Movies I Want to See: Altman (2014)

An upcoming documentary that looks at the life and work of legendary director Robert Altman, featuring interviews with a bevy of Hollywood stars including Bruce Willis, Robin Williams and many, many more. Written by Len Blum and directed by Ron Mann, no release date has yet been set.

UPDATE: The film was screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Ontario, on August 1, 2014.

Meatballs III (1986)

Film Title: Meatballs III
Released: October 27, 1986
Directed by: George Mendeluk

Written by: Bradley Kresden, George Mendeluk & Michael Paseornek based on characters created by Janis Allen, Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg & Harold Ramis

Starring: Sally Kellerman & Patrick Dempsey

Plot: When a porn star dies but is refused admittance into heaven, she's given a second chance to earn her wings by coming back to earth as a ghost to help an awkward teenager with his love life.

IMDb: 3.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: No score
My Score: 1/5

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Keeping in line with the crazier aspects of the series perpetrated by it's predecessor (an alien at summer camp?), Meatballs III, subtitled Summer Job, stars Sally Kellerman as the ghost of porn star Roxy Dujour. She dies while filming a movie but isn't allowed into heaven because she hasn't done enough good deeds. She's given the chance to earn her way in by helping out a nerd with his love life. And not just any nerd, but Rudy, Chris Makepeace's character from the first Meatballs film, now an awkward, nerdy teenager. Rudy in this film is played by Patrick Dempsey in his first feature length starring role. Dempsey is the only one that can see Kellerman in her ghost form although she can still interact with her surrounding environment. When she gives him the requisite geek-to-chic makeover, there is a sequence of scenes where we see a row boat rowing itself as well as a number of floating objects including a pair of pants, condoms and shopping bags. There's even a mock sword fight inside of a barbershop between the barber and a floating comb. As if that wasn't bad enough, the jokes include a salami down the pants of Dempsey, a mop bucket full of urine, and such classic lines as, "...you're the only guy I know who could make love to a Cheerio and not break it." As the film progresses, Kellerman, doing her best impressions of famous blonde bombshells from the golden age of cinema, tries to get the romantically ignorant Dempsey to see what's really important in a relationship with a girl and, of course, succeeds by the end of the movie. The problem with the movie isn't so much the acting, which isn't that great, but the script full of unfunny jokes and cliches. Not even the copious amount of naked breasts displayed can save this drudge. Co-starring Shannon Tweed and Maury Chaykin, the movie also features uncredited roles for Caroline Rhea, in a so-quick-you-might-miss-it one-line part that is her first on-screen role, and legendary musician Ronnie Hawkins, as the singer in Mean Gene's bar.

Meatballs (1979)

Film Title: Meatballs
Released: June 29, 1979
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Written by: Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg, Janis Allen & Harold Ramis

Starring: Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin & Chris Makepeace

Plot: The kids and counselors of the below average Camp North Star are going to make this a summer to remember, but not if their rivals at the prestigious Camp Mohawk have anything to say about it!

IMDb: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 75/100
My score: 3/5

Meatballs is fun little romp through the now familiar comedy film territory of summer camp. Known mostly as the launching pad for the careers of Bill Murray (here in his first starring role) and Ivan Reitman, it also introduced child actor Chris Makepeace. Murray and Makepeace have a good chemistry as the head camp counselor and the kid he takes under his wing. The film spawned three sequels, only one of which has any thing to do with the original. The movie is also Matt Craven's first film appearance. The film won three Genie Awards (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Lynch; Best Original Screenplay: Len Blum, Janis Allen & Daniel Goldberg; Golden Reel Award: Ivan Reitman & Daniel Goldberg) and was nominated in another six categories.