Gentlemen Prefer Blonds (1953)

An early starring role for Marilyn Monroe, she play Lorelei, who is a musical performer with Dorothy (Jane Russell).  Directed by Howard Hawkes.

Lorelei and Dorothy are looking for men, Dorothy is looking for a good time and true love, while Lorelei is strictly in it for the money.  They take a voyage across the Atlantic to Paris where they meet all sorts of potential love interests.  The rich baron, Mr. Pink, the Olympic rowing team, the caddish Malone (Eddie Reed), even Mr. Spofford.

There's  a thin plot to hold together the singing and the dancing.  Reminded me of the many Astaire/Rogers movies of the day.  Also the wackiness of a Marx Brothers movie. 

Contains the hit Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend.  Based on a successful Broadway musical.

* * * * 

They Were Expendable (1945)

My good friend Glenn Good told me that this movie was based on the life of his old skipper in the US Navy, Admiral John Bulkeley, who won the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Phillipines.  So I found it on TCM and watched it this past Friday night.

An early "based on true events" story, Robert Montgomery is "Brick" and John Wayne is Rusty, two lieutentants in charge of a Torpedo boat squadron in the Phillipines in World War II.  Things are not going  well, and the general theme of the movie is one of Retreat, with an underlying Live to Fight Another Day theme.

So while there is heroism and brief successes, the arching story is how the sailors are dealing with orders they don't understand and a general sense of loss.  Deep thought for the time.

Directed by John Ford, one of his early collaborations with John Wayne, who would both go to great movie heights.  Also starring Donna Reed.

* * * * * 

When I woke up this Saturday, I got the news that Glenn had died at age 87.  Divine timing that I saw the movie on that same day. 

Insomnia (2002)

Directed by Christopher Nolan, it's an early view of some of his themes:  A twist on reality, a complex plot, a likeable villain.

An old retread, Al Pacino, plays Will, a detective sent with his partner Hap (Martin Donovan) up to Alaska to investigate a local murder over the heads of the small town police.  They are escaping from internal affairs scrutiny for their planting of evidence in Los Angeles.  Hap wants to take a plea, but Will doesn't want to concede.

As they investigate the local murder, Will  starts getting calls from someone who knows so much that he must be the killer, right?  That wily Walter is a local author, played by Robin Williams.  It's a small town so they meet soon enough, and there is a definite  Heat vibe between the cop and the robber.  Walter gets into Will's head and the bad craziness is acerbated by Will's lack of sleep in the always daylight of Alaska summer.

Meanwhile the local young detective Ellie (Hillary Swank) is trying to do her best to do some independent  investigation.  All three converge at the end to solve the mystery.

A good story and camera work in the Alaska scenery.

* * * * 

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Starring Sidney Pointier and Rod Serling, this movie is about a black man in a white town, during a time of virulent racism.  Viewed through today's mores, it is over the top, but the sad truth is that is was probably an accurate reflection of many, many years.

Pointier is Virgil Tibbs, a detective from Philadelphia passing through Sparta, MS.  When a leading citizen is found dead, the deputy rounds up this black stranger for the crime.  When Chief Gillespie finds out he is a homicide detective, he grudgingly allows Tipps to help in the crime investigation.  They form an unlikely and delicate bond.

A great plot, and the racial boilings really add to the suspense.  The cinematography is excellent as well.  But again, be forewarned- it's not an easy watch.

Academy Award for Best Picture - 1967!

* * * * *

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

A real popcorn flick, directed by Brad Bird, it's got a "Why So Serious" vibe.  Starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg

Threat Level Midnight

From the show The Office, this is a movie within a TV show, about Michael Scott writing a screenplay which is discovered by the gleeful office mates who do a table read of the screenplay to poke fun at its silliness.  Episode 2:7

The joke's on them as the screenplay is actually "made into a movie" years later which stars all the co-workers of The Office, past and present.  Michael is very thin-skinned about it and is upset if he preceives that people don't like it.  Episode 7:17

Late last year, the full movie dropped and you can watch it right here:



It's a parody/spoof of every 80s and 90s action movie you can imagine.  Some elements include:

Die Hard
Batman
Goldfinger
Shawshank Redemption
Karate Kid
Independence Day
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Lethal Weapon

Some talent involved:  Starring Steve Carrel, John Krasinski, Jenna Fisher, Rashida Jones, plus voice over by Morgan Freeman, music by Billy Joel.

Wonder what the budget would be if you had to hire these actors on their current contract?  Instead of Before they were Big?

Wedding Crashers (2005)

Today is Will Ferrell's birthday and yesterday the anniversary of a fine movie release, Wedding Crashers, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as two buddies who make it a party to crash weddings and pretend like they are friends/family, all while drinking the host's booze, eating their food and boning their women.

They get in over their heads when they are invited back to the government official's home since Owen Wilson has become smitten with Rachel McAdams (who could blame him?)   Vince Vaughn has to be the good wingman (Rule # 5, never leave a crasher behind).  They are afraid of getting caught the whole weekend and Bradley Cooper is their nemesis who sets out to reveal their charade.

Where do the rules come from?  They were laid down by Chaz, who is revealed at the end as Will Ferrell, uncredited, in perhaps his defining role.

Palm Springs

Andy Samberg and Cristin Millot star in this Sundance 2020 favorite to Hulu production.  Samberg is Nyles, a wedding guest in Palm Springs.  He's quite a goofball, who helps out Sarah (Millot) sister of the bride to avoid an embarrassing situation.  The next thing, they are about to hook up on the beach, when.... the movie really starts.

I won't give anything else away, but suffice to say, it's a complicated plotline that part of the fun is t figure it out as you go.

Good choice to set in Palm Springs, a place that time stands still, and also the setting of the books Generation X and Less Than Zero, of a place of vapid existence.

* * * * *

Mallrats (1996)

Trying to bookend some Kevin Smith movies, I sprung for the $3.99 for this 80s/90s take on that great American edifice, the indoor shopping mall.  The set was very on point, like Stranger Things, the Eden Prairie Mall had the B. Dalton books, the carpet store (Rug Munchers), the cookie place, the food court, the fashion men's store, and even a comic book store.  That's where reality left off.

A couple of slackers Brodie (Jason Lee)  and Jeremy London (T.S.) are reaching the end of their rope when their girlfriends Rene (Shannon Elizabeth) and Brandi (Claire Forlani) get sick of their vapid existence.  To fight back they turn to two even greater slackers, Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), to wreck the game show being set up at the mall.  Their nemesises are all adult authority figures:  fathers, teacher, mall security, employers, strong women.  Kind of an Animal House plot.

Pretty silly but a pretty interesting period piece.

* * of 5

V for Vendetta (2005)

A surprisingly good movie, based in general on The Count of Monte Cristo, which is a elaborate revenge plot against the enemies who wrongly imprisoned our hero.

There are actually 2 heroes here Natalie Portman (Evey) as well as Hugo Weaving (V).  V has been imprisoned and tortured as a political prisoner due to the fascist rise of Sutler.  V, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, blows up a building in dramatic fashion on November 5, Guy Fawkes Day, and promises to do more of the same a year later.  His paths cross with Evey at the TV station that she works, and he kidnaps her, both for his and her protection. 

It's a twisted relationship they have and it's tricky to say where one ends and the other begins.

A nice subplot with the detectives Finch and Ditrich trying to solve the crimes of V and find out who he is while uncovering deep state secrets about the Larkhill Prison.

Reminded me a lot of Batman, and it came out about the same time of the Dark Night trilogy of Batman moves.

* * * * * highest

Independence Day (1996)

A good movie on basic cable TV, but it drags due to the many commercial breaks.  Starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Mary McDonnell, Jeff Goldblum, aliens invade the USA and the good ol' US Military is called in to Save the World.  Some interesting subplots about a broken home and Area 51.  A bit ahead of its time in that respect.

A prototypical 90s action movie, star studded, flag waving, alien-busting, feel-goodness.  How did I miss it back then?  I guess it's because Sarah was only 2 years old and action movies were not high on my list back then.  I do remember my brother in law Rick liked it a lot and enjoyed watching it on his home theater, where he was certainly ahead of his time.    Directed by Roland Emmerich.

* * * of 5