The Other Guys (2010)

This cop buddy film stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as the losers of the NYPD. To be honest, that is not saying much since all the police are pretty stupid and don't really know what they are doing (including their captain played by Michael Keaton). The duo decide to make a name for themselves and go after a banker (Steve Coogan) who has not applied for the proper building permits. However, they end being involved in something huge after the money man is kidnapped away from them. Seems that he owes a huge amount of money to investors and is planning something big to swindle the money away from someone else.

This movie definitely has its funny moments. There are lots of little clever bits going on. Unfortunately they don't work stuck all together in a movie that seems a bit disjointed and schizophrenic.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Doubting Thomas (1935)

Mrs. Pampinelli (Alison Skipworth), the town matron, is putting on a theater production. However, one of the actresses has just become a widow and she needs a quick replacement. Mrs. Brown (Billie Burke) has acting experience and is more than delighted to take part in the local play. Conveniently her husband, Thomas Brown the sausage king (Will Rogers), is out of town, otherwise he would strictly forbid her to be involved. However he does get wind of the fiasco and concocts a plan to prevent her from pursuing any ideas of an acting career.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

They Made Me A Fugitive (1947)

This is a British film noir that was released in America under the title "I Became A Criminal".

It stars Trevor Howard as Clem Morgan, a former RAF pilot who is basically a good guy but has become bitter. He ends up geting involved with Narcy (Griffith Jones), a gangster that deals in smuggling and the black market. Narcy sets up Morgan by leaving him to take the blame for the death of a policemen by their getaway car. Although Morgan is sentenced to 15 years in prison, he escapes and makes his way back to London to seek revenge and clear his name.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Sandpiper (1965)

This movie was directed by Vincente Minnelli and stars Elizabeth Taylor as a free-spirited artist who is raising her illegitimate son on her own. They live in beautiful house on the beach of Big Sur in California. Unfortunately, the local judge doesn't think that the boy is being raised properly and legally requires that he be enrolled in the local religious boarding school. That school is run by Richard Burton and his wife Eva Marie Saint. After only a few short visit's to Taylor's artist's haven, Burton falls in love with her. Of course that is going to cause some problems and not just with his wife and the community, but also Taylor's beatnik friends (which include a young Charles Bronson).

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Comic (1969)

This story starts at the end with the funeral of silent movie star Billy Bright (Dick Van Dyke). We then are brought back to the 1920s and the beginning of Billy's career as a silent comedy star in the vein of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. We see him meet, marry and then divorce his co-star (Michele Lee).  And when he refuses to make sound films we are suddenly fast-forwarded back to the present day.

There's nothing else much to this film directed by Carl Reiner except the excerpts of the fictional films that Billy made which are actually very entertaining. It also co-stars Mickey Rooney as "Cockeye".

Available: Classic Collections, iOffer

The Rocker (2008)

Back in 1986 Robert Fishman (Rainn Wilson) was the drummer of a heavy metal hair band called Vesuvius. Unfortunately, he was kicked out of the band when they finally got signed to a record label because the president of the company wanted one of his relatives to be the drummer.

Fast-forward twenty years and Vesuvius is now highly successful and world-famous. "Fish" is in a dead-end job with no place to live because he is still bitter about it. However he gets his second chance when his teenage nephew (Josh Gad) has to ask him to be the drummer for his band, A.D.D. The band is good and quickly become successful. So successful that they have the opportunity to open for legendary Vesuvius.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Godspell (1973)

This movie is subtitled "A Musical Based On The Gospel According To St. Matthew". The film originated from the Off-Broadway play of the same name. In fact, it didn't appear on the Broadway stage until three years after the film.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the film presents Jesus (Victor Garber) and his apostles. These nine people (as opposed to the standard twelve) abandon their mundane and unsatisfying lives and join Jesus in a romp around an abandoned New York City. Dressed in hippie thrift store rags, they all sing and tell bible stories in a fairly non-religious way.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

A Taste Of Death (1968)

A gang of cattle rustlers, lead by their blond leader Scaife (Bruno Corazzari) , bring their herd of cows to a small town asking if they can stay a few days because of the weather. Although suspicious, the town sheriff Ramson lets the men stay.

The sheriff recognizes Dan (John Ireland), one of the rustlers. Seems that Dan and the sheriff are old friends. Dan is also the father of Tony (Andrea Giordana), the sheriff's adopted son. He tells the sheriff that he should leave town. Scaife and his gang are bad and do not intend to leave but to take over the town. The sheriff tries to get the townsfolk to fight back, but they are apathetic and walk away. When Scaife and the sheriff have a showdown, the sheriff is shot and killed.

Scaife makes the villagers his slaves by forcing the men to work making a corral for the cattle. Tony sneaks away and with Dan's help, prepares to fight the scoundrels. Inspired by Tony, the villagers finally rebel and start killing the rustlers. Eventually Scaife and Dan face off. Dan shoots Scaife but as he approaches the rustler, Scaife pulls out his gun and shoots Dan. Tony arrives just as Dan dies never finding out that Dan is his father.

Alternate Titles: Quanto Costa Morire, Cost Of Dying

Available: Amazon

Virginia City (1940)

Errol Flynn and his two buddies, "Moose" (Alan Hale) and "Marblehead", (Guinn "Big Boy" Williams) escape from the hell of a Confederate prison near the end of the Civil War. Once free, they inform the Union Army of a Southern plan that they had heard about that involves bringing millions of dollars in gold from Virginia City, Nevada to the needy Union troops. They are quickly dispatched out west to find out more and stop the "Copperheads".

In the stagecoach ride out west, Flynn meets and falls in love with Miss Hayne (Miriam Hopkins). Miss Hayne is a spy for the South posing as a dance hall girl in Virginia City. She is in cahoots with Union Captain Vance Irby (Randolph Scott) in planning and carrying out the transportation of the gold from the West. Also involved is a Mexican bandit played by Humphrey Bogart.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Alvarez Kelly (1966)

In remembrance of the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, cable station TCM is presenting many films about the conflict. This is a Civil War western starring William Holden as Kelly, a Mexican national cattle herder. Kelly has just transported a huge herd of cattle to the Union Army and has collected his quite-adequate payment. However, one-eyed Union army Colonel Rossiter (Richard Widmark) kidnaps Kelly and steals his money. He eventually forces Kelly to train his men to herd the cows so that they can steal them from the Northerners and be able to feed a starving Southern Army. Be sure to check out for the stampede climax. You never knew that cows could be used as weapons, did ya?

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Posse (1993)

This African-American western stars and is directed by Mario Van Peebles. It consists of an ensemble cast of mostly black performers including Blaxploitation actors Pam Grier and Issac Hayes, hip-hop artists Tone Loc and Big Daddy Kane, and classic actors Woody Strode and Nippy Russell.

The story centers around Van Peebles as Jesse Lee, the leader of a gang of black soldiers and one white crazy guy (Stephen Baldwin) who have escaped from an evil colonel (Billy Zane). The colonel has double-crossed them, but they get away with the gold coin shipment that he was planning on stealing. With the colonel hot on their trail, they travel to a western town inhabited solely by African-Americans. It is the town that Jesse's father has envisioned building before he was brutally murdered. Jesse has returned to avenge his father's death and build a peaceful place that black people can call home.

Available: Amazon, Netflix

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil (2008)

Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band that had short-lived popularity in the early 1980s. Despite the lack of a wider audience, the band is still performing together and making records 30 years later.

This film is a documentary following the band at the beginning of the 21st century as the members try to continue to make it as a band and stay relevant. It is directed by Sacha Gervasi, an Anvil fan and former roadie.

We follow the band as they tour Europe with mixed results of success. They play the heavy metal Sweden Rock Festival to enthusiastic crowds but end up in a fist-fight with club owners in Prague when he refuses to pay them. The band also records their thirteenth album, hiring legendary producer Chris "CT" Tsangarides to work on it. However, they have trouble getting a record label to carry it so they release it themselves. While this is a story of overcoming the odds, it's also a typical tale of a rock band just trying to make it big.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Heroin Busters (1977)

Blue Underground has released this film directed by Enzo Castellari with a beautiful widescreen print. It stars Fabio Testi as a drug-dealer who has just arrived in Rome. David Hemmings is an Interpol agent that is trying to crack a heroine ring that has connections in cities across the globe. He follows Testi and other small-time dealers in an attempt to find out who the big boss is and how he gets the stuff to America.This is one of Castellari's better films with a nice chase at the end that winds its way through newly constructed subway tunnels and involves dirt bikes and armed scientists and ends at a giant stage constructed among ancient ruins. Soundtrack music by Goblin.

Alternate Titles: La Via Della Droga, Drug Street

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Cop Out (2010)

Comedic buddy cop film starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. There were no opening credits so we didn't know that this was directed by Kevin Smith. But that's okay, I would rather have not know that he directed it, it might have influenced me negatively.

So yeah, this is a buddy cop film so don't expect anything more. However, it does have Willis and Morgan in it so it is rather funny...at least for the first hour or so. After that it loses steam and becomes something unspectacular, but again, that's okay.

The story in a nutshell: The guys screw up a bust and are suspended without pay. Bruce Willis' character has to pay for his daughter's expensive wedding, so he decides to sell an expensive baseball card that he owns. Unfortunately, as he is getting the card appraised, it is stolen by some thieves. In trying to get the card back, the pair get involved with a ruthless Mexican drug dealer. Of course it all ends happily and it wasn't so bad a ride getting there.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Catfish (2010)

This documentary follows Nev Schulman, a photographer who has recently developed a friendship with Abby, an 8 year old girl. Abby is an artist and has painted pictures from photographs that Nev has had published in magazines. Nev ends up developing Facebook friendships with other people in Abby's family including her older half-sister Megan. Typical of social networking relationships, Nev and Megan become romantically involved. However, when questions start to not get answered, Nev and his filmmaking friends decide to take a trip to Michigan for a surprise visit.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

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