Tag Archives: Bill Murray

Outtakes

Countdown: The Best Sports Commentators on Film

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Oh glorious days! When was the last time we had a whole weekend of gorgeous weather? After eight straight months of snow, it was just awesome to make it through May without any icy accumulation – unless you count those hail storms from a couple weeks back. But that’s all over, and we had a whole weekend of sun for baseball (Clippers double header, Indians sweep!). Hell, even the Memorial golf tournament enjoyed perhaps the best weather in its history. It was like a whole weekend needed some kind of announcer to color commentate. It all put us in the mind of some of our favorite onscreen sports announcers.

5. Fred Willard, Jim Piddock: Best in Show (2000)

Christopher Guest’s drolly hilarious send up of dog culture gets, as is so often the case, splashes of lunacy from Fred Willard. In this case, his ignoramus color commentary during the Mayflower Kennel Dog Club Show opposite the perfectly dry Jim Paddock punctures the proceedings perfectly.

4. John C. McGinley: 42 (2013)

As famed sports announcer and voice of the Dodgers Red Barber, McGinley had big shoes to fill. His spot-on delivery added to the historical context 42 was hoping to articulate, and also pointed to Barber as an unflappable pro with a sense of humor and a fluid, soothing delivery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEBPl-OxklU

3. Gary Cole/Jason Bateman: Dodgeball (2004)

The Dodgeball straight man/color commentary duo of Cotton McKnight (Cole) and Pepper Brooks (Bateman) from ESPN 8: The Ocho brought that classic bout of titans the gravitas it deserved. Bateman’s as over-the-top as he has ever been in his career, and consummate pro Cole hits dead pan gold as the play by play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84cwztN3nms

2. Bob Uecker: Major League (1989)

If there is one thing that makes Major League a timeless classic (it is, too!), it’s Bob Uecker’s hilarious play by play announcer. Fed up, feisty and probably drunk, his Harry Doyle kept the film’s pace high and the laughs continuous.

1. Bill Murray: Caddyshack (1980)

‘It’s in the hole!” Proving that he can do anything at all, Bill  Murray puts tears in our eyes as assistant greenskeeper Carl Spackler, imagining his own Cinderella story of coming out of nowhere to win the Masters.

 

New In Theaters, Slider

Art for History’s Sake

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by George Wolf

 

There are many stories in war, some better known than others. With The Monuments Men, George Clooney shines a bright Hollywood spotlight on one of the lesser known aspects of World War II, and manages to make it an informative and entertaining affair.

True, the story of how the Nazis stole countless art treasures in Europe was outlined by the excellent 2006 documentary The Rape of Europa, and 42 years before that, Burt Lancaster tried to keep precious artifacts from reaching Germany in The Train. But the tale of this heroic group is fresh territory, and in adapting the source book, director Clooney and his usual co-writer Grant Heslov again show fine instincts for making a historical drama resonate.

Clooney also stars as the leader of the titular platoon, an older group of art experts called into military service and tasked with rescuing the stolen works and when possible, returning them to the rightful owners. He’s surrounded by a winning cast with plenty of star power, including Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, and Cate Blanchett as a suspicious Frenchwoman who becomes very helpful to the cause.

Factual liberties are taken, of course, but give Clooney and Heslov credit for keeping a good heart beating beneath the big-scale production. The heavy toll of war, the enduring power of art, and the souls at the center of each are given due respect, even as the film becomes a nail-biting chase to rescue a priceless Michelangelo before it falls into wrong hands.

As a director, Clooney is a bit more obvious this time out, and there are segments when things becomes a tad too lighthearted, such as reminders of some of the cast’s previous films which may or may not have been intentional.  In fact, the struggle to find a suitable tone is the film’s main weakness, as the cinematic heights Clooney reached in Good Night and Good Luck or The Ides of March are sacrificed to give the film more mass appeal.

But ultimately, The Monuments Men is a tale that deserves a wide audience, and Clooney may prove just the right artist to get that job done.

 

 

Verdict-3-0-Stars

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreneTs7sGs

Outtakes

Weekend Countdown: Best Cameos Ever

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The cameo-tastic This Is the End releases to DVD on Tuesday, which got us talking about our favorite cameos ever. Peruse, see if you agree, and let us know if we missed anyone.

20. Nicolas Cage: Werewolf Women of the SS (Grindhouse)

Thank you Quentin Tarantino for liking really bad exploitation movies when you were a kid. Thank you Rob Zombie for creating this outstanding fake trailer. Thank you Nic Cage for your ability to channel your own weirdness so beautifully.

 

19.Tim Robbins: Anchorman

No commercials – no mercy!

 

18. Paul Shaffer: This Is Spinal Tap

Artie Fufkin, Polymer Records
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT3D3Xc68oQ

 

17. Steve Martin: The The Muppet Movie

Oh, waiter!

 

16. Johnny Depp: 21 Jump Street

Not just Johnny – that’s Peter DeLuise (Officer Doug Penhall), too. Surprised he had the time to devote to the project.

 

15. Bruce Willis & Julia Roberts: The Player

Robert Altman was a genius.

 

14. Patrick Ewing: Exorcist 3

And Fabio!

cameo20

13. Gene Hackman: Young Frankenstein

I’ll make espresso!

 

12. David Bowie: Zoolander

Walk off!

 

11. Neil Patrick Harris: Harold & Kumar go to White Castle

Almost as brilliant as Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog.

 

10. Will Farrell: Wedding Crashers

Mom! The meatloaf!

 

9. James Brolin & Morgan Fairchild: Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

Paging Mr. Herman.

 

8. Bill Murray: Little Shop of Horrors

It’s your professionalism I admire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7euWlQBKnw

 

7. Matt Damon: Eurotrip

Nice tats, Matt!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFCOa4tjHeo

 

6. Tom Cruise: Tropic Thunder

It’s far too big a role to be considered a cameo, and yet, the list felt weirdly free of gold chains and knuckle hair without it.

5. Christopher Walken: True Romance

Back to back Walken!

 

4. Christopher Walken: Pulp Fiction

Up his ass…

 

3. Bruce Springsteen: High Fidelity

Taking advice from the boss man.

 

2. Bill Murray: Zombieland
I just saw Eddie Van Halen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDzHsQapOKQ

 

1. Alec Baldwin: Glengarry Glen Ross

Put that coffee down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kZg_ALxEz0

Outtakes, Slider

Memorial Countdown: 5 Best Scenes from Golf Movies

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In honor of the Memorial Tournament, we wanted to count down the best golf movies. But since that’s a countdown of one, we figured instead we would offer the five best scenes from Caddyshack. (Honorable mentions to Billy Baroo; This is my Friend Wang; That’s a Peach, Hon; Bark Like a Dog.) Try to watch these and not laugh – we’re guessing you can’t do it.

5. Mind if I play through?

4. You’re a tremendous slouch.

3. Be the ball.

2. Big hitter, the Lama. Long.

1. And, #1, like you didn’t already know….It’s in the hole!

 

Now, how ’bout a Fresca?

For Your Queue, Slider

For Your Queue: Who doesn’t love Bill Murray?

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Another less than stellar week in DVD releases. The strongest contender this week is Hyde Park on Hudson.

A Bill Murray presidency would be gleefully weird, wouldn’t it? Maybe that’s why he landed the role of Franklin Roosevelt in the charming if scattered tale of King and Queen of England’s visit to FDR’s weekend home. When director Roger Mitchell’s film is hitting on all cylinders, it offers glimpses of bold yet delicate nuttiness. The film splits its focus, unfortunately. While the time spent on a love story with cousin Daisy (Laura Linney) grows tiresome, every moment spent with the president and his royal visitors is a gas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQaScjiWDyY

One of the reasons Murray has become such a beloved figure is his willingness to break convention. Yes, it has led to some disappointments (Garfield, Passion Play), but it has given him a well-rounded film resume filled with overlooked performances worth seeking out. One of these is his fine supporting turn in 2009’s Get Low.  In 1930s Tennessee, a small-town hermit (Robert Duvall) decides to have his funeral before he dies, and thus recruits the local funeral director (Murray) to help him “get low.” Duvall is superb in the lead, and Murray crafts a unique character in his limited screen time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy265yfzlNg