ROBERT DOWNEY JR IS FRESH OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND A MAJOR COKE ADDICT, JAMES SPADER IS HIS DEALER AND KEVIN MCCARTHY IS TRYING TO SAVE HIM FROM A LIFE "LESS THAN ZERO" (1987)

 

A veritable time capsule from 1987, Robert Downey Jr, Kevin McCarthy, and Jami Gertz star as three high school chums that find out just how drastically life can change in only one year's time. McCarthy plays Clay, who comes home for the holidays to find his other two friends addicted to coke. His friend Julian (Robert Downey Jr) is so far gone he's exiled from his family home and 50K in debt to a drug dealer (a young James Spader in excellent form.) Blair (Jami Gertz) is also addicted but has a rising career and whom Clay still finds attractive. Her character really broadens things, she's both beautiful to behold and messed up underneath the surface. She wants to help Julian but is able to deter attention from her very likely being one of the people that got him started. But it's all eyes on Julian - will his friends be able to save him or will he end up dead or in the gutter. 

I find every performance in this to be top notch. Downey is off the chart and Spader sizzles as the cutthroat drug dealer who ultimately pimps out Julian. The production design exactly depicts how rich kids in Beverly Hills and West LA partied back in those days. And I should know cause I was there! The film is simultaneously super-dated and way ahead of it's time. The excellent soundtrack of '80's rock combines perfectly with the production design to create an impactful experience. The film is much better than originally received, a classic really. 4.0 stars/5

FIRST EIGHT QUENTIN TARANTINO MOVIES ARE PROFILED WITH INTERVIEWS IN THE ONLY OFFICIAL QT DOCUMENTARY KNOWN AS "QT8: THE FIRST EIGHT" (2019)

 

A bit of a puff piece to say the least, QT8: The First Eight nicely chronicles the career of Quentin Tarantino from video store counter geek to hottest filmmaker in the world. Interviews with regular collaborators like Samuel L Jackson and Tim Roth plus other above the line folk make for an interesting watch and both casual and hardcore QT fans should learn something new and interesting about his films. And, in case you didn't know, QT's movie theater the New Beverly Cinema has a blog included in our list. Viva La QT!  2.75 stars/5

AL PACINO IS A DRUGGED-OUT PUBLICITY AGENT AND RYAN O NEAL IS HIS BEST CLIENT TRYING TO HIDE A SECRET IN "PEOPLE I KNOW" (2002)

 

A burned out publicity agent (Pacino) also a druggie and alcoholic, he's trying to get out of the racket but can only keep hustling to keep things afloat. His best client, an actor who is trying to break into politics (Ryan O Neal) asks him to pick up an actress (Tea Leoni in an instant favorite role) at the police station for him. They decide to go out and party all night where in a hotel room he passes out right as he sees her raped and murdered. The next day, preparing for a big event that's supposed to jump start his career back, a series of events take place where he begins to realize what he may have witnessed the previous night but also that his life is in danger. 

When you look up the term mixed reviews, it says see this movie. It surely could have used another run through development and suffers from continuity and character development problems. Yet somehow it pulls you in, has a bit of a hypnotic effect very much like the drugs it's character's take. That's reliant however on you rolling with the main characters from the get-go. The film also had the unfortunate luck of being held back a year due to 9/11. There were scenes that had the buildings in the background, subsequently removed. 

Music by Spike Lee regular Terrance Blanchard gets a little overlooked in the mess as does Kim Basinger and Bill Nunn in key roles. Ryan O Neal didn't do a lot of features as time went on and it's nice to see him here as his charismatic and dapper self. He brings to this film very much what he did to Zero Effect four years prior. Tea Leoni is a total firecracker and her scenes bring what little electricity comes to this misfire before her character is killed off. 

An indie that not surprisingly bombed at the box office. A mess for sure, but one that's somehow interesting to watch. Currently available VOD on Amazon or Vudu. Good one to throw on late at night. 3.0 stars/5

GUILLERMO DEL TORO's "NIGHTMARE ALLEY" (2021) GETS UNEXPECTED OSCAR PICK FOR BEST PICTURE AND DESERVEDLY SO AS CARNY NOIR CLASSIC REMAKE ROCKS THE HOUSE

 

The sins of man are huge and the depths of his depravity know no bottom as Bradley Cooper's character demonstrates in the deliciously dark, irresistibly sinister Nightmare Alley. Ole Oscar boy doesn't like it much especially when you throw in the world of carnies and belief in the supernatural world. So, Nightmare Alley wasn't expected to be nominated nor did BAFTA or any other usual indicators fall in place but we're very happy it's nomination came in as it's truly an amazing picture A stellar cast,tt impeccable production design and gorgeous beyond gorgeous cinematography drive a two and a half hour noir that goes by like five minutes to it's guaranteed to give you the willies shocking final scene. 

Couple of other thoughts - oh man, Willem Dafoe. Just gets better and better with age. the energy he has is simply contagious. The Lighthouse, Florida Project, now this, he's truly at the top of his game. Toni Collette as a psychic, oh my, just perfect. And a movie ending cameo with Tim Nelson Blake just about had me crying, it's so well done by the now legendary character actor. 

I'd probably be going five stars on this if it were not for the bad choice of avoiding the VOD market and becoming an HBO Max, soon to be a Max Go exclusive. This particular movie lover maintains a collection which these days includes many digital titles and I have to be honest when I say I slightly resent having to pay a service fifteen dollars for one month when I could have owned it. Just my two cents ha ha.  4.5 stars/5 A must-see. 

THEY LIVE IN AN ABANDONED SILVER MINE, THEY'VE BEEN DOWN THERE FOR 100 YEARS, NOW SOMEONE HAS AWAKENED "THE BOOGENS" (1981) - RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

 

File this one under "critters" type movies a la CHUD, Gremlins, The Pit and so on. Two college aged couples rent a house while the boys of the group are working down in an old silver mine. By going down into the mine they awaken the Boogens who've been asleep for a hundred years and planned on sleeping in. Why then are there people disappearing from the house? 

A Boogen, in case you're wondering, is a scaly monster somewhat resembling a large turtle, ugly as f*ck, with lots of nasty sharp teeth. And that's all I need to know to have me running in the other direction. 

This is a great eighties horror classic, some would call a VHS classic since it did real well in that format. The cast is a perfect collection of eighties faces as well. A little cheesy comedy here and there, some appealing eye candy, just the right amount of everything to round out a bona fide eighties horror classic, a must-see for B-movie fans.  2.75 stars/2.75

A Boogen, run for your lives!

33 BEST GOMER PYLE EPISODES - HERE'S TO THE CORPS, I HOPE WE DON'T GO TO WAR AND GROWING UP WITH CHANNELS 52 & 56 IN THE CITY OF ANGELS

 

One of the only sitcoms in television history to leave the air when they were at the top of their game and ratings instead of the usual other way around, Jim Nabors deciding to go on to more creative ventures. But oh, what a five seasons it was and growing up with this show on the old TV stations has always been engrained in us boomer's psyche. To me, the simple premise of the show's plots and jokes still remain funny and haven't lost their charm. 

Grab a bag of popcorn or something and feel free to enjoy what I have handpicked to believe as the 33 best and funniest episodes. Sorry the follow-through is not there to list the descriptions of each episode but a lot of them are easy to tell in the title. You can also cross reference below. Enjoy!

List of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. episodes - Wikipedia

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is an American situation comedy created by Aaron Ruben that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show , and the pilot episode was introduced as the final fourth-season episode which aired on May 18, 1964.

RIFKIN'S FESTIVAL (2020) - WOODY ALLEN'S 49th FILM A STIFLED EFFORT NOT AS BAD AS "RAINY DAY IN NY" BUT LEGENDARY DIRECTOR STILL NOT STRIKING ON ALL CYLINDERS

Oh man, it must be tough to roll as Woody Allen these days. More than a large dent has been made in his career, particularly how he'll be remembered and make what you will of the whole thing (or not) it's sad to see it affect the output of his art which this film clearly shows. Having said that, Rifkin's Festival, filmed back in Spain this time, is better than it's predecessor "A Rainy Day In New York," perhaps one of his very worst. 

Yes, a lot of the same ridiculous romantic themes are here, I mean, seriously, Wallace Shawn and Gina Gerhson as a couple? But there's more imagination this time as mock scenes of Allen favs like Fellini, Bergman, etc in black and white are sprinkled throughout the movie and I was reminded of the same thing he did with the Shakespeare scenes in Mighty Aphrodite which worked well. My biggest problem with this film is actually Wallace Shawn. He's been great support in several other Allen films and I really liked his opening scene in Melinda And Melinda but as lead? In practically every scene? Sorry, I just don't see it, not enough appeal to hold a whole movie. 

Woody's next film will be his 50th. History and the law of averages would dictate he's due for a good one, I think most would be happy with something even on the level of Midnight In Paris. But if there's any real masterpiece left of any kind, Mr Allen, now's the time to bring it forth. Your sincerest fans know you can do it.     1.75 atars/5

TOMMY'S RATINGS ON LAST TEN WOODY ALLEN FILMS

2010 You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger  2.0

2011 Midnight In Paris 4.0

2012 To Rome With Love 3.0

2013 Blue Jasmine 3.75

2014 Magic In The Moonlight 3.0

2015 Irrational Man 3.25

2016 Cafe Society 2.5

2017 Wonder Wheel 3.5

2019 A Rainy Day In New York 1.5

2020 Rifkin's Festival 1.75

JODIE FOSTER IS "THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE" (1976) - AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL HORROR MYSTERY SUSPENSE GENRE BENDING CLASSIC

 

A Canadian & French co-production, Jodie Foster absolutely kills it (ha ha) as a very independent 13-year-old living alone in a big house. No one in the quaint little Maine town can quite figure out what her trip is and why her dad is never home. She forms an alliance with another kid who is a magician (Scott Jacoby) and this becomes a romance. Meanwhile, the landlord's creepy son (Martin Sheen in scene-stealing form) thinks he's figured it all out and keeps coming around. 

Is it a teenage love story or horror, suspense, murder mystery, even a children's rights movie, what is it? The mashup of genres is a large part of what makes the brilliance of this low-budget gem. The movie caused a little controversy and Foster almost walked off set due to a nude scene (really more of a shot than scene) which was eventually performed by her older sister as body double. 

Brilliantly directed and the classical score by Christian Gaubert just totally makes the film. Available on a variety of streaming platforms and currently on sale for five bucks HD on Amazon. Trust me, you don't wanna miss this one.  2.75 stars/2.75