Friday, July 18, 2025

The Sea Chase


 











                 
          At my sister's house taking care of her pups while she goes down south for a wedding. And I really wasn't feeling much about a movie I figured I got all my movies put together until July (this was June by the way) but then all a sudden I was browsing through HBO Max and found a John Wayne movie that I surprisingly have not seen ever, and for good reasons, I guess. Now when we think of John Wayne all we can think of his either him playing a Cowboy or playing a American Officer in World War II or a pilot, and I've been a huge fan of John Wayne's filmography ever since my father introduced me to The Son's of Katie Elder, but never in a million years did I ever imagine the Big Duke ever playing a German Captain set in beginnings of the second World War.
          Karl Ehrlich (John Wayne) is the German Captain of a freighter stationed in an Australian port. Ehrlich, a fervent opponent of Nazism, receives word that World War II has commenced in Europe, and that he must his way to Germany while avoiding the pursing Allied ships. Aboard his ship is a German spy (Lana Turner), whose safe passage he must endure. Meanwhile, a British ship -- with Cmdr. Jeff Napier (David Farrar) at its helm -- is hot on their trail. 
           Watching this film for the first time, I still find it a mystery as to who was the one producer to convince John Wayne into playing a German Captain set in the second World War, but this wasn't any producer or director amongst my research that show no evidence of anyone convincing Wayne to play a German officer set around Nazism. And I never in a million years never expected him ever playing these types of characters because when you look at John Wayne, he's the All-American iconic actor of his era he was always playing a patriot or a Cowboy and this was one of those films that I never thought he would play. Granted the Duke, turned down roles from High Noon or All the Kings Men for many reasons Wayne couldn't stand the script (in All the Kings Men) that clashed with his political views. I think the bottom line in what I would assume to be his reason, was he just wanted to something to depart himself from all the patriotic roles he's used to play, which makes sense because when John Ford came along, he gave him a role of a racist cowboy to play in The Searchers. And the Duke is playing a German that's all against Nazism so, in all fairness he's playing a patriot when you think about it. For a film alone, the suspense and the action was really outstanding like, I was really on the edge of my seat through the course of the film from the dangers that happen or when one actor goes crazy with an axe or the hope that Wayne and Lana Turner would make it out alive, like all of the suspense is still in there but then at times it does feel a little on the boring side especially the drama between Wayne's character and David Farrar's character but still is entertaining to watch, especially when we get to the climax of the film. Not the most perfect of John Wayne's movies I've seen, but I still recommend watching this movie for all fans of the Duke mainly because the film does have its moments and does show some moments of compelling action throughout the course of the film. So, if you all have Hulu or HBO Max, I would highly recommend watching John Wayne as a German Captain and the accent doesn't even bother me none because the crew or even Lana Turner have German accent's so who cares, hell Tom Cruise never had a German accent in Valkyrie. So, to all you Woke's out there, just cry me a river and grow a sense of humor in your balls sack. 
      

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Get the Gringo

 












           Well, hello boys and girls, obviously it's getting hot outside as well as the rain pouring down and ruining our day whenever we want to go walk outside or play some golf aside from another 4th of July already over and done but don't worry, I feel little patriotic but will get to that soon hopefully. Speaking of feeling a little Patriotic I watched another Mel Gibson movie that proceeded with all my expectations. For sure I never thought I would imagine watching another Mel Gibson movie but this, ladies and gentlemen is one of those movies that once you watched the movie all the way through, you'd want to watch it repeatedly. 
            A youngster helps an American career criminal (Mel Gibson) learn to survive behind the walls of a brutal Mexican Prison. 
            I'm confident in saying that I watched this film a bunch of times and really the first time I watched the movie I was like "oh this is something fresh and new" but then yet again this reminds me of a certain movie back in the late nineties another Mel Gibson gem called Payback. For which yeah that's basically what this movie is, is another type of version of Payback but set in the Mexican Border and yet there's a prison where a local drug lord in running it, and yet it turns the prison into a world’s worst mall or condo center for all criminals. Now in all fairness there is some refreshing aspects about the movie especially when you have a Mel Gibson playing a sarcastic criminal whose does a great job playing a typical anti-hero with a good heart to a young kid in the movie while protecting his mom at the same time and yet he's always one step ahead of the people who try to screw with him, and in all honesty yes, it's a strait forward rehash of Payback but there's something about the movie that I haven't really quite experienced in quite a long time and the fact that we have a hilarious Mel Gibson that I honestly haven't quite experienced in quite a long time but yet it's the kind of Mel Gibson role that I actually missed him playing and sure I could always watch other Mel Gibson movies but this is one of those films with Mel that I actually liked and his performance alone is what makes this movie great from beginning till the final frame. Though the sad aspect of the film, is that this was Post-Mel Gibson rant where he goes all ballistic to his ex-wife, and I think that's the reason why Get the Gringo was sadly forgotten but, if you all think that Mel Gibson is a deranged nut bag, keep in mind that during the shot of the film, Mel learned that there was an elderly Mexican extra on the set that was suffering from cancer. And Mel got the man a visa by writing to the American Ambassador, and then personally arranged for him to be flown to an alternative cancer therapist in Arizona so, deep down the man still has a full heart, for which I have never doubted, I'm just guessing he's at the point after the controversy he was just accepting his fate and trying to live his life clean outside of Hollywood, though I can follow that into fact I don't claim myself to be the greatest detective. I would a hundred percent recommend too everyone watching Get the Gringo, for great reasons it's fun and entertaining and it also has that breath of fresh air that you'd never expect in a criminal, action crime film that I never thought I would be expecting to see in quite a long time. The film is on Tubi still being the top streaming service for me when it comes to streaming hidden gems but in case, you're tired of ads, have no fear the movie is on Amazon Prime so you can watch this great movie, ad free. And despite that there haven’t been a whole lot of recent Mel Gibson movies to watch this is one of those films after the post-voicemail rant that everyone will enjoy.