Lame sequel alert : check out this link, a Twins sequel?

This could win the all-time stupidest sequel award.


http://www.themoviebit.com/2012/03/twins-sequel-triplets-planned.html

Twins was a fun tongue-in-cheek comedy using a an action star (Schwarzenegger) mixed with an established comedic actor (DeVito) in this 80's comedy that made the two leads twin brothers from a genetic experiment.  Some fun antics ensued.
The idea of reaching back with another 80's comedian to recapture some on screen fun just won't happen.
Sorry.

Happy Birthday: Christopher Walken & Ewan McGregor

Christopher Walken - my favorite roles of his are in Biloxi Blues, Sleepy Hollow, and the Wedding Crashers

Ewan McGregor - quickly building a very resume of great movies.  My favorites of his are Trainspotting, Moulin Rogue, Angels & Demons, and The Star Wars episodes I-III

Happy Birthday: Hagrid

Robbie Coltrane - best known for his role in the Harry Potter movies, but also had a great role in From Hell

Quick Look: Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

This is a great satiric comedy about college "nerds", and is to the 80's what Animal House was to the 70's.  The movie is directed by Jeff Kanew, and stars Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, and Ted McGinley.
Two high school buddies, Lewis (Carradine) and Gilbert (Edwards), come to Adams College to study computer science as freshmen.  They hear some frat guys referring to them as "nerds" upon their arrival, but quickly shrug it off.  However, the bullying continues from the Alpha Beta fraternity, led by Stan Gable (McGinley), until Lewis and Gilbert, along with a whole group of nerds and geeks who are now their friends, decide to form their own fraternity to fight back.  The newly formed Lambda Lambda Lambda attempts to beat the Alpha Betas with smarts and science over the Alphas muscle and good looks, and the hilarity ensues.
The film has a good soundtrack, and the characters, especially the Lambdas are quite memorable.  Booger (Curtis Armstrong) is a Tri-Lamb nose picking pervert and from the Alpha Beta house "Ogre" (Donald Gibb) provides even more brainless fun.  There is good use of now-non-politically-correct college rights of passage, including hazing and a panty raid - both of which would be criminally prosecuted in 2012.  The beer flows and "wonder-joint" smoking makes Adams College seem like a great party school.
Throw in some on screen appearances by John Goodman as the football coach, Bernie Casey as the President of the National Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity, and Julia Montgomery as Stan and Lewis' love interest, and Revenge of the Nerds is an 80's comedy classic.  'R' rating is for language, nudity, and drug use.
Check out the VHS cover:

 

Awesome movie quotes: Full Metal Jacket (1987)

"Jesus H.Christ, you're not a writer, you're a killer!"

Happy Birthday: wink wink, nudge nudge & the man who brought you the Creeper

Eric Idle - the Monty Python vet

Victor Salva - writer/director of the Jeepers Creepers movies

Awesome movie quotes: Reservoir Dogs (1992)

"You shoot me in a dream, you'd better wake up and apologize."

Happy Birthday: Vince and Julia

Vince Vaughn - best roles were Swingers, Dodgeball, and Wedding Crashers

Julia Stiles - good roles in the Bourne trilogy, and I really liked her part in Dexter season 5

The Total Recall reboot for this summer? thoughts about the trailer?

hmmm ...

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3313803289/

Review: Higher Learning (1995)

People in the Movie:  Laurence Fishburne, Kristy Swanson, Omar Epps, Michael Rapaport, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Jennifer Connelley, Cole Hauser, Tyra Banks

Director:  John Singleton

Pigeonhole:  Drama

The Basics: Written and directed by John Singleton, the film highlights the struggles of students in a fictional institution of higher learning, Columbus University.  The plot focuses primarily on 3 freshmen, Kristin Connor (Swanson), Malik Williams (Epps), and Remy (Rapaport) who find themselves away from home, and how they begin to integrate into the mix of campus life.  Singleton uses the opportunity to address “difficult” topics such as racism, sexual assault, stereotypes, sexuality, as well as a campus shooting.  

Recommendation:  I think this a very good film, and is still relevant considering that all of the “hot button” issues noted are still very much in play in 2012 on college campuses, as well as in society.  ‘R’ rating is for violence, sexual assault, language, and drug use.   

My Take:  While Higher Learning is very good film, and is important for its social commentary, it feels as if some good material to develop the characters, as well as the issues, was either missed or possibly cut. 

**spoiler alert** -Dr. Maurice Phipps (Fishburne) is a professor of political science, and it seems most of the students at Columbus find their way through his classroom.  The character is West Indian, and he speaks with a slight accent.  He seems both scholarly and world-wise and it appears he wants his students to succeed in the class, as well as life.   

-Kristin Connor is a white student from a suburb of LA.  She comes off as somewhat naïve to open the movie, and the audience sees her clutch her purse tightly on the first day, while she is on the elevator with Malik at their dorm, in a racially tense moment.  Ironically, Kristin has a black roommate named Monet (Regina King), and after some initial discomfort of being from different backgrounds, they seem to grow into friends.  Just a short time into the movie, Kristin, after drinking with some frat guys one evening, is date-raped.  After a brief confrontation with the offender, the matter seems to be forgotten, in what I assume is a metaphor about when the crime really happens.  Kristin later befriends a lesbian feminist named Taryn (Connelley), whom she becomes romantically involved with.  Kristin also begins dating Wayne (Jason Wiles) around the same time as she is dating Taryn, which was a little unclear - if Kristin was previously “confused” about her sexuality, or that she is now no longer, and is a bi-sexual.  Kristin also helps put together the rally for “togetherness” at the end of the film.   

-Malik Williams is a black freshman, and was a track star at his high school.  He comes off as arrogant, but he quickly finds out that he is not the big fish in the pond at Columbus U.  In addition, it seems his track performance will be directly related to his scholarship – full or partial – causing some tension with financial matters.  He later begins dating a female track runner named Deja (Banks), who is a touchstone in his connection both track, and his growing up.  Professor Phipps challenges Malik on several occasions to be a better student, comparing his scholastic challenges to training for a track meet.  Malik has several run-ins with Remy, including a brawl with Malik’s friends versus Remy and his “new friends”.  By the end of the movie, I believe Malik has grown the most from an incoming freshman, into an adult.

- Remy is a white student from Idaho, and does not seem to fit in with the other students, either because of background, commonality, or personality.  Out one night by himself, he meets Scott (Hauser) and the two become fast friends.  Scott then integrates Remy into his group of friends, who happen to be neo-Nazi skinheads.  Remy adopts the group’s prejudiced attitude and quickly begins blaming his problems on Jews and blacks, even wanting to drop out of school, to which Scott advises him to remain enrolled.  The group begins escalating violence, attacking some students (which Remy seems to abhor) , and then getting into a fist fight with Malik and his friends.  Remy’s violence towards Columbus University crescendos with a campus shooting during the rally, killing Deja, and several others.  He then kills himself after a fight with Malik, and being cornered by campus security.

- Fudge (Ice Cube) and Dreds (Busta Ryhmes) are “black power” students, who are acquainted with the other black movie characters, smoke marijuana, and seem to have multiple encounters with campus security, but do not seem to go to class even though Fudge has reportedly been at the school for 6 years. Malik, Dreds, Fudge and one other large black guy have a fight with the skinheads.  Sadly, I believe Fudge could have been one of the great supporting characters of the movie, but disappeared for a stretch in between attacking Kristin’s rapist and fighting Remy and Scott.

I have read that there were “significant” cuts made to Taryn’s development as a character, as well as some scenes with the skinheads.  This is unfortunate, because I do feel the movie would have really benefitted from this, as well as some additions to Fudge’s and the other black students developments, especially Monet, seeing that she was Kristin’s roommate and one of the few black students who intermingled with the white students.  While I understand why Singleton used stereotypes to get his message across, I wonder if it detracted from the quality and possibly the response to the film.  For example, the campus security being blatantly racist to the black students, especially during the shooting; the blacks being drug users, or the track stars; the whites being drunk frat boys, date rapists, or the skinheads; the feminist being a lesbian, etc.  The issues Singleton touched on deserve to be out there, and hopefully Higher Learning broke down some walls.  In addition, it is equally important to note the value of these issues as they affect us today, so that we can work as community to prevent said crimes and tragedies, as well as supporting the victims of crime when needed.

I suppose there is also no irony in the school being called Columbus, explorer of the New World, slave trader, and disease spreader to the Native Americans.

 

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  Tupac Shakur was slated for the role of Malik, but he was in jail shortly after being cast, so it went to Omar Epps… The campus shooting is based on the Charles Whitman shootings at the University of Texas… Most of the neo-Nazis were played by Jewish actors…

Happy Birthday: Sonny, Spock, Baby, and 5 more

James Caan - forever immortalized as Sonny Corleone, and also a great role in Misery

Leonard Nimoy - it's logical, Mr Spock.  It's your birthday.

Keira Knightley - good roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Bend it Like Beckham, and The Jacket

Jennifer Grey - nobody puts Baby in a corner on her birthday.  Best roles were in Dirty Dancing, and Ferris Beuller's Day Off.

Amy Smart - I liked her in The Butterfly Effect, and Road Trip

Alan Arkin - my favorite roles of his are in Indian Summer, and Grosse Pointe Blank

Steven Tyler - lead singer of Aerosmith, and American Rock n Roll icon

Martin Short - my favorite roles of his are in Three Amigos! and Ed Grimley on SNL

Happy Birthday: Sarah Jessica Parker

Ohio native, and best know for her role in Sex and the City

(More than a) Quick Look: Predators (2010)

This is third installment in the Predator-only story line, and fifth movie involving the characters known as Predators (including the two Alien vs. Predator films).  The story was developed by Robert Rodriguez back in 1994 but obviously took some time to green-lit for production. It is directed by Nimrod Antal, and stars Adrien Brody and Alice Braga, with Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, and Topher Grace in good supporting roles.

** spoiler alert** A mercenary (Brody), a sniper/assassin (Braga), a Russian special forces solider, a Mexican drug cartel gunman (Trejo), a Yakuza enforcer, a death row inmate, an African death squad fighter, and a doctor (Grace) find themselves in the jungle of an unknown planet.  These killers, (predators in their own right, if you will) soon discover they are the desired prey of a triad of the Predators we have come to know from the past films.  After some gunfire and action sequences, the group finds themselves a few members thinner, when they cross paths with Noland (Fishburne).  He is a former Air Cavalry soldier, who apparently has been living on the planet for some time, scavenging, and hiding out from the Predators, but apparently at the cost of his mental facilities.  Noland reveals there is a "blood feud" between the Predators who are hunting the group, and some smaller Predators, one of which has been captured and being held at the larger Predators encampment.  Noland, revealing his predatory side, then tries to kill the group at his hideout, but does not succeed.  The decision is then made to free the smaller Predator to help fight the larger ones, and attempt to locate a Predator ship to escape the planet.
Predators moves at decent pace, and the action is entertaining.  There are no big surprises, and nothing new revealed in the Predator mythology.  The Predators are very systematic about their hunt, but unlike films past we are (sadly) not introduced to any new weaponry - or maybe I should say I did not notice any new weapons.  The design and overall look of the different Predators we see had a more tribal feel to it, which I thought was nice touch.  While the human characters seemed to be a bit cliche, it was still an interesting idea to see the incorporation of non-solider/cop types to battle against the Predators.  
My biggest disappointment with this installment was Fishburne's character.  It seemed like his character was built up, very well I might add, as he had survived on this alien world for years eluding the Predators, only to have him attempt to murder his human counterparts for no other reason (I could gather) than his possible psychosis?  This plot item just did not feel right to me.  It seemed like there was "missing footage" that would/could have offered something more to this decision.  I also felt the revealed "blood feud" between the larger and smaller Predators could have been developed a little further, but that is a minor detail.
The movie can stand alone as a good action picture (you can watch this without having seen any of the prior Predator films).  "R" rating is for violence and language.

I still feel there is world of Predator stories to tell that have not been explored with all the great mythology that has been doled out among the films, the comics, and video games.    

Happy Birthday: a drill Sgt, a witch, a nerd, an 80's hottie, and a 90's hottie

R Lee Emery - best know for his role as Drill Sgt. Hartman in Full Metal Jacket

Alyson Hannigan - great TV roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and How I Met Your Mother, but her best role is still Michelle the band geek in the American Pie movies

Robert Carradine - best know as Lewis from Revenge of the Nerds

Kelly LeBrock - not very many movies to her credit, but some memorable roles in the Woman in Red, Hard to Kill, and the classic Weird Science

Lara Flynn Boyle - very funny role in Wayne's World, but my favorite role of hers was on TV's Twin Peaks

so who is going to see the Hunger Games this weekend?

have an early response?  let me know ...

Happy Birthday: Cpt. Kirk, Cole, and Legally Blonde

William Shatner - Captain. James T. Kirk.

Cole Hauser - good supporting actor, my favorite roles of his are in Pitch Black and Higher Learning

Reese Witherspoon - great roles in Sweet Home Alabama, and Pleasantville

Awesome movie quotes: Caddyshack (1980)

"Mrs. Crane, I'm looking at you.... you wore green so you could hide."

Happy Birthday: Dracula, Ferris, Caspar, and Bond

Gary Oldman - one of the great actors in film today with outstanding roles in Immortal Beloved, (one of the best portrayals of) Dracula (1992), Leon: The Professional, in the Harry Potter Movies, in the Chris Nolan Batman movies, the Fifth Element, and Hannibal.

Matthew Broderick - will always be known as Ferris Beuller, but had great roles in The Producers, and Glory

Justin Pierce - co-star in a favorite indie film of mine, Kids

Timothy Dalton - I enjoyed his James Bond films

Bob's Thoughts On:The Phantom Menace Effect: CGI and special effects in movies

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was recently re-released to theaters with a 3D makeover. Even though I am a fan of science fiction, including Star Wars, there was no way I was going to spend $7.50 to sit through over two hours of poorly written dialogue and story…was there a story? The only good things about this movie were Liam Neeson, Ewen Mcgreggor, Samuel L. Jackson, and the effects. Even though the afore mentioned actors have all been in some of my absolute favorite movies, and turned out excellent performances elsewhere, their appearances were not enough to save this worthless movie. I admit they did their best, but there is only so much one can do with bad writing and no leeway to tighten the script.
That leaves the special effects. The movie was first released in 1999, and at the time, computer generated imagery had been in use for less than 20 years (Star Trek II and the Last Starfighter were two of the first to use the technique,) and even at this point, scenes involving cgi were limited to a handful of shots per film. The Phantom Menace was one of the first films to incorporate cgi into nearly ever shot of the film. After its run in theaters, this abundance of cgi effects quickly became prevalent in science fiction and fantasy film, and like Phantom Menace, plot, story, and character development was being grossly neglected.
This is what I call The Phantom Menace Effect.
While the second and third entries to the prequel trilogy weren’t…quite…as bad, they still suffered from too much attention being paid to how the movie looked than how it played out and what was coming out of the character’s mouths. This effect would also be found in several comic book based movies such as “The Hulk,” “The Fantastic Four,” and “Ghost Rider.”
But, even as the prequel trilogy was shattering peoples’ faith in the future of sci-fi/fantasy, we were given Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter to show how effects can be used to enhance the story rather than take its place. The comic book movie enterprise soon caught on and we were given “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk” and soon to be critiqued “The Avengers.” (The Batman movies and Captain America were awesome, but not many cgi effects were used, comparatively speaking.)
These are just a few examples of how cgi effects can be use and misused by filmmakers. The last Star Trek film made had the most cgi in the franchise, and it was one of the better entries to the series. And for the part, the Phantom Menace effect isn’t as pronounced as it once was, but it still happens.
But when I mention “the Phantom Menace effect,” this is what I’m talking about.

Happy Birthday: Your neighbor, a doctor, a cop, and more

William Hurt - a great all around actor, with some great supporting and lead roles.  My favorites are The Doctor, The Village, Dark City, A History of Violence, Body Heat...

Spike Lee - very good director and actor.  My favorites of his are Do the Right Thing, Inside Man, and Summer of Sam

Holly Hunter - very underrated actor who has done some great movies.  My favorite roles of hers are Crash (1996), Copycat, and O Brother, Where Art Thou

Michael Rapaport - excellent roles in Higher Learning and Beautiful Girls.

Fred Rogers - the guy from the neighborhood

Awesome movie quotes: Boomerang (1992)

"Oh, oh, so in other words, you ain't hit the twizzad!"

"Twizzad, is that another one of your colloquialisms for vagina, Tyler?"

Interesting piece/ link on Kevin Smith on NPR Books

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/20/148921432/thats-all-folks-kevin-smith-on-leaving-filmmaking

Who else is stoked for Prometheus in June? Latest trailer link

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1839767577/

Awesome movie quote: Once Upon A Time in Mexico (2003)

Agent Sands: "El, you really must try this because it's puerco pibil.  It's a slow-roasted pork, nothing fancy. It just happens to be my favorite, and I order it with a tequila and lime in every dive I go to in this country. And honestly, that is the best it's ever been anywhere.  In fact, it's too good. It's so good that when I'm finished, I'll pay my check, walk straight into the kitchen and shoot the cook. Because that's what I do."

Happy Birthday: Bruce Willis

getting start in the mid 80's, he has a good mix of comedic, action and drama roles.  my favorites are: Die Hard, 12 Monkeys, Pulp Fiction, Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense, and the Fifth Element.

Awesome movie quotes: The Usual Suspects (1995)

"Back when I was picking beans in Guatemala, we used to make fresh coffee, right off the trees I mean."

Happy Birthday: Chucky, Capt. Oveur, and an awesome French Director

Luc Besson - one of my favorite writer and directors.  Directing - my favorites of his are La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element, and Leon: The Professional.

Peter Graves - had a long career in Hollywood.  I never the Mission: Impossible with him.  All time best role was Captain Oveur in Airplane!

Brad Dourif - highly underrated actor, that has been in over 100 TV and movie roles.  He seems to excel at the strange/ creepy roles.  Was the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play movies.  My favorite roles of his were in Alien: Resurrection, Fatal Beauty, and the 2 recent Rob Zombie Halloween remakes.

Happy Birthday: to Snake and a Brat Packer

Kurt Russell - has a good variety of roles through his career - my favorites are Escape from NY, Big Trouble in Little China, Tango and Cash, Backdraft, adn Tombstone

Rob Lowe - member of the Brat Pack, best roles in St Elmo's Fire, Wayne's World, and Frank and Jesse

Happy Birthday: Flavor Flav

What can you say about a guy who was part of Public Enemy and wears clocks around his neck?

Awesome movie quotes: Caddyshack (1980)

"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, and a donut with no hole is a danish'. Funny Guy."

Happy Birthday: to 6, directors and singers

David Cronenberg - director of some great films; Crash, A History of Violence, and Eastern Promises.

Renny Harlin - director of several movies I enjoy; Die Hard 2, Nightmare on Elm St 4, and Exorcist: The Begining

Bret Michaels - lead singer of Poison

Will i Am - singer/songwriter with the Black Eyed Peas, and mentor on American Idol of recent

Dee Snider - lead singer of Twisted Sister, movie director, and actor in Strangeland, and radio show host

Mark McGrath - lead singer of Sugar Ray

Happy Birthday: longtime actor, great movie writer, Oscars host, and Oz

Michael Caine - this guy has been making movies since 1950, with too many favorites to name.  Of recent, I enjoy his role as Alfred in the Chris Nolan Batman movies.

Kevin Williamson - wrote 90's horror staples Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer

Billy Crystal - my favorite roles of his are in City Slickers and Running Scared

Chris Klein - best role is in American Pie

Review: Cobra (1986)

People in the Movie:  Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielson, Brian Thompson

Director:  George Cosmatos

Pigeonhole:  Action / Cop “drama”

The Basics: A street tough cop named Marion “Cobra” Cobretti (Stallone) becomes entangled in a large scale murder investigation attributed to the Night Slasher (Thompson).  A model named Ingrid Knudsen (Nielson) comes under attack one night, and Cobra quickly realizes it is because she is a witness who has seen the Night Slasher.  Cobra must protect Ingrid, and deal the criminals his own brand of justice. 

Recommendation:  There are a few good action scenes, gunfights and a decent car chase, plus some “tough guy” talk, but that is about it.  There is little in the way of a plot, character development, or believability.  Fortunately the movie is only 87 minutes long.  If you’re a Sly Stallone fan, and you like to see the bad guys lose, then enjoy the mindless fun.   “R” rating is for violence and language.

My Take:  This movie very much plays out like a old western.  The lone “good-guy” taking on a plethora of villains, to save the girl.  That’s it.  That’s the whole movie.

**spoiler alert** Cobra is the embodiment of the “rogue cop who can’t follow the rules” (a favorite moniker of my brother).  He is part of the “Zombie Squad”, as his boss verbalizes early in the movie.  I am not really sure if this is supposed to mean Cobra works the late shift, or if the suspects he routinely deals with are all low-lifes.  He wears mirrored sunglasses, a henley t-shirt, jeans, black leather gloves, black biker boots; he drives a custom built 1950 Mercury, and carries a .45 with a Cobra design on the pearl handle.  Unfortunately, beyond his outward appearance, we learn very little about the man.

The Night Slasher is large, menacing, deep-voiced thug that Thompson plays perfectly.  What we learn is that he is a leader of a group/cult that mostly resembles a biker gang.  They seem fairly mindless, and it appears there is only one female in the whole group.  Here is another slightly unclear point; either their group is called New Order, or they believe in a psychotic idealism called New Order.  New Order is (or has) a fairly simple theory; they kill the “weak” so the strong survive.  There is no other development of the group; the Night Slasher leading them, or instructing them as a cult leader might.  The audience is shown a montage of them banging axes over their heads.  That must be how they prep for a night out.

So out driving one night after a photo shoot, Ingrid sees the Night Slasher and a few other gang members while they are dumping a body, although she only saw them at the location, she did not see the body, and therefore did not realize she would be in danger.  The Night Slasher, seeing her, considers her a witness, so they track her down to kill her, but fail in their attempt.  Now under Cobra’s watch it is basically a street battle of him trading gunfire with this gang.  It really does not make sense that this whole gang of people would commit themselves to eliminating this one girl.    

But, like in most shoot-em-up films like this, the bad guys couldn’t hit an oil tanker with their bullets, and Cobra - sometimes not even aimed at certain bad guys- manages to kill them all.  Forget about any attempt to arrest them, these are bikers of the New Order! Or who believe in the New Order!  Or something similar..  They need to be shot to death!  

Even more absurd is the on screen attempt at Cobra and Ingrid kindling a relationship, and made funnier by the fact that Stallone and Nielson were actually married at the time.  It just looked visibly uncomfortable for both of them.

Forgot to mention there is an even a special treat for the Night Slasher, but I won’t ruin that.

The only real tragedy of the film is that Cobra’s Mercury gets wrecked during a car chase.  Unless you count the acting …       

         

 

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  Cobra was a critical failure, but had a huge box office return… Loosely based on the novel Fair Game, which was spawned into the 1996 film flop Fair Game starring Billy Baldwin and Cindy Crawford…

Awesome movie quotes: Cobra (1986)

"..you're the diesease.  I'm the cure."

Happy Birthday: William H Macy & Dana Delany

William - my favorite roles of his are in Boogie Nights, Pleasantville, and Fargo.  Also married to Felicity Huffman.

Dana - best know for her TV roles on China Beach, and Body of Proof

Happy Birthday: to Two-Face and the Hedgehog

Aaron Eckhart - highly underrated actor, who has had great roles in Suspect Zero, The Dark Knight, Thank You for Smoking, and The Black Dahlia

Ron Jeremy - if you don't know who he is, then I just say he makes "human interest - art films", and we'll leave it at that.

Happy Birthday: to 2 lesser knowns

Peter Berg - actor and director.  My 2 favorite acting roles of his are in The Last Seduction and The Great White Hype.

Elias Koteas - excellent supporting actor, my 2 favorite roles of his are in Crash (1996) and The Fourth Kind

Happy Birthday: a playboy bunny, a badass, a killer, and an FBI agent

Shannon Tweed - playboy bunny, soft core porn actress, and wife to Kiss' Gene Simmons

Chuck Norris - Badass. Actor.  Nice variety of TV and movie action roles.

Sharon Stone - my favorite roles of hers are in Sliver and Basic Instinct

Paget Brewster - know best for her role on Criminal Minds, and the 2nd b-day for the show in 2 days.  Matthew Gray Gubler was yesterday.

(More than a) Quick Look: The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)

Sometimes it seems we do have to ignore what our instincts might be telling us.  I was quite wary of seeing an attempt at a remake/reboot/rethinking of Abel Ferrara's excellent 1992 indie film Bad Lieutenant, starring Harvey Keitel.  But, I saw this listed on the indie film channel, so I decided to give it a once-over, and I am glad I did.
The movie is directed by Werner Herzog, and it stars Nick Cage, Eva Mendes and Xzibit.  The supporting cast is surprisingly strong as well, featuring Val Kilmer, Brad Dourif, and Jennifer Coolidge.  The movie opens in New Orleans right after hurricane Katrina.  A police sergeant named Terrence McDonagh (Cage) is clearing out his locker when he hears a prisoner in a holding cell who was not transferred out.  With the water rising and the man about to drown, Cage jumps into about 5 feet of water to rescue the man.  The scene cuts to McDonagh in his doctor's office being informed he has sustained a back injury during the rescue which will leave him pain the rest of his life.  McDonagh is then promoted to police Lieutenant in part due to his heroism of his rescue.
We quickly learn of McDonagh's "bad" persona.  He uses cocaine, heroin, and marijuana; his girlfriend is a prostitute named Frankie (Mendes); he gambles; and is more or less a criminal who happens to carry a badge.  The underlying plot is McDonagh investigating Big Fate (Xzibit) for a drug related homicide of 5 people.  McDonagh tries to juggle his various addictions along with this investigation, and his destructive behaviors all seem to collide with one another.  The end comes around full circle in a positive way.
What really made this movie good was Cage's role.  He carried himself around as if he did have a borderline severe back injury (walking stiff and with his shoulders shifted), and he really did come off as the torn cop - someone who wants to, and should be, doing the right things, but instead continually digs himself into a deeper and deeper hole.  It was very much embodying the behaviors of an addict, but with the calculations of an intelligent person.
Some of the scenes came off almost cartoonishly fictional, like McDonagh trying to gain Big Fate's trust so he could get money to pay off a gambling debt, and other scenes were almost a little "too far out there" for the context - like McDonagh seeing an iguana while he was high on drugs at several points.  But all in all the film worked well, and is worth checking out.

Happy Belated Birthday 3/9: Raul Julia & Matthew Gray Gubler

Raul - had great roles in Presumed Innocent and Tequila Sunrise

Matthew - best known as Dr Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds, but has also done the voice of Simon in the recent Chipmunks cgi movies.

Awesome movie quotes: Weird Science (1985)

"How come two unpopular dicks like you, is havin' a party?"

Awesome movie quote: Breakfast Club (1985)

"I am the eyes and ears of this school."

Happy Birthday: think LA Ink, Scooby Doo, and 16 Candles

Kat Von D - tattooist, TV personality

Freddie Prinze Jr. - know from his roles in I Know What You Did You Last Summer, and its sequel, as well as the live action Scooby Doo movie and its sequel.

John Kapelos - my favorite roles of his were in Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club

Happy Birthday: a "psycho" writer, a mummy hunter, and a jarhead

Bret Easton Ellis - writer of the books Less Than Zero and American Psycho, which were then put onto to the big screen.  I recommend both.

Rachel Weisz - very underrated actor, in my opinion.  Great roles in Enemy at the Gates, Constantine, and Runaway Jury, but probably most well known for her role in the Mummy remake and its sequel

Peter Sarsgaard - has had several excellent supporting roles in Jarhead, Skeleton Key, and Garden State.

Bob's Fun Movie Trivia: The Wilhelm Scream

One of the most recognizable sound effects in Hollywood, the iconic “Wilhelm Scream” had been used in dozens if not hundreds of movies since it was first recorded. It is a high pitched male scream that is used during an action sequence when a male character has just received his death blow.
The Scream was recorded for the film “Distant Drums” in 1951 for a scene in which a male character is dragged underwater by an alligator and eaten. It’s moniker would come two years later when the effect was re-used for the film “The Charge at Feather River” when a character named Private Wilhelm is shot with an Indian arrow and belts out the famous call.
The scream became a favorite sound effect of George Lucas who worked it into every “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” film, and from there the scream made its way throughout Hollywood, becoming almost a moviemaking in-joke: “Where can we put a Wilhelm scream?” And now, whenever I go to an action movie, even though I don’t want to, I start listening for for the effect.
I’m both a fan and non-fan of the Wilhelm scream. It’s a film icon, true, but it’s become a campy element of action sequences, and it’s constant use and reconcilability makes it impossible to be used in any serious form, and it’s original uses have been somewhat detracted from by it’s overuse. Besides that, it’s a weird sounding male scream.
I’m not against it’s use in films like “Star Wars” or “Kill Bill” or “Spiderman” where the tone of the action might call for the scream. But I was not real happy when watching “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and the Wilhelm scream was used for a dying elf. This is not the kind of movie to be using such a campy sound effect.
So, the sound effect has its practical uses, but it has become the “Where’s Waldo” of action sequences. But, it is a Hollywood icon, and deserves recognition for it’s longevity of use.

Review: The Great White Hype (1996)

People in the Movie:  Samuel L Jackson, Damon Wayans, Peter Berg

Director:  Reginald Hudlin

Pigeonhole:  Comedy / Satire

The Basics: A satiric look at the sport of boxing, specifically the corruption and the idea of using racism to fuel a fight promotion.  A shady boxing Manager/Promoter named Reverend Fred Sultan (Jackson) handles the business of the current Heavyweight Champion, James “The Grim Reaper” Roper (Wayans).  Seeing financial opportunity, Sultan finds the only person to have ever beaten Roper in a boxing match (albeit when they were both amateurs), Terry Conklin (Berg), who is currently the lead singer of a metal band in Cleveland.  Conklin is also white.  The match is built up with comedic back and forths, with the movie ending in a knockout (pun intended). 

Recommendation:  I find the movie very entertaining.  It was very appropriate when it came out, somewhat slapping the face of the state of boxing in the mid 90’s.  You do not have to be a boxing fan, or even know the first thing about boxing to enjoy it, plus it’s only 91 minutes long, and doesn’t get bogged down with too much fluff.  ‘R’ rating is for language. 

My Take:  I would say most of the roles were bordering on caricature-like and very much highlighted the corruption of the “sport”.  The beauty of the movie is that you can tell it did not take itself too seriously, which made it twice as entertaining.  

**spoiler alert** The movie opens with Roper defeating another fighter with ease, retaining his title as Champion.  At the after-party Sultan is lamenting with his entourage that the fight was financial failure because no one wants to watch two black fighters in a bout.  He realizes the only way to turn a huge profit is to get a white fighter into the ring against Roper, but there are no white contenders in boxing at the moment.  It is remembered then, that Roper’s only loss as a boxer was to white fighter named Terry Conklin, when the two were amateurs.  Sultan’s party locates Conklin in Cleveland, where he is the lead singer of a heavy metal band.  Conklin is currently a peace loving Buddhist, but is still lured away to fight Roper with the promise of money to help eradicate homelessness (Conklin is kind of a dullard, if you didn’t guess).  Sultan develops a marketing ploy, getting a trainer for his new fighter to get him back into fighting shape, and referring to him by his now-invented fighter name “Irish” Terry Conklin (even though he isn’t Irish).  An employee of one of the boxing commissions (played by Cheech Marin) is then bribed by Sultan to get Conklin ranked so he can fight Roper, even though Conklin has never fought in a professional bout. 

Roper treats the upcoming fight as joke, so instead of training, he watches lots of TV, and eats ice cream.  Sultan builds up the hype of the fight, and with Conklin’s hard training, and Roper’s lack thereof, people begin to believe Conklin has a real shot at beating Roper in the ring.  In the background of this fight, the true number one heavyweight contender, who has been waiting to fight Roper, Marvin Shabazz (Michael Jace) and his manger Hassan El Rukn (Jamie Foxx) provide even more comic moments.

The movie has a very good soundtrack, including performances by Brian Setzer and Method Man, in the movie, on the night of the fight.        

 

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  Terry Conklin’s band is called Massive Head Wound… This is not an award winning classic, but if you like satiric comedy, and/or the lead actors, you will like this one.

Awesome movie quotes: The Karate Kid (1984)

"Sweep the leg."

Awesome movie quote: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

"Oh Agent Starling, you think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool?"

Happy Birthday: Hello Cleveland, then Sweep the Leg - and more...

Rob Reiner: actor and director.  Directed some real classics: Stand by Me, This Is Spinal Tap, A Few Good Men, The Princess Bride, and When Harry Met Sally

Moira Kelly - has not done much of recent, but my favorite roles of hers were in The Cutting Edge and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Shaquille O'Neal - well, we should be thankful he no longer making movies

Tom Arnold - has had some decent supporting roles in TV and film, but my favorite was in True Lies

Martin Kove - and who could forget bad guy John Kreese, sensei of the Cobra Kai

Awesome movie quotes: Predator (1987)

"Get to the choppa!!"

Awesome movie quotes: Beetlejuice (1988)

"Oh look, an indoor outhouse."

Happy Birthday: Dean Stockwell

best know for his role on the TV series Quantum Leap, but had well over 100 roles going back to 1945 in other films and TV, my favorite of which was in Blue Velvet.

Happy Birthday: Catherine O'Hara

Has had a long career in comedic roles, my favorites are in Beetlejuice and Best in Show

Happy Birthday: from Heaven, from Fox, from Trek, from MTV

Jessica Biel - had a great role in The Illusionist, decent role in the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, and well know for role on Tv's 7th Heaven

David Faustino - best known for role as Bud on Married With Children

James Doohan - will always be known as "Scotty" from Star Trek

Tone Loc - rapper whose real name is Anthony Smith. Supporting roles in Ace Ventura Pet Detective, and Heat. Which do you like better Wild Thing or Funky Cold Medina?

Awesome quote: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

"I do have a test today, that wasn't bullshit. It's on Europeon Socialism. I'm not Europeon, I don't plan on being Europeon, so who gives a crap if they're socialists."

Happy Birthday: Ron Howard

IMO a better director than actor, my favorites of his are Backdraft, the Da Vinci Code, and Angels & Demons.