Hugo Butler must have found a missing book of the Bible to come up with this story. What he missed was the meaning behind the story of Lot: that God wants the family to be central to our relationship with Him. Making Lot into a Moses-type leader completely misses the point of the story.
Reviews
4 Reviews
Out of Bounds
(1986)
No Country for Young Men
27 February 2021
This is a story of a good kid on the run from drug dealers and police. It has a great 80's feel in music and scenery, and makes Los Angeles look better than the real thing. What the story lacks compared with it's many cousins in this genre is character interactions between the three principals in the chase. Every time the kid wants to talk, somebody starts shooting. The believability of the story suffers and the characters aren't developed. At least the Richard Tuggle didn't go too over-the-top with the farm boy culture clash. The most prescient line of the movie is when Jenny Wright's character admits, "I'm not really an actress."
If you are looking for a good youth-on-the-run 80's scenery movie, head over to San Antonio and check out Cloak and Dagger (1984).
If you are looking for a good youth-on-the-run 80's scenery movie, head over to San Antonio and check out Cloak and Dagger (1984).
The Incident
(1967)
The real Incident before the Barney Miller episodes
25 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Many Barney Miller (1975) episodes begin with a diverse collection of stereotypical people being herded into the precinct to give their statements. The Incident (1967) could be an edgy prequel to one of those episodes. We are presented with the socialite couple, the little old Jewish couple, the suburban couple, the black power guy, the gay guy, the Vinnie Barbarino guy with his wallflower girlfriend, the Southern boy soldier, and the intellectual bookish guy and his socialite-wannabe wife. None of these stereotypes are played for laughs, but their differences are starkly drawn, with the central theme that people will not rise to help others outside their identity group. The only character in The Incident who doesn't fit the stereotype is Joan Robinson (Ruby Dee), who simply plays a loving wife. The most frustrating scene in the movie is when a group of grown men won't come to her defense, ostensibly because of her race.
The counter-attack on Flight 93 has changed the believability of hostage movies, so The Incident feels a bit dated. We can only pray that the actual behavior of people has likewise changed for the better.
The counter-attack on Flight 93 has changed the believability of hostage movies, so The Incident feels a bit dated. We can only pray that the actual behavior of people has likewise changed for the better.
The Double Man
(1967)
Austrian Alps setting, Swiss Cheese plot
15 January 2021
Most Bond films have a 15-minute segment in which Bond senses a trap, but intentionally walks into the trap in order to learn what he is up against. The Double Man expands that 15-minute segment into a feature length film, with all the details of how and why the trap is being set. Yul Brynner plays a cold, brooding spy, decades before Daniel Craig would give James Bond a similar characterization.
The Double Man is an enjoyable ride down the Alps, but don't get drawn into those plot holes that make you lose an edge. Alas, if director Franklin Schaffner could only have found a Bond-like swimming pool scene for Britt Ekland, the movie's rating would have been much higher.
The Double Man is an enjoyable ride down the Alps, but don't get drawn into those plot holes that make you lose an edge. Alas, if director Franklin Schaffner could only have found a Bond-like swimming pool scene for Britt Ekland, the movie's rating would have been much higher.
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