Gotta let you know about these movies….
Here’s a quick flash to rescue you on a cold video night:
Heavenly Creatures—First appearance of the wondrous Miss Kate Winslet, 19 years old. The best tale of teen fantasy escape—and I mean that which teens do as their minds start rapidly expanding but their circumstances stay the same. Mario Lanza music (buy the records). Tragic, so tragic. True story. I think this is a Kiwi movie. I hope so. They deserve such a fine thing. Girl writers. Romance. Rapture. …Bloody murder.
Miami Blues—Best Alec Baldwin movie. Maybe he’ll do as well in the upcoming Dave Robicheaux movie. Excellent as usual Fred Ward. Wildly great lines abounding. Excon ‘Junior’ just tries to have a little decent family life before he gets sent back to prison–with a callgirl who just wants to fix some porkchops for once. “Honey, I’m off to work,” as he goes off to the mall for some easy pickins. Trouble follows. Everywhere. Realistic yet over the top. How did Charles Willeford do it? The book is just as good.
Tremors—Excellent ne’er-do-well handymen star here. Kevin Bacon good, Fred Ward fine. Survivalist couple are screams! Nails—Dennis Hopper plays a better Dirty Harry than Clint. More realistic, grittier, cynical. Good lines. He and his pal cops are about to retire, the young suckups around the office make them sick. But this really bad guy just pisses them off so bad that they gotta take him down even though they just hate *the exposure* to the likely infringement on their golden years which will ensue
Forbidden Choices—You didn’t know this was the movie of the fine and first white trash art novel “The Beans of Egypt, Maine.” Totally mispresented in title, videoshop section, packaging art. Quite a story! Realistic trailer park life.
True Romance—Gary Oldman scares you bad as a Wigger Pimp. Fine ad lib Hopper soliloquoy! Great rendering of slimy yuppies. Semi-plausible ultragritty ultraviolence. Good premise as Slater as comic shop clerk.
Hong Kong Movies—We’ll run a big overview on these soon, but for now, in case you’ve been under a pop culture rock remember these names: Chow Yung Fat, John Woo, Jackie Chan “Police Story,” The Legend of Fung Su Yuk, It Takes A Thief, Chinese Tai Chi Masters, The God of Gamblers Part 2, Drunken Master Part 2.
OK: These movies have as good of leading men and stronger women than most Western movies….and the action is FIVE TIMES as good in almost every way than Bond, Segal or Schwarzenegger. These are bigbudget movies often set in modern Hong Kong. But the 1800’s period pieces totally kick butt, too…in every way. Who cares about the triple-dubbing, triple-language subtitles when it’s this good!? Well, do your best to find good tapes, but if you can’t, don’t sweat it. This stuff is fresh in every way. It’ll expand your action horizons. The only way they lack is special effects, altho the Chinese Ghost Stories supposedly do good there, too. But HK movies don’t need no steenking effects: all the actors are top stuntmen! It’s all real! The fights throughout are OVER THE TOP. You will boggle. It’s choreographed of course. But, man, it works. It’s art and the best action going. Morsel: LFSY has 2 fighters duking it out on the heads of a crowd! Which gets reduced to just 3goodguys and 20badguys after everyone panics and runs. Goodfighter is losing while standing on his buddies’ 2 heads, so he jumps over to the bad guys and keeps fighting the bad guy while running over their heads and while the 19 other bad guys are trying to get him, too! Get it? Don’t worry: watch!
Wings of Desire—Best angels movie. Cool music.
Runaway Train—Best philosophy movie. Great Jon Voight with a great gruff evile voice. A voice never was SO RAW. Fine Eric Roberts. At least 20 memorable scenes for me! And I never remember scenes. Endless great lines and imagery. Unstoppable winter. Wow! “You don’t know what you can’t do!”
The Big Blue—Mediterranean free diving beauty. Jean Reno as scene-stealing wonderful bighearted kind of bad guy. He’s much more intimidating here than in The Professional.
Naked—David Thewlis. Yes! Not for the weak of heart. Very realistic, gritty relationships abound. Much pain. Much life. Correctness does not apply.
Trust—Hal Hartley. Martin Donovan is better than Michael Madsen, who can be good. (Now why’d I say that?)
Sean & Chris Penn & Christopher Walken. Yes! In true story movie about thief and his two sons. Forget the title right now. Generic title. “Evil Betrayal” or something. Gritty.
Choose Me—Only good Keith Caradine movie. Lesley Ann and Genevieve are fine, too. Great music. Stylized realism over the top. It’s about all the unbelieveable true stories that have happened to you. Great lines. Steamy. It’s about needs and deeds. “F**k love and hope!”
Man Bites Dog—It will gross you out and scare you. Documentary of the life of a French thief/killer. Grunge video crew thinks they have a great project under way. Trials, tribulations and revelations thereof. “You’re too good to let me buy you a beer? We had a great haul today!” “We?” Ultraclever yet gritty ending! If you think you can’t be shocked…
Nuff for now!!! Let me know your faves and how you like mine!!!
-JP
