Born on the Fourth of July

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Born on the Fourth of July!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th July 2025

I couldn't resist.

Jokes aside, there is nothing funny about this: a biopic about Vietnam vet Ron Kovic, tracing his story from childhood to adulthood. We see him fighting in the conflict, becoming paralysed and confined to a wheelchair, coming home and struggling to readjust to a civilian life, pursuing hedonistic pleasures to zero satisfaction and eventually becoming an anti-war activist.

I have a feeling that if this movie was released today it would be written-off as Oscar Bait. It certainly ticks the boxes that are favoured by the Academy and it certainly goes a long way to humanise those who fought in a very unpopular war. But somehow, this movie still stands on it;s own feet purely through it's lead: Tom Cruise.
For a long time. Cruise was a punchline: so much so it is easy to forget that he was truly one of the finest actors of his day. And here he delivers quite possibly his best performance: He inhabits the role of Kovis delivering the fire and pathos necessary to effectively become Kovic. 

This story may sound like one told many times before - indeed Kovic's story is one that many Vietnam vets would have faced - but none could hit like this. 

When Harry Met Sally

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... When Harry Met Sally!

Original image located here. Accessed 14th February 2025

Well it's Valentine's Day so here's one I've been saving for such an occasion. 

Seems to me that this movie is remembered for three reasons: Firstly, it defined rom-coms for the next couple of decades. Secondly, it made Meg Ryan the go-to actress for rom-coms. And thirdly, the diner scene. But I however came to this movie to judge on it's own, without these three factors in play.

And honestly, it's still really funny. There are some great gags and some razor-sharp writing, exploring the mindset of both genders. And it's interesting to note that whereas this movie became a benchmark of rom-coms it doesn't really follow the tropes associated with the genre (as dictated by It Happened One Night) and is all the better for it. 

It's also nice to see Carrie Fisher in a non-Star Wars role. 

Roger and Me

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Roger and Me!

Original image located here. Accessed 31st March 2023

I have previously spoken of my following of Michael Moore over the years so here we are at his debut feature: his announcement to the rest of the world that he exists.
So what this documentary is Michael following the closing down of a General Motors factory in Flint Michigan and the chaos that follows: Unemployment, increased crime, people being evicted, and an aggressive indifference from the wealthy. All the while Michael is trying to get in touch with General Motors CEO Roger Smith to ask some questions.

Of course, as this is his first feature, there are some familiar tropes on Michael's part: Standing up for the down-trodden, challenging the wealthy and showing up unannounced at certain places only to be kicked out. But what I find striking is that how un-relentlessly bleak this movie is: One expects Michael to have some humour to go with his razor sharp points but I didn't find much to laugh about. And of course since this movie's release, the situation has seen little improvement.
Of course, you can complain about Michael's one sided approach but you can't say the end effect is a searing experience

License to Kill

And this week's Friday night movie has been... License to Kill!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th February 2022

Last year I was watching one James Bond movie per month. But this one slipped through the net - so consider this the one that was originally intended for October (before I remembered that that particular month is reserved for horror movies).
Anywho, this was Dalton's second and final stab at the role. I know this movie isn't recognized as one of the best in the franchise - indeed it is often regarded as one of the most dour efforts - but I have to admit: I found a lot to admire here.

As mentioned previously, as the James Bond franchise has a reputation for being formulaic, I will welcome any effort that makes the effort to break it. So we have Bond going on a personal mission, a Bond girl who's packing, Q as a field agent and a second Bond girl who doesn't get killed off. Also special mention just go to the tanker chase - apparently it was the most dangerous stunt the series has ever filmed and i don't doubt it.
So is this as dour as it's reputation suggests? Well again, I welcome the break from formula. But if anything, this is closest we will ever get to what Dalton had in mind for the character - compared to Living Daylights which is more a remnant from the Moore era. So it's a shame he didn't do more

The Abyss

And this week's Friday night movie has been....The Abyss!

Original image located here. Accessed 30th August 2019

Apparently director James Cameron is real keen on underwater exploration....
Okay, seriously: I've been wanting to see this movie ever since 1989 (!) when I first saw the advertising poster and thought it is ominous enough to grab my interest. An interest, it would seem, has not waned over the course of three decades...

I do enjoy James Cameron movies and this one didn't disappoint. There's the action and special effects I have come to expect from him but what marks this movie as special is the build up. There's tension, some brilliant photography, and an atmosphere that will make more modern movies green with envy. And the movie has indeed aged well when compared to other movies of the era.

Not much else i can say is that who would've guessed thirty years would be worth the wait?
(of course I've had longer waits to see certain movies but still...)

Say Anything

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Say Anything!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th June 2018

Being a thirty something, I have no place assessing teen-movies - largely because I ceased being a teen a long time ago. But I will give props to any movie that attempts to portray teenagers as....well....teenagers. And this is one of those movies that succeeds in that goal. So yeah, I enjoyed this one. It's also interesting to note that this movie came out the same decade as The Breakfast Club - which also succeeded in showing teenagers be teenagers. Both movies succeed in this goal so much whereas a lot of teen movies that have followed in their wake have failed. Kinda makes you wonder what happened there....

It may be easy to dismiss a twenty-nine year old movie through the lens of the present and say it's all about stalking. But I never got that vibe. If anything, it's more showing teens going through the ups and downs of romance and finding a future career - and seeing if someone else fits into the future one is building.
However in the wake of the world-changing MeToo movement, I have to admit that it would be interesting to see how this kind of movie (guy who genuinely wants a r/ship trying to win woman over) would be made today.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th February 2017

Once again this is a case of me seeing the sequel before it's predecessor: I saw Bogus Journey years ago when I was a kid but it is only now I've seen this, the original movie.

I have fond memories of Bogus Journey but maybe that's through the eyes of youth. That being said, I did enjoy Excellent Adventure through an adult perspective but I have to wonder what the younger me would have thought of it. Still, this movie made me laugh so it succeeded as a comedy - and, seeing as we all live in a tribal society, perhaps there is value in 'Being Excellent to each other'
Oh and Keanu Reeves should play more stoners - he seems to be really good at doing that XD