The Sea Wolves (1980)

I've always wanted to see this movie, but never could track it down.  I mean Gregory Peck, David Niven, Roger Moore, Trevor Howard, Patrick Macnee in a WWII movie filmed on location in India and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen?  I'm there!  And it turns out it was an enjoyable movie, though really, how can you go wrong with that cast?

The film is based on a true story.  A German U-Boat has been sinking Allied shipping with uncanny precision.  Gregory Peck and Roger Moore, as two British Intelligence officers, are tasked with finding out how its being done and putting a stop to it.  Turns out the Germans are transmitting the info from a freighter harbored in the neutral harbor of Goa.  Nothing can be done officially to stop them because of Portugal's neutrality in the war.  So, they bring in the veterans of the Calcutta Light Horse, all civilians now, and they stage a daring attack on the German freighter.

It's a nice combo of spy movie -- Gregory Peck and Roger Moore pose as tea merchants while they root out the spies in Goa -- and war movie -- the attack on the ship.  Roger Moore's is very Bond-like, romancing the German spy, taking out bad guys, wearing a tuxedo.  David Niven plays the retired colonel of the Calcutta Light Horse (who as a group last saw active service in the Boer War). Gregory Peck is solid as the leader.

Things I particularly liked:

1.  The veterans of the Calcutta Light Horse are awesome.  Nowadays, they play polo at their club.  All of them tried to get into WWII, but were turned down because of their age, etc.  So when asked to volunteer for a dangerous unofficial mission (no info given on what that mission is), where no credit, pay, awards, acknowledgement, or honor will ever be given to any of them, they volunteer immediately, to a man.  And proceed to acquit themselves admirably.  Kenneth Griffith is particularly amusing as Charlie Wilton, trying to keep the decrepit engine running on the boat they steal.  His reaction to being ordered to stay with the ship's engine rather than boarding the freighter is priceless.  But all the men are great, all have their moments.  I love the sequence before they head out, where each is working on getting back in shape -- doing pushups, lifting weights, etc. -- while their wives and secretaries look at them like they're nuts.

2.  The spy, Mrs. Cromwell, played by the lovely Barbara Kellerman, is not to be trifled with.  She carries a folding knife in her purse and kills anyone who gets in her way!  I love that the movie doesn't hide the identity of the German spies from the audience.  This is a suspense film, not a mystery.  And knowing she's a fink while Roger Moore falls in love with her provides a lot of tension.  I like also that she likes him too and has to struggle a bit with her own feelings in order to get her job done.  It rounds her out, gives her dimension. 

3.  The attack on the German ship seems very realistic and not very "Hollywood." Characters make mistakes, get wounded, etc. all in a very natural way.  It made the ending both exciting, tense, and still enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this one.

One Little Indian (1973)

This is not a review.  I actually haven't even seen this movie yet.  But I own the score, of course, as it's composed by Jerry Goldsmith, and it has always gotten a lot of play time in my house.  I've been listening to it a lot the last couple of days, since hearing James Garner passed away.  I'm surprised how melancholy his death has made me, considering how little of his work I've seen.  But after my recent viewing of Hour of the Gun and how much I loved him in it, I was starting to look for more of his work, and his death felt all the more sad.

I've never watched Maverick or Rockford Files, or any of the standard James Garner fare, it seems.  But even so, he still made an strong impression on me in just the few things I have watched.

But the first thing I always think of, when I think of James Garner is not The Great Escape, or even his wonderful portrayal of Wyatt Earp.  It's the score to One Little Indian.  This music always gives me an image of him.  RIP, Mr. Garner.

Kit 2003-2014

I had to say goodbye to another beloved pet today, my cat, Kit.  He was named after Kit Walker, the Phantom, because of the ghostly white markings on his legs.  He was a shoulder cat, would ride everywhere around the house on my shoulders.  And he had the tiniest, breathiest meow I've ever heard on a cat.  He would come running and squawk at me whenever I put dishes away, it was the funniest thing. He loved food in general and always had to have his canned food every morning, but marshmallows were the one thing he went completely nuts for.  He would do anything to get one.

(Max and Kit, Max wondering why the cat was trying to sleep against him and hoping he would go away.)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Really wanted to catch this in the theater, but it wasn't to be.  My family did just catch up with it on DVD a couple nights ago, and everyone loved it.  I really regret not making a theater viewing work, because this movie would have been even more delightful on the big screen, with the way it's filmed and the attention to detail (and the hilarious animation sections).

What a difficult film to describe!  A story within a story within a story, each section set in a different decade, with a whole ton of wacky characters, all played by famous actors, having crazy adventures.  All the actors look like they're having a blast acting in this movie.  It is by turns wacky, sweet, serious, laugh-out-loud funny, violent, poignant, and bitter-sweet.  Definitely not a film for everyone, as it earns its R rating, but it appeals to sense of humor.  My family thought it was very Monty Python-esque in its sense of comedy, and my oldest niece is running out to buy herself her own a copy immediately.

The movie centers around Ralph Fiennes as M. Gustave, the world-famous concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel.  I'm not quite sure how someone can play a pompous, shallow, vain, impeccable polite, warm-hearted man and still make him rather endearing, but Ralph Fiennes always has had charisma to spare, and he pulls it off.  He is hilarious in the role.  When one of his regular wealthy hotel patrons dies mysteriously, he rushes off to pay his respects -- and see if she left him anything in her will.  She did, the most valuable painting in her collection.  Her son Dimitri (Adrien Brody) wants it for himself, and promptly has M. Gustave framed for her murder. M. Gustave and Zero, his lobby boy (and one of the multiple narrators), work to prove his innocence through the rest of the movie. 

Things I particularly loved.  Includes minor spoilers.

Jeff Goldblum's cat-loving ethical lawyer. "Not agreed."  He is probably my favorite character.
Bill Murray and the whole rest of the Society of Crossed Keys
Willem Dafoe flashing his business card around.  Okay, really, Willem Dafoe anytime he was on screen
The pacing of the film
The prison escape, worth the price of admission alone!  Probably my favorite scene.
The dialogue
The narration
The funicular and the cable cars
The framing of each shot - beautiful!
The 1932 version of the hotel, with its lovely interior.
The costumes
The memorable score by Alexandre Desplat. It's as wacky as the movie, but in just the right way.

I really can't wait to watch it again and catch the little things I missed the first time.  I suspect my family will watch this one quite frequently.

Favorite Superhero/Comic book movies

I thought I'd continue with a few more favorites lists.  Superhero/comic book movies this go-round.  And I suck at this one.  Yes, that's right.  I couldn't come up with ten.  I guess that leaves room for Avengers 2 (hopefully) and other future films!

There's a few more films I like - Iron Man 3, X-Men 2, X-Men 3, Thor 2, but none of those are genuine favorites.  They're just enjoyable films.  Captain America: Winter Soldier would have made the list -- except that it is unwatchable due to the way it was filmed.  The incessant camera motion was so nauseating that I felt like I spent more time looking away from the screen than looking at it.  I will probably never be able to watch it again, and that makes another movie where the directors made me hate them for ruining what would have been a favorite.  There might be some other movies I love that have comic books origins that I'm unfamiliar with, and I'll add them on if I find them.  I only had Star Wars comics growing up, so very little comic book experience.

And no.  I am most decidedly not a Batman or Spiderman fan. Neither holds any appeal for me whatsoever.

1. The Avengers
2. The Shadow
3. The Rocketeer
4. Iron Man 2
5. The Phantom
6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
7. ?

8. ?
9. ?
10.?

These were the only ones I could think of that I return to over and over.  I realize I have movies on here that most people wouldn't pick.  Like I'm the only person I know who vastly prefers Iron Man 2 to the other IM movies, although it has a few things I'd change if I could.  And of all the X-Men movies, I think Origins is probably the least popular among moviegoers.  But I never read the comic books, so I have no issues there, and I also recently realized I greatly prefer spending time with the characters of Origins to the characters of the other X-Men movies.  I am just not a fan of Magneto or Prof. X or Storm, Jean Grey, Cyclops, etc.  The only one I truly like in those movies is Wolverine.  But I love all the characters introduced in Origins.  So, if I'm in the mood for Wolverine, it's the movie I'm going to put in the DVD player.