2016 - August
RANKING ALL FILMS:
01. Citizen Kane (1941) 4/4
02. Vertigo (1958) 4/4
03. The Ladykillers (1955) 4/4
04. Burnt Offerings (1976) 4/4
05. The Late Show (1977) 4/4
06. Talk Radio (1988) 4/4
07. Son of Saul (2016) 4/4
08. Going in Style (1979) 3.5/4
09. The Innocents (1961) 3.5/4
10. Running Scared (1986) 3/4
11. The Bofors Gun (1968) 3/4
12. Training Day (2001) 3/4
13. Lord of Illusions (1995) 3/4
14. The Knack... and How to Get It (1965) 3/4
15. Wolfen (1981) 2.5/4
16. Event Horizon (1997) 2.5/4
17. Wedlock (1991) 2/4
18. Billion Dollar Brain (1967) 2/4
19. The Naked Face (1984) 1.5/4
20. Because of the Cats (1973) 1.5/4
21. Arnold (1973) 1.5/4
22. Incubus (1984) 1.5/4
01. Citizen Kane (1941) 4/4
02. Vertigo (1958) 4/4
03. The Ladykillers (1955) 4/4
04. Burnt Offerings (1976) 4/4
05. The Late Show (1977) 4/4
06. Talk Radio (1988) 4/4
07. Son of Saul (2016) 4/4
08. Going in Style (1979) 3.5/4
09. The Innocents (1961) 3.5/4
10. Running Scared (1986) 3/4
11. The Bofors Gun (1968) 3/4
12. Training Day (2001) 3/4
13. Lord of Illusions (1995) 3/4
14. The Knack... and How to Get It (1965) 3/4
15. Wolfen (1981) 2.5/4
16. Event Horizon (1997) 2.5/4
17. Wedlock (1991) 2/4
18. Billion Dollar Brain (1967) 2/4
19. The Naked Face (1984) 1.5/4
20. Because of the Cats (1973) 1.5/4
21. Arnold (1973) 1.5/4
22. Incubus (1984) 1.5/4
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- DirectorJohn HoughStarsJohn CassavetesJohn IrelandKerrie KeaneA small town's doctor takes matters into his own hands after a series of gruesome and bizarre rape crimes perplex the clueless authorities.01-08-2016
"Incubus" starts out strong, with several truly shocking and impressive murder scenes (especially the library one) clearly inspired by Italian Giallo films and a good central performance from John Cassavetes. There is something very reminiscent of old school actors in Cassavetes here. On the outside, he is as cool as Bogart, but there is a lot of suppressed anger in him. In every scene he is a ticking bomb with the real danger of it all exploding hanging over every one of his actions. Like John Garfield in "A Postman Always Rings Twice" he brings both a certain dose of danger and a lot of humanity to his fairly shallow character. He is definitely a screen presence to be reckoned with. Needless to say no one else in the cast comes close to matching Cassavetes' intensity, in fact. a lot of the acting is over the top and downright amateurish. Kerrie Keane is especially bad, her newspaper editor is a mass of inconsistencies, first a blubbering mess, then in next scene a seductress and then Nancy Drew. The fact that Keane is utterly unconvincing in all three roles doesn't help. Another offender is the helpless ham that is Duncan McIntosh. On the other hand, fine support is offered by John Ireland and Erin Flannery but they are given so little to do they might not even be there. Another problem arises in the cliched and silly plot that gets very dull midway through. The characters jump to conclusions with such speed (and surprising accuracy) that the audience can barely keep up. Cassavetes' doctor, a man of science, embraces the supernatural possibility before even considering any other route simply because a clearly sick boy claims his dreams are causing the murders. Very unbelievable stuff. This unbelievability is probably the film's biggest problem. I never had the slightest illusion any of this was actually happening. There are also glaring inconsistencies in the film's flashbacks which are supposedly set 30 years ago yet are staged in such a way that they seem to be set in the 1800s (with people dressed in period clothing, roaming around in dungeons and torture chambers). Inconsistencies carry over into the film's visual style. The stylish directorial ambitions of John Hough (there are several very imaginative shots, like the one from underneath a wheelchair and a mesmerizing shot of McIntosh on top of the stairs) clashes heavily with the film's very realistic cinematography. I have to side with Hough on this one as the film is so clearly a fantasy they should have gone the whole hog and shot it in an over-the-top, stylish way of Argento's "Suspiria" or "Deep Red". The murder scenes as I mentioned earlier are mostly very imaginatively shot with very shocking results, but the staging of some (like the farmhouse one) is very reminiscent of lesser "Friday the 13th" films. Again Hough's stylishness clashing with the film's slasher realism. The cinema kill is the only one that doesn't work, in fact, it is laughably badly executed largely due to a melodramatic performance of the victim worthy of an operetta. The conclusion is well thought out but the lack of clues and a sudden ending make it very disappointing. Also, the screenwriter felt the need to include an exclamation that explains the ending where the imagery would have been more than enough further taking the edge of an already badly executed finale. "Incubus" is a very bad film (with its only merits being a good performance from Cassavetes and some inspired imagery) but unlike films like "The Sentinel" or "Hellraiser III" it isn't boring, and does have that cheesy charm of so bad they're good movies with all of its cliches and badly written lines. Fine for a rainy afternoon or a Halloween marathon.
1.5/4 - DirectorClive BarkerStarsScott BakulaKevin J. O'ConnorJ. Trevor EdmondA private detective gets more than he bargains for when he encounters Philip Swan, a performer whose amazing illusions captivate the world, but they are not really what everyone thinks.01-08-2016
(DIRECTOR'S CUT)
Loaded with an atmosphere of foreboding and impending doom "Lord of Illusions" is undoubtedly scary but what makes it really work are the comedic touches. Not unlike Barker's first film "Hellraiser", here he plays with genres and expectations of the audience. Our lead is an obvious emulation of a film noir detective, equipped with a hat and lots of one-liners he stumbles into a plot of an excellent horror film. This blend has caused problems to many directors but Barker deftly mixes gory horror with goofy comedy creating a take-off on the noir genre that despite having a lot of tongue-in-cheek moments plays out very seriously and convincingly. Bakula, in particular, nails the feel of the character. He doesn't fall into the trap of making D'Amour a spoof, rather than that, in giving him a certain humanity and vulnerability he makes him seem tangible and fleshed out. It also helps that the world surrounding him isn't quite realistic either. Where "Hellraiser" and "Candyman" tried very hard to set themselves firmly in the real world, "Lord of Illusions" is set in some kind of a colourful 40s-meets-90s world, the same world inhabited by the characters in say "Body Heat" just a little on the goofy side. The neo-noir aspect of the film is played with a lot, in fact, the plot of the film in which a private detective plods through the facts backwards seems lifted almost word for word out of a Raymond Chandler novel. The horror in the film works a little less well. Rather than using his own brand of creepiness and gore, Barker here relies a little too heavily on jump scares and fake-outs. Nix isn't a very threatening villain either (to further the comparison to "Hellraiser") he lacks the fleshiness and humanity (pun not intended) of Julia and the imaginativeness and creepiness of the Cenobites. His speeches are interesting though and rank up there with some of Pinhead's best. As far as imagery goes though "Lord of Illusions" more than keeps up. Swann's on-stage performance is mesmerizing and spine-tingling and the scenes with Nix's crazed cult creepy. Some of the effects do seem dated but the film doesn't rely on them heavily anyway choosing instead (wisely, very wisely) to rely on atmosphere (the same way a good film noir does). Famke Janssen makes for an excellent and very believable noir damsel and Joel Swetow makes for an excellent butler, so creepy and duplicitous. Overall "Lord of Illusions" is a fantastically entertaining film, both funny and scary and despite several shortcomings a hugely satisfying experience. I must stress though that the extended version is vastly superior as the theatrical cut makes less sense and cuts several of the film's best scenes (the human interactions where the dialogue and the wisecracking D'Amour shine brightest).
3/4 - DirectorDan CurtisStarsKaren BlackOliver ReedBurgess MeredithA family moves into a large old mansion in the countryside which seems to have a mysterious and sinister power over its new residents.01-08-2016
"Burnt Offerings" is a classy, remarkably effective chiller relying entirely on atmosphere that builds (or rather I should say creeps) relentlessly throughout the film. The tension became so high by the end that a simple (unenhanced) sound of a doorhandle made me jump out of the chair. In a film with a plot that is ever so simple, for the audience to get really involved they have to care for the characters and "Burnt Offerings" has a cast of them. Oliver Reed, Karen Black, Bette Davis and Lee Montgomery play fleshed out, real characters, sympathetic even in the moments when their misgivings are brutally revealed. I was rooting for them to win, to get out alive and well. A horror audience in most cases roots for things to happen to the leads, something gory or horrific. Now, instead, I found myself rooting for nothing to happen, for it all to be a dream or a benevolent force. The reason, of course, is that the characters feel so real that it is impossible not to identify with them. This pulls us out of our comfy chairs and straight into the old house with them. In the same plight. The plot is perfectly paced, carefully revealing, not some old secret, or a painting behind cobwebs, but rather our leading characters' obsessions and errors. The film's horror hinges on what the evil reveals in them, rather than on what they reveal is the evil. The plot is very similar to "The Shining" even down to some conspicuously similar details (in both the father is a writer, both are about a family being caretakers in a seemingly haunted house and they even end on a similar eery note) most noticeable however is the focus on psychological rather than physical effects that a haunted house has on its occupants. All in all this a sleek, smart and extremely creepy horror film in the truest sense of that adjective, very creepy and disconcerting. Watching it I felt very uncomfortable and very scared.
4/4 - DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsLaurence FishburneSam NeillKathleen QuinlanA rescue crew is tasked with investigating the mysterious reappearance of a spaceship that had been lost for seven years.01-08-2016
"Event Horizon" fits so well into the mould of a "Hellraiser" sequel it's difficult to believe it isn't one. The creepy, gloomy atmosphere, lots of action and a noticeably thin screenplay, the only things missing are the low budget (though the conspicuously bad CGI is present) and Pinhead. Of course "Event Horizon" is nowhere near as bad as one of those sequels, the directing is dynamic and confident, the set design (that is best described as techno-gothic) is excellent and the acting is top notch. It is also much less corny than a "Hellraiser" sequel and features actual scares rather than a series of jump scares and lots of misplaced gore. Indiscriminate shots of gore and violence are very wisely shown sparingly and in quick flashes maximising shock value and minimising repulsion from the audience. Their absence allows the atmosphere to build and so it does, helped by the aforementioned set design and its overall space setting which isn't used as cleverly as in say "Alien" but the blackness surrounding the characters adds to the nightmarish feel of the movie. A real problem exists in the screenplay which goes nowhere quickly stranding its extremely thin characters to die one by one. When the film descends into a slasher in outer space is when it ultimately falls apart and becomes rather silly and anticlimactic but the build-up is very effective. The film never becomes boring and the imagery of Hell is very harrowing and strikingly memorable. Overall a fun, scary film that sadly lacks substance but its style is good and it keeps one's attention all the way through.
2.5/4 - DirectorMichael WadleighStarsAlbert FinneyDiane VenoraEdward James OlmosA New York cop investigates a series of brutal deaths that resemble animal attacks.02-08-2016
A well executed but cliched thriller with a hippie message well put but nothing new. Nothing new seems to be the theme of the picture as we follow Albert Finney playing a disheveled cop with a drinking problem who eats in a mortuary with a goofy best friend and a straight-laced partner as he investigates a bunch of shapeshifting Indians who are worried about the environment and the human race, well you get the picture. Another problem arises when midway through the plot loses steam and gets somewhat boring as all films with a predictable plot and a one-note message eventually do. However, lots of good work went into making this film and the visuals are particularly well done. The grim cinematography and excellent (and at the time innovative) stalker POV shots with night vision make for a visually interesting film. The acting is top notch as well particularly from Gregory Hines who (as usual) makes a potentially annoying character funny, intelligent and immensely likable. Albert Finney is believable as the cop even if he doesn't bring anything new to the part. Edward James Olmos gives his usual performance but that's OK and there is Tom Noonan (pre-Manhunter) playing the resident animal lover/nut. Another thing to note is that the plot is executed with a lot more decorum and intelligence than your typical werewolf movie.
2.5/4 - DirectorGeorg FenadyStarsStella StevensRoddy McDowallElsa LanchesterUpon his death, Arnold marries his lover, Karen, in spite of his widow, and leaves deathtraps accompanied by audiotapes and his preserved and articulate corpse for those who cared only for his money.02-08-2016
A horror-comedy with a clever premise that somehow despite its excellent cast fails to be either scary or particularly funny. Lacking in atmosphere and edge that made "Clue" and "Murder by Death" good, "Arnold" exists in that category of films that no one should pay to see or be particularly excited by but are fond childhood memories and good things to catch on TV on a rainy day and wonder afterwards what drugs the makers were on and where you could get some. Granted there are some funny moments like the shrinking suit or Bernard Fox as the bumbling policeman . The problem is it resides on a formulaic plot (not that it is based on a formula but rather cycles around in one as someone falls in love with Arnold's bride, they talk about Arnold, then they go upstairs and the man dies and so on and on until the ending) and too many corny and predictable jokes. Still, I must confess I enjoyed seeing "Arnold". It had a sort of a witty, oddball charm to it and played up to my love of comedies with a gothic mystery twist. It's cheap and silly but it knows it is and is meant to be so. If those kinds of films are your cup of tea then you'll enjoy it too, it won't be on your top 10 but you'll enjoy it, if not, well you might have fun with it as well, there's a masterfully slimy performance from Roddy McDowall in it and some imaginative death scenes.
1.5/4 - DirectorPeter HyamsStarsGregory HinesBilly CrystalSteven BauerTwo street-wise Chicago cops have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer who nearly killed them in the past.02-08-2016
"Running Scared" is almost a remake of director Peter Hyams' earlier film "Busting" but in very different spirit. "Busting" was a dark, cynical film with two tired policemen who don't love their jobs, "Running Scared" is about two friends who are enjoying themselves. There is an air of hope around them and subsequently around the entire film despite Hyams' natural cynicism showing up in a few key scenes. Maybe "Running Scared" can be thought of as a prequel to "Busting". There is also a lot more emphasis on comedy. With that said "Busting" is certainly not lacking in laughs but somehow the depressing air always prevailed. While its big brother was certainly a more realistic and ambitious movie "Running Scared" is in no way a lesser film. One of the best examples of the buddy cop genre the chemistry between the leads is almost tangible as is the excitement in the terrifically orchestrated action scenes (the car chase scene is particularly exhilarating). Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines shine in their roles of cowboy cops and really flesh and differentiate these somewhat cliched characters from their "Lethal Weapon" or "Stakeout" or "48 Hours" counterparts. The villain doesn't show up much and when he does he is nothing special, in fact, the entire film would have been nothing special had Crystal and Hines not done it. Their banter and aforementioned chemistry are what makes the film. There is a feeling of naturalism to their performances and I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised to learn they improvised some (if not most) of their lines. "Running Scared" is a delightful and entertaining film with an air of positivism and friendship running through. If you're looking for an edgier, darker film definitely check out "Busting" but "Running Scared" is a must for all lovers of good laughs and thrills.
3/4 - DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonEthan HawkeScott GlennA rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.02-08-2016
A smart, loaded, fast-talking film, "Traning Day" holds no punches. It establishes a very realistic world with its grimy cinematography, good writing and terrific performances (especially from Denzel Washington) and it unfolds to us through the eyes of Jake Hoyt. In fact, it is Jake's character that is central to the film and it is his plight we are watching and the film's weakest point comes when the focus is shifted onto a James Ellroyesque plot about crooked cops and mobsters. It is as if the film lost its guts to just show us what it promised, a training day. I can't help but think that the film would have been much better if the focus had stayed on Jake, his personality, his morality as conflicted against that of his new partner and boss throughout. Still, as it stands it is an excellent picture, full of colourful characters and realistic dialogue but the moralising ending and Alonzo's shady, far-fetched dealings take the edge of what could have been a stronger, more original and more realistic (thus more impactful) film.
3/4 - DirectorOliver StoneStarsEric BogosianEllen GreeneLeslie HopeA rude, contemptuous talk show host becomes overwhelmed by the hatred that surrounds his program just before it goes national.02-08-2016
"Talk Radio" is a film as intense as the radio show it focuses on. It is a rollercoaster of love, hate, opinions, and threats and the unusual thing is... the whole film is set in a single room with a character talking into a mic. Well, not the whole film. There are three sequences when the film opens up into the outside world but these sequences are peripheral and serve only to establish the situation that pays off in the studio. Everything important plays out in that claustrophobic space and that is what the leading man Barry Champlain's life has become, he is so lonely and lost and angry that he has fused himself with the show during which he and his audience argue, bicker and actively hate each other but cannot live without each other. This film could have easily become just a photographed radio play but director Oliver Stone really makes the visuals essential through several inspired shots and intense camera movements conveying Barry's state of mind to the audience. The rest of cast is excellent as well particularly Ellen Greene as Barry's ex-wife. The two share a brilliant scene at the end of the film during which their emotions run so high they are tangible. The script by Bogosian is thrilling and articulate and his rapid-fire delivery conveys Barry's message clearly and forcibly. You can see why so many jerks hate him. But even though all of Barry's philosophies and messages are important the focal point of the film is the man himself and what a character he is. This film can be best explained as an emotional thriller. It quacks like a thriller, it walks like thriller only that instead of some serial killer or a monster what is coming up on Barry is his own anger and loneliness. Shut in that studio day after day all he has is arguing with his equally lonely and angry audience over generic subjects. Eric Bogosian is brilliant in the part conveying Barry's faux honesty through voice and his true feelings through facial expressions. We feel his pain and frustration as he becomes more and more self-destructive culminating in the film's shocking and memorable climax. "Talk Radio" is a film that will never leave your head.
4/4 - DirectorLászló NemesStarsGéza RöhrigLevente MolnárUrs RechnA Jewish-Hungarian concentration camp prisoner sets out to give a child he mistook for his son a proper burial.05-08-2016
The Holocaust is a very important subject for art but it is also fairly well worn. Every decade sees its fair share of films on the subject, every major television series has referenced, dealt with or inferred it and as such it seems hard to imagine a new way to deal with it. Yet Laszlo Nemes has done just that. He's managed to turn an already smart, heart-wrenching story into a haunting, exhausting and emotionally draining experience. Through the use of pure film language, Nemes manages to put us in the concentration camp. We are in there looking with not outside looking at the characters. His fluid camera technique, gritty set designs, and a cacophonic, disorientating sound mix give us a rare illusion of reality putting us into the action, not just emotionally investing us into it. Nemes makes us, the audience, smell the sweat, feel the cold and the emotional pain of the prisoners of the camp. This is where the cinematographer Matyas Erdely deserves a special mention because it is his naturalistic, cold lighting and shallow focus that make "Son of Saul" more than a film, an experience. Geza Rohrig is also excellent as Saul, conveying the damage to the character's soul by doing very little, emoting almost never, the camera very often focuses on his dead face and eyes, more than a mere hint of what his soul must be like.
4/4 - DirectorJack ClaytonStarsDeborah KerrPeter WyngardeMegs JenkinsA young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.05-08-2016
A cleverly deceptive film, "The Innocents" starts out as a Dickensian drama, turns into horror and climaxes as a melodrama. Charting someone's descent into madness it is a compelling study of repressed sexuality, psychology and building tension without things going boo at the screen. The story is deftly told through a tight (very quotable) script by Truman Capote and a series of excellent performances. Still, it is the disturbing cinematography by master horror director Freddie Francis that makes this film stand out. Shrouding the screen in darkness even when it's daylight and through clever use of telephoto lenses, he creates a dense atmosphere of fear of the unknown and mystery that encapsulates the entire film. There is also a haunting musical score, a staple of every chiller worth its salt. The only thing wrong with the whole film is Jack Clayton's somewhat stilted direction, rarely moving the camera or allowing the audience to truly engage into the plot.
3.5/4 - DirectorKen RussellStarsMichael CaineKarl MaldenEd BegleyBritish spy-turned-detective Harry Palmer stumbles upon an oil tycoon's plot to overthrow Communism using a supercomputer.05-08-2016
The third film in the Harry Palmer franchise is definitely the worst of his cinematic exploits. After two extremely well-done spy thrillers, the stylish and gritty "The Ipcress File" and the twisty, wildly entertaining puzzle that is "Funeral in Berlin", "Billion Dollar Brain" chose a very odd path to go down. The meandering plot takes us through a series of sequences that connect to each other only through sheer will power of the writer straight into a conclusion so silly and far-fetched it is hard to call it anything but anti-climactic. Swapping the dark grittiness of the first two films, "Billion Dollar Brain" swings like a pendulum between being a spoof of James Bond (with a villain so preposterous and unbelievable he would be considered silly in an Austin Powers film) and a straight-laced if somewhat run-of-the-mill thriller (with a bemused Michael Caine in the lead). Yet it fails in both, giving us an impression that somewhere down the line there was a fatal failure to communicate. The story is that of a comedy yet the script plays it very straight but the director (the genius that was yet to be, Ken Russell) plays it for laughs as do Karl Malden and (leaving no scenery unbitten) Ed Begley. This leaves Michael Caine in the middle, good as usual as Harry Palmer, yet his particular brand of street grittiness seems really out of place here. The last 40 minutes are where the entire film falls apart (from the moment Ed Begley shows up, really). The comedy is unfunny and makes it hard for us to invest ourselves into the serious stuff (which quite honestly is so badly written and far-fetched I wouldn't have taken it seriously anyway). I can't deny there is a lot of fun to be had watching "Billion Dollar Brain" but this particular brand of archness is done much better by every James Bond film in existence and following two of the finest examples of spy films this is just an embarrassing flop.
2/4
P.S. The only perfect thing about this film is Oskar Homolka's hilarious (yet strangely terrifying) reprise of his "Funeral in Berlin" character. He is spot on. - DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'07-08-2016
4/4 - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.08-08-2016
4/4 - DirectorRichard LesterStarsRita TushinghamRay BrooksMichael CrawfordA young school teacher tries to master the art of flirtation using his neighbor's skills.13-08-2016
Richard Lester is the director that defined 60s movies with classics like "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help". Jammed between the two, comes a wacky, trippy comedy akin to his 1969 film "The Bed Sitting Room" that has sadly been forgotten. Though not as good as Lester/Beatles films it has a certain charm and value of its own. Granted, the first half of the film is cumbersome and unfunny but starting from a beautifully executed and hilarious sequence involving three people, a bed, and some great London locations the film becomes extremely amusing for all of its previously unwieldy elements come together to form a tonally coherent comedy. The four leads have undeniable chemistry and when all four are on screen does "The Knack" really get its knack. Michael Crawford does what he does best (though at times he does seem to be sleepwalking through the role) and Donal Donnelly's wacky painter is tons of fun, but it is the charmingly naive Rita Tushingham and the dramatically imposing Ray Brooks (evoking Michael Caine's Alfie but with a terrifying sadistic edge) who really stand out in the cast. The best parts of the film, however, are the little visual (some would say slapsticky) vignettes such as the aforementioned bed sequence and a very elaborate chase sequence.
3/4 - DirectorFons RademakersStarsBryan MarshallAlexandra StewartEdward JuddA gang of wealthy ne'er do wells rape and terrorize women for fun and force their husbands to watch. A police detective tries to catch them, but can he break their twisted loyalty to one another?20-08-2016
Very much influenced by "A Clockwork Orange" this mediocre example of euroshlock moves along in a leisurely, yet engaging pace. I must confess though the plot didn't interest me and the stiff dialogue undermined the already cardboard cut-out characters my interested never downed. There is a very nostalgic feel to the film as it hits every item on the checklist of 70s exploitation films. Bryan Marshall makes for a very good policeman and I wish he got a chance to reprise this role in a better film, there is also a very nice, gritty atmosphere to the piece cheapened somewhat by interludes of gratuitous nudity and violence. The film's plot (as I said above) isn't very interesting nor original but the shock and impact of the excellent (and sadly never topped) opening keeps us wanting to see justice done.
1.5/4 - DirectorLewis TeagueStarsRutger HauerMimi RogersJoan ChenA male prison escapee heads for his hidden loot electronically attached to a female prisoner.20-08-2016
"Wedlock" offers no unexpected turns on its unoriginal yet clever premise and in fact unoriginal could very well be the theme of the film. Every twist, turn and plot point can be guessed a mile away and yet (as so many of these 90s cheap thrillers do) it never fails to entertain. The predictability of the plot never crossed my mind nor did the vapidness of character ever intrude on my 90 minutes of fairly effective action/comedy. Rutger Hauer and Mimi Rogers make for an engaging on-screen couple and Stephen Tobolowsky is (as always) a deliciously slimy villain. Certainly nothing to write home about but more than adequate for a relaxing evening in.
2/4 - DirectorAlexander MackendrickStarsAlec GuinnessPeter SellersCecil ParkerFive oddball criminals planning a bank robbery rent rooms on a cul-de-sac from an octogenarian widow under the pretext that they are classical musicians.20-08-2016
4/4 - DirectorRobert BentonStarsArt CarneyLily TomlinBill MacyA grumpy semi-retired private investigator partners with a quirky female client to catch the people who murdered his partner.21-08-2016
"The Late Show" represents one of the earliest examples of neo-noir and it strikes an absolutely right note. Faced with a hard balancing act between parody and thriller Robert Benton made a film that is at once tough, sweet, touching and dark. Art Carney gives the best performance of his career and Lily Tomlin manages to make an annoying character likeable. The script (also by Benton) is rich in language and characters and moves in a no-nonsense matter-of-fact way without dwelling on details and events, letting them instead subtly build atmosphere and drama (helped by excellent cinematography and music).
4/4 - DirectorMartin BrestStarsGeorge BurnsArt CarneyLee StrasbergThree friends living on the dole decide to rob a bank.22-08-2016
"Going in Style" is without a doubt the best heist comedy every made. But with a cast like this you know you can't possibly go wrong. Director Martin Brest wisely lets them do their own thing and the funniest (and best) scenes in the film are those between them in their tiny little apartment bickering, discussing their plan and then just sort of sitting there. Though it doesn't seem so "Going in Style" is certainly a rollercoaster of a movie, an emotional one. It is roaringly hilarious, exhilarating, sad, and uplifting often at the same time. It also helps that it has one of the best musical scores I've ever heard in a comedy. The crackly, out-of-tune melody carries the film and becomes a character in and of itself. "Going in Style" talks and walks like a heist comedy but it is a lot more. It is a film about aging and I think it is the best one out there. With just the right note of sentimentality, it manages to avoid becoming melodramatic while at the same time being very emotional and if that isn't film's toughest tightrope I don't know what is.
3.5/4 - DirectorBryan ForbesStarsRoger MooreRod SteigerElliott GouldA Chicago psychoanalyst's patient and secretary are murdered and he becomes the police's prime suspect despite his claims that someone is trying to frame him.22-08-2016
"The Naked Face" is a silly, over-written thriller, a typical example of a Cannon film. It has a cast of mostly second-tier stars (though all excellent actors by 1984 they were mostly living off former glory) with Roger Moore in the lead. Moore was supposedly trying to distance himself from his usual films but he (of course) does the same thing he does always. He is suave, pronouncedly British and charming but his heart is obviously not in it. Elliott Gould and Rod Steiger make a fine pair but Steiger fails to bring any emotion into his performance other than anger and becomes boring very quickly. Gould is better but he is given nothing to do. In fact, none of them other than Moore and Steiger are given any real material to work with. Anne Archer is barely noticeable and Art Carney is criminally underused even though he gives the best performance in the film. The plot itself is nonsensical and wildly predictable. I was ahead of every one of its twists and turns. It also features probably the most ridiculous, laughable and overly melodramatic endings ever. It is a weird, wild failure not really terrible but not worth your time either. The only thing in the whole film that works is an excellent score by Michael J. Lewis.
1.5/4 - DirectorJack GoldStarsNicol WilliamsonIan HolmDavid WarnerA national service non-commissioned officer (David Warner) comes face to face with an embittered Irish Gunner (Nicol Williamson) who is determined to humiliate him.23-08-2016
Nicol Williamson is an actor of strange magnetism and power and the audience hangs on his every word. "The Bofors Gun" is his first film and one of his best performances. His hurt, sardonic, sadistic, Irish soldier is a creation second to few. That is not to say that the rest of the ensemble cast are bad, but he manages to outshine them in every scene he's in and even in a few he's not. David Warner is also brilliant in a difficult role as a man in two minds who can't balance his desire to be likeable and his desire to go home. Director Jack Gold, through stark cinematography and a militaristic score, manages to make us feel as if we're really there.
3/4