The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie
February 7, 2014
Warner Bros. etc.
Children's, Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
DVD
B+

I didn't see this at the time it came out, although the trailer looked good.  I didn't see it until this past summer, when I laughed my head off.  I'm not into the Lego culture, and I didn't get every joke in this, but I found it to be one of the best scripts in years, both witty and thought-provoking.  That I had absolutely no expectations made it all the more enjoyable, although on this second viewing I felt it held up very well.  Also, the look is wonderful, all CGI but looking like it's made from actual Lego bricks.

The movie is full of contradictions, like the "Everything Is Awesome" song that is both annoying and catchy, or annoying because it's catchy, with lyrics that boost both mindless conformity and creative teamwork.  It's a corporate production set in a sunny dystopia run by a fascist capitalist, who turns out to be a redeemable bad guy.  Normally, I have a low tolerance for Will Ferrell, but he does well with both his in-universe villain and the live-action father.  There are serious themes, but mostly it's a giddy, quotable, fast-paced ride.  I don't know that it would stand up to multiple viewings and I can't say I fell in love with it, so I won't say A-, but it's definitely at least a B+.

The voice-acting obviously is a big part of the enjoyment of the movie, with the stand-out being Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius, wise and hilarious.  Elizabeth Banks, who voices Wyldstyle, was Beth in 40 Year Old Virgin.  Liam Neeson provides the voices for Bad Cop, Good Cop, and Pa Cop.  Charlie Day is Benny.  Jonah Hill voices Green Lantern.  Dave Franco, who was Perry in Warm Bodies, does Wally.  Chris Romano was Little Druid in This Is Spinal Tap and does the voice of Joe here.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
July 7, 2011
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Action
DVD
C+

Harry Potter regulars:

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil
2. David Bradley as Argus Filch
3. Scarlett Byrne as Pansy Parkinson
4. Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown
5. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
6. Louis Cordice as Blaise Zabini
7. Warwick Davis as Griphook/ Professor Filius Flitwick
8. Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas
9. Amber Evans as Twin Girl 1
10. Ruby Evans as Twin Girl 2
11. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
12. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
13. Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore
14. Domnhall Gleeson as Bill Weasley
15. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
16. George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt
17. Guy Henry as Pius Thicknesse
18. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
19. John Hurt as Ollivander
20. Ralph Ineson as Amycus Carrow
21. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
22. Isabella Laughland as Leanne
23. Dave Legeno as Fenrir Greyback
24. Georgina Leonidas as Katie Bell
25. Katie Leung as Cho Chang
26. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
27. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
28. Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy
29. William Melling as Nigel
30. Nick Moran as Scabior
31. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
32. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black
33. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
34. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
35. Leslie Phillips as the voice of the Sorting Hat
36. Clémence Poésy as Fleur Delacour
37. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
38. Chris Rankin as Percy Weasley
39. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
40. Anna Shaffer as Romilda Vane
41. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
42. Timothy Spall as Wormtail
43. Freddie Stroma as Cormac McLaggen
44. Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks
45. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
46. Suzanne Toase as Alecto Carrow
47. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
48. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
49. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

Also, Christian Coulson and Ian Hart appear as Tom Riddle and Professor Quirinus Quirrell in archival footage.  Kelly Macdonald of Gosford Park appears as Helena Ravenclaw.  Gemma Jones and Miriam Margolyes are back, although not given much to do.  I put as many people under tags as I could.

While it's nice to see everybody one last time, I do feel that this is the weakest movie in the series since Goblet of Fire, and like that entry, it is sometimes unintentionally funny, as with the horrible makeup that Rickman wears both in present day and in flashbacks.  (I don't care that he was in his 60s.  It's distracting to see his expressive face puttied over like that.)  Also, the finale has far too many action sequences, which was perhaps true of the last third of the book, but there were more moments of humour and pathos.  Not that those elements are entirely missing, but the film does feel off and unbalanced at times.  (I do like Julie Walters's silent reaction to Maggie's Smith's "I've always wanted to do that," as if she still remembers McGonagall as her teacher some thirty years ago.)  The series as a whole still averages out to a B, and it remains an impressive achievement overall.

Lisa Osmond and Mark Sealey were also Gringotts Goblins back in the first movie.  Rusty Goffee was an Oompa-Loompa in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, as well as a Goblin here and in Order of the Phoenix.  Jamie Dunlop is a Wizard, as he was in the first two movies.  Paul Davies is a Death Eater, as he was in Fire, Half-Blood Prince, and DH1.  Death Eaters who are just in the two Hallows parts are Jon Campling, Graham Duff, Emil Hostina, Tony Kirwood (also in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Penelope McGhie, Ashley McGuire, Peter G. Reed, Granville Saxton, Judith Sharp, and Bob Yves Van Hellenberg.  Ninette Finch was an unidentified extra in Prince but is Augusta Longbottom here.  Arthur Bowen was Boy at Chestnut Stand in Prince, but has the more prominent role of Albus Severus Potter here.  Sarah Jane O'Neill was a Ministry Wizard in DH1 but is a Wizard Parent here.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
November 11, 2010
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Action, Drama
DVD
B

The Harry Potter regulars this time (* means newbie who will be back for the finale):

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil
2. Arben Bajraktraj as Antonin Dolohov (formerly playing an unidentified Death Eater)
3. Scarlett Byrne as Pansy Parkinson
4. Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown
5. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
6. Louis Cordice as Blaise Zabini
7. Warwick Davis as Griphook (new to the role)
8. Francis de la Tour as Madame Maxime
9. Amber Evans as Twin Girl #1
10. Ruby Evans as Twin Girl #2
11. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
12. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
13. Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore
14. Brendan Gleeson as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
15. Domnhall Gleeson as Bill Weasley*
16. Richard Griffiths as Vernon Dursley
17. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
18. George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt
19. Guy Henry as Pius Thicknesse*
20. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
21. Rod Hunt as Thorfinn Rowle
22. John Hurt as Ollivander
23. Stanislav Ianevski as Viktor Krum
24. Ralph Ineson as Amycus Carrow
25. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
26. Toby Jones as the voice of Dobby
27. Isabella Laughland as Leanne
28. David Legeno as Greyback
29. Georgina Leonidas as Katie Bell
30. Katie Leung as Cho Chang
31. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
32. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
33. Angelica Mandy as Gabrielle Delacour
34. Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy
35. Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley
36. Nick Moran as Scabior*
37. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
38. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
39. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
40. Clémence Poésy as Fleur Delacour
41. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
42. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
43. Anna Shaffer as Romilda Vane
44. Fiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley
45. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
46. Timothy Spall as Wormtail
47. Freddie Stroma as Cormac McLaggen
48. Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks
49. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
50. Suzanne Toase as Alecto Carrow
51. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
52. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
53. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

Also, Miranda Richardson appears in photographs as Rita Skeeter.  Rhys Ifans appears as Luna's father Xenophilius, and Bill Nighy as Minister Rufus Scrimgeour, both very different roles than in Pirate Radio.  Other regulars who've done others of my films are under the tags.

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2014/01/harry-potter-and-deathly-hallows.html.  The movie isn't as good but it is as solid as most of the series.  I think both the action scenes and the more dramatic scenes work, as do the moments of humour, such as the Seven Harrys transformation.  The sets and costumes, including at the wedding, are just right.  The most impressive visual aspect, however, is the animation for "The Tale of the Three Brothers." The central trio are all at the top of their game, which matters since much of the movie is about just the three of them, and even when they interact with others their dynamic matters.  Ironically, one of my favorite sections is the Ministry raid, where they've been Polyjuiced into middle-aged adults (Emma Thompson's sister Sophie among them).

What doesn't work?  Well, no offense to Nick Moran, but I don't see why the character of Scabior is built up here and in Part 2, when there are other Death Eaters (including Greyback) who could've been used more.  Also, with all the plot threads to be tied up in the finale, giving Harry the fragment of Sirius's mirror without explanation is odd.  And other details are rushed through, such as the eye on Umbridge's door.  Still, these are quibbles and this is the better half of Hallows onscreen.

Daisy Haggard is the voice of the Ministry Lift, as she was in Order of the Phoenix.   Elliott Francis is again a Slug Club Member, as he was in Half-Blood Prince.  Ifeoma Oboko was in Gryffindor in Prince but is just a School Child here.  Sarah Jane O'Neill is a Ministry Wizard here but would be a Wizard Parent in Part 2.   Paul Davies is a Death Eater, as he was in Goblet of Fire and Prince, and would be again in the finale.  Graham Duff, Emil Hostina, Tony Kirwood (who was Finckelgruber in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Penelope McGhie, Ashley McGuire, Peter G. Reed, Granville Saxton, Judith Sharp, and Bob Yves Van Hellenberg would all return as Death Eaters.

And Rose Keegan was Emma Pagent in Grint's Driving Lessons, while she's Red-Haired Witch here.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
August 13, 2010
Universal
Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance, Action
DVD
B-

This is based on a graphic novel series I've never read, other than what appears in the movie itself and its DVD extras.  As such, I'm not going to get into a discussion of how well it translates to the screen, but I will note that I like the comic-like elements, such as the sound effects that we can read as well as hear.  There are also elements of video games, especially but not limited to the fight scenes.  And then are bits of less classifiable whimsy, such as some characters' ability to do things very quickly, even if asleep.  It is an interesting stylistic blend.

Unfortunately, the central couple in this anti-rom-com are the two least appealing characters in the movie (well, other than some minor characters we see much less of).  Scott is in a way the typical adorkable Michael Cera character, but he has to do a lot of very un-Cera-like things, including make various women unhappy, although this is admittedly unintentional.  And his dream girl Ramona Flowers has no real personality; she's just as much of a cypher at the end as she is at the beginning.  It's hard to be invested in their relationship, and I'm not even sure if we're supposed to be, but it does get a lot of screen time.  Luckily, the supporting characters are much more vivid and, even when they do unlikable things, entertaining.  My favorites are Wallace, the gay roommate, and Julie, the foul-mouthed friend of an ex.  The title of the movie is somewhat of a misnomer, since Scott battles Ramona's seven evil exes, but there is a sense that everyone, even his friends, is against him.  This viewing, I was rooting for the world, and I completely agreed with Knives Chau when she said that she's too cool for him.

Nelson Franklin was one of Sydney's Buddies in I Love You, Man and has the small but scene-stealing role of Comeau here.  (He's the one who says the comic book is always better than the movie.)  Bill Hader, who is The Voice, would be Kyle in They Came Together.

How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon
March 26, 2010
DreamWorks
Children's, Fantasy, Action, Comedy
DVD
B+

Chris Sanders co-wrote Aladdin, while Will Davies co-wrote Flushed Away, so perhaps it's not surprising that they do well here, directing as well as writing.  What is surprising is that this movie is actually better than either of those.  It's not due to the source material, since this is clearly another example of the movie being better than the book.  The Cressida Cowell series has ugly illustrations and forgettable characters.  This movie is visually stunning and the characters are endearing, because of rather than despite their imperfections.  Also, it's a rare action movie where the relationships are more important than the battles.  We watch as our young hero Hiccup improves how he relates to his father, his potential girlfriend, and of course his dragon.  And, yes, the movie is funny, but it's also poignant.  I found the sequel somewhat disappointing, and the TV series doesn't interest me, but here they got everything just about right.

David Tennant, who voices Spitelout, was Barty Crouch, Jr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but of course had meanwhile hit it big as Dr. Who.  Jonah Hill's rise was not as dramatic, but he had become better known since his appearance as the eBay Customer in 40 Year Old Virgin.  Kristen Wiig, who voices Ruffnut, would be Annie in Bridesmaids.

Sometimes dragons are just scaly cats, and sometimes they're your vehicle to Heaven.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
July 11, 2007
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Drama, Action
DVD
B

Harry Potter regulars this time (* for newbies):

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil
2. Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange*
3. David Bradley as Argus Filch
4. Shefali Chowdhury as Parvati Patil
5. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
6. Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick
7. Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas
8. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
9. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
10. Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore
11. Brendan Gleeson as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
12. Richard Griffiths as Uncle Vernon Dursley
13. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
14. Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge
15. George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt*
16. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
17. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
18. Katie Leung as Cho Chang
19. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
20. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood*
21. Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley
22. William Melling as Nigel
23. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black
24. Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory
25. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
26. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
27. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
28. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
29. Chris Rankin as Percy Weasley
30. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
31. Fiona Shaw as Aunt Petunia Dursley
32. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
33. Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew
34. Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks*
35. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
36. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
37. Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe
38. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
39. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2013/12/harry-potter-and-order-of-phoenix.html.  At the time this movie came out, it was mixed in with the feelings of the pending release of the final book.  Moments like when Voldemort tells Harry, "You're a fool and you'll lose everything," gave me shivers because we really didn't know how this was all going to end.  Also, coming after the disappointments of the fourth movie, this seemed like the best entry after Azkaban.

Now I'd put it on a level with the first two movies.  It generally doesn't wow me, although Evanna Lynch is amazing as Luna, Imelda Staunton makes Umbridge even creepier than in the book by making her "nicer" on the surface, and the Dumbledore vs. Voldemort battle kicks arse.  It's a good, solid entry.  My two main quibbles are that new director David Yates has overdone pulling everyone back from overacting and made some of the lines too soft-spoken (Yates himself is soft-spoken, quite a contrast to blustering Newell); and not only has Michael Goldenberg's script (or at least the editing) lost much of the book (this is always noted as the longest book turned into the shortest movie) but there are stray lines and even subplots that are just left hanging.  Most notably, Harry and Cho's romance, which is less awkward than in the book, fizzles out because of a misunderstanding that's never resolved.  Still, kudos for Yates in getting at the emotional core of the series in a way that no one other than Alfonso Cuarón managed.

Siobhan Ellen Williams was in Hufflepuff in Goblet of Fire but is now in Gryffindor.  Paije Richardson is also in both movies, as an unidentified student.  Sarah Harrison was a Schoolgirl in Goblet and here.  Nathan Clarke is in Gryffindor here and in Half-Blood Prince.  Christopher O'Shea was an unidentified extra in Chamber of Secrets and this one, while Tabatha St. Vincent is an unidentified extra in this and Prince.  Peter Best was the Executioner in Azkaban and is a Death Eater here.  Natalie Hallam was Professor Sinistra in Goblet and seems to be reprising it here, although she's uncredited.  Neil Findlater is a Ministry of Magic Panel Member here and would be a Wizard Teacher in Prince.  Rusty Goffe would again play a Goblin in Deathly Hallows 2.  Arben Bajraktaraj is an Azkaban Death Eater here and would be specifically Antonin Dolohov in Deathly Hallows 1.  Daisy Haggard would again be the voice of the Ministry Lift in Hallows 1.

Richard Cubison was the Head Waiter in Wilde and is a Death Eater here.  John Atterbury was Merriman in Gosford Park and plays Phineas Nigellus Black here.  Sam Beazley was a Very Old Man in Bridget Jones 2 and is Everard here.  Brigitte Millar was a Journalist in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and plays Emmeline Vance here.  Samuel Gaukroger was a Child at Church in Grint's Driving Lessons and plays a Hogwarts Student here.

Flushed Away

Flushed Away
November 3, 2006
DreamWorks/ Aardman
Children's, Comedy, Action, Musical
DVD
B

This movie was and remains more fun than it should be.  I mean, it's a movie about a pet rat who gets flushed down a toilet and has adventures in the sewer.  But it's surprisingly sweet and funny, and although I'm not an action fan, I like the way the chase scenes are done, and the soundtrack choices.  The movie is unofficially a musical, thanks in no small part to the singing slugs, who start out as a throw-away joke and grow into a Vegas-level show-stopping ensemble.  The film is also almost a romance, with a great deal of chemistry between its lead rats, voiced by Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet, as a posh male and a working-class female, but Roddy and Rita never quite get together.  I used to hope for a sequel (or at least a spin-off with the slugs) but that seems increasingly unlikely.

Slight Harry-Potter connection (not surprising in a British movie), as Miriam Margolyes voices Rita's Tom-Jones-loving Grandma, while Bill Nighy does Whitey.

New York Minute

New York Minute
May 7, 2004
Warner Bros.
Comedy, Action
VHS
C+

This is so bad it's almost watchable.  Not that there isn't a lot to wince at, including some generally unfunny racism, but the whole thing is so implausible, it makes Spice World look carefully crafted.  There is a lot more plot here, and subplots, but the whole thing is so full of WTF moments that I'm going to try to limit myself to ten.  (At the time, I wrote a very lengthy review/inventory, listing about 70 cliches, stereotypes, and implausibilities.)

1. Why did they steal the dad as gynecologist father of two very different sisters thing from 10 Things I Hate About You? And then cast Dr. Drew and have there be no pay-off, plotwise or otherwise?
2. Why, after all the attempts to distinguish between Mary-Kate and Ashley, is there a section where they wear matching outfits?
3. Why does the more conservative twin keep ending up implied-nude?
4. Why is Jack Osbourne attempting an American accent, and not very consistently either?
5. Why, if you have a purple VW Bug, would you try to take the train into New York, especially since you don't have a ticket or any plan beyond hiding in the restroom?
6. Why is there a running motif of people getting things spilled on them?
7. Why does a small dog take an entire day and yet fail to crap out a secret microchip, and why doesn't anyone think to take it to the vet?
8. How is that Jane wins a scholarship on the basis of the notes for her speech?
9. If time is of the essence, shouldn't one version of a makeover at the House of Bling (no, I am not making that up) be sufficient?
10. How could they cast Andrea Martin as Senator Anne Lipton (owner of the dog) and Eugene Levy as a truant officer and give the SCTV-ers only one moment together?

Trust me, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I haven't even mentioned the Bob Saget cameo.

Jon Benjamin, who's the "I Love NY" Vendor, had provided the voice of the Can of Vegetables in Wet Hot American Summer (a role he'll be reprising on the TV series). This time animal-voice-actor Frank Welker provides Reinaldo Vocal Effects.  Jo Chim, who's got a very small role as Ma Bang's Assistant, had recently been the snooty Salesperson in Mean Girls.

Pre-bling

Mid-bling

Corporate bling

Miss Congeniality

Miss Congeniality
December 22, 2000
Castle Rock etc.
Comedy, Action
VHS
B-

I don't enjoy this movie as much as I did at the time, but it remains entertaining, due mostly to the title character, AKA Gracie Hart, as played by 36-year-old Sandra Bullock.  It is very much a product of its time, from the clumsy coming out of a character on live TV, to Gracie's makeover and subsequent winning over of her cute but unkind boss (Benjamin Bratt).  I'm not using the "romance" tag though because their relationship is almost an afterthought compared to her father-daughter-like bonding with her stylist, Michael Caine as Victor Melling, and all the female bonding with sloppy, butch (but soft-hearted) Gracie and the other beauty contestants.  William Shatner and Candice Bergen have some nice moments as pageant veterans who are being forced into retirement.  But mostly this is Bullock's show, whether she's dressed for playing musical glasses or dressed figuratively and literally to kill.  I have seen the sequel (which drops the Bratt character) and found it pretty good, but I probably won't buy it.

Steve Monroe, who plays Frank Tobin, was one of the sons in the father-son therapy group in Austin Powers.  Heather Burns, who's sweet and funny as Cheryl (Miss Rhode Island), would also be in Bullock's Two Weeks Notice, which would be not only written but directed by one of the co-writers here, Marc Lawrence.  (Not to be confused with the older actor who played a villain in Goin' Coconuts, Foul Play, and Super Fuzz.)

Think Big

Think Big
March 1990
Concorde Pictures
Comedy, Action, Sci-Fi
VHS
B-

While this isn't a very impressive movie to kick off the '90s with, I nonetheless find it entertaining.  It gets the job done, even if it's never particularly plausible.  "The Barbarians," twin body-builders, play the main characters (truck drivers hauling toxic waste) and sing the title song (over opening and closing credits).  Claudia Christian (later of Babylon 5) is a psychologist.  Ari Meyers (fresh off Kate & Allie) is an electronics genius who dresses like an average late '80s/early '90s teen.  Martin Mull is a weasely villain, and Richard Moll (with hair) is more recognizable than he was as the Abominable Snowman in Caveman.  John Carradine is a repo man.  Michael Winslow, as the twins' friend, isn't given much to do, not even sound effects.

Peter Lupus, as Bad Guy #1, doesn't look drastically different than he did a quarter-century earlier as Flex Martian in Muscle Beach Party, although obviously less creatively named.  David Bowe, who plays a security guard, was Mountain in Back to the Beach.

Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death

Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death
March 15, 1989
Beyond Infinity/ Gaucamolle [sic] Pictures/ Phantom Productions
Comedy, Action
VHS
B-

This deliberately bad movie is somewhat in the tradition of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, with an even longer, more ridiculous title.  (I believe it's the longest title in my movie collection since 1968's Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?)  Not only does it offer Adrienne Barbeau and Shannon Tweed as rival feminists, battling for the fate of the title characters, but it has men named Ford Maddox, Dean Stockwell (head of the university), and Col. Mattel.  And the main comic relief/ love interest is played by Bill Maher, yes, that Bill Maher (then 33).  And speaking of political incorrectness, much of the humor derives from mocking academia and feminism, but also their opposites.  And for a native Southern Californian like myself, there are extra chuckles, as when the heroine Dr. Margo Hunt (Tweed) and her sidekick Bunny venture into San Bernardino.  (Much of the film was shot on the UC Riverside campus.)

Still, I don't think this reaches the heights of AotKT, which had a wider range of targets, including of course pop music.  And when Maher's character gets a tribe of wimpy Donnahews [sic] drunk in order to bring out their machismo, this leads to a (not at all explicit) gang rape attempt of Bunny.  Hunt comes to the rescue immediately, but it's still one of the more offensive moments, although admittedly the cannibalism jokes are more tasteless.  (Yes, pun definitely intended.)

Watching the movie this time round, two things most struck me as being, if not dated per se, at least different from a roughly quarter-century's hindsight: that Bunny's worry that her fantasy (of being tied up with Red Vine licorice and spanked) may be non-feminist seems quaint in an era where "kinky feminism" is recognized; and that among the hats that the Donnahews wear is at least one fedora, the supposed favorite chapeau of men's rights activists.

A thrilling adventure!

Who's That Girl

Who's That Girl
August 7, 1987
Warner Bros.
Comedy, Romance, Action
VHS
B-

Released the same day as Back to the Beach, this was not and still is not anywhere near as well liked by the critics and public.  (Interestingly, feminist Kathi Maio gave it a mostly favorable review.)  As someone who has no strong feelings for or against Madonna (and an affection for Frankie & Annette that made me go see BttB at the time), it may seem odd that I'm giving this movie the same rating.  I wouldn't say that it's aged well-- it's even more '80s and it's chockful of stereotypes-- but there's something oddly appealing about it.

It's a screwball comedy that rips off Bringing Up Baby, which I never cared for, by the way.  (I'm in the minority in thinking that Sylvia Scarlett is the best Grant-Hepburn movie.)  WTG is also an action comedy.  And a manic-pixie-dreamgirl nightmare.  Griffin Dunne, as Louden Trott, a role not entirely dissimilar to his straight-arrow lawyer character in Johnny Dangerously, manages to be both the Goldblumian in-story commentator on the craziness around him and the won-over-in-less-than-24-hours victim/love interest for Madonna.  Who looks like Betty Boop, especially in the animated opening credit sequence that sets up the back-story.  (You know, while people are finding their seats.)

The title by the way has no question mark, so I guess it's a statement.  Madonna is who is that girl.  (Sorry, Marlo Thomas.)  But Nikki Finn isn't much like Madonna, except in creating controversy and being on the cutting edge of fashion.  You may not like Madonna or Nikki, but there's so much else going on here, weird little touches like the way the on-the-spot reporter interviews the kidnapped bridesmaids, and the Don'ts pictures for Louden's wedding night, that it won't really matter.  And I can't think of any other movie, in the '80s or beyond, that would resolve the bickering-cops subplot the way this one does.  Perhaps the fact that the script was co-written by Ken Finkleman and Andrew Smith, of respectively Grease 2 and the 1979 TV-movie Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party, explains the way cliches are almost subverted, but I doubt it.

Arthur Tovey, who has an uncredited role as the butler, was then 82 and had credits dating back decades, including as Military Man in Restaurant in A Night in Casablanca.  Shari Summers was Edith Phern in Harold and Maude and plays Nurse #2 here.

Carmen Filpi, Street Bum #1 here, would have a brief but memorable role as Old Man Withers in Wayne's World, while Sean Sullivan, who's the Gun Dealer here, would be Phil there.  Co-op member Robert Weil would be Mail Room Boss in The Hudsucker Proxy.  John McMartin, who plays Simon Worthington, would be Huntingdon Hartford in Kinsey.

A 26-year-old Stanley Tucci plays the 2nd Dock Worker.

Unfairly trashed by the critics.

Ishtar

Ishtar
May 15, 1987
Columbia
Comedy, Action
VHS
C-

This isn't as terrible as you've heard, but that's not saying much.  It starts out fine, with Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty as two talentless musicians who dream of the big time.  (Hoffman thinks they can surpass Simon & Garfunkel, a nice little sort of reference to Hoffman's break-through movie, directed by Elaine May's former comedy partner, Mike Nichols.)  The songs, mostly cowritten by Ms. May and Paul Williams, are so bad they're good.  But then writer-director May, in the form of the guys' agent, played by Jack Weston (27 years after Please Don't Eat the Daisies) sends them to the title country, on the border of Morocco.  And I lose almost all interest in the movie.

In a way, May was trying to make an '80s answer to the Road to movies, but she set this in sort of the real world.  (Hoffman thinks Kaddafy is another country.)  And there's none of the fourth-wall-breaking we got with Bob and Bing.  Also, their Dorothy Lamour is a left-wing revolutionary who flashes her breasts when she's pretending to be a boy.  May could've done some astute political satire (this was released in the midst of Iran-Contra after all), but what we get is no sharper, or funnier, than in Warren's sister's John Goldfarb.  Also, if I can't decide whether I wish there was more of Carol Kane or I'm grateful for her sake that her character breaks up with Hoffman's and disappears from the movie, that's not a good thing.  Even the whole reversed expectations of Beatty being a loser with women doesn't really have any kind of pay-off.

My advice: watch the first twenty minutes or so and then maybe the last three.  (If you need to see Isabelle Adjani's breasts, they're fairly early on.)

Fred Melamed had small roles in both Hannah and Her Sisters and Radio Days, and here he plays Caid of Assari.  Bill Moor plays U.S. Consul here and would be Duke Vermont in Tune in Tomorrow....

Johnny Dangerously

Johnny Dangerously
Dec. 21, 1984
Fox
Comedy, Historical, Action
VHS
B+

Although I think this was neglected by the critics at the time, thirty years later it has survived as one of the funniest movies of the '80s.  From its Weird Al theme song to its "crime pays a little" twist ending, it's a rollicking parody of '30s gangster movies with several stand-out performances.  Michael Keaton as the adjectively named title character is dead-on Cagney, with charm of his own.  (He's one of the sweetest gangsters in movie history.)  Maureen Stapleton as his mother (playing 29 in the early scenes, with no change in wardrobe or make-up, although she was then 59) is earthy and deadpan, while Griffin Dunne as his brother is noble and horny.  (Compare and contrast this to his Who's That Girl role three years later).  Joe Piscopo and Richard Dimitri are both very quotable as Johnny's rivals Danny Vermin ("Once!") and Roman Troy Moronie ("You fargin corksucker!").  Marilu Henner is of course sexy as Johnny's girl Lil, but she can also sing and do comedy.  She dresses as a nun in one scene, as she did that same year in Cannonball Run II (which I used to own).  Her Taxi costar Danny DeVito (who'd been in the sexy-women-dressing-as-nuns movie Going Ape! with their costar Tony Danza) appears as District Attorney Burr, who's run over by a malt liquor bull after hitting on Johnny, in one of many '80s references.  There are also '30s jokes of course, and even a slam on William Howard Taft.

Not every joke works, but even the ones that don't, like Dom DeLuise as the Pope, are done with such verve that I can't help smiling.  Much of the humor is sexual but the movie is too good-natured to be sleazy, even when it's tasteless.  If nothing else, you'll have a ball spotting all the cameos, like Dick Butkus as Arthur, Alan Hale, Jr. as the Desk Sergeant, and Ray Walston as the newstand vendor.

Cynthia Szigeti, who was a passenger in The Big Bus and Diner Doll Sophie in The Gong Show Movie, is Mrs. Capone here.  T-Shirt Vendor Jeffrey Weissman was Ringo Fan in I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Brainwashed Youth in Sgt. Pepper.  

Taylor Negron, who was Blond-Haired Man Auditioning in The Gong Show Movie, has another uncredited role here, as Delivery Man.  Helen Kelly seems to have had a lot of uncredited roles at that time, among them "Pod" Concert Viewer in Spinal Tap, Wife Visiting Prisoner here, and Woman at the Park in Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

This movie was directed by Amy Heckerling, then best known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High (which I don't own), and she would go on to direct and write Clueless (which I of course own).  Neal Israel, very briefly Hecklering's husband, as well as the director etc. of Americathon, plays Dr. Zillman in the  army-training film/Betty-Boop satire Your Testicles and You.

Super Fuzz

Super Fuzz AKA Poliziotto superpiù AKA Super Snooper
October 2, 1981
El Pico S.A./ TVI/ Transcinema
Comedy/Action/Sci-Fi
VHS
B

This is an Italian production made in America, but that doesn't entirely explain why it's so strange.  In some ways, it's a so-bad-it's-goodie, but it also seems hip to itself in a way that, for instance, Can't Stop the Music isn't.  Let me talk about a sequence that's late in the movie because it's extreme but hardly unique in this movie:

• Officer Dave Speed (Terence Hill) is on Death Row for the alleged murderer of his cranky but good-hearted pal and superior, Sarge (Ernest Borgnine).
• Speed has super-powers but his kryptonite is the color red.
• Film star Rosy Labouche, who's also Sarge's crush, sneaks red roses into Speed's presence.
• Speed asks for gum, which he'll have "later," even though he's about to be electrocuted.
• He gets the flowers out of the room.
• He uses his super powers to divert the electrocution to the witnesses.
• He busts out of the room and into the ocean.
• He rescues Sarge from a sunken boat, using the gum, which inflates to look like a small yellow balloon.
• The gum becomes a huge yellow balloon, big enough for both men to ride, many feet off the ground.
• Speed jumps down on to a plane where Labouche and her boyfriend Torpedo are escaping, with Speed's girlfriend/ Sarge's niece Evelyn as a hostage.
• Speed manipulates the plane until the villains have to land.
• Meanwhile Sarge is still on the gum-balloon, so he tells Dave to catch him.
• As Sarge plummets to the earth, Dave runs to get in place, although Rosy's red boa is caught around his foot.
• He loses the boa right before he catches Sarge, but they still sink deep into the earth.
• Their boss starts to deliver a eulogy, only to be interrupted by a phone call, from Dave and Sarge, in China!
• Dave has Evelyn get on the phone so he can propose to her.
• The last scene is of their wedding, where he lifts her veil, only to find she's dyed her hair red!

This is a lot of suspension of disbelief for only a few minutes of viewing.  And I don't think we're meant to take any of it seriously.  There are other absurd touches to the movie, like the recurring rather disco-ish "Super Snooper" theme song, and the visual pun with a John Wayne poster, as well as the way Speed sounds both sincere and wisecracking.  They don't make 'em like this anymore, but then they seldom did.

Julian Voloshin, who's the old man in fishing boat (at age 71), was Prof. Nep in Birds Do It, which also took place in Florida.  And Jack McDermott was a hit man in that movie.  Marc Lawrence, who plays mob boss Torpedo, was Stiltskin in Foul Play and Webster in Goin' Coconuts, so you could say he's typecast.

Popeye

Popeye
December 12, 1980
Paramount
Comedy, Musical, Action, Romance, Fantasy
DVD
B-

When Robin Williams died last month, one of my first thoughts was of this movie.  Although this was not a full-out critical and commercial flop as some think, it didn't live up to expectations, and yet it's grown a fandom in the intervening three decades.  I find it simultaneously comforting, funny, and symbolic that the "Popeye Village" that was built from scratch on a Maltese island has become a tourist attraction, with all the drab Depression-era houses now brightly colored.

The movie is still an oddity though.  As I mentioned in my review of the behind-the-scenes pre-movie-release tie-in book, http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-popeye-story.html, the film is odd and off-putting.  There are some genuinely heart-warming moments, especially with Popeye and the unquestionably adorable but quirky Swee'Pea, but there is a dark, depressing undertone, as exemplified in the "Sweet Haven Anthem."  Additionally, you've got circus performers and other physical comedians acting like cartoon/comic-strip characters but there's also the Robert-Altman quasi-documentary touch in the look of the film and the way things keep happening in the margins.  Williams adds ad-libs on top of the Jules Feiffer script, from the brilliant reply to Swee'Pea's "I'm a baby" to his muttered line about catching "a venerable disease."  Some of this I got at 12 (not the "you expects a cervix" one though), and some I've figured out later.

It's not just Williams's death that made me appreciate his performance here.  It really is great, mixing humor, wistfulness, and of course toughness.  Duvall, as everyone notes, is perfectly cast as Olive Oyl.  Some of the others, like Paul Dooley as Wimpy, don't seem quite right but they're giving it their best shot anyway.  Ray Walston shows up late in the movie and has to do a quick turn-around from villain to good guy and succeeds less than Gary Oldman would as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but he has some funny exchanges with his film son.  Mostly though, I'd recommend this movie for Williams, as I'd recommend Little Darlings for Kristy McNichol.

This film doesn't quite come together (it really does fit all those genres I've listed and maybe Western and Sci-Fi for all I know), and I can see why it has gotten such extreme reactions, then and now, but I've enjoyed it every time I've seen it and it certainly hasn't gotten stale.

Williams's then wife, Valerie Velardi, has her only movie role, as Swee'pea's mother, Cindy the Drudge.  MacIntyre Dixon, who's Cole Oyl, was the bartender in Thank God It's Friday.  Donovan Scott, who plays Castor Oyl, would be the Sancho-Panza-like sidekick Paco in Zorro the Gay Blade.  Geoff Hoyle, Scoop the Reporter, would have a more substantial role in The Spirit of '76, as Heinz-57.  Allan Nicholls, who's Rough House here, would be "Cutting Edge Director" in Bob Roberts.

Then and now, my favorite visual gag, Bluto seeing red when his fiancee shows up with a stranger and a baby.

The Nude Bomb

The Nude Bomb (AKA The Return of Maxwell Smart)
May 9, 1980
Universal (obviously)
Comedy, Action
VHS
C-

And sometimes retaking stock of the '60s looks like this.  A big-screen sort of sequel to the once very popular 1965-70 TV spycom, this flopped on initial release, and it's not hard to see why.  Not that I agree with those who emphasize the "bomb" in the title, but it is a misfire.  To put it bluntly, it is just not that funny.  The only part that works is the last fifteen minutes or so, where the blend of comedy and action is finally well done.  (And the then-edgy topic of cloning ends up being less dated than expected.)  Don Adams, wearing platform shoes and flared pants that look more '74 than '80, does his best in his old role, but it's just not the same without most of his supporting cast.  Andrea Howard, as earnest as in Thank God It's Friday, also does her best, but yes, she's no Barbara "99" Feldon.  The movie is actually most interesting for its plug for its own studio and the famous tour (which as a Southern Californian kid I went on multiple times, usually with out-of-state relatives).  Also, dawn-of-'80s note, there are two young computer genius siblings, but the super-computer still fills most of the room.

Don Adams's cousin Robert Karvelas reprises his role as Larrabee and he was the diner customer that Annabel vents to in Freaky Friday.  Landlady Ceil Cabot was also in Freaky Friday, as Miss McGuirk.  Hospital patient Leslie Hoffman was in I Wanna Hold Your Hand.  Hap Lawrence, a sergeant major here, was a soldier in Rabbit Test.  Adam Anderson was not only the sobbing sailor in Rabbit Test, but he was a policeman in Scavenger Hunt, and he's one of the many pilots here.

Byron Webster was the restroom attendant in Scavenger Hunt and he's the English delegate here.  This time Vito Scotti plays the Italian delegate.  The American delegate, Walter Brooke, was Mr. Ames in The Big Bus.  The German delegate, Richard Sanders, is instantly recognizable as WKRP's Les Nessman, and he'd have a small but funny role in Valley Girl as the Drivers' Ed teacher.

Supply your own caption with one of the famous catchphrases.

C.H.O.M.P.S.

C.H.O.M.P.S.
December 21, 1979
Hanna-Barbera/American International
Children's, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Action
VHS
B-

I'm closing out the 1970s with two very '70s movies.  (I'll get to Scavenger Hunt in a few days, but I'll mention now that it came out on the same day as this one.)  This is also, probably because of the Hanna-Barbera production, a very televisiony movie, with writing, music, and sound effects straight out of any of their cartoons.  (The frequently recurring theme combines "charge," disco, and action music, while being very bouncy.)  Also, look at this cast: 28-year-old Wesley Land of the Lost Eure and 19-year-old Valerie One Day at a Time Bertinelli play an inventor and his girlfriend, while her father and his employer is Conrad Diff'rent Strokes Bain, and Jim Backus is the head of a rival security company.  Furthermore, the two bumbling crooks are played by Red Buttons and Chuck McCann.  The only signs of AIP-casting are Hermione Baddeley (who was one of the servants in Mary Poppins) as the dotty neighbor Mrs. Flower (a role not unlike Elsa Lanchester's Aunt Wendy in Pajama Party), and, as Merkle, Robert Q. Lewis, who was Mr. Pevney, the poor man that Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman drive insane in Ski Party.  

There are not really any of the odd, subversive touches of AIP movies of the '60s (and '50s), no breaking fourth walls, and every cliche is played straight.  The movie is entertaining enough, but not quite cheesy enough to be memorable.  I will note that the whole concept of the Canine HOMe Protection System doesn't seem so amazing, thirty-five years later, but the film might be worth a look for how it presents two elements that would become more significant in the '80s: technology, and fear of crime.

This time, Regis Toomey (then 81, but living on till 1991) plays the chief of police.  African-American actor James Reynolds, who plays a reporter here, was Officer Wilson in The Magic of Lassie.*  Engineer William Flatley was a truck driver in that movie, and Don Chaffey was the director.  Phil Adams, who's one of the "hoods" here, was Tarzan in Thank God It's Friday.


*There are a relatively high number of black men in the movie, with three in one scene.  I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but it is compared to some of my other movies, even from the '70s.  To balance that, I couldn't decide if the mean, swearing dog Monster being black was significant (he does say "turkey" at one point), but I think it's just an example of the two-dimensionality of the script.  All of the criminals are white.

Goin' Coconuts

Goin' Coconuts
October 6, 1978
Osmond Entertainment
Comedy, Action, Musical
VHS
B-

My review of the novelization is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/11/goin-coconuts.html.  I'll just add a few things.  One, I like to read a lesbian subtext into the fact that Tricia is more interested in Marie (well, Marie's necklace) than in Donny.  Yes, the movie is wholesome-- despite some violence-- but it's slightly edgier than their variety show of that era.  There is mild racism, especially towards "Orientals."  A couple scenes will make you glad we live in an age of cell phones.  The music and the Hawaiian scenery make this somewhat more entertaining than the book.    It's not a great movie, but it's a pleasant time-passer, although if your tolerance for the Osmonds is low, definitely skip.

Marc Lawrence, who plays Webster, was Stiltskin in Foul Play and would be Torpedo in Super Fuzz.  Herb Edelman, who plays manager Sid, would be Dorothy's ex on The Golden Girls, while villain Ted Cassidy is best known as Lurch on The Addams Family.  Debbie, the girl that Donny falls for at the end of the movie is his wife to this day.  (They married a few months before this movie came out.)

"Cute, Marie, real cute."

The Big Bus

The Big Bus
June 23, 1976
Paramount
Comedy, Action
VHS
A-

This note-perfect parody of '70s disaster movies is not only in my opinion much more enjoyable than the more famous and successful Airplane (1980), but it's the most fun I've had with any of my movies since Some Like It Hot.  It's partly that I'm a '70s kid and I love the bright colors and tackiness of this Ford-era movie, especially on the title vehicle, including the Bicentennial dining room.  But it really is dead on, from its David Shire score (as overwrought as anything in the Airport movies, but with whimsical touches like a sample from "Home Sweet Home" when the "flags of all nations" are raised to slow down the bus), to the dialogue, with such quotable lines as Joseph Bologna defensively exclaiming "You eat one lousy foot-- they call you a cannibal!", and a pre-Benson Rene Auberjonois as a doubting priest taunting Ruth Gordon, "Where's your god now, old woman?"  I also love all the exchanges between a pre-Soap Richard Mulligan and a post-MASH Sally Kellerman as a soon to be divorced couple, as well as Richard B. Shull (around the time of Holmes and Yo-Yo) hitting all the cliches in his "I wanna live" speech when Lynn Redgrave seduces him in a tub.

It's a very big bus, with a swimming pool, a bowling alley, and a piano bar where Murphy Dunne (who wrote his own material) anticipates Bill Murray's lounge singer by a year or so.  The bus is nuclear-powered and on a non-stop trip from New York to Denver, although the scenery is very obviously Californian, from the street with the Thrifty's to the mountains.  And, yes, very '70s, with the sodas that poor Stockard Channing almost drowns in including Fanta and Fresca.

She's wonderful, the whole cast is wonderful!  I haven't even mentioned Larry Hagman as the doctor who insists that Harold Gould (wounded by a St. Christopher's medal) can't be moved, or Ned Beatty and Howard Hesseman as the bickering technicians, or Jose Ferrer and Stuart Margolin as villainous brothers (despite being born almost 30 years apart), or Vic Tayback in a tiny plum of a role as a bus driver who gets in a broken milk carton vs. broken candle bar fight.

I spent most of the time grinning, when I wasn't giggling.  This viewing, I was struck by the fact that it actually works on a story level.  I mean it's not just gags, there's actually a plot that's somewhat resolved.  (After a literal cliffhanger, the bus faces another disaster as the credits start rolling.)  And I don't think you have to have seen Earthquake, Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure, Airport, or Airport '75 (they still hadn't released '77 or Concorde at that point) to enjoy it, although it probably helps if you're a movie buff and can appreciate all the tropes.  Even on this viewing, I found new things to appreciate, like the Edith Head glasses on Redgrave's designer character.  Judging from the IMDB reviews and comments, as well as other online reviews, this movie doesn't do it for everyone, but I think if you like it, you'll like it a lot.

This time Vito Scotti plays a barber.  Harry Holcolmbe, who plays the older priest, was Capt. Malone in Escape to Witch Mountain.  Of the unnamed bus passengers, a few would go on to other cult/obscure movies I own: Selma Archerd to Americathon and Can't Stop the Music, Nick Pellegrino to I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Cynthia Szigeti to both The Gong Show Movie and Johnny Dangerously, and Andrew Winner to Valley Girl.

And James Frawley would go on to direct The Muppet Movie.