Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)

Listening to the classic rock station and hearing "On the Dark Side" made me tell this story of this movie.  The 20-something gym instructor had never heard of either.

Turns out that was a pretty good lead-in for this plot.  The story unfolds as a mystery - whatever happened to Eddie?  His body was never found after that crash off the bridge.  And whatever happened to the tapes of the final music he made?

It fades back in time to 1963 where the band got its start in New Jersey.  A very early precursor to Jersey Boys.  It was an 80s movie through and through, and reminded me of Dirty Dancing,
St. Elmo's Fire and especially Stealing Home, a flashback book at the old days.

Starring an early Tom Berenger and Ellen Barkin.

Turns out Eddie was ahead of his time.  He'd be making a million off the classic rock craze.  Like I said, I'm still listening to it and telling the next generation about it.

Reminds me of a famous story about classic rock.  "Like many parents of teenagers, Steven Tyler can't believe the music coming out his son's room - 'He's listening to the same music that I listened to at that age'

Allegiant * Divergent Series Part 3

Shailane Woodley and Theo James are back as Tris and Four in Part 3.  It's a big budget movie ($110 Million?)  that is bound to disappoint at the box office and in your heart.  The thrill is gone as detailed here.  And to think we still have the next movie "Ascendant" to look forward to.

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/allegiant-fail-why-ya-movies-dying-is-bad-for-everyone-20160321

The good news is that it could be a better movie.  A group of divergents escapes over the wall to go through the Fringe of No Man's Land seeking the answer to "What is Past That Wall?"    Fortunately they are rescued and brought to safety.  But at what price?

The find out what the wall was built and why the faction system was created.  They become trapped in the Death Star, and that is too good a proven plot line to miss out on.  Don't  forget the bad guys who can't shoot straight.  What's a girl to do?  Escape again!

Jeff Daniels plays the Evil Bureaucrat as usually, pretty well.



* * of 5

10 Cloverfield Lane

Billed as a "spiritual successor" to Cloverfield, I went into this one blind, since I had not seen Cloverfield.  Produced by J.J. Abrams, I figured it must be pretty good.

Not much more need to be said.  It becomes a mashup of familiar movie plots, from Ex Machina, to Lifeboat, to Close Encounters, to Misery, and so on.  I'll let you be surprised like I was.

Starring John Goodman ( the R-Rated version) and some other no-names.


* * * * of 5 stars

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Tina Fey playing a journalist - who would've thought?  Lorne Michaels, that's who, who made her famous on Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, is also the producer here.  It's kind of a middle age, Walter Mitty fantasy, about a woman who has a existential crisis and heads around the world for some excitement.   She finds it in the 2003-2006 war in Afghanistan.  Eat Pray Love meets George W. Bush's America.


It's an interesting recent history lesson and 2003 never seemed so far away.  Life in the Kabul-bubble is not all bad for a lot of the movie is like a grownup college movie - the partying, the dorm sex, the drinking and smoking.  But real life sneaks in with attacks, injuries and death of soldiers and civilians alike.

The war cinematography was very good, and the US Air Force participated in a lot of the movie, although the Marine Corps is the star.  Decent supporting cast especially Margot Robbie.  But couldn't we find a real Afghan actor rather than use Alfred Molina?

* * *