The Friends of Eddie Coyle

 

I watched bits and pieces of this years ago, possibly on moviedrome? It was a sunday night 

 I have always meant to revisit this film. Indeed it was one of the classic films I had in mind

I wanted to like this, I love films from this era. The Towering Inferno, The Taking of Pelham 123

I have been a Robert Mitcham film for years

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is beautifully shot. It is a love story to Boston, I suppose it is a distant cousin to the Departed- or even the Boondock Saints

Mitchum, puts in a fine performance, as an aging criminal trying to stay out of jail. He was a bank robber who is now dealing in guns. I noticed that none of the weapons are due to be sent across

Mitchum's wife is played by an Irish actress with a decent accent. She sounds Donegal. She also looks like a middle aged Irish woman of the time

I liked the final scenes in the Garden. The Bruins playing ice hockey without helmets, the cars- you see Green and yellow cars in the parking lot. Oh and the foilage on  the trees. 

As I have said it  looks great. This just didn't grab me today

Dodgeball

 

Probably one of the best films about sport ever made. Dodgeball has to explain the rules of a sport, and does so. So the audience can follow There is no fat on this film either. Comes in 1 hour and a half

It's Bill Daughtree!!!!!!!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Root

One of the things that dates this film is Alan Tudyk playing a pirate- a nod to the Pirates of the Carribean films, which are less fondly remembered now

There are a lot of Xer references, Hasselhoff being big in Germany, Chuck Norris and even Captain Kirk himself

Like Kingpin, this film shows how rich America is, a whole stadium for an obscure sport

Kingpin

 

Oh this was, and is still lot of fun. As it's partially a period piece and one of the characters is Amish and the other a man who time has passed by, perhaps it doesn't age as much

Reno, has a difference cadence now

Just noting that if Harrleson is 20 when he takes that trip to the bowling alley, then he is 37 when this movie is made

It is set in Scranton Pensylvania

Bill Murray is great- you need to pay close attention to his dialogue. 

It looks beautiful. King Pin is a road trip movie, and you see a lot of the US countryside. Also the track had some forgotten 90s songs which I enjoyed

Vanessa Angel's character has an interesting arc, she is flees an abusive boyfriend-sugar daddy, she is coerced back -she complies to protect Quaid's Ishmael. 

I did wonder if one of the boys you see in the short clip,  is based on Bud Bundy

I really liked, I still do

The Bad News Bears

 

Of it's time...not a criticism It just feels different.

Walter Matthau plays a drunk washed up ex Baseball player, who coaches a  kids team to success

There is a lot of drinking in this film. Even the kids, end up getting a beer

There is a scene where Walter, dimisses and destroys Tatum O'Neills pipe dream of him being her surrogate dad. Matthau is a fine actor, indeed probably better than the average family film star- and this feels brutal. Matthau is more handsy with Tatum then someone would be today. 

There is another scene where a young lad strips off, feeling disappointed and dejected Again this would feel different if it had been made more recently

Pizza Hut, has a nice bar 

When the rival coach slaps a kid, there is no comeuppance 

Used Cars

 

This film is a cousin of Smokey and the Bandit. The last years of the Carter administration's national  malaise projected onto screens. Indeed the Peanut Farmer actually has a cameo, there is a national briefing from the WhiteHouse- Kurt Russell being dismissed by the waiter and  there is a fight between the lead-Russo and an eaterie waiter. As Russo ( Kurt Russel ) is trying to distract and dispatch his love interest. He also knows his pals are going to intercept the presidental address and instead turn it into a national advertisement

Unlike in the UK, trading standards was a force to be feared

2400 dollars was the price for a used car- somewhere in the South West

``We run a straight lot, how do you think we feel being associated with the President of the United States''

Local TV was very blue collar. Everyone smokes, a plot point reolves about an advert being redubbed. 

As I said this is a cousin of Smokey. This stars one of my favorite actors- Kurt Russell- This has a specific time and place, the Carter Years. They are even drinking Cours- The lead is a sweet talking arsehole

The Democrats still have a party machine and you can buy into it. 60000

There is a lot of fisticuffs in this film. 

The Judge is Grandpa from the Munsters, who I know learn let Charlie Manson babysit

I liked this when I saw it in high school, I still  do

Spy Hard

 

Oh this must have been great fun. Nielsen, Matlock- Andy Williams and Barry Bostwick

Barry is doing his Boston accent

I like the disarmed joke

B.A is flying a helicopter...That is a nice reference

There are nods to Bond. The titles are a homage to Bond. Oh and weird Al, sings them in person.

We have a Miss Chevious ala Ms Money Penny. Nielsen throws his hat against the door, ala Connery. We even see Nielsen smoke a cigar. People still ask a light. 

There is a lot if 90s riffs, True Lies, the horse chase in the hotel lobby. In the Line of Fire, If she turns arround, and Sister Act. 

Nicolette Sheriden is delightful

Talladega Nights

 

I have seen bits and pieces of this before. 

I still have the ambition to visit a NASCAR race. I remembered that watching this, I would not mind going to Chilli's either

This is very Bush era film. There is a long joke about the correct way, to say grace. We are below the Mason Dixon line here. Firmly planted in a Red state 

I liked how swiftly the story was established. We have a few minutes to establish the characters past and we put on foot down

Hey is that Richard from Ally McBeal

The villian is French, played by Sasha Baron Cohen. He is sponsored by Perrier, and drinks coffee during a race. He is flamboyantly gay- married to a lion tamer- Siegfried and Roy

I enjoyed 

Amy Adams looks radiant

Gary Cole, is great as the absent father. I wonder if this would have been if the film had been about him

I note that watching the same channel in the middle of the night is a bit more difficult now 

I liked the cocaine, cheerios set piece