Fletch.

Review #967: Fletch.

Cast:
Chevy Chase (Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher), Joe Don Baker (Chief Jerry Karlin), Dana Wheeler-Nicholson (Gail Stanwyk), Richard Libertini (Frank Walker), Geena Davis (Larry), Larry "Flash" Jenkins (Gummy), Tim Matheson (Alan Stanwyk), M. Emmet Walsh (Dr. Joseph Dolan), George Wendt (Fat Sam), Kenneth Mars (Stanton Boyd), George Wyner (Marvin Gillet), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Himself) Directed by Michael Ritchie (#616 - The Bad News Bears)

Review:
Based off the novel of the same name by Gregory Mcdonald, Fletch is certainly one of those films that seems deserving of a cult following, owing in part to a variety of factors, the first starting with Chase himself. What is it about his performance that works so well? Perhaps it's because he actually seems perfectly as ease with the role that he's playing, where he doesn't look like he's just doing a job, with the ad-libbing being quite effective while not becoming ridiculously tedious. One of my favorite scenes is the scene where he is confronted by Baker's character and he gets pushed into a wall with framed pictures, noting one of them has a picture with Tommy Lasorda, who he notes he hates while punching the photo (I don't blame him, honestly). There are quite a few other good scenes involving wigs and disguises, and they are also pretty quirky along with amusing. Some could find Chase's schtick a bit tiresome, but I found it to go well with a movie that never aspires to be too conventional nor too ridiculous in its approach, with the quick wit feeling just right for the role. It's no wonder that he has said this is his all-time favorite personal role, because there's just something easy and natural about Fletch that works neatly, with that deadpan manner being quite entertaining for me. The rest of the cast is also quite enjoyable, always managing to hit the right chords of amusement and entertainment; Baker and Matheson are fairly decent adversaries, Chase has some decent chemistry with Wheeler-Nicholson, while Libertini and Davis are both fine standouts in the newsroom scenes. This is a fairly crafted thriller, managing to have the right kind of action and mystery that makes for some good quality entertainment that deserves the following it has.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Bad News Bears (1976).

Review #616: The Bad News Bears.

Cast
Walter Matthau (Coach Morris Buttermaker), Tatum O'Neal (Amanda Whurlitzer), Chris Barnes (Tanner Boyle), Vic Morrow (Roy Turner), Jackie Earle Haley (Kelly Leak), Joyce Van Patten (Ms. Cleveland), Ben Piazza (Bob Whitewood), Alfred Lutter III (Ogilvie), Erin Blunt (Ahmad Rahim), and Gary Lee Cavagnaro (Engelberg) Directed by Michael Ritchie.

Review
At the end of the day, the movie is a look back into how competitive can get about a simple game of baseball. So I figured, give that the All Star Game is tomorrow, why not review a baseball movie? So how is the movie you may ask. I guess it's alright, it all depends on what your memories of being a kid are, competing in sports, or just being a kid. The baseball action is good and all, but the movie's main focus is on Matthau with his troupe of misfits that are somewhat endearing, and somewhat colorful. But is the movie funny? Yeah, it has its moments, I admit that playing the Carmen theme when showing the kids and their "talent" on the baseball field for the first time is oddly hilarious. Matthau is a grouch, but he is a fun guy to watch, especially when trying to coach. O'Neal is interesting to watch, especially when paired with Matthau, such as when they first meet, her selling Maps to the Stars to random passersby. The movie is pretty brutal, especially with its characters, and in the end, nobody wins, everyone seems to have die a little inside, ad they celebrate with beer, so I guess somebody wins. Watch some baseball tomorrow, or revel in some past baseball. Or see the movie, I suppose. Whatever works best.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.