Shameless Self Expression

One for the film buffs, this 2019 documentary from Gilles Penso and Alexandre Poncet concerns stop-motion animation expert Phil Tippett, who has likely worked on several of your favourite films. Whether it be creature design, stop-motion or computer-assisted animation, Tippett has been involved in some pretty big films over the years. Among his credits includes working on the “Star Wars” trilogy, “Dragonslayer” , “RoboCop” , “Dragonheart” , and “Starship Troopers” . Is this really a glorified DVD extra? Yes, but like “Elstree 1976” (about some of the lesser-known people involved in making “Star Wars: A New Hope” ), it’s my kind of glorified DVD extra. It’s a bit slight and certainly very niche, but film buffs will enjoy this one, especially sci-fi/fantasy fans.   The stuff dealing with “Star Wars” and the early days of ILM is fascinating, with Tippett and colleague Dennis Muren working on the cantina scene and even getting to play some of the creatures they created masks...

Set in 1980, Clint Eastwood plays a retired rodeo star/horse trainer recruited by his former boss (Dwight Yoakam) to go to Mexico and bring back his teenage son (an OK Eduardo Minett). Eastwood owes him a favour from way back, you see. The kid was abandoned by Yoakam years ago, and is now in the custody of his mother (Fernanda Urrejola, not so great), who doesn’t seem any more of a fit/interested parent. Eventually the old man gets to the kid, who is initially a very reluctant rescue. The boy also insists on taking his fighting rooster called Macho along for the ride. On the road, the crusty old man and cagey young man form a kind of bond as the former realises the latter is just in need of parental guidance. Meanwhile, mum (who hasn’t one maternal bone in her body) sends some goons out to nab the kid back, and Eastwood strikes up a relationship of sorts with a local waitress (Natalia Traven, who is not bad at all).   A pretty perfect Clint Eastwood performance is the highlight...