Muppet Treasure Island

And this weeks Friday night movie has been.... Muppet Treasure Island!

Original image located here. Accessed 28th August 2026

I've been meaning to see this for years and given the recent passing of Tim Curry, now is a good a time as any. 

But yeah, there's not much to say: It's the Muppets taking on a literacy classic. It has random humour. It has the anarchic spirit that has defined the Muppets. It clearly has a larger budget which isn't surprising given Disney's involvement. It has a sterling human cast. But most of all, it has Tim Curry hamming it up and clearly enjoying every minute of it. 

Career Opportunities

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Career Opportunities!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th July 2026

I think it's fair to say that this movie exists purely because of Jennifer Connelly. Indeed, if people know this movie it's because they've seen the footage of Connelly on the coin-operated horse.
But is there more to it than that? I mean it has John Huston's name as writer so it has to be good, right? Surely this movie has a reason to exist other than Connelly looking stunning?

Probably not. 

Okay seriously, this movie was many things: aimless, obnoxious, amateurish. And yet at the same time it was strangely goofy and our two leads made an oddly compelling duo. Yeah it wasn't great but hey I've seen worse. 

And lets face it: if it wasn't for Connelly, no one would care for this movie.

Malcolm X

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Malcolm X!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th June 2026

Surprisingly I haven't seen any of the filmography of one Spike Lee. The immediate impression is that he is a black movie director making movies for a black audience - which subsequently places me in a considerable disadvantage. 
Still I've been meaning to watch this as a) I seen Denzel Washington in numerous movies and he never disappoints, b) I am curious to find out more about a historical figure that I have heard a lot about but only in name and c) I am willing to consider a perspective different from my own.

But what does it matter? Turns out this movie was something unexpected: A biopic that transcends it's intent and becomes something more epic. I mean it worked for Lawrence of Arabia...
Seriously though, this is very effective as a character study, taking us through Malcolm's life, highlighting key points and showing his passion for civil rights. His speeches, teachings and white-hot rage (pun unintended) are all incorporated and even moments when his views are challenged (i.e. his pilgrimage to Mecca and what happens afterward) are included. Indeed, even if the widely-known image of Malcolm X is one of anger, this movie does indeed go to great lengths to show there was a humanity tied to him. 
When one watches a biopic, one gets the feeling that they are watching a propaganda piece but I never got that that with this movie - which means it did it's job better then anyone could've hoped for. 

Funny thing: I did find the first hour a bit of a mess but it really got more focused once Malcolm went to prison, had a religious revelation and began heading on his path of being a civil rights activist. But having typed that sentence out, it would appear that that was the point....

Kundun

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

Original image located here. Accessed 15th May 2026

Over the years I have been slowly getting more acquainted with the oeuvre of Martin Scorsese. So let's take a look perhaps his most unique movie: A biopic on the life of the 14th Dalai Lama. 

Watching this movie I can't help but think of The Last Emperor. Sure such a declaration will be unfair to this movie but it isn't hard to imagine this movie looking over The Last Emperor's shoulder and taking notes. Both follow the pattern of a boy thrust into a position of power, not knowing quite how to handle it, and how it effects him into adulthood. 

Still this is still pretty good and quite an effective turn from someone who built their career from making New York crime dramas. But this isn't just Scorsese's show: he is backed with the staggering visuals of cinematographer Roger Deakins, the evocative score of Philip Glass and the editing of Thelma Schoonmaker. All four are bringing their A-game and the result is a truly a stunning movie. 
It's just a shame that the weak point of this movie is the narrative: It seems disjointed & plodding at times and proves to be quite the Achilles heel.

Nevertheless, this is an impressive movie and certainly a stand-out in Scorsese's filmography. 

The Cable Guy

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

Original image located here. Accessed 30th January 2026

I remember when this movie came out. At the time, Jim Carrey was making a name for himself for his brand of manic comedy and scoring hit after hit. So this took a lot of people by surprise: In this Jim was less funny and more strange & even threatening. Similarly, I recall some confusion as to whether or not it was a comedy at all. 
But it seems that this movie has recently enjoyed some of a reassessment: As often the case, people have come around to it, citing it's the best performance of Carrey's career and first indication that he can do more than comedy - and the man himself seems quite proud of it. In any case, it sounds like a challenge to me. 

From the outset, there are some amusing moments and some overlooked social commentary (more on that later). And whilst Carrey does provide his usual goofball shtick here he certainly comes across as both weird and sinister. 
However it doesn't take long before the criticisms about this movie start rearing their head: It's too weird, it's too dark and Carrey is unsettling in more ways than one. Certainly such criticisms are difficult to miss so the question: was this really a comedy?
I will admit that certainly the setup works as a comedy: Some guy forces their way into another guy's life and disrupts it entirely. And the titular Cable Guy is shown to be obsessed with TV, is of a very strange disposition and clearly has no sense of boundaries. Sure that sounds no different to today where we have countless people spending far too long on the internet and far too little working on one's social skills but did it hit differently back in 1996? Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if someone made the case that Carrey' character is on the ASD.
But that above question still persists: Is it a comedy at all? Sure there is some potential in the setup that the socially maladjusted guy you know could do something like this but, as the movie proves, it can easily head into thriller territory. And this movie, particularly in the second half, proves quite effective as a thriller. 

But whatever this movie is, it exists on it's own terms. It may not always work but when it does, it does it well. 

Hercules Returns

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Hercules Returns!

Original image located here. Accessed 21st November 2025

Here's another movie that has been on my radar for years but is only now being addressed. It's an Australian movie form the early nineties that has now been forgotten. But I have been meaning to watch this due to it having been written by one Des Mangan (the one-time host of the SBS Cult Movie and who made dry-wit into an art form). 

So what this movie tells is the story of a guy who takes over a run-down theatre with plans to open it back up. He obtains a movie to screen as a movie but finds it's all in Italian. So he, along with his staff, dub over it. So what this movie is is twenty minutes of original footage and one hour of footage from an Italian movie called Samson and His Mighty Challenge accompanied by funny voices. 

In short, this movie is it's own Abridged series. 

And who am I kidding? It's hilarious to watch with lots of gags and lunacy coming from the most mismatched visuals and dialogue. There's some great lines and some genuinely-laugh-out-loud moments. Furthermore, this is clearly the vision of someone who has a passion for cinema and a substantial knowledge of lesser known movies. 
All in all, a fun watch. 

The Straight Story

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

Original image located here. Accessed 6th June 2025

Once again, I face down a movie that I have been wanting to see for a long time. I suppose the recent passing of director David Lynch is as good a time as any.
Funnily enough, I hadn't seen any David Lynch movies but I knew of his works through reputation: Surrealist imagery, eccentric characters and an interest in dreamlike states. And he also made Mulholland Drive which baffled my father so much, I heard about it for weeks afterwards.
So it is unsurprising that my first David Lynch movie would be the one that has the reputation of being his most conventional one. Furthermore, the story of Alvin Straight and his journey of travelling a 390 kilometre journey atop a ride-on lawnmower sounds like one that would make for an interesting movie. 

For someone who is unfamiliar with Lynch's work, I can still tell that this is a breed apart from his oeuvre: None of the tropes I mentioned in the previous paragraph are present here. Instead, this is an empathetic look at Alvin and the journey he takes. We see the people he meets and interacts with on the way and we gain insight into his way of thinking, built up through years of experience. And we learn his belief in family. 
It may sound dull but it is absorbing, largely due to Lynch's directing and the committed performance of the late great Richard Farnsworth. Whatever gamble this movie may have initially appeared to be, ultimately paid off. 
Sometimes the most compelling movies can be the most deceptive, you know?

Tarzan

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

Original image located here. Accessed 18th April 2025

I never saw Tarzan - or Mulan for that matter - when it was originally in theatres. At that time I was in college and my interests were being directed elsewhere. Furthermore to watch a Disney animated film back then was, in my mind, dismissed as 'kid's stuff'. 
But now, I'm an adult and I see no reason to care any more - especially as I continue to lurch through middle age. In addition, I have heard some good things about Tarzan so maybe it's time to give this a look with fresh eyes. 

So does this count among the Disney Renaissance? I have spoken previously about the post-Renaissance years, which is now recognised as the Experimental years, but is there an overlap between the two? Indeed, one could make the argument that the Experimental years began post-Lion King as those have not had the widespread recognition comparable to Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast/Aladdin/Lion King.

All right, enough delaying: This movie was fantastic. It wasn't just the astonishing animation, but a lot of stand out moments: The soundtrack courtesy of one Phil Collins. The theme of family. The gorgeous artwork. But the real star is Jane: She was a great character in her expressive, adorkable, probably-inspired-by-Jane-Goodall glory - helped immeasurably by the voice acting of Minnie Driver. And seeing her relationship with Tarzan progress is one worth following. 

I have heard that Tarzan himself functions as an analogy for people with Autism. Certainly I can see it and yes it does seem plausible, what with him being socially awkward and how he is treated by the people around him. Having said that, maybe I should've watched this during it's original theatre run as it could've helped...

Anywho, this was great stuff and yes, I think this could easily stand amongst Disney's best.

The Addams Family

This afternoon I saw the Addams Family. 

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Granted I have already seen it before but consider this 2024's Halloween movie.

Even now this movie is still pretty funny. Yes there are some that will complain that there is little to no plot to speak of but the acting and the jokes are right on target ("But I didn't hate my mother! It was an accident!!"). 

It seems that in recent years Gomez and Morticia seem to be held up as the ideal couple - can you argue given that Raul Julia and Angelica Houston are going above and beyond to their commitment to these roles. And the one-liners are still funny and I'm still seeing new visual gags I missed the first time around.

Ife you told me that this movie was the genesis of the goth subculture I wouldn't doubt it.

Out of Sight

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Out of Sight!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th September 2023 

I recall when this movie was released: It wasn't a major box office hit but it did make some headway in proving George Clooney could successfully make the transition from TV to move star.

Personally I feel that this movie deceived me: I went in expecting to see an action movie - with a title like that one would expect a movie with a whole load of car chases - but what I got was more akin to a slow burner. There's a lot of talking and some shots that come across as well constructed (and admittedly wouldn't have been out of place in a Stanley Kubrick movie). There is humour to be sure and a lot of small moments that ultimately add up to a substantial package. 

So yeah, not what I was expecting but there was much to enjoy

Sister Act 2

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Sister Act 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 21st July 2023

Well I watched the first one so I may as well watch the second one. That and Kiera decided that we both watch this one.

I do recall this movie, as is often the case, not living up to the success of it's predecessor. Yet at the same time there seems to something of a recent reappraisal of this movie, citing a diverse cast as one of it's strong points. 

Watching the movie now, I will admit that yes: the class that Dolores teaches is indeed diverse and shows the kind that puts a lot of more recent movies to shame. However, in doing so one can't help but notice that Dolores has a lesser role in the movie. Indeed, ones get the feeling this was a movie about a teacher handling a class from the rough side of the tracks (Dangerous Minds anyone?) but it was only made when the characters from the first Sister Act movie were added. Which is a shame as I found the end result as going against the grain of what made the first movie work: The laughs are fewer, the themes of the stodginess of nuns has nowhere left to go and the crime-world sub-plot is sorely missed.

Not bad but I have the feeling it could've been better....

Sister Act

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Sister Act!

Original image located here. Accessed 14th July 2023

I recall this movie being a huge hit in the early nineties and it being instrumental in making Whoopi Goldberg a huge star. Personally I have only seen bits and pieces of it but have never sat all the way through it. Little did I know that Kiera had plans for me...

Watching it now, what strikes me is that the strength of this movie is not the murder plot, nor the humour (I will admit however the Catholic joke got a good laugh out of me), nor the general premise of poking fun at the stodginess of nuns. No, the strength of this movie is the musical numbers. They are snappy and there is some solid singing involved - indeed one could make the case this movie is an ancestor of the Pitch Perfect movies.
And that's enough for me

Man Bites Dog

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Man Bites Dog (C'est arrivé près de chez vous)!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th March 2023

We got a challenge and a half here: A Belgian movie from the early nineties that has the reputation of being one of the most controversial movies ever made. If you, the person reading this, haven't heard of it then it's for a very good reason.
Well, I've seen movies in my time and I have certainly seen some unsettling stuff in my time, so there will be nothing left that some truly disturb me, right?

So what this movie is is the product of a group of movie fans: It tells the story of a film crew that follows a serial killer around as he.....does things.
Naturally, this is an amateur production and it shows: It is black and white, is cheaply shot and is relying on a strength of ideas.
Needless to say, it should come to no surprise that there is a lot of violence, black humour and obviously exists to provoke and challenge the audience.
Yet at the same time, this was a slog to get through. The mood was grim, the jokes are few and far between (at least for me) and the lead character isn't really likeable (although one gets the impression that was precisely the point). I mentioned above that i have seen some unsettling material in my time but this is less that and more dull. I should also point out that I was watching an edited version where the most nastiest moment was cut out (mercifully?)
It should be noted that this movie came out in 1992 - the same year that Quentin Tarantino announced himself to the world with Reservoir Dogs. I mention this becuase both that and this movie seem to share the same DNA. The difference is that Man Bites Dog comes across as Reservoir Dogs' dour goth cousin - but alas such a description sounds far more compelling than the actual movie.
Damn...

Hoop Dreams

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Hoop Dreams!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th January 2023

Sports movies are not one of my favourite genres. Because to me they are seem so formulaic. Seriously, you see one 'Struggling team of no-hopers guided by equally troubled coach achieve against-the-odds success' movie you've seen them all. And when formula is involved, as is often the case, it can be difficult to break away from.
But I will give props to any movie that attempts to do so. So what we have here is a (very long) documentary that follows two kids, who are keen on basketball, trying to make their passion work for them.

Over the course of the documentary we follow the kids, William Gates and Arthur Agee, go from playing basketball in school to doing what it takes to make the NBA tryouts. Along the way, they face challenges such as poverty, injuries, race, getting an education, troubled family lives, finding employment, and staking a lot on eventual success.
Personally whilst my knowledge of basketball may be very limited, I have to admit that the sport itself isn't really the focus here: It's about two kids trying to achieve success despite a whole range of obstacles coming at them. It really showcases what it means to have a dream and the blood, sweat and tears that are involved to make them happen. And to that end the movie succeeds.
Guess it is possible to break the formula.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Muppet Christmas Carol!

Original image located here. Accessed 23th December 2022

Yeah I've already seen this one but it still ranks as my favourite interpretation of Charles Dickens' tale. That may sound absurd but I stand by it because:
a) Muppets are awesome
b) it retains Dickens' prose via Gonzo (as crazy as that sentence reads)
c) Michael Caine gives his all and is magnificent, proving that his insistence on doing it seriously paid off incredibly
d) It actually shows Scrooge learning from what the Spirits showed him
e) It has the scariest Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

So yeah, I may have seen this before (multiple times in fact) but it never gets old and it has never been ravaged by the passage of time, 

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Miracle on 34th Street (1994)!

Original image located here. Accessed 16th December 2022

Back in 2019, I saw the 1947 original. So why not watch the update?
I suppose it will be inevitable that comparisons will be made between the two. But I am willing to give this film a chance and allow it to stand up on it's own two feet.

That being said, one change made is the sub-plot the makers added with Bryan and Dorey. And in all honesty it didn't do that much for me. But what DID work for me is Richard Attenborough's performance as Kris Kringle. The man owns every scene he is in and gives the role plenty of gravitas. Indeed, you could make the argument that he is exactly how one expects Santa Claus to act.
I will also admit that, compared to the original, the winning argument is handled more successfully. So one-up to the remake.
So yeah, not a bad movie

Her Majesty Mrs Brown

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Her Majesty Mrs Brown!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd December 2022

Anyone heard of this? It's a movie from the late-nineties that I've been waiting to see for a very long time. Because at first glance this shows a tonne of promise: A film about the bond between Queen Victoria and her Scottish servant John Brown? Well that's something different. And the cast: Judi Dench (who never disappoints), Billy Connolly (doing one of his serious roles), Antony Sher, Geoffrey Palmer, and Gerard Butler (in his film debut). And we have director John Madden? Well I'm sold.

It should be noted that I knew of Madden through the wonderful Shakespeare in Love (and I am more than prepared to die on that hill) and a lot of his skills are at work here: The handling his cast and the use of humour is great. The bond between the two leads is built up well and while John may have potential as a Manic Pixie Dream......Jack there is enough to him to be more than that. And whilst Dench is fantastic as always, the real treat is watching Connelly taking on a serious role.
So yeah, a lot of talent on both sides of the camera makes for a superb movie

The Thief and the Cobbler: The Re-cobbled Cut

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Thief and the Cobbler: The Re-cobbled Cut!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2022

Some background: In the 1960s animator Richard Williams commenced work on an animated film that would later be dubbed The Thief and the Cobbler. Williams would then spend the next twenty eight years (!) working on it. And in that time, he would make a herculean effort into the quality of animation, he would keep adding bigger and grander ideas, would see backers come in & out and miss multiple deadlines. Eventually, Williams would lose control of his work to liquidators and the film would be completed under different hands, becoming two separate films: The Princess and the Cobbler and Arabian Knight.
But it didn't stop one dedicated fan, Garrett Gilchrist, to make a fan edit of the movie using what resources they had.
Now with this series there is one concrete rule: I must watch a movie I haven't seen all the way through. However fan-edits can represent something of a loophole. But in any case, this edit has quite the story behind it and is enough to grab my interest.

In the terms of fan edits, this is impressive: Using what animated footage he could find, Garrett put it all together with the support of those who worked on the original and incorporated test footage and work prints into the edit. Some footage was even corrected of animation errors. Impressive? Yes. A staggering amount of effort? Of course. But is the finished product any good?

Given so much time was spent on the animation, it should come to no surprise that it is of very high quality. The artwork is very beautiful, boasting an arresting art direction and an extraordinary sense of movement that leaves more recent animation for dead. If Williams wanted to make this movie to show what animation can do then I don't doubt it.
But unfortunately that's all there is. The plot is all over the place, there is a lot of random scenes and some sequences just simply drag on. Sure there is style but no much in the way of substance.
Still this film exists as a monument to animation and what a dedicated fan can accomplish. So I will give it that

Persuasion

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Persuasion (1995)!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th August 2022

So there's a new adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion doing the rounds on Netflix - one that has a lot of Austen fans up in arms.
I find this of interest as Persuasion was the first Austen novel I ever read: It was for Uni back in 2000. So the anger over this new adaptation got me thinking: Has there ever been a good adaptation of Persuasion?
Apparently there has: It was a BBC production dating back to the mind-nineties. And that sounds like a challenge to me...

I suppose it is fitting that this came out the same year as the BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice (the one with Colin Firth in it) as that adaptation will forever be the gold-standard of Austen adaptations. Therefore it would be easy to see this one mining the same audience.
Still, it is a BBC production so it has what one expects: Devotion to the source material, beautiful photography and great production. The themes are still in place and, much like the source material, it does offer itself as an alternative to the afore-mentioend P+P. Granted I haven't seen any adaptations of Persuasion prior to this one but from the looks of it, a very high benchmark has been set.

Mystery Men

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Mystery Men!

Original image located here. Accessed 19th August 2022

It seems I have encountered something of an anomaly: It was a bomb upon initial release but in the twenty-plus years since release it seems to have finally found an audience in that people are rediscovering it and saying good things about it. And tonight I was one of those people.

It seems that the reason behind this resurrection of this movie is that given that superhero movies have become commonplace in recent years, one would think that parody would be somewhat inevitable. But that is a niche that has already been filled and Mystery Men does it admirably.
Has time been kind to this movie? One would think so.
Okay sure some of the jokes have aged poorly but there are some genuinely laugh-out moments. There are indeed some great gags that poke fun at the familiar superhero tropes. And the premise of superheroes with useless powers still works.
Plus it has Geoffrey Rush hamming it up. And I won't say no to that