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Dance with Me, Henry (1956)
It's harmless
I've seen "Dance with Me, Henry" many times. It's not Abbott and Costello at their peak but it's still worth watching. Bud & Lou both do a nice job. Their supporting cast is also good. The story is fine too. The movie does take a dip for a little while but it ends pretty strong. I'm a big fan of the films of Abbott & Costello. I've seen all of their movies many times over. "Dance with Me, Henry" has never been one of my go-to movies of theirs. That said, it remains an easy watch. There are worse ways to spend a rainy Saturday morning than with "Dance with Me, Henry". (IMDB has a six hundred character minimum.)
Carbon Copy (1981)
Not that good but worth the watch
"Carbon Copy" was known as a pretty bad movie when I was young. You could get a pretty good laugh by bringing it up once in a while. I don't want to say that "Carbon Copy" has aged well because it hasn't. But I have to admit, George Segal and Denzel Washington are very good together in this movie. The two of them rise about the material. On the the other hand, the usually likeable Susan Saint James and Jack Warden aren't as lucky. Saint James is actually pretty annoying. "Carbon Copy" has a point to make and that's fine but, unfortunately, its heavy handed approach smothers any chance the movie ever had. I guess I would call "Carbon Copy" a near miss.
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
An okay watch
"Beverly Hills Cop II" is one loud movie. All of the cop characters are yelling. Tires are screeching and cars are crashing. There's a ton of gunfire and explosions. And don't forget about the non-stop music playing. "Beverly Hills Cop II" is a big-time slick 80's cop movie. It's only real problem is the script. It's weak. The plot of the movie is kind of dumb. Along with all of the noise, the story drags the movie down. "Beverly Hills II" is made watchable because of the cast. The are a likeable group of actors. The weak link is Brigitte Nielsen. But since she has very little dialogue, they manage to hide her limited acting skills.
Major League (1989)
Big-Time Fun
"Major League" is a lot of fun. It has big laughs throughout. It tells it tells its story in a straight forward way with zero down time. The cast is super likeable with great performances across the board. They all get their time to shine. "Major League" is filled with great moments but none better than a two minute scene towards the end of the movie between pitcher Charlie Sheen and manager James Gammon. "Major League" is so good even the big game ending is edge-of-your-seat stuff. I first saw this movie in the theater (Movie World, Douglaston, NY) and many times after that on cable but for some reason I haven't watched it years. Shame on me, I'm not going to let that happen again.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Watchable but not that good
Shame on me. I actually had pretty high hopes for "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F". I thought the trailer looked pretty good. I should have know better. The original "Beverly Hills Cop" is a fun 80's cop comedy/action movie. The sequels have been pretty weak, including "Axel F". The action scenes are well done but they're not very exciting. Mostly because the story isn't very interesting. The cast is fine but I spent a lot of time looking at their hair. Eddie Murphy's "hair" looks like it's spray painted on. John Ashton is 77 years old and looks it. Add in his jet black hair and goatee and he looks 107. Judge Reinhold doesn't fare much better. "Axel F" is yet another straight-to-Netflix dud.
Nothing Personal (1980)
It's a pretty tough watch
They should have changed the title of "Nothing Personal" to "Nothing Works". That's because nothing really works in this movie. I don't want to say that the almost always reliable Donald Sutherland mailed it in but he isn't nearly as good as he normally is. He spends half the movie walking around with an annoying grin. The other half of the time he wears a bowtie. He is playing a professor after all. Lawyer (?!?) Suzanne Somers doesn't fare much better. She is likeable and she certainly knows how to strike a pose but she was a sitcom star at the time. On the big screen, her lack of acting chops really shows. "Nothing Personal" is an instantly forgettable dud.
Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
Robin Williams' finest hour
I saw "Moscow on the Hudson" in the theater (Movie World, Douglaston, NY). I also saw it many times back when they used to show it on cable. Somewhere along the line I lost track of this movie. Shame on me. It's terrific. I was never that much of a fan of Robin Williams but he's excellent. His supporting cast is also top-notch with the standouts being Elya Baskin and the dreamy Maria Conchita Alonso. Baskin should have been nominated for an Oscar. "Moscow on the Hudson" is not perfect. It does kind of run out of steam during the second half. It still lands its punches so the minor dips in movie are easily forgiven.
Burden of Dreams (1982)
Required Viewing
The late 1970's/early 1980's were the glory days of out of control/crazy/visionary flimmakers. There were quite a few epics that were filmed on location under crazy circumstances. William Friedkin had "Sorcerer". Michael Cimino had "Heaven's Gate". Francis Ford Coppola had "Apocalypse Now. And Werner Herzog had "Fitzcarraldo". "Burden of Dreams" does a great job showing up Herzog and company were up against. Which was more formidable: the elements/ local cultures or Herzog's vision? "Burden of Dreams" is an excellent documentary about a time of great directors risking everything to make the movie they vision. Sadly, it's a time that is lost forever.
Dog Gone (2023)
It lands its punches
I wasn't expecting that much when I sat down to watch "Dog Gone". It's not that I though it was going to be bad. I thought it would be okay but it ended up being really good. "Dog Gone" knows what it is and hits every target it aims at. It lands a lot more punches than than you might expect. "Dog Gone" has a bunch of really nice moments. Its cast is very good. There are no weak links in the bunch. It's a good looking movie too. It took a few minutes for me to get on board with "Dog Gone". But once Gonker goes missing, the movie had me and never lost me. Most straight-to-Netflix movies are instantly forgettable. "Dog Gone" is not. I'll be watching it again pretty soon. Honorable mention: the biker dude scene.
The Big Mouth (1967)
A little long but pretty funny
Writer/director/producer/star Jerry Lewis does a really nice job with "The Big Mouth". There are quite a few laughs in this movie. I mean, how couldn't like a movie that had both Colonel Sanders and Charlie Callas. As far as Callas goes, half the time I was laughing with him the rest of the time I was laughing at him. Either way, I laughed. The rest of the cast was pretty good with Jerry's leading lady, Susan Bay Nimoy being the only weak link. Nimoy did nothing for me. She was as bland as they come. The other demerit "The Big Mouth" gets has to do with its length. It's too long by at least fifteen minutes. All that said, I got a kick out of this movie.
Firestarter (1984)
It's actually really bad
"Firestarter" has a lot going for it but at the end of the day, it's pretty bad. It's a great looking movie. The special effects/pyrotechnics are top-notch. The cast is very likeable but most of the performances are just middle of the road. At the end of the day, "Firestarter' is just too stupid to be enjoyed. It's a big budget Stephen King '80s movie that will always be remembered but not by me. (IMDB has a six hundred character minimum. That's pretty hard sometimes... Like tonight. I enjoyed "Firestarter" as a throw-back thing king of thing but the movie itself, is pretty bad...Oh boy I'm still short on characters...)
The Stone Killer (1973)
Bronson delivers the goods
Charles Bronson does a top-notch job in "The Stone Killer". Bronson is given a great character to play and he takes advantage of the opportunity. It's one of his best performances. He strikes just the right tone for a character who's not the easiest to play. Bronson's supporting cast is one of his best. Norman Fell may never have been better. Pa Walton (Ralph Waite) took a while to get used to playing a racist tough-guy cop but at the end of the day, he played that guy just right. Waite ends up giving a very good performance and he also gets quite a few laughs. Thanks to Charles Bronson's performance, "The Stone Killer" ends up being a pretty satisfying watch.
Alone (2020)
Wow, this one surprised me
"Alone" came out of nowhere for me. On Saturday nights I usually end up watching a Lifetime movie. That's not a dis (Dis is spelled with one S. I looked it up.) on Lifetime movies. A lot of them are pretty good. (Although, I'm not a fan of the true story ones.) But anyway, sometimes on Saturday nights I like to check out Netflix first to see if I can find a cash equivalent. That's how I ended up watching "Alone". Wow, I can't tell you how surprised I was by this movie. It's really good. Edge-of-your-seat stuff pretty much every step of the way. Director John Hyams and company deserve a bunch of bonus points for this one. "Alone" might be the best straight-to-Netflix movie I've ever seen. (Just for the record, I liked this movie a lot more than my wife. She thought it was okay.)
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
Coppola pulls a rabbit out of his hat
Director-for-hire Francis Ford Coppola makes lemonade of lemons with "Peggy Sue Got Married". It doesn't have the greatest script. The project passed through several hands (including Jonathan Demme and Penny Marshall) before it ended up in Coppola's hands. Coppola ended up doing a very nice job with it. "Peggy Sue Got Married" takes a while to get going but after a half hour or so it gets into a nice grove. The movie does take a few dips along the way but the overall effect is quite satisfying. Coppola lands quite a few punches so those bumps in the road don't have that much of an impact. Although not one of Coppola's best movies, "Peggy Sue Got Married" is definitely worth watching.
El karate el Colt y el impostor (1974)
Not worth the trouble
"Blood Money" (that's the title under which I saw this movie) could have been a good movie but it's not. It's a combination of a bad karate flick and a bad spaghetti western. It does has a few campy moments but not enough to make the movie fun. The idea of having treasure maps tattooed on prostitutes' asses is a fun but they just tease us with it. They get a demerit for never even bothering to show us any of the maps (I mean come on, it's 1974 already). Lee Van Cleef is fine in this movie but his karate partner Lo Lieh is dull as dishwater. I was hoping "Blood Money" would be a goofy way to kill some time. It ended up being not worth the trouble.
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952)
It's a long 70 minutes
I'm a big fan of films of Abbott and Costello. I've seen all of their movies quite a few times. I may watch "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd" the least. It's pretty bad. It's a cheap looking movie that has very few laughs. I must admit that I did laugh a couple of times. The handcuff scene with Charles Laughton and Lou Costello is very funny. It's the highlight of the movie. But every time the movie becomes remotely entertaining, another crummy song starts up. The songs in this movie are terrible. They ruin whatever chance "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd" may have had. (I watched this movie on Tubi.)
In Harm's Way (1965)
Worth Watching
I've seen "In Harm's Way" a few times now. It always kind of left me flat. I never really liked all of the '60s style melodrama. Last night, however, none of that stuff really bothered me. The truly all-star cast delivers such strong performances that I easily overlooked the soap opera elements of the movie. John Wayne delivers a very good performance. Patricia Neal is even better. Their scenes together are terrific. They are the best part of the movie. "In Harm's Way" is also a great looking movie. The only problem I had with the movie this time around is its length. It's probably a half hour too long.
Naked Fear (2007)
Better than expected
I got more than I bargained for with "Naked Fear". I wasn't expecting much. I figured I'd be getting a low budget skin-fest but this movie had more to offer than that. Sure, Danielle De Luca spends half of the movie running around naked but "Naked Fear" also had a pretty good story. The performances, for the most part, were also a lot better than I expected. Joe (How did I end up in this movie?) Mantegna actually ends up giving one of the movie's weaker performances. Mantegna's country boy accent is pretty lame. A major problem "Naked Fear" has is its length. A movie like this should never be longer than an hour and a half. This one clocks in at 1 hour and 48 minutes. That's just too long.
Ten Wanted Men (1955)
Randolph Scott delivers again
Randolph Scott delivered one solid western after another. "Ten Wanted Men" is another good one. Scott is in fine form and his supporting cast is one of his best. Richard Boone is solid as is a young Dennis Weaver. "Ten Wanted Men" has a good story and it's filled with action. The last ten or fifteen minutes or so are packed with explosions and collapsing sets. It's all really quite impressive considering Scott's westerns were mostly medium size budget affairs. The only thing that I don't really like about the movie is the title. "Ten Wanted Men" is a great title for a western but it doesn't really seem to fit this movie.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
A solid addition to the Mad Max franchise
Writer/director/producer George Miller has created what has to go down as one of the best series of films ever made. Miller has made five Mad Max films and all of them are very good. Not a dud in the bunch. It's quite an amazing feat. "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" fits right in with the rest of them. It's a great looking movie that has imagination to share. It's filled with solid performances but none are better than Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth is given a great character and some terrific dialogue and he hits the ball out of the park. I enjoyed "Furiosa" today (AMC Raceway 10, Westbury, NY) but I actually think I'll like it even more the next time around.
Bat*21 (1988)
It's the best Vietnam War movie ever made
I'm going to say that again. "Bat*21" is the greatest Vietnam War movie ever made. It's edge-of-your-seat stuff every step of the way. Gene Hackman gives a great performance. Danny Glover is even better. Glover is terrific. His performance is Oscar caliber. There have been a lot of great, and some not so great, movies about the Vietnam War. "Bat*21" sits at the top of the heap. I need to watch this movie more often. (IMDB has a six hundred character minimum so I have to ramble on for a few minutes. So how are you feeling? I'm fine. Thanks for asking. It's a nice day. I think I'll go for a walk.)
Wholly Moses! (1980)
It's actually pretty funny
"Wholly Moses!" was mocked when I was a kid. I didn't see it in the theater because nobody else wanted to. I may have seen it on cable once or twice but I don't think I ever really gave it a chance. Watching it tonight all these years later, it's actually pretty funny. I laughed a more than a few times. I smiled more than that. The material is a bit spotty but the cast is top-notch. Dudley Moore is very likeable and as game as they come. James Coco is really good and the cameos by Dom DeLuise and John Ritter are both very funny. I don't want to say that "Wholly Moses!" has aged well but it has.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
The fifth time is the charm
Wow, I can't believe I'm going to say what I'm about to say. I just finished watching Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" and I really enjoyed it. This is shocking to me. I've seen this movie at least four times before tonight. (I may/may not have seen it in the theater. I don't remember.) I never liked. In fact, I always thought it sucked. Tonight that all changed. Of course it's self-indulgent, self-conscience, over-the top and a little too long. "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" definitely stumps under the weight of QT's massive ego but when it works, it's really good. If I had to rank the movies Tarantino directed, "Kill Bill: Vol 2" would come in third.
Blood Simple (1984)
A first at-bat home run for the Coen Brothers
I saw "Blood Simple" when it first came out (Movie World, Douglaston, NY). I rented it quite a few times after that. But shame on me, I lost track of "Blood Simple" years ago. I've rewatched a bunch of Coen Brothers movies quite a few times but for some reason I haven't watched this movie in about thirty years. Shame on me. It's one of their best movies the Coen Brothers ever made. It's a terrific piece of filmmaking. It's filled with very strong performances, including an Oscar caliber one from M. Emmet Walsh. "Blood Simple" is edge-of-your-seat stuff pretty much every step of the way. Honorable mention: the music.
Angels in the Outfield (1951)
It's a triple down the line
"Angels in the Outfield" is a really fun watch. It's a really fun movie that has a ton of heart. It lands more punches than you would expect. It's also filled with one great performance after another, even the voice is great. Keenan Wynn comes in as Best of Breed. He's terrific. Wynn played a lot of villains in his day but none of were as rotten as this Fred Bayles guy. "Angels in the Outfield" may be a baseball movie but it also an excellent trial scene. It rivals the courtroom stuff in "Miracle on 34th Street". Besides all that, would couldn't love a movie where a 44 year old Paul Douglas and a 24 year old Janet Leigh fall in love?