February Movies - Week 3

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Another week... Izzy's still doing fine... work is abundant... what else can I say?

Feb 18 – Cloak & Dagger (1984)
 
This was a new one to me… but it has the kid from E.T. (Henry Thomas) obsessed with a video game called “Cloak & Dagger” starring an American James Bond like character named Jack Flack (Dabney Coleman) who doubles as his imaginary friend while his dad (also Coleman) is away working with the military. Well, hijinx ensues when he & Jack stumble upon a game cartridge that contains top-secret intel and they are chased through the attractions of San Antonio. Is this a perfect movie? Of course not… but it’s sweet enough… and the pacing is a little slow (I almost dozed off midday on a weekend watching it) but if you’re looking for PG-rated action-comedy then you may want to consider this.
 
Rating – 7/10 – It’s okay… but I’ve seen a lot better
 
Feb 19 – Scream (2022)
 
YES!!! Our first new movie of 2022!!! The 5th installment of the Scream franchise… and because it’s an ubermeta reboot of the same name starring the original characters from over a generation ago that keeps the same title, Neve Campbell returns to Hollywood & I’m okay with that. I haven’t seen her since 2016’s Skyscraper!!! Basically there’s a Ghostface Killer (not Wu Tang) running amuck in Woodsboro & they’re killing people connected to the original movies… so they have to come back… and the new generations is introduced (and killed off) and hijinx ensue. There were a few points in this movie where they’re calling themselves out on a half-assed rehash of the same old retelling of horror… but at least this is done better than say… Halloween and/or Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
 
Rating – 9/10 – I really liked it… though there’s the obvious horror tropes throughout… but that’s the genre.
 
Feb 20 – Peacemaker (2021)
 
John Cena is charismatic as hell… that’s why he’s an amazing wrestler (paired with that bod & athleticism) and taking Hollywood by… well, at least a steady trickle if not a storm. His comic book character from “THE Suicide Squad” last year got his own spin-off series directed by James Gunn & on HBO Max and… I really enjoyed it. Basically, Peacemaker is (somehow) alive & out of jail after the events of the movie (check it out) and now he’s trying to get his life back together when he’s pulled in for another job… namely stopping an alien invasion!!! This was a little over six hours long in eight episodes… but there’s really only about 3-4 hours of movie here. This movie suffered from a dozen or so full music videos being thrown in for little to no reason… and a lot of super long riff takes that lost about 4-5 back-and-forths too long & lazy to be truly funny (think Ghostbusters 2016) BUT when it’s moving, it’s a lot of fun.
 
Rating – 8/10 – You can probably skip it if you’re not into Superhero movies or crass humor… but if you are, then watch it!
 
Feb 21 – Shooter (2007)
 
As I mentioned in the last one, we’ve been watching a few Mark Wahlberg movies… and this one directed by Antoine Fuqua is about an American Sniper who consults some mysterious government group to protect the President… but ends up being their patsy & having to clear his name. This movie was one where about 15 minutes in I thought to myself “Have I seen this one already?” I couldn’t confirm it one way or the other, so I probably have just seen a bunch like it… but it wasn’t that bad. A little cliché but decently shot action, not a completely unfathomable plot… you know the deal.
 
Rating – 8/10 – Decent sniper trying to clear his name flick
 
Feb 22 – The Selling (2011)
 
This one was recommended by my good friend Sparkles who you can see with her Muleicorn Claudia if you’re in the Jackson Square area of New Orleans. They’re giving tours of the French Quarter. Tell them Steve sent ya! Anyway, this movie is a comedy by the team of Gabriel Diani & Etta Devine about a real estate agent (Diani) who is trying to sell a haunted house… and hijinx ensue. Friend of the podcast Janet Varney stars as well… and honestly is one of the funniest parts of the movie. Overall, a lot of the jokes land… but definitely not all of them. I recommend checking it out on Tubi if you’re into this sort of funny spooky thing.
 
Rating – 8/10 – It’s on Tubi… I enjoyed it
 
Feb 23 – McBain (1991)
 
If you have not heard of or seen this movie… there’s a Rifftrax version on Tubi if you’d prefer to check it out, but I highly recommend a drunk watch with friends if you can find it somewhere else, even dropping a few bucks. Remember when Christopher Walken was an action hero? No? Well this is the movie! He’s a grizzled Vietnam vet who gets called into an oath by the sister of an old friend who was murdered leading a Colombian revolution… so the old team gets back together… to raise $10 million to wage their own personal way against the Colombian President… you know, for revenge. This description does not go into the incredible detail of how CRAZY this movie is. Forget that Walken is the titular Bobby McBain… and I guess he’s the leader of the crew… but I still don’t know why? They met as they were LEAVING Vietnam in the opening scenes? How did the sister (Maria Conchita Alonso) get to America exactly? Michael Ironsides as an arms dealer? The dialogue in this movie is NUTS!!! There’s a scene where McBain quantifies the Drug & Arms Trade that… is just ART!!!
 
Rating – 10/10 – Cannot recommend this movie enough to watch with your friends!!!

Well, I've just received the other half of a hundred-dollar bill... so I guess I'm going to overthrow a government... which one you might ask? Tune into Everything I Learned From Movies on your favorite podcatcher to find out!!!

Steve