Maximum Overdrive!

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Stephen King

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith, John Short

From: De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

You know, I could tell that this was made by someone high on drugs! 

I have to address the white pony in the room right away: it was the only time that Stephen King directed (the experience was not a positive one) and judging by the movie’s infamous teaser trailer, he had to be high as a kite the entire time! It is one heck of a trailer: he proclaims that (already) a lot of his stories have been brought to screen but “if you want to do it right, you have to do it yourself.” He didn’t, but in that trailer not only did he not blink even once, it appeared as if he snorted an entire mountain of cocaine beforehand! He admitted himself he used that drug during the shoot; others said he drank constantly also.

I am not making light of his issues in the 80’s, as King has apparently been sober since the late 80's from his drugs + alcohol addictions and that’s commendable. Not everyone likes his political tweets but otherwise I have little complaint about Stephen King… even though I’ve never actually read one of his stories. As for the trailers for the movie, all of them use Chariots of Pumpkins from Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Many don’t like the film regardless of its ties to the rest of the franchise but hopefully many can agree that they dig its synth score.

Maximum Overdrive was finally experienced last night-right before it left Prime-and in hindsight, I wish someone here or on Twitter would have made a remark about the events of the film starting on June 19th. Alas… on that date, a comet passes Earth and because plot, the resultant action is machines becoming sentient & evil. Actually, they do attempt more of an explanation in the third act but in any case, the focus is on a small truck stop in the rural area of Wilmington, North Carolina—where coincidentally, producer Dino De Laurentiis had a film studio. The film is a real mess that was blatantly from a novice director. The loud caricatures that made up most of the characters, the lack of plot momentum, the story often grinding to a halt, among various faults. This isn’t the crowning achievement in the career of Emilio Estevez.

That duly noted, there is plenty of camp value & preposterous moments, which is why I laughed a decent amount. When someone produces a rocket launcher completely out of nowhere… hysterical. This also has a mean streak; alongside the gruesome deaths, a child is killed in gnarly fashion. Bizarre musical stingers aside, the AC/DC soundtrack is rather glorious. The claim King made in the trailer of “being scared as hell” while watching Maximum Overdrive was a blatant lie; however, if you want to laugh that the lead villain vehicle is a truck full of toys which has a giant Green Goblin head on the front hood-some people will love how weird & out of control Overdrive is.

Branded to Kill

Branded to Kill (Koroshi No Rakuin) (1967)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: Seijun Suzuki

Starring: Jo Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Annu Mari, Koji Nanbara, Isao Tamagawa

From: Nikkatsu

Yep, this was as peculiar as I had heard. Before last night I had seen a sextet of Seijun Suzuki movies, which not only included the stylish Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill but earlier crime dramas that were straightforward but were all thrilling. Take Aim at the Police Van and Everything Goes Wrong are well worth checking out. Criterion Channel’s 24/7 stream played this last evening and once I realized this is what they were showing… no excuse not to finally check this out.

It was disarming at first; the opening act was rather straightforward in its portrayal of an assassin who experiences trouble due to both love and a mission gone awry. However, the further we progress into the story, the more surreal and just bizarre it became. Such a style is not always my bag, to put it mildly. However, as we see the protagonist have a fetish for boiling rice (?!), the film briefly becoming the black and white version of Aggro Dr1ft, plentiful female nudity and more… I rolled w/ it and was perversely entertained.

The behind-the-scenes drama was perhaps more interesting than what was on screen. Suzuki came into this project late and due to past issues w/ the Nikkatsu studio, they told him to produce something that wasn’t wacky. He didn’t listen, they fired him, he sued them, he was blacklisted… what a mess. His films post comeback might be too avant-garde for me but one day I’ll try at least one. As for Branded to Kill, it has quality performances, was put together quite well for a movie that was at times written on set and had many collaborators-no wonder this had a cornucopia of weird ideas, oddball tangents, and butterflies. 

It's a film I need to ponder and perhaps view again long in the future to fully understand; trying to list highlights would be foolhardy and plus, the outlandish journey the viewer takes is better seen than described. Going in cold and getting to hear the oddball jazz score-for example-can’t be elucidated by myself anyhow. It’s not a journey for all tastes (even if you’ve watched Tokyo Drifter & Youth of the Beast and were a fan) but you won’t know for certain unless you take the first step.

Thelma

Thelma (2024)

99% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 138 reviews)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Josh Margolin

Starring: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg

From: Magnolia Pictures. Yeah, it’s amazing to me too that they’re still around

Like many now, Thelma was inspired by Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt.

Throughout the upcoming month there is plenty to see or I could see on the big screen. Who knows how many of those I’ll get to; it depends on my schedule. However, it did seem like a nice gesture on my part to check out an independent film that has received plenty of good buzz this year. For all the decades that June Squibb has been on stage or on screen, the movie’s marketing proclaims that this is the first time she ever got to be the lead. That is a great feat for someone who probably made this when they were 92 or 93 and for certain is at the age of 94 now. It also appears to be the late Richard Roundtree’s final role. They were both great here; without revealing much, they share many scenes together.

The movie was sparked by an incident where director Josh Margolin’s grandmother Thelma was ripped off in a phone scam. Presumably, the rest of the movie is fiction and she didn’t commandeer a Hoveround scooter to try and track down this individual! If the IMDb is to be believed, the real-life Thema is still alive… at the age of 103! The fictional Thelma lives alone in an apartment after her long-time husband passed away two years ago. She seems to manage for her age; her grandson is kind of a doofus but at least he often comes over to assist; they also watched Mission: Impossible-Fallout together.

After she was scammed, Thelma felt humiliated by the deception; she makes the foolhardy decision to try and solve it herself despite her age and the small detail of not having a driver’s license. She also doesn’t have the assistance of Adam Clay… Sure, I could nitpick some details or note that not all the humor landed. That said, I was just charmed by this movie and how it humorously noted the perils of aging (including your body/deteriorating and your friends passing away) yet was not afraid to have serious or heartfelt moments also-without delving into cruelty over the perils of aging.

This film had a few other familiar faces-Malcolm McDowell, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg-and Fred Hechinger did a nice job as Danny the grandson, but to reiterate I was most impressed w/ Squibb and Roundtree. It was a nice movie which was a heartwarming look at senior citizens-a sentiment often lacking in modern cinema-and while I can’t say with any degree of certainty, elderly people may also be over the moon for the movie. It’s not really something that needs to be seen theatrically—yet I’m glad I did. I don’t have grandparents any longer, nor a mother. Dad, my aunt and my uncle are now are up there in age; hopefully it’s a long while before I really have to be concerned about the twilight of their lives.

One last note: there is a mid-credits scene that was quite touching; hopefully no one missed it.

One More Shot

One More Shot (2024)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: James Nunn

Starring: Scott Adkins, Alexis Knapp, Waleed Elgadi, Meena Rayann, Tom Berenger, Michael Jai White

From: Several different UK companies

Those that have seen & liked 2021’s One Shot are likely to enjoy this sequel that delivers more of the same. I reviewed One Shot this past February via a streaming rental. What isn’t ideal for the film: One More Shot was viewed on Netflix (yes, I’ve returned to that platform for the next month) yet they don’t have One Shot-Hulu does-so it requires either a subscription to that platform or a rental on another platform. As Netflix’s description does not mention One More was a sequel… the plot is not incomprehensible on its own yet of course One Shot should be seen beforehand.

Like in the first, this sequel is a simulated one-take adventure in real-time where Navy SEAL leader Scott Adkins is tasked with escorting a Middle Eastern prisoner to America as he’s accused of planting a dirty bomb in Washington, D.C. The second installment has them at the airport in Baltimore (those in the UK will be amused to hear they filmed at London’s Stansted Airport) and it expands upon the first’s story-including introducing the prisoner’s wife-but other than the inclusion of more martial arts, has the same gunplay and videogame-influenced action that the 2021 movie gave the audience.

It's not the sort of plot you’d probably want to scrutinize too hard; be that as it may, those that saw & liked One Shot will probably feel the same about One More. It was nice to see Tom Berenger and Michael Jai White, of course; as stated on multiple occasions, in a just world we would have received multiple modestly budgeted theatrical action pictures starring Adkins and White; IMO it’s better than both a decent number of action movies that do get theatrical releases in recent years and much of the genre fare made for Netflix that is nothing more than slop.

 

Carry On Emmannuelle

Carry On Emmannuelle (1978)

Runtime: 85 rather unpleasant minutes

Directed by: Gerald Thomas

Starring: Some of the usual crew plus some others… likely most of them regret appearing in the film

From: The Rank Organisation

‘I finally saw a bad Carry On movie—and ooh boy was this bad. It’s been months since viewing any movie in this venerable franchise; as I’ve had many followers since then, it only makes sense for me to link the list of the ones I’ve tackled & reviewed before. It’s a silly series full of bawdy humor & randy men but besides the busty women that were prominent, there was plenty of clever wordplay and other puns that typically amused me… and there’s always a few women that take no crap from the dumb males. Typically, it’s familiar faces playing their expected roles in different setting but those talented performers always at least made me chuckle.

This was what I consider to be the last Carry On movie. I know there was a disaster of an attempt in ’92 with Carry On Columbus; its reputation is so bad I refuse to watch it! An actual Emmanuelle picture has never been tackled before; it is softcore smut, or so I hear. Emmannuelle is just a tired, lame “comedy” which lurched from scene to scene-things just happen out of nowhere to propel the plot forward. The title character visits her husband Kenneth Williams in London as he’s the French ambassador (both have accents best described as Pepe Le Pew) and she’s constantly horny. She gets involved with other men and yeah, it’s just lame.

I felt rather bad for Williams, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor and Peter Butterworth-all series veterans who had important roles in many franchise entries. Even they seemed to phone this one in, realizing what a boondoggle it was. Something went sour when not even Kenneth Williams could entertain me. Perhaps the soundtrack should have been a funeral dirge instead… speaking of that, the actual soundtrack is OK but, on several occasions, a catchy disco tune is heard. That is no reason to ever give this a shot regardless of how many Carry On films that have been viewed before.

The world has changed (in film or out of it) since the series began twenty years ago. Movies became more adult & explicit so Carry On trying to keep it up… er, keep up, just didn’t feel right and this picture was just crass. The lack of laughs and general poor filmmaking craft also sunk this project. A shame that a franchise with 31 entries eventually fell off—on the other hand, I’ve viewed half of these now and the fact that (IMO) the series ranged from good to pretty good right until the last few entries is rather impressive.

 

The Miracle Woman

The Miracle Woman (1931)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Frank Capra

Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, David Manners, Sam Hardy, Beryl Mercer, Russell Hopton

From: Columbia

I talk about religion, but it won’t be done in a way that will kick over a hornet’s nest & create a gigantic controversy. I’ve known of this motion picture for awhile; via visiting a “less than ethical” site, I was able to see this Frank Capra movie starring Barbara Stanwyck; I should seek out more from those two in general. The reason why this was selected: it delves into a topic still relevant today: those that use religion to line their own coffers and become rich instead of helping others & other good deeds like God would want from someone preaching His word.

Stanwyck was shown to be taken advantage of as a preacher’s daughter. Her father passes away soon after his congregation lets him go due to old age. She delivers a hellfire & brimstone promo on the lousy hypocrites who cast off her dear dad. During this vulnerable moment, huckster Bob Hornsby sinks his claws in and convinces her to become a media star by leading bombastic productions and ripping off their followers for the sake of greed & avarice. She isn’t entirely happy in this role, then she falls in love w/ a blind former fighter pilot…

The movie may sound schmaltzy and some may wish for more satirical barbs against those using religion for their own gains. Me, I was entranced throughout due to the great performance from Barbara Stanwyck’s Florence Fallon and cared about her romance with genuine nice guy John Carson (David Manners)… even if he uses a ventriloquist dummy uncomfortably often (!) while it is easy to dislike that SOB Hornsby. It was also nice to see some faces I knew from other 30’s films-like Beryl Mercer, Manners and Charles Middleton-but the direction and Stanwyck’s stirring performance was what made this a delight.

One last note: in reviews of other Pre-Code pictures-none of which I’ve seen-there have been mentions of people giving the middle finger to someone! Yes, this could be done back then. Well, I wasn’t expecting to see one here, but that’s exactly what occurred.

 

Warlock

Warlock (1959)

Runtime: 121 minutes

Directed by: Edward Dmytryk

Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Dorothy Malone, Dolores Michaels

From: 20^th Century Fox

Whether or not this is proper prep for Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter 1, I was glad to have finally seen this Western. Actually, I’ve seen enough of the genre where prep isn’t really needed and I’d like to see Horizon theatrically… although the mixed reviews do have my expectations in check. The legit reason for my viewing this Western: a Letterboxd mutual recommended the film and I put off this task for way too long.

The plot appears bog-standard: cowboys working for a real heel run roughshod over the town of Warlock, Utah-humiliating any law enforcement attempting to stop them, let alone any random citizen. Some decide to hire gunman Henry Fonda to act as the town’s marshal; he brings along pal Anthony Quinn, who is real sensitive about his clubfoot condition. Fonda does intimidate those cowpokes. However, the viewer soon learns that the movie is more complex than expected; it’s actually about a variety of interesting characters interacting w/ each other. For example, Richard Widmark is listed first in the cast because he was part of the heel’s faction but tires of them so he becomes more honorable. In addition, Warlock’s opinion of Fonda changes over time. There’s also romance, revenge, rivalry, and a few other words that begin with the letter R.

It's the sort of plot where I don’t want to reveal much more. Instead, I’ll note that while it’s not always successful, the story typically is so I was more often than not invested in all the dialogue the characters fired off at each other. A cast that also includes Dorothy Malone, DeForest Kelley, Wallace Ford, Regis Toomey, Whit Bissel, and Frank Gorshin for certain is an asset. So is a solid 20th Century Fox production and the direction of Edward Dmytryk.

For those that like Westerns which are more thought-provoking and are character-driven, Warlock is worth a shot.

 

I Discuss the First Two Slumber Party Massacre Movies

In 2017 I saw then reviewed the first movie. I decided to watch it again for a better review after experiencing the insanity that was the film's sequel. The first movie is first, then I talk why II is so outrageous: 

In my first of two reviews today, I decided to revisit and subsequently give this slasher a better rating (& also review that is written better, to state it plainly) than what I wrote in September of 2017. In these times where for years there has been “elevated horror” that usually doesn’t do much to thrill me, there’s other horror that just falls apart in the final act-I’m looking at you, Barbarian-and there’s still more that fall victim to the fallacies that make up modern filmmaking. As unpopular as it is to proclaim, 80’s slashers usually entertain me; they are unpretentious and can be a lot of fun. The Slumber Party Massacre fits that bill.

Famously written by Rita Mae Brown as a parody of the genre but produced as a serious film, there is still an undercurrent of a humorous tone, whether in dark comedic gags or funny dialogue. It’s as simple as you can get: a killer escapes from jail and goes on a rampage using a giant phallic drill, mostly at the house of Trish—who is having the titular event with some pals and a pair of boys that of course party-crash as new girl in town Valerie is across the street w/ her younger sister Courtney.

These slashers with all the petty young adult drama present (relationships, grades, etc.) is in full force here, but in this case I enjoy all the characters-from the scary-looking killer to the horny boys, the new girl and the bitchy judgmental girl-making the build-up to the killer raising hell at Trish’s house never a chore. The jump scares present were probably already cliché by 1982; those still tickled me pink. As this was also directed by a woman-Amy Holden Jones-perhaps the gratuitous female nudity was done as satire along with satisfying genre demands. The gory moments for certain will satisfy genre demands. The Casio keyboard soundtrack… well, it satisfied me! It was rather simplistic when it came to synth score but who cares when it was catchy and fit the film, right?

The genre will always be rife for parody so the original Brown script could have made for a hysterical spoof. That said, The Slumber Party Massacre being tongue in cheek instead still worked for me when the scenario & characters were done well in a basic slasher film milieu that was quick & rolled credits after 75 minutes. As I learned last night, Courtney became the lead of the film’s first sequel; her personality being completely different there didn’t really matter in a gonzo universe that world was but I’ll be posting that review (now).

Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)

Runtime: 77 glorious minutes

Directed by: Deborah Brock

Starring: Crystal Bernard, Kimberly McArthur, Patrick Lowe, Juliette Cummins, Heidi Kozak Haddad

From: Concorde Pictures

The rating is mainly due to the sheer amount of entertainment this gave me—and how this bedlam was totally unexpected. Last night via Shudder I decided to give this a spin as I've viewed the first in the series a few times now & found it to be a tongue in cheek take on the genre. II does a 180 and gives the viewer a campy, gonzo take & to me is best described as a fever dream had by either Vicky or Courtney, the siblings who were present in the first movie. The former is in “an institution” and the latter lives home alone with mom.

Courtney acts completely different in the sequel; perhaps I shouldn't nitpick when the movie is about her having nightmares about a driller killer who looks like John Travola playing Ford Fairlane if he was a psychotic wisecracking killer who then shows up in real life & at one point, literally sings and dances a tune before a kill & whose weapon is an absurd guitar/power drill combo... no, really.

The movie doesn't take itself seriously (character surnames like Kreuger and Voorhies made this abundantly clear if you didn't realize already at this point) and I had a lot of fun viewing this absurdity. Courtney's part of a girl rock band and they go to a relative's condo for the weekend to ostensibly practice on new songs but of course they instead party, which includes the rather bold pairing of champagne w/ corndogs. As there's hysterical 80's music throughout, rockabilly (?!), period clothing/hair and a dancing montage w/ all the girls... of course I guffawed often.

The best character was TJ, one of the boys who crashed the shindig. He is a total surfer dude and his voice is best described as, “Imagine if Ted 'Theodore' Logan grew up in Alabama then moved to California and became a dim-witted stoner!” He was a real trip. Many people will find this to be too outrageous and too goofy to fully enjoy. Personally, with all the grim modern horror out there, something so daffy and outlandish was amusing when it included those silly characters and still brought some nudity & a decent amount of gore for those craving such material.

Slumber Party Massacre II managed to entertain me quite a bit due to the combination of insane ideas and period details that are appealing to me. In addition, it's neat that women have directed & written all the entries in this series, including the remake.

Klute

Klute (1971)

Runtime: 114 minutes

Directed by: Alan J. Pakula

Starring: Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, Roy Scheider, Dorothy Tristan

From: Warner Bros.

This was a quality way for me to tip my hat to the late Donald Sutherland. I've known of this movie for years, it sounded like something up my alley and it frequently appears on Turner Classic Movies. Yet it took a death for me to finally check this out-via streaming rental.

Police officer turned private detective John Klute is hired to investigate the disappearance of a flawed businessman who met call girl Bree Daniel (Jane Fonda) in New York City. As he meets Bree, their relationship becomes complicated; the viewer soon realizes that the movie is centered around her, her struggles with being a failed actor so she has to act during her time with Johns-a job she doesn't enjoy anyhow-and how her relationship w/ Klute morphs as she assists him w/ the case. The crux of the film was not the case but rather a look at Bree and how the intrusion of this private eye from small-town Pennsylvania has thrown her world into turmoil, resulting in an existential crises.

The key for me with enjoying the film was not knowing what would happen, re.: the big relationship, the investigation and the seedy characters they meet along the way. However, I do have to mention Roy Sheider and the few scenes he has. For the sake of comedy, I do have to mention that he played a PIMP who eventually wore pimp clothing. It's not as hysterical as Harvey Keitel in Taxi Driver—then again, nothing will be as amazing as that look. That laugh was needed for me as this was a rather grim and somber movie which was not so oppressively ugly that it became miserable to experience. There was solid direction from Alan J. Pakula, the typically stunning cinematography from Gordon Willis & a quality jazz score from Michael Small that I've seen more than one proclaim belonged in a giallo-it was a movie I should have tackled long ago.

It's a motion picture where there is both long stretches of silence that work in context and a long static shot a few minutes long only focused on a character's face which is powerful. It made me wish movies were still made like this today. If you enjoy such 70's pictures (including the director's The Parallax View & All the President's Men) then for the great lead performances alone, this is well worth seeing.

The Eagle Has Landed

The Eagle Has Landed (1976)

Runtime: 135 minutes

Directed by: John Sturges

Starring: A great cast, including Donald Sutherland (RIP)

From: ITC Entertainment

RIP Donald Sutherland

Like everyone else, I was saddened to hear yesterday afternoon he had passed away. Many in the general public know him best for The Hunger Games movies; those aren't for me but never will I begrudge a great actor getting positive attention for a character when he was in his 70's and 80's. He apparently had “a long illness,” which is a shame but I am glad that during my twelve (!) years at Letterboxd I have seen more of his highly-regarded work. In my youth there was The Dirty Dozen and Animal House but it's been nice to view then discuss quality movies as varied as Ordinary People, Kelly's Heroes and just about 6 weeks ago, Don't Look Now. I'll be viewing at least one more Sutherland picture before moving on to something else; there are still some blind spots w/ movies that seem to be up my alley.

The Eagle Has Landed was selected due to the genre it's in and its status as another 60's to 70's war film w/ a stacked cast. I've seen a few and liked most of them so it seemed like a wise choice—and it was. It was a fictional tale of a German plot to kidnap Winston Churchill, but I know all the genre examples I've seen had at least some historical inaccuracies so I was just hoping for an entertaining yarn.

What a cast it has:

Sutherland in a key role
Michael Caine
Robert Duvall
Jenny Agutter
Larry Hagman
Jean Marsh
Donald Pleasence
Anthony Quayle
Judy Geeson
Treat Williams
For a bit, Jeff Conaway

The first half of the film sets all the pieces in place; the actual plot isn't that complex-which is why it's not really revealed for a long while-but that is OK. Sutherland-as an Irishman-goes undercover in the sleepy little English hamlet before Caine and his crew arrive. There is some silliness where Caine's introduction is him attempting to save a Jewish girl as “he has nothing for or against the Jews”; arguably sillier is that he's a German who was “raised in England,” which is why he speaks like Michael Caine in every other acting role. Incidentally, Sutherland's role in the plot presumably didn't involve “fall in love w/ Agutter”... I guess that was an unexpected perk!

It's not until the second half that there's any action of note; don't let that turn you off as personally, my attention never wavered even if it did seem to meander about at a few points. While this is not very good or great like a number of WWII movies from the 60's & 70's (including this director's own The Great Escape-if what I hear from mutuals is correct, John Sturges only took the job so he could have money to fish AND he was more preoccupied w/ that activity while filming); be that as it may, a pretty good time was had with The Eagle Has Landed and its drama. Duvall and Caine are now 93 and 91, respectively. Let's hope for them to be around for many years to come.

Car Wash

Car Wash (1976)

Runtime: 97 minutes

Directed by: Michael Schultz

Starring: A LOT of people, as I'll mention below

From: Universal

It was about time I returned to the blaxploitation world and see a movie I've known of for years and heard more than just the iconic title song from its soundtrack yet it took a TCM airing last night (hosted by Jacqueline Stewart & Questlove) for me to finally watch it in full. Last night, some laughs were needed; while the movie had a few serious moments, the main focus was comedy and thankfully I did laugh, chuckle, and a few times, even smirk.

It's a day in the life/a slice of life look as one work day at the titular car wash is shown. There is no shortage of little stories that are shown throughout as we see the white boss, the buxom white cashier, and the mainly minority staff occasionally do their job but more often goof off, play pranks, and in general chat w/ each other. Running through much of the film is the pretty stellar soundtrack from Rose Royce; it's not just the title song. Naturally, the humor at times is rather off-color and full of stereotype. Yet, there's also Antonio Fargas as Lindy; I'll use the pronoun she as she likes to wear women's clothing and otherwise act feminine. Most of the staff seem accepting of her sexuality. The one time where there's rampant homophobia, that is rebuffed rather quickly. It wasn't the most nuanced character but it could have been FAR more offensive for a 70's picture.

What a cast this has; heck, Danny DeVito and Brooke Adams only appear in the edited for TV version when they needed extra footage to make up for what was excised. There's:

Richard Pryor for a few minutes

George Carlin, again briefly

Franklin Ajaye

Garrett Morris

Melanie Mayron

That Guy actor Sully Boyar

Irwin Corey

Tim Thomerson

DeWayne Jessie before he became best known for Otis Day

Lorraine Gary

Leonard Jackson

Bill Duke as a radicalized Muslim

Many characters only have small roles. That said, it was quite the intoxicating mix viewing all those wacky personalities interact w/ each other. The names not listed also did a fine job; it was a swell ensemble overall. The entire soundtrack was pretty awesome, in addition.

It's a loud movie where a lot happens; that isn't always my bag but thankfully I found Car Wash to be rather entertaining. Amazing that JOEL SCHUMACHER was credited w/ the script. How much of what was on screen came from what he wrote on page is a mystery... perhaps I should give him more credit, as this does easily compare with the much more vulgar D.C. Cab.

In a Violent Nature

In a Violent Nature (2024)

Frankly, it's insulting to me that this somehow has 82% on Rotten Tomatoes out of 136 reviews. The 44% audience score is the more accurate barometer.

Runtime: Allegedly 94 minutes... but it felt like 194 minutes!

“Directed by”: Chris Nash

Starring: Some OK actors, some awful actors, and Lauren-Marie Taylor of 80's slasher fame, who was fine when she appeared at the end; she can't be blamed for what she had to say...

From: Shudder and some other companies

After a day off from seeing movies on Monday and a Tuesday spent visiting a few different places, a shame then that I have to discuss a movie which gave me a bad visceral reaction.

I know many will fiercely disagree w/ this opinion, but this is one of MANY horror movies since about 2012 or so that is beloved by film fans (whether on Letterboxd or off of it) that I just think is either overrated or downright atrocious. Why people love movies like The Babadook, The Evil Dead remake, It Follows, Hereditary, the abomination that was the Suspiria remake or quite a few others, it's beyond my comprehension. I'm sorry, but this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen theatrically! Let me try to explain why this was just dreadful and yet another smug, haughty, pretentious genre example that can F all the way off. The fact that this even was arthouse pretentious crap was unknown to me beforehand; I was blindsided.

An 80's slasher where the viewer follows the killer (until we don't, but that's the least of the movie's issues) seems like a better idea for a short than a feature film, as this proved. Giving the middle finger to people that expect 80's slasher thrills and not filming it like a period movie seemed to be at the forefront here. A shame, as the actual lore could have made for a decent period movie if it had came out in, say, 1985. The audiences witnesses the resurrection of the killer; think “Great Value Undead Jason Voorhees”

A huge problem is that when we do see the victims and the final girl, practically all are loathsome creatures, vulgar cursing buffoons who poorly deliver atrocious dialogue. This includes a lady I'll refer to as Great Value Early 2000's Sarah Polley. There is another who had an amazing head of curly hair and frankly I found to be cute, but all I knew about her was that she seemed to be the least worst out of her friend group (it took IMDb for me to even know her name was Kris) so why should the viewer care about her? Note that both “cancel culture” and “toxic masculinity” are mentioned in a way only designed to trigger some people. If it was supposed to be satire, then that idea crashed & burned.

The kills... yes, they were practical and that's nice to see. However, I took issue with ALL the kills, no kidding. It was like I was back watching a Hatchet movie-not a compliment. Either they were unsatisfying on purpose to “subvert expectations”-those who have only just started following recently, subverting expectations in a modern movie is usually something I loathe-or were SO OOT they became both laughable & stupid. Furthermore, we see Great Value Jason walk around—a LOT. That got old as I grew more and more frustrated.

Lauren-Marie Taylor (yes, Vickie from Friday the 13^th, Part 2) shows up at the end. I never thought I'd see her in a modern film on the big screen. Her performance was fine; however, what they had her say and do... this was the worst example of subverting expectations. Why in the blue hell did she deliver an absolute pointless story that had to take at least a legit 5 minutes to tell? That soliloquy served absolutely no purpose! THIS is the movie many of you went wild over?! Talk about being trolled while watching a film I was long tired of by this point.

This is minor in the grand scheme of things, but Cripes, what in the heck was that atrocious end credits song? For me, it was the final troll job and the perfect capper to a film that stunned me by how much it turned me off. The Northern Ontario woods looked lovely and the practical effects usually looked nice. Otherwise... give me all the Friday the 13^th movies (even the worst ones), The Burning or Madman instead of this claptrap. I wish I saw the magic that many here see in In a Violent Nature.

Wolf Lowry

Wolf Lowry (1917)

Runtime: The print on Turner Classic Movies was a little over an hour

Directed by: William S. Hart

Starring: Hart, Margery Wilson, William Fairbanks, Aaron Edwards

From: Kay-Bee Pictures

Despite what I've heard (& repeated) in the past, it was William S. Hart and not Tom Mix who was the first Western star. Only recently was my mistake rectified; as I was part of a recent messageboard discussion concerning the silent era-where I proclaimed what my favorites were-and Turner Classic Movies just happened to show some of Hart's work late last night, this film was selected. It can be found on YouTube... in truncated form so I'm glad the full version-a little more than a hour-was played in great restored form.

Unlike Mix's films that were more theatrical and action-filled (judging by hearsay and my having seen exactly one of each from the two), the classically-trained stage actor Hart was more concerned w/ authenticity and acting prowess. Henceforth, except for a fight and some gunplay, this was more a serious drama where Hart was the titular Wolf Lowry, a cattle baron who is gruff and doesn't want any squatters on his land, until it's a pretty young woman. Note that Hart was in his 50's while Margery Wilson was 30 years younger. Believe it or not, that mirrored William S. in real life but you can look at his Wikipedia page to learn more about how perhaps he wasn't the best husband & father...

Back on topic, Mary is looking for her long-last love. Can you guess what eventually happens as Lowry starts romancing her? As melodramatic as this was, at least the acting was good and the plot never became boring; the inclusion of a real heel character in Buck Fanning (this has some tremendous names, although Wolf's legit first name was Tom) did help in that regard. Unlike plenty of silent actors-including Margery Wilson; none of the four movies she directed survive either-it is easy to see many William S. Hart movies if you're so inclined. I was happy to learn more about this popular figure during the early days of Hollywood—and likewise inform everyone of Hart.

 

Lady Snowblood

Lady Snowblood (Shurayukihime) (1973)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Toshiya Fujita

Starring: Meiko Kaji, Toshio Kurosawa, Masaaki Daimon, Miyoko Akaza, Shinichi Uchida

From: Toho

Would you believe I hadn't seen this movie before? This is despite knowing for about two decades that Tarantino was, well, rather inspired by this film. In fact, to steal a quote—his entire directorial story may have been lifted wholesale from Lady Snowblood! This is the fact I learned as I finally streamed this picture on the Criterion Channel. While there is no good excuse for the prolonged delay in checking out something I've had easy streaming access to for countless months, it was at least a satisfying payoff.

It is a badass tale of revenge where a mother literally has a child in prison (only to die at childbirth) for the single-minded purpose of having the child grow up to get revenge against those that sexually assaulted her and murdered both her husband & son. Jumping backwards & forwards in time, we see how little Yuki became through brutal training a figurative demon in human form despite her female gender. Blood is sprayed... in copious amounts. No kidding, even more gallons of blood are spilled and more severed arteries gush blood like a geyser than you see in a Lone Wolf & Cub motion picture.

Sure, it's wacky that there's a 1970's-style tabloid reporter in 1890's Japan but I didn't care, as the movie was a blast. The stylish direction, the editing sliced w/ a katana blade, the sharp direction from Toshiya Fujita, the funky jazz score from Masaaki Hirao, Meiko Kaji as the believable avenging angel... <chef's kiss>. I do realize that the film's sequel (at least from hearsay) is lacking a certain Je ne sais quoi that is ever-present in this; regardless, it's a stylish, blood-soaked revenge tale that is a delight where even a trope that is pretentious twaddle when used in modern films (random chapter designations) are befitting in this case when they also include tubular titles that-for example-announce there will be a finale full of carnage.

K-9

K-9 (1989)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Rod Daniel

Starring: James Belushi, Mel Harris, Kevin Tighe, James Handy, Ed O'Neill

From: Universal

Hi, I'm Blair Russell, & me and my younger sisters saw this theatrically in 1989 when I was only 8. This admission may seem odd to some given that this is an action-comedy which at times flirts w/ an R-rating, tried to be serious more often than not and has some adult gags. Yet, I remember everyone being fine with the content and it's something we remember fondly. It was seen after the fact but the last viewing was probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 years ago, so it was time.

It is an admittedly silly film where you probably don't want to scrutinize the plot too closely. Jim Belushi is a loose cannon cop who is more focused on work than his g/f Mel Harris, doesn't want a partner, etc. Even then that had to be a stereotype. Via circumstances, he “borrows” the “most eccentric” of the K-9 police dogs in training, named Jerry Lee. You see, Jerry Lee Lewis had the nickname of “The Killer”... what happens next is exactly what you'd expect as they try to bust evil businessman Kevin Tighe.

It doesn't have the best action when compared to similar genre examples of the kind and it isn't as funny either. Perhaps it's the nostalgia talking but there were enough laughs, chuckles, & snickers and I always enjoyed watching the entertaining German Shepherd. I did not remember how LOUD this movie was w/ all the yelling and barking; then again, there was no memory of Pruitt Taylor Vince or William Sadler having one scene cameos. There are buddy cop action-comedies from the era that definitely are better; at the same time, if you saw this as a kid like me, hopefully you'll enjoy a revisit one day.

As many have addressed this in their reviews, the similar Turner & Hooch came out just three months later. Mom took us to that film too--for many, an explanation is not needed, re. why children would have a problem with Turner & Hooch, me & my sisters included...

Calling Dr. Death

Calling Dr. Death (1943)

Runtime: 63 minutes

Directed by: Reginald Le Borg

Starring: Lon Chaney, Jr., Patricia Morison, J. Carrol Naish, David Bruce, Ramsay Ames

From: Universal

Featuring Lon Chaney, Jr. ASMR

During my time on Letterboxd, it would be staggering to realize the number of films and even film series I learned about for the first time. This includes the Inner Sanctum series done by Universal, based on a radio show that in turn was based on a series of novels. The studio made a sextet of low-budget mystery movies under the name, all starring Chaney as a respite from all the horror he frequently did at the time. This was the first entry; the premise alone intrigued me.

The opening was a random disembodied head in a crystal ball giving an introduction. I understand this was a constant in the series; The Cryptkeeper wasn’t the first to do such a thing by any means. Chaney played a doctor who does hypnotism. He is in an unhappy relationship with his wife Ramsay Ames but is going out with his nurse, Patricia Morison; how do some guys get the luck of relationships w/ women like that fighting over them… anyhow, one weekend he blacks out and wouldn’t you know it, the wife is found dead.

This is not the best nor most convoluted mystery I’ve seen by any means. Be that as it may, this was a breezy watch barely over an hour long & it was nice to see Chaney in the lead role. Multiple people say he was miscast in the series but at least here, I had little in the way of complaints, re. his performance. Furthermore, this is barely longer than an hour so even if the movie isn’t to your tastes, it won’t be a massive time commitment. Those familiar with this era probably will be delighted that J. Carrol Naish has a large part as an exasperating police detective.

Two moments made me laugh out loud: first, a key supporting character is named… ROBERT DUVAL. The rewind button was hit to confirm what I heard. Later, his surname appeared on screen and I chuckled again. Throughout the movie, Chaney’s inner monologue is heard often. It was whispered; the realization eventually hit that it was Lon Chaney, Jr. ASMR. Some will naturally find that appealing; perhaps this is a task you’d want AI to fulfill…

The Green Ray

The Green Ray (Le Rayon Vert) (1986)

Runtime: 99 minutes

Directed by: Eric Rohmer

Starring: Marie Riviere, Beatrice Romand, Rosette, Carita, Vincent Gauthier

From: Les Films Du Losange

I didn't think this would be in my wheelhouse, but... I tuned into the Criterion Channel's 24/7 stream last night, waiting to see what they'd play after Eric Rohmer's La Collectionneuse. It proved to be this movie; as it is arguably the most famous work from Rohmer & I hadn't viewed any of his pictures before, why not give it a shot?

It at first did not seem like that a movie about a French lady (Delphine) who is listless after her summer vacation plans are scuttled due to her friend, then she can't find happiness wherever she goes would be my bag... turns out, I was wrong. Delphine (what an incredible performance from Marie Riviere, especially after you hear that most of the movie was improvised on the spot) also is off-again with her occasional beau Jean-Pierre so she isn't happy being the fifth wheel when she's invited by a pal to hang out w/ her family or wherever else she went. She seems like a nice lady and interacts w/ children fine, but is different in personality from a lot of people and especially struggles w/ finding romance. In other words, at times this hit rather close to home for me.

The Green Ray for certain affected me far more than expected w/ the protagonist feeling out of lockstep compared to everyone else or feeling like they don't fit in. This is why I was always on board for a picture where there is a scene at least five minutes long where Delphine reveals she's a vegetarian (not a vegan, as was made clear; some will still give that bonus points) and there's another long scene where random people discuss the Jules Verne novel The Green Ray, named after the phenomenon where right before the sun sets there are rare occasions where a brief green flash is seen. A metaphor for Delphine, that was patently obvious.

The movie is not entirely a stone-cold bummer so don't feel afraid to give it a shot. It was presented so well and felt incredibly real/naturalistic in its style and 16mm film stock. It's only logical that not everyone will connect with this story or the introverted lead character; I sure as heck did so I was happy to check out what proved to be quite the beautiful movie. Sometime in the future will be more Rohmer, in other words.

Guns

Guns (1990)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Andy Sidaris

Starring: Dona Spier, Roberta Vasquez, Cynthia Brimhall, Erik Estrada, Danny Trejo

From: Malibu Bay Films

Boy, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve viewed any Andy Sidaris, whether it be for review or just for pleasure. I’m sure many are familiar w/ the legendary Hard Ticket to Hawaii but I’ll talk about him for a moment anyhow. He directed sporting events on television before diving into the world of fiction w/ some 70’s TV shows then entered the world of movies. Amazingly, he created his own cinematic universe starting with Malibu Express but really kicking off w/ Hard Ticket: cheesy, goofy B-movie action where Playboy Playmates and Penthouse Pets portrayed members of “The Agency” in Hawaii and did battle with various villains. The main ladies here all were in previous installments-along with some of the men.

Erik Estrada (!) and henchman Danny Trejo (!!) wish to draw The Agency away from Hawaii so that they can smuggle guns; that is as complicated as the plot gets but naturally, people don’t view Andy Sidaris pictures for the plots! It’s to view attractive women and wait to see them sans clothing, which is what inevitably happens. Those had appeal back in the day when seeing such things was MUCH more difficult. The majority of the film is actually in Arizona and Nevada but is otherwise what I expected. There were some wacky moments involving entertainer Chuck McCann as an agent/magician, including a WTF bit that’s one of the several WTF bits you should expect in any film from the director.

There are solid laughs throughout and I was glad that this was randomly discovered on a random YouTube channel which has plenty of old B-movie action. Naturally, many won’t be interested in such dated schlock and will think the women in the cast are being objectified. However, those that can laugh at what titillated people back then, or want to see the Rio Hotel right after it opened in 1990--the movie is OK entertainment although again, Hard Ticket to Hawaii is a better example of a silly action-comedy T&A spectacle. If you can chuckle at the running gag of two stooges hired by Estrada dressing like women in several scenes where they attempt to assassinate our heroes and they always look like men wearing women’s clothing…

Plus, to its credit it has a catchy song from cast member Cynthia Brimhall; the viewer gets to hear it a few times.

 

Eyewitness

Eyewitness (1981)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Peter Yates

Starring: William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, James Woods, Morgan Freeman

From: 20^th Century Fox

For a movie with a decent premise and a cast full of famous faces, I do wish this would have been better. It was found from the same source on Vimeo that I described in my review of 1981’s Tattoo. Thankfully there was no issue with this “35mm restoration” done by the uploader. While you can’t legally stream it in the United States, it has always been easier to track down; heck, the Fox Movie Channel plays the movie once in a blue moon.

William Hurt plays a janitor who is infatuated w/ TV reporter Sigourney Weaver, despite her having Christopher Plummer as a beau. The Vietnamese boss who works at the building is murdered and Hurt is believed to be a suspect… while he believes his pal James Woods is a suspect, not because of Twitter behavior but rather because he has a motive and the viewer heard him utter racist language. He and Hurt fought in Vietnam and there are other characters who are prejudiced against the Vietnamese, for whatever that’s worth.

What blindsided me was discovering that Plummer’s character… was from Israel and he does activities to help his country. That sounds ominous now but to clarify, he helps rescue Jewish people from behind the Iron Curtain. I will NOT comment on Israel or what’s going on in the Middle East! Eventually, how those plot lines intersect is revealed. It is unfortunate the story wasn’t better realized and Body Heat is the much preferable (to me) 1981 neo-noir movie starring William Hurt.

Be that as it may, the movie is still watchable, was competently directed by Peter Yates and there was even Morgan Freeman as a pipe-smoking police Lieutenant who I wanted to see more of. A few different “that guy” or “that gal” actors appeared, like Steven Hill, Alice Drummond, Pamela Reed and Kenneth McMillan. This movie isn’t bad as long as you can accept Hurt playing a character that’s at times off-putting, a general low-key, low-energy vibe and something bad happening to a dog.

 

Tattoo

Tattoo (1981)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Bob Brooks

Starring: Bruce Dern, Maud Adams, Leonard Frey, Frederikke Borge, John Getz

From: 20^th Century Fox

Who knew that Vimeo would be the source of some film rarities? I won’t dive into details (as for one thing, the account I’m referring to only displays 10 videos at a time even though it has more than that available… another thing, who knows if that account will be zapped) but via diving into a small rabbit hole on Twitter, the discovery was made that someone from Canada has uploaded various obscurities for the public, and either restored himself or using raw 35mm scans. Not all are available for download at a separate link but (nevermind how) I’ve downloaded what I’ve wanted… for the sake of film preservation!

I’ll discuss this further at the end but for now, my thoughts on a movie long out of print that Shout Factory wanted to release on Blu but allegedly, no print worth a darn was available for this task. Given that there were issues w/ that 35mm scan where the picture went wonky a few times and other times there’d be like 20 seconds missing… I do believe the claim that no good print exists of the film any longer. In fact, eventually I found another source to finish watching the film w/ no interruptions.

The print this person used for his Vimeo upload was open matte; the popularity of that in niche circles is not fully understood by me but despite the full frame presentation, it itself at least looked great when not glitching. Names like Maud Adams and John Getz were appealing as I’ve never not liked seeing them in a few pictures through the years. However, Bruce Dern as the lead was the main draw. While not a perfect comparison, think Travis Bickle as we view the world of tattoo artist Karl Kinsky. He was a Vietnam veteran who is fascinated by Japanese tattoos as seen on Yakuza members and others, yet is not mentally well so when he swoons over model Adams then gets a chance to work with her… remember that at the time, tattoos were far less mainstream so tattoo artists weren’t looked at favorably.

The movie is uneven; the final act wasn’t as strong as the first two acts & there was the dreaded “production interference” which upset director Bob Brooks. Be that as it may, the strong performances by Adams & Dern were huge assets in making this a good movie. Kinsky’s increasing erratic behavior was at least fascinating, although also appropriately disturbing. It’s not an upbeat movie, in case that did not come across in this review. It was co-written by Joyce Bunuel; yes, her father-in-law is exactly who you think it is. A famous name (briefly) in this: Cynthia Nixon, as an underaged prostitute! See what I mean about the Taxi Driver comparisons. She also utters a slur that definitely won’t be repeated here. In any case, a shame that people have to jump through hoops to track down Tattoo.

As for that Vimeo account, the other videos they have at the moment include 1981’s Eyewitness, the full version of Ken Russell’s The Devils, and Godzilla 1985. One activity I’ve done in the past several months is discover various accounts on Twitter that offer downloads of obscurities. Between that and downloading streams from The Bowels of the Internet—time for me to purchase more flash drives and microSD cards…

 

Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Runtime: 139 minutes

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Starring: The usual crew plus many others in an overstuffed movie

From: Columbia

What a mess Spider-Man 3 is. Of course, one factor in my relatively low rating is my general ambivalence towards comic book movies. Going in, I knew its reputation and I saw some footage of Emo Peter Parker/Emo Spider-Man. Yet, I saw the first two movies in the Sam Raimi trilogy when Sony brought them back to cinema so it wouldn’t feel right to not eventually complete the trilogy, even if it was via a streaming rental at home.

In fact, this movie practically obliterated my senses with how overstuffed the movie is during its 139 minute runtime. Famous, the producers & their interference are why this also had Venom and Gwen Stacy when Raimi’s original idea was just Harry Osborne and Sandman as the villains. There is the realization that the symbiotes which created Venom also morphed Peter Parker into his My Chemical Romance era so the original script must have been vastly different. There are three villains, problems with Peter & Mary Jane, action scenes best described as a “cacophony”… it was exhausting, and subsequently a reason why many films like this are just avoided by me.

It was an earnest cast who gave sincere performances, the Raimi direction was fine as was the score—it wasn’t enough for me to like the movie. There were more scenes at jazz clubs than expected, including a nice, quiet ending that delighted because it wasn’t bombastic & was a nice send-off until the multiverse became a thing. I’ve seen FAR worse from comic book movies so I can’t get too mad at this—and Peter Parker turning into a Hot Topic fan was hysterical, but that’s the indelible memory I’ll always have of this film.

 

The Circus

The Circus (1928)

Runtime: 72 minutes

Directed by: Charlie Chaplin

Starring: Chaplin, Merna Kennedy, Al Ernest Garcia, Harry Crocker, George Davis

From: Charles Chaplin Productions 

The content warning I could give for this revolves around a stepfather physically abusing his stepdaughter instead of how any animals were treated as part of the circus. There are some seen but never as part of a routine; there’s a quality gag involving both a lion & a tiger… oh my. Simply, I realized it’s been a little while since watching a silent & even longer since anything starring Chaplin.

The Tramp is a victim of circumstance so he is on the run from the cops. By happenstance he entertains the crowd while attempting to avoid the po-po at the circus. He’s hired by the ringmaster (the aforementioned stepfather) and he takes a fancy to his pretty young stepdaughter; those feelings aren’t reciprocated. This was more melancholy than I expected; his mood impacted his ability to deliver comedy.

That said, there are still many great gags & setpieces; this includes walking the tightrope and his inadvertent spoiling a magician’s act. There’s also a hall of mirrors bit; the number of mirrors present and how the camera was never seen: incredibly impressive for something filmed 97 years ago. It was a production fraught w/ turmoil… a divorce, his mom died, delays, a studio fire, etc. It doesn’t show on screen. For those that are fans of The Tramp, this movie’s a must. Chaplin in a circus milieu was a treat.

 

Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt) (1998)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri, Armin Rohde

From: Several different German companies

Lola sure does a lot of running throughout.

I know more people will be flabbergasted that this was a first-time-watch for me than hearing that this first time experience was on the big screen… at an AMC Theatre. It’s the movie’s 25th anniversary in the United States, Sony did a 4K restoration and not only is that playing at the independent cinemas, some mainstream places-mainly AMC-are also playing it for a week. 

By the time I saw the movie last year, I of course knew the basics of the plot: Lola has a low-level criminal boyfriend but he blows his one big shot so he needs 100,000 Deutschmarks in 20 minutes. She has a better than zero percent chance of doing so—as she lives in Berlin that is why a vehicle is not readily available. I knew it had a pulsating late 90’s Euro-techno soundtrack (boy, does it ever) & most famously, three versions of this same event are shown. What seemed like insignificant changes proved to drastically impact the outcome.

What I did not know—the movie was also edited in a bold way which buttressed the images on screen and the throbbing score. The animated moments were also unexpected. This is style over substance but it is still so stylish and most importantly, feels fresh even in 2024. Furthermore, the substance was still interesting-free will, fate, and The Butterfly Effect. Truth be told, shortly after the movie came out on video here, someone I knew saw the film; they were nonplussed by it. That was a reason why I didn’t give this a shot until now. At least I saw it in a big way… and my life probably wouldn’t been different if I had viewed it at home in late 1999.

I did not love all the wild ideas and flurries this had; that said, fans of Run Lola Run should go and view this on the big screen if possible. Sony did a swell job with their 4K restoration. Thankfully, the roles that Tom Tykwer and Franka Potente have had in English-language productions were better than expected given the average fate of someone who became famous in another language trying to make it big in America. The former has worked for years with the Wachowski siblings while the latter has been in some films/TV shows.

It's uncertain what other older movies will be shown by AMC for the rest of 2024; hopefully at least one will be a unique effort like Run Lola Run.

 

The Crying Game

The Crying Game (1992)

Runtime: 112 minutes

Directed by: Neil Jordan

Starring: Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Miranda Richardson, Forest Whittaker, Adrian Dunbar

From: Several UK and Japanese companies

I'm catching up today. I didn't have the time to post this here last night. What I saw Thursday evening will be posted here in a few hours.

Yes, I knew the big reveal. In fact, I’ve known about it since the movie was release; the nature of it would of course get attention at the time. Yet, it took a request from a Letterboxd mutual for me to finally give this a shot. There was no particular reason why I never pulled the trigger before. Note that I will NOT reveal what the surprise is as I know there will be at least a few who have no idea.

Also, I will NOT make any comment about “The Troubles”… i.e. the conflict over whether Northern Ireland should join the Republic of Ireland or if it should remain a member of the United Kingdom. I am old enough where that conflict was a HUGE deal as a kid. It burned white-hot for about three decades and the movie involves IRA members kidnapping British soldier Forest Whittaker for strategic reasons. Yes, Whittaker sported a British accent; how well he did so is up for you.

His Jody and IRA member Fergus form an unexpected bond of sorts. After some things happened, Fergus meets Jody’s girlfriend Dil, and romance blooms. It is a rather peculiar movie given it blends a political drama w/ romance and such topics as sexuality and nationality are broached. It’s a British drama so of course there’s plenty of foul language and those that do know, certain elements do seem dated by 2024 standards.

I am far from an expert in this field, but the conflict that Fergus experiences & his romance w/ Dil, thankfully it wasn’t as troubling or awkward as it could have been for an early 90’s movie. I managed to become engrossed in this unusual yet fascinating tale. In terms of performances, Stephen Rea’s quiet take as Fergus and Jaye Davidson’s sincere acting were the highlights. The shoestring budget of the film was apparent at times yet I was invested in the plot so that wasn’t too big a hindrance. Mix in some nice songs (including Boy George’s version of the 60’s song The Crying Game) and I was happy to see a movie that was much more than just a big reveal.

One last note: what I surprise I randomly received earlier today as I was reading about this film for the sake of writing this review. It was amazing that Rea played a member of the IRA. From 1983 to 2003 he was married to Dolours Price… a member of the IRA who spent time in prison for their role in car bombings!

Escape from the Bronx

Escape from the Bronx (Fuga Dal Bronx) (1983)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Enzo G. Castellari

Starring: Mark Gregory, Giancarlo Prete, Henry Silva, Valeria D’Obici, Antonio Sabato, Sr.

From: Fulvia Film

The nice rating is for those that enjoy the trashy old Italian genre movies. Also, those that saw and liked 1982’s 1990: The Bronx Warriors should at least check this out. Warriors I saw on the Criterion Channel this past January; as both that and this are leaving that platform at the end of the month, I viewed this last night instead of waiting until the last minute as I tend to do too often.

A few years after 1990, an evil corporation (insert your own pithy comments if you wish) have plans to demolish the entirety of the Bronx so a new modern area could be created--totally gentrified, also. They said that people can move to “solar homes in New Mexico,” which is hilarious as New Mexico is like 2,000 miles away from New York City. Those refusing to go… they literally are burned alive by flamethrowers! In fact, the term “fascist” is properly used by a character. The ”Disinfestation Annihilation Squad” doing the bidding of the heels are led by Henry Silva in a total Henry Silva enforcer role. The TRASH character from 1990-that’s not my assessment of the character, that’s literally his name-returns.

The film is sleaze & trash more preoccupied w/ maiming and killing almost two hundred people (literally; someone counted and put up the figures on IMDb) than telling a cogent, logical story that has strong plotting. Yet, most people willing to give this a shot will understand the focus is more on seeing people die-sometimes in gruesome fashion-marvel at the sleazy moments, view OOT performances, enjoy a groovy score and guffaw at such realizations as seeing Antonio Sabato, Sr. dressed as a cross between a pirate and Han Solo.

It's a motion picture where Trash shoots a revolver at a helicopter in the air… and the helicopter blows up! Need I say more?