The Eric Roberts Collection: Top Gunner: America vs Russia (dir by Christopher Ray)


The latest addition to the quasi-franchise that started with 2020’s Top Gunner, 2023’s Top Gunner: America vs Russia takes place in the near future.

Russia’s war with Ukraine has led to a stalemate.  When the United States starts to take a more active role in defending Ukraine and arming the dissidents in Russia, it leads to a coup in Russia.  President Vasiliev (Alex Veadow) wants to bring about a new era of peace but, when he’s assassinated, the new president of Russia, the evil Borovsk (Pavel Kuzin), accuses the United States of being behind the murder and declares war on the U.S.A.  Soon, Russian jets are invading the airspace of Washington D.C. and blowing up the Washington Monument.  (The White House gets hit by a bomb as well but, fortunately, it’s not a very impressive bomb.)  Borovsk is such a fanatic that he is even prepared to launch his country’s nuclear arsenal against America.  Such an action would, of course, lead to the end of the world.

Fortunately, America is not just going to roll over and accept defeat.  (Or, at least, it’s not going to accept defeat in the movies.  In the real world, it seems to be a different story.)  America has fighter pilots, like Footloose (Andrew Rogers) and Firefly (Kayla Fields), who are dedicated to defending the nation.  America has a super-secret new jet than can even fly into deep space so it can fire missiles at a Russian satellite.  America has got CIA operatives like Veronica Vachs (Simone Posey) operating in Moscow.  America has got a Vice President (Gary Poux) who believes in the country’s destiny.  And, perhaps most importantly of all, America has got Eric Roberts.

Eric Roberts also appeared in the first Top Gunner, though he was playing a different character in that film.  In Top Gunner, Eric Roberts was a flight instructor.  In Top Gunner: America vs Russia, Eric Roberts is …. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!

As President Jeremiah Stewart, Eric Roberts gives orders and refuses to be pushed around and always puts America first.  When he hears that Washington D.C. might soon be attacked, he doesn’t show a hint of fear.  He doesn’t run off to a bunker.  He doesn’t whine about not being popular.  He doesn’t desert America’s allies.  Seriously, he’s one of the best president that I’ve ever seen and I would certainly vote for Jeremiah Stewart in 2024 before I even considered casting a ballot for any of the other jokers that are running.  Just by casting Eric Roberts as the President, Top Gunner: America vs Russia wins the war.  When Roberts says that he doesn’t care what the official protocol is, you believe him.  I bet when he’s not fighting the Russians, President Stewart is working to repeal the 16th Amendment.  (That’s the one about income tax.)  Seriously, I want to see this guy on Mt. Rushmore.

Anyway, this is a typical Asylum film.  The special effects are cheap but it seems like everyone had fun working on the film and it’s hard not get swept up in the silliness of it all.  I mean, at one point, a fighter plane literally flies into space without a bit of concern for stuff like oxygen or heat shields or anything else.  It’s so shamelessly absurd that it feels rather churlish to nitpick.  Most importantly, it’s a movie about how America kicks ass and, in these troubled times, who can’t appreciate that?  I mean, how could we not kick ass with Eric Roberts leading us?

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

  1. Star 80 (1983)
  2. Blood Red (1989)
  3. The Ambulance (1990)
  4. The Lost Capone (1990)
  5. Love, Cheat, & Steal (1993)
  6. Love Is A Gun (1994)
  7. Sensation (1994)
  8. Dark Angel (1996)
  9. Doctor Who (1996)
  10. Most Wanted (1997)
  11. Mr. Brightside (2004)
  12. Six: The Mark Unleased (2004)
  13. Hey You (2006)
  14. In The Blink of an Eye (2009)
  15. Enemies Among Us (2010)
  16. The Expendables (2010) 
  17. Sharktopus (2010)
  18. The Dead Want Women (2012)
  19. Deadline (2012)
  20. The Mark (2012)
  21. Miss Atomic Bomb (2012)
  22. Lovelace (2013)
  23. The Mark: Redemption (2013)
  24. Self-Storage (2013)
  25. This Is Our Time (2013)
  26. Inherent Vice (2014)
  27. Road to the Open (2014)
  28. Rumors of War (2014)
  29. Amityville Death House (2015)
  30. A Fatal Obsession (2015)
  31. Stalked By My Doctor (2015)
  32. Joker’s Poltergeist (2016)
  33. Prayer Never Fails (2016)
  34. Stalked By My Doctor: The Return (2016)
  35. The Wrong Roommate (2016)
  36. Dark Image (2017)
  37. Black Wake (2018)
  38. Stalked By My Doctor: Patient’s Revenge (2018)
  39. Clinton Island (2019)
  40. Monster Island (2019)
  41. Seven Deadly Sins (2019)
  42. Stalked By My Doctor: A Sleepwalker’s Nightmare (2019)
  43. The Wrong Mommy (2019)
  44. Exodus of a Prodigal Son (2020)
  45. Free Lunch Express (2020)
  46. Her Deadly Groom (2020)
  47. Top Gunner (2020)
  48. Deadly Nightshade (2021)
  49. Just What The Doctor Ordered (2021)
  50. Killer Advice (2021)
  51. The Poltergeist Diaries (2021)
  52. A Town Called Parable (2021)
  53. Bleach (2022)
  54. My Dinner With Eric (2022)

6 Things That I Am Looking Forward To In January of 2024


Ah, January.

Traditionally, as far as pop culture goes, January doesn’t get much respect.  If a studio has a film that they knew isn’t going to be a hit with critics or audiences, January is where they usually dump it.  The same can often be said of publishers.  Everyone is so busy getting caught up on what they missed during the last few months of the previous year, chances are that they won’t notice a few bombs dropped on the cultural landscape.  That’s the theory anyways.

But, you know me!  I’m an optimist.  And I remain convinced that, even in January, there are things to which we can look forward,  And here’s six of those things!

(Why six?  Because Lisa doesn’t do odd numbers.)

  1. The Iowa Caucus

That’s right!  It’s an election year!  And the first contest of 2024, the Iowa Presidential Caucus, is just two weeks away!  Remember how much fun we all had in 2020 when the Democrats couldn’t figure out who had actually won their caucus?  Who knows what fun this year has in store for us!  The Iowa Caucus will be held on January 15th.

(Okay, this may seem like a lame thing to look forward to but it’s January and beggars can’t be choosers.)

2. The Sundance Film Festival

While the 2023 race waits to be determined, the 2024 Oscar Race will begin at the Sundance Film Festival!  It seems like, every year, there is at least one Sundance Film that makes it into the Best Picture lineup.  In 2023, Past Lives and Magazine Dreams were huge hits at Sundance and now, it looks like Past Lives has a great chance of being nominated for Best Picture.  As for Magazine Dreams ….. well, yeah.  Which contenders will come out of this year’s festival?  We’ll find out when Sundance opens on January 18th.

3. I.S.S. — This film, about strange happenings on the International Space Station, is set to be released on January 19th.  I always enjoy a good mix of horror and science fiction.  Plus, once this film comes out, maybe YouTube will stop trying to make me watch the trailer.

4. Mean Girls — The Mean Girls musical will be released in theaters on January 12th.  I’m not really sure that we need a new version of the film when the original holds up perfectly well but whatever.  Originally, this was going to go straight to Paramount Plus but it was decided to give the film a theatrical release instead.  Normally, that would be a sign of huge confidence if not for the fact that it was given a January release.

5. The Bricklayer — For those of us wondering whatever happened to Renny Harlin, he’s got a new film set to be released on January 5th.  Hey, that’s this week!

6. The Oscar Nominations — The nominations will be announced on January 23rd and I’ve got a lot of movies that I still need to watch!  So I better get to it!

What are you looking forward to in January?

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special New Year’s Edition


4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Happy New Year’s Day!  Did you have as wonderful a celebration as the characters featured in today’s special edition of 4 Shots From 4 Films?

4 Shots From 4 Films

The Poseidon Adventure (1972, dir by Ronald Neame, DP: Harold E. Stine)

The Godfather Part II (1974, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

New Year’s Evil (1980, dir by Emmett Alston, DP: Edward Thomas)

Strange Days (1995, dir by Kathryn Bigelow, DP: Matthew F. Leonetti)

Scenes That I Love: Prohibition’s Funeral From Once Upon A Time In America


Once Upon A Time In America (1984, dir by Sergio Leone, DP: Tonino Delli Colli)

Change comes with a new year.  That’s just an inevitable fact of life.  Sometimes, it’s good chance and sometimes, it’s bad change and sometimes, it’s change that is both good and bad.  That’s certainly the case with today’s scene that I love.

In Serigo Leone’s 1984 masterpiece, Once Upon A Time In America, 1933 brings with it the end of prohibition.  While the nation celebrates the right to once again legally drink, gangsters like the ones played by James Woods and Robert De Niro mourn the loss of their business and try to figure out a new way to pay their bills.

In this scene, Prohibition — that law that was hated by so many — is given a send-off by the people that it made very rich.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 12/25/23 — 12/31/23


Happy New Year!

I spent the week at my sister Megan’s, which was fun despite the fact that I was under the weather for quite a bit of it.  Tonight, I am celebrating New Year’s and I’m looking forward to spending the first month of 2024 getting caught up on all the stuff I still need to watch from 2023!

Anyway, the year is over!  We survived!  Now, onward to 2024!

But first, here’s what I watched, read, and listened to this week!

Films I Watched:

  1. After Everything (2023)
  2. Bones and All (2022)
  3. The Bride and the Beast (1958)
  4. A Christmas Story (1983)
  5. Death Warrant (1990)
  6. Golda (2023)
  7. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
  8. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023)
  9. Top Gunner: America vs Russia (2023)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. All You Need Is Love
  2. The Bold and the Beautiful
  3. California Dreams
  4. CHiPs
  5. Days of our Lives
  6. Dr. Death
  7. Dr. Phil
  8. General Hospital
  9. The Garden: Cult or Commune?
  10. Jennifer Slept Here
  11. The Love Boat
  12. Monsters
  13. Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, Reckoning
  14. Night Flight
  15. Saved By The Bell
  16. The Simpsons
  17. T and T
  18. Twilight Zone
  19. The Young and the Restless

Books I Read:

  1. Killers of the Flower Moon (2017) by David Grann

Music To Which I Listened:

  1. Adi Ulmansky
  2. Amy Winehouse
  3. Arctic Monkeys
  4. Aretha Franklin
  5. Armin van Buuren
  6. Ashlee Simpson
  7. Boomerang
  8. Britney Spears
  9. The Chemical Brothers
  10. Club N0uveau
  11. Cyndi Lauper
  12. David Hasselhoff
  13. Doctor and the Medics
  14. Fine Young Cannibals
  15. Frank Sinatra
  16. Hazel English
  17. Jennifer Lopez
  18. Jessica Simpson
  19. Jessie Ware
  20. Nancy Sinatra
  21. Nine Inch Nails
  22. The Pretenders
  23. The Prodigy
  24. Saint Motel
  25. Sinead O’Connor
  26. Taylor Swift
  27. Tony Bennett

Live Tweets:

  1. Death Warrant
  2. Bones and All

Awards Season:

  1. Nevada Film Critics Society Winners
  2. DiscussingFilm Critics Awards Nominations
  3. Georgia Film Critics Association Nominations
  4. Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions for December

News From Last Week:

  1. Beloved actor Tom Wilkinson dies at 75
  2. Dancer Maurice Hines dies at 80
  3. Director David Leland dies at 82
  4. Comedian Shecky Greene dies at 97
  5. Documentarian John Pilger dies at 87
  6. Comedian Tom Smothers dies at 86
  7. British actor Richard Franklin dies at 87, on Christmas Day

Links From Last Week:

  1. Welcome To The 2023 White House Holiday Party! A Philadelphia Eagles Serenade To The First Lady!
  2. Ringing in 2024 – Rock-Vixen/Witch style

Links From The Site:

  1. Erin shared Love Story, Film Fun, New York Madness, Ecstasy Girl, Real Screen Fun, Detective Story Magazine, and Progressive Grocer!
  2. Erin shared her favorite moment of 2023 and wished everyone a Merry Christmas!
  3. I shared my week in television!
  4. I reviewed Degrassi Junior High, Miami Vice, ChiPs, Fantasy Island, Baywatch Nights, Love Boat, Monsters, Jennifer Slept Here, and Highway to Heaven!  Then I took a break for New Year’s!
  5. I paid tribute to Carol Reed, F.W. Murnau, and Yvonne Elliman!
  6. I shared music videos from Jessie Ware, Arctic Monkeys, Britney Spears, David Hasselhoff, Hazel English, Jennifer Lopez, and Sinead O’Connor!
  7. I shared Treevenge!

More From Us:

  1. At my music site, I shared songs from Armin Van Buuren, Jessica Simpson, The Chemical Brothers, Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse, The Prodigy, Ashlee Simpson, and Taylor Swift!
  2. At her photography site, Erin shared Merry Christmas, Branches, Dish, Limbs, Birds, Squirrel, and America!

Want to check out last week?  Click here!

Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For December


Here they are!  These are my final Oscar predictions for 2023.  The critics groups have certainly helped to show us which films are major contenders.  That said, the Guilds are even more important so I can’t wait to see who they nominate and honor in January.

Below are my predictions for December.  Be sure to also check out my predictions for March and April and May and June and July and August and September and October and November!

Best Picture 

American Fiction

Barbie

Godzilla Minus One

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

(Before anyone gives me a hard time about Godzilla Minus One, I always toss in one critically acclaimed long shot so that I can brag — or perhaps even gloat — if it actually happens.  Plus, everyone knows that having Godzilla at the Oscars would be entertainment gold.)

Best Director

Greta Gerwig for Barbie

Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Alexander Payne for The Holdovers

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

Colman Domingo in Rustin

Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction

Best Actress

Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller in Anatomy of a Fall

Greta Lee in Past Lives

Carey Mulligan in Maestro

Emma Stone in Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor

Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey, Jr. in Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling in Barbie

Charles Melton in May/December

Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks in The Color Purple

Jodie Foster in Nyad

Rachel McAdams in Are You There God?  It’s Me, Margaret.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/24/23 — 12/30/23


Happy holidays!  I’ve been visiting my sister Megan this week.  Unfortunately, I’ve also been dealing with a cold this week.  As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time in my sister’s guest room, getting caught up on all the daytime dramas!

Here’s some thoughts on what I watched:

All You Need Is Love (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday night, I watched an episode of this documentary series about the history of American music.  The episode dealt with the birth and popularity of jazz.  It featured a lot of very good music.  It also featured an interview with Hoagy Carmichael, who Ian Fleming often claimed James Bond was meant to physically resemble.

The Bold and the Beautiful (Weekday afternoons, NBC)

This week, I got caught up with this wonderfully over-the-top daytime drama.  I think it had been over a year since I last watched an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful so it was nice to see that everyone was still bold and still beautiful.

California Dreams (DVD)

Megan and I watched a few episodes of California Dreams throughout the week.  Megan agreed that I basically am like the red-headed version of Lorena Costa.

Days of Our Lives (Weekdays, Peacock)

Days of our Lives is on Peacock now.  Just as with The Bold and the Beautiful, it had been a while since I watched this show.  I watched several episodes this week but I’d be lying if I said I paid too much attention.  That said, the show was a nice distraction for when I was feeling ill.

Dr. Death (Peacock)

My sister Megan and I binged the second season of this show on Monday and Tuesday.  It was an interesting story, even if it wasn’t quite as strong as the first season.  I love Mandy Moore but she was a bit miscast as a tough New York journalist.

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

I watched a few episodes of Dr. Phil this week but I mostly just used them for background noise. I did make sure to pay attention to the episodes about the girl who was convinced that she was pregnant with Jesus.

The Garden: Commune or Cult?  (Max)

Megan and I binged this show on Wednesday night.  Personally, I think The Garden is more of a commune than a cult but mostly it’s just a place full of really annoying people.  Living off the grid has some appeal when it comes to not paying taxes but I’m just not a fan of living off the land.  I guess my ideal living situation would be to live in the city but not have to pay for anything.

 General Hospital (Weekday Afternoons, ABC)

It kind of bothers me that this show has scenes that take place outside of the hospital.

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

I wrote about the final episode of Jennifer Slept Here …. here!

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning (Max)

Megan and I watched this last night.  This three-part docudrama dealt with a murder that occurred in Boston in the 80s.  The same story served as the basis for a movie that I reviewed back in October.  It’s an interesting story, though the docuseries was more interested in the cultural context of the crime than the crime itself.

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

I watched an episode on Friday about 80s cover tunes.

The Office (Sunday Morning, Comedy Central)

I watched two Christmas episodes on Sunday.  One was the Benihana Christmas episode from the Steve Carell years.  The other episode was from the post-Carell era.  The differences in quality were dramatic.  That show really went downhill after Steve Carell left.

Saved By The Bell (DVD)

Megan and I watched a few episodes of Saved By The Bell over the week.  We hit all the classics, No Hope With Dope, the episodes where Kelly dumped Zach for Jeff, the episode where Jessie got hooked on caffeine pills, and the rockumentary.

The Simpsons (Monday Morning, TBS)

I watched two Christmas episodes on Monday.  Fortunately, they both featured Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob because both of them would have been pretty dire without his ability to turn even the lamest of lines into comedic gold.  One episode featured Bart getting lost in an underground missile silo.  The other featured Bob taking a job as a Santa’s Village Santa and helping to expose Mr. Burns as the person who stealing the town’s Christmas presents.  Both episodes were oddly mean-spirited at times, as if the show’s writers were trying to impress the Family Guy crowd.

T and T (Tubi)

Next week, I’ll be reviewing the episode that I watched this week.

Twilight Zone (SyFy)

Today, I’ve enjoyed several episodes of SyFy’s annual New Year’s Twilight Zone marathon.  This is one of those traditions that I hope never goes away.

The Young and the Restless (Weekday afternoons, NBC)

I’m happy to say that everyone is still restless, even if they’re not quite young.

Live Tweet Alert: Join #ScarySocial for Bones and All!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 9 pm et, Tim Buntley will be hosting #ScarySocial!  The movie?  2022’s Bones and All!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag!  I’ll be there tweeting and I imagine some other members of the TSL Crew will be there as well.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

Bones and All is available on Prime!

See you there!

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Carol Reed Edition


4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Today, we celebrate the birth of the great British director, Carol Reed!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Carol Reed Films

Odd Man Out (1947, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Robert Krasker)

The Fallen Idol (1948, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Georges Perinal)

The Third Man (1949, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Robert Krasker)

Flap (1970, dir by Carol Reed, DP: Fred J. Koenekamp)