex therapist, has never experienced
an orgasm. Jamie and James are a gay couple and James wants to bring a
third man into the relationship. Sophia then goes into a world she has
never seen where she meets a dominatrix and they help each other with
their lives. This movie does not hold back at all. Soon-Yik Lee was
great as Sophia and the rest of the actors also fare pretty well for
most having acted for the first time. I admit, there were times even I
had to turn my head but still enjoyed this movie.
San Quentin
(1937): Lloyd Bacon directs this prison film which was an early role
for Humphrey Bogart as inmate Red Kennedy. Pat O'Brien is an army
trainer named Captain Jameson, who is assigned to be the head of the
prison. It's a big place but he immediately starts getting results but
takes interest in Kennedy, feeling he just got a bad break and can
reform. Ann Sheridan plays Red's sister May and forms a relationship
with the prison captain. One of the prisoners tries to stir up trouble
with Kennedy when he spreads rumors on his sister and the captain
leading into some bad decisions. This was an interesting film depicting
prison of a place of rehabilitation and that people can change. O'Brien
was very good and Barton Maclane co-stars as the previous corrupt
captain who plays the role very well.
The Field (1990): Jim
Sheridan directed this movie that takes place in Ireland which centers
around "Bull" McCabe, played very well by Richard Harris, whose family
has farmed for many years and have given much of his sweat and tears to
the field. Then "the Widow" who the Bull pays rent to, played by
Frances Tomelty, decides to put up the land for sale. The Bull is
determined to take it but an American comes in feeling he must make
highways out of it. Tom Berenger plays "The American" who very much
dismays the Bull when he buys the property Bull feels is his so Bull
takes some very drastic measures to keep it. Sean Bean also co-stars as
Bull's son who is clearly intimidated by his father but very loyal to
him. This was rather moving but pretty dark too. The Irish scenery was
great and I always love that Irish music. John Hurt was pretty amusing
as Bird adding some comic relief.
Hyde and Hare (1955): This is
my Looney Tunes short for the week where Bugs Bunny meets a nice, quiet
man who gets him carrots and insists that the man adopt him. Bugs does
not know this person is really Dr. Jekyll whose evil side of Mr. Hyde
tries to harm Bugs with a comical end result. This is well worth the
seven minutes.
Robocop (1987): I found this 80s action classic
on IFC and I had not seen it in some time so it was time to bring it
back on here. Peter Weller stars as the title character who is first an
officer named Alex Murphy, who is murdered, then reconstructed by a
massive company who first develops a crime-fighting robot that goes
absolutely awry. They then develop Robocop who cares about nothing but
fighting crime but when going after the people who had him killed, he
slowly develops his memories back. This is an interesting futuristic
film taking place in the not-so-distant Detroit. I never realized how
satirical this movie is on finding ways to reduce crime and developing
this technology that can go awry or be clouded by corruption within the
company. THAT 70S SHOW alum Kurtwood Smith and REAPER star Ray Wise
co-star as a couple of the thugs who made the mistake of killing
Murphy. Paul Verhoeven directed this movie which I feel is his best
work. I also liked the use of the phony commercials and newscasts. This
is a great blend of action and satire and very innovative for its time.
Creature
From the Black Lagoon (1954): I end with this Universal horror film
which shows a group of people on a scientific expedition to the Amazon
river only to encounter the title character. One of the people in the
group becomes obsessed with catching this creature and while
succeeding, he only escapes with Kay who the creature likes throwing in
that BEAUTY AND THE BEAST theme. I have seen this one in the past but
this time I analyzed it more like I did the last featured film on here
and realize that the Creature is really the tragic hero in all this. It
did not seem to mean much harm until man does the usual and fears the
unknown so he had to defend himself however he needed to. This is a
really good one of the later Universal films and starts this part of
the sci-fi genre.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what
you love and what you hate and stay tuned for next week which includes
Edward James Olmos, Paul Muni, an Australian film.
HORROR MOVIE MADNESS: BAD BABY WEEK 2
I
didn't quite match my score from last week but we'll see how others do.
Kelsey is the only one who can really take off with the lead right now
but we'll see what I can do next week. Maybe if I didn't focus so much
on my recommendations blog and focused on this I would do better but I
still have a method for my recommendations that I still stick to. I am
releasing this early because I don't know when I'll be home tomorrow.
1.
It Lives Again (1978, 1.5 stars, 6 points): I got the sequel in which
is good for entertainment value but does not match IT'S ALIVE which I
used last week. These babies are crazy. Larry Cohen wrote and directed
again. Liz, if your baby turns out like this, please stop it. Don't be
like the parents in the first two and try to protect the baby.
2.
The French Connection (1971, 2.5 stars, 2 points): Directed by William
Friedkin, not one of my favorite movies but a good loophole for me,
I'll check it out again sometime when I'm in a better mood to put it
into the recommendations
3. Bubba Ho-Tep (2003, 4 stars, 2
points): We got a collaboration between Don Coscarelli and Bruce
Campbell which is probably very high on my list of favorites. Just to
let everyone know, Bruce Campbell plays an aging Elvis in a nursing
home, who claims to be the real person and took the name from an
impersonator who had died. Ossie Davis plays JFK who survives the
assassination but is turned black by the government. Together, they
team up to take on a mummy who is feeding off of souls in the nursing
home. It is a true story except the part of the mummy. What's the
Horror Movie Madness without some Bruce.
4. It's Alive 3: Island
of the Alive (1987, 2 stars, 6 points): The last of the evil baby
trilogy. Michael Moriarty stars as a father who does not believe these
evil babies should die so the judge puts them on an island. Moriarty
had a strange, over-the-top performance.
5. Baby, It's You
(1983, 3 stars, 2 points): This is my John Sayles loophole for the week
which stars Rosanna Arquette and Vincent Spano in this coming-of-age
film. No evil babies or endangered children, or even violence, just a
loophole. I know no one would no what to think if I didn't take
advantage of "does not need to be horror".
6. Jekyll: Episode 4
(2007, 3.5 stars, 1 point): I'm liking this more and more. This is a
really cool variation of the Stevenson classic.
7. Creature From
the Black Lagoon (1955 3 stars, 2 points): The only one on here that
was on my recommendations but that doesn't mean these others won't be
though
8. Jekyll: Episode 5 (2007, 3.5 stars, 2 points): Yes,
you see that right, I am trying to argue for double points here. It was
not really like this on the other episodes but in this particular
episode, Dr. Jackman's two twin children are put in quite a bit of
danger with the Mr. Hyde persona and the people who work at the
scientific lab who want Mr. Hyde for their own purposes. We learn more
and more of the connection between Tom Jackman and Henry Jekyll who
James Nesbitt plays in the flashback scenes.
9. Jekyll: Episode
6: Hyde (2007, 3.5 stars, 2 points): This is series finale and an
episode where Dr. Jackman's children and wife were abducted by a secret
agency to get to Mr. Hyde. I really enjoyed this British series which
was left open for another series but I guess they did not decide to
pursue it since what more could they do but a great show from BBC
10.
My Name is Bruce (2007, 3.5 stars, 2 points): Bruce Campbell directed
this great one where he plays himself. An obsessed fan of his from a
small town encounters a real monster and believes Bruce can really do
all the things he can in the movie. This is great seeing him to a
parody on himself.
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