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insane_larry
Reviews
Deadhead Miles (1972)
One of the most interesting movies I've ever seen
I caught this movie on A&E over ten years ago between classes while in college. I'd seen Catch-22, so I knew Alan Arkin and liked his work.
It's hard to describe this movie beyond a trucker movie. Very seriously, it's like an episode of Seinfeld... a lot of random stuff happens, most of it disconnected, a lot of it odd, but the vast majority is really funny once you sink into it. Honestly, I forget a very large portion of the movie, but the impression of how interesting it was has stuck with me for over a decade... that has to say something.
Arkin is perfect in it as a pill-popping, cantankerous driver trying to stay awake while driving a load cross country. Paul Benedict (Bentley from the Jeffersons) plays a tramp. Looking over the cast, Richard Kiel (Jaws from the Bond films), Loretta Swit (M*A*S*H), John Milius (writer of Apocalypse Now, etc), Hector Elizondo, Charles Durning... this had a great cast of character actors. I would love to see this film again, but I seriously doubt it will ever get a DVD release unless someone famous sponsors it like Tarantino has the martial arts films released under his Rolling Thunder company.
Fletch Lives (1989)
A Chevy Chase vehicle...
Let me lay it out first that I'm a huge fan of the Fletch novels by Gregory McDonald. All are well-written, witty, and full of great characterizations.
Which leads me to my major complaint about this film in that the didn't use any of the other Fletch novels and wrote a completely new script based on the character from the first film and not from the books. I'm currently working my way through the books again and am impressed with how great the dialogue is and how much fun they are to read. Many, if not all, would translate great to the screen. And the character of Fletch in the books is much younger, much more saavy, and a far more complicated character.
But this is a commentary on the film, not the book. In that, the movie is really a lot of fun. I don't think it's as good as the first, but it still had a lot of great moments. Seeing R. Lee Ermey in this after seeing him in Full Metal Jacket... quite a difference. Cleavon Little is also great as Calculus Entropy. A great comic actor that is missed.
And, of course, the star is Chevy Chase. I believe this film was made simply as an excuse to get Chase into some funny costumes for some cheap laughs. Don't get me wrong, though: I love the movie. Chase, though not my idea of who should have had the role, is funny and completely enjoyable. More important, he takes the role and makes it his own. Of all the characters he's done, I think he scored with Fletch most of all. Look at it this way: he played Ty from Caddyshack twice (oh, I know you want to forget the sequel, but they made it and you saw at least parts of it... and yes, it was god awful) and look how unfunny that character was in the sequel. Fletch, however, was great for him in both.
Anyway, this film is definitely worth renting at the very least. I'm hoping when Kevin Smith makes Fletch Won that this will get a DVD release and the original a special edition with commentary by Chase and/or McDonald (director Ritchie died in 2001.) I also hope the books get back in print soon so they'll be easier to find... they really are great, so if you can find them in a used book store, pick one up and read it. I can pretty much guarantee you'll try to find the rest.
21 Jump Street (1987)
Before there was 90210, there was Jump Street
Oh, I hated Johnny Depp for years because of this show. Not that I watched it or knew who he was, but he was on this show and it came on at 7pm on Fox on Sundays and it sucked. Why? I don't know... it just sucked. Boy did it suck.
And so in 1993, while working a summer job in a podunk town, I found it on when I came home for lunch one afternoon. I wasn't sure what it was at first, but I suspected it was that horrible, pathetic show. I figured I'd watch it... nothing like seeing a train wreck to cheer you up on a bad day, right? But then I realized it was time to go back to work and I couldn't go... 'cos I had to see the full wreck. And then I realized I timed my lunch hour to the same time the next day... and the next. You guessed it. I liked the show.
Really, I don't know why I hated the show... probably because, like most people who are completely firm in their negative opinions, I had had no real exposure to it. I found (after watching, mind you) that the plots were decent, the actors from passable to excellent, and the writing and dialogue better than average. Depp and Peter Deluise worked well together, particulary when they worked as the McQuaid Brothers. Stephen Williams became a favorite actor of mine with his portrayal of Captain Fuller (he was later X on the X-Files.) As much as they were used, Holly Robinson and particularly Dustin Nguyen were never used as well as they could have been, but they were still good.
Someone else mentioned that this because a star vehicle after a while. Despite the amount of future stars, I tend to disagree. Many of these faces were being seen for the first time here and no one could have guessed that they'd become famous. Brad Pitt, Pauly Shore, Sherilyn Fenn, Jason Priestly, Shannon Doherty, and several others had fleeting guest spots on the show and eventually went off to do bigger things, but there was also a long list of other actors on the show who went on to do very little or nothing at all.
Another note (heh) that should be mentioned is that the show was one of the first to push a lot of popular music of the day in the soundtrack. I remember one epsiode about an AWOL military school student featured R.E.M.'s Orange Crush (off of the just released Green album). I believe the final Johnny Depp episode had an Oingo Boingo song from the Dark at the End of the Tunnel album... and don't knock Boingo... lead singer/composer Danny Elfman has been a respected film composer for over 15 years now. I believe a soundtrack was released, but I don't think many of the good songs were released on it.
As the show went on, it became a little unbelievable that they could keep hitting the same schools without the students catching on or talking to each other to rat out the undercover officers. The writing got really bad in some episodes and Depp seemed to be giving bad performances just so he could get out of his contract. They allowed him to skip several episodes completely or limited his appearances in others as a result. After he left and the show went from FOX into general syndication for the last season, more and more shows were throwaways. The cast and guest stars suffered as well, with Robinson left to carry the show almost by herself (Peter Deluise guested on a handful of early episodes while brother Michael ended up on about half.) All in all, the last season is disappointing apart from a sparse handful of ok episodes.
Like others, I'd love to see these on DVD, but I really don't expect it. It was a great show for a while, but when you lose the good producers and writers, even the best actors are going to have a tough time with working something out.
Rock & Rule (1983)
A true classic...
My introduction to this film came through comic books. Marvel Comics put out their animated Super Specials of films in the early 80s (maybe they still do) which usually consisted of lackluster artwork on pulpy paper and a hatchet job to the plot. This one was different, though... perfectly glossy cover and pages, cels from the film with clear lettering over top, a section in the back focusing on how the film was made and who was involved... this was the movie and the supplementary materials on paper, baby! I was hooked, reread it dozens of times, and waited for the movie to come out... and waited... and waited...
several years later, we'd gotten a VCR and cable (remember when this was a big deal in the 80s, folks?) Would you believe what came on one afternoon on HBO? I can't remember what I taped over to put Rock & Rule on that tape, but I only missed the first 5 minutes. I was amazed at how little that comic left out of the movie... and amazed at how good this film was. This was the first time I'd seen an animated movie that was aimed towards adults. I was flat out blown away and hooked hard. It was because of this movie that I got into animation to begin with! I was able to see Heavy Metal a few years later (at a midnight show before it was available on video, no less) and was further impressed by Rock & Rule... at how much better the animation and plot were. I love Heavy Metal, but it's choppy at best in comparison.
Anyway, I reallllly wish that someone would have the gumption to go out there and make this happen on DVD. A Criterion edition would be gladly welcomed, 'cos I'm sure there plenty of stories to tell about it. I concur with whoever said it's probably the music that's keeping this from being released, though. The same thing kept Heavy Metal and American Pop out of circulation for years. While I'm sure sales for this film would be limited, it's obvious from these comments that there's a definite market for the movie. When are these record companies going to realize that earning a smaller percentage of something will be better than earning a bigger percentage of NOTHING? Oh, but that's logic... something management and executives find distasteful and irrelevant when stacked against pride. Oh well...
Bitter? Me? No... just want to smack my brother for taping over my copy of the movie later for some repeats of the A-Team or something. No big deal... Nope... None at all... he said I can just rent it and tape it again... you know.
Arizona Dream (1993)
A horror film to rival the Exorcist...
The only reason I found out about this movie was seeing the HUGE poster in the Paris subway in 1992-93. Johnny Depp and Jerry Lewis? Sounds interesting. I didn't have time to see it there, but I remembered it.
Perhaps a year later, I found a copy for rental back in the US. I looked forward to seeing what this would be after having gained a better appreciation for Depp as an actor.
It was then that I experienced true revulsion for the first time.
Don't get me wrong... I love art films. Even French art films! But this? I don't know if I saw a different movie than the rest of you, but this was crap. A waste of time for the actors and the audience. Jerry Lewis is painful to watch as he parodies himself. Lily Taylor is stiff and about as interesting as a high school freshman aspiring (or expiring) drama student. And Faye Dunaway and Johnny Depp are simply eye candy wasting away in this dull, sorry, throbbing sack of puss of a film.
For a good Depp art film, see Dead Man. To see what Dunaway can really do, see Chinatown 7 or 8,000 times.
Galactic Gigolo (1987)
Almost, but not quite, a decent follow-up to Psychos in Love
Ok, maybe I'm sick and twisted, but I love Psychos in Love. It looks like it was shot for $153 over a series of long weekends with a bunch of friends kicking in just to say they did it, but it's funny and doesn't pretend to be anything more than what it is. It works in its own way... a silly premise, decent script, ample references, a few good jokes, and a fun cast make it worth it.
When most everyone got together to do Galactic Gigolo... well, they just didn't click as well. It's almost as though they tried to be too ambitious and try to be funny this go around. They tried to be more. It just doesn't work as well.
There are still some good bits in this movie... it's more just watching the individuals and things in the background that makes this humor work when it does. But it isn't quite the same as a whole.
If you can find this, give it a shot... and then try to find Psychos in Love.
Young Doctors in Love (1982)
Garry Marshall's attempt at a spoof
When I was younger, this was one of my favorite movies. Don't ask why... just accept it. I remembered the little things. Michael McKean cutting out the pinatas appendix as a child. The kids imitating Sean Young as she goes into convulsions during a dance class. Gary Friedkin trying to hang up the phone (he's a 'little person'... you know the scene.) The Philadelphia F'in Philharmonic. Harry Dean Stanton... as though you need anything more, right?
I bought a used copy in the late 90s and watched it again... oh boy... nowhere near the film I thought it was. Then I realized it followed up Airplane! and several other like-minded spoofs of the day. It was confused in a lot of ways, as though it wanted to be raunchy but wasn't sure how to do it.
I still like the film in bits... some of them are genuinely funny. But as others said, it has a genuine sitcom feel to it. This is Marshall's first film after having worked in television for over 20 years and considering his track record since, you can tell he learned a few things from this film. After this, he went on to make Pretty Woman, the Runaway Bride, and Frankie & Johnny, all of which are decent films. Of course he also directed Exit to Eden (Rosie O'Donnell and Dan Aykroyd in bondage-wear? OUCH!) but we'll forgive him for that...
Your Studio and You (1995)
A Foreshadow of Genius
In thinking about it, it might even be better than South Park. It's straightforward, fairly simple, and funny. Really, a brilliant little film. I've only seen this once on a horrible stream from a now defunct website and was impressed with both the writing/narration (both obviously Trey Parker with Matt Stone) and the fact that so many famous people made appearances and treated it seriously.
An example? Seeing Steven Spielberg driving the Jaws ride and getting zero reaction to his enthusiasm was a moment in cinematic history that barely anyone will get to see if this doesn't get released somehow.