Tag: Mario Van Peebles

LAST RESORT (1986)

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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

EXTERMINATOR 2 (1984)

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Directed by: Mark Buntzman 
Written By: Mark Buntzman & William Sachs 
Cinematography: Bob Baldwin & Joseph Mangine 
Editor: Marcos Manton, George Norris & Florent Retz 

Cast: Robert Ginty, Mario Van Peebles, Frankie Faison, Deborah Geffner, Scott Randolf, Ayre Gross, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Bruce Smolanoff, Irwin Keyes 

The flamethrower-wielding vigilante John Eastland returns to rid New York City of a drug lord and his gang.

The exterminator returns. This is basically a revenge movie and vigilante movie rolled into one. Not that the film is supposed to be taken all that seriously. As it seems more an action film of the times that tries to be exploitive but forgets in all ways. That seems to want to try to be more mainstream. Which then takes out most of what made the first film stand out in the first place.

At least the first film had a kind of grindhouse style that fit its Time period that made it somewhat watchable.

This movie goes with the times and the ridiculous fashions and styles of the time. It’s Mainly noteworthy for having a young Mario Van Peebles play the villain, a gang leader who dresses like he is in Mad Max. While his goons all seem to be some kind of punk rockers or backup dancers from a music video who try to look urban. 

While the film is violent it’s Not as creative with its Kills and the violence where seems more gratuitous for no reason that comes across as exploitive.

At least here the lead has a sidekick and they give him A Love interest. And a sex scene. Which here just seems more like. Reason to have some nudity in the film. Whose victimization gives him A target for his anger. 

Out of this series at least when presenting a hero he isn’t some Kind of heroic figure or even that skilled just a Vietnam vet who knows his way around weapons. No hand-to-hand combat, just strictly strike and kill. 

There is an ending but it’s Not necessarily happy for anyone. The problem is that as with most sequels this continues the protagonist’s adventures but comes off generic rather than inventive. 

It’s fun to see character actors in various roles throughout before they went onto bigger and better things but that is the only joy that the film brings to mind.

Grade: D