Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

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Out To Sea (1997)


Watch this just for fun! There's a great cast of old time actors and a few laughs here too.

Think of Out To Sea like an episode of The Love Boat with the Grumpy Old Men duo of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau looking for romance on the open ocean.

Into that mix add such old time familiar faces as: Donald O'Connor (his last film), Hal Linden, Dyan Cannon, Rue McClanahan and Brent Spiner of Star Trek TNG fame. Set on a cruise ship, a real cruise ship, the Holland American Westerdam.

Sure Walter Matthau is way too old for Dyan Cannon but that won't stop him from pursuing her and her money too. Jack Lemmon is reluctantly pursued by a classy older lady, Gloria DeHaven.

Brent Spiner is hilarious as the sniveling, pompous Cruise Director. He does a good British accent too.

I've been on cruises and Out To Sea is the only movie I've seen that is actually filmed on a real cruise ship. Many of the sets are real locations on the Westerdam. So if you can't afford a cruise, just watch Out To Sea and you won't even get sea sick.

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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
I haven't seen Out To Sea, but if it's got Hal Linden ("Barney Miller"), Brent Spiner (ST: TNG), Donald O'Connor (Singin' in the Rain), and Bobby Darin's music, I'll have to give it a try.



Hey somebody who likes Bobby Darin. I hadn't really heard his music before, I just knew him as the singer who married Sandra Dee. But man he's got great vocal control like Sinatra does on the song More.

Brent Spiner really steals the movie! Showing just how good of an actor he really is. He has a fairly big role too. I loved the scene where he's off stage and introduces himself by using a different voice. He sings in the movie too. Now I just got to find a cruise ship with Brent Spiner as the cruise director. That been a blast.

It's too bad Donald O'Connor and Hal Linden had smaller roles. Though there both good in it.






The Last Castle (2001)

Director: Rod Lurie
Cast: Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo

Robert Redford plays a general who's been court
martialed and sent to a corrupt military prison. The General is a highly decorated war veteran, respected for his personal integrity and loyalty to the men under his command. However in military prison he has no rank and no privileges. But his integrity is rock solid and he commands the respect of his fellow inmates.

He has one enemy, the prison warden. A man who has never been in battle. A man who's jealous of the General and will stop at nothing in his attempts to break the General.

Sounds good? The problem is Redford has no
charisma in this role. The movie is predictable and fails to give the viewer any intellectual insight into the workings of a military prison. And for those viewers who expect to see an action film. There's not much action either.




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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.



The Last Castle (2001)

Director: Rod Lurie
Cast: Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo

Robert Redford plays a court
martialed General, who's sent to a corrupt military prison. The General is a highly decorated war veteran, respected for his personal integrity and loyalty to the men under his command. In military prison he has no rank and no privileges. But his integrity is rock solid and he commands the respect of the inmates.

He has one enemy, the prison warden. A man who has never been in battle. A man who's jealous of the General and will stop at nothing in his attempts to break the General.

Sounds good? The problem is Redford has no
charisma in this role. The movie is predictable and fails to give the viewer any intellectual insight into the workings of a military prison. And for those viewers who expect to see an action film. There's not much action either.





I like Robert Redford, but I've never seen The Last Castle because it didn't sound like my kind of movie anyway. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like you're recommending this movie, so guess I'll pass on this one, at least for now.

BTW, I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but Out to Sea is on my watchlist. If I ever catch up with the 2014 Movie Tournament, the animation list, and the 5th HOF, it's at the top of my list.



Those are some out of the blue movies you're reviewing there, Citizen. That can be very helpful in finding hidden gems.
Thanks Cricket, that's nice of you to say Geez, if I reviewed each movie as I watched it...you guys would be thinking, 'what the heck kind of movies does CR watch!' Last night I watched an obscure film, They Call it Sin.

I like Robert Redford, but I've never seen The Last Castle because it didn't sound like my kind of movie anyway. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like you're recommending this movie, so guess I'll pass on this one, at least for now.

BTW, I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but Out to Sea is on my watchlist. If I ever catch up with the 2014 Movie Tournament, the animation list, and the 5th HOF, it's at the top of my list.
Wow, you watch a lot of movies GBG! It's great you participate so much on the board. Well when you get the time, check Out to Sea.

The Last Castle is a little better.
Mark, I can understand that, I never know if I should rate the movie on my personal reaction or rate it against other movers of the similar genre. I usually go with a personal rating.

I saw Last Castle at the theater but remember next to nothing about it. Never a good sign.
I know how you feel Sean, I have the worlds worst memory. If you asked me in a month about this movie, I wouldn't hardly remember it.





Phantom (2013)

Director:
Todd Robinson
Cast:
Ed Harris, Julian Adams, David Duchovny

Phantom tells the very speculative story of a Soviet nuclear equipped sub K-129, that actually sank in 1968 off the coast of Hawaii. The facts of the mystery sub are classified to this very day. That part the movie got right...but according to this movie the sub was commandeered by KGB agents in a dangerous 'rogue attempt'...I won't say anymore as it might spoil the surprise.

If you're looking for a Das Boot or The Hunt for Red October type movie, you won't find it here. Phantom is a well made action adventure film, that's all. Short on character development, it does have the Soviet sub looking authentic.

Ed Harris plays the captain of the Soviet sub. He's a fine actor but don't look for him to have much meat to his role. David Duchovny plays the fanatical rogue KGB agent. No one in this film even attempts a Russian accent. Oh well, I doubt it would have matter anyway.


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Starship Troopers (1997)

Director:
Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Ironside

If you think Starship Troopers is a no-brainier flick with nothing to say, you'd be wrong. This rock 'em sock 'em movie, loosely based on Robert Heinlein's best selling novel is much more than just space marines battling giant bugs on an alien planet.

Starship Troopers delivers a powerfully conflicting message on the dangers of over zealot flag waving and the folly of demonizing your enemy without knowing them.

At first the film looks like a simple sci-fi action story about an alien insect planet that has evil plans to destroy Earth with their asteroid bombs. Later we find out that the alien bugs are brainless and act out of pure instinct. Which seems to suggest that the Human's war effort is misguided by the militaristic government. At the end of the movie however, they encounter a 'smart bug' which perhaps justifies Earth's fear. Or perhaps not? It's a conflicting message.

The movie cleverly indoctrinates the viewer into it's message by showing us, ultra patriotic Nazi style propaganda clips. These clips on shown on the fictions 'Federal Network'. It's no coincidence that the military officers are audaciously dressed in pseudo Nazi uniforms. The films propaganda news clips rallies one's militarist side....'the enemy is evil...they must be destroyed!'

War”


New military recruits are indoctrinated into fighting soldiers by an ultra patriotic instructor, played by Michael Ironside. The recruits are taught the differences between a full fledged Citizen who has earned the right to vote, and a Civilian who has not served in the military and so has no voting rights. The following scene is well done, especially as Michael Ironside gives his citizenship speech to teen students who are more interested in flirting with each other. The arm bit at the end is good too.

The Failure of Democracy”

On the surface Starship Troopers works as an action packed, special effects movie. But look deeper and it's a clever parody of ultra-militarism.

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Thank you Honeykid! It took me a loooong time to write it, so I'm glad to hear someone liked it....

I know I've seen MoFo members with Starship Troopers as one of the favorites. So any thoughts on the movie from you guys, even if you think I'm nuts is OK



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Out To Sea (1997)


Watch this just for fun. There's a great cast of old time actors and a few laughs too.

Think of Out To Sea like an episode of The Love Boat with the Grumpy Old Men duo of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau looking for romance on the high seas.

Into that mix add such old time familiar faces as: Donald O'Connor (his last film), Hal Linden, Dyan Cannon, Rue McClanahan and Brent Spiner. Set on a cruise ship, a real cruise ship, the Holland American Westerdam.

Sure Walter Matthau is way too old for Dyan Cannon but that won't stop him from pursuing her and her money. Jack Lemmon is reluctantly pursued by a classy older lady, Gloria DeHaven.

Brent Spiner is hilarious as the sniveling, pompous Cruise Director. He does a good British accent too.

I've been on cruises and Out To Sea is the only movie I've seen that is actually filmed on a real cruise ship. Many of the sets are real locations on the Westerdam. So if you can't afford a cruise, just watch Out To Sea and you won't even get sea sick.






I just finished watching Out To Sea, and this was another great pick. Like you said, it's a fun movie with a lot of familiar old-timers.

As expected, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are a lot of fun in this movie, but IMO, Brent Spiner stole the movie. He was great in every scene that he's in. Unfortunately Hal Linden and Donald O'Connor were wasted in this movie. I would have loved to see both of them get more screen time.




Thanks Rodent. We haven't 'talked' much since I came to MoFo but I'd like to remedy that

I see you have Starship Troopers as one of your favorites. Some people agree with the analogy that the film is a parody of military propaganda. Others see it differently. And some see it just as one heck of a fun action packed movie.

If you don't mind me asking, how do you interrupt the movie?