B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - THE DEATH OF RITCHIE (TV 1977)

Looks like a lot of fun to me, I don't know. Seriously and for those that don't know, The Death Of Ritchie is one of the most iconic TV movies of the entire '70's decade. I was roughly 15 when it aired and i can tell you that both Robby Benson and teens taking drugs were very hot topics at the time. The film is based on a true story where a father who couldn't control his teen's behavior from drug abuse was forced to take the law into his own hands. The father here is good ole Ben Gazzara and he is at his Gazzara best with a ferocious intensity, his scenes with Benson as father and son a perfect chemistry. At the time more emphasis was on Benson as a model but his performance here is really amazing. Streams free on Tubi, Freevee, Roku and Plex, if this was being rated on the standard scale I would give it five stars, 'nuff said. 2.75 stars/2.75

Friday, June 24, 2022

TOMMY'S 11th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES HONORABLE MENTIONS - HOT SUMMER NIGHTS (2017) & ADVENTURELAND (2009)

 

A surprising stylish anti-coming-of-age thriller with Timothee Chalamet as a teen who becomes entangled with a ruthless dealer (Alex Roe.) Set in Cape Cod in 1991 there's a nicely palatable neo-noir feel about the film. Roe plays his bad ass role very much like a modern version of American Graffiti's John Milner. One of the many problems our protagonist has in making friends with the wrong people is he's also in love with the dealer's younger sister who he was told is off-bounds but you know how that goes! A skinny plot and some drug movie cliches take away from the overall quality but that's mostly made up by a cast who were all clearly into the project. Deserves points for originality.   2.75 stars/5

Adventureland is one of those movies I didn't really care for the first time or two I watched it but it's grown on me thru the years and makes it's debut here on the list. I've never been a big Jesse Eisenberg fan but fortunately he's surrounded here by a lot of great names I do like. Of particular note are Ryan Reynolds and Matt Bush. The film's basically a rom-com about a teen who takes a job at an amusement park and the friends and lovers he meets. Also not a big Kristin Stewart fan but she's really terrific in this.      3.0 stars/5



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