"Bird is a 1988 American biographical film, produced and directed by Clint Eastwood of a screenplay written by Joel Oliansky. The film is a tribute to the life and music of jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker. It is constructed as a montage of scenes from Parker's life, from his childhood in Kansas City, through his early death at the age of thirty-four.
The film moves back and forth through Parker's history, blending moments to find some truth to his life. Much of the movie revolves around his only grounding relationships with wife Chan Parker, Bebop pioneer trumpet player and band leader Dizzy Gillespie, and his influence (both musically and into the world of heroin addiction) on trumpet player Red Rodney." (Wikipedia)
This was a good biopic. Forest Whitaker is excellent as Parker and Eastwood did a fine job as the director. Everyone knows that Clint is a jazz fan and he even saw Parker on stage back in the 40s. Warner didn´t want to make the film but how can you say no to Clint After all he did bring almost 20% of Warner´s money back in those days.
It´s a sad story how this very talented man destroys his life with drugs and alcohol. Hardly any drug using in this one but Whitaker drinks all the time. I like biopics and this is another good one. The film is 2,5 hour long so don´t even try to watch it if you feel tired.
Eastwood directs, Whitaker listens. Posts: 7053 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2008 | Site Updates: 7
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posted
Bird is a fine movie. What did they say? Parker was 34 when he died, but he looked like a man in his 60s. What a shame!
Posts: 2008 | From: Dixieland | Registered: Oct 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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kevdugp73
He's eating after dark again....
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posted
Cool...never heard of this one. I really like jazz as well...I'll check this one out...
Posts: 2148 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Aug 2007 | Site Updates: 0
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quote:Originally posted by aTomiK: I believe that they made three endings for Rough Cut and even that wasn´t enough so they made fourth
Logan, i have the finnish ex-rental tape with this cover art:
I have a major soft spot for Rough Cut. We used to have the VHS but it's one of the few that went walkabout and never returned. It has the best line in any movie ever bar none:
Burt Reynolds: "Well, you can't win 'em all." German guy (sneering): "We don't win ANY of them."Posts: 3383 | From: England | Registered: May 2003 | Site Updates: 21
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
posted
Yeah, that german guy was still living it. All that nazi gear at his place Posts: 7053 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2008 | Site Updates: 7
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
"An unexperienced young actress is invited to play a role in a film based on Dostoyevsky's 'The Possessed'. The film director, a Czech immigrant in Paris, takes over her life, and in a short time she is unable to draw the line between acting and reality. She winds up playing a real-life role posing as the dead wife of another Czech immigrant, who is manipulated by the filmmaker into commiting a political assasination." (IMDb)
Watched La Femme Publique (1984) and what Zulawski madness it was. Not Possession crazy but far from "normal" film What a role from Valerie Kaprisky, half the film naked and all those strange things happening to her. Some of you might remember this stunning woman from the excellent Breathless (1983). It´s refreshing to watch these kind of films every once in a while but right now i need something simple... like Smokey and the Bandit II Posts: 7053 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2008 | Site Updates: 7
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kevdugp73
He's eating after dark again....
Member # 5978
Finally got around to seeing Black Rain. I really liked it. A bit slow paced at times, but kept me interested enough. Gotta say though...Michael Douglas on a motorcycle...I just didn't buy it!! Posts: 2148 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Aug 2007 | Site Updates: 0
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I have La Femme Publique, original French audio without any subtitles.. Didn't bother me for a second though ! Posts: 2176 | From: The Netherlands | Registered: Jun 2011 | Site Updates: 0
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Tru Dat Johnny!! I like the guy and all, but there was just no "cool" factor on the bike. Would have liked the character better portraying an "almost retired gruff kinda cop"!
Might re-visit Romancing The Stone and Jewel of the Nile now....
Posts: 2148 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Aug 2007 | Site Updates: 0
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I watched Blame it on Rio the other night, I always thought it was very weird, from when I saw it in the 80s, the whole thing about having an affair with this girl you knew as a child, is gross. But, I have to say, I love movies that take place on vacations, and I loved the theme song, and I loved the house they rented.
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I have this one as well, but have never watched it. Just viewed the trailer...wowzers...Michelle Johnson is BEAUTIFUL....but obviously a horrible actress! I can live with that!
Posts: 2148 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Aug 2007 | Site Updates: 0
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Michelle Johnson in that movie......... dear, lord. You know you're hot when you're standing next to a young Demi Moore in half your scenes and NO ONE is looking at her Posts: 141 | From: The Belle Isle | Registered: Nov 2015 | Site Updates: 0
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I've always quite enjoyed - blame it on Rio and have actually not long upgraded to last year's UK blu ray release,Michelle Johnson does look fab and i can see what you mean about the plot being a little gross what with the middle aged Caine hitting on his best friend's teenage daughter but i do think it's a lot of fun plus Rio de Janeiro Brazil sure looks like a wonderful location!
I also like movies that take place while on vacation - club paradise,summer rental,lampoon's vacation's,pretty smart,hot pursuit etc. etc
Posts: 3243 | From: canterbury united kingdom | Registered: Mar 2011 | Site Updates: 0
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
Watched Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) which turned out to be a pretty lame sequel. The original cast is back plus Dom DeLuise but where are the good lines? Few decent jokes here and there but nothing special really. Also, the real life relationship between Field and Reynolds was getting colder so the chemistry is gone. Gleason has a triple role and i think that he did what he could here. Now i´m really worried about the third one Posts: 7053 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2008 | Site Updates: 7
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quote:Michelle Johnson in that movie......... dear, lord. You know you're hot when you're standing next to a young Demi Moore in half your scenes and NO ONE is looking at her
I never thought of it like that... but you're right! You barely notice Demi when she's onscreen.
Posts: 3383 | From: England | Registered: May 2003 | Site Updates: 21
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posted
I will add my vote for Michelle Johnson here. She is just so amazingly attractive. Pre-implants Demi is attractive too, but you guys are right: Never has any actress had so little screen presence when the two are together in a scene. Blame It on Rio is a guilty pleasure for me. The acting is good, especially from the always dependable Michael Caine--with the exception of Ms. Johnson who can't deliver a single natural line reading. Tech credits are fine--how could you NOT make Rio look gorgeous?--and director Stanley Donen is an old-school pro. That said, even though the screenplay is co-written by the great Larry ("M*A*S*H") Gelbart, I've always found it to be pretty creepy and a product of its era. There is absolutely no way that this plot gets made today. No way. It's like the daydream of a perverted misogynist or lech. It's not politically correct in the way that it completely objectifies women. With those disclaimers, it's entertaining enough though. Posts: 2008 | From: Dixieland | Registered: Oct 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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quote:That said, even though the screenplay is co-written by the great Larry ("M*A*S*H") Gelbart, I've always found it to be pretty creepy and a product of its era. There is absolutely no way that this plot gets made today. No way. It's like the daydream of a perverted misogynist or lech.
I don't know... it's not that bad. There's definitely sexualisation, but half of it is set at a beach, and it's almost impossible not to have nubile bodies and sexuality (or even nudity) in a film set at the beach - that's just reality. It definitely plays like a male mid-life crisis fantasy, and the much older guy / younger girl story will always feel creepy no matter how they play it, but I wouldn't go as far as to call it misogynistic. That said, they probably wouldn't make it now. They might be able to make it with an older female / younger male. Although... they did make 'Dirty Grandpa' last year...
I actually really miss so much about the 80's T&A movies. Even though they seem completely inappropriate now, they were so... un-cynical? They just don't feel (most of them anyway) mean spirited. They feel fun. Then again, 80's media generally feels more fun to me.
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
Watched Norris film Hero and the Terror (1988) and what a disappointment!
They obviously wanted something different here and that´s ok but this was a borefest. What we have here is relationship drama with a lame psycho killer on the loose. The problem is, the scenes between Norris and his pregnant girlfriend are overlong and uninteresting. Also, while Norris is trying to find the killer, the movie becomes infected with the cheap horror film syndrome: people wandering through dark corridors and hallways. Over and over again.
Imagine a Chuck Norris film, made in the 80s, and the most exciting scene includes Norris´ girlfriend in labour and we have have to bite our nails if she will get to a hospital in time? Well, that´s Hero and the Terror Posts: 7053 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2008 | Site Updates: 7
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kevdugp73
He's eating after dark again....
Member # 5978
posted
Sorry to hear that aTomiK....I haven't seen this one either. I love Chuck Norris movies and have fond memories watching them as a kid...Silent Rage, Forced Vengeance, and Lone Wold McQuade being my favs. *Might just be time for a Chuck Norris marathon!
Posts: 2148 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Aug 2007 | Site Updates: 0
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kevdugp73, I agree with you on the Chuck Norris films. I really like the three that you mentioned, especially the genre mash-up of Silent Rage. Chuck is obviously da man! That said, the stupidly titled Hero and the Terror is a true snoozefest. It's like one of the lower end Charles Bronson/Cannon Films for Chuck.
Posts: 2008 | From: Dixieland | Registered: Oct 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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kevdugp73
He's eating after dark again....
Member # 5978
posted
Yeah Crash...I was pretty young seeing Silent Rage (9 or 10)...this was an era of movies when we had the First Choice movie channel and this was on all the time. Gotta say...this movie scared the crap outta me!!
On a side note, scooped a DVD copy of Sidekicks at the flea market about a year ago for $2...and sold it on eBay for $60!!! One Chuck Norris movie I never plan to see!
Posts: 2148 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Aug 2007 | Site Updates: 0
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
posted
Yeah, i love Norris too and hate to give a bad review for his film but what can you do? Hero and the Terror is almost as bad as Firewalker. I´ve yet to see Sidekicks but i have the tape.
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