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All the latest Movieland investigations from detectives Dick Japowski and Joey Arizona.
The Many Views of Detective Dick Japowski
Hook (1991)
Looky looky, I love Hooky!
The story of a grown up Pan who's lost the magic will always hold a special place in my heart. The sets and costume design are amazing and even though it is longer than it needs to be, I honestly think my children would have happily watched another hour of the lost boys calling Peter an old man, fart bag or a barf breath! A great family watch.
Rewatch: 4 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files: Unseen August
Old Yeller (1957)
A hungry stray dog steals food then has rocks thrown at him.
A young boy keeps live frogs and lizards in his pocket.
The same boy bullies a bear cub, and when mumma bear comes to the rescue she gets in a fight with the dog.
Later the dog has a fight with a wolf, gets bitten, goes rabid then gets shot.
The End
A classic best left forgotten.
First watch: 2 Doughnuts
Dick Japowski's Unseen August
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
When Clint and crew have had enough of "The Rock" they try the impossible, Escape from Alcatraz (1979). Because it was actually filmed in the notorious prison, having been there in person, skating it in my youth, it gave it added interest.
Even though they make it seem a chimp could Escape from Alcatraz (1979) this is still a fun sunday dad movie.
First watch: 3 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004)
The Disney trio dream of becoming Musketeers much to the amusement of the Captain. The Captain however plans to kidnap the Queen and put himself on the throne, appointing the bumbling friends as her bodyguards.
A fun little family friendly adventure, but one that holds little for adults on a repeat viewing...which is a shame because I've been made to watch twice this week.
Rewatch: 3 Doughnuts
Dick Japowski's Unseen August
The Seventh Seal (1957)
A returning crusading knight is harassed by a deft Death, and challenges him to a game of chess that may never end... Or in 90 minutes!
Up there as one of the Citizen Kane's of unseen movies, and you definitely need to be ready to embrace a movie like this. So with my tiny subtitles on I did just that and was surprised at how easy the basic story was to follow, it's only when you fall into the theme stream or Wade into the deep dark subtext that you might drown. One I'm pleased to have seen but, plague, existential crisis and chess may make me wait till I'm playing twister with Death again to watch!
First watch: 3.5 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files: Black Movies Matter
42 (2013)
Biopic about baseball legend Jackie Robinson, the first black man to player in the Major League, and portrayed by the recently departed Chadwick Boseman.
I don't really watch sports, and of all the sports out there I think baseball is one of the most boring to watch, right up there with Golf and Cricket, but I love sports movies, and what's not to like about a story of overcoming adversity and changing the societal mindset?
It says a lot about Boseman that in only his third movie he plays the lead, and not any old lead, portraying one of the most famous figures in American sport...Harrison Ford was pretty good too.
First watch: 4 Doughnuts
The Many Views of Detective Dick Japowski
Random Acts of Violence (2020)
A comic book writer and his manager head out on the road to promote their Slasherman comic book. Soon enough life imitates art and the body count rises in familiar ways...
Jay Baruchel writes, directs and co-stars and I was expecting to like this, having enjoyed his previous Goon movies. Unfortunately this felt clunky. Jay trying to comment on people enjoying watching scenes of horror should have been more cutting, but the dialogue and delivery feels very forced and comes across like a first draft. It has its moments but overall a disappointment.
First watch: 2 Doughnuts
The Arizona Case Files: Black Movies Matter
Foxy Brown (1974)
Foxy has two men in her life; her drug dealing, number running brother and her former undercover agent boyfriend, who has just had plastic surgery to assume a new identity, and that pretty much tells you the film your in for, but because this is a blaxploitation flick there's also plenty of violence, nudity and revenge.
Less gratuitous boob shots than we found in Coffy, Jack Hill's previous outing with Pam Grier, but still plenty of envelope pushing, and actually a few laughs.
First watch: 3 Doughnuts
Have you witnessed any of the movies we've investigated? What's the verdict? Let us know in the comments below.