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Showing posts with label 1992. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1992. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot - Comedy film released in 1992 - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty and JoBeth Williams

Mostly associated with macho, blood, guts and glory flicks, Stallone has a reasonably decent repertoire for comedy as well. Released in 1992, the film stars Sylvester Stallone as Sgt. Joseph Andrew ‘Joe’ Bomowski, and, in the pivotal role, Estelle Getty as his mother Mrs.Tutti Bomowski. The movie opens with Joe in a police heist, with Sgt. Tony (John Wesley), waiting for the bad guys to turn up, but they are two hours late, like his birthday or the Easter Bunny - they’re still coming! They are posing as sellers of stolen merchandise, here to make a deal.
One of the men is suspicious, and says he (Joe) could be a cop, but the henchman gives the go ahead, and they show him a whole consignment of electronic goods in a shuttered shop, as he shows them the cash. Meanwhile, Tony, in the shadows, is moving in to make a kill - he is hit when a skirmish takes place, and the men make a run.
Later that evening, he calls his mom from a bar; she isn’t answering the phone, but is instead packing her suitcase! Where is she going to? The next day, Joe is being ribbed about how he used Tony’s butt for cover, he is even more heckled when another cop makes a cheap dig at Lieutenant Gwen Harper (JoBeth Williams) - the two were once involved, and she calls him to her office telling him how upset she is that he did not call the previous night, but sat a bar drinking with his buddies - she hands him a file to make it look like they’re discussing something important!



She tells him how upset she was when she heard someone had been shot, and thought it was him, and worse, she heard that he was on the phone all evening, with someone! Gwen refuses to believe that Joe was calling his mom at 2:30 am! She is unsure whether it is his mother or could be a ‘dial-a-bimbo’. Gwen calls their relationship off! Meanwhile, his mother still isn’t answering the phone! Joe goes to the airport, and comes across hostesses giggling at him, a traveler who comes off the plane tells him he was a bed wetter just like Joe- yes! Mom’s done enough damage already - he’ll always be her lil’ Joey! She’s off the plane with Pixie, her dog.
On the way home, he is stuck in a traffic jam, and finds out that a man is threatening to jump off a high rise, because his mother and he have problems. As Joe goes up to do his thing, the young boy is upset and threatens to jump off…on the ground, his mum grabs a megaphone and starts to tell the boy that the policeman is his son, and the boy in turn tells Joe not to swear at his mom, and that he must obey her. Meanwhile, Tutti goes on about Joe as a little boy, she even shows his baby pics to the crowd - the boy says that he’s changed his mind, saying Joe’s life is far worse than his with a mom like that!
But Tutti does come out the winner in the film as she helps her son nail a crystal meth kingpin and helps him reunite with Gwen - she is actually the real hero in  the film! Stallone once said in an interview that this was his worst film, but audiences loved the character of the bullied son, and the movie was a decent success at the box office. Good clean laughs and family entertainment!

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot - Comedy film released in 1992 - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty and JoBeth Williams

Friday, February 18, 2011

HouseSitter (released in 1992) - A romantic comedy starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn

Directed by Frank Oz, House sitter is a romantic comedy which released in 1992, staring Steve Martin, Goldi Hawn and Dana Delany.
Steve Martin plays the beleaguered architect Newton Davis who builds a grand house for his girl friend Becky who refuses to marry him. Newton is crest fallen and, deeply in debt, he leaves the town and abandons the house to its fate. During a drunken evening at the bar, Newton spills the beans to Gwen Phillips, the waitress who comforts him. They end up spending the night together and Newton coming to his senses in the middle of the night leaves abruptly. He unintentionally leaves the blueprints of the plans at Gwen's place. Piqued by his sudden departure Gwen travels to see the dream house for herself and is charmed by the architecture. She takes up residence at the house and slowly involves herself with the community.
Gwen is a compulsive liar who changes her identity as and when she pleases. Upon buying groceries she is forced to convince the store keeper that she is Newton's wife. Soon a chain of reactions happen with Becky confronting her. To awe Becky Gwen spins a romantic tale about her meeting Newton and buys her off. Newton's heartbroken parents are also bought over by her charms and yarn.



As the town folks settle down, Newton travels to town and is surprised to find his house lived in. At first he is angry and tries to kick Gwen off the premises. But as he gets in to the groove of things he finds that the presence of Gwen to be pretty helpful. He soon hires her to make Becky jealous and to repair his relationship with his parents. Soon Newton and Gwen masquerade as a couple so as to win over Becky, upon which Gwen would get all the furniture as the price.
Newton slowly relies upon Gwen for everything and she in turn feels attached to their “marriage”. Instead of making Becky jealous, Gwen starts resenting her presence in Newton's life. She reveals that because of her inadequacies she has been forced to live a life full of lies and wants to put an end to it. At a family reception Gwen confronts Becky accusing her for trying to win over Newton and storms off. Newton thinking this to be the part of the act, praises her and follows her out. Gwen reveals her love for him and her need to work this relationship leaving Newton perplexed. Soon it dawns on everybody about the double life of Gwen and Becky comforts Newton. But Newton realizes his feelings for her and reunites with Gwen. All is well and they live happily ever after in the beautiful house.
This movie was a moderate success and not a critics favorite. It is sort of a rehashed love story which does not warm the cockles of the heart. Steve Martin plays the bumbling architect and Goldie Hawn plays his love interest pretty well. But the crackling chemistry of the duo is missing. The real star of the movie is the house which is simply beautiful. There are no high points in this predictable romantic comedy and would recommend if only you are hard pressed for choices.

HouseSitter (released in 1992) - A romantic comedy starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Leap of Faith (released in 1992) - A movie about a faith healer, starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger

This American comedy Drama is directed by Richard Pearce and stars Steve Martin, Debra Winger, Liam Neeson and Lolita Davidovich in the lead roles. This hard hitting drama focuses on the faith healer who cons innocents in the name of god and takes from where earlier docu-drama like Elmer Gantry and Jarjoe left off.
Steve Martin stars as Jonas Nightengale who is a con-man faith healer. He holds revival meetings and defrauds the congregation with the promise of miracles. Helping him is his back stage manager, Jane who studies the floor plan convincingly and transmits the information via a small ear-piece. So all the technological marvels are used to convey where the healer could find a crippled man, or a pregnant teenager. Jonas pounces on them with his hallelujahs and with his intuition forces them to blab more about their condition. The effect is so smooth a transition from a believer to a miracle seeker.
As this faith healer show rumbles around the American small town with its special effects, technological jamboree and a gospel choir, the bus breaks down in a small town of Kansas. This impoverished town has nothing going for it as no rains have blessed the parched landscape. As the bus waits for the spare parts Jonas and Jane plan to hold a revival meeting to kill time. So the show is all set to begin if only for the small hitch in the form the local sheriff, Will Braverman. Will does not believe in all the this bunkum of miracles and sees Jonas and his troops for what they are, crooks. He wants to protect the town money from flowing in to their hands and tries his best to stop their show.



Jonas deputes Jane to seduce Braverman and Jane ends up falling for him. Jonas also falls for a pretty local waitress, Marva, who has a crippled brother, Boyd. Marva does not have faith in all the hocus pocus and Jonas takes her up as a conquest. Boyd believes in miracles and feels that Jonas can help him walk. Initially taking a caustic view, Jonas calls Boyd “Tiny Tim” and tries to palm him off. But as the movie progresses he tries to warn off Boyd as Jonas can see himself only as a crook. But a crook can also deliver hope and faith promises to be a powerful instrument for healing. In the end the crooks and the believers are forced to examine themselves.
This is one of the powerful movies of the 80's which examines faith as an instrument of influence. The first half of the movie has Steve Martin prancing about in his silver suits among dazzling lights mouthing biblical quotations and hallelujahs all the time listening to the back stage instructions. The toppling wheelchairs, the back stage plans, the market research, the listened in conversations and all the tricks of the trade of faith healing is laid bare. Steve Martin does a fantastic job of the conman with his inimical wit and cynicism. Anther notable performance is of Debra Winger as Jane who does all the back stage operations. Although her romance with the local sheriff is a bit contrived, it gives a little deviation for the story. The movie forces one to examine the process of belief and the show of believing. As Steve quotes in the movie “if I get the job done What difference does it make?” and he himself receives the answer as “It makes all the difference in the world”.
This movie received decent box office returns and also critical acclaim. It was also adapted a Broadway musical and opened successfully. Last but not the least the musical score is wonderful with the real-life singers like La Chanze, Delores Hall and Albertina Walker who do a beautiful job of playing Jonas's gospel choir. A good movie which entertains and informs.

Leap of Faith (released in 1992) - A movie about a faith healer, starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Patriot Games (released in 1992) - starring Harrison Ford and Anne Archer in a story by Tom Clancy about Jack Ryan and terrorists

Patriot games is a movie released in 1992 adapted from a book of the same name by Tom Clancy. It starred Harrison Ford, Ann Archer and Sean Bean in pivotal roles. Jack Ryan (Ford) is a retired CIA agent who is on vacation to London. He witnesses an assassination attempt on Lord William Homes, the British Secretary of State for northern Ireland. Ryan intervenes to foil the assassination attempt and kills one of the terrorists. He is wounded in the process, but is a hero who earns the accolades for his bravery. He also testifies against Sean Miller, the apprehended terrorist part of the Ulster Liberation Army or ULA who is then sent to jail. Ford is awarded the knighthood for his good deeds and returns to USA. He returns to his mundane life and puts all the excitement behind him.
Sean Miller the captured terrorist is the brother of the slain one (Patrick Miller) and want revenge. While transferring him to another prison the ULA ambush the convoy, kill all the police officers and rescue Miller. Miller and his group then escape to North Africa. Seeking revenge the group follows Jack Ryan to America. Ryan is unaware of these intentions and barely survives an attempt on his life outside the United States Naval Academy. Miller attacks then his wife and daughter while driving and they suffer a horrendous crash. Ryan thus incensed re-joins the CIA and attempt to counter Miller.



Ryan concludes that Miller is hiding with a North African Warlord and send a SAS team to eliminate him. He sends in a SAS team to eliminate the terrorists and watches the slaughter through a satellite feed. He thinks that Sean is among the killed. But unknown to Ryan, Miller and his companions have escaped. Miller reaches the United states and locates Ryan's house. Lord Holmes reaches Ryan's house to present him with the KVCO and is ambushed by Miller. Jack Ryan leads his family and Holmes to safety but many troopers are killed.
Miller, consumed with the feelings of revenge try to follow Ryan. His companions disgusted with his actions persuade him to back off. Miller shoots them and pursues Ryan. After a game of cat and mouse Miller and Ryan face off each other. In a hand to hand fight Miller plunges in to a boat and is killed in the subsequent explosion. Ryan returns to his work and his family who await a new tomorrow and a baby.
The plot of the movie was so considerably different from that of the book that the author, Tom Clancy distanced himself from the film. However it was one of the top grosser's of that year and still continues to be a popular action movie choice. The Prequel of the movie, The Hunt For Red October starring Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan was made. Later the role was re-prised by Harrison Ford as Baldwin was unavailable. This was followed by the sequel Clear and Present danger starring Harrison Ford. This is a must for Action movie fans and followers of Harrison Ford.

Patriot Games (released in 1992) - starring Harrison Ford and Anne Archer in a story by Tom Clancy about Jack Ryan and terrorists