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Blue Thunder (1983)
A fun 80s cop thriller that delivers on exciting action and intrigue while offering food for thought on police militarization
Set in Los Angeles, Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider) is a pilot for the LAPD's air support division still coping with PTSD from his tours in Vietnam. During a flight with his new partner Richard Lymangood (Daniel Stern), a stray flight outside their zone where the two engage in voyeurism coincides with an assault on a local Councilman, Diane McNeely (Robin Braxton) which the two make it to in order to provide air support but not before McNeely is wounded during the events. Murphy is briefly suspended until the test of a prototype weaponized police helicopter called Blue Thunder is initiated with Murphy as the pilot working under Colonel Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell) whom he carries animosity towards from their time in the war. However Murphy soon discovers there may be something more insidious with Blue Thunder that places a target on his back.
Blue Thunder is 1983 action thriller directed by John Badham and written by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby. O'Bannon and Jakoby fist came up with the concept for Blue Thunder in the 70s having been inspired by their experiences living in Los Angeles and having helicopters flying at low altitude wake them in the early morning hours. A modest success upon release, Blue Thunder received decent critical reception and while allegedly not as overtly political as its initial draft, still has solid commentary on police militarization mixed in with some nicely done action sequences.
Needless to say, Roy Scheider does well in the role of Frank Murphy as it falls well within his wheelhouse of playing strong but slightly broken characters (as seen in his work in Jaws and Sorcerer), his world weary cynicism is well placed against Daniel Stern's more energized optimism and he also has good moments with Candy Clark's Kate. Malcolm McDowell is fun as Murphy's antagonist Cochrane and kudos to him for remaining intense and threatening during the flight scenes which he was reportedly terrified of as he has a fear of flying in real life. While the movie has decent political bite with some commentary on police militarization and some obvious influence from Watergate (especially in the third act when a tape becomes important), it never forgets to provide some truly exciting aerial scenes with copter chases that show some truly expert choreography and immerse you in adrenaline pumping sequences. Admittedly some of the logic goes out the window in order to justify the climax (which maybe goes on longer than it should) but it's not a bad tradeoff.
Blue Thunder is an entertaining action thriller with an engaging lead, strong tension, and solid action sequences. By no means perfect as there are logical leaps the plot takes that are sometimes as impressive as its aerial ones, but it's also entertaining.
Highlander III: The Sorcerer (1994)
Well, it's not Highlander II but it's a far cry from Highlander (despite aping several key points of the original)
After winning the Prize, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) has settled into a quiet existence in Marrakesh with his adopted son Jon (Gabriel Kakon). In Japan, an archeological dig headed by Dr. Alex Johnson (Deborah Kara Unger) has uncovered the lost 400 year old tomb of legendary sorcerer Nakano (Mako), with whom MacLeod once trained. The dig ends up freeing a legendarily brutal Immortal named Kane (Mario Van Peebles) and his two henchmen who were trapped by Nakano and sets his sights on getting revenge on Connor.
While Highlander II: The Quickening was a critical and audience failure that achieved lukewarm box office, it was technically made successful thanks to usage of foreign pre-sales, cable, and home media, and reigniting interest in the Highlander name which saw the original film get a massive uptick in rentals. Given that Highlander was producer William N. Panzer's biggest film he had his name on (with a distant second being the DTV slasher Cutting Class that featuring an early supporting performance from Brad Pitt) there was no way he'd be putting his biggest cash cow out to pasture and saw not only movement on a third Highlander movie, but also a Highlander TV series for syndication. While Highlander I and II director Russell Mulcahy had been poised to return, a financial disagreement saw him withdraw from the project and replaced by Andy Morahan in his feature debut who like Mulcahy also had a background in music videos. Designed with the intention of ignoring Highlander II there was a conscious decision by the producers to avoid the sci-fi aesthetics of the original and return to the urban fantasy of the first film. The result? A mostly inoffensive rehash of the first film that still has to bend and twist itself to justify its existence.
Despite wiping the events and Zeist revelations of Highlander II from continuity, this third Highlander film much like its predecessor relies on massive retcons and ignoring aspects of the Prize from the original film in order to justify continuation. If you're wondering why exactly Connor MacLeod claimed the Prize while there were still Immortals trapped in a tomb for 400 years keep wondering because the movie's sure not gonna answer that. After Kane's emergence from the tomb we largely get a repeat of key points from the first highlander film complete with having a love interest specializing in ancient stuff like Brenda (who's been unceremoniously killed in a car accident between films), Connor being a person of interest by the police when heads start rolling (and idiotically using his Russell Nash alias which has ties to the events in 1986), and Kane is more or less a reskin of The Kurgan only with powers of illusion he acquired from killing Nakano. It's honestly hard to feel anything but indifference to Highlander III because it's honestly better made than Highlander II and actually feels like it belongs in the same world as the first one, but it also feels like it took the laziest route to once again get blood from a stone that's once again the result of Panzer's lack of foresight when he arrogantly dismissved claims of his writers by saying "there's not going to be a sequel".
I'll say this for Highlander III, I wasn't annoyed while watching it but I also wasn't entertained. There's nothing about this movie that really stands out aside from maybe Mario Van Peebles screen chewing performance, but by that same measure the first film had an equally insane villain performance from Clancy Brown and also had a sense of novelty and mystery to it that made it entertaining. Highlander III is space filler that exists because the name has international appeal and by that measure it succeeds in taking up space.
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
A troubled production leads to a maelstrom of incomprehensibility and stupidity that's made all the more baffling by the amount of resources behind it
In the future of 1999, having claimed The Prize and lost his immortality Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) uses the knowledge he accumulated from The Prize to assist Dr. Allan Neyman (Allan Rich) in creating a shield to envelop the Earth after the depleted ozone layer leads to a mass of deaths from solar radiation including Connor's wife Brenda. 25 years later in 2024, Connor is now an old man wandering aimlessly through life as the corrupt Shield Corporation under the direction of David Blake (John C. McGinley) has resulted in a dystopian future of endless night. Connor remembers his forgotten past where he and Juan Ramierez (Sean Connery) were once citizens of the planet Zeist who fought a failed rebellion against General Katana (Michael Ironside) and were banished throughout Earth's history in the process where they'd remain Immortal until only one remained who could either return to Zeist or become mortal on Earth. As Louise Marcus (Virginia Madsen), an environmental activist working against the Shield Corporation tries to convince Connor to help, Katana initiates a plan to kill Connor resulting in him regaining his youth and immortality and bringing back Juan Ramierez from the dead.
During the production of the original Highlander, producer William Panzer's decision that The Prize would be freeing Connor MacLeod of his immortality was met with disagreement by writers Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson who tried to convince him that such an ending wouldn't allow for a sequel only to be met with dismissive comments from Panzer that "there won't be any sequel"(Hilarious in hindsight one might say). After the international success coupled with the film's ever growing popularity on home video and cable, Panzer decided to look into producing a sequel which was motivated at least in part by the purchase of Highlander distributor Cannon Film's purchase by Weintraub Entertainment Group causing reduced exposure of the film as distribution rights became tangled. Panzer thought a sequel would not only tap into a fanbase who were interested in more, but also give him and his producing partners something they wholly owned as opposed to the original. Panzer hired Brian Clemens to write the initial draft of the screenplay who later lamented it as one of the worst assignments he'd ever taken as not only did he have to make a sequel to a film whose ending cut off any sequel possibilities, but also had the non-negotiable caveat of needing to make Sean Connery's character Juan Sanchez return despite him having died. Matters were furthered complicated with the budget ballooning due to a crash in Argentina's economy where production was taking place and the completion bond company taking direct control of the film which director Russell Mulcahy largely disowned. Hated by critics and audiences, the film while not a success at the box office wasn't as much of a money loser as you might think as it did cause a spike in rentals of the original film and had some of its production costs covered by pre-sales. While there have been attempts at image rehab with things like the Renegade Cut, Highlander II remains one of the most forced and unnecessary sequels in history that's also a bad film in its own right.
In terms of setting itself up, Highlander 2 couldn't feel less like the original if it tried as it largely sheds the heroic/urban fantasy approach of the original in favor of a gritty dystopian sci-fi aesthetic with a half-baked environmental message. The movie honestly feels more like someone trying to make a poor man's attempt at a Paul Verhoeven movie complete with "satirical" commercials and worldbuilding, but even that feels like I'm being too generous because while Robocop 2 was very much a poor man's version of the first film, it at least felt like it understood the original. The nonsensical future society is bad enough, but then we get to the nonsensical reveal that all the Immortals were actually aliens exiled from their home planet of Zeist...while still possessing earthly names like MacLeod and Ramirez...I'm sure you're seeing the issues here.
The plot of this movie is just a mess as regardless of which version you watch I'm still not sure why General Katana bothers to go after MacLeod and while Clancy Brown's The Kurgan wasn't a subtle villain by any means, at least he made sense and served his purpose. With the usually reliable Michael Ironside he's basically directed to dial up the crazy to 11 and does things for no other reason than the plot needs him to. And last but not least we have Sean Connery's return as Juan Ramirez whose return to life is instigated by...MacLeod saying his name. As stupid as this whole plot point is and as embarrassing as the hackneyed "fish out of water" comedy scenes are, at least Connery is still somewhat charming even in the obvious mess of a film he's in (even Connery basically admitted he did the film for the $3 million paycheck and nothing else). Watching Highlander 2 unfold is basically like watching madness and stupidity unleashed in a maelstrom of nonsense after some crammed David Lynch's Dune, Blade Runner, Robocop, and Highlander into a paint shaker and unleashed the confused contents in film format.
I guess I should mention the Renegade version and while it's maybe slightly more coherent, it only does the unenviable task of taking an awful movie and making it a bad movie (though maybe slightly more watchable). There's really no saving Highlander 2 because its issues are embedded within the core of its existence. It may not have some of the structural issues or the nonsensical plot point of Immortals being from the planet Zeist and instead from a non-descript point in the distant past, but it's still not at the point where I'd consider it good.
Highlander 2 is either an awful movie or a bad movie depending on which version you watch, but it's also ill worthy of being a follow-up to the original film. In terms of its artistic value, it is morbidly fascinating in seeing a movie that has this level of money, resources, and talent behind it yield such unbridled chaos and serves as a warning of what happens when a sequel comes about purely from business decisions rather than any passion or drive to the project. And of course while normal circumstances would ordinarily see this being the last Highlander entry, history has seen to make Highlander's existence anything but ordinary.
Highlander (1986)
The Immortal cult classic is still entertaining, in spite of some rough spots
In 1986 New York City a headless corpse is found in a destroyed parking garage near Madison Square Garden that defies explanation. Police forensics specialist Brenda Wyatt (Roxanne Hart) comes to believe the event and some ancient metal embedded in the parking structure may be connected to a sword and brings her to mysterious antiquities dealer Russell Nash (Christopher Lambert) who in actuality is an immortal who's life began as Connor MacLeod in the Scottish Highlands during the early 16th Century and will face off against insane and sadistic immortal The Kurgan (Clancy Brown) who has come to The Gathering of the last Immortals to claim the fabled Prize.
Highlander is a 1986 action-fantasy film that was written by Gregory Widen as a project while he was a student at UCLA. According to Widen, his professor was impressed enough with the screenplay that he encouraged Widen to shop it around resulting in it being acquired by William N. Panzer and Peter S. Davis for $200,000 with Widen doing an initial rewrite and Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson finalizing the ultimate version of the script. The film was given a somewhat tepid release in the United States (which director Russell Mulcahy blamed on the 20th Century Fox imposed cuts and poor marketing) but thanks to the international market and the second life on home video and cable television, Highlander quickly became a cult favorite (and the starting point for a reluctant franchise, but that's a discussion for another day). Highlander is a fun fantasy epic with urban grit that makes itself a memorable and stylish heroic journey.
To get things out of the way, Christopher Lambert is admittedly not the best as while he has a good steely eyed look and handsome profile, it's pretty clear that English is his second language. He does okay I suppose and they do try to compensate by explaining him having been "lots of different places" but there's a reason Lambert's roles in American films have been more on the B-level of films (though often entertaining Bs for whatever that's worth). With that out of the way, the rest of the movie is really enjoyable. The opening fight sword fight in a parking garage is eye catching and memorable (though maybe the tiniest bit silly with the extended backflips) and Roxanne Hart does well as the audience proxy investigating Connor's Russel Nash alias and is the outsider looking in as it were. Sean Connery is also very fun in a supporting presence as Juan Ramirez whom we see training Connor in both swordplay and the conditions of immortality, The Gathering, and The Prize. Last but certainly not least is Clancy Brown's antagonistic role as The Kurgan a sadistic and borderline insane brute who devours the scene in the best possible way with a killer voice to match
The flashbacks are worked quite nicely into the story as we see the strain immortality takes on Connor with rejection of his klansmen, the loss of his wife to old age, his inability to have children, and his adoption of a young girl during World War II who is now older than him in present day. The movie does a nice job of establishing the feeling of immortality with Connor with both key moments from his life as well as side characters whom he has offhanded exchanges with that hint at a larger scale of events. The action sequences are nicely intense and well choreographed with the "quickening" that happens whenever an immortal is killed feeling otherworldly and explosive (literally) with absolutely gorgeous staging by director Russell Mulcahy who uses his music video expertise to give Highlander a similar intense and almost dreamlike polish to his underrated horror film Razorback.
Highlander is really strong heroic fantasy with an urban twist and you can definitely see why it's endeared itself as a cult favorite since its release. While not everything is as polished as it could be, the epic story, fleshed out characters, and stylish direction help to make the film an engaging and entertaining experience.
Uglies (2024)
Uglies rehashes Logan's Run, Twilight Zone's Eye of the Beholder, and decade old YA tropes into a dull and often silly melange
Set in the future, after the previous society's (known as Rusties) reliance on fossil fuels rendered the planet uninhabitable resulting in a societal collapse, a new order sprang up built upon an alternative energy source taken from the Tiger White Lily flower. In a city built upon this new energy ruled over by governor Dr. Nyah Cable (Laverne Cox), those under 16 live in the Dorms sectioned off from the rest of the city and are called "Uglies" who upon reaching 16 undergo a medical procedure to become "Pretties". When Tally Youngblood (Joey King) breaks curfew to visit her best friend, Peris (Chase Stokes), who has undergone the procedure she notices how much colder he's gotten towards her and only narrowly avoids capture by the cities Wardens with the help of Shay (Brianne Tju), another Ugly whom she befriends. Shay tells Tally of her plans to find David (Keith Powers), the leader of a resistance known as the Smoke that operates in Rusties ruins which places Tally in a position where she must choose between her dream of being Pretty and loyalty to her friend.
Uglies is the long in development adaptation of the 2005 novel of the same name by Scott Westerfield. Uglies has undergone a lengthy development cycle with the rights first purchased in 2006 by producer John Davis and entering development hell. The project was revived when Joey King signed on to play the lead Tally Youngblood in 2020 as she had been a fan of the Uglies novels. The movie completed its production in December of 2021 and has only now been released after a lengthy gestation period and it certainly feels like a movie that should've come out 10 or 15 years ago if at all.
I'm going to be upfront and say that I have not read the novel or novels upon which this movie is based and only possess surface level knowledge if that, but despite never having read the books this is a movie that you know beat for beat if you've seen any of the forgotten attempts to ape Hunger Games' success be it the unfinished Divergent series or non-starters like The Darkest Minds and The 5th Wave. It's honestly pretty hard to get much discussion out of this movie because it's very much an archetype movie where it's plot and characters are paper thin with heavy handed allegories that are so laughable they never create a fully realized word (and this is going beyond the obvious silliness of calling your characters "Uglies" and "Pretties"). After going through what feels like a funhouse mirror sci-fi image of high school drama, Uglies basically becomes a mixture of Logan's Run if you mixed in the classic Twilight Zone episode Eye of the Beholder (although severely diluted) and then themed it after Seventeen magazine. Aside from Laverne Cox having some fun chewing the scene as the film's antagonist Dr. Cable, I really can't say anything about the cast as they all feel bored and lifeless spouting stiff and often inane dialogue with the enthusiasm of someone having a bad reaction to Ambien. The best thing I can say is sometimes the effects look okay, but other times (especially during the daylight scenes) they look barely above some of those mid-2000s Super Bowl commercials.
If you're in desperate need of revisiting your nostalgia for that wave of YA adaptations, just stick wait for the next Hunger Games movie. For all I know maybe this worked better in the book, but taking it as a movie it feels like a generic and lifeless commercial product that fails to justify itself (let alone the sequel/franchise it teases at the end which: No, absolutely not!).
Arabian Adventure (1979)
A very old fashioned adventure that feels about 20 years older than it actually is
In the Arabian city of Jabur, the Caliph Alquazar (Christopher Lee) rules over the city through fear and oppression with the help of dark arts that he's mastered. Despite his success in quelling rebellions, his Mirror of the Moon (Christopher Lee) tells Alquazar that without the Rose of Elin he can never be all powerful. Opportunity presents itself when Prince Hasan (Oliver Tobias) of Baghdad escapes from his imprisonment for violating the Alquazar's curfew and fights his way to the throne room where Alquazar learns he fancies his step-daughter and the Princess of Jubar, Zuleira (Emma Samms). Alquazar makes a deal that if Hasan can embark on a quest with his lackey Hasim (Milo O'Shea) and retrieve the Rose of Elin he will have Zuleira's hand in marriage. Meanwhile however, a young beggar child named Majeed (Puneet Sira) through magical workings finds himself guided by destiny's hand on Alquazar's journey.
Arabian Adventure is the fifth and final fantasy film Kevin Connor made for producer John Dark (following from The Land That Time Forgot, At the Earth's Core, The People That Time Forgot, and Warlords of Atlantis). Dark requested Warlords screenwriter, Brian Hayles, write an original Eastern fantasy film inspired by such classics as The Thief of Bagdad and was given the highest budget yet for a Connor/Dark production. Despite the enthusiasm among the cast, including Christopher Lee who returned to England for the first time in three years because he loved the script, the release of Arabian Adventure was quite muted as it disappointed at the box office and critical reception at the time tended to label the film as being "cheap" and "outdated". Arabian Adventure isn't without some charm, but it's also a very old fashioned film to the point it feels about 20 years older than it actually is.
Your enjoyment of this movie will depend heavilly on your forgiveness for familiarity and cheapness as you'll catch on pretty quickly just how confined and narrow this allegedly expansive Arabian city is because it's done entirely on sound stages. While admitedly the film's sets are bright, colorful, and well crafted, the film also feels much less expansive than comparable films like the Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films (even the not very impressive third one). In the way that Harryhausen's The 7th Voyage of Sinbad felt like a gamechanger for this kind of period adventure film, Arabian Adventure feels like it's taking a step backwards as its scope and scale doesn't feel all that grander than the Thief of Bagdad from nearly 40 years prior. While some effects look decent enought (like Alquazar's storm spell) other parts look a lot more cheap such as a Genie effect that's just a clumsily implmented superimposition. Even if this movie had been released before special effects benchmarks like Star Wars and Superman it would've felt too old fashioned, but the fact the marketing actually namedropped those films in the trailer adds a layer of hubris that's hillarious in hindight.
Despite this movie being very easy to make fun of, there are admittedly some things I enjoy about it. Despite playing kind of a bland character, Oliver Tobias does do some pretty impressive physical work (such as the opening act escape/swordfights). Puneet Sira is also decent as Majeed the secondary protagonist and he's sort of to this movie what Abu was to The Thief of Bagdad. But the best performance is definitely Christopher Lee who per usual is a charasmatic presence and is having fun channeling Conrad Veidt as the film's villain Caliph Alquazar. The movie also has beautiful costuming and attractively dressed (if confining) sets. There are things that really don't work (such as the flying carpet effects, especially distance shots) but there is kind of a cheesey charm to be had from a movie like this.
Arabian Adventure is exactly as old fashioned and familiar as its generic title suggests. In an era that saw many game changing advancements in how these kinds of movies were made and structured, this is a movie that felt like a "man out of time" (though admittedly no more so than any of the other Connor/Dark films). If you have an affinity for these kinds of bygone costume adventure pictures there's some enjoyment to be had, just so long as you're aware some cobwebs have been dusted off.
Flightplan (2005)
Jodie Foster gives a solid performance in this heavy handed potboiler that starts out intriguing only to collapse completely by the third act
Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster) is an American engineer living in Berlin who is preparing to return to the States with her daughter Julia (Marlene Lawston) after her husband David (John Benjamin Hickey) fell to his death from their building. After going to sleep with her daughter shortly after takeoff, Kyle awakens to find Julia missing. After seeking help from the flight staff to no avail matters become further complicated when no one can recall even seeing Julia on the plane.
Flightplan is a 2005 thriller and one of two major plane based thrillers released that year (the other being Red Eye which preceded this film by a month). The script began development back in 1999 (originally centered on a father whose son goes missing in a conspiracy involving terrorism) with Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment acquiring the pitch. The project was re-written into more of a psychological thriller and also gender swapped as Grazer thought the role would be perfect for Jodie Foster. Despite receiving mostly negative reviews the film became a respectable success earning $220 million against a $55 million budget. While Flightplan offers an intriguing initial hook, the suspense deflates as it fails to iron out the kinks in its high concept premise.
Despite Flightplan's many issues, the acting is fine from all concerned. While Jodie Foster has played psychologically strained characters before, she's good playing someone desperately searching for her child even when those around her doubt she even exists. The movie also does a solid job of establishing the spatial geography of the plane and keeping it claustrophobic by confining the action exclusively to the plane (something I do kind of have to give the film over Red Eye as it could've benefitted from keeping the POV in the plane). Unfortunately, Flightplan is reliant on a variation of "the idiot plot" where instead of the plot requiring everyone to be an idiot, it requires everyone to be an unaware jerk. Once the poverbial "man behind the curtain" is revealed the amount of "stars/planets aligning" machinations that needed to take place are astounding to say the least, not to mention things the movie doesn't bother addressing like surveilance footage and gate agents that would be able to confirm these things. Even in a pre-9/11 thriller this would be hard to swallow, but in a post 9/11 thriller (which the film even tries to comment on) we're basically in fantasy land. The movie also dials up the smug abrasiveness of the supporting cast and while I understand their trying to set up a dynamic of "our hero against the world" you still need to create a believable situation where that would take place and I don't feel they do that.
Of the two plane thrillers released in 2005 Flightplan is definitely the lesser of the two. While Red Eye's logic wasn't exactly airtight either, it had more modest aspirations, a fast rollercoaster-esque pace, and even some moments of humor/levity. Flightplan on the other hand takes itself very seriously from its heavy handed sombre piano intro to the heavy handed saccharine direction with which the film is framed.
Red Eye (2005)
Craven directs two strong performers in a high concept thrill ride
Flying home to Miami after attending her grandmother's funeral, Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) meets a handsome and charismatic stranger in Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy). While their encounter starts out pleasant enough, things take a turn when Jackson drops his facade and reveals he targeted Lisa as a way of using her access as manager of the Lux Atlantic Hotel to help him in creating an opportunity to assassinate head of Homeland Security Charles Keefe (Jack Scalia) who will be a guest at the hotel. Now Lisa is faced with an impossible choice one that will mean Keefe's death if she complies and her father, Joe (Brian Cox), if she doesn't.
Red Eye is a 2005 thriller from director Wes Craven and the feature writing debut of TV writer Carl Ellsworth. One of two high profile plane based thrillers released in 2005 (the other being Flightplan), Red Eye was purchased by Dreamworks who equated the high concept premise to the 2002 sleeper hit Phone Booth and Wes Craven directed as it took a turn for more thriller based genre fare than horror as he was known for. Stars Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy were both very enthused for the role (with Murphy even showing up two days before his wedding to audition for the part) and with the two's natural chemistry the project came together quickly. Made on a modest budget of $26 million, Red Eye was a decent sized hit earning $96 million worldwide. Red Eye is simple and streamlined high concept filmmaking where surehanded direction and two charismatic leads make this a flight worth taking.
In terms of its premise, Red Eye mines it's (literal) high concept quite effectively as once we're on the plane we're given the idea that Lisa has no escape and Jack has planned for her contingencies and internal state. Murphy is deliciously despicable as the villain and he's perfectly cast as he's an attractive man and the opening 20 minutes show how charming he can be while also sowing seeds for the reveal of his despicable and manipulative nature that shows his more cold and calculating side. McAdams is no less good as our heroine who expresses emotional vulnerability while also possessing good situational awareness and ability to create a plan of action (even if those plans don't always work). I will say the movie does maybe stretch itself a bit farther than it should in the third act where it kind of devolves into a slasher setup, but with a brisk pace and tight direction it does what a movie like this should do and provides unassuming and quick escapism.
Red Eye sees director Wes Craven delivering tight direction with two capable leads in McAdams and Murphy who help to sell the high concept thrills on display. While as with many high concept vehicles there are leaps in logic (particularly in the third act) the movie is filled with enough humor and quick pacing to serve as an enjoyable diversion.
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)
The third and final Harryhausen Sinbad isn't without charm, but suffers from a slow pace and a greatly miscast lead.
In the kingdom of Charak, the coronation of the Prince Kassim (Damien Thomas) is interrupted when a curse turns the prince into a baboon. Captain Sinbad (Patrick Wayne) arrives in Charak to visit Kassim as he's an old friend and ask for Princess Farah's (Jane Seymour) hand in marriage, only to be denied entry to the palace. Matters are further complicated when a mysterious assailant summons three ghouls to attack Sinbad and his crew and after surviving the ambush they meet with Princess Farah who thinks the curse on Kassim may be a spell by her stepmother Zenobia (Margaret Whiting) in order to secure the Caliph position for her son, Rafi (Kurt Christian), as Kassim's claim is void after seven days. With time running out the group set off to find the Greek magician Melanthius (Patrick Troughton) with Zenobia and Rafi in pursuit.
After the financial success of The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Columbia was interested in a third Sinbad film with producer Charles H. Schneer and effects artist Ray Harryhausen returning. As with prior entries, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger was mainly a standalone project with no real links of continuity and featured a different actor for Sinbad as well as the decision to use more realistic creatures in comparison to the mythical ones from the prior entries. Released in the wake of Star Wars, critical reception tended to skew more harsh with unfavorable comparisons being made with many feeling the film was old fashioned not helped by the woodeness of Patrick Wayne's performance. The movie isn't without its charms, but it's a decidedly lesser effort in Harryhausen's canon.
Storywise, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger follows a very similar structure to the prior entries complete with recurring elements like Sinbad's love interest, a sorcerer antagonist, and a plot that's built around encountering the next setpiece. Schneer had said he'd hired Sam Wanamaker to direct as he was an "actor's director" and get some dimension from the characters he'd considered "cardboard", but it's an experiment that mostly falls flat as being the lengthiest of the Sinbad films it also feels like the most plodding and ponderous with way more time than necessary committed to not very interesting filler material. Some of the sequences with Jane Seymour or Patrick Troughton interacting with Kassim's stop-motion Baboon form are well done, but more often than not it makes the film feel like it's spinning its wheels until the next setpiece. While the movie tries to shake things up by having the sorceror antagonist be Farah's stepmother and seeking the throne for her son, Margaret Whiting's Zenobia comes across as more pathetic than a legitimate threat and with her co-dependent relationship with her son Rafi it's like Sinbad is racing against Agnes and Seymour Skinner from the Simpsons. Last but not least is Patrick Wayne (John Wayne's son) as our lead and from the first moment he opens his mouth you know he'll be the weakest Sinbad this series has seen. Given the Wayne family history with exotic costume epics (such as when John Wayne played Genghis Khan in The Conqueror) you'd think there'd be the lesson learned that some are not made for films like that and while it's not The Conqueror levels of bad casting Wayne has the charisma of attractive cardboard and the emotional range of a robot.
In terms of Harryhausen's effects work it's competent enough but nothing really stands out with it. I think it was probably a mistake to go for more "grounded" creatures like a giant bee, a Walrus, a troglodyte, and a sabre tooth tiger and as a result it just robs a lot of the wonder from the series you saw in the prior two installments. Admittedly things seem like they might be somewhat interesting with Sinbad in a snowy environment, but because it's over an hour until we get there it's not exploited all that much nor is exploited particularly well. Some of the work involving the troglodyte and Kassim's baboon form interacting with the cast can be good and tries to break from the convention of having the creatures always be antagonists, but it feels like there's less life than the prior entries.
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is definitely the weakest of the three Harryhausen Sinbad films but there are things to appreciate. Despite an overlong runtime, plodding character scenes, and a wooden performance by Patrick Wayne, some of the effects work can still impress like with Kassim and Trog even if the creature designs are decidedly less memorable and the villains are more silly than scary.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
Aaron Pierre gives an excellent performance in Jeremy Saulnier's brutal and gritty action thriller which takes what's essentially a neo-western imbued with timely themes
Set in the town of Shelby Springs, Louisiana, former Marine Terry Richmond has come to the town with his life savings to post bail money for his cousin only to be stopped by the police. In the course of the stop Terry is searched and while allowed to leave with a warning for traffic violation, has his funds seized under Civil Asset Forfeiture. Terry attempts to get back the money with the help of court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) and attempts to deal directly with the Chief Shelby Springs PD, Sandy Burne (Don Johnson) prove fruitless as Burne uses his influence to retaliate against Terry's cousin and friends. As Terry pushes further and further against the corrupt police department, he works with Summer and uncovers a conspiracy deeply rooted within the town.
Rebel Ridge is the latest film from writer director Jeremy Saulnier who in the past few years has made a name for himself with his gritty minimalist thrillers that often posses a guerilla style in the filmmaking as seen with genre favorites like Blue Ruin and Green Room. Rebel Ridge marks Saulnier's second time working with Netflix following his previous colab with the streamer in 2018's Hold the Dark. Rebel Ridge has had a hard road to completion as like many productions it was delayed considerably by the Covid-19 Pandemic and suffered a massive upset part of the way through production when original star John Boyega left the film. Aaron Pierre eventually replaced Boyega and filming continued where it experienced a lengthy post-production process. In spite of its long hard road to release, I'm pleased to say that the film is a very strong genre piece and well worth the effort and time it took to make it.
At its core, Rebel Ridge is essentially a revisit of the classic Western formula of a stranger rolling into town and then through happenstance ends up squaring off against the corrupt establishment. The film touches upon timely issues like police militarization and cronyism as well as the Constitutional circumvention of things like Civil Asset Forfeiture and when you see Terry lose the money he's scrimped and saved for all his life taken before he can blink, it really makes you sympathize with him. Aaron Pierre is really good as Terry Richmond and despite the film losing the star power that would've come from Boyega's name, I do think it ended up working in the film's favor given how perfect the casting feels. Pierre is effortlessly watchable as Terry and possesses the relaxed masculine charisma that you look for in capable leading men not only handling the film's gritty action beats, but also the film's dramatic moments. AnnaSophia Robb is quite good as Terry's ally who's very much someone caught in a bad situation and wants to help Terry without risking the life she's managed to rebuild after she had her own issues with the law that have continued to haunt her. And last but not least we have Don Johnson who makes a great antagonist as he runs the town of Shelby Springs like his own personal fiefdom and projects and air of arrogance and cruelty that makes him a solid "boo/hiss" character you can't wait to see taken down a peg.
Sauliner's direction and writing shows that he hasn't lost that frugal guerilla style appeal even with a larger budget and cast. While Rebel Ridge is an action thriller, the action feels very gritty and impactful with lots of impact and tension conveyed in their build up and eventional release. The movie also has several scenes where it plays more towards the investigative route with interrogations, break-ins, and sleuthing and Saulinier keeps the tension simmering throughout the film's two hour runtime.
Rebel Ridge is a solid action thriller and definitely a springboard for its star Aaron Pierre to bigger things. Saulnier takes traditional genre trappings and inhabits them with good performances, characters, and action beats and provides a tense and exciting ride to the ending credits.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)
While Harryhausen's revisit to Sinbad doesn't have the novel punch of its predecessor, it's still a solidly entertaining fantasy epic
As Sinbad (John Phillip Law) and his crew cross the ocean, one of Sinbad's crew shoots a mysterious creature carrying a golden amulet. Against the wishes of his crew, Sinbad keeps the amulet and is visited by nightmares and visions including of a man in black and a woman with eye symbols on her hands. Landing in Marabia, Sinbad is set upon by Prince Koura (Tom Baker) who demands the amulet but Sinbad eludes Koura in the city and finds an alliance in the Grand Vizier (Douglas Wilmer) who is ruling as regent. The Vizier tells him that the amulet is one part of three with the Vizier possessing one third while the other's location is unknown and Koura seeks to posses all three to attain power and rule Marabia. Discovering a map, Sinbad embarks on a voyage with the Vizier, inexperienced merchant's son Haroun (Kurt Christian), and freed slave Margiana (Caroline Munro) racing against Koura and his own crew as Koura uses dark arts to pursue his goal.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is the second film made by Ray Harryhausen inspired by the character Sinbad from the Arabian Nights. Harryhausen and his producing partner Charles H. Schneer decided the time had come to do another Sinbad film as their 1958 film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad had been a big success and no one had mined the Arabian Nights recently. While the film didn't achieve the same level of critical reception as its predecessor, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad was nonetheless well-received and was a significant commercial success as well. While slightly lacking the novelty of The 7th Voyage, The Golden Voyage provides enough creative creatures and rousing atmosphere to make for a fun adventure yarn.
Stepping in for Kerwin Matthews, John Phillip Law plays a version of Sinbad who's presented as being more hardscrabble in comparison to the adopted prince Matthews portrayed in The 7th Voyage and makes the role his own to provide a different experience from the original. Law is supported by some good supporting performers such as Kurt Christian, Caroline Munro, and Dougls Wilmer, but standing above them is Prince Koura played by future Doctor Who actor Tom Baker. While like Torin Thatcher's Sokurah the role is an evil sorcerer fixated on a magical macguffin, Baker does a good job of channeling the obsession into the character's portrayal with the element of his spells draining him well realized with some solid aging make-up mixed with his performance. As with any Harryhausen movie, the primary selling point is his creatures and while they're more spaced out this time around, they still carry impact on their appearance. Harryhausen utilizes his craft quite effectively like having Koura interact with perched imps on his arm or organizing sword fights with a six armed Kali statue that are quite impressive even if it's not as good as the skeleton fights from either 7th Voyage or Jason and the Argonauts. The climax involving a centaur and a griffin wasn't quite the same level as the dragon and cyclops from seventh voyage (especially since the griffin feels very underutilized) but it's still fun regardless.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad sees Harryhausen and company returning to the magic and wonder of the Arabian Nights to mostly solid effect. While not quite the breath of fresh air its predecessor was in how it changed the game for fantasy films of this type, it's still a very solid entry in the genre with some good work from Harryhausen.
Free Birds (2013)
Playfully silly and hitting more often than it misses, Free Birds makes for decent light Thanksgiving viewing
Reggie (Owen Wilson), a turkey with abnormally high intelligence is ostracized by his kind as he's the only one aware they are raised for being eaten by humans. After being booted out of the flock by the other Turkeys, Reggie is saved from being eaten when the President's Daughter (Kaitlyn Maher) insists he be the one The President (Jimmy Hayward) pardon for Thanksgiving. Now living a life of luxury at Camp David, his respite is soon cut short with the arrival of Jake (Woody Harrelson), a wild Turkey who's a freedom fighter trying to get turkeys off the menu for Thanksgiving. Against Reggie's will the two steal a time machine and travel back to 1621, the year of the first Thanksgiving to work with a local flock of Turkeys to stop the feast from taking place as Myles Standish (Colm Meaney) relentlessly hunts the turkeys.
Free Birds is a 2013 animated comedy film that marked the debut of animation studio Reel FX who'd previous worked as a support studio providing visual effects and animation services for films such as Spy Kids 2 and Sony's Open Season films. The film was an attempt to produce event animated films on a frugal budget (estimated between $35-55 million) and cater to the appetites of audiences who'd made films like Despicable Me so successful. While a modest financial success earning $110 million worldwide, critical reception tended to skew predominantly negative. Free Birds doesn't high aspirations but it's mostly up front about it and as a joke machine I maintain you can do worse.
In terms of its story, Free Birds (mostly) treats itself as a joke with its time travel centric plot not given any actual thought to the "hows" and "whys" of time travel and really just using it as a mechanism to make the premise work, similar to how Bill & Ted approached the concept. In terms of its leads the movie has solid assets in Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson who have a good buddy dynamic and there's also some solid supporting humor from Amy Poehler as Reggie's love interest and George Takei as the time machine's AI pilot. As a comedic setup it's more than adequate for a movie like this and we do get some inspired moments particularly when multiple versions of Reggie come together in the third act, but the points where it tries to play for pathos aren't nearly as successful and it really feels like the movie should've committed to a more anarchic tone rather than try and play certain scenes legitimately because that's when the movie is at its best.
While Free Birds strives to be a Thanksgiving themed take on Bill & Ted, it feels only partially realized in terms of its potential and could've benefited from additional polish on the script. There are some very funny moments that genuinely work as well as a cast with good chemistry, but it also has trouble maintaining a consistent tone that works in its best interests.
Murder Party (2007)
After Hours by way of an 80s slasher flick
Set on Halloween in New York City, Chris (Chris Sharp) is a lonely parking attendant who initially plans to spend the evening with his cat watching rented horror films. Chris finds a random engraved invitation stuck to his foot on the street to an event called a "murder party" complete with address. With nothing else to do, Chris fashions a makeshift costume out of some cardboard and goes to this party at an unused warehouse only to discover it's a trap by several deranged art students who plan to murder him in over the top ways to get grant money.
Murder Party is the debut feature film of writer director Jeremy Saulnier who along with friends and colleagues Chris Sharp and Macon Blair sought to produce a feature film independently after failing to acquire financing. Made with a guerilla style grit and dark as black humor, Murder Party shows some solid ingenuity and craft from its fledgling crew.
Playing like a mixture of After Hours if it were mixed with a Frank Henenlotter or William Lustig flick, the film features a nicely done performance by Chris Sharp as a hapless simpleton who's unassuming trip to a party turns into a frightening (and kind of annoying/pretentious) nightmare. The cast consisting of Sandy Barnett, Macon Blair, Paul Goldblatt and others do well portraying various caricatures of the New York art scene who are both psychotically unhinged as well as overly in love with how "deep" and "profound" their work is making it massively satisfying to see them get what's coming to them in grisly and over the top fashion.
Murder Party is a fun watch for the Halloween season with it's mixture of dark comedy and urban splatter sensibilities and is definitely welcome viewing.
Death Machine (1994)
Well-made violent schlock that is truth in advertising
In the near future, the Chaank Corporation is under fire for its creation of unethical weapons and involvement in war crimes. New Chief Executive Hayden Cale (Ely Pouget) has been brought in to fill the vacancy of the old executive and right the ship much to the ire of executives John Carpenter (William Hootkins) and Scott Ridley (Richard Brake). Hayden Cale in the course of her duties seeks to put an end to the development programs of weapons developer Jack Dante (Brad Dourif), a man as psychotic as he is brilliant and keeps himself from being terminated by holding leverage over the other executives. As Dante nurses a growing obsession with Cale, Chaank becomes the target of anti-war/anti-corporate saboteurs Raimi (John Sharian), Yutani (Martin McDougall), and Weyland (Andreas Wisneiwski) who intend to blow -up Chaank's mainframe. After circumstances see Carpenter, Cale, and the saboteurs collide at Chaank's headquarters, Dante unleashes his latest creation, a murderous robot called "Warbeast", after them.
Death Machine is the writing and directing debut of effects artist Stephen Norrington. Norrington had worked on a number of genre films since the 80s (including Aliens and Lifeforce) but had grown tired of effects work and wanted to try his hand at writing. As Norrington continued to dabble in effects work while trying to find financial backing, a producer on the film Split Second for which Norrington was providing the effects had taken an interest in one of his scripts as a possible sequel and also took note of another script Death Machine which was viewed as a commercial enough idea that producers brought on board Norrington as writer and director and secured international financing. While the film was given a relatively quiet direct-to-video release in the United States, it did become something of a springboard for Norrignton that lead to him directing Blade. Death Machine isn't any more or any less than it promises and depending on what you're looking for that might be enough.
At its core, Death Machine is what happens when you mix Die Hard, Robocop (or perhaps more fitting Robocop 2), and Alien together into a trashy genre exercise that doesn't have any loftier aspirations other than setting up kill scenes. While per the cyberpunk 101 playbook it follows the old standards of unethical corporations operating without regard to human life or impact on the world, it's mostly used as window dressing so we can justify the selling point of the killer robot. As per usual, Brad Dourif is delightfully slimy playing the unhinged Jack Dante who's basically what Charles Lee Ray would be like if he had technical expertise. Nobody delivers on crazy like Dourif and you can see why his character (as well as the film's violence) led to several different cuts of this movie. Most of the characterization doesn't go for too much depth save for maybe Ely Pouget's Hayden Cale, but they do what you expect in a movie like this and play it well. The real star of the movie is the titular "warbeast" or Death Machine and structured like if the Cain model from Robocop 2 were mixed with a T-rex it's certainly a memorable killer robot and is used for some fun setpieces. The setpieces are made all the more impressive by the fact the budget was only $3 million and Norrington certainly knows how to stretch it effectively.
Death Machine is the kind of movie where it's very much "what you see is what you get?" and if you're looking for something involving a killer robot on the loose and you've already watched Hardware, this will definitely fit the bill. It's pure bloody pulp, but enjoyable if you're into that sort of thing.
Split Second (1992)
Rutger Hauer, Neil Duncan, and Kim Cattrall give good performances in a stylishly directed if very silly sci-fi/monster mash-up with flimsy internal logic.
Set in the future of 2008 where global warming among other things has lead to London being partially flooded and in a state of near continuous night, police detective Stone (Rutger Hauer) is single mindledly hunting for the serial killer who killed his partner three years ago and has grown more unhinged since. With the department seeking to keep Stone under control, he's assigned a new partner in Dick Durkin (Alastair Duncan *credited as Neil Duncan) a comparatively more "by the book" detective specializing in serial murderers. As the two scour the darkest corners of a rotting London, the two soon find evidence that suggests this killer may be something other than human.
Split Second is a 1992 sci-fi action/horror film directed by Tony Maylam and Ian Sharp and written by Gary Scott Thompson. The film is notable for its tumultuous production where it was originally written as a more conventional buddy cop film with horror elements called Pentagram, until similarities with another movie called The First Power caused the producers to institute changes. Adding in more sci-fi elements to the script, the film was being re-written even while it was being produced with Hauer suggesting adding a psychic link between his character and the monster and the effects team led by Stephen Norrington had no idea what the monster would actually be until about three weeks before it was needed. Upon release the film wasn't treated kindly by critics and was mostly ignored at the box office (a fate attributed to the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles), but supposedly did better on the home video and cable market. Split Second is a very messy movie that struggles to make much sense, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't kind of enjoy it.
Taking Split Second at face value, the movie's essential what happens when you mix together, some Dirty Harry, some Blade Runner, and some Alien, and some satanic imagery and is primarily concerned with providing genre thrills than any kind of insight or commentary on its world. The movie even seems aware of this as the movie plays Hauer's archetypal "cop on the edge" tropes up to the nth degree to the point he's almost a parody of the character type. Despite the characterizations being very archetypal, the cast have really good chemistry with each other be it with Hauer and Duncan's initially abrasive "buddy" dynamic that softens overtime to the always welcome Kim Cattrall who, granted is playing a damsel in distress, but does get to play a part in the climax and looks good doing it (and some other things that aren't too unwelcome). In terms of plot if I were to broad-brush a description of what the movie is you'd probably think it sounded like a standard serial killer chase movie and while at its core it is it goes through some pretty strange directions and head scratching leaps on that journey. As stated, the movie went through a number of re-writes during production including changing the nature of who/what the villain would be, adding in the element of a connection between Stone and the villain, and even the climax was directed by Ian Sharp instead of Tony Maylam. I'm not sure I (or anyone else for that matter) can give you an adequate description of what the villain is as the movie seems like it has three or four explanations that don't make much sense, but it also moves at such a quick clip and a decent sense of humor that it overcomes a lot of its logical and production flaws to be a pretty entertaining ride.
Split Second objectively speaking is not a "good" movie, but it is certainly a fun one if you can forgive its many glaring logical and production issues. With a fun post-industrial/post-apocalyptic London and some committed performances and solid screen chemistry from Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrall, and Neil Duncan there's a lot of trashy B-movie fun to be had from here. And even with the confusing nature of the villain, the effects team still pulled off a visually good design.
Re-Animator (1985)
Stuart Gordon's splatter filled debut is a fun, gooey, and darkly comic homage to mad science/Frankenstein horror
At Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts, third year medical resident Daniel Cain (Bruce Abbott) is perusing his studies while also secretly dating Megan Halsey (Barbara Crampton), the daughter of Dean Alan Halsey (Robert Sampson). The university sees the arrival of promising medical student Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), who was formerly studying in Zurich, Switzerland under a colleague of his current professor Dr. Carl Hill (David Gale) whom he holds great contempt for. When Herbert West answers Daniel's notice about his ad for a roommate he pays up front and seemingly keeps to himself, but unnerving events start occurring not long thereafter including the revelation that West has created a serum with the potential of re-animating the dead.
Re-Animator directed by Stuart Gordon in his feature debut and co-written by Gordon along with William J. Norris and Dennis Paoli. The impetus for the film with Gordon expressing his desire to see a Frankenstein film in a break from what he thought was a glut of Dracula films which lead to him being recommended the short story Herbert West-Reanimator by H. P. Lovecraft. Initially considered for a stage play or possible TV pilot (with 12 additional episodes also written) before being convinced that feature films were the only viable path for horror which led to him being introduced to producer Brian Yuzna. Gordon stated that he was inspired by the Hammer film Revenge of Frankenstein while writer Dennis Paoli stated the film's humor came about through re-writes during production as the concept was initially a straight horror film. Upon release, the film became a modest performer theatrically (making more of an impact in the cable and home video market) but received acclaim including from critics who had traditional not been fans of horror. Re-Animator features a fantastic mixture of goofiness and gore that like other 80s staples like Evil Dead and The Howling helps to make it a memorable viewing experience.
At the center of the film is Jeffrey Combs' performance as Herbert West and despite Combs taking the role purely for the work rather than liking the script, he gives a convincing and memorably deranged performance that's very much Anthony Perkins by way of Dr. Frankenstein. Bruce Abbott makes a solid foil to West as Daniel Cain and from how he's established when he loses a patient in the opening it makes you believe why he'd go along with West's experiments. Barbara Crampton does well in the role of Megan and shows commitment to a role that requires her to be "in the buff" on quite a few occasions (even if she's there more to be a sounding board against the horror elements), and David Gale makes a delightfully hateful antagonist who's both a lecherous pervert as well as an insidious academic thief.
As expected for a movie called Re-Animator, the movie gives us plenty of grotesque and energized sequences wherein West's revived monstrosities come back with unexpected and sometimes darkly comedic results. While there are certainly points that are horrific, there's also a playfulness to the uses of the re-animation serum that leads to some amusing aspects such as a character who begins something of a cheeky reference to The Brain that Wouldn't Die.
Re-Animator is a lot of fun and while it delivers on all the spatter and gore you'd expect from a movie like this, it also balances it out with a macabre sense of humor and some genuinely good performances.
Escape from L.A. (1996)
If Escape from New York is Evil Dead, Escape from L.A. is Evil Dead 2 where it rehashes the plot in a more comedic and exaggerated fashion
In the year 2013, the United States of America has now become a totalitarian theocracy overseen by the President for Life (Cliff Robertson). Anyone who doesn't adhere to the strict moral code of the administration is deported to the island of Los Angeles which after breaking off from the United States in 1997 from a catastrophic flood and earthquake is deemed to be no longer part of the United States and run by various gangs. When the President's daughter, Utopia (A. J. Langer), steals a black box for an experimental new weapon and flees to Los Angeles to Cuervo Jones (Georges Corraface), the leader of Shining Path a hostile faction made of disenfranchise third world nations who oppose America's leadership. With their grip on power threatened, the President gets recent deportee S. D. Bob "Snake" Plissken (Kurt Russell) and offers him full immunity in exchange for retrieving the black box and assassinating Utopia. Plissken initially refuses only to be told he's been infected with the Putoxin Virus that and unless he's given the antidote in 10 hours will suffer complete neurological shut down. Now racing against the clock, Plissken travels to the lawless land of Los Angeles to find the box and Utopia among its wild denizens.
Escape from L. A. is a 1996 sci-fi action film directed by John Carpenter and co-written by Carpenter alongside producer Debra Hill and star Kurt Russell. While Escape from New York had been a massive success in its day and influenced a number of sci-fi and action films, Carpenter had never seriously considered a sequel as he tended to take a dim view of follow-ups after the various sequels made to his own Halloween failed to live up to the critical and commercial success of the original. At the request of longtime friend and frequent collaborator Kurt Russell, the two got together on working on a sequel as Russell had long wanted to play the character again (having a fondness for it as it helped shed his lighthearted Disney image) and taking from his experience living in L. A. and contemporary events like the Northridge Earthquake and 1992 civil unrest, this would lay the foundation for what would become Escape from L. A.. Upon release critical reception was mixed with some like Roger Ebert appreciated the film's bend towards satire while others considered it a rehash of its predecessor. If you go in expecting a sequel like Terminator 2 that expands the concept you're going to be disappointed, but if you go in expecting something more akin to Evil Dead 2 or Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 that's probably the best way to view this movie.
While Escape from New York gritty environments and action beats are undeniably influential and important milestones in genre film history, Escape from New York is also one of those movies that people take more seriously than it actually is. While Carpenter did write the film as a straight action film he also had Nick Castle re-write his script to include more humor such as Ernest Borgnine's character of Cabbie, the exaggerations of 1970s New York, and of course the drag revue set to the darkly comic song "Everyone's Coming to New York". In a way, Escape from L. A. is sort of the opposite of Escape from New York where Escape from New York was a serious action film that had secondary layer of humor/satire, Escape from L. A. has the humor/satire on top of the surface and makes it well known that it's supposed to be a sillier exercise in comparison to the first film.
In terms of being a follow-up to Escape from New York, the film plays itself extremely close to the original (often using similar plotpoints/devices) while also doing a reasonably nice job of making L. A. feel different from this world's version of New York. Keeping itself more in line with the sillier tone, L. A. is very much an exaggeration of contemporary L. A. where it's painted as a land of counter cultural freedom from the oppressive theocratic mainland while also possessing the danger and unpredictability of a wild west town (a move that Carpenter admits to being intentional). Needless to say Russell's Plissken is no less good here than in Escape from New York still possessing that Clint Eastwood like anti-hero appeal and anti-establishment slant of the original. Much like how the President in the prior film took heavy influence from Nixon, the President this time around takes shots at Reagan and Bush making the world a parody of the "moral majority" movement. The movie also features some additional satire like Steve Buscemi's caricature of a sleazy agent, Bruce Campbell's deranged plastic surgeon known as the Surgeon General of Beverly Hills, and Peter Fonda's laid back "surfer dude" who's something of an analogue to Cabbie for the original, but there is one major misstep and it's in having a memorable antagonist from L. A.. Georges Corraface plays Cuervo Jones and after his underwhelming debut in Christopher Columbus: The Discovery he's still very much a stiff and lacks the charisma and menace Isaac Hayes brought as the Duke of New York and while Corraface is handsome and has a Che Guevara like look to him, you just don't buy him as this leader who holds sway over L. A..
Lastly, we come to a major sticking point for many people: the effects work. While upon revisit the effects in Escape from New York definitely show their age, they still look impressive even today and that's in no small part to the absolute dream team of production designer Joe Alves, effects artists Dennis and Robert Skotak, and even DP work by James Cameron who'd take similar visual energy to Terminator and Aliens. With Escape from L. A., the movie utilizes a lot of early 90s CGI for scenes that are way too ambitious for what it can pull off and as a result the movie doesn't look nearly as good as Escape from New York. Some of the matte work is still impressive and there's some good production design (such as a Disneyland knock-off used for the climax) but the effects work is definitely a point against the movie.
Escape from L. A. is the kind of movie that if you can forgive its shortcomings there's actually some pretty solid work on display. While it definitely plays up the satire and humor more in comparison to its grittier predecessor, it's still reasonably well acted (Corraface notwithstanding), there's some solid action beats, and an interesting funhouse mirror take on L. A.. The movie does lack a strong villain on par with the Duke and some of the effects work wasn't even considered good at the time it was made, but provided you're willing to accept an exaggeration on the first film in line with Evil Dead 2 or Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 it delivers.
Escape from New York (1981)
John Carpenter's influential action classic features tight direction, plentiful thrills, and an iconic performance from Kurt Russell
In the future of 1997, in an effort to combat its astronomical rise in crime the United States has sectioned off Manhattan as a maximum security prison where escape is prevented by walls, mines, and guards prepared to shoot on sight and once you come in you don't come out. When a terrorist organization hijacks Air Force One on its way to a summit, the roving gangs who control sections of the city kidnap the President (Donald Pleasence) from his escape pod threatening to kill him if any rescue is attempted by the police. Former soldier turned criminal S. D. "Snake" Plissken (Kurt Russell) is sentenced to New York for attempted robbery of the Treasury, however Police Commissioner Bob Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) as a last resort offers Snake a deal where in exchange for the rescue of The President and a tape in his briefcase he'll be given a full pardon provided he returns within 24 hours so the President can reach the summit. Snake accepts the deal and shortly thereafter learns Hauk has placed explosive devices in his neck that will detonate. Racing against the clock, Snake navigates the savage streets of New York in search of the President.
Escape from New York is a 1981 sci-fi action film directed by John Carpenter who also co-wrote the film alongside Nick Castle. Inspired by the Watergate Scandal and the depiction of New York in Death Wish (a movie he philosophically disagreed with), Carpenter wrote the initial treatment in the 1970s but was unable to acquire studio backing as it was deemed "too violent, scary, and weird". After a string of successes by Carpenter such as Halloween and The Fog, Carpenter had enough established clout in order to get Escape from New York made. One of the more notable aspects was the against type casting of Kurt Russell who up to that point had mainly been known for light hearted Disney comedies. While AVCO Embassy who produced the film wanted a more traditional action hero like Charles Bronson or Chuck Norris in the role, Carpenter successfully fought for Russell. The film became a sizable hit earning $25 million against a $6 million budget and not only helped reintroduce Russell to the public, but also got Carpenter into larger scale studio films. Escape from New York remains an influential piece of sci-fi and action cinema that holds up quite nicely with strong characters, atmosphere, and a welcome sense of humor.
In terms of creating a tangible world, Escape from New York is one of the most well-realized works of its time where it presents a tangible feeling vision of a dead city left to rot and populated with denizens who've reverted to a tribal and savage nature. Featuring some great work by production designer Joe Alves, visual effects supervisors Robert and Dennis Skotak, and even some earlier DP work by James Cameron (with a sort of proto Terminator vibe in some shots) you can see why and how the atmosphere and look coined with Escape from New York inspired so many subsequent action/sci-fi films as well as various outright knock-offs. While some shots do show their age (especially in restored HD versions), the matte work and production design remains impressive even to this day.
But what good is a well-created world without memorable characters inhabiting it? Luckily we have some great ones including Russell's performance as Snake Plissken who is one of the most memorable modern anti-heroes of the decade and is comfortably inhabited by Russell. Snake is a cynical mercenary through and through whose only goal is staying alive everything else be damned. With the fascist police state on one side and the violent savagery of the New York prison which is very much "Might makes right/survival of the fittest", the film creates a world in which there's no hero or villain but a case of "bad versus worse" and Snake is the kind of character who will only kill you if you go out of your way to betray or make trouble with him and even then he's not completely without empathy and is really more anti-establishment/anti-authority. The film is filled with notable character actors who make even the smallest of roles memorable such as veteran actor Ernest Borgnine adding some welcome comic relief as Cabbie who's one of a few exaggerated "New Yorkisms" that Castle adds to provide humor to the dour world, Lee Van Cleef adds some strong presence and authority to Hauk, Donald Pleasence is fun playing a sniveling and slightly duplicitous President, Isaac Hayes makes a fun antagonist as The Duke of New York, and we also have strong performances from Season Hubley, Harry Dean Stanton, and Adrienne Barbeau.
Escape from New York is one of those movies that's crafted a legacy on multiple fronts not only by establishing Carpenter as a versatile genre director and re-introducing Russell as a serious actor, but also by establishing a unique grungy industrial look that would carry through multiple films of the decade (especially some of DP James Cameron's work). Not only is a it a solid genre film in its own right, but there's an elegance in the simplicity of its premise where it gets maximum effect streamlined efficiency.
The Deliverance (2024)
Lee Daniels walks a talented and committed cast through a routine supernatural slog made of leftovers from The Exorcist and Amityville Horror
Set in 2011 in Pennsylvania, Ebony Jackson (Andra Day) is an alcoholic single mother who is prone to anger and violence who struggles to care for her children Nate (Caleb McLaughlin), Shante (Demi Singleton), and Andre (Anthony B. Jenkins) while taking help from her cancer ridden mother Alberta (Glenn Close). As she deals with strained finances and a new house that is rife with problems, Andre begins exhibiting odd behaviors that defy rational explanation.
The Deliverance comes to us from director Lee Daniels and writers David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum and takes inspiration from the 2011 Ammons haunting case which became a widely publicized alleged haunting that attracted an inordinate amount of media attention and became something of an Amityville Horror for the new generation. The case attracted attention from both skeptics and paranormalists including Zak Bagans who bought the house and made the 2018 documentary Demon House and much like the Lutz family's experiences in Amityville, many have written off the events as a psychological phenomenon rather than a supernatural one. Credibility aside, there was certainly room to make a compelling story from this material, after all: The Conjuring series has been reasonably well-regarded despite the questions about Ed and Loraine Warren's work. Unfortunately while The Deliverance has a good cast and proven director in place that seem interesting, the actual execution is very standard reworking of tropes we've seen time and time again that have long since worn out their welcome.
If there's anything to be said for the film, it's definitely that Daniels has assembled a strong and committed cast who bring their A game to the material. Andra Day who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Billie Holliday in her last colab with Daniels is still very good here as she really sells it playing someone who's barely holding it together and wants to do right by her children but is unwilling or unable to actually follow through on it. Day creates a compellingly flawed character and for all the faults of the film, her performance isn't one of them. The three children played by Anthony B. Jenkins, Caleb McLaughlin and Demi Singleton also do well in their respective roles (even if they are playing very standard archetypes for a movie like this) and you get that sense of pain and sadness that comes from this situation. Glenn Close is also good as Alberta who helps Ebony while also nursing wounds between the two of them that led them to this point and you can see the two working well off each other.
While dramatically speaking The Deliverance seems like it has a rich setup, the actual execution of what it's supposed to be, a horror movie, is turgid and just not scary. Watching The Deliverance, you get the sense that Daniels really wasn't all that interested in making a horror movie as it's nearly 40 minutes or so before the tension ramps up and during that opening act it really feels like it's playing as more of a domestic drama than a horror film. Once Daniels gets into the horror elements his inexperience as a genre filmmaker really shows as he does have scenes of "shocking" material but with the way it's shot there's no surprise factor and with one major flashback sequence it takes what's supposed to be a horrifying revelation and makes it seem almost funny with how it's staged. If you've seen films like The Exorcist or The Amityville Horror this follows many of those same tropes like self mutilation, white eyed fugue states, and bizarre behavior, and while Daniels tries to up the shock factor with scenes like Andre defecating in class and then throwing the feces you just become aware that this material isn't working. The movie seems aware of the inevitable comparisons that'll be made to The Exorcist to the point it even name drops that film in its third act, and this does not do the movie any favors because the climax takes so many elements from that film that it doesn't matter they try to justify it by calling it a "Deliverance" it's still essentially the same result.
The Deliverance sees Daniels trying to step outside his usual dramatic comfort zone in favor of something in the genre space but it just does not work. As a horror film it's reliant on tropes that no longer have any surprise factor to them, and Daniels frames scenes that should be shocking with the punch and impact of a feather. I will say that at least unlike The Exorcist: Believer, I was never mad at The Deliverance but I also wasn't entertained either save for the acting of a "too good for this" cast.
Terminator Zero (2024)
Terminator Zero takes a lot of familiar parts from the legacied franchise but puts them to good effect.
Set in the year 1997 in Tokyo, Japan, Malcolm Lee (Andre Holland) is a widowed scientist plagued by nightmares of Judgment Day wherein the activation of computer system Skynet will trigger a robot uprising that will bring humanity to the brink of extinction. As Malcolm attempts to build an equivalent AI in the form of Kokoro (Rosario Dawson) in the hopes of convincing it to ally with humanity against Skynet, Malcolm's housekeeper Misaki (Sumalee Montano) watches over his children Kenta (Armani Jackson), Reika (Gideon Adlon), and Hiro (Carter Rockwood). From the future of 2022, a Terminator (Timothy Olyphant) comes back in time intent on eliminating Malcolm while a resistance fighter, Eiko (Sonoya Mizuno), follows not long thereafter intent on protecting the Lees and destroying Kokoro.
Terminator Zero is the latest installment in the Terminator franchise and the third entry overall made by Skydance following their attempts with Genisys and Dark Fate. After the financial failur of Dark Fate the series went into something of a hiatus (save for the various releases of the Terminator game Resistance) until in 2021 when it was announced Skydance had partnered with Japanese animation studio Production I. G. on an anime series. Written by Mattson Tomlin and directed by Masashi Kudo, the approach to the series treated all prior installments as canon which at the request of the Japanese production staff the series was given a Japanese setting and cultural identity which producers were happy to oblige at it allowed unique challenges such as Japan's more restrictive firearms access. Nicely animated and brimming with atmosphere and impactful action, Terminator Zero is a welcome entry to the franchise.
In terms of setup, Terminator Zero seemingly follows the tried and true formula to a "T" of "Protector from future protects innocent(s) from killer robot from the future" and while surprisingly the series doesn't drop as many lines and references as you might expect from a project like this (at least of the in your face variety) there is an undeniable remix of elements you'll remember from prior installments such as the police station siege from the very first movie or even the Cyberdyne Systems assault from the second. Intermixed with the standard chase elements are sequences with Malcolm discussing humanity with Kokoro as he tries to convince her to ally himself with humanity against Skynet and while it does initially start with very stock sci-fi tropes about "how has Earth benefited from mankind" or "Humanity is a cancer" that you often see with these kinds of discussions, the scenes do get better the further we go on and we get into themes with more profundity like seeking one's creator, the nature of finding divine purpose in existence, or how a creator projects their imperfections onto their creation which does tie back to themes found in Blade Runner, but they're welcome seasoning in the food for thought Terminator Zero provides.
In terms of characterization, I do have to admit that much of the cast are made of familiar types who you've seen in prior installments in this series. While Andre Holland is good as Malcolm, I'd be re-missed if I didn't mention his glaring similarities to a key character from Terminator 2 that I actually wondered if that would be the direction they headed (I'll neither confirm nor deny). The same can be said of Eiko who's sort of like a mixture of T2 Sarah Connor and Grace but unlike prior Terminator films they do subvert expectations by making Eiko a character who inhabits more of a moral grey zone so she almost functions as a secondary antagonist. While Timothy Olymphant doesn't get to say much as The Terminator, when he does speak it's very cold and authoratative and works well with the animation. This version of The Terminator is probably the scariest incarnation we've gotten since its first appearance back in 1984 and there are actually some very chilling scenes that almost play for a horror atmosphere. Malcolm's children are decent characters for the most part and while they aren't given the greatest of depth (I suspect they're priming them for future seasons) they work well encompassing various traits that become more key to the plot the more we learn about Kokoro. Last but not least we have Misaki who's sort of the series' take-off on 1984 Sarah Connor and they do some pretty interesting revelations with her character especially towards the end.
I can honestly say I liked Terminator Zero and it actually left me wanting more after it was done. While does feature a bit of remixing of prior elements from the series, it adds enough of a spin to them that I was genuinely curious to see where it would go and what it wanted to do next.
Longlegs (2024)
Osgood Perkin's serial killer thriller features rich atmosphere and great performances from Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, but ultimately goes to a very safe finish
Set in the early 90s, Special Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) of the FBI is assigned to the case of an elusive serial killer known only as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage) who is tied to a series of family murder-suicides that he's seemingly never been but is tied to them via some cryptic coded letters signed with his alias. Possessing a level of insight that borders on clairvoyance, Lee plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Longlegs that takes her into some dark places.
Longlegs is the latest film from writer director Osgood Perkins who's known for his work within the horror genre. Taking inspiration from various fictional as well as real-life killings, Longlegs made its rounds on the festival circuit acquiring some very enthusiastic buzz and lead to it being acquired by Neon for distribution. Using a primarily internet based marketing campaign inspired by the one used for The Blair Witch Project, Longlegs became a breakout hit earning $100 million worldwide against a budget of less than $10 million (with an additional $10 million in marketing). Longlegs was a movie which I was actively following as the marketing and premise intrigued me, and while it is well made, atmospheric and well acted, I did feel somewhat underwhelmed by the third act.
In terms of casting, Longlegs has some real assets especially in Maika Monroe's Lee Harker. While she's playing a familiar archetype of the agent chasing a killer who has great insights (a particular favorite of TV procedural of the past 20 years), Monroe adds that little something extra with her performance that reminded me a bit of Hugh Dancy's portrayal of Will Graham from TV's Hannibal if it were mixed with a little of Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling. As a proxy, she does well in reacting to the grim and macabre imagery on display while also carrying a dark edge that keeps the audience on their toes. The movie also features some great supporting performances from Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt as Lee's supervisor and mother respectively, and Cage whose appearance is hidden in the advertising is really well utilized as he creates a memorable and disturbing antagonist that only he on his best days could create.
Longlegs does a nice job of using its 90s era setting to its effect as the lack of modern technology and investigative techniques helps to create a greater feeling of isolation and makes the hunt for Longlegs that much more difficult. While Longlegs does have procedural elements to its story, it's ultimately a character piece and shows the impact of diving into the abyss. I really enjoyed Longlegs for its first two thirds, but by the last third I could feel the film going into a direction that I wasn't a fan of. While the direction Longlegs chooses to go isn't insulting or nonsensical as there is plenty of setup for it, it felt like a very safe direction that just underwhelmed in comparison to the build-up.
Longlegs is worth viewing especially for the film making and performances, but I think it's also a movie that's a victim of its own hype. While Longlegs is a very solid film with some great performances, the arc it takes especially in the last third feels like it goes from aspirations of greatness to settling for "okay". I really wish I liked Longlegs more than I did because it seemingly has all the pieces, but they just don't coalesce for me personally (your mileage may vary).
MaXXXine (2024)
MaXXXine sees a messy but entertaining conclusion to Ti West's X series.
Set in 1985, 6 years after surviving the massacre at the farm, adult film actress Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) has moved to Hollywood to continuing pursuing her career. As she prepares for her debut acting role in horror film The Puritan II, the city is terrorized by unknown serial killer the Night Stalker. Things are further complicated with the arrival of a sleazy private investigator, John Labat (Kevin Bacon), who claims to work for someone close to Maxine while she also deals with the murders of people around her and taunting messages implying they know about what happened at the farm six years ago.
MaXXXine is the third entry in Ti West's X series for which he returns as writer and director respectively. After the success of the first and second films, West had intended to follow-up with a sequel taking place after the events of X and following Maxine the sole survivor while taking inspiration from the 80s and the home video revolution's effect on the film industry. MaXXXine sees West continue on with the themes and ideas presented in X and Pearl, but a somewhat busy narrative leaves the film feeling less cohesive than its predecessors.
In terms of style, MaXXXine does well emulating the B-level crime films of the 80s taking clear inspiration from the likes of Vice Squad, Ms .45, and the Satanic Panic/Video Nasty scares of the time and Mia Goth's Maxine fits well within that role. Per the attitudes of the era, Maxine has adopted a cynical more hard edged approach to her quest for fame and has taken those skills that helped her survive the events of X and fostered them into a borderline killer instinct such as a scene where she confronts a would-be predator in the most painful way you can imagine. While stylistically MaXXXine captures the aesthetics of its sounds and visuals as the other films in the franchise have, the movie also feels like it has too many engines competing for attention. MaXXXine feels like West had more ideas and themes that he wanted to address and play with in the film than he had time for and because there are so many different characters and threads involved they often feel like they're competing for attention. The way the John Labat subplot resolves also felt like that regardless of how good Bacon is in the role, that character could've been done away with and made things simpler. I can also picture people being divided on the ending because while it does play with a planted payoff from the end of X, it also feels like West had trouble deciding on how to end the movie as it doesn't feel like the movie has really settled on what Maxine is after everything she's done.
MaXXXine is a stylish if frustrating third entry in the X series and while it has plenty of the themes, ideas, and style that made the prior entries so enjoyable it feels like it needed some more polish in order to effectively tie everything together. Still enjoyable, even if it doesn't meet the level of the prior entries.
Pearl (2022)
Ti West and Mia Goth revisit their villain from X in a unnerving technicolor nightmare
Set in 1918, Pearl (Mia Goth) is a farm girl dissatisfied with her life as he husband has left to fight in the war and is left to care for her invalid father (Matthew Sunderland) along with her overbearing and judgmental mother (Tandi Wright). As she struggles with isolation from her stern Germanic upbringing as well as the ongoing Spanish Flu, Pearl finds moments of respite at covert trips to the movie house watching the dancing exhibitions and dreaming of one day being there herself. Upon hearing from her sister-in-law, Mitsy (Emma Jenkins-Purro), that a dance troupe will be holding auditions, Pearl is determined to achieve her dreams and let nothing stand in her way.
Pearl is the prequel to the Ti West film X and features both West and star/co-writer Mia Goth returning using largely the same sets and crew from X. During their time with mandated Covid isolation protocols in New Zealand, West and Goth wrote what would become Pearl and submitted the idea to A24 who much to West's surprise greenlit the project. Taking a different approach while maintaining the themes presented in X, Pearl expands upon its already impressive predecessor by presenting an unnerving technicolor depiction of a psychological unraveling with a committed performance by Mia Goth.
Undeniably, this is Goth's movie through and through. Goth plays Pearl as a mixture of what feels like Dorothy Gale by way of Norman Bates as from the moment we see her seemingly innocent longing for "more" there's always a dark undercurrent that the facade will crack and release something dark from beneath its surface. Despite using the same sets as X, Pearl gives itself a unique visual identity and much like how X took visual cues from indie films of the 70s, Pearl takes visual cues from old Hollywood technicolor films which contrasts nicely with the darker edges that reveal themselves. The movie does a good job of expanding on Pearl's character not only by making her tragic, but also by making her lost in a very superficial world that has no basis in reality and carries a hefty dose of commentary on entertainment, sexuality, and the entanglement of the two.
Pearl is a solid continuation by Ti West of the themes and ideas from X and is arguably even better than its predecessor. Visually beautiful and psychologically unnerving with a great performance by Goth, Pearl is a real treat with a dark and disturbing technicolor nightmare.
The Killer (2024)
John Woo remakes arguably his greatest film in a glossed up remake that has some of his style but is very middle of the road
Set in Paris, Zee (Nathalie Emmanuel) is an assassin who takes on assignments in the Parisian criminal underworld from her handler Finn (Sam Worthington) operating on a strict code of honor and a bedrock rule that no civilians are to be harmed. During one of her assignments, an American singer named Jenn Clark (Diana Silvers) suffers a blow to the back of the head that renders her blind. Against orders from Finn and her client, Zee spares Jenn. Meanwhile, driven police inspector Sey (Omar Sy) investigates crime lord Gobert (Eric Cantona) and his ties with Saudi prince Bin Faheem (Said Taghmaoui) in a case involving a robbery of Bin Faheem's plane that puts him on a collision course with Zee and Jenn.
The Killer is the long in development remake of John Woo's 1989 Hong Kong film of the same name. Attempts at adapting the film date as far back as the early 90s where Woo's producer and former friend Tsui Hark sold the rights to Tri-Star Pictures and cut him out of the proceeds per a grudge he held towards Woo over A Better Tomorrow II's production. Walter Hill had briefly been attached to a version that would've featured Richard Gere and Denzel Washington as the leads but concerns apparently arose from Tri-Star executives that American audiences would interpret the relationship between the assassin and cop characters as "homoerotic" which lead to the decision to gender flip one of the roles. After extensive re-writes this project fizzled out and another attempt would be made in the mid-2000s by John H. Lee for a version which would be filmed in 3D. In 2015, John Woo himself became attached to direct the remake having taken a hiatus from Hollywood and the action genre to dabble in period epics like Red Cliff and The Crossing. On his decision to direct The Killer remake, Woo stated that his intention with this point in his career was to make movies in other countries as it gave him an opportunity to experience and work with new cultures and settings. The Killer doesn't escape the long shadow cast by its 1989 original, but it's perfectly serviceable even if it doesn't reach the pinnacle of Woo's work.
In terms of the kind of movie Woo's remake of The Killer is, Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy do well in the roles of Zee and Sey respectively as The Killer sees Woo playing the material in a slightly lighter fashion in comparison to the heroic bloodshed melodrama that had characterized Woo's work in A Better Tomorrow and The Killer. When watching The Killer 2024, it feels very much like a man out of time as many elements like Woo's usage of split screens, to the dialogue, to even some character types like Sam Worthington's Finn feel like they've stepped out of that early 90s school of action filmmaking as in comparsion to the recent wave of action films The Killer feels much more over-the-top and tongue in cheek in comparison to other films of its ilk such as the John Wick films which have cited Woo and the original The Killer as a creative influence. In terms of its plot the film is less of a character study and seems to sidestep any attempts at heavier themes as there's a considerable amount of time dedicated to tracing a missing shipment of heroin and many have pointed out (not without reason) that the film feels less like Woo capturing his glory days and more like he's making his own version of those mid-2000 Europacorp action thrillers that Luc Besson made.
The Killer doesn't come anywhere close to Woo's original classic, but it's not an embarrassment either as Woo still shows some passion in his filmmaking all these years later. Maybe I'm being kinder to this film than I should, but after seeing The Crow remake this weekend I just can't be that hard on this movie because it's still got Woo's style in it albeit with less intensity and guerilla grit than his early work.
Blink Twice (2024)
Zoe Kravitz directorial debut delivers an effective mixture of Get Out and Ready or Not with a well acted ensemble.
Cocktail waitresses Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) are working a Gala for disgraced tech mogul Slater King (Channing Tatum) dedicating the establishment of his new new profit foundation. Using money she's saved up, Frida obtains outfits for herself and Jess so they can attend the party in the guise of guests. Once there, Frida attracks the attention of Slater who introduces her and Jess to his entourage. Having recently purchased a secluded island retreat, Slater invites the two along with Sarah (Ardia Arjona), Camilla (Liz Caribel), and Heather (Trew Mullen) to accompany him and his entourage to the island for a seemingly dream vacation. As the group partakes in gourmet cuisine, luxurious spa treatments, and copious amounts of alcohol and recreational drugs, Jess and Frida soon feel that something is amiss.
Blink Twice is the directorial debut of actress Zoe Kravitz who also co-writes the film with E. T. Feigenbaum. Kravitz began writing the basis for what would become Blink Twice under it's much racier working title Pussy Island with the intention of making it her directorial with the film picked up by MGM and eventually given a more marquee friendly name with Blink Twice. With a fun mixture of social commentary and splattery genre thrills, Kravitz showcases a promising directorial career elevated by a charming and committed cast.
Naomi Ackie and Alia Shawkat are very likable as two down on their luck cocktail waitresses who are consistently only ever allowed to glimpse at the threshold of opulence and excessive wealth in which they work and when they manage to get their taste of actual luxury, it's almost like a Cinderella story that starts out fun at first only to become more confining and tense the longer it goes on as they notice how separated they are from the real world. Channing Tatum is very good as the charismatic tech mogul Slater King who's sort of an amalgam of various high profile business personalities and with Tatums conventional attractiveness it serves as a solid counterpoint to the tension and unease as to what's beneath the surface. The supporting cast is also excellent with Slater's entourage made up of a solid array of performers like Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Levon Hawke, and Haley Joel Osment whose initially pleasant demeanors slowly peel away to reveal what lies beneath. Trew Mullen, Liz Caribel, and Adria Arjona are also very good in their roles and provide a nice assortment of different character types with varied reactions to the eventual reveal. In terms of her directorial and writing prowess, Kravitz shows herself to efficiently pull off this kind of paranoid thriller which also incorporates a good use of its soundtrack. While the movie deals with very charged themes and subject matter, it still remembers to make them work in service of its story. In many ways it feels like a much more polished and fully realized version of what Don't Worry Darling tried to be until it met it's third act collapse which Blink Twice manages to avoid.
I really enjoyed Blink Twice. For a first time director Zoe Kravitz shows real promise and I look forward to seeing what she can do. Naomi Ackie makes a fantastic lead and is supported by a solid ensemble of performers and a mixture of cutting commentary and palpable tension make for an engaging experience. Definitely one to see in theaters.