The Cannonball Run (1981)

“If we were Methodists we'd have a good shot at gettin' laid”




This movie is about an illegal car race called “The Cannonball Run”. This film switches from racer to racer showing audience members why each individual wants to win and how they plan on doing it. Although showing the multiple characters, the movie focuses on J.J Mclure and his partner Victor who steal use an ambulance as a means of bypassing everyone throughout the race and getting out of trouble with the law.
It was really hard for me to get into this movie. There was no suspense, hardly any plot and because the movie kept switching focus from character to character all the time it became hard to connect to any of them since they didn’t feel properly developed. I cringed when J.J. was trying to pick up Pamela Glover by guessing her name wrong several times and resorting to calling her “Beauty”. This goes to show that having an all-star cast which included the late Farrah Fawcett, Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Roger Moore, Jackie Chan and Dom DeLuise doesn’t necessarily mean that the movie is going to be good. Throughout the entire movie it seems as though none of the characters care about being ticketed by cops and even when they do get in trouble they really couldn’t give a care even if they have to go to jail or pay a hefty fine. The directors didn’t seem to try to give this movie any sort of style or realistic aspect to it. However, they did manage to throw in every typical stereotype imaginable from how females act promiscuously to get what they want to portraying how Asians, Blacks and Arabs act. The only two mildly entertaining parts of this film were the cooky doctor and the fact that Roger Moore was making fun of himself as James Bond throughout the entire movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85PcMJ9D8X0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24hSpYAIMhY

Risky Business

“Sometimes you gotta say “What the Fuck”, make your move”



I would say that turning your parents’ house into a brothel for a night to make some money is more than a Risky Business. That is simply one of the many predicaments that Joel Goodson gets himself into on a weekend where his parents are out of town.
If you asked a group of people what they knew about the movie, I’m sure many would talk about the famous scene where Tom Cruise is dancing in his underwear and sunglasses alone in his parents’ house. This scene was the only aspect of the film that I knew prior to watching the movie. I had no idea what it was about, where it took place or even why he was dancing.



This movie is your typical “guys” movie. From the prostitutes, to the parents being away, the parties, and the sex this movie screams teen flick. Nonetheless, I found that I was still able to connect and enjoy the film even though it started off really slowly. Tom Cruise makes his character believable and it is no wonder that this is the film that jumpstarted his career. The plot was fairly predictable but nonetheless entertaining. I found myself hysterically laughing and rolling my eyes as Phil Collins music played during the final sex scene. This is the kind of movie where you simply have to role with the punches. As unrealistic as it is for a high school student to pick up a prostitute and end up with her, at least audience members learn how easy it is to get into an Ivy League school such as Princeton with a 3.1 GPA.

Clips from the movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bodVVtqmbZE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDlTGhe3YoE