DISNEY DOUBLE: NOW YOU SEE THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NkYqCpsqLAw/UQmMeRoxTjI/AAAAAAAAVsw/0jIkB-iIRmw/s1600/now+you+see+him.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="502" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NkYqCpsqLAw/UQmMeRoxTjI/AAAAAAAAVsw/0jIkB-iIRmw/s640/now+you+see+him.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1972 cast: Kurt Russell, Michael McGreevey, Joe Flynn  rating: ***1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> If there were a Dexter Riley TV series (based on the characters from THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES), centering on the title character and his science class University cohorts, this would be the best episode: the worst being the completely dull follow-up THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SCzt-Gcb_Fw/VEqFG2SEh6I/AAAAAAAAkO8/xBq5YT88atA/s1600/MV5BMjA3NDg0Mjg0MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDgyMzUyMQ%40%40._V1_SY317_CR4%2C0%2C214%2C317_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SCzt-Gcb_Fw/VEqFG2SEh6I/AAAAAAAAkO8/xBq5YT88atA/s1600/MV5BMjA3NDg0Mjg0MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDgyMzUyMQ%40%40._V1_SY317_CR4%2C0%2C214%2C317_AL_.jpg" /></a></div> Although Kurt Russell looks more like a popular jock than underdog geek, you forget he's anyone else but the energetic young man who starred in many live-action Disney films of the sixties and seventies (before becoming John Carpenter's Clint Eastwood).<br /> <br /> Dexter and goofball buddy Schuyler (Disney staple Michael McGreevey, the perfect human cartoon) use a spray Dexter invented that turns things invisible. This formula could cause them to win a science contest, which will free the school from debt.<br /> <br /> So they follow their dean Joe Flynn to the golf course, a non-golfer trying to impress a millionaire golf nut who runs the contest. An invisible Dexter helps all Flynn's shots go in the hole: this is perhaps the funnest part of the film... after which that string of purposely-frustrating "Disney-letdowns" occur: the things that once worked now fail because of a villain's tampering.<br /> <br /> Ceaser Romero is a crime boss with plans to turn the campus into his own Las Vegas. He and cohort Richard Bakalyan (always a Disney thug and the smug sharp-shooter cop in CHINATOWN) make themselves invisible, rob a bank and turn their car invisible.<br /> <br /> Thus the last twenty minutes involves a chase between the students, the police, and the invisible car. Sure it's fun, but not as creative and involving as the initial set up .  <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n4ronI-gIH0/UQmMnisZalI/AAAAAAAAVs4/Zc0KMzB4y1U/s1600/computer+wore+tennis+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n4ronI-gIH0/UQmMnisZalI/AAAAAAAAVs4/Zc0KMzB4y1U/s640/computer+wore+tennis+shoes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bonus: THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES year: 1968 cast: Kurt Russell rating: **1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> The first of three Disney "Dexter Riley" films starring Kurt Russell as the head of a group of eavesdropping science students at an always financially-strapped University is too plot-heavy. Dexter gets electrocuted by a computer and his brain becomes one, allowing him to pass tests with ease and excel and anything having to do with facts or memorization.<br /> <br /> There's a boring kid named Pete who, in later Dexter films, is replaced as Dexter's sidekick by Michael McGreevy as Schuyler. McGreevey <i>is</i> in this movie but hasn't become Archie's Jughead yet. And there's too much emphasis on Caesar Romero, William Schallert and Joe Flynn and not enough of the kids.<br /> <br /> This film isn't a students-strike-back team effort like the other two. It's mostly all about Dexter and the grown-ups and the premise gets pretty tired quick. "Now You See Him Now You Don't" is much better.

DISNEY DOUBLE: NOW YOU SEE THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES

year: 1972 cast: Kurt Russell, Michael McGreevey, Joe Flynn  rating: ***1/2 If there were a Dexter Riley TV series (based on the charac...

MEL GIBSON IN GET THE GRINGO

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nyZG-RUBMGc/UQYZxFGPB7I/AAAAAAAAVnk/FyZfU28YPVA/s1600/get+the+gringo+mel+gibson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nyZG-RUBMGc/UQYZxFGPB7I/AAAAAAAAVnk/FyZfU28YPVA/s640/get+the+gringo+mel+gibson.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2012 cast: Mel Gibson, Kevin Hernandez, Bob Gunton rating: ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> Mel Gibson, remember him? That really good actor most of Hollywood despises... So without using the corny adage “He’s back!” let’s just say there’s half a great ride here for the man to shine once again. <br /> <br /> The famous line from STAR WARS describing that seedy port harboring “scum and villainy" has got nothing on a unique Mexican prison Mel’s character, named Driver, is sent after robbing two million bucks and getting caught (after an introductory car chase) across the border: twenty some odd yards on the Mexican side.  <br /> <br /> At first he's sent to the type of sardine can jail with men all cramped together. With an abundance of intentionally nerve wracking mariachi music, and Driver’s glib narration, there lacks any real suspense or impending threat behind those dilapidated walls. And yet this ten minute “bridge” also lets the audience know that Driver’s gonna do alright no matter what hell he’s sent to.  <br /> <br /> From this typical jail the cons are dispersed into a prison that’s like nothing you’ve ever seen on film. More of a grungy/seedy outdoor mall, the place has just about everything: ranging from ratty taco stands to tattoo parlors to men (and women) shooting heroin in the street. Driver takes to this purgatory with several tricks up his sleeve: the best moments involve him stealing money to pay for cigarettes by any means possible.   <br /> <br /> Then he meets a ten-year-old kid named Kid, whose mother and father were sent to the prison years before. Through this character we learn a lot of exposition that carries through the rest of the movie. Without giving too much away, Kid has a blood type and liver that fits the prison's head honcho (also an inmate), living the good life in his own plush quarters – added to that, the cash Driver stole (that he was initially arrested for) is being sought after by a bevy of mobsters on the outside. Sound confusing? <br /> <br /> After the prison story runs out of steam, the movie gets too complicated for its own good. Especially when Driver is given limited freedom to kill a crooked mobster...<br /> <br /> There are so many powerful people mentioned we hardly even see, the third act of the film (while providing explosive gun fights and Peckinpah inspired slow mo) lacks the claustrophobic, cunning edge of that original prison movie, exceeding the far fetched action film it unfortunately morphs into. <br /> <br /> Yet, despite the flaws, Driver is a worthy character that could probably work again – if not on film then a graphic novel or even an R-rated video game. Just make sure it's Mel Gibson's image: Even though he’s noticeably aged and gained a few pounds, there remains a world-weary expression like he’s seen just about everything.

2012, action, mel gibson, prison

MEL GIBSON IN GET THE GRINGO

year: 2012 cast: Mel Gibson, Kevin Hernandez, Bob Gunton rating: *** Mel Gibson, remember him? That really good actor most of Hollywood ...

BROKEN CITY

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7atF2WvQno/UQc-sFPI9lI/AAAAAAAAVpk/IO1_aM7cic8/s1600/brokencity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7atF2WvQno/UQc-sFPI9lI/AAAAAAAAVpk/IO1_aM7cic8/s640/brokencity.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year:</b> 2013 <b>cast:</b> Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Griffin Dunne <b>rating:</b> **</td></tr> </tbody></table> New York is a broken city… Not only is this the film’s title but the opinion (during an anticipated debate) of incumbent Mayor Hostetler, who, played by Russell Crowe, is about as crooked as any cinematic politician hiding behind the promise of lower taxes, and more importantly, strives to win a fleeting election by use of shortcuts and manipulation. <br /> <br /> We begin Mark Wahlberg's tough cop Billy Taggart at a crime scene with a dead body on the street – he winds up breezing through a murder trial and six years later Hostetler, a few days shy of the debate and election, needs Taggart – now a detective with his own dwindling agency – for some snooping around: the Mayor’s wife could be having an affair with someone from the other team.   <br /> <br /> These are the most intriguing moments as the street savvy Taggart adheres to the basic yet involving task he’s given: Walhberg plays the gumshoe in a slow-burn Neo Noir fashion. It’s when a pivotal murder occurs that the film goes downhill, catapulting so many dull political maneuvers you’ll forget why Taggart’s there at all. <br /> <br /> Russell Crowe’s crooked politician isn’t seedy enough to despise, nor is he the type of louse you love to hate. Bridled by shallow, talky scenes within his office, and eventually cornering Taggart with an anticlimactic blackmail scheme, by the end you’ll be hard-pressed on which character to root (or vote) for.

2013, griffin dunne, mark wahlberg, neo noir, politics, russell crowe, thriller

BROKEN CITY

year: 2013 cast: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Griffin Dunne rating: ** New York is a broken city… Not only is this the film’s title ...

MOVIE ICONS THAT WERE ONLY USED SPORADICALLY

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SF8n-TCoBgI/UQTGi3TJfwI/AAAAAAAAVjk/z3rOB0baZKc/s1600/Picture20-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SF8n-TCoBgI/UQTGi3TJfwI/AAAAAAAAVjk/z3rOB0baZKc/s640/Picture20-1-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1) JOHN BELUSHI as Bluto in ANIMAL HOUSE</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i>In each of these ten selections it goes without saying: without the iconic mascots, there wouldn't be a movie at all... But it's always surprising when the person you think will be the main star, isn't...  Or when those scene-stealing fan-favorites wind up in the movie less than you'd expect...</i><br /> <br />  Let's start with JOHN BELUSHI in the college party film where he’s first-billed in the credits, and he gets the largest percent of trailer and poster coverage, but it’s really Tim Matheson as Delta House's womanizing Otter who heads the pack... even fellow frat boys Peter Riegert, Tom Hulce and Stephen Furst have much bigger roles. (The same can be said of Belushi's maverick World War II flier Wild Bill Kelso in Steven Spielberg's 1941, who is used even less than Bluto.)</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tuIrMjpNmo0/UQTDMo5ZNxI/AAAAAAAAVhk/R2vO4NmoFoQ/s1600/fast+times.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tuIrMjpNmo0/UQTDMo5ZNxI/AAAAAAAAVhk/R2vO4NmoFoQ/s640/fast+times.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2) SEAN PENN as Jeff Spicoli in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> Jeff Spicoli is the ever-quotable poster boy, SEAN PENN receiving first billing and yet he’s hardly the main character. Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is the star – the Tom Petty song “American Girl” during the first day of school is all about Stacy. Her brother Brad, best friend Linda, and even Mark Ratner and Mike Damone have more screen time and importance to the overall story.</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OtDYF3sgu-Q/UQTDQ9P_HTI/AAAAAAAAVhs/J0opxPo_3Wo/s1600/beetlejuice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OtDYF3sgu-Q/UQTDQ9P_HTI/AAAAAAAAVhs/J0opxPo_3Wo/s640/beetlejuice.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3) MICHAEL KEATON as Beetlejuice in BEETLEJUICE</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> Here’s the first of two examples of a movie named after a character who's not the lead: MICHAEL KEATON'S hilariously horny dead guy only shows up when main characters Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Winonna Ryder really need him. </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aZ1LdUg1Ky8/UQTDX3X3ojI/AAAAAAAAVh0/veVYQer71ps/s1600/slapshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aZ1LdUg1Ky8/UQTDX3X3ojI/AAAAAAAAVh0/veVYQer71ps/s640/slapshot.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4) THE HANSON BROTHERS in SLAP SHOT</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> JEFF CARLSON, STEVE CARLSON and DAVID HANSON we'll count as one, since they share the same brain, and they're the reason most people re-watch the classic sports comedy starring Paul Newman. As the foul-making/nose-breaking Hanson Brothers, these guys not only steal the show, they beat the ever-loving hell out of it… Although the boys aren't in the movie that much – after a few scenes setting up their eccentric personalities (which includes playing with toy race cars), the first time we see them kicking butt on the ice is during the 45-minute mark, usually the most important time-slot involving major plot-shifts. </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-731B9fI1qYE/UQTDbn8V5WI/AAAAAAAAVh8/4vmQSplyDYg/s1600/great+escape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-731B9fI1qYE/UQTDbn8V5WI/AAAAAAAAVh8/4vmQSplyDYg/s640/great+escape.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5) STEVE McQUEEN as Hilts in THE GREAT ESCAPE</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> STEVE McQUEEN on a motorcycle or walking out of the isolation "cooler" with a devil-may-care grin (he’s even nicknamed The Cooler King) are iconic images in this war classic, but Richard Attenborough heads up the great escape plot and even James Garner’s “guy who can get anything” has more overall input.  </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1N_ln7_LoyU/UQTDgNzAzqI/AAAAAAAAViE/5-tA0hBInhg/s1600/untouchables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1N_ln7_LoyU/UQTDgNzAzqI/AAAAAAAAViE/5-tA0hBInhg/s640/untouchables.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6) ROBERT DE NIRO as Al Capone in THE UNTOUCHABLES</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> That infamous mobster ruthlessly wielding the baseball bat is extremely memorable. That's the iconic ROBERT DE NIRO as Al Capone but we’re only reminded of his lethal rule in various scenes between the main story centering on Kevin Costner’s Eliot Ness and his Untouchables, including scene-stealer Sean Connery and nerdy accountant Charles Martin Smith. (The same can be said for De Niro's turn as mobster Jimmy Conway in GOODFELLAS... Ray Liotta's the star and even Oscar winner Joe Pesci and Oscar nominated Lorraine Bracco have meatier parts therein.)  </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkOhMAqZBOA/UQTDmApj1xI/AAAAAAAAViM/TCmWBTgLojo/s1600/giant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkOhMAqZBOA/UQTDmApj1xI/AAAAAAAAViM/TCmWBTgLojo/s640/giant.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7) JAMES DEAN as Jett Rink in GIANT</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> Since he died during filming, and became one of the most revered cinematic legends thereafter, it seems that JAMES DEAN would have a more of a<i> giant</i> role – but Rock Hudson and Liz Taylor are the real lone stars while Dean’s grungy climber Jett Rink goes from rags to riches along the way.</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9GJ42TCdK9g/UQTDxFWKSRI/AAAAAAAAViU/VUdOJYLQAi0/s1600/tron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9GJ42TCdK9g/UQTDxFWKSRI/AAAAAAAAViU/VUdOJYLQAi0/s640/tron.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8) BRUCE BOXLEITNER as Tron in TRON</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> Another example of a movie named after a character that turns out not being the lead: yet what would TRON be if it were named after Jeff Bridge’s underdog video game programmer? FLYNN just doesn’t have the essential techie ring to it. </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3JV9f_GvtM/UQTD1finDzI/AAAAAAAAVic/OoLm9MT6F-Y/s1600/star+wars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3JV9f_GvtM/UQTD1finDzI/AAAAAAAAVic/OoLm9MT6F-Y/s640/star+wars.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9) JEREMY BULLOCH as Boba Fett in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> One of the neatest looking villains in science-fiction history is barely in either THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK or RETURN OF THE JEDI. In fact, his exit in JEDI is so anticlimactic, authors of the Expanded Universe made sure he actually survived the sand pit creature… And we’ll have to see if monopolizing geek-guru J.J. Abrams revives the iconic bounty hunter in 2015.</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3HHfWZGYAM/UQTD4kFJxaI/AAAAAAAAVik/fdle3Dnwn94/s1600/easy+rider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3HHfWZGYAM/UQTD4kFJxaI/AAAAAAAAVik/fdle3Dnwn94/s640/easy+rider.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10) JACK NICHOLSON as George Hanson in EASY RIDER</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> In the late sixties, JACK NICHOLSON went from an obscure b-actor to one of the biggest stars in Hollywood thanks to his performance as boozing Southern lawyer George Hanson, a role first offered to Rip Torn who (thankfully to Nicholson fans) didn’t get along with director Dennis Hopper.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pOYwhsNQWvo/UQXNcIODA2I/AAAAAAAAVlk/qHkE3Rlo8hg/s1600/The-Pink-Panther-1964-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pOYwhsNQWvo/UQXNcIODA2I/AAAAAAAAVlk/qHkE3Rlo8hg/s640/The-Pink-Panther-1964-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>GRAND PRIZE WINNER: PETER SELLERS as Inspector Clouseau in THE PINK PANTHER</b></td></tr> </tbody></table>  Probably the most important example of a character you'd think would be in the movie more than he actually is, and that we'll give a very special bonus section to, is Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau... It's a shock to anyone watching for the first time that David Niven, Capucine and Robert Wagner as charming jewel thieves get way more screen time than the iconic Sellers, who wound up starring in the follow-up, SHOT IN THE DARK, and then every PANTHER movie throughout the 1970's...</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ri7uUbhxmm0/UQTIZzn2SyI/AAAAAAAAVkk/9rpF8FlTn3M/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ri7uUbhxmm0/UQTIZzn2SyI/AAAAAAAAVkk/9rpF8FlTn3M/s640/Picture+1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MOVIE ICONS USED SPORADICALLY LIST BY JAMES M. TATE</td></tr> </tbody></table>

list

MOVIE ICONS THAT WERE ONLY USED SPORADICALLY

1) JOHN BELUSHI as Bluto in ANIMAL HOUSE In each of these ten selections it goes without saying: without the iconic mascots, there woul...

HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5DNlp-ThmSE/UQRyvbAQPXI/AAAAAAAAVgg/Stt74N9Wmro/s1600/hanselandgreteljeremyrenner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5DNlp-ThmSE/UQRyvbAQPXI/AAAAAAAAVgg/Stt74N9Wmro/s640/hanselandgreteljeremyrenner.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>year: 2013 cast: Jeremy Renner, Famke Janssen, Gemma Arterton rating: **</b></span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> Hansel and Gretel, those two fairy tale children forced to fatten themselves up for dinner, are now older with a lucrative occupation described in the title – although there’s a lot more killing than hunting going on.     <br /> <br /> Beginning with a quick reintroduction to the sibling’s famous backstory against the candy house witch (more hyperactive than menacing), we cut to an opening credit montage of newspaper clippings with our heroes in action, fighting witches throughout the dark forest countryside. <br /> <br /> The initial villains – before Famke Janssen’s sinister Muriel takes over – are the hillbilly townspeople ala religious fanatics that burn maidens without a proper trial, introducing the love interest: a blond-haired lass quickly warming up to Jeremy Renner’s tough-as-nails Hansel. This also intentionally (and way too obviously) separates H & G from those infamous knee-jerk scoundrels who gave witch hunting a bad name.   <br /> <br /> Loaded with "machine guns" and other modernized weaponry, the dynamic duo take down broom-riding aggressors in scenes so fast-paced and close-up, you might have to close your eyes until each dizzying conclusion. Noisy and boisterous, the witches are hardly distinguished from each other, making all the fights seem repetitive and ultimately tiresome.  <br /> <br /> Renner does a decent job as Hansel, spouting tough guy one-liners ("I say burn them all") and never showing his emotions; while sister Gretel, played by Gemma Arterton... along with a young boy who attempts writing their story... seem too modern for the ancient setting, using words like “Awesome." <br /> <br /> In the vein of FROM DUSK TILL DAWN which inspired VAN HELSING and all the UNDERWORLD flicks, HANSEL AND GRETEL wields too much action to be as mysterious or engaging as the timeless story that it’s based.  <br /> <br /> But if you’re up for a lotta witch whoopin' – especially the climax where a makeshift Gatling gun massacres an entire bloody lot of 'em – this mindless roller coaster is just for you.

2013, action, famke janssen, jeremy renner, monster

HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS

year: 2013 cast: Jeremy Renner, Famke Janssen, Gemma Arterton rating: ** Hansel and Gretel, those two fairy tale children forced to fatt...

PARKER

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2qS5to1NnU/UQM0r2O8NBI/AAAAAAAAVfk/tOnXUIh3n4c/s1600/parker+jason+statham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2qS5to1NnU/UQM0r2O8NBI/AAAAAAAAVfk/tOnXUIh3n4c/s640/parker+jason+statham.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year: </b>2013 <b>cast:</b> Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte <b>rating:</b> ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> PARKER begins in somewhat familiar territory for fans of the Stanley Kubrick Film Noir classic THE KILLING. Instead of a racetrack we're at a fairgrounds where people race pigs, and there are a couple guys in clown suits instead of just one. <br /> <br /> But the man to center on is dressed like a priest, and that would be action star Jason Statham as Parker, a tough cookie who, it turns out, is the most reliable in an odd assortment of thieves set up by his loyal girlfriend’s father.<br /> <br /> Parker is a stranger to this crew that has Michael Chiklis as the temperamental leader, Melander. And although the heist is a success – a million stolen with each member promised two hundred grand… there’s a catch. <br /> <br /> Instead of collecting his pay, Parker's told to put his money in a pot for an even bigger score. What’s any good maverick to do but decline this invitation? He’s left for dead and after a quick recovery, the rest of the movie has our hero suffering flashbacks and stalking sunny Florida, waiting for the group to reassemble for a big jewel heist. <br /> <br /> Jennifer Lopez plays a frustrated working class real estate agent for the rich and cozy. She meets Parker, who’s undercover as a Texas oilman and potential buyer of a big house. This is a side-plot that takes away from the breezy nickel-plated fun and testosterone-soaked fist fights. Lopez’s periphrial input has little importance and her part seems tacked-on, although her role gets juicier the more vulnerable Parker becomes. <br /> <br /> Despite our tightly wound antihero fending for himself, there's something to learn about teamwork: especially when there's no choice in the matter. And while there are no sparks between the Statham and Lopez, this is really about one thing: Parker going from thug to thug with a double-edged goal in mind, which leads to a somewhat anticlimactic faceoff in the villain's hideaway.<br /> <br /> A time-filler bloodfest that plays out like a decent cable flick you watch at midnight, the only problem is it's made for the big screen. Either way, PARKER is lightweight entertainment that works despite a pulpy simplicity that might have been intentional.   <br /> <br />

2013, action, heist, jason statham, jennifer lopez, kirk baltz, nick nolte

PARKER

year: 2013 cast: Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte rating: *** PARKER begins in somewhat familiar territory for fans of the St...

THE IMPOSSIBLE

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ORFVxBQ3xdc/UP2tycTxZYI/AAAAAAAAVWw/1EvVaVn87Pk/s1600/the+impossible+james+m.+tate+reviews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ORFVxBQ3xdc/UP2tycTxZYI/AAAAAAAAVWw/1EvVaVn87Pk/s640/the+impossible+james+m.+tate+reviews.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year:</b> 2012<b> cast: </b>Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Tom Holland<b> rating: </b>***</td></tr> </tbody></table> THE IMPOSSIBLE is not entirely a disaster film but one more centered on persistence and courage during the aftermath of a horrible real life tragedy. <br /> <br /> We begin with an American family on an airplane during a sort of <i>busman’s holiday</i> to Thailand. The patriarch, Ewan McGregor’s Henry, has business pending in Japan and is allowed this break along with his wife and three kids, your typical family not without problems. <br /> <br /> The oldest son Lucas, played by the talented newcomer Tom Holland, isn’t very sympathetic of his little brothers, who aren’t entirely comfortable flying. Some subtly tense moments have the plane undergoing turbulence as Director Juan Antonio Bayona plays with the character’s built-up stress and fear for the unknown. That is, we know what's coming but they don't.   <br /> <br /> When the family checks into a fancy hotel and settles poolside, the nature surrounding the hotel is poised and just too quiet, eerie. Cut to the chase: when the Tsunami arrives, thundering from the ocean like a roaring beast, the special effects are pretty amazing but the characters don't get lost in the mix.  <br /> <br /> Naomi Watt’s Maria and Lucas are swept up and taken for a very jolting ride throughout the ravaged, water-filled countryside. The first act deals with surviving the thrust of the water and most important, remaining together throughout the harrowing, bone-crushing journey. <br /> <br /> When both mother and son wind up at a makeshift emergency hospital, and Maria is severely injured and must be operated on, the action centers entirely on Lucas frantically roaming the grounds, passing messages back and forth to other families. This becomes his story – kind of an EMPIRE OF THE SUN about a young man forced to think on his feet and grow up quickly.<br /> <br /> When we cut to Henry (McGregor), waking up within the ruins of the hotel and reunited with the two youngest sons, the movie becomes more of a searing art film than a struggle for survival. Not only is this segment not as interesting, it lacks the desperation of Lucas’s plight, which is returned to sporadically.<br /> <br /> Although Ewan McGregor’s intensity to rediscover his loved ones, and Naomi Watt’s fight to survive her very severe injuries, are impressively acted and important to the overall story of a family reuniting, this is really the story of a young man caught in-between a tragic catastrophe and the determination to beat the <i>impossible</i> odds.

2012, disaster, ewan mcgregor, naomi watts, tom holland

THE IMPOSSIBLE

year: 2012 cast: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Tom Holland rating: *** THE IMPOSSIBLE is not entirely a disaster film but one more cent...

GANGSTER SQUAD

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2KNjYPzKM8s/UP5A03NLhMI/AAAAAAAAVXs/lYmjQUeGAOY/s1600/gangster+squad+james+m.+tate+reviews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2KNjYPzKM8s/UP5A03NLhMI/AAAAAAAAVXs/lYmjQUeGAOY/s640/gangster+squad+james+m.+tate+reviews.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year:</b> 2013 <b>cast:</b> Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Robert Patrick<b> rating:</b> ***1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> Testosterone-fueled and bloody basic, GANGSTER SQUAD holds few punches. Centering on Josh Brolin’s square-jawed/hard nosed Sgt. John O’Hara in post-war Los Angeles, this is a mindlessly involving romp that borrows more from Westerns than old school crime flicks. <br /> <br /> O’Hara’s band of rouge lawman wind up screwing with Mickey Cohen’s seedy rule of L.A. by attacking his casinos, not busting them; burning the cash instead of taking it home. The best scenes have the Squad in action, vandalizing Cohen’s operation like a gang of schoolyard punks given permission to wreak havoc, without limits.     <br /> <br /> Sean Penn does an okay job as the cutthroat crime boss Mickey Cohen, although his reactionary scenes mostly consist of vein-popping tantrums, seeming more like someone’s grumpy father than an infamous kingpin. Any capable actor could have pulled off the part, but Penn – perhaps channeling pal Robert De Niro’s Capone from THE UNTOUCHABLES – has a good time no matter.  <br /> <br /> It’s really Brolin’s ride but he’s not alone. Ryan Gosling’s Jerry Wooters is a mellow lady’s man who falls for Cohen’s moll played by Emma Stone. Their love scenes and dialog together mean nothing – in fact when the bullets aren’t flying, any of the character development… including O'Hara and his worried pregnant wife… is paper thin and ultimately pointless: Which would be a hindrance in a movie that doesn’t celebrate non-stop action with such addictive gusto. <br /> <br /> With Robert Patrick on board as a gritty dead eye veteran partnered up with Michael Pena’s semi comic relief – and others including Giovanni Ribisi as a family man/technical guru, this is a roller coaster ride where the good guys play bad and have a literal blast doing it. <br /> <br /> Just don’t expect anything but fluff – fueled by Tommy Guns and perpetual explosions – and you’ll do all right.

2013, action, gangster, josh brolin, nick nolte, robert patrick, ryan gosling, sean penn

GANGSTER SQUAD

year: 2013 cast: Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Robert Patrick rating: ***1/2 Testosterone-fueled and bloody basic, GANGSTER ...

MAMA

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p8jpMhPUoi8/UP8v0aCi2EI/AAAAAAAAVb0/ZLDWvAP65e4/s1600/mama+james+m+tate+reviews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p8jpMhPUoi8/UP8v0aCi2EI/AAAAAAAAVb0/ZLDWvAP65e4/s640/mama+james+m+tate+reviews.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year:</b> 2013<b> cast:</b> Jessica Chastain, Megan Carpenter, Daniel Kash<b> rating:</b> **1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> Over a decade ago, when they re-released THE EXORCIST in theaters, adding a deleted scene where Linda Blair’s possessed Regan walks upside down on all fours – referred to thereafter as the “Spider Crawl” – it was both chilling and nightmarish. So here’s to a new generation of Spider Babies, two of them reared in the woods by a mysterious wraith known as MAMA and then adopted by their city slicker uncle and aunt to be raised domestically… Good luck!<br /> <br /> Uncle doesn’t matter since he’s given a<i> break </i>halfway through – as he recovers in the local hospital, Jessica Chastain’s grungy rocker Annabel stays at a big house to watch over the two wild children; Victoria and her younger sister Lilly: both a cross between literary wolf-raised kids and the kind of possessed brats popular in horror films.   <br /> <br /> The stipulation from an investigative Doctor Dreyfuss (sort of a medical version of the Exorcist himself) is that the only way the couple could adopt the children would be to stay at this particular cursed dwelling. And like all “haunted house” movies, you have to stretch disbelief to the limit as to why anyone would stick around such a formidably spooky pad, especially when Mama, a stretched-out demonic witch seemingly born from gangly vegetation, keeps appearing with enough vengeful shrieks and moans to wake a thousand dead souls.<br /> <br /> The shock value works well on two important levels: The setting is ominous, giving the impression anything can happen at any time – and there’s an abundance of successfully spooky jolts that occur out of nowhere, several having the title character rushing toward the screen in an ominous whoosh!  <br /> <br /> The director (and producer) knows how to manipulate nightmare images, but towards the middle and end are too many computer effects. Plus, the suburban house location is much scarier than the woodsy cabin where the story begins and that several characters sporadically return to.  <br /> <br /> What’s better off implied becomes much too visible: That being Mama, who can be pretty darn scary, sure, but those two little girls crawling around during the first twenty minutes provide just as many, if not more, chills to the old spine. 

2013, horror, jessica chastain

MAMA

year: 2013 cast: Jessica Chastain, Megan Carpenter, Daniel Kash rating: **1/2 Over a decade ago, when they re-released THE EXORCIST...

THE LAST STAND

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GlyEaWaMXg/UPnJ1hpnCII/AAAAAAAAVL4/v8EuAQ6H3tc/s1600/Untitled-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="354" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GlyEaWaMXg/UPnJ1hpnCII/AAAAAAAAVL4/v8EuAQ6H3tc/s640/Untitled-1-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year:</b> 2013 <b>cast:</b> Arnold Schwarzenegger, Peter Stormare, Luis Guzman <b>rating:</b> ***1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> Resembling a leathery komodo dragon weathered by a dry desert wind, the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger is <i>back</i> in action...<br /> <br /> Having departed show business during a slight downturn in his cinematic popularity – END OF DAYS was forsaken, BATMAN AND ROBIN a travesty, and TERMINATOR 3 let down die hard franchise fans – the <i>body builder turned movie star turned California Governor</i> plays if safe as the aged Sheriff of a small town bordering Mexico who, on his day off, and along with likable yet clumsy deputies, takes on an infamous drug cartel leader driving a souped-up corvette at demonic speed.<br /> <br /> Half of the film sets up the antagonistic Cortez, a young cocky killer who escapes from Federal Agent Forrest Whitaker and heads to the open highway – but it’s sleepy-eyed Peter Stormare who provides a more accessible villain/henchman. This before the important stuff gets started…<br /> <br /> With an exception of meeting each member of the good guy/bad guy teams, it’s all about exposition and commentary before the “big game,” providing Arnold’s Sheriff Ray Owens little to do in the meantime. We get to know his underlings and their shortcomings more than realizing his own skills and capabilities. But soon enough we learn the underrated Owens has a violent past, and settled into this current cushy job as a form of semi-retirement (could this be a nod to his political excursion?). <br /> <br /> There’s one decent action scene bridging the inevitable showdown, pitting the underdog lawman against the first wave of dirt-stomping villains. Here’s where the movie plays its hand in a steady pace, juggling a high octane action with parody of ultra violent fare.<br /> <br /> The direction is steely and calculating, and though there’s an overabundance of gunshots and explosions some good suspense comes out of it. That is, even when the pace slows down, the clock is still ticking. <br /> <br /> A lot has changed in a decade thanks to (or no thanks to) computer enhancement. When someone gets shot you can see the blood and guts like cans of soup exploding. The car crashes are right in your face, often resembling a gritty video game in the process. While the the humor is hit and miss, a lot of the one-liners attempting to levitate the unrelenting bloodshed. <br /> <br /> Arnold, as part of an ensemble cast, isn’t the entire canvas – many of the players, including Luis Guzman as a witty deputy and Johnny Knoxville as a loopy gun-ho hick – provide paint along the way: each practically equal in the HIGH NOON-like proceedings.  But Ray Owens is the man in charge simply because he’s built to last, and this is his town. <br /> <br /> So if THE LAST STAND doesn’t succeed in giving Schwarzenegger a worthy comeback, it’s definitely proof he still fits cozily into his old pair of shoes, which, for an already limited niche actor, is about all he can ask for.

2013, action, arnold schwarzenegger, luis guzman

THE LAST STAND

year: 2013 cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Peter Stormare, Luis Guzman rating: ***1/2 Resembling a leathery komodo dragon weathered by a...

THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K-QK8xAC77U/UAkGU_C_IdI/AAAAAAAAJJo/JvixMG0MWbc/s1600/title00_232603687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K-QK8xAC77U/UAkGU_C_IdI/AAAAAAAAJJo/JvixMG0MWbc/s640/title00_232603687.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1979 cast: Don Knotts, Tim Conway, Tim Matheson, Elyssa Davalos, Robert Pine rating: ***1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> The original APPLE DUMPLING GANG is one of those experiences you remember as a kid for two reasons: Don Knotts and Tim Conway as two hilariously clumsy bank robbers. But upon rewatching you realize they aren’t in the movie enough.<br /> <br /> Unlike using comic relief mascots sparingly in a successful manor (so not to ware out their welcome), like John Belushi in ANIMAL HOUSE, Sean Penn in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, or Michael Keaton in BEETLEJUICE, the comic duo are needed much more in the first Disney film that spends too much time on Bill Bixby and his orphans who deem themselves The Apple Dumpling Gang. That’s right… the Gang isn’t even named after Knotts and Conway – but in this superior sequel they keep the title for continuity’s sake.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-81_thsZuO3w/Ui6SbLcNJ9I/AAAAAAAAadU/IjpOoJf0lsA/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-81_thsZuO3w/Ui6SbLcNJ9I/AAAAAAAAadU/IjpOoJf0lsA/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elyssa Davalos and a shifty Robert Pine</td></tr> </tbody></table> We begin with the two bumbling crooks Theodore (Knotts) and Amos (Conway) who’ve gone straight. Riding around on a faithful mule they enter a mining town to hit a bank: depositing money this time. But two scruffy bank robbers, posing as tellers, steal their loot and the adventure begins – mostly dealing with “The Apple Dumpling Gang” being mistaken as sharpshooters since they accidentally thwarted the legendary Sheriff Hitchcock (Kenneth Mars), who keeps on their trail in a Wile E. Coyote fashion.<br /> <br /> Tim Matheson, as a young private in a Calvary Fort being marauded of supplies, drives the necessary plot; Harry Morgan runs the show with his right hand man played by CHIPS sarge Robert Pine; and providing the love interest (to Pine and then Matheson) is the gorgeous Elyssa Davalos as Morgan’s classy daughter.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qXv_lOJA4k/Ui6ShXTrhzI/AAAAAAAAadc/cQKlYciCNtU/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qXv_lOJA4k/Ui6ShXTrhzI/AAAAAAAAadc/cQKlYciCNtU/s640/4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elyssa Davalos as Miss Millie Gaskill</td></tr> </tbody></table> Theodore and Amos go from the Fort to a prison to an underground lair run by Jack Elam and his henchman. There are plenty of locations and twists and turns and, while some of the gags aren’t drop dead hilarious, there’s enough going on to keep you entertained till the climax involving a speeding train heist. <br /> <br /> Great stuff and proof that sequels <i>can</i> be better.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dtonIm_3vgY/UAkGbtBRgtI/AAAAAAAAJJw/fE6KYVrZjuk/s1600/title00_232819344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dtonIm_3vgY/UAkGbtBRgtI/AAAAAAAAJJw/fE6KYVrZjuk/s640/title00_232819344.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry Morgan leading Morgan Paull and Robert Pine</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7ERHpmkvIY/UAiELO5ViMI/AAAAAAAAJI4/0KG0zOe7hWo/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="494" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7ERHpmkvIY/UAiELO5ViMI/AAAAAAAAJI4/0KG0zOe7hWo/s640/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The late Morgan Paull following Richard X. Slattery's orders</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YIQW7kGSBPM/UAiEMnR9RsI/AAAAAAAAJJQ/ibH4uotzhg0/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YIQW7kGSBPM/UAiEMnR9RsI/AAAAAAAAJJQ/ibH4uotzhg0/s640/5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Disney ingenue Elyssa Davalos rides a train</td></tr> </tbody></table> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=jamtaci-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000Y11BBC&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=jamtaci-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B008H6GH9W&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

comedy, disney, don knotts, elyssa davalos, harry morgan, morgan paull, sequel, tim conway, tim matheson

THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN

year: 1979 cast: Don Knotts, Tim Conway, Tim Matheson, Elyssa Davalos, Robert Pine rating: ***1/2 The original APPLE DUMPLING GANG is on...

GALACTICA 1980: CONQUEST OF THE EARTH

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-14pFD622qwA/T-KboUs8vCI/AAAAAAAAH-Q/Pe_XHGKQvyo/s1600/Picture10-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-14pFD622qwA/T-KboUs8vCI/AAAAAAAAH-Q/Pe_XHGKQvyo/s640/Picture10-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1980 cast: Lorne Greene, Robbie Rist, Kent McCord, Richard Lynch, Robert Reed rating: ****</td></tr> </tbody></table> Who doesn’t wanna see Cylon Raiders destroying the city of Los Angeles? It’s quite a sight in the pilot episode of GALACTICA 1980, what many consider the original Battlestar Galactica’s jump the shark moment.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pbELYTWjoxY/UvGhXg5kuTI/AAAAAAAAcz0/vxDSO0LK0AE/s1600/1980bikes.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pbELYTWjoxY/UvGhXg5kuTI/AAAAAAAAcz0/vxDSO0LK0AE/s1600/1980bikes.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding Around</td></tr> </tbody></table> Well it was more than a moment – in fact this secondary series lasted a handful of episodes and despite the hatred amongst fans of the original series, it wasn’t that bad. Especially CONQUEST OF THE EARTH, a three-part pilot beginning with the Galactica a few years older: Which means its inhabitants aged as well.<br /> <br /> Lorne Greene’s Admiral Adama has a white beard and Herb Jefferson’s Boomer has gray hair – but where’s Starbuck and Apollo? Well they didn’t stick around but we have Kent McCord as a grownup Boxey and Barry Van Dyke’s Lt. Dillon.<br /> <br /> Both go undercover to scout Earth but the catch is, they can’t say who they are nor display any powers. They slip up by letting their motorcycles take flight and wind up helping a frustrated scientist (Robert Reed) make progress in clean nuclear energy.<br /> <br /> But the point of this tribute is Richard Lynch, the incredible character-actor who passed away last year. Known for antagonist roles, Lynch played a seedy convict named Wolfe on the original series classic two part episode GUN ON ICE PLANET ZERO and here he’s another villain but with more layers.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y6VBDAZAZZg/UvGhcqglCTI/AAAAAAAAcz8/C1Re8EmfawU/s1600/1980bikes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y6VBDAZAZZg/UvGhcqglCTI/AAAAAAAAcz8/C1Re8EmfawU/s1600/1980bikes2.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on Modern Earth...</td></tr> </tbody></table> Xavier works aboard the Galactica and like all great backstabbers, he wants to make his own ground. He travels back to 1940’s Germany during the height of World War II, and plans on helping the Nazis who’ve built a giant missile/rocket – it’s then up to our heroes, along with hottie Robyn Douglass and soldier/spy Christopher Stone, to thwart Xavier’s devious plans that can… you got it, help really bad people take over the world!<br /> <br /> Lynch stuck around for a few more episodes – his formidable presence lent a sinister prowess to the show that, after his departure, fell into cliché and banal scripts that led to the ultimate demise.<br /> <br /> And Robbie Rist, famous (or infamous) as Cousin Oliver from THE BRADY BUNCH, played the child genius Dr. Zee – but was replaced later on with another young actor. Zee shows the Galactica council what it’d look like if Cylons attacked Earth, which explains the groovy screencaps below.<br /> <br /> So if you’re not convinced by now to give this maligned short-lived series a fair shake, there’s nothing much else to say: except to repeat condolences to Richard Lynch, who made the cinematic and television experience a lot darker in a great way.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zXCov8Bux9w/T-KMfNh55VI/AAAAAAAAH9E/gTovKs0_ulM/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zXCov8Bux9w/T-KMfNh55VI/AAAAAAAAH9E/gTovKs0_ulM/s640/Picture+5.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Selections from a Cult Film Freak interview with ROBBIE RIST</b></td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="background-color: white;"><b>Why were you replaced on the series as Dr. Zee? </b></span><br /> <br /> I think I learned they replaced me by watching the show. Show business is a cruel mistress. I have no idea why they changed Zee's. Maybe I just didn't cut it.<br /> <br /> <span style="background-color: white;"><b>How was it working with Lorne Greene? </b></span><br /> <br /> My experience has always been that, the more work and the more established the actor, the cooler they are. The a--holes always tended to be those on the way up who were insecure about their place in the industry.<br /> <br /> <span style="background-color: white;"><b>Were you a fan of the original series?</b></span><br /> <br /> I am a first generation part of the STAR WARS generation. Of course I loved GALACTICA. I grew weary of it in short order as it seemed that one Cylon ship was always crossing my screen from left to right before it was hit by a human's guns. I guess making new FX shots was too expensive.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXJkWb0psN8/T-KNBUfiRMI/AAAAAAAAH9M/prBRyLb48RU/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXJkWb0psN8/T-KNBUfiRMI/AAAAAAAAH9M/prBRyLb48RU/s640/Picture+1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cylons attacking Earth: simulation</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOwUQt4X3oo/T-KNELu8vEI/AAAAAAAAH9c/GD4a8VCI32g/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOwUQt4X3oo/T-KNELu8vEI/AAAAAAAAH9c/GD4a8VCI32g/s640/Picture+2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cylons attacking Earth: simulation</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AgiplzcZTGU/T-KNFfcWyOI/AAAAAAAAH9k/v0XdsUic4nA/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AgiplzcZTGU/T-KNFfcWyOI/AAAAAAAAH9k/v0XdsUic4nA/s640/Picture+3.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cylons attacking Earth: simulation</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SaCl4IicUmU/T-KNHt_sxNI/AAAAAAAAH9s/g38aEN_JxNs/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SaCl4IicUmU/T-KNHt_sxNI/AAAAAAAAH9s/g38aEN_JxNs/s640/Picture+4.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cylons attacking Earth: simulation</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsPLlzUvBao/T-KNK7qvMPI/AAAAAAAAH98/VFYfIG28O0Q/s1600/Picture+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsPLlzUvBao/T-KNK7qvMPI/AAAAAAAAH98/VFYfIG28O0Q/s640/Picture+6.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cylons attacking Earth: simulation</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJ_RCV92KAU/T-KNNPbo6mI/AAAAAAAAH-E/H0hu3qesBNg/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJ_RCV92KAU/T-KNNPbo6mI/AAAAAAAAH-E/H0hu3qesBNg/s640/Picture+9.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cylons attacking Earth: simulation</td></tr> </tbody></table>

eighties, lorne greene, richard lynch, science-fiction, TV

GALACTICA 1980: CONQUEST OF THE EARTH

year: 1980 cast: Lorne Greene, Robbie Rist, Kent McCord, Richard Lynch, Robert Reed rating: **** Who doesn’t wanna see Cylon Raiders des...

LAZENBY BOND: ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EsgzOYJG0kk/VEF-KZNPK6I/AAAAAAAAkK4/6MtUu9Tmy7k/s1600/On%2BHer%2BMajestys%2BSecret%2BService%2BPoster%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EsgzOYJG0kk/VEF-KZNPK6I/AAAAAAAAkK4/6MtUu9Tmy7k/s320/On%2BHer%2BMajestys%2BSecret%2BService%2BPoster%2B4.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1969 rating: ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> No matter who’s playing James Bond, the most important scene of any 007 film is the action-packed opening: setting the stage for the entire show. But ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, the intro is rushed and edited badly... a fight scene at the beach leading to a forced one-liner with the new Bond, a stiff and dapper George Lazenby, looking into the camera saying: “This never happened to the other fella.”<br /> <br /> Thankfully the rest of the movie is pretty decent. Although Lazenby doesn’t offer the laid back charming humor of Connery (and Roger Moore), he has the right amount of physical prowess as the Ian Fleming icon.<br /> <br /> Bond is hired by a millionaire named Draco to keep watch of his maverick daughter played by Diana Rigg – one of the best Bond girls of the entire canon. Sans the affected breathy “Oh James” airhead, Rigg is an assertive natural beauty. This romantic sideplot turns into the real mission as Bond ventures to into snow-plush Switzerland.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2MTdYKierc/VEF-Qsu164I/AAAAAAAAkLA/yivOhWAX2GI/s1600/a95968d1qiu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2MTdYKierc/VEF-Qsu164I/AAAAAAAAkLA/yivOhWAX2GI/s320/a95968d1qiu.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diana Rigg rules</td></tr> </tbody></table> Going undercover as a nebbish ancestry expert, Lazenby, formerly a magazine model, turns in a decent performance. By toning down the womanizing role amongst a harem of brainwashed ladies at Blofeld’s mountaintop outpost, the spy is truly undercover. Meanwhile, the bald nemesis, using a different name and race, has a subtle plot of world domination – more of a whimper than a bang.<br /> <br /> Telly Savalas brings a creepy, sinister edge to the character; he needs no lap cat or reverberating laughter to seem nefarious and formidable. Most of the action occurs on the slopes, and while there’s a bit too much skiing (like THUNDERBALL spent too much time underwater), the scenes have energy and always lead to something better: the real climax involves a terrific bobsled chase! And overall there is a pretty good flow despite contrived camera angles too reminiscent of the psychedelic era. And while Lazenby remains the red-haired stepchild of the Bond series, he does all right – but something’s just not there. Having made the choice during filming to never play Bond again, perhaps he felt it too. Yet no one can deny (spoiler alert) Lazenby's importance to the overall canon: he's the one who took part in the doomed marriage, mentioned in Bond films to come, and really important in shaping the Ian Fleming character years before shining on the silver screen.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1NPLrjBwKpU/VEF3nqqKZII/AAAAAAAAkKo/mbxVihdDCdw/s1600/photo-130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1NPLrjBwKpU/VEF3nqqKZII/AAAAAAAAkKo/mbxVihdDCdw/s1600/photo-130.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This once-lonely LP, purchased at an obscure Long Beach record store, now has an official signature...</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkOuqRznBEI/UPXsSbvD9DI/AAAAAAAAVHo/1EPeUfrWABg/s1600/uk-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkOuqRznBEI/UPXsSbvD9DI/AAAAAAAAVHo/1EPeUfrWABg/s640/uk-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover art from the back of the LP, not including the flag surrounding</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-84Xb_oczGBs/UO_BDuZd2vI/AAAAAAAAU_k/er0Enz9HRgk/s1600/bond1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-84Xb_oczGBs/UO_BDuZd2vI/AAAAAAAAU_k/er0Enz9HRgk/s640/bond1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=majesty%27s+secret+service">BUY DVD AT AMAZON</a></td></tr> </tbody></table>

action, espionage, ian fleming, james bond, sixties

LAZENBY BOND: ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

year: 1969 rating: *** No matter who’s playing James Bond, the most important scene of any 007 film is the action-packed opening: settin...

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vK-lqtlPwac/UkaSFcE-3eI/AAAAAAAAa1Y/GuJeQsPDur4/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vK-lqtlPwac/UkaSFcE-3eI/AAAAAAAAa1Y/GuJeQsPDur4/s640/Picture+1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2012 cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Chris Tucker rating: ***1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> When it comes to relationships, there’s a lid for every pot, so they say. Even if you’ve flipped your lid… And it’s not like Bradley Cooper’s bi-polar Pat didn’t have reason. He caught his wife cheating in the shower, got kinda violent, and winded up at a mental hospital... Which is where our story begins… right as he’s checking out…<br /> <br /> And it’s any wonder they let Pat go free at all – a particular song makes him bonkers while a classic novel's unhappy ending sends him on a frantic tizzy. But his parents have taken him back into their home, and not without hesitation. <br /> <br /> Yet Pat’s father, played by veteran icon Robert De Niro, isn’t exactly normal. With a hardwired penchant for Eagles football, a manner of keeping everything in place around him, and a bias for his "normal" oldest son, he’s anything but a cure for Pat, whose only solace is his mundane best buddy, married to an uptight yuppie with a cute little sister... And that’s where the real story begins…<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pPaIC2oPcI/UkaTHOKiJPI/AAAAAAAAa1o/HDqQkf09_IE/s1600/s2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pPaIC2oPcI/UkaTHOKiJPI/AAAAAAAAa1o/HDqQkf09_IE/s640/s2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer Lawrence facing Bradley Cooper</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> Jennifer Lawrence’s Tiffany might be crazier… or rather… more blunt than anyone else on board. With a sordid past – having slept with a laundry list of people – there’s no subject she won’t shed light on. And her pet project becomes Pat, who still thinks he has a chance reconciling with his wife despite a serious restraining order. <br /> <br /> The best scenes have Pat and Tiffany hanging out, jogging around or wandering the suburbs, outdoing each other with combative honesty and getting closer and closer despite their neurosis, providing Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence worthy performances: each seeming too real for the world and each other. Meanwhile, sporadic handheld camera provides an edgy documentary vibe, and more stagnant scenes remind us of the romantic comedy baseline. <br /> <br /> But the real catch, and what drives the character-driven story, is Veronica’s promise to bring Pat and his wife (friends with her sister) back together – the stakes are raised as that silver lining now has a price. He has to learn to dance for a big competition that, occurring on the same night of an important football game, gives this unique tale a worthy climax for conventional audiences.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kWbsE5N25Uc/UkaUs3oKV3I/AAAAAAAAa18/A__I0Nek2H0/s1600/title03_013021331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kWbsE5N25Uc/UkaUs3oKV3I/AAAAAAAAa18/A__I0Nek2H0/s640/title03_013021331.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer Lawrence in an Oscar winning role</td></tr> </tbody></table> Sure it can be simplistic at times. The two leads find solutions much too easily... specially since Pat has a beautiful young dream-girl/life coach that any guy would die for, making him difficult "underdog" to relate with. While some of the characters, like Pat’s brother and his outpatient friend, aren’t entirely fleshed out and border on cliché...<br /> <br /> But with an ultimately heartfelt performance by De Niro, and a platform for Cooper and Lawrence to shine without limits, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is a dose of effective medicine. <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0oyKDNbgKw8/UkaTSfvB9AI/AAAAAAAAa1w/xWY5PnlYLCc/s1600/s3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0oyKDNbgKw8/UkaTSfvB9AI/AAAAAAAAa1w/xWY5PnlYLCc/s640/s3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yes, I am talkin' to you."</td></tr> </tbody></table> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=jamtaci-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B005DD7H50&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=jamtaci-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002RVCCUQ&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=jamtaci-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00A81MV3U&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

2012, bradley cooper, jennifer lawrence, robert deniro

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

year: 2012 cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Chris Tucker rating: ***1/2 When it comes to relationships, there’s a...

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nf4jIGhFVIY/UOx5_nsXDLI/AAAAAAAAUlk/g_sMvQDue-k/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nf4jIGhFVIY/UOx5_nsXDLI/AAAAAAAAUlk/g_sMvQDue-k/s640/blue+and+the+gray+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1982 cast: John Hammond, Stacy Keach, Gregory Peck, Penny Peyser, Bruce Abbott rating: ****</td></tr> </tbody></table> In making a story about the Civil War, where “Brother fought Brother” on American soil, what better medium than an artist to tell the Civil War saga from both sides. <br /> <br /> In this exceptional TV miniseries, we meet John Hammond’s passive John Geyser, who dreams of sketching illustrations in the big city. He lives on a farm in the South and his family’s bent on defending their land from the Northern Yankees. Although when THE BLUE AND THE GRAY begins and John (to the chagrin of his father and patriotic brothers) leaves home – traveling north to get a job from his cousin at a small town newspaper – there’s only the impending rumor of war… Which doesn’t last long.   <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoU6koUP6iQ/UjCcgACYGmI/AAAAAAAAae4/EyqRwXRIppA/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoU6koUP6iQ/UjCcgACYGmI/AAAAAAAAae4/EyqRwXRIppA/s640/blue+and+the+gray+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Hammond's John Geyser sketching both sides</td></tr> </tbody></table> When the war begins, after his brothers and cousins have all signed up, Geyser has a meeting with Abe Lincoln – who saw him sketching he and wife Mary Todd. The 16th President gives John permission to sketch both sides of the war so he doesn’t have to eventually fight his own siblings. In a previous scene, John had turned against the South because of racism: his friend, a freed slave played by Paul Winfield, was lynched for harboring runaways. This was the last straw. <br /> <br /> The big battle scenes are shot well, and best yet, they're up close and personal. Of John’s four Yankee cousins (including Bruce Abbott and David W. Harper), Brian Kerwin as Malachy, who’s afraid of battle and surreptitiously runs away when things get hairy, is mainly centered on as he goes from “coward” to hero in the course of several campaigns.  <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wtu82EzDgMI/UjCckfHABTI/AAAAAAAAafA/8dMQ2FRVlfI/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wtu82EzDgMI/UjCckfHABTI/AAAAAAAAafA/8dMQ2FRVlfI/s640/blue+and+the+gray+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penny Peyser's Emma Geyser loses her cool</td></tr> </tbody></table> Stacy Keach plays an intrepid scout named Jonas Steele – he works for Lincoln personally and has the dangerous job of riding to the front lines to check on what the South is up to. The always dependable Keach makes a worthy maverick and takes John under his wing, but his constant dreams of the future are annoyingly farfetched. These scenes (and a few subplots, mostly involving top men discussing strategies) are the only slight drawback to an otherwise perfect tale that, despite a three-part run time, is hardly searing or tedious. <br /> <br /> There are many locations and situations on and off the battlefield, like John’s romance with society girl turned front line nurse; Steele’s courtship with John’s pretty cousin; and John’s tough sister (Penny Peyser) slowly losing her sanity – yet the baseline remains at the rural Geyser home. The final stand takes place here, and as some exceptionally cutthroat Yankee soldiers attack his family, John must chose which side he’s really on.   <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b3750k1eRLw/UjCcn_7QvOI/AAAAAAAAafI/4Sc7VP03zIY/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b3750k1eRLw/UjCcn_7QvOI/AAAAAAAAafI/4Sc7VP03zIY/s640/blue+and+the+gray+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Kerwin (right) faces battle</td></tr> </tbody></table> An excellent miniseries that... despite the presence of bigger stars including Gregory Peck as Lincoln and Lloyd Bridges as the Geyser patriarch... never loses place of the important "smaller" characters, providing not only historic battles but involving undercover missions and plenty of suspenseful one-on-one fights, including a good old fashion duel.<br /> <br /> THE BLUE AND THE GRAY has everything for both historians and die hard fans of the <i>war movie</i> genre.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kb80nV_e2-8/UOx6ZvvK8SI/AAAAAAAAUl0/OE6EOeR0SIU/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kb80nV_e2-8/UOx6ZvvK8SI/AAAAAAAAUl0/OE6EOeR0SIU/s640/blue+and+the+gray+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacy Keach as Jonas Steele</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_n77oub8AvA/UOx6dRTT5_I/AAAAAAAAUl8/p22EQTj8H2Y/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_n77oub8AvA/UOx6dRTT5_I/AAAAAAAAUl8/p22EQTj8H2Y/s640/blue+and+the+gray+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Kathleen Beller as Kathy Reynolds</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-854w45_MD94/UOx6oX-jbWI/AAAAAAAAUmU/nr77mzYZmek/s1600/blue+and+the+gray+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-854w45_MD94/UOx6oX-jbWI/AAAAAAAAUmU/nr77mzYZmek/s640/blue+and+the+gray+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Haymond as buried lead character John Geyser</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6kyxhO344M/UOx61mKbVdI/AAAAAAAAUmc/yZQ4hmE_cIg/s1600/penny+peyser+the+blue+and+the+gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="494" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6kyxhO344M/UOx61mKbVdI/AAAAAAAAUmc/yZQ4hmE_cIg/s640/penny+peyser+the+blue+and+the+gray.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Penny Peyser rides a fast and furious stagecoach</td></tr> </tbody></table>

brian kerwin, bruce abbott, cooper huckabee, eighties, gregory peck, john hammond, jordan rhodes, kathleen beller, miniseries, penny peyser, stacy keach, war, warren oates

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY

year: 1982 cast: John Hammond, Stacy Keach, Gregory Peck, Penny Peyser, Bruce Abbott rating: **** In making a story about the Civil War,...