Up first this week is Robert Rodriguez’s The Mexico Trilogy: El Mariachi, Desperado & Once Upon A Time In Mexico. I’m a fan of this series and hadn’t seen it in a while so I had a good time revisiting all three movies. El Mariachi was the low budget indie darling that helped put Rodriguez on the map with his story about a mariachi musician being mistaken for a killer and getting caught up in the mix. It’s one of the quintessential 90s independent flicks that was part of the new wave of indie directors. Desperado was his big budget follow up with Antonio Banderas this time as El Mariachi. The absolutely gorgeous Salma Hayek was introduced to the world and it’s full of over the top violence with stars like Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin and Quentin Tarantino. Once Upon a Time in Mexico completes the trilogy with Banderas returning along with Mickey Rourke, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp and Eva Mendes. They are indie style films mixed with spaghetti western storytelling and tons of violence. This new collection has all kinds of bonus features including commentary with Robert Rodriguez, interviews and more. It’s a must own for fans of the trilogy.
Second we have Ride which I quite liked as well. C. Thomas Howell plays the father of girl who has cancer. He needs money desperately for new treatments and finds an ally in his estranged son who recently got out of prison. After winning a rodeo competition, the estranged son falls back into his former life, but realizes there’s an opportunity to help his sick sister. The only problem is the sheriff who happens to be his mother and wife of C. Thomas Howell. If you need a Yellowstone fix because the new season is taking too long this should help you. Not only does it have a Yellowstone actor in it (Forrie J. Smith), but it has a Taylor Sheridan vibe to it with crime, drama and cowboying. The lead actor also directed it so I’m curious to see if he does more similar films. I hope he does because I can see myself revisiting this one down the road.
Third we have The Madame Blanc Mysteries Series 3. This cute little show has 7 episodes all wrapping up their own mysteries with character stories going throughout. It opens with a Murder Mystery episode with the main characters staying at a little hotel where actors are hired to put on a murder mystery show, but the hotel owner is actually killed. Jean along with Inspector Andre must figure out who did it. Episode 2 involves the murder of a diver who finds a fare gold coin at the bottom of the sea, but dies while in the water. Episode 3 involves the murder of a man stuck with a fencing foil and a rare cufflink. Episode 4 involves the death of a nanny shot at a bus stop with a possible connection to Jean’s antique store. Episode 5 involves a fashion show and its designer taking a fall or was she pushed? Episode 6 involves a surprise birthday party which has its own surprise, a kidnapping and episode 7 involves a visit from an ex-con with ties to a character from 30 years ago. The show has a nice, little setting with beautiful scenery and fun characters. It’s a classic whodunit storytelling style with believable events and solutions.
Fourth we have The Woman which also comes with Offspring which you should watch in the opposite order. Because it says The Woman first in the press release I watched it first and it’s actually the sequel to Offspring. Now style wise they are two drastically different films, but the main character in The Woman makes a little more sense if you’ve seen Offspring already. There’s a third film in the trilogy as well but it doesn’t come in this release. The Woman is about a man who finds a feral woman while out hunting. He brings her home, locks her up and introduces her to the family as one does. It’s odd and he comes across as Christian and a bit abusive, but then there’s a twist at the end with a character never mentioned that I had to rewind FOUR times to try to understand. I still don’t quite get it and it completely overthrows the entire story and what you think is happening with the man and his feral capture and how his family reacts. I had to call a friend who had seen the film already to compare thoughts. Offspring is the first film and is about a cannibalistic, feral family in Maine and is more a home invasion film. I liked it more because it didn’t leave me as confused as The Woman. It’s more straight forward and doesn’t seem as rushed as The Woman which seems to have scenes or side stories missing or edited out. A friend did know both films so I’m sure they have a cult following and overall Offspring is a pretty solid watch, but I’m still questioning whether or not I understand the mystery character in The Woman.
Last we have A Man Called Tiger, a 1970s martial arts flick that was definitely hitting during that craze. The director had even worked with Bruce Lee. It’s about a Chinese man who seeks answers about his father’s death because he doesn’t believe it to be a suicide. He travels to Japan and gets involved with the Yakuza and kicks butt throughout. As someone who grew up watching Bruce Lee flicks and kung-fu movies in general, it 100% feels like that time period and has that style you expect. It’s a story we’ve seen done a million times, but the action is solid and fans of the genre will dig it. This new release comes with multiple commentaries and more.
The Nerds Templar 