B-Movie Gazette: TOMMY'S TOP FIVE FAVORITE CLINT EASTWOOD FLICKS - #3 - CLINT IS GUNNY HIGHWAY THE ULTIMATE DRILL SERGEANT IN "HEARTBREAK RIDGE" (1986)

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

Sunday, August 18, 2024

TOMMY'S TOP FIVE FAVORITE CLINT EASTWOOD FLICKS - #3 - CLINT IS GUNNY HIGHWAY THE ULTIMATE DRILL SERGEANT IN "HEARTBREAK RIDGE" (1986)

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 >