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One of the many well-known cult items of Science Fiction and I fail to see what all the excitement is about. Kurt Russell portrays Snake Plissken, a one-eyed, unshaven anti-hero. He's an ex-mercenary, who is sent into Manhattan (circa 1997!) to save the president (Donald Pleasance). The problem is that Manhattan has become a maximum security prison, controlled by vicious street gangs. But don't think that will stop old Snake!Patterned after the old Spaghetti westerns, this one attempts to recapture the awesome grandeur of Clint Eastwood movies. All it captures however is filth and violence. It's a shame to see such a great cast (Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine) wasted in this vile, nasty piece of cinema. Pleasance is fatally miscast as the President of the United States. He's just not convincing, and seems silly when he tries to convince. The only saving grace is Russell, who offers an amazing change of pace from the mundane Disney comedies he was known for at the time. Other than that, you can't get much enjoyment out of this. Even the action scenes seem useless as an excitement generator. If you want to view a better movie, look somewhere else.
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Of all the mindless action fare that came out this summer (1996), this has to be the most brainless. Not only is it lacking intelligence, but falls short on soul It's basically just a repeat of the sequel (almost word for word too!). Kurt Russell returns as Snake Plissken, sent into another famous city-prison-hellhole, to try and save the world (even though he doesn't want to do anything of the sort). The president's daughter (A.J. Langer) has stolen a highly destructive weapon, which could cripple the entire world's power supply. Russell has to invade LA, which is now an island unto itself, get the weapon out of the hands of a mad rebel leader (George Corraface) and return safely to the "mainland".I tell you, nobody could be any less baffled on how this movie got made, than I am right now. Even Russell's previously cool character can't seem to make this film move any faster or make it any more interesting. Like the first film, this wallows in it's own filth for nearly two hours. Attempts at black humor are incredibly infantile, and once again, great talents are shamefully wasted. You might want to escape from the theaters after you've seen this mess.
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This is a true sleeper. It centers around a Brooklyn cigar shop, which is in danger of going under. The story takes a look at the two guys who run the shop (Harvey Keitel and Victor Argo) and the various people who wander in and out of their lives. It has a rather unique bunch of actors, who seem to all have one thing in common. They love Brooklyn! We watch and listen to their views on pop culture, Brooklyn and the way of life. Some of it is dull and immaterial, but most of it is insightful, fascinating and extremely funny.Keitel proves that he does have comic talent. There are some very funny cameos by singer Lou Reed, Madonna, Roseanne, Michael J. Fox, Mira Sorvino and cult director Jim Jarmusch. It isn't completely perfect, mainly because of some occasional lulls in both dialogue and action. But mostly, it turns out to be an extremely fun feature.
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Lately, I noticed that the recent summer season (1996) was chock full of explosion-special effects-filled action fare. However, none of them reached the excitement or suspense of such classics as Die Hard, Star Wars, about two dozen John Ford westerns and this remarkable low-budget wonder. It has echoes of Night of the Living Dead, as a nearly deserted police station is brought under siege by a massive street gang. The small group of people trapped inside fight for their lives with every last resource at hand.A real nail-biter, and an amazing action film, that is full of enough suspense and excitement for three movies. One of John Carpenter's earliest hits among the independent circuit, this is by far and away his best, next to Halloween. It has everything that most (but not all) mainstream films lack these days: Unpredictability!.
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One of the most influential films of the 1960's, this is also one of the greatest examples of the political paranoia at this time. It introduces us to a Korean war hero (Laurence Harvey), who has been brainwashed by the communists to commit unspeakable acts of murder. It also deals with the investigation by Harvey's commanding officer (Frank Sinatra), who has his suspicions on how exactly Harvey became a hero in the first place. But wait! There is a third part to the story. It deals with Harvey's ambitious mother (Angela Lansbury), and her attempts to bring her Joseph McCarthy-type husband to power.It is certainly a fine political thriller, with excellent performances by Harvey, Sinatra and a chilling role for Lansbury. It also has some astounding visuals and top-drawer direction. The problem is in the story. The dated material makes much of the film seem like anti-communist propaganda. There is also an embarrassingly stupid karate action sequence, which distracts from, rather than heighten the action of the film. Because of this, the movie is a fine piece of cinema, but not the masterpiece many make it out to be.
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Director Cameron Crowe's brilliant look at teenage life, this is one of the most original comedies centered around youth to come out in a long time. John Cusack stars as a confident under-achiever, who wishes to attract the attention of the class brain (Ione Skye). However, he is going after her for her mind, not her body. When he finally gets to go out with her, they both find that they have more in common than they originally thought. Concurrently, Skye is going through a difficult relationship with her father (John Mahoney), who is being prosecuted for tax evasion.Well-rounded characters, humorous ideas and great performances by Cusack, Skye and Mahoney are what attract your attention to the story. The film is fresh and uniquely original. Crowe does a good job exploring the world of teenage romance, without resorting to stereotypical views of teens and their parents. A must-see for people who like a good romance and dead-on portraits of teenage life.
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Of all the gangster epics that have come out in the past two decades, this is one of the many outstanding achievements of that particular genre. A remake of the 1932 classic, this has been updated to the early 1980's. The new Scarface is Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino), whose profession is drug dealing instead of bootlegging (pretty much the same thing). It follows Pacino's rise from a small time hood, to the big boss of Miami. It also follows his violent lifestyle, that will destroy him just as it made him. Michelle Pfeiffer gives one of her first great portrayals, as Pacino's gun moll, who knows when to stay and when to leave a man like Pacino.The movie is something that would have made Sam Peckinpah proud. Excellent performances by Al Pacino, who gives one of his best performances (next to Michael Corleone and Serpico) to date, as well as by Pfeiffer (as usual), Steven Bauer as Pacino's right-hand man and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Pacino's self-destructive sister. The ending is a wow! A definite masterpiece for director Brian De Palma.
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