Movie Review: Gator (1976)

 

DIRECTOR: Burt Reynolds. CAST: Burt Reynolds, Jack Weston, Lauren Hutton, Jerry Reed, Alice Ghostley, Dub Taylor, Mike Douglas, Burton Gilliam, William Engesser, John Steadman, Stephanie Burchfield, Dudley Remus, Alex Hawkins, Don Ferguson.
Burt Reynolds makes his directorial debut with this sequel to 1973’s WHITE LIGHTNING, which means that Bobby “Gator” McKluskey is back! This time, a federal agent has roped Gator into going undercover by threatening to imprison his elderly father and turn his daughter over to foster care. Gator is to help take down a good ol’ boy mob boss who has his greedy paws in everything from extortion to drugs, underage sex trafficking, and corruption on all levels. He also meets the potential woman of his dreams along the way, but that is a given when Burt is involved. GATOR benefits from a bigger budget than its predecessor; the rather nice camera work and set designs do a decent job at almost distracting the viewer from it being a rather uneven story. Lauren Hutton’s involvement is mostly inconsequential filler while Alice Ghostley’s comic-relief role seems random and out of place. Burton Gilliam is interesting as a perversely sleazy, always-smiling creep of a gangster. However, Jerry Reed pretty much steals the show as evil small-town mob boss Bama McCall from the moment he first steps onto the screen. He digs deep into his role and plays it with gusto, enjoying every slimy second that he has onscreen. Hard to believe that he wasn’t an experienced actor. GATOR isn’t bad, it just has a hard time with what it wants to do with certain characters and deciding what kind of movie it wants to be—a slicker version of WHITE LIGHTNING or a goofy, lighthearted action comedy like the following year’s SMOKEY & THE BANDIT.

Movie Review: Tootsie (1982)

DIRECTOR: Sydney Pollack. CAST: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Bill Murray, Sydney Pollack, George Gaynes, Geena Davis, Doris Belack, Ellen Foley, Ronald L. Schwary, Lynne Thigpen.
Tootsie might be the best gender comedy of all time; it is certainly one of the finest funny movies of its decade. Dustin Hoffman is Michael Dorsey, an unemployed actor with a difficult reputation around town. Desperate for work, Michael impersonates a woman to get a role on a popular daytime soap opera. His character is a hit, but it also takes a toll on his personal life as he falls for one of his female co-stars while also resisting the advances of her father and another male cast member. Tootsie keeps its humor intelligent without going the obvious homo/transphobic route like it probably would in someone else’s hands. Not one performance goes wasted here; everyone shines in what is a true gem of a movie. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore and they should. Watch Tootsie immediately; you will see why it was a huge box office draw in its day.

Movie Review: 1941 (1979)

DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg. CAST: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Ned Beatty, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Christopher Lee, Tim Matheson, Toshiro Mifune, Warren Oates, Robert Stack, Treat Williams, Nancy Allen, Bobby DiCicco, Dianne Kay, Perry Lang, Slim Pickens, Wendie Jo Sperber, Eddie Deezen, Joe Flaherty, John Candy, Frank McRae, Susan Backlinie. 
1941 is a glorious disaster of a film; it is not a ‘good movie’ as much as it is an amazing spectacle. Personally, I cannot hate a movie simultaneously recognizing the diverse talents of Toshiro Mifune and Eddie Deezen. You certainly will not find such an ensemble cast anywhere else! 1941 is an attempt at a World War II-era comedy through the anarchic lens of Saturday Night Live or Animal House. American tension is high after the attack on Pearl Harbor just a couple days before. Wild rumors abound and everyone is on alert. Servicemen and zoot suiters are rioting in the streets and a lone Japanese submarine is lost in the Pacific Ocean while trying to find and attack Los Angeles. 1941 introduces several movies’ worth of characters and stories at once; so much is going on that most viewers would likely get lost in the chaos. Fans that can make sense of this mess will enjoy the 146-minute director’s cut that fleshes out some of the more principal characters. Although 1941 is not laugh-out-loud funny most of the time, it captures the period in which it takes place with good unpretentious fun.

Movie Review: Batman (1966)

DIRECTOR: Leslie H. Martinson. CAST: Adam West, Burt Ward, Lee Meriwether, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, Alan Napier, Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp, Madge Blake, Reginald Denny, Milton Frome, Gil Perkins, Dick Crockett, George Sawaya.

Quite interesting to revisit the 1966-71 era Batman in all of its campy glory after both of the modern franchises reinvented the Caped Crusader, rendering the beloved TV show outdated and obscure. Batman (the movie) was originally to launch the series, but 20th Century Fox turned down the idea until opting to cash in on the first season’s incredible success. There is no dark story of personal demons and retribution; expect lighthearted ‘60s hipster humor with some swipes at international politics instead. Batman & Robin take on the filthy & diabolical United Underworld—the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler & Catwoman—who have gained possession of a dehydrator that can reduce human beings into mere dust particles! World domination is on the agenda as these criminal masterminds use the dehydrator to kidnap the entire United Nations Security Council! Only the Dynamic Duo can save the day, delivering a little “POW! THWACK! BIFF!” to the bad guys. Good kitschy fun for the whole family, especially if Mom & Dad have smoked a joint or two beforehand. Batman is the MAD magazine to Tim Burton & Christopher Nolan’s graphic novels.

Movie Review: Gremlins (1984)

DIRECTOR: Joe Dante. CAST: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain, Corey Feldman, Keye Luke, John Louie, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, Polly Holliday, Judge Reinhold, Edward Andrews, Glynn Turman, Belinda Balaski, Scott Brady, Jonathan Banks, Harry Carey, Jr., Kenny Davis, Steven Spielberg, Jim McKrell, Jerry Goldsmith, William Schallert, Chuck Jones, Kenneth Tobey.
Many kids of the ‘80s can point to Gremlins as their first “scary” movie; it is quintessential suburban horror that helped introduce the PG-13 rating for movies that were too violent or intense for children, but not enough to justify an R rating. Gremlins is full of homages and sendups of old movies and Christmas consumerism; it still works as a funny parody of ‘50s horror/sci-fi directed with a B-movie sensibility and written with a sick sense of humor a la MAD magazine. Dad wants to bring something unique home to his son for Christmas and finds an exotic new pet that will do the trick. This cute little critter comes with some responsibility though—no exposure to sunlight or water and definitely no food after midnight. What happens next is a result of two of those guidelines being broken and dozens of tiny mean-spirited monsters lay siege to a picturesque upstate New York town on Christmas Eve. Gremlins inspired a number of imitators—Critters, Ghoulies, and Munchies to name a few—and while some of them are good, none has had the impact on pop culture like this one. Although it is not actually a Christmas movie—it was inexplicably released in the summer—Gremlins will continue to be holiday viewing for years to come.

Movie Review: Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore (1998)

DIRECTOR: Sarah Jacobson. CAST: Lisa Gerstein, Chris Enright, Greg Cruikshank, Beth Allen.
How many girls recall losing their virginity to some uncaring jerk that just pounded away with no regard and then split a couple of minutes later? You probably spent some time hating boys and did not understand what all the hype was about regarding sexual intercourse. Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore is about a girl going through similar emotions in this ultra-low budget fare. Viewers will not marvel over the Oscar-worthy performances, but perhaps they will find a funny and realistic portrayal of a woman’s sexual awakening from her perspective. Mary Jane’s story has a punk rock backdrop, but I think anyone who remembers the awkward nature of sex and dating in early adulthood can relate. Incidents and conversations of this nature take place in all of our lives. Longtime San Francisco garage rocker Beth Allen—of bands like the LOUDMOUTHS, COCKPIT, and the MEAT SLUTS—is in the best-friend support role while A.F.I. vocalist Davey Havoc and Jello Biafra are just two more Bay Area punk scene faces seen on Sarah Jacobson’s Super 8 camera.

Movie Review: Hairspray (1988)

DIRECTOR: John Waters. CAST: Ricki Lake, Divine, Debbie Harry, Sonny Bono, Jerry Stiller, Leslie Ann Powers, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Michael St. Gerard, Clayton Prince, Cyrkle Milbourne, Ruth Brown, Shawn Thompson, Mink Stole, Joann Havrilla, Doug Roberts, Alan J. Wendl, Toussaint McCall, John Waters, Ric Ocasek, Pia Zadora.
Hairspray was quite a revelation upon its initial release in 1988; it showed the world that John Waters and his cast of misfits were capable of crossing over to the mainstream with their madcap gross-out elements intact. However, Waters uses those elements to make big-picture statements regarding body image, equality, and inclusion. Ricki Lake makes her film debut as Tracy Turnblad, a plus-sized teen of the early ‘60s who dances her way into regular appearances on the popular local teenage dance show. Tracy’s overnight celebrity inspires a newfound confidence that leads her to speak up in favor of the Civil Rights movement, which does not sit well with a certain segment of society. Divine obviously deserves special mention for playing the dual role of Tracy’s mother Edna Turnblad as well as that of a racist TV station director. Unfortunately, he passed away just two weeks after Hairspray’s premiere, never to capitalize on the positive critical reception. Bolstered by a fabulous ‘60s pop and R&B soundtrack, Hairspray is John Waters’ finest hour—it is a subversive family-friendly film providing clues to a way out, if you will. Those clues are of utmost importance.

Movie Review: Fear of a Black Hat (1993)

DIRECTOR: Rusty Cundieff. CAST: Rusty Cundieff, Larry B. Scott, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Kasi Lemmons, Howie Gold, Barry Heins, Rosemarie Jackson, Faizon Love, Deezer D, Moon Jones, Tim Hutchinson, Lamont Johnson, Devin Kamin, Barry Shabaka Henley, Eric Laneuville, Doug Starks, Kurt Loder.
Although it does not have the hype or budget of CB4, the independently-produced Fear of a Black Hat came first and serves as a funnier, more focused satire of its subject. Join sociologist Nina Blackburn as she documents rap group NWH (Niggaz with Hats) as her thesis subject on hip hop music as a form of communication. Ice Cold, Tasty Taste & DJ Tone Def feud with rival rappers, rationalize their tasteless lyrics, go through managers as Spinal Tap did with drummers, and wear some rather outrageous hats. They also disband thanks to a trifling groupie, embarking on solo careers before ultimately making their triumphant comeback, better than ever. Fear of a Black Hat’s humor doesn’t take all of the chances that it could, but old school hip hop aficionados will find plenty of spoofs and references to laugh at regardless. Watch it as a double feature with CB4 and see which one fares better.