All Jammed Into One Entry

Not much time tonight. This is all I got!

SCOTLAND PA.-2002-Typical "indie" comedy-drama this time based on Shakespeare's Macbeth from first time director Billy Morrissette. It stars James LeGros (LIVING IN OBLIVION) and Maura Tierney (the director's wife). They plot murder and smoke a lot of cigerettes. Christopher Walken plays Lt. MacDuff.

MAY-2003-This very weird independent semi-horror movie features a great performance by Angela Bettis (she played the title role in the NBC TV re-make of CARRIE a little earlier) as a lonely assistant vet who's only looking for a friend. She stalks a guy she likes but he finds her a little too nutty. She's seduced by her lesbian co-worker and tries voulenteering to help blind kids (with disasterous results) but eventually she finds her only recourse is to "build" her own friend......

Also with Jeremy Sisto (WRONG TURN). Bettis later starred in Tobe Hooper's remake of THE TOOLBOX MURDERS.

KILLER ANGELS-(1989)-is a pretty neat martial arts action drama with three women known as "The Blue Angel Squad" battling a mob kingpin while also protecting an informer (named Jackie Chan!). There's lots of great fights, shootouts and oh yeah a little bit of storyline too.

BOWERY BLITZKRIEG-(1941)-is a typical comedy-drama featuring "The East Side Kids" (successor to "The Dead End KIds"). This time Muggs (Leo Gorcey) becomes a Golden Glove boxer and Danny (Bobby Jourdan) is involved with gangsters. Huntz Hall is Lumpy. Charlotte Henry (Bo-Beep in MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS with Laurel & Hardy) is Danny's sister. Warren Hull (who played the lead role in THE GREEN HORNET STRIKES BACK the same year) is her policeman-boyfriend. Keye Luke (who was Kato in the same Green Hornet serial) is a pool hall owner. Also with the other "gang" regulars "Sunshine" Sammy Morrison, David Gorcey and Donald Haines. Pat (brother of Lou) Costello has a small role as a trainer who faints at the sight of blood.

CAVALRY CHARGE-1951-In this stupid Technicolor movie (also known as THE LAST OUTPOST) future prez Ronald Reagan plays a Confederate officer during the Civil War. Apparently the makers of this film felt that The Union Army was a growing menace and had to be stopped by The Confederate Army and The American Indians (strangely a white man leads them!). No one mentions slavery.

Ron (who gives a very stiff performance) and his gang spend a lot of time trying to break Geronimo out of jail even though they admit he’s guilty of murder. Eventually The Indians are the ones who can’t be trusted and The Confederates wind up saving their Union enemies. One actor in this, Bruce Bennett was an Olympic shot putter who played the lead in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN (under his real name Herman Brix) in 1935. He later changed his name and appeared in many movies (like LOVE ME TENDER with Elvis and THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE with Beverly Garland & Lon Chaney). He died in Feb. 2008 at the age of 100!

CC also features Rhonda Fleming, Noah Beery Jr, and Hugh Beaumont (6 years before LEAVE IT TO BEAVER), Iron Eyes Cody and Burt Mustin.

Thanks for reading!