Category Archives: tribute

10 Essential Chuck Norris Films

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Chuck Norris is 81 years old today!  Below are ten essential Chuck Norris films.  These are the movies to watch if you want to understand how and why Chuck Norris, despite being an actor with an admittedly limited range, became not only an action hero but an enduring pop cultural icon.

  1. The Delta Force (1986, directed by Menahem Golan) — The Delta Force, a.k.a. The Greatest Movie Ever Made, is the obvious pick for the top spot on our list of Chuck Norris essentials.  Not only does it feature, along with Chuck, Lee Marvin, Robert Vaughn, George Kennedy, Bo Svenson, and Robert Forster chewing up all the scenery but this is the film where Chuck rides a missile-equipped motorcycle.  Not only does this film feature Chuck Norris at his stoic-but-determined best but it also features one the greatest lines in film history when a recently released hostage is handed a Budweiser and responds by shouting, “Beer!  America!”
  2. Code of Silence (1985, directed by Andrew Davis) — For a film that features Chuck Norris and a crime-fighting robot called THE PROWLER, Code of Silence is actually a tough, gritty, and realistic Chicago-based crime drama.  Giving the best performance of his career, Chuck plays an honest cop who finds himself in the middle of a drug war.  Henry Silva plays the main bad guy.  Director Andrew Davis later went on to direct The Fugitive.
  3. Way of the Dragon (1972, directed by Bruce Lee) — Chuck plays a rare bad guy here.  He’s a mercenary named Colt and the film climaxes with a brutal fight between him and Bruce Lee.  The fight is a classic, with a good deal of emphasis put on the shared respect between not only the characters played by Norris and Lee but also between Lee and Norris themselves, two masters at the top of their game.
  4. Silent Rage (1982, directed by Michael Miller) — In this slasher/kung fu hybrid, Chuck is a sheriff who must stop a madman who, as the result of a poorly conceived medical experiment, is basically immortal.  For once, Chuck faces an opponent who is just as strong and relentless as he is.
  5. Invasion U.S.A. (1985, directed by Joseph Zito) — Chuck vs. Richard Lynch!  This is one of Chuck’s best Cannon films.  Chuck is as good a hero as ever but what makes the film work is the diabolically evil performance of Richard Lynch.  They are ideal opponents, with Norris stepping up to not only defeat the bad guys but also to save America itself!
  6. Lone Wolf McQuade (1983, directed by Steve Carver) — This is the first film to feature Chuck Norris as a Texas Ranger and, as we all know, it turned out to be the perfect role for him.  This was the first of Chuck’s neo-westerns.  Cast as the bad guy, David Carradine proved to be one of Chuck’s best opponents.
  7. A Force of One (1979, directed by Paul Aaron) — A serial killer is targeting cops.  Chuck essentially plays himself, a karate instructor who is brought in to teach the detective self-defense.  This serial killer plot is actually interesting and the film features some of Chuck’s best fight scenes.
  8. Missing In Action (1984, directed by Joseph Zito) — Chuck plays a vet and a former POW who returns to Vietnam in the 80s to rescue the men who were left behind.  This is hardly my favorite Norris film and it owes too much to Rambo: First Blood II to truly be successful but this is also one of Chuck Norris’s biggest hits and it’s an essential film is you want to understand the man’s film career.  It’s a cheap production but Chuck’s sincerity and his convincing skills as an action hero almost save the day.  It’s also hard to overlook that, as far as I know, this is the only Chuck Norris film that features Chuck watching an episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.
  9. An Eye From An Eye (1981, directed by Steve Carver) — Chuck Norris plays an undercover cop who quits the force and tries to bring Christopher Lee to justice.  This one is worth seeing just because it brings together two pop culture icons, Chuck Norris and Christopher Lee.
  10. Breaker!  Breaker! (1977, directed by Don Hulette) — This was Chuck Norris’s first starring role.  He’s actually miscast as a trucker but this film is still worth seeing just for the final scene, in which Chuck and his friends use their trucks to destroy an entire town.

10 Christopher Plummer Films To Watch This Weekend

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Christopher Plummer died today.  The Canadian actor was 91 years old and he left behind a truly impressive filmography.  Below are ten films that I would recommend if you want to have a Christopher Plummer film fesival this weekend.  I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a bit of an idiosyncratic list, a mixture of obscure and cult films with a few films that are well-known but which perhaps aren’t usually thought of as being Christopher Plummer films.  This was intentional on my part.  Everyone already knows that Christopher Plummer was in The Sound of Music and Knives Out.  I wanted to recommend a few films that you might not see listed elsewhere.

So, with all that in mind, here are 10 Christopher Plummer films to watch this weekend:

Starcrash (1979) — One of my favorite films of all time, this Star Wars rip-off features Christopher Plummer in the small but pivotal role of the Emperor of the Galaxy.  Plummer brings a lot dignity and humanity to the role.  If the galaxy does ever have an emperor, I hope he will be as wise as Christopher Plummer was in Starcrash.

Up (2009) — Christopher Plummer lends his amazing voice to this PIXAR film about an old man who floats away on an adventure and who runs into far more sinister adventurer named Charles Muntz.  Plummer is wonderfully menacing at Muntz, using his voice to create one of PIXAR’s most memorable villains.

Murder By Decree (1979) — In this Canadian film, Plummer plays Sherlock Holmes while James Mason plays Dr. Watson.  Together, they investigate the crimes of Jack the Ripper and uncover a royal conspiracy.  Plummer is perhaps one of the most credible Sherlock Holmes to ever appear on screen, breathing real life into a character that otherwise could have felt like a literary invention.  Thanks to Plummer’s performance, the final scenes are poignant and rather sad and perhaps as emotional as any scene to be found in any screen adaptations of Holmes’s adventures.

12 Monkeys (1995) — Plummer is nicely cast of Brad Pitt’s father in this Terry Gilliam-directed time travel epic.

The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) — In this historical epic, Plummer played yet another emperor, the mad Commodus.  Though The Fall of the Roman Empire has its flaws, it’s still an enjoyable work of spectacle and Plummer’s villainous turn is definitely one of the film’s highlights.  Whereas other Roman epics often portrayed the “bad” emperors as being decadent and somewhat buffoonish, Plummer plays up Commodus’s anger and his desire for revenge.  He’s the emotionally vulnerable tyrant.

Dreamscape (1984) — The enjoyable sci-fi/horror hybrid features Plummer as a sinister government agent who is conspiring to kill the President through his dreams.  Though the role might not have much depth, this is a well-made movie and Plummer makes for an effective villain.

The Silent Partner (1979) — Christopher Plummer is terrifying in this Canadian film, playing a bank robber who dresses up like Santa Claus and who has no hesitation about using violence to get what he wants.  This is one of Plummer’s best villainous turns.

Barrymore (2011) — The great Christopher Plummer plays the great John Barrymore in this Canadian film.  This may not be Plummer’s best-known performances but it’s one of his best.

Alexander (2004) — As silly as this Oliver Stone epic sometimes is, Christopher Plummer is the ideal Aristotle.

Vampire in Venice (1988) — Christopher Plummer vs. Klaus Kinski in Venice!  Kinski is Dracula.  Plummer is basically Van Helsing.  It’s a once-in-a-lifetime meeting of two unique acting talents.

Finally, a few other Christopher Plummer films that I’d also recommend checking out: Inside Daisy Clover, The Pyx, The Man Who Would Be King, Wolf, Dolores Claiborne, The New World, The Last Station, Beginners, All The Money In The World, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Christopher Plummer, R.I.P.

 

Sean Connery Has Died

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The greatest James Bond passed away earlier today in The Bahamas.  He was 90 years old.

Actually, it’s unfair to refer to Connery as simply being the greatest James Bond.  He was a great actor, period.  Yes, he will always be best known for playing James Bond but he also appeared in dramas, comedies, adventure films, and even the occasional sci-fi flick.  He was an actor who epitomized an era of filmmaking.  One can only imagine how Sean Connery would react to someone demanding that he apologize for a tweet.

Sean Connery, R.I.P.

A Tribute To Diana Rigg

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

I was sad to hear that Dame Diana Rigg died today in London.  She was 82 years old.

Like a lot of people, I’ll always first think of Diana Rigg as being Emma Peel.  My dad loves the Avengers and I grew up watching reruns of the show with him.  He taped every episode and, a few years ago, he transferred all of his old VHS tapes to DVD.  I think we saw every episode of The Avengers (and The New Avengers, for that matter) that ever aired in the United States.  (The first season, which featured Patrick Macnee working with Ian Hendry, was never aired in the U.S. and, with the exception of three episodes, is now believed to be lost.)

Even though both Honor Blackman’s Cathy Gale and Linda Thorson’s Tara King both had their strengths, the show was at its best during those three seasons when Patrick Macnee (as John Steed) was partnered with Emma Peel.  It wasn’t just that Diana Rigg was amazingly beautiful and sexy as Emma Peel, though that was definitely some of the appeal.  It was also that she could take care of herself.  As many people learned over the course of her time on the show, you underestimated Emma Peel at your own peril.  She was as smart as Steed, she was as cunning as Steed, and she was as witty as Steed.  Never a damsel in distress, she was John Steed’s equal in every way and they made for a great team.  She could fight and she could deliver a one-liner with the best of them and, because she was played by Diana Rigg, she did it all with a very distinctive British classiness.

However, Diana Rigg was not just Emma Peel.  Not only was she the best of the Bond girls in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (you could believe that James Bond would settle down and retire just for a chance to spend the rest of his life with her) but she also had a co-starring role in one of my favorite British thrillers, The Assassination Bureau.  In the States, she played Portia in Charlton Heston’s production of Julius Caesar and then, in The Hospital, she proved she could handle Paddy Chayefsky’s dialogue with the same charm and skill as Shakespeare’s.  In the 80s, she took over the job hosting Mystery! on PBS when Vincent Price retired from the job.

Of course, to a whole new generation of viewers, she’ll be best known for appearing on Game of Thrones and for bringing Olenna Tyrell to life.  Rigg received three Emmy nominations for her performance as Olenna and her final scene, in which she voluntarily drank poison without a hint of fear or hesitation, was one of the strongest moments in the series.

I’m going to miss the talented and classy Dame Diana Rigg.  I know I’m not alone.

 

RIP, Chadwick Boseman

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’m beyond stunned.

Chadwick Boseman, who played Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and James Brown and who starred in Black Panther and had a key role in Da 5 Bloods, has died.  He was 43 years old and had been battling colon cancer since 2016.  He’s got one more film coming out later this year, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for Netflix.

He was definitely a charismatic performer, a natural movie star along with being a good actor.  The loss of Chadwick Boseman will be felt for years to come.

Rest in peace.

Wilford Brimley, R.I.P.

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Wilford Brimley has died.  He was 85 years old.

There’s not much that I really like about twitter but I did enjoy following Wilford Brimley.  Brimley was one of those actors who always played intimidating and serious characters so it was a nice surprise to find his twitter account and discover that he had a sense of humor and that he regularly interacted with his fans.  Once, he even posted a picture of Andy Reid and asked, “When did I start coaching football?”

On screen, Brimley almost always played figures of quiet authority.  Whenever you saw Brimley in a film or on a TV show, you knew that he was going to be playing a straight shooter who didn’t have any time for any foolishness or bullshit.  One of his best performances was in Absence of Malice, where he put a weaselly Bob Balaban in his place.  Of course, everyone knows him from his performance in Cocoon and his promise to his grandson that “we won’t ever die.”  One of his best performances was in a rare bad guy role in The Firm.  Personally, my favorite Wilford Brimley performance was his cameo as Postmaster General Henry Adkins on Seinfeld.  “I’m also a general.  And it’s the job of a general to, by God, get things done!”

Brimley also sold Quaker Oats and later, for a generation of viewers, he became the face of diabetes.  A lot of jokes and memes were made about Brimley’s diabetes commercials but tell the truth.  When Wilford Brimley said, “You need to check your blood sugar and you need to check it often,” you know damn well you immediately checked it.

I’m going to miss Wilford Brimley.  I know I’m not the only one.

Wilford Brimley, R.I.P.

Rest In Peace, Olivia De Havilland

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I woke up today to the news that Olivia De Havilland, the last of the great Golden Age stars, had died.  She was 104 years old and she spent all of those years as the epitome of a type of grace and class that we really don’t see much nowadays.  Her famous feud with her sister Joan Fontaine aside, it’s impossible to imagine an actress like Olivia de Havilland getting caught up in a silly twitter fight.

Here she is with one of her most frequent co-stars, Errol Flynn.  This short but sweet scene is from The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Olivia de Havilland, R.I.P.

Song of the Day: Deborah’s Theme by Ennio Morricone

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, I arrived home to the sad news that Ennio Morricone, the world’s greatest composer, had passed away at the age of 91.  Morricone was responsible for so many classic film scores that it’s hard to know where to begin.  I imagine I’ll be sharing a lot of his music over the next couple of days.  Some of it will be familiar and hopefully, some of it will inspire our readers to seek out some of his lesser known scores.

For now, I’d like to share one of my favorite Morricone compositions.  This is Deborah’s Theme from Sergio Leone’s 1984 gangster epic, Once Upon A Time In America.

RIP, Carl Reiner

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

I just heard that Carl Reiner has died.  He was 98 years old and he was one of the funniest men who ever lived.

By creating The Dick Van Dyke Show, Reienr redefined the American sitcom and made writing comedy seem like the most wonderful and rewarding job that someone could hope to have.  Not only do you get to be funny 24 hours a day but you also get to marry Laura Petrie.  In many ways, Reiner was responsible for a generation of writers flocking to New York City with dreams of writing for Saturday Night Live and Norman Lear.

Reiner was also an actor, a film director, and an always-entertaining talk show guest.  For many, he will also be forever known as the man who interviewed the 2000 Year Old Man.  In these interviews, Reiner asked questions to a 2000 year old man, who was played by Mel Brooks and who would largely improvise his answers.  This was a skit that Reiner and Brooks developed (mostly as an inside joke) while they were both writing for Your Show Of Shows.  It went on to become a beloved comedy classic and it is often cited as being the ideal comedy sketch.  Though Reiner played the “straight man” in the 200 Year Old Man routine, his contribution was just as important as Brooks’s.  Brooks may have gotten the most laughs with his improvised answers but Reiner always instinctively knew the right questions to ask.

Here they are performing it in 1967:

Carl Reiner, R.I.P.