It's Chilly Outside...It's Chili Inside..."Get Shorty"

Get Shorty (1995)

Rated R

Starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

The Story:

Chili Palmer (Travolta) may work for the mob, but his heart is for the movies. When he winds up in Hollywood looking for Harry Zimm (Hackman) who has welched on a debt, he begins to dabble in Hollywood movie production. However, local mobster Bo (Lindo) and Miami's own Ray Barboni (Farina) close in on Chili and Zimm, things are about to get a little crazy!

Happy 20th Anniversary to Get Shorty!

Based on the Elmore Leonard story, this is a perfect all-star cast that brings out life behind the camera, and life within the mob all in one comedic caper.

While I knew and enjoyed the work of just about everyone in this cast, for me, it made stars of Lindo and Gandolfini.

Unfamiliar with their work up to that point, they both turned in great performances and, especially in the case of Lindo, I have looked forward to seeing him in just about anything ever since.

Highly recommended if you've never seen it, or if it's been nearly 20 years since your last viewing.

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I love it. I own it. It gets watched roughly every year or two. It holds up very well every time!

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 62 ~ Men in Black

Welcome to today's installment.  It was actually posted yesterday, but we used our "flashy thingy" to make you forget all about it.

And we're off...

Welcome to a Comic Book Movie that you didn't realize was based on a comic book.  At least some of you didn't.

You're welcome.

Who says those "kids books" don't make for some entertaining flicks?

Anyway, this is a really fun film that still holds up today.  The sequel was okay... not quite great, but it wasn't a waste of time.  I'm looking forward to the third one.

We could discuss all day how awesome Will Smith is playing Will Smith, but to me, the real revelation in this movie is Tommy Lee Jones as Kay.  Up to this point, aside from his turn to crazy in Under Siege (See # 78), he was a dramatic actor.

Here, he played the perfect straight man, which was somewhere just this side of Leslie Nielsen in Airplane of the Naked Gun movies.  His delivery and pacing throughout are simply magical.  He buys into the part so much, you get swept up along for the ride, much like Jay.

As for the director, Barry Sonnenfeld will be back on this list one more time, with my favorite movie that he's worked on.

Better than Men In Black?

It must be Wild Wild West.

Not quite, but we'll get back to Sonnefeld later.

Now, if you could just look directly at this light...



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