The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare

2024 Lionsgate

Rated: R

Length: 2 hrs

Action ~ Comedy ~ War ~ History ~ True Story

Starring: Henry Cavill, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Henry Golding, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Babs Olusanmokun and Eiza González.

NO RULES. NO REGRETS. JUST VICTORY

Henry Cavill stars as Major Gus March-Phillips who is brought out of Military Prison by Brigadier Colin Gubbins “M” and Ian Fleming late 1941 in England during World War II. He is tasked with heading Operation Postmaster, a last resort mission dreamt up by Winston Churchill, “M” and Ian. An unsanctioned secret operation to go to the Spanish island of Fernando Po in Africa, where the Nazi’s are resupplying their U-boats that are decimating the Royal Navy fleet, and destroy the resupply ships.

Accompanied by Irishman Henry Hayes(Hero Fiennes Tiffin), Freddy “The Buzz” “Frogman” Alvarez(Henry Golding), and “The Danish Hammer” Anders Lassen(Alan Ritchson), they sail around the coast of Africa to La Palma Canary Islands where they storm a Nazi Garrison and extract Geoffrey Appleyard(Alex Pettyfer). They then continue on the Swedish fishing Trawler Maid Of Honor to the Spanish port of Fernando Po to destroy the Nazi resupply ships. A suicide mission fraught with perils and unexpected twists and turns. They sail between the British Navy ships on one side who will incarcerate them and the Nazi U-boats on the other that will kill them.

This is based on the true story of the first Black Ops before there was such a thing. The beginnings of Agencies like the Navy Seals, CIA and other world agencies that were spawned to do the dirty work under the radar. Gus March-Phillips was the inspiration for James Bond in Ian Flemings novels. Sir Christopher Lee who starred in and was a consultant on numerous James Bond movies, was a member of The Ministry Of Gentlemanly Warfare in it’s early days. He was also second cousin to Ian Fleming.

Cavill delivers his most charismatic performance since The Man from U.N.C.L.E., channeling that mustached grit with Guy Ritchie flair, while his co-stars, like a sharp-shooting Eiza González and the ever-reliable Alan Ritchson, match his energy beat for beat. Christopher Lee’s nod to real history adds gravitas, reminding us these men and women changed the course of history.

A thrilling blend of fact, legend, and adrenaline-fueled storytelling, this is one of the best True Story war films of recent years. These men and women helped change the course of history. It’s a fantastic story well told and portrayed by all involved in this movie. I love the True Story Movies and I love this one.

A great adventure!

Well done and highly recommended!

Two Thumbs Up!

Alex Pettyfer, Alan Ritchson, Henry Cavill, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Henry Goldin in THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE.
Photo Credit: Dan Smith for Lionsgate.
Courtesy of Lionsgate.

NETFLIX Buys Warner Brothers!

I had been hearing rumors for the last couple of weeks about Netflix trying to buy Warner Brothers. That is huge news in the streaming world and the streaming wars. Twenty years ago Netflix was a burgeoning mail order DVD rental company. They are now the leader in the streaming business closely followed by Amazon Prime. In the last couple of years Amazon has positioned itself to challenge Netflix and take dominance over the streaming world. Today the news broke that the deal had been inked, and Netflix would acquire Warner Brothers, making it the uncontested Streaming Giant.

The planned Netflix–Warner Bros. deal is being treated as a once‑in‑a‑generation shake‑up that could effectively end the “streaming wars” with Netflix on top if regulators allow it to close. For around 72 billion dollars in equity (82.7 billion including debt), Netflix would fold in Warner’s studio, HBO/HBO Max, and massive library—DC, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and a century of catalog, creating a single platform that controls roughly one‑third of the U.S. subscription streaming market and an outsized share of viewing time. That scale, plus ad tiers on both sides, positions the merged company as a kind of “super‑platform” for premium series, blockbuster films, and global franchises in one subscription.

Amazon should be worried because this deal directly threatens Prime Video’s claim to be one of the default entertainment hubs of the household. A combined Netflix–Warner instantly leapfrogs Prime Video on must‑have Intellectual Property, concentrates more cultural “event” titles in a rival service, and gives Netflix far greater leverage in talent deals, theatrical windows, and global marketing than any single competitor currently enjoys. If Netflix becomes the primary home for prestige TV and big‑franchise cinema, Prime risks sliding into a secondary position where it either has to spend dramatically more on originals and sports, or lean harder on its e‑commerce bundle to justify itself as an equal destination in viewers’ minds.

FROM NETFLIX:

We recently announced that Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO. This unites our leading entertainment service with Warner Bros. iconic stories, bringing some of the world’s most beloved franchises like Harry Potter, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Casablanca, Game of Thrones and the DC Universe together with Stranger Things, Wednesday, Squid Game, Bridgerton and KPop Demon Hunters.

What’s changing?

Nothing is changing today. Both streaming services will continue to operate separately. We have more steps to complete before the deal is closed, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. In the meantime, we hope you’ll continue to enjoy watching as much as you want, whenever you want on Netflix.

Caught Stealing

2025 Sony Pictures Releasing

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 47min

Crime ~ Comedy ~ Thriller

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Benito Martínez Ocasio, Griffin Dunne, Carol Kane, Yuri Kolokolnikov and Nikita Kukushkin.

2 Russians, 2 Jews And A Puerto Rican Walk Into A Bar….

Caught Stealing is based on The Crime Novel of the same name by American author Charlie Huston, first published on January 1, 2004.

Henry “Hank” Thompson (Austin Butler) is a bartender living in New York’s Lower East Side. He is a washed up former Baseball Player whose major league ambitions were dashed in a drunken car wreck. Hank survived, but his best friend was killed, and it left Hank with a lot of guilt as well as a drinking problem. After closing the bar and heading home to his apartment, he meets his Punk Rock neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) in the hallway. He tells Hank that his father died and he has to fly to London immediately. He asks him to watch his cranky cat, Bud while he is gone. Hank protests but Russ won’t here of it, forces the cat and the key on him and leaves. It seems simple enough but things go south fast when a pair of brutal Russian mobsters (Yuri Kolokolnikov and Nikita Kukushkin) show up looking for Russ, beating Hank so badly he ends up in the hospital in emergency surgery losing a kidney.

A narcotics detective named Elise Roman (Regina King) questions him and hints at Russ’s shady drug connections to the infamous Hasidic Drucker brothers (Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio). Hank denies that he did anything wrong and tells her that Russ only asked him to watch his cat, and he has no idea why the mobsters beat him so savagely. Hank’s girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz) assists Hank back to his apartment after being released. Back home Hank discovers a mysterious key stashed in Bud’s litter box hidden in fake plastic cat poop. He decides to go down to the bar to talk to his boss about missing two days while he was in the hospital. He calls Detective Roman and tells her about the key and proceeds to tie one on while he processes recent events. When Hank comes to the next morning in his apartment, the two Russian Mobsters and a Puerto Rican named Colorado (Benito Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny) threaten him with more violence unless he tells them where the key is.

Things go downhill quickly from there as Hank’s girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz) gets caught in the crossfire, leaving him reeling as he dodges beatings, betrayals, and double-crosses from Roman, the Russians, and the Druckers. He hides out, retrieves clues from unexpected spots like abandoned clothes, and scrambles to protect Bud the cat while piecing together who’s after what. Everyone wants that key, and Hank’s past regrets fuel his fight to stay alive amid the chaos of the Lower East Side underworld. Bodies pile up and alliances shatter, Hank races through bars, subways, and shadowy deals, outsmarting killers with quick thinking and sheer luck. He confronts lies from those closest to the mess, weighing loyalty against survival in a city that chews up the weak. The stakes skyrocket with threats hitting personal levels, forcing Hank to tap into the grit that once made him a ballplayer.

Austin Butler shines in this gritty urban thriller, and at times it reminds me of his role in Elvis. He has a very distinctive voice full of southern charm, I honestly can’t believe he didn’t win an Oscar for that. Zoë Kravitz brings fiery vulnerability as Yvonne, Hank’s girlfriend. Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio are hilariously menacing as the two Hasidic Drucker brothers Lipa and Shmully. Caught Stealing delivers a pulpy, high-octane thrill ride through 1998 NYC’s gritty underworld, blending brutal action, dark humor, and relentless twists that keep you hooked from the first beatdown.

Highly Recommended!

Now streaming on Netflix!

Killer Heat

2024 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 36min

Crime ~ Drama ~ Mystery ~ Thriller

Directed by: Philippe Lacôte

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, and Richard Madden.

Jealousy can drive anyone to the edge.

Killer Heat is based on the short story The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbø. It is from the 2021 book The Jealousy Man and Other Short Stories.

FROM JO NESBØ’S WEBSITE (www.jonesbo.com):

Jo Nesbo is the consummate mystery writer, and his talent for hair-raising suspense and shocking twists are on full display in this inventive and harrowing collection of stories.

A detective with a nose for jealousy is on the trail of a man suspected of murdering his twin; a woman finally overcomes her intimacy issues through a dark encounter with her Peeping Tom neighbor; a fugitive on the run in a remote corner of Norway is lured by a friendly local to what seems to be a wedding ceremony–only to find a much more macabre event.

Contained in this collection are stories of insatiable avarice, unscrupulous lovers, and heartrending fate. With Nesbo’s gift for outstanding atmosphere and complex characters, this is a veritable crime lover’s delight.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Private Detective Nick Bali. He is a former NYPD Detective who has relocated to his father’s empty apartment in Greece following the demise of his marriage. Haunted by the memory of events that led to his failed marriage, and of his daughter, he drinks heavily to block it out. “There’s a calculus to drinking. And if I get the math right, I’ll land in the perfect blackout. No Memories.” Intense jealousy on Nick’s part led to his wife’s cheating and the end of their marriage. It also helped him be a better private Investigator when it came to investigating marital issues between a couple. Through a friend who recommends him, he is contacted by……..

Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley) to investigate the death of her brother-in-law’s identical twin brother Leo Vardakis. Leo and Penelope’s husband Elias were avid rock climbers, having been climbing since childhood. Growing up on the island of Crete with all it’s cliffs was an ideal playground for the two boys. Leo had been rock climbing a cliff Free Solo, which is ascending without any ropes or equipment, relying only on his hands covered in climbing chalk and climbing shoes. He was found at the bottom of the cliff after apparently having lost his footing and dropping 30 meters (100 feet).

Nick flies to Crete where he is met by Penelope who explains that she believes her brother-in-law’s death was no accident. And given the family’s wealth and stature on the island, she has hired him to secretly investigate the murder. Penelope has arranged for him to stay anonymously at a Monastery where she is good friends with the Monks who live there. He settles in and heads to town to start investigating and immediately runs into the Vardakis Family’s influence everywhere he turns. Being a highly successful Billionaire family with generational roots in Crete, they own or have their fingers in everything including the police, the government and the politicians.

This is a Contemporary Noir Thriller complete with voice-over narration by Nick the private eye every step of the way. It feels like those old black and white private eye movies from the past. It is well shot on location in Crete, Greece and is very picturesque. It is not what my dad would call a “Bang Bang shoot ’em up”. It is more of a slow burn as Nick narrates his investigation and findings, and as the plot unfolds. It is based upon the book The Jealousy Man by Norwegian Mystery Thriller Author Jo Nesbø.

I liked Joseph and Shailene in this, I thought it was a good mystery thriller with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. It is a slow burn but it kept me intrigued as it went along. I have come to like Jo Nesbo and his books, I would definitely recommend them. After all, he is a New York Times Bestselling Author. I personally think he is a good writer and really have enjoyed his books, he is now one of my favorite authors. I am also a fan of this Neo-noir Slow Burn Thriller and a huge fan of Shailene Woodley, and I think you should read Jo Nesbø and watch this movie!

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

1989 Warner Brothers Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 1 hr 37min

Christmas ~ Comedy

Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E. G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, Cody Burger, Ellen Hamilton Latzen, William Hickey, Mae Questel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Guest, and Brian Doyle-Murray.

YULE CRACK UP!

Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without a trip to Chicago, hanging with The Griswold’s. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was the third installment in the Vacation franchise. When it was first released, it did marginally well but didn’t reach mass critical success until long after it hit reruns on TV and was released to the growing DVD market. And, as we all know, is now one of the most searched for and watched Christmas Movies of all time.

Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) sets out to create the perfect Christmas at home in Chicago with his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and their kids, Audrey (Juliette Lewis) and Rusty (Johnny Galecki). Eager for Christmas tradition, Clark drives the family to the countryside to chop down the biggest tree they can find, but without tools, they uproot it, damaging their station wagon and irritating yuppie neighbors Todd (Nicholas Guest) and Margo Chester (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) when they return home. The next day Clark obsessively strings thousands of Christmas lights across the house, causing a neighborhood blackout when they finally illuminate.

As relatives arrive unannounced, chaos multiplies in the cramped Griswold home. Ellen’s cousin Catherine (Miriam Flynn) and her husband Eddie (Randy Quaid), a boisterous, financially strapped redneck, pull up in their RV with kids Rocky (Cody Burger) and Ruby Sue (Ellen Hamilton Latzen), with their slobbery dog Snots. Clark’s parents, Clark Sr. (John Randolph) and Nora (Diane Ladd), join Ellen’s folks Art (E. G. Marshall) and Frances (Doris Roberts), sparking bickering, while eccentric Aunt Bethany (Mae Questel) brings a frozen jello mold topped with cat food and Uncle Lewis (William Hickey) adds his cigar-smoking grumpiness to the mix.

Holiday mishaps escalate: a loose squirrel terrorizes the house, the overcooked turkey ruins dinner, Bethany’s cat gets electrocuted in the tree lights, and Lewis’s cigar torches the tree. Amidst the Christmas chaos Clark has been anxiously awaiting his Christmas bonus from his boss Frank Shirley (Brian Doyle-Murray) to fund a backyard swimming pool he’s already ordered and can’t afford without it. After opening the last minute Christmas Bonus envelope from the late mailman, Clark snaps in a profane tirade. Instead of the huge check he always gets, he has received a subscription to a “Jelly Of The Month Club”.

“Hey. If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I’d like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. And I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here…with a big ribbon on his head! And I want to look him straight in the eye, and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-assed, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed, sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where’s the Tylenol?”

It truly is a timeless Christmas Classic full of Slapstick Holiday Humor and endless one-liners. I have been watching this movie for decades, every year at Christmas time. It just wouldn’t be the season without a trip to the Griswold’s for some Humorous Holiday antics!

Tag: streaming

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare