CONGRATULATIONS NICOLE! - NICOLE KIDMAN HONORED WITH AFI's LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD

 

eyes wide open and shut at the same time

congrats Nicole! We love you! 

You can read miore about it HERE, 

JACK NICHOLSON IS HELL-BENT ON KILLING THE MAN WHO RAN OVER HIS DAUGHTER IN SEAN PENN'S PROFOUND "THE CROSSING GUARD" (1995)

 

Another top five list I want to do sometimes is good ole Jack, he's only the greatest American actor that ever lived, that's all. Now I'm not sure if Crossing Guard would make top five but it would be very close and certainly top ten. This is a Jack Nicholson role that's not to be missed. 

A profound tale of forgiveness and redemption, David Morse (also incredible here) plays a just released from prison ex-con who ran over Jack's daughter five years prior. Jack's had a real nice stewing period, he even keeps a calendar on the wall, crossing each day off 'til he can ultimately get his revenge. When his gun jams on the first encounter with Morse, Jack gives him three more days to live. 

In the meantime we see Jack is a jeweler and lives a heavy partying life, hanging out with strippers, getting arrested amd fighting with his ex-wife (Angelica Huston, also in top form) who has moved on and doesn't want Jack to get revenge. 

This is also an excellent Robin Wright performance, perhaps one of her best. Her free form dancing scene with David Morse is a powerful scene and one of my all-time favorites of Wright's. 

It's heavy, suspenseful, engaging, at times funny, and imho an Oscar snub for Jack, this is totally a award winning performance. (Angelica Huston did get nominated for a Golden Globe)  Currently streaming on Tubi and Fubo.  4.0 stars/5

HAPPY 420 DAY - IF THAT'S YOUR KIND OF THING THEN VUDU HAS 7, COUNT 'EM, 7 MOVIES BUNDLE ON SALE TODAY ONLY FOR $4.20

 

Greetings All - As is plainly clear by now there is no advertising on this blog nor will there ever and that includes affiliate marketing, just not my thing. So if I recommend something like today's deal, it's because I believe it's truly worth something and want to share it with y'all. 

Yeah! Having said that, I actually have not seen any of these before except Inherent Vice and the White Castle movie. Now any movie by PT Anderson is easily worth the $4.20 just for that movie - I must confess his one title that I've abandoned ship on a couple times, too disjointed, But we'll give it another try nonetheless and White Castle I know I don't like but I'll also try again, last time I think I gave it five minutes.

Putting the titles below and in the coming days will put the ratings. 7 movies for $4.20, hmmmm.

Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004) - gave up on one time after five minutes, will try again lol same thing as last time, can't get into the characters, too one-dimensional.  No Rating

We're The Millers (2013) - looks real interesting, this and most of these were big box office successes - best of the bunch, a nice blend of comedy and mob crime, a brilliant script and solid performances especially Jason Sudeikis. And Jennifer Anniston as a stripper is incredible, especially in one holy sh*t scene where she strip dances in a warehouse.   3.25 stars/5

Friday (1995) - looking forward to seeing Chris Tucker here - I thought this had a lot of possibilities but just kept bouncing around, every time I'd start to latch on to one character and get an interest in what happens to them the movie would cut to another new character or situation. The guy that played the dad was funny as shit though when he was in a scene.   2.0 stars/5. 

Project X (2012) - a found footage teen debauchery thing? This one has my attention! A teen party is out of control in North Pasadena in this inventive if not wholly unbelievable found footage film. Worth a least one watch for fans of the genre, I'm grading it on the B scale..  1.5 stars/2.75

Due Date (2010) - road trip movie w Robert Downey Jr detoured by a stoner/slacker? I'm in! - Kind of a mis-jointed mess with some laughs here and there. Think Planes, Trains & Automobiles but with a stoner being the annoying traveler. Downey is just adequate, over-powered by Zach Galifilanakis who kills it as the stoner/slacker. 2.25 stars/5

Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny (2006) - I love Jack Black and rock n roll so we'll see....had some interesting moments but in one simple statement - for devoted fans only either of the band or rock n roll, 1.0 stars/2.75

House Party (1990) - I have never dabbled in the House Party waters before, looks good.. - I kept waiting for the music that all the reviews mentioned to show up but didn't see it, couldn't get into characters, abandoned ship     No Rating 

Inherent Vice (2015) - based on the two times I tried to get thru the whole thing, will report back - Same as before, I just don't get what PT was doing here... 4.0 stars/5

QUENTIN TARRANTINO SCRAPS "THE MOVIE CRITIC" AND IS OFFICIALLY BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD WITH NO STUDIO OR DECIDED FINAL PROJECT

 

QT has cancelled the upcoming The Movie Critic which was going to start shooting in the fall. Not much reason was given but apparently the project had morphed into Brad Pitt reappearing as Cliff Booth in a sequel or even prequel. Then it, pun intended, fell off the cliff. You can read more about it HERE. 

I thought it was a pretty cool idea in it's basic conception since I remember growing up in Hollywood exactly the type of publication and ragtag critic that worked for them. I'm just assuming here but I think QT couldn't find a more thirties aged (which is what the critic was) leading man. 

Nonetheless, um, QT-

I love ya, I'm one of your biggest fans. But let's back the train up a little, what happened to the four-hour cut of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood you announced by in '20? Next thing I hear you're a novelist...

Just giving honest opinions here - I always thought your take on the Wonderland Murders would be interesting. And what about doing your version of True Romance? That would be dope with the right cast and maybe one returning cameo from the original...I would also welcome another Western as Hateful Eight is brilliant and all you do with that genre is amazing. 

I could also see a whacked out rom-com along the lines of Punch Drunk Love, something completely out of left field like that was. 

As my mom used to say, five will get you ten - he comes back with the Star Trek thing. 

Whatever it is, would you just rock on with your bad self already? TR 

SKEET ULRICH TRAINS A HORSE WHICH GOES ON TO WIN THE KENTUCKY DERBY, ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPSETS EVER, A TRUE STORY IN "50 TO 1" (2014)

 

Dramatization of a true story in which a Canadian undersized thoroughbred upset the Kentucky Derby at 50 to 1 odds. I'm actually going to call it a comedic-dramatic telling of the story as there is lots of comedy throughout, the buddy-buddy slapstick-ish kind. It got mostly shitty reviews but I like it and for the most part it is suitable for the whole darn family and an inspiring story. 

Skeet Ulrich stars as the trainer with whom Mine That Bird winds up with and the horse has as big a heart as it's stride on the track. William Devane and singer-songwriter Christian Kane are also on hand for the proceedings and the movie overall plays like a very well produced TV movie. 

I find it more enjoyable than the reviews I've read, it received a very limited theatrical release and only returned a million at the box office on a 10 million$ budget. You can decide for yourself, it's currently streaming on Fubo only or VOD.   2.75 stars/5

IN OTHER NEWS >>  Interesting article and oh, so sad. There must be thousands and thousands of great writers in LA with brilliant stuff that get elbowed out of chances. Like Jack Black's iconic "The Man" speech in School Of Rock, the corporate entities have ruined anything artistic they've laid their hands on. I say, F the 1 percent!!

NICOLAS CAGE IS IN CHARGE OF THE "USS INDIANAPOLIS : MEN OF COURAGE" (2016) - THAT IS UNTIL THE GREAT WHITE SHARKS ARRIVE IN WAR MOVIE MISFIRE

 

Keeping things in the military realm, let's get a couple things squared away right off the bat. There is a lot of great talent here that I admire such as it's director, Mario Van Peebles and of course, our man, Nicolas Cage. But this is not a good Van Peebles film and this is not a good Nicolas Cage movie. It is, however, a very noble effort and handled with a surpreme respect to the original story it's sourced from. But, still a misfire. 

Complaints would include cheesy special effects, a lame Cage showing, some misguided pacing as it tries to bounce around time frames. And especially, a failure to make the shark movie part which kicks in about halfway, exciting and scary enough even though there are sharks popping out of the water left and right eating sailors. 

The only plus and it's a small plus is Tom Sizemore who has been much better but still shines here and there as a weathered Ole timer sargeant. Thomas Jane, an actor I admire - I looked for him, I don't see him here. 

Lol, in summary, I'm struggling to give this one 2 stars. I will do that but those of you that have heard me use one of my favorite expressions before - "a good two-star movie" - that, it is not. 

On Tubi and VOD - 2.0 just barely stars/5

ROCK HUDSON GETS A CHANCE TO RESTART HIS LIFE AS ANOTHER PERSON IN JOHN FRANKENHEIMER'S BRILLIANT "SECONDS" (1966) BY ROD SERLING

 

Who in the over-50's crowd wouldn't leap at the chance to wipe the chalkboard clean and start life over again as a 20-year-old? That's basically what happens in this movie that plays like an extended episode of the Twilight Zone but even better. Written by that iconic television show's creator, Rod Serling, but even as ingenious as Serling wasn't a director on Frankenheimer's level and the end result is a great sci-fi drama directed by one of the all-time greats written by one of the all-time greats. 

The script isn't as loaded down with propaganda as Serling's half-hour episodes could be but there is enough here to get the movie viewer thinking about the philosophical contexts of what the ability to start one's life over would be. In my opinion it would have been an even better film had it played with the overly witty dialog Serling was so good at. 

As far as what happens to Rock Hudson's character and his new life, whether he makes it or not, you'll have to watch to find out. This is the meat of the film and where it starts to get real trippy. An unexpected, very erotic and slightly over-the-top scene in a Santa Barbara vineyard has Frankenheimer take us to the very edge before he pulls it back for a perfectly balanced third act. 

You know what they say - be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.     4.5 stars/5

Who and what is Tony Wilson?

WOODY ALLEN'S 50TH FILM, "COUP DE CHANCE" (2023) GETS A US RELEASE DATE, APRIL 12TH FOR VOD AND GUESS WHAT? HE'S MAKING A 51st!!

 

Woody Allen's 50th feature film and first in the French language has been set for US release April 5th and VOD on April 12. 

According to some reviews I've read, the movie is a lot like Match Point but in Paris and with darker and more intricate twists than the 2005 hit. Some writers also mentioned Midnight In Paris and Crimes & Misdemeanors as influences and one writer calls the new film a "master of understatement" from Allen. 

One thing for sure - after the last two clunkers (Rainy Day In NY, Rifkin's Festival) which to this Allen fan represent the absolute lowest of his work, I can't wait to see this one. 

And this post comes with even better news - Allen, 88, has now publicly stated he'll start his 51st film in ITALY, Go, Woody, Go!