GOLDEN OLDIE 11:Mystery, Alaska

 

So what’s not to like?  My latest Golden Oldie is a trivial, feel good, essentially preposterous tale about a tiny town in a particularly snowy part of Alaska* that is obsessed with – no, not moose hunting – HOCKEY!  It offers 90 minutes or so of slightly raunchy, totally unbelievable entertainment.  It came out in 1999 to largely contemptuous reviews from the pros (Yeah, what do they know?), but considerable appreciation from the likes of you and me.  The movie stars Russell Crowe who always is good, and includes commendable performances by Hank Azaria, Burt Reynolds, Mary McCormack, and a whole lot of quite effective lesser lights.  The hockey scenes seem authentic to me; a person who has never played the game, nor even watched one all the way through.

  Preposterous or not, Mystery Alaska is good, harmless fun.  B-

*The movie actually was filmed near Canmore, Alberta!