Eventually They Will Finish... "The Nice Guys"

The Nice Guys (2016)

Rated R

Starring Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Margaret Qualley, Angourie Rice,

Written and Directed by Shane Black

The Story:

Holland March (Gosling) has been hired to find a girl (Qualley) who has gone missing. Coupled with the recent death of a porn star, it seems like everyone is trying to find this girl, including another private eye, Jackson Healy (Crowe). The two cross paths, exchange blows, and soon thereafter reluctantly team-up to try and solve a pair of cases that seem intertwined while navigating around some crazy people that make up Los Angeles in the late 1970s.

This is a strange one.

The trailer seemed like it would be a really good movie, but it failed to connect with audiences when it came out.

My only guess on that would be that perhaps Shane Black made the movie too dark and seedy, centering a great bit of it around the porn industry in the tale of a missing girl and a murdered starlet.

Not exactly the best date material for starters, or I guess, at least not out in public.

:)

Plus, when the smartest character in the movie is March's daughter (Rice) that also doesn't bode well.

That said, there are several great moments scattered throughout the film, and it's also bogged down by several stretches of "meh" as well.

It's a game effort by all involved, especially Gosling who is possibly the most nuanced private eye ever to grace the silver screen. How he managed to get, and keep, his job is a wonder.

Crowe gets to play the requisite heavy, and the two share a pretty good chemistry together.

It's no Lethal Weapon, but we've been waiting to see a buddy team-up like that for nearly 30 years to no avail.

Black tries to catch lightning in a bottle again, but comes up a bit short.

Bottom line, I liked it, but didn't love it like I hoped I would.

Final Grade: B-

There Goes The Neighborhood..."High-Rise"

High-Rise (2015)

Rated R

Starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss, James Purefoy

Directed by Ben Wheatley

The Story:

Dr. Laing (Hiddleston) moves into a futuristic high-rise designed by The Architect (Irons). It has all the amenties that you could ever want, and the residents leave only to go to work...if at all. However, as the building continues to have power and other issues, a class-war between floors seems inevitable, and the whole building plunges into chaos.

Well, that was something alright.

Based on a novel by the same name, this freaky look back at a possible future in the swinging 70s is all style, and either no substance, or too much substance.

That the entire citizenry of a building would devolve into total anarchy instead of, oh, I don't know...

MOVING OUT!!!!

Seems ludicrous to me.

As a book, or a movie.

But okay, I get it, you're trying to tell a story, so sometimes you have to suspend reality a bit.

However, in the end, much like the tenants of the building, I watched myself descend into an uncaring state of what happened to these characters.

That's never a good thing in the movies.

Especially one filled with so many talented actors.

Bright side, the recreation to capture the look and feel of the 70s was pretty amazing.

That said, it's now available to stream on Netflix if you'd like to check it out for yourself.

Final Grade: D+

There's Gonna Be Some Heartache Tonight... R.I.P. Glenn Frey 1948-2016

If you can say that you wrote Desperado or Hotel California, well, you can pretty much do a mic drop when it comes to musical accomplishments in life.

That's where Glenn Frey and The Eagles belong, game-changers in the music industry.

If you've listened to just about any radio station since the 1970s, odds are good that you've heard their music. Pop music. Classic Rock. Even Country.

Eagles songs, or covers by other artists, are played on those stations every day.

And that's a nice comforting thing to hear on the radio.

Once upon a time I was asked who my favorite band of all-time was, and I answered The Eagles.

There were some snickering as typical answers are supposed to be The Beatles, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, blah blah blah

Apparently if you didn't start in the 60s, you aren't eligible to be a greatest of all-time.

Well, I disagree with that assessment. The Eagles were an amazing band, and after they broke up, they all went on to varying degrees of solo success.

I'm sure if we counted the hits from some of those bands to those of The Eagles, the tally would be closer than you might think at first glance.

Which brings us to the 80s, and I began listening to Top 40 music and was hearing classic Eagles songs while Don Henley and Glenn Frey were bringing their solo efforts to the airwaves.

With hits in Beverly Hills Cop and Miami Vice, Frey proved he was more than just the Garfunkel of the Don Henley/Glenn Frey collaboration.

Imagine the surprise when the Eagles reunited nearly 15 years later and buried their creative hatchets. Embarking on worldwide farewell tours that seemingly never ended, the guys sounded just as good decades removed from the 70s as they did in their prime.

And while they could have easily just played their greatest hits, Frey and Henley sat down and continued to write new Eagles songs.

Their last radio hit, Hole In The World, was their response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

It is as moving and beautiful of a song as the songs they had penned together decades earlier. 

And now with the passing of Glenn Frey, the music industry has lost another musical genius.

For the fans, we are left with a "hole in the world tonight..."

Farewell and Rest in Peace, Glenn. Thank you for all the musical memories.

You Know Their Music...Now Learn Their Names. "20 Feet From Stardom"

20 Feet From Stardom (2013)
Rated PG-13 for language

Starring Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Bruce Springsteen, Sting

The Story:

As the title states, 20 feet from the lead singer, these backup singers are what provided much of the hook for the music of the 60s and 70s.  Odds are, you already know the songs, and like Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer Darlene Love, you know the voices.  You just don't know the names to the ladies in question.  Or, as we'll learn, many times their vocals were sent out under different names entirely.

It's a fascinating  look at the ladies who became stars in their own right, even if the public never knew who they were.

Darlene Love, whose biggest solo hit, Christmas(Baby Please Come Home) is revisited every year on The Late Show with David Letterman is indeed the most famous of all the singers, but by no means is she the only talented backup singer profiled in this documentary.

Again, while the majority of this documentary looks back at the powerful vocalists who helped define the sounds of the 60s and 70s, there are still background singers today, backing some of the biggest acts.

They just aren't as prolific as they once were.

Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen and Sting, among others, extol the virtues of these ladies and how important to the work and sound they truly are.

Sheryl Crow, herself a former backup singer offers some insight as well, as possibly one of the most famous backups to make the long 20 foot walk to the center of the stage.

An amazing soundtrack to a really good movie.

Now streaming on Netflix if you're interested.

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I don't think I would need to own it, but would have no problem watching this very well made documentary again.

You Know Him. You Just Don't Realize It Yet. "Drew: The Man Behind The Poster"

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster (2013)
N/R- Documentary...does contain a bit of language and a few artistic nude paintings

Starring Drew Struzan, Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, Steven Spielberg

Directed by Erik Sharkey


The Story:

You may not know his name, but you know Drew Struzan's work.  At least assuming you've ever seen a movie poster between the 1970s and now.

This is his story, and it's actually pretty interesting stuff!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I could put my 5 favorite Struzan posters on this review and call it good.



Hmm... I still might...

But that misses the point!

This is the story of a man who made a name for himself by being himself.  A dedicated artist who loved to work, and with a few twists of fate wound up becoming famous in Hollywood, and shaping how fans around the world came to view the movies.



You will hear Michael J. Fox, Harrison Ford, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and many, many others gush about how great his work is, and how amazing it is to have Drew complete a poster for their movies.  In fact, it's quite praiseworthy how much they realize they need to make their movies as good as Drew's posters make them out to be.



You will also be amazed at the business venture that Struzan wound up in that went horribly wrong, but had the ultimate revenge at the end.  You can't script a story better than that!

Most remarkable, Struzan seems to be the most humble, likeable guy to ever be in any Hollywood circle.

THAT, is amazing, and elevates this piece even more.  Usually you'll hear someone say, yeah, but he's an @#$@#@#$...



Not here.  There is nothing but universal praise for his body of work and the man himself.

Amusingly, as many point out, even Drew's work on inferior movies never diminished his paintings, which most considered to be better than the movie they represented! :)

Count me as another fan, who is happy after all these years to put a name and face to the man who brought me a lot of joy on movie posters and VHS/DVD cases over the years.

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  I could definitely watch it again, probably a viewing in the near future with my art students is in the works.  A purchase?  It's possible...As I glance Amazon I see they have books that contain his work... and that might be better still. : )