Bad Movies, Good Beer, Funny Third Thing
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Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
Still busy busy but doing what we can to make it one day at a time... including watching movies... August 30 – Best of the Best (1989) The United States is creating a Tae Kwon Do team for the big tournament against South Korea (which is like going against China in Table Tennis) so they bring in the ultimate coach (James Earl Jones) and compose a five-member team of an injured has-been (Eric Roberts), an a-hole Texan who’s not even a good fighter (Chris Penn), a dork, an Italian one & of course… a KOREAN-AMERICAN FIGHTER (Philip Rhee) WHO’S BROTHER WAS KILLED BY THE CHAMPION (champion played by his real brother Simon Rhee). Hijinx ensue when this team just can’t seem to get along… until they play Karate Kid music or something & we’ll see how it all ends… now, I’d only seen the 4th one in the series (no tournament, just badass action) but this one is… weird… but hey, it’s late 80’s Karate Kid / Rocky IV ripoff stuff… Rating – 7/10 – Not the best, not the worst… just kinda meh… September 1 – Paddington (2014) So this popped up on Tubi… and I had to finally watch one of the highest rated movies of all time?!? Basically a young bear from darkest Peru survives an earthquake (his uncle did not) goes to London in search of an explorer that his aunt & uncle met back in the day… and he runs into a sweet family at the train station. Nicole Kidman pops up as a master hunter looking to bag & stuff this new specimen of a Peruvian Bear… and hijinx ensue. Honestly, I can’t lie… this was one of the sweetest & funniest kids movies that I’ve ever seen… like genuine laughter throughout… and everybody was great acting wise… and oh man, I hear that the 2nd one is even better? How can that be?!? Rating – 10+/10 – If I’m ever going to give a kids movie a 10+ it would be for something like this… so I did… September 3 – The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953) Randolph Scott is a former spy who goes to Arizona to join a gold robbery… but then he decides that he wants to be a better man & be a double agent or something… and hijinx ensue in this pretty standard Western. Now… I’ve seen a LOT of westerns recently living with a 70+ year old Alzheimer’s test case… but honestly this wasn’t really memorable except for seeing a super-young Ernest Borgnine AND Lee Marvin to the point that I was like “Is that… Ernest Borgnine? With color in his hair?!?” knowing him only from 70’s & 80’s (and Baseketball) movies. It’s kind of interesting with the playing both sides but… let’s be real, Randolph Scott would’ve just been popped after the first treachery. Period. Rating – 7/10 – Still just a standard okay western though if you’re looking to distract a 70-something for 80-something minutes… September 5 – Spy (2015) This seems like a movie that I should’ve seen in theatres… a spy parody from the writer/director of “Bridesmaids” & a bunch of other things I liked to that point… with Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, even Jason f**king Statham!!! Well… I didn’t see it in theatres… or at home… and then 2016’s “Ghostbusters” happened and I REALLY fell off the Paul Feig train… but hey, I saw this pop up on Max & watched it… it’s about a desk jockey for American spy Bradley Fine (Law?) who’s capable but lacks confidence. Well, Fine gets popped in the dome during a nuke sale & the baddie knows about all the other secret agents (including Statham) so they send in a nobody (McCarthy) to ensue hijinx… and guys… holy goodness, hilarity ensues! This movie was SO MUCH FUN & there are a few times when the humor gets a little “okay that could’ve been trimmed a bit” in the typical Paul Feig manner… but not NEARLY as much as Ghostbusters. This totally explains why he got to do Ghostbusters after seeing this movie though… Rating – 10/10 – Not perfect but pretty damn hilarious!!! Have a great weekend & I'll see you next week!!! Steve
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Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
So yeah... things continue to be busy with art shows & awesomeness... but also my mother-in-law seems to have entered a new stage of Alzheimer's since COVID last week... and my mom may have to have eye surgery for a detached retina or something... but hey, it could be a LOT worse... so we enjoyed ourselves with a few movies... August 22 – Abigail (2024) A team of criminals kidnap a young ballerina to ransom for $50 million from her rich father. They take her to a safe house while the transaction goes down… but then realize… she’s not what she seems… unless you already figure out that she’s a f**king vampire… and hijinx ensue!!! Okay, this movie was exactly what I expected to be… bloody… dumb… fun. I was REALLY worried when the chick from the new Scream movies was going to make it all about family like it’s “The Haunting” or some stupid sh*t but… luckily this movie also has a sense of humor. Is it for everybody? Of course not… but if you’re into horror, it’s not bad at all. Rating – 9/10 – Similar to M3GAN last year, just dumb fun horror… August 24 – Romancing the Stone (1984) A romance novelist sets off to Colombia to save her kidnapped sister… but then she finds herself in basically one of her own novels when hijinx ensue. Now… this was a VHS tape that I had growing up… and if you don’t know, this is probably one of the most perfectly crafted movies of all time from a writing – directing standpoint. Sad story about the writer Diane Thomas, but director Robert Zemeckis went off to great stuff as well. It’s funny, full of action, there are a few 80’s cringe moments, Kathleen Turner & Michael Douglas are great… Danny Devito & the guy that plays his brother are… also there. Just check it out if you haven’t already… Rating – 10+/10 – Basically the perfect romantic comedy August 26 – Joe (2013) Nicolas Cage passed on “Expendables 3” to be in this movie by director David Gordon Green (This, “Pineapple Express”, “Halloween” reboots & “Righteous Gemstones”?) about a young homeless boy (Tye Sheridan) who has an abusive father… but while looking for work meets Joe, a shady illegal tree poisoner paid by lumber companies to kill trees to replace with oaks… and they hit it off… but Joe has a dark past full of rage & addiction… and hijinx ensue. Now, the tone of this movie is pretty odd where even the “good guy” Joe is kind of a violent prick who makes horrible life decisions too… but yeah, it’s an interesting & beautiful look at the Deep South in a bit of a twisted tale. Rating – 8/10 – Not for everybody but definitely worth a watch… Tye & Nic kill it acting wise… and the abusive dad in the role of a lifetime for a non-actor August 28 – Longlegs (2024) FINALLY! The Nic Cage serial killer movie comes to streaming… and you KNOW that we bought it sight-unseen. Heavily influenced by Silence of the Lambs, and directed by the son of Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), this movie follows a young female FBI investigator as she uses her mildly psychic powers to track down a serial killer in the mid-90s. Now, I don’t want to give anything away (obviously Nic Cage is the serial killer) but there’s definitely some mystical elements in this movie… but great performances by Nic, Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood, basically all the main characters… and man, Nic Cage is amazing… Rating – 10/10 – I’m glad that we purchased it… and we may be talking about it next Nic-August Cage See you all next week! Steve Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
Well... I'm feeling better & Izzy is on the mend... but now MIL is in the thralls of COVID... but hey, we watched a few movies... August 16 – Death Becomes Her (1992) I thought that I had seen this movie before… but I always got it confused with “Witches of Eastwick”, “War of the Roses”, “Bonfire of the Vanities”, “Moonlighting”, “Moonstruck” and a bunch of other movies from the late 80’s / early 90’s that had a very similar poster / cast / not at all interesting to boys ages 8-12. Spoilers: The only one of those that I’ve actually seen before is Witches of Eastwick recently… and I liked it. In this one, a fading actress (Meryl Streep 30+ years ago?) steals a husband (Bruce Willis) from her rival (Goldie Hawn). Cut to a few years later, everybody is miserable… but now she knows about this immortality treatment where definitely not a witch Isabella Rossalini gives her immortality… but her body is still susceptible to injury… and hijinx ensue… especially when her rival & her husband plan to kill her. Now, the special effects (along with makeup) of this movie won an Academy Award & I get it. For the time, VERY well done, especially with the makeup stuff… and it’s a dark comedy that gets some legit laughs out of you. Yeah, I’d say give it a gander… Rating – 8/10 – Lots of inside industry jokes & stuff too… Bruce Willis is a simp… it’s a lot of fun… August 18 – The King’s Man (2021) The prequel story to the origins of the Kingsmen (there were two movies a few years back with Taren Egerton) and this one is set on the eve of the first World War and a mysterious man known as the Shepherd is plotting to kill MILLIONS through starting this World War through political manipulation & his team of spies… meanwhile Britain has a Lord (Ralph Fiennes) who’s focused on keeping his son from being drafted & dying needlessly… but he wants to do something… and hijinx ensue. Now, if you’ve seen the other Kingsmen movies, it’s all from director Matthew Vaughn & if you’re familiar with his style… you know it’s going to be VERY raunchy & VERY bloody… and as long as you’re okay with that, this movie was an interesting action movie with some fun action scenes. Sure the human elements are a little bleh… kind of like when a Guy Ritchie or Jason Statham movie tries to have emotions… but luckily Ralph Fiennes can at least portray human emotions rather than Charlie Hunnam. Rating – 8/10 – I’d put it on par with the other Kingsmen movies… it’s okay August 20 – The Bikeriders (2024) This is a real story (drama) about a bunch of guys in suburban Chicago who got together & started a motorcycle club. They all had unresolved mental issues including aggression, regret, main character syndrome, so much more… then a few years later, people with even worse issues (Vietnam vets) start joining the group giving even less thought towards self preservation, their families, the law, etc. & hijinx ensue… by which I mean, people die. The end. Okay, that may be the story… but the way it’s told was okay… kind of a flashback while one of the old ladies (Jodie Comer) thinks back about her man (Austin Butler’s psycho ass) and the guy who started the club (Tom Hardy) as she’s telling stories to a photographer/writer. The performances are pretty good too… the accents are kinda fun sometimes… not sure what Tom Hardy likes about doing a weird Chicago accent in everything since Capone but… hey, he’s Tom Hardy & can do no wrong… the story just… I can’t personal connect with any of these a-hole characters. I don’t feel sorry for them. That may be a me problem but… they make choices… several times a day… with only one outcome… and yet I’m supposed to feel sorry when the horrible outcome happens? I don’t know… Rating – 8/10 – Movie was okay but probably adds another star if you know about making horrible decisions as a lifestyle… We've had to miss a few shows due to 'rona but we're back this Saturday at the Ogden Farmers Market! Come saw howdy! The weather should be in the 70's after being in the hundreds for almost two months! Steve Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
Been a busy few weeks that were a lot of fun with Katie... but not as financially beneficial as we hoped... but at least we're both sick now... anyway, here's what we saw... August 2 – Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (2009) Okay, so then we started tearing through the Jesse Stone movies… and this is #5 in the series. In this installment, we start with Jesse & his buddy Healy getting shot by an assassin. Healy gets the worst of it (think Suitcase in the last movie… Suitcase is fine now by the way & recovering fine… and Viola Davis is gone… apparently to have a baby?) but now Stone is on a vengeance path… oh and looking for a kidnapped child from six year ago because a letter was sent to the mother? Don’t worry about it… mostly vengeance. William Sadler shows up for the first time as Gino Fish, a mob boss that helps out Jesse from time to time… in a way… but yeah, this one is primarily a vengeance tale… but in a slow way for a 90 minute movie. It’s no Beekeeper. Rating – 7/10 – Not bad… but not particularly memorable either August 5 – Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010) Well, Chief Stone is suspended now… and dipping DEEP into his alcoholism… so right off the bat I’m judging because he’s not doing anything wise at all… but Healy (he’s fine now BTW) asks him to be a consultant for Boston PD… and he finally gets a cell phone… but he doesn’t use it… and tears his landline out of his home… you know, for plot convenience I assume… and Suitcase is the new chief with only one other officer (50-something year old lady Rose) and there’s a convenience store murder… and they have no idea what to do… and hijinx ensue. Yeah, this one in particular was kind of like “What are we doing here?” Is he a cop? No? Then why is he working two cases… drunk as hell… and nobody else even seems to be trying to do anything… Rating – 6/10 – Come on, Jesse! Get your sh*t together… or just become a gigolo with that golden hog of yours that no lady can resist. Period. August 8 – Jesse Stone: Innocents Lots (2011) Well, Jesse’s forced into involuntary retirement now… but that’s not going to stop him from investigating the death of a teenager girl that he helped out a while back… and after a decade of losing touch, going to school in Boston then getting into prostitution & drugs (whew), now she’s found dead on the side of the road in Paradise… oh & the two cops in paradise now have a new chief, who’s the son-in-law of a town councilman… but has no idea what he’s doing other than writing speeding tickets to create revenue… and hijinx ensue. Yeah, this one just kind of centers on a horrible rehab place in Boston… and nobody caring about anything… except Jesse’s golden hog… and yeah, we see all the people from the previous movies (except Viola Davis)… and most of these movies just kinda end… like I assume the books do… but you’re left kinda going… “Wow… that was boring, not much happened AND I feel like nothing was learned. Cool.” Rating – 5/10 – Really starting to lose steam… August 10 – Jesse Stone: Benefit of a Doubt (2012) Okay, this one starts off with the new chief & a deputy EXPLODING, so at least something happens (must’ve got notes from the last one). Without a police chief, they invite Jesse back… but the other cops have quit because of the last guy… so now it’s really just him trying to solve the murder… but it looks like the old chief might’ve been corrupt (GASP!). BUT Jesse says a cop deserves the “benefit of a doubt” (roll credits) and we get visits with all the old stars because… you know… gotta get ‘em in there… and since it’s not really 90 minutes worth of material but you can fill that with drama & “character development” but Saul Rubinek is at least mildly entertaining. Rating – 7/10 – The explosion & Saul Rubinek kinda saves this one… August 13 – Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (2015) We made it! The FINAL (or at least latest) Jesse Stone movie… and we bring everybody back… because yes, Jesse’s “beloved” dog passed away to start the movie (great start) but as luck would have it… there’s a recent murder victim with a dog standing over their corpse in the same manner he found the first dog… and there’s a Boston Ripper serial killer (played by Luke Perry) that’s already been caught & confessed to the murders… except one of them… the owner of the dog… so Jesse has to get to the bottom of this. There’s also a teenager (Mackenzie Foy) who has an abusive mother for that subplot… and another young girl who may have been a prostitute & know who killed the unconfirmed serial killer victim (oh because she was also a prostitute to spite her husband or something?) and yeah, hijinx ensue as we got through all the stars of the previous movies (again, except Viola Davis)… and the whole time I kept expecting Jesse to say “I’m getting too old for this sh*t…” but yeah… it’s another Jesse Stone movie. Rating – 7/10 – Meh… it’s a decent send-off I guess but… yeah, you’d kinda hafta watch the other (checks notes) EIGHT!!! EIGHT OF THESE THINGS!!! That’s 12 hours!!! 14 if you include this one!!! Why do I hate myself this way?!? Have a great day everybody! Stay safe out there!!! Steve Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
It's the last day of July... and so probably the busiest month of the year with regards to art shows & events starts up in a few hours... but luckily our friend Katie is coming the first two weeks to help out & sell her art as well!!! So basically if I go quiet for a few weeks, don't worry... you can just find us at Eccles Art Center's Summer on August 2nd, then Ogden's Farmers Market on August 3rd... as well as Ogden Pride Festival later on August 3rd... and all day on August 4th... followed by the Weber County Fair from August 7th to 10th from 11 AM to 11 PM each day... and again at Eccles Art Center on August 8th... and the Farmers Market on August 10th... and then one last time at Craft Lake City's DIY Festival at the Utah State Fairgrounds on August 11th... yup, 11 shows in ten days... because we're bad asses!!! Here are some movies we watched to get inspired by... July 25 – Ricky Stanicky (2024) Three childhood friends have blamed their hijinx for decades on a kid named Ricky Stanicky… but he’s made up. Now they’re “adults” and things are getting real… and after decades of blaming their lies & deceit on Ricky Stanicky, now their loved ones are calling them on their BS and want to meet this legendary Ricky… so they hire a down-on-his-luck actor (John Cena) to study up & BE Ricky Stanicky… and of course… hijinx ensue. This movie… is pretty preposterous… but man, I really liked it. To be fair, I watched this one by myself & I’m sure Izzy would think it’s… okay… but as long as you can get past the “the protagonists of this movie are all lying a-holes” and that’s got a lot of the (thank goodness implied) gross-out humor from the director of “Dumb & Dumber” then I think you’ll have a fun time as well. Great performances by Cena, William H Macy, even Zac Efron wasn’t that bad… Rating – 8/10 – Worth a watch if you like raunchy comedy July 27 – Under Paris (2024) Brendan from What Were They Thinking? Podcast told me about this movie… well actually he just asked if I had seen it… and he hadn’t, just that it seemed like a movie I would watch… and he was right to think so. Basically a French diving research team is tracking a mako in the Indian Ocean… and it’s growing faster than expected… and then kills the team save for one lone survivor (hot French chick). Three years later, she’s a guide at a Parisian aquarium… but is then notified by basically Greenpeace’s militant division that the shark they were tracking… is in the Seine River in Paris now… possibly to breed… that’s right, it’s Jaws The Revenge, I guess?!? Anyway, hijinx ensue as everyone involved bumblef**ks their way through events that happen & Steve is just screaming at the TV “A Net will do just fine! Or a barrel of oil or something… whatever…” Now… the movie is better than most of those SyFy shark movies like “Jurassic Shark” or “Three-Headed Shark Attack” or even the “Sharknado” sequels… but it’s definitely not on the Jaws sequel or Deep Blue Sea or The Shallows level. Rating – 7/10 – I like shark movies… but this is quite mid July 29 – The Trust (2016) Nicolas Cage & Elijah Wood are cops… well, crime scene investigators… and when the elder stumbles upon a suspicious evidence receipt… it sends him down a path that basically leads to him convinced that they should rob a drug dealer’s vault located in an otherwise inconsequential apartment location in Las Vegas. Does he have any real evidence that there’s a safe there? Not really… more circumstantial… but he has a hunch… and hijinx ensues. Honestly, this movie is kind of a dark comedy… until the third act… intruged? Rating - ???/10 – Well then hear all about it on Everything I Learned from Movies during Nic-August Cage!!! July 31 – Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Yes, the highly anticipated Marvel movie where we finally get full penetration as Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) are together at last trying to save the universe… and spoilers… cameos ensue!!! Without going deep into it, this movie was a HELL of a lot of fun… if you enjoyed the first two movies (each of which was movie of the year when they came out) then this one is right up the same alley with even zanier stuff happening. That being said… will it be my movie of the year the same year where we’ve already had a Dune movie, a Mad Max Movie, a Planet of the Apes movie, a STUNTS movie & plenty more to come?!? Rating – 10+/10 – Well, it’s already off to a fine start with that ranking!!! Pray for Mojo... and come see us at any of the events in Northern Utah the next two weeks!!! Steve Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
That's right! It was officially announced early this morning (Pioneer Day aka Utah Statehood Day) that the 2034 Winter Olympics will be coming to Salt Lake City for the 1st time since 2002!!! It was kinda known for several months now... but it's good that the IOC didn't pull the ultimate joke & deny us on the state's birthday! Oh... and I saw some movies... July 19 – Vicious Lips (1986) In the distant future, a lady rock band is given the opportunity to be on the intergalactic stage… all they have to do is make it across the galaxy in less than a day… and as luck would have it, they’ve crashed on a desert planet… and they stole a ship that has a serial killer in the back… hijinx ensue. Okay, this movie is made by Albert Pyun (“Cyborg” & other questionable movies) and this is an early one that apparently he bailed on after filming and was like “Good luck making it a story!” Izzy loves this movie… for some reason… but what do I think about it? Rating - ???/10 – Find out on the Grindbin Podcast where we talked with Mike & Bobby about it!!! July 21 – Dangerously Close (1986) While researching “Vicious Lips”, we found out that the lead actress had a small part in this movie… about a band of rich kids who are hellbent on cleansing their prep school of the unsightly Nair-do-wells… and then after a few kids end up dead or missing, then the others kinda do something about it… sorta… apparently this was a whole genre of movies in the 80s where the jocks were cleaning out the nerds via gestapo tactics or something… but this one has John Stockwell, Carey Lowell (Bond girl debut) & friend of the podcast Anthony DeLongis as a cop in one scene… oh yeah, and directed by Albert Pyun within a few months of Vicious Lips. Oh how the hijinx ensue… Rating – 8/10 – Look, this movie was kinda dumb & predictable… but I had a good time with it… though I’ve never understood the whole bully thing… maybe I’M the bully? July 23 – Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006) Yup, another Jesse Stone movie where Tom Selleck is an aging alcoholic LA cop who moved to small-town Massachusetts because he’s separated from this wife (don’t worry about it) and as luck would have it bodies start falling like Murder She Wrote & Jesse always has a new hot chick to run through casually while going through his mental problems through a bottle of whiskey. In this one, the body of a teenage girl washes up on shore… while a man also beats his wife unrelated… and the mystery is whether the teenage girl was killed by her WASP father, the rich author that she trusts, or the dozens of teenage boys who raw dog her on a weekly basis. Jesse meanwhile has finally decided to see a psychiatrist… who may or may not be him from 10 years in the future (played by William Devane) and hijinx & hilarity ensues. Oh & he’s nailing the schoolmistress who didn’t realize that the dead girl was actually an honor student at her last school but then immediately had issues once moving to town… but hey, that’s not her job… she’s pretty. Rating – 7/10 – That being said, I still kinda like these movies. Tom Selleck is great… Viola Davis too… The next few weeks are going to be hella busy with Izzy's art shows but... I'll keep you posted when/if I can... until then, HAPPY PIONEER DAY!!! Steve Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
Yup, HOT busy week after HOT BUSIER week... but I was able to squeeze in a few movies... July 13 – Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) Have you ever seen Indecent Proposal? Well… it’s basically this movie but with less intentional comedy & more drama. Nic Cage & Sarah Jessica Parker are a young couple who go to Vegas to get married because… you know contrivance of Nic’s mom’s deathbed warning to never get married and whatever… but when they get there, within a few hours they fall pray to a professional gambler (definitely not the Mafia don) James Caan who’s wife bore a striking resemblance to SJP… and hijinx ensue when Nic needs to pay off a $65,000 debt by offering his wife as company for the weekend. Honestly though, this is more realistic than Indecent Proposal… even with the overflowing of Elvis impersonators of the Elvis impersonators convention in good ol’ 90s Las Vegas… but yeah, it’s a rough movie at times just for the contrivances… Rating – ???/10 – I PAID $15 FOR THIS, so listen to the podcast so that you don’t have to… or maybe you decide to later on… July 15 – Leaving Las Vegas (1995) That’s right… it’s all the Nic Cage Vegas movies coming up… and this one was my LEAST favorite Nic Cage movie for a looooong time (until watching Amos & Andrew). It’s the story of a writer (Nic Cage) whose wife has left him… and he’s going DEEP into an alcoholic depression… and gets fired… so he decides to go to Las Vegas to drink himself to death… but along the way he meets a hooker with a heart of gold (Elizabeth Shue) who, for whatever reason, falls for him… and they just… kind of be miserable near each other for two hours of movie as hijinx ensue. Yes, I know THIS is somehow the movie that Nic Cage won an Academy Award for (AND SHUE WAS F**KING ROBBED!!!). You can say that it’s a deep, introspective look at broken people in horrible lives that they’ve chosen for themselves & the consequences of their actions… sure… but overall, the movie is just so… f**king unbelievable in many ways… and having lived through a few loved ones deal with alcoholism, this movie just ended up infuriating me when I originally watched it about 15 years ago (IN MY 20S!!!). Has it aged well? Rating - ???/10 – Find out on Everything I Learned From Movies in August!!! July 17 – Zandalee (1991) Okay… if you’ve never seen this movie… it’s an erotic thriller set in New Orleans… where Southern gentleman Judge Reinhold has his beautiful wife (straight outta Red Shoe Diaries) but he’s losing his lust for life (and basically impotent) so she hooks up with hubby’s old buddy artist Nicolas Cage, who looks like Johnny Deep with a mullet and hijinx ensue. There’s also cameos from prisoner garbage man Steve Buscemi, Joe Pants in a dress, Marisa Tomei for a cup of coffee & a plot that makes negative sense… intrigued? Rating – 9/10 – This movie is so crazy it makes me want to go back to New Orleans again very soon!!! I'M LIKE A PRICKLY PEAR!!! Have a great day everybody!!! Watch Zandalee... lemme know what you think! Steve Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
Gearing up for the busiest part of the year with regards to art shows... but of course... we find a way for the podcast... as we have appearances to keep!!! July 5 – Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) As you may have heard, I love Ghostbusters. Grew up with the original as one of our few VHS tapes growing up… the second one is great… didn’t particularly care for the 2016 one but I think that’s because of the bad “improv” nature of the comedy… but they won me back with the last one in spades with the Stranger Things / Next Generation angle. My brother went to see this one opening weekend… and he HATED it!!! He told me that it was a bunch of woke BS where instead of busting ghosts 90% of the movie is the teenage girl falling in a lesbian relationship with a ghost and blah blah blah… and I could totally see that being the angle… and I’d still enjoy it. So… we watched it… and I saw the “lesbian relationship” as more of 15-year old teenagers finding a friend while they’re being angsty and… it’s not like anything happened in a sexual manner so… not sure what my brother’s thinking about. There are some definite lulls in the action (and logic for that matter) in the middle of the movie but… you know, movie gotta movie… and they actually bring back Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray & everybody’s favorite Ernie Hudson (can you believe that guy’s almost 80?!?) in small but significant & hilarious roles… plenty of callbacks being back in New York City… and yeah, I really liked it. Rating – 8/10 – I’d probably only rate it above the 2016 one (Answer the Call or whatever?) but still fun… July 7 – Mazes & Monsters (1980) Tom Hanks’ first leading role… too bad it’s a made-for-TV Satanic Panic movie about four college kids who get swept up in the seedy underbelly of role-playing board games that definitely aren’t Dungeons & Dragons… or something like that. Look… the actors are okay for what they’re given. Is even the great Tom Hanks perfect? Of course not… he’s like 19 or something & given a horrible script. Is this movie worth a watch though for some of the ridiculous things that come out of people’s mouths in the early Reagan days?!? Rating – 7/10 – Absolutely! Worth a drunk watch with friends… or we’ll talk about it on the podcast later this month July 9 – Red Sun (1971) This is another Western where Charles Bronson is part of a gang that robs a train, including a ceremonial sword from the emperor of Japan meant for the President… but then the gang double crosses him & blows him up with dynamite. Now the head guard of the Japanese delegation (Toshiro Mifune of “Seven Samurai”, “Yojimbo”, etc) must join forces with him to bring them to justice… and get the sword (and maybe the money) back. It’s your typical odd couple setup… but actually a lot of fun & from the director of the early Bond movies (Terence Young) so he knows how to shoot a shot & bring the story around. Mifune is always amazing… even if he’s in an early version of “Shanghai Knights” sans most of the comedy. Rating – 8/10 – Definitely worth a shot if you’re into Westerns but a lot of cliches July 11 – Muppets Most Wanted (2014) Have you seen Ernest Goes to Jail? Well, have you seen it with Muppets?!? Basically the Muppets go on a world tour with tour manager Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) and the world’s most dangerous frog escapes from a gulag & switches places with Kermit unbeknownst to anyone else. Guys… it’s a Muppets movie… so you know it’s great… Rating – 9/10 – Always fun… and Tina Fey as the gulag director makes it even better If you're in northern Utah & going to events, you'll probably see us in person... whether it's Ogden Farmers Market, Ogden Pride Festival, Eccles Art Center, Weber County Fair, Craft Lake City DIY Festival in Salt Lake City Fairgrounds, Fiiz Fest in South Jordan, Yart Sale, As Above So Below Witch Fest in Roy... all kinds of crazy stuff!!! See you there!!! Steve & Izzy Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
Well yes, it certainly feels like the end times are upon us... just based on who the "leader of the free world" is gearing up to be (either option) but... alas we soldier on in this stupidest timeline... and watched a few movies... June 29 – The Town (2010) So this movie was recommended for our podcast by an upcoming guest… and I was a little confused. I remembered really liking this Ben Affleck directed bank robbery flick set in the seedy neighborhood of Charlestown in Boston… and on our podcast, we talk about bad movies, right? Oh wait! We also talk about questionable movies… and this is a movie about a bank robbery that goes successfully… until one of the guys starts basically stalking the hostage that they took… and falls in love with her… and continues to do questionable things for a questionable amount of time. Oh yeah, this movie totally fits our podcast! That being said… aside from the obvious amount of “What the f**k are you doing?” throughout the movie… it’s actually pretty well done! Rating – 8/10 – Is it Heat? The Sting? No… more like The Sting II or Den of Thieves or Wrath of Man territory… definitely worth a watch July 1 – Waterworld (1995) I watched this one at a drive-in when it came out… the summer of Batman Forever, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Braveheart, Apollo 13… and of course… CONGO!!! I never really understood the hate for this movie though. Yeah, maybe it lost money because it was the most expensive movie ever made at the time but… it’s basically a Mad Max movie on the water… and that’s my jam!!! In the future, the ice caps have melted… and the entire world is covered in water… yet somehow there’s a surprising number of things from the 90s still around like jet skis & ski boots… and gas that works… but basically there’s a man with fish gills (Kevin Costner) who takes upon a woman & a girl who may have the secret to finding dry land… but Dennis Hopper wants to know too… and he has an army at his disposal somehow. Hijinx ensue. Look… even when it’s the Mad Max Universe & like… fifty years in the future, I’m skeptical about the modern conveniences that people have… but take 50 to 500 years and I’m downright “Whatever, it’s a movie, let it go!” So with that in mind… Rating – 8/10 – I really like it… even with the charisma vacuum that is Kevin Costner July 3 – Hanky Panky (2024) A few weeks ago, the director of this movie (Nick Roth) reached out to me about his movie & wanting to be on the podcast (Everything I Learned From Movies) to promote it… and I was totally down since it was filmed nearby in Heber, Utah & I love talking to people in the movie industry. The movie is on Tubi… and it’s the usual setup of group of people at a cabin in the woods… but one of them is insane & talking to his handkerchief … but is he insane?!? Hijinx ensue… and honestly, it’s a horror comedy on a shoestring budget… but the editing & comedic timing REALLY pulls off what is an otherwise absolutely insane premise where there’s a killer hat voiced by Seth Green! Oh… and another fun thing… in trying to interview the director, we actually got to interview the other director… his wife… Lindsay Haun, probably best known as the lead evil girl from “Village of the Damned” & the Doctor’s child from “Star Trek: Voyager”!!! COMING SOON!!! Rating – 9/10 – This movie was really fun, especially knowing the horror tropes & how they play with them… check it out on Tubi! Happy Independence Day weekend!!! We'll be at the Huntsville 4th of July Parade & Art Festival... and then the weekend will have plenty of fun as well, I'm sure! Hopefully you'll have the same! Steve Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,
Utah Gay Rodeo was a bunch of fun (even if attendance wasn't amazing, but we've got ideas for next year) and it's officially summer with 95+ degree weather... so we stay inside & watch movies when we can... June 21 – Return to Lonesome Dove (1993) This sequel to the Lonesome Dove mini-series picks up with some of the same cast (Rick Schroeder, Chris Cooper, etc) but then replaces Tommy Lee Jones as Cpt. Call with Jon Voight… and Anjelica Huston with Barbara Hershey… and throws in a young Reese Witherspoon, Dennis Haysbert , CCH Pounder, Lou Gossett, Nia Peeples and… Oliver Reed as a Scottish cattle baron in Montana! Okay yes, it’s not quite as good as the original… I mean… Jon Voight isn’t horrible… but it’s almost a different character from TLJ’s Cpt. Call too… the story is about Newt getting into some circumstances where he ends up almost inheriting Oliver Reed’s empire (and hooking up with his 14 year old wife Reese Witherspoon) but then… you know… you were my family first even though I was an a-hole… it’s a western… and we’ve been watching a lot of them recently. Rating – 8/10 – Still worth a watch… there’s definitely some fun & intrigue… but be warned it’s six hours June 23 – Twisted Metal (2024) This ten-episode season on Peacock based on the video game franchise (loosely?) centers around John Doe (Anthony Mackie) who’s a delivery driver between… basically Mega Cities from Judge Dredd through the barren wasteland of criminals between (at least in the US, never really elaborates if the rest of the world is just fine) and he gets “the final job” from the mayor of New San Francisco (Neve Campbell) where if he picks up a package in New Chicago & comes back… then he gets to live in the city. Along the way, he hooks up with a girl on a vengeance spree against the personification of ACAB (Thomas Haden Church) & finds out more about his mysterious past… and this show was a LOT of fun. Everybody was great! Especially the body of Samoa Joe & voice of Will Arnett combining as the psycho clown Sweet Tooth! Season two should be coming… who knows? 2027 probably? Writers strike… Peacock… mergers… whatever… Rating – 10/10 – Some of the drama is just to drag it out to 4-5 hours but… a LOT of fun June 25 – The Muppet Movie (1979) It’s the first Muppets movie… and they’re on a road trip to Hollywood… and hijinx & cameos ensue! Rating – 9/10 – Not my favorite Muppets movie… but it’s a Muppets movie… so it’s great! June 27 – Streets of Laredo (1995) Yes, a THIRD Lonesome Dove series… and this one has the legend himself James Garner an ever-further aged Captain Call… and he’s been hired by the railroads to take out a… (deep sigh) 14-year blonde Mexican boy sniper who’s robbing trains & just killing a bunch of people and livestock while doing it. But wait… he can’t be doing it alone (though it’s inferred he basically is) but also involved is a Native American guy named Mox Mox who BURNS PEOPLE ALIVE!!! Okay… and you’re only sending a 70-something retired Texas ranger after these guys? Oh don’t worry, he’s taking his other retired corporal… and some random deputy he picked up along the way… and the accountant who’s handling his bills… and Randy Quaid pops up as a pointless gunslinger. Look… luckily this one was only 4 hours or so… and it’s not that it’s a bad series or anything… it was just so much darker than the first two. Yes, the first two dealt with death & being in the West was tough… but on top of all the stuff I already said… the accountant’s wife died suddenly off screen… the deputy’s wife killed herself after being raped by the local sheriff… who then also killed himself… Call loses his leg in a long, drawn-out way… the teenage killer’s entire family is a sad tale of a whore who has a simple boy, a blind girl & the oldest is THE F**KING DEVIL killing half of Texas… and the best thing in her life is drunken George Carlin wanting to be near her but he’s in the Friend Zone… and I’m sure there was more that I’m just forgetting already… but yeah, just crazy… and the whole time I’m like “What’s Newt/Rick Schroeder up to while this is going on?” Rating – 8/10 – I love me some James Garner… but the last third he’s just there being mopey and/or moaning in pain Is there more Lonesome Dove things to see out there?!? Wait and find out... Steve |
Steve and Izzy
Steve and Izzy are the hosts behind the EILFM podcast, are BJCP beer judges and have terrible to questionable taste in movies. Along with the PodCats Pickles, Cameron and Poe they will justify why these movies are amazing Archives
May 2024
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