Scoring at the Movies

Ep. 125 - Redbelt

We haven't reviewed very many MMA movies and we certainly haven't talked specifically about a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu film before, but writer/director David Mamet was the right guy to focus on that in Redbelt.

 

He's a practitioner of Jiu-Jitsu, which also means he might not have always explained the sport as well as he could have. Maybe he was too close to it? While the first half is terrific, Redbelt is overstuffed with plot and has a vast & confusing conspiracy that unfolds during the inferior second half. Headlining a great cast, Chiwetel Ejiofor is wonderful as a man of honour in an honourless world. Does Mamet think that's what he is too?

 

Anyway, we spent a lot of this episode trying to figure out the uneven film that is Redbelt, but there's much to praise too. Just play our podcast, there's always a way to play our podcast.

 

To contact us, you can email (scoringatmovies@gmail.com) or hit us with some tweets (@moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies).

EP. 124 - Rocky V

Once Creed III is released on March 3rd, there will be 9 entries in the Rocky universe...and we will have covered 5 of them. 

 

We're obviously huge fans of Balboa & friends, but one of us was a bigger Rocky V apologist than the other one was. This is, after all, universally acknowledged as the worst in the franchise. Even Sylvester Stallone hates it.

 

His script creates major problems with the scenarios, the characters and even one character's nonsensical name. Some of those blunders were truly maddening. We also both took issue with the way Stallone and returning director John Avildsen executed the angle where the Balboas go broke...and the repercussions of that when they end up back in the old neighbourhood. 

 

Still, there are some sweet moments and touching call-backs to prior films. As always, the entire series was discussed, which it must be when the other films are referred to as often as they always are when the Italian Stallion is the topic and we're the ones doing the discussing. We didn't hear no bell, so fire up this lengthy episode to hear us share some laughs and express some exasperation about the valley in the franchise known as Rocky V.

 

If you want to contact us, our email is scoringatthemovies@gmail.com and our Twitter handles are @mvoiefiend51 and @scoringatmovies.

Ep. 123 - Logan Lucky

Not all sports movies are made the same. For instance, Logan Lucky isn't one.

 

The car racing is at a minimum in Steven Soderbergh's well-reviewed, but under-seen heist comedy. On the very bright side though, there are plenty of stars and character actors who delighted us. The movie is snappy and funny in an Ocean's Eleven kind of way, which makes sense because Steven Soderbergh directed that series too.

 

Just like the robberies in the Oceans flicks, there are some holes in Channing Tatum's master plan. The movie's geography also defies logic. So we quibbled the way we always do about issues like that, but we also acknowledged that the best move while you're watching is to just go with it. That's not hard to do when you've got Daniel Craig, Adam Driver, Riley Keough and Jack Quaid doing the heavy lifting alongside Tatum.

 

So don't pre-judge a southern putz who just might be smarter than everybody else and certainly don't disrespect a slow-moving, one-handed veteran. Just devour our talk about Logan Lucky while you think about what you're going to do with all the money you'll get out of this job...eventually.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts about this or any other podcast we've posted. On Twitter we're @moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies, while our email is scoringatthemovies@gmail.com.

Ep. 122 - The Longest Yard (2005)

As the Eagles & Chiefs prepare for the Super Bowl and since this is Groundhog Day, we thought we'd repeat ourselves and cover a football movie all over again: The Longest Yard.

 

Okay, the 1974 version of The Longest Yard was 115 podcasts ago, while we're talking about the Adam Sandler remake today. Critics don't like this take on the Mean Machine very much, but we ranted about the way they often turn up their nose at comedies and remakes. We just think this is the funnier movie of the two, especially when Chris Rock or Kevin Nash are involved. And, hey, Burt Reynolds even has a major—and we think effective---supporting role.

 

That doesn't mean that this version is perfect though, partly because director Peter Segal doesn't balance the tone very well and he hits most of the same beats the original did. A big plus was casting actual NFL players and pro wrestlers to play the cons and the guards, which allows for the gridiron action to look more real than it might have.

 

So don't cheat at the game you love and then sulk your way through life. Instead, play as hard as you can and then risk your life just to one-up your tormenter as we say nicer things about this edition of The Longest Yard than you might have expected us to.

 

Let's hear from you via Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies) or an email (scoringatthemovies@gmail.com).

Ep. 121 - The Naked Gun

You can throw a pillow at our face or hit us with a knock-out dart (why?!), but also listen to us when we say that The Naked Gun really is a sports movie. About 1/3rd of the film is set at the ballpark with Leslie Nielsen doing what he does best: bumbling his way through somehow solving a tough case. Nielsen plays it straight through all the gags and jokes (often double jokes) that only work if you deliver them the way that he does. Credit to George Kennedy, Ricardo Montalban and Priscilla Presley for doing that so well too. This is also the rare baseball comedy that rewards repeat viewings. Just like in the ZAZ guys' Airplane, there are details you might not have picked up on the first time or the second time...or maybe even the third time.

 

So try to look past the presence of a certain running back and appreciate the enduring hilarity that is The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad.

 

Email us with your thoughts (scoringatthemovies@gmail.com) or blast off some tweets at us (@moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies).

Ep. 120 - Youngblood

This 1980's relic was the hockey movie we could never find on DVD or streaming, but YouTube to the rescue and we finally get to cover Youngblood.

 

Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze are convincing on skates and, man, are they handsome. Both play talented scorers who also have to fight their own battles on the ice. On that note, we didn't like the last 5 minutes of this movie, partly because we didn't buy almost anything about the post-game stick joust and then the punch-up. When Lowe isn't dealing with that goonery throughout his OHL experience, he's being hazed, seduced by his landlady and---just when his best buddy on the team starts to become a real friend---that friend is badly injured.

 

Some have said Youngblood's biggest fault is that it's loaded with cliches, but better sports movies that came after this one had similar scenes, so this was at least influential. Anyway, keep your stick on the ice, but be ready to throw hands as we dissect Peter Markle's amateur hockey flick.

 

Send us some love---or the opposite of love---on Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies) and email us (scoringatthemovies@gmail.com).

Ep. 119 - Over the Top

Sometimes the title of a movie tells you everything you need to know about it, but the biggest problem with Sylvester Stallone's arm-wrestling opus isn't that it's Over The Top. Sly underplays, if anything. He's not even as bad as you might expect, nor is David Mendenhall truly deserving of the Razzie he won for playing the estranged "I love you, now I hate you" son. The editing, the direction by Menahem Golan and the screenplay (co-written by Sly) are all atrocious though. Yeah, this is just about the most laughably illogical film we've ever covered. They can't even keep Stallone's character's name straight! At least the picture is entertaining, especially when you get to rag on it with your podcast partner sitting beside you. 

 

So the holidays are just about here and you're probably going to have to meet your family halfway, but don't drive a transport truck through anyone's house, even if it's to get your son back. Just bet on yourself to defy insurmountable odds as you listen to us verbally annihilate Over The Top.

 

Go ahead and follow us on Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies) and maybe email us too (scoringatthemovies@gmail.com).

Ep. 118 - Undisputed

Walter Hill's Undisputed is a gritty boxing movie in which the big fight takes place in prison. There's potential in that concept, right? Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames play the 2 main characters. Hey, that HAS to amount to something cool, doesn't it?

 

Well, this film could have and should have been vivid and dynamic, but instead it's a disjointed, unsatisfying, anti-Rocky. We couldn't even figure out who we were supposed to root for, mostly because one pugilist is a rapist and the other is a murderer. It doesn't help that neither of them has much of an arc, nor are most of the many (many) story threads tied up. Yet because the boxing scenes hit home and all the actors do the best they can with this shabby material, it's more that Hill's flick is empty than is actually a bad film. It's just a shame because Undisputed could have been something truly cool, even if Ving Rhames' camp would deny the whole thing ever even took place.

 

If you want to talk to us, we're reachable on Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies) or via email (scoringatthemovies@gmail.com).

Ep. 117 - The Winning Season

Sometimes we cover obscure sports films on this channel. The Winning Season is a prime example. It barely even played in theatres 12 years ago. Since it's another in our recent run of "pleasant experience" movies, it probably deserved at least a little more attention back then. Sam Rockwell is the ne'er-do-well coach of a girls' basketball team in this dramedy that co-stars pre-stardom youngsters Emma Roberts and Rooney Mara. Even though the biggest name in the cast is Sam The Man, this film easily passes the Bechdel Test. There are many connections to boys' b-ball flicks in this though and it often follows their lead a little too closely. That's the biggest problem. The story isn't fresh or original in any way. Anyway, don't threaten to get a restraining order against your own father just because you're mad at him. Take a breath, learn to appreciate dear old drunken dad and his team of underdogs and---while you're doing that---listen to us jam about The Winning Season.

 

We're always curious to hear your feedback through Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies) and/or email (scoringatthemovies@gmail.com).

Ep. 116 - Six Pack

Six Pack is a racing movie starring a half-dozen kids and a popular country singer who had never really acted before. What should've been an obnoxious failure is actually a genial experience with Kenny Rogers doing pretty solid work alongside a young Diane Lane and an even-younger Anthony Michael Hall. All 7 of the main characters get in trouble with the law at one time or another, so this road movie is filled with getaways and clever escapes. Families might enjoy settling in with Daniel Petrie's unchallenging picture. So let love turn you around (turn you around) as we rev up our car on southern racetracks and try not to let this Six Pack weasel their way into our camper.

 

If you're so inclined to contact us, you can do it on Twitter (@moviefiend51 and @scoringatmovies) or via email (scoringatthemovies@gmail.com).