ASTA LA VISTA - B-MOVIE GAZETTE IS ON INDEFINITE HIATUS, IT'S BEEN A NICE 14 YEARS - BE SAFE, I LEAVE YOU WITH SOME RANDOM MOVIE THOUGHTS (tonight's dispatch from the 86th floor crawlspace)

EMPIRE OF LIGHT (2022) by Sam Mendes - My last review ha ha. I did mention I was going to post about this and I apologize it's taken so long. Ok, so here's the same Sam Mendes that brought us American Beauty but this is NOT the same Sam Mendes that brought us American Beauty, ya dig? 

We have here a very British drama that centers around a MOVIE THEATER, yay! And a beautiful one at that - with an incredible cast. The lead is Olivia Colman as the theater manager who's a bit mentally unstable.... or is she? Michael Ward plays a new employee she starts seeing and Colin Firth plays the incorrigible (what else?! we love ya, Colin) movie owner. 4.0 stars/5 Trailer

THAT'S GOOD, TRUMPY because that's where you're likely going to land up. I sincerely hope that Coppola, Neil Young and all the other countless artists you have stolen from without paying royalties, sue you!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE BLOGS THAT MADE (MAKE LOL) UP THE "GAZETTE" (BELOW) - YOU WERE THE STARS AND REAL REASON I STARTED THE BLOG - ROCK ON!

 A REMINDER THAT THERE ARE 300+ MOVIE POSTS FROM YOURS TRULY BELOW ALONG WITH ALL THE BLOGS WE RECOMMEND AND THEIR LATEST, YES, LATEST STORIES

GOO BLESS YOU ALL AND FEEL FREE TO STOP BY SOMETIME AND PAY A VISIT, JUST CLIMB THE LADDERS ;-)

HERE WE GO AGAIN - EVERYONE WANTS TO TAKE A SHOT AT WOODY ALLEN FOR NO REASON AT ALL (tonight's dispatch from the 86th floor crawlspace)

Greetings All - Some random musings, something a little different tonight.

Looks like Woody is under the microscope once again, this time because he decided to attend the Moscow Film Festival. Now everyone's saying he's against Ukraine and he's betraying the fine actors and thespian community of Ukraine. What a load of crap. How sad it is to see the disrespect artists receive these days in the name of politics. From blokes that have no talent, no passion or goal in their lives so they have to take political pot shots.

I would like to remind these people that in high school while you were begging your twat girlfriend to give you a piece (and you weren't,) Woody Allen was sending his jokes into respected well-known publications, making a living from what he loved - while in high school! So go f*ck yourself. 

TOMMY'S TOP 5 ALLEN FLICKS

Broadway Danny Rose, Crimes & Misdemeanors, Sleeper, Love & Death, Match Point

TOMMY'S WORST 5 ALLEN FLICKS

Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Rifkin's Festival, A Rainy Day In New York, Coup De Chance, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Starnger

TOMMY'S 5 MOST UNDERRATED, UNDERAPPECIATED ALLEN FLICKS

Cassandra's Dream, Shadows & Fog, Anything Else, Small Time Crooks, Hollywood Ending

FOR THOSE THAT WATCH TUBI - Do a search using "Woody Allen" - 20 of his movies come up

REST IN PEACE, TERENCE STAMP - IN OUR TRIBUTE, TERENCE PLAYS A BUDDHIST MONK INSPIRING TWO BEST FRIENDS IN "KISS THE SKY" (1998)

Two businessmen and best friends (Gary Cole, William Frederickson) take a detour from their lives and jet out to the Philippines for a much-needed getaway. A chance encounter in an opium den leads them to a fantastical location in the mountains that is so beautiful you can "kiss the sky." 

Once there, they develop a threesome relationship with the incredible Sheryl Lee. Enter Terence Stamp as a monk who passes thru and becomes friends - they all decide to build a sanctuary on that hill and the monk helps them find the real meaning of life. 

Laden with Buddhist philosophies and messages (but not in an overkill way) this is a very free film. It's about finding your inner freedom. 

Up to now, it has not been available in the streaming world but now is. As of this post, it's featured on Fubi and MGM+ with your membership, or of course, DVD. A well-acted and gorgeously directed by Roger Young, I've turned a lot of people onto this one thru the years. It's a very special film. 4.0 stars/5

"NATIONAL LAMPOON'S EUROPEAN VACATION" (1985) TURNS 40 - MY 5 FAVORITE SCENES FROM THE MOVIE IN THE SERIES EVERYONE HATES

Greetings All - hope this weekend finds you and yours doing well. 

It's quite surprising to me that this film has received so much slack thru the decades. I will admit that it comes off pretty dated with each passing decade, but this was directed by Amy Heckerling (Fast Times At Ridgemont, hello!) and written by John Hughes (Breakfast Club, etc, hello again!) And does it belong below ranking of "Vegas" and "Christmas" like you see on most lists? Hell, no! I can't even sit through five minutes of either of those. 

Below are my top five scenes and also a link to various scenes from MovieClips. 

1. Rusty complains about wearing berets in Paris and they go to the top of the Eiffel Tower where he throws his beret off the top and a little dog jumps after it. 
2. The scene in London where Clark accidentally gets in the wrong bed.
3. French Cafe where Audrey gets a letter and Rusty keeps staring at a couple making out. "I think he's going to pork her, dad" 
4. The scene with Moon Zappa, not so much comical as classic. Her dad had just released "Valley Girl" about a year prior. 
5. "Look kids, there's Big Ben, Parliament. "Look kids, forget it." "I just cannot seem to get left"
   

   
   
   

"JUROR #2" (2024) - CLINT EASTWOOD'S ASSUMED SWAN SONG IS A BIT OF A BORE AND I ACTUALLY PREFER "CRY MACHO," HERE'S MY REASONS (tonight's dispatch from the 86th floor)

Yes, you heard it here first, folks. This particular movie lover prefers the esoteric neo-Western Cry Macho to this film. Plus, Warner Bros. kind of owed him that film, would have been nice to go out with that as the last in his canon. Objectively (as usual) I'm going to go 3.0 stars on this which is .25 more than I gave Cry Macho, as of this post Juror #2 can be rented for 3.99, Plex will save you a buck, they have 2.99 now. 

1. I would have never known the lead actor is the same lovable 10-year old from the original About A Boy movie. Here I find him quite run-of-the-mill and really dispensable.
2. Toni Collette - an actress I almost always admire. But as a hard-nosed Marcia Clark kind of lawyer, ah, negative. She wasn't that much better in Nightmare Alley either, while I'm at it. 
3. Once the basic premise is revealed (very early) the way that the rest of the story plays out just doesn't seem to satisfy. Flashbacks in quantity have certainly been handled better in a gazillion other flicks.  
4. The Judge - I know it's a cliche in a court drama to have a wise-guy or wise-cracking comedic kind of judge. But it was needed here. Boring and nothing at all I like about this judge. 
5. Just really middle-of-the-road and kind of dull, I don't even like Zoey D in this one. Sorry, folks but I'm going mostly thumbs down.

YOU CAN VIEW FIRST TEN MINUTES OF FILM BELOW - GEE, THANKS WB

THE SURFER (2024) - IT'S THE REASON WE WAIT FOR OUR MAN CAGE TO LOSE IT AND IT'S AN INSTANT CLASSIC

"Dude, that's my board, and I want it back" - The Surfer gives new meaning to the credo "my waves, my beach" in this absolutely scrumptious new suspense thriller from Lorcan Finnegan. I'm digging this one big time, folks. 

All Cage wants to do is surf this break with his son. He's put an offer on a gorgeous house overlooking that coast. But right from the get-go he runs into trouble with the locals, specifically a gang of outcasts that have moved in permanently. Of course, things escalate with each attempt by The Surfer (we never do know his real name.) The linear pacing, imaginative visual style and crystal-clear cinematography are all big pluses in a picture that's really hard to find much fault with. This one was made for Cage. 

I'd be in the 3.5 range if it wasn't for an outstanding final performance by Julian McMahon as the heavy "Scally" and a brilliant undertone of spiritual and philosophical messages but only if you care to look for them. Brilliantly handled there. 

As of this post, The Surfer is still on the 5.99 to rent and 14.99 to buy tier. Worth every penny. I'm grading on both scales with this one since technically you could call it a B-flick. 4.0 stars/5 or 2.75 stars/2.75. Take your pick but by all means, see the flick.  

BOILER ROOM (2000) TURNS 25 - 7 REASONS THE CRIME THRILLER ABOUT A CHOP-SHOP PHONE ROOM STILL ROCKS

• 1 - Previously in Saving Private Ryan & Friends, Boiler Room broke out Giovanni Ribisi and 25 years later it's still clear to see why. 
• 2 - Vin Diesel one film away from his breakout later that year in Pitch Black, and same thing, it's clear 25 years later why. 
• 3 - The production values of this film are nothing less than perfect. 
• 4 - Does not feel dated, it just gets better every time I watch it. 
• 5 - Ben Affleck's supporting role - I can imagine this film without many of the key actors but I can'r imagine it without Ben's iconic interview sequence. ("Pack your shit, Skippy")
• 6 - The pacing - kicks right into the story, wastes no time in setting up it's characters and stays on you full press til credits roll. 
• 7 - The soundtrack is so jamming it doesn't even wait until the film starts - foots are tapping during the New Line Cinema indent. 

3.5 stars/5  free on Tubi or Plex

HERE ARE 4 HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR THIS YEAR'S SUMMER MOVIE FEST (w/ trailers, ratings, where to stream)

CORVETTE SUMMER (1978)  A drive-in classic from United Artists 2.75 stars/2.75 VOD or Prime subscription

WHITE WATER SUMMER (1987) On the pick-five previously, a Kevin Bacon must-see  3.0 stars/5 VOD or Prime subscription, pops up on Tubi now and then 

SUMMER RENTAL (1985) John Candy, Rip Torn and lots of bikinis, what's not to like? 3.0 stars/5 VOD or Prime subscription

RIDE (2014) Helen Hunt's second time behind camera, first time surfing. She kills it on both. 3.0 stars/5 Plex, Fawesome 

LIVE AID SPECIAL - IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO TODAY THE SUPER CONCERT TOOK PLACE AND I WATCHED IT IN HOLLYWOOD WITH A HOUSE FULL OF MUSICIANS (tonight's dispatch from the 86th floor)

It's 1985, I'm 25 and three members of my rock band live with me in a big house near the Hollywood Palladium. I work the graveyard shift as a dispatcher for a huge cab company. But I won't be sleeping today because the biggest concert ever will be on the TV in our living room. The beer and other substances were already procured. 

And so all day long, other musician friends of the household as well as many cab drivers I knew would come in and out, watch a set or two. The TV btw was a classic old 25" tuber and by the time the thing ended around 10pm, we were all as f*cked up as Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards and Bob Dylan. 

There were many memorable performances among the 57 twenty-minute sets, good and bad. Pictured above is one of the good ones, my old buddy Michael Des Barres, who absolutely killed it fronting Power Station that day, only his 2nd time with the band. I vividly remember the "Bang A Gong" finale, I couldn't believe I was watched my old mentor perform in front of 100,000 people. 

Yes, it was quite a day. Some useful 40th anniversary links > 

1) 40th Anniversary 3-part CNN special starts tonight

2) The entire official broadcast and shows just upped today by Live Aid

3) A great article with interview of Micheal Des Barres, how he got the sudden gig, what he thought of other bands etc. 

YOU LIKE TRAILERS? WE GOT 333 OF THEM - IT'S CALLED "TOMMY'S TRAILER PARK" ('60's, '70's, '80's, '90's & more)

Greetings all - I was going thru some of my old You Tube playlists and came across this. Contains all movies that I like and recommend from the decades mentioned above. Some great stuff, enjoy. 

COMING UP NEXT ON B-MOVIE GAZETTE >

A list of honorable mentions for the Summer Pick-Five.

A really cool movie from 2000 turns 25. 

Review of Sam Mendes latest,

(you may remember him, he made a little movie called American Beauty)

TOMMY'S 14th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES - #1 - GET READY TO RELOAD JESSE EISENBERG AS HE TAKES A SUMMER JOB AT "ADVENTURELAND" (2009)

It's not unusual for true movie lovers (like the ones that read this blog) to rewatch any given title. Lots of times those around us can't really understand the concept of watching any movie a second time. Forget about the numbers some of us cinephiles can put on the board. Repeated views sometimes hold the same intensity as our first watch. Other times a film has to grow on us as we watch it a second, third time, etc. 

Adventureland is one of those that grew on me. In fact, I actually turned it off the first two times I watched it. Not a big Jesse Eisenberg fan, never have been, going back to the days of Social Network. I think he's more effective playing against cast like he did in the dark and moody Night Moves. 

Fortunately, there's a huge ensemble cast around him and they're all great. Of particular note is the underrated Matt Bush and Bill Hader, hilarious as the park's manager. Spend (or re-spend) a summer at Adventureland with this quirky gang that also includes Ryan Reynolds and many others. VOD or Prime Membership.  3.5 stars/5

WE INTERRUPT THIS SUMMER'S PICK-FIVE FOR SOME "UNLEASHED SPIRITS - THE RISE OF THE HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES" (2025 TRAILER) (tonight's dispatch from the 86th floor)

Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry from Aerosmith make up the supergroup known as the Hollywood Vampires. For those that may be in the unknow - the band was formed by Alice in 2012 and to date has released two albums, one covers and one of mostly original material. They've played in front of 100,000 people in Rio, toured North America, played to sell-out audiences and received critical acclaim. 

That would be an impressive list of achievements in any bands CV. It would certainly contain even greater successes if it weren't for the fact these three legends never have the time to get together. Alice has to be booked a year in advance, Depp is almost completely unavailable and Perry of course has his musical projects. 

All these events have been documented now in the upcoming "Unleased Spirits - The Rise Of The Hollywood Vampires" and a generous and very appetizing five-minute trailer has been released. Perry  just recently saw a rough cut and says it's starting to come together nicely. No release date has been set. 

ALSO> Calling your attention to 3 great ones that just came back to Tubi for July. 

"Auto-Focus" (2002) Greg Kinnear kills it as real-life bio of Bob Crane. 3.5 stars/5 Trailer.

"Joyride" (1977) Drive-in classic w/ Robert Carradine, a real gem! 2.75 stars/2.75 Trailer.

"52 Pick-Up" (1986) - Sleazy overlooked thriller w Roy Scheider 3.0 stars/5 Trailer 

THE SUMMER PICK-FIVE CONCLUDES IN THE NEXT POST WITH OUR #1 PICK 

TOMMY'S 14th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES - #2 - COMING-OF-AGE MEETS NEO-NOIR MEETS CAPE COD 1991 IN "HOT SUMMER NIGHTS" (2017)

Hot Summer Nights is our one repeat this year, it was last year's #1 and well worth it. To try and combine coming-of-age with neo-noir, set it in 1991 and do it in a beautifully styled way is no easy task. Elijah Bynum set his mark high and nailed it. 

Alex Roe is outstanding here at the bad boy of the Cape Cod scene who develops a friendship with 15-yr old Daniel (Tim Chalamet) and they start selling weed and become big dealers. However, there's romantic subplots etc. The film also deserves high marks for editing and cinematography. 

If that hasn't caught your attention, enter one William Fitchner in a mind-blowing cameo towards the end of the film as a coke dealer. This scene and it's curve-ball climax with trip you right out. As I said last year, one of the best cameos of the new century. Don't miss this one, thumbs way up. VOD, also on sale for $5 at Vudu & Amazon, comes to Plex for free starting tomorrow.  3.5 stars/5 

TOMMY'S 14th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES - #3 - SAM ROCKWELL RUNS A WATER PARK IN CAPE COD AND HELPS A TROUBLED TEEN FIND "THE WAY, WAY BACK" (2013)

Here's one that's been off the list a few years, I rewatched it the other night and was reminded what a great film it is. From the makers of Little Miss Sunshine and Juno, Rockwell stars with Liam James and Steve Carell in this water slide charmer. James plays the troubled teen who hates his mom's boyfriend, has to spend the summer in Cape Cod (poor fellow) and finds solace at the water park. Rockwell hires him for the summer. 

There's a whole lot more not to mention Toni Colette. Similar to Little Miss Sunshine, every character has some dysfunctional issue. And what a supporting cast. How about Allison Janney as a freewheeling drunk? There's so many characters and familiar faces, there's almost a supporting to the supporting tier. So this is where it differs much from Sunshine which was stealthy and compact with it's four main characters. 

Casting really nailed it though, this one's an underappreciated gem in my opinion. See what you think. Then get ready to book your ticket to Cape Cod. Available VOD or Prime membership.  3.25 stars/5

TOMMY'S 14th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES - #4 IS THE COMEDY B-FLICK ADVENTURE "I SAILED TO TAHITI WITH AN ALL-GIRL CREW" (1969)

The last feature that two '60's character-actor vets (Gardner McKay, Richard Denning) ever did was this quirky screwball comedy adventure. One boater who bets another he can beat him in a race to Tahiti using, yep, all all-girl crew. It was filmed on location in Hawaii but looks like shooting took place in 1967 although its release date was 1969. One of the main actresses was borrowed from 20th Century Fox and a lot of the other girls were various surfer champions.

I will warn you it's very silly and super screwball, slap-stick kind of stuff. The film has a lot of heart though and the story is fun with surprises, diversions and even a saboteur. A girl saboteur, of course. 

Yep, a surprise debut appearance on the pick-five, it used to be shown on Channel 56 late at night back in the UHF days. It's still considered pretty obscure and I'm not exactly sure who owns the copyright, it was financed by something called World Entertainment Corp. While officially unavailable, copies do pop up and the most recent I found is an excellent transfer. Enjoy while you can.   2.75 stars/2.75

TOMMY'S 14th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES - # 5 IS A WOODSY DOUBLE FEATURE, OUR FIRST EVER - "DAMNED RIVER" (1989) & "HUNTER'S BLOOD" (1986)

Hi Everyone, enjoy this year's picks! TR

Damned River stars Stephen Shellen as the river guide from hell. It's filmed entirely on location on the Zambezi River in Africa. Bradford Bancroft (the space cadet in Bachelor Party) and some other familiar '80's faces make up the group. Shellen's way over the top performance as the self-proclaimed "River Rat" is one for the B-movie record books and perfectly drives the movie. The more outrageous he gets with his behavior, the more we feel for the poor suckers in the boat. A lot of good photography and stunt work, this is a good one folks and can be streamed for free on Roku Channel. 2.75/2.75 Trailer

In Hunter's Blood we have the ultimate late '80's hicksploitation thriller with a group of hunters faced up against a group of backwood freaks. Lots and lots of familiar faces in this one - on the good guys side, we have the one-and-only Clu Gallager who is awesome in this, Joey Travolta is with them, but even better is the performance by good ole Ken Swafford as the hunting group's leader. 

On the bad guys side, we have the motley crue pictured below which includes the shady mechanic from National Lampoon's Vacation among others. It's a familiar tale of who's going to hunt who but it's done quite well. The opening sequence where the hunters roll into town and stop for a beer is B-movie bliss. You can find this one at this official YT link. Enjoy. 2.75/2.75  Trailer 

"MEGALOPOLIS" (2024) IS GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER (forget the rolling stones) + PREVIEW OF 14tH ANNUAL PICK-FIVE SUMMER MOVIES (tonight's dispatch from the 86th floor)

Greetings All - Francis Ford Coppola has announced an official summer tour of his movie-mega-flop-or-is-it Megalopolis. According to him, at this point, he wants no one to own the film. The legendary director will screen his piece in six US cities, the furthest west being San Francisco. Each screening will be followed by a crowd group conversation about the future moderated by Francis. 

He's calling these conversations "How To Change Our Future" and it kind of reminds me a little of Ian Anderson's "Rubbing Elbows" tour in 2002 where he would do Jethro Tull songs with each song followed by a Q and A. It's certainly thinking outside of the box kind of stuff, I hope it does better for Coppola than it did Anderson. 

You can read more about it and see the tour dates for the six Megalopolis performances here. 

TOMMY'S 14th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE SUMMER MOVIES STARTS THIS WEEKEND

It's my proud pleasure to feature seven films this year as one of the entries is a double-feature (first-time ever!) There's one honorable mention, so that's seven total. The fun starts this weekend and this year's pick-five is a doosie, hope you'll join us, have an awesome summer!!

Last year's pick-five - 

5  LIFEGUARD (1976) and the story of how I ditched school to see it

4  SUMMER CAMP NIGHTMARE (1987) 

3  RIDE (2014)

2  WHITE WATER SUMMER (1987)

1  HOT SUMMER NIGHTS (2017)

HE RAISES THE DRUM STICK ONCE, HE'S PLANNING TO KILL - BUT WHEN "THE MONKEY" (2025) ACTUALLY HITS THE DRUM SOMEONE'S GOING TO DIE IN A HORRIFIC WAY

 

Based on a Stephen King short story, The Monkey is Osgood Perkin's latest film. The plot has one foot in the old Monkey's Paw classic short story and the other foot in the "we can't destroy the Golem" territory. I've never seen Longlegs or any of his other films for that matter but I found the kills here to be not only very hard to believe but also way too fast in their, if you'll pardon the pun, execution. 

But it has a cool style to it and overall (since I'm a big Stephen King fan) it looks faithful to the material and is fun. This time Wiki got it right, this is black comedy. Or if you prefer, black comedy horror. 

Recommend! 5.99 to rent or incl w your Prime membership on Amazon. 3 stars/5 Trailer

F1 - The reviews for F1 are coming in very favorable here/s the trailer for Brad Pitt's new movie out on June 25, he plays an ole-school race car driver returning to the circuit after a 30-year absence. I like it already....

B-MOVIE GAZETTE IS BROADCASTING FROM THE TOP OF THE CHRYSLER BUILDING, HERE'S THE LATEST NEWS (daddio 2023, last stop in yuma 2024, locked 2025)

 Greetings All - While the rest of the world is intent on blowing itself up, we have moved our headquarters to the 86th floor (a crawl space) of the Chrysler Building. 

Here's the latest - 

Daddio (2023) - Had high hopes for this one. Don't get me wrong, Penn is outstanding and it's so great to see him doing a lot of acting again. But this script is basically about two people relating in a very deep way about the passenger (Dakota Johnson) and her love problems. Penn's character is supposed to be a model for how men should act in this kind of conversation; I don't get it. Well-shot, 2.75 stars out of 5 Trailer

Last Stop In Yuma (2024) - Very interesting neo-noir low-budget piece about a couple bank robbers who take over a diner. Has a whole lot of personality, this one. Misguided however in it's execution and besides being stylistic cool, most of this stuff has been done before, nothing new is really brought to the table. Still a thumbs up though and currently on sale Fandango for only $5.   2.75 stars out of 2.75 (technically a low budget) Trailer

Locked (2025) - New release, not a bad action thriller. It's a serviceable story about a lowlife who steals a very fancy car but this is one car he should have never broken into. Reason being it's remote controlled by it's owner (Anthony Hopkins) who's had about enough of punks jacking his car. Now the kid's locked inside with no way to get out. Engaging but Hopkins is only heard by voice until the end of the film and he should have come in sooner.  2.75 stars out of 5.  Trailer 

All the old movies posts from the last 5 years are now archived at B-Movie Gazette Archives. 

For David Lynch/Mullholland Drive fans - be advised Mullholland Drive is on sale at Fandango for only $5. This is a one-of-a-kind price as it's not usually for sale at all, only for rent. So I would jump on this if you purchase movies. 

Liza, Liza, Liza! - For lovers of the legendary Liza Minelli, you should know an incredible documentary on her life is coming out. Liza, A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story is described as an indulgent but madly watchable showcase of her life. She's had a hard life but always stayed true to her art.  Article and Trailer

New PT Anderson film just test screened in US - "One Battle After Another" looks wack!

TRAP (2024) PART ONE - M NIGHT SHYAMALAN BACK IN EXCELLENT FORM

 
My favorite Shyamalan film is The Village. I thought the whole idea of a group of traumatized people living deep in a nature preserve was brilliant. Shyamalan's imagination is dope, pretty out there and in Trap starring Josh Harnett the entire pop concert that he and his daughter are attending turns out to be an FBI sting operation. Once you suspend that belief which is nicely laid out very early on, it doesn't take long to realize Harnett is the one they're after. Australian actress Ariel Donoghue plays his teenage daughter who lands up getting called on stage during the show, she's perfect in her role. 

If you didn't know, Shyamalan's own daughter, Saleka also stars as the fictional pop star Lady Raven. She is amazingly gorgeous and talented - good use of her music and songs are used throughout the film. 

Harnett has certainly come a long way since his teen idol days, he's terrific here, I'd almost call it nomination worthy. The whole production design and the way they did the concert is stellar. The usual trademark cameo and twist ending, it's all here, Shyamalan is on a roll! 

In Part Two, I talk about a couple other M Night favorites and why I think Trap might be connected to them.   3.5 stars/5 

As of this post, Trap is available on Netflix for seven more days and on all VOD outlets. 

PAUL WALTER HAUSER IS A GAME SHOW CONTESTANT WHO IS SECRETLY CHEATING, HE'S LITERALLY "THE LUCKIEST MAN IN AMERICA" (2025)

 

It's 1984 and Michael Larson has been studying previous episodes of Press Your Luck on his VCR. He's figured out the patterns to the lighted board at the center of the game and how to pick only the highest money amounts. In effect, a game show version of a card counter. Now he goes on the show to become a contestant and starts ringing the cash register with his picks until the producers figure out what he's up to. Should they pull him and boot him or let him stay and benefit off his fame, a la Quiz Show?

Based on a real incident, this project was in development hell for 25 years, now that's hell. Samir Oliveros second full feature and he directs an excellent film on a low budget. Hauser is a perfectly complex actor to keep us guessing and more than worth mentioning are - David Strathaim in yet another great performance as the show's producer. It's hard to imagine the film without him but gosh, he looks old in this and Nightmare Alley. 

The other worth mentioning is the Brian Geraghty, who was so good in Flight and Wildlike, he's really reached that stage where anything he appears in brings gold to the project. I almost didn't recognize him here as a fuddy duddy pastor, one of the other contestants. It's a bit of a too small part though for him. 

Debuted in Toronto last year but officially released here last month. Highly recommend this one but unless you want to pay 6.99 a rental, you may want to wait a few months til it comes down, which it will. This is a good one, folks.   2.75 stars/2.75

ANORA (2024) - MIKEY MADISON LIGHTS UP THE SCREEN IN SEAN BAKER'S LATEST, A MAINSTREAM BREAKTHROUGH BUT NOT HIS BEST FILM

              

Greetings All - Hope this day finds you well, it's certainly movie watching weather we're having in California. Sean Baker's latest is yes, another great film, but falls ever so short of the indie excellence found in Starlet or The Florida Project. Personally, I think his last film, Red Rocket is better but either way we're huge fans of his work. I'm glad to see him hit the mainstream but hope he will keep up his awesome standards. 

Anora has the thumbprints of a lot of his other work - it takes place in the adult entertainment industry and deals with characters normally ousted in society. As you probably know, Madison plays a stripper in one of those Spearmimt Rhino kind of places and starts to befriend a client, a Russian spoiled brat of a kid who treats his whole life like he's on spring break. Things heat up fast between them (this is a Sean Baker film after all ha ha ) and they get married. Turns out though he's the son of an important Russian official who's not too happy that his son just married a "prostitute" and sends his goonbahs out to annul the marraige. 

Madison is great, such a terrific actress, loved her in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. She carries this film like a star running back on a 99 yard return touchdown. I have no idea who the Russian kid is but he's perfectly cast. Armenian actor Karren Karagulian who was so good in Baker's Tangerine is cast in a big part here as the heavy dispatched by his family to try and annul the marraige. An excellent performance once again from him here although there's one or two scenes where he's just a little out of his depth. 

All in all, I'm going to bring Anora in at a solid 4 stars but this is one of my lowest ratings for his films. However, it's still Sean Fu*king Baker!, so go see it. Lol, currently VOD but on sale right now for only 9.99 on both Vudu and Amazon.    4.0 stars/5

JOHN D MACDONALD REVISITED - "DARKER THAN AMBER" (1970) FINALLY MAKES STREAMING WORLD, NOTORIOUS FIGHT SCENE AND ALL

 

Once considered quite the obscurity, a 1970 gem starring none other than Rod Taylor has finally seen the light of streaming day. Taylor plays private detective Travis McGee, the main character in twelve of McDonald's novels. He and his alter ego Meyer (also in all the books) are fishing and see a woman thrown off a bridge. They rescue her and discover she's a reject from a big prostitution and murder ring. Well, McGee's gotta take them all down cause that's the kind of guy he is. 

McDonald, for those in the unknow, was a pulp fiction super-writer who took his work very seriously. No matter what, he was in his office writing every single day from 8 to 5, he completely treated it like a job. In the 1940's he sent his stories into magazines and eventually became very successful. If you like mystery or pulp, I highly recommend you check out his work. 

Taylor, who goes a bit against cast on this one, is terrific. I always dug him in movies like The Time Machine and Hotel. There's an infamous fist fight scene near the end with Taylor and his nemesis that got a little,,,ok, a lot out of hand. The two actors crossed the line and it became real while cameras kept rolling. This scene, very mellow by today's standards, was considered so violent at the time it made for a cut so R could become PG (called GP at the time.)

In whole, this is an excellent adaptation of the novel although McDonald himself detested the film. Shot in Florida, well directed with lots of action scenes, Travis' cool house boat (in all the novels) and a cameo with Jane Russell. This is a real film folks and while sadly it remains the only novel of his adapted to a feature, it's well worth the watch and we're glad to see it back on a big screen. Tubi, of course.    2.75 stars/5

BARKHAD ADBI IS A BILLBOARD REPAIRMAN IN DUBAI FANTISIZING ABOUT THE PRODUCTS "BENEATH A SEA OF LIGHTS" (2020)

 

Filmed entirely on location in Dubai, Adbi plays a billboard repairman who fantasizes about the various products displayed - an interesting premise to say the least. While this is happening, he also develops a friendship with an undesirable roommate who eventually talks him into becoming a thief. 

This one took me by surprise, in a good way. It's an effective crime drama on a low budget with a good pair of leading actors. Very nicely shot, it's got chase scenes, robberies, a fight scene and a pretty cool ending. B-Movie Gazette is back and says check this one out, especially recommend for nighttime viewing, now streaming on Tubi, Plex, Roku and Prime membership.  2.75 stars/2.75

"INTO THE NIGHT" (1985) TURNS 40 - JEFF GOLDBLUM & MICHELLE PFEIFFER DO UP LOS ANGELES AT NIGHT IN JOHN LANDIS' UNDERSTATED MASTERPIECE

 

There is an old friend of mine named Jim Costello that I owe an eternal debt of gratitude to. In a most unusual way that I'll never forget, he turned me onto this film. In 1985 I was a cab dispatcher for Celebrity Cab in Los Angeles and Jim was one of my drivers and good friend. It was a Friday afternoon, we had both just got off work so Jim came over to my place in Hollywood (right behind the Palladium) to do some TGIF partying. He took out a bag of cocaine the size of a loaf of bread and then took out a VHS tape, proclaiming, "wait until you see this movie, this is an advance copy, it doesn't even come out for another week!" 

I replied something to the effect that my pot and booze didn't need nobody and "what's so special about this movie?" As we watched and partied together, I realized every location in this virtual tour of LA at night, either Jim had picked up somebody in his cab or I had dispatched him. The music of BB King and the wonderful opening sequence of a plane landing at LAX still brings me back to that fun afternoon. 

And what a fun film it is. It doesn't fit into any one genre or combo of genres for that matter. And it's certainly not "black comedy" as listed on Wiki. It's John Landis' love letter to LA as created that year, a trip thru the city at night. Goldblum plays a burnt-out aerospace engineer who can't sleep. He drives to LAX one night hoping to catch a red-eye to Vegas to cure his insomnia. Instead, he runs into (literally) Pfiffer, an amateur smuggler and the adventure thru LA at night begins. 

Landis enlisted the help of many friends for this homage and the cast is a cornucopia of great names. A ton of memorable cameos, especially David Bowie. The entire soundtrack is by BB King and very underrated - he did an amazing job of sonically catching that vibe of mid-'80's cocaine-infused LA. 

Hopefully, as the decades rock on, Into The Night will enjoy new popularity and maybe even a cult kind of status. It is truly an understated masterpiece, a very special film. For Goldblum fans, an absolute must, he's at his 100% best here. VOD only right now but worth every penny, enjoy.  3.5 stars/5

"RUNAWAY TRAIN" TURNS 40 - SEMINAL JON VOIGHT ROLE, SEMINAL ERIC ROBERTS ROLE, SEMINAL TRAIN MOVIE

 

Who doesn't love a good train movie and Runaway Train is one of the best ever made, plain and simple. A couple of convicts (Jon Voight, Eric Roberts) escape from a maximum-security prison in Alaska and make their way to a big train yard. Jumping a ride on four locomotives hitched together, the convicts think they're home free until the engineer croaks and their ride becomes a runaway. 

Meanwhile, the prison warden (John P Ryan in one of his best) is on their tail. Central dispatch is trying to figure out if they should derail it or what. Put it all together and you've got the timeless Runaway Train. Jon and Eric are still with us but most the rest are gone, including the beloved Ryan. Runaway Train at 40 and surely to be considered a ground-breaking train movie for decades to come. 3.5 stars/5

Tubi

SEAN ASTIN IS STRANDED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF LAKE MICHIGAN WITH A DRUG SMUGGLER WHO'S PLANE JUST CRASHED IN "THE SURFACE" (2014)

 

Sean Astin stars with Chris Mulkey in what is mostly a two-man act on the water in this wordy slow burn. Shot in the middle of Lake Michigan, Astin plays Mitch who as it turns out has gone out there to kill himself. Mulkey plays Kelly, a smuggler who has a plane crash and is rescued by Mitch. Kelly has a bag with him that has an alarm and GPS on it so now he's being sought and Mitch is in his shit, get it? 

Like I said it's wordy, and it's certainly not going to win any awards for directing or producing. It's got a cool premise though, worth at least one watch for movie lovers. Both leads are great and btw have to throw this in - Mulkey, you need a new agent, totally should have had shared billing with Astin on this.  2.75 stars/5   Tubi, YT, and many other free streamers. 

"FRIGHT NIGHT" (1985) TURNS 40 - FOR REALS! - 9 REASONS CHRIS SARANDONS IMMORTAL TAKE ON DRACULA LIVES ON

 

1. Chris Sarandon, Chris Sarandon, Chris Sarandon! 2. Next to Planet Of The Apes, Roddy McDowells greatest role. 3. Stephen Geoffreys, Stephen Geoffreys, Stephen Geoffreys! 4. Ian Hunters song "Good Man In A Bad Time" in the nightclub scene. 5. Sparks song "Armies Of The Night" in the nightclub scene. 6. Forty years later, still some of the most awesome special fx in a horror movie, every one perfectly executed. 7. Jonathan Stark, Jonathan Stark, Jonathan Stark! 8. "Yeah, Charlie, what's down there?" and last but not least, 9, how about some love for ole character actress Dorothy Fielding as the dipsy doodle mom!

CHAZZ PALMINTERI IS A DICE HUSTLER WHO HAS TO CARE FOR HIS SON WITH DOWNS SYNDROME IN "YONKERS JOE" (2008)

 

The always enjoyable CHAZZ is in top form as a conman and dice hustler. His life is turned upside down when the group home caring for his son (Tom Guiry, absolutely stupendous) calls to say they're kicking the boy out. As is kind of expected as the story moves along, nor only is a bond formed but the boy (who has downs syndrome) is recruited to help dad in a big con. Christine Lahti also stars, it's a nice mix of thrills and comedy, amusing, and at times profound - give this one a chance, it's not bad. 

3.0 stars/5  Tubi 

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, CHEAT 'EM - STEFANO GALLO RESORTS TO ROBBING HIS FRIENDS POKER GAME IN "COLD DECK" (2015)

 

Paul Sorvino, looking like he had a face-lift or two, co-stars in this adequate but not overly special crime drama. Gallo, who up to this point was relatively unknown, does a good job in the lead as Bobby. Acting-wise, the only other real standout here is Robert Knepper who plays the heavy - his scenes are of an entirely different caliber and make the film a little better. 

Cold Deck is an entertaining watch but it's just a hybrid of already overused poker tropes. 2.5 stars/5

Tubi, Roku, Freevee, Plex

GENE HACKMAN FOUND DEAD AT 95 - NOBODY WANTS TO MENTION "THE CONVERSATION" BUT I WILL

 

So, this afternoon I'm watching the coverage of Hackman's sudden and strange passing at age 95. I check out all three of the major networks. And none of them had the balls to mention The Conversation. God forbid they mention the one where he plays a wire tapper (and a brilliant, prophetic treatise from Coppola on society.) So, you'll forgive me if this post is a little angry in tone but any conversation (ha ha) about Hackman should always include if not begin with this seminal performance, one of the most accomplished in all of cinema. THEN, watch your Unforgiven, French Connection, Firm, etc. 5 stars/5

BABS! BABS!! BABS!!! - THE TRIFECTA OF BARBRA STREISAND FILMS (AKA THE BABS ULTIMATE TRIPLE FEATURE)

 
Greetings All - Nobody rocked the cinematic world in the '70's like 👍 ole Babs. And while many selections from that decade are more than worthy to comprise said triple feature,  these are my personal 3 favs...

WHAT'S UP, DOC? (1972) - While this movie lover personally feels Peter Bogdonavich was a tad overrated, the legendary director surely hit it out of the park with this screwball comedy set in San Francisco. How much of that success though should be attributed to Babs is paramount.  She becomes a walking talking Bugs Bunny in femme Fatale and Ryan O Neal and Madeline Kahn in particular are hilarious.  3.75 stars/5 Amazon Prime or VOD

FOR PETE"S SAKE (1974) - Seriously underrated,  a great comedy. Babs plays a strapped for cash housewife who borrows money from the Mob and can't pay it back. Her contract keeps getting passed as she fails at being a call-girl, assassin and smuggler. Michael Sarrizan an actor I never quite latched onto is good as the husband but once again, this is Babs show, she's hilarious. NYC lovers, check out a sequence about two thirds through on the old B line, it rocks.  3.0 stars/5.  Tubi or VOD

A STAR IS BORN (1976) - Like it or lump it - and I think most people that like it would be honest enough to admit it's still a very flawed picture - the second remake of this classic story has some truly good sequences. Ironically, a lot of these belong to Kristofferson like the dramatic concert scene opener and another where he plays a huge stadium in Arizona. Not sure people know just how much of a passion project this was for Babs. I'll tell you who shouldn't have been involved w this project and that's Jon Peter's.  2.5 stars/5

Amazon Prime or VOD

COMING LATER THIS WEEK, IT'S THE MARCH ISSUE WITH >

Birthdays - select films that have notable anniversaries this year.

Repost Week

And of course,  the B MOVIE OF THE MONTH - Here are March's 3 Hints >

1. It seems like every year we land up featuring 

at least one film from this legendary director. 

2. I certainly wouldn't jump off that thing.

3. Among many stunts,, a horse and chariot jump into a pond.

JACK LEMMON'S ABSOLUTE BEST - PART THREE - "THE UNDISCOVERED"

Wrapping up the Jack Lemmon fest, thought it would be cool to feature four Lemmon flicks I just recently watched for the first time. These are all available on Tubi, enjoy!

HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE (1965) - An effective comedy-mystery although entirely dated and would have been better at 90 or 100 minutes instead of close to two hours. Jack's okay, he did a bunch of these flicks in the sixties, but the real star surprisingly in this is British actor Terry Thomas. He plays Jack's butler and narrates the film as well often breaking fourth wall. This gives the extraordinary talent of Thomas some nice room to breathe.   2.75 stars/5

COWBOY (1958) - Jack plays a happy-go-lucky stand up kind of hotel desk clerk who goes partners on a cattle drive with a questionable tycoon (Glenn Ford.) What I like to call a "set piece" Western very typical of the Era. Has its moments but your time is easily spent with another title.  2.0 stars/5

12 ANGRY MEN (TV 1997) - In this remake of the famous play and 1957 movie, Jack plays juror number eight, the one hold out in twelve who thinks the man on trial for his life might be innocent. A meaty gathering of A-listers here, everyone from Edwarc J Almos to George C Scott - and what's Gary Frederickson doing in this thing? Not bad, Jack was 72 when he did this and still had it.   2.25 stars/2.75

THE LONG WAY HOME (TV 1998) Not much I could find out about this Lifetime-esque TV movie, but Jack is great as an elderly man who gets lost and eventually joins a much younger woman on a hitchhiking adventure.  2.75 stars/2.75 watch on Tubi - Editor's Note 2-28-25 - While I'm still not sure who this was produced for, this was easily the most enjoyable flick of these four. A young Sarah Paulson rocks it as co-star and the pacing on this makes it more of an adventure/drama. There's a cool sequence where he joins the circus. Check this one out, it's not bad!

JACK LEMMON`S ABSOLUTE BEST - PART TWO - "THE UNDERRATED GEMS"

 Greetings All- having a bit of technical difficulties lately with a laptop, tablet and phone, none of which are working properly but nonetheless the show will continue 😀 👍 the following is a list of 4 Jack Lemmon flicks lesser known but outstanding performances. Since its Valentines Day 💝 we'll start with the first of two films that Jack did in the year 1969. They're both shot in NYC, both have unusual but perfect leading ladies and both are on this list...enjoy!

THE APRIL FOOLS (1969) - A fun and very '69 romantic comedy where Jack plays Brubaker, a married exec who falls in love with his bosses wife. You see, he's a frog and Catherine Deneuve wants to turn him into a prince. His boss (Peter  Lawford), however, has made it emphatically clear that Brubaker is not, nor ever has been a frog. A lot of very classic NYC locations including what was at that time the new Madison Square Garden. And look out, a fantastical third act w Harvey Korman as a drunk womanizer.  3.5 stars/5

THE OUT OF TOWNERS (1969) -  Again Jack plays an exec new hire. This time, he's trying to make his way to his first day. However,  once he land's in NYC from Ohio, he and his wife (Sandy Dennis, another unusual choice but she kills it) encounter one NYC mishap after another. Only Neil Simon could make all this comical somehow - it's not one of his best but his pairing once again with Lemmon doesn't let down.  3.0 stars/5

THATS LIFE (1986) - Those in the over-55 crowd may remember this Blake Edward's sort of comedy and lot of melodrama. It played in heavy rotation on late night cable, anyone remember the Z channel? Edward's crafted this one on a shoestring budget, even using his actual Malibu house as the main location. Jack plays a disgruntled 60 yr old completely fed up with life, and that's putting it mildly. At the same time his wife (Julie Andrews) may have cancer but hasn't told him yet.  2.5 stars/5

THE GREAT RACE (1965) - Blake Edward's again but a mid 60s epic comedy, three hour complete with intermission, oh yeah. Tony Curtis (in one of his best as well) is the good guy The Great Leslie and Lemmon the bad Professor Fate in a race from NY to Paris. You like screwball, slapstick kind of comedy 🤣?  Let's put it this way - the film is dedicated to Laurel and Hardy. 3.75 stars/5

JACK LEMMON'S ABSOLUTE BEST - PART ONE "THE OBVIOUS PICKS"

Greetings All - Hope this week finds you and yours all well. But even more than that, I hope you're in a JACK LEMMON mood because we got a massive three-part post for you. My personal favorite actor of all-time, and as we all know, one of the all-time greats. Like this Aquarian was majorly talented and it's B-Movie Gazette's proud to present this tribute in three parts.

I - "The Obvious Picks" (that's this post, stupid!) - iow, the cream of the crop.

II - "The Underrated Gems" - a collection of ones you really should see.

III - "The Undiscovered" - a post of films I will be watching for the first time.

THE CREAM OF THE CROP OF JACK LEMMON FILMS "The Obvious Ones"                                                     

SAVE THE TIGER (1974) - We may have a divided country now but way back in 1974 the writings were already on the wall as our main character Harry Stoner (love that name) will attest to. Harry has had it with America and longs back to a time when morals and decency ruled. In the meantime though, he has a factory to save and will do anything to save it. Maybe a detour with a cute hippy chick in Malibu is what Harry needs. I'll give you a key to figuring out this whole movie - it's the last line right before credits role, it's said by a kid, and that kid represents Harry's past.   4/0 stars/5  Pluto or VOD

DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962) - An amazing performance from Jack as he and Lee Remick play a married couple caught up in the throes of alcoholism. A brilliant film on so many levels. And that should come as no surprise considering it's a Blake Edwards film.  5 stars/5

PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE (1975) - Neil Simon fires on all eight cylinders in this oft overlooked neurotic NYC comedy. Jack plays a married man who gets fired and has a nervous

breakdown. This forces his wife (Anne Bancroft) to become the man of the house. Pound for pound, Simon has packed this script with one-liners about the Big Apple and Lemmon and Bancroft are just stellar together.  3.5 stars/5   VOD

THE APARTMENT (1960) - Another holy shit performance from Jack on this one, an obvious pick, had to be on the list. It shows it's age a lot, this one but what a cast and what a script, just magnificent. 5 stars/5 Free right now on Roku channel & Pluto. 

THE ODD COUPLE (1968) - Yep, this is the original that spawned so many great television versions and of course, countless renditions on Broadway. Another incredible performance here from Lemmon. But it's the pairing on this one of him and real-life pal Walter Matthau that sends it to the moon. They were so great together in this and it's Neil Simon once again slamming it out of the park.  5 stars/5