Welcome to the 125th Edition of my series. It’s hard to believe that I
am still around doing this but I enjoy it so I’ll be around for a long
time. We have one more week left of March Movie Madness and I have
really taken a dive down but that’s fine. I have had plenty of other
things on my mind but I always finish these so let’s get on with them.
Withnail
and I (1987): This is Travis’ Co-Op selection for the week which was
written and directed by Bruce Robinson. Richard Grant and Paul McGann
play two out-of-work actors living in London and take a vacation to
Uncle Monty’s house but things get worse when Monty takes an interest to
one of them. This is a film of great dialogue and many hilarious
moments but if you’re looking for some great plot you won’t get it here.
However, it is not needed with these two guys struggling to live. Great
performances from the leads and the many drunk moments make this great
to watch.
Changing Times (2004): We go from London to France.
Andre Techine directed this love story which stars Gerard Depardieu and
the legendary Catherine Deneuve who had an affair in their younger days
but have both moved on. There is quite a bit to this. Gerard plays
Antoine, a man arranging a job to get to Tangiers to reunite with Cecile
(Deneuve). He then finds out that she is married to another man much
younger than her but that the marriage is not really based on love. That
is the main part, there is another story but you’ll have to watch it to
figure it out.
Savage Man Savage Beast (1975): Here is my
grindhouse pick for the week which is a documentary. I really don’t know
what the point was here but to show violent documentary footage. There
were many scenes where even I had to turn my head a bit but that is the
art of Grindhouse right? Watch it with friends at midnight.
The
Lost Boys (1987): Joel Schumacher directed this iconic film from the
80s. Jason Patrick and Corey Haim play brothers Michael and Sam who move
into a small town and who encounter some strange happenings. Sam (Haim)
becomes friends with a couple people who say they are vampire hunters
and Michael is drawn into a strange gang of bikers and Sam sets out to
save him. 80s icon Corey Feldman plays one of the vampire hunters and 24
alum Kiefer Sutherland plays the leader of the biker gang. Also look
for Alex Winter who people may know most from BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT
ADVENTURE. So from what I understand we have a sequal in the works.
Some
Folks Call it a Sling Blade (1994): George Hickenlooper directed this
film wrote by Billy Bob Thornton which would give way later to SLING
BLADE which Thornton directed. Thornton still plays Karl who is about to
get out of the mental hospital. SLING BLADE was based on this short and
when he gets out, this short film is just in the mental hospital where
Brat Packer Molly Ringwald plays a young reporter out to interview Karl
and has a lot of concerns. J.T. Walsh also plays his role from SLING
BLADE as a very eccentric patient. Check out the movie which made way to
such a great feature.
12 Angry Men (1957): Sidney Lumet directed
this great adaptation to a story and play written by Reginald Rose.
This is a 96 minute film, and all but three minutes were filmed in the
jury room but it was some exciting times in that one room. They are all
at a trial for murder and eleven members assume that all they must do is
find him guilty until they learn of juror 8, played by Henry Fonda, who
is not so convinced and points out things that might have been
overlooked much to the dismay to the rest but they are forced to listen
while he slowly convinces the others. Other jurors include Martin
Balsam, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley and many others. Jack Klugman is the only
one alive today. I have noticed this plot borrowed many times including
some of my favorite shows CHARMED and THE DEAD ZONE.
Hot Fuzz
(2007): Now we go into something a little funnier. Edgar Wright directed
this film written by him and star Simon Pegg. Simon Pegg stars as a
British cop Nicolas Angel who sent into a small town because he is
making London look bad because he is so good. He only sees some
suspicions of some so-called accidents. Simon’s SHAUN OF THE DEAD
co-star Nick Frost stars as one of the police officers who helps
over-serious Angel come out of his shell and at the same time is taught
to be a better police officer. Jim Broadbent stars as the head of the
police. Also look for my favorite 007 Timothy Dalton as one of the
suspicious citizens. This was some very funny British humor but not
really for everyone with the violence and all.
101 Dalmations
(1961): Gerard Depardieu, the star of the second film featured would go
onto be in this live-action sequal 102 DALMATIONS but that’s not
important right now. This is the Disney version and the best version. We
once again go to the common location of this installment of London
where the narrator Pongo really wants his master to meet someone and his
lucky day comes when Roger meets the girl of his dreams in Anita and
Pongo falls in love with Anita’s dog Perdita. Pongo and Perdita soon
have 15 puppies but they are found kidnapped and likely by the
flamboyant Cruella De Ville who takes an obsession to the dogs and seems
to like fur coats. The two parent dogs come together and bring together
all the other dogs with the twilight bark and set out to rescue their
puppies. When found, there turn out to be quite a bit more. This movie
could come to many critiques like making the humans out to look bad with
them not being able to solve it leaving it to the dogs who come to be
much more effective. Maybe there was some parenting critiques like
letting the puppies watch a violent television series. There is also a
lot of animal cruelty here. However, most of us can overlook these
things and enjoy the movie.
Daddy Long Legs (1919): This is part 3
of most likely 4 of my silent film series which stars Mary Pickford as
an orphan who is raised in a cruel way which seems to be quite the
stereotype of orphanages of that era. She later has an anonymous
benefactor who puts her through college. This was a pretty funny movie
with a little love story and a good performance by the original
screen-goddess Mary Pickford.
Great Expectations (1946): I end
this week with some Charles Dickens in what some consider to be the
greatest movie adaptation to a Dickens novel. We once again revisit the
idea of an orphan but this time a boy and named Pip who is humble, nice
and gullible. The rich and crazy Mrs. Havisham invites, well more
orders, Pip to come play with her daughter Estelle, played by Jean
Simmons. Estelle manipulates him quite a bit as a child but Pip still
really likes her. When grown up, Pip is in college and has a new
roommate, played by a young Alec Guiness and revisits the idea of the
seemingly unattainable Estelle. This is a great version which should be
watched.
Well, that is it for this week, stay tuned next week
for some more. I’ll be honest, I’m quite glad to see my contest come to
an end, just like last year when I did that crazy tournament which
happened to result in a falling out with a reader over a decision I made
which is one of the many things that really made me stop having fun
doing it but that is over now. Leave your comments, tell me what you
love, and even what you hate and the titles that go on your Netflix
Queue even.
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