Film: Pushing Tin (1999)

 VUDU: Streaming

Review: Entertaining film about two feuding air traffic controllers, played by John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton, who move their competition at work into their personal lives. Written by Glen and Les Charles, the creators of Cheers, the story captures the stressful work environment and crazy personality types who control the busy skies over New York.

Quotes:
"Ed, can you take that Delta?"
"No, I can't take the Delta, my airspace is finite."
"Uh-oh, Ed's going down the drain."
"I am NOT going down the drain."
"Oh yes you are. It happens every time you use the term 'finite'."

"Now are you going to give me a vector or am I going to have to find New York by the smell?"
"Oh, all right. Sparta 753 turn left heading zero-seven-zero, maintain two-thousand till localizer. Cleared ILS runway four."
"ILS runway four. Hey, let's have dinner some time, Control. I want to see if you are as ugly as you sound."
"OK, as long as I can find a place where we don't need shoes. Now will your pig be dining with you or will you be sleeping alone?"

"Sir, will you please sit down! The Captain is in control of the plane!"
"Oh, you think the Captain is in control? Now THAT would really scare me!"

"I'm personally going to see to it that you go down in flames!"
"What?"
"Negative, United. That was not to you. Not to you!"

"If you ever want to sleep at night, don't marry a beautiful girl."

4 out 5 Stars

Film: The Rocketeer (1991)

Blu-Ray


Review: A fun superhero film about a pilot who finds a rocket-pack stolen from Howard Hughes' factory during the build up to World War II. While learning to fly it, Clifford finds himself trying to avoid the Feds, the Mafia and a famous actor who all want it for themselves. Timothy Dalton plays Neville Sinclair, the suave Errol Flynn look-alike, who attempts to seduce Cliff's struggling actress girlfriend in attempt to get his hands on this ingenious invention.

Quotes:
"Keep her straight, keep her level. It's your first time up, so don't do anything interesting."
"Who, me?"
"And remember, she stalls out at about a hundred. So keep the air speed up. Otherwise, you're gonna be drifting around all over the sky. And if the ailerons start to shimmy..."
"Peevy, I have flown a plane or two in my life."
"Not like this one, you haven't. This one's... This one's a handful. You sneeze in this thing and you're gonna end up upside-down in a bean field. You treat her nice, Clifford. She's gonna take us all the way to the nationals."

"I will remind you boys that I don't work for the government. I cooperate at my discretion. Two of my best pilots were killed during the test phase. God knows how many more men would have died if it had flown. No, gentlemen, I'm sorry I ever dreamed the damn thing up."
"Sir, I'd wish you'd reconsider. What do we tell the President?"
"Tell him the dream is over. Tell him Howard Hughes said so."

"Peevy, you'd pay to see a man fly, wouldn't you?"
"Ha! You've gotta be outta your mind!"
"Look, I'm talking about making some real money here, Peevy. Not just ten bucks a show, but enough to get us back on our feet and into the nationals."
"Are your eyes painted on, Clifford? This thing's like strapping nitroglycerin to your back. Did you see what this thing did back there?"
"Well, you're always telling me what a genius you are, Peev! Fix it!"
"We're gonna need one hell of a lawyer."
"I think we're gonna need a helmet."

"How do I look?"
"Like a hood ornament."

"Give me one good reason why I should believe any of this."
"Because if anything ever happened to you, I'd go out of my mind. I swear I would."
"Oh."

"I've finally played a scene with Neville Sinclair."

"My God. Neville Sinclair is a..."
"A what? Spy? Saboteur? A Fascist? All of the above."

"Talk fast, Sinclair."
"C'mon, Eddie. I'm paying you well. Does it really matter who I work for?"
"It matters to me. I may not make an honest buck, but I'm 100% American. And I don't work for no two-bit Nazi. Let her go."

"I've been meaning to ask you. What was it like, strapping that thing to your back and flying like a bat out of hell?"
"It's the closest I'll ever get to heaven, Mr. Hughes. Well... maybe not."
"See you around, Rocketeer."

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: Rambo (2008)

Blu-Ray


Review: After a twenty year gap since the third movie, this last sequel is a hybrid cross between Rambo's character in the first film and the two sequels. Rambo is now old and beaten down, living a quiet, isolated life in Thailand and making a living catching snakes along the river. At first reluctant when a missionary group requests his help to enter Burma, he finally agrees to take them across the border on his boat. After the missionaries are taken captive by the Burmese Army, he agrees to escort a mercenary team back up river to recover them. Sylvester Stallone directs this sequel and isn't afraid to show the brutal treatment of the Karen people by the Burmese Army and Rambo's bloody retribution. After the first film, this is my favorite as it avoids a lot of the cheesiness of the middle two.

Quotes:
"These boys are now our soldiers! They belong to me now! If you try to get them back, your whole village will burn! If you ask the Karen Rebels for help, I will cut out your tongues! If you go against me, I will feed you your intestines! Hear me, believe me, and fear me!"

"Burma's a warzone."
"Well, that's what people call it, but it's more like genocide than war. Anyway, this will be my fifth trip in, so we're aware of the risks."
"I don't go that far north."
"Let me explain our situation. Our church is part of a pan-Asian ministry, located in Colorado. We are all volunteers who, around this time of year, bring in medical supplies, medical attention, prayer books, and support to the Karen tribespeople. People say you know the river better than anyone."
"They ain't lying."
"So what I'm asking is that we compensate you for a few hours of your time that will help change people's lives."
"Are you bringing any weapons?"
"Of course not."
"You're not changing anything."
"Well, it's thinking like that that keeps the world the way it is."
"Fuck the world."

"Am I boring you, mate? Or is it... is it the trip? Has it got you nervous? 'Cause really, you should appreciate the action, you know what I mean? Got to be better than looking at the ass end of a snake... You really are an uptight bastard, aren't you? You can drop the thousand-yard stare. I've seen it all before, and I'm not impressed."

"One man and a kid? You've got to be fucking joking! This all the rebels put up?"
"I'm not liking it."
"You're in the jungle, puss-nuts. There's nothing to like."

"Any of you boys want to shoot, now's the time. There isn't one of us that doesn't want to be someplace else. But this is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing, or die for something. Your call."

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: The Rock (1996)

Blu-Ray


Review: This is one of Michael Bay's few good movies, probably because it was one of his first films and he was more restrained from his later excess. Bay is famous for his action scenes, well-shot but senseless since he seems to have scripts written around his action set-pieces instead of the other way round. In "The Rock", he has three great actors bringing their 'A' game and a fun, energetic script that isn't overwhelmed by unnecessary action scenes. After Ed Harris' Marine General takes over Alcatraz Island and threatens San Francisco with chemical weapons, the government sends Nicholas Cage, a WMD expert to help disarm them with the only convict who escaped the famous prison, Sean Connery, as a guide.

Quotes:
"I'm one of those fortunate people who like my job, sir. Got my first chemistry set when I was seven, blew my eyebrows off, we never saw the cat again, been into it ever since."

"The men of marine force recon are selected to carry out illegal operations throughout the world. When they don't come home, their families are told fairy tales about what happened to them... and denied compensation. Well, I have choked on these lies my entire career. Well here and now the lies stop!"

"Have you ever been in a combat situation before?"
"Define combat, sir."
"An incursion underwater to re-take an impregnable fortress held by an elite team of U.S. Marines, in possession of eighty-one hostages and fifteen guided rockets loaded with V-X poison gas."
"Oh. In that case, no sir."

"Major Anderson, if you have any concern for the lives of your men, you will order them to safety their weapons and place them on the deck."
"Sir, we know why you're out here. God knows, I agree with you. But like you, I swore to defend this country against all enemies, foreign, sir... and domestic."

"You enjoying this?"
"Well, it's certainly more enjoyable than my average day... reading philosophy, avoiding gang rape in the washrooms... though, it's less of a problem these days. Maybe I'm losing my sex appeal."

"You've been around a lot of corpses. Is that normal?"
"What, the feet thing?"
"Yeah, the feet thing."
"Yeah, it happens."
"Well I'm having a hard time concentrating. Can you do something about it?"
"Like what, kill him again?"

"What is wrong with these people, huh? Mason? Don't you think there's a lot of, uh, a lot of anger flowing around this island? Kind of a pubescent volatility? Don't you think? A lot of angst, a lot of 'I'm sixteen, I'm angry at my father' syndrome? I mean, grow up! We're stuck on an island with a bunch of violence-for-pleasure-seeking psychopathic marines, SHAME-ON-THEM!"

"You know, I like history too, and maybe when this is all over you and I can stop by the souvenir shop together but right now I just... I just wanna find some rockets!"

"I'm not about to kill 80,000 innocent people! Do you think I'm out of my fucking mind? We bluffed, they called it. The mission is over."
"Excuse me, general... but what about the fucking money?"
"There is no fucking money. The mission's over."
"Bullshit, it's over!"
"You're talking to a General, marine! Maintain discipline."
"I'm not a marine, Major. The day we took hostages, we became mercenaries. And mercenaries get paid. I want my FUCKING money!"

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

DVD: Anamorphic


Review: This is a fun film about a lovable loser who saves his mall from a gang of thieves. This came out right around the same time as Seth Rogan's "Observe and Report" but it is much lighter and has less replay value than that brilliant black comedy about a more arrogant mall cop with delusions of grandeur.

Quotes:
"If you remember one thing from today, it's this: the mind is the only weapon that doesn't need a holster."

"What are you trained to do?"
"Nothing..."

"No one wins with a headbutt."

"Thank you sir, but I think I'm going to stick with what I do best. That's protecting the people of the West Orange Pavilion Mall."

3 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: Rambo III (1988)

DVD: Enhanced 16x9


Review: The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan is considered their version of the Vietnam War so it is fitting that Rambo joins the fight to rescue his captured friend, Col. Trautman. I think Rambo III is slightly better than the second and a source for much of the hilarious parody in "Hot Shots! Part Duex".

This film is an interesting companion piece to the excellent "Charlie Wilson's War". It is sad that the Mujahideen protrayed so sympathetically in these two films would squander their victory over the Russians by embarking on a destructive civil war that didn't end until the Taliban took power.

Quotes:
"Rambo, something went wrong."
"What happened?"
"Soviets intercepted the team just over the border. From what we gathered, Trautman and the rest of his party have been taken to a regional command post."
"What are you doing about it?"
"We can't do anything about it. I'm sorry. I just thought you should have known."

"You don't look like you are with the military."
"I'm not."
"What you are, mercenary?"
"No."
"You are not with the military, you are not mercenary. What are you? Lost tourist?"
"I'm no tourist."

"This is Afghanistan. Alexander the Great tried to conquer this country. Then Genghis-Khan, then the British. Now Russia, but the Afghan people fight hard. They never be defeated. Ancient enemy make a prayer about these people. Do you wish to hear?"
"Mmm-hhm."
"Very good. It says, may God deliver us from the venom of the cobra, the teeth of the tiger and the vengeance of the Afghan. Do you understand what this means?"
"That you guys don't take any shit."
"Yes, something like this."

"How's the wound?"
"You taught us to ignore pain, didn't ya?"
"Is it working?"
"Not really."

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Paradise (1982)

DVD: Anamorphic


Review: This is a "Blue Lagoon" clone that takes place in the Arabian desert, but I think this is better film because Phoebe Cates is a much more talented actress than Brooke Shields and I am a fan of Willie Aames from "Charles in Charge." While Phoebe is famous for her topless scene in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" that came out the same year, that was nothing compared to the amount of skin she shows here in her first film.

Quotes:
"Al Aziz, I delivered them into your hands as agreed. I demand my payment."
"Payment? For what? The girl escaped. There is little else of value."
"You have captured many women, Al Aziz. They will bring you a good price. One less will not make you a poor man."
"The English girl will not be for sale. She's for me."

"We shouldn't be looking at this."
"Why not?"
"Could be a sin."
"But their beautiful. How could looking at something so beautiful be a sin?"
"My father said it was wrong to look upon nakedness."
"Well, this is a book for doctors. Doctors have to look at you with no clothes on."
"The doctors have no clothes on?"
"Ha! No! You have no clothes on. Doctor's dressed."

"We'll look again tomorrow. The girl can not be far away."
"Lying English! Who would think that he would send us on a false trail."
"Indeed. He died more braver than I thought."

"I couldn't believe it. I looked up and this ugly woman comes in and I thought, 'Oh God, not another one!' And it was you. You were fantastic."

3 out of 5 Stars

Film: Rocky Balboa (2006)

DVD: Anamorphic


Review: This is an amazing final sequel for the Rocky films. I think without the television success of Sylvestor's entertaining boxing show, The Contender, this movie would never have been made. Stallone understands this role better than any other and it shows in the great writing as Rocky struggles after the death of his wife. Burt Young brings great pathos and comic relief as Paulie. The best part about this movie is that it washes out the bad taste of Rocky V. Now you can pretend that chapter never existed.

Quotes:
"Time goes by too fast."
"Not fast enough."

"What's the matter with you, Paulie?"
"You're living backwards, Rocko! Change the channel from yesterday! Yesterday wasn't so great!"
"It was to me."
"Not to me!"
"You treated her good. You had the good times. I treated her bad. I don't have to think about this."
"She always loved you, Paulie."
"Sorry, Rocko, I can't do this no more."

"Hey, come on. We're about to serve today's special."
"Italian food cooked up by a bunch of Mexicans ain't so special, Rocko."

"So you nervous about the fight?"
"Scared to death."
"You don't look scared."
"Well, I ain't supposed to."
"Then you don't have to do it."
"Yeah, well, I think I do."

"You know all there is to know about fighting, so there's no sense us going down that same old road again. To beat this guy, you need speed - you don't have it. And your knees can't take the pounding, so hard running is out. And you got arthritis in your neck, and you've got calcium deposits on most of your joints, so sparring is out."
"I had that problem."
"So, what we'll be calling on is good ol' fashion blunt force trauma. Horsepower. Heavy-duty, cast-iron, piledriving punches that will have to hurt so much they'll rattle his ancestors. Every time you hit him with a shot, it's gotta feel like he tried kissing the express train. Yeah! Let's start building some hurtin' bombs!"

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: Play It to the Bone (2000)

DVD: Enhanced 16x9


"This is Joe, fellas. You guys ever take a fight on short notice?"
"How short?"
"Six o'clock tonight. I need two guys. You put on a really good show... You guys never fought each other, right?"
"Well, for money you mean?"

Review: I didn't care for this movie the first time I saw it, but now I love it. Ron Shelton does the same thing for boxing in this film that he did for baseball and golf in "Bull Durham" and "Tin Cup". I like that he casts and writes for attractive, older women. Lolita Davidovich is just as perfect as Susan Sarandon and Rene Russo were in his earlier movies. Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas have good chemistry as two over-the-hill fighters with one last chance for a title shot.

"I don't know if I can fight him. You know, I'm afraid I'm gonna freeze up and pull my punches. You know? We're tight. It's like... Uh, the worst thing you wanna feel in the ring is compassion."
"Vince, all you need is the bell."

"Grace, if you have to bet on tonight's fight, uh, who do you think is gonna win? Me or Vince? No bullshit about it."
"He's gonna kick your ass."
"No."
"Too much experience."
"I'm quicker."
"He can take a punch. He'll slip your jab, work your body and he's a great counterpuncher. I'm sorry, Ces. Just circle to the left and you'll be okay."
"Circle to the left."
"Yeah."
"Well... But, uh, who is the better lover? Me or Vince?"
"No contest. You."

"How old are you?"
"Twenty."
"Another five years, you're gonna be sucked out, fucked out, doped out, lookin' for a handout."
"Oh, but what a five years, huh?"

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Pitch Black (2000)

DVD: Anamorphic


"He just escaped from a maximum prison."
"So do we just keep him locked up forever?"
"Well, that would be my choice."
"Is he really that dangerous?"
"Only around humans."

Review: This is an excellent sci-fi horror film about a transport ship crashlanding on a sun-blasted planet with deadly underground creatures who must remain in the dark. I forgive the coincidences of them crashing so close to an abandoned settlement on the eve of an eclipse because that is all just window dressing for the main conflict between the passengers trying to escape. Vin Diesel is great as the dangerous convict who must help out for them all to survive, but trust issues quickly surface.

"Excuse me, I think you should see this."
"Three suns?"
"Bloody Hell."
"So much for your nightfall."
"So much for my cocktail hour."

"Why don't you shut your fucking mouth for two seconds and let me come up with a plan that doesn't involve mass suicide!"
"I'm waiting... How much you weigh, Johns?"
"What's it matter, Carolyn?"
"How much?"
"Around 79 kilos, to be exact."
"Cause you're 79 kilos of gutless white meat. That's why you can't think of a better plan."

"Like I said, it ain't me you gotta worry about."

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

DVD: Enhanced 16x9


"You think this wise, boy... crossing blades with a pirate?"
"You threatened Miss Swann."
"Only a little."

Review: A surprisingly great movie based on the ride at Disneyland that holds up to repeat viewings. Johnny Depp steals every scene as Captain Jack Sparrow with great performances by the entire cast. A great mix of beautiful locations, production design, costumes and special effects really support an excellent script. Too bad the sequels didn't have the same coherent storyline to match.

"You'll be dining with the Captain. And he requests you wear this."
"Well, you may tell the Captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request."
"He said you'd say that. He also said that if that be the case, then you'll be dining with the crew. And you'll be naked."

"So that's it, then? That's the secret, grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow. You spent three days lying on a beach drinking rum."
"Welcome to the Caribbean, love."

"You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner. You're in one."

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Pinocchio (1940)

DVD: OAR Full Frame


"Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket!"

Review: This is a classic Disney film with great songs and amazing animation of the wooden puppet, Pinocchio, who tries to become a real boy. The second act on Pleasure Island is well-told and intense, scaring me as a child. The whole ocean sequence with Monstro the whale is a powerful tour de force, a visual and emotional climax for the movie.

"Now, remember, Pinocchio, be a good boy. And always let your conscience be your guide."

"Father, what are you crying for?"
"Because you're dead, Pinocchio."
"No! No, I'm not."
"Yes. Yes, you are. Lie down."

5 out of 5 Stars

Film: Pumping Iron (1977)

DVD: OAR - Full Screen


"That was easy."
"Easy? You do one."

Review: This is an excellent documentary of the 1975 Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding contest between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno in South Africa. The first half of the film follows the confident Arnold training in Venice Beach and young challenger, Lou, training in New York. Arnold is hilarious and really showcases the talent that allowed him to become a movie star, businessman and Governor. It was great watching Arnold play mind games with his fellow competitors.

"You drink skim milk, don't you?
"No, I don't drink no milk."
"You don't drink any milk at all?"
"No milk, no. Milk is for babies. When you grow up, you have to drink beer."

"You look at your arms like you're admiring, right? You're admiring what you're gonna show them. And then you go... Boom! Like you're saying, Take a look at this hunk of man."

"If he comes in his best shape and he's equally as good as I am, or if, let's say, he's a few percent better than I am. I spend with him one night. I go down stairs and book us together in a room, you know, to help him for tomorrow's contest. And that night he will never forget. I will mix him up. He will come so ready to South Africa, so strong. But by the time the night is over, the next morning he will be ready to lose. I mean, I will just talk him into that, it's no problem to do. So it doesn't matter if he comes in shape, or out of shape. If he comes out of shape, at least it's less hassle for me, you know. And if he's in shape... Fine, I hope he is."

5 out of 5 Stars

Film: The Rules of Attraction (2002)

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Film: Patton (1970)

DVD: Anamorphic


"Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

Review: An excellent character study of one of America's best World War II Generals. George C. Scott is amazing as General George S. Patton, an aggressive strategist who pushed his men to the limit of their capabilities. The battle scenes are mostly filmed at a distance to represent the point of view of a General from his Command Post.

"Men, all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle."

"We're going to have to fight the Russians eventually anyway. It might as well be now while we've already got the army here to do it."

5 out of 5 Stars

Film: Rambo - First Blood Part II (1985)

DVD: Enhanced 16x9


"Now if there's any of our men in this POW target camp you confirm their presence by taking photographs."
"Photographs?"
"Just photographs. Under no circumstances are you to engage the enemy!"

Review: This sequel is a complete 180 degree turn from the first movie. This is a slam-bam action movie with Rambo getting recruited from prison to sneak into Vietnam to try and locate missing POWs. Rambo uses his huge knife and exploding arrows to rescue them from the Vietnamese and Russian soldiers. It is a fantasy one-man army film.

"The war, the whole conflict may have been wrong but damn it, don't hate your country for it."
"Hate? I'd die for it."
"Then what is it you want?"
"I want, what they want, and every other guy who came over here and spilled his guts and gave everything he had, wants! For our country to love us as much as we love it! That's what I want!"

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Porky's (1982)

DVD: Anamorphic


"GOD DAMN IT! WILL YOU MOVE IT, YOU LARD ASS?"

Review: The is a sex comedy set in the 1950's, but it has a serious side as well. The students are constantly trying to get laid at the same time as they are learning to deal with bigotry and racism. They first have to overcome it among themselves before seeking revenge against the redneck owner of Porky's, a strip club out in the Everglades, who stole their money and beat up their friend.

"Cherry, this is Pee Wee."
"I'll say. What do you use for a jockstrap, kid? A peanut shell and a rubber band? You know we'd better tie a board across his ass, or he's liable to fall in."

"Mr. Carter, I think I have a way out of this. We, uh, call the police, and we have 'em send over one of their sketch artists. And Miss Balbricker can give a description. We can put up 'Wanted' posters all over school... Have you seen this prick? Report immediately to Beulah Balbricker."

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

DVD: Anamorphic


"Nerds saw me naked!"

Review: This movie hasn't aged as well as some other 80's comedy favorites, but the nostalgia factor makes up for it. The nerds actually look like nerds instead of good-looking actors being uglified. The plot is pretty bare but the characters make up for it with good performances.

"Well, let's get those nerds!"
"Nerds! NERDS!"

"Do any of you have dates, besides Gilbert?"
"I do!"
"Yeah, but that's with a guy."
"Well, what about you, Booger?"
"I've been combing the High Schools all day!"

"Wait - would you rather live in the ascendancy of a civilization or during it's decline?"

3 1/2 out 5 Stars

Film: The Running Man (1987)

DVD: Anamorphic


"Hello, this is Killian. Give me the Justice Department, Entertainment Division."

Review: I could harp on this movie's many plot holes, but that would be nit-picking and take away from the pure enjoyment it provides. The movie is full of action, one-liners by Arnold and a wonderful hammy performance by Richard Dawson as the host of the futuristic game show, Running Man.

"Killian! I'll be back!"
"Only in a rerun."

"I live to see you eat that contract, but I hope you leave enough room for my fist because I'm going to ram it into your stomach and break your god-damn spine!"

"Are you ready for pain? Are you ready for suffering? If the answer is 'yes,' then you're ready for Captain Freedom's Workout!"

2 1/2 out of 4 Stars

Film: Rudy (1993)

DVD: Anamorphic


"You're 5 foot nothin', 100 and nothin', and you have nearly a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football team in the land for 2 years. And you're gonna walk outta here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this life, you don't have to prove nothin' to nobody but yourself."

Review: This is a wonderful movie that also made me believe that Sean Astin could pull off the role of Sam in "Lord of the Rings". I am not afraid to say I teared up at the end of this movie more than once. This is a sports movie that people who don't even care about sports will love.

"If you are a part of that team, then my opinion of Notre Dame football just hit the shits!"

4 out of 4 Stars