Movies I haven't seen in a While: Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken

 

                                   This ladies and gentlemen is a movie I haven't seen in ages but yet deserves a Movie I haven't seen in a while review. Wild Hearts can't be broken is a movie my sister loved so much, and of course what ever my sister loved to watch I had to sit down and watch as well, mainly because she had the remote control, and now being thirty six years old my brother who's a guardian to two little girls to his ex, told me about this movie he's planning to watch and all I had to see was one image cover and my lights lit up of shock and remembering watching a girl diving with a horse, which before when I watch the movie I was like why would they do that? But it's a depression era movie so that makes sense. I will say, this is one of those movies that has it's entertaining moments along with a nostalgic Disney logo, though through the course of the movie felt a little bored but deep down thought it was fun to see, from beginning to end.

                                   Thrilled by a performance she sees in at a fair, Sonara (Gabrielle Anwar) tries to land a spot as a daredevil who rides horses off a high dives. With the help of Al Carver (Michael Schoeffling), whose father runs the show, Sonara towards her goal. An injury to star rider Marie (Kathleen York) paves her way, and Sonara finds herself on the diving platform. Her life looks complete now that she and Al are in love, but Sonara is about to be trust into a very trying chapter in her life.

                                   Reliving this movie, it does bring back a lot of memories in terms of scenes and story lines that I remember while watching the movie. And to be honest when I had planned to watch the movie I keep questioning myself on why the hell would they horses dive or why this would be a thing? Like these were questions that seemed confusing before I watched this, then I realized that the film was set in the Great Depression Era and that made a tone of sense, because lets face it in a crummy part in American history for many reasons people during that era, people where craving for entertainment especially at a cheap value and especially when it comes the fair. Though once the movie starts I did have a nostalgic vibe when the classic Disney opening comes up to play and being that kid who watched classic Disney cartoons that was no doubt the most awesome thing of that whole movie, hell that was the only thing that made this movie exciting though in fairness the movie alone was still decent to watch. Now having seen the movie, I just have so many different emotions about the movie, a lot of it goes with the direction of the movie especially when the Cliff Robertson who plays the father/owner of the road show is being hard on Sonara because he is simply saying nobody gives it to you, you have to take it, and yet his son is criticizing him for being to hard on her which I'm like "do you listen to yourself"? And really the actor who plays the character of Al whose no doubt the worst part at times because he's kind of like Adrian from Rocky 4 where through the course of the movie he's like "YOU CAN'T WIN", just the most overrated type of character that we've seen multiple times in past eighties and nineties movies. Moreover there where moments in the movie we're I myself felt like I was being tortured by Mr. God in South Park and I was just like "Oh God, I'm so bored somebody help me" and this was a ninety minute movie, so there where multiple times I had to pause the movie and take a break. There where moments, especially in the last parts of the movie where why couldn't hire a expert to help the Sonara out with her condition she was in during the last act of the movie but again this was one of these movies where I wanted to fix the movie but in reality it's already been made. Now I"m not going to lie when I say that this movie is still good to watch, I mean it's a feel good film or coming of age movie so there are moments where it's kind of interesting to watch for the first time. As a movie whole this was defiantly a decently made movie from start to finish, despite the fact that I still had mix emotions about the movie I would defiantly recommend watching this movie especially with he kids. So, If your feeling nostalgic when it comes to classic Disney films, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken is defiantly one of those films to watch.               

                                    

                                          

Valentine

 

                                  

                                    I cannot really tell you all what was going through my head, in terms of wanting to watch this average look of a movie. Though I can honestly tell you that in fairness it is the last few weeks of February furthermore I remember watching bits and pieces of this movie so, deep down if I don't watch this movie, it will most certainly be reminding me throughout the year of 2023. So, I guess it is time I would talk about one more Valentine’s Day movie? Valentine is one of those movies as a kid growing up, I would remember watching on Cable previews like Dish on Demand previews, and then seeing on Cable network and thought eh, do not feel like re-watching again. Unfortunately, Tubi is the criminal mastermind behind me rediscovering this B-movie flick. I will say for a mediocre movie I this I must say it packs some recognizable cast from the detective of Bones to Denise Richards aka Christmas Jones and Katherine Heigl aka Katherine Heigl.

                                    Love is in the air. On the most romantic day of the year, would-be-lovers woo hearts with flowers, candy, cards, and gifts. Best friends Kate (Marley Shelton), Paige (Denise Richards), Dorothy (Jessica Capshaw, aka Kate Capshaw's daughter), Lily (Jessica Cauffiel) and Shelly (Katherine Heigl) are young women looking for a relationship--- a Valentine to die for. And this year they might just get their wish.

                                    Like I know what you did Last Summer, this movie has full-fledged capacity of being a great movie, unfortunately this movie just falls flat on its face or shots it is foot off with a shotgun and it's really sad considering that this movie was based on a book. But, what's really sad is that this is a movie about a awkward nerdy kid taking revenge on five mostly four girls who bullied him in high school, and this is considered a slasher but why in God's name would I want to care for the women especially when they bullied a weaker boy? Now, if this where me directing and writing the movie I would most handily make this a male version of a Promising Young Woman but without the rape, then have the woman who did not bully the killer become a detective solving these murders and goes on the trail of a madman. See, this is like writing 101 where you can take such a simple concept and with the right actors and actress that are not Denise Richards or Katherine Heigl, you would have an exceptionally great film. But no, this movie focuses on women who have absolutely no chance at having a relationship because they refuse to look at themselves in the mirror, and we continue the process in focusing on how scum and not pretty men are and we must follow that it is just so lame on so many reasons. Now let's be honest Heigl had a smaller role in the movie so her getting killed off is hands down the most awesome thing I've ever seen, and not even Denise Richards body helped this film a ton mainly because her character was clearly the b***h of the movie and to be honest her entire career was a lie after Wild Things, the other interesting thing I found out was Kate Capshaw's kid Jessica Capshaw is in this movie who may also be the father of Steven Spielberg, furthermore I felt like she pulled her inner acting out from her mother when she was in Temple of Doom, though again I refused to feel for these ladies moreover they didn't get much punishment then they deserved in the movie. If I had to give the movie some compliment it would most certainly be some of the kills in fact I give the kills in the move a C for effort, for which is a passing grade at least, one of which happens to be where the killer uses a bow and arrow to knock off the girls which I was impressed moreover thought that was great, then we had kills where Denise Richards gets trapped in the Hot Tub and the killer drills some holes but then gives up and just throws the drill in the tub, which makes no sense to me. Again, this movie has potential of being a great movie though it is just like the sports bloopers where it is funny but gets sad from start to finish. I will say if I had to pick a movie, I would want to remake this would defiantly be one of those films, as a movie recommendation? I would say if you had Tubi go nuts, but I would say you would regret it.

        

February Recommendation: Laura

 

                                       

                                       Remember the old expression, Love makes you do crazy things? Well in my latest monthly recommendation, it is exactly shows what it means to fall for someone who does not except it. Laura was another one of those great film noirs’ that I just found by accident but in a good way possible, it was literally after watching The Third Man that I started to get obsessed with film noir and Laura was on the list of film noirs to watch. So, I thought why not checking this out and at first I had this movie pegged for a moment that this was going to be one of those movies that the protagonist was going to be obsessed with the victim moreover was going to go crazy, but then the twist and turns came around and I was like "holly crap this is amazing" Staring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews who sincerely make this movie work and Vincent Price before long before he became the master of B-movie horror. This year I had to spice things up, mainly because I just need a breath of fresh air and honestly this was a great decision, I have made in the month of Valentine’s Day also, no romantic comedy can top The Cutting Edge.

                                       Manhattan detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of Madison Avenue executive Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) in her fashionable apartment. On the trail of her murderer, McPherson quizzes Laura's arrogant best friend, gossip columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb) and her comparatively mild fiancée, Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price). Through the course of the case things start to turn interesting when nothing you would expect becomes real.

                                        The thing that makes this film one of the greatest films of all time is, the fact that it immerses you the moment you turn the film on, you begin to understand that the character of Laura has died/murdered and Andrews character is assigned to investigate on who killed this beautiful woman, then you meet these great actors that bring these suspects to life, you first meet Clifton Webb's character who when you first see him is this up tight narcissistic gossip columnist that nobody likes but yet you see that he's doesn't look like a killer or someone you'd never pegged to have wanted to kill someone but gives you an inside of how he met Laura and the same goes to both Vincent Price and Judith Anderson who despise Webb's character but yet you get the feeling that they would be capable of murder. And really that's what makes this film great is that the film takes its time with point A and B moreover gives you a layout on what the mystery is and who could possibly be the number one suspect, but then again at first when watching the movie I thought that McPherson was going to lose his mind over a dead woman, but then it introduces a twist that makes you believe that oh there's something more to the case and nothing of what you first heard or thought of isn't what it seems, furthermore I don't want to spoil everything because I want you all to watch this great movie. The book itself is really a first-person narrative and it is really written by each of the character's point of view and what I like about the film is that you follow it like a normal film noir where you go through the protagonist journey till the very end. Otto Preminger who I've known in terms of movie roles and television though I'd sometimes forget that it was him, he was in the infamous Stalag 17 where he plays the Nazi warden of the POW camp then in the mid-sixties played Mr. Freeze in the Batman TV series, but he really started off in Hollywood as a movie director/producer and Laura he was originally producing the movie but he had his own version of the movie where he actually clashed with the original director till he was like "you know what you think, you can do better? Go ahead, be my guest", and long behold he made one of the great romance/mysteries of all time. Both Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews makes this film great and bring a lot of talent to the table, this was my first time experiencing Gene Tierney as an actress and she does a fantastic job playing this young up and coming executive in which blooms into a drop dead gorgeous woman who every man wants to be with for Dana Andrews, if I had to make a list of the top two actors that can play the tough guy detectives it would most certainly be Humphrey Bogart and Dana Andrews. Andrews really does a great job playing a detective that knows when a lie is being said and has the presence that has the sort of fear that once you cross him, you would get what you deserve, I mean hell he sucker-punches Price in the stomach and I thought that was the most awesome/bad a** moment in the whole film. Speaking of Vincent Price, once I saw his name in the opening titles I was like "OH SNAP" because this was a much younger Vincent Price before he becomes this iconic b-movie horror legend but in a way, he does a great job playing the good-looking guy that is obviously wanting Laura for himself, but you see is only about himself. A side from Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews who both do exceptional work in the movie but Clifton Webb who plays the middle age columnist seems like a sort of alley in this murder mystery because he tells the story of how he meet Laura to Andrews character in the first act of the movie but through the course of the second and third act you slowly see that he's not what you think he is, moreover the interesting fact was that Webb was a stage actor for most of his life and Otto was really persistent in wanting to cast Webb as the hated gossip columnist so, in his mid-fifties he got his big role and delivers on it. I am not going to lie, it is hard finding a great romantic comedy or to be truthful I fear I am running out of some of my personal favorite rom-coms and so, sitting down and watching Laura I got to admit it felt like a breath of fresh air especially when you are trying to mix things up on Valentine's Day. So, I highly recommend watching Laura, it is one of the greatest murder/mystery movies I have ever seen moreover one of the greatest movies ever made.

                              

                                  

Football Recommendation: North Dallas Forty

 

     

                                         

                                       As football season comes to an end, except for the two contenders for the super bowl. I thought of what better way to recommend a football film in case your missing football or wanting to give XFL or USFL a chance. North Dallas Forty is a film that takes a good look into professional football players in the seventies that sacrifice their body and ability and yet has no appreciation by the owners and coaches. Staring young Nick Nolte in the best performance I have ever seen. The film is based on a semi-autobiographical by former football player Peter Gent who just so happen to play football with the Dallas Cowboys, though was an overshadowed player. A side from Rudy which is a great film I have to say that North Dallas Forty is one of the best football films ever.

                                       A brutal satire of American professional football in which a veteran pass-catchers individually and refusal to become part of the team "family" is bitterly resented by his disciplinarian coaches. The National Football League refused to help in the production of this movie, suggesting it may have been too near the truth for comfort. From the novel by former NFL player Peter Gent.

                                       The best way to describe Peter Gent was really Nick Nolte's character even though he the character is based on Gent. Gent never played a down in College, but the Dallas Cowboys were impressed by his athleticism and offered him a tryout, though the coaches looked at him and knew that his best chances into making the team was to have him play wide receiver and fortunately Gent made the team and turned down a contract offer from the NBA team at the time Baltimore Bullets, though Gent had an impressive football career he only played around four years with the Cowboys, but made a great friendship with the first Dallas Cowboy QB Don Meredith. And as fate would have its Gent left football for good and wrote his first book that made a name for him based on his time playing for Dallas. The thing that makes the movie so great to watch than other football films, is that you feel for these players and it isn't just Nolte's character you feel for all of the players on the team and that's what I look for when it comes to a football film, furthermore the movie itself isn't like Friday Night Lights where Hollywood lies you to you about what really happens or Varsity Blues where you only need to watch it once because it gets so dull. However, when it comes to North Dallas Forty, I feel like this is a football film that I can watch it repeatedly moreover it does not get old once I watch it. The other thing in what makes the film amazing to watch is the main issues when it comes to professional football as a whole, sure football now is different since salaries and better equipment are up to date, but when it was in its early years or better term silver age years, the equipment that the players where using were not reliable in keeping them safe especially when the helmets had no padding and you could still have a broken noise when coming onto the field and the thing I like about the film is Nolte's face mask has less protection in terms of his face and the opening scene you see him with a bloody noise. Nick Nolte is the real reason why I am a big fan of the movie, he does a fantastic job playing a rebellious, veteran football player that knows he is broken down on the inside but does not want to believe that his football career is over and is a down to earth guy who falls in love with Dayle Haddon's character. Moreover, though the course of the film every one of the football players are crazy but Nolte's the only guy that realizes how unappreciative the league is especially when they force painkillers down the players throats, and it takes Nolte through the entire film to realize that is time in football is coming to an end, so deep down Nolte did a fantastic job carrying this film on his back and giving the respect it deserves. Another actor I have to give complements is David Lautrec who plays the rookie in the movie who becomes naïve through the course of the film, and yes every actor does a great job but Lautrec's performance in the film was really believable in not wanting to use any drugs but is pressured by his own coaches into taking them even if it means severely hurting himself and he does a great job at playing a naïve rookie and does it really well, and deserves credit especially since I couldn't find him at all in terms of research. Rudy of course is an amazing football movie about a die-hard fan dreaming to play Notre Dame football in which every football fan dreams of wanting to do that in life despite the lack of ability, North Dallas Forty really shows the harshest tones when it comes to playing football at a professional level and both films are exceptionally great I would most certainly rank both films in the top two spots of the greatest football films ever made. Sadly, this film feels like it is a forgotten film that you had no idea existed and it really needs to be seen by every fan of Football to be understood as a film that takes a hard look of what it is like to play football in the early seventies, upon which the book and film was released at that time. If the XFL or USFL is not your cup of tea than I would highly recommend watching North Dallas Forty for many and obviously reasons I consider this as one of the greatest football films ever made by human hands, even though Rudy is another exceptional film so in all honesty they are both great films. 

    

                                         

                                        

The Black Swan

 

                                     Well, it is February it is obviously the month of St. Valentine and love stories from Television and Movies, and though I really cannot make a list of many Romantic films I look as amazing than any other movie I decided to take a dive into classic Swashbuckling films. Moreover, I loved Tyrone Power's performance in Nightmare Alley so what better way to pick a movie that made him a household name, also this was one of the few movies I found on YouTube, so The Black Swan was the perfect contender to sit down and review. The best way I would describe the swashbuckling genre is that they were really consisting of men in tights with lots and lots of fencing through the course of the movie with a love story to go along with it. The genre made both Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn famous moreover the perfect men to make these action adventure films believable mainly because these men where good looking and they can do their own stunts in terms of fighting. The Black Swan, I would look at as a perfect fun style of action with a love story that reminds me of the Marriage Story.

                                     With the pardon of notorious pirate Henry Morgan (Laird Cregar) by the English King, Caribbean pirates are offered amnesty if they give up their lawless ways. As Governor of Jamaica, Morgan picks Captain Jaime Waring (Tyrone Power) to round up the renegade Captain Billy Leech (George Sanders). Beautiful Margaret Denby (Maureen O'Hara) complicates matters for Waring, as her scorn for him is matched only by his love for her.

                                      Watching this movie whole, I have to say that this is almost like a movie genre in reverse, mainly because now it's like every year there's a superhero movie coming out for which feels annoying at times and yet I'm starting to think that people back in the thirties and forties where probably tired of the swashbuckling genre or the ten chapter movie serials, although the main differences people back then were dealing with the great depression and WW2, while this generation is dealing with the Government being obnoxiously stupid playing games with people's lives. And yet I would say the main difference back then and now is that Hollywood can come out with something new and different when it comes to going to the movies and you would feel like having to watch something fresh and new, Hollywood now, is like they're not even trying at all to make a movie furthermore are just rehashing old scripts and remaking the same old material over and over so deep down I would say that this generation has really gone down the toilet in terms of trying to create something new and different even though I've been saying that so many times. The Black Swan I have to admit was a breath of fresh air, though deep down it's not as great as Nightmare Alley in terms of Power's best performances but this movie was no doubt one of those adventure films that the studio's forced it upon Power's furthermore had no choice but to accept and even though this was the first action adventure film of Tyrone Power's work this was defiantly a movie that he absolutely made it work. Moreover, this film came out two years after the Mark of Zorro was released so you can tell that Power was the right choice to play the pirate Jaime Waring especially since he is required to handle a sword so it's like he was born for these roles. Maureen O'Hara who, I've watch her all of my life from such films like The Quiet Man, McLintock and Big Jake for which she was the leading lady to a good portion of John Wayne's movies and watching her performance it's like there is nothing she can't do she can play a strong independent woman then go to a damsel in distress character for which there's a great reason why I look at her as one of the greatest movie actresses of all time. The love story between Power and O'Hara gave me a chuckle inside because it really does remind me of the film Marriage Story where they spend a good portion just bickering at one another so in all honesty it's like Marriage Story but only they fall in love with one another in the end, although to be honest I would say if I kidnap a woman and force her to fall in love with me I would get a restraint order placed on me moreover would be branded a creep for the rest of my life, though let's be honest all men are creeps it's to what extent you are as a creep. The most awesome thing about this movie is seeing Uncle Billy in this pirate film aka Thomas Mitchell for which was so surprised to hear his voice on screen, moreover, thought he does an excellent job playing the comic relief of the film moreover playing the reliable sidekick to Tyrone Power. Seeing the first of many swashbuckling films that Tyrone Power starred in I have to say that this was a great find and great movie from start to finish though it was a little be slow at first, but it gets good by the end of the frame. So, if you are getting tired of watching so many romantic comedies, I would highly recommend watching the Black Swan.

     

                                           

Don't Worry Darling

 

                                Well believe it ladies and gentlemen the impossible has happened, I finally watched Don't Worry Darling. That is right a movie that was so famous and probably the most controversial movie? I mean the film itself started off with some drama or social debate on whether Harry Styles spited on Chris Pine, which if you are going to be that big of an a**hole at least go out and spit on his face, do not just spit on his crotch. The other thing that makes this film famous for was that Ted Lasso aka Jason Sudeikis filed divorce papers to her wife Olivia Wilde (the director of the film) while she was at the premiere doing the presentation. Here's the other bizarre thing, both Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles dated around January of 2021 and this was during their meeting in the process of filming, but then she dumped his ass in November of 2022 and that was after Don't Worry Darling was released, now I don't know what really happened but the way I believed happen was because there was a few sex scenes in the movie where Harry and star Florence Pugh, and in her bizarre twisted fetish dumped him over being jealous. For which I really believe there is a lesson when it comes to up-and-coming filmmakers is, do not be in relationships with actors and actresses because they have massive ego's moreover Len Wiseman film his wife (Kate Beckinsale) having sex with her co-star in Underworld: Evolution, then years later they separated. Alright enough talk let us get right into why I am glad to of watched Don't Worry Darling.

                                In the 1950's, Alice and Jack (Florence Pugh and Harry Styles) live in an idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top-secret project. While the husbands toil away, the wives get to enjoy the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their seemingly perfect paradise. However, when cracks of something sinister lurking below the surface, Alice cannot help but question exactly what she is doing in Victory. 

                                I must admit, I am glad I watched though I had this movie pegged to be a film about a Cult living somewhere in the desert via watching the trailers. But the main reason why I am so glad in watching this film was because I realized how much I hated this f**king movie. Now granted I could have avoided all of this by not watching the movie, though in all honesty it was really in a sense of curiosity like sure I knew what this movie was supposed to be, but I did not realize how much obnoxious it was turning out to be moreover the boredom that was growing inside me. If this movie were just simply a cult settling somewhere in Death Valley in this year and the cult was a 1950-60's style of society this movie would be kind of fun, maybe? But this was just a disaster from once we hit the thirty-minute mark to forward on. And it really was not simply that this was a cult but the fact that they combined a movie that is a cult combined with a computer simulation, that is where it gets repetitive. Especially that this is directed by Olivia Wilde who in her twisted mind wanted to make a movie that consist the setting of the fifties and sixties era where the men go to work and women stay home and cook is just more of convenient and more annoying moreover let's be honest if I want to live in a perfect computer simulation world I don't want to live in a perfect, peaceful sixties era with a wife and having to go to work. For many reasons I would be so bored out of my mind, hell I want live in a chaotic world where I am a private investigator in the forties style New York environment like Bogart. As an actress Olivia Wilde's character actually knows that this was a simulation and yet she throws her best friend under the bus then finally helps her in the end, if it where me I would off say “b***h when I get out I'm going to pull you out and destroy your equipment so you can't see your kids" but know we have this conversation where Pugh tells her, her kids weren't really and Wilde says there real to me in here, which is overrated. I got to admit I really wanted to feel bad for Florence Pugh and Harry Styles because Pugh she has done some great work, I thought she was amazing in Outlaw King, Styles who was in Dunkirk for which was a good choice for a young actor wanting to branch out. And really I wanted to feel bad for these two actors and actresses, but in all honesty there's this thing called reading and I refuse to believe that these two didn't read the script at all to say that this was a great read and role, and if that's not the case and if they did read the script, the other thing is ego, the ego in thinking that this would be the best movie ever and the same goes to Wilde in reworking the story as well. And I really clocked the film when I say that once we hit the thirty-minute mark and then Pugh's character begins to see things that are not right or something disturbing I just felt bored and annoyed moreover felt that the film was getting too repetitive especially when Pugh's character is getting into all freak mode in every scene, she is going ballistic. Styles it felt like is accent was changing from American accent to back to his normal British accent, and even when you get to see that he was not an all-good locking guy near the third act of the movie and see that he is a scum bag, you felt like uh cannot this movie not be so convenient. Even Chris Pine was phoning his performance in, moreover you can obviously say that he needs the money or did not read the script, but I truly believed that once filming started, he was like oh crap this movie sucked, and I cannot bail out, so I am going to just half a** it all the way through. Now I do not know the whole story between Shia LaBeouf and Olivia Wilde moreover it is not my place to believe whose right in this scenario, but I truly believe he dodged a bullet though I do not think he knows it, or it was an act in order to get out of the movie, hell who knows but I have to say the man did a wise choice in bailing out. Again, I am glad to of sat down and watched this movie and realizing how much I hated it, for its failure to keep the cult and computer simulation a secret but also that this was written to be a feminist film where the women are slaves is just so annoying to me. If I had to rank this movie in the top five worst films it would certainly be, behind Sucker Punch and Southland Tales, and if you are wondering if those two movies are bad? Just take my word when I say oh yeah, those are extremely bad.