Thursday Movie Picks: TV Edition-Revivals and Reboots

TV time again and Wandering Through The Shelves chose reboots and revivals which seem to be the big thing now. There are so many that I truly believe the executroids can no longer carry an original thought. They are rebooting one of my favourite shows, Bewitched which does sound intriguing and another is getting a reboot but on a more original scale...Picard! Personally I can't wait for this Star Trek series which will star Patrick Stewart as Jean Luc Picard...did I say I can't wait? Anyway, I have chosen 3  that fit the bill...

1. THE TWILIGHT ZONE-1959-1964-ORIGINAL FOLLOWED BY 1985-1989, FOLLOWED BY 2002-2003 AND FINALLY 2019 TO PRESENT

I have chosen this show before but I love the original series so much that I had to pick it again since it has been remade so many times not to mention the movie where, unfortunately Vic Morrow and 2 small children died on set. This show is the baby of Rod Serling who narrated the original series and showed up at the beginning and end of each episode to give his take on the events in his clenched teeth style of talking. Many great stars appeared on this series from Robert Redford to Burgess Meredith. There are some classic episodes that have been remade and parodied over the decades like the gremlin who turns William Shatner nuts (well more than he already is) while on an airplane, to a woman who get plastic surgery to correct her deformity so she can fit in with the rest of the public. I watched the one from the 1980's which was good and I recall liking the one episode with Danny Kaye. I don't even remember the remake from the early 2000's but I did watch the newest version which is ok if murky and dark in the cinematography.

2. THE ODD COUPLE-1970-1975 FOLLOWED BY A CARTOON 1975-1977 FOLLOWED BY 1982 AND FINALLY, 2015 TO 2017

This Neil Simon play was made into a movie with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon which is quite funny but, to be honest, my favourite actors to  play Oscar Madison, the slob sports writer, and Felix Unger, the neat freak photographer, are Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. They perfected the  unusual friendship between these 2 polar opposites in the first series which is, by far, the best of this TV series. When Felix tries to clear his sinuses or bring in a giant potato chip chair to make the apartment look more modern, I  was in stitches. The 2 actors became close friends and Tony Randall helped Jack Klugman after Klugman developed throat cancer and had his larynx removed. They actually made a series of funny commercials together since it was hard for Klugman to find work. The second series only lasted a few episodes and it was a good premise because the 2 were African American but it just wasn't funny. The new remake is horrible.

3. MURPHY BROWN-1989-1998 FOLLOWED BY 2018-2019

I loved this series about an obnoxious, alcoholic, Barbara Walters style investigative reporter who works at a network on a show similar to 60 minutes or 20/20. We see her go through secretaries like I go through chocolate and we see her interact with the other newspeople and the producer. I loved how Candace Bergen created a character you may not want to know but are glad she fights for what is right. I also loved her  painter who was always working on her house and could put her in her place with a few choice words. This show made headlines more than once but one of the best was when the character became pregnant and decided to have the baby despite not being married. Vice President Dan "numbnuts" Quayle derided the character in one of his speeches which was one of the dumbest things I ever saw on TV. You can still believe in family values if you are a single mother. The show brought this up in an episode which ended with Murphy Brown delivering a truck load of potatoes to Quayle's residence. (Quayle didn't know how to spell "Potatoes" which caused much hilarity on late night TV). I watched the new episodes but they could not bring the magic back but I do wish they were given more time to get back into the groove of their characters.

Which 3 would you choose ? I must showcase Picard..hope you watch and enjoy...at least I hope this plays

Against The Crowd Blogathon

It is once a year where you can choose a movie you hate that everyone loves and a choose a movie you love that everyone hates. You must show the rating from Rotten Tomatoes and explain why you dislike the film and why you like the film. Does that make sense?? I have chosen a classic film that everyone says is a triumph but i just don't see why and I chose a dumb ass comedy that I love but it gets a sour rating. The host for this yearly series is Dell at Dell on Movies which you should check out. I believe the list will be up on Monday August 26th so you have until that time to join in and have some fun.

The film that is heralded as great and I just can't stand is...

AGHHHH! I can't seem to show the Rotten Tomatoes score as it says "server failed" . The film received a 96% approval rating and you can see it here.

The film is...

TOUCH OF EVIL-1958

OK, I know I am supposed to love this film because, it is  considered a classic, it has Orson Welles who directed, wrote and co-starred in the film, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Weaver...the list goes on but I just had a hard time with it because I was laughing at some major points which were supposed to be full of angst. I will say the opening shot is excellent and I do love the camera angles but it is just so over the top that I am surprised Mamie van Doren and Vampira don't co-star. I can't get over the lousy look of Charlton Heston as a, ready..., Mexican. I mean...Moses is a Mexican. He is a narcotics officer on his honeymoon  with the beautiful Janet Leigh in a declining, no nothing, desert town near the Mexican border (can you say he went all out on their Honeymoon) when a car explodes. From there the couple are drawn into the seedy life of this town led by the corrupt, very obese Orson Welles. Janet is kidnapped by a gang that looks like they just came off the set of Grease, led by cougar Mercedes McCambridge who is chewing the scenery as some lesbo who has the hots for poor Janet. Dennis Weaver is over-acting, I could hardly understand what Orson was saying. The only bright spot was Marlene as some gypsy who looks at Orson and says, in her thick German accent,  "You're fat." I will try and watch this again but I feel like this is the Emperor's New Clothes where everyone says it's wonderful and a classic but it is just wrong.

Now, the movie I like which everyone hates and,  .... OK Problem again with Rotten Tomatoes, only received 28% approval rating which you can see here, is...

GET HARD-2015

If you can't stand Will Farrell then just move right along because this is a movie starring this moron. To be honest, I have a feeling he is a real jerk just from what little I have seen of him on the red carpet but I find him hilarious except in those Anchorman movies. This film is not going to win any awards but I was laughing real hard (Haaa!)  at this dumb ass flick(FYI Asses are shown in this film and I don't mean the donkey/mule kind) where this man plays a wealthy, jerk stock trader ready to marry some twit who happens to be his boss's daughter. He is framed for insider trading so he hires Kevin Hart to help him survive prison. The problem is Kevin Hart knows nothing about prison. Poor Kevin is a family man who hopes to buy a house one day. It's dumb, it has no grandiose plans to make my mind work and think deeply about life. It is politically incorrect so...what's not to love, unless you can't stand Will Farrell.

Thursday Movie Picks-Actor’s in Multiple Roles

This is when I wish I would have seen Kind Hearts and Coronets with Alec Guinness but I haven’t.....yet, so I have gone with 3 films I have seen that I really love and showcases some great acting in comedy roles. Wandering Through The Shelves picked a good theme this week. Here are my 3...

1. THE MOUSE THAT ROARED-1959

This stars Peter Sellers in 3 roles as Tully, a military leader, a Count and a Duchess, The leader of the tiniest country in the Alps whose whole country rely on the export of their wine. When they find out there is a knock off  version being sold, crippling their tiny nation, it is decided they will go to war with the U.S. They come up with a foolproof (HA!) plan invade the States, lose and the States will give them money in war reparations. They head off, in chain mail, bows and arrows on a ship to invade the States. This is farce at its finest and ahead of its time considering it is about war and what is it good for. ( you know that song:)). It’s a great under-rated film worth watching and having a laugh way before Monty Python came into our lives.

2. ON THE DOUBLE-1961

Danny Kaye is the star of this film and, frankly, he often played more than one role in his films but I always had a soft spot for this movie and Danny Kaye who was a master of tongue twisters done to music. He is best known for his role in White Christmas but he created many fun roles often playing anxiety ridden, nervous nellies who adore being cowards even though, in the end, they are anything but. In this film he plays General Sir Lawrence MacKenzie Smith who is on the hit list of the dreaded Nazis. In England is cowardly, American  Ernie Williams who bears an uncanny resemblance to the General. Ernie is a great mimic and before you can say, Holy Nervous Tick Batman, Ernie is asked to impersonate the General. He does not realize he is more than just a decoy until he gets in over his head, ends up in Berlin and must escape  but not before becoming more than one character including a Marlene Dietrich Blue Angel Gal. I think this is quite funny and it truly does showcase Danny Kaye’s brilliance in comedy and mimicry.

3. CAT BALLOU-1965

You think "Everybody Loves Mary" was the first film to have 2 men sing in between scenes to link the story? Think again! This film has the Greek Chorus of Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole who appear throughout the film singing the ballad of Cat Ballou. Cat is played by Jane Fonda who hires Kid Shelleen to protect her dad’s homestead from the evil men who want his homestead. Her dad is killed by the evil Tim Strawn who wears a fake nose that was shot off. The town refuses to help so she creates her outlaw gang and they create hell. The best is Lee Marvin who won an Oscar playing the drunken Kid and the evil Tim who had a great time playing along side his equally drunken horse. This is another great comedy where Fonda is almost outdone by her gang members and no one does a drunken cowboy better than Marvin. When he won the Oscar, he also thanked the horse:)

Which 3 films would you pick?

Thursday Movie Picks-Witness

Mid August...holy smoke a doodle! To be honest it has been too humid and hot for me so I can’t wait until it cools down a bit. This has nothing to do with the theme which is all about witnesses and my mind drew a blank even though I know there are a ton of films involving witnesses. The guru of this weekly blogfest is Wandering Through The Shelves so go over to her site and check out what everyone else has chosen. Here are my 3....

1.  SOME LIKE IT HOT-1959

I know I chose this before but it is so brilliant and full of fun led by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as 2 sad sack musicians who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in 1927 and must get out of town quick. They find out they can go to Florida with a band..an all girl band so they become Josephine and Daphne and board the train along with the very jiggly Marilyn Monroe. Tony decides to woo Marilyn as a Cary Grant millionaire with a can’t get it up problems. Poor Jack, who also wants Marilyn ends up getting engaged ....to his own millionaire. Very funny comedy with George Raft as the bad Mafia man and Joe E. Brown priceless as the millionaire....Nobody's Perfect!

2. WITNESS-1985

Well, this was a no brainer for me which was a big hit for Harrison Ford as a detective who must hide his star witness, a young Amish boy since the boy knows it’s a fellow cop who is as dirty as they come. Don’t worry this is all in the first 10 minutes of the film. Ford hides the boy in the boy's own home area...with the Amish which includes his hot momma whom Ford has the hots for. This is quite a taught thriller which the Amish hated since it showed them on tv...well, not the real Amish...that comes out decades later in some stupid reality tv show. Once you watch this movie, check out Weird Al Yankovic’s music video that actually has Kelly McGillis and Alexander Godunov from the movie in his video...and Florence Henderson The Brady Bunch).

3. LETHAL WEAPON 2-1989

Ok, yes Mel Gibson is an asshole, sorry my French, and I never liked him ever since seeing him interviewed by Baba Wawa(sorry again, Barbara Walters) but I like him in his movies and I like this series which was fun. He had great chemistry with Donald Glover where they play detective partners with Gibson as the nut, a no brainer, and Donald Glover getting too old for this shit. They are on the case of big time smugglers but when the bad guys get too close to home, the detectives are reassigned to protect a star witness played so well by Joe Pesci. Soon they realize the witness and the smuggling case are connected. It’s fun and a thrill despite dead people but it doesn’t matter in these films.

Which films would you choose?

Oh and for fun...

Thursday Movie Picks-Mrs. Robinsons

This is an interesting suggestion over at Wandering Through The Shelves since there are many women out there who have a good time with a youngin" . I was thinking up movies and chose a very obvious one (Coo..Cooka Choo or however one spells that) and 2 others that seem to fit the bill. It will be interesting to see what everyone else chooses. Here are my 3...

1.THE GRADUATE-1967

This is the obvious choice since Mrs. Robinson is a real character in this film and even brings a familiar quote ("Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Robinson") along with a famous image of Dustin Hoffman framed by her leg. Simon and Garfunkel  music  really makes a great mark in this film and sets the tone. Confused graduate, Hoffman has no idea what to do with his life ending up in an affair with his dad's business partner's wife, played by the wonderful Anne Bancroft. It gets even more complicated when he falls for Mrs. Robinson's daughter. This film is, in some ways, of its time when young people did not know what to do with their life, wanting to make love, not war and  placing daisies in the guns pointed at them by the armed guards. The trapped feelings are expressed by the imagery in this film. It has humorous moments filled with angst and the sense of loss.

2. WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE-1993

This is a hidden gem that more people should see especially since Leonardo Di Caprio gave an Oscar nominated performance and, I feel, should have won, playing the mentally challenged young brother to Johnny Depp, the star of the film. The family just lost their dad to suicide  and must look after their morbidly obese mother who never leaves the couch. Depp works for a small grocery store in this small town where he delivers groceries, one being the horny Mary Steenburgen. She initiates an affair with the young Depp who is happy to oblige. He feels frustrated with his life and embarrassed by the size of his mom plus having to care for the family. In enters a young gal, Juliette Lewis and her mom, who are travelling in some RV and are stuck in town for a week. She awakens the free spirit in Depp and helps him and his autistic brother find meaning. See it if you can.

3. THE READER-2008

This is a heavy film but a good one even though it could have been great. It stars Kate Winslet, David Kross and Ralph Fiennes who exceed in this film set before, during and after World war 2. A young Michael meets up with an older woman who helps him when he becomes ill. After he is better, he finds her to thank her and they have an affair where she asks him to read to her. He loves to read to her as they share a romantic summer together only for her to disappear and he does not see or hear from her again. Now grown, the older Michael, in law school, is a spectator to a trial of women prison guards accused of atrocities and see Hanna is among them. He soon finds out Hanna's secret which she would rather hide and be found guilty than have it become public knowledge. We see how his bond to her never leaves even though he never is with her in the biblical sense again. This is well acted and promotes  discussions about the topic at hand plus you see Kate Winslet naked...again.

Which 3 would you choose?

Wandering through the Shelves-The Great Outdoors

It’s too damn hot to be outside..I hate it and can’t wait for 20C since we have been having 36 but feeling like 43C with the humidex. I can’t breathe and I hate it. Ok, I’m done with my rant, this week over at Wandering Through The Shelves, it is all about the great outdoors and I love the outdoors when I can breathe. Oh, sorry, I said I wouldn’t bitch any more. Anyway here are my 3...

1.  THE BEAR-1988

This is a film that had me on the edge of my seat and it was all about a cub who tries to survive the elements, other predators especially Man. I am a huge animal lover and hate Ted Nugent who thinks that killing bears is his god given right....jerk. I don’t like it when I see an animal die even though I do watch rescue shows but this seems to end on a mostly positive note. Where was I? Talk about stream of consciousness! Anyway, to see amazing cinematography along with a bear coming of age, love and friendship, see this film starring Bart the Bear who befriends the cub.

2. THE GREAT OUTDOORS-1988

This is not a fantastic comedy but it’s fun to watch especially with 2 funny comedians, Dan Aykroyd and the wonderful John Candy. John Candy, with his family, rent a cottage to enjoy the great outdoors only to be slightly perturbed when Candy’s brother in law and his family, which includes 2 freaky red haired twins, surprise them. They deal with water-skiing, bats, those freaky twins, raccoons, each other and Bart the bear who gets a bit bald on both ends. I watched it again recently and had a good laugh.

3. THE EDGE-1997

Anthony Hopkins is married to a younger, beautiful model who travel up north, with a photographer, played by Alec Baldwin, and crew in tow, to take in some great outdoors. They are trying to find some mountain man when their small plane crashes in the middle of nowhere. The pilot is killed  which leaves 3 to try to get home dealing with wolves and one very smart but very nasty bear...played by...Bart the bear who was quite scary to say the least! This is thriller that held my attention and made me grit my teeth.  I know that both actors were very impressed with Bart because he was so genial and intelligent. You wouldn't know it from watching  Bart that he was so docile.

Which 3 would you choose?

Bart with his trainer...Bart was a Kodiak Bear