What was the last movie you saw...? Part IV

[Vyn]

Cold Storage - finally got around to watching this, based off of Charger's brief review.

I watched it with T (she who has destroyed all contenders for my attention), and the SkyLab bit spun us off into talking about SkyLab and all of the complete hysteria surrounding its demise. I actually had a t-shirt that said, "SkyLab is Falling!" with a graphic of SkyLab in pieces, hurling towards the earth.

A good flick and worth the time!

[Zzzptm]

On vacation with the missus and we're having fun watching old movies that are free on YouTube, pretending we have impeccable timing with how we tune in to one of the six zillion cable channels, like it was back in the day.

We started with

KING SOLOMON'S MINES

Cheese galore, and they got to rip off Raiders of the Lost Ark heavily by claiming to be a "parody" of the film. There was zero story getting in the way of the plot, but things got old, fast. So we switched over to

RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER

This one clicked. It's the best of the Pink Panther series, in my opinion, as it has Peter Sellers before he had serious health problems and also before he thought he'd pretty much done everything with the character that he could do. It's a screwball mid-70s plot, the gags in it are classics now, and we're now saying "minky". We loved it, and the movie is one of those "evergreens" that ages very well.

[Typhon]

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

At the height of the Cold War, a mysterious criminal organization plans to use nuclear weapons and technology to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and the Soviet Union.  CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are forced to put aside their hostilities and work together to stop the evildoers in their tracks.

Although the credits claimed to be based on the TV show I loved as a teenager, the movie devolves into cartoonish crap, where the 2 agents act more like super heroes.  Sure, there is plenty of action with wild chase scenes, crazy stunts displaying super human skills.  All accompanied by stylish jazz music or heavy drum rumblings.  Perhaps I am being a bit too hard on the film because of my love for the original TV series, but, so be it.  4/10

[Charger]

^^^

I pretty much second that. That movie was pretty garbage...and indeed part from the 60s styling the movie had very little in common with the show, that I also loved as a kid!

[Vyn]

Ok, I saw that Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie. In and of itself, especially for someone who had never watched the TV series, I think it would be a decent time. I was too busy comparing stuff in my mind, and am heavily biased towards the TV show, so I didn't enjoy it.

Much like the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit movies. Having read the books many times, despite the movies being cinematic masterpieces I could not get into them.

[Zzzptm]

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GUNFIGHTER

James Garner as a feller out west with a real gift of gab. Totally not serious about anything, it's a comical romp through an Old West town. Loads of fistfights, fancy shootin', and dynamite. It's totally clear how things will play out from the get-go, and that assurance of a happy ending just makes the movie more relaxing to watch. Basically, if you like watching James Garner plays a character who can talk his way out of things, and I do, then this is well worth the 90 mins or so to watch it.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I've got a bunch of better films I need to review... but I thought I'd start with...
 
Alarum - 2025

Or, "Mission Alarum" as it's known in the UK! An action film set in Slovakia starring Scott Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Willa Fitzgerald, Mike Colter and Isis Valverde.

From IMDb: After the CIA discovers the whereabouts of two rogue spies, who have not only gone off-grid but have become husband and wife (Eastwood and - I think - Fitzgerald!), all hell is unleashed on their winter honeymoon cabin resort in the woods by a consortium of international spy organizations who are after a 'flight pill', aka a hard drive, and all of whom suspect the two may have joined a network of rogue spies known as the Alarum.

This is B-movie at it's cheesiest... a sub par Expendables! It was nominated for 3 Razzies, but I think it was in the wrong categories. Eastwood, Stallone and Valverde got worst acting nominations, but while not great they certainly weren't *that* bad. The clear crime here was the script, production design and editing/direction! It was vaguely fun for its thankfully short runtime. 4/10

[Zzzptm]

THE 'BURBS

This film got panned by half the critics when it released, but has developed a cult following. I get the cult following thing. It's a fun psychological exploration with enjoyable twists. Everything happens on the small section of street, giving it additional psycho quirks. With the main characters' flaws clearly on display, it's something I enjoyed picking apart as I watched. If you like the first 10 minutes, you'll like the rest of it.



THE SHAKIEST GUN IN THE WEST

My wife and I had to watch this because it came up in the search filter after watching the other free movies. We remembered watching it as kids and it's still fresh today. Don Knotts is hilarious - it's kind of hard for him to *not* be hilarious - and the rest of the Western doesn't let pesky story bits get in the way of a pretty decent plot. Accurate? No. Funny? Hell yes. It's a classic Western Action-Comedy with just enough romance to make the kiddos groan about kissing in one or two scenes. Now that my wife and I are grownups, the kissing wasn't all *that* bad. It's another classic film that has aged quite well.

[Vyn]

THE SHAKIEST GUN IN THE WEST

Good movie, haven't seen it in forever but have good memories of it. Might have to revisit it soon, thanks for bringing it up!

[Zzzptm]

THE SHAKIEST GUN IN THE WEST

Good movie, haven't seen it in forever but have good memories of it. Might have to revisit it soon, thanks for bringing it up!

It's a good date night picture.


Had three more to share from my vacationing days of late:

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF

First in the pair of "Support" movies with James Garner paired with Jack Elam. It's a great film, loads of great gags and zingy dialogue, but I feel like the second film is the better of the two in that Garner's character (along with Elam's) is more vulnerable in terms of physical skills, making reliance on wits and wiles all the more important. All in all, though, this one's a fine rootin-tootin Western that I loved watching. And this one led us to...

THE THREE AMIGOS

Would you say I've seen a *plethora* of movies lately? It took a few decades, but *now* we get this movie. It's quirky, silly, plot holes everywhere, and you know what? It's all right. They take magical realism way too literally and that's where the fun starts. The hallucinatory night on the range, singing bush, and invisible swordsman alone are worth the watch. And watching the performances of Chase, Martin, and Short in view of how they operated in other roles is hilarious for spotting their go-to reactions for things.

This next one caught me quite by pleasant surprise:

OPERATION PETTICOAT

This is a comedy, but it's also a war movie. The opening attack on the submarine was totally serious, as were all other combat sequences. The film is not a comedy set in a war as much as it's a war movie in which the characters seek sanity through comedy - and a touch of the romance, as well. There's a pastiche of actual events in the film, so it's not a kooky idea shoved into a 2-hour barrel. It's actual experiences - lighthearted, many of them - from the sailors of the US Navy in the Pacific Theatre of WW2. And it's that backdrop of "we could get killed out here" running through Captain Sherman's mind - the Cap'n being played by the great Cary Grant - that makes the film so human and relatable. His decisions are urgent and with the lives of his crew foremost. I really loved watching this movie.

[Typhon]

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)

Sinbad (John Phillip Law) and his crew intercept a homunculus carrying a golden tablet.  Koura (Tom Baker), the creator of the homunculus and practitioner of evil magic, wants the tablet back and pursues Sinbad.  Meanwhile, Sinbad meets the Vizier who has another part of the interlocking golden map, and they mount a quest across the seas to solve the riddle of the map.

First time I have seen this film.  Pretty decent entertainment, and those Ray Harryhausen special effects are always great.  Loved watching Caroline Munro as well.  8/10

[Charger]

STIGMATA

A young hairdresser begins to have mysterious wounds similar to the crucifixion and a scientist priest from the Vatican is sent to investigate. As the stigmata prove not only real but getting worse the priest finds evidence of a lost gospel that might have been written by Jesus himself that puts the catholic church in a very awkward position.

Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne do great jobs in the leads of this horror mystery.

The events open slowly and strangely that add to the mystical nature of the story...the ending however is bit lackluster.

This isn't a scary film nor an action film but it is an interesting one and it showcases the diabolical and double faced nature of organized religion.


*  *  *

[Zzzptm]

THE WRECKING CREW

Netflix documentary about the top LA session musicians of the 60s and 70s. Every time they played a snip of a song, I was like, "They played on *that one too???*" Lots of cool music history fun and Tommy Tedesco's stuff is an outright hoot and a half. Guy played a solo so good on the studio recording, nobody in the band could match it live, things like that.

[Typhon]

STIGMATA
*  *  *

Saw that years ago.  Had the same reaction.

THE WRECKING CREW

When I saw this title, I thought you had watched the Dean Martin flick.