Rocknrolla

Saw Guy Ritchie’s newest last nite at the Toronto International Film Festival.

FANTASTIC movie! Definitely his best, IMHO. Dark and shady, as with all Ritchie’s work, but with humour at every turn. I don’t think I have laughed so hard at any comedy I have ever seen. Mark Strong is at his steely best, and Toby Kebbell as Johnny Quid was great, though it did take me a bit to warm to him. By the end of the flick he was the scene-stealer. Gerard Butler’s petty criminal One-Two is brilliantly tough, funny and slightly befuddled. His best mate Mumbles (Idris Elba) was the strong, fairly silent type, while the situation with his other sidekick, Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy), definitely provided some of the most hilarious scenes. Thandie Newton’s Stella was elegant, beautiful and unapproachable – the kind of role she does so well. Jeremy Piven and Ludacris played American nightclub owners who ended up involved, and very much over their heads. I can’t think of anyone in it whose performance was lacking.

As with all Ritchie films you kind of knew that all things would come around to bite folks in the ass – and Gerard’s ass was a pretty thing to see, LOL – at least once (sometimes more). Some comeuppances were satisfying (after all Lennie’s ranting spew-ups, it was satisfying to see golf game), while others – like the aftermath of the second robbery – were equally violent and hilarious.

Can you guess that I loved it! Can’t wait to see it again and am already putting money aside so that I can add the DVD to my collection.

Got pics of Gerard Butler, Jeremy Piven, Thandie Newton, Ludacris, Guy Ritchie, and others in the movie if you want to see.

Tonite it is the Festival Cup hockey game. Pro hockey players and celebs on ice. I was hoping my beloved Eddie Cahill would be playing but sadly, no. Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) is the reason my pal insisted we go; I’ll have to settle for Tim Robbins.

Eddie’s movie is up on Monday (also Tuesday and silly me I got tickets for both nights. Do not want to miss him), so will post more pics then.

TV and Movies… going old school

Recently I was out with a pal and we were scoping out the cheap movie bins at a music store when I gave a shriek of joy. A movie I had seen and loved was there – “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension”. I remember seeing it for the first time at a revival theatre while in university; a double bill with the orginal “Highlander” – which made total sense because Clancy Brown played Rawhide in Buckaroo and then Kurgan in Highlander. The movies that made me fall for Clancy…

The movie is, for many, a cult classic and if you haven’t seen it, I suggest you do. It is campy, trashy sci-fi fun. John Lithgow is at his most wacky mad scientist-ness, and Jeff Goldblum in full cowboy regalia… hilarious! Watching it again I was astounded to see so many now-famous faces.

If only we had men like Rawhide and Perfect Tommy in the world… oh and Buckaroo too.

Seeing this movie got me all nostalgic… a bad thing for my pocketbook (talk about nostalgic… does anyone ever call their wallet that any more? LOL). I was searching around on Amazon and found another blast from the past: HR PufnStuf.

This was also way before my time, but they played it on Saturday morning reruns when I was a kid. That, Rocket Robin Hood and Bugs Bunny. Okay, so there were other stuff but frankly I do not feel at all nostalgic for Power Rangers (other than the fact that Archie Kao was in it and is now on CSI) or Teenage Turtles (bleagh!).

PufnStuf predates the Muppets, and was obviously where McDonalds got the Hamburglar idea from. It is so 60s camp it was hilarious. Or at least that is how I remember it; the DVDs just arrived and I’ll be spending the weekend watching them.

Speaking of TV shows from the past, if someone out there is listening there is a TV series I DESPARATELY want to see come out on DVD: Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. This show was even listed in EW’s list of TV shows they wanted on DVD! I mention it to lots of my friends and they all say the same thing: I want it too! So for the love all that is holy: someone out there release it! Please!!!!