From the Movie House to Your House...

TenList Presents: Movies You Probably Didn't Watch As TV Shows

1.) Down and Out in Beverly Hills (13 episodes, 1987)




Movie



TV Show



The movie had Richard Dreyfuss, Bette Midler, and Nick Nolte. The TV show  - one of the shows that launched the Fox TV network - had Hector Elizondo, the late great Anita Morris, and LGOOH Fave Tim Thomerson. At least both had Mike the Dog!





2.) A League of Their Own (6 episodes, 1993)




Movie



TV Show

For the film they hired Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna. The TV show tried to make do with Sam McMurray, Carey Lowell, and Wendy Makkena. At least Jon Lovitz dropped by for a few guest appearances!






3.) Working Girl (12 episodes, 1990)

Movie

TV Show

The cast in theaters included Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith, and Sigourney Weaver. On television you could see instead Sandra Bullock, and none of the other characters from the movie. At least they had Nana Visitor in one of the new roles!






4.) Look Who's Talking (series Baby Talk, 35 episodes 1991-1992)

Movie

TV Show

Kirstie Alley, John Travolta and a kid with the voice of Bruce Willis becomes Connie Sellecca (never on camera; quit before pilot), Julia Duffy (12 episodes), and Mary Page Keller (23 episodes); Scott Baio (23 episodes with Keller) and a kid with the voice of Tony Danza. At least we have that talking baby on the E*trade commercials now!





5.) Baby Boom (10 episodes, 1988-1989)



Movie



TV Show

Diane Keaton Tvifies into Kate Jackson.





6.) Return of the Killer Tomatoes (21 episodes, 1990-1991)



Movie



TV show

John Astin was in the movie and provided his own voice, so this one worked well. I love goofy crap like this!



7.) Stir Crazy (9 episodes, 1985-1986)

Movie



TV Show

The movie gave us another fun pairing of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor; the TV show tried to make do with Joe Guzaldo and Larry Riley. They waited five years to try the TV version; for a 9 episode run - they shouldn't have bothered.



8.) Foul Play (5 episodes made, 2 aired, 1981)




Movie



TV Show



Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn turn the roles over to Barry Bostwick and Deborah Raffin, and this one takes the prize for shortest run: five episodes in the can but cancelled after two episodes. The three unaired episodes have never turned up anywhere as far as I know.



9.) Blue Thunder (11 episodes, 1984)



Movie




TV Show

The late Roy Scheider and Daniel Stern acted in the movie; the late James Farentino and Dana Carvey (!) are joined by the late Bubba Smith and Dick Butkus for the TV show, which I kinda enjoyed as 80's TV cheese.

10.) Private Benjamin (37 episodes, 1981-1983)



Movie



TV Show

The ipso facto winner in this contest got a couple of seasons and a whopping 37 episodes out of the movie. Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, and Hal Williams are replaced bodily by Lorna Patterson, Eileen Brennan, and Hal Williams for the series. Patterson was okay as a Hawn clone; but the other two were not as successful replacing their movie counterparts.






Of all of these series, only Blue Thunder rated a DVD release - which means all of the others are pretty much lost to the sands of time....



Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Maniacal Movie Poster Monday #58!

Mr. Ricco  (MGM, 1975)

I haven't seen this one - but I want to - so I've asked my BFF MGM/HD to run it. Cross your fingers for me!






The Crimson Canary  (Universal Studios, 1945)

I really haven't seen this one - but I'm itching to see the rhythm cults exposed!

Night Angel  (Fries Distribution, 1990)

I did see this one - at the drive-in, no less - paired with the Jean Claude Van Damme picture Death Warrant. It was one of my last times seeing movies at the drive-in, sadly.



Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Saturday Night at the Movies 2/25/12!

Who cares what picture we see?


If you ask me - I'd bet the farm Cory Everson does, so we're going to go with this one:

I'm not the biggest Van Damme fan in the world - but this is definitely a goodie - you got two Jean Claudes, and Geoffrey Lewis; and the bad guy trio of Alan Scarfe and his minions Bolo Yueng and the incomparable Cory Everson as Kara.


And you just gotta know that if Van Damme's X2, then so are the movies - so let's make this another

Saturday Night at the Movies Double Feature!

The only possible choice - the flick that proves two Chans are better than one!

This is a fun Jackie Chan romp, with another disparate pair of separated-at-birth twins teaming up against the bad guys. A lot of slapstick and a lot of Chan's patented crazy stunts keep this one moving from beginning to end.


Both movies reside in the video vault on DVD, ready to go back to back to back to back (if you're counting both JCVDs and both JCs) as soon as - tonight - should you care to come over, that is.


Until next post you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Pre-Release Screening Room: Nailbiter!

Nailbiter  (SenoReality Pictures, 2012)

Before the Camera:


Erin McGrane - Janet

Meg Saricks - Jennifer

Emily Boresow - Alice

Sally Spurgeon - Sally

Joicie Appell - Mrs. Shurman

Mark Ridgway - Sheriff

Ben Jeffreys - Deputy Carr

 


Behind the Camera:


Directed by Patrick Rea


Hanuman Brown-Eagle .... producer

Michael D. Coffey .... associate producer

Ryan S. Jones .... producer

Aaron Laue .... executive producer

Bobby McGee .... associate producer

Patrick Rea .... producer

Dan Simons .... associate producer

Kendal Sinn .... producer


Written by Patrick Rea and Kendal Sinn




A mother in Kansas is handling things alone and perhaps drinking a bit too much while her husband serves overseas when she finally gets word that his deployment is ending. She loads up her three daughters in the car and takes off to meet him the moment he steps off the plane. But it's storm season in this part of the country, and there have even been reports of tornados touching down in the towns the quartet is driving through. Sure enough, a nasty black funnel cloud appears in the distance, and the foursome is forced to vacate the auto and head for the nearest shelter - what appears to be an abandoned house with a large basement - just the place to hide out from a tornado.

Or is it? While the storm wails outside, the ladies discover the house is pretty creepy, and this is compounded when a tree falls across the door leading outside. Then things get worse when they realize the interior doors are locked, and the other shoe really drops when they notice boards being nailed over the windows. Someone or... something... wants them to stay inside...something vicious...and far more dangerous than any storm...



Meg Saricks advises getting a drink now if anyone's thirsty...

 



I thoroughly enjoyed this aptly named movie. After a slightly slow opening, the movie picks up and pulses with tension. It builds a story, gives us real characters, and features several goosebumps moments - meaning I got them watching it - no reference to any kid stuff horror - this is grown up scary stuff, so buckle up, buttercup! Beautifully shot by Rea's frequent collaborator Hanuman Brown-Eagle, this looks very sharp - from the gorgeous aerial shots that add copious production value through to the intense and artful lighting effects in the basement scenes, this movie looks amazing. The acting is not bad at all, with McGrane and Saricks standing out - which is good as they have the bulk of the dramatics on their plates. The other daughters bring a lot of enthusiasm to their roles, and handle them just fine. The supporting cast is good as well. There's not a lot of humor in the movie, as this is a mostly dark toned feature, but that works, as snarky humor too often gets out of hand in a movie like this. The CGI visual effects are well handled, maximizing the storm scenes without drawing very much attention to the fact that there is CGI going on by staying brief and quickly edited. Even better are the practical effects, with truly wicked looking creatures that take their time showing themselves, but make it worth the wait when they do appear. The film's not a gorefest - but has violent moments that will make you cringe. Every department handles their assigned tasks with talent and aplomb, and it is all marshalled to the screen by the fine direction of Patrick Rea. It is a low budget independent movie, so there are points where the budget is strained, or a performance might hit a rough patch, but once again Rea and his producing partners have worked wonders with the money they had and turned out a feature that I definitely recommend when it becomes available.


Patrick Rea is definitely a filmmaker to watch - and I mean that in every sense of the phrase - watch his movies, and keep an eye on him - there's more good stuff to come I'm sure! In the meantime, he and his producer partners are working on a distribution deal for Nailbiter - hopefully that will come soon and everyone will be able to check this one out!





Let's Get Out of Here ?

At around 41:50, Ben Jeffreys decides there are better places to be, and hopes he'll have company heading that way.




Eye Candy ?

Yes, three new inductees!

Meg Saricks

Erin McGrane

Michelle Davidson

Welcome to the list, ladies!

My thanks to Patrick Rea for providing the excellent screener disc -and until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

50 Followers!

Huzzah!

Let's Get Out of Here! has reached the wonderful number 50 in People of Taste and Distinction! My thanks to everyone who clicked that button - and thanks to #50, Michael Fitzgerald! Welcome aboard, Mr. F! Come by often, stay late, and comment as often as the mood strikes you!


In the meantime, here's a choice bit of pithy PSA-ing from artist Rob Kelly:

And with 50 great people like all of you as blog pals - neither do I! Cheers all around!


Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Maniacal Movie Poster Monday #57!

The Giant Claw  (Columbia Pictures, 1957)

Producer Sam Katzman assembled a credible cast; gave them a fairly interesting sci-fi script with a supersonic menace knocking planes out of the air eventually discovered to be a giant bird made of anti-matter; and then undermined the whole thing by skimping on the special effects. The cast hadn't seen one frame of the critter until they attended the premiere - star Jeff Morrow says he "slunk down in his seat" when he saw the goofy looking puppet on display. Apparently ol' Sam knew his monster was a clunker - it even gets its head framed out in the poster!

And because you really have to see this thing to believe it - here it is - in action - The Giant Claw:

Zombie Island Massacre  (Troma, 1984)

So, looking at that title, you're probably assuming it's a massacre by zombies taking place on an island, right? Well, if you watched the movie, you'd discover it is actually a massacre taking place on Zombie Island. That's right - although there is one zombie in the movie - he kills no one. He just wanders around like he's looking to star in Weekend at Bernie's 3. Meanwhile, tourists stranded on the island are bumped off one by one. This one had a spot of notoriety at the time of its release because co-star Rita Jenrette was involved in some kind of Congressional sex scandal around that time. If you want to know more about that you'll have to do the research yourself  - these blurbs between the posters are supposed to brim with brevity...and we have another poster to look at...










I Escaped from Devil's Island  (United Artists, 1973)

I haven't seen this - but it has a couple of Cormans producing, veteran director William Witney...er...directing, and Jim Brown and Christopher George starring. MGM/HD, why hast thou forsaken me?



Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Short Cuts: Get Off My Porch!

Greetings and salutations!



Have you ever found yourself answering your doorbell and finding an adorable little girl in a organizational uniform selling cookies as a fundraiser?




Andrea Strickler and Katherine McNamara



Well, in this short from filmmaker Patrick Rea, average guy Neil finds an "Adventure Scout" named Mary on his front stoop, offering some tasty treats. But Neil just wants to watch the game and eat some chips, so he says no. Sticking her foot in front of his door, little Mary grins wider as she doesn't take no for an answer. As she points out - the cookies are delicious.

Neil has no idea how much his life is about to change.




Bradley Meehan




Here's the link to the film over at the Vimeo site:


http://vimeo.com/12166883





I thoroughly enjoyed this movie - I have no idea what the budget was, but every project I've seen Patrick Rea's company banner has looked like a nicely budgeted feature film. This is no different. It's gorgeously shot - by Hanuman Brown-Eagle - it's well edited, and it features a very nice musical score by Harry Manfredini - famed as the composer of most of the Friday the 13th movies!

In addition to a well realized production, Rea has cast some really terrific actors, with Bradley Meehan absolutely spot-on as the beleaguered Neil. Top marks, however, go to young Katherine McNamara as the bright, sunny, and incredibly sinister Mary. Younger actors - in any production, big or small - can sometimes be a little hit or miss - this young lady nails the part. The rest of the cast is up to the game as well, and this short is sharp, funny, and more than a little creepy. Well done all!

So far these filmmakers are two for two - what do you think?




Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Saturday Night at the Movies 2/18/12!

Who cares what picture we see?

I definitely want to believe Sorrells Pickard would, so let's choo-choo-choose:

Here's a fondly remembered 80's T+A "classic" with hardly any plot to get in the way of a story featuring three middle aged guys renting a beach house and hiring a young pickup artist to teach them how to score with the cuties mentioned in the title. Yeah, it should probably come taped to a box of crackers, but if you're looking for a movie that will show you several dozen young women cavorting in bikinis (or less) and don't want to have to take your brain out of neutral - this is the movie for you!



And I just so happen to own it in a fine DVD boxset that also includes its in-name-only sequel. And we could be watching one or both as soon as...tonight! If you'd like to come over, that is!




Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Maybe she should be named MaXXXie Briscoe....

Hey, before I turn things over to our resident erudite Batman villain - I'd just like to point out that this is...

The 350th Blog Post at Let's Get Out of Here!

Yippee!! Now - back to your regularly scheduled book review!

Oh yes, kiddies! It is long since time for another trip into

Bookworm's Book Club!

This blog's very good friend Melissa Bradley brings us into the world of the lycanthrope in her spicy, spicy novel. Maxie Briscoe is a young woman who like a lot of us puts in her 40 a week at the workplace, then heads home to her own little niche of the world. But unlike a lot of us, Maxie is also a werewolf - having been bitten by a lycanthrope at the age of 15 - and her little niche contains a reinforced room with restraints to lock away the beast for a few hours each month. But forget that full moon stuff. The change is hers to make at will. Most of the time Maxie stays in control, and only lets her other side out when she chooses to - but even in the workplace, she has to keep her psychic foot on the brake, as the beast is never too far from the surface. Maxie's world turns upside down when someone in her neighborhood is murdered - and right after that two male werewolves - the first she's met since being bitten - show up and say they're hunting for the killer, who might have murdered the neighbor in error, trying to get the real target: the werewolf in the area - meaning Maxie, of course. This plunges Ms. Briscoe in to the investigation even as she begins a steamy and highly erotic relationship with both male lycanthropes; and the killer is drawing closer...


I really enjoyed this dark erotic fantasy - which combines a great lead character - Maxie is smart and sassy and does not suffer fools gladly - with a solid mystery and some of the most torrid sex scenes I've ever read. I like Maxie a lot - always important in a first person narrative, since you're going to be spending a fair amount of time inside her head. I also like that Ms. Bradley didn't make Maxie a paranormal investigator or a detective; but instead just someone working a regular, mundane job. This makes the mystery more of a challenge, and more intriguing, since these are waters Maxie's never gone swimming in. If you're looking for something that might steam up your windows while you read it - or make you run for a cold shower - and don't mind that there are bisexual characters having fun in both directions herein - this is a book you'll want to check out!
 

Melissa Bradley

While we're on the subject of Ms. Melissa Bradley - I also want to mention that her blog - Melissa's Imaginarium - is definitely a destination I recommend for anyone who likes good reading, smart and funny humor, and some great reviews, interviews and various and sundry other bits of this and that - she's good people too! Drop by often and when you do - tell her Craig sent you!
 
 







And after reading about Ms. Briscoe's adventures, I'm going to go blot my brow - until next we meet you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Maniacal Movie Poster Monday #56!

The second part of our Bond Actors as Villains in Other Movies miniseries:





The Rocketeer  (Touchstone Pictures, 1991)

Timothy Dalton as Neville Sinclair

I like this period love letter to the pulps of the 30's and 40's; I wish I loved it. Perhaps another viewing on Blu-Ray will turn the trick - we'll see. But regardless, it's a beautifully mounted cinematic version of Dave Stevens's graphic novel, with an impeccable cast - including Timothy Dalton as the Errol Flynn-like Neville Sinclair - a swashbuckling Hollywood hero with a dark secret...











The Fourth Protocol  (Lorimar, 1987)

Pierce Brosnan as Valeri Petrovsky

After losing the 007 role to Timothy Dalton due to his commitments to go back to Remington Steele for NBC, Pierce Brosnan jumped into some movie roles meant to show his tougher side. One of the best examples to show his Bondworthiness was The Fourth Protocol, which cast him as Russian agent Petrovsky, a coldblooded killer in England, matching wits with another world weary middle aged spy played by the man who cornered the market on them in the 80's, Michael Caine. It's a pretty good movie too!








Road to Perdition  (Dreamworks, 2002)

Daniel Craig as Connor Rooney

I didn't see this one for a while; I couldn't quite picture Tom Hanks as a merciless killer. After Daniel Craig appeared in Casino Royale I went back and watched it. I liked it - I've always enjoyed Max Allan Collins's gangster pastiches - but I never did really buy Hanks as a merciless killer. But Daniel Craig did a fine job as Paul Newman's weasel son.





And there you go! It's kind of nice to know that everyone who has played my favorite movie hero has had a chance to see how the other half lives at least once!


Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

Saturday Night at the Movies 2/11/12!

Who cares what picture we see?

I have it on good authority that Martine Beswicke does - so we're going to choose this one...

As the trailer shows, this movie was originally titled:

I originally saw it under a different title, and because LGOOH doesn't scrimp - here's the poster for that title:

I really like this horror anthology a lot. In the town of Oldfield Tennessee, after a serial killer is executed for her crimes, a reporter goes to see the murderer's uncle - the town librarian - for insights into why the woman killed. Blessed be if Unk isn't played by Vincent Price, and he singlehandedly takes this movie up a notch or two instantly. The uncle advises it's the town, which has been awash in evil for more than a century. He then proceeds to tell her four nicely done short horror tales about the burg, each of which contains at least one cool actor. It's a very dark and nasty piece, and oh yes, there will be blood.


I have this one in the video vault ready to go anytime - even tonight - should you care to come by!

Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!