Movies That I Love - LETHAL WEAPON

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Directed by: Richard Donner

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Traci Wolfe

After 20 years on the force, police detective Roger Murtaugh has come face-to-face with the most dangerous killing machine in Los Angeles... his new partner.








So I decided to rewatch Lethal Weapon this evening, as it has been a while since I last viewed it and a podcast I listen to is doing a Shane Black retrospective this week.  (Shout out to Adam and his B-Movie podcast, which you can find over at FilmDispenser.com)

I think I've said this before on the blog, but there is an era of action films that I love most; that period from 1985-1997.  And Lethal Weapon is at the top of that list for me, along side Die Hard.  To me, Lethal Weapon is the best action buddy cop film, and is a great start to a franchise.  Just like with Die Hard, the first entry is my favorite, but I have a soft spot for the 3 sequels.

Lethal Weapon has a lot going for it.  A great script by Shane Black, who wrote one of my favorite action films of the '90s (The Last Boy Scout) and then a chemistry between the two main actors that make the film.  Seriously, if Gibson and Glover didn't have the chemistry they do on screen, Lethal Weapon wouldn't work.  They bring Riggs and Murtaugh to life, and one of the great things about the sequel is seeing their relationship grow.

Gary Busey as secondary villain Mr. Joshua is one of my favorite villains of the entire franchise.  He brings just enough crazy to the role.  We also have Tom Atkins and Al Leong in minor roles.

There isn't a thing about this film that I don't love.  The set up of the characters is perfect, and the third act is so good.  One of my favorite interactions between Riggs and Murtaugh takes place after Murtaugh gets the phone call regarding his daughter's kidnapping.

Roger Murtaugh: Are you really crazy? Or are you as good as you say you are?
Martin Riggs: You're just gonna have to trust me.


I'll probably end up watching the three sequels soon, as it's been a while since there last viewing.  And, if I'm feeling up to it, another blog post (or 3, depending on how/when I decide to write).

Recent Thrifting (part 1)

Finally decided to get around to a post on the recent thrifting I've done.  Mom and Dad were down for Easter, and then we went and visited them a few weeks later.  Also, last weekend was my local library's annual book sale, so Billy (a friend who enjoys thrifting more than I do) and I got together to hit up some local stores and the sale.  I'm going to get two posts out of these trips, mainly because A) I have a lot stuff (mostly books) and B) I still need to upload some pics.

So, on to the good stuff!

 

 

Starting off with a small selection of assorted titles.  As previously stated in other book related entries, I collect the men adventure series The Executioner, and I tend to pick up any of the original 38 titles if they are in decent condition.  A. Lee Martinez is an author I have enjoyed reading since my days at Borders, and the Jon Land book just seemed like something I would enjoy as well.

 



Patterson and Connelly are two writers whose books I keep a list on my so I know what I need in my collection.  Wasn't sure what of the Private books had releases in hardcover, so I snagged the two paperbacks as they were titles I didn't have.  Private is the weakest of Patterson's ongoing series in my opinion, but the wife enjoys them.  Adding new Connelly books to my collection is just a reminder to me that I need to get back into reading more.  (Added bonus: at the library sale, I recommended to another friend to give the Bosch books a try, as he is always looking for something new to read.  He was not disappointed in my recommendation.)

David Baldacci is the newest author Elizabeth and I have gotten into, so adding his bookography to our collection.  Another author I've added to my little book of titles I'm looking for, so I don't end up double or triple dipping.

Another selection of randomness.  The Uncle John's actually came from a discount store.  I think the Aladdin book may of came with a set or something, as there is no barcode on it.  I rarely film books like that in the thrift stores around here, so it was a nice surprise. 

Last selection of books are the media titles.  "A Walk Among the Tombstones" is actually just a movie poster edition that came out, and that is why it is included here.  The Fugitive and Lethal Weapon (one of my always on the lookout for titles) movie novelizations were fun finds for me, and The Twilight Zone Companion is a great find.  A episode guide and history lesson on the series as a whole, which episode getting love and attention.  Lots of photos and interviews, a must have for any fan of the series.

A coffee cup from WDW Epcot with the character of Figment on it.  I really don't know a lot about the character, but it's from 1982 (the year Elizabeth and I were born) and I liked the pedestal form it has.  A cool and different looking cup to add to my every growing collection.

 

It rare that I take a chance on puzzles at thrift stores (unless I can tell they haven't been opened), but this was hard for me to pass up.  I've been on a Batman '66 kick since the beginning of the year since picking up the blu-ray release with Christmas money.  Hopefully when I get around to actually doing the puzzle, all the pieces are there.

 

Lastly, some DVDs I picked up.  The two featured in this pick I got for $1; Ice Cream Man is a movie I remember getting from the local rental place growing up (and probably one of the reasons I love Clint Howard).  Run All Night was one of those movies from last year I just hadn't gotten around to seeing yet, and the price was right to add it to my collection.  Liam Neeson is one of those actors I love no matter what the movie is, and the addition of Ed Harris is icing on the cake.  It has to better than either of the sequels to Taken.

 

 

 

Final newest addition to the movie collection is Open Range. This movie came out while I was working at Blockbuster, and is one of the reasons I am into westerns today.  Westerns has always been one of the genres of film my Dad loves, and I didn't get it growing up.  Doesn't matter if it's a movie or TV show, my dad will watch it, be the first time of 100th time.  When I finally watched Open Range, something clicked within me, and I understood.  Westerns are now one of my favorite genres of film.  Not sure why I waited so long to add this one to my collection, but finally glad I did.

 

 

 

Well, that's it for now.  Like I said, I've got a few more things to post about, but that is a post for next time.  Maybe it will be this weekend, maybe sometime next week.  But hopefully soon.

Invasion U.S.A. (1985)

Invasion U.S.A. (1985)

Directed by: Joseph Zito

Starring: Chuck Norris, Richard Lynch, Melissa Prophet

America wasn't ready....but HE was!











There is a genre of film that I particularly love, and that is action films from 1987-1997.  I have yet to see one from this period of time that I have disliked.  Even the bad ones are fun to watch, especially with the right people.  Die Hard set a high bar of the genre, and the films that tired to replicate the success of it don't clear it, but they are fun none the less.

With that said, Invasion U.S.A. came out a few years prior, but falls into the same category.  Chuck Norris is one of those actors who I'm not expecting a Shakespearean performance out of, I just want a fun action movie with some butt-kicking.  And this one does not disappoint.

Basically, Norris' character Matt Hunter is a retired CIA agent who gets pulled back into the fray when a terrorist he put away starts a reign of terror by organizing an attack on the U.S.  But first, he wants to take out the one man who put him away.

Gun battles: Check
Explosions: Check
Car chases: Check
Bad guys who went to the COBRA school of shooting: Check
Cheesy one-liners: None that I recall

Invasion U.S.A. has been on Dave and I's "need to watch" list since we saw Electric Boogaloo.  I think we are most definitely be hunting down a few of the other Cannon films we want to see.  We really enjoyed the movie, even if it did have some questionable aspects (Mainly, the unlimited ammo guns)  (Also, not sure what the actual point of Melissa Prophet's character was)

A couple of fun things about the film.

A) Takes place during the Christmas season, so it has a place on my Christmas watch list now.

B) The homes that get blown up were actual houses that were set to be demolished for the expansion of an airport, so Cannon purchased them and used them in the movie.  Same for the mall that is used, as it was being remodeled, so they were able to actual destroy it.

C) Billy Drago has one of the briefest cameos I've ever seen for someone listed in the opening credits.


Norris falls into the same category of actor as Lundgren, Seagal and Van Damme for me: I'm pretty sure I will enjoy the film if they are in it.


If you're interested in purchasing the film for yourself, Shout Factory! just released it on blu-ray last month.  You can get it on Amazon here.

Unseen Cinema - L.A. Confidential

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Directed by: Curtis Hanson

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe

Based upon the novel by James Ellroy

Everything is suspect...

Everyone is for sale...

And nothing is what it seems.






Last year, I posted my first entry in a feature I entitled Unseen Cinema (it was on Zodiac, for those new to the blog).  As I'm hoping to blog more in 2016, I plan on keeping that feature ongoing, hopefully being able to do at least one entry a month.

As with Zodiac, I ignored L.A. Confidential mainly due to the cast.  I've never really been a fan of Spacey or Crowe, and so I've tended to just gloss over this film.  Thankfully (once again to friends on Twitter), I decided to give this film a shot, as it was recommended to me by multiple people.  And I'm very glad I did, as I loved it.

Based loosely on the 1990 James Ellroy novel, L.A. Confidential follows 3 police officers of the LAPD during the early '50s and shows how the limelight of Hollywood and the corruption of the police intersected.

The three main officers we follow are Detective Sergeant Jack Vincennes (Spacey), whose claim to fame is being the technical advisor to Badge of Honor, a popular police procedural show of the time, Officer Bud White (Crowe), an officer who gets used mostly for muscle work, and newly appointed Detective Lieutenant Ed Exley (Pearce), an officer who is trying to live up to his police officer father, whose unsolved murder in the line of duty fuels his ambition, and is willing to make enemies to get to where he wants.

The Nite Owl murders is the investigation that brings our trio of characters together, and as they investigate it, a bigger mystery begins to unravel.

Going to stop there plot-wise, as I don't want to venture into spoiler territory.  I will say that the movie plays at a brisk pace and as the investigation continues, some twist and turns take place as the road darkens.

The story is great, and I really want to watch it again soon.  There is not one role that is out of place, and the supporting cast is phenomenal.  Kim Basinger won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award as Lynn Bracken.  Rounding out the cast are James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, and David Strathairn.

The movie is quite phenomenal, and I'm sad I put off watching it for so long.  Being a fan of film noir and crime drama, this is the modern day pinnacle, even with it being almost 20 years old.  If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend it. 

Don't be like me, and judge a movie by the cast.  I've now visited two films that are modern classics that I didn't want to see because of the cast.  Sometimes you need to look past that.  I'm glad I did.  5/5

Recent Thrifting

My parents were in town last weekend, which means that I got to spend some time thrifting.  No earth shattering finds, but did have fun, as I normally do.  I really need to start going out on my own again.  It had been a while since I had been out, and I really need to go to the other side of the water, since I'm not sure when I was over there last for thrifting,

On to the finds!

First up is this cork board, which I picked up for my office.  I have a large collection of Hawaiian shirts in my wardrobe, so this was a cool find.  The "buttons" are thumbtacks, as well as it has a few hula girl thumbtacks as well.

Next up: A coffee cup for my ever expanding collection.  Coffee cups are what I pick up for souvenirs when we go places, and I also have some pop culture ones.  I normally get coffee when we go to the Waffle House (no matter the time of day), and I've always wanted a cup of my own.  Not sure if they sell them in store, or online, but found this and was pleased.

Not a thrift store find, but I did add this to my blu-ray collection last weekend.  I'm a big fan of The Cabin in the Woods, and kind of surprised I haven't picked it up before now.  I also enjoyed Sinister, and even though I haven't seen The Possession, but that is the genre of horror films I can get Elizabeth to watch with me, so worth a blind buy.

Now onto the books I procured while out.

Some basic genre finds.  I'm happy with the Patterson and Robb finds, as both of those have come out within the last 3-4 months.  Elizabeth is a huge fan of both, and I'm slowly making my way through the "In Death" series myself.  The Midnight Graffiti is a nice horror anthology, with stories from Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Joe Lansdale, and Dan Simmons (among others).

Elizabeth has gotten into David Baldacci recently, so picked up these 4 books to add to our library.

Been a while since I've come across a wrestling biography that I was missing from my collection, and this was a great find (and deal!).  Looking forward to reading about one of my favorite childhood wrestlers.

Lastly, I got lucky (in my eyes) at one store we visited.  For those that may not know, The X-Files is returning to TV (tonight, actually!).  I didn't become a fan of The X-Files until the first movie came out.  I consider myself a casual fan of the series, but within the last 3 years, I really got into it a bit more.  Partially due to the season 10 comic from IDW.

First up, 5 volumes of the Official guides to the series, covering season 3-7.  I know I've got the first volume somewhere in room.  Also pictured is the making of Fight the Future.  Even though I ended up not sticking with the watching an episode a day leading up to tonight's premiere, I am slowly making my way through my rewatch of the series, and these will be fun to follow along with now.

Also found were 7 issues of the official magazine, including two yearbook annuals.  Not really a necessary purchase, but at a quarter a piece, hard to pass up.  Especially with Elizabeth telling me too. LoL.  I almost left them behind, but while waiting in line, I knew I would regret not getting them, so Elizabeth ran over and grabbed them for me.  Fun episode info, interviews, and re-readable (which is another reason I decided to grab them).

Lastly, both volumes of Book of the Unexplained, which were books put out about "The real X-Files... the facts behind the fiction."  They are in-depth guides to the real mysteries of the paranormal and unexplained that Chris Carter used as the basis of episodes for the series.  These are the type of books I used to check out at the library as a kid, and lead to my interest in things like Bigfoot, Nessie, ghosts, and more.

Looking back, I'm kind of surprised I wasn't a fan of The X-Files from day one.  I know I watched the FOX network growing up, as The Simpsons were one of the shows I remember watching with my parents. I really need to add the recently released blu-rays to my collection. Like I stated, a casual fan, but it kind of has moved into becoming one of my favorites.  Hence, these purchases.

I'm really excited for the revival that begins tonight.  Will it lead to another seasonnor a new movie?  Not going to speculate.  I'm just happy to see some of my favorite television characters back in action.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE.

2015 Movie Round-Up

As we start off 2016, I like to take a look back at my movie watching for the past year and turn it into statistics.  I enjoy looking back and seeing what month was most prosperous, and where I feel off track.

Compared to previous years, 2015 was bad.  I only watched 96 movies, which is probably an all-time low for me.  A few changes took place in my life though, and I had to learn to manage time better, and it was movie watching that took the biggest hit.  I have high hopes though for 2016, so as I look back on the past year, I will not dwell upon it.

First off, my 2015 movie diary can be found here.  Letterboxd took over for Pinterest, and I believe it was for the best.

Out of the 96 movies, 63 (66%) were first time viewings, leaving 33 (34%) as movies I had seen before,  I'm happy with this, but is down from last year.

Month by Month Breakdowns

January - 12 (13%)
February - 7 (7%)
March - 6 (6%)
April - 6 (6%)
May - 5 (5%)
June - 10 (11%)
July - 8 (8%)
August - 17 (18%)
September - 2 (25)
October - 5 (5%)
November - 4 (4%)
December 14 (15%)

No real steady viewing habits it seems.

Film highlights of 2015 include:

Theatrical: Mad Max: Fury Road, Jurassic World, Inside Out, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

First time Viewing: The Descent, The Guest, John Wick, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Zodiac, Motel Hell

Repeat Viewing: Groundhog Day (On Feb 2), The Poseidon Adventure, Watching Back to the Future trilogy on 10-21, Introducing Elizabeth to the original Star Wars trilogy

I'm already ahead of 2015, as I went and saw The Hateful Eight this afternoon with Dave.  My first movie of 2015 was on January 13th, so that is a plus in my book.  I'm hoping to blog a lot more this coming year as well.

A plan for movies, I'm not really sure.  I'm hoping to watch at least 2-3 movies a week, and knock some stuff off of my "To Be Watched" list.  But I'm setting no goals, nor making any promises.  I will make the best of 2016 though.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Directed by: Ronald Neame, Irwin Allen (uncredited)

Starring: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Roddy McDowall

Who will survive-in one of the greatest escape adventures ever!

The '70s brought a plethora of disaster films to the screen, and The Poseidon Adventure is my favorite of them.  With today being New Year's Eve, I thought it would be appropriate to finally revisit this classic.

The S.S. Poseidon gets capsized by a tidal wave, and a small group of survivors band together to escape.  For a movie that clocks in under the 2 hour mark, we get a lot of personal stories that play out over the course of the movie, as well as some great moments of suspense and terror.

This movie has a pretty star-studded cast, and I'm not going to go into the details of each character.  I will say my favorite of the bunch is Reverend Scott, portrayed by Gene Hackman.  It's been a while since I've seen a movie with Hackman in it, and I forgot how much I loved him as an actor.

It's been a solid decade since I've last seen this film, and I've grown a lot personally as well as how I view movies.  But for some odd reason, this movie hit me with emotions tonight.  So much going on, but the two things that really stuck out were:

- Nonnie dealing with the lost of her brother.

- The relationship between Belle and Manny Rosen.  Don't even get me started on when Mr. Rogo swims back to the rest of the group and Manny inquires about his wife.

Besides the solid acting, we get a musical score by John Williams himself.  Solid  special effects and great set pieces.  I love the scene when the tidal wave hits.  I also noticed for the first time tonight that the camera tilts in frame, so it comes across as the viewer is on board the ship.

I am always down for disaster films; even to this day I will watch SyFy and DTV entries.  But I feel like you can never go wrong with the classics, and I think this one is the best of the era.  4/5