When embarking on a long flight on an unfamiliar airline, there are the usual questions. How is the leg room? Can I get an aisle seat? How much carry on baggage will they allow?
Then there is the all-important question: what kind of a video menu will you find on the seat back screen?
I’m not going to lie. EgyptAir’s selection of movies and TV shows is no Hollywood Suite or Paramount+ (two well stocked sponsors here at brioux.tv). On the flight I was on a week ago in April, tired titles such as “Something’s Gotta Give” (2003) with Diane Keaton, “13 Going on 30” (2004) with Jennifer Garner, and at least one Amanda Bynes movie were among the scant “World Movies” (non Egyptian) options. There were one or two classic oldies, including “An American in Paris” (1951).
I was curious about their “Silver Screen” category. Turns out, not surprisingly, that the Egyptian airline knows ancient glories. Just two options, but they are entertaining examples of shorts from the silent era and both feature Oliver Hardy BEFORE he officially teamed with Stan Laurel.
The best is “45 Minutes from Hollywood” (1926) which stars all-but-forgotten actor Glenn Tryon. This Hal Roach two reeler has everything: keystone-style cops, cameos from other Roach players (including the earliest incarnation of The Little Rascals), and best of all Laurel and Hardy, although not yet as a team.
Hardy plays a hotel detective; Laurel an actor, with this being one of those peeks into how films are made. Laurel’s eyes were so blue they barely register in these old black-and-white gems. Lots of stunt work, guys riding on bicycle handlebars and barely missing trains, people drinking the wrong drinks. If you are flying on EgyptAir and your earphones don’t work or you can’t find them, check out this silent short.
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The TV series pickings were also fairly slight on the airline. There were plenty of Chuck Lorre comedies, including the little seen sitcom B Positive (2020-22) and one of my favourites, The Kominsky Method. It is a long flighht to Cairo, 10-and-a-half hours flying east, so I rewatched all of Season Two. Michael Douglas plays an acting coach, Alan Arkin his pal the big time talent agent. Together, they are Laurel and Hardy good.
One recent film I had not heard of I caught on the way back: “The Comeback Trail.” It was shown at the Monte Carlo film fest in 2020, got shelved during COVID and wasn’t really released until this past February. The film stars Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman and Zack Braff. De Niro plays struggling B-movie producer Max Barber who hatches a “Producers”-like plot to kill off his leading man Duke Montanna (Jones) in order to collect the insurance money. Jones was ready to kill himself off anyway back at the old actor’s home. Barber has fond memories of Montanna back when the aging actor was a sagebrush superstar.
Looking past various gaping holes in logic (no company would ever have insured Duke Montanna), trying to kill the rusty leading man proves tough indeed. The ol’ coot survives several deadly stunts, looking more heroic by the minute. Meanwhile, Mob boss Freeman (Eddie Griffin is one of his henchmen) wants to kill Barber for conning him into funding this supposed-to-be flop.
Set in the ’70s, this film about making films plays pretty much like the Laurel and Hardy “45 Minutes to Hollywood” short 100 years later. There are about 85 executive producers, who each must have kicked in thirty or forty bucks. De Niro, Jones and Freeman, however, all seem totally in on the paper-thin plot.
Maybe it’s because I’m an ol’ coot and had just ridden my first camel, but damn if I didn’t love this little film. It is fun, funny and even sweet and moving in spots. Paired with “45 Minutes from Hollywood,” it makes for a very entertaining double bill. You don’t have to fly to Egypt to see it; find it now, pardner, on Paramount+.
