A Needed Winter Triple Feature: Third, Cop Out

When I was 10, I went on my first secret-date with a boy at the Dollar Cinema, the esteemed place which I've written about on this here bloggle many times before. We saw "Loaded Weapon 1," and I hated it. My next secret date was to "Blankman" (in the same cinema: we were kids and broke ... oh, how things have changed... [cough]).

I hated that one, too. I was a cynical little jerk, looking back.

I'm all for spoofs, irony, parodies, mocks, whatever -- but as a little kid, I had no time for it. I thought those rung stupid and too silly; I guess I was a tiny snob.

Because "Cop Out" was pretty awesome. Maybe my sensibilities have regressed over the years - or, maybe I've just been yearning for a silly buddy-cop movie and hadn't realized it. I thought this movie was pretty hilarious, and so refreshing for the movie environs we're given right now.

I went with a movie friend of mine, and we both entered with extremely low expectations. Over dinner, we thought if the food took too long, it might be better, in fact, if we didn't make it to the picture.

But, we scarfed down our nachos and sauntered over to the theater -- as we walked out, we were both still chuckling.

I don't need to describe the movie premise in any detail; it's Bruce Willis (as Jimmy Monroe) and Tracy Morgan (as Paul Hodges) playing bumbling police partners who are looking to take down some bad dudes. Within the first five minutes, we see Paul (Tracy Morgan) interrogating a perpetrator; his method is to use every line in every movie involving bad/good guys in pop culture to get the guy to squeal.

I was grabbing my guts from laughter, and testing myself internally to make sure I got all the references at the same time.

The self-referential stuff goes on throughout the movie -- and for someone like me - someone who tends to speak in movie lines because she's incapable of normal human interaction - it was so great, if incredibly stupid.

When we walked out of the theater, my friend and I both agreed that if you haven't seen every movie under the sun in the past 50 years, it likely might strike the viewer as too slapstick or off-the-wall.

If you are a movie geek, it's quite the little riot.

Ahhhhhh, Oscars in less than two hours!

Just saw "The Yellow Handkerchief" on my walk home from my best friend's apartment on a whim. Probably should've saved those 12 bones.

Again, for giggles, "Loaded Weapon 1"



And, "Cop Out"

Slice: `Lethal Weapon 5' Is Perhaps No More, Says Donner

It was just pointed out to me by Work Friend that the alleged "Lethal Weapon 5," which had so lifted my spirits but a week ago seems to be dead in the water. Say it isn't so, Richard Donner!

Nope, Donner says, it's so, as reported by Coming Soon:

"It's too bad, actually, because Channing Gibson, who wrote the fourth one, and Mike Riva, a designer on three of them, and myself and Derek [Hoffman, an associate at The Donner Company] had an incredibly strong story for the fifth movie. But we weren't given the opportunity and I think maybe I could have convinced Mel to do it. But Warners chose to go with Joel Silver."

"Yes, the project is pretty much dead in the water unless someone had the sense to come to me."

I like his candor. Unfortunately, so few people seem to have any sense. The full L.A. Times article is here, if anyone cares that much. Doubtful.

Slice: Riggs and Murtaugh ... `Lethal Weapon 5' (!!)

I thought it was going to be a boring day for the movies.

When what do my wandering eyes find before me?

"Lethal Weapon 5" (!!!!!) is on the fast track, or so says Columbus Short (of movies like Stomp the Yard, Save the Last Dance 2, etc. -- we can't win them all...).

While "Lethal Weapon 4" ought to be erased from our collective consciousness, the three LW's before brought me so much joy as a child that I'll take any reason to see Riggs and Murtaugh again -- no doubt flanked by a couple younger cops who'll make me cringe.

The interview with Short:



I've always loved this clip about the original opening scene of "Lethal Weapon." Oh, how I miss good buddy cop movies.