I'm a big Dean Martin fan, so when I saw the boxed set that included all four Matt Helm movies, I had to pick it up. I've caught bits and pieces on cable, but I've never sat down to watch any of them from beginning to end. I prepared for the worst, but you know what? I actually enjoyed all four of them. Yeah, I know, it's not great cinema by any means. But Dino had some laugh-out-loud lines (I loved the Frank Sinatra references), the women (Cyd Charisse, Stella Stevens, Ann-Margret, Senta Berger, Elke Summer, Tina Louise) were beautiful, and there were some cool cars and gadgets. The last film, The Wrecking Crew, was tainted by sadness, knowing that the beautiful Sharon Tate would be brutally murdered not too long after the completion of this film.

I highly recommend this boxed set. Those of you who have seen the films, what's your opinion?

- JJ
www.hollywood-diecast.com (http://www.hollywood-diecast.com/)

Man does that bring back memories! I grew up on those and for a long time liked Matt Helm better than James Bond! Still do in some respects - depending on which Bond we're talking about.

I gotta look for this set, man.

http://inpayne.com/temp/motivator5107195.jpg

:).....

Fans of these (of which I am one) would be wise to check in with Dino's "Kiss Me Stupid" a somewhat obscure Billy Wilder comedy with Ray(My Favorite Martian)Walston and Kim Novak - very odd movie, saw the other night, loved it. TCM plays it.

If you look real close in "The Wrecking Crew" you can see Bruce Lee double for Dean Martin and yes Chuck Norris makes a small cameo as well.

Fans of these (of which I am one) would be wise to check in with Dino's "Kiss Me Stupid" a somewhat obscure Billy Wilder comedy with Ray(My Favorite Martian)Walston and Kim Novak - very odd movie, saw the other night, loved it. TCM plays it.Personally, I never thought Kiss Me, Stupid was one of Wilder's better films — it's a dated, sniggering sex farce, basically a two-hour traveling salesman joke — but to each his own, as they say. That was the one where Dino's car (his own Dual-Ghia, BTW) breaks down in some jerkwater desert town and the local mechanic has to order parts from Europe? Bullfeathers! Under its Italian skin, the Dual-Ghia had a Dodge chassis, engine and running gear and you could get parts from the nearest Dodge dealer!

That ruined the whole movie for me.

Matt Helm movies were a staple of Saturday-afternoon TV around here. They were fun!

Same here, except it was either late Saturday night or on Sunday's. Or at least they used to be. I remember watching all the Matt Helm movies one Sunday afternoon and Mom just rolling her eyes at it all - in a good natured "yer a crazy boy!" way.

Personally, I never thought Kiss Me, Stupid was one of Wilder's better films — it's a dated, sniggering sex farce, basically a two-hour traveling salesman joke — but to each his own, as they say. That was the one where Dino's car (his own Dual-Ghia, BTW) breaks down in some jerkwater desert town and the local mechanic has to order parts from Europe? Bullfeathers! Under its Italian skin, the Dual-Ghia had a Dodge chassis, engine and running gear and you could get parts from the nearest Dodge dealer!

That ruined the whole movie for me.

Awful how inside knowledge can ruin things like that, isn't it? Same thing happens to me with guns - for instance, when somebody has a shotgun and pumps it dramatically more than once - which means it has to be empty, or shells would fly out. Or this week's episode of Lost, where our heros were surprised by a fusilade of rapid-fire warning shots - from Rousseau and her bolt-action hunting rifle. :freak:

I'm annoyed when somebody in a photo holds a saxophone with the right hand above the left. Yeesh.

Well, it's sort of the same thing ... :D

I'm annoyed when somebody in a photo holds a saxophone with the right hand above the left. Yeesh.

Well, it's sort of the same thing ... :D
Definitely - like people fake-playing the piano or the guitar - there are just too many of us out there who play those instruments and can tell that the actors are faking it.

The biggest bother in this realm for me was in "Mr. Holland's Opus" - Richard Dreyfuss holding the conductor's baton in his LEFT HAND!!! Having performed with many orchestras and conductors for a long, long time, and knowing several left-handed ones, I have yet to see anyone hold a baton in his or her left hand.

I'm annoyed when somebody in a photo holds a saxophone with the right hand above the left. Yeesh.

Well, it's sort of the same thing ... :D


Don't get me started about movies about diving or anything to do with being underwater. Movies never get it right. I especially like how the underwater scenes are always crystal clear and well lit, in Splash, they're in New York harbor, the water is bright blue with unlimited visibility.

The American Godzilla - where the Hudson River is deep enough for Big G to have a fight with a nuclear attack sub. Where the NYC subway tunnels are big enough for a giant lizard to run through. :freak:

SeaQuest DSV - those underwater establishing shots looking up at SeaQuest submerged in her moorings, in a harbor that's famous for being only 40 feet deep.

Speaking of Pearl Harbor - that shot where the camera follows a Japanese torpedo into the water and to its target. Those big wooden tailfins on the torp are to stabilize it during the drop. They're designed to break off the instant it hits the water. But there they were!

Just saw where the Volo Auto Museum in Illinois has the 66 Merc station wagon that was used as Matt Helm's ride in The Silencers. :)

66 merc station wagon. Take THAT James Bond!

Everyone in movies just types on the keyboard furiously to get anything they want from anywhere.

Sin City; Bruce Willis partner shoots him 8 or 9 times with an old style revolver.
Sons of Katie Elder; John Wayne shoots 18 shots from one 6 gun with no chance to reload.

Sons of Katie Elder; John Wayne shoots 18 shots from one 6 gun with no chance to reload.

Charlie's Angels (the first movie), Crispen Glover fires 18 rounds rapid fire from a 7-shot Luger.

To get back to the original subject. I picked these up a few weeks back on Amazon I have only had a chance to watch one of the movies, but I still enjoyed it very much, they were a fun series made in a more tounge in cheek way that really kind of fit Dean Martin, definately worth the purchase price.

"When your sweeeetheart,
Puts a pistoool,
In your bed,
You'd be better offf
Sleeeeping
With your Uncle Fred..."

:lol:

I liked the Matt Helm movies also . I also liked Derek Flint played by James Coburn.