# Movies you've seen recently (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [August 27, 2024, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288 "2024-08-27T05:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 235
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4684 "2026-02-14T14:29:53Z")
**Top Secret** (1984). As planned, I did watch both _Airplane!_ and _Top Secret_ last night. I’m making a new post for the latter because, imagine my surprise when it turned out that I had never seen it before! I must have gotten it confused with some other movie, possibly _Hot Shots!_. It was terrific, so I have to walk back my earlier comments. I still say _Airplane!_ is a real classic gem, but I have no argument with those who prefer _Top Secret_. It’s a different kind of movie but still very funny. . There’s quite a large number of songs performed in it, all of which were sung by Val Kilmer himself, to the point that it’s almost a semi-musical. He’s pretty good at a 1950s Elvis Presley style rock’n’roll. But it’s all pertinent to the plot because Kilmer plays American rock musician Nick Rivers who gets involved in spy intrigue in East Germany. Fun fact: after the movie was released, Kilmer recorded an album that was released under the title “Nick Rivers”. Pretty funny throughout with some really hilarious bits. Highly recommended for anyone who, like me, still had not seen it. For those who may not know, Val Kilmer died just last year at the age of 65. > [@Smid](#): > > Technically only 1 and 2 is ZZA The writing team of the two Zuckers and Abrahams is frequently referred to as “ZAZ”. In fact, _Airplane_ references this twice. When a bunch of reporters burst in to interview the air traffic controllers, one of them has a microphone labeled “WZAZ”, a fictional TV station. Near the end, when the plane is coming in for an emergency landing, it crashes through the transmission tower on top of a building with a big “WZAZ” sign, knocking out the power. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4685 "2026-02-14T15:05:47Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Fun fact: after the movie was released, Kilmer recorded an album that was released under the title “Nick Rivers”. Can you give some more info about this? I can’t find anything except the songs from the movie itself. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4686 "2026-02-14T15:11:25Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Murder by Decree (1979). Holmes and Watson (Christopher Plummer, James Mason) dragged into investigating the Ripper murders. Imagine my surprise to learn that the murderers were a cabal of Masons in government, including the PM (John Gielgud), striving to hide the occurrence of an illegitimate heir. Did not see that coming. > > Silly fun, but not recommended. If you want to see a movie about Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, try 1965’s **A Study in Terror**. It has John Neville and Donald Houstyon (who? and who?) as Sherlock and Watson, but has an impressive cast – Robert Morley as Mycroft Holmes, Judi Dench (!). Frank Finlay plays Lestrade, as he did in _Murder by Decree_, and Anthony Quayle is also there from _Murder by Decree_, although in a different role. There are plenty of literary treatments of Holmes vs. the Ripper, but I only know of these two cinematic versions. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4687 "2026-02-14T15:36:03Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > Can you give some more info about this? I can’t find anything except the songs from the movie itself. Yeah, I get the impression that that “Top Secret” songs collection is what’s being referenced here. (I mean, what buying public would really be that interested in hearing the fictional “Nick Rivers” sing anything else?) ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4688 "2026-02-14T15:42:52Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > **Top Secret** (1984). As planned, I did watch both _Airplane!_ and _Top Secret_ last night. I’m making a new post for the latter because, imagine my surprise when it turned out that I had never seen it before! I must have gotten it confused with some other movie, possibly _Hot Shots!_. I must go and revisit the Hot Shots and Hot Shots Part Deux (Directed by Jim Abrahams), which I watched at the time, and never since. Arguably it was Charlie Sheens greatest comedy. And sadly I discovered that Jim Abrahams died in 2024, I’d missed that. So no more full ZAZ. He sort of stopped making movies earlier than the rest. He’s the one of ZAZ involved with the third Naked Gun, and his last directed movie was Jane Austin’s Mafia from 1998 (another one I missed, need to remedy that). His last screenwriting credit was in Scary Movie 4 in 2006 (I think I watched that one because also directed by David Zucker so closer to ZAZ than Naked Gun 3). The only one to really have commercial success post ZAZ was Jerry Zucker directing Ghost. Interestingly, I found out that Ruthless People was actually a sort of ZAZ movie, directed by all three but not written by them. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4689 "2026-02-14T15:45:07Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > Fun fact: after the movie was released, Kilmer recorded an album that was released under the title “Nick Rivers”. > > Can you give some more info about this? I can’t find anything except the songs from the movie itself. I’m pretty sure that’s all there is – he didn’t release an album of original songs of any other nature AFAIK. This was the statement **[from the original source](https://www.moviestalk.com/legendary-actors-and-actresses-revisited-val-kilmer/)** which might be a bit misleading:: > His first big break came a year later when he got the role in the comedy spoof of spy movies “Top Secret!”, where he played a rock-star Nick Rivers. Kilmer sang all the songs in the film and released an album under the name Nick Rivers. **[This is the album](https://genius.com/albums/Val-kilmer/Top-secret-songs-from-the-motion-picture).** That site says there are two soundtrack albums from the movie. The other one is Maurice Jarre’s sound track music, no songs. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4690 "2026-02-14T15:52:44Z")
Unsurprisingly, ZAZ had to give co-writing credit to Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and Chuck Berry for _Skeet Surfin’_. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/G4nZCLd9-DQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Top Secret ✽ Skeet Surfin'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4nZCLd9-DQ) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4691 "2026-02-14T17:06:23Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Dr. Strangelove George C. Scott was a serious method actor who wanted to play General Turgidson with subtlety. Kubrick convinced Scott to deliver an over-the-top performance in what he assured Scott were only rehearsal takes, then used those takes in the film. Scott was furious and swore he’d never work with Kubrick again. Scott eventually came around and said it was one of his favorite performances. Peter Sellers was originally supposed to play Major Kong in addition to his other three roles. Sellers begged off because of a leg injury (“The string in my leg’s gone”), so Kubrick cast Slim Pickens instead. The scenes on the bomber were shot separately, and to get Pickens to play it straight, Kubrick didn’t tell Pickens it was a comedy, and he only showed Pickens the parts of the script for the scenes he was in. To me, the funniest of Seller’s three characters was President Merkin Muffley. I really love the phone calls with Premiere Kissoff. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4692 "2026-02-14T17:24:06Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > It’s always bothered me that the film didn’t include mild sexual affection between the titular characters. If the film is going to portray their love as a beautiful blow against conventionality it should have had the courage of its convictions — I didn’t need bedroom action, but a kiss or two would have given the movie a facade of integrity. It’s been at least a decade since the last time I saw it, but ISTR a morning-after scene that made it clear that they slept together. Or are you talking about some signs of affection leading up to that? > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Keenan Wynn TIL his full name: [Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keenan_Wynn). > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Peter Sellers was originally supposed to play Major Kong in addition to his other three roles. Sellers begged off because of a leg injury (“The string in my leg’s gone”), For Sellers, developing a character always started with the voice (cf. all his various characters in The Good Show), and I’ve heard he backed out of the Major Kong role because he couldn’t master a Southern US accent to his own satisfaction. Although I revere Sellers as one of the funniest humans ever, IMO, he was never particularly good with American accents. His Merton Muffley isn’t bad a stereotypical comic Jewish American accent, but I don’t recall his ever doing a really convincing straight American accent. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4693 "2026-02-14T17:47:02Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > It’s been at least a decade since the last time I saw it, but ISTR a morning-after scene that made it clear that they slept together. Or are you talking about some signs of affection leading up to that? The viewer is supposed to understand that they’re having a sexual relationship, but there is no actual physical intimacy (e.g. a kiss or foreplay) shown. My guess is the film makers or distributors thought it would seem kind of… gross. The movie wanted to show _uptight_ people getting _uptight_ about the May-December affair, and let the audience feel open-minded. But, they were also afraid the audience would lose sympathy with the leads if they actually watched an 18 yo kissing a 70 yo with sexual intent. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4694 "2026-02-14T18:42:16Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > It’s been at least a decade since the last time I saw it, but ISTR a morning-after scene that made it clear that they slept together. Not unless I blinked and missed it. All I remember was him kissing her on the cheek, though it was a little more lingeringly than you’d kiss your grandma. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4695 "2026-02-14T18:47:56Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Although I revere Sellers as one of the funniest humans ever, IMO, he was never particularly good with American accents. His Merton Muffley isn’t bad a stereotypical comic Jewish American accent, but I don’t recall his ever doing a really convincing straight American accent. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4DfOVAFT7lc/maxresdefault.jpg "The Muppet Show - 219: Peter Sellers - “Cigarettes and Whiskey” (1978)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DfOVAFT7lc&t=36) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4696 "2026-02-14T18:59:50Z")
Sorry, @commasense was right! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YMYRM7qNCRE/maxresdefault.jpg "Harold and Maude - Hook Up") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMYRM7qNCRE) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4697 "2026-02-14T21:01:50Z")
Yep, that’s what I remembered. But I think @Baal_Houtham is right about the reason why they didn’t do much more to show or imply the intimacy between them. Except, of course, for the priest’s priceless reaction to the thought of “your firm, young… body… commingling with the… withered flesh… sagging breasts… and flabby b-b-buttocks… makes me want… to vomit.” @Q.Q.Switcheroo: Thanks for finding that! I had never seen it. Looks like he finally mastered the Southern U.S. accent he wasn’t able to get 14 years earlier for Major Kong. I’ve listened to all the extant Goon Shows many times over, and the American accents he did there were uniformly ridiculous attempts to copy the speech patterns picked up from American Westerns. For some reason, he and the other Goons thought Americans said “hern” a lot. No idea why or what it was supposed to mean. Does anyone else know of other more believable Sellers American characters to prove me wronger? I’d be happy to see them. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4698 "2026-02-14T21:25:55Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > the American accents he did there were uniformly ridiculous attempts to copy the speech patterns picked up from American Westerns. The Pythons are equally guilty of that, despite having a Midwestern American in their midst. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4699 "2026-02-14T21:41:44Z")
**Predator: Badlands** on Disney+. Fans of the horror aspects of the franchise probably won’t like it but it’s a fun creature feature for a Saturday afternoon (very appropriate since that’s when I’m watching it). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4700 "2026-02-15T00:44:21Z")
I also watched **Predator Badlands** last night, and I agree, it was super great fun. It won’t set the world alight for originality, but it certainly is one of the better in the Predator franchise. Dan Trachtenberg (who also made _Prey_) really knows what he’s doing. Elle Fanning seemed to be channelling Kim Cattrall. Also I recognised New Zealand as the filming location immediately. I know my home country when I see it. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4701 "2026-02-15T01:38:12Z")
Saw _Wall Street_ for the first time since it was on videotape. Excellent movie until the final scene. It should have ended with Bud being escorted out. But for whatever reason, they tacked on the final scene that turned Gekko into an idiot and ignored the paperwork that Bud filled out at the beginning so everything would bounce back on him. Cut that last scene, and _Wall Street_ is a near perfect movie. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4702 "2026-02-15T06:29:32Z")
Just finished The Equalizer from 2014 and enjoyed it. I hope the sequels are just as good. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/4703 "2026-02-16T13:04:25Z")
Prime recently put The 13th Warrior on free streaming for a while so that was my re-watch last night. Antonio Banderas is a middle eastern diplomat who falls in with a band of Northmen warriors. Adventure and combat ensues. Call me simple but I always enjoy this flick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288.md?page=234) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288.md?page=236)