All the latest Movieland investigations from detectives Dick Japowski and Joey Arizona.
The Many Views of Detective Dick Japowski
Thunder Road (2018)
"A police officer on the verge of breakdown" is the basic story of this beautifully heartbreaking indie movie that would have been just another ordinary story if it wasn't for the central performance of Jim Cummings. Not only does he star but he wrote, directed and even played the ukulele on the soundtrack!
His relatability and delivery of lines make him someone you root for when the world hurls more and more at him to deal with. Keep an eye on this boy, and expect great things.
First watch: 4.5 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976)
After Caesar's troops are defeated once again it's claimed The Gauls must be gods. Caesar then challenges the villagers, if they can prove they are gods by completing twelve impossible tasks, like that of Hercules, he will hand over control of the Roman empire. The village chief sends Asterix and Obelix out to get the job done.
I remember watching this several times as a kid, so there must of been something there, but this time I was so bored I actually struggled to stay wake...even with a three year old ricocheting around the room.
Rewatch: 1.5 Doughtnuts
The Arizona Case Files
Burton and Taylor (2013)
Based on the diaries of actor Richard Burton, recounting the time Burton and ex-ex-wife Elizabeth Taylor took to the stage in 1983, a play panned by critics and a meta-spectacle loved by the public.
I've never actually seen any of the films Burton and Taylor made together, in fact I've only seen one Burton movie, 1984 and the only Taylor movie I've seen is The Flintstones, but I'm a sucker for a biopic, and this one stars Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter in the leads.
First watch: 3 Doughnuts
Dick Japowski's VHS Chronicles
Lobster Man from Mars (1989)
Trailers: Ski Patrol, Why Me?, Courage Mountain, For Better or for Worse, WB and the Bean.
A movie executive desperately looks for the crumbiest flop to use as a tax write off. It might be his lucky day when a monster kid brings in his latest opus about a professor, a girl and a lobster man!
There is one point in this film when they use an actual untampered with Boglin as one of their creatures! With this sort of budget you know your in for a mixed bag.
Fun and dog eared if a little unsure of which genre it wants to play most.
First watch: 2.5 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Johnny Depp plays real-life undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone who helps to bring down the New York Mafia, and the father/son relationship that develops between Pistone/Brasco and wiseguy Lefty Ruggiero.
The 'gangster' movie has been a staple of cinema for almost as long as there has been cinema, but this is possibly the first time the mafia has been portrayed as a pyramid scheme with added murder.
Rewatch: 4 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files
Stan & Ollie (2018)
With their Hollywood glory days behind them Laurel & Hardy embark on a whirlwind tour of British theatres recreating the act that made them loved by millions.
Laurel & Hardy are actors/characters that transcend the films that made them famous, like Humphrey Bogart, Robert de Niro, or Charlie Chaplin they're instantly recognisable through the many imitations, parodies and homages that've turned up over the years. My first exposure to the double act was through the series of animated shorts, released after both men had passed on.
it's great to see some of the duo's routines recreated perfectly, and they had be chuckling more than once. It's also great to have the focus on both men, unlike 2006 TV movie Stan.
First watch: 3.5 Doughnuts
Have you witnessed any of the movies under investigation? What's your verdict? Let us know in the comments below.