'Fast and Furious' - still a guilty pleasure

  What is it about the 'Fast and the Furious' franchise that draws us back time and again? I wish I knew - it could be all the pretty people, fast cars and furious vehicle action. But there's something else - the first film was this generation's 'Point Break'. Less Swayze's Zen master stuff and more Diesel's muscle-bound street racing. And it worked - it worked well.

  Then '2 Fast 2 Furious' came along sans Vin Diesel and it wasn't a pleasure any more - it felt like a cheap attempt at creating a franchise where one wasn't feasible. Redemption seemed highly unlikely until 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' came along. With none of the original cast, it somehow managed to work with Lucas Black as the uncharismatic lead. The story and direction rekindled the franchise and it was ripe for a reunion. Enter this year's 'Fast & Furious' with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez all returning. Brian O'Conner (Walker), now working for the FBI in LA, teams up with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) to bring down a heroin importer by infiltrating his operation. And it finally feels like the sequel we deserved all along. Set in the timeline before 'Tokyo Drift', it acknowledges all the other films and it is still the wonderful guilty pleasure we have come to expect from the series.

  The story is pretty tight, the direction is sound and the must-have elements blend pretty well. It is true popcorn entertainment of the 2000s and the cast makes it work. Is it for everyone? No, a certain mindset is needed to enjoy it - if you enjoyed the first film you will enjoy this. Even if you're unfamiliar with the franchise, 'Fast & Furious' satisfies those popcorn impulses - big action, no-brainer plotline and an easy-on-the-eye cast. Yes, I'll have extra butter on mine!

A Movie A Week: 'Outrageous Fortune' (1987)

I've decided that it would be a mistake to limit my 'A Movie A Week' column to contemporary films when there are so wonderful ones that don't get talked about enough. There are also some classics it's nice to be reminded about. I recently caught this one again and I remembered why I loved it so much - it just continues to stand the test of time.

Outrageous Fortune: The 80s had some truly great comedies - I still remember seeing 'Nine to Five' an extraordinary number of times and never tiring of it. Outrageous Fortune is a lesser known film but it is definitely right up there with any of the other comedy classics. I am a sucker for comedies with female protaganists and sadly there aren't enough of these movies around. 

Shelley Long and Bette Midler star as Lauren Ames and Sandy Brozinsky, two total opposites who are in an acting class together - and unknown to each other they also have a boyfriend (Peter Coyote) in common. When he goes missing under mysterious circumstances, the two women are thrust into a world of chaos and danger while trying to unearth what happened to him. Leslie Dixon pens an exceedingly smart screenplay that gives Long and Midler enough room to do what they do best. And their exchanges are absolutely brilliant - this flick has some of the best acting you'll see in a comedy. Each actress causes the other to continuously raise her game and the result is perfect comic chemistry. 

Interspersing comedy and action is tough to do without it becoming cheesy but this is one movie that does it effortlessly. The 80s just seemed to have a different brand of comedy that has an eternal appeal. Can you imagine anyone but Shelley Long delivering a line like 'How dare you defraud the legitimate theater community of New York City!' or a non-Midler rendition of 'What, was I supposed to let them unhook me from life support so I could pay my bills?'

If you haven't seen this one yet, I highly recommend it!