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Posts Tagged ‘Joe Grifasi’

Heavy

Friday, June 5th, 2026

June 5, 1996

Most of us probly didn’t see James Mangold’s HEAVY in theaters. It won the Special Jury Prize for directing at Sundance, it played Cannes, and then after Liv Tyler got some attention for starring in STEALING BEAUTY it got a limited release in the U.S., starting on one screen in New York and eventually expanding to only 22. I think I only knew about it because Roger Ebert raved about it. I watched it on video later and thought it was pretty good, but I barely remembered it. I thought Heavy was the name of the main guy.

It’s actually Victor Modino, and he’s played by Pruitt Taylor Vince (RED HEAT, K-9, CITY SLICKERS II: THE LEGEND OF CURLY’S GOLD, NATURAL BORN KILLERS) in his first lead role, one he justifiably received alot of praise for. Weirdly this movie didn’t get any Indie Spirit Award nominations, though. Also I’m betting it didn’t ever win any awards for excellence in DVD menu design.


(read the rest of this shit…)

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Posted in Reviews, Drama | 4 Comments »

Brewster’s Millions

Tuesday, May 26th, 2020

May 22, 1985

On the same Wednesday that RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II was released, Walter Hill followed up HARD TIMES, THE DRIVER, THE WARRIORS, THE LONG RIDERS, SOUTHERN COMFORT, 48 HRS. and STREETS OF FIRE with a new movie produced by Lawrence Gordon (ROLLING THUNDER, PREDATOR, DIE HARD) and Joel Silver (COMMANDO, LETHAL WEAPON, ROAD HOUSE) and starring the great Richard Pryor (THE MACK, HIT!). But it was a pretty dumb PG-rated comedy that doesn’t really take full advantage of either of their skills, other than Pryor’s general likability.

Pryor plays Monty Brewster, pitcher for the minor league baseball team the Hackensack Bulls. He and his best friend/catcher Spike Nolan (John Candy, THE SILENT PARTNER) try to be big fish in a small pond, hitting on baseball groupies at a bar after the game, but even there they’re medium-sized, overshadowed by a manlier player from the away team (Grand L. Bush, DIE HARD, LICENCE TO KILL, STREET FIGHTER). Which leads to a bar brawl, the most Walter Hill part of the movie. (read the rest of this shit…)

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Posted in Comedy/Laffs, Reviews | 14 Comments »

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