Sometimes you just want to revel in the artistry and talent of cinema of yesteryear, so I decided to dig into a Buster Keaton film I hadn’t seen, Go West. It’s charming and Keaton who stars and directs knows how to make the magic work. His character, simply referred to as Friendless in the credits,…
Tag: cowboy
Batman (1966) – Come Back, Shame, and It’s How You Play the Game
Holy guest stars, it’s Cliff Robertson as this week’s villain! He seems to be leaning into the camp of the thing, as he dons a cowboy outfit and claims the name Shame just so that a child, Andy (Eric Shea) can later on deliver a riff on the iconic line from Shane. This two-parter was…
Full Metal Jacket (1987) – Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick’s look at the Vietnam War isn’t only a commentary on the war itself, but the dissolution of the self, and the soul of humanity to be replaced by an animal nature that restrains us a species and diminishes who we are. From the introduction to the Marine Corps on Parris Island, South Carolina,…
M*A*S*H (1972) – Bananas, Crackers and Nuts, Cowboy, and Henry, Please Come Home
I’m a little divided on the first episode of M*A*S*H up for review this week. Bananas, Crackers and Nuts was written by Burt Styler, and first debuted on 5 November, 1972 (it was a different time, I have to keep reminding myself) and while a lot of it is funny, and a solid commentary on…
Urban Cowboy (1980) 40th Anniversary Edition – Blu-Ray Review
John Travolta was a hot commodity in the late 70s, and early 80s. He had a hit sitcom in Welcome Back, Kotter, had starred in two box office hits, Grease, and Saturday Night Fever, and he and director James Bridges sought to personalise the story of the modern cowboy with Urban Cowboy which sees its…
Toy Story (1995) – John Lasseter
As I return to the Family section in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, I am delighted to dig into another Pixar movie. In fact, the first Pixar feature film. Since 1995, Pixar has released incredible films that have become a treasured part of modern culture. It’s hard to believe that it…
Magnum, p.i. (1985) – Going Home and Paniolo
Thomas heads to Virginia in the first episode up this week, Going Home, which aired 31 October, 1985 and was penned by Gene Donalds and Chris Abbott. He returns to Virginia for his grandfather’s funeral, and it opens up a slew of memories, pains, and troubles amongst the family. He’s never been a fan of…
Magnum, p.i. (1984) – Tran Quoc Jones and Luther Gillis: File #001
It’s back to Paradise for the Thursday visit with Thomas and company… Up first is Tran Quoc Jones. This episode was penned by Chris Abbott and had an airdate of 29 November, 1984. The titular character, Tran Quoc Jones (Roland Harrah III), is an illegal Amerasian boy, who sells knick knacks on the streets…
The Rockford Files (1979) – A Material Difference and Never Send a Boy King to Do a Man’s Job Part 1
The first episode up on this installment, may in fact be one of my favorite episodes. Written by Rogers Turrentine, A Material Difference aired on 24 February, 1979. The phone message was a good indicator of how much I would enjoy this episode, apparently Jim (James Garner) gave a 200 page deposition, but it has…
Magnum p.i. (1982) – The Elmo Ziller Story and Three Minus Two
Season two of Magnum p.i. comes to a close with the two episodes this week. First up is The Elmo Ziller Story, which aired 25 March, 1982, and was written by Robert Hamilton. Thomas (Tom Selleck) thinks Higgins (John Hillerman) is him on when he’s asked to protect Elmo Ziller, who looks exactly like…
The Mind Reels 