Movie Roundup

I've squeezed in a few movies here and there lately on television and DVD and now is the time to tell all! I've seen some classic Jackie Chan, Danny Devito get laid and the Purple one in all his majesty (not a Devito reference). First up...

Project A (1983) stars Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung as 19th Century sailors and scam artists in Hong Kong. It has bad audio dubbing and the picture wasn't cleaned up, but that couldn't stop the greatness of this film. This is Chan in his prime when he rolled out one death defying stunt fest after another (Wheels on Meals and Police Story come from this era). Chan indulges his Buster Keaton / Howard Lloyd jones in this one, an action comedy about a bumbling Navy trying to stop Pirates. The stunts are amazing, it's laugh out loud funny and as my wife commented, plays out better than Pirates of the Carribean. Good fun!

The Oh in Ohio (2006) has been on tv a bit lately, an interesting comedy about an uptight PR exec (Parker Posey) who's husband leaves her because of her inability to fully enjoy sex. Posey's character then goes into an exploration of her, um, self to find happiness. It's an odd premise for a mainstream film but the movie has the right balance of realism and humor to keep the viewer interested. A strong supporting cast including Danny Devito as a pool salesman and Paul Rudd as the clumsy, burnt out husband adds to the film's drive. Oh manages to be a movie mostly about sex without being unnecessarily lurid, it's an engaging film.

Last night I re-watched the 1984 classic Purple Rain. It was fantastic to watch the fey Prince in his purple Revolution get up riding that crazy motorcycle with his oversized shades on. I was really impressed with how director Albert Magnoli managed to make a cohesive movie with amateur actors and sketchy plot about bands battling for nightclub supremacy and the love of a beautiful girl. Prince is in top form, a whirling dervish of music and poofy shirts. Like Project A, the film is charged with a creative genius in his prime delivering a visceral performance. I wonder what ever became of Apollonia? Did she ever find Lake Minnetonka?

That's given me an idea for Rush Hour 4. Jackie Chan and...Prince! Now that's a movie. And unlike Rush Hour 3, maybe it would even play in China. Purple Hour? Rush Rain?? LovesexyShanghaiNooner??? The potential is endless.