Wednesday, September 25, 2024
In the Line of Fire
- Commentary: Under construction.
I saw this some years ago, although not when it was first released. However, it left me with strong memories, specifically Malkovich's voice and images of Presidential motorcades. More later.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Clint Eastwood SSA Frank Horrigan John Malkovich Mitch Leary/James Carney/Booth Rene Russo SSA Lilly Raines Dylan McDermott SSA Al D'Andrea Gary Cole SSA Bill Watts Fred Dalton Thompson White House Chief of Staff Harry Sargent John Mahoney SSD Sam Campagna Gregory Alan Williams SSA Matt Wilder Jim Curley U. S. President/Traveller Clyde Kusatsu SSA Jack Okura John Heard Professor Riger Joshua Malina SSA Chavez
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1993
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen.
Labels: clint-eastwood, john-heard, john-mahoney, thriller4
Rawhide
- Commentary: Under construction.
Rawhide was not a show I, personally, watched when it was first run TV. During almost it's entire run (minus episodes in Season 1 shot in 1959) I lived outside of the U.S. It wasn't until I was in late high school and college that TV was a thing where I lived and, even then, we were exposed to nothing like the full array of what had been available to U.S. denizens for years and years. I can't even remember if this series ever even aired on our TV "network". It may not have.
I'm not sure what possessed me but a bit less than a year ago I decided to type the name into my search engine and, low and behold, it came up on Amazon. For free viewing. So, I settled in and found myself surprised by not only the stories but the production values. I was so pleased with its quality that I even contacted one of my sisters to tell her how much I was enjoying the show. I didn't binge. Somehow, I assumed it would be available forever. Wrong. When I went back to it after maybe four or five episodes, it had switched to a streaming service not available to me (I subscribe to almost no streaming services, especially if they require a fee for access). So, off and on, when I think of it, I've been checking to see if it's appearing on any of the very few services to which I have access. I have also been periodically checking for a reasonably priced full-season set of the show. Once again, this afternoon, I was checking and discovered that the series was coming up on Amazon at the same price, check after check, that it had been since I started looking. So, I decided, well, the price isn't dropping, but it isn't rising, either, so, yeah, I think I'll order it. It will be arriving soon.
I remember, when I contacted my sister after watching a few free episodes I told her that I thought serious (i.e., not comedy) story telling appeared to be much better, in the writing, acting and production, when we were kids than it seems to be, now. Of course, I was not exposed to much TV in my youth, since it mostly wasn't available at home. So, I wasn't really "trained" in any style of TV storytelling. Which is probably why I collect movies, almost exclusively. I was exposed to more movies (and even of those, not many) than I was TV shows, at least enough to "learn the language" of movie watching. So, this show, and many others, fell through the cracks for me. I'm not of the mind to collect any more shows that I might have watched had I not been located elsewhere than the U.S. I find it interesting, though, that perhaps the quality of television story telling was quite a bit better in my youth than it is now. But, then again, I don't watch much TV now, either.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Eric Fleming Gil Favor Clint Eastwood Rowdy Yates Sheb Wooley Pete Nolan Paul Brinegar George Washington "Wishbone" Haggerty Robert Cabal Hey Soos Patines James Murdock Harkness "Mushy" Mushgrove III Steve Raines Jim Quince Rocky Shahan Joe Scarlet
The only actors listed above are regulars. Even then, I listed less than half of them. I didn't even try to set up a list of guest stars, as everyone and their dogs (likely) who were actors at some point guest starred in this series. It is a bit of low-brow fun, in fact, to watch episode after episode and notice yet another familiar face playing an isolated role in an episode.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1/59 - 12/65
Directed by Various.
Labels: clint-eastwood, TV3, western
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Secretary
- Commentary: Under construction.
Just a delightful sexual comedy that I first watched some years ago (perhaps even the year it came out), have since checked out of our library system a few times, about which I always thought, "Yeah, I should add that movie to our/my collection," but never did, possibly because Mom was still alive and you know how ravenous she was to watch any movie that became a part of the collection in this house and I may have had my doubts about showing her this one. Then, today, I remembered it, how much I enjoyed it and rethought my doubts about having it in our/my collection. As I think about it now, in fact, I may have been wrong about what I guessed her reaction might have been to this film. Well, Mom, sorry about that, truly. When it arrives, I'll send a quick message "skyward" so you can be sure and settle in, here, while it plays. As you may know, your rocker remains, in it's usual place, and hasn't been used since you left. I'll make sure it's dust-free before I put this in the player.
Likely more later.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role James Spader E. Edward Grey Maggie Gyllenhaal Lee Holloway Jeremy Davies Peter Patrick Bauchau Dr. Twardon Stephen McHattie Burt Holloway Oz Perkins Jonathan Jessica Tuck Tricia O'Connor Amy Locane Lee's sister Lesley Ann Warren Joan Holloway Michael Mantell Stewart Sabrina Grdevich Allison Ezra Buzzington Typing Teacher
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2002
Directed by Steven Shainberg.
Labels: comedy3, james-spader, maggie-gyllenhaal, relationship, sexual
