Skip to main content

Investigative Journalist and the Bikers

 Tuesday: Call Northside 777 (1948)

        This movie is inspired by a true story. A man named Frank is sent to prison for killing a cop. Elven years later an ad is put in the paper by Frank's mom. She wants to prove his innocence and has set a reward. P.J., a journalist, is told to interview her and write an article. P.J. is skeptical and believes Frank killed the cop. His first article is a hit and his editor wants him to follow the story. As he continue to investigate he starts to doubt if Frank is guilty or not. The closer he gets to an answer the more interface he gets on all sides. I thought this movie was good. It was the first movie filmed on location in Chicago.

Friday: The Bikeriders (2024)

       This movie is based on a book written by a photographer who followed the bike gang around. Kathy meets her friend at a bar to lend her money. It turns out it is a biker bar. While there she meets Benny. At first she wants nothing to do with them. The other bikers scare her and so does Benny. Their leader, Johnny, promises nothing will happen to her. Her resistance soon falters and she falls for Benny. She becomes immersed in the biker life. Johnny had started the biker club as a way to be connected to his biker friends and have fun riding motorbikes. As time goes on the club turns into a gang and it becomes more dangerous. Kathy is worried for Benny. She makes him choose between her and the club. This movie is good. The acting is great. 

Saturday: To Wong Foo, Thank for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)

       Two drag queens, Vida and Noxeema, win a drag pageant in New York City. Their prize is airfare to Hollywood to compete in the Drag Queen of America pageant.  They take a new drag queen, Chi Chi, under their wing and decide to take her with them. They trade in their plane tickets for money and buy a car to drive to Hollywood. Along the way their car brakes down. They are stuck for a couple days in a small town. They are a shock to the town. Soon they start to change the people of the town for the better and in turn the people of the town help them too. I thought this movie was good. It's a little dated. But it still has a good message. Robin Williams is in it. It's a small role. Some part of me knew he was in it but I forgot, so it was a nice surprise. 

Sunday: Double Feature- Central Station (1998) and Toast (2010)

        Central Station is a Brazilian film. Isadora is a retired teacher who writes letters for people who are illiterate at a train station. One of her customers is a single mother of a boy named Josue. She wants to write a letter to Josue's father. Isadora is a flawed woman. She doesn't send all the letters. Some she throws away. She believes the father is a drunk and doesn't plan to mail the letter. The mother returns to send a new letter. Not long after she is killed after a bus runs her over. Josue is just left at the train station. Isadora notices him the next day. Reluctantly she takes him home with her. She says she will help him find his dad. She continually tries to get away from him. They form a strange bond. This movie was alright.

       Toast is based on the life of a famous chef, Virgil Slater. Virgil grew up with a sweet mother and a harsh father. His mother is a horrible cook. She only cooks food from cans. Even then she usually burns them. So often they just end up eating toast. Virgil loves food. He wants to try everything. His mother dies. Not long after his father hires a cleaner. Although she is married the father starts seeing her. Eventually they move and get married. The stepmother is a great cook. Virgil competes with her for his father's affection. I thought this movie was alright.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tornado Wrangler and the Amish Safe House

 Wednesday: Just One of the Guys (1985)       Terry is a high school student with dreams of being a journalist. She loses a summer job at the Sun Tribune to two male classmates. Terry believes she lost because she's a girl. Frustrated and still determined to get the job she comes up with a plan. She dresses up as a boy and registers at the other high school in her town. She will then enter her article in the contest. Her article was rejected again. Terry realizes it really is the article that needs work. While finding a new topic she makes friends with another student, Rick. She helps him to get a date to the dance. The closer they get to the dance the more Terry realizes she has feelings for him. I thought this movie was alright. The actor who plays Rick is the brother-in-law of my neighbor. Friday: Witness (1985)        An Amish widow, Rachel, is taking her son to the city for the first time. While at a train station her son witnesses the murder...
Post a Comment
Read more

Musical Connection and the Bakery

 Friday: Flora and Son (2023)     Flora is a young single mother. She struggles to get along with her 14 year old son Max. Her ex, who used to be in a band, is little help. Max is constantly getting in trouble. He has a case manager who is running out of options from keeping him out of jail. One day Flora finds a guitar. She gives it to Max thinking music will be a way to keep him occupied and off the streets. He rejects it. So Flora decides to take guitar lessons herself. She finds an American man, Jeff, who does lessons online. Flora starts to really get into her lessons. Then she learns that her son it making music on his computer. He is really good. They finally have a connection and their relationship gets better. I thought this movie was good. Saturday: Dumb Money (2023)       This is based on a true story. Keith is a financial analyst. He has a youtube channel where he talks about the stalk market and things like that. He notices the stock in the sto...
Post a Comment
Read more

Black Cat and the Glam Rocker

 Tuesday: Woman of the Hour (2024)       This is based on a true story. Set in the 70s, Sheryl is an aspiring actress in Hollywood. She books a gig as a contestant on The Dating Game . She hope it will give her exposure. She ends up picking Rodney Alcala. He seems like a great guy. Little does she know he is a serial killer. I thought this movie was alright. I had heard about him before on a podcast I listen to. It was interesting to see it from her point of view.  Thursday: The Black Cat (1934)       The movie, as the credits say, is suggested by the Edgar Allan Poe story. Peter and Joan are newlyweds on their honeymoon in Hungary. They ends up sharing a train compartment with a doctor named Vitus. They gets off at the same stop and take the same taxi bus. There is an accident. Luckily they are near Vitus's destination. The home of famed architect Hjalmar Poelzig. He reluctantly lets them in. Joan was hurt in the crash. While she is recovering Pe...
Post a Comment
Read more