the reel dope

Movie reviews for: The Wheeler Dealers, Lillies of the Field, The Haunting, and Beach Party.

the ultimate gift

the year: 2006

the genre: drama


the cast: James Garner (Howard "Red" Stevens); Bill Cobbs (Theophilus Hamilton); Lee Meriwether (Miss Hastings); Abigail Breslin (Emily); Drew Fuller (Jason Stevens); Ali Hillis (Alexia)


the plot: After the death of the oil tycoon Howard 'Red' Stevens, his greedy family is gathered in the office of his lawyer, partner and friend Mr. Theophillis 'Ted' Hamilton and his associate Miss Hastings for the reading of the will. For his reckless and selfish grandson Jason Stevens, who hated him, Red assigns twelve apparently simple tasks called "gifts" - challenging Jason to a journey of discoveries.



listen for: "Hello Emily, I missed you." "Whatever. Let's cut to the chase."



did you know: the (blind) author of this story, Jim Stovall, makes a cameo appearance in the move as a limousine driver.



extra bonus points: if you can name the 12 gifts.

cash mccall

the year: 1960

the genre: drama


the cast: Natalie Wood (Lory Austen); James Garner (Cash McCall); Dean Jagger (Grant Austen); Edward Platt (Harrison Glenn);


the plot: Cash McCall is a young business man who buys failing businesses and resells them. Grant Austen's Plastics is even more of a prize to Cash, as Cash is also making a bid for Austen's beautiful daughter, Lory. It could turn out to be Cash's toughest deal ever.


extra bonus points: if you know the part Dean Jagger plays in White Christmas.


don't miss: wheels within wheels.


count: the profit Cash makes on the purchase of Austen Plastics.


you can watch the trailer here.

boys' night out

year: 1962

genre: comedy



the cast: Kim Novak (Cathy); James Garner (Fred Williams); Tony Randall (George Drayton); Howard Duff (Doug Jackson); Howard Morris (Howard McIllenny)





the plot: Fred, George, Doug and Howie are the boys. Their night out is sitting in their favorite bar every Thursday, deciding whether to go bowling or not until it's time to catch the 11:35 train. George loves to talk but his wife won’t let him get a word in edgewise. Doug loves to fix things, but his wife hires repairmen to keep up appearances. Howie’s wife is on a diet, which means he is, too. And then there’s Fred. He lives with his mother – who wants grandchildren. One evening the decision is made (much to Fred's dismay) to split a “love nest” in the city and Fred is volunteered by the others to be the one responsible for finding the right place (and girl). After he signs the lease and while waiting for the boys to show up, Fred has "ti many martoonis" and mistakenly believes that Cathy has come about the ad for the "companion" and not for the apartment. Cathy agrees to the deal because she is a post-grad sociology student and wants to use the boys in her studies.



listen for: "Isn't it amazing how much post graduate work goes on in this town?"



don’t miss: Cathy giving each of the guys what they really need: a listening ear, a broken record player, a gourmet meal, and love. (Awww.)





also listen for: “Wednesday was there Wednesday, Thursday was there last Sunday, yet you remember last Sunday's Thursday better than yesterday's Wednesday. Interesting, no?”


also listen for: "If there's one thing I hate it's guys who chippen out when the chicks are down."



check out: James Garner, Little League coach.

support your local sheriff

the year: 1969

the genre: western



the cast: James Garner (Jason McCullough); Jack Elam (Jake); Joan Hackett (Prudy Perkins); Harry Morgan (Mayor Olly Perkins); Walter Brennan (Pa Danby); Bruce Dern (Joe Danby)



the plot: A frontier town in the Old West springs up overnight when the rather klutzy and hotheaded Prudy Perkins discovers gold in a grave during a funeral. Her father Olly becomes mayor of the new settlement. He and the other members of the town council bemoan the facts that the place has become a drunken free-for-all, and that in order to ship out all the gold that is mined, they must pay a hefty fee to the Danbys, a family of ranchers/bandits who control the only route out of town. This all changes with the arrival of Jason McCullough, who is passing through town "on his way to Australia." Needing money after discovering the town's ruinious rate of inflation, McCullough demonstrates his shooting ability to the mayor and town council, and becomes the new sheriff. McCullough acquires a semi-willing deputy in the form of the extremely scruffy Jake, who was previously the "town character." The arrest of Joe Danby ignites the wrath of the patriarch of the Danby family and while the rest of the town immediately quiets down under McCullough's reign, "Pa" mounts various efforts to get Joe out of jail.



count: the percentage of inflation at Emma's Tasty Food Emporium.

don’t miss: how the Sheriff gets Joe to stay in the jail cell with no bars.



check out: Prudy's biscuit baking skills.

listen for: "Sixty for who and forty for who?"



extra bonus points: if you know the name of Prudy's mining company.

the scene: arresting Joe and keeping him in jail (PG clip: some gunfighting in the first few seconds - after all, it IS a western.)