#dana delany movies

[jondoe297]

late but here's a doodle celebrating the 30th anniversary of Mask Of The Phantasm🖤

[nightingalewhisper]

Light Sleeper (1992) × dangerously yours

[fibula-rasa]

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

[brokehorrorfan]

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm will be released on 4K Ultra HD (with Digital) on September 12 via Warner Bros. The 1993 DC Comics animated film was produced between the first and second seasons of Batman: The Animated Series.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the film is directed by Batman: The Animated Series co-creators Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski and written by series scribes Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves.

Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach, Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller, John P. Ryan, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings, Robert Costanzo, and Mark Hamill star.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is presented in 4K with HDR along with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 audio. Special features are listed below.

Special features:

Kevin Conroy: I Am the Night featurette

When a woman from Bruce Wayne’s past, Andrea Beaumont, comes back into his life, Bruce questions whether he should continue protecting Gotham City as Batman. But his introspection is short-lived when the city’s most notorious crime bosses are killed, and the Caped Crusader is blamed for their murders. The Dark Knight sets out to clear his name, revealing a new masked vigilante: the Phantasm.

Pre-order Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

[machetelanding]

Kevin Altieri

[klessard]

Fly Away Home: It is difficult to convey the influence the 1996 film Fly Away Home by Carroll Ballard had on me in my early teenage years. First of all, it was based on a true Canadian story that featured my country's beautiful flora and fauna. It instilled in me a patriotic feeling I don't believe I had experienced before. The filming location in Ontario resembled a piece of land in Quebec's Eastern Townships where my uncle had built a cabin and my family vacationed when I was a child. Those memories were some of my fondest, and Fly Away Home brought them right back to me. It also featured Anna Paquin, a Manitoba-born actress I had come to appreciate in other roles such as the young Jane Eyre in Franco Zeffirelli's 1996 film adaptation. For some reason, the costumes designed for her character by Marie-Sylvie Deveau became a style ideal for me to emulate, and I became strongly aware of my own fashion sense. It still inspires me to this day. Still photography: Takashi Seida

[moviehealthcommunity]

Tombstone (1993)

This is a Movie Health Community evaluation. It is intended to inform people of potential health hazards in movies and does not reflect the quality of the film itself. The information presented here has not been reviewed by any medical professionals.

Tombstone has an extended sequence taking place during a thunderstorm at night, with extreme strobe lights being used to depict lightning. Important plot points happen during this sequence.

A few scenes are filmed with handheld cameras, but for the most part, the camera work is either stationary or very smooth.

Flashing Lights: 8/10. Motion Sickness: 1/10.

TRIGGER WARNING: There is extensive gun violence in this film. One scene graphically shows an anesthesia-free surgery to remove a bullet.

Image ID: A promotional poster for Tombstone

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

My DC Cinematic Universe: Superman (Part II)

Chapter Two: Behind Every Superman

There's nobody quite as ubiquitous in the world of Superman as Lois Lane. Even in the 1930s, when women's rights were lefts, Lois made herself a powerful force and competitor for Clark Kent. Yes, she's what I would call the Inevitable Love Interest by definition, since every Superman worth his salt has a Lois that he ends up with, but that doesn't lessen her as a character...when done correctly.

So, OK, who is Lois Lane, down to her essence? Well, origin-wise, she's an army brat raised by her mother Elenor/Elinore Lane and strict military father, Sam Lane, alongside sister Lucy Lane. She's a no-nonsense, award-winning writer and reporter for the Daily Planet, and she's all about that story. Lois is, essentially, the prototypical female reporter in the same vein as the real life Nellie Bly. And she's one of the most unchanging characters in comic books, throughout her 84-year history. That's right, she's as old as Superman, making her the longest-lasting love interest character in the history of comic books. She's also one of the few female comic book characters that's gotten...well, a modicum of respect, frankly.

As a character, she's essentially always been put on equal footing with men, and with Clark Kent. That's a bit of a blanket statement, but is still tonally correct. Obviously, she was still prone to the sexism of the time. Her first comic book series was more about her connection to Superman, and rivalry with love interest Lana Lang (more on her later), than it was about her career. Despite this, though, she never lost sight of that career, and she was always treated with some respect. I mean, in case you didn't see what I just wrote, she got her own comic book series! Sure, it was a product of the romance comic boom to a certain degree; and sure, maybe it did some things that aged...

...EXTREMELY poorly, Jesus Christ; but she was still a pioneering comic book character in her own right. She's progressed quite a bit since that point, but she's always kept true to her roots. So, before I move on, let me establish the following about what I think makes a good Lois Lane. Your idea of the character may be different, but that's OK; this is just my version based on the books I've read that feature her.

Lois cares about the truth above all things. She's a journalist because she believes that the truth is important, and she will do whatever she can to expose it and bring it to light. Even in the sexist sixties stories where Lois was pining over Superman, she still tried pretty often to figure out who he was in his everyday life. She doesn't like being lied to, but she's also willing to recognize when truth is not the best option. As a reporter, she's used to withholding certain facts in order to protect someone, but she's never willing to outright lie at the same time. Honestly, I think Lois' dedication to the truth is one of the things Clark likes most about her.

Lois is a realist, seeing the world in shades of gray. I've talked a lot about character characters seeing in grayscale or black-and-white, and that's because it's an important metric for the world of Superman. Clark is aware of the greys, as I mentioned in the last post, but his optimism tends to make things just a touch more monochromatic. Lois, on the other hand, sees things a lot more realistically. This is in part because of her military upbringing, and in part because of her career in journalism. More importantly, she never labels anything as "good" or "bad" until she gets all the facts about the situation and context. Sometimes it does turn out to be that simple, and sometimes it doesn't. Either way, Lois will find out where in the gradient somebody tends to be, and will act accordingly as a result.

Lois is dedicated to a fault, and tends to get in over her head. Lois, as a love interest comic book character, tends to get lumped into the category of damsel-in-distress...A LOT. And while that's a reductive and irritating stereotype for female characters...I think it actually makes sense for Lois. The problem with being Lois Lane is that you're extremely stubborn and dedicated to a story, and thus are unwilling to let go of something, even when it could prove dangerous for you. Now, Lois can read situations appropriately, but she's also not afraid to shy away from the more potentially harmful stuff. So, as a result, she tends to find herself in a bit more trouble than originally intended. I imagine that, before Superman comes along, Lois has been in a hostage situation or two, maybe stuck overseas in a warzone for a little bit, and is probably a well-known name to the local Metropolis PD (who I'll get to in another chapter).

Lois is a strong, independent woman...and she loves Clark. Here's the main thing about Lois Lane. She's stubborn, independent, head-strong, dedicated, street-smart, persuasive, savvy, and powerful. All things that make a good reporter. However, in relationships, she's kind of a lot. Before meeting Clark, I imagine that Lois was happily and perennially single. I would also imagine that she didn't date a ton, and didn't need to date a ton. She's a career woman, and she's happy that way. However...Clark Kent is not only a colleague and a competitor who constantly beats her to the punch, he's also a bit of a mystery. And working together as often as they do, Lois understandably caught feelings for him, while also dealing with her feelings for Superman at the same time. But here's a point to be made: Lois was dating Clark, not Superman. After the '60s settled, and Lois was allowed to not be solely defined by Superman, she began to develop feelings for Clark Kent instead. And those feelings were and are extremely strong. Like I said, Lois is strong and independent, absolutely. But that doesn't mean she doesn't rely on Clark for his compassion, his challenging nature, his relative calmness, and his ability to ground her and fuel her at the same time. The Lois-Clark relationship is extremely important, and I will die on that hill. They are genuinely the best relationship in comics.

With all of that said and done, I wanna look at previous adaptations of the character, before I go into what I think a cinematic Lois Lane should be. Keep reading for more of my rabid rambling.

Lois Lane: Adapted

Because of her central role in the Superman mythos, she's been adapted into nearly every Superman-based production, dating back to the original 1940s film serials and radio productions, as well as the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman. But those were essentially what you'd expect of Lois, with two actresses (Phyllis Coates for season 1, and Noel Neill afterwards) playing the hard-nosed reporter and compassionate champion of the people, respectively. Haven't seen that series, so I can't really comment. However, I will comment on one of the best live-action versions of the character, played by Margot Kidder in the Reeves-led films.

Margot's Lois Lane is determined, lively, witty, and curious to a fault. I think I can say with little argument that she's the best Lois Lane in film. Maybe not in live action in general, but definitely in film. She's a little too damsel-in-distress-y, even for somebody who thinks that role is one that Lois fits, and maybe a little more reckless than is reasonable for a reporter, but I will stand-by this as the best cinematic version. I also quite like her relationship with Clark and Superman, especially as it evolves through the first two films. This version also established the fact that Lois, despite being a great writer, can't spell. She's a charming iteration of the character, even in a film that's already extremely charming. One of these days, I'll talk more about the wonderful Superman: The Movie, but not today. Back to Lois.

Kate Bosworth, who takes up the role in Singer's Superman Returns, is...there? That's almost the best thing I can say about her, because she's an extremely boring version of the character, despite literally being the same Lois Lane that Margot Kidder had played nearly 30 years prior. She's a hard-nosed reporter, I guess, and she gets into as much trouble as Kidder's lane does, but she's a VERY different version of the character. Bitter and acrid towards Superman (y'know, because she abandoned her while she was pregnant with his child, so...yeah, fair enough), Bosworth's iteration of the character made her so very unlikeable. Like, I get it, but that movie's story is so flawed that it actively ruins Lois and Superman individually and together. So many issues. In any case, this Lois is bitter and boring. The mother angle in interesting, admittedly, but doesn't save the character.

Amy Adams is not Lois Lane. Full fucking stop. In the entirety of the Snyderverse, she never once became Lois for me, despite being a hard-nosed reporter who tirelessly pursues an angle in Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. She has the external trappings of being Lois, but she's too...soft? Is that the right word here? She lacks the wit and spunk I think of with Lois and really isn't too much more than a love interest for Clark. Sure, I do love the fact that she figures out who he is basically immediately, because I think Lois actually is smart enough to discern Superman's identity on her own. But here's the thing...she's Amy Adams. It's nearly impossible for me to see her as anything else. Maybe it's the red hair? That's at least a part of it, because she definitely doesn't look or dress the part.

Another part of it is the fact that she doesn't talk back. Ever. She's taken captive or held hostage a bunch of times in those movies, but she always just rolls with it, with little fight or resistance. Lois would fight back, or at least talk back. Definitely wouldn't go down without a fight, and that's basically all this Lois does. She always feels helpless, and I shouldn't feel like Lois is ever helpless. She's an army brat! You really think Sam Lane wouldn't have taught her to kick people's asses in self-defense? She's just too passive, and being Amy Adams really doesn't help.

So, yeah, Margot's my favorite cinematic Lois...but not my favorite live-action Lois. That role absolutely goes to...

Here's the truth: I haven't seen too much of Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois, but what I have seen I very much like. She's definitely playing a more experienced and open version of the character, while also being the determined and passionate person I love to watch. I really should watch more of Superman and Lois (I've kind of soured on the CW shows, for various reasons), but I do love what I've seen of this Lois. Plus, she's a better version of mom Lois than Bosworth's version, looks more like a comic book version than almost any other version (especially Amy Adams' version), and still maintains the toughness I expect of a Lois Lane. A+.

And for the record, I like Erica Durance's version a lot as well! We got to know her over the course of 7 years on Smallville, and I liked her more and more as time went on. As a fully fleshed out and interesting version of the character, I think she fits that Clark very well, and is faithful to the character as a whole. A- for Erica Durance!

But even then, none of these are my favorite adaptation of Lois. Unsurprisingly...

It's Dana Delany that wins the prize for me. This is my prototypical Lois Lane, taking the best iterations of the character from film and page. Danger-prone but unafraid of danger, hardnosed and always looking for a story, antagonistic to Clark until getting to know and care for him...this is essentially my Lois. If you haven't seen Superman: The Animated Series, I highly recommend it for its adaptations of various characters. Won't be the last time it appears on this list, that's for sure.

In truth, most animated versions of Lois Lane are pretty good, not gonna lie. Basically every one of them has something of merit, but Delany's is still my favorite. Runner-up is probably Rebecca Romjin's version in The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen, which is an underrated pair of films, in my opinion.

But with all of that said...

My Lois Lane

In my theoretical Superman film, Lois Lane will be introduced on the job, which is pretty standard in films. As I've said before, she's a witty, strong, passionate, stubborn truth-seeker, and that'll be apparent throughout this film. Her attraction towards Superman is essentially her attraction to a story or a mystery. She'll get closer to him throughout...but they actually won't interact all that much. Instead, the two will occasionally cross paths while Lois is investigating the villains of the film. But in reality, she won't spend nearly as much time with Superman. However, she will be spending quite a lot of time with Clark Kent. And while Lois and Superman will have some conversations, it's the relationship between Lois and Clark that I'm more interested in exploring. We all know that Lois and Clark get together, but we should be invested in their relationship beyond simple expectation. We should actually WANT them to get together.

In truth, my idea of Lois Lane is pretty simple. It should be somebody who's able to pull of determination and hard-headedness, while also being witty and enjoyable to watch and listen to. Lois should be a fast-talker, able to get somebody to admit to something without even realizing they've done it. Persuasive and perceptive, quick on her feet and quick-witted, street-smart and savvy, etc. We should enjoy watching Lois on screen, and she should command a presence. When Lois is on screen, she should share focus with Clark, not be perceived as the second-string. You pay attention when Lois enters a room, because she keeps you on your toes. When she enters a LexCorp press event, Luthor makes sure that ONLY HE talks to her, because anybody else is at risk of revealing company secrets to her accidentally. THAT is my Lois Lane.

Oh, and one more thing. I don't go into fancasting, because I don't know enough people off the top of my head, but I do want to mention something in these posts: Lois...might be Latina?

I say maybe for a few reasons. One, in recent comics (the New 52, yes, but still), it's revealed that Lois' mother is at least partially Latina, but that's never been fully confirmed. Two, the DC Bombshells version of the character is pointedly Cuban-American. And for the record, if you haven't read Bombshells, it's a HELL of a lot of fun , and well-worth your time in reading. Lois (AKA Eloisa in this universe) takes the role of a teenaged newsie and budding journalist helping the titular Bombshells in their various efforts throughout World War II. And in case you were wondering, yes, she ends up in a relationship with Supergirl. But yeah, she's specifically Cuban-American.

The other reason I say maybe is because, to be honest, there is no evidence for any of this outside of alternate universes or the New 52. So, is Lois necessarily Latina? No. But, uh...why the fuck not? I'm not gonna stand here and say that Lois has to be white, because there's accidentally nothing in the comics that limits her racial background other than tradition. Point being, whoever is the best should get the job. No matter the race, if they can fit those character traits I've put down, they should get the job. Duh. If anybody has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Well...Jesus. Now that that's over, it's time to move on to the parental figures in Superman's life, both living...and dead.

Index: Superman

Part I: Why I Love Superman

Part II: On Lois Lane

Part III: The Kents

Part IV: The 'Rents

Part V: The...Frendts?

Part VI: Lex Luthor

Part VII: The Real Villains

Part VIII: Superman's Rogues Gallery

Part IX: The Story - Act One

Part X: The Story (Acts Two and Three)

Part XI: The Story - Climax

Part XII: Epilogue (Part One)

Part XIII: Epilogue (Part Two)

[spookytuesdaypod]

spooky tuesday is a (now not so new!) podcast where we’re breaking down all of our favorite slashers, thrillers, monster movies and black comedies on the new scariest day of the week.

ever wonder what would happen if scream’s stu macher had a chance to grow up, go to college, and even set his sights on grad school? the curve (1998) — also known as dead man’s curve — is just the film to answer that question to predictably disastrous results. though you might not have heard of it, this movie is more than worth the watch, and it’s a film close to all of our hearts. on a new episode of spooky tuesday, we’re celebrating our boy matty lilly’s birthday by unearthing an underappreciated classic from one of horror’s favorite stars.

give spooky tuesday a listen on apple podcasts, spotify, iheart radio, or stitcher

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[fromthestacks]

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

[iliketigers]

[docgold13]

Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm 

December 25th, 1993; exactly thirty years ago today, Warner Animation released the first Batman animated feature to play in theaters.  Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, and based on a story written by Alan Burnett, the movie hit screens between the first and second seasons of Batman: The Animated Series.  

Despite largely glowing reviews, the lack of a strong advertising campaign contributed to the movie doing quite poorly at the box office.  The feature was later released in home theater format and played on television, ultimately garnering it huge acclaim among the fan community… with many (myself included) considering it to be the very best of the various Batman movies.  

The story centers on a mysterious vigilant who has come to Gotham to hunt the members of a once prominent crime family.  At first, the deaths of these criminals are attributed to The Batman, leading to the Gotham Police Department to deploy a special task force to arrest the Caped Crusader.  As such, Batman is forced to evade the police whilst tracking down this mysterious new threat.  Discovering the secrets of the Phantasm harkens back to Bruce Wayne's earliest days as a crimefighter, and a great love that nearly led to his never becoming Batman in the first place.  

Romance, tragedy, terrific action and top notch animation, it is not to be missed.  Staring the voice acting of Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Abe Vigoda and Stacy Keach.    

[batmannotes]

‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm' 4K Blu-Ray

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the most universally acclaimed film in the Dark Knight’s legendary cinematic history when the newly-remastered animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, comes to 4K Ultra HD for the very first time. From Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, the film will be available to purchase on 4K Ultra HD on September 12, 2023.

The release will also include an all-new featurette Kevin Conroy: I Am The Knight, which takes a look at the legacy of Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman for 30 years in film, television, video games and more.

Rooted in DC’s acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series and released theatrically on Christmas Day 1993, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm has not only been ranked by Time magazine as one of the 10 best Super Hero movies ever, but is also arguably the core fans’ all-time favorite Batman film. The movie has been rated at the top of the Dark Knight film franchise by such popular entertainment media as Empire, Screenrant and Paste. And in the ultimate mainstream salute for its time, Gene Siskel & Robert Ebert didn’t initially review the film during its theatrical release, but later dedicated a portion of their At The Movies weekly TV series to pay compliment to the film – and voice their regret for not giving it the attention it deserved during its original run – when Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was distributed for home entertainment.

The 4K HDR/SDR remaster of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was sourced from the 1993 Original Cut Camera Negative and was scanned at 4K resolution. Digital restoration was applied to the 4K scans to remove dirt, scratches and additional anomalies, but special care was given to not touch the film grain or the animation cel dirt that was part of the original artwork. This is the first time since its theatrical release that it is presented in its 1.85 aspect ratio. The original 2.0 mix and the 5.1 tracks were remastered to remove or improve defects such as pops, ticks, dropouts and distortion.

The animated film features an all-star cast headed by the quintessential voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, alongside Dana Delany (Desperate Housewives, China Beach) as Bruce Wayne’s love interest, Andrea Beaumont, Mark Hamill (Star Wars franchise) as the Joker, Stacy Keach (Nebraska, Prison Break, Mike Hammer) as Phantasm/Carl Beaumont, Abe Vigoda (Barney Miller, The Godfather) as Salvatore Valestra, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (The F.B.I.) as Alfred, Hart Bochner (Die Hard) as Arthur Reeves, Bob Hastings (McHale’s Navy, The Poseidon Adventure) as Commissioner Gordon, Robert Costanzo (Forget Paris, City Slickers) as Detective Bullock, Dick Miller (Gremlins, The Terminator) as Chuckie Sol, and John P. Ryan (The Right Stuff) as Buzz Bronski. Additional voices included Pat Musick, Marilu Henner, Neil Ross, Ed Gilbert, Jeff Bennett, Jane Downs, Vernee Watson, Charles Howerton, Thom Pinto and Peter Renaday.

The Batman: Mask of the Phantasm filmmaking team is composed of the award-winning core group behind Batman: The Animated Series. Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm directed the film from a screenplay by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko and Michael Reaves, based on a story by Burnett.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm will be available on September 12, 2023 to purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. 4K Ultra HD Discs will be available to purchase online and in-store at major retailers. Pre-order your copy now.

SYNOPSIS:

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm opens with the city's most feared gangsters being systematically eliminated, and assumed blame falling on the Caped Crusader. But prowling the Gotham night is a shadowy new villain, the Phantasm, a sinister figure with some link to Batman's past. Can the Dark Knight elude the police, capture the Phantasm and clear his own name? Unmasking the Phantasm is just one of the twists in this dazzling animated feature, which provides new revelations about Batman's past, his archrival the Joker, and Batman's most grueling battle ever - the choice between his love for a beautiful woman and his vow to be the defender of right.

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE*:

Kevin Conroy: I Am The Knight (New Featurette) – For 30 years, Kevin Conroy defined Batman for multiple generations using only his voice, best exemplified in the landmark film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Conroy passed away in November 2022, but his legacy lives on in 15 films, nearly 400 episodes of animated television series, a dozen video games, and as a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s 2019-2020 “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event. Several of Conroy’s contemporaries – including animation legend Bruce Timm, Batman producer Michael Uslan and revered voice actress Tara Strong – pay tribute to the star who remains the Dark Knight for millions of Batfans.

Bonus episode of Justice League: Unlimited featuring a cameo from Phantasm.

*Special features are not available in 4K Ultra HD.

The Batman legend continues in this story that tells of Batman's most difficult battle, as well as his confrontation with a mysterious killer, who holds the key to Batman's secret past.

MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.52 Ounces

Director ‏ : ‎ Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski

Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 16 minutes

Release date ‏ : ‎ September 12, 2023

Actors ‏ : ‎ Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany

Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English

Studio ‏ : ‎ Studio Distribution Services

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CBQPHLG9

Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA

Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Preorder now.

[cantsayidont]

It's a day ending in "y," so here are some more movies, most of them bad:

DIAVOLO IN CORPO (1986): Sexually explicit but generally lackluster Franco-Italian drama about an affair between a high school boy, Andrea (Federico Pitzalis), and a 20something woman called Giulia (Maruschka Detmers), who's engaged to a political prisoner currently lobbying for release under a new clemency law. Loosely adapted from Raymond Radiguet's 1923 novel LE DIABLE AU CORPS, the film departs so much from the original story that one struggles to see the point: In the novel, the boy (who narrates) and his mistress (whose name is Marthe, not Giulia) are both teenagers — when they meet, they're 15 and 18 respectively — and Marthe is engaged and later married to a soldier away fighting in WW1. Stripped of that context, Radiguet's sardonic first-person narration, and most of the novel's plot, the script preoccupies itself with painting Giulia as a maniac who threatens to castrate her young lover while he's sleeping and may have had an affair with his therapist father — bleah! (The book, which Radiguet wrote at 18 and which was at least semi-autobiographical, has been adapted several times, some more faithful than others.) CONTAINS LESBIANS: No. VERDICT: Greatly inferior to the source novel, with little to offer besides sex and misogyny.

THE MACK (1973): Unexceptional blaxploitation drama about an ex-con called Goldie (Max Julian), newly released after five years in prison on a robbery beef, who decides to reinvent himself as a pimp, much to the dismay of his politically conscious brother (Roger E. Mosley). Richard Pryor has a noncomedic supporting role as Goldie's childhood friend and one-time co-conspirator. Not as clunky as some blaxploitation films of its time (it's head and shoulders above the conceptually similar WILLIE DYNAMITE, for instance), but not particularly memorable either, and its attitude toward women is hard to stomach, particularly in a bizarre sequence where Goldie tries to build a cult of personality around himself. Its main virtue is the soundtrack by Willie Hutch; the movie is no classic, but Hutch's end-credits theme song ("Brother's Gonna Work It Out") definitely is. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Not in any meaningful way. VERDICT: Stick to the soundtrack album.

PATTY HEARST (1988): Dull, mostly unsatisfying attempt to dramatize Patty Hearst's 1974 kidnapping/recruitment by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), starring Natasha Richardson as Hearst. Based on Hearst's 1982 autobiography, it tries to convey her state of mind by sticking close to her point of view, beginning with her abduction and psychological torture/indoctrination at the hands of the SLA and its leader, Cinque (Ving Rhames), and ending with Hearst's conviction for crimes committed while part of the SLA. (Her sentence was commuted in 1979.) If you're not familiar with at least the basics of the story, you'll likely be completely lost, because the framing is deliberately disorienting, though never very engaging. In its determination to suggest that Hearst was non compos mentis through much of the period it depicts, the film leaves her something of a blank, and the portrayal of the other SLA members is thin and wooden; Rhames' charisma compensates to some extent, but costars Dana Delany, Frances Fisher, and William Forsythe are just not good enough to make up for the weakness of the script (which is by Nicholas Kazan, son of infamous HUAC collaborator Elia Kazan.) It only comes to life near the end, following Hearst's capture, which hints at a more interesting movie that failed to materialize. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Several of the other SLA members were wlw. VERDICT: Reading Hearst's Wikipedia entry and then watching the SLA pastiche in NETWORK (1976) would tell you just as much and be significantly more entertaining.

RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (2019): Seeing Stallone's engaging turn in TULSA KING gave me the misguided notion that maybe some of his other recent projects might be passable time-wasters. Not so this extremely dreary, very racist hokum about John Rambo, the improbably durable Troubled Vietnam Vet™ from Stallone's inexplicably popular '80s action series (originally based on a David Morrell novel, whose protagonist did not survive the story), trying to save the Latina granddaughter of his caretaker (Yvette Monreal) from evil Mexican human traffickers led by Sergio Peris-Mencheta (apparently taking time out from his role on SNOWFALL) with the help of Paz Vega. Why anyone thought the RAMBO series needed a fifth installment 11 years after the the previous movie (to which it's unrelated) is anyone's guess, but the results are wholly free of redeeming virtue — sadistic and jingostic almost from the jump, and most of the Mexican characters are played by Spaniards! I noped out after less than an hour. CONTAINS LESBIANS? No. VERDICT: If you want vicious racist bullshit about the evils of The Border, you could just watch presidential campaign ads (from either party) for free.

SERIAL MOM (1994): Appropriately ridiculous John Waters satire about deranged Baltimore housewife Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner), who becomes a serial killer lashing out at anyone who tests her fragile sense of propriety. Eventually, she becomes a popular celebrity, even defending herself at her much-publicized murder trial. Sam Waterston, Ricki Lake and Matthew Lillard costar as her family, with an assortment of absurd cameos and supporting bits — Juror No. 8, whose white shoes (after Labor Day!) so offend Beverly during her trial, is played by Patty Hearst! The film doesn't quite find its groove until the nightclub scene (featuring L7 as "The Camel Lips"), and its satirical take on the derangement of straight white suburbia is not exactly deep (or subtle), but it remains fun, thanks mostly to Kathleen Turner's commitment to the bit; she's great. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Not as such — it's a Waters film about straight suburbia, so none of the characters are normal (gay). VERDICT: Tame by Waters standards, but a minor classic worth seeing for Turner alone.