John Ashton – Cut To The Chase

Directed By: Jerrold Freedman
Written By: Jerrold Freedman and Steve Kline
Cinematography: Tak Fujimoto
Editor: John F. Link II

Cast: Charles Bronson, Bruno Kirby, Ed Harris, Bert Ramsen, Wilford Brimley, Michael Lerner, James Victor, Kenneth McMillan, John Ashton, Karim Murcelo, Enrique Castillo

Jeb Maynard is a patrolman guarding the U.S.-Mexican border, whose partner and buddy Scooter has just been murdered. Maynard knows that a smuggler of illegal aliens is responsible for Scooter’s death, but the feds insist that drug dealers committed the crime. If this villainous smuggler is going to be caught, Maynard is going to have to do the dirty work himself.

While this film doesn’t present anything new. At the time it was a social issue that was gaining more and more interest in popularity.

What is a Charles Bronson movie if you are looking or expecting an action epic you will be disappointed as well. The film does have scenes of action. There aren’t many more plays out as a crime drama.

The film is full of naughty character actors who have supporting and small roles. At the heart of the story is just trying to investigate the death of a border agent and an innocent, immigrant teenager and finding justice for them.

Throughout the tale, Charles Bronson is gentlemanly, and just generally a good guy. The film put a face to the villains in the organization they weren’t for, and the systematic way in which this business is lucrative for them.

We also see all the dangers and perils of the immigrants, trying to get into the country, what they lose, what they risk, and the general manner in which they are treated. During a section of the film, Charles Bronson’s character even goes undercover as an immigrant to try and catch and experience what most of them have to go through, and hopefully confront or come face-to-face with the perpetrators

The film offers something different than expected and entertains throughout her house and gives us the overview to see the perpetrators and we just wait to see how Charles Bronson & company will eventually hopefully bring them down.

This is the kind of film that is not really talked about when it comes to Charles Bronson but definitely should be. This film works on his decency and charisma throughout even when it lacks action and shows what he can be capable of when he doesn’t have a gun in his hand.

Grade: B-

Directed By: Zane Buzby
Written By: Steve Zacharias and Jeff Buhai
Cinematography: Steven Katz and Alex Nepomniaschy
Editor: Gregory Scherick

Cast: Charles Grodin, Robin Pearson Rose, John Ashton, Megan Mullally, Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, Mario Van Peebles, Gerrit Graham, Brenda Bakke, David Mirkin, Scott Nemes, Jacob Vargas

George Lollar takes his family on vacation with “Club Sand”, a shoddy and untrustworthy company. On their tropical island, they find soldiers everywhere, an unhelpful staff, inhospitable accommodation, and undesirable holidaymakers, but everyone except George manages to have fun in the sun.

This is a Film that I have always seen the poster in box art for. I might have even remembered a commercial, or at least a preview of it.

So, after all these years, I finally decided to sit down and watch it, and I can see I was wise to avoid it for all those previous years. the only noteworthy thing about this movie is its casting.

He calls itself a comedy, but while he tries to be funny, they are seldom laughs to be had. It is basically a visual guide of what can go wrong and will go wrong, especially when you are a nuclear family.

And there are a lot of comedic recognizable actors in this film either before or while they were on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, as well as less recognizable actors. It’s a rare early role for Megan Mullally of will and grace for instance

Though the film seems to beat a dead horse as it just shows a Family on a nightmare vacation in a Third World country in the 1980s where the staff is more interested in partying rather than helping

While Charles Grodin’s character, the father of the family stays unhappy and complains and has to deal with all the shenanigans around him, his family slowly one by one is charmed by the resort and it’s residence so that soon he is the only stick in the mud

So if you are a fan of watching Charles Grodin, be the street man and get exasperated as the conditions get more and more ridiculous. This is a Film for you. If you thought he yelled a lot in his other films, you ain’t seen anything yet.

They must’ve paid Charles Grodin very well and allowed him to pretty much be his screen. Self knows that seems to be what he does throughout the film and is probably the rare occurrence of him having a lead role. Though supposedly he believed this to be his funniest film. As he also helped rewrite it.

For a film that seems to hint at being a sex comedy and offers plenty of T&A. The film shows a little but prefers to suggest rather than show. If it did show this might have made it into National Lampoon territory. As it seems a bit inspired by the Chevy Chase Starring. National Lampoon’s Vacation movies

if you want to watch some comedic actors before they were stars, embarrass themselves by doing bad accents this is the film for you

It’s just shocking how few laughs there are in a film stacked with a great cast. This is truly an example of looks being deceiving.

Grade: F

Tag: John Ashton

BORDERLINE (1980)

LAST RESORT (1986)