Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on February 2nd, 2024
“The greater the spy. The bigger the lie.”
I had some reservations about the plot of this story when it was first announced. A reclusive author who writes espionage novels about a secret agent, and a global spy syndicate realizes the plot of the new book she's writing starts to mirror real-world events, in real time. That was a bit much for even someone with my imagination to digest easily. However, I remained excited. How could I not be? We are talking Matthew Vaughn’s panache, which took Kingsman to great heights. Then there’s Sam Rockwell’s compulsive dancing; I’m honestly starting to believe that he has that his character has to dance written into all his contracts. It’s sort of like Samuel L Jackson and his favorite expletive, which shockingly didn’t happen in this film. Not to mention that this film’s cast’s chock full of Hollywood heavy hitters that include the already mentioned Rockwell and Jackson, as well as Henry Cavill, John Cena, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Bryan Cranston. Still, the plot seemed a bit too farfetched. Too supernatural, given that it is intended to be a espionage thriller. Having now seen it, I can definitively say that it works. The explanation for the main character’s foresight is explained in an elegant and very clever way. However, you will have to see it for yourself. You won’t get a peek behind the curtain from me.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on February 2nd, 2024
I’m a sucker for a good “Invisible Man” story. Ever since H.G. Wells put out his story in 1897, he’s captivated readers, and his story has been a part of Hollywood history since 1933. For decades we’ve gotten to see Hollywood tackle the story and offer viewers some FX wizardry that has ranged from cheap and silly to simply Hollywood magic (aka CGI or even better, a man in a green suit). A good portion of these films have been good. I’ve always been a fan of the 1992 John Carpenter film Memoirs of an Invisible Man, and more recently in 2020 we had The Invisible Man, which I’d argue might be the best of the “Invisible Man” films. Then you have a film like The Man Who Wasn’t There, a 1983 release that tries to reinvent the story and fails in such a way that you have to wonder if anyone involved with the making of the film had ever seen the previous films or read the books, because the result is a mixture of bad to awful, and no amount of bare breasts could save this film, though they inserted plenty to test this theory. So what makes this a film I’d wager many involved wish it could just vanish from their film resume?
The film opens up with Sam Cooper (Steve Guttenberg); he works for the State Department and is trying to make it on time for his wedding. As he’s getting ready, an invisible man who happens to be a secret agent bursts into his room and is killed by a group of men who are trying to retrieve this secret formula that is stored inside a silver ball that can make someone turn invisible. The police, the Soviets, and the American government all believe Sam is the killer of the agent, so he’s forced to go on the run, and he’s taken the formula with him. His bride has called off the wedding, and with nowhere to run, the only person that can help him is Cindy (Lisa Langlois), who seems happy that his wedding was ruined and is eager to be with him. OK, so the plot doesn’t seem bad, but the problem is that the execution is so bland, and rather than play this more seriously, instead they go for laughs, but there is NOTHING to laugh about here. This film is one train wreck of a joke that never delivers.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 31st, 2024
While times may have changed a bit, many countries, especially in the 1970's up until the turn of the century looked down in disgust at those from the United States, from the way they looked, to way they acted, right down to the language they spoke. However, one of the things they most feared was that the US was going to take over their companies and do things the "American" way. Today, we take a look at a film called Mille Milliards de Dollars. In this film, we are introduced to the GTI, the Garson Texas International company, who are secretly taking over France Electronics, one of the biggest companies in Paris. It's quite the scandal and should be a very interesting film. Let's take a look.
We start the film with a call to the La Tribune switchboard. They are looking for Mr. Paul Kerjean (played by Patrick Dewaere), and it appears to be a personal call. Seems like the right time to put this person on hold and cue up the credits with some opening music. Kerjean seems preoccupied for a little while (or simply a clever way to play more credits) and finally answers the phone to hear a mysterious voice. The voice does not want to give his name, but wants to meet at a nearby parking garage to provide some very important information.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on January 27th, 2024
Every now and then we talk about books on this site. It's rare, and it really has to be something I'm interested in reading. You see, a book takes up far more of my time than any single film. We get solicited at least once a week. Once in a while something will look interesting enough for me to give it a try. And once in a while the book turns out to be more than worth my while, and I'll want to talk to the author and share that with all of you. Such is the case with The Execution, Life & Times Of Patrick O'Donnell by Gavin O'Donnell. The book is part historical and part fancy. Most of all, it's 100% entertaining. It was a quick and easy read and left me thinking all the way up to the end. I can't recommend the tome to you enough. Read it. You're going to learn a few things. I promise you're going to be talking about it. I got to talk to the man behind the words. Now you get to hear what he had to say. Bang it here to eavesdrop on my conversation with Gavin O'Donnell all the way from the UK: Gavin O'Donnell.
Once you've heard the interview, make sure you hit the link to your right and pick up a copy for yourself.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 24th, 2024
If you're a fan of some of the old almost-forgotten films, then you're a fan of Film Masters. For a few years now they've been digging up a lot of these old "classics" and spending the time and resources to give them the full 4K restoration treatment. It appears that lately they've had their sights on some of the early films from The Filmgroup, which of course is the moviemaking machine of Roger Corman. Corman became the king of making quality low-budget films that almost always made at least a little money. In the 1960's and 1970's you could watch these wonderful budget horror and science fiction films doubled up at your local drive-in theaters. I certainly have memories of those days, and they were completely made up of Roger Corman or Hammer films. Corman gave their first break to some of the biggest names in the filmmaking industry: Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, Joe Dante, Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson and Ron Howard. They all got their first breaks directing films in what has become known as The Roger Corman Film School. Thanks to Film Masters, we have a couple of those golden oldies on Blu-ray looking better than they ever did before. This time our double feature presents The Devil's Partner and Creature From The Haunted Sea. Let's take a look at what's inside, shall we?
"A town terrified by an unknown killer, and the killer hunt is on. Is it the village belle or her sweetheart? Is it the beloved doctor or the town drunk? Could it be the accomodating waitress or the stranger? Whoever the stranger is, he's raising the Devil in town. The Devil's Partner is busy, too. A blood-marked trail will take you into shocking terror. Half man/half beast, he sold his soul to the Devil."
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 24th, 2024
On November 22nd, 1963; President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX at approximately 12:30pm. Quite possibly everything else about the event can be disputed in such a manner, and I won't even attempt to confirm one theory or disapprove another. We have had movie after movie about this assassination, taking it in about every angle imaginable. Those movies are not regulated to the United States, either, as other countries have also dabbled in the storytelling of this infamous event. Many times these foreign productions treat it as a fictionalized event set in their own country, but the similarities are often so obvious that it cannot be disputed. Today's film is I ... For Icarus, a French film that explores the controversy behind the assassination of President Marc Jarry, who was killed by Karl Eric Daslow. Attorney General Henri Volney disputes the lone gunman theory, and this is the story of that investigation. That sounds awfully familiar; let's take a look.
The movie starts out with a simple phrase that essentially reads that this story is true as a I have imagined it from beginning to end. Ennio Morricone's score is queued up as we launch into the credits. Before I go further, I found it odd that they listed all of the people involved in the making of the film in alphabetical order before the movie even started. That alone runs for several minutes before the movie even starts. Anyway, on with the show.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 24th, 2024
One of the best things about being a critic that I have discovered over the years is how it puts shows and films in front of me that under different circumstances I might never have given a chance. The French detective drama, Mongeville, is a perfect example of this. I wouldn’t say the show is a hard–hitting drama, but instead a cozy murder mystery where each episode is 90 minutes that had me nostalgic for the old TV murder mysteries like Murder She Wrote. This was something I was glad I went into blindly and over the course of the 28 episodes the show took me on a journey through the French city of Bordeaux, travelling through the countryside and meeting some interesting characters along the way. So was this a series worth checking out as its characters pieced together the clues one mystery at a time? Grab your passport, gloves, and a few evidence bags, because that’s exactly what you’re about to find out.
Season 1 introduces us to Antoine Mongeville (Francis Perrin). He’s a retired judge who, well, has just found it a little difficult to leave his job completely behind. In this season Mongeville is still trying to piece together what happened to his daughter who was kidnapped, and along the way he is helping Detective Axelle Ferrano (Marie Moute) with a few homicide cases. There is the police Captain Briare (Pierre Aussedat) who has a bit of history with Mongeville and doesn’t like the idea of Mongeville inserting himself on these various cases, but as the series stretches on this continues to be a running joke, until finally Briare just accepts that there is no way he can keep Mongeville from helping out, especially when the man always delivers results.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 19th, 2024
"You are now the property of Erewhon Prison. A citizen of nowhere. The Geneva Convention is void here; Amnesty International doesn't know we exist. When I say your ass belongs to me, I mean exactly that."
I am a huge John Woo fan, especially his earlier classics like Hard Boiled. I’ll admit it’s been several years since I last seen Face/Off, but I don’t have a reason why, as I remember really liking this movie then. At either rate now I have a copy of the movie to call my own, and a special two disc release at that. Let’s just hope that it is what I remember, but as a big fan of Nick Cage I don’t think I’ll be let down. In order to catch him, he must become him. I couldn’t put it any better myself, Face/Off tells quite the eccentric story of revenge, devotion, and of course crime. Sean Archer (John Travolta, Wild Hogs) is an extremely devoted FBI agent, obsessed with catching terrorist Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage, Ghost Rider). Several years earlier Troy killed Archer’s son, since then it’s been his goal in life to put Troy to justice. He gets the opportunity one day when Troy ends up in a coma after boasting about a massive terrorist attack he has planned on Los Angeles.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 18th, 2024
Sequels are a funny thing. Most of the time in modern Hollywood, they come within a breath of the first film, usually after a large box office in order to capitalize on its earnings. Sometimes, they can take years, even decades to make. Blade Runner: 2049 came out in 2017, 35 years after the original film. In addition, many times when a sequel takes so long to materialize, the intended audience has flown the coop, and it has dismal results. See Basic Instinct 2 or The Two Jakes. Other times, it inspires new waves of fans to flock to the theaters, such as Tron: Legacy or The Incredibles 2. Today, we are taking a look at Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, a sequel to the original Ernest & Celestine movie which was nominated for an Academy Award and took home many other film awards. It's been a decade since the original film; can the sequel keep the spirit of the original and produce a quality film? I'm happy to say, yes, it certainly did. Let's take a look.
Since the film does not provide a quick recap from the original, I'll go ahead and provide this. Ernest and Celestine had each won their freedom from their respective imprisonment. Their only wish was to live together as best friends and have exciting adventures ... after Ernest gets some sleep.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 18th, 2024
Sequels are a funny thing. Most of the time in modern Hollywood, they come within a breath of the first film, usually after a large box office in order to capitalize on its earnings. Sometimes, they can take years, even decades to make. Blade Runner: 2049 came out in 2017, 35 years after the original film. In addition, many times when a sequel takes so long to materialize, the intended audience has flown the coop, and it has dismal results. See Basic Instinct 2 or The Two Jakes. Other times, it inspires new waves of fans to flock to the theaters, such as Tron: Legacy or The Incredibles 2. Today, we are taking a look at Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, a sequel to the original Ernest & Celestine movie which was nominated for an Academy Award and took home many other film awards. It's been a decade since the original film; can the sequel keep the spirit of the original and produce a quality film? I'm happy to say, yes, it certainly did. Let's take a look.
Since the film does not provide a quick recap from the original, I'll go ahead and provide this. Ernest and Celestine had each won their freedom from their respective imprisonment. Their only wish was to live together as best friends and have exciting adventures ... after Ernest gets some sleep.
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