Have You Ever Seen

Since it's Memorial Day, I'm tipping a cap to veterans. And I've got another doubleheader in episode #741, with the bulk of the show devoted to Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (where American soldiers battle Somalis in 1993 Mogadishu), then there's a short bit at the end about William Wellman's Battleground (where American grunts take on the Nazis during the Battle Of The Bulge in WWII). Both films won technical Oscars and are intense, apolitical war stories. Appropriate for Heroes Month, you just fight for your fellow soldiers. Black Hawk Down stars the likes of Hartnett and McGregor, but we've also got well-known character actors like Sizemore, Fichtner and Shepard...not to mention up-and-comers like Bloom, Hardy and a super-cool Bana. So look out for your buddy as I talk about movies set in the Moag and Bastogne.
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The ongoing effort to review long-ago movie stars has me talking about the dashing Tyrone Power and the beautiful Linda Darnell in The Mark Of Zorro. Gail Sondergaard and Basil Rathbone also have key roles in Rouben Mamoulian's 1940 flick. The Mexican man in black shares ties with Robin Hood and Batman, as the Z Man risks his life to rip off the rich to help out the poor. For an action movie, it's pretty muted, but it IS a good time. Then I talked for a bit about Hopalong Cassidy. The conflict is over cattle and territory, which is similar to the storyline in the 1956 Lone Ranger. Hothead Jimmy Ellison wants to fight the whole world while William Boyd kicked off a career playing the title character dozens of more times. "You're alright, kid", so put on a face covering that changes depending on your mood and settle in for this 740th podcast on Have You Ever Seen as I rattle teeth about The Mark Of Zorro and Hopalong Cassidy.
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Call me Snake. Okay, well, that's too cool for me, so just make it Ryan. Either way, this 739th episode gets into the night life and action frenzy that is John Carpenter's Escape From New York. Kurt Russell was already establishing himself as something more than just a Disney kid, then his signature role here cemented it. The eclectic Van Cleef/Borgnine/Harry Dean supporting cast surrounding Russell is effective, but the production design, cinematography, music and other technicals in this dystopian sci-fi bleakness are the drawing card. Carpenter was cynical, yet so underrated in his time...even compared to a top-of-his-game Spielberg in that same era. Now, is Escape From New York funny? Maybe not (partly since it feels like this could actually happen), but it IS fun. So, even though everybody thinks you're dead, burst into the open-air prison that is Manhattan and save the president and his precious cassette tape. Cuz the name's Ellis.
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In anticipation of the theatrical re-release of Top Gun later this week, this 738th episode has me yapping about Tony Scott's blockbuster that put him on the map and made Tom Cruise a megastar. The one about cocky naval aviators is big, loud and very sweaty. You've got sleek jets, cool, sexy men (and also SOME women like Kelly McGillis)...and a killer soundtrack. The fly boys (including Val Kilmer & Anthony Edwards) also play topless volleyball and spend a lot of time in towels. Naturally, the megahit sequel Top Gun: Maverick came up a lot in this review, since it played off the themes of rebellion, adrenaline and guilt the way that the original did. So caress your plaque that says you won a contest and put on your aviator glasses with a big smile on your face as I feel a certain need for a certain velocity while speaking about Tommy And The Jets.
NOTE: a breakdown of all the Oscar nominations in Tony Scott's entire filmography will be the "So I Got Thinkin'" segment in Friday's episode about Escape From New York. Also, during the Coming Attractions Trivia question for that, it should have been Kurt Russell sometimes did "impressions" of other actors, not "inspirations." Oh, and I didn't choose the "E" rating for this episode. Either A.I. did it or the provider...or something. The only objectionable word is the "S" word they say a lot in Top Gun, so if that doesn't bother you, then shrug off that "E" rating.
Help boost this show by spreading propaganda about it like Top Gun did for the navy. You can rate it 5 stars, review it with heaping doses of praise and you can certainly add to my subscription numbers. Email ([email protected]), Twitter (@moviefiend51), Bluesky (ryan-ellis) and Letterboxd (RyanHYES).

Even though it's Star Wars Day, someone else can talk about Luke & Leia. What I have is a  super-long episode about much-older movies: the 1932 Tarzan & the 1924 Pan. Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan star in an exciting, sexy, action-adventure story. They worked with lions and hippos and crocs (and actors in animal suits) and it's all convincingly done, especially since none of the principal photography was actually in Africa. Then I talked about the boy who just refuses to age. Betty Bronson's Peter is going to stay in Never(Never)Land forever and ever (and ever)...even if Ernest Torrence's Captain Hook is gunning for his insouciant head. The film is well-made and the acting is not bad either, even if the concept is remarkably mockable. So check out my monlogues about some more good (and sometimes bad) guys here in Heroes Month in this 737th episode: Tarzan The Ape Man and Peter Pan.
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