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. 

The English Patient

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

Original image located here. Accessed 6th September 2019

This movie was a major hit in the nineties but, as someone who lived through that decade, I don't recall it being a big deal. Maybe I, at the time, had my concerns directed elsewhere but I only became aware that this was a big deal when it swept the board at the Academy Awards.

As it turns out, it's not a bad film. Much has been said about it's cast but for me, the true star is the photography. The location shooting is nothing less than astonishing and is truly a sight to behold. It looks real, like you, the viewer, are there, in that environment. Equally impressive are the scenes involving examining painting on a cave wall and seeing frescoes by the light of a flare.
Personally i didn't care much for the love story but the visuals are what make this film. And that is more than enough.

Aladdin and the King of Thieves

And this week's Friday night movie has been....Aladdin and the King of Thieves!

Original image located here. Accessed 31st May 2019

It is indeed a given that the Disney sequels tend to be wretched and forgettable but for me, it was either this or the remake.

Okay serious now:
So this movie was intended to conclude both the movies and the TV series. And oh look! We have Robin Williams returning to voice the genie.
But for me, the real meat is, of course, the King of Thieves himself Cassim. He's fascinating character, he has the voice of John Rhys-Davies and the scenes where he is interacting, and bonding, with Aladdin were great. I heard Cassim has his fangirls and, it would appear, not without good reason.
Other than that, the animation tends to flip flop between terrible and imaginative, Jasmine gets sidelined, the genie hijacks the movie too often and some of the joke's don't work. I know the genie was based entirely around Williams' stand-up routine but here it comes across as 'too much of a good thing'.

Does this movie come across as soulless as Disney sequels are known for? Sometimes, but there are some good ideas and some interesting plot points. But such potential isn't truly realized.
It's not bad but could have been better