Tag: Robert Downey Jr.

Movie Music Monday – Back To School

While many schools started before Labor Day, the majority of them will start their school year tomorrow. I thought it would be fitting to feature Rodney Dangerfield’s comedy Back to School. This ties in with this week’s Music of My Life post which will feature 1986, the year that the film was released.

The plot centers on a wealthy but uneducated father (Rodney Dangerfield) who goes to college to show solidarity with his discouraged son Jason (Keith Gordon) and learns that he cannot buy an education or happiness. The film also stars Sally Kellerman, Adrienne Barbeau, Sam Kinison, Ned Beatty, and a young Robert Downey Jr.

The Dean of the college that Rodney goes to is played by Ned Beatty. His last name is Martin. When Rodney comes in and calls him Dean Martin the first time, I belly laughed. This was probably a nod to the real Dean Martin who featured Rodney on some of his variety shows.

Those familiar with the movie will perhaps be disappointed that the song I have picked from the soundtrack is not from Oingo Boingo who appear in the film. (Fun Fact: Their frontman, Danny Elfman, wrote the musical score for the film. He went on to write music for the Simpsons, Batman, Tales from the Crypt and more!) Instead, I have picked one that is so obscure, you have to laugh at it!

Michael Bolton really hit it big in 1989 with his Soul Provider album. It featured the hits: When I’m Back on My Feet Again, How Can We Be Lovers, and How Am I Supposed to Live Without You. Many are unaware that this album was actually his SIXTH album. His first was released in 1975 – 14 years earlier. That was when he was known as Michael Bolotin.

In 1985, Bolton released an album that didn’t even chart in the US (or anywhere else, unless you include Sweden, where it reached #45). Everybody’s Crazy was the title track from the album and was a minor hit on hard rock radio stations. Yes, you read that correctly – hard rock radio stations. What makes this even better is that MTV played the video for this song and a young Michael Bolton is rocking his best “hair band” look.

I have NO idea how this song made it into the soundtrack of the film, but it did. What I do know is that the songs from this “rock” album never really made it to any future compilations (except the title track which showed up on his Playlist compilation album). The reason for this was the contrast in musical style between this album and the majority of Bolton’s later (and more successful) musical output. Someone must have felt that those familiar with his Adult Contemporary stuff might not be able to handle his “rocker” side.

I anxiously away your comments on this one, especially my musical blogger friends…

Take it away, Michael…

Elementary, My Dear Reader

I believe I have blogged in the past about Sherlock Holmes. I guess it is interesting that while I have never read a Sherlock Holmes book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I have read books loosely based on the character. There was a series out not too long ago called The Baker Street Mysteries, that focused on a lawyer who resided at the famous address of Mr. Holmes. It seems they would get letters addressed to the famous detective all the time. I read a few of them, but the last one was quite boring to me, so I stopped.

I always enjoy when the Radio Classics channel on Sirius XM plays old Sherlock Holmes shows. Some of them even featured the Sherlock Holmes I was most familiar with as a kid – Basil Rathbone. He and Nigel Bruce did many Sherlock Holmes films, too.

Over the years, many actors have played the great detective. In the theater recently, Robert Downey Jr. teamed up with Jude Law to play Holmes and Dr. Watson. The first movie was in 2009 and followed by the sequel (Game of Shadows) in 2011. In May of this year, it was announced that Downey and Law will reprise their roles in another sequel.

In 2015, Sir Ian McKellen played a retired Sherlock Holmes in the very touching film, Mr. Holmes. This was very well done and I recommend it if you haven’t seen it.

Without a doubt, my favorite incarnation of the character was in the British series Sherlock. Set in modern times, Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the role of Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman is Dr. Watson. I loved everything about this show! I really wish they’d make more episodes.

This brings me to the main reason for this blog. Over the weekend, my wife said she had seen something while surfing Netflix that she thought I’d be interested in watching. We watched Sherlock together and so when she saw the post about Elona Holmes, she saved it on her “to watch” list.

When she mentioned it, she thought it was a series, but it was actually a movie. It is based on a novel by Nancy Springer. It seems that there are actually 6 books in the Enola Holmes series. I’d never heard of these books, and it seems the reason is that they are written for young adults.

The movie is based on the first book in the series, The Case of the Missing Marquess, which was first published in 2006.

The movie focuses on the teenage sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, Enola. Her mother turns up missing and she’s on a mission to find her. I found the movie to be quite enjoyable. Enola is played by Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown. Her mother Eudoria is played by Harry Potter’s Helena Bonham Carter. Mycroft and Sherlock are played by Sam Claflin and Henry Cavill. The basic plot: when Eudoria mysteriously disappears, Enola undertakes her first missing persons case and reconnects with her estranged detective brother along the way.

It is currently on Netflix and has been well received. There is talk of further sequels based on the other books.

As far as Sherlock’s go, Cavill is ok……but he’s no Benedict Cumberbatch.

Check it out on Netflix.