cult film freak: November 2014

Written by James M. Tate / 11/30/2014 / No comments / 2014 , bio , channing tatum , mark ruffalo , sport , steve carell

STEVE CARELL & CHANNING TATUM WRESTLE AGAINST TYPE IN FOXCATCHER

2014, bio, channing tatum, mark ruffalo, sport, steve carell

STEVE CARELL & CHANNING TATUM WRESTLE AGAINST TYPE IN FOXCATCHER

year: 2014 rating: ** If uncomfortable silence merited how good a film is, then FOXCATCHER… based on philanthropist Jon du Pont and Olym...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/29/2014 / No comments / star wars , trailer

FIRST STAR WARS FORCE AWAKENS TRAILER

star wars, trailer

FIRST STAR WARS FORCE AWAKENS TRAILER

Providing A Glimpse Into STAR WARS VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS Teaser Trailer It’s difficult to tell anything really important from a tra...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/26/2014 / No comments / 2014 , chris pine , christoph waltz , comedy , jamie foxx , jason bateman , jason sudeikis

JASON BATEMAN & COMPANY RETURN FOR HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

<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/-nooOs5QC6bg/VHbIUQ8n9NI/AAAAAAAAlGE/Pi4ZaaSr0i8/s1600/MV5BNzU4OTEzNzAwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTgwODAwMzE%40._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nooOs5QC6bg/VHbIUQ8n9NI/AAAAAAAAlGE/Pi4ZaaSr0i8/s320/MV5BNzU4OTEzNzAwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTgwODAwMzE%40._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 rating: ***</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day as working wrecks Nick, Kurt and Dale were the GoBots to The Hangover’s Transformers, but now they’re basically channeling The Three Stooges. And instead of poking fingers into another person's eyeballs, the ever-flustered Nick constantly rolls his own since his buddies are ten times goofier and inept – even with a business idea that finally makes them their very own bosses.<br />
<br />
But the American Dream ends quickly after being ripped off by corporate jerk Bert, played by Quentin Tarantino regular Christoph Waltz. Thus a kidnapping scheme is born involving Bert’s even jerkier son, Rex...<br />
<br />
As an eventual fourth banana, Chris Pine – while pretty great as a serious Captain Kirk – seems downright awkward in a comedy film. The trio fare better on their own: the best scenes involving the two going back and forth while the one shakes his head, never quite grasping that he's in another (and another and another) fine mess. Meanwhile, the returning Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey seem like special guest stars at a reunion special.  <br />
<br />
While the first movie spent half the time explaining why and how the characters loathed their bosses, this breezier and funnier follow-up (a plot combining 9 TO 5 with RUTHLESS PEOPLE) is an instant platform for the bantering hijinkx. A good thing since these guys were always better than their revenge-driven concept.

2014, chris pine, christoph waltz, comedy, jamie foxx, jason bateman, jason sudeikis

JASON BATEMAN & COMPANY RETURN FOR HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

2014 rating: *** Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day as working wrecks Nick, Kurt and Dale were the GoBots to The Hangover’s T...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/23/2014 / 2 Comments / franchise , interview , sequel , seventies , walter matthau

ORIGINAL BAD NEWS BEARS ARCHIVE INTERVIEWS ONE

<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/-a1cfRFsLjHo/VG8IS4uLhPI/AAAAAAAAk5E/zsUmikaLYO8/s1600/reddy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a1cfRFsLjHo/VG8IS4uLhPI/AAAAAAAAk5E/zsUmikaLYO8/s1600/reddy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Hitter Archive Interviews from the classic original THE BAD NEWS BEARS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pYOc64uYip0/VG7yk9YPsbI/AAAAAAAAk2Q/i5cPf1vxQBE/s1600/bears1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pYOc64uYip0/VG7yk9YPsbI/AAAAAAAAk2Q/i5cPf1vxQBE/s1600/bears1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poster Art</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A guy named Mike was the webmaster of a BAD NEWS BEARS site 
that is... no longer. Before social networks, this was the place for fans of the original BAD NEWS BEARS franchise to check out 
interviews, pictures and general information. The site covered all three
 films also including BREAKING TRAINING and GO TO JAPAN. <br />
<br />
We
 have teamed up with Mike to resurrect his interviews in two parts,
 beginning with the first movie, THE BAD NEWS BEARS, the best kid sports
 movie ever made. And with a beer guzzling Walter Matthau reluctantly 
coaching foul-mouthed misfits led by a chain-smoking Jackie Earle Haley,
 the film is equally geared for grownups. <br />
<br />
Further down
 is an interview with the first Engleberg, Gary Lee Cavagnaro, but we'll
 start with Mike's interview with David Pollock, who, before 
Tatum O'Neal's Amanda took over as the strongarm ringer, was the nervous left-handed pitcher for the team, Rudi Stein... And David, unlike Gary, also appeared in, and 
shares about, both sequels.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>MIKE'S INTERVIEW WITH DAVID POLLOCK ("RUDI STEIN")</u></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KklEszDnNjk/VeJ-nKTMjcI/AAAAAAAAozo/kj7tBFqHrBs/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.56.38%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KklEszDnNjk/VeJ-nKTMjcI/AAAAAAAAozo/kj7tBFqHrBs/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.56.38%2BPM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David  as Rudi Stein</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What were some of your best memories from shooting the Bears movies? Some of your worst? </b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
Fortunately, most my memories of the movie are good ones. Just being around the set each day was a joy.<br />
<br />
I
 remember arriving the first day of filming at 6 a.m. because I didn't 
want to miss anything. There was a constant parade of celebrity guests 
on the set. Ryan O'Neal was there frequently visiting Tatum. Burt 
Lancaster stopped by to see how his son's script was coming to  life. 
Jack Lemmon stopped by to visit Walter and took some of the boys down  
to the Baskin Robbins at Devonshire and Mason (it's still there) for ice
 scream. Steve Garvey came by one day to meet us. Bill Bixby came to 
rehearsals one day to visit Brandon Cruz who starred with him in the 
Courtship of Eddie's Father series: One morning while we were filming in Japan, a group 
of us got on the elevator in Hotel Okura and found ourselves 
face-to-face with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. We had a short, polite 
conversation. It turned out later this was their "lost" period, but we 
knew where they were!<br />
<br />
When Breaking Training came out 
in 1977, we all went on a publicity tour. We started in New York City by
 signing autographs at Macy's then playing  softball in Central Park 
with the Broadway cast of Annie. Jackie Haley and I snuck away one night
 to see a new movie called the Rocky Horror Picture Show playing in 
Greenwich Village. We all then split up and went in small groups to 
different cities. <br />
<br />
Probably my worst memory is the 
filming of the Japan movie. It was no surprise to us that the movie 
didn't turn out well. It was not a happy set. I think most of us were 
actually working under an option that included a fourth movie where we 
were to go to Cuba. After Japan, though, Paramount wisely decided to 
leave it at that. <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://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iVrzEMqbrwo/VG5osLgb18I/AAAAAAAAkzk/NOKx4iMFhOA/s1600/the-bad-news-bears-go-to-japan-movie-poster-1978-1020209265.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iVrzEMqbrwo/VG5osLgb18I/AAAAAAAAkzk/NOKx4iMFhOA/s200/the-bad-news-bears-go-to-japan-movie-poster-1978-1020209265.jpg" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rudi Stein on Poster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Why did some of the members not appear in The Bad News Bears go to Japan? </b><br />
<br />
By
 the third movie, there were only five of us left from the original 
movie and Jeff Starr from the second movie. We were never told why some
 of us made it and others didn't.  Sometimes it just had to do with the 
way the script was written. That's the reason Scott Firestone was given 
for not being in Breaking Training (he was crushed). <br />
<br />
It
 was my understanding that Chris  Barnes' family had become increasingly
 uncomfortable with the profanity and behavior represented in the 
movies and were pressing for rights that Michael  Ritchie wasn't 
prepared to extend. <br />
<br />
I haven't talked to Chris since 
Breaking Training so I can't say for sure what the issues were. I did 
miss working with him on the Japan movie, but that definitely was the 
one to miss. <br />
<br />
Quinn Smith, Alfred Lutter and Jaime 
Escobedo also were missing from the Japan movie for reasons unknown to 
me. I saw Alfred and Jaime at the photo session for TV Guide, but that 
issue never came up. We were having too much fun talking about our good
 memories.<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u79Gw63nuWI/VG5MOyWYaNI/AAAAAAAAkwE/_4-Yg_uo85o/s1600/r4.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u79Gw63nuWI/VG5MOyWYaNI/AAAAAAAAkwE/_4-Yg_uo85o/s200/r4.jpg" width="103" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uniforms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Did any of the members of the Bears become friends and hang out during the shoot? After the shoot? </b><br />
<br />
I actually ended up living with Brett Marx and his family for over a year after Breaking Training.<br />
<br />
I
 have also heard stories of the other guys getting together in smaller 
groups years afterward, but I was off busy raising my family. The TV 
Guide shoot was the first time in 24 years that I had seen Erin, Alfred,
 Scott, and Jaime. <br />
<br />
<b>What was a typical day like on the set of the 1st movie? The 2nd movie? </b><br />
<br />
A
 typical day for any movie is waiting for long periods of time between 
scenes while shots are being set up. And then you aren't in all the 
shots, so there is plenty of socializing time. During the school year, 
we were required to have four hours of supervised study each day. We 
actually had set teachers to make sure of this. <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/-9uQprGwvAu4/VG5ePt5HK4I/AAAAAAAAkyo/PGX3I-pbAog/s1600/961-3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9uQprGwvAu4/VG5ePt5HK4I/AAAAAAAAkyo/PGX3I-pbAog/s1600/961-3.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walter Matthau</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Did you or any of the Bears attend Walter Matthau's funeral? </b><br />
<br />
I
 saw Walter at a restaurant around 1992 and he not only remembered me 
but rattled off the names of most of the boys in the movie. I know that 
George Gonzales in particular stayed close to Walter over the years. His
 funeral was a private affair and I don't know if any of us were there. I
 wasn't. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b>How much of the movie was scripted and how much input did any of you have on your lines?</b> <br />
<br />
We
 stayed very true to the script, but the script kept being rewritten as 
we filmed. By the end of each movie, our scripts looked like a rainbow 
from the side with all the different colored revision pages. During the 
scene where Amanda takes over as pitcher I thought it would be funny 
for Rudi to say "But I can pitch!" Michael Ritchie was not amused by my 
creativity (and that didn't make it into the movie). <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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VD_MMn6edD0/VG5xNjWm5AI/AAAAAAAAkz8/fVr0CfggUt4/s1600/r3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VD_MMn6edD0/VG5xNjWm5AI/AAAAAAAAkz8/fVr0CfggUt4/s200/r3.jpg" width="124" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rudi Stein</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b>What was school like for you when Bears were the hot movies? </b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
I
 was in my freshman year at Montclair High School after the first movie 
came out. I heard later that I was more of a celebrity than I knew at 
the time. What I did remember was that I had some really choice roles in
 our school plays that year.<br />
<br />
By the time I was in my Sophomore year at Beverly Hills High, I was pretty much nobody and 
couldn't even get on the stage crew. I felt totally lost and my grades 
went into the tank. In fact, the school refused to renew my work permit
 and I almost didn't get to go to Japan. <br />
<br />
I actually 
had to take the high school proficiency exam and graduate early to honor
 my contract with Paramount. The irony is that today I am friends with
 the superintendent of Beverly Hills Unified School District, but I  
haven't even told her that story. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<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/-lOwj9sQN2zs/VeJ9UAOJJ5I/AAAAAAAAozM/Rg7TTyT6AQk/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.49.24%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lOwj9sQN2zs/VeJ9UAOJJ5I/AAAAAAAAozM/Rg7TTyT6AQk/s200/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.49.24%2BPM.png" width="124" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winding Up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Were there any scenes that were shot for the movies that didn't make it to the film? </b><br />
<br />
We
 actually filmed an alternate ending to the original movies in which the
 Bears won the championship. The fear was that audiences might be upset 
with the ending, so they wanted to have an alternate just in case. As it
 turns out, that wasn't necessary. I can't imagine it ending that way 
now. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What was your favorite of the 3 movies and why? </b><br />
<br />
My
 favorite was clearly the first movie. The script by Bill Lancaster was 
a  classic. I remember reading it cover to cover in one sitting. It read
 like a novel. And the interaction of the group of us was pretty 
amazing. We were able to capture some of that magic again in the second 
movie, but it was  totally lost by the time we arrived in Japan. <br />
<br />
<b>What are your thoughts on the TV show? Did any of the movie 'Bears' ever mention it? </b><br />
<br />
We
 never discussed the TV series and none of us participated in it (that I
 know of). By the third movie, I was shaving real close in the morning 
trying to play a 12-year-old at 16. <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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yZ8r9U-3TJE/VG5Mbm7pJnI/AAAAAAAAkwU/7u-cV5Ln9Co/s1600/r7.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yZ8r9U-3TJE/VG5Mbm7pJnI/AAAAAAAAkwU/7u-cV5Ln9Co/s200/r7.jpg" width="118" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanner Boyle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Do you ever see any of the members of the Bears? Do you remain friendly with any of them? </b><br />
<br />
We
 haven't stayed as close as I would have hoped. We all went on to lead 
our different lives with only sporadic contact in between.  It was great
 seeing Erin, Scott, Alfred and Jaime for the TV Guide shoot. We 
actually missed George because they took his picture the next day and 
cropped him into the group shot. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<b>What happened to Chris Barnes? </b><br />
<br />
From the information I have received from informed sources, he doesn't want to talk about the movies or his time there. <br />
<br />
<b>Was this always the case? Do you have any memories about Chris that you'd like to share?</b><br />
<br />
I
 haven't spoken to Chris, so I can't really provide any insight here. 
My understanding is that he felt stereotyped by the Tanner Boyle role 
and purposely distanced himself from it. Scott Firestone has stayed in 
touch with him. I'll see if I can get him to answer this question. <br />
<br />
<b>Was there any tension between any of the cast members? </b><br />
<br />
If
 there was, I was oblivious to it. We were pretty happy campers. Things 
were tense in Japan, but that had more to do with the adults involved, 
not us. <br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Did any of the Bears have a crush on Tatum? DETAILS!! </b><br />
<br />
I
 wasn't really close to Tatum, but I did hear that some of the other 
guys were invited over to her house once during the movie. You'll have 
to get them to divulge any details.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v-KRedfCRHU/VG5yaXzVFeI/AAAAAAAAk0M/Ffn-bxbupE0/s1600/title00_122046812.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v-KRedfCRHU/VG5yaXzVFeI/AAAAAAAAk0M/Ffn-bxbupE0/s200/title00_122046812.jpg" width="102" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">Tatum O'Neal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What were the 
auditions like for the Bears? Did you audition for Rudi, or was it a 
general type of reading before the kids were casted ? Were any notable 
actors at the time turned away for roles?</b><br />
<br />
What I 
remember wasn't a reading, it was actually a baseball game on the 
backlot of Paramount Studios. They were looking for a zit-faced kid with
 glasses that couldn't pitch. I was a natural! I don't know of any 
notable actors being turned away. <br />
<br />
<b>Do you remember any bloopers that stand out in your mind for one reason or another? </b><br />
<br />
When
 we met for the TV Guide shoot, we discussed how it was so difficult for
 Walter to get through the scene with me when he asked me to go get hit 
by the ball. He kept cracking up because of the looks I was giving him 
and we had to keep retaking the scene. <br />
<br />
One time when I
 was pitching the ball, it was hit back and struck me in the ankle. I 
grabbed my ankle and hopped around on one foot. That wasn't planned but 
it made it into the movie.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b>In Breaking Training, how did the people get into the stands? Was it rented and everyone was an extra or was it during a game? </b><br />
<br />
Actually,
 we had the Astrodome to ourselves for a full week. Between scenes we 
would explore the tunnels and backrooms of the place. It was pretty 
amazing. We actually put an ad in the paper for extras when we needed 
large crowd shots. <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/-x-jaEJMPhWM/VG5nCCLoXSI/AAAAAAAAkzU/ZZOp4YNsJz4/s1600/david1.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-jaEJMPhWM/VG5nCCLoXSI/AAAAAAAAkzU/ZZOp4YNsJz4/s200/david1.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BREAKING credit sequence</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I recall, we needed about 1,000 extras one day and
 had 3,000 people show up. When we started turning people away, there 
was a mini-riot outside that require police intervention. There were 
some tense moments inside the dome while all this was going on around 
us. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Was Jackie Earle Haley really old enough to drive the van? What happened to the van after the movie? </b><br />
<br />
I
 believe Jackie had just turned 16 when we were filming Breaking 
Training. He actually was driving the van, but a studio driver was 
always hunched down beside him just in case. There were actually two 
identical vans. I don't know what happened to them. I haven't seen them
 on eBay yet! <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Did they let you guys keep the uniforms? If so, do you still have them?</b><br />
<br />
I
 still have parts of my uniform, but for the life of me I don't know 
what happened to the jersey. I don't know if we were actually "allowed" 
to keep the uniforms. Some of us just ended up with them. The wardrobe 
department always had more than one set of everything. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<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/-YlpUeZEyxQ4/VeJ9pnJ8kZI/AAAAAAAAozU/Z6rR9xxerVk/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.52.24%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YlpUeZEyxQ4/VeJ9pnJ8kZI/AAAAAAAAozU/Z6rR9xxerVk/s200/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.52.24%2BPM.png" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stein & Boyle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Did you realize when you were shooting the Bears that it was going to be such a success? </b><br />
<br />
I
 had absolutly no idea. I don't know that anyone could have predicted. 
It was a very modest production even by the standards back then. I think
 it cost around $3 million to make the first movie. It pulled in over 
$50 million in its first run in theaters during the summer of 1976. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Why was the role of Mike Engleberg played by Jeffrey Louis Starr in the second film and not Gary Lee Cavagnaro? </b><br />
<br />
That's a good question. I never got a good answer to that. <br />
<br />
<b>How has your role in the Bad News Bears affected you in your life as David Pollock? </b><br />
<br />
I
 think it has been more of a novelty than anything else. There are 
people I have known for many years that never had any idea I was in the 
movie. But it is extremely rare that someone finds out and doesn't know 
about the movie. I remember someone in the mailroom where I work 
reciting Rudi Stein lines to me that I had even forgotten.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<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/-jiHm4zR7EFA/VHGkKdRMCdI/AAAAAAAAk8Y/Gk7XCbmV6cQ/s1600/title00_005801442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jiHm4zR7EFA/VHGkKdRMCdI/AAAAAAAAk8Y/Gk7XCbmV6cQ/s200/title00_005801442.jpg" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Given a painful order, again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<b>What do you think you took away from the Bears experience that you will most cherish? </b><br />
<br />
What
 I cherish the most is having been part of something that has 
contributed to American cultural history. It is something I will always 
be proud of. Even though we don't see much of each other, I know that 
the cast members share a special bond that will last all our lives. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Comparing the Bears to other kid's sport comedy-dramas what do you 
think the Bears legacy will be and what is its place in film history? </b><br />
<br />
The
 legacy is showing kids as they really are and how their lives can fall 
prey to the egos of the adults around them. It had been copied since 
(the Mighty Ducks come to mind for some strange reason) but never 
replicated. <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://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G1axJPhLMvk/VG5nww27yII/AAAAAAAAkzg/D0rrgBtPJ4E/s1600/Picture%2B1.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G1axJPhLMvk/VG5nww27yII/AAAAAAAAkzg/D0rrgBtPJ4E/s1600/Picture%2B1.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recent Pollock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>If you could say one thing to the fans of the Bad News Bears after all of these years, what would it be? </b><br />
<br />
Thank
 you for appreciating what we were portraying in the movie. There was a 
moral in the story that struck home for many people. I think youth 
sports today are more inclusive and about more than just winning. <br />
<br />
<b>Any last thoughts that you'd like to share that might interest Bears fans? </b><br />
<br />
I'll
 offer this bit of trivia: In the original script, my character was 
Lefty Stein. During rehersals I pointed out to Michael Ritchie that I 
was actually right-handed and pitched bad enough with that arm. Walter 
Matthau  actually came up with the name Rudi and it stuck.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>MIKE'S INTERVIEW WITH GARY LEE CAVAGNARO ("ENGLEBERG")</u></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<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://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M4-Q_TBRWQw/VG5wmH4c9pI/AAAAAAAAkz0/tUj4HWoKUhc/s1600/engle0.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M4-Q_TBRWQw/VG5wmH4c9pI/AAAAAAAAkz0/tUj4HWoKUhc/s1600/engle0.JPG" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">Original Engleberg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What were some of your best memories from shooting the Bears movie? </b><br />
<br />
Obviously
 the best memories revolve around the wonderful people. Lunch with 
Walter and Jack Lemon was a highpoint as was Michael Ritchie coming to 
work one morning wearing a Gary Lee Cavagnaro Fan Club Shirt.<br />
<br />
My
 Birthday they dressed me up to do the scene behind the plate with 
Walter where I pick up the ball in a huff and fling it into his car 
windshield by accident. When I turned to throw the ball, they (Michael,
 Stanley Jaffe and John Alonzo) threw pies in my face.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<b>How did you get the role of Engleberg and what time frame (year, month) were the auditions and the shooting of the film? </b><br />
<br />
I
 attended a "Cattle Call" at the Kim Dawson Agency that was advertised 
on the radio. As they were filming Logan's Run in Dallas that summer, 
everyone assumed the auditions were for that film. I was called back two
 days later to meet Michael and Stanley and was told they would be in 
touch.<br />
<br />
A week later, while my family was on vacation in
 Austin, we got a call on a Friday night saying that I should be in LA 
the next Monday. We rehearsed for a week and then started filming.<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_VdQAoID-o/VHGgFy1E0WI/AAAAAAAAk74/ojbP4N-6sWU/s1600/title00_004135916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_VdQAoID-o/VHGgFy1E0WI/AAAAAAAAk74/ojbP4N-6sWU/s200/title00_004135916.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our starring players</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b>Did any of the members of the Bears become friends and hang out during the shoot? </b><br />
<br />
Sure,
 I spent the night with Brett several times. David S. and his family 
stayed in the same apartment complex as we did and Chris Barnes and his 
brothers were always spending the night with David or I.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What was a typical day like on the set of the movie?  </b><br />
<br />
Long...
 8-10 hours at the field or in the trailer (school) with our teacher. It
 was a big movie production and between Tatum and her dad and Water and 
his friends, there were always lots of Stars around.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Why did you appear in the first movie and not the others? Did you 
have a contract for the others? Do you regret not being a part of the 
Breaking Training and BNB In Japan movies?  </b><br />
<br />
To make a long 
story short, I lost 50 lbs. and grew 8". They asked me to come back for 
B.T., but they would not write my weight loss into the script. They 
wanted me to gain all the weight back and I said no thanks. While I'm 
sorry I didn't get to see the guys, I am happy that I had the 
opportunity to do the original.  <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H_3VTr3GJcA/VeJ-bzB4s9I/AAAAAAAAozg/7u2Qj5zv3I4/s1600/fdc53c78-379b-44d1-bab7-1f411aa3f366%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H_3VTr3GJcA/VeJ-bzB4s9I/AAAAAAAAozg/7u2Qj5zv3I4/s200/fdc53c78-379b-44d1-bab7-1f411aa3f366%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda & Kelly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Did you spend any time with Jackie Earle Haley or 
Tatum? Were they seen as different from the other kids because they were
 more of the stars?</b>  <br />
<br />
Sure, we all spent time 
together. In fact, I did a commercial for the movie "Bingo Long 
Traveling All Stars and Motor Kings" with Jackie about a year after our 
movie came out. Tatum was a little standoffish early on, but that didn't
 last more than a few days.  <br />
<br />
We were all just a bunch 
playing make believe. We all fit into that mold and Walter and Vic and 
the other adults did us all a favor by treating us as kids, not little 
adults.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<b>What are your thoughts on how Jeffrey Louis Starr played Engleberg in the sequels? Would you have done anything differently?  </b><br />
<br />
I
 really have no thoughts on the subject. I am sure he played it the way 
they asked him to. Unfortunately for him, I don't believe the scripts or
 casts of the two later movies were nearly as strong as the Original.  <br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<b><br /></b>
<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/-LhTXlUXVXDg/VeJ8yOuKSXI/AAAAAAAAozE/SMs0wE2Edpc/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.48.44%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhTXlUXVXDg/VeJ8yOuKSXI/AAAAAAAAozE/SMs0wE2Edpc/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.48.44%2BPM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Jeffrey Louis Starr</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Did you do any other movies/TV shows after the appearance in the Bad News Bears? Do people now recognize you from the films? </b> <br />
<br />
Yes,
 I did a movie called Drive-In immediately after BNB, and another called
 Crises at Central High a few years later. I did several commercials as 
well, but as I got older, I became involved with sports and really had 
no time for acting.  <br />
<br />
I actually had a part offered to 
me for Jaws 2 that I turned down because it was in the middle of 
football season. After that, the Agents quit getting calls.<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EFo7ry3O730/VG5PyNl-bMI/AAAAAAAAkxc/heRaJKJZqvI/s1600/ggd.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EFo7ry3O730/VG5PyNl-bMI/AAAAAAAAkxc/heRaJKJZqvI/s200/ggd.jpg" width="123" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris & Walter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What was your favorite of the 3 Bears movies and why?  </b><br />
<br />
The Original… Best Script, best cast and a fresh idea.<br />
<br />
<b>What
 was/is your relationship with Chris Barnes (Tanner Boyle)? Do you know 
of any reason why he prefers not to talk about his time as one of the 
Bears? </b><br />
<br />
Chris was my best friend during the 
filming. In fact, he came to Dallas and stayed with me for 7-10 days 
after the release of the movie. We went to see it together and everyone 
in the theater recognized us. After a while, we just lost contact with 
each other.  <br />
<br />
In upstate NY a couple of years ago I was
 told by a friend that Chris went to prep school in that area. I really 
don't know why he has chosen to take the path he has regarding talking 
to people, but I'm sure he has a good reason. If he ever reads this, I 
hope he will contact me and let me know where he is.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you ever see any of the members of the Bears? Do you remain friendly with any of them?</b>  <br />
<br />
No,
 I haven't seen anyone in a long time. I think Scott's visit about 15 
years ago was the last time I saw anyone. I have spoken to David P. and
 David S. recently. I like to think we all remain friends.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<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/-nYavoMd1U1A/VeJ8Np85MUI/AAAAAAAAoy0/vPtB6gEcrB0/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.46.15%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYavoMd1U1A/VeJ8Np85MUI/AAAAAAAAoy0/vPtB6gEcrB0/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.46.15%2BPM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boyle!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Do you remember any bloopers that stand out in your mind for one reason or another?  </b><br />
<br />
Tatum
 had a heck of a time with her line "let him go Buttermaker, I'll chew 
his ears off and spit them back in is face.” If you listen to the movie, 
you will hear she never did get it right.  <br />
<br />
The 
funniest blooper actually made it into the movie. When Ahmad gets hit in
 the groin with a baseball and Vic says get a stretcher, you can here 
someone, I think it was Chris, say "a stretcher for his balls?"<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What are your thoughts on the TV show? Did any of the movie 'Bears' ever mention it?  </b><br />
<br />
Horrible!
 No, we never discussed it with each other. It was a cute movie, maybe 
two, but not three and certainly not enough material for a TV Show.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<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/-ycyo6UHPmGg/VeJ7gjNgA9I/AAAAAAAAoys/hjNSGqjOKdA/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.43.16%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycyo6UHPmGg/VeJ7gjNgA9I/AAAAAAAAoys/hjNSGqjOKdA/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-08-29%2Bat%2B8.43.16%2BPM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Toast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>If you could do the movie over and were in charge, would the Bears win the championship in the end?  </b><br />
<br />
NO
 WAY! I realy don't believe that the movie would have been remembered at
 all if we had won. I was at the world premiere with Michael at the USA 
Film Festival at SMU.<br />
<br />
I sat there and watched the film 
and everyone saw it building toward the ending of us winning. When we 
lost, you could feel the stunned silence of the crowd. When Lupus made 
his speech people actually cheered.  <br />
<br />
No, the ending is
 what made the movie. It was real world. It said that no matter how hard
 you work, sometimes you come up short. And it said that that was ok 
too. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b>What do you think you took away from the Bears experience that you will most cherish?  </b><br />
<br />
The
 experience was unbelievable. The people I met were wonderful. But, what
 I think about is that I had the opportunity to leave behind a legacy 
for my family. I watch the show with my kids, and someday they will 
watch it with their children and grand children.<br />
<br />
Like 
my kids, it will live after I am long gone. It is quite something when 
you think about it and I am honored to have had the opportunity.<br />
<br />
<b>Comparing
 the Bears to other kid's sports films, what do you think the Bears 
legacy will be and what is its place in film history?</b><br />
<br />
The
 Mighty Ducks, Major League, Sand Lot and all of the other sports movies
 dealing with a bunch of misfits coming together and achieving things 
that they, nor anyone else thought they could, all owe something to BNB.
 It was the first, an original. I believe it will be a classic forever.<br />
<br />
<b>If you could say one thing to the fans of the Bad News Bears after all of these years, what would it be?  </b><br />
<br />
Thank
 you for your support of the Movie(s). It is the fans who have kept the 
film alive and not sitting on a shelf in Paramount Studios collecting 
dust.<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://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0Cw1wjLmcqU/VG5Q8pfrq-I/AAAAAAAAkx0/Nr0XrYQZdp4/s1600/rr5.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0Cw1wjLmcqU/VG5Q8pfrq-I/AAAAAAAAkx0/Nr0XrYQZdp4/s200/rr5.jpg" width="137" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engleberg snacking</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Has there been any recent talk about a Bears reunion? Would you do it?  </b><br />
<br />
I
 travel quite a bit and have spoken to David P. about some of us getting
 together when I am in the L.A. area. There never seems to be enough time 
though. I would love to get together with everyone and our families.<br />
<br />
<b>How has your role in the Bad news Bears affected you in your life as Gary?  </b><br />
<br />
The
 most immediate effect was that it was during the filming that a doctor 
told me what was going to happen to me if I didn't lose weight. I did 
and have never looked back. It certainly has been a door opener for me 
when people learn of my past, though I must say, I prefer not to discuss
 it unless someone asks me about my experience. It helped me with my 
confidence and self-esteem and, like I said earlier along with my 
children, it assures me that I will leave some sort of legacy when I am 
gone.<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/-PeN0csciUHs/VG5f6qYoSQI/AAAAAAAAky8/iwFhsBpAQ0U/s1600/77512_full.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PeN0csciUHs/VG5f6qYoSQI/AAAAAAAAky8/iwFhsBpAQ0U/s200/77512_full.jpg" width="123" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vic Morrow on left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Any last thoughts that you'd like to share that might interest Bears fans?</b><br />
<br />
Everyone
 talks about the way we were able to "act". The reality was, we were a 
bunch of kids who were told "pretend that your parents are not there and
 act like you would normally under that circumstance.”<br />
<br />
We
 were all just being ourselves.You weren't watching Tanner and 
Engleberg and Toby and Reggie. It was Chris, Gary, David and Scott.<br />
<br />
I
 can't say enough good things about the Adults on the set. Walter was, 
next to my own father, the finest man I ever knew. He was kind, 
tolerant, funny and just a genuine good guy.<br />
<br />
Vic Morrow
 was the same. I was horribly upset when he died in the accident on the 
set of TWILIGHT ZONE. He was a fine man and really deserves a lot of 
credit for the way he dealt with a bunch of loud kids one summer in the 
San Fernando Valley.<br />
<br />
I have gone back to the field we 
filmed at several times. It's still there, although the fence has been 
taken down now and the vacant farm land on two sides is now filled with 
Zero Lot line homes. Occasionally, when I go, I'll get out and walk the 
field. If I listen closely, I can almost here the chant "a busted bat 
and a long fly ball... and any day now Derocher will call.”<br />
<br />
Thank you for the chance to let people know about my wonderful summer of 1975!<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/-vPyMJAs5dMk/VHGXN8tzTRI/AAAAAAAAk7o/Gk5bHmaL-98/s1600/title00_000621428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vPyMJAs5dMk/VHGXN8tzTRI/AAAAAAAAk7o/Gk5bHmaL-98/s1600/title00_000621428.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Interviews by Mike, former webmaster of the Bad News Bears site</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://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hAFrBO7BDPg/VHGzNTCZ8VI/AAAAAAAAk8o/L4Drrz_6Fh4/s1600/6da51979-1255-4b57-9ef7-69d36b60d7a4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hAFrBO7BDPg/VHGzNTCZ8VI/AAAAAAAAk8o/L4Drrz_6Fh4/s1600/6da51979-1255-4b57-9ef7-69d36b60d7a4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Editing, Photos & Overall Presentation by James M. Tate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>

franchise, interview, sequel, seventies, walter matthau

ORIGINAL BAD NEWS BEARS ARCHIVE INTERVIEWS ONE

Double Hitter Archive Interviews from the classic original THE BAD NEWS BEARS Poster Art A guy named Mike was the webmaster of a BAD...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/21/2014 / No comments / 2014 , action , franchise , jennifer lawrence , julianne moore , philip seymour hoffman , sequel , war , woody harrelson

REVIEW OF THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1

<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://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aVpP0z4HxJA/VG-Lc73JD_I/AAAAAAAAk5U/gdTZYwmFn9A/s1600/hunger_games__mockingjay_part_1_movie_poster_by_triggerhappy039-d7iav0c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aVpP0z4HxJA/VG-Lc73JD_I/AAAAAAAAk5U/gdTZYwmFn9A/s320/hunger_games__mockingjay_part_1_movie_poster_by_triggerhappy039-d7iav0c.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: ***1/2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once again, Woody Harrelson receives most of the giggles, but it was nice hearing the late Philip Seymour Hoffman get the first real laugh… <br />
<br />
When Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen erupts with angry passion about her captive soulmate, Peeta... who spends most of the film <i>being</i> filmed far away from the underground compound where the rebellion resides... Hoffman’s Plutarch Heavensbee points at Katniss and shouts something like “That’s it” with genuine heartfelt emotion: for now they’ve found the perfect commercial girl for propaganda…<br />
<br />
Propos, for short, are broadcasts to inform districts that still aren't aware of President Snow’s villainy, thus catapulting the masses into hopeful revolution. To explain the backstory would be a waste of time: if you haven’t seen THE HUNGER GAMES or CATCHING FIRE, maybe you should. And despite being a means to an end, this is the most fulfilling episode for a reason...<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/-TUJE8eaVjlY/VG7oqTSKjbI/AAAAAAAAk14/bgdnPtl_SKI/s1600/mockingjay.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TUJE8eaVjlY/VG7oqTSKjbI/AAAAAAAAk14/bgdnPtl_SKI/s1600/mockingjay.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A posthumous Hoffman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From covert operations to code breaking to air raids to city ruins to dams being blown to bits, MOCKINGJAY PART 1 is a bonafide 100% good old fashion war movie. Taking a while to get rolling, the pace is intentionally slow until, as Katniss finds true motivation in battle, the action scenes occur but never without reason.  <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
Winning an Oscar isn’t the only proof of Jennifer Lawrence’s talent as an actress... The fact she pulls off being a terrible one during the first of several propos auditions is something that takes an experienced performer to achieve… Check out an intentionally monotone Julianne Moore in one BOOGIE NIGHTS scene and you’ll get the idea...<br />
<br />
Speaking of whom, Moore is cast as the underground leader bringing the eclectic lot together. And the only real downer is exactly what the teenage target audience needs most… Romance!<br />
<br />
During weepy moments where Katniss has second thoughts while brooding over Peeta, grownup viewers may wish they’d leave Romeo and Juliet for the last (upcoming) installment... Which, gladly enough, <i>is</i> the case here... And not without a strange last-minute twist that could blast PART 2 into melodrama overdrive. But that's another bridge to cross. Let's hope it doesn't go <i>too far!</i>

2014, action, franchise, jennifer lawrence, julianne moore, philip seymour hoffman, sequel, war, woody harrelson

REVIEW OF THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1

year: 2014 rating: ***1/2 Once again, Woody Harrelson receives most of the giggles, but it was nice hearing the late Philip Seymour Hoff...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/19/2014 / No comments / 2014

LEFTOVER REVIEWS: BIG HERO 6, BEYOND THE LIGHTS & ROSEWATER

<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HwJPWJz3jB8/VGzern8wqVI/AAAAAAAAkuw/kbOias7-axQ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HwJPWJz3jB8/VGzern8wqVI/AAAAAAAAkuw/kbOias7-axQ/s1600/1.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: ***</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>BIG HERO 6:</b> It’s about time to be annoyed with TJ Miller… Even more
 limited than Owen Wilson in the surfer drawl persona, he lethargically voices an annoying character piggybacking onto an otherwise exciting plotline 
that could have done far better without him… <br />
<br />
The setup is extremely intelligent, perhaps too much for the target audience… A young reluctant genius has created a magnet style 
substance that attracts a lot of smaller pieces building into the host 
within seconds... or something.  <br />
<br />
Unlike many animated features, the main villain isn’t predictable. During a convention of teen scientists you might have 
another culprit in mind. By the time the real heavy rears his 
formidable and downright spooky head – a demonic looking kabuki masked 
monstrosity that grows from the kid’s invention – it’s time for the real
 hero, an inflatable medical robot with
morals and an endearing inclination against violence, to take the reigns, where, sadly, BH6 winds up a standard 
ensemble with a gang of souped-up hipsters… including 
the aforementioned Miller… dumbing down an epic INCREDIBLES potential: had there been more structure and way less 
distractions, this Pretty Good could have been Really Great.  <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/-kbP2SyTLSi4/VGze88wCqsI/AAAAAAAAku4/kiQuGH6TDFA/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kbP2SyTLSi4/VGze88wCqsI/AAAAAAAAku4/kiQuGH6TDFA/s1600/2.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: **</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>BEYOND THE LIGHTS:</b> In THE BODYGUARD, a romantic thriller originally planned for power couple Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw, it made a lot more sense when, years later, real life singer Whitney Houston, with musical talent and fame already built-in, was protected by everyman Kevin Costner. And now we have another BODYGUARD... this one not so ambitious. <br />
<br />
Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Noni is a music star yet we only see proof during an awards ceremony – she’s part of a lusty video that seems more of a parody than the real thing…<br />
<br />
And later that night, on the drunken verge of leaping from a hotel patio, she's protected by a muscular cop… Like Leo to Kate in TITANIC, Nate Parker's Kaz, with an even duller persona than our melancholy starlet, saves the day. In Tom Hanks’ LARRY CROWNE, supporting actress Mbatha-Raw had more spirited energy than anyone else on board. Now, in a leading role, she's merely sleepwalking.<br />
<br />
The romance between famous singer and down-to-earth cop, with Obama inspired dreams on becoming a politician with fatherly advice from Danny Glover, lacks genuine passion. And Noni and her pushy stage mom's bickering means little compared to the love story mainline – yet even a “chick flick” audience might be disappointed since neither character has very much to lose.  <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://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k6i2sPkFjMs/VGzfBvOL8SI/AAAAAAAAkvA/b_M3H_rWG-o/s1600/3.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k6i2sPkFjMs/VGzfBvOL8SI/AAAAAAAAkvA/b_M3H_rWG-o/s1600/3.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 rating: ***</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>ROSEWATER:</b> First time director Jon Stewart creates an idealistic setting in Iran where, according to a group of young men <i>hoping for change</i> during the 2009 election, their once great country can be great again… And they unrealistically speak English, which shouldn’t be held against any Americanized Foreign-based film: it happens all the time.<br />
<br />
THE DAILY SHOW host is also the writer, adapting a true story of journalist Maziar Bahari, a Canadian/Iranian visiting his mother in Iran while covering the election.   <br />
<br />
Half the movie, as Bahari records the turbulent fallout, is fitfully edgy and suspenseful. Then Bahari, accused of being a spy and thrown into prison, is inflicted with strange mental torture from an antagonistic captor who winds up the supporting role: morphing from pseudo documentary to murky stage play. <br />
<br />
Between hectic interrogations, Bahari hallucinates his dead father and sister, two revolutionaries jailed in the past, providing more flesh to a somewhat bland lead role. Ironically enough, it’s when Stewart injects his signature dry wit that most of the tension is lost, blunting sporadic scenes of harsh physical torture. Yet for the most part, Jon makes solitary confinement an interesting place… for a little while.

2014

LEFTOVER REVIEWS: BIG HERO 6, BEYOND THE LIGHTS & ROSEWATER

year: 2014 rating: *** BIG HERO 6: It’s about time to be annoyed with TJ Miller… Even more limited than Owen Wilson in the surfer draw...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/16/2014 / No comments / dirk benedict , lorne greene , richard hatch , rick springfield , science-fiction , seventies , tribute

RICK SPRINGFIELD, CYLON RAIDERS & THE LATE GLEN A. LARSON

<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DfJf0n3yog0/VGjzRulJNUI/AAAAAAAAkpQ/QGvMXa2luUM/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DfJf0n3yog0/VGjzRulJNUI/AAAAAAAAkpQ/QGvMXa2luUM/s320/1.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Created by Glen A. Larson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Before Rick Springfield coveted Jessie’s Girl, his character Zac, along with Richard Hatch as Captain Apollo, ran into some really bad interstellar luck…  <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/-lZxYZp-qi1c/VGjztZrqCjI/AAAAAAAAkpY/HXP_XvvwF3o/s1600/3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lZxYZp-qi1c/VGjztZrqCjI/AAAAAAAAkpY/HXP_XvvwF3o/s1600/3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rick and Dick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Apollo and his little brother were on a routine patrol when a fleet of Cylon Raiders, breaking a peace treaty that would end a thousand yearlong war, attacked from behind a docking station…<br />
<br />
Zac's tragic death began a series both groundbreaking and unoriginal: The latter because the dogfights in space resembled the previous year’s blockbuster STAR WARS, and the broken ground was all its own – halfway through the first and only season, the formidable Cylons were too expensive to film: as stories became less centered on glorious battles, the initially popular show was falling through the cracks… Even some faithful hardcore fans were losing interest.  <br />
<br />
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<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/-CG5a5HK5aNo/VGj7YDmyb2I/AAAAAAAAkqQ/lgrYuVwC0x0/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CG5a5HK5aNo/VGj7YDmyb2I/AAAAAAAAkqQ/lgrYuVwC0x0/s200/5.jpg" width="115" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blasting Cylon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But the three-part pilot episode is something to marvel. Actually, it’s a two-hour plus movie later broken into a pilot. The main difference being the human traitor Baltar gets beheaded in one, and is spared for the watered-down TV epic titled SAGA OF A STAR WORLD. <br />
<br />
For a generation of young outer space junkies needing a fix between STAR WARS and what would soon be THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, Glen A. Larson (who recently passed away) created a series centering on the titular Battlestar Galactica, a sole vessel after a Pearl Harbor style surprise attack destroys every other Battlestar in the vast fleet. Commander Adama, played by BONANZA patriarch Lorne Green, was the only veteran warrior who didn’t trust the Cylons. After which his mission is to seek out a distant planet known as Earth (let's forget GALACTICA 1980, a different show entirely)!  <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/-MqkW2hJy0BY/VGjz0wyqrSI/AAAAAAAAkpk/HxNxxZgeVKE/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MqkW2hJy0BY/VGjz0wyqrSI/AAAAAAAAkpk/HxNxxZgeVKE/s320/2.png" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt. Starbuck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
STAR WARS similarities didn’t end with special effects. In the Han Solo role is Dirk Benedict as Lt. Starbuck, a cocky, gambling womanizer who's also a hotshot pilot. Flaky and unreliable on “the ground”, he’s ultra dependable during any Viper Vs Raider dogfight. His partner-in-crime, Boomer, provides a bridge between Starbuck and the polar opposite Apollo, our very own Luke Skywalker but with more experience and responsibility up front. <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://1.bp.blogspot.com/-waYGxiCKOQU/VGj2G7y8INI/AAAAAAAAkp8/Go_WSlwFOe4/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-waYGxiCKOQU/VGj2G7y8INI/AAAAAAAAkp8/Go_WSlwFOe4/s320/6.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Appolo & Friend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
“Why do the girls always go for the bad guy or the naughty guy?” Richard Hatch griped in a <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2010/03/richard-hatch-battlestar-galactica.html">Cult Film Freak Interview</a>. “I think writers love to write for deliciously bad characters or flawed characters, and when a character is kind of the, you know, good guy, they’re not as interested." But every main player was flanked by a sidekick: Adama had an ultra-serious Commander Tigh while Starbuck's two lovely ladies had each other to compete with.  <br />
<br />
The BATTLESTAR GALACTICA movie, unlike some of the less daring latter episodes, catapulted a firestorm of laserblasting battles, suspenseful intrigue, a dash of romance, pulpy banter and best of all, geek-lusted hotties like Jane Seymour and Maren Jensen, and is highly recommended for even those who prefer the progressed 2004 reboot series, which, during its popular four-season run, served up a hotbed of political intrigue and steamy serialized melodrama, way more modern and realistic than the 70's science-fantasy that yours truly appreciates, and prefers. So let’s <i>ALL</i> say thanks to Glen A. Larson: for fans of either the old or new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, if it weren’t for him, there’d be nothing but empty space!<br />
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dirk benedict, lorne greene, richard hatch, rick springfield, science-fiction, seventies, tribute

RICK SPRINGFIELD, CYLON RAIDERS & THE LATE GLEN A. LARSON

Created by Glen A. Larson Before Rick Springfield coveted Jessie’s Girl, his character Zac, along with Richard Hatch as Captain Apollo, ...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/15/2014 / No comments / blaxploitation , ensemble , exploitation , jack hill , judy brown , pam grier , roberta collins , roger corman , seventies , women in prison

ROGER CORMAN WOMEN IN PRISON EXPLOITATION THREESOME

<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/-_TT0ymv3LR0/VGVUBmJwWeI/AAAAAAAAkm8/94ZsxpM--OI/s1600/big_doll_house_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_TT0ymv3LR0/VGVUBmJwWeI/AAAAAAAAkm8/94ZsxpM--OI/s200/big_doll_house_xlg.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1971 ***1/2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>BIG DOLL HOUSE:</b> This is the first Roger Corman produced/Jack Hill written and 
directed women-in-prison venture shot in the Philippines, and it's 
pretty great stuff. Although beware to all Pam Grier fanatics, she's not
 the main star... but as a bullying rogue within a cramped cell of sexy 
vixens including Judy Brown (the new girl), Roberta Collins (the tough 
girl) and Brooke Mills (the addict), she holds her own just fine.<br />
<br />
It's
 survival of the fittest: including mud wrestling, shower massages, 
torture racks, and chicks wielding big machine guns. Sid Haig, as a 
con-man who ultimately helps the girls plan their escape, adds to a 
somewhat bizarre canvas that, at times, is a little too weird for its 
own good yet remains a groundbreaking classic: All
 about those gorgeous sweaty babes and their eclectic personalities 
clashing inside, and then fighting outside, the hot caged hell they 
eventually must escape from.<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="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JCWxOjKYV6o/VGVTUiKcOQI/AAAAAAAAkms/cwgk50Fg_WM/s1600/2womenincages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JCWxOjKYV6o/VGVTUiKcOQI/AAAAAAAAkms/cwgk50Fg_WM/s200/2womenincages.jpg" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1971 ***1/2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>WOMEN IN CAGES:</b> Not directed by Jack Hill but once again produced by Roger Corman and starring Judy Brown, Roberta Collins and Pam Grier returning from the BIG DOLL 
HOUSE to an even more gritty, cut-throat and slickly energetic 
women-in-prison flick, shedding some of the comedy and subplots of the 
wonderfully bizarre Jack Hill original which, though groundbreaking, is 
sometimes hindered by peripheral distractions.<br />
<br />
Jennifer 
Gan, set up by her mobster boyfriend and thrown into a cutthroat 
Philippians prison, is up against the other sexy convicts, one hired to 
kill her... but her main rival is Pam Grier, brilliantly cast as the 
sadistic head guard and given more free reign here. Roberta Collins is her usual tough self while Judy 
Brown, the passive newbie in DOLL HOUSE, plays the experienced leader in this lean, mean exploitation experience where gorgeous 
girls are locked up and fight to get out alive. <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="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCNBajOvTDU/VGVTbZxHU6I/AAAAAAAAkm0/j4LGWlaRkCU/s1600/3bigbirdcage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCNBajOvTDU/VGVTbZxHU6I/AAAAAAAAkm0/j4LGWlaRkCU/s200/3bigbirdcage.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1973 ***1/2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>THE BIG BIRD CAGE:</b> Jack Hill, who began the exploitation women-in-prison (shot in the 
Philippines) era with BIG DOLL HOUSE, after many other directors jumped 
on the band wagon, made a comedy-adventure using stock actors Pam Grier 
and Sig Haig as revolutionaries breaking into a work camp: to flee 
female convicts for their cause.<br />
<br />
The prison itself 
consists of a few huts and one giant outdoor bamboo sugar mill, which includes a human-powered slave wheel. This 
contraption, designed by Jack Hill's father, is primal and, in its own 
right, formidable. And two leads are terrific, both 
together and apart; especially Haig, hilariously feigning gay to 
"seduce" a chunky guard (Vic Diaz) while the exterior locations are amazing, 
especially the rice paddies built within hillsides (and the mountains 
where the cast had to hike to their daily shoots). Meanwhile, the women in the prison itself are an eclectic lot of beautiful vixens, 
providing the essential though somewhat superfluous base on this unique take on the genre, 
distinguishing THE BIG BIRD CAGE from any other women in prison flick, 
most likely Jack Hill's intention.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" 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/-8YRa5RADpiM/Tjtsz7c15MI/AAAAAAAACGU/I3YPliTS9jo/s1600/fugitive_rage_1996.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637218997972100290" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8YRa5RADpiM/Tjtsz7c15MI/AAAAAAAACGU/I3YPliTS9jo/s200/fugitive_rage_1996.jpg" style="float: right; height: 220px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 141px;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1997 **1/2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>FUGITIVE RAGE:</b> Having absolutely <i>nothing</i> to do with the above Roger Cormen women
 in prison flicks, we'll throw this in for bad 
measure: And if corny dialogue were cheese, this straight-to-video doozy
 is a mouse with stomach cancer. But it's still fun watching tough girl 
Wendy Schumacher kick tons of ass.<br />
<br />
Put in stir for 
shooting a mob boss in a courtroom, but not killing him. Right off the 
bat, she has a kung fu battle with Calista Carradine (David's daughter, 
witnessed by other inmates including personal friend and KILLING OF A 
CHINESE BOOKIE dancer Donna Gordon). She's then sent to a
 suburban safe house, where she bonds, then has sex with, a fed who 
looks straight out of central casting. While the hammy main villain, recooping
 from the gun shot, awaits closure in his mansion along with the only 
known actor, Ross Hagan as his bodyguard who, it turns out, is more in 
charge than anyone realized. This leads to a nifty shootout as our 
heroine, rescuing her kidnapped prison friend, takes down everyone in 
her path: Dumb fun, and lots of both.<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="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R6fgAvnn2zU/VGVXVfvopPI/AAAAAAAAknI/uNasCpdic5c/s1600/the-women-in-cages-collection-roger-cormans-cult-classics-20110628022006064-000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R6fgAvnn2zU/VGVXVfvopPI/AAAAAAAAknI/uNasCpdic5c/s640/the-women-in-cages-collection-roger-cormans-cult-classics-20110628022006064-000.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collection-Cormans-Classics-Feature-Blu-ray/dp/B004ZKKL0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415927679&sr=8-1&keywords=women+in+cages+blu+ray">CLICK THE HOTTIES TO BUY THE WOMEN IN CAGES CORMAN COLLECTION</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>

blaxploitation, ensemble, exploitation, jack hill, judy brown, pam grier, roberta collins, roger corman, seventies, women in prison