Classic Movie Monday: The Eagle Has Landed

Welcome to Classic Movie Monday. Every Monday, I watch a film at least 25 years old that I have never seen before. I will then write my comments on the film, telling you what I thought of it. This is an attempt to beef up my classic film knowledge as well as highlight some forgotten gems of Hollywood's heyday. So without further ado...

The Eagle Has Landed
Released: December 25, 1976
Directed by: John Sturges
Starring: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, & Donald Sutherland

Plot in a Nutshell:
Hitler orders an attempt be made to kidnap Winston Churchill in the midst of WWII. This is the story of that attempt and the men who tried.

What I thought:
The first thing I thought when I heard this far fetched idea to steal Winston Churchill away to Germany, was that this would never have happened. It could be called historical fiction, and the film, while I wish it were a bit better than it ended up being, was still entertaining and an interesting watch.

The big problems with this flick stem from the fact that this is a film set in WWII, yet bares little resemblance to an actual war picture. On it's own, the story manages to hold enough interest throughout, yet the tone never feels solid. Some moments could be described as intense or moody. Then you'll have very comical sequences that just don't feel as though they are a part of the same piece. The uneven nature of the film prevents it from becoming great. It shall just have to settle for the title of "good movie."

The cast, however, is exceptional. Michael Caine is always in good form, here is no exception as he portrays the leader of the group sent to England. Donald Sutherland pulls off a disgruntled Irishman very smoothly as does Robert Duvall with his German Colonel who assembles and sends the team off. All of them bring their best to the story, and none are disappointing. Some of the later side characters however, can be a bit grating.

The authenticity of the film seems varied. Performers don't seem to know whether they should be acting with British, American, or Quasi German accents. The story, while interesting, throws out logic very early on, and the general feel of the film feels a bit incomplete.

While I enjoyed the flick, I feel that it was made with the intent to not be a heavy war film. To not be a preachy exercise of pro or anti war attitudes. No, this film feels as though it were made simply to be entertaining, and give us an interesting look at a very peculiar "what if" scenario. And it is at this, that the film excels. You'll find plenty to enjoy here, but not much staying power.

Bottom Line:
A good war adventure flick that has little to do with reality but still manages to be entertaining, flaws and all.

B

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Weekend Adventure: Geocaches & Snakes

Ever had those days where you have nothing to do yet feel the urge to do something, anything? I have them a lot. I am but a man, yearning to see the world beyond my safe and comfy abode. All too often I feel like a grounded explorer in a world already charted, already mapped, well not anymore. Welcome to my weekend adventure...

I was introduced to the world of geocaching last year by a friend at work. It is a fantastic way to go out and explore the unexplored and see things and places never seen before. Armed with a GPS and a will to get lost, searching for geocaches can be a lot of fun. Using a site that catalogs geocaches, all you do is punch in the latitude and longitude of the cache into your GPS, and go. Call it a modern day treasure hunt. Usually at the point of discovery you'll find a container of sorts filled with mostly garbage: cheap dollar toys, playing cards, broken kid watches, happy meal prizes, etc. But the reward isn't the find as much as the search.

Well this weekend I decided to go out and find a cache or two. I had had enough of the usual entertainments and wanted to get out and do some exploring. One of the great things about the site is that you can search almost anywhere for hidden caches. So I decided to go somewhere I hadn't been before, albeit still in the same valley (I didn't quite feel up to a 4 hour excursion across the desert in June if you catch my drift).

Everyday I see the same mountain range looming over the basin. Aiding in some excellent sunsets, the mountains have been relatively unexplored by myself. Usually when I go off-roading I tend to stay in the valley or just go through the mountains to get to greener pastures. Never have I really wandered the rim just on the edge of our little basin.

So I found my spot, now to get there. The great thing about this place is that there are trails and roads all over the place. You can look at the mountain line and see a vast network of white lines streaking across the landscape. So there are no real limitations as to where you can go (except on the rougher roads, 4-wheel drive is a must).

I had found a cache that I wanted to see based purely on the name of the location. The cache description called it "A Crop Circles View." I thought, "Cool! Aliens." (Sadly there are no green beings from the stars in this tale). The name was enough to peak my interest so off I went, headed toward the mountains.

After a long climb up some partially treacherous dirt pathways, I managed to arrive at the cache. Now the real fun begins. The GPS can only take you so far. It can get you in about 20-30 feet of the actual cache. The rest involves a lot of searching and patience (and the occasional lifting of rocks).

While I was scouring over the rock formations looking for something, anything, I managed to spot (what I later classified as) a Gopher Snake, in a small indent in the stone. Every time I spot a snake in the wild, it gives me a jump, mostly because the majority of snakes out here are of the rattling variety that like to bite and inject venom. After spotting the reptile cooling down in the shade, I quickly identified it as non-poisonous (thank you Steve Irwin) and proceeded to test out my camera on my phone...


He later scurried off into his den to escape the Todhunter paparazzi.

Back to trying to locate this cache, eventually, after almost an hour (this booger was well hid), I finally located the ammo can. Buried under some rocks, I could only see the very corner of the case peeking out of a hole in the pile of stone.

Remember how I said it's the journey not the prize, see what I mean...


A varied assortment of crap. Sometimes you run into some real finds. One time I discovered a Harley Davidson desk clock (I know, nice ain't it). Unfortunately this cache devoid of anything of interest. If there had been something I would like to take, I would have swapped it with something of similar value. I keep an assortment of interesting key chain stuff in my Jeep for just this purpose. But today, nothing looked good.

Oh and remember the name of the cache...


Way down in the basin were a few green crops being watered in a circular pattern by sprinklers: "A Crop Circles View."

After signing the log, resealing the canister, and returning it to it's original hiding spot, I began to make my way back down the hill and head home. It may not sound like a crazy adventure into the heart of darkness but for my life it was good enough to give me a little escape for the weekend.

And that's always a good Adventure.

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Watching the Wire

I realized today I haven't been very good at keeping this site up to date lately. Normally I try to get something if not two somethings out a week, I have even fallen behind on my classic movie Monday duties. But I wanted to take this moment to assure you that I haven't abandoned anything.

Several reasons have been keeping my posting duties at bay. First and foremost is that I have become enraptured in an HBO show called The Wire. If you haven't heard about this show yet, I'll give you a little idea what it's about.

Essentially the core of the show revolves around the police and the criminals as they fight the drug war on the streets of Baltimore. But it examines so much more than simply cops and crooks. It takes a very real, hard look at the influence of drugs on society; it's victims, it's dealers, the inner workings of the police, as well as the city's own leaders. Nobody is clean in this sprawling tale of drugs, violence, and corruption.

I'd be selling this show short if I didn't tell you it is one of the finer television experience I've ever had. Too many critics call it the greatest show ever made, but I wouldn't go that far. While i find it to be very powerful, and well produced, I'm not sure it's the greatest ever. But maybe they are right. I am only through three of the five seasons at the moment. It could get better. We'll just have to see.

So as of right now I am plowing my way through this series as fast as netflix can send them to me (which ain't fast enough let me tell you). So rest assured, the regular posting will continue soon.

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Classic Movie Monday: On Golden Pond

Welcome to Classic Movie Monday. Every Monday, I watch a film at least 25 years old that I have never seen before. I will then write my comments on the film, telling you what I thought of it. This is an attempt to beef up my classic film knowledge as well as highlight some forgotten gems of Hollywood's heyday. So without further ado...

On Golden Pond
Released: December 4, 1981
Directed by: Mark Rydell
Starring: Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, & Jane Fonda

Plot in a Nutshell:
An aging couple, Norman and Ethel (H. Fonda & Hepburn), spend a summer in their house on Golden Pond. When their daughter (J. Fonda) comes for a Norman's 80th birthday, she brings her boyfriend and his son. Norman and Ethel's tranquil time together gets interrupted when the young, unsettled teen son stays behind to spend time with them.

What I thought:
"What a sweet old couple." That's about all I can say after watching this picture. Yeah there's other stuff happening. The cranky old professor with a hardened heart softens up by hanging around a young teenager. The unloved daughter trying to reconnect with her estranged Father. And then there's the couple of old koots who have lived so long together, that their bond has surpassed all Earthly meaning.

The film's greatest feature is the chemistry and strength of Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda's performances. Never have I seen such a relationship portrayed in film so well. Even though they are only on screen for less than two hours, you get a sense of a lifetime of memories and experiences. These two bring so much joy and love to this couple, it is quite an impressive thing to watch.

As I said before, there are some other things thrown in, but the elements of parental acceptance and bridging the generation gap don't hold up here as well as the bond the two main characters share. Together they have always been, and together they will always be, facing down there own imminent mortality side by side.

Bottom Line:
A fantastic picture featuring genuine love in its golden years, topped by brilliant performances and chemistry.

A

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Not much going on, sooooo....

KITTEN!!

No seriously, I'm not quite sure what to write about, so I figured I'd give a little mini post on several things that my brain is all over today...

I finished playing Fable 2 on Xbox the other day. I still have a fair amount of quests to complete, and houses to buy, but I am for the most part done with it. It was fantastic, and I enjoyed every moment of it. The setting and art design were awesome. The description "Dickensian" has been used to describe the look of the towns and its inhabitants. Everything has a grim and grit to it, but it is altogether fanciful and often hilarious. I love British sensibilities, and this Game was a real Joy to play through.

I recently bought a juicer. Why you may ask? Spur of the moment, I wanted a juicer to make my own juices. There's a great fruit place between here and Bakersfield, and I picked up a whole flat of fresh strawberries and various sorts of berries. I already tried the juicer out earlier this week, and it was in a word; powerful. I thought the thing was going to take off, dragging my fruit in tow. But this weekend, I'm going to be making a whole pitcher of fresh juice. I don't want the fruit rotting in my fridge, so I'm just gonna juice it all at once, and save the juice for a little while. Hopefully that won't go bad nearly as fast as the fruit would, we'll see.

According to Guillermo del Toro, the director of the upcoming Hobbit films, we are within a couple of weeks to hearing an announcement on who will play Bilbo Baggins. Yes I am a nerd, and a devoted 'Ringer' (Lord of the Rings Superfan to the uninitiated), so this news of the possibility of news forthcoming, has got me so bloody pumped! I know it seems unexciting and not very interesting, but this is the stuff I live for. I can't wait to see what Guillermo has up his sleeves for the Hobbit. I loved Lord of the Rings, and have become quite the fan of Peter Jackson. Hopefully Hobbit won't disappoint, and the first clue as to what kind of movie they are making, comes from the casting.

And then...

Kittens!!

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Classic Movie Monday: Hang 'em High

Welcome to Classic Movie Monday. Every Monday, I watch a film at least 25 years old that I have never seen before. I will then write my comments on the film, telling you what I thought of it. This is an attempt to beef up my classic film knowledge as well as highlight some forgotten gems of Hollywood's heyday. So without further ado...

Hang 'em High
Released: August 3, 1968
Directed by: Ted Post
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Inger Stevens, & Pat Hingle

Plot in a Nutshell:
After Jed Cooper (Eastwood) survives being lynched for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to get revenge against those who tried to kill him. When a judge offers him the chance to exact his revenge, but within the means of the law as a Deputized Marshall, he accepts.

What I thought:
I was not expecting much out of this, and came away pleasantly surprised. The usual staple of an old western are in play here, and Clint is as squinty as ever. But what made this film so unusual for me was that it put an interesting spin on some classic western cliches.

The primary thing I found so interesting is that the main character is lynched within the first few minutes. And not only that, but for a crime he is innocent of. But also, they lynching mob thinks he is genuinely guilty of. There was no character, no story, it just happened, and it was executed (pardon the pun) perfectly.

Somehow he survived being hung for what was probably 30 minutes to an hour, and was taken to a local courthouse, where the judge found him innocent. Here's where things got muddy from a righteous standpoint. The folks who hung him up to die, thought they were doing right. They thought they had the right man. Eastwood's character is really, really pissed off, he told them he didn't do it, so naturally he wants to kill them all.

This presents a very interesting quandary to the audience. Do we cheer for Clint as he goes around systematically rounding up the mob? Or do we fear for the men, as the majority of them were doing what they thought was right. It is a fascinating dilemma, and one I was not expecting in this western. The moral choices at play here are, I daresay above the genre of a simple western.

Jed is a former lawman, he knows the law, thus the Judge hires him to be a Marshall where no one will take the job. He has a very hard time restraining himself in many scenes, and you can almost see him wanting the criminals to reach for their gun, so he can exact his vengeful kill. But he holds back, he is after all a man of the law. But this comes into question for him towards the end of the film. The judge goes on a tirade about the law, and who is right and who is wrong, and essentially that only he is above the law. Only he can judge others.

This was a great film, that snuck up on me. The questions that it throws in are very hard to process through. Where does the law begin and justice end? The Judge seems to think he is the be all end all. But the film presents a much more grey area that is simultaneously more compassionate and more ruthless.

Bottom Line:
A fantastic shoot-out-filled western that will make you contemplate the implications and effects of cold, hard justice.

A

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