It’s such a damn shame that audiences weren’t more receptive to “The Fall Guy” because this has the potential to really blossom in to a big franchise if it were given the chance. David Leitch produces not only a great action comedy, but also a movie that simultaneously satirizes Hollywood and pays tribute to stunt performers across the world. “The Fall Guy” knows its premise and uses the opportunity to paint the picture of being a stunt worker in film as a noble profession that is often dismissed and ignored. “The Fall Guy” first and foremost is a great action picture, one filled with great talent that helps keep the admittedly convoluted premise afloat.
Monthly Archives: May 2024
The Bootleg Files: Groucho
BOOTLEG FILES 867: “Groucho” (1965 British television series starring Groucho Marx).
LAST SEEN: One episode is on YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It was never released in the U.S.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely, considering 11 of the 13 episodes are considered lost.
One of the most popular American game shows of all time was “You Bet Your Life,” which appeared on radio from 1947 to 1960 and on television from 1950 to 1961. The program’s popularity had little to do with the game, which was a rather tame question-and-answer endeavor, but with the show’s witty host Groucho Marx. The heart of the show would involve Groucho interviewing and having fun with the contestants, punctuating the conversation with one-liners and gentle wisecracks.
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A Queen’s Ransom (aka International Assassin) (1976)
Available on Blu Ray May 28th, 2024, from Eureka Entertainment
As Queen Elizabeth II is coming for a visit to Hong Kong, a mysterious man hires a varied group of specialists to have her assassinated. While they plan and scheme, a small group of cops with a socialite work on stopping them.
You Have to See This! Tommy Boy (1995)
Currently Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, AMC Plus, Philo, Fandango at Home
Chris Farley would have been sixty this year had he not sadly passed away at the young age of thirty three. One of the best cast members of the iconic late night comedy show “Saturday Night Live,” Farley was looking up at a promising second chapter in feature films. Farley was very much loyal to SNL and only made small cameos in movies featuring his “SNL” co-workers. And although they were small, Farley had the tendency to make the best out of his small roles. Whether it’s the maniacal bus driver in “Billy Madison,” the lovable Ronnie in “Coneheads,” or Milton in “Wayne’s World 2,” Farley was skilled enough to know that there were no small roles, just small actors.
Graphic Sexual Horror (2009) [Blu-Ray]
Now Available from Synapse Films.
One of the bigger surprises of 2009 was “Graphic Sexual Horror” a documentary that pegs itself as this extreme movie about sexuality. In actuality, Barbara Bell and Anna Lorentzon’s film ends up as this very complex and interesting study on fetishes, S&M and torture. The whole concept of “Graphic Sexual Horror” came at an interesting time when America was still reeling from the Abu Ghraib incident, prompting us to take a good look at the darker side of our sadistic tendencies and personal accountability.
The Spider (2023)
Andy Chen’s “The Spider” could be appreciated as a multiverse interpretation where the story of Spider-Man is not about a superhero but a body horror tragedy. “The Spider” is basically “Spider-Man” as told by David Cronenberg and takes all the basics of Peter Parker’s tale and transforms it in to a gruesome genre hybrid. With the excellent prosthetics and make up from Alen Stubbs, he and Chandler Riggs help to realize a slick and entertaining take on Spider-Man that is pitch black in tone.
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Knights Must Fall (1949)
Knights Must Fall (1949)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Tedd Pierce
Animation by Ken Champin
Music by Carl Stalling
There’s a lot of really good material here in “Knight’s Must Fall,” probably one of the two times Bugs Bunny comes face to face with a knight. I personally prefer “Knights Must Fall” over “Knighty Knight Bugs” but not because of Yosemite Sam. While the latter is very good in its own right, I just found the former to be so much funnier and more creative gag wise. Sure, the writers recycle Bugs’ classic “That’s the ol’ Pepper, boy!” gag but this time while jousting the black knight, but the creative and hilarious gags outweigh the small caveats, in the end.