Welcome to the 137th Edition of my blog. I had some issues with the
connection segment this week so I just forgoed it for now. It will be
back up next week. I'll be going over to Buffalo Wild Wings later to see
the wrestling ppv. My performances for OKLAHOMA are right around the
corner so I look forward to that. Now on with the show.
Albino
Alligator (1996): Kevin Spacey makes his directorial debut in this
movie. Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, and William Fichtner are needing to
hide out after and armed robbery and go to a bar to ultimately take it
hostage. Each criminal has a different degree of violence which puts a
lot of tension in the three. Faye Dunaway has a role as one of the bar
waitresses. This was nothing really innovative or original but it kept
my attention pretty well.
The Sheik (1921): This is part 2 of my
silent-film series. Silent legend Rudolph Valentino stars as the title
role who abducts a more free-thinking girl named Diana to try to marry
her. Diana is not happy with the situation and does whatever possible to
escape and find her other love. This was definetly entertaining while
having some racial stereotypes.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of
Doom (1984): Steven Spielberg directed this prequel to RAIDERS OF THE
ARK where Harrison Ford reprises his iconic role of Indiana Jones. Here,
he is with an Asian kid named Short Stuff and unwillingly joined by a
nightclub singer name Willie, played by Kate Capshaw. Here, Indy was in
search of some stones leading him into India to find they were possessed
by a mysterious cult leading up into quite a climax. While this was not
as good as Raiders, it still provided great action and lots of fun with
Harrison Ford. Look for Dan Aykroyd in a small role and even look for a
bar title called Club Obi Wan.
Surf's Up (2007): I will admit
that when I first saw the preview of this movie I thought "Not another
penguin movie" but as I read into it more it sounded quite interesting.
This was actually a surfing penguin mockumentary which focused on
determined penguin Cody Maverick who is an up-and-coming surfer
determined to win and defeat the bully penguin. Jeff Bridges plays a
legendary surfer who is burned out from all the success and decides to
mentor Cody. Shia LeBeouf actually provided a pretty good voice to Cody
Maverick. I did find this to be better than HAPPY FEET.
My
Favorite Wife (1940): This is part 2 of what will probably be 4 in my
Cary Grant series. Garson Kanin directed this comedy which stars Cary as
a recently married man where things become complicated when his wife
presumed dead shows up. Irene Dunne plays his wife, Ellen who was
assumed to be dead where a choice must be made but leads into some
hilarious misunderstandings. Western legend Randolph Scott plays a
friend of Ellen in a rare non-western role.
Stagecoach (1939):
John Ford directed this ground-breaking western which made John Wayne a
star after years of doing b-movies and serials. Wayne plays the outlaw
The Ringo Kid who joins the stagecoach trip but must prepare for a
possible indian attack from Geronimo. This is another western that might
stereotype indians but those were the times and if you can get past
that, you will definetly enjoy this. John Carradine stars as a
gunslinger who is along for the ride. This is definetly a fun movie and
the birth of John Wayne as a star.
The Fan and the Flower (2005):
This is my short animation film for the week which centers around a fan
who becomes infatuated with a flower and showing the love between the
two. It was definetly a neat love story and worth 7 minutes. Paul
Giamatti does the narration.
The Dirty Dozen (1967): Robert
Aldrich directs this war film which stars Lee Marvin who is chosen to
lead a group of convicts during World War II who go after some Nazis.
Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, and Telly Savalas were just some of
the few convicts that were taken in promise of freedom upon survival.
This was a great war film with no real anti or pro war messages.
Terminator
2: Judgement Day (1991): I pay tribute here to Stan Winston who
recently died. Winston did a lot of work in the special effects
department and here he did a lot of work for the animation of the
Terminator. James Cameron directs this great sequal to what is probably
my favorite Sci-Fi series of film. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
reprises his role as the T-101 who became programmed to protect John
Connor, played by Edward Furlong in his debut, from an even more
powerful terminator played by SOPRANOS alum Robert Patrick. It was
interesting how this terminator actually seemed to show some emotion
while the T-101 never could though he learned some through John. Linda
Hamilton reprises her role as Sarah Connor, John's loving mother who
will do anything to protect him and does what she can to prepare John
for his destiny. What was great about this movie was not only the action
but the relationship between John and the Terminator who is now good.
The narration of Sarah Connor was also very good, especially when she
realizes how good the Terminator is to John. What I also love about
these films is the music score by Brad Fiedel.
The Gang That
Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971): I end with part 3 of most likely 5 in my
Robert De Niro series. This is definetly a very early one for de Niro
where he plays a rival gang member posing as a priest and the other one
planning a crime but are too idiotic to pull it off. LAW AND ORDER alum
Jerry Orbach also stars as a crime boss. This has funny moments but is
quite flawed and mostly of worth to see a young Robert de Niro who took
this role because Al Pacino got Michael Corleone in you know what so de
Niro had to wait a little longer to become a star.
Well, that is
it for this week. Stay tuned next week for the 138th Edition where I pay
tribute to the late George Carlin and Cyd Charrise.
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