RHYS IFANS HAS STRAPPED HIMSELF TO A LAWN CHAIR WITH A BUNCH OF BALLOONS IN "DANNY DECKCHAIR" (2003) - WHERE'S HE OFF TO?

 

Hard to believe this one's coming up on twenty years old, seems like just yesterday I watched it for the first time. An excellent Australian rom-com starring Rhys Ifans as a regular bloke, a cement mixer who just wants to go on his holiday and spend two weeks in the woods camping. However, his live-in girlfriend (the beautiful Justine Clark) puts the nix on the trip so they decide to stay home and have a barbie. In an act of defiance and a prank Danny concocts the crazy lawn chair idea but it backfires and he finds himself off in the skies to a wonderful little town called Clarence (in the north part of the country) It's here that he meets the real woman he's supposed to be with, played by the equally beautiful Miranda Otto. 

Rom-coms are not my fav genre but I have always dug this movie. It's funny, charming, very appealing on the eyes and a great pick for when you're trying to please everyone in the room. My second favorite Australian flick next to The Hunter and we'll be featuring that one down the line. Danny Deckchair currently streams free on Tubi, Vudu, Roku Channel, and YT.  3.0 stars/5 

MATT DILLON IS A "FACTOTUM" (2005) - DEFINED AS A PERSON WHO DOES LOTS OF ODD JOBS OR EVEN MORE PERCISELY A PERSON WHO CAN'T KEEP ONE!

 

A French-Norwegian co-production with an American cast, Matt Dillon kills it in one of his best performances since Drugstore Cowboy. He plays a wanna-be writer who can't get published and keeps trying all these odd jobs. It's a a comedy-drama perfectly paced with equal combinations of both, Dillon's totally in his character, we find him crude and crass but also want to root for his everyman qualities. 

Liv Taylor is equally awesome as his on-again off-again girlfriend and Marisa Tomei has a couple of nice scenes as another girlfriend. There are quite a few supporting roles, all of them great. For a film nobody ever heard of it won more than several international festival awards including Taylor for best actress. Currently streams on Hulu or Amazon VOD only. Highly recommend,  3.0 stars/5

DISNEY SIXTY YEARS AGO - HAYLEY MILLS, MAURICE CHEVALIER AND GEORGE SANDERS ARE "IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS" (1962)

 

Some excellent matte work, a lively cast and fun Jules Verne story fuel this classic Disney adventure tale. A brother and sister have lost their father on the seas but thanks to a note in a bottle believe he's still alive and was kidnapped. They enlist the help of a Englishman and a Frenchman and said adventure ensues. Overshadowed by Disney's previous Verne story 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, I always felt this one deserved a little more credit and recognition than it's got through the decades. Four decent tunes from the Sherman Brothers enhance the film nicely without turning it into an all-out musical. You can read much more about it at the link below and the film is available on all the major services. Good one for Saturday mornings.  3.0 stars/5

In Search of the Castaways - 1962

Walt Disney had much success with the two action/adventure/fantasy films he had previously made, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Swiss Family Robinson. It is not surprising that the source material for his third would also stem from the mind of Jules Vern, who wrote 20,000 Leagus.

WILFORD BRIMLEY AND LEVON HELM ARE TRAIN ENGINEERS WHO STEAL THEIR COMPANY'S LOCO AND DRIVE STRAIGHT TO HEADQUARTERS TO VOICE THEIR OPINION IN "END OF THE LINE" (1987)

 

Have they gone loco? Some great names in this small town charmer. No pun intended but its a little slow in it's roll to get started but once they steal the train and start their journey things pick up. The third act is the best, without spoiling things, let's just say when they finally corner the CEO of the company to get the answer to their question, well he's not exactly the kind of leader they expected. Was considered an obscure train movie til it hit the streaming world a few years back. Currently streaming free on Vudu, Plex & IMDB. Suitable for the whole family.  3.0 stars/5

KEVIN SPACEY IS A POT-SMOKING BURNT-OUT HOLLYWOOD PSYCHOLOGIST, A JADED THERAPIST TO THE STARS IN "SHRINK" (2009)

 

Merely a blip on most people's screens, this indie that premiered at Sundance stars Kevin Spacey in an excellent performance. The film's basically an interweaving characters drama with Spacey at the center as he tries to solve his own problems along with his patients. Most notable among the large supporting cast is Dallas Roberts as a neurotic talent agent. The only one that doesn't fit, strangely enough, is Robin Williams. He's not so much miscast in his role as he is just out of place with the other actors. Even the scenes with him and Spacey lack chemistry. 

Having grown up in the Hollywood Hills, I loved the scenery in this, there's some great spots including Griffith Park and the Hollywood Sign. 

If you're looking for a good indie, this one's worth checking out folks. 3.25 stars/5

RICH KIDS IN LOS ANGELES FORM AN INVESTMENT GROUP TO GET RICH QUICK IN A PONZI SCHEME THAT LEADS TO MURDER IN THE "BILLIONAIRE BOY'S CLUB" (TV 1987) & (2018)

 

The intriguing true story of Joe Hunt and his band of merry young con artists from the glitzy Harvard Prep school that eventually resort to murder. First presented as a two-part mini-series on NBC in 1987, this excellent TV movie helmed by veteran Marvin Chomsky garnered multi Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. I would call it a TV movie classic. Similar to another '87 movie we recently reviewed, Less Than Zero, it is very dated but in a good way. Judd Neson was perfectly cast as the charismatic leader of the Ponzi scheme and the supporting players are awesome. Even though the ending was contrived (some of the actual suspects still had charges pending) it is a very entertaining three hours, a great one to throw on a Sunday night and curl up with popcorn and pet. 

In contrast, 2018's feature, given the James Cox treatment quickly joins the list of remakes that should have never been made and believe me, that list is long, Cox should stay away from true crime as his version of the John Holmes story (Wonderland) was equally shallow and did nothing but glorify the violence within without calling attention to the horrors of drug addiction that caused Holmes to do what he did. Hopefully one day a filmmaker will make a meaningful presentation of what still remains LA's most gruesome unsolved murders. 

Billionaire Boys Club (TV 1987) 2.75 stars/2.75

Billionaire Boys Club (2018)  0.5 stars/5 

MY ROCK MUSIC BLOG "TOMMY'S BEACH" REOPENS FOR 2022 AFTER BEING DEFUNCT SINCE 2013, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO CHECK IT OUT, STONES & ZAPPA START THE PARTY

 

If you like rock n roll music and the beach, chances are you'll like Tommy's Beach. Excited about bringing this blog back, it's a lot of fun. I feature original house mixes ("Three Dog Thursday" was posted yesterday,) rare vinyl collectibles, live shows, bikini girls, links and even my own original music. Check it out and enjoy! Best, TR