1973 movieRating: 16/20
Plot: Two Navy lifers have to transport an inexperienced kid to a Marine prison because he tried to steal forty dollars. Along the way, they decide to treat him to one last good time for his eight year sentence begins.
Perhaps I'm a dope, but I was sold on the authenticity with this one. I imagined that this is exactly what life in the Navy was like in the 1970's. Jack Nicholson distracts me in nearly every movie he's in, but he, Otis Young, and Randy Quaid (speaking of dopes) delivered realistic portrayals of Navy men at similar but completely different points of life--being young and fearful of losing freedoms you always imagined you'd have and being older and feeling trapped by your decisions and dismayed at the ennui. The dialogue is crispy and sometimes lewdly funny, and the rapport between the three men develops perfectly as they travel together and trash hotel rooms, locate whores, drink, drink again, and enjoy the perfect fifty cent sandwich. If nothing else, this movie made me want to grow a mustache, wear one of those Navy hats around, smoke a big cigar, and say things like "Grab your cocks and drop your socks! We're going to party!" An entertaining and different sort of buddy road movie. Oh, and before I get angry comments from the Randy Quaid Appreciation Society, I'm not saying that he's a dumb guy or anything. His performance here as a mild dope (as opposed to the absurdly dopey or mentally challenged dopey characters he seems destined to play) is very good, and I found it very easy to identify with his character. So get off my back, Randy Quaid Appreciation Society. Get off my motherfucking back.
The promotional poster makes this look like a gay porn flick. Actually, I really liked this movie. Nicholson usually does chew up anything he is in, but he is very understated here. I really enjoyed the poignant ending (although I saw it so long ago, I am having a hard time remembering the details... no pun intended). A 16.
ReplyDeleteBonus Randy Quaid grades (although I have always liked Dennis better):
ReplyDelete1. Kingpin- 18
2. Quick Change-17
3. Independence Day- 16
4. Brokeback Mountain- 16
5. The Last Detail- 16
6. Days of Thunder- 14
He apparently was also in "What's Up Doc?", "Midnight Express", and "The Last Picture Show"(with part of the other brother act, Jeff Bridges), but since I don't remember him in any of these, I'm not going to give him credit.
Two notes: 1996 was by far Randy's greatest year; and I wonder if there is any movie with Beau Bridges and Dennis Quaid.
One more Randy Quaid comment: his popularity is up 25 percent this week on IMDB. How does that work, and did you do that?
ReplyDeleteI can't take credit for Randy's recent increase in popularity unless, of course, the popularity of my blog is such that the mere mention of Randy Quaid causes swarms of my readers to go look him up on imdb. I guess it's possible, but only if 4 1/2 can be considered a swarm.
ReplyDeleteI love this flick.
ReplyDeleteCory scored Days of Thunder higher than Naked Lunch.
ReplyDeleteYeah Randy Quaid was a pretty big in Midnight Express, got his balls broken if I recall...