Thursday, April 14, 2016

Thursday Movie Picks: Fish Out of Water Movies


Welcome back, Thursday. Since it is what has become the most wonderful day of the week here on the blog, it's time for another entry in the weekly meme Thursday Movie Picks by Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves. You know the routine. If you don't, she picks a topic and a bunch of bloggers suggest three movies to match.

This week, we're talking fish out of water tales. No silly, they're not about fish. I mean, well, they could be, but they don't HAVE to be. Got it? No? Yeah, you got it. If not, just think about that time when you went to that thing about the thing you have no interest in, but you went anyway. You didn't know anyone there. They all seemed strange to you. You didn't understand them, at all. If you were lucky, one kind person took pity on you and helped you along until the adventure was over. You were glad you survived the experience because it was a weird one. It was almost like you hopped in a DeLorean and found yourself in 1955. Oh, did I give away your pick? Sorry 'bout that. I'm such a dick.  Highlight there

Anyhoo, on to my picks. Look for a theme...sigh, you really gonna make me say it?...within the theme.

The Big Boss
(唐山大兄)
(1971)
Cheng is a young guy who was getting into trouble, mostly because of fighting. He took an oath of non-violence and moved from mainland China out to Thailand. There, he goes to work with a bunch of his cousins at the local ice factory. He also lives with them. Not surprisingly, they do things a little differently. By chance, he and his cousins discover that their boss is actually a drug smuggler. And Cheng's cousins start disappearing and/or turning up dead. Damn all that non-violence. This is Bruce F'n Lee we're talking about! Wahtaah!


Way of the Dragon
(猛龍過江)
(1972)
Uncle Wang, himself a fish out of water, is running a restaurant in Rome. They once did pretty well for themselves, but the local mob is muscling in on the action. Wang tells another uncle back in Hong Kong about his troubles. That uncle sends just one guy to help, Tang. Tang is a martial artist who, as you might imagine, sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the slovenly bunch he's come to help. They don't take to him much. I mean how was this one guy going to help. Soon, they find out as he handles a bunch of the mob's goons all at once. The mob doesn't give up. They call in reinforcements. This gives us the ridicufantastigloriousness (a real word, no?) that is Chuck Norris vs. Bruce F'n Lee! Wahtaah!


Enter the Dragon
(龍爭虎鬥)
(1973)
Yes, I picked this before. And? Anyhoo, Lee is THE MAN, the prized martial artist at the Shaolin Temple. As such, he gets an invitation to a big time tournament on a secluded island. British Intelligence gets wind of this and recruits him to go there and work undercover for them. That's easy to do when you factor in that the dude responsible for the death of Lee's sister is guaranteed to be there. When Lee arrives on the island, he's just about the only one who isn't a thug, hooligan, or degenerate of some sort. He's obviously not in Kansas, anymore, Another pick of yours? (Another dick move, for sure. My bad.) Alrighty, he's not in Shaolin anymore. Whatever Anyhoo, he tries to keep things quiet. but when he can't he just goes Bruce F'n Lee! Wahtaah!


˙ǝqʎɐW ˙ǝɯɐu ǝlppᴉɯ lɐǝɹ s,ǝɔnɹq sᴉ u,Ⅎ ǝɹns ʎʇʇǝɹd ɯ,I


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22 comments:

  1. I mean, that's gotta be his real name, right?

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  2. A theme within the theme! Love those! Kung Fu movies aren't really my genre but I doubt that there is anyone around that hasn't seen at least one Bruce Lee movie. It's almost a rite of passage. He had such an impact for someone who didn't live very long. Out of the three I've seen Enter the Dragon and bits and pieces of Way of the Dragon. I'd be lying if I said I loved them but they do fit this week well.

    I happened to be watching one of my picks when I read the theme so that was easy and the other two came to me pretty quickly.

    Blast from the Past (1999)-An absurd premise, a slightly nutty 60’s scientist and his pregnant homemaker wife (Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek, both ideal) lock themselves into a bomb shelter for 35 years under the false impression that nuclear war has been declared then sending their grown son out into a strange new world for supplies, is played with charming whimsy. Brendan Fraser uses his size and somewhat goofy personality to make son Adam believable as a big overgrown child in a man's body. He and Alicia Silverstone as Eve the woman who takes Adam under her wing have a nice vibe with her worldliness playing well off his innocence. A sweet, breezy film with the underlying message to respect each other and enjoy the world around you.

    My Cousin Vinny (1992)-Two young men are falsely accused of murder in the deep South, desperate they contact the only lawyer either knows, Vinnie the New York cousin of one of the boys who has finally passed the bar on his sixth try. Down he and his brassy fiancée come, hilarity ensues! Hard to say who is funnier Joe Pesci, the Oscar winning Marisa Tomei or the deadpan Fred Gwynne in his final performance as the judge whose patience is stretched to the limit.

    Time After Time (1979)-In the London of 1893 H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) plans to use his time machine to travel to the Utopian paradise he believes is the future. As he prepares to make the journey Jack the Ripper (David Warner), on the run from the police, hijacks the machine and travels to 70’s San Francisco. When the machine returns to Victorian England Wells uses it to follow him. Perplexed by the modern world H.G. enlists the help of Amy (Mary Steenburgen) a bank teller he meets to catch Jack before he can resume his killing spree. During the pursuit Wells falls for Amy, even as she has a hard time believing his wild story of time travel. A thriller with a fine mixture of humor and suspense, McDowell and Steenburgen fell in love while making this film and were married for a decade.

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    1. I'm impressed with myself. I've seen all three of your picks. I love My Cousin Vinny, but don't remember much about Time After Time other than watching it a couple times on HBO back in the early 80s. Unfortunately, I do remember Blast From the Past. Sigh. I found it to be a painful experience. Brendan Fraser generally does that to me.

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  3. HA! LOVE this theme within the theme - even though I've (shamefully) never seen a Bruce Lee movie in my life. SIGH. One day!

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    1. Please make one day happen soon. Btw, since you missed put on a rite of passage Joel is doubtful of your existence.

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  4. I love your themes within themes. I'm with Daniel, I've never seen a Bruce Lee movie. I will hang my head in shame now.

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    1. Wow. You should get together with Dan and watch Enter the Dragon.

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  5. Bruce Lee is one your fav's I'm guessing:) I have yet to see a Bruce Lee film, please don't hate me.

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    1. It's not that I hate you. I'm just not sure what planet you're from.

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  6. I love your theme within the theme, but I'm with Daniel and Brittani, I have never seen a Bruce Lee film.

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  7. I'm with almost everyone here, haven't seen a Bruce Lee film myself.

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  8. Oh, can I join the party? Sorry Dell, we've all let you down!
    - Allie

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  9. Boy, I've never seen a Bruce Lee movie though I have seen a movie ABOUT him (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story). This is a great idea for Thursday Movie Pick!

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    1. You guys are killing me. My heart is literally weeping right now.

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  10. Worryingly my first thought was Footloose. Brice Lee was everything awesome.

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  11. Me too. Happy I'm not alone; I haven't seen a single Bruce Lee movie. Just never been into martial arts movies.

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