TODAY I WATCHED ... (TV, Movies, Sports, etc.) 2024

"Satan Wants You" (2023)

A cool TUBI original documentary about the strange saga of Michelle Smith, a Canadian housewife whose therapist helped her uncover "repressed memories" from her childhood, in which she was supposedly used and abused by a cult of baby-eating suburban Satanists. She and her doctor wrote a best selling book about the experiences (Michelle Remembers, 1980) and soon found themselves at the forefront of the "Satanic Panic" movement of the early 1980s, hitting the talk shows and church circuits, advising law enforcement on Satanic cults, and basically acting as "experts" on the subject.

There was just one problem... it was all a load of crap.

By the early 90s, Michelle, her doctor, and their book had been thoroughly debunked, but its influence on moral panics can still be seen today in things like the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory and Q-Anon. Interesting stuff. I read Michelle Remembers when I was in college and even then it was so utterly absurd that I couldn't understand how they suckered so many people into believing their BS story.

Chapelle's Show

M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television

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"Iron Man" (2008)

Critically injured while visiting an Afghani war zone, millionaire industrialist and weapons maker Tony Stark (a perfectly cast Robert Downey Jr.) invents a mini-atomic reactor that keeps him alive, and a high tech suit of armor that enables him to kick a ton of bad-guy butt.
"Iron Man" kicked off the MCU in fine style and still holds up pretty well after all these years.

Fat Freddy wrote:

"Iron Man" (2008)

Critically injured while visiting an Afghani war zone, millionaire industrialist and weapons maker Tony Stark (a perfectly cast Robert Downey Jr.) invents a mini-atomic reactor that keeps him alive, and a high tech suit of armor that enables him to kick a ton of bad-guy butt.
"Iron Man" kicked off the MCU in fine style and still holds up pretty well after all these years.

The MCU has been going strong, no matter what the social media mouth breathers have been regurgitating

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Becker

"Billion Dollar Brain" (1967)

This is the third film in a Sixties spy series based on Len Deighton's "Harry Palmer" novels, starring Michael Caine as the British super-spy. Assigned to infiltrate a shadowy organization that takes its orders from a computer known as "The Brain," Palmer soon learns that there's something even more dangerous going on behind the scenes.
James Bond producer Harry Saltzman also supervised the Palmer films, which were intended to be more "down to earth" and realistic than the fanciful 007 series. The wintry European scenery is lovely and the cast is fine, but the movie is very slow moving and the plot is quite muddled, which made this a chore to get through. I don't think I'm going to bother with the other two "Palmer" films.

007 wrote:

The MCU has been going strong, no matter what the social media mouth breathers have been regurgitating

Honestly, I wouldn't know.

I lost track of the MCU stuff at least three or four movies ago, and with all the various Disney+ TV series that I've never seen added to the mix, I realized that I will never have time to get caught up on all of it, so I just kinda let the whole thing go.

The Steelers beat the Ravens 17-10 in a rain storm

"Loose Cannons" (1990)

A tough Washington, D.C. cop (Gene Hackman) is saddled with a new partner (Dan Aykroyd) who's fresh out of the hospital for treatment of his multiple personality disorder. Together they must solve a series of killings that involve a porn kingpin (Dom Deluise) and neo-Nazis.
...a painfully unfunny action comedy that utterly wastes the talents of both Hackman and Aykroyd. Ignore, delete, destroy. AVOID.

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Snowy day - perfect excuse to stay inside and watch movies

TUBI has been a treasure trove of forgotten 80s/90s "buddy comedies" lately...

"Real Men" (1987)

A CIA agent (Jim Belushi) drafts a dorky insurance salesman (John Ritter) into helping him stop a global threat involving Russian spies, aliens, and clowns (yes, clowns) in this oddball action comedy. Jim & John make a good team that makes me wish they were in a better movie - this one's story lurches along so randomly that after a while it starts to feel like a bunch of unrelated sketches strung together till it hits feature length. There were a few legit laughs in "Real Men," but I doubt I'll ever feel the need to revisit it.

"Deal of the Century" (1984)

Weapons dealers (Chevy Chase, Sigourney Weaver) lock horns as they try to sell the latest high-tech fighter plane to the leaders of a South American banana republic. Wiliam "The Exorcist" Friedkin directed this dry cold-war arms-race satire which has a few laughs but wears out its welcome way before the ending. Forgettable (at best).

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"The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington" (1977)

In the second film of the "Happy Hooker" trilogy, Xaviera Hollander, the famed call girl/madam and Penthouse magazine columnist is summoned to the nation's capitol to testify before Congress on the erosion of morals in America. Naturally, her flirty ways cause all kinds of mayhem in the halls of power.
Joey Heatherton is a nice piece of eye candy in the title role, and there are a few other pretty girls scattered throughout the film in various states of undress, but otherwise this is a mostly unfunny, badly dated sex comedy. "Happy Hooker" might have been considered "racy" in 1977 but nowadays it's just lame. Skip it.

Culture Shock (2019)



A young pregnant Mexican woman attempts to illegally cross the border into the States in search of a better life. She eventually makes it to the border then suddenly awakens in a seemingly idyllic small town, along with other immigrants, able to speak English, and having no recollection of how she arrived there. As she investigates, she discovers there's more going on that she had realized. A fun satirical movie that once it gets moving is enjoyable.

"Operation Kid Brother" (aka "OK Connery," 1967)

This Italian James Bond knock-off deserves a place in the Stunt Casting Hall of Fame for hiring Neil Connery - Sean's younger brother who'd never acted before - to star as "Dr. Connery," a plastic surgeon who's also the lookalike younger brother of a certain famous secret agent (who's never mentioned by name, of course). When a criminal organization begins a plot to destroy the world, "Dr. Connery's" brother is on assignment elsewhere, so Neil is hired to take his place as a reluctant spy.
This was a fairly lavish production -- several cast members had ties to the "real" Bond series (Lois "Miss Moneypenny" Maxwell, Bernard "M" Lee, Daniela "From Russia With Love" Bianchi, etc.) but the story is a hopeless muddle and Neil Connery doesn't have an ounce of his brother's screen charisma or action chops. Even worse, all of Neil's dialogue was overdubbed in post production by another actor so you never even get to hear his real voice!
I've seen this once or twice before and I'm still not sure if this movie was meant to be a spoof, or it just turned out that way unintentionally.
Either way, "Operation Kid Brother" might be a mildly amusing curiosity item for 007 fans, but it's pretty much useless to the average viewer.

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River's Edge (1987)




A group of stoner metalheads, including Keanu Reeves and Crispin Glover (one of the worst actors ever), find their morals tested when one of their group murders his girlfriend and has an apathetic reaction to it. One tries to help him get away while another (Keanu) decides to turn him in, causing turmoil amongst the group.  Also stars Dennis Hopper as their dope dealing weirdo friend. And I can't mention this film without mentioning the killer soundtrack, including Hallows Eve, Fates Warning and Slayer.

I've been reading a book about the creation and inner workings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has prompted me to start re-visiting some of its early chapters that I haven't seen in a while:

"Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011)

As World War II rages on, wimpy Army recruit Steve Rogers is chosen to receive an experimental Super-Soldier serum which bulks him up and turns him into the patriotic super-hero, leading the charge against the dreaded Red Skull and HYDRA. Joe "The Rocketeer" Johnston directed this action packed period piece that has held up extremely well.

I wish I could say the same for...
"The Incredible Hulk" (2008)

Tortured scientist Bruce Banner attempts to find a cure for his Gamma-powered anger management problem, pursued all the while by the Army and eventually getting into an epic throwdown on the streets of New York City against the monstrous Abomination.
This was better than Ang Lee's 2003 "Hulk" flick but not by much. According to the book I'm reading, Ed Norton (who plays Banner) was constantly banging heads with the director and screen writers, made constant script changes and basically acted like a diva bitch for the entire production, which is why he was replaced in the Hulk role by Mark Ruffalo after this movie. This "Hulk" was watchable, but it's vastly inferior to the first "Iron Man," which was released the same year.
P.S. sharp eyed nerds, keep an eye out for the brief cameo by Lou Ferrigno, who played the Big Mean Green on TV in the '70s.

Last night I watched episodes of the original Star Trek.

"Inside Metal Presents: Bay Area Godfathers, Part One" (2018)

Contrary to popular belief, the San Francisco Bay Area had a thriving metal scene long before Metallica moved up from L.A. and put the city on the metal map. This documentary proves it with interviews and clips of long forgotten S.F. bands like Stone Vengeance, Dammaj, Anvil Chorus, and Ruffians, alongside better known participants like Exodus, Death Angel, Forbidden, and many more. A fun trip down metal memory lane.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014)

In the star-spangled hero's second solo outing, he and the Black Widow discover a massive sleeper cell of HYDRA agents operating within S.H.I.E.L.D. and must stop them before they put their latest plan for world domination into action. An action packed epic that plays more like an old school '70s political thriller (think "Three Days of the Condor") than a super hero flick.

"Beverly Hills Cop" (1984)

While investigating the murder of an old friend, wise-ass Detroit cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) heads to Beverly Hills, where he pisses off the uptight, suit-and-tie local P.D. and tangles with international drug smugglers. This action comedy mega-hit turned Murphy into a bankable movie star and was followed by two sequels (with a new one coming this summer via Netflix). It's still a fun watch, and it's hard to believe that it's 40 years old this year!