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IT’S YOUR MOVE: PILOT (Season 1: Episode 1)

SUMMARY:              RUNNING TIME: 22:00 Min.

This short-lived 1984-85 NBC-TV series premiered on September 26, 1984.  Veteran actor-turned-director Peter Bonerz helmed this episode. 

In Van Nuys, California, conniving teenager Matthew Burton (Bateman) and his school buddies are running a term papers-for-sale scam out of Matthew’s apartment.  Much to his chagrin, the seedy building superintendent (Sabella) finally rents out the vacant apartment across the hall to an unemployed freelance writer, Norman (Garrison). 

Not only must Matthew must contend with this unwanted new suitor for his widowed mother’s (Kaye) affections, that same guy now resides in the apartment where the illicit term papers have been stashed.  

Ignoring his older sister’s (Cast) sage advice, Matthew schemes to sabotage his mom’s new romance, not to mention divert Norman long enough to get his ‘merchandise’ back in time.  Threatened by Norman’s sincerity as a potential step-dad, Matthew hopes his mom will instead reunite with her lukewarm ex-boyfriend – at least, he’s a far more financially secure option than their new neighbor.  

Hence, the show’s chessboard logo spells out how Matthew’s rivalry with a savvy Norman means constantly maneuvering and counter-maneuvering one other.  

Matthew Burton: Jason Bateman

Eileen Burton: Caren Kaye

Julie Burton: Tricia Cast

Lou Donatelli: Ernie Sabella

Norman Lamb: David Garrison

Eli: Adam Sadowsky

Brian: River Phoenix (cameo)

Manuel: Beto Lovato

Notes: Landing It’s Your Move as his own starring vehicle, the young Bateman had previously appeared as a regular on NBC’s Little House on the Prairie and then Silver Spoons. However, the single-season It’s Your Move ran for a total of only eighteen episodes. Less than three years later, the same producing duo of Ron Leavitt & Michael G. Moye later created the Fox Network’s Married With Children (co-starring Garrison for its first four seasons).

REVIEW:

One could say the ‘Matthew’ vs. ‘Norman’ feud offers shades of ‘Ferris Bueller’ vs. ‘Principal Ed Rooney.’  Predating Matthew Broderick’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off by two years, It’s Your Move scores its share of laughs by not reducing Garrison’s Norman Lamb to the luckless adult nemesis ‘Rooney’ is.  Instead, Garrison energetically sells his ‘Norman’ as a likably down-to-earth guy who can usually sense Matthew’s relentless scams and pranks before it is too late.   

Though hampered by this flimsy premise, It’s Your Move is still watchable, in part due to a 15-year-old Bateman’s charisma.  The good news is that he gets plenty of welcome help from an underrated Garrison and Ernie Sabella carrying scenes and landing the jokes.  Their other regular castmates (Kaye, List, & Sadowsky) play standard-issue roles, but their performances are fine given the okay storytelling. 

In this instance, It’s Your Move’s modest pilot episode supplies sufficient laughs.  The last scene’s plot twist even scores a minor gem setting up a fun sense of unpredictability moving forward.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:        5 Stars

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UNSOLVED HISTORY: CUSTER’S LAST STAND (Season 1: Episode 5)

SUMMARY:         RUNNING TIME: Approx. 50:00 Min.

First broadcast on The Discovery Channel on November 6, 2002, this episode re-examines U.S. Army Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s battlefield on June 25, 1876, in Central Montana’s Little Bighorn region in the manner befitting a forensic crime scene.  Narrated by an unseen Katherine Kern, this program’s analysts consist of: historians Daniel A. Martinez, Paul A. Hutton, & Neil Mangum; archaeologists Richard Fox & Doug Scott; forensic anthropologist P. Willey; and firearms expert Dick Harmon. 

Including use of archived Hollywood black-and-white film footage and brief dramatic reenactments, Unsolved History conducts a fresh look scouring the extensive Custer battlefield.  Due to a recent fire, specialists with metal detectors would newly uncover a plethora of spent bullets, shrapnel, bone fragments, and assorted other historical evidence for scientific research. 

Hence, long-held popular myths of Custer’s battalion gallantly fighting to the death in the late afternoon of June 25, 1876, are ultimately dispelled by forensic investigation.  

REVIEW:

Both well-narrated and articulately presented, this flashy documentary is meant for viewers who prefer sensationalistic, CSI-style presentations.  Even so, nothing presented is either far-fetched or cheats the audience from a fair representation of historical fact.  For most amateur historical sleuths, Unsolved History throws in even a few surprises, too. 

Case in point: ballistic analysis verifies Custer’s vastly outnumbered battalion was further outgunned by their Native American opposition’s close-range, rapid-shot firepower.  Therefore, the Seventh Cavalry’s mostly inexperienced and malnourished troops’ single-shot weaponry was no match, given the chaotic circumstances.  Such evidence tragically disproves the Seventh Cavalry’s supposed reputation as America’s elite post-Civil War sharpshooters (no matter how much Custer himself pushed such patriotic hype).    

It also appears that Custer’s panic-stricken battalion defensively fell back into three tiers that were each subsequently annihilated once their initial skirmish line was overrun.  Hence, proof of one last tier fleeing Custer Hill’s non-existent ‘last stand’ to an adjacent ravine indicates they were the last troops killed.  Logically correlating their forensic discoveries with expert analysis, Unsolved History concludes Custer’s final battle was a relentless slaughter from the get-go.  Essentially, the only mysteries unanswered are ‘who killed who’ specifics that will never be known.

Note: A few days after Custer’s demise, the Seventh Cavalry’s Captain Frederick Benteen (one of Custer’s few surviving officers) was among the investigators examining the battlefield.  Unsolved History comes to the same conclusion as Benteen had reported: the engagement quickly ended in a gory and unmistakable rout.   

Speaking of which, one detail ignored is the probability of suicide, to whatever degree, by Custer’s troops.  Given there was sufficient airtime, not even broaching this theory was a choice rather than an oversight.  Hence, this episode does not explore every controversial angle of the massacre, including why Major Reno & Captain Benteen’s surviving Seventh Cavalry troops failed to rejoin Custer (let alone vice-versa).  The unsettling truth that Custer’s battalion initially sought to capture Native American women and children to use as hostages, however, is readily acknowledged.

In terms of kid-friendliness, the documentary’s G-rating is accurate up until the last two segments preceding Daniel Martinez’s mild conclusion.  Specifically, there is some ballistics discussion (utilizing a badly pierced skull), and, more so, grisly mutilation details of Custer’s troops that should really be left to mature viewers only. 

Having aged well, Unsolved History: Custer’s Last Stand, overall, could provide educational benefit to a collegiate-level U.S. History course.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                 7 Stars

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PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) {2011 Re-release}

SUMMARY:           RUNNING TIME: Approx. 1 Hr., 32 Min.

Adapting Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Universal Pictures initially released this silent film in 1925.  Rupert Julian received sole credit as the director, though others (including Lon Chaney) were among its known creative contributors. 

Set in the 1880’s, the new co-owners of the opulent Paris Opera House confirm that their predecessors were not joking about a ghost-like patron occupying the coveted Box Five.  Specifically, the ‘Phantom’ (Chaney) is smitten with young understudy/soprano Christine Daaé (Philbin), and insists, through written messages, that she replace the opera’s star attraction, Carlotta (Fabian), at the next performance.  Otherwise, the Opera House will be sabotaged by the masked Phantom’s unspecified acts of terrorism.

French noble Viscomte Raoul de Chagny (Kerry) risks a fateful love triangle with his beloved Christine and her self-appointed ‘mentor.’  The Phantom’s macabre efforts to mesmerize Christine into loving him ignites a dangerous series of events once the Opera House’s owners and even Christine herself defies him. 

Descending deep into the Opera House’s sinister catacombs, Raoul, his worried older brother (St. Polis), and the enigmatic Ledoux (Carewe) incur the Phantom’s wrath attempting to rescue an abducted Christine from their homicidal adversary’s clutches. Yet, these dark and mysterious sub-basement levels were once medieval torture chambers where the Phantom knows all their architectural secrets. The question becomes: can anyone save Christine in time?

Notes: This enhanced version was released in 2011, with a new instrumental score supplied by I’Musici de Montréal and conducted by Yuli Turovsky.  Providing operatic vocals for Christine/Carlotta is soprano Claudine Côté.    

Credited Cast

The Phantom/Erik: Lon Chaney

Christine Daaé: Mary Philbin

Viscomte Raoul de Chagny: Norman Kerry

Ledoux: Arthur Edmund Carewe

Simon Buquet: Gibson Gowland

Comte Philip de Chagny: John St. Polis

Florine Papillon: Snitz Edwards

Carlotta: Mary Fabian

Carlotta’s Mother: Virginia Pearson

Historical Notes: Germany produced Phantom’s first-ever movie adaptation in 1916, but that film is deemed lost.  Universal’s original release version was reportedly 107 minutes.  In a rarity for its time, the color-tinted movie includes approximately seventeen minutes of Technicolor footage.  A partial reshoot in 1929 meant for a sound version replaced some of the original actors and apparently edited out some fifteen minutes for a shorter running time.

REVIEW:

This first American film adaptation of Leroux’s novel is mostly faithful to the source material, despite alterations to the Phantom’s backstory (i.e., the novel’s ‘Persian’ is the movie’s ‘Ledoux;’ a faster-paced and more exciting finale, etc.).  More so, Universal Pictures doesn’t skimp on the film’s lavish production values. For contemporary audiences, though, Chaney’s movie represents something of a viewer’s pendulum. 

Given the curiosity of seeing an iconic film nearly a century old, Phantom’s slow first half risks dulling anybody to sleep – even those well-acquainted with Leroux’s plot.  A partial upside is the I’Musici de Montréal score might help keep one from nodding off, despite how bland this mood music generally sounds. 

Provided one is patient for the famous Phantom’s lair sequence where Christine exposes Erik’s face, the film is exceptional  the rest of the way.  Phantom’s final fifteen to twenty minutes, suffice to say, are riveting. 

Bolstered by the impressive Technicolor sequences, most of the credit, unsurprisingly, belongs to Chaney (and to a lesser extent, Mary Philbin).  What Chaney’s acting/make-up single-handedly does conveying the Phantom’s innate evil readily surpasses today’s mega-budget, green-screen special effects.  Hence, this movie is deservedly Chaney’s career masterpiece.          

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   8 Stars

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CAPTAIN AMERICA (1990)

SUMMARY:           RUNNING TIME: 1 Hr., 37 Min.

Directed by Albert Pyun (and with Menahem Golan among its producers), this 21st Century Film Corporation/Marvel Comics co-production’s release was initially delayed until the summer of 1991. 

In 1936 Italy, Tadzio (Massimi) a genius-level child, is forcibly abducted by Nazi forces to serve as its test subject for an experimental process that hideously mutates him.  As an adult, he is the insidious super-Nazi, Red Skull (Paulin). 

Meanwhile, as of 1943, one repentant Italian geneticist (Cassola) has escaped to the Allies and has provided the same enhanced formula (without the ghastly side effects) to the U.S. military.  Their subject is a willing yet frail Steve Rogers (Salinger), who becomes the country’s new secret weapon: Captain America.  The geneticist’s subsequent homicide means her scientific secrets have seemingly died with her, leaving Rogers a lone American super-soldier.

In Nazi territory, a failed showdown against the Skull leaves an inexperienced Captain America strapped to a missile programmed to destroy FDR’s White House.  Witnessed by a young boy, Rogers’ last-second heroics divert the missile to a safe crash landing in remote Alaska. 

While Rogers is left frozen in suspended animation for approximately fifty years, the boy grows up to become the Captain’s biggest fan: U.S. President Tom Kimball (Cox).  Sharing Kimball’s secret is his best friend: savvy investigative journalist Sam Kolawetz (Beatty), who is unable to convince the President that the Skull really exists. 

Intending to abduct Kimball as a hostage, the Skull and his sinister Italian entourage are stunned by the Captain’s unexpected return.  Dodging assassination attempts by the Skull’s daughter (Neri), Rogers retreats to his native Southern California seeking out his trusted girlfriend: the elderly and long-married Bernie (Gillingham).  Yet, tragedy follows once the Skull’s forces trace Captain America to Bernie’s family.      

With The U.S. President held captive overseas by the Skull, it is up to the Captain and Bernie’s grown daughter (Gillingham) to rescue him from the villain’s seaside fortress.  Fittingly, the two recipients of the long-lost Super-Soldier process face off in a last confrontation with the free world’s future at stake.

Steve Rogers / Captain America: Matt Salinger

Red Skull: Scott Paulin

U.S. President Tom Kimball: Ronny Cox

Sam Kolawetz: Ned Beatty

Elderly Bernie/Sharon: Kim Gillingham

Jack: Wayde Preston

General Fleming: Darren McGavin

Valentina de Santis: Francesca Neri

Skull’s Thugs: Donald Standen; Dragana Zigic; Judranka Katusa; Robert Egon; Igor Serdan; & Raffaele Buranelli

Alaskan Surveyor: Norbert Weisser

Newscaster: Jann Carl

1936/1943:

Dr. Maria Vaselli: Carla Cassola

Tadzio de Santis: Massimilio Massimi

Young Tom Kimball: Garette Ratliff Henson

Young Sam Kolawetz: Thomas Beatty

Fleming: Bill Mumy

Bernie: Kim Gillingham

Mrs. Rogers: Melinda Dillon

Lt. Col. Louis: Michael Nouri

Tadzio’s Relatives: Mustafa Nadarevic; Bernarda Oman; Edita Lipousek; & Ljubica Dujmovic

Kimball’s Parents: Ann Bell & Scott Del Amo

U.S. Army Doctor: Scott Paulin (unrelated cameo)

Notes: This film was Beatty’s return to the genre a decade after Superman: The Movie (1978) and Superman II (1980-1981).  Though they do not share scenes in this film, McGavin & Dillon portrayed Ralphie Parker’s parents in 1983’s A Christmas Story.  Lastly, through exceedingly rare, different edits of this film apparently exist.

REVIEW:

Is Pyun’s film as inept as it is purported to be?  That depends really upon one’s expectations.  Given Menahem Golan was responsible for producing 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, ending up with an underpowered schlock-fest is hardly a shocker.  Case in point: unnecessarily spelling out years repeatedly and such obvious locales (i.e., Washington, D.C.) from the get-go is an ominous sign to viewers that Captain America will be plagued by amateur hour theatrics.

More so, if compared head-to-head to DC Comics’ 1989 Michael Keaton/Jack Nicholson-headlining Batman and its mega-million resources, this modestly-budgeted, straight-to-video Captain America is invariably chump change.  Pendulum-wise, though, one should consider this production’s good intentions — especially, as it is the only Marvel film depicting Captain America’s familiar star-spangled costume from the comics.   

Note: For a more ‘realistic’ soldier-like look, Chris Evans’ MCU incarnation wears a costume resembling Captain America’s alternate-reality Ultimates counterpart.

The credibility accompanying such an asset, however, is sabotaged by an ultra-hokey script (which somehow construes pre-war Italy as Nazi Germany) and predictably cheesy special effects.  As a result, too many terrific actors (Cox, Beatty, McGavin, Nouri, & Dillon) are squandered when paired with castmates with significantly less talent.  Putting forth a classy effort, Cox work the hardest to anchor the film with reliable acting.  Battling a preposterous script, he doesn’t get nearly enough help.  

More specifically, the trio of Salinger, Gillingham, and Paulin mostly underwhelm in their roles.  Gillingham, to her credit, affects the challenge of playing essentially three roles: Bernie, an elderly Bernie, and her daughter, Sharon.  In this regard, she readily surpasses the one-dimensional Salinger, who at least resembles his character. As for Paulin, he presents a generic baddie whose nonsensical backstory does not improve with the Skull’s present-day villainy. 

Despite decent production values, this film’s unmistakable mediocrity is reminiscent of a previous box office flop: 1981’s The Legend of the Lone Ranger (starring Klinton Spilsbury). Case in point: Salinger and the similarly unknown Spilsbury both fall far short of replicating Christopher Reeve’s instant big-screen stardom by channeling an iconic super-hero. 

Even retaining Salinger as its lead, Captain America’s rudimentary script still could have been salvaged by a screenwriter (i.e., Tom Mankiewicz or Lorenzo Semple Jr.), with a reliable handle on adapting comic book source material for moviegoers. The bottom line is: no matter its considerable faults, Captain America tries harder to put on a good show than either 1997’s wildly misguided Batman & Robin or 2003’s Hulk.           

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:             3½ Stars

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GEORGE & MILDRED: YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE (Season 1: Episode 5)

SUMMARY:         RUNNING TIME: 25:00 Min.

Produced by Thames Television, this episode first aired on England’s ITV on October 4, 1976.  A family funeral prompts Mildred Roper (Joyce) to discover her slovenly husband, George (Murphy), had delinquently let his life insurance lapse a quarter-century before.  Prodding a reluctant George to obtain a homeowner’s life insurance policy from snobbish Jeffrey (Eshley), Mildred also drags her husband into pre-planning his funeral. 

To George’s chagrin, Mildred becomes increasingly enthused about her future life as a presumably wealthy widow.   

Notes: George & Mildred is the direct British inspiration for the short-lived Three’s Company spin-off: The Ropers. Acknowledging the original British screenwriters, The Ropers loosely adapted “Your Money or Your Life,” among several others from George & Mildred.  Utilizing the same title, it is The Ropers’ third episode.

Mildred Roper: Yootha Joyce

George Roper: Brian Murphy

Jeffrey Fourmile: Norman Eshley

Ann Fourmile: Sheila Fearn

Tristram Fourmile: Nicholas Bond-Owen

Kate: Stella Moray

Uncle Fred: Michael Ripper

Funeral Director: John Carlin

Dr. White: Rafiq Anwar

Vicar: Arthur Howard

Mourners: Uncredited

Wake Guests: Uncredited

REVIEW:

Predating yet reminiscent of Keeping Up Appearances, this episode’s snarky, middle-aged marital humor is inspired.  Suffice to say, “Your Money or Your Life” is a welcome dose of British sitcom farce.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                8 Stars

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GEORGE & MILDRED: THE BAD PENNY (Season 1: Episode 2)

SUMMARY:                 RUNNING TIME: 23:00 Min.

Produced by Thames Television, this episode first aired on England’s ITV on September 13, 1976. The series itself is a spin-off from Man About the House. 

Moving into the upscale Hampton Wick neighborhood, middle-aged (and childless) couple Mildred & George Roper (Joyce & Murphy) suffer multiple embarrassing predicaments upon meeting their new neighbors: the Fourmile family.  Though his down-to-earth wife and introverted young son (Fearn & Bond-Owen) hardly mind them, ultra-snooty realtor Jeffrey Fourmile (Eshley) is mortified that the earthly Ropers will be a major detriment to his property values. 

Inviting Mildred to tea, the Fourmiles anticipate their dinner guests: a member of Parliament and her husband (King & Harvey), arriving soon afterward.  Yet, no one is prepared for a bathrobe only-clad George getting locked out of the Ropers’ new home during bath time.  Worse yet, George’s boozing, pre-dinner conversation with the Fourmiles’ high society guests has Mildred and their hosts looking on in horror.

Mildred Roper: Yootha Joyce

George Roper: Brian Murphy

Jeffrey Fourmile: Norman Eshley

Ann Fourmile: Sheila Fearn

Tristram Fourmile: Nicholas Bond-Owen

Margaret: Diana King

Charles: John Harvey

Mover # 1: Johnny Wade

Mover # 2: Stan Van

Locksmith: Harry Littlewood

REVIEW:

Multiple déjà vu observations spring to mind.  For starters, this comedy-of-manners’ black-and-white, nostalgic photograph-style opening credits might well have inspired a similar look for As Time Goes By years later.  Interestingly, as much as George & Mildred exudes a similar style of humor (and virtually the same premise) as Keeping Up Appearances, it predates that iconic British sitcom by nearly fifteen years. 

If George & Mildred sounds oddly familiar to anyone who remembers Norman Fell & Audra Lindley’s short-lived The Ropers, it makes sense.  George & Mildred is The Ropers’ direct British inspiration, exactly like the U.K.’s Man About the House corresponds with its American incarnation: Three’s Company.

However, one will recognize a significant quality gap between George & Mildred and The Ropers.  The scripting, acting, etc. for George & Mildred concocts sharp British sitcom farce – maybe it was not remarkable for that era, but “The Bad Penny” is well-played.  This episode also makes it evident that Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy could reliably anchor their own sitcom after the stint they shared on Man About the House. 

Audra Lindley & Norman Fell’s short-lived Ropers, by comparison, was not their fault – their good-natured ‘Helen’ and crass ‘Stanley’  excelled as supporting players in smaller doses during the early years of Three’s Company. Given The Ropers’ lackluster production values, a game Lindley and Fell were invariably set up for failure — whereas Joyce and Murphy are positioned to give Keeping Up Appearances a hilarious run for its money.  Even if The Ropers makes George & Mildred  look like a flimsy premise, the original’s snarky martial humor is remarkably watchable.   

For anyone who enjoys vintage British sitcoms, then “The Bad Penny” is a treat to catch.

Note: Acknowledging the original British screenwriters, The Ropers remade and American-ized “The Bad Penny,” among several others from George & Mildred.  Also serving as its second episode, The Ropers’ title for “The Bad Penny” is “Friends and Neighbors.”

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     7½ Stars

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PUPIL (2013)

SUMMARY:       RUNNING TIME: Approx. 13:26 Min.

Directed by Chan Chung Ki for Lexus Short Films, this 2013 film depicts a successful Hong Kong graphic design executive adapting to the traumatic loss of her sight.  Shifting between her past as an optimistic young artist and the present-day, the executive re-discovers that her artistic perception truly comes from within.

Executive/Artist: Eugenia Yuan

Executive/Artists’s Younger Self: Cheronna Ng

Patron in Bookstore: Rebecca Pan

Man in Gallery: Wong Kin Leung

Client: Aun Hin Hai

Artists: Yim Ka Ye, Maggie Tez Frost, Chow Tsz Lung, Henry Fok, Lee Man, & Ranya Leung Ka Wai

Executive’s Golden Retriever: Gucci

Notes: The dialogue-free film’s only sound is its meditative instrumental score by Mansions on the Moon.  Yuan is among the film’s co-producers. 

REVIEW:

Visually brilliant and accompanied by an ideal musical score, Pupil is a cinematic gem.  Not only are Eugenia Yuan and Cheronna Ng’s performances ideal conveying the same character, the outcome demonstrates why dialogue is not necessary for first-class storytelling.  Highly recommended!    

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:           10 Stars

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AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (Season 26, Episode 9)

SUMMARY:                 RUNNING TIME:  53:00 Min.

Directed by John Maggio and narrated by actor Michael Murphy, this American Experience documentary first aired on PBS-TV on February 11, 2014.  Following a reenactment of a nocturnal train heist, the backstories of Robert LeRoy Parker (aka ‘Butch Cassidy’) and Harry Longabaugh (aka ‘The Sundance Kid’) are revisited. 

Upon joining forces, Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s infamous turn-of-the-century banditry would also include their Wild Bunch/Hole-in-the-Wall Gang and the enigmatic Etta Place.  Upon the duo’s eventual escape to South America, the documentary spells out their subsequently bleak historical destinies.

Perspectives are included from historian Paul A. Hutton; authors Gerald Kolpan, Michael Rutter, Thom Hatch, Anne Meadows, and Daniel Buck; journalist Ken Verdoia; and artist Thom Ross.  Among the reenactment participants are Robert Jensen, Lee Jensen, and Joshua Marrufo.

REVIEW:

Unlike the glamorized 1969 film co-starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, this solidly-paced documentary explores the unvarnished (and not kid-friendly) truth of this desperado duo’s criminal notoriety.  More so, time is not wasted pondering unprovable claims re: Cassidy and/or the Sundance Kid somehow eluding Bolivian military forces and supposedly living to old age. 

Overall, as anchored by Michael Murphy’s top-notch articulation, American Experience provides likely the most well-researched and convincing documentary on these Old West icons yet produced.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       9 Stars

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BABY BOOM

SUMMARY:                RUNNING TIME: 1 Hour, 43 Min.

Released by MGM/UA in 1987, Charles Shyer directed and (with Nancy Meyers) co-wrote this Diane Keaton comedy.  High-powered New York City corporate executive/super-yuppie J.C. Wiatt (Keaton) unexpectedly finds herself an instant mother when she ‘inherits’ the toddler, Elizabeth (Kennedy), from a recently-deceased distant cousin.  J.C.’s immaculate career and her love life progressively implode, as she finds that motherhood can not be simply delegated to nannies. 

Pushed out of her job and losing her snooty boyfriend (Ramis), a resentful J.C. departs for a secluded and rural Vermont town to start rebuilding her own world as a single mother.  Yet, their new Norman Rockwell painting-esque life together still has more adjustments in store for a struggling J.C. and her young daughter.

J.C. Wiatt: Diane Keaton

Elizabeth Wiatt: Kristina Kennedy & Michelle Kennedy

Dr. Jeff Cooper: Sam Shepard

Narrator: Linda Ellerbee

Steven Buchner: Harold Ramis

Ken Arrenberg: James Spader

Hughes Larrabee: Pat Hingle

Fritz Curtis: Sam Wanamaker

Robin: Kim Sebastian

Charlotte: Mary Gross

Ann Bowen: Beverly Todd

Everett Sloane: George Petrie

Wilma & Merle White: Annie O’Donnell and William Frankfather

Eve: Victoria Jackson

Sam Potts: Hansford Rowe

Nannies: Jennifer Balgobin, Annie Golden, & Patti Johns

REVIEW:

It is understandable that this film’s assertive subject matter may be a turn-off to viewers for various reasons.  Still, in one of her best roles, Diane Keaton anchors a well-written and charming storyline, no matter how predictable the plot really is.  The film also enjoys a capable supporting cast, especially Shepard and Ramis, playing off genre stereotypes and making their characters actually resemble flesh-and-blood people. 

Above all, Keaton effectively shapes the film’s relatable humor, so viewers will enjoy seeing ‘J.C.’ and ‘Elizabeth’ ultimately bond as mother and daughter.  Baby Boom, suffice to say, remains a well-played 80’s treat for grown-ups.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                8 Stars

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YOUNG GUNS II

SUMMARY:                   RUNNING TIME:  1 Hour, 44 Min.

Released by Morgan Creek Productions through 20th Century Fox, Geoff Murphy directs this sequel to the original 1988 film.  Initially set in the early 1950’s, a journalist (Whitford) answers a summons into New Mexico’s secluded desert to interview elderly “Brushy Bill” Roberts (Estevez), who insists upon a pardon once promised from the state’s governor.  Seeking proof, the rightfully-skeptical journalist asks if Roberts has any visible scars.  Per Roberts’ narration, he recalls the subsequent fallout from the original film’s chaotic mass showdown in 1878.

As Billy the Kid continues his legendary gunfighting antics, his current rustling crew consists of: “Arkansas” Dave Rudabaugh (Slater), Pat Garrett (Petersen), and his dubious new recruits: farmer William Hendry French (Ruck) and young Tom O’Folliard (Getty).  Getting word that ex-cronies Chavez y Chavez (Phillips) and “Doc” Scurlock (Sutherland) have been forcibly returned to Lincoln, New Mexico, Billy launches a brazen nocturnal rescue to save his old comrades. 

Ostensibly, Billy intends to lead his fugitive faction to the safety of Old Mexico.  Yet, a run-in with influential cattle kingpin John Chisum (Coburn) fatefully ignites a vendetta for New Mexico’s most powerful to chase down their ‘national embarrassment,’ Billy the Kid, once and for all.  Leading local law enforcement is the county’s newly appointed Sheriff: a reformed Pat Garrett.  With Billy’s elusive gang not too far ahead, Garrett’s posse’s deadly pursuit provokes a fateful last confrontation between Billy and his once-trusted friend in the summer of 1881.   

William H. Bonney/”Brushy Bill” Roberts: Emilio Estevez

Pat Garrett: William Petersen

Chavez y Chavez: Lou Diamond Phillips

“Arkansas” Dave Rudabaugh: Christian Slater

Josiah “Doc” Scurlock: Kiefer Sutherland

William Hendry French: Alan Ruck

Tom O’Folliard: Balthazar Getty

John Chisum: James Coburn

Ashmun Upson: Jack Kehoe

Deputy John W. Poe: Viggo Mortensen

Governor Lew Wallace: Scott Wilson

D.A. Rynerson: R.D. Call

Deputy J.W. Bell: Tom Kurlander

Deputy Bob Ollinger: Leon Rippy

Deputy Carlyle: Robert Knepper

Beaver Smith: Tracey Walter

Charles Phalen: Bradley Whitford

Judge Bristol: Tony Frank

Deluvina Maxwell: Carlotta Garcia

Bounty Hunter: Lee de Broux

Jane Greathouse: Jenny Wright

Note: In addition to winning a Golden Globe, Jon Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory” was also nominated for both an Oscar and a Grammy for Best Original Song for a Film.

REVIEW:

Keeping in mind how three years of history are squished into a matter of weeks (maybe a few months), Young Guns II is still some rip-snorting cinematic dynamite.  Notably, the cast’s acting, John Fusco’s game script, and Geoff Murphy’s reliable directing surpass the original film, as far as impressing audiences with an MTV-era, rock ‘n’ roll Western. 

Still, one must swallow various plot holes (i.e., why doesn’t Billy’s gang dispute his inexplicable sense of direction as their supposed trail is evidently a glorified loop vs. actually going into Mexico?).  If anything, Emilio Estevez’s inspired performance makes the vital difference in that regard, in warding off the film’s logic gaffes.

In the same regard, the chemistry that Sutherland, Phillips, Petersen, and Slater display with Estevez is another major asset.  Petersen’s low-key performance, in retrospect, is overshadowed by the flashy lead actors, but he is one of the main reasons why Young Guns II remains so watchable.  With scenic cinematography and all the other necessary elements for a high-caliber action film, this energetic film merits comparison with Tombstone as the two best history-based Westerns in the past forty years. 

Young Guns II, in other words, consistently delivers the necessary goods where it counts with viewers.           

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   7 Stars

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