I Just Watched...

[speedracer5]

A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969).  I found this movie On Demand last night.  I didn't realize that there were feature length "Peanuts" movies and apparently there were four of them.  This was the first one.  It was actually really good! Sometimes the Peanuts cartoons can be a little corny, but I really liked this one.  It was actually a little sad, even for Charlie Brown.  Poor guy, why can't he ever win anything? In this particular film, Charlie Brown feels like a loser because he can't get his kite to fly, he can't play baseball and can't seem to do anything right.  Of course, people like Lucy, Violet and Patty (not to be confused with Peppermint Patty) have to make sure he knows how much of a loser he is, even going as far as to sing a song called "Failure Face" to him.  There is another scene of Charlie Brown visiting Lucy for psychiatric help and she reiterates how much of a loser he is.  She even shows him a slide show she made to pinpoint every moment that Charlie is a failure.  

 

In an attempt to overcome his inferiority complex and to prove to the other kids that he's not a loser, Charlie Brown decides to enter the school spelling bee.  He ends up doing really well wins the school bee (Yay for Charlie Brown!).  He is sent to a bigger spelling bee (I'm assuming he's either in a state spelling bee or perhaps a city wide spelling bee?), via the bus and even stays in a hotel.  He runs himself ragged trying to study.  Linus had given Charlie Brown his blanket as a good luck charm for the bee and then has a nervous breakdown being without the blanket.  Snoopy and Linus ride the bus to find Charlie Brown and retrieve Linus' blanket.

 

There are of course some funny Snoopy scenes: Snoopy plays "The Star Spangled Banner" on a record player to start of the baseball game and later he has a funny ice skating/ice hockey scene.  Snoopy also plays the jaw harp to help Charlie Brown write a song to learn all the basic spelling rules ('i' before 'e' except after 'c').  

 

This film had all the delightful trademarks of a 1960s film: montages, bright colors, Simon & Garfunkle-esque maudlin sounding music.  It was really fun.  One thing that made me laugh was that one of Charlie Brown's words in the spelling bee was "fussbudget."  Lol. 

 

It also brought up all kinds of questions that I suppose I should ignore, because it's a cartoon and it's Peanuts:

 

-Why is Charlie Brown, an 8 year old, riding a bus alone to the city and staying in a hotel room alone?

-Why is Linus riding the bus (kind of alone) accompanied by a dog to the city to find Charlie Brown? 

-Why aren't any of the Spelling Bee participants' parents in the audience? The audience is entirely children.

-How does Snoopy have such a long extension cord to reach all the way from his doghouse to the baseball field to play his record player?

-Snoopy's doghouse has electricity? 

-How does Snoopy's back not hurt sleeping on the top of his doghouse?

 

9/10.

[LawrenceA]

Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 - (3/10) - Sub-moronic sequel that lacks a certain ingredient that you would think would be an essential one: Burt Reynolds. In this entry, Little and Big Enos (Paul Williams and Pat McCormick) make a bet with Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) that, if he loses, will result in his relinquishing of his badge. He hits the road with his doofus son (Mike Henry), and much vehicular stuntwork ensues. When the Enos brothers can't find the Bandit, they hire Bandit's friend Cledus Snow (Jerry Reed) to impersonate the Bandit and try and thwart Sheriff Justice. Cledus meets up with a girl on the run (Colleen Camp) and she joins in on the ride. While it's not like the previous entries were anything spectacular, this third film is abysmal, and only Gleason completists  and hardcore crimson-necked film aficionados should seek it out. 

 

First time watched.   Source: DVD.

[JamesJazGuitar]

Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 - (3/10) - Sub-moronic sequel that lacks a certain ingredient that you would think would be an essential one: Burt Reynolds. In this entry, Little and Big Enos (Paul Williams and Pat McCormick) make a bet with Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) that, if he loses, will result in his relinquishing of his badge. He hits the road with his doofus son (Mike Henry), and much vehicular stuntwork ensues. When the Enos brothers can't find the Bandit, they hire Bandit's friend Cledus Snow (Jerry Reed) to impersonate the Bandit and try and thwart Sheriff Justice. Cledus meets up with a girl on the run (Colleen Camp) and she joins in on the ride. While it's not like the previous entries were anything spectacular, this third film is abysmal, and only Gleason completists  and hardcore crimson-necked film aficionados should seek it out. 

 

First time watched.   Source: DVD.

 

Sally Field was on Watch What Happens,  Live a few days ago and she was asked what was the worst movie she was in.  Sally didn't really wish to answer and stalled for a while but finally she said it was Smokey and the Bandit Part 2.   

 

I'm sure she was glad that she wasn't in #3.

 

(oh and Sally said the best kisser was James Garner and the worst was Tommy Lee Jones).     She didn't say much about Burt.

[tallhair]

Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 - (3/10) - Sub-moronic sequel that lacks a certain ingredient that you would think would be an essential one: Burt Reynolds. In this entry, Little and Big Enos (Paul Williams and Pat McCormick) make a bet with Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) that, if he loses, will result in his relinquishing of his badge. He hits the road with his doofus son (Mike Henry), and much vehicular stuntwork ensues. When the Enos brothers can't find the Bandit, they hire Bandit's friend Cledus Snow (Jerry Reed) to impersonate the Bandit and try and thwart Sheriff Justice. Cledus meets up with a girl on the run (Colleen Camp) and she joins in on the ride. While it's not like the previous entries were anything spectacular, this third film is abysmal, and only Gleason completists  and hardcore crimson-necked film aficionados should seek it out. 

 

First time watched.   Source: DVD.

 

mmmm

 

someone mentioned Colleen Camp

 

 

 

[film lover 293]

"The Ghost Goes West" (1935)--Rene Clair film that has delightful scenes, but every time the film threatens to take off and fly, someone/thing brings it back down to earth with a thud.  Still, the good outweighs the bad: Robert Donat, in a dual role is excellent, and Elsa Lanchester makes every line of her part Count.  Some bullseye jokes and fine performances make this a fun watch.  7.0/10 stars.

 

Warning for cat owners--TGGW is partially scored with bagpipes.

[LornaHansonForbes]

Warning for cat owners--TGGW is partially scored with bagpipes.

 

Illuminate me here: cats don't like bagpipes?

[LawrenceA]

Staying Alive (1983) - (5/10) - Saturday Night Fever sequel written ,produced and directed by Sylvester Stallone. John Travolta returns as Tony Manero, the disco-dancing lunkhead of the original. Now he's a struggling actor/dancer, trying to get a job on Broadway in a new show. He's torn romantically between high-class British dancer Laura (Finola Highes) and down-to-earth singer/dancer Jackie (Cynthis Rhodes). There's the whole "plot" for you. Most of the film is taken up with dance rehearsals and ego-clashes backstage as everyone tries to get ready for the show.

 

I'm not a real fan of the original, nor of musicals in general, and this film doesn't exceed those expectations. A lot of the dance scenes seem poorly shot, with too many close-ups obscuring the body movements. The cheese-ball soundtrack is filled with songs by the Bee Gees (naturally), Gary Wright, and Sly's brother Frank Stallone, who also has a bit role. The film does work as a time capsule of unfortunate early 80's fashion, replete with leg warmers, colorful head scarves, lots of pastel colors, and a tanker-truck's worth of hairspray. Also adding to the entertainment is the final big production number, a bizarre Bob Mackie-costumed piece with a lot of bad Bob Fosse-lite choreography. Fans of Travolta should like it, though, and he's in the best shape of his life. Also with Kurtwood Smith as a choreographer, and Stallone himself bumping into Travolta in the street.

 

 

First time watched.   Source: HBO Signature.

[film lover 293]

LHF--All the cats I have owned HATED bagpipes, and Sheba and Cleo would Howl along with them until the noise was stopped.

[LornaHansonForbes]

Staying Alive (1983) - (5/10) - Saturday Night Fever sequel written ,produced and directed by Sylvester Stallone. John Travolta returns as Tony Manero, the disco-dancing lunkhead of the original. Now he's a struggling actor/dancer, trying to get a job on Broadway in a new show. He's torn romantically between high-class British dancer Laura (Finola Highes) and down-to-earth singer/dancer Jackie (Cynthis Rhodes). There's the whole "plot" for you. Most of the film is taken up with dance rehearsals and ego-clashes backstage as everyone tries to get ready for the show.

 

 

Okay, 5 out of ten on a legit scale, but on the scale of BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD moviedom, THIS FILM DEFIES ANY RATING,

 

it is a truly great work of trash.

 

Seriously, the SATAN'S ALLEY musical finale is one of the most deliciously, downright ambitiously baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad moments in any film that I've seen and I have seen some real crap.

 

periodically, the scene shows up on youtube, but it gets pulled- I can only assume this is to avoid people who view the clip from bringing a class action suit against the makers for the hernias the uncontrollable laughter this scene will induce.

 

Imagine how bad a musical directed by Sylvester Stallone would be in your mind, then take it to the fourth power.

 

It makes the TWO-FACED WOMAN number in TORCH SONG look like the finale of THE BANDWAGON.

It makes THE VILLAGE PEOPLE MOVIE look like a Merchant/Ivory film.

I've never seen XANADU, but I refuse to believe it could be any more delightfully bad than this.

[LornaHansonForbes]

LHF--All the cats I have owned HATED bagpipes, and Sheba and Cleo would Howl along with them until the noise was stopped.

 

Hmmm. Learn something new every day.

 

(for the record, I don't think it's strictly "a cat thing".)

[darkblue]

LHF--All the cats I have owned HATED bagpipes, and Sheba and Cleo would Howl along with them until the noise was stopped.

 

Oh, hell yes.

 

This cat's not crazy about them itself.

[GregoryPeckfan]

"The Ghost Goes West" (1935)--Rene Clair film that has delightful scenes, but every time the film threatens to take off and fly, someone/thing brings it back down to earth with a thud.  Still, the good outweighs the bad: Robert Donat, in a dual role is excellent, and Elsa Lanchester makes every line of her part Count.  Some bullseye jokes and fine performances make this a fun watch.  7.0/10 stars.

 

Warning for cat owners--TGGW is partially scored with bagpipes.

 

All of my cats have hated  mean HATED high singing notes and high notes of any musical instrument.

 

As a singer who sings high notes this presents a problem.

[wouldbestar]

Staying Alive (1983)

 

Every time I hear or think of this song I'm reminded of my 2nd favorite Budweiser commercial.  An aardvark, aka anteater, comes upon a hill and plants his beak in for a meal.  He gets his startled look on his face then discovers that the ants have trapped it and him with a long neck.  A line of them then march by carrying picnic food and a radio playing you-know-what.  This was topped only by the alien spy disguised as a golden retriever who when asked by his superiors what he's learned about earthlings replies "Wassup!".  

 

I agree that the movie is pretty bad.  What was everybody thinking besides "Rip off a hit, then take the money and run".  I doubt it did anybody's career any good.

[film lover 293]

OMG--Oh, Dear,Dear, Dear--LHF has the description of the final number in "Staying Alive" (1983) DOWN--Number is Jaw-Hitting-the-Floor BBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD!!!  Some lady in the audience crosses herself before the number gets very far; is a more appropriate reaction than the standing ovations the number(s) get, IMO.  Must be seen to be believed.

[LornaHansonForbes]

OMG--Oh, Dear,Dear, Dear--LHF has the description of the final number in "Staying Alive" (1983) DOWN--Number is Jaw-Hitting-the-Floor BBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD!!! Some lady in the audience crosses herself before the number gets very far; is a more appropriate reaction than the standing ovations the number(s) get, IMO. Must be seen to be believed.

Where did you find the SATANS ALLEY scene? I went to YouTube and found only one version uploaded, and sadly it was very poor quality. For some completely odd reason the "ABC Family" logo was in the bottom right-hand corner. ( hope they showed it in the wee hours of the morning.)

 

Usually, I'm not a snob about such things, but the scene just cannot be REALLY appreciated unless it is seen in its original aspect ratio and preferably in HD. Like, I don't know if the Criterion Collection can get the rights to STAYIN ALIVE, but I think they're about the only people who could do it justice.

[speedracer5]

Where did you find the SATANS ALLEY scene? I went to YouTube and found only one version uploaded, and sadly it was very poor quality. For some completely odd reason the "ABC Family" logo was in the bottom right-hand corner. ( hope they showed it in the wee hours of the morning.)

 

Usually, I'm not a snob about such things, but the scene just cannot be REALLY appreciated unless it is seen in its original aspect ratio and preferably in HD. Like, I don't know if the Criterion Collection can get the rights to STAYIN ALIVE, but I think they're about the only people who could do it justice.

 

I only wish that Stallone would have appeared in the film as Rocky and he and John Travolta could have staged some sort of dance-off.

[Fedya]

LHF--All the cats I have owned HATED bagpipes, and Sheba and Cleo would Howl along with them until the noise was stopped.

I'm surprised there are humans who like bagpipes.

 

When I was a kid, we had a toy poodle that would howl at harmonica playing. It was a sight (or maybe sound?) to behold.

[GregoryPeckfan]

The Guns of Navarone

 

You know, I was thinking about James Darrin.  I think a lot about this movie.

 

This movie was such a departure for him.  Yes, he sings in it, but that is in a wedding scene where everyone is singing.  It's not like Gidget.

 

He was a pop singer, very handsome and here he is in a war fantasy adventure (really, had the Nazis had guns that large the European part of WWII would have been much longer and the Germans may have won),  He is a brutal killer.

 

 

[LawrenceA]

Strange Brew (1983) - (7/10) - The comic adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie get the feature film treatment. The SCTV characters travel to the Elsinore Brewery in an attempt to get free beer. Instead, they end up embroiled in a company power struggle between the recently-deceased owner's daughter (Lynne Griffin) and her no-good uncle (Paul Dooley) who's in league with the sinister Brewmeister Smith (Max Von Sydow, with over-sized fake teeth). Smith has developed a method of mind control over the patients at the nearby mental hospital which he uses to try and take control of the company and frame our hapless heroes for terrible crimes.

 

Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis star as the McKenzie brothers, as well as writing and directing the film. It's a fun, if unfocused, movie that meanders a bit, but has enough laughs to justify the watch. Fans of the duo will like it even more. From M-G-M. So, like, take off, ay. Hosers.

 

P.S.: Are Canadian police cars really yellow?

 

 

Rewatch.   Source: DVD.

[GregoryPeckfan]

No, Larry. Police cars are not yellow in Canada.  Last time I saw a police car here in B.C. it was blue and white.

[LawrenceA]

Looks like at least some Toronto police cars were yellow, at some point.

 

 

 

[GregoryPeckfan]

At some point, yes.  But they were still blue.  I guess that is the important colour - Blue lettering. 

[darkblue]

Are Canadian police cars really yellow?

 

Yes, they were deep yellow in Toronto much of my life - from about 1961 until 1986. If you watch old 'Kids in the Hall' episodes you'll probably see them.

 

It was decided to stop painting them that colour when cops started complaining that tourists kept trying to jump into the back seats. This is absolutely true.

 

I liked the yellow cars. I think they should have kept them that colour. It was easier to see them and make yourself scarce.

[LawrenceA]

Stryker (1983) - (4/10) - Cheap Philippines-lensed Mad Max clone. After the nuclear war, mankind is reduced to savagery, desperate groups attacking each other for the most precious resource: water. When it appears that a young warrior maiden in leather booty shorts may have access to a large water supply, a rough-edged fighter known as Stryker and another named Bandit team up with her to help defend it from a group of bad guys. Everything here you've seen before, and better done, in other films of the genre. The title hero is unmemorable, as is the bald, hook-handed lead villain. The secondary hero, Bandit, is played by William Ostrander, the John Travolta lookalike from the same year's Christine. Also features a gang of chattering dwarfs. From prolific director Cirio Santiago.

 

 

 

First time watched.   Source: DVD.

[limey]

I'm surprised there are humans who like bagpipes.

 

When I was a kid, we had a toy poodle that would howl at harmonica playing. It was a sight (or maybe sound?) to behold.

There are hordes of Kilted Scotsmen (along with a contingent of Nova Scotians & some gents from the Indian sub-continent) beating a fiery path to your door as you type...

 

The pipes are an acquired taste, but quite rousing when properly played. However, hearing a bagpipe player who's still on their learner permit, is quite painful - even more so, than someone with a brand-new violin starter kit...