Thursday Movie Picks: On the Run

For the first week of March of 2017 as part of the Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer of Wandering through the Shelves. The focus is on the subject of films about people going on the run. Well, that is easy as there’s a lot of films about that subject as one of the most famous films about being on the run is Terrence Malick’s 1973 film Badlands as it’s a film that would spawn many imitators. Here are three of those imitators both good and bad:

1. Wisdom

Emilio Estevez as a filmmaker is a mixed bag as he is definitely someone that isn’t sure what he wants to be as a filmmaker where he can do good things in dramas such as The War at Home, Rated X, and The Way but also can display some really awful things such as imitate Robert Altman in a film like Bobby. His first feature film as a director definitely bear a lot of elements of Badlands as it’s about a couple on the run while robbing banks as Estevez stars in the film with his then-real life girlfriend Demi Moore. It’s just a very poor film that wanted to be so many things with an ending that is just a fucking slap in the face.

2. True Romance

If anyone understands what Malick was doing with his first film, it’s Quentin Tarantino as he would create two scripts inspired by that film. The first one is definitely one of his finest scripts as well as probably the best film Tony Scott ever did in his filmmaking career. It is about a couple who go on the run after a man kills a drug dealer and steals his money where he and his new bride go to California in the hopes of selling the drugs to someone rich where so much goes wrong. Featuring a cool soundtrack and an ensemble cast that is out of this world. It is definitely a film that needs more love outside of fans of Tarantino and Scott.

3. Natural Born Killers

Though Tarantino only got a story credit for this film, it does bear a few elements that he is known for yet it remains largely something that Oliver Stone would do while also being inspired by Badlands. While it’s more of a commentary on mass media and their fascination with serial killers. It is still about a film about a couple on the run where they go on a killing spree all across America where they’re unaware of being exploited by the media. It’s a film that isn’t for everyone as it’s ultra-violent and definitely over-the-top but it’s probably the last great film Oliver Stone has ever made. The ensemble cast and a killer soundtrack curated by Trent Reznor as well as some phenomenal technical work makes it one of the defining films of the 1990s.

© thevoid99 2017