Tag Archives: 1988

Gotham / The Dead Can’t Lie

Gotham, also known as The Dead Can’t Lie, is a product of 1988 and was first shown as a TV Movie first show on Showtime. Don’t worry though, it’s not an “Eighties” movie in the way her other films where at the time.

If there was one film that would forever make me a Virginia Madsen fan, it would be this one. A firm favourite and one I watch on a semi regular basis. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that whenever I read or hear her name the chances are the image I get in my head of her is one from this film.

We first meet Charles (Colin Bruce) in a bar telling his tale of woe to a bartender. The mood set by jazz saxophones aplenty. He tells the tale of how he’s being stalked by a woman who is following him at night, he tries to hide from her but she knows he’s there and taunts him as he hides in the shadows.

He ends up sleeping on the streets only to be woken by the Police the next day. Charles calls on the help of a Private Eye, Eddie Martel Mallard (Tommy Lee Jones). He’s the Private Eye you think of when you think of the classic film noir Private Eye, a gruff grumpy chancer.

Charles explains his problem to Eddie. It’s his ex wife, Rachel (Virginia) that is stalking him and he wants rid of her from his life. Eddie suggests he divorce her but Charles insists that he can’t. Why? It turns out his wife died 10 years ago in a boating accident…

Eddie is of course sceptical about all of this and an amused look crosses his face as tries to determine how much of a nut job Charles is but once he’s shown the colour of Charles’ money he sees an easy score, “Call me Eddie” he insists as he takes the job.

Eddie feels bad for taking his money, but he needs it and he figures he’s doing Charles a favour one way or another.

A few days later Eddie and Charles are in town and they spot Rachel. Eddie doing his thing crosses the road to speak to her. She denies knowing Charles and thinks the whole thing is a pick up line by Eddie. They end up going for a drink together (somewhere expensive, she insists), much to Charles’ dismay.Eddie and Rachel talk in the bar, well, Rachel talks as Eddie gets flustered around such a beautiful woman. He knows she’s out of his league and she knows she’s out of his league but seems to offer some encouragement to what she likes in a man. She leaves him at the bar to mull over what she’s said.
Eddie returns to his office where Charles catches up to him. Charles wants to know what Rachel wants, when Eddie doesn’t know he offers up that she probably wants some jewels that she thinks she is owed. Jumping on the chance to potentially get hold of some money so that he can impress Rachel goes along with the idea and they come up with a plan to get rid of Rachel by giving her these jewels.

Of course, things don’t quite go according to plan as Eddie schemes his way through the rest of the situation hoping to get a payday, and to get to know Rachel better…
Gotham is a noir film dripped in noir and sprinkled with a touch of noir. Then served with a healthy side of good old fashioned noir. And it’s fantastic for it.

Tommy Lee Jones is brilliant as Eddie, I don’t think he’s even acting, I think he’s just turned up to be him and is generally amused by what he finds. Virginia, is of course peak Virginia in this. Sexy, alluring, mysterious and a little bit dangerous. I feel a bit sorry for Colin Bruce, he plays his part to perfection but he’s not given the meat on the bones of the other two, still a great turn from him.

I obviously recommend this one. You’ll need to take it for what it is, it’s supposed to be that way and it’s brilliantly realised.

Availability:
Not too hard to find on Region 1 DVD, there are some inflated prices for it as it’s not readily available but patience will be your friend here. Seems to pop up on VHS quite a lot as well if that’s your thing. Also seen Laser Disc copies kicking around but that’s something I’ve not really bothered with.

Gallery:

Gotham - Production Stills 11 images

Trailer:

< Previous

Home

Next >

Mr. North

Not one for me this one – I had every intention of rewatching this but after about 20 minutes I found myself distracted and playing with my phone more than I should have been.

Mr. North is a comedy film from 1988, it follows Theophilus North (Anthony Edwards) as he makes his way through life with a special ability, the power of, well making feel better. A literal special touch along with an uncanny ability to be where he is needed at that moment in time. He plays down these gifts and even denies them beyond an ability to transfer electricity which he puts down to nothing more than a mundane quirk.

The film is based off a book, Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder. The book would later be renamed Mr. North so it would match the film and hopefully increase its audience.

One summer he comes across the Bosworth family, through them he meets many more people who are intrigued by Mr. North.

He gets a job working for James McHenry Bosworth (Robert Mitchum), James is housebound thanks to his over cautious daughter, Sarah (Tammy Grimes). Mr North reads to him but becomes more than that and helps James get out of the situation he’s found himself in by giving him back the courage that has been lost from him.

While there he comes across Sally (Mrs Madsen), a maid for the family. She’s ln love with a man from a wealthy family but fears her lowly status stops her from being able to pursue such a man. Mr. North encourages her that she’s better than that and gives her the courage to chase after what she really wants.Eventually all of his good works catch up to him and he finds himself on trial for being a charlatan, he doesn’t claim to be anything special but that doesn’t stop people accusing him of being. The people he helps come to his defence.

Etc.

I actually can’t put my finger on why I’m not hugely into this film, I think it’s the setting. I tend not to be bothered about rich folk and their problems. It’s a very polite film with well spoken people and good manners and it’s not a world I can really understand.

It scores relatively highly on most sites, think we can put this down to my personal preferences.

Virginia is excellent as always, for her I paid attention while watching. It’s not a role that gives her plenty of screen time, this is very much an Anthony Edwards centric tale, but she does get her fair share to do even if she’s just one of many Mr. North helps along the way.Mr. North is directed by Danny Huston who would later on in life become Mr. Madsen, the lucky so and so. Also notable (by me at least) of being the first film Virginia would make with Harry Dean Stanton also in the cast list)

Availability:
Not bad, but not great either. You can find copies but they tend to be for more money than you want to pay for a film this old – Though that might be just because I’m not a huge fan of the film. VHS copies are also kicking around with some regularity.

Gallery:

Mr. North - Production Stills 3 images

Trailer:

< Previous

Home

Next >

Hot to Trot

This is definitely one for the “Why?” section. And, one I didn’t actually rewatch for this project. It’s not that it’s a horrendous film, it’s just one that you only need to see once in my opinion.

Hot to Trot was released in 1988, as pretty much a Bobcat Goldthwait vehicle. He was all the rage at the time. Unfortunately, and, no – I’m not a fan.

It stars Bobcat Goldthwait as ~~Bob Goldthwait~~, uhm, Fred Chaney, who is ~~Bobcat Goldthwait~~, I mean, challenged… Whose Mother dies and leaves to him a horse and half of her stock broker business. Oh, the horse can talk. Called Don.

Yes. Talking Horse. I know. It hurts me too.

Annnnnnnnnyway. His Mothers Stepfather, Walter (Dabney Coleman), wants the business for himself, in typical comic book cheese ball family friendly villain of the era. He offers to buy the business from Fred to take it off his hands but Fred isn’t having any of it.

Fred takes Don back to his Horse family, who can all talk, and then returns back to the office to take up a job in the family business. Not long in the job Don gets a hot stock tip and phones (!) Fred to clue him in. He takes the chance, does his stock thing and makes a shed load of money.

Don and Fred team up to make even more money, which enrages Walter who can’t work it out. He sends in his secretary Allison (where out Mrs Madsen comes in) to find out Fred’s secrets.

Oieeee – You know the rest, don’t make me type it.

Anyways. It’s pretty much a family friendly affair and harmless enough, one to watch with the kids. I dare say some of them might even find it funny.

While I was getting the captures for this page I couldn’t help but notice that Virginia did indeed seem to be dialling it in on this one. It’s crossed my mind before that she did this one because it might have offered more comedy roles going forward. But the look on her face might betray her in some scenes…
Particularly when she’s in the background of a scene. I don’t know, just a feeling I got when I was skipping around looking for her. I could be and am probably wrong, but if you do own a copy, or get a copy, then just watch.

Hot to Trot tanked, badly – And, it deserved to do.

It’s not often I’m this down on a film, I can normally see the good in it somewhere. I’ve said that kids might enjoy this one, and while I did mean it, I wouldn’t put my kids in front of it. It’s one of the rare films, out of all films ever that has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Virginia herself always knew that it wasn’t a particularly good movie for her, speaking with Will Harris from The AV Club she’d outline her reasons for doing the movie;

“That was a real low point in my career. But I’ll tell you why I did that movie: Because my sister had three little kids, and they knew that Auntie Gina was a movie star, but they could never see Auntie Gina’s movies because they were too grown-up. I really wanted to make a kids movie for them, and I purposely sought one out that they would love. This was with a talking horse and animals and Bobcat [Goldthwait]… I mean, it couldn’t have been more tailor-made for them. Although it could’ve had a better script. [Laughs.]

But, I mean, Steve Tisch was producing it, it was a studio film, and Tim Kazurinsky and all these wonderful comedians were in it. And they loved it! That movie actually came out in movie theaters, so they got to go to the movie theater and see Auntie Gina with big ’80s hair with a talking horse, and they just thought it was the coolest thing ever. I got big points at their school for being in that movie. So, yeah, that was specifically for them. It was not a career movie. It was a family movie.”

So, I mean – At least from her point of view the movie hit it’s intended audience…

ANYWAY – That’s enough of that.

Availability:
Pretty good. but expensive for the trash that it is – AND – Word to the wise, the movie is part of the Warner Bros Archive Collection, This means if you order the DVD then it’ll have a “DVD-R” sticker on the sleeve. This is legit, the DVD’s are made to order and this is how they’ve been producing them.

Gallery: