The Kurt Russell Blogathon Special: Overboard (1987)

Overboard (1987)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Star Partners, Hawn / Sylbert Movie Company, USA, 1987.

Participating The Kurt Russell Blogathon event arranged by Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews and Return to the 80s blog!

Carpenter Dean Proffitt (Kurt Russell) is hired to build cabinets in a luxury yacht. Snobby, picky and bored rich heiress Joanna Stayton (Goldie Hawn) is not satisfied with the completed work and refuses to pay. She rudely pushes unlucky Dean overboard. Luckily the harbour is near.

Dean

Joanna (not) enjoying rich life

Karma strikes back soon as Joanna falls into sea and loses her memory. Her husband Grant (Edward Herrmann) uses the opportunity by abandoning her into the hospital. "Never seen her!" says Grant and proceeds to have wild parties in the yacht. Dean sees Joanna's face in the TV and plans to get a bit payback by disguising as her husband. Luxury live is changed to living in Dean's shack with his kids. Joanna is renamed Annie and has to do her share of cleaning and cooking. The absence of mother has made the kids into rascals.

Joanna/Annie making dinner

However Dean gets more than he planned as the kids like Joanna and she starts fixing things of the dysfunctional family. The people in Dean's neighbourhood are genuine compared to fake socialites of Joanna's former life. Things get romantic but what happens if Joanna gets her memory back?

Romance!

Family idyll!

"Overboard" is a feel-good 1980s comedy with hillbilly charm, and Goldie does a versatile role as a rude heiress who turns nice. Kurt Russell plays a happy-go-lucky handyman, a bit rough around the edges but who is a working like a dog to support his family. The story is formulaic but the real-life couple has good chemistry and both of them are funny. Kurt Russell shows his comedic skills, and shows that he is can be more than an action star (interestingly in one scene his leather jacket looks similar to Snake Plissken's). Although the story is almost about kidnapping, it should not be taken seriously but as light-hearted entertainment. 

Dean taking it easy

Veteran actor Roddy McDowall appears as Andrew the Butler.

Andrew

Rating:Good

Starring: Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Edward Herrmann, Katherine Helmond, Mike Hagerty, Roddy McDowall, Jared Rushton, Jeffrey Wiseman, Brian Price, Jamie Wild, Frank Campanella, Harvey Miller, Frank Buxton, Carol Williard, Doris Hess, Ed Cree, Mona Lyden, Lucinda Crosby, Bing Russell, Richard Stahl, Ray Combs, Marvin Braverman, The Wright Brothers
Director: Garry Marshall 

Michael Caine Blogathon Special: The Italian Job (1969)

The Italian Job (1969)

Oakhurst Productions, UK, 1969.

Participating The Marvellous Michael Caine Blogathon event arranged by Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews to celebrate his 85th birthday!

Heist man Charlie Croker (Michael Caine) has just been released from prison. Meanwhile the Italian Mafia has killed his friend who bequeathed an ultimate heist plan to Charlie. The plan is to travel to Turin and rob an armored van using a self-caused traffic jam as a ruse. The funding comes from jailed crime king and patriot Mr. Bridger (Noël Coward) whose love for Queen and Country turns him into a supporter of the plan. After all the heist is a chance to get back at those pesky Italians who have just made an important industrial contract making the British automotive industry suffer!

Charlie Croker

Mr. Bridger

The plan requires a participation of different specialists, one of the most memorable being computer specialist Professor Peach who chases big women (appropriately performed by Benny Hill). The plan culminates into the heist and escape with three Mini Coopers speeding through shopping malls, down the stairs and on the roof of a stadium.

Professor Peach

The Mini Cooper chase is iconic

The Cockney character Michael Caine performs here is a lovable rogue. He's stylish, cool and popular with women. Charlie's girlfriend Lorna (Margaret Blye) is quite liberal in the Swinging Sixties way and even arranges coming out party for Charlie with semi-clad girls. It is hard not to think about showing the character even more virile than James Bond (Caine had turned down the role two years earlier). Charlie even drives Aston Martin that looks similar to Bond's favourite vehicle, being only an older model.

Lorna

Planning the heist

This is a classic heist movie with British tongue-in-cheek style fit in the style of 1960s. Before the iconic final chase the movie is carried by Michael Caine's charm and the comical hijinks of his teammates. The cinematography with Italian cities and mountain roads looks beautiful and there is eye candy for fans of vintage cars. The story is light and comical and even campy, making it never too serious although the Mafia offers a serious threat. Of the actors the most memorable are Caine, Coward and Hill. However many minor characters are left quite underdeveloped and some of the plotlines are never resolved, leaving the story literally hanging in the air. Sequel was planned but it was was never made.

Rating: Very good

Starring: Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill, Raf Vallone, Tony Beckley, Rossano Brazzi, Margaret Blye, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier, Fred Emney, John Clive, Graham Payn, Michael Standing, Stanley Caine, Barry Cox, Harry Baird, George Innes, John Forgeham, Robert Powell, Derek Ware, Frank Jarvis, David Salamone, Richard Essome, Mario Valgoi, Renato Romano, Franco Novelli, Robert Rietty, Timothy Bateson, David Kelly, Arnold Diamond, Simon Dee, Alastair Hunter, Lana Gatto, John Morris, John Louis Mansi
Director: Peter Collinson