by Pa Rock
Movie Fan
Amazon Prime has recently released (or I have recently discovered) a group of movies from the last few decades that are destined to become classics. Films such as the iconic "Boondock Saints" which is already a cult classic, musicals ranging from "Paint Your Wagon" (where a young Clint Eastwood talks to the trees) to "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," another cult classic, this one focusing on the trials and tribulations of three drag queens traveling the Australian Outback in a pink tourbus, and a host of other memorable offerings.
Last night I watched another somewhat campy foreign film. "Fido," a totally Canadian homage to zombies that takes place in brightly colored small town just after World War II and focuses on ways to contain and control a large sub-population of zombies, many of whom have become household servants. It's a charming tribute to a simpler time in which many of the characters whom you would like to see eaten by zombies actually are eaten by zombies!
Another real find in the newly released selection of movies was "Two Days in the Valley," a 1996 film that is also headed toward cult classic status. It had been at least twenty years since I had last seen this superb movie, so I was delighted to run across it on Prime. In fact, I sat down and watched it again that very evening.
"Two Days in the Valley" was written and directed by John Herzfeld and features an ensemble cast including (among many others) Charlize Theron, James Spader, Marsha Mason, Paul Mazursky, Danny Aiello, Teri Hatcher, Eric Stolz, Keith Carradine, Jeff Daniels, Glenne Headley, Greg Cruttwell, and Louise Fletcher. The plot is threaded together from several subplots of things that occur in Los Angeles and the surrounding San Fernando Valley over a two-day period. The actions of one subplot spill over and impact what is happening in others, causing complications and bringing about realignments of storylines and characters' lives.
It is a beautifully written and executed cinematic effort that is full of blood and gore, love, comedy, tragedy, and triumph. From the smoking hot assassins, Charlize Theron and James Spader, who plan murders as they bounce around in bed, to the accidental and far more charming romances of Glenne Headley and Danny Aiello - and Marsha Mason and Paul Mazursky, this movie has hands that reach out and touch just about everyone.
"Two Days in the Valley" is a complicated slice-of-life that is surprisingly entertaining and satisfying. One of the charms of the movie, to me at least, was the unique time in which it was filmed. The movie was able to be completed without the clutter and distractions of cell phones and personal computers, a fortunate circumstance which allowed more focus on the actual stories and forced the characters to interact in a face-to-face manner.
This is an exceptional movie, one that does not disappoint.
Movie Fan
Amazon Prime has recently released (or I have recently discovered) a group of movies from the last few decades that are destined to become classics. Films such as the iconic "Boondock Saints" which is already a cult classic, musicals ranging from "Paint Your Wagon" (where a young Clint Eastwood talks to the trees) to "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," another cult classic, this one focusing on the trials and tribulations of three drag queens traveling the Australian Outback in a pink tourbus, and a host of other memorable offerings.
Last night I watched another somewhat campy foreign film. "Fido," a totally Canadian homage to zombies that takes place in brightly colored small town just after World War II and focuses on ways to contain and control a large sub-population of zombies, many of whom have become household servants. It's a charming tribute to a simpler time in which many of the characters whom you would like to see eaten by zombies actually are eaten by zombies!
Another real find in the newly released selection of movies was "Two Days in the Valley," a 1996 film that is also headed toward cult classic status. It had been at least twenty years since I had last seen this superb movie, so I was delighted to run across it on Prime. In fact, I sat down and watched it again that very evening.
"Two Days in the Valley" was written and directed by John Herzfeld and features an ensemble cast including (among many others) Charlize Theron, James Spader, Marsha Mason, Paul Mazursky, Danny Aiello, Teri Hatcher, Eric Stolz, Keith Carradine, Jeff Daniels, Glenne Headley, Greg Cruttwell, and Louise Fletcher. The plot is threaded together from several subplots of things that occur in Los Angeles and the surrounding San Fernando Valley over a two-day period. The actions of one subplot spill over and impact what is happening in others, causing complications and bringing about realignments of storylines and characters' lives.
It is a beautifully written and executed cinematic effort that is full of blood and gore, love, comedy, tragedy, and triumph. From the smoking hot assassins, Charlize Theron and James Spader, who plan murders as they bounce around in bed, to the accidental and far more charming romances of Glenne Headley and Danny Aiello - and Marsha Mason and Paul Mazursky, this movie has hands that reach out and touch just about everyone.
"Two Days in the Valley" is a complicated slice-of-life that is surprisingly entertaining and satisfying. One of the charms of the movie, to me at least, was the unique time in which it was filmed. The movie was able to be completed without the clutter and distractions of cell phones and personal computers, a fortunate circumstance which allowed more focus on the actual stories and forced the characters to interact in a face-to-face manner.
This is an exceptional movie, one that does not disappoint.
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