“And The Oscar Goes To…”

All movie fans are perched on the edge their seats when those words are spoken each year at The Academy Awards. It’s a cinephile’s Super Bowl, after all….so, do you ever grimace when the winning name is announced? Perhaps you hated the movie, the acting, the script or the cinematography – but social media is filled with people who love to debate the worst Academy Award wins of all time.

The Best Actress Is…

Time to look at the category of “Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role.” There have been incredible performances honored here, recently by Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine”:

On the flip side, there have been some real head-scratchers, but here is what may be, to me, the weakest winner in the category in the last three decades:

Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award for her performance in 2009’s “The Blind Side.” She played a tough-as-nails Southern pistol-packing Mom who is protective of the kid she finds homeless – and helps him become an NFL star. Michael Oher is shown at the end being drafted – bravo to him! Yes, it’s a true story, and an inspiring one as well:

The film is a “feel good” look at a young man who is helped by a loving family, who take him in and help him succeed. That said, Bullock’s performance is strident and one-note, and the scene where she takes on a group of dangerous young men is cringe-worthy….as for the other nominees that year?

Helen Mirren was nominated for the little-seen ‘The Last Station’, Carey Mulligan was great in the independent film ‘An Education’, Gabourey Sidibe exploded onscreen in ‘Precious’, and Meryl Streep gave one of her greatest performances ever in ‘Julie and Julia’.

So as you can see, a number of great roles in small films, and an acting legend who perhaps is thought to have won too recently for “The Iron Lady”

Also, Bullock didn’t win for her virtuoso performance in “Gravity” in 2013, so she got a well-deserved Oscar – just the wrong year!

I really like her as an Actress, but this just wasn’t the best performance of the year…that honors goes to Julia Child!

There is a terrific list of the ten worst winning performances according to the website “TheCinemaholic.com” – check out to see why they included Halle Berry and Cher, along with Elizabeth Taylor!

https://www.thecinemaholic.com/the-10-worst-best-actress-oscar-winners-ranked/

I also didn’t care for Frances McDormand this year for “Three Billboards” – to me it was strident and lacked any sympathy or softness to counter the obnoxiousness.

Also, in 1967 Anne Bancroft was incredible in “The Graduate”, and Faye Dunaway was mesmerizing in “Bonnie & Clyde”, only to lose to Katherine Hepburn’s by-the-numbers performance in “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner”.

If you want to read an amazing book about that revolutionary year in film, click here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/03/17/bonnie-clyde-vintage-la-screening-amazing-live-guest-pictures-from-a-revolution/

Let me know what you think was the least-award winning performance!

Time To Celebrate These “Unleashed” Machete Maidens!

You like cult cinema? Then do I have a terrific documentary for you – one that tells the story of the booming Philippine film industry in the 70’s and 80’s, when empowered women kicked ass overseas!

Look at these posters! They are perfect examples of the type of film that was very popular in american movie theaters. These low-budget films were filled with three things: “Breasts, blood and beasts!”

Meet The “Machete Maidens Unleashed!”

I love films that look at unique eras in film, and this one does just that!

The documentary takes an indepth look at one of the wildest “anything goes” eras in film – the filmmaking boom in the Philippines! The movie is full of great movie clips and very candid interviews with a ton of people who worked on these films, such as Director John Landis, Producer Roger Corman, Director Joe Dante, and a slew of great actors from the era, including Pam Grier and more!

Here is the slightly NSFW trailer:

It all began with “women in prison” pictures – low budget exploitation films that showed what happened when innocent women were put in prison – and guess what? Since it was so cheap to shoot in the Philippines, why not imprison them there!

Yes, this documentary explains how Pam Grier was discovered, and starred in several films shot in the Philippines – the documentary has some great anecdotes, and a short interview with Grier as well…see more about her early films here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/03/21/black-mama-white-mama-queen-of-blaxploitation-pam-grier-naked-showers-women-in-prison-classics/

These movies were shot in the Philippines for a reason – everything was dirt cheap, and there were virtually no safety standards whatsoever!

These movies promised lots of action, and nudity as well – as one person in the film admits: these “women in prison” movies allowed the convicts two showers a day – and both were shown in the film!

Director Jack Hill made several films in the Philippines and has hilarious stories about his experiences – he also made several with Pam Grier, including the one that started it all:

The film discusses Producer Roger Corman extensively – he was behind many of these films, and he is interviewed as well – he made a lot of films in the Philippines during the 70’s – and they point out that he gave many Directors, like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese their start…here is the film he produced for Scorsese:

You can read more about this 70’s cult classic here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/04/11/boxcar-bertha-naked-barbara-hershey-martin-scorseses-exploitation-classic/

The documentary also talks about how Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos enticed filmmakers to come to his country – in fact, his wife love movies!

There is a lot of great footage of Imelda in this documentary, and it talks about one of the country’s biggest – and smallest – stars, Weng Weng!

There is a great documentary about the life and films of Weng Weng, and guess what?

Amazingly, Imelda Marcos is interviewed in the film!

See more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/12/03/superstar-weng-weng-lives-the-world-smallest-action-hero-my-actionagogo-review/

“Machete Maidens Unleashed” is a great story about filmmaking – and how one country bent over backwards to bring Hollywood to them!

The film spends some time showing a bit of the chaos surrounding the filming of “Apocalypse Now” there – as the Army gave Director Francis Ford Coppola military helicopters for the film!

Also interviewed in the film is R Lee Ermey, who was the military advisor to Coppola and has some choice words about the “Apocalypse Now” shoot – he is candid as always, and just a few years later, became a star because of his role in “Full Metal Jacket” – see more about that here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/07/05/full-metal-jacket-foul-mouthed-memories-from-sgt-hartman-r-lee-ermey-speaks/

“Machete Maidens Unleashed” is a great film for cult movie lovers, so check it out!

RIP R. Lee Ermey…

Sad news: R. Lee Ermey, the former Marine who went from an off-camera Vietnam War Expert to stardom, has died…he will always be remembered as the foul-mouthed Marine Sergeant from Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece “Full Metal Jacket”…

“I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be “Sir”. Do you maggots understand that?

Recruits: [In unison in a normal speaking tone] Sir, yes Sir.

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Bullshit I can’t hear you. Sound off like you got a pair!

Recruits: [In unison, much louder] SIR, YES SIR!”

Shape Up, Maggots!

Talk about intense! Who can ever forget the vulgar and utterly mesmerizing R. Lee Ermey performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in “Full Metal Jacket!”

The Actor’s Manager announced his death on Twitter…Ermey was 74 years old, and no cause of death was mentioned.

R. Lee Ermey was in more than 75 films, but he will always be known as the foul-mouthed Sargeant who trains new recruits in Stanley Kubrick’s anti-war masterpiece!

“Full Metal Jacket!”

First, the film itself:

A two-segment look at the effect of the military mindset and war itself on Vietnam era Marines. The first half follows a group of recruits in boot camp under the command of the punishing Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The second half shows one of those recruits, Joker, covering the war as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes, focusing on the Tet offensive.

Marine Training Camp, Kubrick-Style!

“Full Metal Jacket” is Kubrick’s classic anti-war film, showing how young men are turned into killing machines. The first half of the film is anchored by Ermey’s mesmerizing performance as the drill Sergeant who will whip this fresh bunch of new recruits into shape:

“You are nothing but unorganized grabastic pieces of amphibian shit!”

OK, perhaps we are, but what a classic way to put it! The film is filled with hilariously profane instructions from the Sergeant, like this:

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: “If you ladies leave my island, if you survive recruit training, you will be a weapon. You will be a minister of death praying for war. But until that day you are pukes. You are the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even human fucking beings. You are nothing but unorganized grabastic pieces of amphibian shit! Because I am hard, you will not like me. But the more you hate me, the more you will learn. I am hard but I am fair. There is no racial bigotry here. I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers. Here you are all equally worthless. And my orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved Corps. Do you maggots understand that?”

Sgt. Hartman Speaks!

Thanks to the terrific genre magazine “VideoScope” for a great interview with the Actor, who shared many anecdotes about “Full Metal Jacket” as well as other films he has appeared in – “VideoSCope” is always full of great interviews that celebrate unique aspects of the world of film…

Here is some great trivia: Did you know that R. Lee Ermey was a technical advisor on another classic anti-war film “Apocalypse Now?” As he explained to VideoScope:

“I was hired as a background extra. Once we started shooting they found out I was a Vietnam veteran and I ended up being the number two technical advisor on the movie.”

Ermey’s performance in “Full Metal Jacket” is infused with his unique history as a drill instructor, leading to a nonstop series of monologues like this:

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Tonight, you pukes will sleep with your rifles. You will give your rifle a girl’s name because this is the only pussy you people are going to get. Your days of finger-banging ol’ Mary-Jane Rottencrotch through her pretty pink panties are over! You’re married to this piece. This weapon of iron and wood. And you will be faithful. Port, hut!”

Ermey Meets Kubrick!

Ermey was originally hired by Kubrick to be a technical advisor, but of course, things ended up differently. It all began with Ermey decided to train the extras AS Gunnery Sgt. Hartman:

“I approached them as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman would approach a platoon and I delivered the first scene. Then I dropped them down for push-ups. I had them choking themselves.”

The material was videotaped for Kubrick to see how they were being trained, and when the Director saw the material he called Ermey into his office and gave him the role!

All Ermey’s, But No Ad-libs!

It is a common misconception that most of R. Lee Ermey’s dialogue during the training sequence was improvised. In several interviews Ermey stated that he worked closely with Kubrick to help mold the script so that it was more believable, all while retaining certain dialogue crucial to Kubrick’s vision.

While filming the opening scene, where he disciplines Pvt. Cowboy, he says Cowboy is the type of guy who would have sex with another guy “and not even have the goddamned common courtesy to give him a reach-around”. Stanley Kubrick immediately yelled cut and went over to Ermey and asked, “What the hell is a reach-around?” Ermey politely explained what it meant. Kubrick laughed and re-shot the scene, telling Ermey to keep the line!

According to Ermey, he was allowed to write almost all of the material himself, but it was all written down – nothing was improvised on the set!

To keep the recruits’ reactions as convincing as possible, Matthew Modine, Vincent D’Onofrio, and the other actors never met R. Lee Ermey prior to filming. Stanley Kubrick also saw to it that Ermey didn’t fraternize with the actors between takes – as if they would want to!

And one final piece of trivia: did you know that the Motion Picture Association refused to allow this poster for the film?

They decided that the line “in Vietnam the wind doesn’t blow it sucks” was inappropriate to be seen on a movie poster!

I can only imagine what Sergeant Hartman would have said about that! Kudos to R. Lee Ermey for creating one of the most memorable film characters in movie history!

As I said, he also advised many films and TV shows, including “Apocalypse Now”, and he discusses that in this terrific documentary about filming in the Philippines…

This is a great documentary, and he is really candid about working with Coppola on the classic anti-war film…see my story here…

https://johnrieber.com/2018/04/11/meet-the-empowered-machete-maidens-unleashed-pam-grier-got-her-start-here-terrific-documentary-celebrates-the-anything-goes-films-of-the-philippines/

RIP to R. Lee Ermey…

Are You Ready To Rock?

I’m taking part in a “Music Monday” event, thanks to Phil Taylor, who has a great website called “The Phil Factor”.

You can see his blog here:

https://thephilfactor.com

I am sharing seven incredible concerts that I was able to see live, and yes, that includes the greatest rock band of all time, Led Zeppelin!

1 – Led Zeppelin at The Seattle Center Coliseum, 1975

I was young, but not TOO YOUNG to rock with the greatest band of all time! The Seattle Center Coliseum could barely contain them – this was at the height of their prowess as a band…

Luckily, many of these performances were captured in the band’s unique concert film “The Song Remains The Same” – and if you love the band as much as I do, you no doubt also have all of their albums remastered – here is a look at those, and my “top 5” singles from the band:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/08/01/led-zeppelin-iv-remastered-zoso-zeppelins-top-5-singles-hoth-remastered-too/

Another incredible live performer is Paul McCartney, and when Seattle’s Kingdome was built, he played the first concert there:

2 – Paul McCartney & Wings Over America at The Kingdome in 1976

Six years after the breakup of The Beatles, Paul was at the height of his popularity, and he took his band Wings around the world, releasing a triple live album that captures all of the magic of the shows:

I remember standing outside with 50,000 other fans waiting to get in, when we saw Paul and Linda on the roof of the Kingdome, looking out at us!

He played his great solo hits, new Wings songs and a few Beatles classics as well – one of the greatest live performers there is – he still performs for three hours and you know every song!

Here is a look at that show at the Kingdome, with a couple of live clips!

https://johnrieber.com/2014/07/12/paul-mccartney-wings-over-seattle-the-kingdome-implosion-seattle-sports-history/

I am a huge fan of Todd Rundgren, as those who read my blog know – and in 2016, he put on a great show filled with his greatest hits!

3 – Todd Rundgren at The Sabon Theater in Beverly Hills, 2016

Todd is out on the road now with his band Utopia, reuniting after decades apart…but in 2016, Todd toured to promote a new album, and also toured with a show that focused on his library of classic songs, like this one.

Here is Todd performing “Hello It’s Me”:

If you don’t know Todd’s music, he is an incredible Artist…here are more videos from the Beverly Hills show:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/01/07/todd-rundgren-rocks-beverly-hills-todds-2016-tour-reviewed/

I have focused on legendary performers, because when you hear them perform, you realize why they have such long and successful careers….my next Artist is no different:

4 – Stevie Wonder at The United Center in Chicago, 2014

Some don’t know that in the 70’s, Stevie Wonder released 3 albums in 4 years, and each one took home the Grammy for Album Of The Year!

In 1974, he won for “Innervisions”, the next year for “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” (beating “Bankd On The Run” from Wings), and in 1977, he won again for “Songs In The Key Of Life.”

A couple of years ago, Wonder went on the road to perform “Songs” in its entirety – confirming what a masterpiece it is!

In addition to those “songs in the key of life”, Wonder also performed some of his other hits, like this great rendition of “My Cherie Amour”:

Wonder’s voice was flawless, and he was full of energy and humor – here is a look at this show, with more videos:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/11/15/songs-in-the-key-of-life-stevie-wonders-masterpiece-live/

Sometimes, a band can wear out over time, becoming a hollow version of their best self…but not in the case of Tears For Fears:

5 – Tears For Fears at Staples Center in Los Angeles, 2017

I was surprised to hear that TFF were touring with Daryl Hall & John Oates, assuming they no longer recorded or toured….I was wrong, because in some ways they blew H&O off the stage!

Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith put on a 90-minute show filled with non-stop hits like “Shout”, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, “Mad World”, and this classic…

Here they are performing “Sowing The Seeds Of Love:”

I was impressed by how tight the band sounded, how energetic Roland and Curt were, and how well the music holds up…here is my story about the show, with more clips:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/10/21/tears-for-fears-incredible-live-performance-iconic-band-wows-l-a-with-their-biggest-hits/

I have posted stories about every single Eagles album, and they are another band that performs their catalog of songs with respect and passion:

6 – The History Of The Eagles at the United Center in Chicago, 2013

The group’s “history” tour coincided with the dynamite 5 hour documentary about the band…it was the last tour before Glenn Frey’s tragic demise.

Here is the band performing their classic “Take It Easy:”

The band is still performing, with Frey’s son replacing him in the band, along with country Artist Vince Gill…I am so happy I saw this show, which was dynamite, and including founding member Bernie Leadon as well – see that clip here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/09/21/history-of-the-eagles-amazing-concert-old-friends-return/

Finally, I was lucky enough to see punk rock at its most ferocious. thanks to The Clash:

7 – The Clash at The Paramount Theater in Seattle, 1979

When The Clash toured America, it was an event, tearing up theaters across the country with their punk energy, and songs like “Janie Jones” and “I’m So Bored With The USA”…

If you never saw them live, you have a chance to relive it, because of a unique film that they co-starred in!

“Rude Boy” was a fictional film about a roadie who was friends with the band, and they shot The Clash in concert as part of the film – here are some of those clips – an incredible document of the power of punk at the end of the 70’s:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/09/the-clash-is-live-rude-boy-iconic-punk-music-meets-classic-cult-movie/

The Clash returned to Seattle to open for The Who at The Kingdome a few years later, and yes, The Who could top this list as well…

Let me add that I’ve seen a ton of great shows in my life, all of which could end up on this list – including:

Daryl Hall & John Oates
Pearl Jam
Oasis
Diana Krall
Elvis Costello
Neil Young
The Doobie Brothers
Glen Hansard
The Who
Bruce Springsteen

And so many more to go – let me know your favorites!

Welcome To Alcatraz!

This legendary shot of a prison guard at Alcatraz is haunting – a solitary guard watching over some of America’s worst criminals, housed on a “rock” in San Francisco Bay – and guess what – you can see it up close!

Welcome to “The Rock!”

Yes, America’s most notorious prison is open to the public – and is located in one of the most unique place imaginable – on a rock in the middle of San Francisco bay!

Alcatraz is fascinating to me – and the subject of many great films like “Escape From Alcatraz” with Clint Eastwood and “Birdman Of Alcatraz” with Burt Lancaster!

One of the great action films of the 90’s is “The Rock” with Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery, shot on the rock itself!

Now, you can tour the island where the prison is located – and wander through the cellblocks as well!

As we board a ferry to the island, here are some facts to share:

Alcatraz Island is just a mile offshore from the heart of downtown San Francisco, since it is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The island was a military prison in 1868, then it was turned into a federal prison in 1934. After almost thirty years housing some of America’s worst criminals, it was finally closed permanently in 1963.

In 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and was made a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

So, it’s time to head to the island! As you will see from this video, it’s a windy ride across the bay, with the Golden Gate bridge easily visible in the distance!

You will hear that it is VERY WINDY on the ride over, so bundle up!

It’s a truly spectacular trip on a sunny day – if you want to go, you MUST get your tickets online well in advance as it’s always sold out!

Welcome to “The Rock!”

You arrive through an abandoned corridor, but this actually helps with the mystique of the place – and there are a ton of great signs that tell you all about the prison:

The tour is well-organized, and you end up exactly where you want to be: on cellblock row, where the inmates lived!

The best part is they have several still “dressed” as if lived in, and they let you inside a few as well!

Imagine living for 20-30 years in this space! Of course, my wife Alex and I got the obligatory “let me out of here Warden!” shots!

They have other areas open as well, and lots of vintage pictures of life in the prison – and if you feel “locked up”, you can just go outside and look back at San Francisco!

Imagine being housed there for years – and always seeing the city so close, yet so far away! A recent story suggested that the only inmates who escaped from the island might not have drowned, but actually made it to shore!

We’ll never know, as you can see from the video I shared earlier, the water is really rough and since it’s Pacific Ocean water, ice cold as well!

Heading away from the island, you can see the San Francisco skyline, Golden Gate bridge and sailboats in the bay.

It takes 15 minutes by ferry from San Francisco’s Pier 33 – and as I said, you MUST get advance tickets.

Of course, since you are right there, head a few blocks away to pier 39 and see some seals – lots and lots of seals!

You are literally just a few feet away from hundreds of seals – and yes, it smells like it too!

You can see more of my story about the seals here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/04/15/san-franciscos-famous-sea-lion-hangout-sea-lions-take-over-a-pier/

Let me know if you’ve ever been to Alcatraz!

Meet The Legendary Producer Allan Carr!

I just read a great book about one of Hollywood’s most flamboyant and entertaining Producers, the legendary Allan Carr!

Here he is with Bob Hope, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell – in the 70’s, he was one of Hollywood’s biggest Producers, and was behind some incredible hits – as well as the worst debacle in Oscar history!

“Party Animals: A Hollywood Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Starring the Fabulous Allan Carr” – by Robert Hofler.

I read this book awhile ago, and I recommend it for anyone who loves entertainment and the wild and crazy times of the hedonistic 70’s.

This book looks at Carr’s years in Hollywood, both good and bad!

Here is how the book is described:

“Allan Carr was Hollywood’s premier party-thrower during the town’s most hedonistic era—the cocaine-addled, sexually indulgent 1970s. Hosting outrageous soirees with names like the Mick Jagger/Cycle Sluts Party and masterminding such lavishly themed opening nights as the Tommy/New York City subway premiere, it was Carr, an obese, caftan-wearing producer — the ultimate outsider — who first brought movie stars and rock stars, gays and straights, Old and New Hollywood together.”

As a Producer, Carr had the massive hit “Grease” and the Broadway smash “La Cage aux Folles”, but he made the decision to do a sequel to “Grease” without John Travolta or Olivia Newton-John, the stars of the first film…

A very young Michelle Pfeiffer starred in the sequel, which bombed badly…then, Carr decided to make another lavish musical – this one with a confounding cast and Director!

“Can’t Stop The Music!”

As the poster says “The Musical Event Of The 80’s”!

Producer Carr decided to capture the “disco craze” of the late 70’s by doing a big budget musical extravaganza starring Steve Guttenberg, the Village People and Bruce Jenner!

First, check out the trailer!

Go Go Nancy!

Oh, and since it was a lavish musical, they decided to get aging “character actress/never-directed-before so let’s have her do it” Nancy Walker behind the camera to direct it!

Walker was best known for her role as Rhoda’s mother on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

A1J7KX Can t Stop The Music Year 1980 Director Nancy Walker Village People

“YMCA!”

Yes, the movie stars The Village People, who sang one of disco’s catchiest songs of all time. But it doesn’t end there!

Bruce Jenner runs around New York City in Daisy Dukes and a bare midriff, with a shrunken tee shirt!

Because it’s a musical – and because it stars the imcomparable Village People, there are a variety of wildly over the top musical sequences!

Run out in a buying frenzy to get your hands on this masterpiece…and if you need more of the worst films ever committed to celluloid, check out my list here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/05/03/from-the-beatles-to-flying-severed-heads-five-mesmerizingly-bad-films/

But Carr’s worst debacle was still to come…

“Snow White” Bombs At The Oscars!

At the end of the 80’s, the pinnacle of Carr’s fall from grace took place when he produced the 1989 Academy Awards show – and started the show with a tone-deaf musical number that had Rob Lowe serenading Snow White, a fiasco that made Carr an outcast, and is still widely considered to be the worst Oscar show ever.

“What A Bunch Of Coconuts!”

Yes, Carr was skewered by Hollywood for the infamous opening production number in which Merv Griffin sang “I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts!” amid an onstage re-creation of the Cocoanut Grove nightclub before turning the stage over to a high-pitched Snow White, who boogalooed with Rob Lowe to the tune of “Proud Mary.”

The Academy Strikes Back!

The fallout from this show was immediate.

As author Robert Hofler wrote in the book:

“Allan tried to reinvent the Oscars through camp comedy.”

It was a disaster.

In an open letter, 17 prominent Hollywood figures, including past Academy president Gregory Peck, proclaimed the ceremony:

“an embarrassment to both the Academy and the entire motion picture industry. It is neither fitting nor acceptable that the best work in motion pictures be acknowledged in such a demeaning fashion.”

Carr died in 1999, but one thing about that Oscar debacle? He came up with the idea of changing “and the winner is…” to “and the Oscar goes to…”, something that has been used ever since.

The book is fast-paced and full of great insight about a wild era in Hollywood – a great read!

“Most Excellent!” Bill And Ted Are Back!

Deadline.com has the story from the Cannes Film Festival, where it was officially announced that Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are bringing their iconic 80’s characters Billy and Ted back to the big screen!

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves photographed by Peggy Sirota exclusively for EW’ Bill & Ted Reunion on March 14th 2018 in Los Angeles CA

Entertainment Weekly had this exclusive photo a few months ago, so we knew this was on the way, but the details have been revealed!

As Deadline.com reports today:

“27 years after we last saw the totally radical pairing of Ted “Theodore” Logan and Bill S. Preston Esq., Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are now confirmed to reprise their roles in a third Bill & Ted movie, I can reveal. Bloom is launching sales in Cannes on the long-gestating time time-travel comedy, which is called Bill & Ted Face The Music. The movie is likely to be one of the hottest properties at the market.”

Along with being the world’s most prestigious film festival, Cannes is also a film market, where movies like this are announced to the world’s press…here is the entire story from Deadline.com:

http://deadline.com/2018/05/bill-and-ted-sequel-keanu-reeves-alex-winter-bill-and-ted-face-the-music-1202384903/

I love the direction that Keanu has taken his career, from serious drama, to action thrillers like “John Wick” – and I’m glad that he isn’t afraid to go back and have fun with this iconic character!

Reeves is also a great Director, and martial arts fan – if you haven’t seen his film “”Man Of Tai Chi”, see the trailer here – it’s terrific:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/07/28/keanu-reeves-kung-fu-fight-club-man-of-tai-chi-47-ronin/

Welcome back, Bill and Ted!

RIP Margot Kidder…

Sad news to share: Margot Kidder, the Actress who portrayed the best “Lois Lane” os all time, has died at the age of 69. The Franzen-Davis Funeral Home in Livingston, MT, said she died Sunday but did not give a cause of death.

The Actress had many big hits in her career, and a series of personal setbacks as well – but her body of work deserves some credit, as she was an iconic Actress to so many of us…

Kidder began her career in the 1960s, working in TV and film, and modeling as well…

Kidder was one of Hollywood’s most free-spirited new sex kittens, at a time when a new permissiveness was underway in the entertainment industry…

She appeared in Brian De Palma’s thriller “Sisters” in 1973, and then starred in the shock classic “Black Christmas” the following year.

Kidder was terrific as the caustic friend who helps Olivia Hussey search for a missing sorority sister. You can read all about this horror classic here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/11/28/the-last-christmas-black-christmas-its-a-horrific-grindhouse-holiday/

Kidder’s winning streak at the movies continued with her role in “The Amityville Horror”…

These roles were great, but she achieved her biggest success starring as Lois Lane in the classic “Superman” films with Christopher Reeve.

Cinema’s Best Lois Lane!

Kidder’s quick wit and “tough as nails” demeanor were the perfect foil for Reeve, and the chemistry between the two stars was perfect for the material…

The first two “Superman” films in the 80’s are considered by many to be the best superhero films ever made…and much of that credit goes to Kidder’s feisty performance…

Kidder’s Rough Stretch…

According to wikipedia, the Actress has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which led to a widely publicized manic episode in April 1996. She disappeared for four days, and was found in a back yard by a homeowner and was taken by Los Angeles police to Olive View Medical Center in a distressed state. She was later placed in psychiatric care. In 2007, Kidder said that she had not had a manic episode in 11 years.

Kidder since worked in numerous films as well as numerous television series and also starred in Rob Zombie’s 2009 film “Halloween II.”

Margot Kidder in her home for Celebrity Home Kathryn Kates story.

In 2015, she won an Emmy Award for her performance in the children’s television series “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour.”

So sorry to hear about her death…RIP Margot Kidder…

Unfortunately, like Margot Kidder many Hollywood stars can’t overcome their personal demons…

The Shocking Tale Of Jan-Michael Vincent!

This 70’s star of such films as “Big Wednesday” and “The Mechanic” is now struggling, and had one leg partially amputated – you can read this story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/08/31/jan-michael-vincent-from-70s-sexiest-man-to-a-true-hollywood-tragedy/

Another star from the late 60’s also fell from grace…

June Fairchild starred with The Monkees in their movie “Head”, but ended up on LA’s skid row!

You can read more about this tragic Hollywood story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/03/20/sex-kitten-june-fairchild-from-stardom-to-skid-row-a-starlets-shocking-death/

RIP Margot…

Question: As you see the late Karen Black in the cockpit, will there ever be a better line of dialogue from a film that this one:

“The stewardess is flying the plane!”

And she was! It’s just one reason I love 70’s films, and a great book tell the wild wild tale!

The Stewardess Is Flying The Plane!: American Films of the 1970s –
Ron Hogan (Author), Peter Bogdanovich (Contributor)

Here is a terrific book about the greatest moments in 70’s cinema – the good, the bad and the hilarious!

Those “Stewardess” words were courtesy of the cult classic “Airport ’75” – a disaster film that showcased 70’s cinema at its most disastrous!

How can you not love this dialogue!

“It’s Nancy Pryor… stewardess. Something hit us! All the flight crew is dead or badly injured! There’s no one left to fly the plane! Help us! Oh my God, help us! – from Airport 1975

Yes, Karen Black was the “Stewardess Who Flew The Plane”! This book is a fantastic love letter to the movies of the 70’s…ALL OF THEM. It was, as you know, the decade for classic films like these:

These are just some of the classic films of the decade that are included in the book.

But let’s not forget that the 70’s ALSO gave us classics like THESE:

Here is what Publishers Weekly had to say about this great book:

“With films such as The Godfather, Star Wars, The Sting, Rocky, Apocalypse Now, Jaws and M*A*S*H, the 1970s is now considered the second Golden Age of Hollywood. There is renewed interest in some of the decade’s most durable genres, including disaster films and blaxsploitation flicks, allowing viewers to rediscover early performances from major stars such as Jeff Bridges, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton.”

“The Stewardess is Flying the Plane!” is a lavishly illustrated, fun and informative look at more than 400 films of the decade – not just classics like “The Godfather” or “Taxi Driver”, but cult favorites like “Kansas City Bomber” and other amazing disaster films like “The Poseidon Adventure!”

This is one of the greatest movie tagline:

“Hell Upside Down!”

If you want to see the trailer for this classic, click here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/06/18/celebrity-smackdowns-hell-upside-down-the-disastrous-duo-of-poseidon-adventure-and-towering-inferno/

This book has an introduction by legendary Director Peter Bogdanovich, who made “The Last Picture Show” and “Paper Moon” in the 70’s among many others, and the book also shows hundreds of never- before-published photographs and new interviews with key participants in the ’70s film industry!

This book puts the decade into perspective with categories like “Thrillers”, “Hard Crime” and “Horror” – and reminds us of some little-seen cult gems like Diane Keaton “Looking For Mr. Goodbar” – with Richard Gere’s help…

If you haven’t heard of this provocative gem, see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/04/27/sex-violence-and-diane-keaton-looking-for-mr-goodbar/

It was a decade of some of the best – and worst- movies of all time – let’s celebrate them with a big toast!

And while we are at it, let’s toast some of the craziest drinkers in movie history as well!

Hellraisers – by Robert Sellers – originally published in 2009

RICHARD BURTON. OLIVER REED. RICHARD HARRIS. PETER O’ TOOLE. The most legendary English drinkers in movie history are the subject of a great book about their wild ways, mostly in the 70’s!

Here is what Amazon had to say about this hilarious book:

“This highly entertaining biography of four charismatic and much loved actors follows them through five decades of boozing, brawling and braggadocio.”

“I did quite enjoy the days when one went for a beer at one’s local in Paris and wake up in Corsica,” Mr. O’Toole once quipped.

At their career peaks, these four controversial actors had the whole world at their feet and lived through some of the wildest exploits Hollywood has ever seen. But all that fame had a price; Richard Burton’s liver was shot by the time he was 50, Richard Harris’s film career stalled for over a decade. Peter O’Toole’s drinking almost put him in the grave before his 43rd birthday, and Oliver Reed ended up dying prematurely.

This is the story of four of the greatest thespian boozers who ever walked — or staggered — off a film set into a pub. It’s a story of drunken binges of near biblical proportions, parties and orgies, broken marriages, drugs, riots and wanton sexual conquests. And yet these piss-artists were seemingly immune from the law.

Mr. Reed is said to have drunk 126 pints of beer in 24 hours, and as you can see, loved to carouse with The Who drummer and legendary mad man Keith Moon.

Richard Harris joked that he formed a support group called “Alcoholics Unanimous” that worked this way: “If you don’t feel like a drink, you ring another member and he comes over to persuade you.” Mr. Reed, by far the most hellish of the four, had an eagle’s head tattooed on his shoulder.

Oliver Reed also had the eagle’s claws tattooed on the part of his body that he most enjoyed exposing without warning. “Would you like to see where it’s perched?” he liked to ask about the bird.

And what about Richard Burton? Mr. Elizabeth Taylor – TWICE? Here’s a story about Mr. Burton during the filming of “The Klansman,” one of his worst. “If you want to interview a drunk or see a drunk fall in the camellia bushes, come ahead,” that film’s publicist supposedly told the press. And when the film’s makeup artist was complimented on how well he had prepared Mr. Burton for his death scene, the makeup man replied: “I haven’t touched him.”

They got away with it because of their extraordinary acting talent and because the public loved them. They were truly the last of a breed, the last of the movie hellraisers. This is a great great book – but it will make you thirsty!

“Wine is sunlight, held together by water.”

Alex just reminded me of something incredibly important:

It’s National Wine Day!

Toast, It’s Good For You!

We all know that a glass of red wine every day tastes great, but science has shown that it’s a great way to maintain a healthy heart. Did you know the other benefits of a glass of wine? How about boosting your memory and immune system. Not only that, but wine in moderation might also help with weight loss. I mean, this stuff is gold!

Toast To Good Health And Eternal Life!

We all know how good wine tastes, but thanks to Food and Wine magazine, here are the eight great reasons you need to be drinking an “f’in Merlot” right now:

The Benefit: Promotes Longevity

The Evidence: Wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers. Source: a Finnish study of 2,468 men over a 29-year period, published in the Journals of Gerontology, 2007.

The Benefit: Reduces Heart-Attack Risk

The Evidence: Moderate drinkers suffering from high blood pressure are 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack than nondrinkers. Source: a 16-year Harvard School of Public Health study of 11,711 men, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 2007.

The Benefit: Lowers Risk of Heart Disease

The Evidence: Red-wine tannins contain procyanidins, which protect against heart disease. Wines from Sardinia and southwest France have more procyanidins than other wines. Source: a study at Queen Mary University in London, published in Nature, 2006.

The Benefit: Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

The Evidence: Moderate drinkers have 30 percent less risk than nondrinkers of developing type 2 diabetes. Source: research on 369,862 individuals studied over an average of 12 years each, at Amsterdam’s VU University Medical Center, published in Diabetes Care, 2005.

The Benefit: Lowers Risk of Stroke

The Evidence: The possibility of suffering a blood clot–related stroke drops by about 50 percent in people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol. Source: a Columbia University study of 3,176 individuals over an eight-year period, published in Stroke, 2006.

The Benefit: Cuts Risk of Cataracts

The Evidence: Moderate drinkers are 32 percent less likely to get cataracts than nondrinkers; those who consume wine are 43 percent less likely to develop cataracts than those drinking mainly beer. Source: a study of 1,379 individuals in Iceland, published in Nature, 2003.

The Benefit: Cuts Risk of Colon Cancer

The Evidence: Moderate consumption of wine (especially red) cuts the risk of colon cancer by 45 percent. Source: a Stony Brook University study of 2,291 individuals over a four-year period, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2005.

The Benefit: Slows Brain Decline

The Evidence: Brain function declines at a markedly faster rate in nondrinkers than in moderate drinkers. Source: a Columbia University study of 1,416 people, published in Neuroepidemiology, 2006.

All of these great health benefits remind me of this classic wine-related movie exchange:

Jack: “If they want to drink Merlot, we’re drinking Merlot.”
Miles: “No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!”

One of the greatest movie lines of all time, and it’s related to wine!

Sideways

This classic film celebrates wine, friendship, love, disappointment, betrayal…sounds like it celebrates life! Here is the trailer for this modern masterpiece:

Paul Giamatti is Miles, a failed writer living a meager existence in San Diego as an English teacher. Thomas Haden Church is Jack, a fading television actor. The two embark on a road trip through California’s wine country. Miles wants to give his friend a nice sendoff before married life, while Jack wants one last chance to party – and that he does, with lots and lots of wine!

I can watch this movie every day – and always with a glass of wine at the ready…

I leave you with Daryl Hall and John Oates and their musical tribute to wine:

Daryl Hall & John Oates – Intravino!

Wine is so good for you that Hall & Oates once wrote a song about it, at raucous love of the grape that includes these lines:

“Gimme wine, wine, I need IntraVino
Wine, wine, I need it every day-o
Wine, wine, Mis en bouteilles au Chateau
All the time, I need wine all the time.
Six o’clock gotta have Beaujolais
Eight o’clock I open up Pouilly-Fuiss?
Love the ruby color. Grand cru classe
Never love another once I’ve savored that bouquet
Oh yeah need IntraVino”

How can you argue with that? Take a listen:

Enjoy this day of celebration!

Want A Slice Of Pasta Pie?

I love food. I love Italian food. And I just might love this dish most of all! Imagine being served a beautifully prepared cake – but when you cut into it, you get this!

Or Is It A Pasta Cake?

This one looks like a giant frosted cake!

Look, however you want to describe it, it’s an amazing dish that I plan to make as part of my “dinner and a movie” series, because this incredible dish is featured in one of my favorite “food” movies!

Big Night – 1996

Many consider this to be the best movie ever devoted to food. This 1996 labor of love stars Minnie Driver, Tony Shaloub and Stanley Tucci – AND DIRECTED BY– Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott.

It’s the poignant story of two brothers who struggle to save their failing restaurant – and come up with an idea to get publicity – by putting on a “big night” for a celebrity guest.

While Tucci is smooth as silk at handling the “front of the house”, his more volatile brother Shaloub is a perfectionist in the kitchen – something that threatens to torpedo their “Big Night.”

Check out the trailer:

The signature dish of “Big Night” is the amazing “Timpano” – which I call a “pasta pie” and “pasta cake” interchangeably – but, the “Timpano” is defined as:

“A deep-dish Italian pie consisting of a pastry shell filled with layers of pasta, salami, cheese, meatballs, hardboiled eggs, tomato sauce, and other ingredients that is covered with a crust and baked.”

As you can see, it’s an amazing dish, and the film meticulously showcases the creation of this incredible meal!

Yes, Stanley Tucci is actually “listening” to this dish!

Here is the “Big Night Timpano” recipe – everything made from scratch, but you all know how to simplify with some pre-made ingredients if you want to!

FOR THE PASTA:

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup fine bread crumbs

Thanks to the terrific website “Kimchee Mom”, here is a picture of the various steps in the process, all nicely displayed in a single image:

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, minced
1 medium rib celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 tablespoons chicken broth or white wine
2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, passed through the medium disk of a food mill to remove seeds
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE TIMPANO:

1/2 pound penne or other short-shaped pasta, cooked al dente, drained and reserved
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 hard-boiled eggs, cut in quarters
1 pound mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami

PREPARATION:

1.
To make the pasta, mix the flour and the salt together, then stir the salted flour with the eggs and the oil. Continue to stir until the dough comes together in a ball. On a floured work surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until silky smooth. Wrap with plastic and set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
2.
Combine all the meatball ingredients. Roll into about 65 balls, using 1 tablespoon of meat for each. In a large nonstick frying pan, cook as many meatballs as will fit in 1 layer over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes. Repeat if necessary. Set aside in a bowl at room temperature.
3.
In the same pan used to make the meatballs and utilizing the fat left in the pan, cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve the tomato paste in the stock or wine and stir into the vegetables. Cook the mixture for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and basil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
4.
To make the timpano, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the penne with 2 cups of the sauce. Roll out the pasta on a lightly floured surface to make a 26-inch round. Grease a 3-quart stainless- steel bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil and gently mold the pasta sheet to the contours of the bowl; there should be enough hanging over the edge to fold over and cover the filling.
5.
Spoon 1 cup of penne into the bowl. Top with 1/2 cup of the sauce, 12 pieces of egg, half of the meatballs and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat the process, this time using 3 cups of penne, 1 1/2 cups of sauce, the remaining eggs, meatballs and cheese. Top with the remaining penne and sauce. Create a final layer with the salami. Fold the pasta over the filling and brush with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
6.
Bake the timpano for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 45 more minutes. To check if it’s done make a small hole at the top using a knife blade. If steam comes out and the cheese is melted, it’s done. Otherwise, bake for 10 to 15 more minutes. To serve, remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Carefully turn upside down onto a large platter.
YIELD 6 to 8 servings
Originally published with FOOD; Eye Candy
By Molly O’Neill, November 16, 1997

There you have it, an incredible feast for you and friends to dig into before watching this great movie about the love of food!

Also…At the end of “Big Night”, there is a static 4 minute scene involving a single fried egg – the shot above captures the exact camera shot – a moment of simplicity that is full of unspoken emotion between the two brothers – it will make you cry and hungry at the same time.

So there is your “dinner and a movie” tonight – another Italian masterpiece!

I previously shared the meatball recipe from “Goodfellas”, which included the legendary “Goodfellas Garlic” process as shown here by the great character Actor Paul Sorvino – see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2018/05/22/goodfellas-garlic-paulies-famous-meatball-recipe-dig-into-dinner-and-a-movie-mobster-style/

Let me know if you’ve made a Timpano!

“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” Is Back!

Lisbeth Salander, an empowered female from one of the greatest “nordic noir” thrillers of the past decade, has returned with her latest adventure, and it looks great!

Claire Foy Is Lisbeth Salander!

Claire Foy, who was so great in the TV series “The Crown”, stars as Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo who was played by Rooney Mara in the 2011 film of the same name.

Although the first three books of the “Dragon Tattoo” trilogy were made into terrific Swedish thrillers, the US version of the “Dragon Tattoo” film, also starring Daniel Craig, wasn’t as successful, so they skipped the next two books of the trilogy and have jumped to the fourth one. The book series was continued by David Lagercrantz after the trilogy’s Author, Stieg Larsson, died.

More good news about this latest adventure: the film is directed by Fede Alvarez, who made the surprise 2016 horror hit “Don’t Breathe.”

Foy captures the Lisbeth vibe just as Mara did in the 2011 film, and if you really want to see a great performance, watch the original trilogy from Sweden, starring Noomi Rapace…these three films will give you Lisbeth’s entire story.

Here is the trailer for “The Girl In The Spider’s Web”:

This film opens on Nov. 9th, and I hope it is as good as it looks. It’s all part of a great series of books called “nordic noir”:

This genre of books take place in Norway, Sweden, Denmark or Finland, and are dark, moody crime thriller written by such bestselling Authors as Larsson, Jo Nesbo and Jussi Adler-Olsen…here is a look at some of the best:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/06/21/classic-nordic-noir-terrific-crime-fiction-from-department-q-jo-nesbos-harry-hole-novels-rock/

Let me know if you plan to see this!

Eddie Murphy Will Become “Dolemite!”

For 70’s cult movie fans like myself, this is great news!

Deadeline.com has the exclusive, reporting:

Eddie Murphy is about to return to the screen for the first time in awhile, in a Netflix film which begins production June 12 about the life of Rudy Ray Moore, the star of the blaxploitation “Dolemite” films. “Hustle and Flow”‘s Craig Brewer is directing a script by Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, the writing team behind such quirky biographical films as “Big Eyes”, “Ed Wood” and “The People Vs. Larry Flynt.”

This brings up a question:

Who Is “Dolemite?”

It’s a question many movie lovers might be asking – but he is one of the most successful and influential stars in the early 70’s blaxploitation film genre…who has a hilariously profane way with words…

Rudy Ray Moore Rocks!

I can’t wait for this story to be told, because it’s a classic “only in Hollywood…” tale. You want to be a star? Make yourself one!

As Deadline.com describes him:

“Moore worked in a Hollywood record store in 1970 when he began hearing obscene stories of pimp and hustler named Dolemite. He started a club act where he became Dolemite. He began generating records that mixed humor and a ghetto fantasy character, burnishing the legend. While too racy to be put on display in record stores, the records became a big inner city underground hit. The proceeds allowed Moore to finance the 1975 film Dolemite, which he starred in as a kung fu-capable pimp ghetto hero who stuck it to The Man. Moore followed with three sequels. He continues to be an influence for the likes of hip hop entrepreneur Snoop Dogg, and he had something of a comeback starring alongside the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse in “Big Money Hustlas” in 2000.”

The terrific cult movie company Vinegar Syndrome recently released a lavishly remastered version of his breakout film, with tons of great extras…first, check out the trailer:

OK, see what I mean? Kudos to Vinegar for releasing this – you can see all the extras here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/04/14/kick-some-dolemite-blaxploitation-classic-gets-vinegar-syndromes-loving-restoration/

You have to love this classic slice of 70’s blaxploitation cinema, and if you aren’t familiar with this genre, here are a few other examples:

Read about my favorite blaxploitation stars, including Pam Grier, Bernie Casey, Jim Kelly and more by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/09/06/studly-superfly-sexy-sheba-blaxploitations-sexiest-stars-pam-grier-shaft/

Let me know if you are familiar with this great genre of 70’s film!

Talk About A Hike With A View!

In the distance is downtown Los Angeles – and there are so many great ways to get a spectacular view like this…so I wanted to share some of my favorite hikes in the world! These hikes are made even better because of who I get to take them with – my wife Alex:

Let’s Go “Hitch Hiking!”

Alex came up with the title “Hitch Hiking” – a series of hikes we’ve done together, and classic Hitchcock films that these hikes reminded us of…let’s begin “hitch hike #3” with a trip to Northern California, one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world…

Welcome To Bodega Bay!

Located 67 miles north of San Francisco, Bodega Bay is a gorgeous, wind-swept beach snuggled along beautiful sand dunes that are kissed by ice cold Pacific Ocean water…

Just south of Bodega Bay is Dillon Beach, miles and miles of sand and sea – with beautiful views in both directions…and we explored it for hours…

You can walk for miles in either direction, and you can also head fairly far out into the water based on whether the tide is out or not – bring a picnic and blanket as well, so you can sit down and watch some very aggressive waves – and windsurfing – because as you will see, there is a LOT of wind – but it’s also a beautiful beach to take a long long hike:

When we arrived, there were dozens of windsurfers battling the high wind and waves – the combination of heavy seas and high winds makes this a real endurance test – take a look!

We ended up “beach hiking” more than five miles that afternoon…in some very aggressive winds – but the beach was filled with families having picnics, swimming, and enjoying this spectacular coastline…

The End Of The Day…

It was so windy that we finally called it a day – after close to ten miles of walking the coastline – and we headed a few miles south to Nick’s Cove – a terrific restaurant with an equally impressive sunset view:

So there’s your hike, and if some of this incredible scenery looks familiar, it could be because one of Hitchcock’s great shockers was filmed here:

“The Birds” – 1963

Yes, Bodega Bay was home to much of the filming of this classic shocker. Everyone remembers the terrifying moment when “the birds” decide to go after people!

The plot of this Alfred Hitchcock shocker was simple: a wealthy San Francisco socialite decides to pursue a potential boyfriend, and follows him to a small Northern California town – Bodega Bay – where the local birds suddenly begin to act very strangely…

[caption id="attachment_42393" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Alfred Hitchcock

This film, coming right after Hitchcock’s “Psycho”, firmly established him as the master of the shocker!

Here is a very long but funny movie trailer, hosted by Hitchcock himself:

Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren starred in the film, which was a huge box office hit…

The schoolhouse, in Bodega, California, has also been known to be haunted, even back during the filming. According to Tippi Hedren, the entire cast was spooked to be there. She also mentioned how she had the feeling, while there, that “the building was immensely populated… but there was nobody there.”

And that classic building is still there!

Hope you enjoyed this “Hitch Hike” – classic Alfred Hitchcock movies combined with a hike through some of the world’s most beautiful places – like this one:

Yes, my first “Hitch hike” was high above the pacific ocean near Malibu – see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2018/06/15/hitch-hiking-1-the-spectacular-view-above-malibu-hiking-hitchcock-walking-then-watching-to-catch-a-thief/

More “Hitch Hiking” to come!

RIP Harlan Ellison…

Harlan Ellison, one of the world’s foremost science fiction writers, has died at 84. His death was announced by a family friend via twitter.

“Susan Ellison has asked me to announce the passing of writer Harlan Ellison, in his sleep, earlier today. “For a brief time I was here, and for a brief time, I matter.’ – HE, 1934-2018. Arrangements for a celebration are pending.”

Ellison’s 1969 post-apocalyptic novel “A Boy and His Dog” was made into a 1975 cult film starring Don Johnson.

In the film, a young man wanders a post-apocalyptic world with his best friend, his dog. Oh, and the dog can talk!

“A Boy And His Dog” captured Ellison’s writing perfectly: sharp, surreal at times, with pointed political commentary and a prescient view of the future…

Here is more about that incredible sci-fi film:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/04/21/talking-dogs-don-johnson-a-boy-and-his-dog-classic-sci-fi/

Ellison also wrote for many great TV shows such as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Outer Limits” – but his most memorable TV project was “Star Trek”, which led to a longtime feud with the show’s Creator!

Here is what Deadline.com reports:

Ellison’s Star Trek episode, “The City on the Edge of Forever,” is often cited as among the original series’ very best. Ellison himself was no fan of the end result, though, often complaining about rewrites. The 1967 episode had Captain Kirk (William Shatner) traveling back to 1930s New York and falling in love with a pacifist memorably played by Joan Collins. The twist: Kirk is faced with the prospect of saving the life of his new lady love, but doing so would altar the course of history to the extent that Germany would win World War II.

Revisions made to the script by, among others, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, so angered Ellison that the two feuded for years.

But without a doubt, his novel-turned-cult classic “A Boy And His Dog” will always be remembered…a great film that was released on DVD a few years back and worth getting.

RIP Harlan Ellison…

Ready For Some Classic 70’s Horror? Time To Get Amicus!

Bravo to Severin Films for releasing a great box set that celebrates a company called Amicus!

Known as ‘The Studio That Dripped Blood’, the British film company Amicus Productions – founded by American writer/producers Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky – built a legacy of horror anthologies and twisted thrillers that remains among the very best genre movies of the ‘70s.

I just bought the terrific Severin box set, and here’s how they describe it:

In this trio of Amicus classics – featuring stars that include Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Britt Ekland, Patrick Magee, Stephanie Beacham, Calvin Lockhart, Michael Gambon and Charlotte Rampling – you’ll discover the studio’s legendary portmanteau ASYLUM, their insane gothic shocker AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS, and – exclusive to this set – the infamous werewolf whodunit THE BEAST MUST DIE, as well as a Bonus Disc of Amicus trailers, TV commercials, rare interviews and more. The Amicus Collection is a Limited Edition, and Numbered to 3500 copies.

Begin By Entering The “Asylum!”

This 1972 horror film is their best known film, with lots of recognizable stars. It’s made up of several short tales, involving a group of people who are at a secluded “asylum”, and every story ties them all together more and more.

Here is the trailer:

Robert Bloch wrote the script for “Asylum” based his own short stories – and Bloch was also the author of the novel “Psycho”, which Alfred Hitchcock turned into the classic shocker.

I have to say again how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE this classic poster.

Here are the special features that Severin assembled on the blu-ray:

Two’s A Company: 1972 On-set report from BBC featuring Interviews With Producer Milton Subotsky, Director Roy Ward Baker, Actors Charlotte Rampling, James Villiers, Megs Jenkins, Art Director Tony Curtis and Production Manager Teresa Bolland
David J. Schow on Robert Bloch – Featurette
Fiona Subotsky Remembers Milton Subotsky – Featurette
Inside The Fear Factory Featurette with Directors Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis and Producer Max J. Rosenberg
Audio Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Camera Operator Neil Binney
Theatrical Trailer

Terrific! Next up:

AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS!

OK, how about this for a plot:

England, 1795: the young Catherine has just married Charles Fengriffen and moves into his castle. She becomes the victim of an old curse that lays on the family. On her wedding night she is raped by a ghost and gets pregnant.

Here is the trailer:

I didn’t know about this film, and can’t wait to see it – as with the others, it comes with a ton of great extras:

The Haunting Of Oakley Court – Featurette with Allan Bryce, Author of “Amicus: The Friendly Face Of Fear”, and David Flint, Author of “Ten Years Of Terror”, visit the classic horror film location
Audio Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Actress Stephanie Beacham
Audio Commentary with Star Ian Ogilvy
Archive Audio Interview with Actor Peter Cushing By Denis Meikle
Horror Journalist Denis Meikle Recalls And Now The Screaming Starts – Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
Radio Spot

Next up, a film that included a revolutionary feature – a “werewolf break” in the middle of the film!

“THE BEAST MUST DIE!”

A group on an island search for a dreaded Werewolf, and we get to unfold the mystery along with the characters.

Legendary Horror Icon Peter Cushing stars in the film, which is enough reason for me to want to see it.

Here is the trailer:

The Infamous “Werewolf Break!”

Here’s where the movie offers up a novel concept: near the end of the film, there is an inserted 30-second break called the “werewolf break”, where the audience is asked to guess the werewolf’s identity, based on clues from the movie!

In the interview with director Annett on the DVD release, Annett says he hated the addition of the werewolf break. It was not in Annett’s version of the film; he attributes the idea to producer Milton Subotsky. He does admit that some, including critic Leonard Maltin, liked it.

And I love this classic poster!

Here are the special features that are exclusive ONLY to this set:

And Then There Were Werewolves – Audio Essay By Horror Historian Troy Howarth
Audio Commentary with Director Paul Annett
Directing the Beast:
Theatrical Trailer

Finally, the set come with a new documentary, THE VAULT OF AMICUS, which includes these special features:

Over An Hour of Amicus Trailers
Audio Commentary With British Horror Film Writers Kim Newman & David Flint
Phil Nutman Audio Interview with Milton Subotsky – Audio Interview With Accompanying Stills / Posters
Jonathan Sothcott Audio Interview with Max Rosenberg – Audio Interview With Accompanying Stills / Posters
Bonus Amicus TV spots

One last bravo to Severin for this incredible collection!

I am a huge fan of cult 70’s horror, and one person did it better than anyone:

Yes, The Afro-Tastic Vincent Price!

Yes, Vincent Price starred in a number of classic horror films like “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” and “Theater Of Blood”, which Actress Diana Rigg called her favorite film to work on! Read about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/06/06/an-afro-tastic-vincent-price-kills-his-critics-in-theater-of-blood-diana-riggs-favorite-performance/

Let me know if you’ve seen any of the Amicus films!

Biting Down On Greatness!

If you don’t know what this is, welcome to the delicious French world of a “Ratatouille” – and I assume you’ve heard of that film, where this recipe came from!

Time for the next installment of the delicious “Dinner And A Movie!”

Ratatouille!

Looks great, doesn’t it? Ratatouille is a traditional baked french dish. Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with garlic, onions, courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), bell peppers, marjoram and basil, or bay leaf and thyme, or a mix of green herbs like herbes de Provence.

If you’d like to make this “dinner and a movie”, then I’d like to introduce you to the TWO Chefs responsible:

First, Meet Remy!

It’s not often that your favorite Chef is a rat, but how can you argue when it’s Remy!

Remy is one of the greatest undiscovered chefs in Paris. And he’s a rat. Don’t hold that against him, because his love for food transcends his background. You have to give credit to Pixar for not only making a film about a rat, but for the amazing amount of attention to detail in the film as it relates to food.

“Ratatouille” is a funny, warm and delicious-looking film, with a lot of real cooking advice in it – thanks in no small part to our second Chef:

Chef Thomas Keller!

The terrific film-making team at Pixar wanted to accurately capture life inside a kitchen, so they reached out to America’s most celebrated Chef!

Chef Thomas Killer And The French Laundry!

Yes, we took a picture with Chef in his celebrated kitchen – the world famous “The French Laundry”, but we weren’t the only ones!

The animation team for “Ratatouille” worked alongside Chef Thomas Keller at his acclaimed restaurant in Yountville California in order to learn the art of cooking. Mr. Keller also appears in a cameo role as the voice of a patron at Gusteau’s.

This is a funny, touching animated movie that celebrates our love for food…so make yourself the Ratatouille recipe from the movie and pop it into the blu-ray!

Chef Keller’s Confit Byaldi

The recipe for Thomas Keller’s Confit Byaldi, the accordion-fanned version of ratatouille used in the movie is available on the French Laundry website, but buy the gorgeous cookbook as well…my friend Michael Ruhlman co-wrote it with him!

Ratatouille’s Ratatouille

1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Let’s get going!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.

Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.

On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping and alternating vegetables.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.

Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside the dish.

Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but still a bit firm. You should see the tomato sauce bubbling around them.

You can serve with soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread…

So there you have it, another in my series of “Dinners and a movie”…did you see my story on this amazing meal?

Yes, that’s a “Timpano” – pasta pie – that Tony Shaloub and Stanley Tucci are amazed by, and I’m going to make one myself before we rewatch the terrific film “Big Night” – see the recipe here:

https://johnrieber.com/2018/06/06/a-big-night-dinner-and-a-movie-a-slice-of-pasta-pie-stanley-tucci-and-tony-shaloubs-timpano-recipe/

And staying Italian, we head to prison where Actor Paul Sorvino shows us how to shave garlic very very thin…

This is known as “Goodfellas Garlic”, and click here to see why:

https://johnrieber.com/2018/05/22/goodfellas-garlic-paulies-famous-meatball-recipe-dig-into-dinner-and-a-movie-mobster-style/

Enjoy some Ratatouille tonight!

“Violence! Liquor! Sex!”

Talk about a “not-so-subtle” poster! I just watched a terrific documentary about “Grindhouse” cinema, and this is exactly what they were discussing! More on that documentary in a moment but first, some examples of this “sinful era of cinema!”

“The Unsatisfied” is a great example of an era in film where lurid promos promised a peek inside the most depraved parts of our culture…when this film was released in 1964, this was provocative stuff!

Check out the trailer, thanks to the great home video company Something Weird Video:

Of course, as you can see from the trailer, the film itself was mostly shot in dim light and had only fleeting glimpses of flesh, but that was enough for the time…see more of this early example of sin here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/05/31/forbidden-flesh-dirty-girls-the-unsatisfied-classic-sexploitation-cinema/

What ties these films together is their promise to show you “daring, revealing expose of life in the big cities”! Don’t believe me?

“Love-Starved And Eager To Learn”!

You see? This classic “sexploitation” poster is a perfect example of a wild wild time in movie history. Because of the “sexual revolution” in the 60’s, barriers were being broken in movie theaters, and smart Producers rushed in with a ton of lurid sex thrillers designed to take hard-earned cash from stupid young men!

Movie theaters like these in New York’s Times Square were filled with trashy movies that promised lots of “adult situations”- let’s look at some of the best:

An early master of the genre was the legendary Director Russ Meyer, who loved powerful women – tough as nails, beautiful, and able to outsmart any man – he gave us what is still the greatest film title of all time:

“Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” is a great movie – filled with action with a unique twist at the time, because while his films were filled with nudity, sex and violence – his stars were empowered women who did most of the ass-kicking!

If you haven’t seen Russ Meyer’s unique cinematic vision, you are missing out on some wild cult movie making! Here are some of Meyer’s greatest hits:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/03/16/sexploitation-classics-the-russ-meyer-edition/

In the 60’s, in order to skirt obscenity laws, many filmmakers claimed the films were “educational” in nature, such as this one – which promised a true, torrid look at life in the deep south:

Child Brides In The Ozarks!

“Hickploitation” was the term for it – offering a look at real-life atrocities – right in our own country! Of course, nothing onscreen was as bad as the movie poster, but there were lots of examples from this genre – see them here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/08/29/forbidden-flesh-child-brides-see-how-they-love-in-flaming-hillbilly-color-early-sexploitation-madness/

In the 70’s, Producers had to come up with wilder and more outrageous gimmicks to get you into the movie theater:

What about this “Wham Bam” Piece Of Cinema?

The Producer of this mid-70’s outer space sex romp was known as the “Sultan Of Sexploitation”! Harry Novak was a Producer and distributor, and once said about his profession:

“When I was a kid, my Daddy told me, ‘There’s a buyer for everything.’ And I lived to find out that he was right!”

Click here to see some of Novak’s greatest exploitation films:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/12/03/wham-bam-space-sex-cinemas-naked-lust-celebrate-the-sultan-of-sexploitation/

Another early offering in the field was this black and white movie from 1966:

“A Smell Of Honey, A Swallow Of Brine” is also one of the greatest grind house movie titles ever – but again, like most of these films, it promised a lot more than it showed! See the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/02/27/nudie-cuties-a-swallow-of-brine-the-defilers-meet-the-producer-of-scum/

As I mentioned, there is a great documentary about the history of this genre:

“American Grindhouse” is a terrific 2010 documentary directed and produced by Elijah Drenner.

The documentary chronicles the history of the American exploitation film from the days of Thomas Edison to contemporary films of the 21st century.

This is a very in-depth look at the history of cinema though the filter of exploitation, so there is a lot of great stuff from the early days of film as well. The movie has a ton of great interviews, including John Landis, Joe Dante, Jack Hill, Don Edmonds, Fred Williamson, Allison Anders, James Gordon White, Larry Cohen, William Lustig, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Judy Brown, Jeremy Kasten, Jonathan Kaplan, Bob Minor, Lewis Teague, David Hess and Fred Olen Ray.

Folks, those are some of the greatest names of the genre – check out the trailer:

What do you do if you want to know more about this genre? Well guess what? There is another documentary out that tells the story as well – this one from the Something Weird team!

Click here for a look at this great documentary:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/04/20/thats-sexploitation-terrific-documentary-captures-the-seedy-majesty-of-grindhouse-cinema/

Let me know your favorites of the genre!

From China’s Yangtze River To Cave Dwellers!

Yes, these are caves that people live in!

I have posted many stories about life in China – while I’ve not been there yet, I am fascinated by it, and want to share some interesting stories, beginning with an amazing documentary about living on China’s Yangtze River!

There is a saying:

Confucius: “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.”

Confucius may have been referring to this documentary, which takes a fascinating look at a unique, spiritual and controversial part of China!

Up The Yangtze!

I haven’t been to China, but films like this make me want to board a plane right now! This terrific documentary looks at China’s Yangtze river, and the Government’s decision to flood it – and the catastrophic impact it had on the residents there…

The film introduces you to the young men and women who live along the river, as their families geeked out a modest life as farmers and fishermen but now, the popularity of the river means these young people must take jobs on the cruise ships that glide along the ever-rising water, which will soon flood their homes…here is the trailer:

You meet these people and see how their lives are radically changed by the dam – in fact, this farm you see below no lingers exists – you actually see it flood in the movie…

These life-changing moments are shared, and it’s a sobering thing to see…while this look at a changing China is fascinating and sad, I am also amazed by another fact about the country:

30 Million People Live In Caves!

The Los Angeles Times had this incredible report from Yanan, China, describing why millions and millions of Chinese still live in caves –

YES, CAVES!

The paper reports:

The caves, called yaodong in Chinese, are usually dug into the side of a mountain. Often rice paper or blankets hang from semicircular entrances to serve as makeshift doors.
Swankier caves have several chambers and are secured with brick masonry. Some even have electricity and running water, the newspaper reported.

“Most aren’t so fancy, but I’ve seen some really beautiful caves: high ceilings and spacious with a nice yard out front where you can exercise and sit in the sun,” said Ren Shouhua, who grew up in a cave in Yanan.

A basic one-bedroom cave without plumbing rents for about $30 a month. A cave with three bedrooms and a bathroom might sell for $46,000, the Times reported.

But according to one local, many people aren’t giving up their spaces.

“A lot of people come here looking to rent our caves, but nobody wants to move out,” said Chen Wei, a 43-year-old Communist Party official who lives in a cave near Yanan.

“It’s like living in a villa,” Wei said. “Caves in our village are as comfortable as posh apartments in the city.”

Well, I don’t know about that, but it is fascinating nonetheless – and while millions live in caves, the government continues to build massive new bridges all over the country!

As you can see, people live in the shadow of these huge mega-structures…see more pics here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/29/chinas-amazing-mega-bridges-amazingly-expensive-and-a-glass-bridge-cracked/

Finally, these bridges are also built with glass, and guess what? They cracked!

Check out that wacky story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/07/11/worlds-most-dangerous-hiking-trail-cliffhanger-restaurants-chinas-extreme-adventures/

Let me know your favorite China story!

Nicolas Cage Rules!

Let me get that out of the way first and foremost: for decades now, Nicolas Cage has put himself out there for movie lovers to enjoy – and by that I mean he’s never been afraid to put himself WAY WAY OUT THERE:

Nicolas Cage is ALWAYS willing to take risks, and that’s why I love him – you never know what level of “Nicolas Cage Rage” you will get, but you’ll always get something unique!

Cage has had a great career, beginning with early films like “Peggy Sue Got Married” and “Moonstruck”, and the infamous 1988 film “Vampire’s Kiss”:

While he was rumored to have bitten a live bat, they managed to talk him out of it – yes, he really wanted to – talk about a method Actor!

His willingness to pour himself into a role culminated in the Academy Award for his portrayal of a man drinking himself to death in “Leaving Las Vegas”.

He also has starred in some of the biggest box office hits of all time, like the “National Treasure” franchise as well as “Con Air”, “The Rock” and John Woo’s brilliant “Face/Off”:

So What’s Cage Been Up To Recently?

Short answer: a lot!

I counted 29 projects that list Cage’s involvement since 2010 – in fact, IMDB lists seven projects underway this year alone!

Well, that means I am way way behind. So, I spent a day diving headfirst into some of the Actor’s latest and greatest work!

This Is NOT A “Cage-Free” Day!

I decided to eat some breakfast before I started my “Cage-a-thon”, so I chose a White Castle cheeseburger topped with a fresh egg – a delicious breakfast treat that gave me sustenance and got me focused for the first film on my list – a crime thriller that I knew had a BIG Nic Cage performance in it:

1 – “Dog Eat Dog” from 2016

I had to start with one of the films I was most anticipating – because “Dog Eat Dog” was directed by Paul Schrader, who wrote “Taxi Driver” and directed such great films as “Blue Collar”, “American Gigolo” and “Auto Focus.” The film also co-stars Willem Dafoe as well – and I knew that he was also going all-in on this film, so it was destined to be a wild over the top battle of scenery-chewers!

Here is the trailer:

Three ex-cons trying for one last big score…that’s the quick one-liner for this film, but it’s so much more…Cage and Dafoe have a field day with this dark material, and Schrader paints a wildly colorful cinematic palate, a mix of garish interior and moody exteriors.

Oh, and Cage embraces his role with relish – this is a gritty “Reservoir Dogs”-style film that got me off on an energized start!

Here is a more indepth look at this gritty film:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/11/10/dog-eat-dog-nicolas-cage-chews-up-iconic-filmmaker-paul-schrader-terrific-new-movie/

From one extreme to the other: that same year, Cage starred as a meek mild-mannered American who decides to go to Pakistan to capture Bin Laden – because God told him to – and yes, God is Russell Brand!

2 – “Army of One” From 2016

Well, it’s been awhile since Cage did a comedy – he was great in “Raising Arizona” and “Adaptation”, but he really put it all out there for comic effect in this film – check out the trailer:

Black comedy and farce are VERY difficult to pull off, and while Cage gives it his all, with an “Indiana Jones Meets God” look, this film turned out to be an acquired taste…

This “black comedy” is loud, noisy and very offbeat – and was a bit controversial for the Actor, because in Japan you could have had THIS snack while watching the film!

Yes, they made a corn puff snack with Nic’s face on it to promote the movie release – oh, but they forgot to ask his permission so you can imagine how that went down – click here to see what happened:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/10/11/nicolas-cage-had-no-idea-he-was-being-turned-into-a-snack-food-in-japan/

Almost 4 hours and two films in, I stopped to have lunch – important to show you that I was going “all in” as well:

There was some lettuce, onion, tomato and pickle on this burger, so I call that a “side salad” – fortified, I thought it was time for a good thriller with lots of action, but my reality was a bit different – and the drinking was about to begin…

3 – “Vengeance: A Love Story” from 2017

This film is officially titled “Vengeance: A Love Story”, and is based on the 2003 novel “Rape: A Love Story” by acclaimed Writer Joyce Carol Oates.

I didn’t read the book, but the film stars Cage as a Cop who decides to administer the justice that our system refused to mete out…check out the trailer:

Nic’s Support Team!

This was my third Cage film, and the third one that has had a recognizable co-star, in this case Don Johnson, who is terrific as a Defense Attorney with no morals at all!

As you can see from this ad for the film’s release overseas, there have been a number of different secondary titles like “he is the law”. No matter: what I watched was a VERY downbeat drama about a woman who was gang-raped – and only Cage could administer justice.

There is action in the film, but there is also a LOT of very dark material here, and Cage underplays the role – perhaps to show sympathy for the victim, but he is dour, somber and makes the viewing experience depressing – I needed a drink!

OK, it’s mid afternoon, 3 films into my marathon, and I grab a glass of wine. Time to dig into another 2017 film, the second in a row from last year – and I’m trying to imagine what made Cage want to make it:

4 – “Inconceivable” from 2017

In less than ten minutes I was reaching for the bottle again for a refill – because this Cage effort was driving me to drink.

Cage plays a Doctor whose wife, played by Gina Gershon, is trying to have another child. They befriend a young troubled Mother who quickly turns their life upside down!

Here is a look at the film’s trailer:

First: do you notice the trend of recognizable co-stars continuing, in this case Gerson and Faye Dunaway?

Second, I drank half the bottle of wine, just using “wine drinking” prompts in the film. Cage does little more than act like a comforting shoulder to his wife, as well as to the mysterious young woman – always with a glass of wine close by…as a drinking game it worked, but as a film, I felt like I was watching a “Lifetime Movie” drama!

I was in a bit of a state: the “robust” Nic Cage had gone away, I was 4 films and 8 hours into my Cage-a-thon, and I desperately needed something to wake me up!

5- “Rage” From 2014

If a film with the title “Rage” can’t rouse me up from my semi-drunken, Nicolas Cage-induced slumber, then I’m in big big trouble, but luckily, an angry Nic was on the way once again!

In this thriller, Cage plays a building tycoon who has a mysterious past. That past catches up with him, of course, when his teenaged daughter is kidnapped by people who were, indeed, part of that mysterious past.

Here is the trailer:

Cue The Recognizable Co-Star!

Yes, another familiar face: Danny Glover co-stars as the Cop who is looking for his daughter, but spends most of his limited screen time begging Cage NOT to take matters into his own hands…which of course, he does with two mouths full of chewed-up scenery…

This look is how I was feeling by this time, as “Rage” was entertaining, but I was worried that Cage may be phoning it in just a bit, even if the film is proficiently executed – it felt a bit like what Cinemax has with their “Skinamax” films, except with violence instead of nudity – so what could I do but this?

Yes, there was a lot of drinking in “Rage”, and I joined in…heading into my last movie, I desperately needed SOMETHING to keep me awake – and yes, I saved the best for last!

6 – “Mom And Dad” – 2018

Well, talk about ending on a high note! After almost ten hours, I wrapped my Nic Cage marathon on a terrifically fun high note!

Here is what Variety said about the film:

“To hear director Brian Taylor tell it, thriller “Mom and Dad” is a “gift to the movie gods.”

Taylor joined stars Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, and Anne Winters at the Variety Studio Presented by AT&T to talk about the new film, Cage’s career (he’s not over-the-top, he “makes the top”), and why the actor doesn’t actually like the word “acting.”

Well, let’s get to Cage “making the top” – check out the trailer!

Yes, Cage goes GONZO in his hilariously black comedy about a virus that turns all parents into merciless killers – as you can see, the posters have a field day with the premise!

Selma Blair also hams it up in a deliciously wicked take on parenting…I was now toasting Cage for his willingness to, as the Director said, “make the top” with his acting choices!

This is a really great film, and it ended my Cage-a-thon, nearly twelve hours after started, on a sunken high note…what a ride!

So, a day with Nicolas Cage is like any other day in your life: full of laughter, happiness, despair, angst, depression and drinking…what could be better?

And if only he had been able to make THIS!

Yes, this is a REAL costume test for Cage – he was set to make “Superman Lives” with Director Tim Burton!

You can click here to read the whole story of how this one got away:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/26/superman-lives-nicolas-cage-is-superman-incredible-documentary-on-tim-burtons-amazing-superman-reboot-debacle/

And if six Nic Cage movies aren’t enough, remember that someone used new technology to put the Actor in every film ever made!

Yes, that’s Cage as Lois Lane – not a still, actually acting the role! See this technology in action here:

https://johnrieber.com/2018/02/15/nicolas-cage-in-every-movie-ever-made-troubling-deep-fake-technology-makes-nicolas-cage-the-busiest-star-in-film/

I could do more of these “Cage-athons”, because he has so many films to explore – bravo to him!