Sheriff of Tombstone

Released in 1941, Sheriff of Tombstone stars Roy Rogers and the king of frontier gibberish, George "Gabby" Hayes. The film was directed by Joseph Kane, who actually directed over a dozen Roy Rogers films in the late 30's and 40's.

The basic premise of the film centers around a Dodge City lawman named Bret Starr (played by Rogers) who makes his way West to Tombstone. Once he arrives he's almost immediately mistaken for a man they call "Shotgun" Cassidy. Knowing "Shotgun's" reputation for being a corrupt lawman, Starr plays along and asks his friend Judge Whittaker (played by Hayes) to do the same. It turns out that Cassidy had been offered the job of Sheriff in order to help steal silver from a family who owns a mine just outside of town. Of course, even after the real Cassidy shows up in Tombstone, Starr and Whittaker foil the bad guy's plans.

Overall, I like this one. I like both Rogers and Hayes in the film and, with a runtime of less than one hour, it moves along at a decent pace. Is it one of the all-time great Westerns? No, but it's pretty entertaining. I give it a 3 out of 5.

The Sabata Trilogy

The Sabata trilogy, though not as well known as some other westerns like the famed "Man with No Name" trilogy, is still a solid series of Spaghetti Westerns. The films were all released between 1969 and 1971 and were directed by Gianfranco Parolini (Although he's credited as Frank Kramer). There are some additional knock-off films from that time that feature 'Sabata' in the title such as Wanted Sabata from 1970 and Dig Your Grave Friend... Sabata's Coming from 1971 but, these aren't considered part of the official Sabata franchise.

The first film in the trilogy, simply called Sabata, stars Lee Van Cleef as the title character. The plot centers a plan cooked up by the leaders of a small Texas town to rob their own bank, and then sell the bankrupt town's land to the railroad company for a big payout. Of course Sabata, a sharp-shooting gunslinger, foils their plan. Overall, I think this one is a good movie.

The follow-up film, Adios, Sabata, sees the title role recast with Yul Brynner. Interestingly, Van Cleef was offered the role in the sequel but was busy filming The Magnificent Seven Ride a sequel to the classic 1960 film The Magnificent Seven, which starred Yul Brynner. In this one, Sabata is hired to assist with a Mexican revolution by stealing some gold from the Austrian Army. Of the three Sabata films, this one is my least favorite. I don't find the story as compelling as the first and third. Also, nothing against Yul Brynner but, I like Lee Van Cleef better as Sabata.

The third and final film of the trilogy is Return of Sabata, released in 1971. It's a fitting title as it would feature Lee Van Cleef returning to the title role. This film starts off with Sabata working as a sideshow-gunslinger but, he quickly finds himself in the middle of a plot involving a corrupt mayor and counterfeit money. This entry in the series is a bit more comedic than the others but I think it works and I find it really entertaining.

Overall, while none of the films are perfect, I find each one enjoyable for different reasons. Sabata as a character is fun because while he is the protagonist of these films, he's not really a good guy. Yes, he helps out the people of these small towns that are being taken advantage of but, he always seems to care more about getting money for himself than anything else. If you are a fan of westerns and plan on marathoning the trilogy, it's going to eat up a little over 5 hours of your time but I think they're worth it.

Dark Was the Night

I haven't done one of my bargain bin reviews in a good while, so today's movie is Dark Was the Night from 2018. I actually found this one a few months ago but hadn't gotten around to watching it until now. The film stars Marisa Tomei (who is the main reason I picked the Blu-ray up), Charlie Plummer, and Timothy Olyphant. 

The main plot of the film is that Steven Lang (played by Olyphant) is murdered one night in a parking lot after breaking up an altercation. He leaves behind a wife Margret (played by Tomei) and a teenage son Marcus (played by Plummer). In the days and weeks following the tragedy Margret falls into a deep depression and starts drinking heavily, while Marcus tries to keep moving forward. As time goes on Margret starts going to AA meetings and does her best to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Simultaneously, Marcus starts going down the opposite path and is becoming more self-destructive and isolated. 

Overall, this movie was better than I expected. I thought it was a good portrayal of how people deal with grief differently. While the film is nothing ground-breaking, and it is a bit of a sad watch, I thought it was well-written and the acting was solid. 

This one was pretty good, 3 out of 5.

Today's Movie: Goon

2011's Goon was one of the films that just missed the cut on "My Favorite Sports Movies" list that I wrote a while back, and I seem to enjoy it more every time I watch it.

 The films stars Seann William Scott as a bouncer turned hockey enforcer named Doug Glatt. Doug is a polite, kind-hearted, and kind of dumb guy who is looking for his place in the world. Despite his very pleasant demeanor, Glatt happens to be really good at fighting and catches the attention of a minor-league hockey coach who promptly offers him a spot on the team. Even though he has no actually hockey skills to speak of and can barely skate at the start of the film, Glatt's determination and ability to knock-out virtually any opposing player quickly makes him a fan favorite. It isn't long before Glatt earns a call-up, to essentially be the on-ice bodyguard for a former high-end prospect who hasn't been same since being dealt a monstrous body-check by the goon of all goons Ross Rhea (played by Liev Schrieber).

While there isn't anything groundbreaking in this movie, it's just really well put together. At just over an hour and a half, the film movies along at a decent pace. I also think that, top to bottom, it was really well cast. If you're a fan of sports movies and haven't seen Goon, then I recommend checking it out.

4 out of 5.

Today's Movie: Pillow Talk

I decided to go with a classic today.

1959's Pillow Talk is a romantic-comedy starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Most romantic-comedies I don't get into. It's just not one of my favorite film genres. However, there are a few that I enjoy and this is one of them. The films plot is about two strangers, with very different personalities, who are forced to share a telephone party line. Rock Hudson's character Brad is a womanizing musician who hogs the phoneline all day, much to the dismay of Doris Day's character Jan. While they've never met in person, the two bicker over the phone and Jan even files a complaint with the telephone company. By sheer coincidence the two end up at the same nightclub one evening. While Brad overhears her name and immediately realizes it's the woman from the other end of the phone, she has no idea what he looks like. So, Brad puts on a fake Texas accent and basically acts like the opposite of himself. Over the course of the film the two start to fall in love but, as all these types of stories go, the lie is eventually revealed. 

    This premise itself is obviously nothing special. Two people who dislike each other falling in love because one (or both) of them doesn't realize who the other person is, had been done before and has been done since. Where this film shines is in the performances of not only Hudson and Day, but the whole cast. Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter, and Marcel Dalio are just as memorable as the lead characters. It's also well-written, it moves at a good pace, and a lot of the comedic beats do hit the mark. The film even won the Oscar for Best Screenplay beating out, among others, North by Northwest.

Overall, it's just a fun, light-hearted movie that I enjoy and recommend checking out if you've never seen it.

4 out of 5 

Today's Movie: Driven

2001's Driven is a weird movie. 

It stars two actors that I've always liked and even wrote about in my "10 Movies Everyone Should See" series, Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds. It's also a sports movie (sure it's Formula 1 racing, but it counts). So I like the film for those two aspects but, overall it is a bad movie. Directed by career-hack Renny Harlin, the movie feels chaotic and unfocused for large stretches which probably contributed to it being a critical and commercial flop.

The story is about a young driver named Jimmy Bly (played by Kip Purdue) who, while in the midst of an impressive rookie season, is having trouble dealing with all the pressure of being a rising star in the sport. This leads the team owner Carl Henry (played by Burt Reynolds) to bring in an experienced, former pro to act as a mentor to Jimmy. That former pro is Joe Tanto (played by Sylvester Stallone) who feels like he should be the hero of this story but isn't because it's about Jimmy. There is also an odd amount of poorly scripted love triangle drama in this movie. Jimmy briefly dates his rival's ex-girlfriend but, she leaves him for the the other guy. Also, Joe Tanto's ex-wife is married to his friend, and Joe starts dating a reporter that the ex-wife seems to dislike for no reason. It's a mess.

Overall, I don't recommend this movie. The acting isn't great, and the script bad. However, by far the worst thing in my opinion is how the film is shot and edited. A single scene in this movie will feature close-up, cut, cut, close-up, cut, whip-pan, cut, close-up of a car, cut, another whip-pan, cut... it never stops. I get that they were going for intense and high-energy but, it just came off a distracting.

I give this one a 1.5 out of 5.

Today's Movie: Opportunity Knocks

Released in 1990, Opportunity Knocks is a comedy starring Dana Carvey. Honestly, until recently I had never heard of this movie. The film made no money at the box office in 1990 and currently holds a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes but, I like Dana Carvey so I decided to give it a watch. 

The film is about a con-man named Eddie (played by Carvey) who owes a substantial amount of money to a local crime boss. After breaking into the house of a business man who is on vacation, people just assume Eddie is the man's old college buddy who is supposed to be house-sitting. After stumbling into the con of a lifetime, Eddie soon starts to really enjoy this fake life as he gets a great job and falls in love. This is one of those movies where a few simple lies snowball, and eventually you know Eddie is going to have to come clean to everybody. 

This movie isn't bad, it's just nothing special. Carvey of course gets a few opportunities to do some of his impressions, and the the movie does have some charm. While not as funny as Wayne's World, which Carvey would star in alongside Mike Myers in 1992, there were a few funny moments scattered throughout this movie that genuinely made me chuckle.

Overall, I give this one a 2 out of 5.

The Great, Big, Quarantine Catch Up

I'm not going to get political or anything on here but, with much of the world shut down it's safe to say that I've had a bit more time on my hands than usual. Now, with so much time I have been able to catch up on some T.V. shows that I had pushed to the back burner and luckily Nintendo has blessed the world with the gem that is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, that doesn't mean I haven't been watching a whole bunch of movies. It's been a little while since my last post (again the world is in a weird place right now) and I thought it might be an interesting change of pace to do an overview of what movies I've watched lately. 

Of course, being stuck inside it's been the perfect opportunity for a few marathons. This past weekend rewatched the three Godfather films. The first two are obviously considered great movies but, I'm starting to gain more appreciation for the often disregarded third film in the trilogy... It's still not great but, I liked it more since the last time I saw it a few years ago. I also went on a little bit of a Tim Burton kick for a few days and rewatched some of his early films. Beetlejuice, Batman, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands... these are all good movies and got me thinking "What happened to Tim Burton? All he makes is crap now". Maybe that'll end up being the topic of a separate post in the future. 

In terms of movies that I hadn't seen before, I finally got around to watching Rocketman. I didn't have time to see it when it was in theaters last year but, better late than never. When the movie goes into big musical numbers it's a lot of fun but, the rest of the time it's a pretty paint-by-numbers biopic. Overall, liked it and it's probably in that 3.5 out of 5 range for me. I also watched Mirrors 2. I never saw the first Mirrors but I found this one in a bargain bin and with the quote on the back of the blu-ray case " They can't run... they can't hide... the can't even look in the mirror!" Well, that's all I needed. It's a schlocky horror movie. Not good but, I had fun with it. Another horror movie I decided to watch was The Exorcism of Molly Hartley. It's far from the worst exorcism movie I've seen (that honor is held by Exorcism of the Dead) but, I still wouldn't recommend this one. Turning away from horror, I finally watched a film that had been sitting in the stack of movies on my desk for months, Machine Gun Preacher. The film is based on a true story about an ex-biker gang member who starts helping poor kids in Africa. It's fine. The title is way better than the movie.

Finishing up, here are a few miscellaneous favorites that I've rewatched over the past few weeks. I highly recommend all of these so if you're like me, stuck at home waiting for the world to go back to normal, these are some solid films to help pass the time. 

- Field of Dreams, a feel good movie and there's no real baseball on T.V. right now. 

- Gone with the Wind, it's an all-time classic and the 4hr-runtime isn't a big deal when there's nothing else going on. 

-Top Gun... I just really like this one.

- The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese movies are always worthwhile.

- Spartacus, like Gone with the Wind, it's a long one but, worth it. 

- The Muppets from 2011. Good songs, and funny jokes. A perfect distraction.

- The Man Who Knew Too Much, I personally prefer the 1956 version with James Stewart and Doris Day but, the 1934 original is a great movie as well. 

-And finally Moon. It's great, I love it, and more people need to see it.

Passion Play

Well, they can't all be winners...

Passion Play is a 2010 movie starring Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox, and Bill Murray. I had never heard of this movie before seeing it but, it sounded like it had some promise. Normally I'm not a huge Mickey Rourke fan but, he's been in some good movies and this came out just two years after The Wrestler (which I really enjoyed and is one of my favorite sports movies) so I saw his inclusion as a positive. Bill Murray is usually good, and Megan Fox is... also in the movie.

The story is about a recovering drug addict and jazz musician named Nate (played by Rourke) who ends up at a carnival one night. While walking around the sideshow area, he is drawn to a beautiful performer with wings on her back named Lily (played by Fox). After Nate tries to convince Lily to leave, the sideshow's owner threatens to kill him, and the two flee in a stolen truck. Over the course of the film the two form a relationship. Matters become further complicated when a gangster named Happy Shannon (played by Murray), whom Nate had previously wronged, enters the picture.

This movie is not good. If the premise that I described sounds really intriguing to you, then maybe you'll get something out of it but I don't recommend seeking it out. The movie was directed by Mitch Glazer. I believe that it is the only film he's directed up to this point, and it shows. The movie feels WAY longer than it's 1hr 34min runtime, and none of the characters are well developed. It's a shame too because I think that in the hands of a better director, and with a few script tweaks, this could've been something. 

I'll give this one a 1 out of 5 because I was able to make it all the way through without turning it off or falling asleep, but that '1' still feels pretty generous. 

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

A critical and financial flop, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone had potential but, just couldn't deliver the laughs. Released in 2013 and starring a decent cast of Steve Carell, Olivia Wilde, Steve Buscemi, and Jim Carrey it would go on to only make about $27million off of a $30million budget and currently holds a 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The films plot is about two friends-turned-magicians, Burt Wonderstone (played by Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (played by Steve Buscemi). After ten years of performing the same act in Las Vegas, Burt and Anton's friendship has become strained and the act has gotten stale. Matters are only made worst by the fact that there is a new, hot, magic act on the scene. Jim Carrey plays a street-magician named Steve Gray, a character obviously inspired by guys like Chris Angel and David Blaine. Gray's tricks are meant to be shocking and gross and gritty as opposed the Vegas glitz and glamour of the Wonderstone act. With this fame and attention that Gray is receiving, Burt and Anton decide to try their own stunt-trick called "The Hot Box". The trick would involve the two me being locked in a class box, lifted up by a crane, and left to sit in the hot Vegas sun for a week. Of course, the whole thing goes horribly wrong and this leads to Anton leaving the partnership. Humiliated, out of money, and with his longtime partner gone, Burt needs to rediscover why he fell in love with magic to begin with and hopefully revive his career. 

Despite a few moderately funny moments, this film plays it way too safe. Carell is a decent actor (I like The Way, Way Back which he was in and that came out the same year) but, I've always thought his comedy was kind of bland. The movie is competently made and certainly not unwatchable. However, the story and the comedy just didn't work well enough for me to give this one a recommendation.
1.5 out of 5

First Man

Released in 2018, First Man was a hit with critics but underperformed a bit at the box-office. Some of this was likely due to some buffoons who criticized the film for political reasons even though they hadn't even seen it but, that's not what this post is about...

First Man was directed by Damien Chazelle and stars Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler. The film centers around Neil Armstrong (played by Gosling), the early years of NASA, and the events that eventually lead to the moon landing. While I usually try my best to go into a movie without any expectations, I did have high hopes for this one. As a kid I was fascinated by the space program, I think Ryan Gosling is a great actor, and I thought that both of Chazelle's previous films (Whiplash and La La Land) were home runs. First Man did not disappoint, I found it thoroughly enjoyable. That being said, it's not a movie that I would recommend to everyone. If you're looking for the next Apollo 13, where everyone always says the right thing or has a great speech and the movie makes you want to cheer by the end, this isn't it. It's much more focused on the sacrifices involved and risk to human life that came with attempting a feat that no man ever had. 

It's well directed, well acted, I found the story compelling and the musical scores is terrific. Overall, I think this is a really solid movie and I give it a 4 out of 5.

Today's Movie: Zombie Night

Originally airing on the Syfy channel, and later receiving a home video release, 2013's Zombie Night provides that that certain level of schlock that I've come to expect from such productions. The film stars some familiar names like Daryl Hannah, Anthony Michael Hall, Shirley Jones and Alan Ruck but none of them are actually good in the movie.

Unfortunately, to go along with the half-hearted acting, the film's plot is about as bare-bones as they come; One night, for seemingly no reason at all, the dead come back to life and start wreaking havoc on a small town. About a halfway through the film Alan Ruck's character tells the others that he heard somewhere that the zombie attack will only last until sunrise. There is no proof or further explanation, just a ticking clock. Stay alive until sunrise. Some of the characters do make it until the sun comes up and all of the zombies have, in fact, collapsed without explanation. Then it ends.

If you're a horror fan and happen come across this one, it's not the worst movie but I wouldn't call it good either. I found my copy in a bargain bin for $1 (no joke) and I think that's probably a fair price for what I got. The whole thing is just an hour and a half of people running from, and being eaten by, zombies. While there is basically no story, if you're just looking for some mindless gore then I guess it's satisfactory. To end on a positive note, the makeup effects are decent and better than I expected going in.
I give Zombie Night a 1 out of 5.

Quick Takes

I wanted to try something different with this post. Obviously since I write a movie blog, I watch a lot of movies every week. Sometimes, whether it be because I don't have a ton to say about a particular movie, or I watched a few films in one day, or because I'm working on a more time consuming project (like the '10 Movies Everyone Should See' series) there are movies I just don't get around to dedicating a full blog post to. So, here are some quick thoughts on the things I've watched recently.

First off, Splice. 

This 2009 sci-fi/horror film stars Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley and Delphine Chaneac. Despite owning the Blu-ray for quite awhile, it wasn't until this week that I got around to watching it. I thought it was ok. Cool concept about a gene-splicing experiment gone wrong, and the acting throughout is decent. It just didn't quite stick the landing for me.

2.5 out of 5

Next up, The Last of the Mohicans.

I watch this movie probably once every year or two, so it is surprising that I never wrote about it in a blog post. It's a terrific movie, especially if the you're into films that take take place during Colonial-era America. It's not my favorite film that Daniel Day-Lewis has starred in but, I highly recommend it.

4.5 out of 5

Here's one that I actually had to watch twice because I wasn't sure if I loved it or hated it. 2013's Under the Skin is an oddly mesmerizing movie, which stars Scarlett Johansson as an alien that is seducing men around Scotland. After the second viewing, when I knew what I was in for, I ended up really liking the film.

4 out of 5

Here's a movie that is bad: 2018's 7 Guardians of the Tomb starring Kelsey Grammer, Li Bingbing, and Kellan Lutz. I wasn't expecting anything great from this baragain bin pickup but, I was just hoping for a decently entertaining adventure flick. It's pretty boring, with a weak plot, and people just running away from spiders for three-quaters of the film. Skip this one if you come across it.

1 out of 5

And finally the last film I want to mention is the 1997 comedy Liar Liar starring Jim Carrey. I've always thought this was one of Carrey's better movies but, I hadn't seen it in quite a few years. Yes, it's a dumb movie built around a simple premise; what if a guy who lies constantly suddenly can't for one whole day. That being said, despite the thin plot, it still holds up and I got a lot of laughs out of it. It's a good pick if you're looking for a light-hearted comedy.
3 out of 5


Those are a few random movies that I've watched over the last week or so. I'm always trying to experiment with different ideas for posts here, so let me know if you like this or not. I'm still going to be doing regular reviews, 10 Movies Everyone Should See, I might bring back Western Wednesday's, and maybe another decade themed month pretty soon (I've already done the 70's and 80's).

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Right off the bat, for context, my two favorite film franchises are Mission:Impossible and the Bond films. So, an action-packed espionage thriller is usually something that I'll have a good time watching. 2015's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. wasn't a hit at the box-office and recieved mixed reviews from critics, but I think it's actually pretty good.

 The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, and Alicia Vikander. While I'm not a Hugh Guy Ritchie fan, I think this is actually one of his better movies. Like many of his other films, this one is bit more style over substance. However, I think the slick production and editing, along with the likeable characters, makes this an overall entertaining experience. 

The plot is a bit formulaic in that two rivals are forced to work as partners in order to stop the the villain's plan. In this particular scenario, it's the 1960's at the height of the coldwar, the villain wants a nuclear warhead, and our unlikely team is the CIA's top agent (played by Cavill) and Russia's top KGB agent (played by Hammer). Also thrown into the mix is German woman named Gaby (played by Vikander) who's father is a former Nazi scientist, and the man who's nuclear weapons research is so valuable.

Overall, I like the three lead actors, I think the film is pretty well paced with a few little twists along the way, the musical score is solid... it's a fun movie in my opinion. Not great, but fun.
3.5 out of 5

The Seven Year Itch

Perhaps best known today for the iconic moment when Marilyn Monroe is standing over a subway grate and her white dress is subsiquently blown up by a train passing below, 1955's The Seven Year Itch is actually a really fun movie. 

Richard (played by Tom Ewell) works at a New York City publishing company. His wife and son are away on vacation for the summer and Richard has to resist the temptations of smoking, drinking, unhealthy eating and most of all, his new upstairs neighbor (played by Marilyn Monroe). This simple premise leads to a lot of really funny moments. One scene in particular where Richard has an imaginary conversation with his wife and tries to convince her that he is irrasistable to women, makes me laugh everytime.

Overall, the movie provides a good deal of entertainment packed into it's one hour and forty-five minute runtime. Tom Ewell is great in the movie and his comedic timing is spot on. Marilyn Monroe's role is basically ditzy, blonde, eye-candy... so, great casting there. I don't consider The Seven Year Itch to be some great, all-time classic. However, I do recommend it if you're looking for a solid, lighthearted comedy.
I give this one a 4 out of 5.

Today's Movie: Skiptrace

Released in 2016, Skiptrace is a movie that I thought would be right up my alley. I like Jackie Chan, I like Johnny Knoxville, and I like action-comedies but, unfortunately, this film just doesn't put those elements together in a particularly entertaining way. 

The film follows a very clichéd formula; Jackie Chan plays a cop who has been trying for years to catch the man who killed his former partner. Johnny Knoxville's character is wisecracking conman who has stumbled upon a valuable piece of evidence that Chan needs. So, together this duo must reluctantly work together to take down a crime syndicate. Oh, and of course they get themselves caught up in all sort wacky situations along the way.

 I wasn't expecting a lot out of this one, it was after all directed by Renny Harlin who has been nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director during his career. However, I was hoping Chan and Knoxville would each bring enough energy and comedy to make up for any script or directing issues. Unfortunately, though there are a few good moments, the film never really seems to kick into gear. 

I give Skiptrace a 1.5 out of 5

Wild River

A little while back I posted a list called My Top 100 Favorite Films, and one of the movies that just missed making it was 1960's Wild River starring  Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, and Jo Van Fleet.

Directed by Elia Kazan (who made a number of other notable films like On the Waterfront, East of Eden, Panic in the Streets and A Streetcar Named Desire) Wild River is a terrific, though often forgotten, film. The setup here is simple; It's the 1930's and Chuck Glover (played by Montgomery Clift) is and official with the Tennessee Valley Authority who has been sent to acquire the last piece of land that has to be cleared before a new hydroelectric dam can go into service. The only problem is, there is an old woman named Ella Garth (played by Jo Van Fleet) who refuses to sell her land. Additionally, there is a romance that develops over the course of the movie between Chuck and Ella's granddaughter Carol (played by Lee Remick).

Overall, I find the plot of this movie pretty interesting and where the film really shines is with it's characters and their interactions. It's well-written and the actors do a great job with the material. Sure, Ella Garth is a stubborn old woman but it is her land, it's all she knows, and she has good reason not to leave. Chuck has a job to do and the dam will not only prevent flooding that could kill people but, it will also provide the whole town with electricity. The theme of an individual's rights to property versus the role of government to provide for it's citizens is a timeless one and, I think makes this movie very rewatchable. I highly recommend Wild River if you've never seen it. 
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

The Hunt for Red October

Released in 1990, and based on a Tom Clancy book of the same name, The Hunt for Red October is a Cold War thriller that features a pretty impressive cast. I already briefly mentioned this film in one of my earliest blog entries 10 Sean Connery Movies Everyone Should See, and it currently holds a spot on My Top 100 Favorite Films list but, I've never given it its own dedicated post.

The story centers on a well-respected Soviet submarine captain named Marko Ramius (played by Sean Connery). Ramius has been tasked with taking the newest Soviet sub, the 'Red October', out to sea for some training exercises. However, Ramius murders the ships political officer and gives the crew false orders to head toward the East coast of the United States. This change of plans alarms both the U.S. and the Soviet government, as neither side wants a rogue captain with an armed nuclear submarine out in the ocean. Thus the hunt for the Red October is on. The one additional wrinkle in the scenario is that the Red October is equipped with a state-of-the-art "caterpillar drive" which makes it virtually undetectable to sonar. While both sides see Ramius as a threat, CIA analyst Jack Ryan (played by Alec Baldwin) is convinced that Ramius wants to defect and plans on turning over the Red October to the United States. So, the race is on to see who can get to Ramius first Jack Ryan or the Russians... Spoiler Alert! for a 30 year old movie: Jack Ryan reaches the Red October and Ramius successfully defects.

I love this movie. It's not without flaws but, I think the plot is very engaging, it's well shot, the actors are all pretty good, the musical score is solid... It checks all of the boxes or me. I highly recommend this one if you've never seen it.
4.5 out of 5

Double Feature: The 'Maleficent' Films

It's time for another Double Feature.

2014's Maleficent and it's sequel 2019's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil are part of a wave of Disney live-action/photo-realistic adaptations based on their classic animated films. While many of these movies are basically one-to-one remakes with maybe a new song or a few extra scenes added to pad the runtime, the Maleficent films are different. Different doesn't necessarily mean they're better but, I think they are more interesting.

The first of the two films, Maleficent, takes the approach of looking at the 'Sleeping Beauty' story but from the villain's point-of-view. Who is Maleficent as a character? Why does she curse the princess? Is she really all that bad? The film is predictable and some of the special effects less than spectacular but, I think it is a decently made and entertaining movie. Plus, I think Angelina Jolie perfectly cast as the title character. 

The sequel on the other hand, is a not as good. The story picks up a few years after the events of the first film and splits the focus between the upcoming marriage of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip, and a plot about Maleficent meeting a whole race of fairies that are like her (except she's the only one who possesses the powers of the phoenix... It's a bit of a mess). The two movies came out five years apart, so Disney didn't exactly rush out the sequel but, it feels like the script for this one needed more time. 

I don't think either one of these movies will rise to that "Disney Classic" status. Both films did make money but, were also met with mixed reviews. Maleficent has enough that I like about it and I think it is worth watching. However, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil falls just on the other side of that recommendation line for me.  
I'm going to give Maleficent a 3 out of 5 and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil a 2 out of 5.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog, the speedy blue video game character that caused so many kids in the early 90's (myself included) to beg their parents to buy them a SEGA console has finally made his way to the big screen. 

The film is a live-action/CGI hybrid that stars James Marsden, Jim Carrey, and Ben Schwartz (voicing Sonic). The premise is simple; Sonic is a blue, anthropomorphic hedgehog from an alternate dimension that ends up in our world. The U.S. government sends a mad scientist named Dr. Robotnik (played by Jim Carrey) to capture the blue blur and he, of course, wants to harness Sonic's powers and presumably take over the world. Along the way Sonic meets and befriends a small-town Sheriff named Tom (played by James Marsden) who agrees to help him elude the villain. 

Overall, It's nothing too complex but, it is a film targeted towards kids. I took my 7year-old, who has been dying to see the movie for weeks, and he had a blast. Setting aside the fun he had and viewing it just as the movie it is, I thought it was ok. The story is a bit bland and predictable but, I think he film does have some charm. Like the title character himself, the film moves along at a fast pace and at least I can say I was never bored. Sonic himself I though was a likeable character and, while not all of the jokes hit the mark, I did get a few laughs out of his shenanigans. The real standout of the film is Jim Carrey. It was nice to see him return to doing this type of over-the-top character that he used to be so well-known for.

To wrap things up, Sonic the Hedgehog is fun movie. It's not great. It's not going to win any Academy Awards. However, if you have young kids or if you're just a fan of the character then I recommend giving this one a shot.
2.5 out of 5 

Double Feature

It's been awhile since my last post and, while I may have needed a break from writing the regular blog entries, I kept on watching and thinking about movies. Two of the films that I rewatched, having not seen either one in a few years, are the subject of today's post. Those films are 1973's American Graffiti and 1986's Stand By Me. These two have a couple similarities that I think make them a good paring. Firstly, they both take place on the west coast and around the same time period (with Stand By Me set in Oregon in 1959 and American Graffiti set in California in 1962). Both are also coming-of-age movies that focus a small story, with all of the events taking place in a short period of time. 

Oh, and Richard Dreyfuss is in both films.

As for an overview of the films, I'll start with American Graffiti. Right from the get-go we're introduced to Curt and Steve (played by Richard Dreyfuss and Ron Howard respectively), two friends who have graduated high school and are set to leave for college the next day. Steve is ready to leave their hometown and move on to the next phase of his life, while Curt is having second thoughts. The film goes on to follow how this last night on the town unfolds not only for Curt and Steve but also two of their friends. One of those friends is John Milner (played by Paul Le Mat) who is the town's drag-racing king that finds himself challenged to a race by Bob Falfa (played by Harrison Ford). The other is Terry (played by Charles Martin Smith), a stereotypical nerdy character at the start but who ends up having the wildest night of them all by the end. It's a fun light-hearted movie, full of great music and likeable characters.

Next up, Stand By Me. The setup is pretty simple; a group of four friends (played by Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell) hear that there is a dead body that hasn't been discovered by police yet. They figure that if they can find it and alert the authorities then they'll be local heroes... and that's the premise. The interactions between the four kids is really what makes the film worth watching. Some of the heart-felt moments feel a little forced and phony, and a few of the comedic beats miss the mark in my opinion but it's still a good movie.

Overall, I like both of these films and, honestly, you can't go wrong with either one. Both films were box-office successes, feature some strong performances, and were nominated for several awards. I personally like American Graffiti a bit more but, I think both are solid movies that I recommend checking out if you've never seen them. 

I give American Graffiti a 4.5 out of 5 and Stand By Me a 3.5 out of 5

Spies in Disguise

Spies in Disguise is the latest animated film from Blue Sky Studios, having just been released into theaters a few weeks ago. It features the voice talents Will Smith, Tom Holland, Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Reba McEntire, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled and others. I honestly knew nothing about this movie going in, so I had no expectations. It was surprisingly good. Not great by any means, but compared to some of Blue Sky's other output like Ferdinand, Epic, Robots, and about 47 Ice Age movies, it was good. 

The basic premise is that a super spy named Lance Sterling (voiced by Will Smith) is framed for the theft of an assassin drone by the film's main villain (voiced by Ben Mendelsohn). Now on the run from the very same agency he works for, Lance seeks out a quirky inventor named Walter (voiced by Tom Holland) who accidentally turns the secret agent into a pigeon. Together this unlikely duo needs to avoid being caught, find a way to turn Lance back into a human, and stop the bad guy. 

The plot, while overall a bit formulaic, makes for a pretty fun movie. At only about an hour and forty minutes I thought the film felt a little too fast-paced but, it is targeted to children so it's not a huge surprise. Animation wise, no one is going to mistake this for a Pixar film but, I thought the movie looked pretty good overall and I liked some of the character designs.

 I don't recommend that everyone go out and see this movie. However, as a dad that loves James Bond and Mission:Impossible movies, I took my 7 year old son to see this and we both were able to get enjoyment out of it. 

I give this one a 3 out of 5