cult film freak: January 2015

Written by James M. Tate / 1/31/2015 / No comments / adventure , alec guinness , eighties , espionage , jason robards , richard jordan

RAISE THE TITANIC

<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/-ZWpjyr6TZTU/VM2ZiQdXgfI/AAAAAAAAmeE/1XyTTcbbFUs/s1600/r0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWpjyr6TZTU/VM2ZiQdXgfI/AAAAAAAAmeE/1XyTTcbbFUs/s1600/r0.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1980 cast: Jason Robards, Richard Jordan, David Selby, Alec Guinness, Anne Archer rating: ***1/2</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://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wx2Z4TMOyAk/VM2ZnNxk8yI/AAAAAAAAmeM/SsKJY2kN3Q4/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/-Wx2Z4TMOyAk/VM2ZnNxk8yI/AAAAAAAAmeM/SsKJY2kN3Q4/s320/2.jpg" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Insert Artwork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/-2VZySQ643pM/VM2Zr2ZTp7I/AAAAAAAAmeU/-_9Qcv6ObAg/s1600/MV5BMTY5MTQwNzMxNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzkwOTMyMQ%40%40._V1_SY317_CR6%2C0%2C214%2C317_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2VZySQ643pM/VM2Zr2ZTp7I/AAAAAAAAmeU/-_9Qcv6ObAg/s200/MV5BMTY5MTQwNzMxNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzkwOTMyMQ%40%40._V1_SY317_CR6%2C0%2C214%2C317_AL_.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alternate Artwork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That cringe-worthy moment in James Cameron’s TITANIC, when the fat shaggy tech shows old Rose the computerized reenactment of how the ship busted down the middle saying “Cool, huh?” was actually quite a revelation, given the makers of RAISE THE TITANIC, sixteen years earlier, had they known of or cared about this important fact, couldn't fictionally create enough waterproof epoxy to fix the vessel so she could rise to the surface, catapulting a glorious third act... And we begin with a sparse Cold War espionage template: Our McGuffin is a mysterious rare mineral that one of the passengers was secretly transporting when Titanic sunk to an infamous icy doom.  <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/-2XOFdfA8JNc/VM098mWRPaI/AAAAAAAAmdM/qLbf2qPn-zM/s1600/9402_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2XOFdfA8JNc/VM098mWRPaI/AAAAAAAAmdM/qLbf2qPn-zM/s1600/9402_1.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason Robards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jason Robards receives first billing yet the buried leads are Richard Jordan and David Selby: One doesn’t want the Russians to get to the mineral, which could create a powerful weapon, the other wants America to have all the bad-goods. Meanwhile Anne Archer, a journalist back home, is torn between both polar opposites...<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://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AU8I9VXa8aA/VM1muJXT2LI/AAAAAAAAmds/8zjmYAIvsgM/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AU8I9VXa8aA/VM1muJXT2LI/AAAAAAAAmds/8zjmYAIvsgM/s200/1.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shout Factory Artwork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But a love interest is about as necessary as facts and reality with deep-diving sequences and the titular payoff, balanced by a peripheral Russian subplot and a few close calls for the underwater capsule squad. Seasoned veterans Alec Guinness, as a 1912 survivor holding an important key for the search, and a stalwart Robards, connecting the two younger men with thoughtful wisdom, are merely passengers to the remarkable special effects... Although the characters <i>are</i> interesting and don’t get entirely lost in the splash. <br />
<br />
After a while, the diving scenes become somewhat tedious… there’s only so much to see under there… and yet, like already numerously mentioned, when the big ship emerges it’s quite a site. Unbelievable and impossible, sure, but let's toast old school models, matte paintings, a John Barry soundtrack reminiscent of his BLACK HOLE fanfare overture, and another excellent Shout Factory Blu Ray/DVD combo, delivering another “Oh yeah, <i>that</i> movie” into our living room.  <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/-Xyb1YfRwi5E/VM07o4efc2I/AAAAAAAAmcg/NhZW08_KQ8E/s1600/r1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xyb1YfRwi5E/VM07o4efc2I/AAAAAAAAmcg/NhZW08_KQ8E/s1600/r1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matte Painting of the returning Titanic in RAISE THE TITANIC</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/-4EpVtKCxjWw/VM07o4rf9pI/AAAAAAAAmck/a3eguoEWW5w/s1600/r2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4EpVtKCxjWw/VM07o4rf9pI/AAAAAAAAmck/a3eguoEWW5w/s1600/r2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Titanic returns to port under a bridge</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/-bDb4vyQRiLU/VM07o0vtGhI/AAAAAAAAmc4/uR0lYkK-6QM/s1600/r3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bDb4vyQRiLU/VM07o0vtGhI/AAAAAAAAmc4/uR0lYkK-6QM/s1600/r3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, Bruce Dern is not flying this blimp</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/-JRll0rhlA_A/VM07pZEz0II/AAAAAAAAmco/qk3sRpxawA0/s1600/r4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JRll0rhlA_A/VM07pZEz0II/AAAAAAAAmco/qk3sRpxawA0/s1600/r4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Titanic ghost ship contrasts with modern vehicles</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/-pm0fByzvUL8/VM07wsyoKVI/AAAAAAAAmdA/hEFxKF33wEQ/s1600/r000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pm0fByzvUL8/VM07wsyoKVI/AAAAAAAAmdA/hEFxKF33wEQ/s1600/r000.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can find the Shout Factory RAISE THE TITANIC anywhere online</td></tr>
</tbody></table>

adventure, alec guinness, eighties, espionage, jason robards, richard jordan

RAISE THE TITANIC

year: 1980 cast: Jason Robards, Richard Jordan, David Selby, Alec Guinness, Anne Archer rating: ***1/2 Insert Artwork Alternate Ar...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/30/2015 / No comments / 2015 , james marsden , karl urban , mystery , thriller

JAMES MARSDEN & KARL URBAN IN THE LOFT

2015, james marsden, karl urban, mystery, thriller

JAMES MARSDEN & KARL URBAN IN THE LOFT

2015 rating: *** With three different time sequences occurring within minutes of each other, this steely Hitchcockian mystery/thriller b...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/28/2015 / No comments / 2014 , jazz score , jk simmons , miles teller , music

MILES TELLER & J.K. SIMMONS IN WHIPLASH

2014, jazz score, jk simmons, miles teller, music

MILES TELLER & J.K. SIMMONS IN WHIPLASH

2014 rating: ***1/2 When J.K. Simmons as Fletcher, a hard-nosed teacher at a prestigious music conservatory, mentions how jazz is prac...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/27/2015 / No comments / 2015 , jennifer lopez , suspense

JENNIFER LOPEZ IN THE BOY NEXT DOOR

<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/-ODqf4EMib4k/VMfgZhDBIqI/AAAAAAAAmZo/peqw-RF2xzo/s1600/the-boy-next-door-poster.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/-ODqf4EMib4k/VMfgZhDBIqI/AAAAAAAAmZo/peqw-RF2xzo/s320/the-boy-next-door-poster.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2015 rating: *1/2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Opens with two characters chatting like it's halfway through, and you better pay attention… Jennifer Lopez is married or, separated from a polite, cheating husband and her son is going on a weekend trip with dad… And what's really important is J-Lo’s Claire Peterson will be alone for a few days…<br />
<br />
Well that’s all it takes for a perfect looking twenty-year-old named Noah to become more smitten with his neighbor than Glenn Close was with Michael Douglas, or anyone else in the Tryst-to-Stalker Genre…<br />
<br />
Playing out like a <i>Straight to Video</i> throwaway, THE BOY NEXT DOOR has every cliché in the book – or in this case, leaflet. Yet it’s a terrific film to laugh at, exhibiting howling camp value as Noah’s transformation from friendly alpha male bonding with Claire’s passive son, flirtatious model undressing near an open window, steamy bedroom partner into a vicious psychopath happens before Lopez has time to blink, or the audience can finish half their popcorn. <br />
<br />
And while his attraction is believable since she looks good enough to lust after, the blinding fascination... from email hacking to picture pasting to brake tampering to kidnapping... is completely farfetched, deleting any suspenseful development that could have made BOY a better, more realistic film – but where’s the fun in that? And yes, it is <i>tha</i>t bad... Thank Goodness! <b>OVERALL RANK: Jedi, Rebel, <u>Droid</u>, Sith. </b>

2015, jennifer lopez, suspense

JENNIFER LOPEZ IN THE BOY NEXT DOOR

year: 2015 rating: *1/2 Opens with two characters chatting like it's halfway through, and you better pay attention… Jennifer Lopez i...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/26/2015 / No comments / 2015 , chris hemsworth , comedy , josh gad , kevin hart , thriller

THE WEDDING RINGER & BLACKHAT

<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/-YWhdI9mZnHQ/VMXmW-jPn0I/AAAAAAAAmX8/v3Nz15Wk-ak/s1600/the-wedding-ringer-phim-2015_0.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/-YWhdI9mZnHQ/VMXmW-jPn0I/AAAAAAAAmX8/v3Nz15Wk-ak/s1600/the-wedding-ringer-phim-2015_0.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2015 rating: **</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<b>THE WEDDING RINGER:</b> Replacing one letter from the Adam Sandler comedy, RINGER is more of a BRIDESMAIDS meets WEDDING CRASHERS combined with (and especially) I LOVE YOU MAN, where a guy with no male friends puts out an ad for his Best Man...<br />
<br />
Which is the same exact plot except the RINGER, Jimmy, played by Kevin Hart, has his own underground Best Man For Hire business with no strings attached: his job is to give a picture perfect toast after gathering a row of groomsmen, in this case all seven.<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/-jrR5aFxwdYY/VMXmjOwAumI/AAAAAAAAmYE/74qS8sln5yY/s1600/blackhatNEW.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jrR5aFxwdYY/VMXmjOwAumI/AAAAAAAAmYE/74qS8sln5yY/s320/blackhatNEW.jpg" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 rating: *</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Other than to make his fiancé and her jerky parents happy, there’s no motivation or urgency for Josh Gad’s Doug Harris to go through this elaborate and far too complicated ruse – the entire premise is built on practically nothing at all. This makes for plenty of HANGOVER style shenanigans highlighted by a "bromance" between the two mismatched leads: their relatively thoughtful conversations are the best thing going, allowing Gad to actually act and Kevin Hart to finally stop talking in his rapid fire banter, seeming like a frantic imitation of a dozen funnier comics that gets tiresome, quick.<b> OVERALL RANK: Jedi, Rebel, <u>Droid</u>, Sith.</b>  <br />
<br />
<b>BLACKHAT:</b> The fast-paced special effects in the introduction takes us zipping around inside a computer: without being used as a canvas for opening credits, we're catapulted into a world of high end technology. <br />
<br />
Chris Hemsworth is a rogue hacker given a prison furlough to find another hacker who caused the destruction of a Chinese nuclear plant. In going beneath his larger than life Marvel persona, he plays a mumbling grouch with more brooding restraint that actual power while the film itself, balancing dull espionage with shaky action sequences, is a lot more interesting inside the computer than outside. <b>OVERALL RANK: Jedi, Rebel, Droid, <u>Sith</u>. </b>

2015, chris hemsworth, comedy, josh gad, kevin hart, thriller

THE WEDDING RINGER & BLACKHAT

year: 2015 rating: ** THE WEDDING RINGER: Replacing one letter from the Adam Sandler comedy, RINGER is more of a BRIDESMAIDS meets WE...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/25/2015 / No comments / bagful , eddie murphy , eighties , emilio estevez , franchise , judge reinhold , nineties , richard dreyfuss , sequel , seventies

FIRST CAUGHT-ON-CABLE TRIO OF NUMBER TWOS: COPS & APES

<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/-aGU1j2KybaQ/VLa5B4rTopI/AAAAAAAAmMI/T569Rywyy8s/s1600/1.png" 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/-aGU1j2KybaQ/VLa5B4rTopI/AAAAAAAAmMI/T569Rywyy8s/s1600/1.png" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1987 rating: ***</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>BEVERLY HILLS COP 2:</b> First sequel to Martin Brest's popular BEVERLY HILLS COP has Axel Foley returning to the plush So Cal playground from his gritty Detroit mainline. <b>DRIVE: </b>Again it’s personal, although not as severe… Ronny Cox’s Beverly Hills police chief is shot and almost killed by a gang of ruthless thugs who, working from a private gun club, cause high stake havoc. <b>HIGHS:</b> Wherein the first movie relied on Murphy’s resilient wit to get him in and out of situations by pretending to be someone else (like Chevy Chase in the following year’s FLETCH, also scored by Harold Faltermeyer), this time Axel is, for the most part, an intense rogue. Teamed with director Tony Scott, BEVERLY HILLS COP GUN is really an action flick with explosions and gunfights over laughs. And the villains are worthy to be 
sought and killed, including an Amazon woman and two surly creeps.<b> LOWS:</b> Several parts attempt humor but they’re simply… not that funny. Axel’s ruses are too complicated and farfetched. Judge Reinhold’s transition from the naïve Billy Rosewood into a gun freak infatuated with Rambo... Stallone was original cast in the first movie... is  downright awkward. Older grouchy partner John Ashton doesn’t have much to do this time but react to an extremely dated joke about dressing like Gerald Ford. And Paul Reiser's sarcastic Detroit detective has way too much screen time. <b>CLOSURE: </b>This second of three Axel Foley flicks works pretty well thanks to Tony Scott’s edgy high octane makeover. Perhaps this is what the Stallone BEVERLY HILLS COP would have been more like. <br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<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://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eo7XkIw3W8Q/VLWUMdjYrCI/AAAAAAAAmLE/ymGcK1_HCUw/s1600/3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eo7XkIw3W8Q/VLWUMdjYrCI/AAAAAAAAmLE/ymGcK1_HCUw/s1600/3.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1993 rating: **</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b>ANOTHER STAKOUT:</b> Follow-up to John Badham’s STAKEOUT where Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez played Seattle cops who specialize in… take a wild guess. Rosie O’Donnell is added to the cast, giving the boys a partner who views their quirks that the audience enjoyed the first time around, and now we get everything spoon fed through her eyes. <b>DRIVE: </b>Richard and Rosie pose as a married couple with a mustache-less Emilio as their son, holed up in a mountain home next door to marrieds Dennis Farina and Marcia Strassman, who might know something about an escaped witness. <b>HIGHS: </b>This witness, played by RAGING BULL starlet Cathy Moriarty, is part of a suspenseful prologue seeming part of something more… serious, like the first film. We're introduced to worthy villain Miguel Ferrer... both intense characters are shown sporadically, resulting in a standard chase at the end where Dreyfuss becomes action hero and Badham, returned as director, is more in his element. <b>LOWS:</b> Too many to count, but the trio actually has decent chemistry despite the forced humor, which is not altogether Rosie’s fault… Richard Dreyfuss seems like he’s playing silly for a kindergarten class at times, and Estevez often acts like he’s just learned how. Meanwhile, Rosie tries too hard to compete with the boys – this can be said for both the actress and character. And Madeline Stowe literally phones in her useless appearances. <b>CLOSURE:</b> Plays out like the TV Movie for a STAKEOUT series, which would have surely been cancelled after this "pilot episode."   <br />
<br />
<table align="center" 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/-go3z6fzihew/VLWUXYMC2xI/AAAAAAAAmLM/k9Ea0eVA19s/s1600/2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-go3z6fzihew/VLWUXYMC2xI/AAAAAAAAmLM/k9Ea0eVA19s/s1600/2.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1970 rating: *1/2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>BENEATH PLANET OF THE APES: </b>The second of five of the original PLANET OF THE APES flicks. <b>DRIVE:</b> The restless gorillas are poised for war against a lurking danger in the Forbidden Zone, where a returning Chuck Heston rides with his sexy Jane in the form of Linda Harrison’s human hottie, Nova. <b>HIGHS:</b> Anytime we center on the restless army led by the nefarious General Urko played by Jeff Corey, and an intense James Franciscus is the new astronaut replacing Heston as new kid in town, and his mission is to find the missing American hero… But he hardly bonds with the friendly peace-seeking chimps (no Roddy McDowell, only Kim Hunter), and the ape’s story is merely peripheral to… <b>LOWS:</b> Possibly the worst antagonists in science-fiction history within an underground compound where a group of mutants worship an atomic bomb, a political agenda worn so brightly on the sleeve it becomes the entire costume, and this is no party. <b>CLOSURE:</b> Thankfully in the third and best outing, ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES, the finale of this horrendous sequel is, ala time travel, completely abandoned.

bagful, eddie murphy, eighties, emilio estevez, franchise, judge reinhold, nineties, richard dreyfuss, sequel, seventies

FIRST CAUGHT-ON-CABLE TRIO OF NUMBER TWOS: COPS & APES

1987 rating: *** BEVERLY HILLS COP 2: First sequel to Martin Brest's popular BEVERLY HILLS COP has Axel Foley returning to the plus...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/23/2015 / No comments / 2015 , adventure , comedy , ewan mcgregor , johnny depp , spy

JOHNNY DEPP STARRING IN MORTDECAI

2015, adventure, comedy, ewan mcgregor, johnny depp, spy

JOHNNY DEPP STARRING IN MORTDECAI

2015 rating: * At this point, after a string of quirky roles, Johnny Depp doesn’t have to try very hard, but sometimes he should try jus...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/21/2015 / No comments / fifties , film noir or melodrama , indie , jayne mansfield , john carradine , kathleen crowley , lawrence tierney , thriller

LAWRENCE TIERNEY CINEMA: FEMALE JUNGLE AKA THE HANGOVER

fifties, film noir or melodrama, indie, jayne mansfield, john carradine, kathleen crowley, lawrence tierney, thriller

LAWRENCE TIERNEY CINEMA: FEMALE JUNGLE AKA THE HANGOVER

Year of Release 1955 Iconic tough guy Lawrence Tierney, ten years after his hey-day and with only a handful of roles rolling into the mi...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/18/2015 / No comments / camille coduri , comedy , eric idle , george harrison , john goodman , nineties , peter o'toole , robbie coltrane

CAMILLE CODURI DOUBLE: 'NUNS ON THE RUN' & 'KING RALPH'

<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I_FJbMPCT10/VJHuLEBVSzI/AAAAAAAAlnc/eeqTZYIB-rI/s1600/MPW-19418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I_FJbMPCT10/VJHuLEBVSzI/AAAAAAAAlnc/eeqTZYIB-rI/s1600/MPW-19418.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Year Released: 1990 </u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u>NUNS ON THE RUN:</u> The late, great and legendary Beatles dark horse George Harrison’s Handmade Films produced a mixed bag of projects... <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</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="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aPI6JtptDPc/WNZE6pQLaLI/AAAAAAAAxNE/SDiafOlZaEwLYELUdsPBhNx6OeB3M_plQCLcB/s1600/a21.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/-aPI6JtptDPc/WNZE6pQLaLI/AAAAAAAAxNE/SDiafOlZaEwLYELUdsPBhNx6OeB3M_plQCLcB/s320/a21.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Camile at gunpoint</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The established cult favorites include MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN and LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL; Terry Gilliam's midget adventure TIME BANDITS and the underrated Jodie Foster melodrama FIVE CORNERS while the bad includes... and in this case, really, really, really bad and eternally maligned and infamously infamous... SHANGHAI SURPRISE starring his at-that-time client celebrity couple, Sean Penn and Madonna...<br />
<br />
There's a forgotten lot including Michael Palin comedies A PRIVATE FUNCTION and THE MISSIONARY. And with that list intact, sticking with another Python vet, NUNS ON THE RUN stars Eric Idle and future HARRY POTTER favorite Robbie Coltrane, residing somewhere in-between George's eclectic cinematic patchwork...<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://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AzFK5i6ItUs/VJH0kxSfv2I/AAAAAAAAloY/EP8L7p8qweM/s1600/a11.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/-AzFK5i6ItUs/VJH0kxSfv2I/AAAAAAAAloY/EP8L7p8qweM/s1600/a11.jpg" width="134" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Camille Coduri</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Especially thanks to Camille Coduri as a different kind of ingénue. Not your standard waif like most American actresses, Camille has an adorable smile, voluptuous curves and big sad pouting eyes, melting Eric Idle’s Brian Hope within moments of meeting at the diner where she’s employed…<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/-OEGVJVP2xKA/VJHuSIGl1yI/AAAAAAAAlnk/lR46beeNJ_E/s1600/a1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OEGVJVP2xKA/VJHuSIGl1yI/AAAAAAAAlnk/lR46beeNJ_E/s1600/a1.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Hope and Faith</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And that’s saying something since Brian has a ton on his mind, including being constantly lectured by stout buddy/partner Robbie Coltrane as Charlie McManus. Both Charlie and Brian are workaday bank robbers who, after a double-cross plan that Faith overhears, wind up with a cliché briefcase of stolen cash, and, through creative dutch angles, are sought after by a gang of mobsters that are genuinely serious and lethal throughout the comedy hijinx as the boys hide out and pose as… you guessed it… NUNS! <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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7eB_3tMrRpQ/VJHuv3nrx8I/AAAAAAAAln0/TaqPBPvVFFM/s1600/a12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7eB_3tMrRpQ/VJHuv3nrx8I/AAAAAAAAln0/TaqPBPvVFFM/s1600/a12.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Camille Coduri</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The ON THE RUN part doesn’t entirely fit the storyline since there isn’t anywhere to go, and the entire film takes place in locations along one particular England street. Kind of a nice mellow atmosphere that relies on keeping up a suspenseful scam liken to the Blake Edwards or Billy Wilder universe, or an episode of THREE'S COMPANY...<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-326RSELP_wY/Ww0igOlgmeI/AAAAAAAA2W0/MDM9eQZSpZE9gByPmlhUMa628d9Aj7KKQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-05-29%2Bat%2B2.48.45%2BAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="606" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-326RSELP_wY/Ww0igOlgmeI/AAAAAAAA2W0/MDM9eQZSpZE9gByPmlhUMa628d9Aj7KKQCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-05-29%2Bat%2B2.48.45%2BAM.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The draped duo have to keep the other residents, including a bevy of young hot students, into thinking they’re visiting nuns…<br />
<br />
A prolonged ruse often stretched beyond limit. And they wind up having to trick Camille’s Faith (her last name is Faith and Brian’s is Hope): Although without her glasses she can’t see a lick, providing leeway for the boys: The only Monty Python style joke is a reoccurring argument about The Holy Trinity, allowing Idle to take part in clever diatribes concerning the baseline of a religion he just doesn’t get. But of the two, Robbie Coltrane really stands out, keeping his own faith intact while lusting after the student/girls who adore him… or rather, her. And the resulting action sequences aren’t too shabby either: Camille becomes the most important cog in a decent comedy vehicle that’s an even better ride the second and third time. <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/-kmO9NPIPGcQ/VJHsbBlkHPI/AAAAAAAAlm4/zDEQCcbxXHs/s1600/cr11.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/-kmO9NPIPGcQ/VJHsbBlkHPI/AAAAAAAAlm4/zDEQCcbxXHs/s1600/cr11.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>1991 rating: ***</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u>KING RALPH:</u> Once again Camille Corduri spices up what could have been a mediocre comedy film, again set in England, only this one starts out surprisingly dark… When the entire Royal Family (no kids shown) are electrocuted during a outdoor photo session sudden a sudden rainstorm, the only heir – through a random royal tryst with a waitress – is an American wannabe musician named Ralph…<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/-YQY8scmV5Uo/VJHshuuO2-I/AAAAAAAAlnA/0r8YO2qE1tU/s1600/cr9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YQY8scmV5Uo/VJHshuuO2-I/AAAAAAAAlnA/0r8YO2qE1tU/s1600/cr9.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Camille Coduri</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well he<i> is</i> a musician, and severely wants to be a good one, playing a dive lounge in Vegas: Bill Murray combined with Mark Russell and John's own future BLUES BROTHER 1999 character...<br />
<br />
Soon after the first number, he’s sought out by royal middleman Richard Griffiths, who brings the reluctant loser overseas to Peter O’Toole as Sir Cedric Charles Willingham, eventually becoming a John Gielgud to Ralph’s Arthur (including a fancy bathtub)… But fish outta water Ralph, moved to England to become, you got it, King, just can’t get into the prestigious role…<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/-YRwA2TsDxWE/VJHs3B-KkCI/AAAAAAAAlnQ/-wZVwHbpmY8/s1600/crf.jpg" 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/-YRwA2TsDxWE/VJHs3B-KkCI/AAAAAAAAlnQ/-wZVwHbpmY8/s1600/crf.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>A busty Camille</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That’s Ralph, not Goodman, who dives into the part with zeal and often trying too hard: the actor seems a bit overwhelmed in a leading cinematic role after mostly providing support for others. John's a funny guy but doesn’t have that many good lines to shine with. This allows Peter O’Toole’s droll manner to inject sporadic humor, both defending and representing Britain’s class against the shabby American firebrand, each representing their culture…<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://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7oVNR2oMfFM/VJHzP2Qy9aI/AAAAAAAAloI/qxROp0vYRiM/s1600/cr1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7oVNR2oMfFM/VJHzP2Qy9aI/AAAAAAAAloI/qxROp0vYRiM/s1600/cr1.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Reluctant showgirl</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But our buxom centerpiece, Camille Corduri, helps once again: As a stripper who Ralph falls hopelessly in lust – and then love – with, she becomes the apple of his eye, turning him into a better, deeper man in the process... yeah, yeah, and all that Romantic Comedy jazz, but scenes with Goodman and Corduri surpass cliché and provide the rotund actor a chance to really act (BARTON FINK fans know he’s got more than potential), and, meanwhile, what's most important to us is our titular starlet Camille's Miranda, who battles guilt over being hired by antagonist John Hurt to get digs on the new King, allowing her to stretch beyond love interest and, now providing the audience two underdogs worth rooting for, the film rises slightly above the “common man out of his element” mainline, sprinkling some genuine humanity into the mix. Although the last act, when Ralph has to step up and get truly serious, derails the otherwise lightweight ride.<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/-rdoc_YFIcwg/VJH9uQej__I/AAAAAAAAlos/A79WTL2Bal4/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rdoc_YFIcwg/VJH9uQej__I/AAAAAAAAlos/A79WTL2Bal4/s1600/11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>John Goodman's Ralph knighted by the new King ala Peter O'Toole</u></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/-gHb5GS9d8I8/VJH9ub7-QVI/AAAAAAAAloo/JXN1J3MBXN4/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gHb5GS9d8I8/VJH9ub7-QVI/AAAAAAAAloo/JXN1J3MBXN4/s1600/13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>A proud former stripper/backmailed traitor looks on with Camille Coduri in KING RALPH</u></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/-UI46kKOIRO8/VJHz43F91GI/AAAAAAAAloQ/hM5Z8xrxJ-0/s1600/cr8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UI46kKOIRO8/VJHz43F91GI/AAAAAAAAloQ/hM5Z8xrxJ-0/s1600/cr8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>A Nice Pair NUNS ON THE RUN and KING RALPH both featuring Camille Coduri</u></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="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a2KjX36I_3k/Ww0rD5zhvAI/AAAAAAAA2XY/8PiLzqppdqAOv-rcGMExfMPIIfHerXQuwCLcBGAs/s1600/33944613_483642918731556_9121744864294207488_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="960" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a2KjX36I_3k/Ww0rD5zhvAI/AAAAAAAA2XY/8PiLzqppdqAOv-rcGMExfMPIIfHerXQuwCLcBGAs/s1600/33944613_483642918731556_9121744864294207488_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>As long as there's NUNS ON THE RUN, there will be the stubborn cat from NUNS ON THE RUN cat!</u></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="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6RyaHnT2SK0/XHOtiXfFb-I/AAAAAAABALY/12TS9ev_2G8CdjRTdjS_a971955RdFgrACLcBGAs/s1600/1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="960" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6RyaHnT2SK0/XHOtiXfFb-I/AAAAAAABALY/12TS9ev_2G8CdjRTdjS_a971955RdFgrACLcBGAs/s1600/1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Camille Coduri in NUNS ON THE RUN</u></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="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w2L_63oDDso/XHOtiV0oSjI/AAAAAAABALU/aCuN2E_kP9UnlEuP8OWfzGRNaeBzI_-IACLcBGAs/s1600/2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="960" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w2L_63oDDso/XHOtiV0oSjI/AAAAAAABALU/aCuN2E_kP9UnlEuP8OWfzGRNaeBzI_-IACLcBGAs/s1600/2.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Camille Coduri in NUNS ON THE RUN</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>

camille coduri, comedy, eric idle, george harrison, john goodman, nineties, peter o'toole, robbie coltrane

CAMILLE CODURI DOUBLE: 'NUNS ON THE RUN' & 'KING RALPH'

Year Released: 1990 NUNS ON THE RUN: The late, great and legendary Beatles dark horse George Harrison’s Handmade Films produced a mixed...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/17/2015 / 1 Comment / 2014 , biopic , tim roth

LEFTOVER 2014 REVIEWS: SELMA & THE IMITATION GAME

<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/-cUDzvD-X4aQ/VLlrGXsZ5JI/AAAAAAAAmNY/skzs0icxKGU/s1600/5651d721-3c60-44f7-8d2c-6ec952d7c9b0.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cUDzvD-X4aQ/VLlrGXsZ5JI/AAAAAAAAmNY/skzs0icxKGU/s200/5651d721-3c60-44f7-8d2c-6ec952d7c9b0.PNG" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 rating: ***</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>SELMA:</b> Historical biopic taking us through the fight for equal voting rights – not an easy task in 1965, Alabama. Visually narrated by typed <i>logged</i> accounts from an antagonistic standpoint, we get Southern police readouts of almost every meeting that Martin Luther King Jr. had before the planned march from Selma to Montgomery, describing good people as bad i.e. peaceful protestors as violent agitators...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
Yet not all off-the-record conversations are verified and need some factual confirmation. But much like LINCOLN, the movie plays out intentionally sparse and strategic, centering on the race-related political goal with very little distractions or sideline melodrama. Unlike several other projects this year (THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING especially), SELMA doesn't reek of contrived Oscar bait. And with bigwigs like Brad Pitt and featured cameo Oprah Winfrey producing, it has a surprisingly indie baseline. <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/-RKKE36LvGSg/VLYlgoSgKyI/AAAAAAAAmL4/aUIxFjBvLEI/s1600/selma-still.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RKKE36LvGSg/VLYlgoSgKyI/AAAAAAAAmL4/aUIxFjBvLEI/s320/selma-still.jpg" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Oyelowo as King</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the lead role, David Oyelowo provides a realistic human portrayal of the iconic leader. Whether speaking to his wife alone, his men joined together, or to a large crowd, Oyelowo’s voice is mesmerizing but never overly dramatic or seeming like an imitation. And on the other side of the spectrum are two men, opposite to each other and to King. Yet despite the combined potential, Tom Wilkinson's stubborn President Lyndon B. Johnson and Tim Roth's spiteful Governor George Wallace never stretch beyond grouchy wallpaper.  <br />
<br />
There are a few overlong scenes involving characters not very fleshed out. You’ll feel for any human being who gets beaten and/or killed, but tragic violence is even more moving and persuasive when we know the victims beyond their struggle at hand. And that’s the catch: While there needed more attention and interesting dialogue from the people around Martin Luther King Jr. to fulfill the overall cinematic experience, with such a genuine lead performance it didn’t seem necessary to stray from the MLK's presence very long. Also like LINCOLN, this is a one-man show… when it counts the most.<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/-3US_zKk-9vo/VLlo8a6hwNI/AAAAAAAAmNE/ivWSoiJpizE/s1600/Poster-art-for-The-Imitation-Game_event_main.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/-3US_zKk-9vo/VLlo8a6hwNI/AAAAAAAAmNE/ivWSoiJpizE/s320/Poster-art-for-The-Imitation-Game_event_main.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: **</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>THE IMITATION GAME: </b>As the movie begins, a narration warns us to pay attention… A story centering on the guy who, during World War 2, figured out how to fight fire with fire – in this case, break a computer code using another computer (years before computers were everywhere and inside everything) – might seem very complicated… Details matter so you better well listen…<br />
<br />
Although THE IMITATION GAME spends very little time with technology, instead centering on mathematician Alan Turing's quirks... He's a young man so brilliantly neurotic and flaky, everyone around has to figure him out as <i>he</i> figures how to break a Nazi code to intercept attacks before they happen, and ultimately win the war. <br />
<br />
Sporadic backstory glimpses into Alan’s past are intriguing at first, and then amount to what the entire movie really centers on instead of the WWII cerebral thriller that was promoted: Turing was a homosexual during a time when it was illegal, and his personal struggle trumps the important strategy we were poised to experience: The computer Alan creates and tortures himself over is, halfway through, suddenly built and ready to go. Meanwhile, his teammates, including a dashing womanizer and a beautiful crossword puzzler (Keira Knightly), seem more interested in what Turing has to hide than defeating the Nazis. And while all performances are capable enough, GAME would make for a much better documentary: centering more on historical facts than factual distractions.

2014, biopic, tim roth