Larry Crowne

It's pretty easy to see why 2011's Larry Crowne was a disappointment in theaters and reviewed less than favorably by many critics. It doesn't deliver a huge, high-arcing message, doesn't tell us anything about the human race or society. The performances aren't groundbreaking, and the story doesn't explore any new territory. What is it then? Just a good, old-fashioned (if sometimes sappy and/or sentimental) story with likable characters. Every so often, that's not a bad thing to stumble across.

A 20-year veteran of the Navy and a divorcee, 40-something Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) is fired from his blue collar job because he doesn't have a college degree. He's completely taken back by the news, never realizing it was an issue. Struggling to find a job, Larry really only has one alternative left open to him. He enrolls in the local community college, taking several classes, including a speech class taught by Mercy Tainot (Julia Roberts), a professor burned out by the profession, and an econ class taught by Dr. Matsutani (George Takei). Surrounded by a much younger student body, Larry is most definitely out of his comfort zone. But as he adjusts, he begins to find that it's never too late to change in life.

Yes, that could be sappiest, most sugary thing I've ever written in 800-plus reviews. But you know what? That's the whole movie wrapped up in one quick sentence. 'Crowne' is about the people. It is a personal story based in the little people on their day-to-day lives. We see the good and bad, and more often than not, the individual rising out of the bad situation and moving toward the good. It's refreshing to see movies like this. There's no violence or sex or twists or turns or betrayals. Director/producer/writer/star Hanks does a great job putting it all together. Sure, there are bigger things at work -- Larry's struggles at the job search are certainly very timely with current economic struggles -- but when it comes down to it, this is a story about people looking for happiness. 

Now that said, I do see the objections some viewers and critics had with this movie. It is so ridiculously sugary sweet and sappy that any diabetics watching should be careful. Larry attends a community college that only exists in the movies with administration leading tai chi classes in the quad, stoner kids who hang with the jocks, that sort of thing. He meets one student, Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the free spirit and insanely adorable college girl who won't be tied down by society's conventions. Talia invites Larry to ride with her "scooter gang," where he also meets Dell (Wilmer Valderrama), her possibly jealous but just downright nice boyfriend. There's also Cedric the Entertainer and Taraji P. Henson as his intensely stereotypical neighbors, identified in one review as the "magical Negro" characters. In any other movie, I might have called Hanks out, but nope, not this one. This movie doesn't have a mean bone in its body.

Two stars who worked together previously in 2007's Charlie Wilson's War, Hanks and Roberts team up again here in a much lighter story.  Neither star has quite the star power they did in the 1990s or even early in the 2000s, but it's still Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts for goodness sake! Hanks brings his usual easygoing tone and manner to his part as Larry. Partially because it's Hanks and partially because the character is so sympathetic and a genuinely nice, good guy, you can't help but root for him. Roberts is given the darker of the two parts, a jaded, more than a little cynical professor who questions what she's doing as a teacher. Their scenes together have an easy flow that only two pros like this could show. And I add this as the shallow guy, if any of my professors ever looked like Julia Roberts, I'd have gotten an A+....just saying.

Behind the camera for just the second time with a feature film, Hanks fills out his cast with some solid names including those already mentioned earlier, Takei especially having some fun as the econ professor with a devilish laugh. Bryan Cranston does what he does best playing a sketchy, cocky son of a you know what, Roberts' husband who's fallen on some self-imposed hard times. Pam Grier has a small part as Frances, a fellow member of the faculty and friend of Mercy's. I feel safe saying this isn't a great movie, and who knows? Maybe it isn't even a good movie. I can say there's a comfort with this movie. Just enjoy this one and don't overthink it.

Larry Crowne <---trailer (2011): ***/****

The Debt

In the closing days and months of WWII, Nazi officials saw the end in sight and started to plan their escapes, retreating into new lives, knowing that their actions would eventually catch up with them. Intelligence agencies from countries around the world did their best to bring these men to justice as seen in movies like Marathon Man or The Boys from Brazil, and most recently 2010's The Debt.

It's 1997 and Rachel Singer (Helen Mirren), Stephan Gold (Tom Wilkinson) and David Peretz (Ciaran Hinds) have been holding onto a secret for 30 years. Now that secret might be coming out. Rachel's daughter has a written a book about her mother's exploits as Mossad agent in 1965, working with Stephan and David as part of a three-man team to bring a Nazi war criminal to justice. What they told though happened isn't the truth, and now after 30 years of inner turmoil, it may finally be time for that hidden truth to reveal itself. What will be the price? At what cost can their struggles be revealed?

A smart, well-written thriller. They seem few and far between actually arriving in theaters, don't they? Director John Madden has done it though with this thriller, crafting a story that weaves in between 1965/66 and 1997 fairly effortlessly. Early in the story, we're thrown for a loop as an audience, seeing what we believed happened only to find out later that it wasn't based in the truth. The East Berlin setting of 1965 is dark and gloomy (appropriate) with the flashback occupying much of the movie's middle portions only to bounce back to 1997. The look of the movie is great, and as a whole, it's more content in telling a human, interesting and still entertaining story than getting wrapped up in gunplay and explosions thankfully.

A surprising problem though is the division of the story between the two separate years. In the 1965 portion, Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington and Marton Csokas play Rachel, David and Stephan. All three do a fine job with their characters, Mossad agents on a nearly suicidal mission deep in Communist-run East Berlin. Worthington especially makes a positive impression, showing he's more than only an action star, and Chastain too carries herself very well. Even with the mystery though of what happened on the mission, these 1965 Berlin scenes lack a certain energy. We know some sort of twist is coming yet somehow it isn't all that interesting. There's also the always reliable, always cliched love triangle thrown into the mix, one of my all-time least favorite plot devices.

So with a story that has three main characters, we're really seeing six characters, not to mention Jesper Christensen as Dieter Vogel, the Surgeon of Birkenau, a Nazi war criminal who played a major role in the Holocaust (and loosely based on Josef Mengele). Of the two storylines, I was more interested in the 1997 plot. Mirren is one of the best actresses working in movies today, and Wilkinson is no slouch either. Hinds has the least screentime but does not disappoint either. I can't explain the differences because all the acting is above average and pretty top-notch. The more current story just came across better to me while the rest back in Berlin drags at times.

What divided many reviewers/critics was the ending after the twist and an additional surprise are thrown into the story. I for one, liked it a lot, thinking it was a very emotional fitting end for the character. There is a certain amount of viewer interpretation allowed in the ending, but this is where the debt in the title comes into play. These characters have suffered with a decision they made some 30 years back and are now forced to deal with it. The solution is no easier than the original problem, and the final scene is incredibly moving. Credit goes to composer Thomas Newman and his score, balancing the tense scenes (kidnapping Vogel in Berlin) to the quiet moments. A flawed movie in terms of story, but the acting is worth mentioning on its own.

The Debt <---trailer (2010): ***/****

Safe House

Denzel Washington is one of a rare breed in Hollywood. He's an Academy Award-winning actor who has shown that regardless of the role he's in, he is truly an actor. On the other side, he's also a movie star, a true movie star. There aren't many actors/actresses around who have the cache that Washington does. Oh, he's in a new movie? Sign me up. It doesn't hurt that with 2012's Safe House, it's also a good movie.

Having been stationed in Cape Town, South Africa for 12 months, CIA agent Matthew Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is at the end of his rope. His lone task is to care for and watch over a CIA safe house, one that in his year on duty has seen absolutely zero visitors. That is, until now. One day, a CIA extract team (led by Robert Patrick) arrives at the safe house with a prisoner, Tobin Frost (Washington), a rogue agent suspected of selling intelligence secrets to the highest bidder. Before the interrogation can begin though, the safe house is attacked with Tobin as the target. Weston takes him out and finds himself on the run, needing to hide long enough until help can arrive. What isn't Tobin telling him though? And how did the attackers know the time and place to attack? Someone most definitely wants Tobin dead, and Weston may be the collateral damage.

An espionage thriller set in South Africa with Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, and a crew of more than reliable actors in supporting roles? Oh, count me in. From director Daniel Espinosa, Safe House doesn't break new ground in the genre. There is a familiarity with the story and characters, but not that overdone feel of having seen everything done before and done to death. With its washed out colors and quick editing, it has the look and feel of a Tony Scott flick crossed with a Jason Bourne movie. It isn't like those movies, just similar. Espinosa handles the twisting, fast-moving story very professionally. As a viewer, you're always aware the revelations are coming (somewhat predictably), but the enjoyment comes from the ride along the way. The action is impressive, but there's not too much. The twists make sense and fit logically into the story. And the characters? Stock characters from the spy/espionage genre, but good ones at that.

Much of the appeal from Safe House will no doubt come from Denzel Washington as spy come in from the cold Tobin Frost. Washington isn't the type of actor who's in 9 or 10 movies a year, picking and choosing his roles more carefully. When they come along, you've got to enjoy and appreciate them. When he's on-screen, Washington is effortlessly cool, making him an ideal choice to play a possibly rogue agent looking to come in. Tobin is a master manipulator, highly intelligent, very capable of handling himself, and ready and willing to use a wide network of associates and contacts to help his cause. His motivations are kept in the dark to a point -- left in the dark -- but it's clear he's fed up with living a hidden life. He's the one who sets the action in motion, and when it starts, it never slows down. There are very few must-see actors, but Washington is one of them. The actor and character leave you wanting more.

As his counter, Ryan Reynolds shows again why he's one of the rising stars in Hollywood. We meet him in the beginning; an inexperienced agent looking for actual field work, wasting away in a pointless job. He keeps secrets about his job from his girlfriend (Nora Arnezeder), hoping to get reassignment somewhere. As he's thrust into the world he's only dreamed of up to this point, we see a transformation, a young agent learning in a do-or-die situation. His comedic abilities as an actor have never been in question, but with parts like this and 2006's Smokin' Aces, Reynolds shows he is very capable of being an action star. Let's not talk about Green Lantern which looked like all sorts of awful. Most importantly though, Reynolds isn't overshadowed by Washington. Their scenes together keep things flowing when the bullets aren't flying. Tobin is playing Weston to a point so can the inexperienced agent figure it out and fight back?

Who else to look for? Washington is the drawing card, but there's no drop-off between him and the rest of the cast. Back in Langley at CIA headquarters, Sam Shepard, Brendan Gleeson and Vera Farmiga play CIA supervisors trying to piece everything together. What exactly is going on in South Africa, and who's on who's side? Ruben Blades makes a quick appearance as Carlos, an old associate of Tobin's who helps him out as he tries to get out of South Africa. Patrick helps legitimize the small part as Keifer, the leader of the CIA extract team, with Liam Cunningham briefly appearing as an MI6 link to Tobin. Two other worthwhile parts include Vargas (Fares Fares), the killer tasked with killing Frost and Weston, and Keller (Joel Kinnaman), another safe house operative looking for any sort of excitement.

With a 115-minute long movie, director Espinosa keeps things flowing and never really lets up in the action department. Expansive, loud shootouts, harrowing car chases through Cape Town's crowded streets, and knock down, brutal hand-to-hand fights pepper the story throughout. The editing is lightning-paced, but you're always able to keep up and see what's going on. Thankfully, the brakes were tapped before 'Safe' reached Bourne-editing territory. The shaky camera never goes too far, but you do feel like you're there with the action. South Africa is an exotic, different location for the thriller as well, not the typical backdrop for an espionage story. A classic? No, but it's an above average flick with its fair share of unique qualities.

Safe House <---trailer (2012): ***/****

The Ninth Gate

Based on a novel called The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte, 1999's The Ninth Gate is an oddity among books-turned-movies. It's rare -- for me at least -- to like a book more than its source novel, but this definitely qualifies. More stream-lined and sinister than the novel, this relatively low-key thriller is a trippy, even odd, movie but in the end a good one.

An unscrupulous individual willing to work for the highest bidder, Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is a book detective, specializing in tracking down and "acquiring" rare and expensive books. His most recent hire though is both lucrative and highly dangerous. A millionaire, Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), has hired Corso to track down and compare the three known, existing copies of The Nine Gates, a book believed to have been co-authored by the Devil himself. Balkan wants to know which one is authentic sending Corso on his way, but this detective has no idea what awaits. People around him are suddenly brutally murdered, and Corso can't help but feel he's next. What exactly has he stumbled into?

Quick comparison to the novel, and then we'll put that aside. In the novel, there are two storylines. One, Corso is investigating a copy of a supposedly lost chapter from Three Musketeers writer Alexandre Dumas, and two, similarly searching for the three copies of The Nine Gates. The book has a bit of a literary snob feel to it, showing off how smart it is. It's good, but some passages get bogged down in the details. Even skipping these passages, I felt like I missed little. Now the movie wisely and thankfully sticks to the darker Devil plot so here we go with that.

From controversial and highly talented director Roman Polanski, 'Ninth' is a smart thriller. Like its main character in Corso, it is low-key and rarely obvious while also being able to pick its moments as to when to scare or at least surprise you. With its basis in aged literature going back to the 1500s, there is a Gothic feel to the developing story. The globe-trotting investigator rings similar to a more intellectual Indiana Jones, and the shadowy, sinister characters has the feel of a film noir. Composer Wojciech Kilar's score is a gem, especially the main theme which I can only describe as playful. Give it a listen HERE. The whole score has a knack for lulling you to sleep, only to pull the rug out from under you. From Polanski's score to Kilar's score, the movie has a smart style to it, a self-assured feeling of knowing where it wants to get.

Part of that easy-going style comes from Johnny Depp as Dean Corso. Depp is a little too young to play the character, but he makes it work. Some of that stems from his look, his appearance. He has graying hair, a cigarette is always hanging from his lip, he always wears a bag over his shoulder, and his unkempt college professor look has a way of disarming whoever he's talking to. Underplaying the part of this very intelligent, conniving mercenary, Depp's talent still allows him to be at least a tiny bit likable. He's in it for the money but quickly sees he's getting more than he bargained for.

Because it is Corso's investigation, the other players are smaller, supporting parts, but they don't disappoint. Langella is basically there for three scenes, giving off such a decidedly and even evil air that the impression is a lasting one. Lena Olin plays Liana Telfer, a rich widow Corso meets in his investigation. Emmanuelle Seigner (Mrs. Roman Polanski) is the Girl, a mysterious woman who keeps popping up in Corso's travels. She clearly knows more than she's letting on, and the reveal doesn't come as a complete surprise, but it's a good one nonetheless. Also look for James Russo as Bernie, a dealer in rare books and friend of Corso. The odd thing with the casting is that Depp is too young for his part while Olin and Seigner are too old -- according to the novel anyways -- but all three put their own spins on their characters.

What has appealed to me on repeated viewings here is the unique feel to the whole movie. With the story, you're never quite sure where it's going. Is it really just a search for an ancient book supposedly written by Satan? If it's more, what's the end result? Go along for the ride because it's a good one. The acting and performances are uniformly good, the filming locations in Portugal and Paris are perfect, the score a great scene-setter, and the ending a whopper that is left open to your interpretation. A noir-Gothic thriller, and how often can you see one of those?

The Ninth Gate <---trailer (1999): *** 1/2 /****

Two For the Money

A flop when it was released in theaters in 2005, Two for the Money has found itself a second chance on late night TV, or at least that's where I kept stumbling across it.  Finally just caved and rented it from Netflix having seen the first 30 minutes twice on TBS at two in the morning. Was it worth it? Nope, not especially.

Having suffered a possibly career-ending injury in a bowl game, quarterback Brandon Lang (Matthew McConaughey) has possibly hit it big helping bettors by picking scores of NCAA and NFL college scores. He's done so well in fact that he's been noticed by Walter Abraham (Al Pacino), the owner of one of the country's most successful sports gambling/counseling companies. Walter takes Brandon to New York to join his firm, and all he asks is that he keeps on doing what he does so freakishly well, picking winners and making money. Brandon does just that -- picking winners at an alarming rate -- but can his extraordinary luck hold out?

When I did stumble across this on late night TV, I didn't necessarily love it, but I was intrigued if nothing else. Having seen the entire movie now, I wasn't even intrigued by the end of this overlong, dull and predictable story from director D.J. Caruso. Nothing about it feels real. It feels forced from the beginning, even entirely fake at specific moments. Some of that stems from the "NFL teams" and the footage of games that looks like it's from the 1980s in Canada. But more than that, 'Money' reeks of style over substance. There's never really any question where it's going, but even the ride getting there isn't entertaining.

The showiest part in the movie goes to Al Pacino as Walter, a former gambler turned hugely successful consulting company owner. This movie continued a trend of parts like this that had Pacino playing a caricature of himself more than actually playing a part. This is a part that could and should have been pretty good, but it's so ridiculously over the top and showy that I never bought it. He screams, he mugs, he gets intense. Rene Russo plays his wife, Toni, a woman with similar past demons. Jeremy Piven has a good part as Jerry, one of Brandon's in-company rivals, Armand Assante sneers as Novian, one of the world's biggest sports gamblers, and Jaime King apparently got blackmailed into a part as a conquest of Brandon's.

What throws me depending on the role is McConaughey's continued success in movies. His aw-shucks demeanor and overly confident -- even arrogant -- ways works in movies like Sahara or We Are Marshall. But in a quasi-dramatic role like this, it just doesn't work for me. Brandon is supposed to be ultra-confident, and I bought into it, but by the end of the movie I just hated this character. Hated. McConaughey doesn't do a great job developing him, and his rise and inevitable fall can be predicted from the moment the movie starts. Mostly though, I just don't think much of him as a true dramatic actor. Going up against Pacino and his exaggerated style, his underplaying style does not go over well. Not a good mix at all.

By the time the ending nears, I thought I'd seen every stereotype possible. 'Money' deserves to be beaten with the cliche stick. The rise and fall, the possible relationship with Russo's Toni, the back and forth dynamic, it's all there. And then there's the one big game where everything that went wrong can be righted. Didn't see that one coming, did you? I'm somewhat surprised by how negative this review has gone because as I finished the movie I thought it was pretty average if nothing else. The more I thought about it, the more I disliked it though. Who knows what would have happened if I waited another day to write?

Two for the Money <---trailer (2005): */****

The Hard Word

An Aussie crime drama with a handful of recognizable actors, a story that is both highly dramatic and oddly funny, and in general a feeling of originality (if somewhat misplaced and odd) that a lot of movies just don't have. All these things work for and against 2002's The Hard Word, a genuinely weird movie that I still managed to enjoy.

Working as pawns for a greedy, backstabbing lawyer, Frank (Robert Taylor), and a group of corrupt politicians and policemen, three brothers, Dale (Guy Pearce), Shane (Joel Edgerton) and Mal (Damien Richardson) are three of the most successful bank robbers Australia has ever seen, always trying to pull jobs without violence. Now though they've been caught and are serving time, but Frank has a plan, a heist that will net them $20 million dollars while they're "on parole." None of the brothers, especially Dale, thinks much of it, but they're basically blackmailed into the spot. Their goal? Take down the gambling winnings from the Melbourne Cup, but with Frank sleeping with Dale's wife, Carol (Rachel Griffiths), nothing goes off quite as planned. Now all that's to be decided is whether the brothers can get out alive.

Not as a judgment against Australian films, but there is something indescribably odd crime drama. It is violent and harsh, but it also has some out of left field comedic moments (most of them incredibly dark and twisted). Director Scott Roberts must have had a lot of ideas brewing in his head, and he throws it all together. The weirdness of all those different elements have a surprising affect in that they work. How? Oh, I have no idea, but it does. Maybe because it is so genuinely different and unique, but I went along with it. Part of me didn't always believe what I was watching, and another part might not have even liked certain parts of the movie. Still, it's weird but that good sort of weird.

What works through and above and around that weirdness is the camaraderie we see among the three brothers. In jail or not, working a job, eating a meal, I believed in them. They have a bond that would be hard to fake. They bitch and moan at each other but all the while want what's best for the others. When Shane gets sick and is almost left behind, Dale and Mal fake a similar illness and stick around with him, putting the job off for a little. So we have these three brothers who are extremely close, and they just happen to be good at....robbing banks. They're good at it but never seem to have any money, constantly needing a new, better job. Pearce, Edgerton and Richardson are the best things going for the movie, all three brothers coming across as believable. And more on this later, but they're some of my favorite characters...the doomed variety.

Sifting through the odd comedy and off the wall, scatter-brained storytelling is the basis of a great crime drama featuring many aspects of a 1940s film noir. Those aspects are when the movie is moving along at a good pace, knowing where it wants to go. Griffiths as Carol is the femme fatale, a beautiful, smart and sexy woman who's going to do what she needs to do to survive. She loves Pearce's Dale but also knows she has to make it on her own while he's inside. Taylor as the slimy Frank is the real villain, the conniving lawyer who will no doubt get what he deserves in the end. There's also the insane hired gun, Tarzan (Dorian Nkono), the damaged but still strong woman, Jane (Rhondda Findleton), Shane's love interest and psychiatrist, and of course, the two corrupt cops (Paul Sonkkila and Vince Colosimo). All it needed was black and white film, some cigarette smoke hanging in the air, and some shadows here and there and we're talking full-on 40s noir.

Now almost from the start, the three brothers are pegged as the tragic characters, doomed individuals who have no way out from the predicament they find themselves in. The momentum keeps building, and the story seems destined to end that way. Heist movies have taught us that. The heist is almost always the easy part. The aftermath is where things get bloody. Even following the job, it seems like the movie will go one way but doesn't. That disjointed feel, the bizarre attempts at humor, it all stops the ending from being a classic. It ends on a surprising attempt at a laugh. It works while still managing to feel out of place. The movie is really a mess, but I can't help but like it.

The Hard Word <---quasi-trailer (2002): ***/****

Fistful of Lead

My only connection to the Sartana movies is not a good one, the "comedic" Trinity and Sartana, a cheap, poorly made spin-off. Sartana was one of many successful spaghetti western characters who spawned official and unofficial movies, but that one? Take a pass. It didn't take long to find a winner in the unofficial series, starting with 1970's Fistful of Lead or as it's more commonly (and much cooler) known 'I Am Sartana, Trade Your Guns for a Coffin.' 

A bounty hunter and gunfighter, Sartana (George Hilton) witnesses the robbery of a gold shipment, the attack led by a bandit named Mantas (Nello Pazzafini) and his gang. Looking for information, he rides into a nearby town and finds it. A local businessman/bank owner, Spencer (Pierro Lulli), runs the area and basically controls what gold gets out and what stays. An enormous shipment is set to depart under heavy guard soon, and Sartana sees the chance for a huge payday. The only problem? Spencer is expecting some sort of trick, and Mantas' gang is waiting to strike for their own chance. Double crosses, backstabbing, betrayals, twists and turns await, and no one is guaranteed to make it out alive.

The charm of so many spaghetti westerns comes from the weirdness factor, that low budget quality that allows you to enjoy it even knowing you're watching a bad movie. That's what this movie is. 'Lead' is more of a goofy spaghetti than the dark ones favored by Sergio Leone or Sergio Corbucci. Lots of gunplay, trick shots, general goofiness, and all the while it treads that fine line between fun and just plain stupid. Director Giuliano Carnimeo keeps it light and always entertaining, the score from Francesco De Masi unique and memorable without ripping off Ennio Morricone. The story is ridiculously convoluted, and the ending is beyond dumb but where others crashed and burned, 'Lead' manages to stay on the straight and narrow path. Dumb, even stupid, yes, but fun all the way.

Putting his own spin on the character first played by Gianni Garko, Hilton (real name Jorge Hill Acosta y Lara) certainly has some fun playing Sartana, a gunfighter who hasn't run into a shot he can't make. He throws one-liners whenever he's not gunning down bandits and in general is a quirky, eccentric fellow. Hilton's Sartana is constantly setting up little picnics for himself, eating a loaf of bread and one boiled egg. Style-wise, he's duded up to look like a younger Sabata in an all-black suit, and it even appears he's wearing some eye-liner! Hilton doesn't have to say much, but his spin on a familiar character keeps the story relatively focused (as needed) as Sartana navigates his way through killers and murderers all around him.

The fun in these movies can be the opposition though, the bad guys, and 'Lead' pulls out all the stops. Lulli is the most mainstream of the villains as Spencer, the polished businessman who's always pulling a fast one. He's smiling though as he betrays you so you'd never think it was him (Carlo Gaddi plays his main henchman). Pazzafini hams it up as Mantas, the ridiculously over the top bandit always ready with a maniacal laugh and a gang of disposable gun fodder for Sartana. The best though is Sabbath (Charles Southwood), the primmest and most proper gunman I've ever seen. A gay caballero? Maybe, clues pointing to yes with his parasol, immaculate white suit, and ever-constant book of poetry he quotes. His intentions though are less obvious because it's never clear what he's up to. Even Trixie (Erika Blanc), the saloon girl has some tricks up her sleeve. Some very worthy opponents for Sartana, and he gets a chance to face them all.

This isn't a hugely well-known spaghetti western, but considering the schlocky, truly bad entries to the genre that are out there, it's always nice to see ones like this. It isn't a classic on par with For a Few Dollars More or The Mercenary, but 'Lead' resists that temptation in making a mind-numbingly stupid comedic spaghetti western. How many movies will you see where a character -- Sartana -- throws a canteen into the air and shoots it over a fuse to extinguish said fuse? Or how about shooting a knife mid-throw and redirecting it? Yeah, not many. Just enjoy this one. I most definitely did.

Fistful of Lead <---full movie Youtube (1970): ***/****   

Memphis Belle

My favorite book, Joseph Heller's Catch 22, is a fictional account of American bombers in World War II flying over Italy, trying to survive the lunacy and craziness of war. It is an intensely funny story in its dark humor. At its base though, the story of the pilots and crews of the bombers and fighters is an incredibly heroic story, like it is documented in 1990's Memphis Belle.

It's May 1943 and World War II is very much still up for grabs. On a daily basis, hundreds of Allied planes fly over Europe -- especially France and Germany -- bombing key targets, but the daytime raids have produced heavy casualties. Among the crews of the Eighth Air Force is the Memphis Belle, a B-17 bomber commanded by Capt. Dearborn (Matthew Modine) with co-pilot Luke Sinclair (Tate Donovan), navigator Phil Lowenthal (D.B. Sweeney) and bombardier Val Kozlowski (Billy Zane). The Belle has made it through 24 missions virtually unscathed and now sits one mission away from being rotated home. Army public relations (including smarmy John Lithgow) has caught wind of the remarkable story and plans to make national heroes out of the crew. The 25th mission awaits though, a heavily guarded factory deep in Germany in the city of Bremen. Can the Belle's luck hold out once more?

The reviews from critics and fans are fairly positive, but not quite as positive as I thought they'd be. I loved this movie. It is cliched at times and relies on some well-worn story points, but the cliches have to come from somewhere, right? Like so many of the best war movies, director Michael Caton-Jones doesn't glorify war and all its brutality. Instead, he glorifies the men who fought the war. What they did regardless of personal beliefs and convictions was heroic, putting their lives on the line. Add in the element of being so close to going home, and that heroism and fear is ratcheted up. Even in the mission, there are moments where Modine's Captain could basically save them all, but they continue on with the objective. They fight through their worries, concerns and fears, working together to accomplish something bigger than them.

I was somewhat surprised that the movie focuses exclusively on that last mission, the 25th, because I was expecting more of a tour of duty story. Glad I was wrong though because having the story take place over 24 hours is a stroke of genius. The tension, the impending doom, the possibility of failure keep 'Belle' moving at a lightning pace. Much of the last 2/3 of the movie is set entirely in the Belle, giving a claustrophobic, closed in feel. You feel like you're flying over Germany with the crew, almost willing the plane and crew to make it. Not surprisingly, the mission doesn't go off without a hitch. The tension is unbearable as the mission continues, right up until the ending. Is it ever really in doubt? Not really, but Caton-Jones does a great job of at least keeping you guessing. Credit to him for keeping the viewers on their toes. 

The ensemble cast here assembled is interesting because in 1990, these were a lot of rising stars. The catch? None of them ever became truly huge stars. The story at 106 minutes manages to give each member of the crew some much-needed characterization. It's not in-depth by any means, but we at least get a sense of who these men are. Modine, Donovan, Sweeney and Zane are nicely cast as the officers of the Belle. No one truly stands out because they're all just solid. That's a positive if it didn't come out that way. The crew includes Eric Stoltz (radioman), Sean Astin (ball turret), Harry Connick Jr. (tail gunner), Reed Diamond (nose gunner), and Courtney Gains and Neil Giuntoli as the waist gunners. Stoltz as the intellectual and Connick Jr. (even getting a chance to sing) stand out from the group. Also worth mentioning is David Strathairn as the group commander, making the most of a small part.

As far as war movies go, 'Belle' has a handful of truly powerful, moving sequences that make it memorable, rising above so many others. Connick Jr. sings Danny Boy quietly the night before the final mission to a silent hangar packed with people (watch it HERE). Riding out to the plane, the crew softly sings Amazing Grace to themselves. It could have been too artsy or pretentious, but it works. Arguing with Lithgow's PR officer, Strathairn reads letters he's received from the families of his pilots and crew members killed in action. The mission itself has too many moments like that, the feeling like you've been punched in your throat. It's the type of moments that make a good movie a great one.  You can watch the entire movie HERE at Youtube.

Memphis Belle <---trailer (1990): ****/****

The Slams

My first thought was that TCM's online schedule was messing with me. A 1973 movie starring former NFL star Jim Brown listed as a...musical?!? Nope, not buying it. That's what the genre specification said for 1973's The Slams. So out of morbid curiosity and some more genuine confusion, I had to at least give it a try. And yes, the schedule was wrong.

After pulling off a successful heist of over $1 million and drugs to boot, Curtis Hook (Brown) survives a double cross by his partners and manages to escape with the loot. He's wounded in the process though and is forced to stash away the cash while destroying the drugs and is caught by the police soon after, sent away to an inescapable prison in California. Everyone and anyone in the place knows who he is, and the mob has put a contract out on him for stealing their money/drugs. There aren't many friends inside, and everyone from the guards to the convicts to the warden want to get their hands on the stash. Can Hook manage to escape before it's too late?

The TCM description was blank, IMDB has one user review, and Wikipedia lists in fact that the movie does exist...that's all. This is a movie almost completely forgotten over the last 30-plus years and for good reason. It's not that good. Entertaining in an awful, guilty pleasure sort of way? Yes, most definitely, but that's about it.  Relatively unknown cast other than Brown with directing powerhouse Jonathan Kaplan at the helm, I'm guessing 'Slams' was a drive-in feature, maybe a second run theater type movie. If there was straight to DVD in 1973, this movie would qualify. Made on the cheap by the looks of it, it is typical of so many lower budget 1970s movies. It's not a truly awful movie, but it's close so know what you're getting into if you can manage to find a copy.

I can't go as far to say this is a blaxploitation movie, but it's close. Lots of talk of The Man, all the white guys are racist mobsters and nameless henchmen, all the black guys are either anti-heroes or truly bad street dudes, and a crazy style that in general has to be seen to be believed. Lots of language -- including some rather forced f-bombs and mother f'ers in the opening -- with more than enough gratuitous nudity and plenty of brutal violence (especially the particularly grisly ending). The musical score from Luther Henderson is funk-heavy with a little R&B mixed in. It always sounds odd compared to what's going on in the movie, but it all adds to the ridiculous quota. Just don't expect a lot of production value -- translation: low expectations -- and you'll be fine.

Now if I didn't see Jim Brown's name as the star here, there's no way I'm so much as slowing down to investigate this movie. He's the one name star/actor here, playing a character he played a lot through the 1970s.  Never a truly expressive actor, he's still pretty cool, maybe even too cool. He never seems worried that everyone wants to kill him. Eh, he's Jim Brown. I guess he doesn't have to care. Judy Pace plays his babely girlfriend Iris with Paul Harris playing Jackson Barney, Hook's old friend, a pimp on the outside working as an accomplice on the escape attempt. Frank DeKova is Capiello, the jailed mob boss who runs the place with an iron fist, Ted Cassidy playing Glover, Capiello's menacing enforcer. Frenchia Guizon has a small part as Macey, a former hit man/enforcer who may or may not be on Hook's side.

Keeping this one short because overanalyzing a movie like this is overkill. You're either going to love it or hate it, or maybe like me just go along for the guilty pleasure aspect.  It is entertaining in its badness, and let's face it. Jim Brown whether he's rolling over defenders in a football game or bashing heads as a badass con is still pretty cool.

The Slams <---TCM trailer (1973): **/****