Uncharted (2022) – Ruben Fleischer

Some questionable narrative choices and other stylistic angles held Uncharted back from being a solid blockbuster and probably crippled its chances of turning into a franchise, which is too bad, because despite the drubbing it took, most of the film is really fun, and there’s a nice interplay between Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg who…

The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) – Norman Tokar

Like most people my age, I grew up with the Carol Burnett show and delighted in the antics of the comedic genius that was Tim Conway, so when he and Don Knotts found themselves in a family/comedy/western film for Disney alongside Bill Bixby, and familiar names and faces like Susan Clark, Harry Morgan, Slim Pickens,…

Hudson Hawk (1991) – Michael Lehmann

Bruce Willis stars in Hudson Hawk, which feels overly cartoonish in both its violence and humor, and seems made only to appease Willis’ ego and portray him as a very cool guy. I won’t lie, there are things about this film I do like, but I hadn’t seen it since it’s release, and wow, this…

Mission: Impossible (1968) – The Mercenaries, and The Execution

The IMF head down to Central Africa to bring down a mercenary and his army for hire in The Mercenaries, written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter. This episode first aired on 27 October, 1968, and is the first episode up this week as I continue to explore The Complete Series on blu-ray from…

Mission: Impossible (1968) – A Game of Chess, and The Emerald

The IMF team takes on yet another corrupt member of some unnamed Soviet Bloc country in A Game of Chess. Written by Richard M. Sakal, this episode was first broadcast on 14 January, 1968. Phelps (Peter Graves) and his team take on Nicholas Groat (Don Francks), a chess grandmaster who is also organising a theft…

M*A*S*H (1973) – Major Fred C. Dobbs, Ceasefire, and Showtime

Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Trapper (Wayne Rogers) push Frank Burns (Larry Linville) just a little too far after he rails out a nurse in Major Fred C. Dobbs. Written by Sid Dorfman, this episode, with a nod to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre in the title, first aired on 11 March, 1973. Burns goes…

Live and Let Die (1954) – Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming’s second James Bond book finds its way to my book shelf this week as I delve into the character’s literary history as well as all the 007 films I haven’t covered for the blog. It’s an enjoyable novel, although it is steeped in way too much racist language and descriptions as Bond goes…

The Hidden Fortress (1958) – Akira Kurosawa

Influencing films like Star Wars, Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress is the next film from the What Else to Watch from DK Books The Movie Book following my screening of Rashomon. A fun, action-filled adventure with dramatic moments, and fantastic performances, the story follows a pair of greedy peasants, Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Mastashichi (Kamatari…