March Movies - Week 4

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Well, we're off on our road trip to Las Vegas, Bakersfield & Los Angeles... but before we go... here are a few movies that we watched...

March 24 – Dream Scenario (2024)
 
The latest of Nicolas Cage’s released movies FINALLY premiered on Peacock… and it’s about a situation that we all have, Nic Cage popping up in our dreams. However, in this instance, he’s NOT Nic Cage… but a character who’s a tenured professor who keeps popping up in people’s dreams… and not really doing much, just kind of there. However, because everybody in this world is insane (including the professor) they make him into some sort of celebrity & when the dreams start taking a turn… hijinx ensue. Now… this is an A24 movie… or what you expect an independent movie to be… decent interesting premise… but then there are certain things that happen where major studios say “No thank you” and endings are tough. I get it. That being said… I enjoyed the movie… but I’m also a HUGE Nic Cage fan… and there were still a few parts of the movie where I was like “Oh… I get it… so everybody’s IQ is in the teens” but yeah, it’s to provoke… something. I’m just not sure what.
 
Rating – 8/10 – Not the worst, not the best… Nic Cage is better than the rest!
 
March 26 – Road House (2024)
 
Look… I love the original Road House. You all know this. I believe I rated it a 10+ a few months ago when I watched my 4K Vinegar Syndrome collector’s edition of the film about a cooler/bouncer who saves a small town Old West style from the evil rich dude. Did the movie need to be remade? Of course not! Could it be remade in current day? I mean… I guess there’s a way to do it. Is it a good sign that the movie went straight to Amazon Prime as opposed to theatres? Allegedly that was always the plan but… it’s starring Jake Gyllenhaal & directed by Doug Liman (“Bourne” & “Mr & Mrs Smith” which Amazon also made straight to streaming as a series). How are they going to do it? Well… Dalton (Gyllenhaal) is a former MMA fighter who’s hired to protect the interests of a roadhouse in the Florida Keys because… apparently everyone that goes there is cartoonishly violent & the police only exists to protect the interests of the rich man who owns the rest of the island (checks out so far). Well, Dalton does well… so they call in Knox (Conor MacGregor) to basically scorched earth the entire situation… and hijinx ensue. Okay… look… it’s not great cinema by any means… but the way they keep the cartoony elements of the original (seriously, MacGregor is great as a walking hard-on for violence) and the nods to the original… I really enjoyed it. Then again, I like incredibly violent & silly movies from the 80’s… so I think if you do too… you’ll like this movie.
 
Rating – 9/10 – We may have to include this for more dissection during “Who asked for this?” months along with the Point Break & The Thing remakes…
 
March 28 – Stagecoach (1986)
 
This was a TV movie and… I think the 3rd or 4th remake of the classic “Stagecoach” movie… and this one stars basically an entire superband with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, June Carter & Bing Crosby’s daughter Mary. The story is about a motley crew of passengers who take a stagecoach (led by John Schneider of Dukes of Hazzard) through Apache territory… and of course, one is pregnant, a few are wanted criminals… and for goodness sakes, Willie Nelson plays Doc Holliday. Did he die in his early 30’s? Willie is already in his 50’s at this point… and not a babyface 50-something either. Anyway, hijinx ensue… and the dialogue wasn’t that bad. I assume they took a lot from the original but… yeah, western tale. My MIL picked it…
 
Rating – 7/10 – I enjoyed it… acting wasn’t too bad for being mostly musicians
 
March 30 – Spymate (2003)
 
From the producers of MVP: Most Valuable Primate & the Air Bud cinematic universes, comes the tale of a secret agent chimp named Minkey, who has retired & now works at the circus. Well, his former partner’s genius daughter (young Emma Roberts) is kidnapped by an evil scientist (Richard Kind) and hijinx ensue when Minkey & her dad are pulled back into the spy game… along with his former secretary (Debra Jo Rupp) and a bunch of circus friends too! Now… I know what you’re thinking… and a spy action movie from the people that brought you “There’s nothing in the rule book that says…” and starring a chimp… an absolute recipe for disaster, right? Well… about the time that Pat Morita showed up as the master of an army of ninjas, I found myself thinking “Is this… the greatest movie ever made?!?” No… but damn it… the movie was actually a LOT of fun… but you can hear more about it during APE-RIL on the podcast!!!
 
Rating – 9/10 – Friend of the podcast Michael Bailey Smith popped up as a bad guy too!!!
 
March 31 – Open Range (2003)
 
I had always heard that this was a good western… so when I saw it on Tubi & everybody wanted to watch it… we did. Basically Robert Duvall & Kevin Costner are free range cattlemen (along with Diego Luna & Abraham Benrubi) and they’re passing through… but when one guy goes in for supplies, the sheriff & a few people beat his ass… and then the sheriff & a corrupt mayor (Michael Gambon) send guys out to mess with their cattle, kill Abraham & nearly Diego Luna too while Kevin & Robert are taking care of another batch of guys. Oh… and they shot the f**king dog! This obviously leads to a John Wick vengeance spree on the corrupt deputies & whatever in town… but they also find a kind doctor (Dean McDermott from “Tracker” & “Due South”) as well as his sister (Annette Bening) who has feelings towards Costner… and other townspeople help out (including Peter MacNeill from “Captain Power”?) and hijinx ensue. Man, it was a pretty damn good western… and Duvall, Costner, just about everybody gives great performances in… honestly a kind of small scale story as most Westerns are. Yeah, I’d say check it out if you can.
 
Rating – 10/10 – A little slow in parts and… my answer is always “Blast him in the face & figure it all out later” but… yeah, good stuff!

Well, that'll hold you over until... APE-RIL!!! Yeah, check out the podcast, we've got some fun stuff coming up for the month as well as a mini episode for "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" which we'll be seeing tonight before our trip! Until then... have a great night everybody!!!

​Steve