What always confuses me in Dick Tracy (1990)

Fair warning: this post contains spoilers about the movie. 

I recently re-watched this movie for maybe the 10th time. I really love watching it; it's one of the coolest looking movies ever. Every scene is made up to look like a comic strip and everything visually about it is incredible. I first saw it when I was 14 years old in the theaters when it came out and was impressed by it so much I probably rented the VHS and DVD copies 2 or 3 more times, and later bought the DVD and then upgraded to blu ray where the picture quality looks fantastic. It's also a good movie to watch near or around New Year's Eve since the big climax of the film takes place on New Year' Eve.

If you've seen the movie you know it contains numerous storylines, including the orphan "The Kid" who wants to be on the police force, Tracy's relationship with his girlfriend, the new crime lord of the city (Al Pacino) and the corrupt district attorney (Dick Van Dyke) - a part that is too small; I think it could have been larger. 

Another subplot involves the rival crime lord "The Blank" - these sequences always confuse me when I think about them. At first, the Blank wants to obtain a percent of Big Boy's profits in exchange for immunity, but then the Blank changes his tune and wants to frame both Tracy and Big Boy. Alot of these details went over my head when I was 14 years old and to this day I still have trouble following The Blank's part of the story as it is told in the movie. 

If you've seen the movie, you know that Madonna/Breathless is revealed to be The Blank. 

But every time I rewatch the movie with that knowledge, the subplot is still puzzling.

This is either brilliance on the part of the screenwriters and director Warren Beatty.....or it's choppy editing that leaves out some details. I don't know which. 

The movie as it plays out gives the viewer the impression that The Blank is a mysterious rival villain who wants control over Big Boy and his criminal empire, when in reality The Blank is Breathless' way of protecting herself.....or maybe becoming a criminal crime kingpin of her own.  In my opinion I think the film should have revealed Madonna to be the Blank much earlier in the film. For example, show a scene of her putting on the mask, and dressing up. I think that would make the film much more interesting and less confusing. The first time we see the Blank, the Blank wants 10 percent of Big Boy's profits. Ok I think I follow the motive there - Breathless hates Big Boy and that is made clear. So why not give Breathless' character some extra weight--make her true identity known to the viewer, but not to Big Boy and Tracy. 

As the movie plays out, The Blank promised that Big Boy would be off the hook as a suspect in anything that would happen to Tracy if BigBoy makes the deal. But he doesn't make the deal. So what was The Blank planning to do with the money? Leave town? And what was Breathless planning to do if she successfully seduced Tracy? Testify and/or let Tracy in on the Blanks's scheme?  

Once Breathless/the Blank is rejected by Tracy, I can see why she wants both of them out of the way. And with the money she's made as the Blank, she could leave town. That would be one way to explain it.  So here's what ends up happening - The Blank frames Big Boy by kidnapping Tracy's girlfriend and placing her in the attic of the club, making it look like he kidnapped her. And she frames Tracy by killing the District Attorney and making it look like Tracy did it, but also making it look like Big Boy framed Tracy. If it worked, she would take the money and run? It's a brilliant scheme, but it was really confusing to pick up on the first watch.

What do you think? Is this how you understand The Blank? 

Steve Martin movies I don't like

Lately I've been on a Steve Martin kick and watched a number of his films for the first time (or on a re-watch),

Sadly, I enjoyed almost none of them. 

Bringing Down The House
This movie I didn't like at all. The first 10 minutes seemed somewhat tolerable. We see Martin (playing a stiff attorney) perusing an old-fashioned online dating site. He manages a date with Queen Latifah's character but doesn't know she's Black and when he first sees her his jaw drops and my jaw dropped at how cringy the scene was. Turns out she's also a felon and wants to live in his house. Meanwhile he's embarrassed by her manners and tries to hide her from his racist next door neighbor (not-funny Betty White) and racist client (Joan Plowright, a role that made me dislike her!). The movie's plot was uninteresting to me and I was distracted by all the scenes where Steve Martin tries to enjoy hip-hop. Doesn't hold up.  

Verdict: "Thumbs Down"

My Blue Heaven
I hated this movie when it first came out; I didn't find anything funny about it. So I thought I would give it another re-watch, now that I know more about the history of the film --- it was written by Nora Ephron who partially based it on the life of Henry Hill when he was in witness protection. Apparently she knew him because her husband wrote the book "Wiseguy" which was made into Goodfellas. 

So I tried to keep an open mind and enjoy the movie as a satire. But still, I didn't find much to like about it. I could probably find 5-10 minutes of Martin doing an Italian accent tolerable for a comedy sketch, but after two hours, it's too much. By the end of the movie I wasn't believing he was Italian anymore. And all those stereotypical Italian/gangster jokes don't really hold up after 30 years. 

Verdict: "Thumbs Down"

All of Me
I didn't like this movie much at all either. Lily Tomlin's character inhabits Steve Martin's body, and there's only one funny joke in the whole movie and that's when Martin has to go pee. The whole movie seemed to be made for that joke. The rest of it was really dull and dated. 

Verdict: "Thumbs Down"

Grand Canyon
I liked this movie better the others, but this one is heavy on the drama and lighter on comedy. There's almost no comedic moments, actually. The main characters are Kevin Kline and Danny Glover, and they both deal with their own family issues. Kline's wife wants to adopt an orphan baby, while Glover's family and home is targeted by drive-by shootings. Martin plays a film producer who gets shot in the leg and is a cast for most of the film. His character wants to make less violent films as a result, which I didn't find convincing, honestly.

Verdict: "Thumbs Down"

Mixed Nuts
In my opinion, this is a really crappy ensemble dark comedy that is probably one of the worst "Christmas Movies" out there.  This film was based on a play and an obscure French film, taking place inside a suicide hotline clinic on Christmas Eve. Honestly, there's not much funny about people who are depressed and need help. But somehow the film tries to make the situations funny - Martin and his co-worker Rita Wilson have crushes on each other, and Madeline Kahn gets stuck in the elevator for half the movie and it's not very funny. Adam Sandler plays a janitor who doesn't have any funny lines except a ridiculous serenade during a dinner meal. Then there are two ghastly subplots - one involves Juliet Lewis who is pregnant and her fiancé who brandishes a gun for most of the film. And finally - and worst of all - is a transgender character who is played for laughs and is the butt of everyone's jokes and it's painfully unfunny. It's really a shame that this was written by Nora Ephron who wrote a couple movies that everyone seems to love - Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally - about cisgender and hetero couples.   It's a shame that the only queer character in the movie appears to only be there to provide homophobic slapstick comedy, when the character could have more profundity. But that would be asking for the impossible in a film where all the other characters are basically unlikeable and none of them have any soul or any heart.

Verdict: "Thumbs WAYYYY Down"

A Simple Twist of Fate
So unlike the other movies, Martin wrote and co-produced this one, so it's his "baby". It's meant to be an inspirational story of how this single guy takes care of an orphan girl whose biological father is a corrupt politician (played by Gabriel Bryne) who wants to gain custody of her when she grows up.

This movie could have had some real potential and have been a classic, but today, the movie isn't considered a classic, or a great movie, or even a cult classic. 

When I first watched the movie in 1994, I hated it. It was dull and boring. No laugh-out-loud moments that I remembered. So for almost 30 years I never watched it again.

But recently I gave it another shot. It's still not very funny, but more amusingly funny in an old-fashioned sort of way. 

And there's a few moments in the film that are kind of disturbing to watch in 2022. 

One scene involves Anne Heche's character (a very minor character) getting involved in a car crash, which is sad because she just died in a terrible crash earlier this year. 

Another scene involves Martin and his adopted girl singing an old-fashioned song about an "Indian Maiden" and wearing Native American makeup and feathers. On one hand, it's meant to be a harmless "father-daughter bonding" scene, but on the other hand, it's so unfortunate that this is the only mention of Native Americans in the whole movie and a cringy reminder that the rest of the cast is all-white. I'm sure Steve Martin would probably not include that scene if this film was made today out of respect.

So what about the rest of the movie? Well I really like the music score and premise that the Steve Martin character wants to adopt the child. However I'm not sure he's right for the part. I wonder if someone else should have played it. I really like Gabriel Bryne; he's a fantastic actor. Maybe his role and Martin's should have been switched. Martin could play the snobby, snooty politician and Byrne the dad. That would have been inspired casting! And might have made things more interesting and memorable; today, it's a forgotten vehicle in Martin's filmography that I'm not sure deserves to be proudly resurrected.

Verdict: "Thumbs Half-Way Up/Down"

The Addams Family (1991), Addams Family Values (1993), and The Addams Family (2019)

I watched both when they first came out 30 years ago, but didn't like them very much. 

And then just the other day I watched it again, and enjoyed it more than ever. It's funny how this is a rare movie that gets better for me each time I watch it. 

The entire cast is so good! I love the design of the castle, and the hidden "fortune" and the lore behind the Addams lineage. Such good stuff!

I didn't like the sequel  (Part 2) very much when I first saw it, but rather enjoyed it on a rewatch. Much of the subtle humor was lost on me years ago. 

Part 2 really belongs to Joan Cusack! She really steals the whole movie as Fester's nefarious girlfriend who wants a piece of the Addams fortune. And I liked the summer camp sequences with the crazy hyper-positive-attitude counselors. The ending was bad, though. The whole electrocution deal....doesn't hold up well, and don't love the movie as much as the first one. 

I tried giving the 2019 animated movie a try, since I hadn't seen it yet. Surprisingly, it had a number of the same jokes from the 1991 movie and didn't capture my attention enough to watch the whole thing. 

Going to stick with the 1991 version again if I ever am in an Addams Family mood again! 

Read another review of Addams Family Values from:

Reel Weedgie Midget here

Goodfellas (1990), and State of Grace (1990)

I recently watched Goodfellas in its entirety (not just bits and pieces) and enjoyed it. When I first tried watching it, I thought it was really boring, but now I find great appeal to it because it shows how an "outsider" like Ray Liotta's character, who is Irish, finds community and respect with the Italian mobsters.  Speaking of mob films, I still haven't seen Martin Scorcese's 2019 movie The Irishman yet; it was nominated for several Oscars a few years ago, but didn't win any.  

State of Grace (also from 1990) also features an Irish-Italian mob theme. I've known about it for years, but never watched it until recently. It's about an Irish cop (Sean Penn) who goes undercover and gets caught up with an Italian mob, who fight against the Irish mob including his friends. It's really suspenseful and makes you wonder how Sean Penn is going to get out of the predicament he's in. Ed Harris and Gary Oldman are in it and they are great as well. I liked the scenes showing New York. One day I want to go there, I keep saying that. 

Surviving the Game (1994) with Rutger Hauer

I first watched this movie back in 1994 on VHS when it first was released.  I did alot of camping around that time, and the outdoor survival aspect had a great appeal to me. When I got into paintball a few years later, I thought of this movie.

Rutger Hauer has a large part as a manhunter with a cabin the woods; he and a gang prey on humans for sport. Ice-T has to survive.

Although I haven't seen this in awhile, I remember finding it really entertaining, and a cool survival action thriller.

Speaking of Ice-T, I liked him in Tresspass as well; he had a good run of film roles in the mid-90s.

Some of Hauer's recent films that I still want to see are Hobo with a Shotgun and The Mill and The Cross where he plays Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel.

A Hauer tribute from Balder and Dash

Rocky 1-5, Rocky Balboa, and Creed

To celebrate the release of Creed this fall, I rewatched all of the Rocky movies on Blu-Ray. here's my take on each one, with my favorites being the original Rocky, Rocky III, and Rocky Balboa (followed by Rocky II, V, Creed, and IV).

Rocky (1976)
On this re-watch, what stuck out to me the most was how lonely Rocky is, and how he really doesn't have any family. Even on Thanksgiving Day, he has no where to go except by Paulie and Adrian's. He keeps a photograph of his parents in his apartment, but we don't learn much about them or the details of his growing up. It made me want to see a movie about a young Rocky growing up; maybe someone will make that movie one day. Another thing that I hadn't noticed before is a photo of Paulie in his younger days when he was in the Navy.

Rocky II (1979)
Picks up immediately after the last movie, and we get a rematch between Apollo Creed and Rocky. In the meantime Rocky gets a job hauling meat and raising a newborn son after marrying Adrian. His proposal in the zoo by the tiger cage is classic: "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind marrying me too much?" One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Mickey has Rocky chase a chicken, which Rocky does with Donnie Creed in Creed (2015).


Rocky III (1982)
Great montage in the beginning showing how Rocky becomes champion of the world, set to the "Eye of the Tiger" song. Then Rocky prepares to fight Clubber Lang (Mr. T) and is trained by Apollo when Mickey dies. Fun movie and it's great to see Apollo and Rocky become friends. There's a private fight at the end of the movie between them, and we as the audience never learn who won until 2015's Creed, when Rocky reveals that Apollo won. I also love the painting at the end of the movie, which ends up in Rocky's restaurant in Rocky Balboa and Creed. We assume that it was painted by Paulie. I also had forgotten that this was the movie where the "Rocky" statue was unveiled. Wow - that's been up for over 30 years!

Rocky IV (1985)
My least favorite of all the films, but it is still fun to watch especially the final fight between Rocky and the Russian boxer played by Dolph Lundgren. I didn't like the actor that played Rocky's son; he just isn't convincing to me that he's the son of Rocky and Adrian.


Rocky V (1990)
I like this movie, and it really does feel like an early 90s film thanks to the soundtrack. Rocky has to deal with some health issues and is faced with retirement. But a young boxer comes to visit him seeking a mentor, and Rocky slips into the "trainer" role for the first time. I also liked the subplot involving Rocky and his "rocky" relationship with his son (played very good by Sage Stallone, rest in peace). Another subplot involves Rocky losing all of his wealth and having to sell off everything in an auction. It seems almost unbelievable that these types of things can happen to a superstar, but sadly it does happen---for example, Burt Reynolds recently had to do the same thing due to his many debts. I liked the streetfight at the end too, even though we don't get Rocky in the ring.  Another thing I liked is the flashback scene with Rocky and Micky, which is really sentimental but gives us a little bit more of a glimpse into their relationship.

Rocky Balboa (2006)
This movie is the most sentimental of all the Rocky movies, but that's exactly why I love it. The final fight scene is cool, but what I love the most about the movie is all the other stuff happening leading to that fight. For starters, we learn that Adrian died, and that Rocky started a restaurant business and named the restaurant after her. The restaurant looks like an awesome place to visit, by the way. Rocky even allows his old rivals to come and work there part time. I like how a minor character from the first movie - "Little Marie" - steps back into Rocky's life and we get to see what became of her. Finally, it's interesting to see how Rocky's son doesn't follow in his father's footsteps. Instead, he works for a corporate firm in downtown Philly, which is exactly what Rocky wanted to do in Rocky II. After the events of Rocky V, it's not surprising that the son doesn't become a boxer.

Creed (2015)
Not a bad film; and it's packed with an emotional punch. I enjoyed it and would watch it again, even if its story seems very similar to the original 1976 Rocky and a little bit of 1990's Rocky V as Rocky becomes the trainer and doesn't box. Michael B. Jordan gives a good performance as "Donnie" Creed - who seeks mentorship from Rocky and calls him "uncle". Early on in the movie we see Donnie working in an office - and getting a promotion even - but decides to become a fighter full time. I liked the relationship that blossoms with the girl he meets in his apartment, and how he helps Rocky deal the health issues he's facing. My favorite scene in the movie happens right before the final fight sequence--when Rocky and his training team walk out to the ring from the locker room with Donnie. It's a long walk that takes maybe a minute or two but the camera shows them as if we are following right behind them the entire way. That's a cool shot; the cinematography in general is very good. It's also nice to see Rocky at work in his restaurant again. One of the saddest moments in the entire film is when Rocky explains to Donnie that his son had no interest in boxing, moved out of town, and started a new life in Vancouver. It made me think that Rocky is so alone in the world, without much of any family nearby. And here comes Donnie, who becomes a long lost "son" who is almost like the boxer"son" that Rocky always wanted. And sure enough, I left the theater wanting to see more of this saga. And surely more Rocky! Maybe another movie? If that happens, I would definitely go see it.  It would be really cool if we get to see Rocky's son again, and maybe be introduced to Rocky's grandson (or daughter).

Misery (1990)

The two lead stars of Misery - James Caan and Kathy Bates - recently reunited for a photoshoot for the annual "Reunions" issue of Entertainment Weekly.

Here's a link to the story and video clip from "The Today Show", featuring the two stars reminiscing about their time on the film:

http://www.today.com/popculture/misery-loves-company-kathy-bates-james-caan-reunite-discuss-1990-t49286

I recently re-watched this movie after almost 20 years, and was surprised how well the movie holds up and is able to thrill even after seeing it three separate times.  Also featuring small roles by the late Richard Farnsworth and the late Lauren Bacall, who are both very good in this.

If you haven't seen this movie before, I recommend it for a good Halloween watch.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Last month Jurassic Park was re-released in US theaters in a special 20th anniversary "3D" release. I went to go see it, curious about how the added 3D effects would turn out. I also wanted to give the film a second look; it had been 20 years since I've seen it. The 3D turned out to be OK; there were a few spots where the effects looked especially cool, including the scene where Sam Neill and the kids are running in the field with the ostrich-looking dinosaurs.

I liked all the philosophical discussions that the scientists have with the park's creator and visionary, Richard Attenborough. Also I was impressed with the entire cast. Everyone was great, including "Newman" from Seinfeld, who is really the main villain in the picture, not the dinosaurs. Also it's funny how that Barbasol can's design hasn't changed any in 20 years.

OK. Let's talk about the technology in this.

The CGI dinosaurs still look good, even though CGI has improved tremendously in the last 20 years. I still can't get over how realistic that CGI tiger looks from The Life of Pi.  And that T-Rex is still as scary as hell. But I couldn't help but notice a few "puppet" dinos, including the one that hatches out of the egg early on. No doubt it would be done in CGI today.

There are a few outdated computers, naturally, but I don't hold it against the film. I also noticed a few "floppy disks" sitting by Newman's computer, which are totally obsolete. It's funny how these little things usually go unnoticed at the time.

Notably absent from the film are any cell phones. I know this is a sore subject to bring up with any movie made before 2000, but I can't help but noticing these things.  No one has one! I suppose if more of the characters had one and could communicate with each other more often, it would certainly change the outcome of events of the film. Sigh!

This movie has grown on me, with it's many iconic and memorable scenes.  I love the part when the dinosaurs make their way into the kitchen of the dining area, and then the museum lobby. It's so cool to see the banner that reads "When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth" drop over the T-Rex in the lobby of the museum, and when you see the shadows of the dinosaurs on the illustrated ones on the wall. So neat.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, it is a great heart-pounding thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and makes you think about how the characters mess with nature.

'There were 2 sequels, both inferior to the original. I tried to watch Jurassic Park 2 on DVD and it was so terrible that I couldn't get through the entire thing. Park 3 was not very good either.

The Nasty Girl (1990)

Before the opening credits, the director (Michael Verhoeven) explains that the characters are fictional.

The story, however, is inspired by true events, as noted on Ted's blog Just a Cineast earlier this year.

The movie is narrated by the lead character, thirty-something Sonja (Lena Stolze), who speaks directly to the camera as though she's a reporter. Kind of similar to what Michael Caine's character does in Alfie.

The stories she tells are all flashbacks, which makes the film feel something like a docu-drama.

Sonja tells stories about her strict Catholic upbringing in Bavaria and about her mom and dad, both teachers. In one funny scene, Sonja (as narrator), is interrupted by a group of unruly teens and she quips how she was raised very differently. Then we see a scene of her as a young teenager, presumably  in the early 1970s. It's remarkable how she can convincingly play a young teen and an adult. The early flashback sequences are in black-and-white, and then switches to color when she comes of age.

Most of the film is a recollection of her high school years the history assignment that changed her life forever. Sort of like Nancy Drew, she goes on an investigation, interviewing numerous people about her town's Nazi past. In the process, she uncovers some old wounds that the townspeople would rather not deal with. In her determination to uncover the facts, she develops a reputation of being a "nasty" girl. Ultimately her school project turns into a lifelong passion.

Despite the serious subject matter, the film has a lighthearted tone, and lots of quirky comedic elements that some critics - including Roger Ebert -  found confusing. But the style was OK with me. The pacing, the direction, and the editing of this film are done well.

Daddy Nostalgia (1990)

At the start of this heartwarming drama set in the French Riviera, Dirk Bogarde's character has just had a serious heart operation. His wife is worried about how he will fair after the surgery, and asks daughter Caroline (Jane Birkin) to come from Paris to help for awhile. In a private spat with her mother,  Caroline asks why she is always called upon instead of her sister whenever there is a family emergency. Her mother replies: "because she's in Quebec".

When Daddy comes home to recuperate, Caroline - a writer - ultimately grows closer to her father. And as the title suggests, this movie is very nostalgic, filled with flashbacks and memories of Caroline's childhood years and how she remembers her father.

It's an often-emotional film about an adult daughter and her ailing father, touching on issues dealing with life and death. It is a pleasure to watch Mr Bogarde perform in this, his final film. The film is dedicated to director Michael Powell, who passed away when the film was released.

This French-produced film is half in English and half in French; the actors - fluent in both - often switch from one language to the next. Available on DVD.

Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre (1994)

Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre, (1994, Hong Kong) a sad and disturbing docu-drama, directed by Mou Tun Fei. The film dramatizes how the Japanese brutally treated the people of China's capital city Nan King in December, 1937 after they captured it (This is three years before Pearl Harbor) For greater authenticity, the film uses actual black and white film footage and photos taken at the time (by the Japanese for propaganda purposes). Some of these photographers are also depicted in the drama, as well as other historical figures involved with the conflict. We see many disturbing atrocities showing Chinese police executed and beheaded, women raped and beheaded with their heads lined up on the street, dogs coming to chew on dead bodies left to rot in the street. A baby is killed alive by being thrown into boiling water. Still, the Chinese people resist, and this film shows some of their strategies. One father explains to his son how to hide. Many are killed, including Buddhist monks who are shot on the spot even after surrendering. A pregnant woman has her stomach cut open and the baby is pulled out and killed right in front on her and her family. Though a bit disturbing at times, the film shows what these officers were capable of and how bloodthirsty they were. At the time the film came out, it was criticized for its violence. But today's modern audience might be able to handle it if they have seen slasher films like "Saw", Quentin Tarantino films or Mel Gibson films where heads get blown off and other mutilations occur. The film is available on DVD/ "Netflix". I could probably think of some other films, but this one I just saw recently.