THE MECHANIC (1972)

Los Angeles.  An older, professional hitman (Charles Bronson) takes a younger man (Jan-Michael Vincent) under his wing as both a protege and assistant.  After that, things start to get a little gay, but not really since the studio chickened out on the original story and instead ended up with a garbled film that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be.

The assassination portions of THE MECHANIC are entertaining enough in a dated, early 1970's action movie sort of way, but the character development is weak.  According to Wikipedia, Lewis John Carlino's original script was suppose to be "...a commentary on the use of human relationships and sexual manipulation in the lives of two hired killers. It was supposed to be a chess game between the older assassin and his young apprentice."  That actually sounds interesting, but unfortunately, that's not what ended up on screen.  At all.  I wish, that, if the studio was gonna purge the gay stuff (and therefore the main subject of the script!), they would have just made another movie altogether.  Instead, the audience is left with a confused mess about two single men who, when not murdering people together, hang out together 24/7 and stare at each other longingly.

Confused pacing that alternates between slow and fast, zero nudity, mildly entertaining kills, one nice car-pushed-off-a-cliff wreck, okay acting, boring dialogue, goofy scenes of Bronson acting sophisticated while thinking really hard, a 16-minute section where there is zero dialogue, two men at the zoo touching fingers, awesome old movie posters.

THE MECHANIC is entertaining enough for a single viewing, but I have no desire to ever watch it again...or at least soon. Knowing me, I'll watch it again.

Remake - The Mechanic
Remake, Part 2 - Mechanic: Resurrection

PALM SPRINGS WEEKEND (1963)

A bunch of 30 year-old looking college students go to Palm Springs, California for the Easter Weekend to get crunk.  And by "crunk" I mean swimming, going to the record store (don't forget your copy of "Behind The Button-Down Mind Of Bob Newhart" that can be seen five times in the opening shot of the record store!), playing with a Bugs Bunny doll, playing a banjo, filling a swimming pool with bubbles, singing "The Yellow Rose of Texas", fist-fighting, trashing somebody's house, attempted murder and sexual assault.  PALM SPRINGS WEEKEND starts out innocent enough, but once it gets going, it's kind of dark.  Robert Conrad's character was especially fucked up.  He was a complete psychopath.  I wouldn't be surprised if he went on to become a politician.

I could talk in detail about the story for PSW, but it really doesn't matter.  If you're a fan of stuff like WHERE THE BOYS ARE or BEACH PARTY then you should check it out.  (If you're not a fan of BEACH PARTY, then I just feel sorry for you.)  PALM SPRINGS WEEKEND wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the awesome BEACH PARTY, but it was still fun.  I had a blast listening to all of the dated lingo and silly comedy bits that were so dead that they were kinda funny.  The vintage cars, clothes and hairstyles were also fun to check out.

I do wish that it had better songs and more memorable characters.  I love re-visiting the Beach movies, but I doubt I'll be going on a Palm Springs Weekend anytime soon again.