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Open Season (1974)
One of Fonda's favorites..
What can we say about Ken, Greg and Arty? Fine upstanding citizens, respectable family men, hard workers who enjoy blowing off steam with a little bit of adultery, kidnapping and murder!
Once a year these wonderful human beings leave their families behind for a few days and head into the arms of Mother Nature. Fast flowing rivers and endless empty forests are just what the doctor ordered, the perfect place to unwind and more importantly, the perfect place to muffle the screams of their latest victims.
This year they stumble across a couple with car trouble and take them to their isolated cabin in the woods. It's a crime that is committed with such ease and bravado there's no doubt these men have done this before. In the cabin the man is handcuffed and humiliated, forced to cook and clean. His girlfriend, on the other hand, is subjected to horrors of a different kind. When the fun is over the next day the couple are told they will be set free, however, this is no cause for celebration, as they soon realize the true nightmare has only just begun.
The three men are played by Peter Fonda, Richard Lynch and John Philip Law. Apart from being war vets, little is known about the characters they play, but judging by their pastime of kidnap and murder we can guess they are struggling somewhat to settle into normal life.
Released in 1974, smack-bang in the middle of the exploitation era, Open Season is both low budget and violence heavy. Think of it as cross between a spaghetti westerns and Deliverance. It is certainly not a movie for everyone but Peter Fonda calmed it was one of his favorite. "I had a good time on that one. That was my first chance to play a really evil guy. "
The Medusa Touch (1978)
There is no Medusa? Or touching?
People of a certain generation will remember The Medusa Touch. I certainly do. It was one of those horror movies, like The Omen and Carrie, that was broadcast late on a school night. Next day
classrooms around the country were buzzing with kids pouring over all the gory details. Unfortunately, my parents deemed these types of movies too gory for my delicate eyes and, as such, I wasn't allowed join these discussions, instead, I was forced to mingle with students who did their homework and went to bed at a sensible hour. The horror!
With The Medusa Touch, things changed. For some unexpected reason I was allowed to watch it, something that worked wonders for my reputation in school but scared my mental well-being for decades to come. Even now, some 30 years later, I can still recall the most frightening scenes, especially the plane crashing in to a building in downtown London, a scene that still pops into my head whenever I'm flying into Heathrow.
Recently, I rediscovered The Medusa Touch and decided to give it a cautious rewatch. I say cautious because I've been let down before by my rose-tinted view of movies from 70s and 80s. Thank you Police Academy 3! This time, however , I was pleasantly surprised. The Medusa Touch is actually a cleverly pieced-together B-movie which attracted some impressive A-list actors. Richard Burton and Lee Remick to name a few.
Burton plays John Morlar, a man haunted by his past and convinced he's cursed with psychic abilities. Remick is the psychiatrist who is tasked with treating him. In her office Morlar recounts his life through a series of deaths he caused with his unusual powers. The nanny who tormented him, his parents who barely registered his existence, and the teacher who punished him unfairly for looking out the window. They all got their comeuppance through various means and each time Morlar believes he is responsible. Remick is a tad skeptical, for her these accounts are merely the delusions of a unhinged mind. However, after she witnesses a tragedy of epic proportions her mind is changed in dramatic fashion.
The story unravels through a series of cascading flashbacks, but it never feels jarring or off-putting. The movie is also more layered than I younger-self ever appreciated. This time around I realized it was possible, or at least probable, that all events were indeed a product of Morlar's twisted and warped reality. Then again, maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better so that next time I fly into London I don't break into a cold sweat believing there's a
telekinetic psychopath waiting to turn this plane into a nearby building.
Old (2021)
This movie aged me... more than 90 minutes
M. Night Shaylaman is the master of intriguing ideas, clever hooks and unsettling premises. It's just a shame he has no idea where to take them.
In his latest attempt, OLD, a group of unfortunate vacationers are trapped on a beautiful secluded beach. This wouldn't be a problem were it not for the fact that everyone begins to age at a rapid rate. For every 30 minutes on this beach your bodies grow a year older. While this is scarcely noticeable in the adults (at first) suspicions are raised when the infant kids reach puberty by lunchtime.
Leaving this outlandish paradise isn't an option either. The sea washes back anyone who tries to make a swim for it and the original path has a force-field preventing anyone escaping. The vacationers are naturally annoyed by this phenomenon, none of this was advertised in the brochure.
The quick aging process affects each person differently. An 80-year-old woman drops dead after 45 minutes. A 50-year-old doctor gets dementia. The poor dog, already aging seven years for each human year, never has a chance. (I'll let you do the maths on now quickly he was aging.)
Pre-existing medical conditions are exasperated. A woman's tumor inflates to the size of melon after a matter of minutes. An ad hoc surgery is performed, which is fun since rapid cell regeneration means the incision keeps healing seconds after it is made.
The reason all this is possible, just like everything else in this movie, is not important. We get a few throwaway lines about the earth's magnetic field and it's sufficient. The crazy pseudo-science, however, is the least of this movie's problems. The reason I haven't bothered including character names is, quite simply, they're irrelevant. Like so much of M. Night's later work the characters are mere pawns for the premise and we couldn't care less who lives or dies.
Expectations are always going to be high when M Night Shayalman sits in the directors chair. He was once a A-list director. OLD, unfortunately, isn't a A movie. It's not even a B. At best it's a C.
Reminiscence (2021)
Sci-fi Mystery about remembering that is worth forgetting
"Memories are like perfume. Better in small dozes. " Nick Banister
This dialogue perfectly encapsulates the movie Reminiscence. It's contrived, cheesy, and when you ponder it for a second, you realize it doesn't make sense.
It's the future (I think) and rising sea levels have transformed Miami into a seedy version of Venice. The rich live on elevated ground while the less fortunate have to swim to work. If that wasn't bad enough extreme temperatures mean everyone lives a dusk-till-dawn existence.
On the plus side, Nick Bannister, played by Hugh Jackman runs a service where it is now possible to relive your memories in 3D. Handy for spending time with passed away relatives or finding lost car keys. But when the mysterious woman he's been seeing disappears without trace Bannister uses the technology on himself to piece together what happened.
I made the mistake of getting excited about this movie. Huge Jackman in a dystopian sci-fi thriller. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, Reminiscence just doesn't deliver.
It was brought to us by the same guys that made Westworld, a slick and thought provoking sci-fi tv show. In Reminisce, however, something went wrong. The more is no cohesive message and no real meaningful outcome. Something else that hindered this movie was its blatant imitation. From the opening scene with the film-noir style narration I knew what it was trying to achieve. They were reaching for a high bar, but this didn't come within a mile of being another Blade Runner.
Michael Clayton (2007)
Underappreciated gem
In the opening moments of the movie, Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is seen dishing out advice to an ungrateful client who was just involved in a hit and run accident. This is his job. He's a lawyer turned problem solver for a prestigious law firm in Manhattan. It's not exactly his life's ambition job but he's good at it. When a sticky situation arises, he deals with it swiftly and silently, making sure the firm or its clients are well shielded.
In one of the more unusual problems, he is called away to a client site because one of the firm's attorneys, and close colleague, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), stripped naked in the middle of a deposition and declared his love to the plaintiff. Michael flies out and quickly initiates damage control. Turns out Arthur forgot to take his medication for a few days, however, the client, an agricultural chemical company, is still angry. This is a multi-million dollar wrongful-death claim against them. Then, Arthur begins ranting and raving about conspiracy theories and cover ups involving the firm and the agricultural company. He believes they are responsible for the deaths. Is he on to something or is this part of his mental breakdown?
Michael Clayton is a slick movie with even slicker actors. The whole cast puts in stellar performances. Clooney portraying a man wrestling with morals. Wilkinson balancing on the edge of insanity. Given the theme - giant corporations using their financial might to sidestep the law - comparisons will be made with Erin Brockovich But the movies approach the subject from different angles. Erin Brockovich from the outside in, Michael Clayton from the inside out. Definitely worth the watch.
Quiz Show (1994)
Quiz Show is the answer
In 1958 millions of Americans tuned in to watch Twenty One, the quiz show where two intellects locked horns in a battle of wits. A question and answer format the first contestant to reach 21 points is declared the champion. The winner not only gets a cash prize they also have the chance to come back the following week to defend the title.
Herb Stempel (John Turturro) - a working-class everyman from the Bronx - has been champion for 6 weeks. With an IQ of 170 he's a formidable contender. Lately, however, he has fallen out of favour with the producers and the shows sponsors. They are looking to inject fresh blood to boost ratings. Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes), an upcoming contestant, is a perfect replacement. He's suave and sophisticated and handsome. Ideal TV material. But here's the problem, with the questions secured in a bank vault before the show airs, how can they knock Herb, a proverbial walking encyclopaedia, from his perch?
The answer is easier than you might think.
Based on a true story, Quiz Show depicts the events of the TV scandal that rocked the nation. With ratings on the line and corporate sponsors calling the shots, participants were fed the answers ahead of time. This ensured producers were in control of all aspects of the show, including who the winner was. Even the sweat on the contestant's faces was manufactured by turning off the air fans in the sound proof booths.
But why would contestants go along with such a ruse? In the movie we see Van Doran initially turn down the offer on moral grounds. With the cameras rolling and the audience clapping, however, morality left the stage. Stempel on the other hand takes a dive because of the promise of a good job on another quiz show. Ironically, it's the network refusal to honour this promise that ultimately leads to the mess being uncovered.
With Robert Redford at the helm this is a slick and well-polished movie. It explores the line between fact and fiction, honesty and integrity. It also asks the question what would you do? While none of what transpired was against the law, it was the first time the greedy underbelly of the TV entertainment business was exposed. And not for the last time.
The Death of Stalin (2017)
Back in the USSR
Welcome to Stalin's Soviet Union. A place where torture and murder are a normal occurrence, where paranoia stretches from the top officials to the common worker. Is there anything worse than a living Stalin? How about a dead Stalin? When a leader has such a tight death-grip on the nation, what happens when he suddenly lets go?
This is the dilemma facing of the communist committee. While there are some who have let out a sigh of relief at Stalin's passing, there are others who start walking an even sharper knife edge. A massive power vacuum is left in his wake. In the chaos, top dogs like Khrushchev, Beria, Molotov, Malenkov are in precarious positions. The right moves can send you to the top, but in Soviet Russia. one mistake can also have you in the gulag or facing a firing squad. As they all scramble for power and influence only the toughest and most devious will survive. It's not long before the scheming and plotting starts, old habits, after all, are hard to break.
The Death of Stalin is dark comedy. It tries - and sometimes succeeds - to depict the comedic ridiculousness and horrific terror of that time. It's an uncomfortable mix but maybe that's the point. You'll see brutal scenes with innocent people shot and murdered in street and yet you'll also meet a Stalin who has a distinct Manchester accent. It's jarring. Worth a watch but beware.
Dead Again (1991)
Dead Again - Interesting but a little dated
Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) is a private dick with an eye for the bizarre. After paying a visit to orphanage he accepts a case involving a mute woman with amnesia (Emma Thompson). Attempting to recover her memory he employees the help of hypnotist who tries some past life regression therapy. It's not the first thing I would've tried but hey, I'm not a doctor. Not only does this treatment work - her voice returns - we find out in the previous life she was victim of a murder by her husband. What's even more bizarre is she is the spitting image of the past life self, and her murdering husband looks exactly like detective Mike Church. Is this just a coincidence or is history repeating itself?
Dead Again is an old school psychological thriller. I say old school because, although made in 1990, it has the feel of a much older movie. Maybe it's because of the black and white flashback sequences. Or it could be related to the distinct 1940s noir atmosphere it is trying to cultivate.
The movie opened to much fanfare back on the day. Kenneth Branagh, who also directed, was lauded as a new Hitchcock-esque director. It was also noteworthy because this was one of Robin Williams first serious roles. He plays former psychiatrist who lost his license and spouts truths about reincarnation "it's the karma credit plan, you buy now you pay forever".
It has lost its shine through the years and I guess modern audiences might find it laughable in places. I certainly did. First time around I really liked it, this time I found it needlessly complicated. Then again, maybe I'm just becoming dumber!
Funny Games (2007)
Fun 'n' games with Funny Games
Funny Games is a movie that likes to play with the audience. It plays with the idea of horror and thrillers. It plays with established tropes. It even plays with perception and the fourth wall. An hour into the plot, the lead villain (Michael Pitt) questions the tied and bound family in front of him. "Do you want to make a bet that you'll be alive at 9am tomorrow?" It's a harrowing query but before they can answer he turns, looks directly into the camera and asks. "What about you?" It's an unsettling and quirky turn of events. So completely unexpected I had to rewind the scene to make sure it actually happened! And it wasn't the only time during this move that the rewind button came in handy.
Funny Games wants you to believe you are watching a run-of-the-mill house invasion movie. Up to a point that's exactly what it is. We have the loving couple George and Ann Farber (Tim Roth and Naomi Watts) their son Georgie and family dog. They are a bit pretentious but overall decent people. All they want to do is spend some quality time together in their vacation home. Then two odd men, Peter and Paul, drop by and ask to borrow some eggs for the neighbour. The awkward, silences, the forced small talk is infuriating to watch. You want them to go, you to turn around and leave but you also know, they are not going anywhere!
There is nothing run-of-mill about this Funny Games. When you think you have the plot mapped out in your head, it completely turns and goes the other way. But is it any good? A movie is supposed to ignite some emotions from the watcher, right? Is frustration an emotion? I'm still trying to figure out if this is a clever movie or just annoying? Honestly, I can see arguments for both. At the end of this movie I can see long lines of people standing and applauding, and I can see just as many people pulling their hair out and screaming profanity at the screen.
A Simple Plan (1998)
A Simple Plan is simply great
What do you do if you stumble across 4 million dollars in the woods? Stupid question! Take it, of course. What if you realize it's drug money? You take it and keep your mouth shut. What if you're not alone, you're with your big-mouth brother and his annoying friend? You take it, make a pact to stay quiet, and lay low for a few months before splitting the money.
Simple Plan is about trust and relationships. It's an exploration of greed and paranoia. A classic escalation story where one decision snowballs into an avalanche, where loyalties stretched to the point of breaking and pretty soon bodies start piling up. All of this set against the bleak backdrop snow-engulfed small town.
Hank Mitchell (Bill Paxton) works in a dead-end job and his pregnant wife (Bridget Fonda) is a librarian. His brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) and friend Lou are heavy drinkers with zero prospects. Keeping the money, although risky, is the only chance these people have of improving their lives.
But there's a problem.
Each of them is flawed and vulnerable. Lou is in debt that he needs the money sooner rather than later. Jacob can't keep a secret and is thorn between his brother and his best friend. Hank has a wife with psychopathic tendencies that sits on his shoulder like a little devil.
A Simple Pan is good fun. It will suck you in with its twists and turns and even though it can be ridiculous in places this is all part of the Sam Raimi journey. This is a movie heavily seasoned with humour.
Firewall (2006)
Tear down this firewall - and lets never speak of it again
Firewall lost its credibility immediately. I've seen Harrison Ford jump out of flaming planes, I've seen him slide down on mountains in inflatable dinghies, I've seen him play the President of US, play the son of Sean Connery in Indian Jones even though there was only a 10-year age difference. And each time I've had no problem suspending my belief. But in this movie, I couldn't swallow a 65-year-old Harrison Ford writing a shell script on Linux operating system. I could take this film seriously afterwards. Which isn't a bad thing. Because this move is so terrible I don't think anyone should take it seriously.
The lowdown.
Harrison Ford plays Jack Stanfield, chief of security of Landrock Pacific Bank. He knows the ins and outs of the entire bank's IT system. Unfortunately, this knowledge makes him a target of a gang of bank robbers with an ingenious plan. They hold Jacks family hostage and get him to siphon off 10,000 dollars from the top 10,000 accounts. Let me do the calculation for you:. That's 100 million dollars.
Jack tries to outsmart the gang a ridiculous number of times, each time his efforts are foiled. The lead henchman (Paul Bettany) soon gets annoyed and in a show of strength takes Jack and his wife down to the basement. To prove how ruthless he is, he shoots one of his own men in the back of the head. Ten minutes later Jack is trying to escape again. And why not. I would continue trying to escape until he shot all of his men in the back of the head...Problem solved.
In case you didn't pick up on my tone, let me say again. This move is terrible. The most enjoyable thing about this movie, in fact, was writing this review.
Fat City (1972)
Fat City is the real deal
John Huston had a long, impressive career. Made movies such as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The African Queen. But in 1972, at the grand old age of 60, he dipped his toe into the gritty new age realism pioneered by directors like Brian DePalma and Martin Scorsese. The result was Fat City: a tale of broken dreams and lost hope California's underbelly.
It's a story of two boxers, the fresh-faced Ernie Munger (Jeff Bridges) and washed up used-to-be Billy Tully (Stacy Keach). After meeting in the sparing ring in the YMCA the two fighters are head in two very different directions. Munger begins fighting on the boxing scene. He has potential but has a lot to learn. Reality soon comes crashing down after his girlfriend tells him she pregnant and struggles to make ends meet.
Tully is a bum and drunk. He tells anyone who will listen his stories of when he was a half-decent fighter. Then he meets Oma (Susan Tyrrell), a barfly in an even worse state than he is. Tired of the menial jobs and dreaming of the glory days he decides to make a comeback and start fighting again.
The two stories are weaved together, contrasting the young hopeful and the withered veteran. It's grim, but in a lively and funny way. Great performances too, especially Keach and Tyrrell, who was nominated for an Oscar. If you like gritty realistic dramas where you can smell the sweat and the booze you should check this out.
Southern Comfort (1981)
Time for a Southern Comfort and Red
The Louisiana National Guard is on a routine training exercise in the swamps of the bayou. Armed with real guns - but blank bullets - the exercise has soldiers navigating the dense jungle-like terrain. The goal; sharpen their skills, toughen them up.
One company of men, a rough and ready crew headed by Sergeant Pool, end up lost in the thick foliage. On the wrong side of the river, they borrow some boats resting at the water's edge. This seemingly innocent decision, along with a joke that horribly backfires, seals their fate.
The locals Cajuns don't take too kindly to strangers, especially those taking their boats. And they don't have a sense of humour about being shot at, even if it is with blanks. They retaliate. Suddenly the mission simulation turns into a genuine fight for survival. The enemy know the terrain, they are experienced hunters, sharp-shooters and unlike the soldiers their bullets are very, very real.
Being made in the early 80s it would have been easy for Southern Comfort to end up being a silly slasher move. Or worse, a Chuck Norris-style shoot em up. But it didn't. The director went for realism. The movie took its time, let the tension build and made every bullet count. The final scene on the village is beautifully unsettling. Paranoia and suspense in equal measure. And it sucks you right in too.
Now there's nothing wrong with a good aul Chuck Norris movie. Or a Sly Stallone or Arnie flick every now and then. In fact, the plot to Southern Comfort is sweaty muscle men getting picked off one by one in a jungle. You just know the makers of Predator were taking notes.
Death Hunt (1981)
One of the last great Bronson movies...
I had fond memories of watching Death Hunt as a teenager and I thought it would be worth revisiting.
Charles Bronson plays, Albert Johnson, a solitary trapper who becomes the target of revenge after rescuing a dog from a cruel fight. He also slaps some manners into the owner in the process.
Feeling emasculated and weakened the man gets a gang together and turns up at Albert's cabin to teach him a lesson. A gunfight ensues, and in one of the men gets a belly full of lead. Sgt. Edgar Millen, played by Lee Marvin, of the Mounty police has the grim task of cleaning up the mess and bringing order. He takes one look at the situation and can see that it was the fault of trigger-happy hotheads, but with one man dead he has no choice but to Albert in. It's the law.
He refuses, of course, and it kickstarts a chain of events that leads them on a chase across the snow-covered mountains of Yukon in Northern Canada. Things get out of hand when a bet in a local tavern has every gun-toting buffoon in the county joining the posse.
Watching Death Hunt it's hard not to think of First Blood or The Fugitive. You'll find elements of both here. Made in 1981 this is without doubt one of last great Charles Bronson movies. It's also, given the fact that he only has three lines dialogue, one of his best performances. Lee Marvin is a commanding presence, as ever, but looks tired. Those years of boozing and smoking have obviously caught up with him. Then there's Angie Dickensian, playing the part of the only woman in the movie and I think that's the only reason she was there.
While this is based on a true story, all signs indicate that this was a very, very loose interpretation of the events of the real Albert Johnson.
The Little Things (2021)
Expected more, a lot more
The Little Things begins like a classic cop thriller from the late 80s, early 90s. A girl is stalked by a dark figure. It's a scene of shadows and footsteps and an ominous sense of danger; the type of opening that makes you buckle up in anticipation of a roller-coaster whodunit. Except..., The Little Things doesn't quiet deliver on what it promises.
Set 1990, Denzel Washington plays Joe Deacon, an LA cop banished to a dusty township and haunted by a serial killer he never caught. On a trip to his old stomping, however, a murder occurs that bears all the hallmarks of his old case . It's not long before he's sucked back into the investigation. Jimmy Baxter (Rami Malekis ) is the new detective assigned to the killing and the two form a reluctant partnership.
The first hour is enjoyable as they piece together evidence and trace leads. With no computers or cellphones, this is all done by knocking on doors and searching trash. Soon they zero in on the killer, Albert Sparma (Jared Leto) a man who seems to get his kicks from taunting police.
Once the killer is in their sights, though, all momentum is goes out the window. We go from stake out to stake out and the two men make one bad decision after another. At one point they invite the killer for a beer to distract him so they can break into his house. It all seems so amateurish. But the most frustrating thing about his movie is the all the tension is concentrated on the beginning and the last ten minutes, leaving the middle sagging woefully.
It's directed by John Lee Hancock, an director with an impressive resume (The Rookie ,The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks). With him at the helm I expect a bit more. The ending was rushed and didn't provide any rewards or resolution.
Vera Cruz (1954)
And the Oscar for Best Teeth in a movie go to... Burt Lancaster
During the reign of Maximilian, Mexico is at war with itself. It is also a country awash with Americans mercenaries. Gunslingers, sharp shooters and civil War soldiers cross the border bringing modern weapons and eagerness to fight. They'll gladly work with any side, the freedom fighters or the Kings forces, the have allegiance only to the almighty dollar.
One group of rapscallions, headed by ever-grinning Burt Lancaster, is hired by the emperor to escort a countess to the port of Vera Cruz. Gary Cooper, a simple farmer with a quick draw, is lured into the gang at the prospect of making cash. The job, however, turns out to be much more than they bargained for. After discovering a secret stash of gold in the carriage the backstabbing and doubling crossing begins.
Beautifully shot on the ground in Mexico, this is an early Robert Aldrich (Dirty Dozen) epic. The young director displays a keen eye for location, with many of the shootouts taking place in traditional Mexican towns as well as the spectacular Mayan pyramids.
Gary Cooper gets top billing, but this is really a Burt Lancaster showcase. It's a show stealer much in the same way Steve McQueen did in the magnificent seven. He brings a cheeky charm that is a refreshing contrast to dry everyman that Cooper plays so well. A little too well. And keep an eye out of Ernest Borgnine and a young Charles Bronson flexing there young acting skills.