37 - Some Guy Who Kills People

Connection To KISS OF DEATH - Kevin Corrigan.

Considering the director's (Jack Perez) previous as included Wild Things 2 and Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus, you'd be forgiven for actually automatically assuming that this film would be a bit shitty, but to be honest I don't really think a lot of people will be looking up the Perez filmography it just sort of surprises me and makes me smile (I've seen both of those films) that this film comes from him, it's far from shitty it's actually really, really good.

Ken (Kevin Corrigan) is released from a mental hospital and is given a chance at working at ice cream parlour, meanwhile several of the males in the town who where responsible for torturing Ken in high school are killed off one by one, during all this Ken's 11 year old daughter shows up (who he never knew about) turns up and is hopeful to be part of his life.

First thing's first - I consider Corrigan, such an unsung talent, he as a great quiet charisma (Grounded For Life was really when I started becoming a fan) in a rare lead movie role he carries it off so well - the film's strongest moments for me are seeing the relationships in the movie Ken makes, firstly with his daughter, Ariel Gade who plays her, hasn't done much other stuff but the relationship that builds up between them is a joy to watch, it was also great seeing Lucy Davis as the love interest (at the pushing initially of his daughter) it seemed very realistic that how she felt about herself would mean why she would pick somebody like Ken. I can't leave out Karen Black (as his mother) and Barry Bostwick (as the police chief and sleeping with his mother), I liked Black's antagonist behavior towards Ken and when it builds (sorry for spoiling  it here) that it was out of love for him to get out of this funk and Bostwick's fatherly instincts towards him even when the evidence starts pointing towards Ken.

I don't think I've seen a film in such a long time where I've really, really wanted a twist to happen, begged even - you should think it would be such a shame if his relationships with his daughter and Davis are destroyed because this is a horror film about some guy who kills people (a horror comedy but still)

Overall, the definition of an hidden gem, maybe not quite horror enough for some tastes but for somebody who wants a horror a little bit different this is a must watch for them.

36 - Kiss Of Death (1995)

Connection To CON AIR - Both Nicolas Cage and Ving Rhames appear in both, but I'm going with Ving Rhames just so I can use Cage at a later date.

NYPD Blue - it's first season, in my humble opinion is among the best first seasons in American TV history, I know there is a lot of competitors but if I was drawing up a list it would be on there without a doubt and for me David Caruso was absolutely brilliant in that show - but after failing to gain a raise he left only a few episodes in to the second season with the hope of being a leading man, and that worked out... well he became a punchline for a while there and is career really didn't get back on track, when he ironically went back to TV with CSI: Miami (which he ended up lasting way longer for him - 10 years), but films like Kiss Of Death and Jade are considered the failed Caruso movies.

Kiss Of Death to me is a good thriller - not great but it's better then adequate - but Caruso is outshine by his co-star... you guessed it Nicolas Cage, this really is Cage's show, he really is the best thing about this movie which also features great talent such as Stanley Tucci, Ving Rhames and Samuel L. Jackson (more subdued then the Jackson we usually know), there's also future Oscar Winner Helen Hunt - but I didn't include because honestly I'm not a fan of hers, she's been in some good movies for sure but I've just never liked her performance, I just can't put my finger on it (I still prefer her to Meg Ryan though)

Kiss of Death is loosely based on the 1947 film noir of the same name - which I've never seen so can't comment on differences etc. - Caruso plays Jimmy whose an ex-con living with wife (Hunt), both of which are ex-alcoholics and daughter. Jimmy gets woken by his cousin Ronnie (Michael Rapaport) who desperately needs his help, his finger his broken and that if he doesn't help Little Junior Brown (Cage) will kill him.

Little Junior angry they are so behind schedule, insists they move four trucks full of stolen cars in a caravan instead of staggering them to avoid detection, which ends up drawing the attention of the police, when they arrive at their destination to unload the cars the police arrive to arrest but during this Jimmy's passenger shoots at the police the bullet of which goes through Jimmy and below the right of Detective Hart (Samuel L. Jackson) who survives it. The Brown family lawyer promises Jimmy that his wife will be taken care of if he takes the tap and not name the other criminals. Ronnie ends up shortening on her allowance (giving her $150 instead of the $400 the Brown's intended). She agrees to work for Ronnie at his chop shop where she goes to the Brown's club and ends up drinking vodka and wakes up in Ronnie's bed and horrified or relapse she rushes to leave but drives head on into a truck and dies. I'll stop here because I feel like I'm doing the plot bit by bit but I'll just say Ronnie gives a crappy reason to Jimmy about the death so Jimmy agrees to turn states witness...

Like I have already said it's a good thriller, while it's not the best of it's genre it does it's job well and I was actually interested in where the story was going but like I said Cage is just awesome every time he's on screen as the asthmatic psychopath (I'm one of them things see if you can guess which one), SPOILER his killing of Ronnie is one of the films most memorable END OF SPOILER

Overall a shame for Caruso it did nothing at the box-office but Jade would have destroyed any clout he had from this but it's enjoyable and comes recommended.

35 - Con Air

Connection To ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA - Colm Meaney

What I view here is the extended version, which I ain't seen before but I've probably seen the "original cut" possibly close to double figures by now.

It's hard to hate a film like Con-Air - awesome action, characters and one-liners - the movie is a joy from start to finish, I've actually heard it being described as a guilty pleasure but for me that's wrong because there is absolutely no shame in enjoying this movie. I'm trying so hard to not do plane/flying related puns so apologizes if I end up doing it.

For me this was one of Nicolas Cage's terrific trio of action movies in the late 90's which also included The Rock and Face/Off (which some people dislike) in which this one he plays ex-Army Ranger Cameron Poe who in defending his pregnant wife and gets in a fight with some bar drunks killing one of them, he ends up in prison for 8 years which he is paroled for good behaviour.  He is eager to see his wife and his daughter (who he never met) and he is to be flown back home on the Jailbird plane where he will be released on landing. Another of other prisoners including his diabetic friend Baby-O (Mykelti WIlliamson) as well as the dangerous Cyrus The Virus (John Malkovich) and Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) are being transported to another penitentiary. But shortly after takeout Pinball (Dave Chappelle) ends up inciting a riot and released Cyrus and Dog from their separate containers allowing them takeover the plane.

The thing I always like about many Jerry Bruckheimer produced films is the casting, they always get some good names - Malkovich as Cyrus is a brilliant main villain, bring his Malkovichiness (I know that's not a real word to the role and Steve Buscemi as Garland Greene, the psychopath killer is also another stand out, his scene of playing with the little girl is probably one of the most famous and tense. We also get to enjoy actors like Danny Trejo, Chappelle and Colm Meaney among others.

As for Cage is Forrest Gump accent in this just adds to the charm, he's a great action hero here - sort of a shame that they mostly shot their load here and a sequel would have been pushing, his co-star John Cusack his also great in a rare-action role for him.

Speaking of the extended edition for a bit - I'd say only a few months really got added here and there, Greene killing a guard was not in it before (am I right or did I just forget) and it feels most of the time additional dialogue at the end of scenes.

Criticism time - it's so, so minor you'll feel me stupid for even mentioning it - at the end after the plane as landed in the Vegas strip and the three bad guys escape on a fire engine, Cusack and Cage jump police bikes and chase after them, this part I have no problem with (except maybe the fact Poe is still technically a prisoner at this point) it's a touch into when the fire engine goes past two other police bikes parked we only see them from behind but guess what drops from to the road from the bike - yes two doughnuts - you get it because they are cops... just thought it was a minor thing that was a bit dumb.

Overall extremely enjoyable even after multiple viewings - the entire package is cool (even the syrupy LeAnn Rimes ballad oddly fits in) so I'll just say strap yourself in for one hell of a ride... (damn it)

34 - Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Connection To THE LADIES MAN - Both are about radio hosts and are spin-offs of television shows, I say that's a good enough connection.

British TV comedy making it to the big screen as been a mixed bag at best - sure Monty Python perfected it - but even if the TV show was a massive classic the stretch to feature length have often been lacking - sure there is still enjoyment to be had because you are spending time with these characters. The 1970's seemed to be the heyday it seems like every other "classic" sit-com had a film (Porridge, Steptoe and Son, Dad's Army are among them). Another problem is whether to take the character out of their comfort zone, taking them out of the comfort zone usually means taking them on holiday whether it makes sense (The Inbetweeners - young lads would go to sunny Spain) or not (Are You Being Served? - have you ever gone on holiday with all your work colleagues even the ones that you dislike), so Alan Partridge coming to the big screen could have mean falling flat on his face...

It's hard to believe I've been a fan of Alan Partridge for 20 years now - Knowing Me, Knowing You was my first experience of him in 1994 (I wasn't familiar with The Day Today or the radio show at the time), I've enjoyed him in his awesome I'm Alan Partridge series and his live shows where Partridge was the main event and was excited to see what the film would offer...

I was not disappointed - this film is funny, Steve Coogan's Partridge may be a touch nicer but the pig-headed ignorance is still there as are some of the supporting characters (Lynn and Michael The Geordie among others) which sees Partridge working at North Norfolk Digital, which has just been brought out and as staff members facing redundancies, Partridge is not bothered but his colleague Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) fears very much for his job and pleads with Partridge to gatecrash a board meeting to persuade them not to sack pack but Alan inadvertently discovers it's him or Pat who will get the sack and he betrays Pat even writing "JUST SACK PAT" on a flip-chart. Pat is then fired, the owners host a party that evening which Pat enters and holds everyone hostage, Alan escapes to the police and is asked to enter as a negotiator.

I really liked the relationship between Pat and Partridge, Pat's unblinking trust not knowing Partridge screwed him over helps build up tension when you know he will evidently find out, Pat also seems like a good guy deep down gone to desperate measures and they capture that well considering it's a comedy.

The absolute funniest bit for me which had me laughing for ages is a dream moment of Partridge getting the gun off of Pat and an action scene/chase happening which ends up 3 police men taking their helmets off and all being Alan, it's what get's said that was so funny to me I had to rewind back to re-watch to laugh all over again. There's nothing I'd really criticize about the movie because I had an extremely good time watching and would welcome a sequel or some sorts.

Overall, as a long-time fan of Partridge I really enjoyed this, it made me laugh all the way through and had a good central plot, recommend.

33 - The Ladies Man

Connection To DEATH SPA - Karyn Parsons

Films based on recurring Saturday Night Live characters have been a mixed bag - well that's an understatement - for every Wayne's World or a Blues Brothers there's a It's Pat or a Stuart Saves His Family and it's biggest flurry seemed to come off the back of Wayne's World in 1992 that ended with The Ladies Man in 2000, since then only MacGruber as come to the big screen (though I'd pay good money for a Stefon movie). So did The Ladies Man effectively kill the "SNL Movie" or was it just a last gasp on something that was already on the way out?

It's probably a bit of both, the last few SNL movies - A Night At The Roxbury, Superstar - didn't really set the box-office alight and I imagine this was it's last chance and it's not that it's a bad film it's more there is a funny film in there trying desperately to get out.

Leon Phelps (Tim Meadows) is a radio DJ known as The Ladies Man who gives romance advice and lovemaking tips that let's just say and not all ways the best, who goes to far during a broadcast and is fired. He later recieves a note from a former flame who is willing to support his high style, but they haven't signed their name and must go through his numerous conquests, meanwhile a secret group consisting of angry husbands and boyfriends that their partners have slept with Leon find out it was him and want to get revenge.

I maybe jumping to conclusions but when a film comes in a shade over 80 minutes from a big studio, I always a imagine there was a lot of cutting and the final film is sort of like making do

Karyn Parsons, as his producer Julie and obviously likes him perhaps plays it too well, I've seen a few comedies have this problem where why in a million years they would like this schmuck but the warmth they bring in their relationship to the character feels real entirely because of the actresses performance (Christina Ricci in Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star) was a similar problem).

Some actors who appear are better then the material - Julianne Moore (especially, but boy does she look cute in clown makeup) and Eugene Levy (but those his willingness to appear in the American Pie direct to DVD sequels - quality control isn't exactly his thing). Will Ferrell co-stars among some other SNL alumni (Chris Parnell) as does Lee Evans, whose attempt at American accent (like in There's Something About Mary) is distracting, Billy Dee Williams was also enjoyable as the barman at Leon's regular haunt.

Overall, funny every now and again and at 82 minutes it doesn't take too long of your time, but for a comedy it's just not gut-bustingly funny enough for me.