Movies – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Horror of Dracula (Hammer Horror)

Happy Halloween, everyone!

I’ve watched quite a few Dracula movies over the years, but this 1958 Hammer production is my favorite. Yes, I even like it better than the famous 1931 version with Bela Lugosi, and that is saying something! Christopher Lee plays Count Dracula, and Peter Cushing plays his enemy, Dr. Van Helsing. Those two actors alone are enough to make me want to watch it. The movie was released in Britain as Dracula and in America as Horror of Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher and helped establish Hammer Films as a major name in horror movies. The American title was The Horror of Dracula.

You give me Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, and I’m there! I like some of the other Hammer Draculas after this one, but for me, this is the one to watch.

The story is based on Bram Stoker’s novel, although it takes quite a few liberties with the original. Jonathan Harker arrives at Dracula’s castle pretending to be a librarian, but he’s actually there to destroy the vampire. Things don’t go according to plan, and Van Helsing soon finds himself trying to stop Dracula before more people become victims. I won’t give away too much of the story, but the movie moves along quickly. At around 82 minutes, it doesn’t waste much time.

Christopher Lee is wonderful as Dracula. He doesn’t need a lot of dialogue to make an impression. His height, expressions, and sudden changes from a polite gentleman into a frightening monster do most of the work. But Peter Cushing is just as important to the movie. His Van Helsing is intelligent, determined, and much more active than some earlier versions of the character. I especially like the scenes involving these two actors. They make you believe that this is a battle between two very determined enemies.

What also makes this movie stand out is the atmosphere. The Technicolor photography, the castle, the music, and the Gothic settings give it a look that I love. The blood and violence were quite shocking for audiences in 1958, but the movie doesn’t depend on those things alone. It has a good story and two excellent actors leading the way. I’ve enjoyed other Dracula movies, including the later Hammer films, but I keep coming back to this one. For me, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing made the best Dracula movie of them all.

All Hammer movies have a certain look and feel to them; if you haven’t seen it, check it out! In 2007, this movie was selected for preservation by the BFI.

Max’s Drive-In Movie – The Wolf Man (1941)

When I was a kid, I would watch The Wolf Man whenever it came on Creature Feature on local television in Nashville. I loved those old Universal monster movies, although I probably shouldn’t have been watching some of them at my age. I always had more sympathy for the Wolf Man and Frankenstein; they didn’t ask for this.

This one scared me. The funny thing is that I was also pulling for the Wolf Man. I felt sorry for him in much the same way I felt sorry for Frankenstein’s monster. Larry Talbot wasn’t an evil man. Something terrible happened to him, and he couldn’t stop it. Even as a kid, that made the movie different to me.

The Wolf Man was released by Universal in 1941 and starred Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot. Chaney had a pretty big shadow hanging over him before he ever put on the makeup. His father was Lon Chaney, the legendary silent-film star known as the Man of a Thousand Faces.

With the Wolf Man, the younger Chaney found the character that would forever be associated with him.

Larry returns to his family home in Wales after the death of his brother and tries to reconnect with his father, Sir John Talbot, played by Claude Rains. He meets Gwen Conliffe, played by Evelyn Ankers, and buys a silver-headed walking stick from her father’s shop. Then things start going badly.

Larry tries to rescue Gwen’s friend Jenny from what appears to be a wolf. He kills the animal with the silver walking stick but is bitten during the attack. The wolf was actually Bela, a werewolf played by Bela Lugosi. Larry has inherited the curse.

That’s what makes the story work for me. Larry doesn’t ask for any of this. He doesn’t want the power that comes with becoming the Wolf Man. He doesn’t enjoy what happens to him. He is frightened by it and spends much of the movie trying to understand what is happening.

There is also a sadness to Lon Chaney’s performance that makes you care about Larry Talbot. You know where the story is going and so does he.

The supporting cast is incredible. Claude Rains had already appeared in The Invisible Man. Bela Lugosi was forever connected with Dracula. Maria Ouspenskaya plays Maleva, the woman who understands exactly what has happened to Larry and tries to help him.

The movie was written by Curt Siodmak and directed by George Waggner. One of Siodmak’s smartest additions was the little werewolf poem repeated throughout the movie. It sounds like something handed down through European folklore, but Siodmak invented it for the film.

Even a man who is pure in heart
And says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the autumn moon is bright

Jack Pierce created the Wolf Man makeup. Pierce was already responsible for some of Universal’s most famous monster makeup, including Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein monster. The Wolf Man became another one of his creations that became part of popular culture.

What amazes me now is how short the movie is. It runs only about 70 minutes. There isn’t much wasted time. Larry comes home, meets Gwen, encounters the werewolf, and his life begins falling apart. The fog, the woods, and the old Universal sets do the rest. Watching it today, you can see that much of what frightened me as a kid was atmosphere.

And maybe that’s why these movies worked so well on television. You didn’t need blood flying everywhere. Give me a dark room, an old black-and-white television, some fog rolling through the woods, and the Wolf Man walking between the trees. My imagination would handle the rest!

The movie was successful enough that Chaney returned as Larry Talbot several more times. He played him in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and finally Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

But this is the one I remember. There were monsters I was simply afraid of when I was a kid. Larry Talbot was different. I was afraid of the Wolf Man. But I felt sorry for the man.

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Steamboat Bill Jr.

It’s hard to tell you how big of a fan of Buster Keaton I am. Not only do I love his on-screen character, but his filmmaking techniques are still second to none. I got to know Buster through reading about Clara Bow. First, about his Sunset Boulevard cameo, and then I went back and watched his films. The Navigator, The General, Sherlock Jr., Battling Butler, and, of course, Steamboat Bill Jr. I also watched his “shorts” that he made before features. There was no one like him. No one took a fall like he did. He was a natural acrobat. He didn’t use stunt men because the stunt men would say they could not do it like Buster Keaton. This movie has the most famous scene of Buster Keaton’s film career and possibly of silent movies in general.

He was a little off kilter compared to his comedy peers. He was more subtle than Chaplin or Harold Lloyd. Keaton used non-movement to his advantage. You would see him in a crowd easily. They would be moving along, and his stillness would get your attention. Buster was also an excellent filmmaker with the way he paced a movie. He didn’t fake stunts…he didn’t like cutting in at the last minute. He wanted the scene to be filmed in one shot and completely natural. Ok, enough of my love for Buster Keaton.. .well, nah, I’ll continue.

Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill, Jr. was released in 1928. It came near the end of the silent film era. Keaton plays William Canfield Jr., a young man who returns home to spend time with his Riverboat Captain dad after years away at college. His father, Steamboat Bill Canfield, is a tough old riverboat captain who is disappointed to find his son is more interested in music and fashion than life on the river. A generation gap that has been going on since time began. The film centers on their rocky relationship and a rivalry between competing steamboat owners. The scenes between Buster and Ernest Torrence, who plays his father, are very funny.

The movie was filmed during one of the most difficult periods of Keaton’s career. He was still making films independently before losing much of his creative freedom after signing with MGM. Even so, he poured everything he had into this production. The river scenes were expensive and complicated to film. Entire sets were built and later destroyed for the movie’s famous storm sequence.

Today, Steamboat Bill, Jr. is remembered for one of the greatest stunts in film history. During a tornado scene, the front wall of a house falls directly toward Keaton. He survives because he stands in the exact spot where an open window passes around him. There were no special effects. No trick photography. If he had missed his mark by even a few inches, he could have been seriously injured or killed. The front of that building weighed 2 tons, so it would not twist in the wind. The scene remains one of the most famous moments in silent film. The director turned his head away during that scene because he feared Buster would misjudge it.

Although the movie was not a major box office success when it was released, its reputation grew over the years. Many film historians now consider it one of Keaton’s masterpieces. Nearly a century later, this movie still feels relatable and shows why Buster Keaton is still remembered.

The making of Steamboat Bill, Jr. was almost as dramatic as the film itself. During production in 1927, the devastating Mississippi River floods were still fresh in the public’s mind. Keaton’s original ending involved a flood, but he decided to change it to a cyclone and storm sequence to avoid reminding audiences of a recent tragedy.

The final storm scenes were some of the most expensive ever filmed for a silent movie. Huge sets were built and then destroyed by giant wind machines, water pumps, and carefully planned special effects. Keaton insisted on doing most of the dangerous stunts himself, including the famous falling house facade scene. The film would also become his last truly independent production before he joined MGM. It was his final chapter of the creative freedom that made Buster Keaton one of the greats of film.

Complete Movie

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Frequency

This is not a “great” movie but a very entertaining one.

This 2000 movie has two of my favorite elements, time travel and baseball. It’s NOT about baseball, but the 1969 World Series was used as a talking point and to prove a point. This movie has a cool twist on time travel. No one walks into the future or past, but father and son talk on a ham radio 30 years apart. That World Series is used in a way that convinced the dad that his son was talking to him over a ham radio 30 years in the future.

This movie, overall, is a good vibe movie. Yes, things work out more than they probably should, but it’s just that kind of movie. I love the way they communicate 30 years apart. There are many twists and turns, but it pays off at the end. So if you want a dark, dark movie (it does have dark spots), this one is not for you, but it’s not overly sweet either. The actors did great. Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Elizabeth Mitchell, and others were on target.

It begins in 1999. John Sullivan is a New York City police detective still affected by the death of his father, who died in a warehouse fire in 1969. One night, during a rare solar event, John discovers that his father’s old ham radio is picking up a signal from the past. He soon realizes he is speaking directly to Frank (his father) in 1969. At first, they test the connection with personal details. John tells Frank (his dad) about the 1969 World Series and what happened. Frank doesn’t believe him at first, but soon does, and his life is saved.

Once convinced, John warns Frank about the fire that will kill him the next day. Frank listens, changes his actions, and survives. When the timeline shifts, John wakes up in a new version of 1999 where his father lived longer, but other events have changed. Saving Frank sets off a chain reaction. In the altered timeline, John’s mother is murdered by a serial killer who was active in 1969.

John and Frank, now aware of their link across time, work together to track the killer in both eras. John uses modern police records to guide his father’s investigation into the past, while Frank gathers evidence that affects the future. Their actions create more changes, sometimes helping, sometimes making things worse. The film moves between 1969 and 1999 as both men close in on the suspect. In the final act, events from both timelines converge, leading to a confrontation that resolves the case and restores their family.

Frequency avoids complicated science explanations. The radio connection simply exists, tied to solar activity. The crime plot gives the story tension, but the center remains the conversations between a father and son who were given one more opportunity to speak. Overall, it’s a time-travel feel-good movie…and I’m a sucker for time-travel movies.

Max’s Drive-In Movie – High Plains Drifter

The word ambiguity pops up in my head when I watch this movie. It’s part of its allure. His later movie, Pale Rider, has some things in common with this one. But this movie is more raw and gritty. That reminds me why I love seventies filmmaking. Yes, it’s called a revenge movie, but I don’t see it as revenge. I see it as a movie about justice. This is not an innocent town; many of its citizens have witnessed things they could have tried to stop but refused to.

This movie is not one I’ve watched all of my life. My son, Bailey, turned me on to this movie not long ago. How did I miss this movie? It’s now high on my movie list. It’s uncomfortable to watch at times, and it has mystery. That’s probably the reason we are still talking about it 53 years after it was released.

It’s not a total spaghetti-type western, and it’s not a total Hollywood western movie. It’s on its own in a special category. Everything in this movie has a purpose and a reason, so nothing is random. This is the first western that Eastwood directed, and he didn’t miss a beat. He learned from two of the best, Don Siegel and Sergio Leone. He even put their names in the town’s graveyard as a tribute (see below).

This movie is a 1973 western directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. It arrived during the era when westerns were getting darker and stranger. The film blends the revenge themes of spaghetti westerns with something closer to a ghost story. Eastwood plays a nameless stranger who rides into the small mining town of Lago, a place that clearly has problems it would rather forget.

The town hires the stranger for protection. Three outlaws are about to be released from prison and are coming back for revenge, and the people of Lago know they cannot defend themselves. The stranger agrees to help, but he does it on his own terms. He quickly takes control of the town, training them and pushing the citizens in ways that make them uncomfortable. The more he does, the clearer it becomes that the town is hiding something about its past.

Without giving away too much, the stranger’s actions start to feel less like protecting and more like judgment. Lago is slowly turned into something resembling a trap for the returning outlaws. The film’s tone grows darker and more eerie as it approaches the final showdown. Eastwood keeps the audience wondering who the stranger really is and why he seems to know so much about the town.

As I said before, in this movie you will find surrealism, darkness, and symbolism…not a typical Western. Plus some wonderful character actors like Mitchell Ryan, John Hillerman, Geoffrey Lewis, Verna Bloom, Billy Curtis, Marianna Hill, Walter Barnes, and more. .

I’ve liked how this one feels different from most westerns. It’s not just gunfighters and dusty streets. There’s a sense that something bigger is going on beneath the surface. Eastwood had already made his mark in westerns, but here he pushed the genre into darker territory. The mystery surrounding the stranger keeps the film interesting, and it leaves you thinking about it after it ends. This movie shows a lot of violence and uncomfortable scenes, so if that bothers you, beware before you watch it. It also gives the phrase “painting the town red” another meaning altogether.

Fun Fact…the graveyard also had a few other directors besides the ones I mentioned, and Eastwood was quoted as saying, “I buried my directors.“

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Smokey And The Bandit

I wanted to do something fun today…not exactly a thinking man’s movie, but fun.

I ran across a trailer for this on YouTube and ended up watching the movie again. Yes, I know this isn’t exactly Citizen Kane or the most sophisticated movie, but it does have redeeming qualities. This movie was released in the era of Jaws, Star Wars, and many more classics. It’s still remembered today very highly. It is not a movie that is going to make you think…it’s just going to entertain you, which is what movies are for. There are no hidden messages, just pure fun.

In the mid-1970s, Coors beer had a near-mythic reputation east of the Mississippi. It was not widely distributed nationwide, and it was famously unpasteurized, meaning it had to stay cold and be delivered fast. To people back east, Coors was contraband. The movie goes into this perfectly, turning a real-world distribution quirk into the ultimate outlaw challenge.

The entire plot kicks off with a simple outlaw wager: haul a truckload of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia in under 28 hours, back when the unpasteurized beer couldn’t legally be sold east of the Mississippi. The Snowman (Jerry Reed) drives the rig loaded with ice-cold contraband, while the Bandit (Burt Reynolds) races ahead in his black Trans Am, using speed and nonstop CB chatter to lure every lawman in the region away from the Coors. It was a game of misdirection and bravado, with Sheriff Buford T. Justice closing in, all for the satisfaction of proving that sometimes the best reason to. Along the way, Bandit picks up “frog” (Sally Field), a bride who just ran out of a wedding with Bufford T Justice’s son.

Burt Reynolds was in his prime during this stretch. A lot of guys grew the mustache, and their hair was black. My dad had the same look as Reynolds at this time. He had already been in many successful movies, including Gator, Deliverance, W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings, The Longest Yard, and more. At this time, he was one of the biggest, most recognizable movie stars on the planet.

The public mostly adored Reynolds, but the critics did not like him. He had a charisma about him that he had at the beginning when he was on Gunsmoke for 3 years. Sally Field was also in this movie, and she played her part perfectly. The Flying Nun to “Sybil” or “Frog” in this movie is quite a stretch. She was one of my first crushes as a young boy, and in this film, that crush was only strengthened.

I guess one reason I love this movie is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is. It doesn’t aspire to great movie-making. It was just supposed to be 90 minutes of entertainment on the big screen, and it’s still entertaining. Turn your brain off for a while and have fun with it. It rolled into theaters and straight through American pop culture. Jackie Gleason’s Sheriff Buford T. Justice is the perfect comic counterweight to Bandit, loud and absolutely unhinged. Add Sally Field’s runaway bride with attitude and Jerry Reed’s snowman trucker charisma, and you’ve got a cast that clicks like a great bar band.

If you want Gone With The Wind, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, or Lawrence of Arabia…you have come to the wrong movie, but give it a chance and have some fun. Oh, I forgot Fred, the lovable Basset Hound dog in this movie, he was chosen by Burt Reynolds because the dog wouldn’t obey commands, adding to his character as Snowman’s independent but loyal companion.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – The Devil and Daniel Webster

I was instantly hooked on this 1941 movie on my first viewing. I love the Faust story in all of its versions. One of my favorite old movies. I do like fantasy movies, and this one doesn’t need spinning heads or big special effects.

They do a great job retelling the old story. It opens with Jabez Stone, his wife Mary Stone, and his Mom in an old farmhouse. Everything that can go wrong… does for Jabez. He is a struggling New Hampshire farmer who, in a moment of pure desperation, blurts out that he’d sell his soul for a little luck. He then meets “Scratch” (The Devil) inside his barn, and then is one of the many talked into a deal for his soul. The cast assembled for this movie is perfect. Not a bad performance in the movie. Edward Arnold is convincing as the popular congressman and senator, Daniel Webster. The 1940s had some of the best character actors of any era. Walter Huston as the Devil was played chillingly and brilliantly.

Huston doesn’t enter with flames and fury; he strolls in like a salesman who knows he’s got exactly what you want. Suddenly, Jabez has prosperity and a dangerous new confidence. What makes the movie work, even now, is the blend of Americana and an eerie atmosphere. Bernard Herrmann’s musical score, which won an Oscar, shifts from fiddle hoedowns to otherworldly sounds without missing a beat. The cinematography focuses on contrasts that make every room feel haunted.

Also known as “All That Money Can Buy” it was released in 1941 by RKO Radio Pictures.

Not trying to give much away, but it comes down to a battle between Daniel Webster and the Devil over Jabez’s soul. The jury is the jury of the dammed. The movie is definitely worth watching.

The movie was based on a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét.

Max’s Drive-In Movie – It’s A Gift

So roll down the window at Max’s Drive-In, grab some popcorn, and toast the man who proved that laughter isn’t always about joy; sometimes, it’s about pain and survival. This was the first W.C. Fields movie I ever watched, years ago, and I wasn’t disappointed. It contains no sentimentality…just one man’s pursuit of peace. In this case, an orange grove he has his eyes on. When people think of W.C. Fields, this is probably not the movie they usually think of first, but to me…it’s brilliant!

Sometimes, you don’t need romance or a difficult plot. It’s WC Fields trying to get a few minutes of peace and quiet. It’s a Gift is one of those hidden little gems, a film that’s basically one long bad day stretched from start to finish.

This film takes place in the middle of the Depression, when a grouchy grocer named Harold Bissonette (that’s “Biss-uh-NAY,” thank you very much) dreamed of escaping his nagging wife, children, and blind customers by buying himself an orange grove in California. Not a mansion, just fruit trees and some peace. But in Fields’ universe, that doesn’t happen. His wife nags, his customers interrupt his naps, and his children treat him like a piece of furniture. It’s a Gift may be ninety years old, but it still feels right.

He plays the definition of the henpecked husband, muttering under his breath. The movie is like a string of brilliant sketches stitched together by pure exasperation. That would be my definition of it. The “porch sleep scene,” where Fields tries to take a nap on his back porch as milkmen, salesmen, and children launch an invasion. The rhythm, the timing, was pure gold.

Then there’s the grocery store scene, the poor man behind the counter trying to deal with the infuriating Mr. Muckle. He is the blind and almost deaf man who wrecks everything he touches. It’s slapstick with a slight mean streak, but Fields plays it straight, and it worked.

This was in the middle of Hollywood’s “screwball comedy” decade, when the big studios were giving audiences zany escapism to forget the Depression. Fields, though, offered something a little more grounded and darker. He wasn’t Cary Grant tripping over furniture in a tux; he was a tired grocer stepping on a roller skate at 6 a.m.

Critics in 1934 didn’t quite know what to do with him. Some thought he was too grumpy. But audiences loved it. The film became one of Paramount’s biggest comedies that year. It’s now considered one of Fields’ great films, alongside The Bank Dick and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break.

The infamous Mr Muckle

The Front Porch Scene

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The Night Strangler …1973 film

This is the second TV movie about Kolchak. This time, Kolchak is run out of Vegas, still unemployed and in that beat-up suit and straw hat, and somehow still covering the weirdest stories on earth. He lands in Seattle, and right on cue, women start turning up strangled in the city’s underground ruins. Their corpses? Bone dry. No blood. No explanation. Déjà vu, but not quite. I’m not going to give away what it was, but it wasn’t what you expected.

It’s a clever move, leaving Vegas and swapping it for Seattle’s underbelly. Parts of 19th-century buildings were left after the great Seattle fire of 1889. The movie makes excellent use of these underground tunnels, where Victorian storefronts and old streets sit buried beneath the modern city. The atmosphere here is claustrophobic and perfect for a monster that hides in plain sight.

The Night Strangler was the follow-up that proved Kolchak wasn’t a one-hit wonder. Dan Curtis, who had already scared TV audiences with Dark Shadows, stepped in to direct again, and Carl Kolchak had room to breathe and dig into another supernatural mystery. Also, the humor intertwined in this movie keeps it moving at a good pace.

Darren McGavin is, once again, the glue that holds the whole thing together. His Kolchak is pushy, sloppy, and never takes “no comment” for an answer. Every scene is like a tennis match between his energy and Simon Oakland’s rage as editor Tony Vincenzo. Honestly, those two could’ve been dropped into a sitcom about running a failing Chicago newspaper, and it still would’ve been gold.

While The Night Strangler didn’t quite capture the lightning-in-a-bottle impact of the original Night Stalker, it proved there was more than enough life in this story to warrant more. The movie’s success led directly to the short-lived but cult-favorite TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker in 1974. Looking back, The Night Strangler remains a strong second chapter anchored by McGavin’s great performance.

The Full Movie

The Night Stalker … 1972 Film

Before we dive into the TV show, we will cover the two movies that lead up to Season 1. You don’t often see an actor embody a character like Darren McGavin; he IS Carl Kolchak.

Alright, let’s dim the lights, cue up some eerie harpsichord, and head back to 1972, when ABC aired a made-for-TV movie that changed the whole game for supernatural thrillers on television. I’ve seen this described as a noir-horror movie, and that hits the mark. The movie moves at a good pace. You see action right away, and the story doesn’t stall. Mixed in with the thrills is the humor of Kolchak, and that mixes well in the two movies and the TV series.

People were dropping all over Las Vegas with bite marks and loss of blood. Carl Kolchak was a rumpled shirt reporter who would not give up on the truth. He finds clues, and the police shoo him away. He is a thorn in their side, and his boss, Tony Vincenzo, played by Simon Oakland, suffers daily. Although Kolchak is telling the truth, Vincenzo is very hesitant to OK stories to print about a real vampire.

The thing about The Night Stalker is it hasn’t lost its punch. The pacing is different from modern movies, but with the seedy Vegas strip, the sterile hospital halls, and the dusty police files, it feels real. And because it feels real, when the vampire strikes, it’s genuinely unsettling. It’s not gothic castles and bats flapping in the fog. It’s neon lights and the smell of asphalt in the air. That contrast is what makes the horror work.

Carol Lynley plays Kolchak’s girlfriend, and I remember her from the Poseidon Adventure. Claude Akins and Larry Linville are also featured in this movie. This is not your typical TV movie; its quality was better than many horror movies I’ve seen around that time. Kolchak’s character draws you in. It is as if he walked in from a 1940s noir movie.

When The Night Stalker aired on January 11, 1972, it pulled in a staggering 48 share of the audience, which translates to more than half of all TVs in America being tuned to McGavin chasing a vampire around Vegas. It became the most-watched TV movie up to that point. People weren’t used to seeing something this dark and this scary on their living room screens.

Max’s Drive-In Movie – MAS*H

I pulled out this 1970 movie the other day and ended up enjoying it even more than I did years ago. When I first saw it back in the ’80s, I’d been expecting something different because of the television show. At first, I was confused, but the longer I watched, the more it thrilled me. If you only know MASH from television reruns with Alan Alda smirking through battlefield banter, the 1970 film that started it all might feel like a grenade lobbed into your expectations.

Robert Altman’s MASH isn’t a gentle sitcom. It’s raw, irreverent, chaotic, and somehow all the better for it. This is the war movie for people who hate war movies. It doesn’t glorify anything. It just throws you into the blood, the absurdity, and the humor of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, but let’s be real, this is Vietnam by another name. They just couldn’t say it at the time.

What strikes you about the movie is that it looks real. You don’t see a nice clean Army camp; you see authentic rubble, which captures the hopelessness of it all. Altman shot this film like a jazz improvised session. Overlapping dialogue, handheld cameras, and actors wandering through the frame like no one gave them a blocking direction. It feels messy because it is messy. War is messy. And MASH knows that the only way to survive it might be to laugh, so you forget where you are.

The plot? Loosely structured at best. You follow a pair of too-smart-for-their-own-good surgeons, “Hawkeye” Pierce and “Trapper” John McIntyre, as they drink, prank, operate, and generally wreak havoc behind the front lines. And when I say wreak havoc, I mean mocking authority, goading a desk jockey into a breakdown, and broadcasting a fake-suicide funeral for a lovesick dentist.

The cast, Donald Sutherland (Hawkeye), Elliott Gould (Trapper John), Tom Skerritt (Duke), and Sally Kellerman (Hot Lips Houlihan), weren’t exactly marquee names in 1970. Allegedly, Sutherland and Gould, suspicious of Altman’s loose approach, actually tried to get him fired during production. They failed. Years later, they admitted Altman was right all along.

Altman’s rebellious methods created friction with the studio, too. He refused to follow the traditional film shooting formula. He shot scenes with actors talking over one another, dismissed explanations, and downplayed narrative story arcs. Altman called it “anti-movie making,” and it became his signature style.

And that theme song? “Suicide Is Painless.” Written by Altman’s 14-year-old son, no less. A haunting lullaby for the down-and-out, it creeps under your skin and stays there long after the credits roll. The movie was based on a novel written by former military surgeon Richard Hooker.

Hotlips O’Houlihan: [referring to Hawkeye] I wonder how a degenerated person like that could have reached a position of responsibility in the Army Medical Corps!
Father Mulcahy: He was drafted.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid

I saw this movie for the first time in the early nineties in my apartment, which I shared with a cousin. I watched it initially for Bob Dylan, but ended up loving the movie. This movie, above all else, treats silence better than any other movie I’ve seen. The characters get to breathe. No one is in a hurry, but when action happens, it makes it all the more dramatic.

In Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, director Sam Peckinpah trades the mythic grandeur of the Old West for something slower, lonelier, and far more tragic. This is a Western all about finality, a farewell to freedom, friendship, and the open frontier. Pechinpah created a great movie out of this.

Set in 1881 New Mexico, the film dramatizes the final days of William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid (played by Kris Kristofferson) as he’s hunted down by his former friend turned lawman, Pat Garrett (James Coburn). There’s no rush to the inevitable confrontation. Instead, the film moves slowly with purpose, soaking in the dusty landscapes, long silences, and uneasy glances between men who understand their roles in their vanishing world.

Coburn delivers a wonderful performance as Garrett, a man who’s made peace with compromise but not with himself. Kristofferson, younger and looser, plays Billy with charm and recklessness. Their scenes together are understated but filled with unspoken history and mutual resignation. It stands as one of the most introspective and mournful Westerns ever made. It’s not a shoot-’em-up spectacle; it’s a meditation on regret, inevitability, and the bitter cost of survival.

The studio clashed with Peckinpah and released a terrible version in 1973 that was a pale version of Peckinpah’s vision. It was jagged, choppy, and stripped of its emotional weight. Critics panned it. Audiences stayed away. Like many films ahead of their time, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid didn’t stay buried. A bootlegged “preview print” started circulating in the 80s—rougher but far more coherent. It showed what Peckinpah had been aiming for: a slower, sadder, more deliberate tone piece about friendship, death, and the slow extinction of the outlaw soul. Critics and fans alike loved his original version.

In 2005, a “Special Edition” came out, restoring much of what had been lost (though not fully satisfying the purists). Still, it was enough to elevate the film from cult obscurity to a rightful classic. And make no mistake…it IS a classic!

I never thought about cinematography until recently, but John Coquillon did a hell of a job on this movie. It looks beautiful, and the landscapes jump out at you as you watch.

Now let’s talk about the soundtrack by Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan was in the movie and did a good job, but it’s the soundtrack that will be remembered. This isn’t your typical Dylan record. It’s mostly instrumental, often minimalist, and was stitched together for the film. But what you get here is an eerie, atmospheric tone throughout the entire album. Let’s get this out of the way: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door is the anchor, the standout, the one track that broke free and carved a permanent space in classic rock airwaves. It’s a song so simple it feels like it always existed. Unfortunately, it overshadows the other songs, which I like a lot. Billy 1, Turkey Chase, Bunkhouse Theme, and the rest. It’s an album I like to put on and just soak it in and relax.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – Sunset Boulevard

“I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”

I didn’t find this movie until the 90s. In the late eighties, I was watching and reading about every silent movie and artist that I could. Clara Bow, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin were at the top of my list. Back then, you had to get book after more books. I would also find ads in magazines of people selling silent movies on VHS.

In a Keaton book, I saw this as a film credit. I then read some about the great Billy Wilder, director, screenwriter, and producer, and I had to watch it. The movie did not disappoint. Buster’s part was nothing more than a cameo, but the movie more than made up for it. It’s funny how we find some movies. This would be high on top of my movie list. I’ve watched it so many times that I’ve lost count. I always notice something that I didn’t before. I keep hoping a change will happen, Joe will do something different, or just go back home.

Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard isn’t just a film noir. It’s a Hollywood horror story soaked in pool water and silent film ghosts. The real trick Wilder pulls here is making you feel both horror and heartbreak. Norma isn’t really a villain or a relic; she’s an open wound. She’s clinging to her dreams like a one-hit wonder who never got the memo that the charts moved on. And Joe Gillis? He’s the guy who sells out until he’s got nothing left but a typewriter and a guilty conscience.

The movie was released in 1950. By 1950, the first great silent film stars of the 20s were aging, and there was interest in knowing what happened to them. The Norma Desmond character was thought to be a composite of Mary Pickford, who lived her life in seclusion, Clara Bow, who had a mental illness, as well as some other silent greats. The name was a combination of silent-film star Norma Talmadge and silent movie director William Desmond Taylor, who was mysteriously shot and killed… and remains unsolved to this day..

The star of this movie, without a doubt, is Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. When we first meet Norma, we think she is just an over-the-top, egocentric former silent era actress. Slowly, we see what a psychotic existence she lives, and it only gets worse. Norma still thinks she is adored by millions. Her chauffeur, Max Von Mayerling, helps perpetuate this lie. We find out why as the movie goes along, and it is shocking. It will blow up in his face, but he never quits building her up.

The final scene is chilling. Norma Desmond is in a catatonic state, asking for a close-up. Her eyes alone will send a shiver down your spine. The movie is full of great actors and actresses. The focus is on William Holden, Gloria Swanson, and Erich Von Stroheim. Holden was a great actor who appeared in movies such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Stalag 17, and The Wild Bunch. Erich Von Stroheim plays Max, and in the twenties, Erich was a silent movie actor but best remembered as an avant-garde director in the 1920s. Gloria Swanson was a very successful silent movie actress who made a successful move to sound pictures. She also appeared on Broadway in the 40s and 50s. She started many production companies in the 1920s and 30s.

PLOT (Spoilers)

Screenplay writer Joe Gillis was desperately trying to sell his stories, but Hollywood did not want to listen. Joe had talent, but he wasn’t trying to write something great…just something that would sell. He was going to have to return home to Dayton, Ohio, a failure if something didn’t happen and soon. His car was getting repossessed, and he was trying to hide it just for a little while. While being chased by creditors, he parks it in a decrepit old mansion. Little did he know that former silent movie star Norma Desmond still lived there. She used to be a big (“I am big, it’s the pictures that got small”) star.

Joe Gillis ended up being invited to stay to edit Norma’s film screenplay that she wrote. That screenplay was going to be her return to film. One thing leads to another, and Joe ends up being a kept man, and he doesn’t like it one bit. As time goes by, life at Norma’s mansion…it gets darker and darker. Joe is stuck there working on Norma’s horrible screenplay while playing the good boy. He gets new clothes, perks, and is not wanting for anything…except freedom. There is a price to be paid for being kept by Desmond. He sneaks out and sees a young girl whom he writes with and falls for, but cannot break Norma’s grip.

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The movie was written by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder. It was directed by Billy Wilder and released in 1950. This movie is one of the greats. It’s a movie that anyone who is a film fan must watch.

“Alright, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up”

Yes, she was indeed ready…she spent years getting ready for her final starring role. Just not the role you would think.

Omeleto

This won’t be a long post, but it’s something that you might like. I like movies a lot, but I don’t have time to watch a bunch of them. Omeleto is a company that shows short films from different filmmakers. I’ve seen them from 4 minutes to 30 minutes long.

They have every kind of short film you can think of. Time Travel, Sci Fi, Art Films, romantic, action, comedy, thrillers, and more. All the films I’ve seen have high production values. These are not amateurs…these are quality. Many are award-winning shorts. Now, some are hit and miss to me, but worth the short amount of time you put into them. They also come from all parts of the world. I’ve seen some with subtitles, but I’ve seen a lot of Irish and British-made ones as well.

Here is the LINK to their channel.

I’ll recommend two here. One is about a Time Loop with two completely different brothers, and the other is a horror film.

Exit Strategy…a time loop film. 15 minutes long.

This one is a horror short film…19 minutes long.

Max’s Drive-In Movie – The Poseidon Adventure

I watched this around 5 months ago for the first time in about 10 years. Altogether, I’ve seen it around 7 to 8 times. I added another watch since I wanted to post this. Disaster movies are hardly ever on “great” lists, but this is a disaster movie done right. Watching it in hindsight, you wouldn’t think a movie full of stars would be this good. Many times, if you see a lot of stars advertised, they are mostly cameos, but this is not the case with this movie.

I have a weak spot for this kind of movie. Horror and Disaster movies I fall for right away, and yes, I’ve seen a lot of bad movies that way. This one, though, has some smarts to it, and it is enjoyable. The set for this movie must have been super expensive and huge. It’s one of those films that has everything. Gripping adventure scenes, non-stop crises, drama, sadness, and hotpants. I was around 7 (1974) when I saw it on television, and I loved it. It’s a film that offers something for both kids and adults. As I’ve said before, I dislike the word dated, but aside from the clothing styles, it still holds up today. Plus, the special effects have a realism that I prefer over CGI; they just feel more authentic.

It has earned a reputation as the best disaster film of the seventies, not just for its impressive special effects but for its compelling story of survival. The film follows a select group of people fighting to stay alive, and despite some being a bit annoying, you find yourself rooting for them. If you love star power, this movie delivers, featuring Gene Hackman, Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Stella Stevens, Jack Albertson, Roddy McDowall, Leslie Nielsen, and more.

The acting was very good in this, as expected with their talent level. The film was based on Paul Gallico’s 1969 novel of the same name. It follows the journey of passengers and crew trying to escape a capsized luxury ocean liner. The budget was 4.7 million, a great amount back in 1972. It made over 125 million, so it did well. If I had to pick the two stars that had the biggest impact in this movie, it would be Gene Hackman and Ernest Borginine. They developed a rivalry in this movie, and it worked well for the survivors. Shelly Winters also did a good job, along with everyone else. She gained 35 pounds for the part of Belle Rosen. Afterward, she complained that she was never able to get back to her original weight. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

The movie was directed by Ronald Neame. Also, don’t get this one confused with its “sequel” in 1979. That one wasn’t anywhere close to this one.

PLOT

As the Poseidon sails on its final voyage before being retired, a festive New Year’s Eve party is underway. Meanwhile, the ship’s captain reluctantly follows orders from the ship’s owner to maintain high speed despite rough waters. Disaster strikes when a massive tsunami wave hits, flipping the ship upside down.

In the aftermath, a small group of survivors, led by the determined and strong-willed Reverend Frank Scott (Gene Hackman), must navigate their way upward toward the ship’s hull, which is now their only possible escape route.

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