Love at the Christmas Table

Kat Patton (McKellar) and Sam Reed (Milligan) grew up together.  Their fathers, Bobby Reed (Huskey) and Tom Patton (Patterson), own a furniture store and their families gather at the home of E.B. Dixon (Thompson) every Christmas for a big party.  Kat and Sam bond while hiding under the table as kids, and are forced to reunite at the party each year.

As adults, they look forward to reuniting at the party.  They hide at the kids table, get into trouble, and avoid responsibility.  Sparks fly every time they are together.  Can they get past their history to have a future?

This Lifetime Christmas movie hits all the usual notes of a TV Christmas movie, but throws in some quirks.

The Good:

The story starts in the present, and jumps back in time to Kat and Sam's first meeting.  The story jumps to memorable Christmas parties over the years and builds back to the present.  The cast is ok, but most of the characters (despite appearing over the years) don't have personalities or independent storylines.

The Bad:

The film is too long and the ending doesn't feel earned.

Other Comments:

-Don't go in with expectations... it isn't a bad film, but it also isn't going to be a Christmas classic.  Watch if you can get it for free.

-The film was enjoyable, but I don't need to see it again.

-My favorite scene is the dance to "Can't Help Myself" by Terrie and the Carlas

Love at the Christmas Table (2012) 89 minutes

Director: Rachel Lee Goldenberg

Starring: Danica McKellar as Kat Patton

Dustin Milligan as Sam Reed

Lea Thompson as E.B. Dixon

Scott Patterson as Tom Patton

Brian Huskey as Bobby Reed

Alexandra Paul as Eve Reed

William Franc Bryant as Clint

Cameron Goodman as Ashley

The Gentlemen (2019)

"A gentleman's quote is a gentleman's word."

American Michael "Mickey" Pearson (McConaughey) is a drug kingpin in London.  After years at the top, he is looking to sell the business and retire with his wife Rosalind (Dockery).  He wants to sell quietly to American businessman Matthew Berger (Strong), but he is approached by Dry Eye (Golding), a Chinese gangster, with another offer.

At the same time, one of Mickey's marijuana farms is raided by a group of delinquents.  The group are aspiring fighters and rappers, who film the act and post it to YouTube alongside their raps.  Coach (Farrell) makes them return the plants and goes to Mickey's number 2, Ray (Hunnam) to work out a deal.

Meanwhile, tabloid editor Big Dave (Marsan) wants to destroy Mickey's reputation.  He sends private investigator, Fletcher (Grant), to find dirt on Mickey and his drug empire.  Instead, Fletcher takes the evidence to Ray and asks for a higher price.

With the publicity of the raid and the pressure from Dry Eye, can Mickey successfully sell the business and walk away unharmed?

This is director Guy Ritchie's 11th feature film and a return to the British gangster films that started his career.

The Good:

As usual, the story (written by Ritchie) juggles a large cast and many moving pieces with ease.  It feels like the type of story that gets better with subsequent viewing. The film boasts a stellar cast, many who worked with Ritchie in the past.

The Bad:

I don't have many complaints... it wasn't a perfect film, but it was an enjoyable ride.  There are some unnecessary moments (i.e. the pig, the pound of flesh, etc), but most of the worst pieces are left to the audiences imagination.

Other Comments:

-The cast is great, but the main standouts are Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant

-Colin Farrell is great as Coach.  His custom tracksuits, alongside the Toddlers in similar uniforms, and overall character traits work well.

-Hugh Grant plays a different character... he is smarmy and conniving, but you can't help but be mesmerized by his character.

-I was thoroughly entertained.  The plot keeps you guessing and the performances are top-notch.  I look forward to watching this film again.

The Gentlemen (2019) 113 minutes

Rating: R for violence, language throughout, sexual references and drug content

Director: Guy Ritchie

Starring: Matthew McConaughey as Michael Pearson

Charlie Hunnam as Raymond Smith

Henry Golding as Dry Eye

Michelle Dockery as Rosalind Pearson

Jeremy Strong as Matthew Berger

Colin Farrell as Coach

Hugh Grant as Fletcher

Eddie Marsan as Big Dave

Tom Wu as Lord George

Bugzy Malone as Ernie

Chidi Ajufo as Bunny

Jason Wong as Phuc

Other films directed by Guy Ritchie

Muscle Beach Party

"Do you know what this place is?  This is a nut house.  And do you know who's running it?  The nuts!  The nuts are running it."

Frankie (Avalon), Dee Dee (Funicello), and their friends head to the beach for the summer to surf.  Their beach house is next door to Jack Fanny's (Rickles) body builders, who threaten their fun.  Life is further complicated by the arrival of the wealthy and bored Contessa Juliana Giotto-Borgini (Paluzzi).

Julie is looking for love and uses her manager S.Z. (Hackett) and lawyer Theodore (Turgeon) to make her dreams come true.  But when her plans involve Mr. Galaxy Flex Martian (Stevens) and Frankie, battle lines are drawn.  What will Frankie choose, his first loves Dee Dee and surfing or the new girl with big promises?

This is the second film in the AIP (American International Pictures) beach party film series.  AIP made 12 beach party films, most starred Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.  Most of the teens from AIP's Beach Party returned for this film.

The Good:

There isn't much of a plot, but the film is mindless fun.  Peter Lorre has a great cameo at the end.

The Bad:

There are too many characters... Don Rickles is annoying and the bodybuilders, other than Peter Lupus' Flex, are interchangeable.  They have no personality are not memorable.  Buddy Hackett and Morey Amsterdam are wasted... both have funny moments, but they could do much more.

Other Comments:

-Film debut of Stevie Wonder, billed as "Little Stevie Wonder", who performs the song "Happy Street" during the film and the credits.

-A running joke throughout the film is that Candy Johnson's character can whammy the guys - knock them off their feet, when she dances.  This is continued in the end credits, alongside Stevie Wonder singing.

-The film features 9 songs: 3 by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner, and 6 by Roger Christian, Guy Usher, and Brian Wilson.  Some of the songs are memorable - such as "Happy Street" and Avalon's "Running Wild", while others are boring such as the Funicello "A Girl Needs a Boy" and the Avalon reprise "A Boy Needs a Girl".  Dick Dale and the Del Tones make the most of their songs.

Muscle Beach Party (1964) 94 minutes
Director: William Asher
Starring: Frankie Avalon as Frankie

Annette Funicello as Dee Dee

Luciana Paluzzi as Contessa Juliana Giotto-Borgini

John Ashley as Johnny
Don Rickles as Jack Fanny

Peter Turgeon as Theodore

Jody McCrea as Deadhead

Dick Dale as Dick Dale

Candy Johnson as Candy

Rock Stevens (Peter Lupus) as Flex Martian

Valora Noland as Animal

Delores Wells as Sniffles

Donna Loren as Donna

Morey Amsterdam as Cappy

Stevie Wonder as Little Stevie Wonder

Buddy Hackett as S.Z. Matts

It Happened on 5th Avenue

"Well, I believe that people who require money should work for it.  As for myself, I gave up working years ago.  I never could make enough to satisfy my lavish tastes.  So, I let other people work for it, and I enjoy it."

Aloysius T. McKeever (Moore), who goes by Mack, is a hobo who lives in empty mansions when the owners are away.  He and his faithful dog Sam enter the boarded-up homes, enjoy the luxuries of the owners, and leave undetected.  Their favorite home is the mansion of the Mike O'Connor (Ruggles), the second wealthiest man in the world, on 5th Avenue.  O'Connor winters in his home in Virginia, allowing Mack and Sam to spend an extended vacation in the mansion.

O'Connor's latest deal closes down a local apartment home to erect a new high rise.  One of the tenants, Jim Bullock (DeFore), makes the front page when he refuses to leave the building.  A few hours later, he meets Mack and Sam, who invite him to be their guest at O'Connor's home.  O'Connor's daughter, Trudy (Storm) arrives home to pack her things and start a new life.  She is charmed by Mack and Jim, and hides her true identity so she can remain at the home with them.  They also invite Jim's old army buddies, Whitey (Hale Jr.) and Hank (Ryan), and their families to the home.

Jim and his friends have a plan to find permanent housing for themselves and other veterans.  As they dream big, O'Connor reluctantly agrees to act as a homeless man to get to know his daughter's new friends.  His ex-wife, Mary (Harding), also moves in.  With Christmas drawing near, can everyone find happiness?

This film is a holiday classic, that fell into obscurity for several decades.

The Good:

The story has moments of comedy and heart... and the ending packs an emotional punch.  The cast is good... but most were unknowns when the film was made.  Victor Moore is great as Mack, with a mixture of humor and insight.  He is best when paired with Charles Ruggles' Mike.

The Bad:

The story drags in places, and it is hard to tell the wives apart: Dorothea Kent as Whitey's wife Margie and Cathy Carter as Hank's wife Alice.

Other Comments:

-The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay

-The film was originally supposed to be directed by Frank Capra, who chose to make It's a Wonderful Life instead.

-I discovered this film by accident, and hope to add it to my annual Christmas watch list.

It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) 116 minutes

Director: Roy Del Ruth

Starring: Don DeFore as Jim Bullock

Gale Storm as Trudy O'Connor

Victor Moore as Aloysius T. McKeever

Charles Ruggles as Mike O'Connor

Ann Harding as Mary O'Connor

Grant Mitchell as Farrow

Alan Hale Jr. as Whitey Temple

Dorothea Kent as Margie Temple

Edward Ryan as Hank

Cathy Carter as Alice