- 1991movierewind
Episode #131: The Last Boy Scout
Listen to Episode 131 of the Podcast here while you enjoy the show notes.
SUMMARY - In The Last Boy Scout, Joe Hallenbeck (played by Bruce Willis) is a private detective sent to investigate an exotic dancer. When she is gunned down in the street, Joe reluctantly teams up with her boyfriend Jimmy (played by Damon Wayans) as they learn that there’s a dangerous conspiracy involving a senator and the owner of a football team.
Screenplay by Shane Black; Directed by Tony Scott; and released on December 13,1991.
FILM DISCUSSION
Possibly the strongest part of the movie is the opening song performed by Bill Medley
Immediately after that goofy, happy number, there is a stark, very dark counterpoint in the actual game
That tonal whiplash is purposeful but never finds a great balance
We have two leads capable of comedy and the movie sprinkles in a lot of terrible jokes but never takes advantage of the actors for humor
The action takes center stage and guns and explosions are everywhere
There's some family drama mixed in and it introduces us to one of the better characters in the movie, Joe's daughter
It's fascinating that the main conceit of the bad guy plot is that they want to legalize sports gambling
Anyway, the plot is really kind of a mess and it leads to a big showdown at the stadium that involves throwing a football from a horse
The final death scene with the main villain was cool, but most of the movie is pretty forgettable
And no, this is probably not James Gandolfini, despite what IMDB says
Awards Talk: All we get is from the MTV Movie Awards where it was nominated for Best On Screen Duo, Best Action Sequence (the helicopter part), and in the Best Death Scene fake nominees montage (also most likely the helicopter)
TRUE CRIME & POP CULTURE
This week we don't have any true crime to talk about so we jump right into TV.
We have a TV Guide we've never used before this week.
Here's a look at what was on, including Mickey’s Christmas Carol
We also saw this ad for John Denver's special and the whole thing is on YouTube
John Denver Montana Christmas Skies for your viewing pleasure.
RANKINGS & RATINGS
Nikki 1-5 star scale - 3 out of 5
Jon 0-4 star scale - 2 out of 4
Would you watch it again? - Neither of us are jumping at the chance, but its a standard enough action movie that it would make good background fodder, or if someone else suggested watching it, we wouldn't mind. It's also a relatively forgettable action movie, so seeing it again may help jog our memory for scenes we've already started to forget.
If you want to watch The Last Boy Scout, as of this recording in September 2023, it’s available on Digital Rental, VHS, DVD. Check your local listings.
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Join us next time for Ernest Scared Stupid available on Hoopla, YouTube, Digital Rental, VHS, DVD
