June Recommendation: The Master of Ballantrae

 

                                       Originally, I was going to pick the Adventures of Robin Hood to be my June Recommendation of this year, but after watching this amazing film the Master of Ballantrae which starred Errol Flynn and was William Keighley's final film as a director. I just had to recommend this for the month of June. For many reasons this was another great swashbuckling film like the Adventures of Robin Hood, but also was the first film were Bob Anderson the famous real-life swordsman's first film as a Sword Master but was the leading towards success for him as well as a great career in futures to come. 

                                      Two Scottish brothers engage in a fierce sibling rivalry while battling pirates and British soldiers. 

                                       Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote The Master of Ballantrae written a lot of famous books, great examples are Treasure Island and the most famous tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde which explored a tone of great things that involve the human or good side of us to the evil and horrible side of us all, and The Master of Ballantrae is another of one of those great tales of two brothers turn enemies and to be honest, it's a great story to tell but also great to watch especially when you have leading man Errol Flynn at the helm. The most shocking thing I found out that this film came out six years before Flynn died, for which I thought "wow" I had no clue, for many reasons I thought the man would live forever, although the other shocking thing was that he died at the age of 50 years old, furthermore thought like crap I wonder what happened, and I guess what I've learned was that he died of a heart attack moreover had a lot of pain in his body moreover didn't do a great job in taking care of his body for which is really sad in reading about it, moreover gets you to realize that you don't have a lot of time on this earth and hell I would imagine he'd live forever. And even though he didn't live long he still lives long in in his films and it's movies like The Master of Ballantrae is what makes him a living legend. Like, Robin Hood the film itself does hold up when it comes to action/adventure but deep down I kind of prefer this movie over Robin Hood when it comes to the Errol Flynn films I've seen so far, and the main reason why I like this other than the story line is that the sword fights seem much more better and much more realistic than Robin Hood granted that these films were separated fifteen years apart from each other but in truth this what make the swordsman teaching of Bob Anderson so legendary in fact Anderson to a leave from the British Royal Marines to participate in the movie, for which spawned a great long run of teaching Hollywood actors in movies. Now I know your all are going to be butt hurt or acted like your offended about what I'm going to say but what I'm telling you all is simply the truth, this generation of movies SUCK, summer movies are nothing but absolute garbage, I mean for f**k sake we literally just went through five years of nothing but superhero movies, remakes, and sequel's that necessarily didn't need to be made (Fast X) WITHOUT EVEN BLINKING! Corporations are the reason why movies are just trash, they just must sneak into the sets or the writing rooms and screw it up and that's why corporates need to stay away, moreover the producers now are what they are because they did something wrong just like Tom Cruise when he sold his soul to the Devil. So, for love of God people get on the same page and stop wasting your money on this year’s crappy films because take it from me people who go to all these new mindless action or live action Disney films are just giving their money to Satan. Now, that being said the Master of Ballantrae is an exceptionally great action adventure film that needs to be seen, with great action, great story telling and as always I love the brother sibling rivalry that goes with the movie moreover has entertaining by the final frame and I strongly suggest everyone to check movies like the Master of Ballantrae out and stop wasting your money on movies that Hollywood is coming out today. 

          

85 Year Anniversary of The Adventures of Robin Hood

 

                                    I was reminded while back that the classic swashbuckling film The Adventures of Robin Hood is 85 years old, and though I had to make a point at time to watch this earlier golden age of summer movies though there was so much I was doing I lost track of time, especially movies I was wanting to watch. And as luck would have it, we're still in the month of the summer Blockbuster movies seasons, so why not recommend a classic action genre that started the action-adventure genre. The Adventures of Robin Hood was one of the few films that set the standard for the golden age of action adventure, in fact it was one of these films alone that influenced George Lucas in creating the Star Wars Saga and the Indiana Jones Trilogy. The character of Robin Hood as always been kind of a folk lore in English literature moreover was a great way to use for movies back in the late thirties since it helped to get over the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. So, let's get right down and talk about this 85-year-old classic.

                                    When King Richard the Lionheart is captured, his scheming brother Prince John (Claude Rains) plots to reach the throne, to the outrage of Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn), the bandit king of Sherwood Forrest. Rounding up his band of men and eventually winning the support of the lovely Maid Marion (Olivia de Havilland). 

                                    One of the first adaptations I've seen and moreover heard about the legend of Robin Hood was probably the Disney classic cartoon version of Robin Hood, which was a whole lot different than I remember when you compare the Errol Flynn version. Then when I got older and thanks to Turner Classic Movies I finally sat down and watched this great film, and to be truthful this is hands down one of the better adaptions to Robin Hood since Robin Hood: Men in Tights, though that's a spoof of the original but still is hilarious. And I still hold that as a fact because through the course of the years with Ridley Scott's version to 2018 film were they try to make him more like a Batman type character, and sure I can add the Kevin Costner one but it's been a long time since I watched that movie and I have no memory of it other than Costner not holding up on a English accent. But those movies I've listed alone still don't hold up as much as Michael Curtiz's adaptation, because this film has a strait forward story that gets right to the point and doesn't let up in terms of the action, romance and adventure that it provides. And sure, when you make a Robin Hood movie, you can probably make it realistic like Ridley Scott's version or make him a Batman type hero it just defeats the purpose of who he is, also when you change things about him it just doesn't seem fun at all. The film itself cost around two million dollars to make for which not is not much of course but at that time it was consider the most expensive film to date, moreover was almost the same amount as The Wizard of Oz but with another eight million more than Robin Hood, and really when you take a look at these kind of movies back in the mid-thirties it was really easy to make for many reasons California wasn't what it was today, moreover you can go to a nearby forest resort in Cali and film all of those scenes to make it look like it was set in Medieval England, and with the castile's scenes when it comes to interior shots all they really did was use a lot of Burbank Studio's in Warner Bros, to bring the Castle feel to life, for which yeah those are just standard things when it comes to filmmaking back in the late thirties but really you had to do that because the technology wasn't what it was until 1977 came around. One of the most interesting and the "really" fact, was that James Cagney was originally considered for the role of Robin Hood, Cagney in case you're not familiar with him he stared in a lot of those Gangster movies like Public Enemy moreover started in a lot of black and white films, furthermore I wouldn't consider Cagney for many reasons he just wouldn't fit the role of Robin Hood, since they we're shooting the whole film in color it was wise to cast Flynn as the dashing archer. Errol Flynn himself did a lot of his own stunts in the movie though there were some scenes in the movie where he didn't take part in like the famous scene where he's riding on the horse with his hands tied behind his back. Speaking of Stunts in the film, all the arrows in the film were shot by professional archer Howard Hill, moreover all those men that got shot by those arrows wore clothing padded with balsa wood on protective metal plates, those metal plates in fact prevented injury (though the impact was painful), and the arrows lodged in into the balsa wood to create the illusion of bodily penetration. There really nothing to say about Errol Flynn because let’s be honest movies like this were made for Flynn because the man was charming dashing and moreover looked like a great action star of the golden age of film, though one of those actors that deserve some recognition is Claude Rains who does such a great job playing a scheming, manipulative scumbag who will do everything to get what he wants, and if you don't believe me check out Casablanca because he does a great job playing that type of sleazy filth. The one interesting thing I found out was that there was two directors at the helm of Robin Hood, for which I didn't realize until I began researching a little bit about the movie, and although I didn't find much the only conclusion I found was that Curtiz and Flynn didn't like one another for the main reasons Flynn was married to Curtiz's wife and I guess that was the main reasons other than stunt works as well, but I think that was one of the main reasons for which is weird because Keighley was a great collaborator with Flynn and apparently the studio kicked Keighley to the curb and brought in Michael Curtiz but really yes Curtiz got the directing credit but Keighley was main reasons that this film worked. The movie itself is a breath of fresh air and was fantastic to watch from start to finish though I must admit this did reminded me of Robin Hood Men in Tights, because when they were preparing traps, I sang to myself "We're men in Tights" which is funny in fact I now need to watch that movie because that's another movie I haven't seen in a while. A great movie from start to finish and it needs to be seen because this was one of the few great films that reminds you of other great films like of course Star Wars and Indiana Jones but also Pirates of the Caribbean and the Princess Bride, and everyone needs to see this film to appreciate the fact that this was one of the few films that started off the Action/Adventure genre.

          

Father's Day Recommendation: Red

 

                                       

                                      Well, Father's Day is upon us a day where all the fathers out there can tell their nagging but loving wives to say, "hey this is my weekend and I say we're doing nothing", or not which is fine. And it's time to recommend a movie for all of the Dad's in the world, and this was another one of these movies that my Aunt's husband loved or mentioned that he liked and I've heard of Red in fact I watched it and thought it was great although it's been a while since I've seen the movie nor have a so called good memory on how great it was, and like most films I do in terms of review I had to in a strange sense experiment. So, I had my Dad sit down and watch the film and without a doubt he loved the film from start to finish, for which I should of known he would have a great time with Red in fact he always loved these action films, hell he was the same Dad that got me into any John Wayne films, Star Wars and Indiana Jones in fact he loved Harrison Ford. And the same goes with acting greats like Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman, so question after watching the movie this would be an excellent choice for Father's Day.

                                       After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunites with old Joe (Morgan Freeman), crazy Marvin (John Malkovich) and wily Victoria (Helen Mirren) to uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens their lives. Only their expert training will allow them to survive a near-impossible mission-breaking into CIA headquarters.

                                       I can't honestly remember when the last time I watched this entertaining movie, though probably a year after its release and granted it's been ages and that's clearly a guess because then they released a sequel in 2013 and that was basically it for the RED franchise. So, now having re-watched the film this was of course another one of those hidden gems that was both great and entertaining at the same time, and that's a lot to say because let's be honest in this era where everything is nothing but crap, Red was defiantly one of those films that was refreshing to watch every step of the way. What really makes this film great to watch is that it goes from point A to point B really quickly were you get to know Bruce Willis character and realize what he's capable of furthermore has to rescue Mary Louise Parker's character, also the action has a good flow through the course of the movie where it doesn't slow down or speed up, it's basically at even pace par with both comedy, drama and action molded into one. What makes the film great is that the film itself gives it a sort of understanding in terms of what it's like to be a Black Ops Agent on the job and after your life as an agent is over, and they really do a good job in a sense expressing how a retired agent tries to adapt to a civilian life and that it's somewhat of a boring persona, in fact I watched the movie again with a retired CIA agent's commentary who was also a consultant on the film Red, and even he loves the film all together because it does answer all the important questions of how most field or operatives transition in to civilian life moreover explains that it's somewhat boring not fun, basically telling the audience that it's not always great when you get out of the business. A side from the great list of actors that portray these characters, the other thing I have to give the best performances are Mary Louise Parker and Karl Urban, because both of them have the best character arc in the film where one of them is an up and coming agent who believes in the system but slowly begins to see that the agency system is not what it's supposed to be and it's moreover corrupt furthermore filled with shady people who have agenda's and Urban does that in the best way possible. Parker on the other hand does a great job playing this strange but yet funny woman who has no clue of this world Bruce Willis character lives in but is comfortable wanting to follow him moreover just funny and sexy at the same time which is what I like about her in this movie, and this film came out in 2010 so technically both Willis and Parker we're like ten years apart from each other in terms of age. Of course actors like Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman along with John Malkovich and Hellen Mirren are great in the movie but the one actor that needs to be deserved some praise is Richard Dreyfuss who plays an excellent antagonist in the movie just a great villain than what I've seen in his past work and the same goes to Brian Cox who is such a great character actor and does a fantastic job portraying a for Russian spy but also a great accent to go along with it for which proves that British/Scottish actors are such a true craftsmen in their art. Without a doubt, re-watching this film was like a breath of fresh air moreover was just so much fun seeing it from start to finish and whenever I hear Back in the Saddle by Aerosmith, I always think of Bruce Willis fighting Karl Urban, which is flat out awesome, also it's just a fun action film from start to finish and shows that Bruce Willis still got it. So, no question I would highly recommend watching this film with your dad because you will have a great time watching Bruce Willis kick a** and take names, though I don't think he can do that now, but I never claim to be wrong. 

     

                                               

                               

Unstoppable

 

                               So, this is probably the first time ever I felt ashamed in not watching a movie that was worth seeing from start to finish. Moreover, the first time I didn’t really sat down and appreciated any of the late great, Tony Scott's work. For a lot of you that haven't nor ever heard of Tony Scott he was the brother to Sir Ridley Scott complete opposites when it comes to filmmaking but both came out with some iconic movies that we all grew up watching and loving with his work, it included Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Man on Fire and True Romance for which help launch Quentin Tarantino's career into movie lore, furthermore did a lot of movie work with famous actors like Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington as well as Kevin Costner and Eddie Murphy. Unstoppable, was Scott's last film before he died in 2012 and without a doubt one of the biggest surprises and a movie, I felt ashamed in not watching the first it came out.

                              When a massive, unmanned locomotive roars out of control, the threat is more ominous than just a derailment. The train is laden with toxic chemicals, and an accident would decimate human life and cause an environmental disaster. The only hope of bringing the train to a safe stop is in the hands of a veteran engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine), who must risk their lives to save those in the runaway's path. Inspired by true events.

                              It really wasn't that it was a Tony Scott film or I would think that some of his films or okay-ish, although I've only seen Top Gun deep down I don't have a reason, but if I had to pick a reason as to why I haven't watched Unstoppable, was that I kind of had this movie pegged that this was basically and unstoppable train being death among us, a race against time and by end of the film everyone is okay, for which is a convenient way to describe the movie when you think about it. But the one scene that really convinced me that this movie was something of a special kind of suspenseful film, was when the pickup truck carrying two horses but is somewhat stopped and the train is coming by like a chaotic bull coming and me, I was just like oh my God, OH MY GOD, until there we're all save except the horse cargo, and I was like breathing a sigh of relief. And really when you think about it yeah a locomotive is a scary thing when it comes to carrying dangerous products, moreover when you're in the dangerous part of the railroad and have no way of getting out then you have to out of the way because you won't walk away from a train or locomotive, sure you can walk away from getting hit by a car but you sure as hell aren't going to walk away from getting hit by a train because every part of your body is going to be all over the road or the grass, and that's not pretty. I have to say Denzel Washington needs to make a trend of every action or suspense movie he's in, he needs to bully every annoying white actor like, I remember 2 Guns where he bullies Mark Wahlberg, and he was entertaining as always, and he does it great when it comes to Chris Pine. Speaking of Chris Pine, I always like him as an actor there are rare few times I look at a movie he was in I didn't think he was chewing the scenery way to much or just half ass'n it, and really it comes from either the romantic comedies he was in or the raunchy comedies or another great example Don't Worry Darling, but with movies like this he really pulls every emotion in his body of being a stick up is nose character at first and then understanding what he's been through is truly great and the same goes to Washington as well and the two of them make great chemistry on screen it's excellent to watch. Rosario Dawson was also excellent in the film, really pulling her weight in giving out a great supporting performance and she does its great hell my favorite movies that she was in were the first two Sin City films and one film noir Trance but will get to that in futures to come. Without a doubt, this was one of the most surprising films I've ever had the chance to just sit down and watch from start to finish, moreover it was based on actual events, plus it has a great premise a great list of actors moreover a great movie comprised by a great director in the late great Tony Scott for which was his last movie before his death which yes was sad, though when you watch the movie it's almost like a great send off to an underappreciated director. 

    

White Men Can't Jump

 

                                

                                    June officially became one of those months of what the hell should I watch to start off the new month, and it was really a dozy to find that one movie to watch, shamefully I did have one contender to watch, which was Not Another Teen Movie, unfortunately that movie didn't last for a good ten seconds for me which is a new record, when it comes to abandoning movies. And so, it took a while but then I realized the NBA Finals are starting so for which brings us to White Men Can't Jump. Of which is a movie I haven't seen furthermore was one of those films that was on my radar just haven't got around to seeing. Aside from hearing the Bull Durham creator Ron Shelton written and directed this movie I figured why not give this movie a chance he’ll can't be worse than the remake right?

                                   Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) is a white basketball hustler who banks on black players underestimating his skills on the court. When he pulls one over Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), his victim sees lucrative opportunity, and they become partners in a con game, plying their trade across the courts of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Billy must keep one step ahead of mobsters, to whom he owes money, while staying on the good side of his "Jeopardy"-obsessed, motormouth girlfriend (Rosie Perez).

                                   I've seen bits and pieces of this movie and I always kind of looked at this movie as if Magic Johnson and Larry Bird failed at their basketball careers and became hustlers, and really that's the best way to describe the film when you think about it. In terms of Basketball films I've seen over the years this was probably one of the most exciting basketball sequences I've seen in quite a long time, moreover it really does an exceptional job when it comes to actors really showing off the basketball skills, in fact Bob Lanier who was a real life NBA player was hired on a basketball coach for the actors in the film, Lanier was so impressed with Harrelson and Snipes Basketball skills, he suggested both men to reach a Division II college basketball level, he even said that between the two men Harrelson was the better player. In terms of the actors that we're playing basketball hustlers were actual NBA players too, although some of them were just regular NBA stars, superstar Gary Payton was in the movie too, though the problem was he was uncredited, and I couldn't find him through the course of the film. When it comes to a regular Ron Shelton sports film I've seen, it's mostly a mild-mannered film of nothing special it's just everyday men making not so smart choices and having to live through the consequences, the only differences Harrelson just can't stop gambling his money and can't stop getting his girlfriends angry. Which again is just like Bull Durham where they're some great iconic one-liners some impressive athletic abilities but wasn't all special just an average decent film from start to finish. Moreover, I thought via watching the trailer of the film it seems decent thought out in terms of storyline though through the course of the film I was just oh WTF it's still going I thought we'd be over by now. Both Harrelson and Snipes do a great job playing hustlers that know they can't trust one another but then through the course of the film become the ultimate bros, although I’m not a big fan of Rosie Perez in terms of movies she was in, but I really thought she was fine, through the course of the movie hell, by the end of the movie I kept saying to myself Harrelson you idiot. No doubt the movie was a fun movie from start to finish, kind of like the basketball equivalent to Bull Durham and if you’re a fan of basketball films I would defiantly give this as a must watch.