Directed by Rowdy Herrington Patrick Swayze plays a peace-minded bouncer in Road House, an action movie so glorious, satirical, oily and self-aware that it seems the perfect capper to a decade of over the top action movies. Dalton's (Swayze) reputation precedes him wherever he goes. He's tough, no-nonsense, and like in so many of these kinds … Continue reading Road House (1989)
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Three Kings (1999)
Directed by David O. Russell In Three Kings four U.S. soldiers celebrate the end of the Gulf War by hatching a plan to steal Saddam Hussein's gold. They will find a map rolled up in a man's ass and quickly determine what this map signifies. Then the four soldiers of varying ranks head into a small … Continue reading Three Kings (1999)
Primer (2004)
Directed by Shane Carruth Primer opens with what has become a familiar image: young, aspirational start up employees working in their garage. Whatever they're working on doesn't much matter because soon they stumble into time travel, and of course that captures their imagination. They are Aaron (Shane Carruth) and Abe (David Sullivan), and they're almost always … Continue reading Primer (2004)
The Ice Harvest (2005)
Directed by Harold Ramis The Ice Harvest is a crime movie that begins after the crime has been committed. The co-conspirators are Charlie (John Cusack) and Vic (Billy Bob Thornton), and they've just stolen a couple million dollars from a man sure to kill them should he find out. It's Christmas Eve, and the two agree … Continue reading The Ice Harvest (2005)
Christine (2016)
Directed by Antonio Campos Okay, so Christine is a mix of Network (1976), Nightcrawler (2014), Blue Jasmine (2013) and Taxi Driver (1976). Set in 1974, the story of a local news reporter plays out in the shadow of the Woodward and Bernstein takedown of Richard Nixon which is chronicled in another 1976 film, All the President's Men. Christine Chubbuck, the … Continue reading Christine (2016)
Cronos (1993)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro In Cronos one man stumbles upon that which another will do anything to find. Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) is the affable owner of a store of artifacts and grandfather to young Aurora (Tamara Shanath). He soon finds a device which will render him immortal, but his sudden obsession with eternal … Continue reading Cronos (1993)
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Directed by Werner Herzog Fitzcarraldo reminded me of Apocalypse Now (1979) and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Both films concern single-minded obsessions deep in the jungle, and in the case of Apocalypse Now, the troubled story behind the film parallels the narrative, but not quite as much as this Werner Herzog film. Now I don't know the … Continue reading Fitzcarraldo (1982)
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