cinemalover: Confessions of a Video Junkie

[movieman1957]

Re: The Cowboys

This was my first exposure to Bruce Dern and I thought he may have just been the meanest thing I ever saw. Imagine the two sides of "killing" John Wayne. You're going to get a lot of attention and part of that is catching hell from fans.

Then finding him as an almost congenial villain in Support You Local Sheriff showed quite a contrast in characters. He played nasty almost as well as anyone.

[jdb1]

Re: The Cowboys

This was my first exposure to Bruce Dern and I thought he may have just been the meanest thing I ever saw. Imagine the two sides of "killing" John Wayne. You're going to get a lot of attention and part of that is catching hell from fans.

Then finding him as an almost congenial villain in Support You Local Sheriff showed quite a contrast in characters. He played nasty almost as well as anyone.

I think Bruce Dern has been overshadowed by some other more "flashy" actors of his generation, such as Jack Nicholson. I've always thought of Dern as a sort of junior Rip Torn and, as a matter of fact, Torn looked a lot like Bruce Dern when he was younger. I liked Dern especially in the 1970s "Great Gatsby;" I thought he was a very good choice to play Tom Buchanan, a wealthy and privileged jock who was mean-spirited and crude just under the surface. And I thought he was hilarious in Support Your Local Sheriff -- He was so hapless, and you had the impression he was a villain just because he father told him he had to be. I can see him playing Slim Pickens parts just as well as Jack Nicholson parts.

Nevertheless, he has worked a lot, even if what he's done wasn't always up to his potential.

[inglis]

Hi Judith
I am glad you carried this one over .
I had a delightful evening last Friday with my son.My husband had taken our daughter to her gymnastic's class, and my son and I watched The Love Bug .I was not all that interested in seeing it as I have seen it many times before,never the less I put it on, made popcorn, and settled down to watch this movie. My little boy looked over at me and said"you know Mom this is pretty good us watching this movie together" .I don't think I will be so put out again to watch a movie with my son .Its not that I didn't like the time with him ,I was just thinking I have to watch this again and I missed the big picture in it for him. Inglis

[inglis]

Re: The Cowboys

This was my first exposure to Bruce Dern and I thought he may have just been the meanest thing I ever saw. Imagine the two sides of "killing" John Wayne. You're going to get a lot of attention and part of that is catching hell from fans.

Then finding him as an almost congenial villain in Support You Local Sheriff showed quite a contrast in characters. He played nasty almost as well as anyone.

Chris I still can't watch the part where Bruce Dern shoots Wayne .I have to turn it off till it's over

[cinemalover]

inglis,
My family's Friday Night tradition of us all watching a movie together is the highlight of my week. The fact that my 15 year old daughter is still willing to have family time like that, when so many her age don't have much patience for family time, is something that I appreciate every day. I dread the day when she thinks she's too old or too cool to spend the evening with her family. It may be challenging to find movies that are appealing to all four of us, but the time together is priceless. I'm glad you had a wonderful evening with your son.

Chris

[movieman1957]

Chris:

The teenage years are a puzzlement. My 16 year old daughter can demand her independence but she wants to watch Buster Keaton or the Marx Brothers with me. She went so far as to take a class to study Italian with her mother. I keep teasing my wife I'm going to get a note that she is the only middle-age woman to get detention.

When my son turned 19 we were fun to be with again. (He quit being an idiot too.)

Carol:

Sometimes it's the small things that are the most special.

[cinemalover]

Chris:
Aren't teenagers fun? I'm just sure I was never that much trouble for my parents (kidding).

[cinemalover]

It's been a while since I went slumming in Serialville, so here I go again....

Date watched:9/16/2007
Title: Ace Drummond 12 chapter serial Made: 1936
Genre: Action/Serial Studio: Universal/Filmcraft Inc.
Format: DVD Extras: 12 chapters on 2 discs. (Watched the first 4 chapters)
Number of times viewed: 2

Stars:
John King--Ace Drummond, G-Man of the Air
Jean (Dale Arden of Flash Gordon fame) Rogers--Peggy Trainor
Lon Chaney Jr.--Ivan (henchman for the Dragon)
Noah Beery Jr.--Jerry
Guy Bates Post--The Lama
Jackie Morrow--Billy Trainor
Robert Warrick--Winston
James Leong--Henry Kee
Chester Gan--Kai-Chek
Arthur Loft--Chang Ho, the Drahgon
Montague Shaw--Dr. Trainor

Tagline: Amazing exploits in the sky!

Outline; Ace Drummond (King) is a G-Man of the air and he is sent to Mongolia to solve the problems that International Airlines is experiencing. International is trying to establish a base in Mongolia and include Mongolia as part of their international flights. The Dragon (Loft), a mysterious and intensely evil man, is determined to keep International Airlines out of Mongolia because he fears the additional foreign businesses coming into the area will interfere with his plans of acquiring a mountain of jade that has been discovered by the archeologist, Dr. Trainor (Shaw). We don't see the Dragon, we only hear his voice as he is able to transmit anywhere through fan-like devices. One of his lead henchmen is Ivan played by Lon Chaney Jr. (6 years prior to his classic role in tThe Wolfman).

Chapter One: Where East Meets West
Ace Drummond arrives via Clipper Ship in Mongolia to root out the source of the problems. There he meets Peggy Trainor (Rogers) who is looking for her missing father, Dr. Trainor. The two of them take a bi-plane to scout the area (Ace is, of course, an excellent pilot). The Dragon's men use an electric weapon to blast the plane out of the sky. Ace and Peggy are sent spiraling to a certain doom.

Chapter Two: The Invisible Enemy
Ace acts as a decoy so that Jerry (Beery Jr.) can escape with Dr. Trainor from the Hall of Dead Kings. This time Ace's bi-plane (presumably a new one even though it looks identical) is pursued by 5 other bi-planes, all working for the Dragon. They strafe Ace's plane with bullets. Ace manages to land in an open field but the other planes continue to fire at him. It appears that Ace is fatally shot.

Chapter Three: The Doorway of Doom
Ace is locked inside a room in a temple after pursuing one of the Dragon's men. The wall of the room quickly starts closing towards Ace, threatening to turn him into a Hero sandwich. He calls for Jerry's help, but Jerry is engaged with five guards, all swinging mean swords.

Chapter Four: The Radio Riddle
Ace once again frees Dr. Trainor from the evil clutches of the Dragon and learns about the mountain of jade in the process. As Ace escapes with the Doctor they use Ace's car (change of pace from his plane). One of the Dragon's planes appears above the car and starts dropping bombs at them. The last one is a direct hit and we see Ace's car explode.

This is a non-stop thrill ride of a serial so far with a few unique twists. Ace has a habit of breaking into song on a moment's notice, prefering to warble the aviation themed "Contact" song. In the opening chapter when Ace is arriving on a commercial flight there is a storm brewing and all the passengers are nervous and scared. His manly voice reassures them all and calms their nerves. Singing cowboys I'm familar with, but warbling airmen? That's a new one for me. John King has a nice physical presence to be the hero but if his acting was any more wooden they'd be making toothpicks out of him.

There is also some wonderful use of vintage aerial photography featuring great stunts done by bi-planes. One funny moment occurs when young Billy Trainor (Morrow) is obviously stunt doubled by an adult stuntman. When they cut back and forth between the double and Morrow the body size in relation to the other characters changes drastically. So much for continuity.

7* (out of 10) (Chapters 1-4) Another very entertaining serial. Serial fans will recognize Jean Rogers as Dale Arden from the Flash Gordon Serial (also from Universal).

[inglis]

inglis,
My family's Friday Night tradition of us all watching a movie together is the highlight of my week. The fact that my 15 year old daughter is still willing to have family time like that, when so many her age don't have much patience for family time, is something that I appreciate every day. I dread the day when she thinks she's too old or too cool to spend the evening with her family. It may be challenging to find movies that are appealing to all four of us, but the time together is priceless. I'm glad you had a wonderful evening with your son.

Chris

Chris Thanks for your kind words and I am sorry but I was looking at Judiths reply and I mistook her for the one starting this thread . Hence my relpy to her .I am happy to see this thread here and that you have carried it over from TCM. Cheers Inglis

[cinemalover]

Date watched:9/18/2007
Title: Crown v. Stevens Made: 1936
Genre: Melodrama Studio: WB Teddington Studios
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: First

Director: Michael Powell

Stars:
Beatrix Thomson--Doris Stevens
Patric Knowles--Chris Jansen
Glennis Lorimer--Molly
Reginald Purdell--Alf
Allan Jeayes--Inspector Carter
Frederick Piper--Arthur Stevens
Googie Withers--Ella
Mabel Poulton--Marnie

This is one of theWB Teddington Studio films that TCM is broadcasting in America for, I believe, the first time. My curiousity got the best of me and I wanted to check out one of them. I recorded all three that were shown on Monday, so the choice of this one of the three is purely random.

Plot: This is going to contain spoilers because there's no real way to discuss it at length without gioving away key plot points. So if you haven't seen it and don't want key elements spoiled...read no further.
Golddigger Doris Stevens (Thomson) has snared successful businessman Arthur Stevens (Piper) in a loveless marriage. Doris is only interested in Arthur for his money, unfortunately for her, he doesn't like parting with any of it. He makes Scrooge look like a spendthrift.

Doris, "Arthur."
Arthur, "What, my dear?"
Doris, "I've got to have some money"
Arthur, "What for?"
Doris, "What for?....Clothes....shoes....everything!"
Arthur (snapping), "I might have guessed...that woman! (Referring to Doris' fur-clad partying friend) You know how I feel about that. I will not have my wife look like an over-dressed trollup! Not even if we could afford it, and we can't!"
Doris, "That's not true. We can. You won't!"

This is the beginning of a very slippery slope in the choices that Doris makes. Later as Arthur continues to infuriate her, "If I were you Arthur, I'd shut up!" This is not a woman you want to tick off, she has no scruples about dealing with people that get in her way. Doris, who needs her money whether Arthur is goiing to give it to her or not, gets in over her head with a dangerous loanshark. This is a trait she shares with meek office clerk Chris Jansen (Knowles) who happens to work for Arthur.

Chris had borrowed money from the loanshark to buy an engagement ring for his sweetie, who promptly takes off with the ring as she runs away with another man. There aren't many positive female role models in this feature. Chris goes to talk to the loanshark to find a way to settle his debt, which he can't pay. When he arrives he finds the moneylender, head down on his desk. He seems to have forgotten how to breathe. Hiding behind a curtain he finds Doris, with a smoking gun in his hand. We also see the accounts ledger burning in the fireplace, erasing all record of either party's debt. Doris runs off and Chris decides to keep everything to himself for fear of being implicated. Chris' complications only deepen when he discovers that Doris is his bosses' wife.

Doris had tried to dispose of the gun but had flubbed the job and it ends up in police hands. The noose begins to tighten as the police slowly draw closer to the truth. When Arthur discovers that she "lost" the gun he insists that they tell the police so that she won't be implicated in the murder (he believes her when she tells him that the gun must have been stolen, at one point blaming their noisy maid). When she can't talk Arthur out of talking to the police she takes circumstances into her own hands. She purchases some strong sleeping drops...for herself...wink..wink. Poor Arthur, she had warned him earlier in the film to shut up.

Thomson makes a deliciously selfish, self-centered femme fatale, who ultimately allows her greed to destroy her. All that come in contact with her are used for her purposes, much to their detriment. Very much a melodrama, but worth watching in anticpation of Doris' inevitable undoing. It is so sweet to watch the wicked get what's coming to them.

I found Patric Knowles (who apparently went straight to Holllywood after this film) as rather bland and ordinary. It didn't help that his character is a milquetoast, but I wasn't overly impressed. Thomson on the other hand stole every scene she was in as she just dripped with greed. Piper creates the miser Arthur Stevens who we hate at the beginning because of his skinflint tendencies, but we soon develop sympathy for him as his life is destroyed by Doris' needs.

6* (out of 10) A short film that wastes no time getting to the heart of the story. An interesting watch, thanks TCM for allowing me the privilege.

[cinemalover]

I didn't realize that I'd been watching so many westerns lately until I reviewed the last few pages of the thread...ye-haw!

Date watched:9/19/2007
Title: Goin' South Made: 1978
Genre: Western/Comedy Studio: Paramount
Format: DVD Extras: Anamorphic WS.
Number of times viewed: 2

Director: Jack Nicholson

Stars:
Jack Nicholson--Henry Lloyd Moon
Mary Steenburgen (first film)--Julia Tate
Christopher Lloyd--Deputy Towfield
John Belushi--Deputy Hector
Richard Bradford--Sheriff Kyle
Veronica (Daniel Boone TV series) Cartwright--Hermine
Jeff Morris-- Big Ape
Danny Devito--Hog
Tracey Walter--Coogan
Gerald H. Reynolds--Polty (which, as we're told in the movie, is just another way to say chicken)

Tagline: Saved from the hangmen, for a fate worse than death!

Plot: Bank robber and horse thief Henry Lloyd Moon (Nicholson) is heading for the Mexican border with a posse in hot pursuit. He thinks he's safe when he crosses the river into Mexico, but the posse doesn't stop coming. Henry had gotten off his horse to taunt the posse and when he sees he needs to keep riding, he turns around to find that his horse has fainted from excitement. Poor Henry.

Henry is brought to jail by Sheriff Kyle (Bradford) and his deputies, Towfield (Lloyd) and Hector (Belushi), each of whom love to torment and tease Henry about his upcoming hanging. When Henry's old gang comes to visit him in jail he assumes they're there to spring him.

Henry pleads to Big Abe (Morris), "They're gonna send me to the bone orchard." But Big Abe and the gang (which includes Henry's former squeeze Hermine [Cartwright]) won't risk themselves for Henry, who wasn't the friendliest leader to them.

After the gang leaves a few women parade into jail to check out Henry. He doesn't know why they're looking at him and isn't very sociable, taunting one of them, "I wouldn't take you to a dog-fight if you was the defendin' champ!"

Then the sheriff tells him that the city has an ordinance that allows single women in the community to marry condemned men which will excise the sentence and force the man to capitulate to the woman's demands. Suddenly, as he is being escorted to the gallows, Henry is trying to romance the very women he was insulting moments ago. Just as he's about to be hung (while desperately pleading his case to the females in the audience), a very elderly woman speaks up and claims him. He wildly sweeps her up in his arms will singing and dancing a jig. She collapses, dead from the excitement.

So it's back to the gallows for Henry. Just as she's about to swing the lovely Julia Tate speaks up for him. The town is shocked, but she claims him and escorts him to her home.

Never shy about his own worth, Henry tells Julia that he's good to leave right now if she pleases, "I can get off right here (in the middle of nowhere) as far as I'm concerned. Of course, a good husband's hard to find!"
Julia, "You weren't hard to find. You were standing in front of the whole town with a rope around your neck."
For once Henry has no come back.

Henry soon finds out that there'll be no honeymoon in this relationship as he'll be sleeping in the barn at night and digging in her gold-mine all day. And deputies Hector and Towfield are always checking up, just looking for an excuse to return him to the gallows.

Henry's old gang comes visiting one night because they've heard rumors of the gold, but by this time Henry is developing a true fondness for Julia and won't see her hurt. Julia becomes jealous at Hermine's flirtations and mistrusts Henry more than ever.

Events fall into somewhat predictable patterns, but the film maintains a nice light sense of humor about itself. Jack lays it on pretty thick and would have benefitted from a director willing to reel him in. But since Jack was the director he can only blame himself. Steenburgen is perfect in her screen debut, as a prairie lass who's no fool and won't be taken advantage of but who has a soft side she tries hard to hide. The supporting cast is wonderful with Lloyd, Belushi and DeVito, but only Lloyd gets significant screen time.

7* (out of 10) This is the first time I've seen it since 1978 when it was released. My memory was not too favorable, but time has served it well for me. I enjoyed it quite a bit this time. It's far from perfect, but it has numerous giggles and Jack is...well, Jack.

[cinemalover]

Time to visit Schlockville:

Date watched: 9/20/2007
Title: Tales From the East Made: 1990
Genre: Horrible Horror Studio: Deimos Video
Format: DVD Extras: Eastern Horror Double Feature paired with *The Evil Fox*, subtitled.
Number of times viewed: First

Stars:
Billy Lau
Joey Wong
David Ng
Amy Yip
and a cast of hacks

Potential tagline: We're not as bad as the second feature!

Plot (a generous term in this instance): A group of twenty-something aged friends are partying in the woods and telling spooky stories around a camp fire.

One of the storytellers relates, "Ghosts are of various kinds. Hanging ghosts appear in the woods. Quiet ghosts appear suddenly in the toilet. Then there are the sex ghosts. The sex ghosts are all here!" (Referring to the couples huddled around the fire).

A massive electrical storm breaks out with no warning. It is explained that the storm is caused by a celestial alignment that only occurs once every 200 years. The storm creates a time portal which allows a young princess and her guardian, Jiang, to escape from the distant past into the present. She is running from the assassins of the Blood Devil Cult who want the magic pearl that she possesses. When the assassins follow her through the portal this ancient feud spills into the present with the couples getting caught up in the confusion. They try to hide and protect the young princess without really understanding what's going on. The rest of the movie is a series of fights between Jiang and the assassins with members of the couple's always getting in harm's way.

The plot is mind boggling and impossible to follow. This might be in part to awkward subtitling. There are several decent action scenes, especially the finale which occurs in a water park with the Blood Devil chasing Jiang and some of the boys around a huge water slide. The Blood Devil seems to have an advantage until the water gets turned on. It is amusing to watch the economically cheesy special effects and the constant desire to light everything with blue tints. The Blood Devil's make-up consists of a pock-marked face with scraggly hair and a uni-eyebrow that would have Gene Shalit's mustache twitching in envy.

This is a fullscreen presentation that appears to be open-matted because very little action is cut off from left to right.

2* (out of 10) For Eastern cinema aficionados only. Others will be bored and or confused. The soundtrack "borrows" from several American films, including an obvious use of the Ghostbusters theme when the boys are spook hunting.

Now on to better topics. Tonight is our Parents vs. Players soccer game to get the boys prepared for battle tomorrow afternoon. This is a guarantee that I'll be limping around like and old cripple the rest of the weekend. Somehow at these games Jeremy always seems to land his cleets right on my shins and then can barely stifle his giggles as he's "apologizing". Please don't rain tonight, it's looking about 50/50 right now.

[cinemalover]

Friday night Jeremy and I played in the Parents vs. Players soccer game (which concluded in a well-maneuvered tie and no crippling injuries). After devouring a delicious home-cooked meal by the talented Karie the family settled into our Friday Family Night Movie. The kids wanted to watch....

Date watched: 9/21/2007
Title: Be Cool Made: 2005
Genre: Comedy Studio: MGM
Format: DVD Extras: Anamorphic WS, Documentary, Featurette, Deleted scenes, Trailer.
Number of times viewed: First

Stars:
John Travolta--Chili Palmer
Uma Thurman--Edie Athens
Vince Vaughn--Raji
Cedric the Entertainer--Sin LaSalle
Andre Benjamin--Dabu
Steven Tyler--Himself
Robert Pastorelli--Joe Loop
Christina Milian--Linda Moon
Paul Adelstein--Hy Gordon
Debi Mazar--Marla
Harvey Keitel--Nick Carr
The Rock--Elliot Wilhelm
Danny DeVito--Martin Weir
James Woods--Tommy Athens

Tagline: Everyone is looking for the next big hit.

In this sequel to the hip Get Shorty John Travolta reprises his role of Chili Palmer, the former mobster that turned his "negotiation" skills into a career as a movie producer. He is now tired of the Hollywood BS, especially after being forced to produce a sequel starring the talent-challenged Martin Weir (Devito). Chili sets his eyes on the music industry as his next conquest. His friend, Tommy Athens (Woods), owns a record company but is suddenly murdered. Chili sees an opportunity to schmooze Tommy's widow, the attractive Edie (Thurman), as an avenue into the music industry. Chili discovers a talented singer, Linda Moon (Milian), whose talents are being wasted and exploited by her cartoonish manager, Raji (Vince Vaughn whose acting style is synonymous with cartoons). Chili "persuades" Raji and his gay body guard Elliot Wilhelm (playing completely against type) that Linda is coming to work for him on Edie's record label. This sets into motion a series of comedic battles between Chili, Raji and his boss Nick Carr (Keitel). Throw in the debts that Edie's record label owes to producer/gang leader Sin LaSalle (Cedric) and it's a real jumbled mess.

Chili is Travolta in ultra-cool mode as he "handles" every situation and challenge without breaking a sweat. He's a pleasure to watch and obviously enjoyed the part.

When Chili first meets Raji:
Raji, "Man in the suit! You in town for some kind of convention?"
Chili, "No, but if I was, you'd be the man to see, am I right?"
Raji, "Why would you say something like that?"
Chili, "The way you're dressed, you're either a pimp or a limo driver!"

Later as part of his "negotiations" Chili has promised to get Elliot an audition for a movie.
Elliot, "When are you going to call me?"
Chili, "When your phone rings."

Another funny line in the movie, "What do you tell a man with two black eyes? Nothing...he's already been told twice!"

This is a fun movie that gives you a few reasons to laugh and then is very easy to forget. At almost 2 hours it seems longer than necessary but doesn't ever drag. The support cast is stellar, but many of the parts are very small. Overall a good watch to see individual performances, but the whole is less than the sum of its parts.

Jeremy meter 7* (out of 10) Jeremy laughed more than I did and really seemed to enjoy. He's a big fan of the Rock and instead of being insulted by the Rock's cartoon gay character he thought it was hilarious.

Tina teen-meter 7* (out of 10) Tina enjoyed the comic side of the movie. Cedric the Entertainer and his gang of intelligence-challenged gang-bangers got her to giggling.

Karie meter 6* (out of 10) Karie also was pleasantly surprised by how funny it was. It's always fun to watch a movie that gets the entire family to laugh.

6* (out of 10) I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. I had heard that it was a major disappointment after the superior Get Shorty, but I disagree, To me it was on a par with Get Shorty, though my estimations of that movie were probably below the norm.

Irrelevant detail of the weekend: Jeremy and his Crossfire teammates bounced back from a season opening loss to spank FC United 5-0. Jeremy played poorly in the first half but came to life in the second half to rocket in a 30-foot shot that cleared the goalie's fingertips and slipped in under the crossbar.

[cinemalover]

Date watched:9/22/2007
Title: The Phantom Thief Made: 1946
Genre: Detective Studio: Columbia
Format: DVD-R Source: TCM
Number of times viewed: First

Stars:
Chester Morris--Boston Blackie
George E. Stone--The Runt
Jeff Donnell--Anne Parks Duncan
Richard Lane--Inspector Farraday
Dusty Anderson--Sandra
Frank Sully--Det. Sgt. Matthews
Marvin Miller--Dr. Nejino
Wilton Graff--Rex Duncan

Tagline: Blackie makes a date with a ghost!

Plot: Rex Duncan (Graff) pretends to be well-to-do to lure the wealthy Anne Parks Duncan (Donnell) into marriage. Rex has a plan to drain her bank account and then be on his merry way. Rex's plan involves using the help of medium and psychiatrist Dr. Nejino. Anne is fascinated by séances and communicating with the dead which happens to be Dr. Nejino's specialty. During a séance, which Blackie happens to be attending, one of the other attendees turns up dead. Inspector Farraday (Lane) is sent to investigate.
Blackie to Farraday, "Hello, Inspector. Are you in the flesh or from the other world?"

Since Blackie was present for the murder he automatically goes to the top of the Inspector's suspect list.It seems that someone has found out about Rex and Nejino's plans to blackmail Anne and when they try to reveal the truth they end up stone cold.

Blackie tries to warn Anne that her husband's a louse:
Blackie, "Before you married Rex, he was broke, he was constantly pawning his cigarette case and shirt stints right here!"
Anne, "That isn't true. That can't be true..."
Blackie, "Oh, I'm afraid it is. I can prove it."
Anne (sighs), "Have you been to the police about that?"
Blackie, "No, they have the embarrassing habit of not believing me."

Blackie also has his doubts about the legitimacy of Dr. Nejino's alleged degree in pschiatry.
Blackie to Nejino, "As for being a psychiatrist, five will get you ten that you can't even spell it!"

Blackie will have to sort out the fake spooks from the real creeps and save Anne's bacon. As always, the Runt (Stone) is around to help Blackie solve the mystery.

Runt, "Well, I'm a monkey's uncle!"
Blackie, "Quiet, you want everyone to know?"

Chester Morris is up to his usual wise-crackin' self in the role and thankfully there are no blackface routines in this outing (as there have been in several Boston Blackie entries).

5* (out of 10) Mediocre Blackie vehicle. The séance schtick has been done too many times and the series was losing some if its initial freshness and originality by this point. Frank Sully as Det. Sgt. Matthews is always played as a dim-bulb but in this one he is just outright moronic.

[cinemalover]

This weekend I took a little ride with Captain America and friends....

Date watched: 9/22/2007
Title: Easy Rider Made: 1969
Genre: Drama Studio: Columbia
Format: DVD Extras: 35th Anniversary Edition: Anamorphic WS, Documentary, Featurette, Commentary, Production notes, Soundtrack CD, 80 pg. booklet: BFI Modern Classics--Easy Rider by Lee Hill..
Number of times viewed: 3

Stars:
Peter Fonda--Wyatt (Captain America)
Dennis Hopper--Billy (Billy the Kid)
Jack Nicholson--George Hanson
Antonio Mendoza--Jesus
Phil Spector--Connection
Mac Mashourian--Bodyguard
Warren Finnerty--Rancher
Tita Colorado--Rancher's Wife
Luke Askew--Stranger on highway
Luana Anders--Lisa
Sabrina Scharf--Sarah
Robert Walker Jr.--Jack
Sandy Brown Wyeth--Joanne

Taglines:
This year it's Easy Rider

A man went looking for America and couldn't find it anywhere

Wyatt (Fonda) and Billy (Hopper) complete a drug transaction which gives them enough money to go "discover America", or at least the parts of it that they'll run into in their cross-country trek from California to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. As they are about to depart Wyatt symbolically takes his watch off of his wrist, stares at it, and tosses it away. There'll be no deadlines or timetables on this trip.

Their encounters along the road range from open welcomes to unbridled prejudice and bigotry. At one point a group of rednecks, which includes local law officials, decide to rough up the boys and toss them in jail. This leads to the most interesting part of the movie because in jail they meet drunk lawyer, George Hanson (Nicholson). George, who's in the cell for public drunkenness, tells the boys that he can use his legal skills to free them.

Billy to George, "You must be some important dude."
George, "What's "dude"? Is that like dude ranch?"
Wyatt, "Dude means nice guy. Dude means a regular sort of person."

George tries to get the boys to understand why the locals hate long-hairs:
"They got this here...see...scissor happy "Beautify America" thing going on around here. They're trying to make everybody look like Yul Brynner. They used rusty razor blades on the last two long hairs that they brought in here and I wasn't here to protect them."

For long stretches of time the movie plays like a travelogue, with no dialogue, just the pounding beat of rock songs. The opening titles run while "Born to Be Wild" blares from the speakers. The movie is a visual treat that does a wonderful job of capturing a piece of time with America's counter-culture of the 1960's (the term hippies is used derogatorily in the film). I was too young to appreciate the film upon its release and looking back at it almost 40 years later it stands as a great piece of history, though by no means a great film.

5* (out of 10) Beautiful images and scenery balanced against the ugliness of blind hatred.