25th Anniversary of The Mummy

 

                                     Long time when Star Wars Episode I was ruling the movie theaters, there was another film that was another excellent action adventure movie but also one of those films that I had to beg my parents to watch it because my friends at school have all seen it and I wanted to desperately because I was trying to find other ways to trash talk them but they all failed miserably. Anyway, The Mummy was another one of those films from my childhood that I was a huge fan of besides the Star Wars films and the Indiana Jones films and Harrison Ford movies as well. So, The Mummy really one of those first action-adventure movies in my grade school years where I was loving every minute of it and to watch it know it still ages like fine wine, and most importantly this was the go-to Brendan Fraser film I still point to and say that this was his greatest movie. 

                                      The Mummy is a rousing, suspenseful and horrifying epic about an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Dessert in 1925. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb, the hunters unwittingly set loose a 3,000-year-old legacy of terror, which is embodied in the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who had been sentenced to an eternity as one of the living dead.

                                       Having been reminded a month or two back about the re-release of The Mummy hitting theaters for its 25th Anniversary release it really in a sense reminded me about how much I loved that movie and that I really needed to go back and watch the 1999 version of the film. The development to the Mummy's remake has gone long back to the 1980's and even the early nineties to maybe 97, and after the disappointing box office of Babe: Pig in the City new Chair Stacey Snider distributed packets detailing the studio's holdings to make a long story short Snider was basically trying to do anything to keep Universal a float even if it means remaking classic films. So, this granted up and coming writer and director Stephen Sommers an opportunity to pitch his idea of The Mummy for years. Instead of just making a straight up horror movie, Sommers decided he wanted to turn the story into a romantic action-adventure epic with a few horror elements for which really is the most genius idea you can really do when it comes to a former monster movie. I remember my first Brendan Fraser film long before The Mummy was Blast from the Past for which is about a man/child who stayed with his parents for a long time in a bomb shelter and went up to the modernized California and fell in love with Alicia Silverstone, and when The Mummy came along I will always say this till the day I die that Brendan Fraser will always be Rick O'Connell because of his performance in the Mummy and it was interesting because before Fraser, actors like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, love birds Affleck and Damon were approached for the roles and to think about that I was like thank you I would never witness that well besides Tom Cruise in a latter Mummy film but that doesn't count in fact don't watch that movie at all. But really what makes Fraser's performance legendary is because it reminds me of a modern day Indiana Jones, an adventurer who is completely in over his head but is fully capable of fighting but most importantly has a compassionate heart and really when you pair him with up and coming actress Rachel Weisz whose both intelligent and beautiful at the same time hell both of their chemistry together were amazing to watch on screen. Speaking of Rachel Weisz, this was another one of those films that just so happens to be my first movie of hers and really that's most certainly a movie worth remembering at a young age because she was funny and beautiful at the same time and that's a guarantee because I remember when she comes out in this Egyptian princess outfit I at a young age was really wishing that I was O'Connell right now. Now both Fraser and Rachel Weisz were both excellent together in the movie no doubt, but if I had to pick an important actor, in the entire movie is the lead Mummy Arnold Vosloo who deep down is not all a villain but more of a tragic character, and sure his character does terrible things but really he's a 3,000 year old Mummy who wanted to bring back his dead girlfriend so they can live forever which is what every man wanted even if it means doing terrible things though let’s not forget that he was cursed, buried alive as well as being eaten alive by flesh eating Scarabs and a young man when you first see that scene when he's about to be closed in his casket forever and all the scarabs begin eating him you thought that's the coolest thing, now watching it you think how bad of a way to go, especially dying like that. Like Star Wars Episode I, The Mummy still ages well, even with the mediocre visual effects now looking back I somewhat wonder why my parents were iffy at first when it comes to watching the movie but I think I can imagine why because of its horror elements but also a half-naked woman who was wearing what I assume to be paint and well her hair covering her knockers which no doubt that was a gorgeous woman aka Patricia Vaslasquez who at the time was beautiful and especially when you watch the second movie does a great job playing a manipulative woman whose also The Mummy's girlfriend so, in all fairness I could understand my parents being iffy about watching the movie and when my Aunt talking to my mom on how great the movie was I still to this day am grateful for my aunt calming my parents down. Even in the year 2024, The Mummy still stands as one of the top greatest Action/Adventure films of all time and deserves to be seen by a generation whose films have really gone downhill in terms of quality so, really the film itself is available to stream on Peacock upon which I'm planning on getting a subscription for after I'm done with a road trip to Disney World but for all of you I would most certainly and highly recommend having yourselves and your kids sit down and watch one of the greatest action adventure films of all time in the late 90's.

        

June Recommendation: The Count of Monte Cristo

 

                                        After watching the kung fu style movie version which is, The Musketeer I figured with my monthly recommendation for June I find another of Alexandre Dumas books that's been adapted to the big screen and as luck would have it I browsed through my DVD collection and found The Count of Monte Cristo, upon which is another one of those underappreciate classics that I haven't seen in a very long time. The Count of Monte Cristo stars Jim Caviezel before he became our Lord and Savior hence The Passion of the Christ and Guy Pierce because let’s be honest whenever you’re in need to call for a bad guy, you call for a Brit to save the day. But of all the actors involved in the epic film, the most important actor in the film is Henry Cavil who later in life became a legendary bad a** in upcoming films.

                                         The classic story of an innocent man wrongly, but deliberately imprisoned and his brilliant strategy for revenge against those who betrayed him. Dashing young sailor Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel) is a guileless and honest young man who whose peaceful life and plans to marry the beautiful Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk) are abruptly shattered when his best friend Fernand (Guy Pierce), who wants Mercedes for himself, deceives him.

                                         The interesting fact behind the Count of Monte Cristo is that Alexandre Dumas father, Thomas Alexandre Dumas was an actual General during the French Revolution who went to blows with Napoleon Bonaparte for which was later thrown in the Dungeons for the rest of his life and so when Alexandre Dumas became of age he wrote The Count of Monte Cristo as of inspiration for his own father. I've seen a few, maybe a good portion of films that contain the whole revenge theme. And really watching The Count of Monte Cristo I got to say that this film alone is the most perfect revenge movie of all time, in fact there has been a bunch of adaptions to Alexandre Dumas book but something about Kevin Reynolds version makes the movie more pleasing but more importantly gives some good advice on life. At the time the film’s release I didn't think a whole much of the movie other than hearing that Jim Caviezel who stared along with Dennis Quaid in the film Frequency and again all I remember was some epic sword fighting as well as revenge, and again I was young and didn't think much of the story. Until now, this is probably one of the best adaptions in my opinion to Alexandre Dumas book, and granted I've never seen the other films, nor do I have any intentions to read the book for many reasons the book gives a life lesson in that revenge doesn't satisfy. Which to me doesn't seem satisfying in my opinion, just because when you watch this film and you see the hell the Caviezel's character goes through the course of the first part of the movie you see that his enemies deserve worse than he had, but then you have moments in the films where he does begin to soften and gets a lesson learned moment by the end of the movie and yet again his enemies still get what they deserve. Jim Caviezel really delivers a grand performance as the lead character mainly is through the course of the movie the amount of severe hell, he goes through and his consumption of revenge he just does such a fantastic job in showing the pain in his soul as well as his rage but most importantly his sense of compassion and the interesting thing about Caviezel's performance is that he filled with rage and it takes more of his trusted friend in Luis Guzman and his lover Dagmara Dominczyk who lets him know that he's given a chance and not throw it away, so really Caviezel also does a fantastic job in being this conflicted character through the second and third act of the movie. Guy Pierce surprisingly was offered the role Jim Caviezel plays in the movie, but he was more interested in Fernand part because he likes the idea of playing a bad guy who goes to his absolute downfall for which he really does a great job in that as well. The late Richard Harris (original Dumbledore) also does a fantastic job playing Jim's cellmate as well as the mentor teaching him all he needs to know to escape, and surprising this was Richard Harris's second to last film before he died in October of 2002. I don't want to give so much away because this has been a movie that's been inside a shelf for a long time and no one has brought this movie up to the light and really what makes this film great is that it's truly about a man being wronged and sentenced to a life of hell, escapes and plans a quest for revenge on those who wronged him but through the course of the his revenge he begins to see a second chance of life and decides whether he can go on with his revenge and really what Kevin Reynolds does great in the film is that he gives you a reason to root for the main protagonist as well as give you a sense of happiness by the end of the movie and the book you really don't get that satisfaction karma the antagonist gets through the end of the book but a life lesson and for me as an audience member I would prefer watching this version of the Count of Monte Cristo more than reading the book or watching other films because this film contains all the things I want in a true revenge movie would have. Now if I had to rank the best revenge themed films of all time it would most certainly be The Count of Monte Cristo and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films for sure those would be the go-to films I would continue to watch repeatedly. So, if you’re into the action-adventure films with a taste for revenge then I would highly recommend watching The Count of Monte Cristo and though you'd have to buy the film on a website or on your phone, I will promise you this when I say it that the film is worth the money as well as the watch.

    

                                            

50th Anniversary of Blazing Saddles

 

                                  

                                          Now this was really the first movie my dad and I watched on Father's Day and really needs no introduction furthermore was one of the many movies that I just blurted out and we both went on a journey of reliving one of the greatest films of all time in my book. Blazing Saddles officially reached its 50th Birthday directed by Mel Brooks, starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder and Harvey Korman as well as Mel Brooks in two supporting roles through the course of the movie. You can argue and that Blazing Saddles is one of those films that is most certainly isn't appropriate for the kids of today especially the little turds or teenagers but personally I believe that Blazing Saddles is a perfect example of you can have a sense of humor, but you all so need to respect your fellow man no matter how different your opinion is or not different. 

                                          In this satirical take on Westerns, crafty railroad worker Bart (Cleavon Little) becomes the first sheriff of Rock Ridge, a frontier town about to be destroyed to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the people of Rock Ridge harbor a racial bias toward their new leader. However, they warm to him after realizing that Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend (Gene Wilder) are the only defense against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population. 

                                          Surprisingly the creation of Blazing Saddles didn't start with Mel Brooks, which is a huge surprise. It really started with Andrew Bergman, who I found out was the sole writer behind Chevy Chase's Fletch. The idea came out of a story outline from Bergman that he originally intended to develop and produce himself, in his own words "I wrote a first draft called Tex-X" (a play on Malcolm X's name), he also said "Alan Arkin was hired to direct and James Earl Jones was going to play the sheriff. That fell apart, as things often do." Brooks loved the idea and purchased the film rights from Bergman, and even though Brooks haven't worked with a writing team since NBC's show Your Show of Shows, he hired a group of writers along with Andrew Bergman to expand the outline. Brooks in his own words described the writing process as chaotic, "Blazing Saddles was more or less written in the middle of a drunken fistfight. There were five of us all yelling loudly for our ideas to be put into the movie. Not only was I the loudest, but luckily, I also had the right as director to decide what was in or out". Andrew Bergman states about anarchy in the writing process "In the beginning, we had five people. One guy left after a couple of weeks. Then, it was basically me, Mel and Richard Pryor and Norman Steinberg. Richie left after the first draft and then Norman, Mel and I wrote the next three or four drafts. It was a riot. It was a rioter's room." For which really makes a ton of sense because when you’re putting together what most certainly be one of the greatest comedies of all time, you most certainly are going to have argument battles on what is good and what is not good. The awesome fact about the making of Blazing Saddles was that actor John Wayne was offered the role of Gene Wilder’s part but due to Wayne's clean image, he turned the role down but told Mel Brooks that he will most certainly be the first person to watch Blazing Saddles. Actor Cleavon Little who plays Sheriff Bart is strangely kind of a mystery actor in terms of Blazing Saddles is one of his most recognizable movies ever but other stuff I've been not quite familiar with. And that's the honest truth, granted I watched an episode of All in the Family where he makes a cameo appearance in the show playing a burglar where he bashes Carroll O'Connor for being racist and calling out Rob Reiner for being a liberal (which he was) and this was long before Blazing Saddles, but after the film’s release he continued on with television work and other films that didn't live up to Blazing Saddles and I'm not going to continue on about why he didn't have a big career and really the only answer I can find in short few sentences is the man went back to Broadway back in 1975, which in all fairness for an actor like Little, you just have to go back with what you feel comfortable with as an actor, which I can't blame him for that. Being 50 years old now, I'm not going to lie when you will never get a movie like this, for which in my opinion is why Blazing Saddles still stands as one of the greatest comedies of all time because Brooks and his writer made huge risks to make this an iconic film that everyone including me can watch and recite the one liners over and over (well not all of them). And sure, you can find a ton of people out there who are not too sure in wanting to go back and re-watch the movie. In which that's their opinion I can't fault them for that, but if this movie really does make you laugh and you believe it's funny then you really shouldn't forget this movie can you? Like I'm a firm believer in thinking that God made man in his own image (same with women) but he also made us equal in his own eyes, and that's something that I always take for granted as a human being, I mean sure I love the movie from start to finish despite how weird the ending was, but never in a million years of my sad life, am going to say any vulgar words to another person and I would encourage everyone else to do the same moreover I think that's something that America has kind of lost its ways coming into this generation. Like, you can still have a sense of humor at somethings but don't be a typical a**hole who has a tattoo of a Nazi symbol or drive around with a Confederate flag mounted on your car because as of all sane person would know it leaves a terrible taste on not just yourself but most importantly your soul, hell Donald Sterling is 90 years old and when that piece of sh*t goes to hell nobody is going to mourn his loss in fact I don't believe anyone will ever come to his funeral, his wife will just cremate him and throw his remains in the trash and call it good. So, now that Blazing Saddles is officially 50 years old I still deem the film to be not only the greatest comedies of all time but in my list in the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time, and I would highly recommend watching the film in the summer time, but would recommend watching the movie late at night so the kiddos won't come down and ask what you’re watching when a really bad word comes up. Furthermore, I would also suggest to all the parents out there to never loose you’re sense of humor, no matter how crazy the world especially most of them mixing politics in conversations upon which I would not recommend that because I personally know that it brings out the worst in people. More importantly to tell parents out there do make sure to have your kids at the appropriate age when seeing Blazing Saddles at least seventeen years of age. 

                        

The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear

 

                                        So, after watching the first Naked Gun film out of dedication to the late O.J. Simpson who I imagine is already in hell right now and Lucifer is torturing the man with the exact scenes from both Naked Gun films. I decided for Father's Day again me and my dad sat down and watched The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, although we watched another movie before this movie but will get into that movie don't you all worry about that. And really there's not a whole much to say about Naked Gun 2 other than yes, this film is awesome and amazing at the same time and really when you are watching these kinds of films, you should watch it with another person just in case the jokes don't refresh your memory and you can chuckle at the jokes along with your own Dad.

                                        Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Neilsen) returns for more madcap high jinks in his police-procedural spoof. Powerful energy corporations are intent on putting a halt to the eco-friendly plans of Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer (Richard Griffiths), the new U.S. energy czar. They scheme to replace Meinheimer with an impostor who will do their bidding. Unfortunately for them, Drebin gets tangled up with their plans while trying to steal back his ex (Priscilla Presley) from her slimy new beau (Robert Goulet).

                                        Watching the second Naked Gun film was no doubt a breath of fresh air, and to really think about what really makes a good or great and most importantly sequels to comic spoofs is that you need to keep the jokes new and fresh, and most importantly you can't recycle the jokes that you previously did in the first film. And with Naked Gun 2 you up the game by going to a different city, moreover when you have the first George Bush and pollution that was most certainly going on in the early 90's well, that right their son you got yourself a good way to start off the second adventure with Leslie Neilsen. It really isn't just Leslie Neilsen that's the best part of the movie it's really the entire cast that does tremendous job in keeping a straight face like it's one of the greatest things to master especially being a comedic actor is the ability to keep a straight face for many reasons I look at all of the actors in the movie and I'm just curious in how they can keep a straight face? Though granted they probably did a tone of takes maybe four or five but really, some of the most ridiculous things that happen in the movie, it's just great moreover master class of comedic actors to be able to pull off a straight face in a movie like this. Movies like this are without a doubt a perfect example of how you create a movie spoof the naked gun films together and Mel Brooks films all together are great example of being able to make a great movie spoof that everyone can watch and quote the same line over and over again that even Scary Movies or any other spoof films that came out in the early 2000's and 2010's were they all were nothing but embarrassments to the human eye. So, really if you’re wanting to be a comedic writer, director or actor, movies like Naked Gun films are a great example to watch of how you can develop yourself if you ever want to create a movie spoof, though deep down you most certainly need to create your own comedic talent and that's the difficult thing to master. Having watched both Naked Gun films, from 88 and 91, I will admit and say that these films are defiantly a breath of fresh air, and I am looking forward to watching the third film with my dad. So, in closing in a world filled with overly sensitive people who don't know what a sense of humor is it's always great to sit down and watch films like this especially when it comes to watching with your father.

          

Father's Day Recommendation: Super Trooper's 1 & 2

 

                         

                                     Many apologies for my recent delay of movie reviews, it's not at all normal to have a minor case of being overwhelmed at work as well as having a breakdown about not having a whole lot of space in your apartment and you need to get rid of a ton of crap, and have an idea to do a garage sale (garage sale to the outside of America, is selling your stuff you don't need inside your garage with the hopes people will be intrigued in buying your stuff but at times want to quick browse or a quick chat) word of advice a garage sale is a good life lesson but don't ever try it again. Back to the story, you later clean your apartment to finally find out you have space and realize you just needed to get rid of a huge file cabinet. Anyway, the point that I'm trying to make here is, when you feel like you’re running out of space in your own home, it's probably a good idea to find the one big thing you don't need and just get rid of it. So, let’s finally talk about my Father's Day Recommendation also known as my greatest movie experiment to have my own father sit down and watch all two films and absolutely love from start to finish.

                                     The best way to describe Super Troopers in a nutshell is a mixture of Reno 911 without the reality TV feel, with the secret recipe of a comedy and typical cop movie story but with a kiss of goofy shenanigans. Not the evil shenanigans, for many reasons it's just cruel and tragic.

                                      The story of my Father enjoying the Super Troopers films is a probably one of the most unsure but proud moment in my adult life. The story started a year ago on Father's Day weekend and my parents we're having their friends home for the weekend and me feeling like a third wheel I was close to going over my brother's house until I don't know if it was my Mom or her friend but they both suggested watching Super Troopers, and I'm feeling skeptical at this idea because for anyone whose seen Super Troopers would know that these movies are most certainly raunchy, and so we decided to watch the first movie and through the full ninety minutes of the movie both my Dad and his best friend and me were all laughing and I had the second movie on my phone and decided after the first movie to watch the second movie and again we were all laughing again. And really when it comes to recommending movies to my Dad it's sometimes a trial and error at times great example of that is him wanting to watch Inglorious Bastards and it's a Quentin Tarantino film I don't know if he'd be great with the blood and yet he actually loved the movie, speaking of World War II films I took my parents to see The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and BOTH OF THEM, loved the film as well. So, really, it's interesting how my own parents can watch some of these movies and just out of know where consider them great, though I know my own mother would never watch Super Troopers movies but of any movies this was my greatest movie experiment I did on my own Dad. Now in terms of the films alone, there's really not a whole lot to say in terms of reviews I mean everyone whose seen the first Super Troopers film would know that the movie is amazing from the outstanding movie intro the great comedic duo and iconic one liners are just outstanding and it's all done by the great group of Broken Lizard, which consists Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske. Moreover with the second film, granted it's basically the same concept of the first film but I personally think the film is amazing to watch again, even though it's not iconic as the first movie though it still has its moments of great humor and I got to give a lot of credit for Brian Cox to come back and be in the second film because he knows it's not going to make huge bank at the box office and I kind of respect that, for a guy whose got a great resume of movie and television acting. My dad when it comes to his term of what movie he like he always says it's dumb but really what he's saying is that he enjoys the movie and the Super Troopers films are the most entertaining films from start to finish especially the second film and really if you're dad has a great sense of humor like my father has he would most certainly enjoy these movies because let’s be honest if you are raised by a democrats or liberal family than that means you don't have a sense of humor.

       

                       

The Musketeer

 

                                       This is a film that I most certainly remember watching on cable back in the good old days and thought this was one of the coolest films I've ever seen, granted I was young, so I didn't know much. And as fate would have it, I found the film on Amazon for a reasonable price in terms of DVD purchase, I decided to it down and watch this forgotten gem that I most certainly haven't' seen in a long, long time. If your familiar with Alexandere Dumas classic tale of the Three Musketeer's via films that were released in the nineties Three Musketeers produced by Disney, Man in the Iron Mask and then this film for which I most certainly was probably the reason why we don't get more movies like this. For which is The Musketeer, a kind of experimental movie that was trying to create something new with fencing via combining martial arts. Oh, and the American Beauty babe is in the movie as well, Mena Suvari.

                                       Weds the classic swordplay and chivalry of Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers" with the gravity defying dazzle of Hong Kong action choreography. The film's fight sequences mix eastern and western styles, fusing 17th century swashbuckling with samurai action. 

                                       I was a little on the not so sure side, in terms of this going to be good as I remembered or will it be worth the purchase from Amazon. And deep down this was worth the purchase though some of the action sequences and character development were still on the lackluster side, but still had some interesting action sequences as well as Tim Roth being Tim Roth. And if you're not familiar with Tim Roth, he starred in a few Quentin Tarantino films moreover fought Edward Norton's Hulk in 2008's Incredible Hulk and I'm just going to leave it at that because sadly the man appeared in, She-Hulk and I bet the poor man hasn't got much work after that. Either way Tim Roth does a great job playing the main antagonist in the movie even though he does chew the scenery a little bit, and the man does know how to wield a sword hell he squared off with Liam Neeson in the film Rob Roy for which really that's another film I need to check out later this year. The idea of combining swashbuckling and samurai action is for certain something new and different and coming from a young man you've seen films like The Princess Bride and Disney's Three Musketeers, I'm most certainly intrigued to watch something like that at a young age, although there are some moments where it seems like the action sequences are a bit to cut for cut in terms of edits and your confused of where the swords are hitting each other or not, because they’re so fast but still is entertaining when you get to the final battle where they have the fencing swordplay and using ladders I got to say that was fun to watch. My biggest gripes I have with the movie is sure, the movie is titled The Musketeer which makes sense because the movie centers around d'Artagnan upon which is his complete origin story of how he becomes a Musketeer but the big three Musketeers Athos, Aramis and Porthos are a bit out of place as well as not truly based on the book granted, I'm only going by the 1993 the Three Musketeers and the Man in the Iron Mask. Like Aramis is supposed to be this Musketeer/priest, though he's just a musketeer, Athos is supposed to be the leader (it's true I looked it up) but he's barely in the movie and Porthos is supposed to be this comic relief but for some reasons is the loyal friend? And the voice of reason? Either way all three Musketeers were kind of lost in the shuffle in terms of being their true selves we've all seen in the movies. Mena Suvari does a good job as the love interest to up and coming Justin Chambers d'Artagnan, in fact I thought their chemistry together was cute a little cliché but still cute. I do like Catherine Deneuve's portrayal of the Queen of France for many reasons she's this royalty Queen but knows who to trust and more importantly has commoner blood which is what I like about her is she's both strong and dedicated as well as has a sense of humor. The Musketeer is a movie that has some interesting ideas of how to make a swashbuckling film epic and I always like those kinds of films trying something new even though the film fell on its face, I still dig the movie for what it is. And now I hope in future to come, Rotten Tomatoes at least give this movie a fair rating than 11 percent, hell at least 35 percent when it comes to this film. I would most certainly recommend this movie but it's going to be hard to find besides Amazon and I would most certainly imagine you all being lazy in bringing out your DVD player.