THE LORDS OF SALEM

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSizVjbLgBB32kuYC1Ifb40oP8l6fKTKHlh6tzxI35ZEurfo7HB8JZvVJPerxPJMwQVb1ViHXekC_zh0z7lSwFhyRDzoX2M7zqpBOdDql_B2EQcD9eKEyC6x0jLPsuy6klAdPZU99gUgM_/s1600/lords-of-salem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSizVjbLgBB32kuYC1Ifb40oP8l6fKTKHlh6tzxI35ZEurfo7HB8JZvVJPerxPJMwQVb1ViHXekC_zh0z7lSwFhyRDzoX2M7zqpBOdDql_B2EQcD9eKEyC6x0jLPsuy6klAdPZU99gUgM_/s640/lords-of-salem.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Dee Wallace, Meg Foster rating: *</td></tr> </tbody></table> Writer/Director Rob Zombie, whose 1990’s death metal sounded like the Devil himself had his very own rock band, serves up yet another cinematic gore fest: Whether you liked or loathed Rob's HALLOWEEN remake, HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES or THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, these were motion pictures – actually more exploitation than horror – that at least took themselves seriously and most important, had a fanatical audience to consider.<br /> <br /> THE LORDS OF SALEM feels more like an art-house music video paying dreary homage to classics like THE SHINING, as most of the story takes place in a hotel with each day of the week separating every other scene; THE EXORCIST, wherein a vulnerable female gets possessed and is aided by an older man with possible answers; and whatever devil worship cult flick you can think of, but for thematic purposes only.<br /> <br /> Rob’s wife Sheri Moon plays Heidi Hawthorne, of three Salem Rock N’ Roll DJs, but Heidi's the <i>only</i> name on the old wooden box where a record from a band called THE LORDS OF SALEM is kept. When the main track is played… either in her room or on the air… bad things happen, mostly centering on three witchy old sisters (including the hotel landlord), who stand around as if posing for a Gothic photo shoot. Meanwhile Bruce Davison, as a Salem novelist/historian, attempts an intervention that fails miserably. Leaving poor Heidi (resembling a demonic voodoo doll Hamburgler) with a spaced-out expression and surreal dreams more interesting than her real life nightmare. Meanwhile, sporadic flashbacks occur of the original Salem witches writhing naked around a fire pit, and none of these grotesque gals are a wee bit scary, just really gross and, befitting everything else, ultimately pointless.

2013, bruce davison, dee wallace, exploitation, horror, ken foree, rob zombie

THE LORDS OF SALEM

year: 2013 cast: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Dee Wallace, Meg Foster rating: * Writer/Director Rob Zombie, whose 1990’s death meta...

THE BIG WEDDING

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qqfrBPWrXK3KWwdBuEJxc07oDmSZUZOkRl2rS2guZ-LQP94L4bhChFXoqZibHElUwbfJ7DY7bwr9IUNmQPQFdB1MxOZEE8tEbMN2YarZxtjM3fJghW4NfgVzmONlvXC2kFSDAytri3MD/s1600/The-Big-Wedding-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qqfrBPWrXK3KWwdBuEJxc07oDmSZUZOkRl2rS2guZ-LQP94L4bhChFXoqZibHElUwbfJ7DY7bwr9IUNmQPQFdB1MxOZEE8tEbMN2YarZxtjM3fJghW4NfgVzmONlvXC2kFSDAytri3MD/s640/The-Big-Wedding-04.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year: </b>2013 <b>cast:</b> Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams<b> rating:</b> *</td></tr> </tbody></table> Robert De Niro’s character Don, whose son is about to get married, has a pretty good line in the beginning of THE BIG WEDDING, something having to do with marriage being liken to a phone call at night… First the ring, and then you wake up. Well here we have more of a message – an extremely familiar one at that –  spoken on a broken down answering machine.<br /> <br /> After about twenty frantic minutes of all the characters... including sons, daughters and girlfriends... bitching at each other incessantly, an actual "plot" surfaces: Don and his ex-wife Ellie, played by Diane Keaton, has to pretend to be married (BIRDCAGE, anyone?) in order to please their adopted son’s uptight catholic mother, who frowns on divorce. The first of many problems is simply: Who the heck cares about this woman anyway?<br /> <br /> Robert De Niro, relating back to that initial joke, phones in a lazy performance but his beard fits him well – you can say he looks better now, at the beginning of being legitimately old, than he did ten years ago as an aged version of his younger self.<br /> <br /> But his character's crass humor is more fitting to the young. Spouting Judd Apatow style sexual jokes is awkward and unfunny throughout this muddled mess of a romantic comedy, leading to that big wedding only lasting ten minutes before the film ends quickly.<br /> <br /> Well that was one prayer answered…

2013, diane keaton, katherine heigl, robert deniro, robin williams, romantic comedy, susan sarandon

THE BIG WEDDING

year: 2013 cast: Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams  rating: * Robert De Niro’s character Don, whose son is ...

PAIN & GAIN

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBAwCMijYBOtoOBimW3FT5abOJfDp9ejS27pzsEhHF7pgzE0RyT29JyfZzLbSckcLyY1CeYSGPxgfBWZ2yFSOm37RPMcvByeADDUsNsXeaOn2XUqpfFDd9dUWk_fWvgdeVGBOv0AA7G0n/s1600/painandgain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBAwCMijYBOtoOBimW3FT5abOJfDp9ejS27pzsEhHF7pgzE0RyT29JyfZzLbSckcLyY1CeYSGPxgfBWZ2yFSOm37RPMcvByeADDUsNsXeaOn2XUqpfFDd9dUWk_fWvgdeVGBOv0AA7G0n/s640/painandgain.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Tony Shalhoub rating: **1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> Based on a true story about three really dumb guys, and if it weren’t for all the blood and guts you’d think PAIN & GAIN was another THREE STOOGES reboot. It’s questionable if director Michael Bay, who at least tells a story without overdoing his usual editorial distractions, shaky cameras and extreme closeups, were making a slapstick comedy or a Tarantinoesque crime flick of the heist nature: Beginning with a flash of Mark Walhberg’s Daniel Lugo being chased by the police, his body flying in the air and his head smashing into a windshield: That’s the future and we quickly leap to the past where our story, eventually narrated by just about every character on board, properly introduces Lugo as a personal trainer in a mediocre weight lifting gym. He really takes his job seriously, wanting his clients to be as musclebound as he is. Especially the annoyingly opinionated millionaire Victor Kershaw who, played by Tony Shalhoub, becomes the target for a bizarre kidnapping scheme.<br /> <br /> Lugo’s partners in crime are likewise muscular dimwits: African American Adrian (Anthony Mackie) has an embarrassing testosterone problem while Dwayne Johnson’s Paul Doyle, the Curly of these particular STOOGES, is an ex-convict Born Again to an intentionally idiotic level. The most involving scenes have the trio putting their plan into action, which includes several failed attempts. The characters work great together as criminal climbers, playing off each other’s gifts (muscle) and shortcomings (brains). After Victor's successfully kidnapped the film morphs into a half-baked dark comedy where torture and violence is treated like a pie fight; yet there's still a plot at hand. It's when Victor’s out of the picture (somewhat) and the buffoons get deeper and deeper in a hole… Doyle becomes a cokehead and Lugo plans an even more ludicrous scheme… you'll wish they'd attempt something simple, like bank robbery or a jewelry heist – at least they'd have a destination!<br /> <br /> Ed Harris as Victor’s gumshoe investigator, eventually putting the jigsaw together, is only necessary for tying up all the loose ends, which should have happened much sooner.

2013, dwayne johnson, ed harris, kidnapping, mark wahlberg, michael bay

PAIN & GAIN

year: 2013 cast: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Tony Shalhoub rating: **1/2 Based on a true story about three really dumb guys, and if i...

SAM RAIMI'S THE QUICK AND THE DEAD

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQB3Qkn_s5ZOcep12EUL-O8GQfur94K3pZSP5viMXj1-ue4kBfNMqwYdUk6GYScwQW3Me99uuthRAUMCV7bL3GWSl6laEv93VeaN_mweLa7OswZJpDx1Gf1zoawdYR29p3QX7k1ckJvyZ/s1600/quickanddead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQB3Qkn_s5ZOcep12EUL-O8GQfur94K3pZSP5viMXj1-ue4kBfNMqwYdUk6GYScwQW3Me99uuthRAUMCV7bL3GWSl6laEv93VeaN_mweLa7OswZJpDx1Gf1zoawdYR29p3QX7k1ckJvyZ/s640/quickanddead.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1994 cast: Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio rating: ***1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> The Spaghetti Western gets a special treatment by director Sam Raimi. The so-called “Man With No Name” is a woman and, like all Clint Eastwood’s characters in the Sergio Leone series, she does have a name.<br /> <br /> Sharon Stone, as a mysterious stranger Ellen, enters a small town and takes part in a contest of the fast draw. Each person, ranging from cutthroats to convicts to the law, takes part in what eventually becomes a do-or-do match along the dusty main street.<br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrZZQWS4Yp-8kb2vadnoLfv7GTQAeLWTFMZDl0zG8mqS-TpYBNrjbm_swpr3_DkvjsvBoWvz1mhG7QPc4gYuiziq768GIrvlH4RXKBsPTgp8jryfOJ4uQS3iEvuKReRRp0QcKCoY85phA/s1600/sharonstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrZZQWS4Yp-8kb2vadnoLfv7GTQAeLWTFMZDl0zG8mqS-TpYBNrjbm_swpr3_DkvjsvBoWvz1mhG7QPc4gYuiziq768GIrvlH4RXKBsPTgp8jryfOJ4uQS3iEvuKReRRp0QcKCoY85phA/s200/sharonstone.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharon Eastwood Stone</td></tr> </tbody></table> Gene Hackman steals the show as the nefarious Sheriff Herod, mixing diabolical prowess with a sorrowfully vacant melancholy. Running the town with a cool iron fist, Herod keeps his eye on Stone and especially his prisoner, Cort... Russell Crowe in a slowburn performance... a maligned preacher with a past.<br /> <br /> The duels are fantastic – each character’s personality introduced in a Graphic Novel fashion, and their impending fate means more than mere body count. These include Lance Hendriksen as a self-promoting/self-proclaimed fastest gun; Keith David as a mercenary; and an Indian claiming no bullet can kill him. This contest provides competitive intrigue that we can always fall back on, liken to the Bruce Lee classic ENTER THE DRAGON.<br /> <br /> The eclectic contestant's aside, we’re full aware who the final four will be: Ellen, Herod, Cort, and a very spirited Leonardo DiCaprio as “The Kid,” a bragging youngster with an energetic courage exceeding common sense. And although Sharon Stone does a good job as the scowling figurehead, the real stuff centers on Hackman and Crowe, both connected more than the revenge-driven heroine wants to believe.

nineties, russell crowe, sam raimi, sharon stone, western

SAM RAIMI'S THE QUICK AND THE DEAD

year: 1994 cast: Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio rating: ***1/2 The Spaghetti Western gets a special treatm...

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWJ0GNFKQFNiEklIZJ6J_6TbqlJpapAjtNOYpQ6LMgwSy5WK2n087LtFVoSVQMwLgDT1zYKLExSzwoQ4eBR2lvOfCPuOTPO4O1EtO0fjWWu4sC3xoLFBIL3JpTpeBIgheO6AqoJNPmSE/s1600/placepines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWJ0GNFKQFNiEklIZJ6J_6TbqlJpapAjtNOYpQ6LMgwSy5WK2n087LtFVoSVQMwLgDT1zYKLExSzwoQ4eBR2lvOfCPuOTPO4O1EtO0fjWWu4sC3xoLFBIL3JpTpeBIgheO6AqoJNPmSE/s640/placepines.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta, Eva Mendes rating: ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> A tale of three stories, all connected to a flawed but kindhearted stunt riding motorcycle guy. With tattoos covering most of his body and a Metallica T-shirt, the opening shot of Ryan Gosling’s Luke (a cross between Steve McQueen and Peter Stormare) strutting through a carnival crowd and stepping into a circular cage where motorcycles zip around like killer bees… promises a lot more than THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES offers, but that’s only if you’re expecting an action movie to begin with.<br /> <br /> The first vignette has Luke discovering he has a baby with his ex, which gets to him deep down. And in the Film Noir fashion our flawed antihero goes straight into crime, robbing banks along with a grizzly getaway driver. The bank robbing scenes, followed by Luke zipping off on his motorbike, are quick and shaky but always involving. Gosling turns in a worthy old-school performance as a desperate tough cookie, blending slow burn venom with quiet pathos.  But his story doesn’t last long…<br /> <br /> After one robbery too many, Luke is chased into a suburban house and… let’s just say the story’s now handed off to Bradley Cooper who, as Avery, takes the second tier of a good cop in a sea of sharks. The versatile SILVER LININGS Oscar nominee does a pretty good job as a vulnerable pawn yet this story lacks the punch of the first one. The best scenes have Avery under the gun of his impending foes, but there’s not much payoff to the edgy buildup. <br /> <br /> The third tale has been maligned by critics and audiences alike: Cutting 15 years later we follow the sons of both Luke and Avery. Luke’s kid is a shy brooding stoner while Avery’s, speaking like a hip-hop wannabe, pushes him into criminal activity: just to make a party better. Not a bad little ride here, but the troubled teens are paper-thin and it doesn’t seem a worthy crescendo for those initial characters that made these punk's existence, and the overall story, happen in the first place.<br /> <br /> Judging as a whole, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is a decent patchwork that, during the last fifteen minutes, pays homage to a bonafide classic MILLERS CROSSING as two important characters meet up at the rural location the film’s named after: a <i>do or die</i> moment resulting in a somewhat bland conclusion.

2013, action, bradley cooper, eva mendes, neo noir, ray liotta, ryan gosling

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

year: 2013 cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta, Eva Mendes rating: *** A tale of three stories, all connected to a flawed but...

42

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQVjowsFDqnUTNB5KhYyD6pEV6HNdc2xP8tNmhkVQpJqsXv7FFrAdEx_iQkgdRG1AAfKAYmTKmy-hhCKxwCZGXV-Pce6S_VwTuYVchooTgQubiHYmUDcePs5IZvOsle58GCVMNseRPLY/s1600/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQVjowsFDqnUTNB5KhYyD6pEV6HNdc2xP8tNmhkVQpJqsXv7FFrAdEx_iQkgdRG1AAfKAYmTKmy-hhCKxwCZGXV-Pce6S_VwTuYVchooTgQubiHYmUDcePs5IZvOsle58GCVMNseRPLY/s640/42.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year: </b>2013 <b>cast:</b> Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Alan Tudyk <b>rating:</b> *** </td></tr> </tbody></table> Often feeling like a made-for-cable biopic, 42, named after Jackie Robinson’s number with the Brooklyn Dodgers – the first African American to play in the big leagues – is an entertaining film wherein the best moments take you out of the history lesson and right into the ballpark. Each game is pieced together with suspenseful precision, especially a pivotal scene where Robinson shuffles his way around the diamond: stealing every base and eventually making it home. While some of the weaker moments are still pretty decent… Scenes with Jackie and his wife are a little corny and yet both actors have genuine heartfelt chemistry.<br /> <br /> But the real connection is between Robinson and Dodger's team executive Branch Rickey. Most of us grew up with Harrison Ford playing larger than life heroes, and he’s hardly been deemed a “character actor.” Well his performance is hit and miss: In one aspect he seems to be doing an imitation of an endearing old codger (especially when more believable old guys, like Max Gail, are on the screen). And although we never really learn why he got the sudden daring vision to allow blacks to play a “white man’s game,” his scenes with Jackie really make the moments on the field count. Also, it’s fun watching Rickey manipulate other coaches to do things his way.<br /> <br /> The film’s star, Chadwick Boseman, is believable as Robinson, especially when he’s rounding the bases or trying hard not to fight (holding back against) his unruly adversaries: whether on the opposing team or his own. Although there’s a bit of a “Time Travel” aspect as Boseman’s performance often feels like a modern man knowing he’ll prevail over such a horribly banal thing as racism. Sure, standing tall with cocky pride is a worthy aspect of a legend, but too much determined realization takes away from a character, albeit a true life one, that could have used more of an arc for that struggle to seem more actual than celebrated.

2013, biopic, chadwock boseman, harrison ford, sport

42

year: 2013 cast: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Alan Tudyk rating: ***  Often feeling like a made-for-cable biopic, ...

TOM CRUISE IN OBLIVION

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8LAJ0wlIVhLa0BxhaVStmjx5PwpP_IpQbXEOfPpHPnvAxlWOVdFRXviL0mFO5EHvMOlVpwKVtaYcCfoIzfhTUbZqKaHXVl_Fwdb-NSRHI70xgZxOLACms-byIlyyixnmt3jFpoSj_7s/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8LAJ0wlIVhLa0BxhaVStmjx5PwpP_IpQbXEOfPpHPnvAxlWOVdFRXviL0mFO5EHvMOlVpwKVtaYcCfoIzfhTUbZqKaHXVl_Fwdb-NSRHI70xgZxOLACms-byIlyyixnmt3jFpoSj_7s/s640/images.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>year: 2013 cast: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Melissa Leo rating: **1/2</b></span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> Thankfully Tom Cruise, as Jack, repeats the backstory of OBLIVION somewhere in the middle section – it’s all part of an progressively intricate plot that gets a tad confusing when a new character is introduced into the contained vessel where Jack and his partner Victoria are a team sent to, as the description goes, “extract Earth's remaining resources.” This has to do with recovering and fixing damaged drone devices sent down to take out any rogue scavengers. And it all happened because some alien force blew up part of the moon, causing the elements to destroy most of the Earth.<br /> <br /> The drones are flying lethal orbs that only respond to Jack’s voice recognition. The coolest scenes are in the beginning as he either soars around in a space ship or rides a high-tech motorcycle, putting the irritable machines back into working order. Then the plot thickens when one of the drones almost kills Jack, who eventually discovers survivors in the murky underground, led by Morgan Freeman’s wise and/or evil old man, Beech.<br /> <br /> It wouldn’t be fair to delve any further into the storyline since so much relies on tricks and turns and, of course, that important element all films post M. Night and LOST have to acquire: the twist ending or in this particular case, several twist middles, turning an exploration based sci-fi into a Film Noirish love story: the main character risks everything to help a damsel in distress, who, with a few secrets of her own, shuffles the deck even more. <br /> <br /> That’s when things get clunky and the inevitable final battle (the first of two climaxes), involving a horde of hell bent drones, is a more expensive, digitalized version of the MAD MAX universe. And this isn't the first cinematic deja vu: the main setup, of a “worker” cleaning up after an abandoned Earth, borrows from Pixar’s computer animated WALL-E... And we won’t take away any more points for unoriginality, but rather, for throwing too many cooks into the mix – all with very similar results.

2013, action, morgan freeman, science fiction, tom cruise

TOM CRUISE IN OBLIVION

year: 2013 cast: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Melissa Leo rating: **1/2 Thankfully Tom Cruise, as Jack, repeats the b...

WHERE ARE YOUR CURRENT MOVIE REVIEWS?

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0arzVQufO5a3ilO7zRDoUuULDpQxJAE9j_peOv1yy8q0rCjQ9LlrRQOXQpRPohwC3RQ-K3qQ-DUietxUJRps_xMzmIugoxUZ9mS480VE-NWWjI_QBF1VRVY3RgVQKByKEku4HObudwtw/s1600/janetmargolin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0arzVQufO5a3ilO7zRDoUuULDpQxJAE9j_peOv1yy8q0rCjQ9LlrRQOXQpRPohwC3RQ-K3qQ-DUietxUJRps_xMzmIugoxUZ9mS480VE-NWWjI_QBF1VRVY3RgVQKByKEku4HObudwtw/s640/janetmargolin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Come back soon, James, because we... or at least I... miss you."</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> <i>Current reviews (of movies playing in theaters) will resume after this weekend, when yours truly will be attending the Hollywood Show to meet celebrities... and last week attended the Monsterpolooza for the same reason... thus an abundance of recent screenings have been neglected...</i><br /> <i><br /></i> <i>So stay tuned for reviews of OBLIVION (Tom Cruise as WALL-E), JURASSIC PARK 3D (the dinosaurs will appear even closer than they were), OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (Air Force One redux), 42 (Harrison Ford has become a character-actor after all these years), THE LORDS OF SALEM (Rob Zombie serving up blood, guts, and Raj from What's Happening), THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (an apparent attempt at an epic film noir), and others missed.  </i><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwivMEW9DF8Ss3qo4Nk_Yr1hzl1atuzn_YcCtvs1MDVCuZI4VOsS7uE-pSC126UJy0FwpFlMwIsnI9v2E1QE6VkrO8-ZLR5XWoCDK4QpIs2svHVAf3pbIsJhWkf8M8mGeFD8t1VCyl6V8/s1600/coni-hudak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwivMEW9DF8Ss3qo4Nk_Yr1hzl1atuzn_YcCtvs1MDVCuZI4VOsS7uE-pSC126UJy0FwpFlMwIsnI9v2E1QE6VkrO8-ZLR5XWoCDK4QpIs2svHVAf3pbIsJhWkf8M8mGeFD8t1VCyl6V8/s640/coni-hudak.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Ya'll come back real soon..."</i></td></tr> </tbody></table>

coni hudak, janet margolin

WHERE ARE YOUR CURRENT MOVIE REVIEWS?

"Come back soon, James, because we... or at least I... miss you." Current reviews (of movies playing in theaters) will resume ...

PETER SELLERS IN 'THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPlCk1zqyCGJKZgW00d47xdShWgT333HHcuA3lZ_UaDxAHU6JSXHj3Thn5VowTdvI5ahlbmjzlWG6t8AinW7KMy_9uzwDfqhLSwc2xoY2jw0Rg_pKC5ac1VwmDVQA_ip4cjPTuMu4LM8/s1600/areturnCOVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPlCk1zqyCGJKZgW00d47xdShWgT333HHcuA3lZ_UaDxAHU6JSXHj3Thn5VowTdvI5ahlbmjzlWG6t8AinW7KMy_9uzwDfqhLSwc2xoY2jw0Rg_pKC5ac1VwmDVQA_ip4cjPTuMu4LM8/s1600/areturnCOVER.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1975 cast: Peter Sellers, Christopher Plummer, Herbert Lom, Peter Arne rating: ***1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> Sir Charles Litton in the original 1964 classic THE PINK PANTHER was a sophisticated womanizing jewel thief played by David Niven, who, along with his nephew and girlfriend, kept one step ahead of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Skip ten years: Litton has morphed into a younger, cagier, more stealthily and adventurous fortune hunting maverick played by Christopher Plummer, lifting the priceless Pink Panther jewell from a supposedly theft-proof museum in an exciting prologue involving a nail-biting getaway: Well that’s the set-up for Litton, but where’s Clouseau?<br /> <br /> Thankfully when the French Inspector does show up he’s just like the character from the original films: frustrated, bitter and oblivious to his shortcomings instead of the endearing mascot he'd become in the last two ventures, STRIKES AGAIN and REVENGE: It seems that writer/director Blake Edwards knew the template of the jewel thief handing off scenes with the bumbling Inspector worked to compliment both polar opposites: Plummer’s cool yet energetic Litton is like a crooked James Bond, literally fighting his way out of painted corners in well choreographed action sequences, and Clouseau has more importance because of him.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FA-zQ3GJItWi916ZsDRWzQCRkTRoScD5MOqn60BN_SVsM6DvN4SpuEx-83VED0cJ5NmcpnaXy_oOWsyHXg9a6utZKXRqHek4U6VVbbRHBmXrPmMiQl0VBEt3cM6WZW2ruDdPPiiEnyc/s1600/Picture+11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FA-zQ3GJItWi916ZsDRWzQCRkTRoScD5MOqn60BN_SVsM6DvN4SpuEx-83VED0cJ5NmcpnaXy_oOWsyHXg9a6utZKXRqHek4U6VVbbRHBmXrPmMiQl0VBEt3cM6WZW2ruDdPPiiEnyc/s1600/Picture+11.png" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Sellers wooing Catherine Schell</td></tr> </tbody></table> Clouseau's scenes, wearing various costumes, going from one location to the next, are initially amusing but often drag too long. With Sellers, less is often more: one flawless moment where he eyes a woman diving into a pool, and tips slowly into the water, has been shown on every PANTHER montage, epitomizing Sellers' style. And while Herbert Lom's angry Dreyfus is on board his role is sporadic.<br /> <br /> The only major drawback is Catherine Schell as Litton’s trophy wife, who seems more amused/entertained by Peter Sellers himself than Clouseau. But overall this is a worthy RETURN to a classic character… it’s just a shame he took a whole decade off between adventures.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7awXu3tJNsV3KY9yhnDqQM375zdz1_Fn_dl6GeAoqg6YtYvHchwSo3MbtUjWY5Z1hCAg74uiHuyhLWnZsitMlMvBgQInf28UAJiqa3yTMuhLCxX3jqNvSSZ2pZ6MWGwTxLaw2LT0EaWo/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7awXu3tJNsV3KY9yhnDqQM375zdz1_Fn_dl6GeAoqg6YtYvHchwSo3MbtUjWY5Z1hCAg74uiHuyhLWnZsitMlMvBgQInf28UAJiqa3yTMuhLCxX3jqNvSSZ2pZ6MWGwTxLaw2LT0EaWo/s1600/Picture+9.png" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christopher Plummer makes a more deceptive Sir Charles Litton</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQl2IfgMFnrXtAH8wHo6cQkJVz9jWTUnarLiwGlYIiEr-oOOxlwg5OnmU6P16LZ0bfydEhUoKZoUkNiMO-13QujoyCjGrhYccBq_NmqHmCpeGcEUxCMSooXgvwt9WX4INuiwdNbqWoMU/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQl2IfgMFnrXtAH8wHo6cQkJVz9jWTUnarLiwGlYIiEr-oOOxlwg5OnmU6P16LZ0bfydEhUoKZoUkNiMO-13QujoyCjGrhYccBq_NmqHmCpeGcEUxCMSooXgvwt9WX4INuiwdNbqWoMU/s1600/Picture+3.png" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the best opening intro cartoon sequences</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8b-eKYnD9L0NZToenwp9UmBFgxrXGsAuMj9VCORwbP1Jalgq6cs-9RUtCYL5-kaw8roxmGuAtLvnAVkUft715cmp-lvAe6-oi48QvGRSQtbIg-SodOHN_g7kFW4xtADUiyYtLtbnF20/s1600/Picture+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8b-eKYnD9L0NZToenwp9UmBFgxrXGsAuMj9VCORwbP1Jalgq6cs-9RUtCYL5-kaw8roxmGuAtLvnAVkUft715cmp-lvAe6-oi48QvGRSQtbIg-SodOHN_g7kFW4xtADUiyYtLtbnF20/s1600/Picture+8.png" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=return+of+the+pink+panther">BUY RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER</a></td></tr> </tbody></table>

action, blake edwards, christopher plummer, comedy, franchise, herbert lom, peter sellers, seventies

PETER SELLERS IN 'THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER'

year: 1975 cast: Peter Sellers, Christopher Plummer, Herbert Lom, Peter Arne rating: ***1/2 Sir Charles Litton in the original 1964 cl...

BROOKE SHIELDS IN THE NEO NOIR 'WET GOLD' W/ BRIAN KERWIN

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SS26VmWJlUjIrlXam0ZvcWrkdLksNWdrhXyXlZO_QaBslNQCyhjp385e74iri1m-2sddw87kdcXZOCCu9BVmCq7fxi8HPl4b8OGH26TkQcBzLT_YB6-8IIQ2RGNqeDoFteuBch13hTA/s1600/41afikf7FRL._SL500_SY300_.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SS26VmWJlUjIrlXam0ZvcWrkdLksNWdrhXyXlZO_QaBslNQCyhjp385e74iri1m-2sddw87kdcXZOCCu9BVmCq7fxi8HPl4b8OGH26TkQcBzLT_YB6-8IIQ2RGNqeDoFteuBch13hTA/s1600/41afikf7FRL._SL500_SY300_.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1984 rating: ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> The title sounds like a porno flick set in an expensive jacuzzi, but WET GOLD is straight out of classic cinema. In John Huston’s TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt and John’s father Walter go loco for gold in the mountains… why should it be any different when it’s buried in a shipwreck?<br /> <br /> Our cast includes Brooke Shields at the tail end of her already fading movie career, finding solace in the TV movie genre. As a dreaming hostess at a seaside dive, Brooke’s sexy Laura is tempted when an old man named Sampson, played by Burgess Meredith, fills her head with stories of that shiny stuff that can set you for life, and beyond. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RDTloTqaZBfwlozwDwROE3vdhUlAqKbfVAcdQKLAHdcRQSitskw9uNLelL6livAoO4ZNUCbIfnKR5DdX78v4NRVOsSY6I8p6crfUHQ3uCropLC6uZcUSKMySTPEMY-MXwQFK2VSKQJQ/s1600/COVERwetgold3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RDTloTqaZBfwlozwDwROE3vdhUlAqKbfVAcdQKLAHdcRQSitskw9uNLelL6livAoO4ZNUCbIfnKR5DdX78v4NRVOsSY6I8p6crfUHQ3uCropLC6uZcUSKMySTPEMY-MXwQFK2VSKQJQ/s1600/COVERwetgold3.jpg" /></a>Laura’s boyfriend is a rich kid who was imprisoned for drug trafficking, falsely or otherwise. You’ve probably seen Thomas Byrd on TV shows during the 1980’s. For a C-list actor he does a pretty good job as the token Bogart while the dependable Holt character is Brian Kerwin’s Ben Keating, a rogue diver hired by Laura to help recover gold bars from the sunken ship that went down years ago, killing the entire crew except Meredith’s Sampson.<br /> <br /> Sporadic scenes of the group diving in and around the wreck (obviously influenced by THE DEEP) are bland and ponderous, and the already faded DVD transfer holds up the worst during these sequences. The best moments occur on the boat itself as steamy melodrama ensues, especially after Laura and Keating hook up, making Byrd an unpredictable antagonist who sets an edgy tone throughout.<br /> <br /> If you rent this made-for-TV pulp adventure to watch an older version of the BLUE LAGOON starlet wearing a tight white  bikini it’s completely understandable, but be warned... you might just be surprisingly entertained in the process.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahOyEH_IkJOIpk7IHoz6K6SMcOhNZOjnwv9s_j3VfJzQyyUgoKlhqBYdWT2PT_UKlAAu2iFtKSHhwn-0YoPaGmriOTKiHt94yesUr75zWnsT03thhAHipXRLobhM3LVU26u1rry2jRtw/s1600/coverWETGOLD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahOyEH_IkJOIpk7IHoz6K6SMcOhNZOjnwv9s_j3VfJzQyyUgoKlhqBYdWT2PT_UKlAAu2iFtKSHhwn-0YoPaGmriOTKiHt94yesUr75zWnsT03thhAHipXRLobhM3LVU26u1rry2jRtw/s640/coverWETGOLD.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brooke Shields in WET GOLD</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG7XgSziHXtSXryLI-iJTkVlCmgCP-lVa8EXVyMzCI4zAjZjfLmdP5lhnFjRYUvbFKplaVAtpkHldNddLggHGtb0Dx_W3-W5R2G8CazyeBwagp1IGGMCBNJgE8B5gRXxz0y19v_uAbFM/s1600/wet+gold+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG7XgSziHXtSXryLI-iJTkVlCmgCP-lVa8EXVyMzCI4zAjZjfLmdP5lhnFjRYUvbFKplaVAtpkHldNddLggHGtb0Dx_W3-W5R2G8CazyeBwagp1IGGMCBNJgE8B5gRXxz0y19v_uAbFM/s640/wet+gold+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What do you mean a TV movie is bad for my career?"</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtVa0zk77fjHU8B07wjol1xPq8Gc7RgrGzVupIlZHqZrxP4OOG-ZV3ssLVqB8kCvaRq6Dg07jYF1-tv-2kIbBahDfY6sw4eD0Q4R6goNjQuMZxFn37KQcviy-opuHN_OV8dxoLv9AgUs/s1600/wet+gold+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtVa0zk77fjHU8B07wjol1xPq8Gc7RgrGzVupIlZHqZrxP4OOG-ZV3ssLVqB8kCvaRq6Dg07jYF1-tv-2kIbBahDfY6sw4eD0Q4R6goNjQuMZxFn37KQcviy-opuHN_OV8dxoLv9AgUs/s640/wet+gold+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"They'll knock you to tomorrow, Brooke"</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqs5RyrZmp7-vWPo_MXf5en2IHxRK0Iuf1In6h173o9zVl07J9vjGnM2xbhd9CqWDHcYdbj5b-DGV8HfNr2ozLXXrdBojaqkgj3a5bz4iMGRJXrx2pWp5I3mrt_HH2MuLdHKjkPci2D0/s1600/wet+gold+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqs5RyrZmp7-vWPo_MXf5en2IHxRK0Iuf1In6h173o9zVl07J9vjGnM2xbhd9CqWDHcYdbj5b-DGV8HfNr2ozLXXrdBojaqkgj3a5bz4iMGRJXrx2pWp5I3mrt_HH2MuLdHKjkPci2D0/s640/wet+gold+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas Byrd takes on the Bogart role</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDB4sxBHQvmekx-cs40v6nxvC6mv-7rAyDKXVbVaimjDeo7I21luRt2t9Sn14VrW6aI_-SJCt5mbkZ6Q5wC-2on6ZtXI8SV2LfnquoU00eCN1FB1z8tnaSN9nXucEev8DcL1uG8nVMZQ/s1600/COVERwetgold2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDB4sxBHQvmekx-cs40v6nxvC6mv-7rAyDKXVbVaimjDeo7I21luRt2t9Sn14VrW6aI_-SJCt5mbkZ6Q5wC-2on6ZtXI8SV2LfnquoU00eCN1FB1z8tnaSN9nXucEev8DcL1uG8nVMZQ/s640/COVERwetgold2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Wet-Gold/70101230?strkid=184759766_0_0&strackid=673dfc74ac1b0ab_0_srl&trkid=222336">RENT WET GOLD ON NETFLIX</a></td></tr> </tbody></table>

adventure, brian kerwin, brooke shields, burgess meredith, eighties, made-for-TV, neo noir, suspense

BROOKE SHIELDS IN THE NEO NOIR 'WET GOLD' W/ BRIAN KERWIN

year: 1984 rating: *** The title sounds like a porno flick set in an expensive jacuzzi, but WET GOLD is straight out of classic cinema. ...

WITH SAD DEVOTION TO STAR WARS ADMIRAL MOTTI

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UF0FvZ5S42l5rZeWWc-ceRTO9OD0rzVGsMmbfyPGrlmtqsDYdlpxhiaL6U38J9MzGozegcbpdk5ei-JRYhXJPBFfXYVRlh1NI4DrT9TRzMTWuAC0ccsqBo3CndUQNM6p3GzceddE2GA/s1600/motti3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UF0FvZ5S42l5rZeWWc-ceRTO9OD0rzVGsMmbfyPGrlmtqsDYdlpxhiaL6U38J9MzGozegcbpdk5ei-JRYhXJPBFfXYVRlh1NI4DrT9TRzMTWuAC0ccsqBo3CndUQNM6p3GzceddE2GA/s1600/motti3.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard LeParmentier as Admiral Motti in STAR WARS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <i>STAR WARS fanatics mourn the death of actor Richard LeParmentier, whose Admiral Motti, in the groundbreaking first film, stood his own ground against Darth Vader only to be shown a piece of real Sith power, causing the Empire's Doubting Thomas (who, it seems, is the Admiral who actually runs the Death Star when Tarkin and Vader's not around)  to almost choke to death... </i><br /> <br /> <i>A fantastic performance that only lasted a few minutes, but to fans of sublime science fiction, it's a scene that remains forever...</i><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGZEIViE8s1GW6ELMycsCGxrMIZk5ZpiP1NOF1BxRv4JtJdh_0XxuUGrSIdGYc_BAjjr7FfJULOrWpazHbEHXjyNDE63UWzg2Mwj6p1uHZCWVYCa7M4I9V1GxUZ0BUFw_o1ye_057ZCg/s1600/motti1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGZEIViE8s1GW6ELMycsCGxrMIZk5ZpiP1NOF1BxRv4JtJdh_0XxuUGrSIdGYc_BAjjr7FfJULOrWpazHbEHXjyNDE63UWzg2Mwj6p1uHZCWVYCa7M4I9V1GxUZ0BUFw_o1ye_057ZCg/s1600/motti1.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A humbled Admiral Motti following orders to blow up Alderaan,,, <u><b>AND BELOW IS MOTTI'S FAMOUS CHOKING SCENE...</b></u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><i><u>Darth Vader:</u> The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands. </i></span></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><br /></i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFh5NrTWxeTacOXoRuh56sSmCcwNb2zuLiPUgnAnh3skl7yBZIJ5WtK2QSMTF8kJ1YQwlhMHdilIWDKc0N3Gl4iiHj6T4td3b1daXRQ-BkpU9WnHKQGIcLl9OcpJybAIOytTDUrK515so/s1600/star+wars+3.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFh5NrTWxeTacOXoRuh56sSmCcwNb2zuLiPUgnAnh3skl7yBZIJ5WtK2QSMTF8kJ1YQwlhMHdilIWDKc0N3Gl4iiHj6T4td3b1daXRQ-BkpU9WnHKQGIcLl9OcpJybAIOytTDUrK515so/s320/star+wars+3.JPG" width="241" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Richard didn't get that quote at first</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <i><u>Admiral Motti:</u> Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they have obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe! I suggest we use it! </i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><br /></i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><u>Darth Vader:</u> Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force. </i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><br /></i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><u>Admiral Motti:</u> Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you enough clairvoyance to find the rebels' hidden fortress... </i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><br /></i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Vader makes a pinching motion and Motti starts choking. </i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><br /></i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><u>Darth Vader:</u> I find your lack of faith disturbing. </i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><br /></i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><u>Governor Tarkin:</u> Enough of this! Vader, release him! </i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><br /></i></div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><u>Darth Vader:</u> As you wish. </i></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHFMRDXM1_F5zii_G6wn7E1LKEXwXo_Aw7CMvz046wzIJ-3SWTKjY31ynEp4i8b4Nx1YcLavHX8VrTcFU2u2VgBTjiAtJcxXq-jJ7H1LBYgV7X377H9zbSJYD4hW6IwOe8enibIYulaI/s1600/motti55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHFMRDXM1_F5zii_G6wn7E1LKEXwXo_Aw7CMvz046wzIJ-3SWTKjY31ynEp4i8b4Nx1YcLavHX8VrTcFU2u2VgBTjiAtJcxXq-jJ7H1LBYgV7X377H9zbSJYD4hW6IwOe8enibIYulaI/s1600/motti55.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Trying to steal the scene from me?"</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOohyphenhyphenQlcvbrMyIx73ZkANbD0kpe82vzzBO6t1Dh3XH1ooyLWMJJjiG_zBm4Wkc4NY5y5Q-kmjgITzLe0d6T_8L4VzltcsQ8p9taZiKO1UfyWRn45xM0ucKge9CFeoME_Ip4Xk_vkAZ0ck/s1600/motti56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOohyphenhyphenQlcvbrMyIx73ZkANbD0kpe82vzzBO6t1Dh3XH1ooyLWMJJjiG_zBm4Wkc4NY5y5Q-kmjgITzLe0d6T_8L4VzltcsQ8p9taZiKO1UfyWRn45xM0ucKge9CFeoME_Ip4Xk_vkAZ0ck/s1600/motti56.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Now I know why I loathe turtleneck uniforms!"</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPRNr7uJHuMFBVxuZC79SPK9dzc0Faj9JOvicobXp7EzV6pYVWKSZl1tBxVS-5ZaiBa-wPdNizbgbGFNfUddebKJ9K7MI_nj_IWkPePe6IrtLykAgoUAUKZduHoN1BfN0T_ItnpX7ogw/s1600/motti57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPRNr7uJHuMFBVxuZC79SPK9dzc0Faj9JOvicobXp7EzV6pYVWKSZl1tBxVS-5ZaiBa-wPdNizbgbGFNfUddebKJ9K7MI_nj_IWkPePe6IrtLykAgoUAUKZduHoN1BfN0T_ItnpX7ogw/s1600/motti57.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Shouldn't have had that egg yoke breakfast this morning." As a kid I thought he coughed up egg yolk...</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbbxPcXomeepBShkgADR5MFAXTRTUpjgPuNanXxC5atE32Ojya1X4GBQ9PxHzudvCg_Gp24k-zXZ9L7pPLIk1RzZB53wgHeckWSHf-5OiSAUlTTb6yWzVGOvMht3y8gSnIIyqSkq2_YU/s1600/motti2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbbxPcXomeepBShkgADR5MFAXTRTUpjgPuNanXxC5atE32Ojya1X4GBQ9PxHzudvCg_Gp24k-zXZ9L7pPLIk1RzZB53wgHeckWSHf-5OiSAUlTTb6yWzVGOvMht3y8gSnIIyqSkq2_YU/s1600/motti2.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Star-Wars-Episode-IV-A-New-Hope-Original-Theatrical-Version/70053213?strkid=1369199969_0_0&strackid=345c34f797aebfc_0_srl&trkid=222336">RENT STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE ON NETFLIX</a></td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_Nja4heFukBQ83P9sGbRWMWuwcboRGB5jYXgu0oxxhsHAx4M3GDS5Me3rnbOYRkpRcTPgrq7SnxO6klNv9_1eEdgFx1MGWw0RMfWTRnnsMnFipGw9Vn1AF8Cl4IeYn6ZWBbadv04fZF7/s1600/r1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_Nja4heFukBQ83P9sGbRWMWuwcboRGB5jYXgu0oxxhsHAx4M3GDS5Me3rnbOYRkpRcTPgrq7SnxO6klNv9_1eEdgFx1MGWw0RMfWTRnnsMnFipGw9Vn1AF8Cl4IeYn6ZWBbadv04fZF7/s1600/r1.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard LeParmentier with Bob Hoskins in WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXFWuL09Fhky7QoUMkCD8Qq_muB1jxW97PCVpZ3-RWOar3IL25NZ-swn8YKWhBfwaj-0xNgPk9_2NWWNsyzarxaVp9aDx620jMsMA_HZBcpo9WObWsTAwj6zroNJYdil6zGK7JvapP2DK/s1600/r2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXFWuL09Fhky7QoUMkCD8Qq_muB1jxW97PCVpZ3-RWOar3IL25NZ-swn8YKWhBfwaj-0xNgPk9_2NWWNsyzarxaVp9aDx620jMsMA_HZBcpo9WObWsTAwj6zroNJYdil6zGK7JvapP2DK/s1600/r2.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard LeParmentier with Bob Hoskins in WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSMri-z0dt8tcDsNOvAnReyUdj0Gq3dGVJfdoJo-AxKdKPs6b_QGnTJfHt9nAOrr5DXMetyZyqJAswy742HqcxISVYfzAEzi3dzDt37VYtcXRWMmW-DgGscQKhT53yT5JktR1HJINB168/s1600/r3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSMri-z0dt8tcDsNOvAnReyUdj0Gq3dGVJfdoJo-AxKdKPs6b_QGnTJfHt9nAOrr5DXMetyZyqJAswy742HqcxISVYfzAEzi3dzDt37VYtcXRWMmW-DgGscQKhT53yT5JktR1HJINB168/s1600/r3.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit-Anniversary/dp/B00AO686MY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1366781990&sr=8-6&keywords=Richard+LeParmentier">BUY ROGER RABBIT ON AMAZON</a></td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECGHwOpjn6kA9oAcpIph_Mg2vF9aP10-jiE5Ii-hhAPEqcjwvKMCG4IkLOB6z2dd_rfDiDmspys3EimSVqfSyCQaL_NSC_6fpKEuSJJ1KAQO7jgmFoKFgAw-Tz_lVadBB_eD_hGo8fxI/s1600/star+wars1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECGHwOpjn6kA9oAcpIph_Mg2vF9aP10-jiE5Ii-hhAPEqcjwvKMCG4IkLOB6z2dd_rfDiDmspys3EimSVqfSyCQaL_NSC_6fpKEuSJJ1KAQO7jgmFoKFgAw-Tz_lVadBB_eD_hGo8fxI/s1600/star+wars1.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">REST IN PEACE, ADMIRAL..........</td></tr> </tbody></table>

bob hoskins, eighties, memorial, richard leparmentier, science-fiction, seventies, star wars

WITH SAD DEVOTION TO STAR WARS ADMIRAL MOTTI

Richard LeParmentier as Admiral Motti in STAR WARS STAR WARS fanatics mourn the death of actor Richard LeParmentier, whose Admiral Motti...

SHAW AND MCDOWELL ARE 'FIGURES IN A LANDSCAPE'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9BA8PDDNXOAbjHL-Aqd6KetazSRZqmFKtytQDcVrPNAjHdxN65R2Sc6tiF0XnsW3W4sEposZDpUv71GdTuXPcyVmgw5s2nYbP2lxDrxRbwhhjdJPD31_obRxPRqsh1-JBVhbCq3-1SQ/s1600/robert-shaw-malcolm-mcdowell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9BA8PDDNXOAbjHL-Aqd6KetazSRZqmFKtytQDcVrPNAjHdxN65R2Sc6tiF0XnsW3W4sEposZDpUv71GdTuXPcyVmgw5s2nYbP2lxDrxRbwhhjdJPD31_obRxPRqsh1-JBVhbCq3-1SQ/s400/robert-shaw-malcolm-mcdowell.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1970 cast: Robert Shaw, Malcolm McDowell rating: ****</td></tr> </tbody></table> In a brief encounter with Malcolm McDowell at an autograph show, upon a friend mentioning this particular 1970 film, Malcolm rolled his eyes in amazement (that such an obscure cinematic curio would be remembered?) and spoke bluntly of his working stint with Robert Shaw – how it was a grueling four month shoot since the very unpredictable actor had a penchant for the bottle… Then McDowell finished with: “But I loved him.” Well this sort of love/hate relationship exists between Shaw’s coldblooded, experienced MacConnachie and McDowell’s naïve yet wily young Ansell… two escaped convicts on the run in an unnamed country. The first thirty minutes have both characters with hands tied behind their backs as they trudge up and down craggy mountainsides like desperate billygoats while a helicopter (described by MacConnachie as “the black skeleton”) soars above: playing a hectic game of cat and mice.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTK71QoXRZcbRqUWAGFnNjvLOK7PeklCW1rlyUXCgRpL_AM5ESLPa5QqQ59J_xNSMUtzc0-hAMyjS8mKr395ZcUKBGxfbzP9D6KoLJjKaqlx4oleBzKOsIIU97DdCtbsQfXya2NWvmWk/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTK71QoXRZcbRqUWAGFnNjvLOK7PeklCW1rlyUXCgRpL_AM5ESLPa5QqQ59J_xNSMUtzc0-hAMyjS8mKr395ZcUKBGxfbzP9D6KoLJjKaqlx4oleBzKOsIIU97DdCtbsQfXya2NWvmWk/s640/5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malcolm McDowell facing Robert Shaw</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8z9hQ6gRZJBJ-1zcBiDjWc5zdTaNwAhGbql0IhXLDsWlJF9zGGeqfqO3Z5oFCzSxvLusRtc7Zm6A8FK__-OABsIPJ5StRUfM361iwAMXh96IVtcjqfQBJGtBQcCrxXJ-KDK8KKXq30wA/s1600/$(KGrHqV%2C!psE8WVGyLZRBPR%2BjCWDD!~~60_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8z9hQ6gRZJBJ-1zcBiDjWc5zdTaNwAhGbql0IhXLDsWlJF9zGGeqfqO3Z5oFCzSxvLusRtc7Zm6A8FK__-OABsIPJ5StRUfM361iwAMXh96IVtcjqfQBJGtBQcCrxXJ-KDK8KKXq30wA/s1600/$(KGrHqV%2C!psE8WVGyLZRBPR%2BjCWDD!~~60_1.JPG" width="147" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DVD Artwork</td></tr> </tbody></table> Whether hiding behind rocks, entering stealthy into villages, tramping through soldier-saturated paddies or shooting up military compounds, the two “figures” always return to their match against the antagonist copter – more of a meddling crow than bird of prey.<br /> <br /> The Arial shots are as gorgeous as the picturesque landscape; the edgy violin score is reminiscent of future suspense films THE FRENCH CONNECTION or THE EXORCIST; and the performances by both (now iconic) cult favorites are topnotch: Shaw with a cunning edge while McDowell slowly loses his sanity.<br /> <br /> The actors really stand out during sporadic pockets of downtime; the veteran either goading the youngster into becoming more vicious or sharing sullen memories of his dead wife: All crafted neatly within the intense action sequences built around a taut climate of primal perseverance by two men who’ve become human animals to survive against a metallic one. <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBy-tPRN3GwbtWUOvTGnL6fZYUnAwd10ekh-231VuEk52ixaPVIgoHnWfe0A6fsZxYlbuaeZnvpnh5pGmRxFwlt-sg-_qKauiI1-XbsNzVEvV54mBufJE5xZ4uHJ-8Gm62RZgoYByLx_z/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBy-tPRN3GwbtWUOvTGnL6fZYUnAwd10ekh-231VuEk52ixaPVIgoHnWfe0A6fsZxYlbuaeZnvpnh5pGmRxFwlt-sg-_qKauiI1-XbsNzVEvV54mBufJE5xZ4uHJ-8Gm62RZgoYByLx_z/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malcolm McDowell and Robert Shaw</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N79Dtmz8L3St_C-UgCvC9PxZS6_ZUPcbNfEWhuzY0DyfMR4PabL9glJsdghL3zJ4rt0NOAxrQFJuZtkJOpbX05qRejR9KeE2qrWaFgmEJdadoxsGkdzLriSNKlNMLiQNq00yDSIn8xN-/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N79Dtmz8L3St_C-UgCvC9PxZS6_ZUPcbNfEWhuzY0DyfMR4PabL9glJsdghL3zJ4rt0NOAxrQFJuZtkJOpbX05qRejR9KeE2qrWaFgmEJdadoxsGkdzLriSNKlNMLiQNq00yDSIn8xN-/s640/13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Shaw with gun</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5vEtZv9TAQ8sW_19EY47aDMVVgefioOJRFiRk8durnKPNsTy6Gl_acXmpbfet7G8ia2MWtFAIuqvb5Rj_sx1HHjcj6napTlEBHpugFWF8QEiKayJzI4mjoVv8V7Wj6FN9CsycieZRZhe/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5vEtZv9TAQ8sW_19EY47aDMVVgefioOJRFiRk8durnKPNsTy6Gl_acXmpbfet7G8ia2MWtFAIuqvb5Rj_sx1HHjcj6napTlEBHpugFWF8QEiKayJzI4mjoVv8V7Wj6FN9CsycieZRZhe/s640/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaw Aims at the "black skeleton"</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBMW-Xf24Li6I3QUsWuj_y1_vIFDS4BcOQaI70L-NSHJNKEDFy354dd4fJW6PTUUh9r7Frpc5nPpj63KWLNDnQmj-SjI1PYkC5kLYWRC4XryWiCTHRgDHPOpfOMQ1rDRZwpSurgyR7piJ/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBMW-Xf24Li6I3QUsWuj_y1_vIFDS4BcOQaI70L-NSHJNKEDFy354dd4fJW6PTUUh9r7Frpc5nPpj63KWLNDnQmj-SjI1PYkC5kLYWRC4XryWiCTHRgDHPOpfOMQ1rDRZwpSurgyR7piJ/s640/15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Repose before moving on</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdP3pyzXQrf6Wryerob8QHOoMr0VGa7SXWIC7Anady5Ys3OHSG5WlcHbKpVsD2KKYPSf-DDW1uvTQxBFnTlNPQiZlSq5YbMqUo_lIw5lTTb34lsG5GlPBHVYUIAWmFvDC-O2nlLA3dmKJw/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdP3pyzXQrf6Wryerob8QHOoMr0VGa7SXWIC7Anady5Ys3OHSG5WlcHbKpVsD2KKYPSf-DDW1uvTQxBFnTlNPQiZlSq5YbMqUo_lIw5lTTb34lsG5GlPBHVYUIAWmFvDC-O2nlLA3dmKJw/s640/17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this freedom yet?</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS5VKEn_ZZ1LOPGc7Amgdvw65qekPRiqCs4SaB4LkT2SHNESbUb8AUPPzTZyEqbgX2gzpHA4nOGFx3evI8vHq5JC9FjYccKgsRfecUbEZh1G6CmlfEdqlWNsw1athVlGg1G581Qqx2NI2/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS5VKEn_ZZ1LOPGc7Amgdvw65qekPRiqCs4SaB4LkT2SHNESbUb8AUPPzTZyEqbgX2gzpHA4nOGFx3evI8vHq5JC9FjYccKgsRfecUbEZh1G6CmlfEdqlWNsw1athVlGg1G581Qqx2NI2/s640/18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Shaw's last stand</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7dyRIxHr4SZe1Hq49cl-JdXmgNH6_p3vNiuORUni2LW2tcRepgmxuf2m00HUw1wxkqpnt7qX5vzq5GsottgK0TITCpsPpOIDZuxzzDdMWFGcivAgE6ar7NyvqKvEFtt9z-h_USbHtmVq/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7dyRIxHr4SZe1Hq49cl-JdXmgNH6_p3vNiuORUni2LW2tcRepgmxuf2m00HUw1wxkqpnt7qX5vzq5GsottgK0TITCpsPpOIDZuxzzDdMWFGcivAgE6ar7NyvqKvEFtt9z-h_USbHtmVq/s640/22.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Available on a Korean DVD Online... Go Searching...</td></tr> </tbody></table>

action, adventure, malcolm mcdowell, robert shaw, seventies

SHAW AND MCDOWELL ARE 'FIGURES IN A LANDSCAPE'

year: 1970 cast: Robert Shaw, Malcolm McDowell rating: **** In a brief encounter with Malcolm McDowell at an autograph show, upon a frie...

ELYSSA DAVALOS & RICHARD LYNCH IN 'GOOD AGAINST EVIL'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SqLMD2pq2-I2U3Q-VSWwb9Go-1cx0hxi2WkFIJMP2yyEeKJopvkjq6Vvw0hPw4C9BbtHNPM1mDmOTeGPLZlSmpTXSmPJdLqap5Umn_-BWjkqxI6wzCkUwOKuxxvl8PFXmGW5I4TNQ9M/s1600/100-01-02_zps59436931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SqLMD2pq2-I2U3Q-VSWwb9Go-1cx0hxi2WkFIJMP2yyEeKJopvkjq6Vvw0hPw4C9BbtHNPM1mDmOTeGPLZlSmpTXSmPJdLqap5Umn_-BWjkqxI6wzCkUwOKuxxvl8PFXmGW5I4TNQ9M/s400/100-01-02_zps59436931.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1977 cast: Elyssa Davalos, Dack Rambo, Richard Lynch rating: ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2020/02/DAVALOS-hot.html">CLICK HERE FOR NEW HOME OF GOOD AGAINST EVIL</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>

ELYSSA DAVALOS & RICHARD LYNCH IN 'GOOD AGAINST EVIL'

year: 1977 cast: Elyssa Davalos, Dack Rambo, Richard Lynch rating: *** CLICK HERE FOR NEW HOME OF GOOD AGAINST EVIL ...

PETER SELLERS IN THE PARTY

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbDSqbggCHO2cD3zjgANAjGcXzG-LxksEAqF6769b6mh0eXYY0_d1PXPut2vi7saSTkKPbVs-TRLa1rybDUmjtQkPFIFGuoTghPmPAUlLVwaWveDmqrv4U_cMLvXmx61MPLFUrJYwSpw/s1600/apartyCOVER.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbDSqbggCHO2cD3zjgANAjGcXzG-LxksEAqF6769b6mh0eXYY0_d1PXPut2vi7saSTkKPbVs-TRLa1rybDUmjtQkPFIFGuoTghPmPAUlLVwaWveDmqrv4U_cMLvXmx61MPLFUrJYwSpw/s1600/apartyCOVER.jpg" /></a></div> <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2020/04/theparty.html">THE PARTY HAS MOVED HERE</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>

PETER SELLERS IN THE PARTY

THE PARTY HAS MOVED HERE

HIT & RUN

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qcQ1PRIdeSZ4Ce95B2v5LeS5hPPpTBBhhiBey43A5oHbE_DLO9uDIW3fmIo0WA4heYTCkr47m3EoJXQMmswHIVlecgE9q6IJH_vE6v0b8irBN6aHP_zQ4vSKcovJl-FiVik5KyoOne4/s1600/hit-and-run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qcQ1PRIdeSZ4Ce95B2v5LeS5hPPpTBBhhiBey43A5oHbE_DLO9uDIW3fmIo0WA4heYTCkr47m3EoJXQMmswHIVlecgE9q6IJH_vE6v0b8irBN6aHP_zQ4vSKcovJl-FiVik5KyoOne4/s640/hit-and-run.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2012 cast: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Beau Bridges rating: **1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> The more we learn about Yul Perrkins a.k.a. “Charles Bronson,” a kindhearted small town suburban guy with beautiful blond girlfriend Annie Bean, played by writer/director/star Dax Shepard's real life flame Kristen Bell, the more there is to like about him. But that’s not how Annie sees it. How can an intelligent progressive girl – driven to L.A. where a lucrative administration job awaits – deal with a former getaway driver who isn’t the sensitive dream man she thought she knew so well? <br /> <br /> There are a few terrific hot rod sequences: our wolf-in-sheep’s-garb hero owns a slick black Lincoln Continental that he wasn’t supposed to keep after being put in the Witness Protection Program three years earlier. And that’s the main thing Annie learns about this road savvy fella, who eventually has an eclectic assortment of oddballs on his tail including Annie’s passive/aggressive ex boyfriend; the boyfriend’s gay cop brother; Tom Arnold as a clingy U.S. Marshall determined to "protect" Yul at all costs; and a trio of vengeful bank robbers led by dread-haired Bradley Cooper as Dmitri, straight out of the Tarantino book of pontificating thugs. When too many characters dog-pile on during the second act, you’ll wish for those initial car chases that, with old school tunes soulfully counter-balancing the road-shredding testosterone, bring us back to films like THE GETAWAY, VANISHING POINT and SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. But even these scenes are interrupted by conversations and/or arguments between any set of couples that, while sometimes humorous and clever, grow annoying and tiresome after a while.<br /> <br /> The main problem with HIT & RUN is Annie’s tyrannical determination to turn her wolf back into a sheep, continuously hounding him with guilt-ridden lectures about what to say and how to say what he <i>should</i> be saying, even if he’s thinking something else i.e. continual lessons on political correctness. You’ll wonder how such a cool footloose guy, who once helped rob thirteen banks and renamed himself after a bad ass actor, could put up with this kind of ultra-evaluating albatross... Then again, she <i>is</i> extremely hot. Sorry Annie, if that came out sexist… But a guy speaks his mind sometimes – get used to it!!!

2012, action, beau bridges, bradley cooper, dax shepard, kristen bell, road movie

HIT & RUN

year: 2012 cast: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Beau Bridges rating: **1/2 The more we learn about Yul Perrkins a.k.a. “Char...

DREDD

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOX3N4Z0R_WQrEe40RE6N0xowi-8_y_OeCa5WYsxXIVCf4hqmf63A02RqPBQ0M0QYGHC6_D2SlTAVgIyhMnY0h4aGg5_HzSErrtZHC11JBGr3YH-VpVtxobIG96Sxf-kwlXht1m9Ggmw/s1600/dredd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOX3N4Z0R_WQrEe40RE6N0xowi-8_y_OeCa5WYsxXIVCf4hqmf63A02RqPBQ0M0QYGHC6_D2SlTAVgIyhMnY0h4aGg5_HzSErrtZHC11JBGr3YH-VpVtxobIG96Sxf-kwlXht1m9Ggmw/s16000/dredd.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year: </b>2012 <b>cast:</b> Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Heady <b>rating:</b> ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> An ultra-violent take on the Judge Dredd comic books, set in a futuristic world where criminals have turned American cities into demilitarized zones, probably wanted to separate itself from the maligned 1990’s Sylvester Stallone flick. Although Karl Urban, in Dredd’s metallic uniform, does somewhat resemble – at least from the nose down – the action icon as he speaks with a similar guttural growl, leaving most of the dialog to his sidekick, who thankfully isn’t Rob Schneider: Enter Olivia Thirlby’s Cassandra Anderson, brand new to the force of elite judges who don’t sit behind a desk with a gavel, passively passing judgment after the cops have done their work. These roving crime-fighters are the police, the jury and more often than not, the executioner while Cassandra, a doe-eyed rookie partnered with Dredd to investigate a triple homicide within an ominous high rise, has more than one Ace: she’s also a “mutant” psychic able to find truth with a touch of the hand.<br /> <br /> While THE AVENGERS successfully garnered a contained “We got a problem” storyline, the DREDD protagonists are caught knee-deep<i> inside</i> the problem: Once both judges arrest a drug dealer whose testimony could bust the sinister gang leader Ma-Ma (Lena Headey)… a cold, calculating vixen pushing a drug called “Slow Mo”… giant doors lock everyone within the mazy building interior. Thus 95% of the film has our heroes trying to get out with the perpetrator and more importantly, their lives.<br /> <br /> The soundtrack, reminiscent of John Carpenter’s early compositions, is a dark metronomic heartbeat keeping the action flowing from one shootout to the next. Unfortunately Dredd, although one tough cookie and a fun guy to root for, isn’t that much different from his aggressive gun-wielding adversaries, especially when a group of bad judges arrive during the 11th hour. Perhaps his sidekick, who eventually realizes her heart might not be in this brutal occupation, has something to do with his ability to remain alive – since we only get one introductory scene without her assistance, Dredd's a difficult title character to entirely distinguish on his own merit. And while Cassandra’s visible flashes into other people’s thoughts often distract from the steely mainline, she’s an effective co-lead who’s much more than eye candy, helping the somewhat basic story, feeling like a singular episode of a JUDGE DREDD cable series, be the high-octane motion picture it vehemently strives for.

2012, action, comic book, karl urban, lena heady, olivia thirlby, science-fiction

DREDD

year: 2012 cast: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Heady rating: *** An ultra-violent take on the Judge Dredd comic books, set in a fut...

THE EVIL DEAD REMAKE

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwx2qsM0ToJo0VqxF2XabEZVtPAlML75i2LMh4UUPYe4pKI4lCeRfhJaVqWeZdhzFuKTDGJMYmmp-JMnfWw_CjJMaevWVOMyDwIKSscbXTgBJ8vBjp1hCBh2ocyzCGmVCe5wWAyNFJLE/s1600/EVILDEADNEW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwx2qsM0ToJo0VqxF2XabEZVtPAlML75i2LMh4UUPYe4pKI4lCeRfhJaVqWeZdhzFuKTDGJMYmmp-JMnfWw_CjJMaevWVOMyDwIKSscbXTgBJ8vBjp1hCBh2ocyzCGmVCe5wWAyNFJLE/s640/EVILDEADNEW.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci rating: *1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> Ever walk into a movie when it’s halfway through and had no idea what's going on, who the characters are or what on earth they're doing? Well with this extremely bloody remake of the Sam Raimi cult "classic" THE EVIL DEAD, you don’t have to stroll in late for the doomed teenagers to mean absolutely nothing. They include a brother and sister… The sister, Mia, is a heroin addict and her older bro and friends brought her up to a remote cabin to detox.<br /> <br /> Mia's the only character that really matters since she’s the one the "Evil" enters outside the perimeter of the cabin. When she returns she’s got a bigger problem than withdrawals. After being locked in the basement, a frantically cursing Mia turns into a more athletic version of Linda Blair from THE EXORCIST. Other characters include a snoopy longhaired brainy guy that, during the setup, discovers a Book of the Dead. When he speaks several words aloud, we get a familiar POV rushing towards the cabin. Once inside, each kid becomes horrifying to their friends and downright disgusting to the audience.<br /> <br /> With an overabundance of grotesque special effects, there’s little time for effective suspense or worthwhile chills. It even rains blood at the ending, which, when Mia faces off with her final adversary, desperately wielding a chainsaw… like Ash (Bruce Campbell) did many years ago… there’s a pretty decent standoff, finally giving us somebody – or perhaps <i>something – </i>to actually root for.  

2013, franchise, horror, sequel

THE EVIL DEAD REMAKE

year: 2013 cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci rating: *1/2 Ever walk into a movie when it’s halfway through and had no ...

ERIC ROBERTS & STERLING HAYDEN IN 'KING OF THE GYPSIES'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpyge_cIlggA1neRAjhNDXRkoNUCCMF17dEMrL2fuCX4XQL9xc7fa24Gfh34XbYM96o3ey5joRG0K3eaxxWiNONewaTv-x1pPBCZ_SGVKBtheEWAe4Hql4OYEB0krPYEGHnaUZNQCgGk2vFywE7MxU_BQFernjhV_2G5EZCj092vX2QTjtb8aP-orXo8x/s1844/Screen%20Shot%202024-04-18%20at%201.58.53%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1844" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpyge_cIlggA1neRAjhNDXRkoNUCCMF17dEMrL2fuCX4XQL9xc7fa24Gfh34XbYM96o3ey5joRG0K3eaxxWiNONewaTv-x1pPBCZ_SGVKBtheEWAe4Hql4OYEB0krPYEGHnaUZNQCgGk2vFywE7MxU_BQFernjhV_2G5EZCj092vX2QTjtb8aP-orXo8x/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-04-18%20at%201.58.53%20AM.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1978 cast: Eric Roberts, Sterling Hayden, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields rating: ***1/2</td></tr></tbody></table> Writer/director Frank Pierson attempts a time period drama ala Francis Ford Coppola in the GODFATHER-inspired KING OF THE GYPSIES, centering on those infamously resilient scarf-waring vagabonds. The first act introduces the self titled leader of con-artist nomads played by Sterling Hayden, whose energetic performance makes up for the fact we get little backstory to how his character, Zharko Stepanowicz, rose to prominence in the first place.<br /> <br /> We begin in the past: an abduction of a rival's daughter during a gypsy family party. Zharko wanted this girl for his spoiled son, Groffo, who will later grow up to be a slightly miscast Judd Hirsch, over-reaching the antagonist role with stage play gusto. He's married to a perfectly cast Susan Sarandon as Rose, the true working class hero of the Gypsy family...<br /> <br /> Reading fortunes and using her young son to steal diamonds, Rose is the breadwinner of the mobile clan. Unfortunately, her only paychecks are the random beatings from her abusive, no-good husband.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIKB9WuWiuCoQ6Y6PwGh7F9dUV-VIzvPjH-ZmJJbFRB0vANkr1AI4Dwfh4zWlS52udYXYb8voO5KohtjAHIzCyzKHuf-ZJQ-51ianYcpEI6p6TvT3bze5z3Rgd0YpJOj-5oX0w6l5Nuw/s1600/kinggypsy2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIKB9WuWiuCoQ6Y6PwGh7F9dUV-VIzvPjH-ZmJJbFRB0vANkr1AI4Dwfh4zWlS52udYXYb8voO5KohtjAHIzCyzKHuf-ZJQ-51ianYcpEI6p6TvT3bze5z3Rgd0YpJOj-5oX0w6l5Nuw/s640/kinggypsy2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matthew Labyorteaux as a young Dave driving Judd Hirsch's Groffo</td></tr> </tbody></table> Throughout the narration by Eric Roberts playing Dave, the King’s grandson and Rose’s firstborn, are involving scenes with the young Dave (Matthew Labyorteaux) wreaking havoc around town, turning into dad's getaway driver and eventually becoming a thieving street urchin on his own. When he grows into Eric Roberts he’s completely separate from the Gypsy life: an estranged prodigal grandson until Zharko takes him back into the fold.<br /> <br /> Eric Roberts, in his first theatrical role, is both intense and vulnerable as an aimless young man who is eventually, on his grandfather’s deathbed, given the “King” moniker, thus becoming a target from his jealous dad. Groffo eventually plans to sell his daughter/Dave’s sister (Brooke Shields) to another family, and for mother Rose, this is the last straw. She talks Dave into setting things right and the real excitement begins. <br /> <br /> Never quite sure if it’s a time period melodrama or a violent exploitation style thriller, GYPSIES is always intriguing, especially as Dave, bearing the weight of his new title, has to fight his way out of a cursed life: surviving intense chases on foot or in speeding cars.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPI7UVM9HE_ptXyPJvJ49bc8NCEgyxVCeUD3-1X4gAtdJrSkRsSI5lvt4bOBdNqE3P69U8BQyrAiw24YT49_RIM5SSg3W53iagJqbxIODzrRzrt-8-CUERAVQuooqAq7wGyxdEIaA2ag/s1600/kinggypsy3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPI7UVM9HE_ptXyPJvJ49bc8NCEgyxVCeUD3-1X4gAtdJrSkRsSI5lvt4bOBdNqE3P69U8BQyrAiw24YT49_RIM5SSg3W53iagJqbxIODzrRzrt-8-CUERAVQuooqAq7wGyxdEIaA2ag/s640/kinggypsy3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Roberts as Dave</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4Y6FoZJrVputSzQjru0RF1fUS7zgVoKEqhhpGgpkHWkC00U4YKj33S26zaXvDCHkwNrDVxTTb3wc-BIt6TYYXVtOxoDUCu5XJEYsaJYz4yeOC_Ub7Xw74CUfgC0t7VvtD80Q5wtlpsU/s1600/kinggypsy5.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4Y6FoZJrVputSzQjru0RF1fUS7zgVoKEqhhpGgpkHWkC00U4YKj33S26zaXvDCHkwNrDVxTTb3wc-BIt6TYYXVtOxoDUCu5XJEYsaJYz4yeOC_Ub7Xw74CUfgC0t7VvtD80Q5wtlpsU/s640/kinggypsy5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brooke Shields as Tita</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUQz-RC6lbUuKRapiu7lIQRLmyXzGQ4PE37W8w1W3jyML4C-PfqilvF6S9c0ynJEDsSGJOb9jwno8LO1O6FKfhPDgZ76ucVWRRyGWG-EnisG-o9ZHDD4oX0kZMBpR32XW3gxvSeENuZI/s1600/kinggypsy7.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUQz-RC6lbUuKRapiu7lIQRLmyXzGQ4PE37W8w1W3jyML4C-PfqilvF6S9c0ynJEDsSGJOb9jwno8LO1O6FKfhPDgZ76ucVWRRyGWG-EnisG-o9ZHDD4oX0kZMBpR32XW3gxvSeENuZI/s640/kinggypsy7.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Roberts and Brooke Shields</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tm0GXEuwgnnEEnbUYeDQae9qCYfi0MNUEYxfZZNZ6RkFLZyy6Kqr_gdwqGqKMJZ9Ucz95rsYo3n2ZVeO-FyHPx0cGjQoZBXoDMdpZBFA7rOPlllYZtobGE3QnjDxHA6O-mPJzxQXMMI/s1600/kinggypsy8.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tm0GXEuwgnnEEnbUYeDQae9qCYfi0MNUEYxfZZNZ6RkFLZyy6Kqr_gdwqGqKMJZ9Ucz95rsYo3n2ZVeO-FyHPx0cGjQoZBXoDMdpZBFA7rOPlllYZtobGE3QnjDxHA6O-mPJzxQXMMI/s640/kinggypsy8.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A brooding Eric Roberts</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNqTZT758XM_oK7w0A7xQbRMkC2v1MH1fEhheXygS_dHhUrYxFn0y9Qutcxa8VfXyNTwGesTAltowypGH4BlK0OAOaA9As6vp7bKH8-eSdaEM6XVeRgcAFCk3aURL0K9QoRGJIWO9Wvs/s1600/kinggypsy1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNqTZT758XM_oK7w0A7xQbRMkC2v1MH1fEhheXygS_dHhUrYxFn0y9Qutcxa8VfXyNTwGesTAltowypGH4BlK0OAOaA9As6vp7bKH8-eSdaEM6XVeRgcAFCk3aURL0K9QoRGJIWO9Wvs/s640/kinggypsy1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sterling Hayden with Eric Roberts</td></tr> </tbody></table>

annette o'toole, brooke shields, danielle brisebois, eric roberts, judd hirsch, matthew labyorteaux, seventies, sterling hayden, susan sarandon

ERIC ROBERTS & STERLING HAYDEN IN 'KING OF THE GYPSIES'

year: 1978 cast: Eric Roberts, Sterling Hayden, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields rating: ***1/2 Writer/director Frank Pierson attempts a time...