The Cuban Revolution, which eventually swept Fidel Castro into power, began on this day in 1953. By all accounts it was a pretty crappy development, so let’s mark the occasion with a crappy movie – Coleman Francis’ “Red Zone Cuba.” It’s the story of a bunch of losers who break out of prison, run off to Cuba to try to overthrow Castro, get captured, break out of that prison there, then return home only to run from the law some more – all made for a budget of about $1.50 and a cup of coffee.
Movie-A-Day #206: Grace of My Heart (1996).
The incomparable (and underrated) Illeana Douglas is 46 today. Watch her do her thing in the also underrated “Grace of My Heart.”
Movie-A-Day #205: Drugstore Cowboy (1989).
Gus Van Sant turns 59 years old today. A lot of his birthday tributes will probably focus of his later Hollywood work like “Milk” or “Good Will Hunting,” but his early indie films are very worthwhile. Give “Drugstore Cowboy” a chance if you haven’t yet – Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, Heather Graham, James LeGros and a cameo by the original drugstore cowboy himself, William S. Burroughs.
Movie-A-Day #204: The Blue Dahlia (1946).
Happy birthday to the noirest writer in town, Raymond Chandler. His stories helped set the standard for 20th century detective fiction, but he also did some great movie writing too. We covered his definitive L.A. noir “Double Indemnity” just last week for Barbara Stanwyck’s birthday, but “The Blue Dahlia” is pretty damn good as well. It features Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd and William Bendix at their best, and it even lent its name to one of Los Angeles’ most notorious noir-ish murder cases, the Black Dahlia.
Movie-A-Day #203: Public Enemies (2009).
The gunfight that killed the notorious John Dillinger on this date in 1934 quickly became one of the most defining moments of the Chicago gangland culture of the 1920s and 1930s. So of course it’s been recreated many times on screen, most recently in “Public Enemies” with Johnny Depp playing Dillinger. You’d think he would’ve learned Abe Lincoln’s lesson about hanging out at a theater…
Desuko Movie Spot. 