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All the latest Movieland investigations from detectives Dick japowski and Joey Arizona.
The many views of detective Dick Japowski
Hollywood Boulevard (1976)
A young starlet moves to Tinseltown where she quickly learns "that not all that glistens is gold, sometimes it's the head of a sweaty producer".
The directing debut for both Joe Dante and Alan Arkush, and what started out as a bet between Roger Corman and Jon Davison on who could make the cheapest picture! That shows. With a large part of the footage recycled from other New World Pictures movies! That said you can see the seeds of an anarchic director like Joe Dante starting to grow here, and it has its moments.. in between all the gross stuff.
First watch: 2.5 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files
A Quiet Place (2018)
A family try their best to survive in a world infested by creatures who hunt purely by sound.
It took me awhile to get Mrs Arizona to watch this as we'd already watched Netflix movie The Silence, they're essentially the same movie. Both feature Monsters who hunt my sound, and a family who know sign language because one of the children is hearing impaired. While The Silence relied on obvious scares, A Quiet Place relies a lot more on tension. This is a much better movie.
First watch: 4 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)
Spongebob's pet snail Gary has been stolen by King Poseidon, apparently snail slime has rejuvenating qualities and all his snails have dried out. So Spongebob and Patrick head out to rescue him.
I've never really watched the TV show, but I have seen and enjoyed the previous movies, and the claymation Christmas special, so I was definitely going to watch this at some point.
I sat down with Little Arizona the other day to watch it and fell asleep after the first half-an-hour or so, drifting in out of consciousness until the credits rolled. But everytime I opened my eyes Little Arizona was still watching, which is unusual. I've since watched the rest, and it struggled to keep my attention while I was wide awake.
First watch: 2.5 Doughnuts
The Many Views of Detective Dick Japowski
Clifford (1994)
Martin Short stars as 10 year old boy Clifford, who dreams of going to dinosaur world. Charles Grodin plays his uncle, who has to look after him for the week. It's a battle of wills and Clifford has the upper hand!
Filmed in 1990 but held back for 4 years when Orion Pictures went bust, this is a little remembered gem. Seeing Martin Short in little shorts is very funny to me as are some of the stunts he plays on Grodin, who is the master of the reaction shot.
First watch: 3.5 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files
The Vast of Night (2019)
A switchboard operator hears an unusual sound on one of the lines, and her radio presenter friend plays it out on the airwaves...I've already said too much.
This was recommended to me, and I knew nothing about it going in, long story short...film of the year.
First watch: 4.5 Doughnuts
The Many Views of Detective Dick Japowski
The Money Pit (1986)
Tom Hanks and Shelly Long get the deal of their life's on the perfect house. But this perfect house turns out to be a lot to deal with!
Classic eighties Hanks that seemed to be a staple of the BBC's film lineup of a Saturday evening. The first half is still amazing with all the physical house comedy and Hanks and Long reacting to the spiralling chaos. It dips for me in the last act but ultimately it lands a satisfying ending. This has made me want to seek out the Tom Hanks sitcom Bossom Buddies now!
Rewatch: 3.5 Doughnuts
Have you witnessed any of the movies we've investigated? What's the verdict? Let us know in the comments below.