Change Your Image
uptownmyrnafan
Reviews
Movers & Shakers (1985)
Too Inside for Audiences ?
i just got done watching this movie on TCM, & i found it very funny. i saw the listing with Matthau & Grodin, & i didn't even bother to read the synopsis. That was enough for me. The story about a studio that buys the title of a book, simply for the title -- not the subject of the book. the movie focuses on how the movie studios will focus group & committee an idea to death. (a la the TV series "Action"). the young studio hot-shot keeps complaining about the 'old' age of the people working on the project ('why him? what is he 50?'). typical of the youth obsession in Hollywood, & the discarding of people in their middle-ages. those with NO life experience who trash fine or even classic movies by doing flat & soulless remakes, by flat & soulless performers. or by making inane movies about TV shows just because they grew up on those shows. that's today's Hollywood : No Real Stars, No Real Personas. just flat soulless surgically enhanced hacks. Could anyone recognize an impression of any of todays so-called stars? (& no i don't mean their catch-phrases). where's the talent of a Bogey, Gable, Carey Grant, Bette Davis, or Myrna Loy. or of a Shirley MacLaine, Peter Sellers, Paul Newman, Jack Lemmon, or Matthau? they don't make talent like that anymore. before the movie Charles Grodin asked the question : "because of today's audiences having better knowledge of the Hollywood system, would the movie play better today than it did in 1985 ?" sadly based on the other reviews here it would appear that the answer is no. i gave it 6 stars. nothing special, just a good comedy that features two of the best at their craft : Matthau & Grodin.
The Freshman (1990)
brilliantly, darkly, funny
i loved this movie when i saw it 15 years ago. & still just as funny.
i especially loved "Mr.Miss America" Bert Parks singing the Dylan tune
"Maggie's Farm" towards the end. the casting was great with Brodderick, Brando, & Bruno Kirby.
the 1 discrepancy that i had was with the portrait of Mussolini. Il Dulce was adamantly anti-mafia. in FACT :::::: he was out to crush La Cosa Nostra. BUT >>>>>> because of attacks on U.S. docks in early WW II, the US gov. thru Navel Intelligence struck a deal with la Cosa Nostra, protect the maritime shipping docks via the unions & the Gov't would not only turn a blind eye to Mafia involvement in the unions, but also to vice & gambling rackets. as well as allow the division of the country by the 12 FAMILIES > as long as there were NO TURF WARS. even going so far as to leading them to launder their $$ thru defense contracts & entertainment corp's. Naval Intel Officer Anthony Marsloe met with Lucky Luciano & his attrny. Moses Polakoff to strike the deal. Lt. Charles Hoffendon & Joe "Socks" Lanza used the Fulton St. fish market & the United Seafood Workers Union to ensure that the US Docks would never be attacked after the Feb. 9th 1942 attack on the USS Normandy. then After the US "liberated" Sicicly & mainland Italy, AMGOT thru Col. Charles Poletti, Col. Phillip Corso, & the OSS 's Max Corvo, & Joseph Russo; Sicily was re-patriots by the la cosa nostra. ALL the main mayor-ships, & governesses were fulfilled by mobsters such as don Vito Genovese, & don Carlo Vitzini, as well as Calogero Vizzini, Salvatore Malta, & Genco Russo. after the 1942 US Govt. & mafia truce > there was NEVER another successful attack upon US ports thru-out WWII. AMGOT reinstated la cosa nostra into authority positions as mayors & regional governors thru out Sicily & Italy. & Lucky Luciano --for his help in organizing inter-mastering intel-- was exiled back to Sicily, where he lived out his years in heroic comfort, befitting an Allied Patriot.
so a portrait of Mussolini would be anathema to their cause.
other than that >>>>> a really great movie !!!!!!!!!!!!
Caprice (1967)
don't believe the reviewers >> see it for yourself
what can i say to add to all the reviews? this movie IS the quintessential 60's spy/spoof flick. (other than the Matt Helm movies)
the awesome clothes, the amazing sets, the beautiful women, and the GREAT GREAT GREAT music by De Vol. (if you can't have Quincy Jones - then De Vol is the way to go) the opening ski scene was recreated in Her Majesty's Secret Service, among others (incl. several later Bond flicks) that's how good it is. several times i had to back up the DVD to catch some lines that i had laughed over. such as DD : "were you really with the CIA ?" "yes but industrial esp. was more fitting employment for a coward."
the scenes that i found funniest were the bugging of the outdoor café, the scene where DD was spying on Irene Tsu on her deck, the chase inside & outside of an apartment building, & of course the movie theater scene with Michael Pollard.
all in all this is a very good spy spoof & well worth watching, no matter what anyone says >> INCLUDING Miss Day herself.
yes she had too much make-up, yes Richard Harris does SEEM mis-cast, & yes it doesn't quite have the same chemistry that DD had with Rock Hudson or James Garner ........ but just take it for what it's worth, & just sit back & watch & enjoy it. & oh yeah ......... make up your own mind about it. but i found it very funny & entertaining, & a cocktail or two won't hurt either.
Lover Come Back (1961)
classic script
classic scripting of the 60's "sex-comedies". The Rock & Doris pairing is way above par to todays so-called date-flicks. plus you have the scenery & music of the times. not to mention a really good story. its got Eddie Albert ("the man"), & a really great cast. including Ann B. Davis who has some of the best dialogue. incl.: "you're going to play golf with him? Today you are a woman. "
DD: Well then we'll fight rough, this means war ! ABD: Then this means music, liquor, & wild parties, & ALL the sponsor's girls, Right ?? RIGHT! then sign me up for the front lines !!
and this exchange :: Rock: i don't know what happened.
DD : he probably gave you something to drink.
Rock: yes, but then i was dizzy from the cigarette that he gave me.
DD : What Cigarette ??
Rock: i don't know ..... it didn't have any printing on it.
DD : That Depraved Monster !!!!!
of course nowadays this all Disney-type innuendo fair. but for those who realize their film history ........ & for those who don't care .................. a very, very good film.
Don Rickles: Buy This Tape You Hockey Puck (1975)
Old-school Rickles tries to make good.
Really a very good video, although the side musical numbers could be done without. Overall there are too many side vignettes. Some are very funny -- especially Don trying to get into Heaven & trying to stay out of Hell-- but they go too long. Rickles & Jack Klugman doing a scene from "Inherit the Wind" is incredibly awesome!!!!!!!!!
Who knew either had THAT much dramatic ability. I need to see that movie again to compare it to Spencer Tracey's amazing performance.
But I do wish that this video had included more of Rickles' stage performance. It should have been more of a record of his stage show. Much like the Buddy Hackett videos that are out there, much more like Rickles on the Dean Martin Show, or Johnny Carson, or Letterman. Perhaps there is another video out there of Don Rickles performing on stage. Overall though the scene with Rickles & Klugman is worth the price of admission alone.