FLETCH LIVES (1989)

After cashing in at the box office with the first film, the filmmakers decided to drop the appealing BEVERLY HILLS COP vibe and the exciting Los Angeles settings and replace it with our hero Fletch investigating illegal toxic chemical dumping in a dank Louisiana swamp. Yeah, that’s what audiences wanna see: tired ass Deep South racism jokes and toxic waste humor. And, I guess, it was because FLETCH LIVES was the #1 film in America two weeks in a row.

Fletch’s aunt dies and leaves him a “mansion” (in Jerkwater, Louisiana) that’s so rickety and dilapidated that it’d probably fall over if a raccoon farted on it. But, since photography had not been invited yet in 1989, Fletch doesn’t know about the state of the mansion and instead goes there to retire. Once there, in classic movie storytelling fashion, he immediately bones the first woman he sees and is then arrested for her murder when she turns up dead the next morning. Rape humor, KKK jokes, bigoted small town cop comedy, Nazi knee-slappers and hemorrhoid rib-ticklers ensue.

I remember seeing FLETCH LIVES back in 1989 and not being impressed. It's even less impressive now. I was really hoping that upon a re-visit that I’d understand more of the adult-oriented humor and the movie would be funnier. Nope! I did get all the jokes this time around, they're just not funny. That said, I was impressed by the (male heavy) cast, but sadly, the talents of Cleavon Little, R. Lee Ermey, Phil Hartman, Hal Holbrook and Geoffrey Lewis were all wasted here.

Worth a watch, if you're in the mood for a forgettable, lazy rainy afternoon time-waster.

Part 1 - Fletch (1985)
Reboot - Confess, Fletch (2022)

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES II (1980)

The charming Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) and the lovely Albin (Michel Serrault) are back. This time around, Albin goes to an outdoor café to enjoy a mint cordial with water when suddenly a fleeing spy hides a capsule (with microfilm inside it) in Albin’s pocket right before he’s assassinated. I hate when that happens, it ruins your entire day. Anyway, problems arise and Albin and Renato must go on the run from the killers who want the information on the microfilm...that Albin doesn’t even know she has.

As far as sequels go, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES II is perfectly fine and a welcome addition to the adventures of Albin and Renato. At first I was kinda thrown off by the spy adventure stuff, since it’s such a wide departure from the first film, but then when I realized it was all just an excuse to get Albin out in public, I was onboard. Unfortunately, there are not as many laugh out loud scenes in this film as there was in the first installment, but there are a few genuine moments that had me laughing hard. The hardest was when Albin was dressing up as a rugged manly window washer. Fuck, I watched that scene like 20 times! The other part I really enjoyed is when they go to the old country in Italy to hide and Albin must dress up as a man as to not arouse suspicion. Hahaha. Classic.

I did miss the sweetness of the first film, but, hey, I just happy there’s a sequel at all. I’d watch a two-hour movie of Renato and Albin grocery shopping if that’s all there was. Recommended for fans of the first film.

[This might be a stretch, but, in my handsome brain, that iconic slow-motion walking scene in 1992's RESERVOIR DOGS looks a lot like the walking scene in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES II. I'm sure there are many people who say that scene is a play on A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, but...there was only four people walking in ACO. There are six characters in suits in RD and there are six men dressed up in LCAFII. Just an observation.]

[Not part of the review, but I don’t have a copy of Part 3. So, if y’all wanna review, then send me a disc of it. Thanks.]

Part 1 - La Cage aux Folles (1978)
Part 3 - La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding (1985)

Some lucky motherfuckers back in 1982 got to see a La Cage aux Folles double-feature!