Rocketeer
It turns out my local video store didn't actually have the movie; they used to, but it's now marked as "NIS" in their lookup system. "What's NIS?" I asked Annoying Video Guy. "Not In Stock," he said. "Does that mean someone's rented it, or the store doesn't own it?" I said. "It means Not In Stock," he said.
I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I made a tentative one tonight: spend less time in situations that are likely to result in annoyance and irritation for me. I think I'm going to stop going to my local video store, even though it's an independent and within walking distance, because this one clerk is so damn annoying.
Anyway, I got the movie at Blockbuster, which also lets me rent movies for nine days (rather than a maximum of five), is open 'til midnight or 1 a.m. every night, and is only a five-minute drive from my place. I hate to support big chains over small independent stores, but one of the advantages independents are supposed to provide is better and friendlier and more knowledgeable service; that's not the case with the store I can walk to.
So. Rocketeer is still fun, and it still has probably the worst bluescreening I've ever seen in a movie. Timothy Dalton chews the scenery appropriately as Errol Flynn oh, sorry, I mean "a swashbuckling charming big-name actor with a thin mustache who of course is in no way meant to represent Errol Flynn" (a web page suggests that he's also modeled partly on Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., which I guess is plausible, but he has more in common with Flynn); there's plenty of retro-pulp nostalgia moments; Bill Campbell in the lead role is gorgeous, and a pretty good match for how the character looked in the original comic book; Jennifer Connelly isn't at the top of her form (or of her looks; a bit too much makeup), and she doesn't look like Betty Page (who the original comic character of Betty was modeled after), but she isn't bad by any means.
Bill Campbell, btw, was apparently the second choice to play Riker. Think how much better (or at least better-looking) ST:TNG would've been with him instead of Jonathan Frakes!
I always forget that Campbell also played Jon Fielding in various Tales of the City miniseries.
He was 30 or so when they made Rocketeer, but looks about 20 to me.
Anyway. The real point is that I now remember how the climactic action sequence goes, so anything I steal from it will be intentional rather than accidental.
What am I doing awake? I really must go to bed. G'night!
