Ocean's 8

Front Row at the Movies by Shirrel Rhoades

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During my Hollywood days I met Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, and Shirley MacLaine – the greater part of that group of entertainers known as the Rat Pack, They sometimes got together to make a movie. It was a blast.

Not so much the movie, but the obvious fact that they were having such a grand time together.

The penultimate Rat Pack movie was “Ocean’s 11,” a 1960 heist yarn about eleven WWII buddies who get together to rob five Las Vegas Casinos in one night.

Sinatra starred as Danny Ocean, the leader. MacLaine sat this one out, but you had Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr. and Angie Dickinson joining in.

“Ocean’s 11” was a great story concocted by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell, with a little uncredited help from Billy Wilder. Lewis Mileston was the director, a job akin to herding cats. Sinatra and company did what they liked and we enjoyed being along for the ride.

Another Hollywood rat pack remade the movie in 2001, this time spelling out the title as “Ocean’s Eleven.” Under the direction of Steven Soderbergh, a group of wild and crazy guys – George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, et al. – proved that they could have fun with the same material as Sinatra. Clooney took the leadership role as Danny Ocean.

The outing was such fun, they did it again in 2004 with “Ocean’s Twelve” and 2007 with “Ocean’s Thirteen.”

Not that Clooney and company have run out of steam, but in this feminine-friendly me-too era, the premise gets another go as “Ocean’s 8,” with a mainly female cast. This time Sandra Bullock is the leader, playing Danny’s sister Debbie. She’s joined in this heist of New York City’s annual Met Gala by Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Awkwafina.

Elliott Gould joins them for continuity. He’s been in every “Ocean’s” movie since 2001.

Matt Damon has an uncredited appearance. As do Katie Holmes, Olivia Munn, Jaime King, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Carl Reiner.

Gary Ross directs this one, with Soderbergh producing.

“Ocean’s 8” is pulling it off this week at Tropic Cinema.

Like most heist films, the plot is intricate and well-timed. But that’s just the excuse for everybody to get together and have a blast.

“It felt like it was a long time coming,” says Sandra Bullock.

“We’re not a reboot. We’re just a this is what’s happening in 2017. It’s not even a passing of the torch. It’s a parallel story of another family member that was raised in the same family Danny Ocean was and what happens when Debbie steps out of jail with all of these amazing, powerful women.”

Did they have as a good time making the movie as Sinatra and Clooney? “A lot of film was wasted on laughing fits that usually resulted in makeup having to be redone and a little snot being removed,” admits Bullock.

To quote that old female anthem, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

Why not?

Email Shirrel: srhoades@aol.com