50x3: Flakes (J-1)

As I was watching this movie I immediately thought two things: 1) Why is this not a thing? 2) Since it is not a thing, why can't I make this happen?

For Jessica's first film on the list I watched Flakes. I had never heard of this film, nor did I have any idea what it was about. I didn't even know who was in it except Zooey Deschanel - and that was only because she was on the cover of the poster.

So, the film stars Aaron Stanford as Neal Downs, a struggling musician who works at a local 'restaurant' named Flakes. It is owned by an old hippie stoner, Willie (Christopher Lloyd).

The 'restaurant' is actually just a little place that serves bowls of cereal. What an amazing premise. Who doesn't love cereal? I mean I can eat it at pretty much any meal, or just grab it as a snack - with or without milk.

This place is a Cheers-esque place where they have a certain repeat clientele - and sort of created their own little niche in the area. They brought in special cereal from all over, and worked at getting some brands that were even discontinued.

Deschanel plays Pussy Katz, Downs' girlfriend. She is pretty much a struggling artist, who really encourages Downs to get back into the studio and finish his album - which would mean taking time off at the restaurant. He promises to take some time off to finish it, but stuff continues to come up and he never does it.

One afternoon, Stuart (Keir O'Donnell) comes into the restaurant and sees a moneymaking opportunity and asks Downs if he would like to franchise the place. Downs and Willie are both pretty anti-big business and toss Stuart out.

But, not long after a place just like Flakes opens across the street - and to his surprise is run by Stuart. As the two restaurants begin to fight for customers - Downs decides to stay on board and not take the time off to work on his album. This angers Pussy, and to hurt him in a way she takes a job for the rival restaurant.

So, Downs now has three things going on - save the original Flakes restaurant, finish his album and make peace with his girlfriend.

Very surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. I pretty much like most Deschanel films, and adding a little Christopher Lloyd to the mix only enhances that. I wasn't familiar with many of the other actors, but they all did extremely well.

A small, odd film about cereal - it's amazing how such as simple premise could be so enjoyable.

Grade:

29/50x2: Eight Men Out

I had heard about this scandal for years, and it is sort of depicted in a small way in Field of Dreams but here we get an entire movie about it.

Warning: Filled with spoilers, obviously.

In 1919 the Chicago White Sox were quite possibly the greatest baseball team ever assembled, especially at that point in time. Eight Men Out shows that some of the players on the team agree to fix the World Series of that year and allow the Cincinnati Reds to win in order to make extra money.

The team is owned by Charles Comiskey (Clifton James), who is notoriously cheap when it comes to his players and rewarding them for their strong play. A few gambling men, Arnold Rothstein (Michael Lerner) and Bill Burns (Christopher Lloyd), agree to pay a few of the players more than they would make if they won the World Series to throw it - and thus the fix was in.

Star, but aging, pitcher Eddie Cicotte (David Stratharn) agrees to the fix and, although he had won 29 games during the year, loses his first two starts of the World Series. Other players like Lefty Williams (James Read), Swede Risberg (Don Harvey), Hap Felsch (Charlie Sheen) and Chick Gandil (Michael Rooker) are also along with the fix.

Cicotte's mind was easily made up after he was benched for rest the final two weeks of the season upon winning his 29th game. Cicotte had a clause in his contract that would have awarded him $10,000 if he won 30 games, but Comiskey ordered him to sit and thus allowing him not to pay Cicotte the bonus.

But, eight men in all are said to be included in the scam, including Buck Weaver (John Cusack) and Shoeless Joe Jackson (D.B. Sweeney). The White Sox lose the series to the Reds, five game to three, and at the conclusion the newspaper reveals that the series may not have been played on the level - thus beginning a search of the team and an eventual trial.

Players Williams and Cicotte sign confessions, and Jackson signs one as well despite not knowing what he was signing due to his inability to read. Weaver, however, maintains that he was never in on the fix and all of the players fight the accusations.

Though found not guilty the eight players are banned from ever playing professional baseball again. Weaver, though, continued to fight for his reinstatement up to his death in 1956.

This was an interesting telling of the story, one that obviously has many different points and sides to it. This story points to Comiskey as the villain - and we all know that despite their large salaries the real money makers in professional sports continue to be the owners.

The story mostly focuses on Weaver and Cicotte with a bit of Jackson and his homelife thrown in as well. The others that are part of the scandal are mostly window dressing, though we see players like Gandil being one of the main ringleaders.

I am not 100 percent sure how accurate the portrayals are of the athletes, but I found it interesting that Jackson was unable to read and really played up to be a simple person who really just loved playing baseball and that was all that he knew - and because of that was taken advantage of in situations.

It was a very fascinating depiction, though we don't really get an answer to the tale - but that isn't the filmmakers fault, because honestly there is no true answer. We do know that some of the players were in on the fix, but how many and who will always be a mystery.

Grade:

28/50: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

I really have a hard time watching films that are older for the first time and actually liking them as much as a should. The quality just isn't there anymore and it really just feels old.

However, with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, I really had issue with the fact that it was released in 1975.

R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is a convict that is sent to a mental institution, despite the warden of the place believing that McMurphy is faking. While there, he befriends all of the other patients, and soon realizes that they are being treated unfairly.

He begins to teach them a few different things, like gambling and watching the World Series. He even breaks them out for a day on the lake fishing.

The main problem with the hospital is its staff, led by Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). One of the worst villains in cinema history (even voted that by AFI). Her villainy is more mental than physical, but she is truly heinous. She treats the patients horribly - and won't let them enjoy anything.

A few other bright spots were spotting Christopher Lloyd as a patient named Taber. And, once the film ended, finding out that the person playing Martini was Danny DeVito. I honestly had no clue that he was in the film, and had to go back to see who he was. I was astonished.

Anyway, the ending was horrible - and not horrible as in I hated it, but just hard to take. I won't divulge too much in case someone hasn't seen it.

Either way, I loved the film. A great performance by Nicholson - even though he was supposed to be over the time, I don't think he felt over the top.

Grade:

LWITM: Angels in the Outfield

Every so often when I am strapped for something to write about, I like to dive deep into an older movie, perhaps one someone has seen in awhile, and see just how many talented actors were in that movie.

Perhaps some of these actors just had a bit part in this movie, it was before they hit it big. So, I have come up with the LWITM (Look Who's In That Movie) Series.

This is my fifth entry, and this time I have chosen the Disney film Angels in the Outfield.

The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt of Third Rock From the Sun fame. Gordon-Levitt has become a pretty large star as of late, and been in some pretty high-praised films. In this movie, he is known as Roger, a foster child who was told by his father that they will be together again when the lowly Angels win the baseball pennant.

So, Roger prays for the Angels to win so he and his father can be reunited.

Along comes 'AL' (played by Christopher Lloyd) to help things along. And all heck breaks loose, as the Angels begin to play well thanks to a little help from a handful of angels.

Also starring in the film is Danny Glover as the Angels' manager George Knox and Brenda Fricker is Roger's foster mother Maggie.

The team, however, is where a lot of now-famous actors are hidden. The most notable at the time was Tony Danza, who starred as a washed-up pitcher named Mel Clark, who gets rejuvenated and helps lead the Angels to the title.

But, if you look deeper you'll also see Ben Williams in center field being played by Matthew McConaughey. Utility infielder Danny Hemmerling, just so happens to be future Oscar winner Adrien Brody. William Bass, another pitcher on the team, is talented actor Neal McDonough. Not as well known, but seen in a lot of movies/television shows is catcher Triscuitt Messmer, played by Tony Longo.

In a very brief part is Dermot Mulroney, who plays Roger's father. Another actor who is seen in a lot of different parts through movies and television is Taylor Negron, who plays David Montagne, Knox's assistant. Finally, Ranch Wilder, the voice of the Angels, is played by Jay O. Johnson.

It's pretty amazing to see now, especially the McConaughey, Brody and McDonough parts. Neither of the parts in the movie was really a large part, in fact out of the three, McDonough probably had the larger roll - and it is so different then the parts he is playing now.

Well, there you have it the fifth installment of LWITM. Hope you enjoyed it.