Three Amigos! (1989)
Dir: John Landis
Stars: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short and Alfonso Arau
Caught this one on cable last weekend. I suppose there are two reasons I like this comedy so much: first of all, it is very, very honest with the viewer right from the get-go that it is striving to be a silly, zany picture. No more, no less. It doesn’t try to be more than it is. The second reason I like Three Amigos so much is it’s worthy of many repeat viewings, which is one sign of a fun film. I always have to ask myself when buying a DVD, “does this title really deserve membership amongst my library at home?” Three Amigos would certainly make the cut.
Let me try and preview several of the silly, zany scenes from this title: there is a singing bush that is critical to the Amigos’ journey. There is a scene in which the three ride around true banditos that they perceive to be part of the act in a case of mistaken identity as old as Bill Shakespeare, complete with a POV (point of view) angle for the banditos that gets me every time. The bad guy, an evil Mexican bandito leader, receives a sweater for his birthday in another scene. After my viewing, I had the song “My Little Buttercup” in my head for days. And there’s another little song the Amigos sing when they’re trying to get to sleep one night in the desert, which ends with a turtle saying, “Good night, Ned.” So, if you’re in the mood for a truly silly, zany comedy in the spirit of the silent era slapstick humor, look no further than Three Amigos. And by the way, I credited the bad guy El Guapo, played by Alfonso Arau, because he was a supporting actor in one of my favorites, The Wild Bunch.
Under Siege (1992)
Dir: Andrew Davis
Stars: Steven Seagal, Garey Busey, Erika Eleniak, Colm Meaney and Tommy Lee Jones
Oh, my lovely film snob friends… this is one of the titles that lives in my home library that they LOVE to bust my chops about… They always comment, “Come on, Burke, why is THIS one here? What is this, Die Hard on a boat? Starring ‘Fat’ Seagal? Ah ha ha ha ha…” First off, chief, it’s called a ship, not a boat. Second, Seagal wasn’t fat yet when he did this picture (although he might be considered slightly portly these days – all due respect, Mr. Seagal. Check out A&E’s Steven Seagal: Lawman if you dare). Finally, I don’t care if you simplify it with terminology like “Die Hard on a boat”, “True Lies at Sea” or “Bond Goes Fishing”, it’s a spectacular action film with only one solitary weakness that I can find: Steven Seagal’s salute at the end.
What are the strengths of the film, you say? Glad you asked, dear Reader! They are countless!!! I mean, where do I begin? With Tommy Lee Jones’ deliciously awful – and at times, scary – villain? The scene in which Seagal is in a gun battle, but gets a call from the Admiral trying to quell this situation? How about when Steven takes out four guys – FOUR – in less than three seconds? And don’t get me started on the ingenious ways Seagal injures and dispatches the mercenaries who take over his beloved battleship. If you haven’t seen this one in a while and the mood strikes you for an action pic, give this one a rewatch: and if you haven’t seen Under Siege, what are you waiting for???
Wonder Boys (2000)
Dir: Curtis Hanson
Stars: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes and Frances MacDormand
I don’t know what made me think of this picture recently, but this is a fun – and extremely well written – “dramedy”. Maybe it was the coverage of Michael Douglas’ recent bout with cancer that got me thinking of his great roles. Or perhaps it was all of those Robert Downey Jr. Due Date ads I’ve been seeing on teley. Regardless, Wonder Boys is a fun watch.
What’s the film about? Frankly, there’s a lot going on here. Douglas’ character is a one-hit-wonder writer (no pun intended) who is also a writing professor at a Pennsylvania college. His agent (Downey Jr.), whose one claim to fame is Douglas’ novel, is coming to town for the weekend because the college is putting on a Writer’s Fair. Douglas is trying to politely split up with his wife (who is completely absent from the movie) while courting his girlfriend, Frances MacDormand. Oh, and I nearly forgot, her character is married to the Dean of the college! As if all of this isn’t enough, one of Douglas’ most depressed yet gifted students James (Tobey Maguire before Spider-man days) shoots his girlfriend’s husband’s dog! You mix Katie Holmes into the story and you’ve got one hell of a movie. Like I said, a lot going on here: Curtis Hanson will always get a seal of approval from me based on his direction of L.A. Confidential – but that is for another lengthy entry.
Midnight Run (1988)
Dir: Martin Brest
Stars: Robert DeNiro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, Joe Pantaliano, Dennis Farina and Jack Kehoe
This picture was one of those I specifically remember asking my Dad about – conversation went something like this:
YOUNG BURKE: Hey, Dad, what’d you and Mom watch last night? (DISCLAIMER – When I said “watch”, I was referring to their catching the film on that mythical device called a VHS player that I’ve mentioned in previous entries – I don’t mean to suggest by any means that my people were in the habit of visiting the physical theater).
YOUNGER DAD: Oh! It was a terrible movie called Midnight Run.
YOUNG BURKE: Really? What was so bad about it?
YOUNGER DAD: Well, it had some decent action… but Charles Grodin is an asshole. I couldn’t figure out why the hell DeNiro didn’t just punch him in the face!
Naturally after such a discussion, I decided I would never see this film. But then I did see it once the ban on R rated films was lifted. And I have to say, as buddy pictures mixed in with the element of “The Journey” are concerned, I think this is a hell of a fun movie. Was my Dad right that it contains a gaping hole in the story? Absolutely. I would venture to guess that there are few (if any) bounty hunters that, once their meal-ticket had been captured, would hesitate to smash their captive’s face if they claimed to be “afraid of flying”. But I think another reason the movie is worth a watch is just to see Robert DeNiro act way outside of his comfort zone of Mob heavies and tragic characters (see Raging Bull if you’re confused by this comment).
Let’s apply the Litmus test to my Dad’s comment regarding Grodin, shall we? Is the Grodin character, Jonathan Mardukas an asshole? Oh, for sure! Does this character ruin the picture? Absolutely not. In fact, it’s an “Odd Couple” pairing that you will either like or you won’t: DeNiro is the emotionally wounded ex-cop who lives on the outskirts of society, still pursuing justice on his own terms. Grodin also fights for justice, but does so in a manner that DeNiro’s character will never understand – or will he by the end of the film? Check it out!
Oh, and you may have asked yourself, “Who’s Jack Kehoe?” as you read the credits above: I included Mr. Kehoe because I’m also a big fan of Serpico and The Sting, both of which he was also in. Kehoe’s character is Robert Redford’s partner in The Sting (the guy who gets his nose broken), just FYI. Anyhow, I always try to throw a little shout towards the unsung “character actors” out there!