What an Institution! The Police Academy Franchise.

Yep, I did it quarantine life had me like... Hey, let's watch all of the Police Academy movies! I'm not sure why but I think it comes down to needing a laugh during these strange times. It started one-night February 22nd to be exact and came to an end April 27th so it's not like I binged them all in a few days I had to spread them out. I did cram in the last few due to the fact these leave Netflix in May. So do they still hold up after all these years? Not going to lie they do they really do. Sure every film as the same formula the same actors, for the most part, the same wittiness and that really helps make things delightful.

Now not all things are jolly throughout, for example, Bobcat Goldthwait may have been a big deal in 1985 but his humor does not translate very well today. In fact, he was really annoying when on-screen. Also, the Kung Fu running gag Michael Winslow performs every movie was old by the 2nd one and yet it played out all the way to the end.

To show my appreciation for the series here is a look at how I would rank them from the worst to the best.

The worst was easy it would be Part 7 or Mission To Moscow. In this installment, The Russian government hires the veterans of the Police Academy to help deal with the Mafia. Neither Ron Perlman nor Christopher Lee could save this depressing attempt at humor. A weak story followed with bad acting proves that there was no reason to wait five years. This is also The first American comedy movie to be filmed in Russia. Perlman considered his work on this movie "a public service", by shutting down the Police Academy movies for over two decades. Perlman said, "I'm not going to apologize. I did that piece of shit."

Now if going to Rusha was not hard enough to watch Police Academy 6 City Under Seige was an odd waste of time. I'm not 100% on this one but I feel this was made for children so maybe they were trying to bounce off of the short-lived Cartoon that was out the year before?  This time around A gang is terrorizing citizens by robbing stores in the Wilson Heights district of town. Since a leak in the department is suspected, the Governor has chosen the officers from the police academy along with Captain Harris and Lt. Proctor to catch the criminals using old fashioned police work. When Commandant Lassard is indicted, the officers must bring the gang and Mr. Big to justice to clear him.

The movie performed poorly at the US box-office, grossing less than $11 million being the first "Police Academy" movie not to place first in the US weekend box-office. (and yet they made one more ugh)

Ok, I promise from here on out things will be much more cheerful as the first five movies are a true delight. If you were to binge the series you can easily skip the last two and your life would be complete. Now as a reminder I'm no longer going to go in order as I'm ranking them in the order I liked them. With that said Police Academy 2 Their First Assignment is the weakest of the five but not in a bad way as it is still hysterical and worth watching. This time around Mahoney and friends have graduated from the Police Academy and are issued with their first assignments. As before, their cheerfulness and devotion to duty outweigh any shortcomings, but are they ready to do battle with a band graffiti daubing terrorists? Maybe it's Bobcat that did not give me the warm fuzzies this time around, the story is good and honestly, it entertains you all the way to the end just for me it was not the best of the bunch.

Both Police Academy Citizens on Patrol (1987) and Assignment Miami Beach (1988) will leave you feeling good from the beginning to the end. In fact, Assignment Miami Beach is the stronger of the two and a refreshing ride all the way to the end. For Citizens on Patrol, The misfit Police Academy graduates now are assigned to train a group of civilian volunteers to fight crime once again plaguing the streets. This one is a mixed bag as well Sharon Stone joined the cast after going through a divorce said of this difficult period in her life, "hanging out with a gang of comedians, it was the best therapy." Plus we get a young Tony Hawk and the film debut of David Spade! Sadly this will also be the last time we see "The Blue Oyster Bar".

Assignment Maimi Beach The Police Academy's commandant will be honored at a police convention in Miami Beach. At the airport, he picks the wrong bag with stolen diamonds. The "owners" want them back. This will be the first movie without its young star, Steve Guttenberg who has said he regrets turning down the last few sequels. Had Guttenberg agreed to appear in the movie, his character Mahoney was to be promoted to Lieutenant at the end of the film. And thankfully Bobcat has not returned! And Mahoney is now replaced by TV journeymen Matt McCoy who in return gives the team a nice little boost. At this point Michael Winslow (Jones), David Graf (Tackleberry), and George Gaynes (Commandant Lassard) are the only actors who appeared in all seven Police Academy movies. Winslow even goes a step beyond this, as he is the only actor to not only appear in all seven Police Academy movies but also had a regular role in Police Academy: The Series (1997).

 

Both 3 1/2 out of 5

Well, I do not mean to upset you all but here it is the grandfather of them all the one that started a franchise Police Academy from 1984. The movie I watched at a much younger age on HBO over 100 times comes in 2nd! A group of good-hearted, but incompetent misfits enter the police academy, but the instructors there are not going to put up with their pranks. This is the only " Police Academy" movie that was given an R-rating, and also the most successful of the series at the box office. This is also one of the few films to which Roger Ebert gave zero stars, ( Caligula, I Spit on Your Grave, and Death Wish II were the others.) Yet it is included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies. Needless to say, I love this movie but...

...for me for some odd reason Police Academy 3 Back in Training (1986) was the best of the franchise. The city has two police academies, one is under the eye of Commandant Lassard and the other is under Commandant Mauser. Now Mauser has learned that the State is considering closing one of the academies, and to protect himself, he approaches Blanks and Copeland and instructs them to make sure that Lassard's cadets all foul-up. Lassard, on the other hand, calls his "favorite graduates", Mahoney, Hightower, Jones, Tackleberry, and Hooks, and along with their former instructor, Callahan, they try to train the cadets and hopefully save their academy. I'm not sure why but this one had me rolling. It was also nice to return to the Academy itself.  The Police Academy films follow one of two Narrative styles, the first style which is used in the first, third, and fourth films, features the Academy prominently with chasing the bad guys will close out the movie. Where the second style used in the second, fifth, sixth, and seventh films consists of brief uses of the Academy while the bad guys are featured throughout the film.

Well there you go I survived the Police Academy Franchise and still had a ton of fun doing it. It will be interesting to see if Steve Gutenberg can get a new Police Academy off the ground. It has been said he is working with Apple Tv "Definitely. It's coming. People will look down at the idea, but they're in the same business of making money too. The Police Academy films gave me so much opportunity, and I've got nothing but a good attitude towards them. I sure hope they do it. If the script's right - I'm definitely in. You never know, I may direct." said Gutenberg. (Source IMBD) Now if I could only get that theme song out of my head!

Long live the 80s and all those classic films I love growing up. So where does one go from here? To my wife suggestion sounds like a few Nerds are in my future!

The Legends who took down Bonnie and Clyde.

The Highwaymen
2019 | R | 2 Hr 12 Min | Crime | Universal

Director: John Lee Hancock

Writer: John Fusco

Stars:

Kevin Costner

Woody Harrelson

Kathy Bates

Synopsis:

In 1934, Frank Hamer and Manny Gault, two former Texas Rangers, are commissioned to put an end to the wave of vicious crimes perpetrated by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, a notorious duo of infamous robbers and cold-blooded killers who nevertheless are worshiped by the public.

Fire-up the crock pot once again for this Costner, Harrelson trip down memory lane that is a slow burner The Highwaymen. This incredibly slow flick stands tall at 2 Hours and 12 long minutes. And sadly at times, you feel all of it sitting on your shoulders as you learn the back story of these two men. 

I love period pieces like this the early 30s and 40s fascinate me so when the trailer dropped for The Highwaymen on Netflix I was super excited. All though Bonnie and Clyde are the backdrops, how can things go wrong?  For starters the lackluster storyline, Costner and Harrelson make a good team but the story is very drawn out. Now part of me feels that the plan was to go slow as it was a slow process tracking down the famous gangsters. But did we the viewer need to feel all of it? Most Bonne and Clyde flicks are pretty actioned packed so maybe this was by design. 

The look and feel draw you into a time period of simple and peaceful times achieving an authentic time frame. Regrettably, in maintaining that accuracy, there's not a lot of surprise for the viewers. Hamer and Gault's schemes of traversing Texas and venturing across its borders to focus on the villains' natural predilection for "going home" is smart but not always dramatic. Still, it's a commendable movie that gives a very honest look at the flip side of a legendary historical event.

Although this is a lukewarm movie that runs a little long The Highwaymen is worth a visit especially if you're a fan of its stars or its storied subjects. In the end, I really enjoyed the trip even if it took to long to get there. I love being transported back in time when the story is worth hearing. 

3 Out of 4 Stars

Saints of Los Angeles

The Dirt
2019 | R | 1 Hr 47 Min | Drama | Netflix

Director: Jeff Tremaine

Writers: Amanda Adelson

Stars: 

Douglas Booth

Iwan Rheon

Daniel Webber

Synopsis:

The story of Mötley Crüe and their rise from the Sunset Strip club scene of the early 1980s to superstardom.

Love it or hate it Glam Metal/ Hair Bands were all the rage in the '80s and for me an amazing time in music to grow up with. Even though I was not much of a Crue fan The Dirt was a fun watch and a nice little trip down memory lane. 

This was meant to be a fun trip down memory lane and by the sound of it, most critics seem to be panning The Dirt. I think for the most part they are missing the point. The Crue was a loud and obnoxious group that partied harder than most glam bands of the time. For me, The Dirt was pure entertainment to its fullest. No, it's not Bohemian Rhapsody but nobody intends for it to be. But like the Queen biopic, the cast was pretty spot on. Douglas Booth stars as bassist Nikki Sixx, Iwan Rheon as lead guitarist Mick Mars, Colson Baker plays drummer Tommy Lee, and Daniel Webber portrays lead vocalist Vince Neil. Out of the group, both Baker and Booth nailed their parts, with Rheon playing the oldest member and the rarely talked about story of Mick Mars who has to be one of the most underrated guitar players to come out of the heavy metal scene. The weak link here is Webber with is poor lip-syncing along with the non-Vince look but don't let that stop you this group still works well together kicking ass throughout the movie. 

I also have strong feelings for the movie trying to humanize the band showing us the hard times they went through. From Vince going to jail, and Nikki's drug use you get a small break from the crazy action and its just enough to make you realize they where human and yes they made mistakes. Don't let that last line fool you too much the movie has plenty of Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll and oh yes doing a line of Ant's with Ozzy is a true highlight of this story. 

The Dirt is recommended for any fans of the band Mötley Crüe, as it showcases the band's impact and significance in music history. It is nostalgic as it tells the group's notorious story. Now if your not a fan of the group just sit back open your mind and enjoy. Do not over think it like most critics have been. I never read the book but remember my wife telling me it was a must read at the time and after we watched it she picked the book up again, I now would like to read the book The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band. I just need to know more about these crazy story's! 

If your a product of the 80s and have not fired up Netflix yet than get on it! If your looking for something outside the box about a rough and tough boy bad give this one a shot you just might like! In this house, I could have gone on for another hour and we would have been happy!

4 out of 5 Stars

Every Town Has Its Monsters

I Am Not A Serial Killer
2016 | R | 1 hr 44 min | Drama/Thriller | IFC Midnight


Director: Billy O'Brien

Writers: Billy O'Brien, Christopher Hyde

Stars: Max Records, Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fraser

Synopsis:

In a small Midwestern town, a troubled teen with homicidal tendencies must hunt down and destroy a supernatural killer while keeping his own inner demons at bay.

If you are new to the cave or stopping by to check out my entry into the Mystery Mania Blog-a-thon hosted by Pop Culture Reverie welcome and enjoy as we talk about the most whacked out mind trip I have seen in years!

Based on the 2009 novel by Dan Wells, Billy O'Brien tests how far our sympathies can be stretched as we try to identify with amoral or mentally ill protagonists.  And the path O'Brien takes on down is intriguing, to say the least.  O'Brien being from Ireland paints a very harsh and cold look of Minnesota in the winter so elegantly. Shot on 16 millimeters (something rarely done today) his thoughtful visual plan, aligning us with a perspective seen through the eyes of our young star making the most of the drab backdrop of smokestacks, icy roads, and bare trees.

Our young star is played by Max Records and besides the cool name, his big break came from Where the Wilds Things Are. Records took home many independent awards for his role as John Wayne Cleaver our anti-hero now grown into a convincingly sour teenager. Diagnosed as a sociopath, John is obsessed with serial killers, fearing he might develop into one himself. When evidence surfaces that a real killer is operating in his town, John launches an investigation of his own. One obvious suspect is his creepy neighbor Mr. Crowley, played very effectively by Christopher Lloyd, whose rasp and shambling movements establish him as a figure of menace even from afar.

Loyd and Records are pure magic together weaving there stories together twisting and turning every other minute and you just don't know what it is your watching. Without giving too much away your never sure if you're watching a very uncomfortable teen comedy, an odd drama, or something straight out of the twilight zone.  The one thing I can say is this one grabs you in the gut while building up so much tension that you can feel every squeeze as it gets tighter and tighter. Even if your not sure what the hell is going on you can not look away and it is amazing!

This movie has it all a great cast, and off the rail storyline, and the look and feel that brings you right into a small town. The only downfall is this one is a slow burn, in fact, its a toss it into a crockpot it's going to be a while slow burn.  But yet you walk away full and satisfied with the payoff. 

Independent cinema always brings out the best in people and I Am Not a Serial Killer was a perfect blend for Christopher Loyd. Loyd alone is worth the price of admistion. Streaming now on Hulu this is a well painted grim story that a nice twist at the end.  

I Am Not a Serial Killer is a much see.

4 Bloody Brains out of 5

Now make sure to click the banner below and check out the other bloggers taking part in the Blogathon. 

Abducted In Plain Sight Review

Abducted In Plain Sight
2017 | 1Hr 31Min | TV-14 | Documentary | Netflix

Director: Skye Borgman

Stars: 

Jan Broberg

Bob Broberg

Mary Ann Broberg

Synopsis:

In 1974, 12-year-old Jan Broberg was abducted from a small community in Idaho. When Jan was returned 5 weeks later, she assured her parents and the courts that "nothing had happened"....enabling a pedophile to go free and paving the way for Jan's second abduction and years of sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse.

Good lord, what did I just witness? This has to be the strangest story ever told right? I'm not sure how I feel about it still and I watched this days ago. 

The documentary about an Idaho preteen who was raped, abused, and kidnapped by a family friend right in front of her parents’ eyes. Debut on Netflix earlier this month and within two weeks since it arrived on the world’s go-to bingeable platform Netflix, it has generated buzz online and throughout the Twitter'verse so of course, we have to check it out. This crazy ass thing features an innocent, sympathetic victim while it demonstrates how easy it is for people to be totally duped; it sparks feelings of disbelief and outrage, and it contains enough mind-boggling twists to induce motion sickness. You will definitely feel nauseous while watching it! 

Once this one ended and my stomach settled I was left with a lot of questions about how Jan's process and how she overcame the trauma that she endured. How, for example, is she not furious with her parents for being such pushovers? I’m furious with them! My kids are furious with them, in fact, if they walked up to me right now I'm pretty sure I would punch them in the face! Jan says toward the end of the documentary that part of the way she learned to forgive them was by helping them forgive themselves, WHAT? Ugh. The lingering curiosity about how someone could possibly get over such horrible abuse is just one of the things that makes me confident I’ll be thinking about Abducted in Plain Sight for a long time. 

The most disturbing parts of this documentary are the things that Robert Berchtold did to Jan Broberg for years, without her parents or the law stopping him. But the most chilling takeaway from this mind-blowing documentary might be this: You never know what anyone is capable of doing in private. Buy the end we found ourselves laughing. Was it an uncomfortable laugh, or are we laughing at how dumb this family comes across? Only you can be the judge.

3 out of 5 Stars

Quick Review Joan Jett Bad Reputation

Bad Reputation
2018 | R | 1Hr 33Min | Documentary | Magnolia Picutres

Director: Kevin Kerslake
Writer: Joel Marcus

Stars: 

Joan Jett

Eric Ambel

Billie Joe Armstrong

Synopsis

The life and career of rock ‘n’ roll icon Joan Jett from her early years ripping it up onstage as the founder and backbone of hard-rock legends The Runaways, to her longtime collaboration with Kenny Laguna as Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and her enduring presence in pop culture as a rock pioneer and mentor. With her inimitable singles “I Love Rock N’ Roll,” and “Bad Reputation” Joan Jett inspired a generation of young women to rock.

Man, I was 11 years old when I first heard "I Love Rock and Roll" and was hooked forever! That sound, that badass image, and Joan it was love, at first sight, thanks to MTV! I still had money left over from the summer of mowing lawns so it was not hard for me to catch a ride to the mall and buy my second ever album. When the song "Nag" came on it was the first time I ever picked up the needle to listen to something again and again. So simply put I could not wait to watch this documentary. 

Bad Reputation opens with a story of 13-year-old Joan tell about her desire for a Sears electric guitar. And how her parents didn't understand why she would want such a thing, thankfully they got her one anyway. And she wailed away on that bad boy until she became as good as—if not better than—the teen boys also dreaming of rock-and-roll stardom in the SoCal suburbs of the 1970s. Director Kevin Kerslake proceeds to take us through the years as Jett struggles to remain commercially viable, a challenge for any legacy act. Then along came the riot grrrl movement, which brought Jett back to her punk roots. In addition to her production work for Bikini Kill, and co-writing credits with Kathleen Hanna, she joined forces with the surviving members of the Gits to promote women's self-defense and to search for Mia Zapata's killer. She has also played for the troops and spoken out on behalf of LGBTQ rights and the benefits of vegetarianism.

Joan defiantly lived a rollercoaster life always having to fight her way through a male-dominated sport. It's her fight and drive that really keeps you watching, even this guy almost broke down in tears watching the segment from the Seattle grunge era. If you love Joan you will love this Doc if your a casual fan or somebody looking for a great story of survival you may love this even more. 

This wild child can be seen on Hulu and is well worth your time.

4 out of 5 Stars

The end of Earth will not be the end of us.

Interstellar
2014 | PG-13 | 2hr 49min | Sci-Fi | Paramount Pictures

Director: Christopher Nolan

Writers: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan

Stars:

Matthew McConaughey

Anne Hathaway

Jessica Chastain

Synopsis:

Earth's future has been riddled by disasters, famines, and droughts. There is only one way to ensure mankind's survival: Interstellar travel. A newly discovered wormhole in the far reaches of our solar system allows a team of astronauts to go where no man has gone before, a planet that may have the right environment to sustain human life.

If this is your first visit to the Cave welcome! Interstellar is part of the Robots In Film Blogathon Hosted by Quiggy over at The Midnite Drive-In and Hamlette's Soliloquy please make sure to check out the other 18 bloggers taking part in this event. 

From his humble low budget independent cinema roots to some of today's biggest blockbusters Christopher Nolan has become one of Hollywood best storytelling and acclaimed writer-director. Here is a quick recap in case you have forgotten, Nolan's first break came from his own independent movie Memento that landed him Batman Begins trilogy to Oscar Nominations for Memento, Inception, and of course his latest hit Dunkirk the man does amazing work. And Interstellar was an Oscar winner for Best Achievement in Visual Effects and maybe Han's Zimmer deserved a little more Oscar love with an amazing soundtrack! Although we are not here to talk about Nolan so let's talk robots and the true heart of this movie his daughter. 

You can not take away just how beautiful this movie is without a great cast and story to go along with it. Hidden underneath all the Sci-Fi jargon and amazing special effects lays a wonderful story about a Father and Daughter. Mackenzie Foy may have started her movie career with Twilight but in Interstellar she turned on her acting prowess pulling hard at your heart strings! The father-daughter storyline really had me close to tears along with a clear punch to the stomach making sure the audience felt her pain! Such an amazing job for this young star. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in several award groups that year and winning four of them. Honestly, Interstellar would not have been as good without this young one. Ok, the Robots...

TARS and CASE are the two robots which are part of the Endurance crew. TARS is a former marine robot with angular limbs and a sarcastic attitude. TARS' personality can be characterized as witty, sarcastic, and humorous, and with those traits programmed into him, they make him a better-suited companion. TARS also appears to be somewhat more versatile than CASE, being suited for tasks ranging from piloting to data collection. Voiced and puppeteered by American actor Bill Irwin who also operated and controlled the heavy machinery which weighed almost 200 pounds. Later the actor was digitally removed during post-production as he was a few inches taller than TARS.

Despite being a robot who follows the order of his crew, TARS is quite intelligent and is capable of acting on his own. I really love the idea that TARS is not your atypical R2-D2 type robots, in fact, he is pretty basic, he is a block. I suppose here on earth if we can't save our planet how are we going to build fun looking robots right?

Even tho he is a block he is pretty amazing and holds the space story together like most robots do. With that said not only where Foy and TARS amazing Nolan had a job to do bring us a space odyssey that we have not seen since Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.  But fear, not Nolan contrives a great scene:**Light Spoiler** When Cooper comes out of the hole to find that time has slipped forward decades while he’s been away he has 20 years’ worth of video messages that show his little kids have turned, in the blink of an eye, into two middle-aged adults.  And all of this is underscored by Zimmer who playfully toys with the audience with Straussian themes relying on heavy, wheezingly religiose, organ-type chords moving you to tears!

As a light-year-spanning quest to save the human race, this is the director’s broadest canvas by far, but also his most intimate. And against the alien backdrop of black holes, wormholes, and strange new worlds, Interstellar stands as Nolan’s most human film to date. The visuals will keep you in the movie, the heartfelt story of a father and daughter will move you, and the soundtrack emerges you completely into a new world. Interstellar is well worth the three hours of couch time!

4 out of 5 stars

How Come, Chief Willoughby?

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
2017 | R | 1 Hr. 55 Min. | Comedy, Drama | Fox Searchlight

Director: Martin McDonagh

Writer: Martin McDonagh

Stars:

Frances McDormand

Woody Harrelson

Sam Rockwell

Synopsis:

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award nominee Martin McDonagh. After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter's murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby, the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon, an immature mother's boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.

In a simple word, Wow. Winner of four Golden Globes and with seven Oscar nominations, including two win's Three Billboards is well worth the hype. And as much as I loved McDormand's role Sam Rockwell playing a small-town racist cop was the role that moved me the most. Dixon (Rockwell) is introduced to us as an outspoken and lewd cop with a love for racial slurs who supposedly tortured the town's black prisoners in previous incidents is where the heart of this movie lies. 

What makes this role great of course is Dixon's good-heartedness emerging throughout the movie, which gives him nearly equal time onscreen as McDormand's character. After a series of personal tragedies, Dixon becomes a changed man and Three Billboards' unlikely hero. Rockwell deserved his Oscar win along with that Golden Globe. And to be honest I feel Woody Harelson was slightly underlooked as he knocked it out of the park as well. In fact, there is not one bad cast member through the film.

Don't get me wrong McDormand who won a Golden Globe for her performance and the Oscar for best leading lady, that I'm not disputing is well deserved. The character she portrays is so unapologetically and cold you can not help but root for her. As her allies disappear and those in power try to silence her, she only gets louder. And according to IMDB Frances McDormand was hesitant to take the role of Mildred when offered to her, but was eventually convinced by her husband, Joel Coen. She said, "Because at the time he gave it to me I was fifty-eight. I was concerned that women from this socioeconomic strata did not wait until thirty-eight to have their first child. So we went back and forth and we debated that quite for a while, and then finally my husband said, 'Just shut up and do it.'" And we are all glad she did. 

***Spoilers Ahead***

Despite the racial undertones and the touchy subject matter Billboards somehow in some way kicks you in the gut and warms your heart at the same time. Now fair warning this is an art-house style film so the ending. If you try to "solve" Three Billboards is to completely misunderstand what this movie is, or what it’s ultimately about. For one thing, the film doesn’t introduce one iota of evidence that any of these characters are guilty of the murder. It’s not a murder mystery or a whodunit. There are many things important to its plot and what it is as a film, and the identity of the murderer is not one of them. In fact, the very not-solving of the murder is perhaps the key to its ending.

4 out of 5 Stars