Driven (Released in 2001) - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Kip Pardue, Til Schweiger - Flop movie

900 million spectators, 250 miles per hour,20 races, 1 championship. Beau Brandenburg (Til Schweiger) is the reigning world champion, defending his title successfully in every race, that is up until a new kid on the block - Jimmy Bly (Kip Pardue) enters the scene and upsets the game. Whether by amazing talent or sheer luck - Bly defeats Beau effortlessly in five races. This is a major cause for worry for the veteran racer, who is having a bad year both professionally as well as personally - he breaks up with fiancée Sophia, because he cannot handle the pressure of losing.
However the experts say that Jimmy ought to be more stable and secure, he is too young to handle the pressures of racing - this is evident from his lack of confidence and interest whilst interacting with the media; his brother Demille Bly (Robert Sean Leonard) is concerned and warns him that he must concentrate. Sure enough, Brandenburg is back to form as Jimmy bites his dust in the next race. Bly’s team owner Carl Henry (Burt Reynolds) is concerned about the boy, and seeks help from a former race driver, now retired Joe Tanto (Sylvester Stallone). Carl, who is wheelchair bound, requests Joe to mentor the youngster, the latter agrees.




Tanto comes in to replace his friend and ex wife’s present husband Memo Moreno (Cristián de la Fuente). In the next race, Jimmy is in the lead, with Beau in second lead. As the men race to outdo each other, Jimmy is stuck between a rock and a hard place as he gets too close to Beau - Carl panics and order Joe to be ready, asking him to recall Bly to the pit. Soon, as the race progresses, Henry’s hero Joe leaves the pit and blocks Brandenburg, making it a sure win for Jimmy Bly. The young man admires Tanto for his amazing skill and decision making - this clearly doesn’t go down well with his older brother Demille - he tries to sever the budding relationship.
On the other hand, Joe Tanto advises Beau Brandenburg on a personal matter - asking him to rethink his decision regarding Sophia, who is now getting closer to Jimmy, causing him to be careless and lose sight of his goals. Brandenburg reconsiders the break up, and at a party in Chicago to launch car prototypes for the next season, he proposes to the lady again, she agrees – much to Jimmy’s disappointment. Sophia feels responsible and apologizes to him, but Bly is beyond seeing any sense - instead, he rushes out of the convention centre in a brand new car from the show.
Tanto comes to the rescue, deciding to chase down Jimmy  – who was upset that Joe caused his relationship with Sophia to end. However, the two men forgive each other and decide to start afresh. On the other hand, Carl is unhappy with Joe Tanto’s interference to such an extent in a team member’s life and feels that the veteran is having a detrimental effect on Bly; he decides to recall Moreno. Audiences welcomed Stallone in his new avatar. Cameo appearances by racing legends like Montoya, Adrian Fernandez,Robert Moreno and a host of other drivers – charmed the audiences. Driven is directed by Renny Harlin, with Stallone contributing to the screenplay.

Movie: Pret A Porter or Ready To Wear (released in 1994) – Directed by Robert Altman

Pret A Porter is a movie which takes a satirical look at the chaotic fashion industry. It follows almost forty odd famous faces including top actors, designers, models and their supporting crew for the fashion show in Paris. Directed by Robert Altmann, it stars Lauren Bacall (Slim Chrysler), Kim Basinger (Kitty Potter), Linda Hunt (Regina Krumm), Sally Kellerman (Sissy Wanamaker), Sophia Loren (Isabella de la Fontaine), Marcello Mastroianni (Sergei), Stephen Rea (Milo O'Brannagan), Tim Robbins (Joe Flynn), Julia Roberts (Anne Eisenhower), Danny Aiello (Major Hamilton), Anouk Aimee (Simone Lowenthal), Jean-Pierre Cassel (Olivier de la Fontaine), Teri Garr (Louise Hamilton), Richard E. Grant (Cort Romney), Tracey Ullman (Nina Scant) and Forest Whitaker (Cy Bianco).
With these number of stars the film is like a all flavored cake which does not impart any taste. As far as I could identify there are three plots running through the film. The first being that of two American Journalists, Joe Flynn and Anne Eisenhower, who lose their luggage in the flight and are forced by circumstances to share a hotel room. So with no clothes on and twin beds there is much more happening than news mongering. Another happenings include Isabella De La Fontaine is a widow who has inherited a great fashion label and hardly misses her philandering husband.



He is more mourned by his mistress Simone Lowenthal. Sophia is followed by Sergei who is in-fact her one true love. Simone on the other hand tries hard to keep her company from being pirated away. Another group like Regina Krumm, Nina Scant and Sissy Wanamaker are all rival fashion Magazine editors trying to get ace photographer Milo O'Brannagan on their side. Milo specializes in baring the celebrities to their ineptitude self and catches many a socialite at their most vulnerable self.
So among these unconnected story lines each of which can be a film in itself, other characters weave in and out. This meandering of actors through the plots gives the viewer severe migraines. So you have the color blind socialite Slim Chrysler, cross dressing buyer Danny Hamilton and his wife along with a melange of real life designers, like Issay Miayake Gianfranco Ferre, and Sonia Rykiel and models looking equally flabbergasted as the others. The only saving grace is news reporter Kitty Porter who is a ditsy journalist who nails the industry with some sly one liners.
This movie could have been a scorching satire, but is reduced to a also ran as the vicious zing is missing. The all bared attack and the real realities of the obsequious and coquettish industry is not presented robbing the film of its meat. The screenplay brings confusing plots together to stitch a garment which neither fits nor floats. This ill fitting presentation deprives Pret a Porter the greatness it could have attained. The film also has lot of sex scenes and full frontal nudity during a catwalk scene. In fact being a film about Fashion there is nothing much to look forward to about fashion or models, even the clothes horses and the clothes featured are insipid and the fashion shows, a rip off from fashion TV. As the film mentions “it is all about looking good”, but this one advice the movie itself never takes. Nothing much to recommend as its confusing and boring.

Mixed Nuts (released in 1994) - starring Steve Martin, Rita Wilson, Madeline Kahn, Anthony LaPaglia, Garry Shandling and Adam Sandler

Mixed Nuts is a comedy film directed by Norah Ephron, starring Steve Martin, Rita Wilson, Madeline Kahn, Anthony LaPaglia, Garry Shandling and Adam Sandler.
The story revolves around a suicide hot-line operating out of the rented premises by a crazy but nice guy called Phillip. Phillip tries hard to keep the hot-line alive inspite of repeated warnings by the landlord for eviction. He even tries keep the eviction notice a secret from the other staffers like, the nice Catherine, a pregnant Gracie and the crabby Mrs. Munchnik. Despite the expectation for a large number of calls from lonely souls on Christmas eve, the hot-line only receives certain frightened calls from the victims of the serial killer dubbed as the “Seaside Strangler”. They also receive threatening calls also from the serial killer.
Phillip trying to get a loan asks for help from his loan officer girl friend who unceremoniously dumps him in favor of her psychiatrist. Meanwhile Gracie is heavily pregnant and her temper is on a short leash. She fights with her slacker boyfriend Felix who runs away with a Santa suit.



Meanwhile Mrs. Munchnik gets caught in the elevator on the way to the Christmas dinner with her sister. Her frantic calls to Louie, her clueless song writer neighbor, does not help her and she is trapped for a long time. Meanwhile Gracie finds Felix who returns with Catherine and Phillip to apologize to her. She locks herself in the bathroom and whacks him with Munchnik's cookie tin. So Felix leaves to the vets office where he overdoses with tranquilizers and has to be sent to the emergency wing to be revived.
Meanwhile Chris, a troubled transvestite, tired of the the abuse calls in for help and Phillip inadvertently gives him their address. Chris arrives at the door when Gracie and Munchnik are alone. Scared of the serial killer, a tussle happens and Munchnik is knocked unconscious. Gracie leaves Chris and Munchnik alone to find Phillip to confront him about the eviction notice. Phillip meanwhile arrives to find Chris with the unconscious Munchnik and subtly suggests him to leave. But Chris takes it as an invitation for dancing and they do the slow dancing together. This is one of the craziest part of this clueless movie.
As the clueless movie moves, Gracie, Catherine and co arrive along with Felix and a gun shoot out happens after an altercation. Gracie wildly shoots killing the landlord across the door. Then they try to stuff the body as a Christmas tree and after some weird stuff the body is discovered by the police. Every body tries to save each other, but as luck could have it the landlord turns to be the serial killer. Gracie gets the reward for killing him and she rescues the hot-line. Phillip and Catherine discover each other during a hot bath and fall in love. And the movie ends to the relief of the audience.
Mixed nuts is one of the nuttiest movie which masquerades as a Christmas comedy. In fact the story goes hay wire and all the weird acting in the name of comedy actually tests your patience. This movie was pilloried by the critics and the audience and did not even recover its cost. I would not recommend this viewing even if you are stranded on an lonely island with the mixed nuts for company.