Movies – Page 2 – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

It’s A Wonderful Life

In baseball, you have a closer. A pitcher that comes in the 9th inning and nails it down for his team. This is the Christmas closer. If someone said you can only watch one Christmas movie every year, this one would be it. It’s very close to a long Twilight Zone. I have seen this movie more times than any other, hands down.

This weekend I plan to watch it. I would like to know how many times I’ve seen this movie. I would guess…30+ times now that I think about it. The movie was based on Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story The Greatest Gift, which he self-published as a Christmas card after failing to sell it to a publisher.

The film was initially a box-office disappointment and contributed to the financial struggles of Frank Capra’s Liberty Films. He and Samuel J. Briskin founded Liberty Films in 1945. The movie is now huge but it took years before it really set in pop culture. For years, the film’s copyright lapsed into the public domain, which allowed TV stations to air it frequently, helping it gain its spot in popular culture.

I didn’t watch this great movie until the late 80s. All it took was one time and I haven’t missed a year of watching it. I don’t tear up very easily..but it never fails at the end of the movie when Zuzu says… Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings…it gets me every time. This movie was released in 1946.

Poor George Bailey. All he wanted to do was travel and get out of Bedford Falls to see the world. Every single time he gets close…so close that it hurts…something happens and George ends up doing the right thing.

Bedford Falls needs George Bailey…every town needs a George Bailey but many end up with only a Mr. Potter. There is one thing about this movie which was unusual. Mr. Potter was never punished for what he did…which drew criticism at the time but it was more in line with reality to me. Potter was never won over by the Christmas spirit and I think that helps the movie.

This is a Christmas movie but really only the last part of the movie is about Christmas. It is a movie for any time not just for December. I was thinking of names for our unborn child and couldn’t think of one…I was watching this movie in November of 1999 and it hit me…Bailey…so the movie means more than some movies do.

Donna Reed played Mary Hatch Bailey to perfection. The role was offered to others as well like Olivia de Havilland, Ginger Rogers, and Jean Arthur. I would have been interested to see Jean Arthur in that role. I’m a huge fan of her and Capra used her in some great films but I can’t ever complain about Donna Reed.

Here is a small summary from IMDB…don’t read it…watch the movie instead. If you haven’t seen it…give it a shot…whether it is Christmas or July.

George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint, Mr. Potter, from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George’s modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George’s Uncle Billy loses the business’s $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence coming to earth to help George, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows George what things would have been like if he had never been born.

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Scrooged

Sheila mentioned this movie yesterday while talking about A Christmas Carol. I always wanted to write it up anyway so today is a good day and I thank Sheila for bringing it up. After this review…the name I would like you to remember over any other name is Michael O’Donoghue. He was the key to this movie and Saturday Night Live’s first years. O’Donoghue and Mitch Glazer were credited as the writers of this movie. O’Donoghue hated the finished film and he said that he and Glazer wrote a much better story than was shown. He was such a talented writer and died at an early age. He is not as remembered as much as he should have been.

He claimed that director Richard Donner ruined the film (using only about 40% of his script, eliminating subtler material going for big broad laughs, etc). The writer hated what Murray did with the movie’s final redemption speech. Despite co-writer Glazer imploring the actor to get over his nerves (Murray had been away from movies for four years) and just deliver the words as written, Murray went off on an emotional, big-actor-moment tirade. Glazer actually thought Murray was having a nervous breakdown. After Murray finished that scene…O’Donoghue remarked “What was that? The Jim Jones Hour?” O’Donoghue was a comedy trailblazer with National Lampoon and added dark humor to SNL. When I say dark humor…I mean very dark humor. So much so that Lorne Michaels eventually had to step in and stop O’Donaghue from going too far on SNL.

I do love this movie no matter what O’Donoghue thought. Not only Murray but so many actors and actresses did such a great job. You had Robert Mitchum, Carol Kane, Karen Allen, Michael Pollard, John Forsythe, David Johansen, Bobcat Goldthwait, and so many more. I’m a Bill Murray fan anyway and this movie he was terrific in. This movie is a different take on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and was released in 1988. It has become a cult classic. Christmas is not the same without this movie. I didn’t see it until the late 90s and I attempt to see it before every Christmas. I watch it alongside the glorious Alistair Sim version, for although they are poles apart, they both entertain for very different reasons.

Scrooged marked Bill Murray’s return to a lead role after a four-year hiatus following the success of Ghostbusters. The movie was a moderate hit but since then it has grown in popularity. I also love the closing song…Jackie DeShannon’s Put A Little Love In Your Heart to close it out.

The movie also has some great lines. After Frank Cross played a violent commercial for their version of Scrooge, Bobcat Goldthwait (Eliot Loudermilk) said the commercial looked like the Manson Family Christmas Special.

Frank Cross: Do you think I’m way off base here?
Elliot: Yes. You’re, well, you’re a tad off base, sir. That thing looked like The Manson Family Christmas Special!

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PLOT IMDB (Spoilers)

Frank Cross is the president of IBC Television, a network obsessed with ratings. Frank is a modern-day Scrooge: rude, selfish, and focused only on himself. On Christmas Eve, while preparing for a live broadcast of A Christmas Carol, he fires an employee, Eliot, for questioning his plans. Frank also pushes away his sweet ex-girlfriend, Claire, who still believes in kindness and helping others.

That night, Frank is visited by the ghost of his old boss, Lew Hayward, who warns him to change his ways or suffer terrible consequences. To drive the point home, Frank is told he will meet three ghosts:

The Ghost of Christmas Past: A loudmouthed cab driver who takes Frank back in time to see his lonely childhood and the moment he lost Claire because of his greed.
The Ghost of Christmas Present: A violent, glittery fairy who shows Frank how his selfishness is hurting others, including his assistant Grace and her son, Calvin, who hasn’t spoken since his father died.
The Ghost of Christmas Future: A terrifying, Grim Reaper-like figure who shows Frank what will happen if he doesn’t change—his death will be lonely, and everyone he knows will suffer.

Shaken by these visions, Frank has a change of heart. During the live broadcast, he takes over the show and delivers an emotional speech about love, generosity, and the true meaning of Christmas. He makes amends with Claire, Grace, and even Eliot, and ends the night singing with the cast and crew.

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Bill Murray: “We tore up the script so badly that we had parts all over the lawn, there was a lot I didn’t like. To remake the story, we took the romantic element and built that up a little more. The family scenes (which featured real-life siblings Joel and Brian Doyle Murray) were kind of off, so we worked on that.”

Bill Murray was asked if he had problems with director Richard Donner. He replied “Only a few. Every single minute of the day. That could have been a really, really great movie. The script was so good. There’s maybe one take in the final cut movie that is mine. We made it so fast, it was like doing a movie live. He kept telling me to do things louder, louder, louder. I think he was deaf.”

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A Christmas Carol (1951)

I will be watching this movie this week. It gets me in the mood for Christmas. Alastair Sim is such a pleasure to watch and he is why this is my favorite interpretation of A Christmas Carol.

There have been countless takes on A Christmas Carol, but the 1951 version is something special. It’s not just a holiday movie—it’s a haunting, moving, and uplifting journey that brings home the power of compassion and redemption. Whether it’s your first time watching or your fiftieth, this is the version that truly captures the heart of Dickens’ story. When I think of Scrooge…I think of Alastair Sim.

The movie is in black and white which turns some people off but it makes it that much better to me. They do have a color version but trust me…watch the black-and-white version. It gives the movie a darker feeling. The effects they use are obviously not CGI but they get the point across well and serve the story very well. I like the scene where the ghost of Jacob Marley is warning Ebenezer of being greedy…the two were not on the set at the same time…it looked really good for being 1951…or anytime for that matter.

The film feels like you are stepping into Victorian London…gritty, cold, and yet somehow magical. Scrooge’s transformation feels real, earned, and deeply satisfying. In 1971 Sim voiced the same character in an animated version of A Christmas Carol and it’s great as well.

So get some hot butter rum, sit back, and watch this great movie. The recipe for Hot Buttered Rum is here, or you can go to the bottom of the post. I haven’t tried this recipe but I want to this year. When I was younger I would go to TGI Fridays…they had great hot buttered rum.

From IMDB…spoilers

Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) is a greedy businessman who thinks only of making money. For him, Christmas is, in his own words, a humbug. It has been seven years since his friend and partner, Jacob Marley (Sir Michael Hordern), died and on Christmas Eve. Marley’s ghost tells him he is to be visited during the night by three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Michael Dolan) revisits some of the main events in Scrooge’s life to date, including his unhappy childhood, his happy apprenticeship to Mr. Fezziwig (Roddy Hughes), who cared for his employees, and the end of his engagement to a pretty young woman due to a growing love of money. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Francis De Wolff) shows him how joyously is nephew Fred (Brian Worth) and his clerk, Bob Cratchit (Mervyn Johns), celebrate Christmas with those they love. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Czeslaw Konarski) shows him what he will leave behind after he is gone. Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning, a new man intent on doing good and celebrating the season with all of those around him.

Cast

Alastair Sim (Ebenezer Scrooge)
Kathleen Harrison (Mrs. Dilber)
Mervyn Johns (Bob Cratchit)
Hermione Baddeley (Mrs. Cratchit)
Michael Hordern (Jacob Marley)
Glyn Dearman (Tiny Tim)

Ingredients

2 quarts hot water
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
1 pinch salt
6 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 cups rum
1 cup sweetened whipped cream
ground nutmeg to taste

Directions

Combine hot water, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add cloves and cinnamon sticks.
Cover slow cooker; cook on Low for 5 hours. Stir in rum.
Ladle buttered rum into mugs. Top with whipped cream; dust with nutmeg.

A Complete Unknown… private movie showing

My son Bailey saw a private screening of the new movie about Bob Dylan called A Complete Unknown along with the star of the movie there at the theater as well. His name is Timothée Chalamet and Bob Dylan said he did a great job portraying him.

Bailey did say they got the era down really well. Everything looked right for that time period compared to real footage he had seen. He loves the film. Bailey is probably a bigger Dylan fan than I am and that is saying a lot.

Bailey wrote the following.

I got to see Timothée Chalamet from shorter than arm’s reach. Here are a couple of photos I was lucky enough to get with my phone.

I got to see the film early due to a record store I follow on Instagram promoting free tickets.

A Complete Unknown follows Bob Dylan from 1961 to 1965 as he becomes a folk legend to a rock n roll rebel. The film really lets you see how Dylan progresses with his fame alongside his own character wanting to do what Dylan wants to do. You also get insight into other characters like Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Woodie Guthrie, and Sylvie Russo in their relationship with Dylan.

I was really pleased with how this film paced itself. It wasn’t trying to make a buck out of you. It was trying to make you feel moved. There are times you laugh at a clever witty comment Dylan makes to feeling annoyed like he does with what people want him to be… instead of what he wants to be. The entire film moves you towards the Newport folk music festival in 1965. It was so cathartic with what followed ( I can’t say anymore from here). I really loved every second of it and cannot wait to see it again. It is now one of my favorite films.

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Fantastic Planet

We will take a short break from the Christmas posts.

This is the first animation that I’ve featured on my Drive-In movie series. This is not The Flintstones, The Simpsons, or anything close to normal. I mean that as a compliment…the visual of this movie is fantastic…no pun intended.

In 2012 I was sick with the flu and it was around midnight. I had nothing to do so I remembered a movie that a co-worker wanted me to watch. It was the 1973 movie Fantastic Planet and I was blown away. Bailey, my son, came into the room and asked me what I was watching. He started to watch and couldn’t believe the animation and what it was all about. He was 12 at the time and I was amazed as well. I’ve never seen anything like this movie before or since. I still watch it from time to time and I find things in the film I missed before.

Fantastic Planet (original French title: La Planète Sauvage) is a 1973 French-Czech animated science fiction film directed by René Laloux. The film is known for its surreal, dreamlike visuals and its hidden meanings, which explore themes of oppression, freedom, and coexistence. It’s based on Stefan Wul’s 1957 novel Oms en série, the film became a cult classic, especially in the science fiction and animation communities.

I’ve read some about the making of this movie. The film uses cut-out animation (a form of stop-motion animation using flat characters, props, and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, cards, stiff fabric, or photographs. The props would be cut out and used as puppets for stop motion. ), a labor-intensive method that gives the movie a distinct, dreamy feel. The style was heavily influenced by Roland Topor, a French artist and writer known for his surrealist work, who also co-wrote the screenplay and designed much of the film’s visual style.

It’s very hard to describe this movie or try to put it in words. You would have to watch it yourself. The full French version of the movie is at the bottom, underneath the trailer. Unfortunately there are no english subtitles. My son Bailey now teaches classes at college for his Master’s degree, and he took this movie to show his class. He said they were amazed and lost. They wanted to know more about it, and many said they had never seen anything remotely like it before.

If you are looking for something different…give this a try because it fits that description totally. I think you will be amazed at the animation they used. You also have a very seventies soundtrack which only heightens it to me.

Plot

The film is set on the planet Ygam, where giant blue humanoid aliens known as Draags dominate the planet and keep human-like creatures, called Oms, as pets. Oms are treated as inferior beings, with some Draags experimenting on them or exterminating wild Oms who resist control. Then, an Om boy becomes educated, thanks to a young female Draag. This leads to an Om rebellion, which weakens the Draag control over their race. Will the Oms and the Draags find a way to coexist?

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – Jurassic Park

In 1993 I went to see Jurassic Park and was blown away. I returned two more times and took my Dad to one of the showings. This movie has become part of pop culture and is considered a classic movie. It’s odd thinking of a classic movie that I saw at the theater in real-time.

I’ve always liked dinosaurs since I was a kid but on film, they never looked like I imagined. They usually were claymation or men in suits. I really like claymation a lot on most things but the dinosaurs just never looked right. I do not crave great special effects…the original Star Trek is great to me with its red beams stunning people. They were always able to convey the story and that is enough for me…but dinosaurs were not beams of light or the transporter.

When this movie was released it was shocking. It was a game-changer in so many ways and brought CGI to the forefront. Today younger people can not imagine what it was like seeing dinosaurs come to life that actually matched our imaginations. This is what we were used to.

To see a T-Rex with the new DTS surround sound in a theater was frightening…in a great way though. The most significant change was the way the dinosaurs interacted with their surroundings. This movie benefitted from the new technology…where I think the original Star Wars was not improved by Lucas’s tinkering with CGI trying to improve them.

The movie now is considered a classic for good reason. An island full of dinosaurs who terrorize people… a simple plot but extremely well done. From beginning to end this film is just an enjoyable watch. Back in 1993 when it was released these never-before-seen effects wowed audiences, and even now it still holds up with the animatronics and CGI combo to most things today. When the Brachiosaurus first appeared on the screen, the movie was sealed.

I do believe that CGI can be and has been overused at the expense of a story. In Jurassic Park, they got it right. It still stands up today but now we are so accustomed to CGI that this movie doesn’t get noticed as much…but when it was released everyone took notice and it upped the game in special effects.

Spielberg made the movie after the book Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. I just read it and the movie doesn’t follow the book exactly but does keep the spirit of it. I’ve noticed that the three Jurassic Park movies used some scenes from this book as well. The book was much more bloodier than the film by a large margin.

The reason for the success other than the CGI was that Spielberg kept the plot simple. There were not 100 subplots that you had to follow. Billionaire John Hammond creates a groundbreaking theme park with live dinosaurs cloned from ancient DNA. Before the park opens, Hammond invites expert paleontologists Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler, mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm, and his grandchildren for a preview tour. However, when a greedy employee sabotages the park’s security systems, the dinosaurs escape containment, creating chaos.

The actors were good and the children didn’t over act too much at all. It was a balanced cast and a well-made film.

Quotes

John Hammond: All major theme parks have delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked!
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but, John, if The Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don’t eat the tourists.

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John Hammond: I don’t think you’re giving us our due credit. Our scientists have done things which nobody’s ever done before…
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.

The trailer was fantastic. They showed you just enough of the dinosaurs to make you want to see the film.

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles

After looking at John Candy’s movies on IMDB I can’t help but think that a lot of his movies were not up to his talent level. This one is great though.

This is my go-to Thanksgiving movie, along with The Last Waltz. Steve Martin and John Candy are a great team in this comedy. Personally, I think this is John Candy’s greatest movie. I watch it every year and always look forward to it. The heartwarming ending never fails to get to me.

The movie is full of great scenes and some good lines from Candy and Martin. John Candy can make me laugh with just a look on his face. The guy was a great comedian and a really good actor.

John Hughes is the Director and writer. He shot over 3 hours and had to edit it down. Below is a short plot. For those who haven’t seen it…you are missing a funny movie. It was rated R because of a one-minute scene with the F-Bomb used 18 times by mostly Martin. The movie was released in 1987.

John Hughes was the 1980s. I was expecting a credit that read: 1980’s – Directed by John Hughes. Hughes had a certain style that you can see in his movies. A lot of delayed timing routines from The Breakfast Club to Uncle Buck.

I do wish Candy and Martin would have done another movie together.

By the way….there is a new extended version of the movie that has been released that has over 75 minutes of extra footage.

Some great quotes:

Neal: Del… Why did you kiss my ear?
Del: Why are you holding my hand?
Neal: [frowns] Where’s your other hand?
Del: Between two pillows…
Neal: Those aren’t pillows!

Del: You play with your balls a lot.
Neal: I do NOT play with my balls.
Del: Larry Bird doesn’t do as much ball-handling in one night as you do in an hour!
Neal: Are you trying to start a fight?
Del: No. I’m simply stating a fact. That’s all. You fidget with your nuts a lot.
Neal: You know what’d make me happy?
Del: Another couple of balls, and an extra set of fingers?

For those who know the movie…

YOU’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!

Short Plot

In New York, a marketing executive Neal Page wants to travel home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. He has difficulties getting a taxi and his flight is canceled. He meets in the airport the clumsy and talkative shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith who has taken his cab and they travel side-by-side to Chicago. However the bad weather shuts down O’Hare Airport and they land at Wichita, Kansas. They both want to go to Chicago and they decide to travel together. Neal is cursed/blessed with the presence of Del Griffith, shower curtain ring salesman and all-around blabbermouth who is never short of advice, conversation, bad jokes, or company.

Along their journey, Neal changes his viewpoint about Del Griffith and his own behavior.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093748/

Marx Brothers – Monkey Business

If I had to rank Marx Brothers movies…this would come in at around 3 or maybe 4. In other words, it’s a great movie. They have 7 movies I would recommend to anyone. This movie was their third movie. The first two were Broadway hit plays. This one is when they left Broadway but some of the same writers wrote for them. They did not try this out in front of audiences.

The brothers were in vaudeville from the early 1900s to 1924 when they finally made it to Broadway in a play called “She Say’s It Is”. Broadway audiences had never seen anything like them. They literally tore up the stage by being so energetic. The brothers’ names were Julius (Groucho), Adolph (Harpo), Leonard (Chick-o), and Herbert (Zeppo). They had another brother who was not in the act Milton (Gummo) but acted at times as their agent.

Groucho was always in a power position in the plays and movies. Harpo and Chico would be there to take him down a few notches. Zeppo would be the straight man. Harpo, of course, would play the harp in a musical part, Chico would play the piano and Groucho would sometimes play the guitar…but the comedy is what everyone came to see. They made five movies for Paramount: Coconuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers and Duck Soup. These movies were anarchist chaos. After 1933 they signed a deal with MGM and their movies were tamed down to have more of a storyline… two of them were great but never matched the wildness of the Paramount movies

Monkey Business is them loose on a ship as stowaways. It was directed by Norman Z. McLeod, and the screenplay was written by S.J. Perelman, Will B. Johnstone, and Arthur Sheekman, who adapted the Marx Brothers’ comedy style to a film format. This movie was not tested in front of audiences like their first two were. It’s them hiding from the ship’s crew and getting involved with gangsters. The Marx Brothers movies are the only movies that I would not worry about the storyline…let them go and do their thing.

One of the most iconic scenes involves the brothers attempting to pass through immigration by impersonating Maurice Chevalier, using a stolen passport, and singing “You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me.”That song was a huge hit back in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The movie was a smash hit with the critics and audiences in 1931.

Below I have the full movie and a fun clip of Groucho’s insults.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – Kentucky Fried Movie

The reason I thought about this movie again was I was reading a Quentin Tarantino interview and he mentioned how much he liked it. It is in his favorite movie list. I hadn’t seen it since around 2012 or so. I rewatched it and enjoyed it a lot.

I read about this movie a lot and finally got to see it in the 1980s. It’s close to a rated R Saturday Night Live episode set in a movie with no audience. They have fake newscasts, commercials, movie trailers (Catholic High School Girls In Trouble), and almost everything else. It’s 1970s skit humor very close to SNL with the first cast. Some skits work really well and some skits don’t…just like most skit-based shows. I also would compare some of the humor with Airplane! and Naked Gun. This movie does include nudity and dark humor.

The film was directed by John Landis and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker (who later created The Naked Gun series). You will see familiar faces but not well-known except for a few cameos by Donald Sutherland, Bill Bixby, and George Lazenby. Tony Dow also makes a cameo playing his old character Wally Cleaver in the skit Courtroom.

The Zucker brothers (David and Jerry) and Jim Abrahams were the creative team behind the film. They had originally been performing a live comedy show called “The Kentucky Fried Theater” in Madison, Wisconsin, in the early 1970s. The success of their live sketches inspired them to translate that format into a film. This was going on across the nation along with the National Lampoon Magazine which inspired a different kind of skit comedy than the Carol Burnett Show.

I really hate the word “dated.” This goes back to a modern movie critic saying “Vanishing Point” was dated. Hmmm, a movie set and filmed in the 1970s with a 1970s theme and style…who would have thought that? When you watch a movie like this one…you have to put yourself in that mindset of when it was made. I understand that some comedy styles change but some things are funny…and some are not… regardless of when they were made. In other words, it’s not “politically correct.”

I have seen some “first reaction” videos of this movie from young people who were watching it for the first time. They were very positive which surprised me. Of course, they gave warnings because of the darkness but liked it.

The budget was $600,000 and it made 7.1 million dollars at Drive-Ins across America. I won’t include a plot since it contains different skits.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – The Shootist

When I watch this movie I marvel at the talent on the screen. John Wayne, Ron Howard, Jimmy Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Scatman Crothers, John Carradine, and more. I watched it as a teenager in the 1980s at some point. The movie was released in 1976.

I really, really like this movie a lot and have liked it from the first time I saw it. Along with Wayne, it is fun seeing Ron Howard in his role here. No, it’s not the Clint Eastwood trilogy or John Wayne’s own The Searchers but a really good film.

This film has John Wayne at the end of his long career and Ron Howard at the beginning of his adult career. This was John Wayne’s final role before he died later. Wayne was battling cancer in real life during the film’s production, adding a poignant parallel to real life.

It was directed by Don Siegel and is based on the 1975 novel by Glendon Swarthout. The movie is set in 1901 and follows the story of J.B. Books (played by Wayne), an aging and ailing gunfighter who learns he has terminal cancer. Determined to face his final days with dignity, Books seeks peace but becomes embroiled in conflicts that challenge his desire for a quiet end.

James Stewart had not made a film for five years. He agreed to play the doctor as a favor to John Wayne and his hearing was getting bad by then.

Don Siegel was a very successful director. Some of Siegel’s huge movies came with Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Coogan’s Bluff (1968), Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), Dirty Harry (1971), and Escape from Alcatraz (1979). Siegel was known for his direct no-nonsense directing and ability to draw performances from his actors. Clint Eastwood said he was one of his mentors.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – The Truman Show

When I saw this 1998 movie I did with trepidation because of Jim Carrey. There is only so much of his comedy I can take at once but this was completely different. He did more of a serious turn in this movie and I must admit he was great. I’m not the world’s biggest Jim Carrey fan at all but this movie is brilliant.

Carey plays Truman Burbank, a man who unknowingly lives his entire life in a meticulously crafted, 24/7 reality TV show, with his every move broadcast to a global audience. I try to find themes in movies and this one explores themes of manipulation, personal freedom, commercialism, and the power of free will that wins out.

This movie was like looking into the future…a bleak near future. The Kardashians and others followed showed “real life” (heavy sarcasm) and delivered Warhol’s 15-minute fame theory in the worst possible way. To be honest…I’m honestly amazed that this movie’s plot hasn’t been tried.

Truman Burbank lives a seemingly perfect life in Seahaven, a fictional island town somewhere that is mixed between the 1950s and the 1990s. He was unaware that his entire existence was being broadcast to millions around the world. Every person he interacts with, including his wife, best friend, and co-workers, is an actor playing a role. As Truman begins to notice inconsistencies and strange events like a stage light falling from the “sky” and his wife advertising products mid-conversation…he starts to question his reality.

The film builds towards a powerful climax as Truman embarks on a journey of self-discovery and challenges the artificial world he has been confined to, sailing across the set’s ocean (which he is scared of) in search of freedom. Funny, he wanted to see the world but didn’t know the world was watching him being born, his first step, his first kiss, his marriage, and his escape.

This is a SPOILER but the most poignant thing about the movie to me is when he decides to go to the real world and the show ends. All of those people who bought Truman merchandise and tuned in through the years applauded and said hmm… what’s on another channel? They moved on quickly without a thought or care…and hopefully, Truman did the same.

I have so many feelings about this movie. After I watched it for the first time I took a second look in the mirror and the consistent things in my life and thought hmm what if? And you know what? There IS something called The Truman Syndrome… Psychologists later identified a phenomenon called “The Truman Show Delusion” where individuals believe their lives are being staged and broadcast.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – A Clockwork Orange

This movie changed me when I was a teenager. It made me realize the power that a movie can have. Just a few movies have moved me like that, and this was one of them. Platoon and Full Metal Jacket were two others. I had seen violence before on the screen but this was realistic and brutal…especially when you are a very young guy (too young to watch this) viewing it for the first time. I had to rethink many things after seeing it.

I love the soundtrack, especially the music performed on a Moog synthesizer, which set the tone for the film. I’m not giving a synopsis of the movie…there are plenty of books and internet sites doing that… but a movie that will change you does its job and more. This film was directed by the great Stanley Kubrick and you know it’s his movie within 30 seconds of the intro.

There is a story about a frog and a scorpion, which I relate to this movie. It goes like this. A scorpion asks a frog to carry it across a river. The frog hesitates, afraid of being stung, but the scorpion argues that if it did so, they would both drown. Considering this, the frog agrees, but midway across the river, the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When the frog asks the scorpion why, the scorpion replies that it is in its nature to do so.

This movie runs the gamut…cruelty, horror, the absurd, violence, pity, and justice. In my opinion, this movie shows that evil exists in all of us and what happens if we let it take over. Also, I think the movie shows you that no one can change someone’s nature no matter what drugs or treatment you may give them outside of a lobotomy. Treatment and drugs may slow them down and help but their nature is not going to change. They will at least have to keep fighting it every day.

In the end, A Clockwork Orange challenges viewers to consider human freedom and the ethics of “curing” people against their will. This movie has been analyzed to death and rightly so. It could have only been made in the period it was made. I can’t imagine this movie coming out now…although I wish more modern filmmakers would take chances.

The scene that stick with me are the record shop scene, the Billy Boy gang fight, Singing in the Rain, and of course the eye scene… The record shop scene was filmed in the Chelsea Drugstore… I would love to have a room like that place. Very 60’s-70s futuristic…immortalized in the Stones’s “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”…The building is now sadly a McDonalds…modern progress?

Malcolm McDowell as Alex was excellent in this movie along with his droogs Pete (Michael Tarn), Georgie (James Marcus), and Dim (Warren Clarke).

Plot from IMDB

Alex DeLarge is an “ultraviolent” youth in futuristic Britain. As with all luck, his eventually runs out and he’s arrested and convicted of murder. While in prison, Alex learns of an experimental program in which convicts are programmed to detest violence. If he goes through the program, his sentence will be reduced and he will be back on the streets sooner than expected. But Alex’s ordeals are far from over once he hits the streets of Britain.

The cool car is an Adams Probe 16 AB/4 that was referred to as a Durango 95 in the film has been restored…

The Record Shop (Chelsea Drugstore)

Adams Probe 16 AB/4

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Halloween

Que that spooky piano part now. This 1978 film is a horror classic that I still enjoy watching. While I’m at it…Happy Halloween Everyone! Sometimes, sequels can ruin a franchise and it gets silly. We sometimes forget how great the original is. I’m not a fan of the no-brain slasher movies that followed this.

From the very beginning, Halloween grabs your attention with its eerie, minimalist score—also composed by Carpenter himself. The haunting piano melody sets the tone for the entire film, creating a sense of dread even before it begins. It’s one of those soundtracks that sticks with you long after the credits roll. The two main leads…Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence do an excellent job. I’ve liked Pleasence in anything he has done.

What’s surprising about Halloween after rewatching it, is how little blood and gore is actually shown. The movie relies more on atmosphere and suspense than graphic violence, which is why it remains such an effective horror film today. Carpenter’s use of shadows, lighting, and camera angles makes everything feel off-kilter. Halloween doesn’t go overboard with its horror… just enough to leave a sense of unease.

There are little things as well that this movie does well. Before it all starts Lauire (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Annie (Nancy Kyes) are smoking a joint in a car while Michael is following them. While this was going on…Don’t Fear The Reaper was playing on the radio faintly. Annie’s dad is the sheriff and his name is Brackett. Dr Loomis (Donald Pleasence) tells him that he and his town better be worried. Michael Myers escaped a facility and was headed toward the town where Myers lived when he killed his sister when he was a kid.

This is another movie that has been ingrained in pop culture. After this film, there was a part 2. John Carpenter did not want to make it but was sued to make it. He made sure to blow Myers up in the 2nd film and part 3 had nothing to do with Myers. Halloween II was written by Carpenter and Debra Lee…the two who wrote Halloween. He refused to direct it and he never liked it. “I had to come up with something. I think it was, perhaps, a late night fueled by alcoholic beverages, was that idea. A terrible, stupid idea! But that’s what we did.”

Rob Zombie remade the film in 2007 and a sequel with much more blood and gore. He traded mystic for the obvious, which didn’t work as well for me…but I’m glad he put a little more reason on why Michael did what he did.

Plot IMDB

The year is 1963, the night: of Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that 15-year-old Judith Myers has been stabbed to death by her 6-year-old brother, Michael. After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out on the night before Halloween. No one knows, nor wants to find out, what will happen on October 31st, 1978, besides Myers’ psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it’ll be too late for many people.

Quotes

Loomis: I met him, 15 years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this… six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and… the blackest eyes – the Devil’s eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil.

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Brackett: I have a feeling that you’re way off on this.
Loomis: You have the wrong feeling.
Brackett: You’re not doing very much to prove me wrong!
Loomis: What more do you need?
Brackett: i going to take a lot more than fancy talk to keep me up all night crawling around these bushes.
Loomis: I-I-I watched him for fifteen years, sitting in a room, staring at a wall; not seeing the wall, looking past the wall; looking at this night, inhumanly patient, waiting for some secret, silent alarm to trigger him off. Death has come to your little town, Sheriff. Now, you can either ignore it, or you can help me to stop it.
Brackett: More fancy talk.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – Carrie

Next to The Shining, this is my favorite King adaptation.

Carrie is a 1976 horror film directed by Brian De Palma, based on Stephen King’s 1974 debut novel of the same name. He used many techniques in this movie that put it over the top. Split screens, slow motion, and vivid color contrast just to name a few.

It is one of the most iconic films in the horror genre and focuses on subjects like bullying, supernatural powers, and revenge. It’s so easy to relate to because in high school we have all been through embarrassing things…getting pig blood dumped on you…probably not but we can relate with Carrie. We know the good people and we have known the bad people in this movie. We also know the popular cliques and the not-so-popular cliques. The girls that were out of reach and the ones that were.

The story revolves around Carrie White, a shy and socially awkward high school girl who is mercilessly bullied by her classmates. Raised by an overbearing, fanatically religious mother, Carrie leads a lonely and repressed life. After experiencing a traumatic event at school, she discovers that she has telekinetic powers. The situation escalates when her classmates cruelly prank her at the senior prom. In a moment of intense emotion, Carrie uses her powers to take a horrifying revenge on those who tormented her.

Sissy Spacek starred in this film and was perfect in the role. Piper Laurie portrayed her mother with an exaggerated, fanatically religious fervor. Laurie’s portrayal of a zealot was intentionally over-the-top, adding to the film’s tone. . The movie also launched the film careers of Nancy Allen and Amy Irving who both went on to star in many movies.

In 1976 my class went to see Charlotte’s Web at the theater. On the wall were movie posters of Carrie. Since then I’ve always associated them with each other. As a 9-year-old, seeing a teenager covered with blood with an evil look made me want to see it. I didn’t get to see it until almost a decade later. It was worth the wait!

Both Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie received Academy Award nominations for their performances, a rarity for the horror genre.

This story has been remade in 3 different movies. This one in 1976, 2002, and a remake in 2013. I’ve watched all of them…trust me on this…this is the best version out there at least to me.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror

I love silent movies but I wasn’t prepared for this one. I’d heard it was scary but I thought…how scary could a 1922 film be? I think the comedy of Keaton and Chaplin is some of the best comedy to this day but horror?

It was a great surprise with this one. The one word I would use is shadows…they make great use of them in this one. With the film stock they use plus that grainy look…it does make this vampire frightening. Some prints are tinted blue and yellow in some scenes. Nosferatu himself works well as a different-looking Dracula.

The first time I saw it was with my son who found out about it in high school. I tracked it down and bought a copy around 2017 or so. We were both impressed by this movie and it’s just so creepy and disturbing. Yes, you have to follow the subtitles of course but it isn’t filled with them.

Some people avoid silent or foreign films but try this one out. It’s only an hour and twenty minutes. You can see it for free on YouTube. There is another adaptation coming out this Christmas.

It’s a wonder we have this film at all. This was an unauthorized adaptation of Dracula by Bram Stroker. Since the production company, Prana-Film did not secure rights from Stoker’s estate, they changed some elements—Count Dracula became Count Orlok, and the settings were shifted from England to Germany. However, the film’s narrative remained close to the novel.

After the film’s release, Florence Stoker, Bram Stoker’s widow, sued the producers for copyright infringement. The court ruled in her favor, ordering the destruction of all copies of the film. However, several prints survived, allowing the film to gain recognition over the years.

PLOT

Wisborg, Germany-based estate agent Knock dispatches his associate, Hutter, to Count Orlok’s castle in Transylvania as the Count wants to purchase an isolated house in Wisborg. They plan on selling him the one across the way from Hutter’s own home. Hutter leaves his innocent wife, Ellen, with some friends while he is away. Hutter’s trek is an unusual one, with many locals not wanting to take him near the castle where strange events have been occurring. Once at the castle, Hutter sells the house to Orlok, but he also notices and feels unusual occurrences, primarily feeling like there is a dark shadow hanging over him, even in the daytime when Orlok is usually asleep.

Hutter eventually sees the Count’s sleeping chamber in a crypt, and based on a book he has recently read, believes the Count is really a vampire or Nosferatu. While Hutter is trapped in the castle, the Count, hiding in a shipment of coffins, makes his way to Wisborg, causing death along his way, which most attribute to the plague. Hutter himself tries to rush home to save his town and most importantly save Ellen from Nosferatu’s imminent arrival. In Wisborg, Ellen can feel the impending darkness as Nosferatu gets closer. But she learns that a sinless woman can sacrifice herself to kill the vampire. Will Hutter be able to save Ellen, either from Nosferatu and/or her self-sacrifice?

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