15 Movies

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Fear City (1984)
Lame thriller from director Abel Ferrara about psycho stalking strippers in sleazy NYC club. A decent cast wasted that includes Tom Berenger, Melanie Griffith, Billy Dee Williams, Rae Dawn Chong and Michael V. Gazzo. (THUMBS DOWN)

Bad Company (1972)
Gritty, offbeat Western starring Jeff Bridges as leader of a teenage gang of wannabe outlaws. Great cast also includes John Savage, Geoffrey Lewis, David Huddleston and John Quade (leader of hapless Black Widows motorcycle gang in Every Which Way but Loose). (THUMBS UP)

The Lords of Flatbush (1974)
Rambling coming-of-age comedy-drama about teenage gang in Brooklyn in 1958, most notable for featuring Sylvester Stallone and Henry Winkler right before they hit superstardom. Richard Gere was originally cast as a gang member, but was replaced by Perry King after a physical altercation with Stallone. The two actors reportedly despise each other to this day. (THUMBS UP)

The Discoverers (2012)
Burnt-out professor (Griffin Dunne) joins a group of reenactors on the Lewis & Clark Discovery Trail in order to reconnect with his estranged father in this forgettable comedy-drama. Not much happens. Most of the humor falls flat. By the way, Dunne’s father is portrayed by Stuart Margolin, best known as “Angel” from The Rockford Files. (THUMBS DOWN)

The Sender (1982)
Doctor treating telepathic patient in psychiatric hospital starts experiencing violent hallucinations. An offbeat, low-budget horror film that owes nothing to the slasher genre. For what it’s worth, Tarantino called The Sender his favorite horror film of 1982. (THUMBS UP)

Enough Said (2013)
Low-key, well-acted comedy-drama starring James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Look for Toby Huss (“The Wiz” on Seinfeld!) as the ex-husband of Louis-Dreyfus. (THUMBS UP)

Chattahoochee (1989)
Disturbed Korean War veteran (Gary Oldman) ends up in Florida State Hospital and exposes brutality of the conditions there in this rather turgid drama based on a true story. Despite Oldman’s spirited performance and a great supporting cast that includes Dennis Hopper, Frances McDormand and M. Emmet Walsh, this curiously uninvolving film ultimately falls flat. (THUMBS DOWN)

Across 110th Street (1972)
A gritty, brutal NYC crime drama that features a superb cast that includes Anthony Quinn, Yaphet Kotto, Paul Benjamin, Anthony Franciosa and Richard Ward. And, of course, a great title song that Tarantino paid tribute to in Jackie Brown. Look for Burt Young (briefly) as a mobster who gets blown away in the first five minutes of the film. (THUMBS UP)

Thunder Alley (1985)
Hick guitarist joins struggling rock band in a cheesy, predictable but reasonably entertaining teen drama from none other than the Cannon Group. The concert scenes are rather hilarious! Clancy Brown steals the show as the band’s badass road manager, while Leif Garrett portrays the douchebag lead singer. (THUMBS UP)

I Walk the Line (1970)
Delusional Southern sheriff (Gregory Peck) becomes obsessed with moonshiner’s daughter (Tuesday Weld) and makes extremely poor decisions as a result in this interesting and offbeat drama featuring a great soundtrack by Johnny Cash. Directed by John Frankenheimer. Supporting cast includes Charles Durning and Estelle Parsons. (THUMBS UP)

Mazes and Monsters (1982)
Four college students retreat to a local cave to act out a fantasy role-playing game with tragic results in this truly awful made-for-TV movie notable for the abysmal performance of Tom Hanks in one of his first roles. Definitely has some camp value if you stay awake long enough. The last 30 minutes of this ridiculous outing features arguably the worst acting of Hanks’ entire career. Oh yeah, and Chris Makepeace costars (his performance is terrible as well). (THUMBS DOWN)

Birdy (1984)
Solid performances by Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage highlight this very offbeat drama set in Philadelphia in the 1960s about teenage friends “Birdy” (yes, he’s obsessed with birds and dreams of flying) and “Al,” who both suffer post-Vietnam War trauma. Directed by Alan Parker. Definitely not for all tastes! Added bonus: Al’s abrasive father si portrayed by none other than Sandy Baron (“Jack Klompus” from Seinfeld). (THUMBS UP)

Wind (1992)
A drama about sailing that runs over 2 hours and stars Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey? Yes, it’s as boring as it sounds! Watch Summer Rental (1985) starring John Candy instead! (THUMBS DOWN)

Fat City (1972)
Gritty and uncompromising drama directed by John Huston and featuring Stacy Keach as a down-and-out, alcoholic former boxer halfheartedly trying to make a comeback. Jeff Bridges is the naive young upstart. Nicholas “Coach” Colasanto is great as the delusional trainer. This is the anti-Rocky. These bums are headed on the road to nowhere. Favorite quote: “Before you can get rolling, your life makes a beeline for the drain.” (THUMBS UP)

Tiptoes (2003)
Firefighter (Matthew McConaughey) keeps a big secret from his pregnant girlfriend (Kate Beckinsale): his twin brother (Gary Oldman!) and parents are dwarfs. Meanwhile, in an unrelated subplot, Peter Dinklage portrays a French Marxist with a bad accent who picks up free-spirited hitchhiker (Patricia Arquette). Say what? A total mess! However, if you’ve ever wanted to see Gary Oldman channel Toulouse-Lautrec, here’s your big chance! (THUMBS DOWN)

Do Better

reweidman50 Uncategorized

“Make amends where you can – except when it will hurt somebody else … But letting it go is not this thing that you do once and then it’s done. Sometimes you have to do it over and over again, because regret will eat you alive. The truth is there’s nothing you can do about what you’ve already done. All you can do is wake up in the morning and do better.” – Steve Earle

Camp Creek Overlook

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A cool spot to take a break as you journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, the Camp Creek Overlook at Milepost 315 features a very short but rather steep hike to the scenic creek in question. For more details about hidden treasures along the Blue Ridge Parkway, I strongly recommend The Blue Ridge Parkway Guide by William G. Lord. Happy travels!

Chestoa View Loop Trail

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A true hidden treasure along the Blue Ridge Parkway (MP 320.8), the 0.6-mile Chestoa View Loop Trail provides an easy leg stretcher through a scenic forest capped off with a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. Or you can opt to skip the trail and make a beeline straight to the rock balcony. However I highly recommend the hiking trail so you get the full experience of the Chestoa View Overlook!

Ponce Inlet Revisited

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We arrived at Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet early on Friday to attempt some beach time before the crowds started descending for Memorial Day Weekend. However, when we arrived just after 8 AM, the parking lot was full. So, we parked at the Marine Science Center (which has been closed temporarily to help slow the spread of the coronavirus). Fortunately, the beach was nearly deserted because just about all the cars in the parking lot were owned by surfers (at least 100!) already out on the water. And let me tell you, there were definitely some huge waves on this day! The rip tide was intense as well and we saw a couple of young ladies get rescued by a lifeguard. Also, we roamed around the boardwalk and saw six Florida gopher tortoises in the dunes. On the way back, we hit DJ’s Deck in Port Orange for a great lunch (it’s all outside and tables were a good distance apart). Bottom line: An awesome way to start the long holiday weekend!

Southbound

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Believe it or not, I recently found a copy of Doc Watson’s great 1966 album, Southbound, at a thrift store for $2! Released by Vanguard, the album also features Doc’s son, Merle, and John Pilla on guitars and Russ Savakus on string bass. The tracks include “Walk on Boy,” “Blue Railroad Train,” “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “Alberta,” “Southbound,” “Windy and Warm,” “Call of the Road,” “Tennessee Stud,” “That Was the Last Thing on My Mind,” “Little Darling Pal of Mine,” “Nothing to It,” “Riddle Song,” “Never No More Blues” and “Nashville Pickin'”. Best investment ever!

The Tortoises of Tibet-Butler Preserve

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During your next visit to Tibet-Butler Preserve, don’t miss the tortoise habitats that surround the Vera Carter Environmental Center at the entrance. Here are just a few of the tortoises that call Tibet-Butler Preserve home.

Remembering Michael McClure (1932-2020)

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“This was still a time of cold, gray silence, but inside the coffeehouses of North Beach, poets and friends sensed the atmosphere of liberation.” Allen Ginsberg once referred to critically acclaimed Beat poet Michael McClure’s poetry as “a blob of protoplasmic energy,” while Jack Kerouac called McClure’s long poem “Dark Brown” the “most fantastic poem in America.” Gary Snyder stated McClure was “closer to [William] Blake than anybody else writing.” As the age of 22, McClure gave his first poetry reading at the legendary Six Gallery in San Francisco on October 7, 1955, the night Ginsberg first read “Howl.” For many years, McClure toured extensively with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek.