Made for less than a million dollars, the slightly obscure Dead End is a chilling little indie you don't want to miss. It might just be the best Christmas horror movie no one ever heard of and every dollar is up there on the screen. It's quirky, weird, funny, bizarre, and scary all at once. Black comedy for sure but much more, this would make a nice double feature with The Perfect Host, another movie we're big on around here. So, grab some eggnog and a snack or two and check out the inimitable Ray Wise with legendary Lin Shaye as they take their family down a wrong turn, what's up with this road? Why doesn't it end? After all, they're just trying to make it to Christmas Eve dessert at Frank's mother's house. Tubi, Plex, Freevee, enjoy! 2.75 stars/2.75
Not as bad as I thought it would be and I made it all the way through -
FIVE REASONS I THINK IT WAS DOOMED
1. I read Night Shift in high school, loved it and still think it's his best collection of short stories but most of the stories in that excellent book don't warrant a full feature, The Mangler a classic example.
2. When the director shows up to set and the front gate guard won't even let him in because he looks so drugged out, it's time to wrap.
3. What a poor waste of Emilio Estevez' always underrated talents.
4. The last time I saw blocking that bad, the Jets lost by 35 points.
5. A wonderful DOP named Armando Nannuzzi lost his shooting eye in an accident, see #2
In a sort-of return-to-form for Alexander Payne (especially after the trainwreck known as "Downsizing,") Paul Giamatti stars in this instant Christmas charmer about a gruff teacher who has to babysit a small group of kids that can't leave their fancy New England boarding school. This small group eventually dwindles down to one - act two features the bonding of this classic history teacher with an older teen boy Angus, played wonderfully by newcomer Dominic Sessa.
There is also a subplot involving a cafeteria manager (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) trying to sort out her own issues after losing a son. Randolph won an Oscar for her performance here which is awesome. David Hemingson also won for his script. I have to be honest, I feel the same way this guy probably did when his phone rang - why does Alexander Payne of all gosh-dang people need a writer, and just to fulfill a story vision he had? But, obviously it worked. I still would have liked to see this written by Payne and Jim Taylor his partner for Sideways, Election and About Schmidt, easily Payne's three best.
In act three Giamatti really turns up the acting chops and his last 20 minutes of the film are to watch a master thespian at work. He's come a long, long way since the five-liner days of films like Donny Brasco. The Holdovers is a great piece for him. It's a little clunky and slow at times and is the only Payne film I can say would have benefited from a trimming. But it's an immediate holiday season classic and a wonderful return to form for the brilliant Alexander Payne. 3.75 stars/5
☝ merry *&#@ Christmas y'all, this is a mega-post, first off, happy holidays to you and yours and starting off the proceedings with
TOP TJREE CHRISTMAS MOVIES THIS YEAR >
1 CANDY CANE LANE (2023) - Eddie Murphy's tour de force could be a lot worse and in general good Christmas movies of any acceptable caliber don't come down the pike every year, Enter this charming world complete with talking and singing ornaments. Many things to love here - top of the list being it's culturally diverse with a nice vibe, it's musical but not a musical, and like a well-decorated tree it;s bas many bells and whistles to marvel at along the way. 3.0 stars/5
2 SCROOGE (1970) This is one of those watch every year one's. You have to be ready for a singing, dancing Albert Finney in a lavish British production along the lines of Chitty Chirry Bang Bang. And, in fact, has some lineage to that previous family classic. This is really a great take on A Christmas Carol and the only adaption ever to feature a now infamous sequence where Scrooge goes to hell shortly. If you can immerse yourself in it's world, this is a wonderful experience of the Dickens fable. 3.0 stars/5
3 I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (1995) - Yeah, I know. Guilty pleasure for sure, but have and still do love this goofball slapstick-y comedy from mid-'90's Disney. Johnathon Taylor Thomas, who went on to become a lawyer later in life, plays a college shyster who can fast-talk his way out of any situation. That it, until he pisses off the jocks, who tape a Santa beard and costume to him and drop him in the niddle of Joshua Tree. He now has to cross country in 24 hours to make it home for Xmas dinner at 6pm and inherit his dad's Porche. 3.0 stars/5
NEXT, ALSO A TRADITION, IT'S THE "CHRISTMAS HORROR TRAILER PARK" PLAYLIST WITH 28 FLICKS
AND SOMETHING I FOUND VERY INTERESTING, VUDU.COM'S TOP 100 CHRISTMAS MOVIES, AN INTERESTING LIST AND LOTS OF GOOD SUGGESTION, NEW AND OLD
A stunningly beautiful woman and gifted actress (especially in comedy,) Teri Garr rocked the 70's and 80's like no other.
Here we present a Paramount feature from 1984 where Garr plays a divorcee who starts dating a fast-talking charmer (Peter Weller) with a questionable character. He leads Garr into a druggy lifestyle which forces her older son (Christopher Collett, a couple years post-Sleepaway Camp and hands down his best ever performance here) to become the appropriate evictor of this bad man who has wormed his way into their house and life.
This is a complete dramatic role for Garr, not much comedy here, I think it's a great pick to show another side of her talents. As far as the rest of the cast, I wouldn't even know where to begin - everyone is great here, especially a very young Sarah Jessica Parker, Corey Heim's debut and a very early Robert Downey, Jr , just a couple years before he would really break with Back To School and Less Than Zero. Weller would go on to Robocop fame just a few years after as well.
Firstborn was big on the late-night cable circuit in the years following it's release. This is how most people were first exposed to the film. In contrast to our B-Movie Of The Month, Firstborn doesn't try to deliver any messages about the dangers of drug use and the lifestyle - act three shifts up to action mode between Collett and Weller. Some reviewers gave the film low marks because of this but I like the way this film just sticks to the suspense, acting and darkness of subject matter to drive it to it's happy if not 80's predictable ending.
Rest in peace, Teri Garr. Streams on VOD only right now but trust me, this is worth seeking out, whatever format you watch in it. 3.5 stars/5
Greetings All & Horrific Halloween - This 1985 comedy-horror hybrid perfecto starring James Karen and Clu Gallager has yet to be featured as our B-Movie Of The Month. But it certainly should be, it's essential B-movie viewing ha ha. Check out the trailer above and then check out the flick itself on Tubi, Pluto or Freevee. 2.75 stars/2.75
Going to be an early wrap on the October issue, folks, as I have to attend to something for a few days.
Here are a few more horror reposts from the horrific past >
Here are the three hints for November's B-Movie Of The Month-1 -it's one of the most (the most!) iconic TV movies of the entire '70's decade 2- That's not David Cassidy! 3- the subject matter was once considered America's biggest enemy. HAPPY HALLOWEEN C YOU SOON
A NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (2014) - In one sentence - a super low-budget "Wales" remake. I lasted 22 minutes w this one. The best I can say about it is they were certainly passionate about the project, can always appreciate that. And it's kinda cool they made it in black n white. Official You Tube above. 0.75 stars/2.75
REBIRTH (2020) - Oh boy, this one is a trip alright. For some reason Barbra's character is a guy, I think he's gay but I'm not sure nor do I care. All the zombies have eyes that beam light, also have no idea what that's about. And worse of all, this moves slower than a snail travelling thru peanut butter. 0.5 stars/2.75
A NIGHT OF THE UNDEAD (2022) - For those that want to get even further out in the Twilight Zone of NOTLD remakes, check out this mockumentary with a premise I'm still not sure makes sense. It basically treats the 1968 movie like that was a documentary and the events depicted true instead of fiction and then this mockumentary explores whether or not it actually happened or was a hoax. Am I making sense? I didn't think so, I lasted 19 minutes with this one. 0.25 stars/2.75
1990 was a weird year for movies - many films from this year seem to have one foot still in the eighties but the other foot unsure of which way to walk. The only NOTLD official remake, directed by special effects extraordinaire Tom Savini, in collaboration with George Romero, is one such film. At the same time, it struggles within itself to stay in homage to the original but be something new at the same time. Originally audiences and critics gave it a thumbs down, citing this same misguided nature. Future decades would be much kinder to this unique remake, but I still have lots of problems with it.
My biggest complaint of many is the casting and in particular Patricia Tallman in the lead as Barbra (not to mention her hairdo.) I understand in this version Barbra is not supposed to be a passive wimp like the original but a warrior instead, as merciless in killing the zombies as Ben and the rest. Still, I don't understand this casting choice. And even worse, the guy they chose to play Cooper - he just doesn't have that annoying vibe about him like the original, which btw, was played by one of the shareholders, he wasn't even a pro actor. Tony Todd, however, is awesome as Ben and one of the main reasons to watch this.
The things that work - my biggest plus here is the exclusion of all the TV and radio reports from the original and just sticking to the action and rest of the plot. The zombies of course are awesome, thanks to Savini. Music is excellent but still doesn't come close to matching the original. The opening sequence in the graveyard, I like the little changes they make.
I've come to realize over time with this and lots of the sequels how special the original farmhouse from 1968 is. That house in a lot of ways is one of the main characters of the original and it casts such a perfectly desolate and creepy backdrop that is just not there in any other version. Maybe it was haunted.
Savini never really found his footing as a director and to me, he is to blame for the mixed bag this ultimately became. Still, as a homage, and firmly putting down roots for the last three decades, it's too late now - Savini's version is part of NOTLD's permanent family history, like it or not.
This is the bad guy, his big line is "I'll see you back at camp, man!"
Considered a pre-cursor to Blair Witch and the very first found footage film, like it or hate it, it's also credited as the first full-length feature to ever be completely produced on store-bought equipment. It's a like it or lump it kind of movie. Younger folk will not like the dated technology. One of those where the story and cinematic style have to pull you in from the get-go.
It follows a similar storyline to Blair Witch (or is that other way around.) Some jerky guys from New Jersey start their own cable show on one of those local community channels. They decide to do a special episode on "The Jersey Devil" where they will broadcast live from within the woods. They take a psychic with them to help find the spirit of this so-called Jersey Devil and he lands up killing all of them. Or did he?
Last Broadcast streams on Tubi, Freevee, Prime & Shudder. 2.75 stars/2.75
Having carved it's own unique niche almost fifty years ago, Wicked Wicked remains the only film ever produced in Duo-Vision. Which may be a good thing. Some bloke got the bright idea to do a whole movie in split screen and call it Duo-Vision. That it turned out to be for a low-budget drive-in horror flick is only to our benefit as B-movie fans. And it's not a bad flick.
A serial killer is on the loose in a seaside resort and it's San Diego 1972. Tiffany Bolling, one of the most charismatic starlets of B-cinema, shows off her singing skills as the hotel's entertainer and she's one of the main reasons to see this freaky flick. And to it's credit the split screen editing is quite good as is the location and a little gore thrown in for good measure.
On the other hand, the film's music, played by a single organist is awful. One can understand what they were trying for but it's the wrong organist and a bad score. Also, legendary 60's actor Arthur O Connell is badly miscast here as the hotel's custodian and looks like he'd rather be somewhere else. Special effects are cheesy but somehow blend well with the rest. While I can't really explain why, somehow the flick has a certain patina to it that works. Viva La Wicked Wicked! 2.75 stars/2.75 Only available on DVD thru Warner Archives.
WE ALSO DIG...
TIMECODE (2000)
How 'bout FOUR screens at once? Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas) uses four digital cameras at once and charts his story using music staff paper to create a bold experimental film. Since it is physically impossible for every viewer to look at each screen at the same given moment, in effect he created the only movie that is a completely different movie for each person but still the same movie. Ya dig? A great cast of A-listers and it's all improv! Highly recommend. 3.0 stars/5
Anne Heche's tragic passing last year still has me reeling and it wasn't until recently that I was even able to watch one of her films. Two of my favorites are the Hollywood formulaic but enjoyable Six Days & Seven Nights and the fairly obscure indie Beyond Suspicion. Heche is paired here with Thomas Jane (for the second time, also see the series Hung) as a couple camping in a majorly cool RV at a lakeside in Alabama when their daughter goes missing. At that point the mystery is on and there's no shortage of creepy characters in their midst to wonder who the killer is.
For my tastes the film has just the right amount of twists and turns. And the ending, while very left field, will grab you no doubt. Actor Peter Facinelli directs for the first and only time here and does an admirable job especially in building suspense but otherwise lacks notable style. Heche, as was usually the case, is excellent given this material, she had such a great on-screen presence and will be sorely missed, already is.
The RV they camp out in is state-of-the-art and given the screen time a presence of it's own. It is a pleasure to watch. the thing has pop out rooms, movie theater, full kitchen, bathtub, the works. If you haven't seen it, The Vanished is worth at least one good watch and holds it's own in the insatiable outdoor woodsy thriller genre. Currently streams on Tubi. 2.75 stars/5
Editor's note - 10/3/24 - this is a repost, as of today The Vanished is only available VOD on either Apple or Amazon.
At the insistence of Kit Culkin, Macaulay's father, he chose to do a thriller and even made it a stipulation that Home Alone 2 wouldn't get Macaulay for the sequel otherwise. In retrospect, a fine decision I think. Although it wasn't received well at the time, The Good Son did go onto a semi-cult status and was a commercial success at the box office.
A nice hybrid of horror and action here and at the end of the movie, Macaulay Culkin pulls a Steve McQueen and does his own stunt jumping off a 180-foot high cliff into the ocean. That definitely upped my appreciation for this iconic kid actor and his performance here is spot-on, a bullseye from four hundred yards, not sure if anyone else could have pulled off such evil, worth every penny of the five million he got for this.
But we sure would be amiss if we didn't mention Elijah Wood's performance here - stunning. He was twelve years old when he did this. Again, I hope I don't throw these comments out undeservedly, but his performance is remarkable, and I think it was Oscar-nomination worthy - that good.
There were a lot of cast and crew changes because of Culkin's schedule and even the director was replaced, to good effect as they chose Joseph Ruben, the guy that did The Stepfather (1987) which of course spawned several sequels. Ruben also worked on another film I love, Joyride with Desi Arnez, Jr and Robert Carradine.
Thumbs way up on this one, streams on Tubi. 3.25 stars/5
Greetings all - If you love all things Night Of The Living Dead related like I do then you might be interested in this new version produced by a place called Lost & Found.
I rather like it and it has a lot of improvement over the Off-Color produced version which was the 3rd colorized and is most widely available on Tubi, etc.
The farmhouse interiors on this new version are vastly superior to the old ones. One of my biggest complaints about the Off-Color version has been the ugly unnatural blues and pinks all over the interior shots but this one they're gone. However, and it's a big however - whatever software/system this guy used the hues are changing a lot more than they should. The shots where characters don't move around a lot are lovely but when there's lots of movement the hues change. It's going to depend on your eye whether that bothers you or not but I found it not to be a dealbreaker, you can be the judge!
And as a bonus/comparison, here's the very first colorized version which was done literally the first year that VHS tapes started hitting the mass market, about 1986. It's not very good lol.
Ellie aspires to be a fashion designer and is accepted into a school in London. Her mom was in the same profession but died and every now and then Ellie sees her in a mirror. She rents a room when she gets to London and every night when she sleeps she crosses over into the mid-60's where she lived as another woman. Or did she? What other kind of ghosts may be in that room?
If that sounds like it might be your cup of tea then don't pass go and don't collect $200, see it! Visually stunning with echoes of Polanski, Hitchcock and I'll throw in a little Midnight In Paris. Thumbs up, way up on this one, nice to see there's still a filmmaker with imagination out there! 4.0 stars/5
Peter Fonda and Warren Oates play a couple of motorcycle-loving pals who take their two girlfriends (Loretta Swit of Mash fame and Lara Parker from Save The Tiger) on a vacation in their 1975 state of the art motorhome. On their first night camping out the two boys witness a satanic cult across the river conducting a ritual where a young woman is murdered. Their cover is accidently blown and the chase is on between the cult leaders and the motorhome party. Every time the young couples escape the cult's horrific grasp and actions, the cult just keeps coming back with more vengeance.
This drive-in gem had a lot of great talent attached to it. The lead actresses were perfectly cast and as a foursome the lot may be one of my favorite in horror movies. On the other side of the camera, Wes Bishop, a cinematic talent never given enough credit writes and produces here. The pace of the film once the chase is on does not let up till credits roll. Truly a drive-in horror 70's masterpiece, Race With The Devil is available on all the major outlets. 2.75 stars/2.75
Welcome to the October all horror issue. Ok, so this one is a bit of a cheat It is pretty horrific though what lands up happening to our main character. This film hits heavy from the get-go and then goes quickly over-the-top in many ways (including ole John boys performance) to mostly bad but some good effects.
I can certainly understand this bombing big time at the box office but it's really not bad. The use of suspense by rapper/director Fred Durst should be mentioned here, this is a very watchable thriller. And btw, personally I don't believe in Raspberry Awards - who would want to give out awards for the worst of anything is just beyond me.
As far as ole John boy is concerned, I think it's an admirable performance of a troubled autistic man. Definitely overzealous at times and he's done much better but not deserved of some of the stuff I read. Between his gutsy performance and Durst's third time behind the camera, I say this is not a bad thriller.
You can opine this, that or otherwise regarding John Travolta, "the credit really belongs to the one that's actually in the arena." Remember this line (it's from World's Fastest Indian) because I have a feeling I'll be using it again when I eventually review Megalopolis.
It was actually about two years after this came out, another one I saw in the theaters first-run, I would have been about 14. I'll tell you this much about A Star Is Born - when it came out it was a lot more well received than the reputation garnered thru the decades. I'll never forget being in Palm Springs circa 2000 and seeing a book called 50 Worst Films Ever Made in the store and to my astonishment seeing this listed in the table of contents.
Kris was the perfect choice here as the excessive rock n roller and he was Barbra Streisand's first choice always. Yes, there was some discussion about Elvis Presley doing it but the King's health at that point was too far gone; he wouldn't have been able to handle the shoot and the shoot wouldn't have been able to handle him.
Below are the three great musical numbers Kris leads including one slightly ahead of it's time as all the band members wear masks on "Hellacious Acres," penned by Paul Williams. I believe Crippled Crow is Kris' song but don't quote me on that.
To a very special talent, you will be sorely missed, enjoy the ride.
A Star Is Born is available VOD on Amazon or Apple. 3.0 stars/5
Greetings All - That time of the year is upon us once again; this time I almost feel late to the party. I mean, I've seen Halloween decorations up in first week of September in some places, right? Well, B-Movie Gazette gets into the spirit starting right now and all month we'll be featuring nothing but horror posts.
Oh yeah! To set the mood, here's three cool flicks right off the bat 3 hints for next month's B-movie of the month are 1) it's a horror anthology 2) it's not a Stephen King 3) it will give you it's title
THE PERFECT HOST (2010) comedy horror 3.0 stars/5 on Max only or VOD.
LEAVING TUBI IN 5 DAYS, "THE SUPER" (2017) w/ VAL KILMER 2.75 stars/5
AND HERE'S A B-MOVIE RARITY YOU CAN WATCH RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
Man, I had high hopes for this one, nothing would have made me happier to report this was all the things the professional critics said and more. But you know this ole Taurus boy doesn't pull any punches and respectfully (since I'm a huge Allen fan) this romantic crime drama follows the pattern of missteps beginning with Rainy Day In New York and then the pathetic Rifkin's Festival.
This is maybe a clip better but comparisons to Matchpoint that I read in a lot of reviews in my opinion, way off. The story does follow a similar plotline, but this film is nowhere near as engaging as Matchpoint. These French actors are good but just don't have the charisma and chops of stars like Scarlett Johannson and Johnaton Rhys Meyers.
Since the movie is basically another rehash of familiar Allen tropes and brings nothing new to that table, I found myself asking if it's even necessary to be in French. And it just goes downhill from there. The only good news I have on this one, folks, is, you can watch it for free and make your own mind up. It's on Tubi right now. I never thought I'd say this but perhaps it's time for Woody to hang up the hat, he can join his buddy Clint Eastwood, sip lemonade on the front porch and all that. 1.75 stars/5
Lol, Woody's at it again.
WOODY'S WORST OF THE WORST (Tommy's list)
RIFKIN'S FESTIVAL
A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER
HOLLYWOOD ENDING
CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION (I really hate this one)
Anthony (Larenz Tate) has returned home from the Vietnam War with a Seargent's rank but very little else to show for it. Except now he also has a 4-year-old child and wife to try and support. And his good bud (Chris Tucker) is now a heroin addict, another pal he fought alongside Cleon (Bokeem Woodbine) a whacked-out two-bit preacher. They all need money and come together to rob an armored car.
Beautifully structured in a three-act format the film is also very loosely based on several real news stories which I won't get into here. It borders on being a character study film with Tate's character Anthony at the center of everything, however, I think it's better described as a powerful drama about a group of buddies who grew up in the hood, got shipped off to Vietnam, and came back to virtually no support. Unless, of course, you got a dose of Agent Orange.
The legendary Keith David is also in this, he plays Kirby, a sort of mentor and father figure to Anthony. And look out, Clifton Powell as "Cutty" the neighborhood badass in a scene where he straightens Anthony out on a few things is acting at it's finest. All eyes on Tate though, he totally owns this film and role. I like to think I don't throw these opinions out lightly - Larenz Tate's performance in this is Oscar worthy 100%.
The soundtrack was a huge success, eveni going to #1 on the R&B Billboard. It's chock full of good ole stuff - James Brown, Sly & The Fanily Stone, Issac Hayes and so on. Dead Presidents streams on Tubi for the next 19 days, it's a great film from the Hughes Brothers. 4.0 stars/5
Adapted from a novel, this mid-90's crime thriller by Mark L Lester has some teeth and then some. McCarthy plays a cabbie who finds a bunch of loot and foolishly decides to run from the mob. Nothing new here plot-wise, right, but put it in the hands of Mark L Lester and he's going to make something cool out of it.
Even though Scott Glenn is top billed, this is really an Andrew McCarthy flick as I see it, he's the protagonist and in most scenes. Lester's never really been an actor's director and all of the performances here are in line with his other films, just adequate. The emphasis is on the action and the kills.
Lester always seems to come up with interestingly gory kills (Class Of 84 is full of them) and there's a scene here with my man John Glover, oh he's so good at playing those bad boys. In an effort to get the cabbie to tell where the money is hid - well let's just say you'll never look at a spaghetti pot the same way again.
After an HBO debut in January 1995, Running Man went straight-to-video. It was Lester's first film with his own company calling all the shots. An effective thriller worth at least one watch and fortunately for us has Lester's creative stamp all over it.
I once came so close to meeting Kris Kristofferson that I was literally in the man's driveway. It was the late 70's and a buddy of mine at Hollywood High School, he played sax and I still know him. He and his family knew both Kris and Charlie Bronson and my friend and I were out in Malibu on a Friday night. My friend turned to me and said, "look, I'm not going to promise anything, but we're real close to Kris' house and let's stop by and maybe I can get you in. I had a lot of celebrity actor's kids as friends so I'd been thru this scenario before, no sweat.
Unfortunately, after sitting in the car for an hour, my friend reemerged and said there was too much going on in the house and it wasn't a good time ;-(. Lol, luck of the draw but I always remember that moment, sitting in that driveway, when I see him onscreen.
Now, this same saxophone playing buddy of mine once said to me that Kris was a great guy but "couldn't act his way out of a paper bag." I remember saying he deserved more credit than that though I agreed Kristofferson wasn't likely to be winning a Best Actor nomination real soon. (Funny enough, he did garner a Golden Globe for A Star Is Born, a movie listed on a lot of "worst film ever made" lists.)
I say all this because I was shocked and surprised seeing his first outing here in Cisco Pike. He's quite good, looks like he's had the chops from the beginning. He plays a songwriter here, he's bribed by his probation officer (an early Gene Hackman) to sell a bunch of dope from the evidence room and make a certain amount by Monday morning. That's basically the plot in a nutshell, there are some cool support performances, in particular, a stunningly gorgeous Karen Black and good ole Harry Dean Stanton. If you watch closely you'll see a couple of cool shots of Kris and Harry actually onstage together during a montage.
And best of all, one of those "real" 70's movies we talked about recently. This would make a great double feature with Daryl Duke's Payday.
Cisko Pike currently streams on Tubi, Roku & your Amazon Prime subscription. Thumbs way up.
Producer Mike Monello (wasn't he the one that chucks their map in the river that pisses off Heather?) has come forward with a pretty bold statement. When the original 35mm to video transfer took place the negative that was used wasn't the camera negative, therefore the colors, motion, and more weren't rhe same, weren't what the three filmmakers envisioned.
For the first time, a completely restored version will be released via BluRay in November. There's hope but no official word on an eventual streaming release. Monello and the rest are very happy the public will finally get to see the version they really intended.
Got my attention!
HERE'S A PREVIEW OF WHAT'S COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER >
Hoping to review both Daddio and Coup De Chance!
The next couple of movie posts are doosies, on deck is>
a very overlooked Mark L Lester classic
-plus-
one of Kris Kristofferson's first films.
SEPTEMBER'S B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - 3 HINTS
1. It's by a revered Canadian director who died young.
2. It has a huge star-studded cast but tons of corny dialog.
While still a great plane movie for the genre, it would have been much better without the artistic editing, should have gone for a more linear approach. Hanks & Ekhart work good together. 3.0 stars/5 Streams VOD only.
Clint's only third time behind the camera (and just behind the camera on this one) produced what is probably his most endearing, poignant, and touching film - a love story about an older man (William Holden) who falls for a hippie 18-year old (Kay Lenz.) A must-see. 4.0 stars/5Streams only on Apple or Amazon VOD.
While all three of the real heroes of this true story do a more than admirable job as the three leads, point blank, it would have been a much better film had Clint cast real actors. Thumbs still up though. 2.75 stars/5 Streams on Apple or Amazon VOD.
Every movie lover has a film(s) that they never get tired of watching. You could put the thing on a goddamn endless loop and never tire of it. It's likely to be the selection you would take to a deserted island. Eiger Sanction is one such film for me.
Original reviews were mixed? The action sequences were praised but the plot deemed too shallow. Don't get that one - it's a simple but very effective plot. Clint performs these sanctions for the mob and is summonsed by Dragon (David Thayer, great as usual) to perform a new sanction. Dragon then stabs him in the back and blackmails Hemlock (Eastwood) to perform a second sanction on the Eiger.
Who will backstab him this time, because the choices increase beyond the climbers now. He's got a foxy Indian chick as a running coach, an ex-friend and assassin (Jack Cassidy, holy sh*t) on his tail, a loudmouthed climbing coach (George Kennedy, really good in this) and an attractive stewardess as a new lover (Vonetta McGee, who was cast at literally the last minute and thank God for that, she's perfect.)
There are so many great things about this film but to me one of the absolute stunners is Jack Cassidy, who was teen idol David Cassidy's father. He conquered Broadway in the 50's and '60's, did a slew (and I mean slew!) of television guest spots in the '70's but very few features. Of those, this role here in Eiger Sanction is his meatiest and one that he should be remembered for. The whole sequence where Clint's decided he's had enough of him and drives him out to the desert is classic.
Referred to by locals as the "murder wall," Eiger was not an easy shoot. Special cameras and sound equipment had to be designed. Clint was insistent on doing all his own stunts, no double. One day they were wrapping (the scene with the falling rocks) and the AD decided he wanted to get one shot from a certain angle on the rocks and a crew member was hit and killed and the AD badly injured. The most dangerous scene to film for Clint was the last scene where he's hanging from a rope at 4200 feet. The only scene that mostly used stunt doubles was where Clint and George Kennedy climb the Totem Pole rock, George and Clint were then helicoptered to the top for the famous sunset scene, the happiest moment of filming Clint said.
As of this post, Eiger Sanction is VOD only. 4 stars/5
Clint plays Wilson, an overbearing John Huston type director. He's about to start shooting a new picture in Africa. Jeff Fahey plays his screenwriter and good friend. Wilson is obsessed with killing an elephant. Before his writing partner, producer or any of the other crew can bat an eye, Wilson has declared the hunt on and everyone else can just stand around all day until he gets his elephant.
This is easily one of the most (sorry for the cliche words) overlooked, underappreciated but usually not underrated film in Clint's catalog. There is an outstanding piece written by Jonathon Rosenbaum on this movie HERE.
Shot on location, some great support here. Fahey is outstanding. Timothy Spall has a small support role that's also great. As usual though, it's all about Clint, he is mesmerizing in this role, you won't be able to take your eyes off him. White Hunter, Black Heart is available on VOD. 4.75 stars/5
Lol. Watch that earring there. I've adored this movie since it originally came out and was very big on cable TV in the years following its release. It's a war movie that goes down smooth like a chocolate milkshake. It has a wide range of character, comedy, emotion yet still has an actual combat scenario in the third act.
Mario Van Pebbles has surprisingly been a source of contention with me and a few folks thru the years. For whatever reason they don't like how prominent he is in the film and that he steals the spotlight sort to speak. I feel the opposite, I think he totally makes the picture and comedically he's the heartbeat behind this film.
The person I'm not crazy about in this is Marsha Mason. Not that I've really liked her in anything else either but her character and role in this distracts a little too much from the comedic comradery set so well from the start of the film. A fan edit with her scenes cut could be an interesting version.
As of this post only streams VOD but it pops in and out of Tubi on a regular basis. 3.75 stars/5
FOR ANOTHER GREAT WAR MOVIE CLINT DID (NOT ONE OF MY HONORABLE MENTIONS) THEN CERTAINLY CHECK OUT"WHERE EAGLES DARE" (1968) EPIC >
You're never too old to learn a thing or two about yourself and maybe even actually change. This is the underlying message of Gran Torino expressed in a prejudicially toned story set in a rough Detroit suburb. It's the first film to feature a Hmong-American cast and kind of a family affair for Clint as his son Scott has a bit part and his son Kyle co-authored the music score.
A huge box office hit and deservedly so. It's perfectly directed and performed by Clint. An incredible talent, who, when you look at his whole catalog of work, likely has made the biggest overall contribution to cinema that one person could make.
Casting in this one is spot-on, each character a hand-in-glove fit with the actor chosen. But, again, the reason this one makes the list is the filmmaker we're celebrating, he just rocks this film. A true quintessential Clint Eastwood film if there ever was one.
As of this post, Torino comes with your Max subscription, otherwise it's VOD. 4 stars/5
This one's pretty high up on most people's list so it may not have come as a surprise. I guarantee you the next three choices will trip some people out, this is where the weeping and gnashing of teeth will start, lol.
Welcome to my top five favorite Clint flicks (with 3 honorable mentions) and here's a couple of ground rules, One, I think we can all agree that Unforgiven is one of the greatest westerns ever made so it is not on this list because it's too obvious a choice. Two, these are my top five "favorite," I'm not saying they are the best or worst in quality, just my personal favorites. As usual, the main dig is that maybe you'll see one that sparks your interest or that you want to pull off the shelf. Finally, my picks will represent both sides of the camera that Clint works on, enjoy!
Yes, that's right, my pick for #5 is one of his more recent and probably last best or decent film that will exist in his catalog. (By the way, I happen to really like Cry Macho but it's not going to make this or any other list, let's be real, I look at that film as a beautifully and perfectly suited coda to his overall work.) While The Mule is a more than serviceable action thriller, I think what makes it a favorite is his irresponsible old man character reminds me a lot of myself and it's very comedic to me especially his scenes driving and singing to himself in the car, joyfully aloof at his newfound occupation.
Besides ole Clint, I can't think of anybody or any department that particularly stands out, it's just a good fun Clint movie. Andy Garcia has certainly been better as well as Bradley Cooper but again, it's just a good overall flick, check 'er out if you haven't, it's currently available on Amazon or Apple, VOD.
The first time Harry Dean Stanton carried a whole picture, he knocked it out of the park with this spot-on portrait of a lost man, both mentally and geographically. His brother (Dean Stockwell, superb) picks him up wondering around in the desert and brings him back home to help him on his feet again. Nobody knows where he's been for four years. This puts him square in the path of his brother's wife (Aurora Clement, an amazing French actress) who has been taking care of Stanton's boy he abandoned for the last four years.
I'll leave it there but that's just the start of an incredible journey which ultimately lands him finding his wife who now works at a strip club. The legendary German actress and dancer Nastassja Kinski is so incredible in this role and the location that they chose for the strip club should belong on some list of top ten best locations ever in a movie.
Indies this great only come down the pike once every five or ten years. On many, many top ten indie films of all time lists. I encourage you to revisit it or if you haven't seen it, that's right, don't pass go and don't collect $200. 5 stars/5
.png)
