30th Anniversary of Fargo

 

            

           Trying to find that one film to get me into watching more films and at times you must go back to the films that are so, perfect as well as right. And personally, Fargo by the Coen Brothers is one of those films that is so perfect that there's nothing bad about it. Moreover, this year marks its 30th Anniversary of the film’s release so, of course this it's a perfect time to sit down and watch this incredible Coen Bros movie that hands down is their greatest movie ever made second of course is the Big Lebowski and maybe third No Country for Old Men. 

           "Fargo" is a reality-based crime drama set in Minnesota in 1987. Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a car salesman in Minneapolis who has gotten himself into debt and is so desperate for money he hires two thugs (Steve Buscemi), (Peter Stormare) to kidnap his own wife. Jerry will collect the ransom from her wealthy father (Harvey Presnell), paying the thugs a small portion and keeping the rest to satisfy his debts. Unfortunately, the scheme collapses when the thugs shoot a state trooper. 

            Both Joel and Ethan Coen grew up in the Suburban area of Minnesota and always describe the state as Siberia with family restaurants, and through the course of their careers together they decided to pull together and make a crime drama based on their childhood memories in the Upper-Midwest. Though of all the childhood memories what makes this film memorable is introducing the world to the Minnesota Nice culture, moreover what makes this great is that we get to experience a world where everyone is super happy and supper nice, furthermore you never really see that in anywhere else especially in Minnesota and granted I never been to the state but after loving the movie as well as loving the show I would imagine the state as well as the town's, they would sound just like that and even if I go to Minnesota for a Hockey game I would got up to someone and as if I can get some true coat on my Nachos. Although it's been ages since I watched Herb Brooks interviews and he never has a sort of Minnesota Nice accent, though I am guessing it's because the man believes in being a tyrant than being nice. Although this film is in fact, a goofy and dark comedy, it's more importantly a beautiful portrait of a Norman Rockwell painting but if Norman Rockwell decided to paint a crime scene happening in the upper parts of the Midwest and really the combination of both the Coen Bros and Roger Deakins is so, great from wide shots of the snow landscape as well as the statue of Paul Bunyan is both beautiful and scary at the same time especially when it's a bleak landscape with zero percent of sunshine through the course of the movie, and yet my favorite shots of the films is both the large snowy landscapes as well as the scene where both Buscemi and Peter Stormare's characters are shooting the three people and it's almost a scene out of a film noir classic and sure those are my favorite shots of the movie but the entire film of shots is both amazing at the same time. The other perfect aspect of the film is the cast ensemble, and everyone is right for the roles from Francis McDormand who of course won in Oscar for her performance to both Buscemi and Peter Stormare is a dysfunctional criminals on a road trip to Minneapolis, and even William H. Macy who plays a underdog type of character but deep down is both dumb and a terrible person, although he doesn't seem a horrible person, he's more dumb as well as in over his head about the situation he's in and Macy was aware on the aspect of the character and had no complaint in terms of how the character should be portrait. The heartwarming fact about the film is during his days off Peter Stormare actually took some small road trips because a good portion of immigrants that immigrated to America a lot of the Swedish immigrants came to Minnesota and Peter, felt emotional especially when talking to an old man, he actually recognized a dialect and even he felt emotional because it was his grand-parents that spoke the language and it's something heartwarming finding your heritage in an unexpected places. Like Star Wars, The Godfather or Raiders of the Lost Ark or even Casablanca. Fargo is one of those many few films that is just perfect from the beginning of the opening frame to the ending frame moreover it's defiantly the Coen Bros greatest film but more importantly if you’re looking to make a film of your own all you got to do is keep it simple and this film is a great example of what it means to keep a crime drama/dark comedy and just keep it simple as possible. Moreover, it's defiantly one of those films that you can have your own parents as well as your own kids, well maybe not kids more like kids in their seventeen years of age to watch this amazing film. Now even though we’re getting close to springtime I would imagine Minnesota, Colorado or Wisconsin would be still in snow watch warnings, I would highly recommend watching Fargo in celebrating its 30th Anniversary release. Furthermore the film is on HBO Max and Hulu as well as Amazon Prime so, you’re in the best of luck if you’re feeling like wanting to watch a movie like Fargo, and if you want you can always go back and watch the Fargo TV series on Hulu if you feel the need for more Minnesota or North Dakota crime. 

           

Mortal Kombat (2011) Replay Review

 

           This Replay Review is close to a thousand years in the making although this is one of those Replay Reviews we're I personally need to blow off some steam, but when you think about it, it's hilarious when figuring it all out in my old age. Mortal Kombat on the PlayStation 3 has been that one great fighting game on the PS3, where everything about it is excellent although some combo movies on two of the thirty maybe thirty-five characters and when it comes to beating the toughest boss character since the original MK games well I'd say this is the one game that left me personal scars.

           The game basically sets during the MK Armageddon, aka PS2 era. And Shao Kahn is about to kill Raiden until; the Thunder God delivers a final message to his younger self. And thus, the game begins as a reinvention to the previous first-three arcade classics. Almost like X-Men Days of Future Past meets Mortal Kombat when you think about it. 

           By the time of the games release it was actually a big deal, considering the creators of NetherRealm Studio's we're just starting up after the demise of Midway games, as well as being bought by Warner Bros. for which I guess after the release of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the Studio heads we're like maybe we should by this company so, we can transition this with DC Universe. Though I never paid attention to the merger of Warner Bros. and yet the important factor was that the MK guys going back to the original gameplay of a straightforward combat rather than in the PS2 years where you can fight your opponent around in open circle almost like the Tekken games. Though a side from the brief history, this game to me is infamous for numerous things the main one is having to finally beat Shao Kahn with Raiden who just has special movies and very unreliable combo moves, and when I'm playing a fighting game like Mortal Kombat I have to know the characters combo moves, as well as their special moves but with both Raiden and Kung Lao combined, they both have the worst combo moves ever and I have to fight our opponents in a medium level and through the last fifteen years since the games release I could never in a million years beat Shao Kahn as Raiden during the story mode for which leads to the greatest WTF moment in my entire life, is finally noticing that I can turn the story mode difficulty from medium to BEGINNER'S MODE. And I'm sorry in stating this but when I do a story mode, I tend to finish something I mean it explains a lot after watching my Freddy and Jason slasher movie marathon back in October. And through the years I could never beat Shao Kahn in the final battle of Story Mode, and it just drove me the point of madness where even left thumb could possibly be broken or is suffering from PTSD because every time, I pop my knuckles my left thumb will still pop. Now, I don't know where I found the story mode setting maybe Mortal Kombat 1 or Mortal Kombat 11, either way it could be one of those games but once I found out about this, I decide to try it all out on Mortal Kombat 2011, then I was in a state of shock because of all of those years of playing this damn game I could of done this a long time ago but yet nobody ever said to just turn the settings down. And I can beat Shao Kahn with characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpion on the medium setting no doubt, but with Raiden it's almost impossible so, if you have a PS3 or still playing PS3 and playing MK 2011 all you got to do is go to the gameplay settings and just select the story mode settings and just set it down to beginner's mode. The other thing that's makes this game infamous is all of the women in the game all dress like their porn stars and granted if you take a look at the PS2, Mortal Kombat's sure they're dressed risqué but when you have Mileena whose wearing absolutely NOTHING, but a few strips of linen clothes between her knockers and her WAP almost as if it's supposed to be a bikini from the sixties and yet the laws of physics are able to hold on, moreover their wearing stripper heals as well, while fighting for which really you can't do that in the movies but you can get away with it on the animated films. Look a side from finally after fifteen years of not defeating Shao Kahn I finally defeated the bastard and I relished the moment as well as I may go back and play the game again, but look this is another one of those great fighting games that has its unique quirks of characters not having best combos but checking out the women in the game and yet they look almost like porn stars, because you can't make it now since Dead or Alive has ceased to exist. So, if you’re wanting to go back to your PS3 since everyone is considering the PS3 and Xbox 360 as retro gaming systems, I would highly recommend getting your MK fix going by playing Mortal Kombat 2011. 

      

The Naked Kiss

 

             

              I'M BACK! That's right everyone I'm like Jason Statham; I can't be killed. There's been a lot of hectic things happening over the past few weeks but I'm not here to talk about my evil nonsense, I'm here to talk about movies. And luckily with a list my brother provided I found an excellent film noir that escalated for the beginning frame and I'm not lying when I say this, it got out of hand fast furthermore that's defiantly something I never see in a movie like The Naked Kiss.

              A former proustite attempts to assimilate in a suburbia after fleeing her pimps; shortly before her wedding, she finds out that her philanthropic fiancée has a shocking sexual interest.

              Samuel Fuller director of Naked Kiss, actually started off as a reporter at the age of 17, famously broke the case story of a famous actress in New York City at the time then became a pulp novelist then for a short time throughout the late thirties, he began a leap of faith by writing his first screenplay, later in life Fuller claimed that "if reporters got paid a thousand dollars like directors do, I'd still be reporting today". Fuller's films through the fifties and early sixties explored a ton of controversial subjects almost the same way like Kubrick does with his films and really when it comes to this film I'm surprised Fuller doesn't get a whole lot of reputation though I personally feel it's because people in the fifties as well as sixties were not going to allow this kind of movie in their local theater for which sure that's fine but it would at least be convenient to have a movie like this at a later time right? I mean sure citizens as well as MPAA don't want to show this to their kids, but you can't deny a scary act that would happen in your local neighborhood. Now I'm not going to spoil a whole lot of details just because I want everyone to watch this movie, but this is an excellent film about a woman whose trying the best of her ability to have a fresh start on a new life from her past, as well as going straight, especially wanting to set an example to the fellow girls she works with but when she witness a disturbing secret, and of course, she acts and found to be guilty but through the course of act 3, you continue to root for actress Constance Towers (who plays the lead in the film) because you know what she's doing is justified but everyone doesn't believe her and as an audience member that puts a lot of hate in your heart. And personally, I look at this movie and give this a ton of praise from both Towers as well as Samuel Fuller because they knew the subject they were approaching with the film and went full force with it and this film is a great definition of sticking with your guns from beginning to end. If you have Tubi and love watching hidden gems as well as some classic movies then I would highly recommend watching The Naked Kiss and trust me when I say this, this film literally gets you sucked in from the very first opening frame and never let’s go till the very end of the closing credits. 

     

Lolita

 

            Ladies and gentlemen, we've gone through five films so far, the month of February we're all the male actors are much older looking than their love interests, though granted majority of the ladies looked in a strong older consent age hence, 25 and up. Now we're going to dive deep into the older men stalking VERY, VERY young ladies, and trust me when I say this, you're going to be wanting to rethink your life. Directed by yours truly Stanley Kubrick the master of pushing the limit, Lolita is one of those movies, Like A Clockwork Orange, this is another one of those films that you only need to watch once.

            With the screenplay penned by the author himself, Stanley Kubrick brings Vladimir Nabokov's controversial tale of forbidden love on screen. Professor Humbert (James Mason) is a European educator who relocates to an American Suburb, renting a room from a lonely widow Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters). Humbert marries Charlotte, but only to nurture his obsession with her comely teenager daughter, Lolita (Sue Lyon). After Charlotte sudden death has Lolita all to himself -- or does he?

            Now according to sources circa 1958, Kubrick was offered to direct One-Eyed Jacks, starring Marlon Brando, unfortunately either Brando fired him or Kubrick resigned bottom line Brando wanted to focus on Vladimir Nabokov's controversial book about a middle-aged man having an infatuation with a 14-year-old girl. And really when you cast actors and actresses to play high school students, you tend to feel like they’re in their early twenties for which looks unrealistic but with this movie, when Stanley Kubrick cast a teenager he LITERALLY, cast a teenager and when you see Lolita aka Sue Lyon in her first appearance in the film your like OMG that girl is YOUNG! For which is the reason why this film works so well because if this was a woman in her twenties then this wouldn't work at all, it would literally not be so, believable and Sue Lyon strangely enough does a fantastic job playing a girl next door but is a great manipulator in terms of playing with Mason's character moreover I think it's a unique dilemma both horrible people each trying to get what they want. The genius behind Lolita is Kubrick able to balance, the extreme dark topic with comedy furthermore that evil comes in the most unexpected places and sometimes we don't see the evil as well as evil coming in all shapes and sizes moreover you never expect knowing your neighbor or you closest friend could be a sexual predator and that's the scariest part. On the comedy side to the film is simply moments where Mason's character tries so hard to seduce Lolita, it literally becomes sad and pathetic that you can't help but laugh at the man's attempts especially when he's even trying to unfold a bed or must put up with Lolita's mother aka Shelley Winters. Peter Sellers deserves a ton of credit because at first when you see him he's this goofy character but then through the course of the movie you begin to see a scary side to this guy that I literally had to watch the film twice to know that "oh" this guy is a monster, and in fact Kubrick shot a total of 3 camera's at once. And Sellers did the most inspired (ad-libbing) work on the first take, so Kubrick used this technique to get all the angles needed, without losing the spontaneity. Out of all the Kubrick movies I've seen so far and granted I only have two more to go in order to rewatch 2001 and the Shining, I would rate this between six or five of the best movies on Kubrick's filmography, and while A Clockwork Orange is a f**ked up movie where you need to watch that movie only once. Lolita is a film where you need to watch only once but you need to take a long cold shower despite this being a great film with a lot of themes, you by the end of the film feel disgusted in terms of Humbert just staring at Lolita and more importantly just feeling way to uncomfortable watching those scenes. In fact this is probably one of the many reasons why I won't watch Sinners just because I first seen Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit back in 2010 and whenever I watch cut scenes of her talking about Michael B. Jordan sticking his tongue in her "cooze" I just want to take a shower as well as wanting to rethink my life. And with this film this LITERALLY wants you to rethink your life and just question the nature behind how disgusting sexual predators are and sure mid-twenties and thirties for ladies I would make an exception but teens I hit my limit in terms of feeling grossed out. I would highly recommend watching Lolita although this film is only available for renting or buying the movie. But when you finish the movie, you can simply not watch the film again and put the movie in the deepest part of your mind. And this movie alone gets you thinking that Bogart, John Wayne, William Holden and Cary Grant in terms of making out with mid-twenties women was nothing compared to Mason's character staring at a fourteen-year-old though the same goes to Sellers too, though we don't see the implications, but we know.   

             

February Recommendation: To Catch a Thief

 

       

         

         Usually, I would recommend a romantic comedy that I loved moreover believe intriguing the first time around. And at times I just have a sense of boredom and sometimes just need a good sense of inspiration as well as something new and in all fairness this February Recommendation is a sense a romantic movie with a blend of both suspense and drama. And more importantly it's directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock so, what's not to love about To Catch a Thief, especially when you have the best leading man and one of the most beautiful women in 50's Hollywood.

          Notorious cat burglar John Robbie (Cary Grant) has long since retired to tend vineyards on the French Rivera. When a series of robberies is committed in his style, John must clear his name. Armed with a list of people who own the most expensive jewels currently in the area, John begins following the first owner, young Francie (Grace Kelly). When her jewels are stolen, Francie suspects John, destroying their tentative romance. John goes on the prowl, to catch the thief and clear his own name. 

          Now let’s not forget Cary Grant turned down the roles for both Roman Holiday and Sabrina, all because he felt he was too old for those roles and yet with this movie he's in a role where he's falling in love with Grace Kelly and Grace Kelly was only twenty-five years of age when the film was made and released. So, yeah talk about massive hypocrisy in the sense of Cary Grant moreover I thinks it's funny because majority of those guys in the fifties films we're making out with the young dames, and hell Bogart married Lauren Bacall in her mid-twenties I mean if you can't find the strong sense of what true love is I don't know what is, moreover it's not like you having intercourse with the women in the fifties your just kissing that's like first base when it comes to the forties and fifties, and I would imagine Hitchcock gave Grant the talk about his ego maybe called him a "whore" (just my opinion) moreover told him to sign for this movie. Now all jokes a side, To Catch a Thief is probably the best collaboration with Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock moreover I look at this film as a prototype for what the Bond films would be in the later years furthermore I think Hitchcock would make a great Bond film although I doubted he wanted to but still I would almost look at this as Hitchcock's own version of a Bond movie. But more importantly Hitchcock was still making a great suspenseful movie while weaving a great blend of a love story between Grant and Grace Kelly moreover I thought these two actually have a great on screen chemistry like you want these two to be together in the very end and you even have a great sort of love triangle with actress Brigitte Auber who becomes a big flirt to Cary Grant as well as being jealous towards Grace Kelly. Majority of the film was shot in the Paramount Studios but a good chunk of the movie was shot in the southeastern parts of France and I think even the ocean scene almost looks like it was shot in France and I may be wrong but either way I love the whole confrontation between both Grant and the attractive women was great on screen. This movie came out in 1955 and Grace Kelly had one year left before she went on to marry the Prince of Monaco and her career was done which really I haven't seen her movies in 56 but I guess if your closing out a remarkable career like Grace Kelly, To Catch a Thief I would say is one of her best films close tie with Rear Window but I would say those years between 54 and 55 were for sure Grace Kelly's best years as an actress. Now if you’re looking for something fresh and new, moreover getting bored of all the romantic comedies or the lame Nicholas Sparks films as well as the romance movies that Hallmark movies binge out each year. To Catch a Thief is one of those great blends of romance and suspenseful/action film that can satisfy both male and female. And so, if you’re looking for something to bridge the gap with love or your life then I would highly recommend purchasing or renting To Catch a Thief this February, especially today on Valentine's Day.

       

Play Misty for Me

 

        Well ladies and gentlemen, we are in the Friday the 13th of today, so, it makes sense that I talk about a creepy love story about getting a little one-night stand with a psycho. And sure, this type of situation can resort to both male and female alike, though in all fairness males make the not so good choices but females do evenly make bad choices too only this time it's Clint Eastwood that doesn't make good choices even when he makes his directorial debut. 

         Popular radio show host David Garver (Clint Eastwood) becomes restless in his relationship with his girlfriend (Donna Mills). Impulsively, he goes out and sleeps with a woman (Jessica Walter) he meets at a nightclub. After that, he finds out she was not anonymous hookup, but an obsessive fan who has called repeatedly to request he play the song "Misty". Garver soon discovers extricating himself from the woman will be no easy feat as she becomes increasingly psychotic.

          This maybe the best stalker movie I've ever seen and that's not saying a whole lot considering the idea of having a one night stand or having a friend that's a bit psycho is a bit on the overrated side, because let's be frank, the male and female don't make the greatest of choices and even if you get a glimpse of what this person is it's almost too late to call things off, I mean if you have the idea of a psycho killer and a rapist hooking up and the psycho killer is taken aback that would be interesting but that's a whole another conversation for another time maybe never. Getting back to the topic I believe the way Clint Eastwood was able to direct the film is way more better than any other stalker movies I've seen, basically because there’s a mystery to it but more importantly the whole reveal gets to be very interesting through the course of the third act of the film and that's what I like most is him trying to figure what the reveal is. And even my favorite shot of the whole movie is Clint sleeping and slowly awakens and he sees his stalker and is about to stab him but misses and all of a sudden disappears and he begins to look around is really great and something you don't see and it's also the suspense of the killer is right behind you and its shot in a way were we see Clint's head first and then slowly turns and that's what I like about it and really is the best shot of the whole movie to me. And sure their times where I make fun of Eastwood not making good choices, but when it comes to Clint Eastwood and his first time directing a film like this you have to let that man have a slide at least especially when he has some sea shots where they are jump cuts, for which again the man is a acting legend so for his directorial debut I'll at least let that slide. For a day of Friday the 13th I would imagine at least spice things up with your lover and watch a movie about a 41 year old radio host being stalked by a middle aged woman, I mean at least they’re the same age, hell at least he's not making out with a twenty five-ish year old woman like John Wayne, Gregory Peck, or even Bogart and William Holden. Though let’s be honest life is too short for us middle-aged men so, when are you not able to get the chance to make out with a twenty-five-year-old right? Anyway, if you’re looking to spice things up or have a Amazon Prime account then I would highly recommend watching Clint Eastwood's directorial debut and maybe play "Misty" for the love of your life. 

  

Sabrina

 

        

        Out of the two films I've seen with Audrey Hepburn, this movie just happens to be my favorite movie with her as well as two other great leading actors that star alongside Hepburn. Moreover, this movie took me down memory lane because while watching Sabrina (based on the playwright "Sabrina Fair" by Samuel Taylor) I've begun to remember another small Harrison Ford movie with the same title as well as the same premise although with this movie has the killer edge considering it's directed by one of the greatest directors in Billy Wilder. 

        Chauffeurs’ daughter Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) returns home from two years in Paris a beautiful young woman and immediately catches the attention of David (William Holden), the playboy son of her father’s rich employers. David woos and wins Sabrina, who has always been in love with him, however their romance is threatened by David's serious brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart), who runs the family business and is relying on David to marry an heiress for a crucial merger to take place.

         This film was another one in which Carey Grant turned down because of age differences moreover didn't want to carry an umbrella and sure whatever, but I've recently watched To Catch a Thief so I'm saving all my jokes for when I get to that movie. Between the two Audrey Hepburn films I've watched, Sabrina is most certainly my favorite of Audrey Hepburn's infamous films and for many reasons this film shows off her great comedic talent as well as, playing the innocent/childish girl in the first act of the film and then blossoming into one of the most beautiful women in the golden age of cinema. And when you pair Audrey Hepburn with an amazing filmmaker in Billy Wilder you most certainly get the best of both worlds as well as a perfect duo to make the film believable and great to watch. More importantly a lot of credit goes to both Edith Head and Hubert de Givenchy for creating lavish costumes to make Hepburn so iconic in the movie and granted Edith Head got the Oscar for best costume and went on to collaborate with Audrey Hepburn throughout their careers both Head and de Givenchy deserve a lot of praise in bringing the fashion statement as well as making Audrey such an iconic star in the fifties and sixties. Apparently Humphrey Bogart and William Holden didn't get along and the same with Audrey Hepburn too, and yet for some reason both actors and actresses are able to perform in the best professional way possible, hell its almost the same way Harold Ramis is able to get both Chevy Chase and Bill Murray in a scene together I mean it's amazing how actors don't like each other and yet for some reasons their able to work together well, although let's be fair I would imagine producers and Billy Wilder telling these guys to make it professional or you’re going to pay for everyone's time on set. I will say William Holden I never expected to play this comedic and playboy-ish type of a character but yet him and Audrey Hepburn are both perfect together and the same goes with Humphrey Bogart, and really throughout his career the man played mostly tough guys and adventurers but deep down the man is a great charmer and let’s not forget the man owned Casablanca let's not forget that fact, moreover despite Bogart was annoyed with Hepburn claiming that working with her was "okay, unless you like doing multiple takes" and I'm sure Hepburn would be professional and say nothing but I would imagine Hepburn behind closed doors said "that's nice, you’re not going to make it till three years", because he died in 57, in case you don't know he died in the beginning months of 1957. Out of the three Hepburn movies I've seen, Sabrina is hands down my favorite one of Audrey Hepburn's just because it's the most classic and iconic performance of hers, and more importantly she's perfect through the course of the whole movie, and while watching this classic I've suddenly had flashbacks of another Sabrina film that starred Harrison Ford and majority of that movie consists of the same shots so, that's going to be one movie I'm going to try and watch this month, but deep down this film will always win because the 54 version has the greatest director in Billy Wilder as well as three iconic actors and actresses. So, if you’re looking for something fresh and something you haven't seen I would highly recommend watching this Valentine's Day weekend. 

      

Roman Holiday

 

           I went down a trip in Audrey Hepburn Lane if you sort of catch my meaning, mainly because it was on my brothers list of cinemas I needed to watch but more importantly, they represent the month of February as well as Saint, Valentines Day also. Roman Holiday is in fact Audrey Hepburn's first major role in a movie, moreover, won her a Golden Globe for her performance in the movie as well. Also staring Gregory Peck and if your curious about the films I watched in terms of the males being older than their female co-stars I didn't really peg this till after watching this film as well as another Audrey Hepburn classic. 

           Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European, Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) takes off for a night while in Rome. While falling asleep on a park bench, reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who takes her to his apartment for safety. At work next morning, Joe finds out Ann's legal regal identity and wagers his editor he can get an exclusive interview with her, but romance gets in the way. 

           Audrey Hepburn long before Roman Holiday came into her life she started off mostly in the British movies during Post World War II era, moreover during finished production of Secret People, director Thorold Dickinson made a screen test with the young Hepburn and sent the screen test to director William Wyler, saw the test and was immediately wanting to cast Audrey Hepburn in the role and even the producers during pre-production wanted to cast Elizabeth Taylor, though after watching Audrey Hepburn's test they were also on board in skipping out on Elizabeth Taylor, which I would actually love to hear that situation in terms of who the producer that had to give Ms. Taylor the bad news and after that conversation got so upset that she married her latest male victim. And for me personally that was a great choice because she indeed has a great sense of charm and innocence and more importantly, she was funny and that shows from this movie as well as another Audrey Hepburn classic as well. Granted I've remembered seeing Breakfast At Tiffany's and thought that it was okay-ish considering she abandon's a cat for which me being an animal lover is a d**k move spoilers she really does reunite with her cat in the movie but still a d**k move I mean if you’re going to abandon anyone abandon your toxic boyfriend or girlfriend. But seeing this movie all the way through, I must say that she really does a fantastic job playing a Princess overwhelmed with of course being a Princess like most of the royal family is around the world (Hell take Prince Harry for example), and she gets one day where she gets to have all the time to herself as well as having fun with no one telling her what to do, moreover think that's a nice warm hearted story that everyone can relate too. And you have the ever-talented Gregory Peck playing the leading man for the young Audrey Hepburn too and let's not forget Cary Grant turned down the role because he himself, considered himself to be too old and yet he makes out with Grace Kelly, two years later with To Catch a Thief talk about hypocrisy. What I like most about the movie is that they simply shot the entire movie in Rome and used real locations as well as real shots of Rome in 1953. More importantly this film ends in the best way possible, mainly I imagined that something I would predict would happen and it didn't and I'm glad that they made me feel silly. I think if any movies to watch on Valentines Day or never seen any of Audrey Hepburn's filmography I would start off with the movie that made her famous and Roman Holiday is a perfect romantic comedy to set down with the love of your life and enjoy from beginning to the final frame. 

          

Hatari!

 

          Well, now I'm most certainly done with going to the movies for now. I decided since we're in the month of Saint Valentine, that I find some more romanticize movies for my taste, and no none of that lame Nicholas Sparks or Hallmark chick flicks crap. And since I haven't watched a whole lot of John Wayne movies as of late, I figured why not watch a John Wayne movie that I haven't seen. Hatari! in the English language means danger, is an action adventure/romantic comedy set in the jungles of Africa where all the hunters are tracking animals for our local Zoo's all over the world.   

          A Tanganyika-based group of hunters (Red Buttons, Hardy Kruger, Gerard Blain) led by Sean Mercer (John Wayne) trap wild African animals for zoos. A curvaceous photographer (Elsa Martinelli) documents their exploits while having epic clashes with the gruff Irishman. She is initially frozen out of testosterone-filled group until her strong-willed personality endears her to the men. 

          I have to say that this is hands down one of the most craziest adventure films I've ever seen mainly because all of the animal captures in the film look amazingly real, especially when they bring a huge rhino in the mix for which looked extremely real and terrifying moreover according to director Howard Hawks, all the animal captures were performed by actual actors; no stuntmen or animal handlers were substituted onscreen. And the Rhino in the third act escaped, and the actors really did have to recapture it - for which Hawks included the sequence for its realism. Moreover it's fantastic because all of the animals they capture in each of the scenes are really good in terms of the camera angles they used for each sequence is both great and real because again no stunt men were involved, and even John Wayne himself admitted to being terrified in being on that passenger side of the front of the truck or in the back because there was no seat belts so, he had to hold on for dear life which again majority of these sequences that Hawks shot were outstanding. Both Hawks and Wayne worked on another film together titled Rio Bravo which was Wayne and Rat Pack legend Dean Martin's first film together, moreover Hawks made more surprising classics as well as collaborated with a ton of great actors such as Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. Hell, Hawks even made the original Scarface movie the one that Oliver Stone copied and pasted for his script for Al Pacino's version I mean he even has more great films as well as been in Hollywood since the Silent film age. To all of those who haven't seen a ton of John Wayne's films like I have, hence my Dad raised me on loving John Wayne films, you actually be surprised that John Wayne is in fact a great charmer with the ladies and the guy has been in a ton of romantic comedies that are in fact great, but more importantly show's off is comedic side as an actor especially when he's charming actresses in their thirties? Either way I thought the chemistry between John Wayne and Italian actress Elsa Martinelli are great on screen despite the fact there were times where I felt like Elsa has a French accent, I mean I'm obviously wrong but just my aspects on what an Italian accent sounds and a French accent sounds became blur through the course of the film. In fact, French actress, Michele Girardon who plays the daughter of a deceased father in charge of the Zoo in Africa, spoke no English when being casted in the film, though through the course of filming and her performance as well as everyone else's is great to watch. I don't want to talk, so, much about how great this film is great and furthermore this is definitely one of those great John Wayne comedies as well as romantic comedies almost up there with The Quiet Man and McClintock though this doesn't have Maureen O'Hara, I really liked Elsa Martinelli performance as Wayne's love interest, she's great on screen and I personally wish I had a nickel any woman would ask me how I like to be kissed. Filled with a ton of action as well as comedy and more importantly a small love story this film has the best of both worlds that I truly believe both married couples and or any man or woman watching a movie with either their boyfriend or girlfriend to watch this upcoming Valentine's Day. And you can find this movie on your local Amazon Prime moreover you can watch the film for free on YouTube so, don't be afraid to try out a John Wayne movie you haven't seen yet. 

    

Send Help

 

         Well ladies and gentlemen, this is a movie I was intrigued in wanting to see although, I was also weary in wanting to see this movie because you can never get what you want, especially when it comes to movies these days. Moreover, I had one of those days where I decided to take a leap of faith and go to the movie theaters and finally watch the movie, and as luck would have it, I made it one time for the movie considering there was a ton of trailers playing, moreover the movie didn't start till 4:30 PM! Yeah, this shows that all the promos and trailers are getting a little on the overrated side in my opinion.

          A woman (Rachel McAdams) and her overbearing boss (Dylan O'Brien) become stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. They must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it's a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.

           I remember when watching the trailer for the first time, I felt that this was something new and different but more importantly it dives into the narcissistic bosses or co-worker's that are selfish, failed up-wards, anyway just deep down horrible human beings in a work environment just treating co-workers like Rachel McAdams as if their  looking down on them, or soft people that can be bullied for a living and through the course of the movie she finally breaks free and brings that character of O'Brien down to the point of what it feels like to be helpless and having to deal with somebody's bullsh*t and that's what excited me about this movie, because through my years I've always had to deal with narcissistic a-holes who for some reasons where able to succeed in life without having to do anything or in their own mind can be horrible people moreover treat people like sh*t and this was something I would  finally enjoy and see the horrible person be breaking down into a person who has to swallow sh*t for the first time without having to ever do that for which really that was something that excited me. But, then when you watch the movie and some of these twists and turns that make you feel a bit of mixed emotions, then I began to have a problem, and look if your planning to watch this movie you should probably discontinue this review because I'm only going to spoil one, maybe two things that happened in the movie, the first being that Rachel McAdams has always been psychotic and she needed to a reason to be a savage for which this a battle of two horrible people who begin to clash at who is the superior person on the island, which I guess would be fine? Although why would you have the first act of the movie where she's a innocent person you'd feel for but through the course of the movie you lose the remorse that her, moreover should have the same resemblance of like the movie The Menu where the girl who isn't supposed to be here you feel for that person because she's surrounded in a island with terrible people, and that's what this movie should be, but then again it isn't. The other thing is that the main twist is that there's been a huge beach house the whole time and Rachel has kept it a secret the whole time which I'm don't know because sure she's pretty through the course of the movie but she's a huge fan of Survivor and travel's a lot probably watched a lot of Discovery shows so, she could at least found ways to take a shower on the island or something and yet there's a huge mansion on the island for which I don't know, hell there's a million things they could of done with this movie but what they did do, didn't work for me personally. Now, having watched this movie in the theater I have to say that this movie wasn't worth 22 dollars plus the large soda and popcorn, and now having talked about this movie this for sure is going to be a once over type of a film where I don't need to re-watch this movie ever again. So, if you’re looking for a movie to start off 2026 or want to take your girlfriend, boyfriend, hell even husband and wife movie night for Valentine's Day, then go nut's if you share a different opinion than I had about the film. Or you can always wait till this movie is available to stream on your local streaming service, that way you don't have to waste your time watching lame promos and so many movie trailers that you're probably not going to watch this year.

  

Cradle 2 the Grave

 

         

         I haven't really done a randomized movie watching in a while, mostly consisting of finding some hidden treasures on Tubi, and a Jet Li classic, Cradle 2 the Grave caught my eye moreover thought what the hell. Like many martial arts actors that turned into action stars, Jet Li was another breed of martial arts/action stars that came from a long line of infamous Asian martial artist like Jackie Chan, Gordon Liu, as well as Michelle Yeoh and Legendary Bruce Lee. 

         Master thief Anthony Fait (late DMX) pulls off a major jewel heist and somehow manages to escape. A Taiwanese Agent Su (Jet Li) is on Fait's tail because the stones Fait stolen is not what they appear to be. But when Fait's daughter is kidnapped by a rival criminal and Su's ex-partner (Mark Dacascos aka Iron Chef), Su must work with Fait to save his daughter and get his revenge in the process. 

         Here's the interesting thing about this movie, Jet Li in this movie knows in his own mind that he's awesome and can take on anyone, for which I like about this movie, while watching a Jean Claude Van Damme movie like Time Cop or Double Team where they create the lame suspense of not saving someone is just the worst. And with Jet Li you can watch this movie as well as enjoy because he knows furthermore and is confident that he can take on his fellow opponents. A lot of the action sequences are actually awesome in the movie especially the cage fight between Jet Li and almost everyone especially a little man and sure some of the comedic elements are at times lame but Jet Li fighting is still awesome and the final showdown between him and Mark Dacascos is flat out amazing especially when they're in a ring of fire duking it out is both visually amazing as well as awesome. There are some comedic especially coming from Tom Arnold who’s infamous from the Best Damn Sports Show and Anthony Anderson who’s at times annoying kind of like Adam Sandler but in this movie, he at least is getting bullied and forced to do sh*t he doesn't want to do so it's at least mildly amusing. Gabrielle Union deserves a lot of credit in the movie and granted it's amusing that she's in a fight scene with fellow actress Kelly Hu (aka Lady Deathstrike) but I love watching Gabrielle Union I respect her a lot as an actress and learning about she was shocked that the producers wanted her to do a topless strip dance but after that, she's an actual devoted Catholic, she went to confession to confess the incident, for which sure she should of known but tell that to Cindy Morgan from Caddyshack though this proves why producers are at times pervy dudes hence Harvey Weinstein only this time it's produced by Joel Silver who produced the Matrix films. But having learned about that fact I now, respect Union a lot for being a Catholic but more importantly she's a Nebraska native and that's a rare thing to come by these days, I mean there's Johnny Carson, Marlon Brando and there's Gabrielle Union. If you’re looking for a mindless entertaining action movie, then Cradle 2 the Grave is a great movie to watch in times of boredom, moreover has the late great DMX and who doesn't miss that legendary rapper? I will still say that these Jet Li films like Cradle 2 the Grave is way better than watching JCVD's Time Cop or Double Team, just because I grew annoyed of Van Damme getting beat up and not saving his loved ones when he could single handily win those fights, but with Jet Li, they at least cut the BS and at least kicks everyone's a** and I would rather watch that than Van Damme being helpless at times, for which gets annoying sorry not sorry if I'm rambling, but look the point is if you don't have Tubi I would highly recommend subscribing to Tubi because their the king of hidden treasures. 

      

Stand By Me

 

            Continuing with movies I need to see on my brother’s list of movies I need to see. We pay tribute to the late Rob Reiner who recently passed, though technically was murdered by his own son. Though we're not going into any details nor going to dive deep into that fork in the road because it's more tragic than David Carradine. Stand By Me, is a eighties classic directed by Rob Reiner as well as staring Wil Wheaton, the late River Phoenix, child actor legend Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell long before he married Rebecca Romjin.

            After learning that a stranger had been accidently killed near their rural homes, four Oregon boys (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell) decide to go see the body. Along the way the four boys have a life-changing experience that re-shapes their lives as well as their future. 

            I'm not sure the last time I dived into a kids staring movie I think it was going back in time when the Sandlot was this awesome movie and then watching that movie I felt a little on the cringe side just because Smalls was not knowing baseball and his throwing arm may have been on the cringe side either way just not knowing baseball was just meh, either way it's been a long time and I may need to re-watch the movie sometime. Though with this movie this certainly does feel like a breath of fresh air, moreover does have that comedic feel to it but more importantly you actually feel for four characters and you actually relate to them in a strange way, though my Dad and Mom always loved me and my brother as well as my sister but the way both of these boys actually share their pain on screen is really good acting on the boys part and that's some great direction from Rob Reiner if you ask me. The film is based on Stephan King's short stories or novella which ever that word means, for which is surprising now because I watched the first IT movie in 2017 and thought that was a billion times better than Tim Curry as well as loving the Shawshank Redemption moreover the surprising factor is that some of the non-scary films adapted by Stephan King is much better than the scary ones which I guess is not surprising considering a lot of Stephan King's movies are consisted with him directed a lot of his books. And yet a surprising factor Rob Reiner actually show King the movie in a private screening and King was so, shaken by the film and later King told Rob that this was the greatest adaption of his work he's ever seen, furthermore this maybe the second time I'd agree with Stephan King on, (the other will get to that later) for many great reasons is that this film provides a lot of great coming of age themes as well as great drama through the course of the film that is both refreshing and great at the same time. I would highly recommend watching Stand By Me, because as I said earlier you relate to these four boys and their personal struggles and almost like Good Will Hunting, it has that good and personal drama where we can relate to these characters and their struggles and to me that's what makes good drama in movies not like the Nicholas Sparks crap or any Soap Opera's or Telenovelas' that all the women in planet Earth enjoy. So, if you have a copy of this movie or feel like renting something on your phone than I would highly recommend watching Stand By Me, and hell you can also have your kids sit down and enjoy because I would claim this to be a kid friendly and sure their some swear word or cussing involved but all you got to do is tell your kid not to say those words till they get older and decide whether to shout out the F word in public, which I think all of us millennials have learned in life if you ask me. 

Fear and Desire

 

            The Stanley Kubrick watching experience continues and this time like Killer's Kiss this was the shortest Stanley Kubrick film I've ever seen, though in all fairness this is Stanley Kubrick's first ever movie and like Killer's Kiss this is Kubrick's first ever project where he's blooming int the filmmaker we all come to know and love. Though it was way before he may have kept the Korova milk bar statues and the phallic statue in A Clockwork Orange, boy I'd feel bad for the people who visited his house if you know what I mean.

            After their aero plane crashes behind enemy lines, four soldiers must survive and try to find a way back to their battalion. However, when they come across a local peasant girl the horrors of war become apparent. 

             Now you can look at this film compared to Kubrick's other films, and I would say that this at least is better than Eyes Wide Shut, MAYBE? Better than The Shining or 2001: A Space Odyssey though I'm going to pass that bridge later this year before I decide on which is better than. And so in order to judge a movie like this I have to take out the perfectness that people tend to criticize as well as the quality of the movie, and for a first time director this is actually not bad considering in terms of what limited resources he had to work with, furthermore Kubrick would later on denounce this film from his filmography, for which sure, you can do that I mean it's your own right but you really shouldn't criticize your own first-two films and appreciate them for what they were and watching this movie all the way through I can see what story he was trying to tell with the limited budget he had to work with and the way he was able to accomplish that is pretty cool and more importantly exploring the debts of war and horror moreover what that does to a soldier fighting in World War II and I like the way he shot the film with what he had. And sure some of the acting is a bit strange and a little over the top but you have to see that one of the soldiers are crazy and that's the best craziness he can portray, either way I believe this film is the best first film genre since Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi, and watching Kubrick develop more into a filmmaker is pretty cool to watch as a film fan. Now, there ways to watch this film and you can watch the film on Tubi, though I would vote against it because the film on Tubi is in color and the color version is just awful to even watch and my first attempt to watch the film was pretty bad though I tried to ignore the ugliness to but fifteen minutes in I just couldn't do it anymore. But luckily I found the B&W version on YouTube so, I would HIGHLY, recommend watching Fear and Desire on YouTube and not on Tubi and I think that's one of the many reasons why I would never watch films like It's a Wonderful Life on color because it's just flat out disgusting and I doubt the color is accurate to what they were actually wearing behind the scenes, though there people out there that don't like B&W so people have their own ways in watching classic films I guess. Defiantly better than Eyes Wide Shut, though I would choose Killer's Kiss over Fear and Desire but I think both of them are really good films in showing Kubrick developing himself into a legendary filmmaker and showing why he's such a great cinematographer as well, and for a first time film I would still recommend watching this for anyone trying to develop a movie from scratch. 

  

Presence

 

        A typical Wednesday night, just having one of those days where I must make sure, I have a place to live and more importantly not overreacting about having to research other new things in this decade, because holy crap apps at fast food places drive me bonkers. Anyway, getting back to the point and the point is having spent a stress filled day, and my brother propose to watch a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven and Haywire) moreover written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man), for which after watching this film, I praise the film for its experimental shots as well as an intriguing story.

        A family becomes convinced they are not alone after moving into their new home in the suburbs. Moreover, the family has a massive dysfunctionality written all over their faces though let’s face it makes for a great story. 

        I've already seen this movie twice now and granted this film came out two years ago, but yet at the same time this is hands down one of the greatest movies I've ever seen, and yet what sticks to me more is the fact that Steven Soderbergh all he did was use just regular mirrorless or DSLR camera's that local videographer's use for their wedding's or news coverages as well as a stabilizer for these camera's and really made something out of it almost the same as using wide angle lenses for the fight scenes in Haywire another great movie out of Soderbergh's filmography that I actually like but these film together in what they have in common, is that they're both experimental in their own way but exceptionally great though doubt anyone is going to appreciate them for what they are. The other amazing thing and this is coming from me, is that Soderbergh actually used nylon rubber slippers for the staircase scenes and I always wondered after my first two times viewing the film never understood how he was able to pull those off without any foot sounds and now having heard about this fact I actually want to buy me some rubber slippers just to try it out. Sure this film cost a grand total of 2 million dollars to make but in all fairness majority of that money went to Lucy Liu, who actually does a great job in the movie playing the difficult mother, but a lot of the credit goes to Callina Liang who does a superb job playing the outsider in the family that's a bit of rebellious but also relatable, moreover does an excellent job playing the main protagonist that begins to sense things through the rest of the movie. Now for sure this film does have all the elements of a typical Poltergeist movie or The Haunting, where you have a typical dysfunctional family always bickering, two out of the two members don't believe in the supernatural and deep down you'll have the feeling of when you see one Haunted movie you've seen them all, but with this movie it has the refreshing feel of something new and different that I love about the film. I'm not going to spoil any details about the film because again this is hands down one of the greatest movies I've seen in this entire decade so, far and I would highly recommend anyone watching this film because again this is a limited budget and experimental in every way that has a great feel that just makes this film great in my opinion. Either way this film is amazing, and I love every minute of it, and look at if you have Hulu or Disney Plus bundle then I would tell you all, to STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW AND JUST SIT DOWN AND WATCH PRESENCE RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE! And there is all I have to say before I go on and on about how great this film is.  

       

        

A Bridge Too Far

 

          

            Well, it's like this I'm still going on a massive quest in becoming the ultimate cinema fan, kind of like spending majority of my time on Dungeons and Dragons. For which I've done a fairly good job in watching a ton of Kubrick's movies as well as some Japanese films and Samurai movies. Though I haven't necessarily found the ultimate hidden treasures and with the help from my brother by providing me with a list of films to watch, I now can begin my quest of watching the right movies to watch as well as enjoying more appreciative films. Starting with a World War II movie that to me is most certainly in the top five best World War II movies ever made.

            Late in 1944, the Allies seem to have the upper hand in the European land war. A combined British and American paratrooper force, led by American General Gavin (Ryan O’Neal) and British General Urquhart (Sean Connery), plans to take a highway leading from the Netherlands into Germany, so that the British ground troops led by Lieutenant General Horrocks (Edward Fox) and Lieutenant Colonel Vandeleur (Michael Caine) can enter enemy territory. But the Allies soon learn that they may be overconfident. 

            In one of the rare few times in life, I'm glad to have forgotten a lot of my history lessons in High School, and watching something like this, where you’re on the edge of your seat as well as watching the Allies trying to conquer Germany but then turns of events hit and your like, "Really?" Now, I'm going to stop right there for the sake of the review just because I don't want to spoil any details about this great movie, A Bridge Too Far is a World War II movie based on the events of an Operation gone wrong (Operation Market Garden), almost like the events of Dunkirk in fact I'm told from listening to a book by William Goldman that these two events, England actually celebrate which is weird but I guess in a fair sense we celebrate the Great Depression at times? Although the States are always in debt so, they were secretly celebrating the Great depression. If you were raised with The Princess Bride, than you need to thank the late William Goldman for making your childhood worthwhile, and a surprising factor is that Goldman started off as a Novelist (aka Author), he actually had no interest in wanting to be a screenwriter, and so, he started off writing books as well as short stories and poetry then later when on to do works in the theater in New York furthermore with twists of fate, went on to Hollywood and written some underappreciative classics. Like a ton of Robert Redford's films, but more importantly written the classic novel The Princess Bride as well as helping the late Rob Reiner bring “The Princess Bride” to the big screen. Richard Attenborough is another great example of if you don't know this guy well I will give you the infamous line that ever came from Attenborough's mouth "Welcome, to Jurassic Park" and the surprising factor is that he's directed a ton of movies, as well as winning two Academy Awards for his direction on the film Gandhi in 1983, for which Sir Ben Kingsley won for Best Actor. So, deep down Richard Attenborough has been this almost forgotten filmmaker and after watching this I now need to watch all his movies, well, maybe one at a time you can never trust some of these filmmakers because let's be fair Steven Spielberg lost his mind after 2015. Now, if I had to pick a shot that I found was the best and needs to bring back into filmmaking now, is the entire paratrooper army landing on the Netherlands and Attenborough knew he had only one chance to pull it off and so, to ensure he had the coverage he wanted he used a grand total of 19 cameras rolling during the paratrooper drop and the way he did it is flat out awesome almost the same way Coppola shot the Valkyrie scene in Apocalypse Now. Moreover, the tone of the battle sequences looks so legit especially when you see the battle on the bridge sequences it's almost like you’re transported into the battle itself and either way I love the way it turns out and would stamp in approval, considering this as the best battle sequences in any WWII movie. What's great about this movie is that you even have a huge list of A-list actors in this movie from Sean Connery just six years after is time as James Bond, as well as Academy Award winners Michael Caine and Sir Anthony Hopkins it's almost like an Avengers for British actors ready to destroy the Nazi's. And the same goes with Robert Redford as well as Elliot Gould and to those who've never heard of Elliot Gould, he was one of the main financiers for George Clooney and Brad Pitt on the Ocean's Eleven trilogy back in 2001. But you also got James Caan delivering a great performance in helping a brother in arms, as well as Gene Hackman though he's not playing an American in this movie but also delivers a great performance as well. When you think of World War II movies in general you'd always know that the Allies of course win the war and it's really a matter of how, you as writer or even a filmmaker can give the audience a refresher in terms of how to make a epic war movie new and different, more importantly what story you can tell that we as an audience member don't know about. And with this movie this is a grand and epic battle where the odds tend to shift and your worry for each of these characters in if they become victorious or not, and both Goldman and Attenborough really do a fantastic job in bringing this film to life. Now if you’re looking for an epic War movie, I would highly recommend watching A Bridge Too Far, this was an epic movie with a great ensemble of tremendous actors who don't have a ton of on-screen time but deliver in the best way possible. Now, keep in mind that this film is three hours long so, if you’re having a hard time paying attention to the movie just take constant breaks in between the film. And although I've seen this film on Amazon Prime the film is also on Tubi so, if you have both streaming services then this will be the film for you to watch in January.

                

January Recommendation: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

 

        I believe after watching Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls I knew that the movie that started it all for Jim Carrey besides the Dumb and Dumber and The Mask, also I looked back at my passed movie reviews and I was shocked to realize that I haven't reviewed Ace Ventura: Pet Detective for which really I was shocked but then again I haven't reviewed The Mask yet, so, in all fairness I'm very lazy. Although all these films are great, moreover, Jim Carrey success beyond measure as well as making him a household name as well as the best comedic actor of the 90's. 

        When the Miami Dolphins, Mascot is abducted, Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey), a zany private investigator who specializes in finding missing animals, investigates the case. Soon Miami's star QB Dan Marino is kidnapped as well, making Ace's sleuth work even more pressing. Working with representative Melissa Robinson (Courteney Cox), Ace closes in on the culprits, but not before many ridiculous misadventures.

        Chairmen and CEO of Morgan Creek Productions, James G. Robinson, in the early 90's, sought to produce a comedy that would have a wide appeal. Gag writer at the time Tom Shadyac pitched a rewrite script to Robinson and was hired as a director for what would be Shadyac's directorial debut. Robinson later recognized Jim Carrey after watching In Living Color (a Sketch Comedy) furthermore found him perfect for the title role as Ace Ventura. At first, Ace Ventura was supposed to be a bumbling idiot, until Jim Carrey was cast, he made some conditions in terms of the character, and that his character would be zany as physically possible, but the more important condition for his character despite his quirks and eccentricity, should be good at what he does. And personally I think that's what makes Ace Ventura such a watchable movie especially the second film is yeah, not matter how crazy this guy is, the guy does know what he's doing and I almost rank him up there with Sam Spade from the Maltese Falcon, Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe's characters in The Nice Guys and Ace Ventura as the greatest PI's in movie history. Even with Jim Carrey in the title role, you also have a great list of supporting actors and actresses as well as the young and beautiful, Courteney Cox who does and excellent job being the love interest as well as being a trustworthy alley for Ace, even Sean Young does a great job playing the over the top police chief who doesn't take Ace seriously but later has a dark secret. Though more importantly Dan Marino does a great job in the movie just playing Dan Marino moreover is excellent on screen but could also act with Jim Carrey and especially in some of my favorite scenes where Jim is trying to get Dan to the game and both are complimenting each other on their personalities. Tony Shadyac deserves a lot of credit in his directorial debut, for good reasons he shows great trust and allowing Jim Carrey to develop the character further and to see what works and what doesn't work and personally that shows a lot about how directors and comedic actors should trust one another in terms what's good and what's not good and at times maybe taking the ego out to the trash but that's just referring to the breakup of Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. Though, more importantly both men worked on the script for the film as well as collaborating again on "Liar Liar" for which did extremely well, and for being a gag writer as well as finding some promise in the script that shows that taking a leap of faith does pay off at times, moreover trusting your up and coming, comedic talent to make this film a success. In the month of January, I've slowly began to realize that January is hands down the worst month of the year simply because, Christmas comes to an end and everyone is absolute Scrooges, by already taking down their decorations and believe me I live in a town of Nebraska where they have the entire business section of town entirely in Christmas lights and you don't want to escape that great view of the section of town, but then when New Years Day ends all the decorations are taken down then you feel gloom and depressed because having to go back to reality and every normal person would know that reality sucks. More importantly January takes way to long and we all have to do sh*t that we don't want to do in life, and the point that I'm trying to make here is that when it comes to the month of January where we all become miserable in our own personal lives, a really good comedy is always the best thing to watch in the month of January and having watched both of the Ace Ventura films and appreciating them for what they are. And the first Ace Ventura is a perfect example, have a great time and laugh at the obscure and ridicules comedies and if you’re a fan of Jim Carrey's earlier comedies then I would highly recommend watching not only Ace Ventura: Pet Detective as well as Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. But more importantly if you’re dealing with a lot of BS in your personal life during January, it's never too late to have a comedic refresher and watching comedies are always the cure to a terrible month like January. 

          

Anaconda

 

 

        You remember the song from Sir-Mix-a-Lot, Baby Got Back? As well as the lyric "my anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, hun"? Well six years prior to the release of that classic song I never thought they would come out with a movie titled Anaconda. And no, it's not about a man's polish sausage. It's all about a huge ass, computer generated Anaconda, and the fact that they promote this movie to be a scary, type of a film is funny to watch even after all those years.

        Filmmaker Terri Flores (Jennifer Lopez) is traveling deep the amazon jungle looking for a forgotten tribe. Terri and her crew, which includes an anthropologist (Eric Stoltz) and a cameraman (Ice Cube), come across Paul (Jon Voight), who is stranded on the riverbank. He offers to help but secretly puts the entire crew in danger by hunting a very big snake.

        I was aware of this movie by the time of its release as well as seeing the film on cable TV couple of times but, again was one of those films that I never in a million years had the interest in wanting to watch the movie, until now when I saw the film on a local streaming service I figured "what the hell" like I had nothing better to do. Not a whole lot of development info I could find in terms of the film, other than the CGI for the Anacondas cost roughly 100,000 dollars per second, for which sh*t I don't know how they were able to accomplish that though it was piss poor job since the snake looks so, bad that you can look how fake it is to even seen almost like a Sharknado type of bad. As much as I want to make jokes about Jennifer Lopez role choices but sadly this movie along with Selena, was her big break before she became the crazy woman that divorces more men than the Dallas Cowboys not trying to win a Super Bowl. The same goes with Ice Cube because that man was only in certain movie like Boyz in the Hood or Friday because he's kind of like a Daniel Day Lewis type of actor that only picks the certain movies despite them not being that great. Although the one Actor in this entire movie I can make fun of is Jon Voight because his character of course is a shady character who only cares about himself and yet they decide to bring him on, furthermore has a strange accent that I don't know if it's supposed to be a Spanish type of an accent or he's just doing his best impression of Al Pacino's Tony Montana from Scarface, I'm certain that he's supposed to be a South African poacher but doesn't really matter considering every time he's on screen, I'm still confused on his choice of accent moreover hoping if he's going to say to the snake "SAY HELLO, TO MY LITTLE FRIEND". Now having watched the movie, I'm a little curious on how the people who are terrified of snakes would react to watching a computer generated snake, though sure they would refuse to watch this movie of course, but when you tell them it’s a fake snake not the best looking snake I would love to see if they try and watch the movie, either way it would be funny to make them watch this movie only to be scared by a computer generated snake because the snakes in Raiders of the Lost Ark were a hundred percent real than the fake Anaconda. This is defiantly one movie I wouldn't recommend in fact this would explain why this kind of movie would be released in the springtime for 97, just to fill the gap of mediocre movies that would later come out, but then again it shows that Hollywood still hasn't changed a thing. And yet the sad thing is that this movie isn't even close to being a funny bad movie, furthermore, would prove why I wouldn't recommend anyone in wanting to watch this movie.