Rambo III (1988)

 

Rambo III (1988) – I never saw this in the 30+ years since the release. The explosive tipped arrow in Part II just couldn't be topped. It surprisingly feels like an Indian Jones sequel with funny Muslims and the Soviets standing in for Nazis. You even have this little Afghan kid tagging along like Short Round. Hand it to Richard Crenna, an actor with 50 years experience that was believable in anything he did. Very William Holden like and yet spent most of his time on television. Crenna has his biggest part of the series as Rambo's mentor captured by the Soviets. I remember how much this movie was panned but it follows the formula perfectly and is no worse than Part II. It's even kind of comforting to see a new film from the 1980s and appreciate it for its time and genre. Stallone was so mocked for these sequels I was surprised at the star power intensity that seems to be a scarce commodity in current times.

Broadway Melody of 1936 (1936)

 

Broadway Melody of 1936 (1936) – Robert Taylor is a Broadway impresario. The leading lady is the dancer, Eleanor Powell who is both fetching and competent. Taylor and Powell grew up together in Albany and he thinks too much of the kid to allow her to get in the showbiz what with the decadence, worrying she will become a wanton woman. So Powell impersonates a French dancer so that she can get an audition. Alright silly and yet miles above what passes for comedy today like Duane Johnson's shifting eyebrow.

The top billed star is Jack Benny as a gossip columnist in the mode of Walter Winchell. Benny rarely leaves his office in the picture. He's typically seen talking to his assistant so that Robert Taylor can barge in every 10 minutes or so to punch him out for something written in his column. The assistant is played by the film's co-writer, Sid Silvers (No relation to Phil that I could find). This might be an interesting double bill at Tarantino's New Beverly Cinema, paired with Sweet Smell of Success, a darker take on Walter Winchell.

Interesting supporting performances from Buddy Ebsen and his real-life sister Vilma as a dancing team. Vilma lived to be 97 and this was her only movie. Enjoyable if you aren't put off by 1930s acting styles and/or enjoy ratatatat dialogue.

Jack Benny (To Eleanor Powell): If you are French I am a Chinaman.

Powell: (slowly in French accent looking him over): That is possible.

Man Who Inveted Christmas (2017)

 

Man Who Inveted Christmas (2017) – Charles Dickens gets the Shakespeare in Love treatment while trying to write “A Christmas Carol: among his other life problems. Money troubles, pregnant wife, nary-do-well farther wanting money. The gimmick is that the Scrooge characters in the story appear as characters in this movie to say the lines and help him envision the story,. Interesting if you know the Dickens references. I know fewer than the Shakespeare ones. It's a perfectly competent production without surprising the viewer with anything extraordinary.