Working Girl (1988) Paramount Summer Classic Film Series

 

Ladyhawke/The Hitcher Paramount Summer Classic Film Series: Robert Rodriguez Presents

Richard Kirkham · Ladyhawke 1

Richard Kirkham · Ladyhawke 2

Tremors (1990) Paramount Summer Classic Film Series

 

The Big Lebowski (1998) Paramount Summer Classic Film Series

 

28 Years Later (2025)

 

I was a big fan of the original "28 Days Later" from 2002, and I also appreciated the sequel "28 Weeks Later" as well. I expected a "28 Months" movie fifteen years ago but it never materialized. So instead, almost 28 years after the original (really only 23) we get a legacy sequel which tries to restore the franchise to life, which is an odd thing considering that many people consider it a zombie film. Regardless of how it is classified, the new film stays relatively true to the preceding movies, with a couple of variations that are bootstrapped in to make the story feel more substantial and original.

An idyllic community has been established on a coastal island, which is only accessible on a bridge that is only accessible during low tide. While there is a threat of infection from the mainland, that possibility is remote. The bigger issues facing the community are limited resources, lost knowledge and in one case, the absence of medical facilities that might be life saving. The community has become a cult of rituals, meant to perpetuate the group and prepare youngsters who were born into this cloistered society, how to deal with the world they live in. The first act of the film is a father-son bonding ritual which involves confronting the outside world, killing some of it, and surviving the terrors that exist on the mainland. Spike, a twelve year old who trusts his father and adores his mother, gets confronted with a confounding situation when his expedition reveals things about his Dad and the world that his mend is not ready to handle.

If there is a weakness in the story, it is not in the action or characters but rather in the short sighted thinking of a kid. His motives are pure but his method is nuts and he should know that. The story becomes a quest for help that lays past the sections of the map that in the old days would be labeled "Here there be dragons".  Spike is resourceful, but there are a couple of convenient moments that solve problems that he would have been unable to manage on his own. There is a good deal of tension in this middle section, as the threat of rage-infected humans looms around every corner. he action is intense, and the escapes are narrow, and the complications are interesting.

The third act is mystical and disturbing, and it is almost a polemic on euthanasia.  Ralph Fiennes appears as the most interesting character in the story, and his narrative, while a little preachy, does give us some issues to think about. The conclusion of the movie will throw you off, but I understand that if you live in Great Britain, it will make a lot more sense. There are apparently two sequels coming so Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays the dad, will probably be back after disappearing from act two and most of act three. Jodie Comer will be missing for an obvious reason, but that should not surprise anyone who makes it into the movie for twenty minutes. By the way, the opening, which is a revisit to the onset of the zombie apocalypse, is smashing. Those sequences in these kinds of films usually are. 

When Harry Met Sally (1989) Paramount Summer Classic Film Series-ReWatch

 

Although listed as part of the Summer Classic Film Series, this screening of "When Harry Met Sally" was a combined event with author Katherine Center and one of the city’s most famous couples, Jared and Genevieve Padalecki. As such it required a separate admission from our Premier Passes.  We spent an interesting hour as the couple interviewed the author about her summer romance novels and her latest product.

 The conversation was filled with warm jokes and shared romantic experiences. It was billed as an evening of romance and I guess you could say that for the fans of the authors work, it was a success. Amanda has the book and when she is done with it I will attempt to read it as well. What really brought me to the event however was the chance to return to one of the perfect Romantic Comedies of the 1980s, and a pairing of actors that was magical.  

When I wrote about the film as part of my TCMFF coverage a few years ago, I mentioned that it was the movie that I took my wife to see for our anniversary that year. When we watched the clips of the old married couples, which were dispersed throughout the film, we laughed and imagined the stories we would be telling when we were that age. We made it to 38 years together, but we didn't get a chance to tell the stories like those couples in the film.  I will do a little of that here. Unlike Harry and Sally, we met in High School, not at the end of college. Our senior year was full of rivalry flirtations since she went to a different school than I did. Although Harry initially hits on Sally, he is not smitten with her and they part ways. Dee and I went differently, although I was hesitant at first, the more time we spent together, the greater the attraction for both of us. I never mocked her food selections at a restaurant, she was not used to eating out and we split a lot of meals.

The kibitzing between Harry and Sally however, was something we shared with the characters. Both of us were smart-alecks and had fun teasing each other or ragging on others under our breath. Harry has twisted philosophical comments through out the film, and Sally has incisive insights into men and women that reflect Harry's behaviors. They are a great match although they resist the pull of romance for most of the film. We never did that part, we dove full in. Billy Crystal has a deflective way of commenting on everything, and that style of humor turns out to be perfect for the tone of the film. Meg Ryan was at the height of her "cute" stage and she played the insecurity of Sally perfectly. Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher practically steal the movie as their best friends who find love in each others arms and wonder what Harry and Sally are doing with all the dance.

Nora Ephron was the queen of the smart romantic comedy and her screenplay here is marvelously witty and not overly sentimental, in spite of the old couples inclusion. Director Rob Reiner was in the middle of one of the greatest runs of fil
ms by a director ever, with "The Princess Bride' right behind him, and "Misery" and "A Few Good Men" coming up next. The synergy of the actors and creatives make you want to order whatever they were all having for lunch.

We all hope that Harry and Sally will be our story, where we fall in love with our best friend and find long term happiness. I don't mean to brag, but that is exactly what I did. What a lucky guy. 

 

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) -2025 Revisit

 

Let's face it, if Sean Connery is in a movie, I want to see it. Sunday we did two Sean Connery films. 
Highlander" and "The Untouchables". That is a very satisfying Father's Day. 12 years ago we did a different double feature of Sean Connery films, "Goldfinger" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. If you would enjoy a little piece of history, below is a vlog post I did for that event. 

We went to see the film again this week, almost exactly a year after our last big screen viewing, which you can read about here: Last Crusade 2024. 

I don't have a lot of new things to say, I have written about the film many times before, but as I promise in the header, "If I Saw it in a Theater, you will read about it here."

The chemistry between Connery and Harrison Ford is incredible, It's too bad they did not get a chance to work together again, because I could imagine an action film like "The Hunt for Red October" with a cerebral thriller featuring these two great actors. I love the scene between them on the airship where Indy is reminiscing about their strained relationship and Dr. Jones Senior takes him to task for leaving just as he got interesting. The flummoxed look on Harrison Ford's face and the defiant tone in Connery's voice made for a humorous but also personal moment in the film. 

Connery also got to ham it up with Denholm Elliot in several scenes and leave us with a much better impression of his character than the stern and cold father that Indy remembers. When in doubt, ALWAYS see "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", and always see it on a big screen.