Was ready to write my reviews for the week Friday evening when l found out Chuck Norris passed away. 🥺😭 It shouldn't be too shocking when an 86 year old man dies, but it still felt sudden for Chuck to be gone from this mortal soil. So l watched the first flick l came across to on streaming in honor of Chuck Norris, who l humbly request to Patrick we dedicate a whole day to in our upcoming Junesploitation! 2026 calendar. ✊️🤓
LONE WOLF MCQUADE (1983, TUBI) is 75% contemporary American western vehicle for Chuck, but also 25% spaghetti western. Francesco De Massi's score liberally steals from Ennio Morricone and his own work (140+ Italian movies) to give "LWM's" music a personality absent from most of Norris' oeuvre. Playing an always sweaty/filthy Texas Ranger that doesn't play by the rules, Chuck eventually clashes with drug-dealing, weapons-selling, karate-practicing bad guy David Carradine. Not only did Carradine kill Chuck's partner (no emoting) and is sleeping with the same woman they both love ("Never Say Never Again's" Barbara Carrera), but toward the end he kidnaps Norris' teenage daughter and kills his dog (still no emoting). After the opening horse thieves ambush in the desert action is infrequent and sporadic, but some fun supporting characters (Kane Hodder as a goon, L.Q. Jones as Chuck's buddy, etc.) keep things lively. The last third of "LWM" goes crazy with the explosions and all the macho posturing between two American martial arts badasses you could ever want. 3.75 BEERS FUELING CHUCK'S POPEYE-LIKE OUTBURSTS (out of five).
RIP to Chuck! As an action loving kid of the 70s and 80s its hard to express what a big deal Chuck was. He predated alot of action stars, especially martial arts action stars, and was a massive gateway to global martial arts cinema.
Somehow id never seen this, considered one of his best!? Its a BLAST. Sort of a mix between western and modern strong-silent-bad-ass cop/vigilante flick. Also, as one who watches Kill Bill all the time, i always love finding an early David Carradine performance that ive not seen!
This isn't early Carradine (his work on TV's "Kung Fu" was), more like he and Chuck entering their post-youthful, middle-aged prime. The two don't face off 'till the end, but it's so worth the wait. 🙃🙂
PROJECT HAIL MARY (2026, IMAX 70MM) is a major disappointment if you don't temper your expectations. I understand that contemporary filmmakers with clout want to do their own interpretation of a "2001: A Space Odyssey"-type, semi-grounded space epic. Too bad Phil Lord and Christopher Miller tried to adapt Andy Weir's source material to fit their comedic style instead of making their style fit the source material. Even "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies take themselves more seriously than "PHM," which constantly tramples its narrative momentum with either a joke or a string of comedic gags. The final flashback reveal of how Dr. Grace (Ryan Gosling, playing 180 degrees opposite his role in "First Man") ended up aboard a self-sustained spaceship light-years from Earth should be dramatic and devastating... but Lord/Miller couldn't help themselves. 🙄🫣 It looks gorgeous for a polished comedic sci-fi spectacle, but I'll be hanging at Kubrick's and Nolan's space operas and rarely (if ever) revisit Lord/Miller's space playground.
A major turnaround from last year's disappointing "Elio," Disney/Pixar's HOPPERS 3D ('26, THEATER) marries Pixar's knack for hearty spectacle with the manic, well-timed cartoony energy of a DreamWorks animated flick. The Major of Beavertown (Jon Hamm) wants to build a highway extension over the animal-friendly pond that environment advocate Mabel (Piper Cuda) swore her grandma she'd protect. Cue the magical technology that lets Mabel's human mind enter a beaver robot she uses to try to lure animals back into the pond. Things get wacky (sharks "fly," insects stage an animal kingdom revolt, Major Jerry's re-election is jeopardized, etc.) as the Pixar folks manage to fit a pro-environmental agenda into a heartwarming tale of human/animal friendship. King George in regular beaver form is the cutest CG creature ever! 🦫🥰 Came into "Hoppers 3D" a skeptic, came out a won-over believer. 😎👍
Caught Hayao Miyazaki's KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989, IMAX) during a week-long theatrical engagement on AMC IMAX screens. I actually watched "Kiki" right before "Project Hail Mary" on the same AMC theater (Lincoln 68th St., biggest IMAX screen in NYC), and the sense of wonder the former still has didn't do the latter any favors. There is a reason "Kiki" has been in my all-time favorites Top 10 since a theatrical rewatch in the latest aughts. Kiki's self-doubt and vulnerability make her relatable, but her kindness (helping the old ladies clean while baking the cake) and likability (enough to inspire a painter and make pregnant baker Osono offer Kiki her free room and a job) elevate her into my panteon of favorite movie characters. If only she knew how to make Jiji talk again... 😼😽😍
I was jonesing for some William Lustig commentary (don't ask! 🥶), so into the LG player went MANIAC COP 2 (1990) & MANIAC COP 3: BADGE OF SILENCE (1992, BOTH BLUE UNDERGROUND 4K UHD) with their respective commentary tracks. Love unpleasant war stories from the trenches of low-budget filmmaking by people like Lustig who aren't afraid to make themselves look bad, and these two "Maniac Cop" sequels are full of them. Still don't own OG "Maniac Cop" because, despite Lustig directing it, it feels like it's punching below the sequels' weight (yes, even "Badge of Silence").
Last but not least, Radio Silence's READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME ('26, THEATER) is the small consolation prize we get for this filmmaking team getting removed from the "Scream" franchise. It takes less than 20 minutes for Samara Weaving to put back on the blood-soaked wedding dress from the prequel, and by minute 30 Grace and younger sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) are running for their lives from a whole new bunch of 1% devil worshipping a-holes. David Cronenberg and Elijah Wood have choice supporting roles, but few of the new baddies (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nestor Carbonell) rise above cartoony. The sisters bickering gets old fast, but necessary for the high-stakes grand finale. It's okay-ish. 🤔
I had a small movie week because I once again did a ton of overtime (you'll understand why) and got busy with other stuff...
RIP Chuck Norris. I took it as an excuse to order Invasion USA from Vinegar Syndrome. Since they're not in the middle of a sale for once, I should get it this monday.
Dune (1984): Not that I need an excuse to watch this movie every other week, it is my favorite movie after all, but I often find reasons to do it. This time, I got the super-duper-cool-very-pricey-collector edition from Australian publisher Imprint. 4k obviously. It comes with a comic reprint of the adaptation of the movie (drawn by an artist that I like), a poster and other crap. The discs have tons of extras, which are different from the Arrow release (some of them are the same), and I would say better too. The picture quality is as good though. I invite you to find a YouTube video of an unboxing of the boxset, just to see the outside box, which is an extra in itself. It has sand literally floating on the cover. It's awesome.
Romeo + Juliet (1996): My friend invited me to the musical "& Juliet". It was a fun time, full of Backstreet Boys covers, which were big crowd pleasers. I could nitpick it to death, but what's the point, we had a good time. But it did make me want to rewatch Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, which is a movie I always liked. It's over the top, it's weird, the soundtrack is full of bangers and Harrold Perrineau is the coolest. I don't know if it's one of those that got re-evaluated over the years, but to me it was always a good movie.
Invasion USA is such a great flick!!!! Probably my fav Chuck from childhood. Its almost a superhero movie as its him vs an entire invading army. So many great setpieces. It walked so Red Dawn could run.
Unintentional Double Feature This Week: "Making Movies"
Clerk. (2021 prime)
As with many of us movie nerds, the discovery of Kevin Smith was a bit of a revelation. I was fortunate enough to catch Clerks on the art house circuit before it broke out and he immediately became one of my favs. Followed him in all his exploits since. That being said, as the years have gone on i have pulled back from all the podcasts and not connected very strongly to his films. I kinda assumed this doc would be a rehash of the stories i knew. Im pleased to say its actually quite good. It covers alot about Kevin and his flicks up to 2021 and is pretty fun!
The Kid Stays In the Picture (1994 Autobiography Robert Evans)
I regularly lament that the continuing shift from physical media (boutique labels aside) makes me saddest at the diminishing state of behind-the-scenes extras. Few things make me happier as a cine-file. BUT there are always different ways to learn more about cinema and one obvious route is books....
Holy shit this book is AMAZING! Obviously its been on my radar for years (as is some of its adaptations) but for whatever reason i never read it. Maybe because the focus seemed to be older hollywood than i gravitated to at the time? dunno. This book is a BLAST. It never really delves to deeply into any one movie, person, or subject but rather is short stories from the rise Robert Evans from well off kid to actor to movie studio exec and on up. Also and on down. As its an autobiography we are only presented the "facts" as he chooses to present but his interesting mix of hubris, cockiness, lothario-ness combined with bad decisions, missed investments, and self deprecation makes it feel pretty honest. And the stories are sooooooooooooooooo good. I loved this book one of my all time fav on the inner and outer workings of hollywood during an important period.
I just rewatched Coherence (2013) in memory of Nicholas Brendon (Buffy's Xander), who also passed away yesterday.
It's a fun little low-budget sci-fi mystery thriller or something, where a comet passing Earth is affecting a friend group's get-together in weird ways. It's a fun premise and there's some eerie stuff, but the story doesn't really have a satisfying ending. Still, worth your time (it's also just under 90 minutes, which is nice).
Was ready to write my reviews for the week Friday evening when l found out Chuck Norris passed away. 🥺😭 It shouldn't be too shocking when an 86 year old man dies, but it still felt sudden for Chuck to be gone from this mortal soil. So l watched the first flick l came across to on streaming in honor of Chuck Norris, who l humbly request to Patrick we dedicate a whole day to in our upcoming Junesploitation! 2026 calendar. ✊️🤓
ReplyDeleteLONE WOLF MCQUADE (1983, TUBI) is 75% contemporary American western vehicle for Chuck, but also 25% spaghetti western. Francesco De Massi's score liberally steals from Ennio Morricone and his own work (140+ Italian movies) to give "LWM's" music a personality absent from most of Norris' oeuvre. Playing an always sweaty/filthy Texas Ranger that doesn't play by the rules, Chuck eventually clashes with drug-dealing, weapons-selling, karate-practicing bad guy David Carradine. Not only did Carradine kill Chuck's partner (no emoting) and is sleeping with the same woman they both love ("Never Say Never Again's" Barbara Carrera), but toward the end he kidnaps Norris' teenage daughter and kills his dog (still no emoting). After the opening horse thieves ambush in the desert action is infrequent and sporadic, but some fun supporting characters (Kane Hodder as a goon, L.Q. Jones as Chuck's buddy, etc.) keep things lively. The last third of "LWM" goes crazy with the explosions and all the macho posturing between two American martial arts badasses you could ever want. 3.75 BEERS FUELING CHUCK'S POPEYE-LIKE OUTBURSTS (out of five).
R.I.P. Chuck. 🫡😎
great minds think alike....
DeleteLone Wolf McQuade (1983, Plex)
RIP to Chuck! As an action loving kid of the 70s and 80s its hard to express what a big deal Chuck was. He predated alot of action stars, especially martial arts action stars, and was a massive gateway to global martial arts cinema.
Somehow id never seen this, considered one of his best!? Its a BLAST. Sort of a mix between western and modern strong-silent-bad-ass cop/vigilante flick. Also, as one who watches Kill Bill all the time, i always love finding an early David Carradine performance that ive not seen!
PS: a Chuck day for Junesploitation sounds like a hoot!
DeleteThis isn't early Carradine (his work on TV's "Kung Fu" was), more like he and Chuck entering their post-youthful, middle-aged prime. The two don't face off 'till the end, but it's so worth the wait. 🙃🙂
DeleteBack to our regularly scheduled reviews.
ReplyDeletePROJECT HAIL MARY (2026, IMAX 70MM) is a major disappointment if you don't temper your expectations. I understand that contemporary filmmakers with clout want to do their own interpretation of a "2001: A Space Odyssey"-type, semi-grounded space epic. Too bad Phil Lord and Christopher Miller tried to adapt Andy Weir's source material to fit their comedic style instead of making their style fit the source material. Even "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies take themselves more seriously than "PHM," which constantly tramples its narrative momentum with either a joke or a string of comedic gags. The final flashback reveal of how Dr. Grace (Ryan Gosling, playing 180 degrees opposite his role in "First Man") ended up aboard a self-sustained spaceship light-years from Earth should be dramatic and devastating... but Lord/Miller couldn't help themselves. 🙄🫣 It looks gorgeous for a polished comedic sci-fi spectacle, but I'll be hanging at Kubrick's and Nolan's space operas and rarely (if ever) revisit Lord/Miller's space playground.
A major turnaround from last year's disappointing "Elio," Disney/Pixar's HOPPERS 3D ('26, THEATER) marries Pixar's knack for hearty spectacle with the manic, well-timed cartoony energy of a DreamWorks animated flick. The Major of Beavertown (Jon Hamm) wants to build a highway extension over the animal-friendly pond that environment advocate Mabel (Piper Cuda) swore her grandma she'd protect. Cue the magical technology that lets Mabel's human mind enter a beaver robot she uses to try to lure animals back into the pond. Things get wacky (sharks "fly," insects stage an animal kingdom revolt, Major Jerry's re-election is jeopardized, etc.) as the Pixar folks manage to fit a pro-environmental agenda into a heartwarming tale of human/animal friendship. King George in regular beaver form is the cutest CG creature ever! 🦫🥰 Came into "Hoppers 3D" a skeptic, came out a won-over believer. 😎👍
Caught Hayao Miyazaki's KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989, IMAX) during a week-long theatrical engagement on AMC IMAX screens. I actually watched "Kiki" right before "Project Hail Mary" on the same AMC theater (Lincoln 68th St., biggest IMAX screen in NYC), and the sense of wonder the former still has didn't do the latter any favors. There is a reason "Kiki" has been in my all-time favorites Top 10 since a theatrical rewatch in the latest aughts. Kiki's self-doubt and vulnerability make her relatable, but her kindness (helping the old ladies clean while baking the cake) and likability (enough to inspire a painter and make pregnant baker Osono offer Kiki her free room and a job) elevate her into my panteon of favorite movie characters. If only she knew how to make Jiji talk again... 😼😽😍
I was jonesing for some William Lustig commentary (don't ask! 🥶), so into the LG player went MANIAC COP 2 (1990) & MANIAC COP 3: BADGE OF SILENCE (1992, BOTH BLUE UNDERGROUND 4K UHD) with their respective commentary tracks. Love unpleasant war stories from the trenches of low-budget filmmaking by people like Lustig who aren't afraid to make themselves look bad, and these two "Maniac Cop" sequels are full of them. Still don't own OG "Maniac Cop" because, despite Lustig directing it, it feels like it's punching below the sequels' weight (yes, even "Badge of Silence").
Last but not least, Radio Silence's READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME ('26, THEATER) is the small consolation prize we get for this filmmaking team getting removed from the "Scream" franchise. It takes less than 20 minutes for Samara Weaving to put back on the blood-soaked wedding dress from the prequel, and by minute 30 Grace and younger sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) are running for their lives from a whole new bunch of 1% devil worshipping a-holes. David Cronenberg and Elijah Wood have choice supporting roles, but few of the new baddies (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nestor Carbonell) rise above cartoony. The sisters bickering gets old fast, but necessary for the high-stakes grand finale. It's okay-ish. 🤔
I really want to see Kiki, but I think I missed my window
DeleteManiac Cop are on my 'to be acquired' list, but it didn't happen yet
"Kiki" is still in some theaters, but only regular ones. All premium format screens went to "Project Hail Mary" Thursday afternoon.
DeleteI had a small movie week because I once again did a ton of overtime (you'll understand why) and got busy with other stuff...
ReplyDeleteRIP Chuck Norris. I took it as an excuse to order Invasion USA from Vinegar Syndrome. Since they're not in the middle of a sale for once, I should get it this monday.
Dune (1984): Not that I need an excuse to watch this movie every other week, it is my favorite movie after all, but I often find reasons to do it. This time, I got the super-duper-cool-very-pricey-collector edition from Australian publisher Imprint. 4k obviously. It comes with a comic reprint of the adaptation of the movie (drawn by an artist that I like), a poster and other crap. The discs have tons of extras, which are different from the Arrow release (some of them are the same), and I would say better too. The picture quality is as good though. I invite you to find a YouTube video of an unboxing of the boxset, just to see the outside box, which is an extra in itself. It has sand literally floating on the cover. It's awesome.
Romeo + Juliet (1996): My friend invited me to the musical "& Juliet". It was a fun time, full of Backstreet Boys covers, which were big crowd pleasers. I could nitpick it to death, but what's the point, we had a good time. But it did make me want to rewatch Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, which is a movie I always liked. It's over the top, it's weird, the soundtrack is full of bangers and Harrold Perrineau is the coolest. I don't know if it's one of those that got re-evaluated over the years, but to me it was always a good movie.
Yikes, l dislike both of those movies equally. 🥶 Glad you enjoyed them, though, and welcome to the 4K "Invasion USA"-owning club. 😃👍
DeleteInvasion USA is such a great flick!!!! Probably my fav Chuck from childhood. Its almost a superhero movie as its him vs an entire invading army. So many great setpieces. It walked so Red Dawn could run.
DeleteUnintentional Double Feature This Week: "Making Movies"
ReplyDeleteClerk. (2021 prime)
As with many of us movie nerds, the discovery of Kevin Smith was a bit of a revelation. I was fortunate enough to catch Clerks on the art house circuit before it broke out and he immediately became one of my favs. Followed him in all his exploits since. That being said, as the years have gone on i have pulled back from all the podcasts and not connected very strongly to his films. I kinda assumed this doc would be a rehash of the stories i knew. Im pleased to say its actually quite good. It covers alot about Kevin and his flicks up to 2021 and is pretty fun!
The Kid Stays In the Picture (1994 Autobiography Robert Evans)
I regularly lament that the continuing shift from physical media (boutique labels aside) makes me saddest at the diminishing state of behind-the-scenes extras. Few things make me happier as a cine-file. BUT there are always different ways to learn more about cinema and one obvious route is books....
Holy shit this book is AMAZING! Obviously its been on my radar for years (as is some of its adaptations) but for whatever reason i never read it. Maybe because the focus seemed to be older hollywood than i gravitated to at the time? dunno. This book is a BLAST. It never really delves to deeply into any one movie, person, or subject but rather is short stories from the rise Robert Evans from well off kid to actor to movie studio exec and on up. Also and on down. As its an autobiography we are only presented the "facts" as he chooses to present but his interesting mix of hubris, cockiness, lothario-ness combined with bad decisions, missed investments, and self deprecation makes it feel pretty honest. And the stories are sooooooooooooooooo good. I loved this book one of my all time fav on the inner and outer workings of hollywood during an important period.
I never read TKSitP, but I watched the documentary in 2002. It was great
DeleteI just rewatched Coherence (2013) in memory of Nicholas Brendon (Buffy's Xander), who also passed away yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun little low-budget sci-fi mystery thriller or something, where a comet passing Earth is affecting a friend group's get-together in weird ways. It's a fun premise and there's some eerie stuff, but the story doesn't really have a satisfying ending. Still, worth your time (it's also just under 90 minutes, which is nice).