Goodfellas

Based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, Goodfellas is the story of mob associate Henry Hill who is part of a crew as they would rise high and later fall low once he gets himself in trouble and become a target by his own crew. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Scorsese and Pileggi, the film is a dramatization of Hill’s life as he lived a life of luxury as part of the mob while watching his world fall apart through his own faults and everything else as he is portrayed by Ray Liotta. Also starring Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino. Goodfellas is an exhilarating and wild film from Martin Scorsese.

Spanning nearly three decades, the film follows the life of a young man who becomes an associate for a mob boss doing small things and later rising up the ranks as a wise guy where he gets involved with a lot of things and live a nice life only to fall big through his own faults and other activities. It’s a film with a simple rise-and-fall scenario from screenwriters Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi where Henry Hill was this teenager who is fascinated by the local mob in his neighborhood as he offers to help them and manages to win their respect and trust. The script is largely told from Hill’s perspective as he worked for the mob boss Paulie Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and later befriends a truck hijacker in Jimmy Conway (Robert de Niro) and a fellow juvenile delinquent in Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). The first act is about Hill’s young life as he would befriend Cicero and become part of his crew doing small favors and such where he would meet Conway and DeVito. It is also the moment he meets Karen (Lorraine Bracco) would become his wife as she would also have some voice-over narration as it relates to her experience being the wife of a wise guy.

The film’s second act begins in 1970 as it relates to a violent encounter with the Gambino family member Billy Batts (Frank Vincent) over an insult he made towards DeVito. It would lead to all sorts of things relating to Hill’s own affairs with other women, a brief incarceration in prison during the 70s, the Lufthansa vault heist that was organized by Morrie Kessler (Chuck Low), and drugs. It all play into this lifestyle of getting whatever you want and be given special privileges that allow them to get away with what they want but also manage to get some things in prison that would make their stay more comfortable. The second act both begins and ends with a major death as it would lead to this third act that is the fall of Hill and his friends. Notably as it play into the severity of Hill’s drug problems and other aspects in the business that would eventually get him in trouble.

Martin Scorsese’s direction definitely has a flair for style from the opening credits sequence designed by Saul Bass as well as the way the film opens with Hill, Conway, and DeVito driving onto a highway as they hear something bumping in the trunk as it would relate to an incident during the film’s second act. Much of the film is shot on various locations in New York, New Jersey, and parts of Long Island in New York as it play into this culture of Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, and Jewish-Italian Americans who are part of this world that is working-class but these wise guys live a life that can get them whatever they want. There are some wide shots that Scorsese would use to get a scope of the locations yet much of his direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots. Even as Scorsese would use these intricate tracking shots to play into some locations such as a nightclub along with some stylistic shots that play into the violence and drama. Scorsese also infuse elements of humor as it relates to DeVito and the stories he tells as well as his own violent outbursts after he shoots someone who wouldn’t take shit from him.

The Billy Batts scene is one filled with dark humor and some confrontational dialogue that would be followed by a comical moment at the home of DeVito’s mother (Catherine Scorsese) as she, her son, Conway, and Hill eat breakfast as it play into Scorsese’s offbeat tone as Scorsese would focus some attention on the car knowing something is up. The scenes of decadence and excess are heightened that includes this fiery sequence early in the third act where Hill’s cocaine addiction finally catches up with him as he believes someone is watching him with shots of helicopters and all sorts of things. Scorsese also play into this sense of drama that looms during the third act as well as some moments late in the second act that relates to Lufthansa and the players involved where there is a melancholia that would be prominent into its third act and what happens in the end. Overall, Scorsese creates a riveting yet outrageous film about the life of a mob hood and the craziness he endures as part of a crew.

Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography where Ballhaus maintains a straightforward look for many of the daytime exterior scenes along with some stylish lights for some scenes set at night. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does incredible work with the editing with its stylish usage of freeze-frames, slow-motion shots, jump-cuts, and other stylistic editing techniques as it help play into the action and suspense as it is one of the film’s major highlights. Production designer Kristi Zea, with set decorator Leslie Bloom and art director Maher Ahmad, does excellent work with the look of the homes that Hill lived in as well as the homes of friends and the places he, Conway, and DeVito go to as well as the prison cell he and Cicero shared.

Costume designer Richard Bruno does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish suits the men wear as well as the clothes and fur coats the women wear to play into the evolving period of the times. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does amazing work with the sound in the way sound effects are presented as well as gunfire, the atmosphere of a club or a restaurant, and other textures as it play into the suspense and drama as it’s a highlight of the film. The film’s tremendous music soundtrack is a highlight of the film as it help play into the evolving period of the times as well as some of the craziness that occurs as it features contributions from Tony Bennett, the Moonglows, the Cadillacs, Billy Ward and His Dominoes, the Chantels, the Harptones, Otis Williams and the Charms, Mina, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Darin, the Rolling Stones, Harry Nilsson, Derek and the Dominos, Muddy Waters, Cream, the Shangri-Las, Bobby Vinton, Betty Curtis, the Crystals, Dean Martin, Donovan, the Who, George Harrison, and Sid Vicious.

The casting by Ellen Lewis is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Tony Sirico as a member of Cicero’s gang in Tony Stacks, Michael Imperioli as a young man handing out drinks during a poker game in Spider, Mike Starr as a trucker friend of Conway in Frenchy, Frank Sivero as an associate of Conway in Frankie Carbone, Samuel L. Jackson as a musician/trucker named Stacks who was part of the Lufthansa heist, Catherine Scorsese as DeVito’s mother, Charles Scorsese as one of Cicero’s cellmates in Vinnie who likes to put a lot of onions in the tomato sauce, Gina Mastrogiacomo as one of Hill’s mistresses in Janice Rossi, Welker White as the Hills’ babysitter Lois who also does drug deal for them, Debi Mazar as another of Hill’s mistress in Sandy who would help him with the cocaine, Illeana Douglas as a mob girlfriend in Rosie, Joseph D’Onofrio as the young Tommy, Christopher Sirrone as the young Henry, Margo Winkler as Morrie’s wife, Vincent Pastore as a coatrack man, Kevin Corrigan as Henry’s younger brother Michael, and Chuck Low as the salesman Morrie Kessler who helps organize the Lufthansa heist.

Frank Vincent is brilliant in his one-scene performance as Billy Batts as a revered mob figure who insults DeVito at a bar on the night he returns to Jersey as he is just trying to have fun and relax. Paul Sorvino is fantastic as Paulie Cicero as a mob boss who is trying to run his crew as he also ensures that Hill gets his shit together while they also share a prison cell together while disapproving about Hill’s fascination with drugs. Lorraine Bracco is excellent as Karen as Hill’s wife who meets him at a blind date and then confronts him when he stands her up for a second date as she becomes bewildered by the mob culture yet also enjoys the lifestyle and its perks only to realize the dangers of the lifestyle that includes a terrible cocaine addiction.

Joe Pesci is marvelous as Tommy DeVito as a fast-talking, confrontational mob figure who says a lot of shit but has a short fuse where he can get really violent as it’s Pesci being extremely funny but also scary at times as it’s really one of his most iconic performances. Robert de Niro is remarkable as Jimmy Conway as a mob hood who works for Cicero yet is someone who can get things done and make more money while running small operations including the Lufthansa heist as he helped run that heist and ensure that no one gets way over their heads with the success of the heist. Finally, there’s Ray Liotta in a phenomenal performance as Henry Hill as a Jewish-Italian man who becomes fascinated by the world of the wise guys as a kid as he later becomes a man that gets things done but never kills anyone yet doesn’t mind giving someone beatings or live a good life only to endure a terrible cocaine addiction as it’s Liotta displaying a ferocity and vulnerability as a man who puts himself and his family in great danger only to realize what he must do to save himself but a terrible price.

Goodfellas is a magnificent film from Martin Scorsese. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a compelling rise-and-fall story, striking visuals, top-notch editing, and gripping music soundtrack. It's a film that explores the life of a mob hood trying to live a lifestyle of excess and vast riches only to get caught up in some bad shit as it’s told in an offbeat yet exhilarating fashion. In the end, Goodfellas is an outstanding film from Martin Scorsese.

Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) – (Street Scenes) – Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) – Italianamerican - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) – Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Cape Fear (1991 film) - The Age of Innocence (1993 film) - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) – (Casino) – (Kundun) – (My Voyage to Italy) – Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) – Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) – No Direction Home - The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) – (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The Fifty Year Argument) – The Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman (2019 film)) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)

© thevoid99 2019

Snake Eyes

Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by David Koepp from a story by de Palma and Koepp, Snake Eyes is the story of a police detective who attends a boxing match with a friend where an assassination takes place with everyone being a suspect. The film is a suspense-thriller that plays into a man dealing with his surroundings as well as wondering if what he claims to see really happened. Starring Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, Carla Gugino, John Heard, Stan Shaw, and Kevin Dunn. Snake Eyes is a complex and mesmerizing film from Brian de Palma.

Set in Atlantic City on a rainy night where a major boxing fight is to occur in a hotel/casino before it’s to be torn down, an assassination of a defense secretary happens where a corrupt police detective was sitting in front of the man as he notices something is off as he and a friend find out what’s going on. It’s a film that plays into conspiracy theories over this assassination and who is involved and why where this crooked detective in Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) is there just to see a fight only to suddenly having to work where he would realize that this wasn’t a typical assassination. David Koepp’s screenplay takes this simple premise of an investigation into this assassination where everyone is a suspect including this woman named Julia Costello (Carla Gugino) who was talking the defense secretary Charles Kirkland (Joel Fabiani) just as he was shot while she would also get a wound in her left arm.

With his friend Commander Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise) also investigating as he was Kirkland’s bodyguard who had suspected a woman in red named Serena (Jayne Heitmeyer) for being there without a ticket to the fight. Santoro would notice little things that are suspicious such as the fight as well as some of the people watching it which play into his need to find truth. Though Santoro is a flawed individual as he admittedly takes bribes and always gamble as well as being despicable at times. Still, he is a man that is willing to do his job as he would later deal with the fact that something isn’t right as the script does reveal a key twist during its second act with everything coming ahead for its third as Koepp maintains a sense of intrigue but also motivations into why this defense secretary is killed.

Brian de Palma’s direction is definitely stylish with its intricate tracking shots, crane shots, and all sorts of things which is often expected from de Palma. Notably the way he opens the film with this 12-minute continuous tracking shot with some invisible cuts that play into Santoro and his wild persona as the first thing shown is a newscaster (Tamara Tunie) on TV reporting outside of the casino as a major storm is happening and it then the camera pans to another TV screen where another reporter in Lou Logan (Kevin Dunn) is covering the fight and then the camera pans to Logan being filmed with Santoro walking behind him. This intricate shot showcases so much in the wide and medium shots as well as de Palma establishing what is happening and where Santoro is going he is also talking on the phone to his wife and a mistress as well as other people before sitting with Commander Dunne who would leave to deal with the woman in red where Julia would take Dunne’s seat to talk to Kirkland with nothing on the fight shot during this 12-minute sequence. The film would then become this suspense-thriller that showcases the event of the assassination as well as what was happening in the fight as well what was Commander Dunne doing and what Julie was talking to Kirkland about before he died.

These different point-of-views happen early in the second act as well as the twist which definitely show that there is something going on as de Palma uses this reveal to show a much bigger picture. Even as Julia becomes a target as she knows who might’ve planned the assassination yet isn’t able to identify the person because she can’t really see anything without glasses. These little details that include this intricate crane-tracking shot of the hotel rooms from above is among some of de Palma’s finest moments in playing up the suspense. The film’s climax play into not just the reveal of who planned the assassination and why but also the fact that there’s many people involved that someone as corrupt and troubled as Santoro would be likely to take whatever money is offered to not get involved. Yet, de Palma knows that even those who aren’t perfect and corrupt couldn’t exactly walk away from doing the right thing no matter how bad things can be. Overall, de Palma creates a wild yet gripping film about a detective figuring out who killed a man at a boxing match.

Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in its usage of lights and soft focuses as well as create an atmosphere for many of the interiors including the hotel rooms, the casino, and the arena where the boxing match takes place. Editor Bill Pankow does excellent work with the editing with its usage of stylish invisible cuts, jump-cuts, split-screens, and fade-outs to play into the suspense that looms throughout the film. Production designer Anne Pritchard, with set decorator Daniel Carpentier plus art directors James Fox, Isabelle Guay, and Real Proulx, does amazing work with the look of the hotel rooms, the room of the boxer, and parts of the arena as well as some of the exteriors of the hotel/casino. Costume designer Odette Gadoury does terrific work with the costumes from the wild suit that Santoro wears for the fight to the stylish clothes some of the characters wear in the film.

Special effects supervisor Garry Elmendorf and visual effect supervisor Eric Brevig do fantastic work with some of the visual effects as it relates to the stormy weather for the film’s exterior including its climax. Sound editors Richard P. Cirincione and Maurice Schell do superb work with the sound in creating sound effects for the fight heard off screen as well as the chaos in the arena that relates to the crowd and gunfire. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto is wonderful for its orchestral score that play into the suspense with its string arrangements as well as bombastic pieces to play into the intensity of the reveals and other moments in the film.

The casting by Mary Colquhoun is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Adam C. Flores as the challenging boxer Jose Pacific Ruiz, Eric Hoziel as the shooter Tariq Rabat, James Whelan as the mayor of Atlantic City, Chip Chupika as the drunk in the audience, Jayne Heitmeyer as the woman in red named Serena, Chip Zien as Tyler’s manager, Michael Rispoli as Tyler’s agent, Tamara Tunie as the reporter Anthea, Peter McRobbie as a FBI official, Mike Starr as the casino security head Walt McGahn who helps Santoro, David Michael Higgins as a man Julia seduces into his hotel room so she can hide, and Luis Guzman as a friend of Tyler in Cyrus whom Santoro beats up over money which he uses to gamble.

Kevin Dunn is superb as the fight reporter Lou Logan as a friend of Santoro who is eager to get a break while would help Santoro reveal some things that Logan’s crew filmed. John Heard is fantastic as the hotel/casino owner Gilbert Powell who is believed to be part of the conspiracy as a way to get money for the new hotel he wants to create. Joel Fabiani is terrific as the defense secretary Charles Kirkland as the target of this assassination as a man who has the power to do something yet is unaware of what he will do as there are those that want him dead. Stan Shaw is excellent as the boxing champion Lincoln Tyler as a man who is believed to be part of the conspiracy as Santoro suspects his involvement where he is revealed to be a flawed man that is dealing with all sorts of problems.

Carla Gugino is brilliant as Julia Costello as a woman working in the defense department as she has uncovered some things that would harm a program as she also becomes a target forcing Santoro to protect her. Gary Sinise is amazing as Commander Kevin Dunne as Santoro’s best friend as a man that is assigned to protect Kirkland only to botch it as he copes with his shortcomings as well as become intent in uncovering the conspiracy. Finally, there’s Nicolas Cage in an incredible performance as Rick Santoro as a corrupt detective who attends the fight as a spectator only to see something is off as he does whatever he can to find out the truth only to cope with some major revelations as he becomes conflicted into doing what is right as well as loyalty.

Snake Eyes is a remarkable film from Brian de Palma that features a wild and fun performance from Nicolas Cage. Along with its supporting cast, complex twists and turns, dazzling visuals, and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s haunting score, it’s a film that bears a lot of the fun elements expected in a suspense thriller while also being this intriguing study of conspiracy and two men trying to uncover the truth with a woman being targeted for carrying the truth. In the end, Snake Eyes is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma.

Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible – Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale – The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) – (Domino (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2018

Ed Wood

Based on the biography Nightmare of Ecstasy by Rudolph Grey, Ed Wood is the story about one of cinema’s worst filmmakers as he struggles to find success through his offbeat yet cheaply-made films while forging a friendship with his idol in film actor Bela Lugosi. Directed by Tim Burton and screenplay by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the film explores a period in Wood’s life where he tries to succeed through film that would culminate with the release of his most infamous film in Plan 9 from Outer Space as the titular role is played by Johnny Depp while Martin Landau plays the role of Bela Lugosi. Also starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, George “The Animal” Steele, Lisa Marie, Jeffrey Jones, and Bill Murray. Ed Wood is a witty and enchanting film from Tim Burton.

The film explores the life of a young artist named Edward D. Wood Jr. as he is eager to become a filmmaker like his favorite director Orson Welles where he later meets his idol in Bela Lugosi who would take part in Wood’s films. The film explores Wood’s life from the early 1950s where he is trying to get his film career off the ground and climax with him making Plan 9 from Outer Space which he became very famous for but for all the wrong reasons. Along the way, Wood struggles through personal relationships that fall apart as well as trying to get funding for his films like Glen or Glenda and Bride of the Monster where they would be reviled by critics and audiences. Yet, Wood has this optimism that is so compelling in his belief that he will become a great filmmaker while helping out the man he worshipped in Lugosi who is struggling with his own addiction to morphine.

The film’s screenplay is quite straightforward in its narrative but also filled with lots of humor in the way Wood often tries to succeed with his pals and his girlfriend Dolores Fuller (Sarah Jessica Parker) early in his career. Wood’s meeting and friendship with Lugosi is the heart of the story where Wood hopes to revive Lugosi’s career by putting him in his films despite everyone’s claims that he is washed up. However, Lugosi feels revitalized despite his issues where Wood would receive the support from a young woman in Kathy O’Hara (Patricia Arquette). Other aspects of the film includes Wood’s love of transvestite as he likes to wear women’s clothing which made him want to take part in a film version about the Christine Jorgensen story which he convinces a producer to create his own version of the story that would become Glen or Glenda. The script also explores the group of friends that Wood has where they’re a group of eccentric people as it’s this band of misfits trying to make a name for themselves.

Tim Burton’s direction is definitely a homage of sorts to the works of Ed Wood as well as being this film that plays into Wood’s attempt to find success as a filmmaker. Burton showcases a lot of what goes in the world of film where Wood had to use limited resources and such in order to make his films where his limitations and lack of funds often contribute to the poor quality of his films. Most of which is played for laughs but Burton is very sympathetic to Wood’s determination as he believes he is trying to make something good. Much of the direction has Burton go for simple compositions while giving the film a very old-school feel that recalls the period of the 1950s as it’s shot on location in Los Angeles. Burton’s approach to recreating some of Wood’s films do play into its low-budget aesthetics as well as wooden and terrible acting which adds the sense of joy into the film. Even in the scenes involving Wood and Lugosi where it’s humorous but also full of heart as it showcases how important their friendship is. Overall, Burton creates a very heartwarming and very funny film about the film career of Ed Wood and his friendship with Bela Lugosi.

Cinematographer Stefan Czapsky does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to give the film a very old-school look to play into the period of the 1950s with some unique lighting schemes for some of its interiors and shots in its nighttime scenes. Editor Chris Lebenzon does excellent work in creating a straightforward style for most of the film including some stylish dissolves to play into Wood‘s own enthusiasm as a filmmaker. Production designer Tom Duffield, with set decorator Cricket Rowland and art director Okowita, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the set design of some of Wood‘s films which were quite terrible to the scary mansion ride where Wood and Kathy would have their first date at. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does amazing work with the clothes from some of the women‘s clothes and angora sweater that Wood would wear as well as the clothes of the other characters to play into their eccentricities.

Makeup designers Rick Baker, Ve Neill, and Yolanda Toussieng do superb work with the makeup from the look of some of the characters as well as Bela Lugosi as this old man often forced to live in the past. Visual effects supervisor Paul Boyington does nice work with some of the visual effects to play into the cheesy low-budget aesthetics of Wood‘s films. Sound editor John Nutt does terrific work with the film‘s sound from some of recreation of sound effects to the sounds that goes on in some of the film‘s locations. The film’s music by Howard Shore is wonderful for its orchestral score that features some lush string arrangements in its dramatic moments plus some light-hearted pieces in its comical scenes.

The casting by Victoria Thomas is great as it features some notable small roles from G.D. Spradlin as a preacher who would fund Plan 9, Ned Bellamy as Kathy’s chiropractor who would fill in for Lugosi in Plan 9, Max Casella and Brent Hinkley as two of Wood’s friends in their respective roles as notoriously bad actors Paul Marco and Conrad Brooks, the real Conrad Brooks as a bartender, Mike Starr as the exploitation film producer George Weiss who is reluctant to work with Wood, Juliet Landau as the actress Loretta King whom Wood mistakes an heiress as she would be a cause into Wood’s split with Dolores, and Vincent D’Onofrio as Orson Welles whom Wood would meet late in the film. Other noteworthy small roles include Lisa Marie who is wonderful as the TV host Vampira whom Lugosi likes as she would later work with Wood, George “The Animal” Steele in a terrific performance as the wrestler Tor Johnson, and Jeffrey Jones in a superb performance as the TV psychic entertainer Criswell who helps Wood get funding despite being wrong very often with his predictions.

Sarah Jessica Parker is excellent as Wood’s girlfriend Dolores Fuller who is often supportive but becomes frustrated by his lack of success as well as being a transvestite. Patricia Arquette is fantastic as Wood’s future wife Kathy O’Hara who not only accepts Wood for who he is but proves to be one of his biggest supporters. Bill Murray is hilarious as Wood’s openly-gay friend Bunny Breckenridge who often finds transvestites for Wood’s films as well as appear in them. Martin Landau is incredible as Bela Lugosi as he brings in a lot of energy into the role as well as being very foul-mouthed over Boris Karloff while trying to regain some attention as it’s Landau at his best. Finally, there’s Johnny Depp in a remarkable performance as the titular character as this very upbeat man who is eager to succeed while being a weirdo who likes to wear ladies’ clothing as it’s Depp in one of his quintessential performances.

Ed Wood is a phenomenal film from Tim Burton that features a great performance from Johnny Depp as the titular character as well as Martin Landau in an amazing performance as Bela Lugosi. The film isn’t just one of Burton’s best films but also a captivating story of a filmmaker trying to make it despite his lack of talent as it is a love letter to Wood but also a heartfelt story about Wood’s friendship with Lugosi. In the end, Ed Wood is a sensational film from Tim Burton.

Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) - Beetlejuice - Batman - (Edward Scissorhands) - Batman Returns - (Mars Attacks!) - (Sleepy Hollow) - (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) - (Big Fish) - (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) - (Corpse Bride) - (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) - (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) - (Dark Shadows) - (Frankenweenie) - (Big Eyes) - (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) - (Dumbo (2019 film)) - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

© thevoid99 2014

Cruising (1980 film)

Based on the novel by Gerald Walker, Cruising is the story of an undercover New York City cop who is tracking down a serial killer through the S&M gay nightclubs as gay men are the targets of the deaths. Written for the screen and directed by William Friedkin, the film is an exploration into the world of the gay subculture of leather bars during the late 1970s/early 1980s before the AIDS crisis would emerge. Starring Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen, Richard Cox, and Don Scardino. Cruising is a chilling although uneven thriller from William Friedkin.

The film is set into the sub-culture of the gay leather bars and sadomasochistic clubs in New York City where a New York City cop goes undercover to find a serial killer who had been killing gay men. Along the way, the cop deals with the growing homophobia among his fellow policemen while struggling with his role as an undercover cop as his personal life starts to fall apart. It’s a film that plays into a man going into a world that he doesn’t really know much about as he gets extremely close to this world. Even as he begins to wonder who the killer is as William Friedkin’s screenplay takes its time for the film’s protagonist in Steve Burns (Al Pacino) to study this gay subculture he’s in as he has to pretend to be gay by the way they walk and how they act.

Yet, he would struggle with his job and being undercover as his sporadic visits with his girlfriend Nancy (Karen Allen) are limited as the only person he can talk to his superior Captain Edelson (Paul Sorvino). Upon trying to find evidence and such about the world and who the killer might be, things do get more complicated where the film’s third act does become a mess. Even as the narrative reveals not just who the killer is and his motivations but it’s one that is never developed as Friedkin seems to try and make the killer a complex character but it never really gets fleshed out. Friedkin does also explore the world of homophobia from the way a couple of patrol officers harass two men in drag in one scene as well as the beating of a suspect from cops that would disgust Burns.

Friedkin’s direction is very interesting in the way he maintains an air of suspense in the film while the killings that are presented are quite brutal and gory. The film does open with a scene on the Hudson River where crew members on a barge ship find a severed arm. Friedkin’s use of close-ups and medium shots are very prevalent while he also infuses some very strange moments such as Burns at a leather bar dancing and getting high as it plays into his own descent. Friedkin maintains that sense of paranoia as well as terror in the way Burns deals with these murders as some of the violence is quite gruesome. The scenes at the leather bars and S&M clubs are quite provocative to showcase a world that is quite dangerous as well as foreign to a mainstream audience. Yet, some of it does play to stereotypes with the exception of a few characters who are fleshed out. Overall, Friedkin creates a very engaging yet messy thriller about a man going undercover into the world of gay leather bars and S&M clubs.

Cinematographer James A. Contner does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the grimy look of the seedy New York City streets where many of the clubs happen as well as some of its low-key lighting in its interiors and other dazzling shots in those clubs. Editor Bud S. Smith, with additional editing by M. Scott Smith for its 2007 reissue, does amazing work in the editing to capture the air of suspense and terror in the killing scenes as well as some straightforward cuts for the dramatic moments. Production designer Bruce Weintraub, with set decorator Robert Drumheller and art director Edward Posini, does fantastic work with the look of the nightclubs that Burns would go to as well as the apartment that he would live in.

Costume designer Robert De Mora does nice work with the costumes that features a lot of stylish clothes and leather gear that many of the gay men would wear. Sound editor Charles L. Campbell, with additional remixing by Aaron Levy for its 2007 reissue, does superb work with the sound from the way the parties at the clubs sound to the moments in many of the locations in New York City. The film’s music by Jack Nitzsche is brilliant for its very eerie classical guitar score that plays into its suspense while the soundtrack features music by the Germs, Willy DeVille, John Hiatt, Mutiny, and other underground punk and dance-rock acts of the times.

The casting by Louis DiGiamo is terrific as it features some notable small roles from James Remar as a roommate of Burns’ gay neighbor, Ed O’Neill as a detective, Mike Starr and Joe Spinell as a couple of patrolmen who harass two men in drag, Powers Boothe as a hanky salesman, Allan Miller as a chief of detectives, and Gene Davis as one of those men in drag who is also an informant for Captain Edelson. Jay Acovone is superb as a young hustler who is a suspect in the case as Burns sees him as a victim while Richard Cox is excellent as another suspect in the case who is actually really troubled. Karen Allen is pretty good in a somewhat thankless role as Burns’ girlfriend as she is often concerned about him.

Don Scardino is wonderful as Burns’ neighbor Ted whom Burns befriends as he brings a nice complexity to a character that could’ve been a stereotype but manages to be so much more. Paul Sorvino is amazing as Captain Edelson who is the one contact that Burns has as he is concerned with Burns’ well-being as well as see gays as real people rather than the stereotypes his homophobic officers act towards him. Finally, there’s Al Pacino in a marvelous performance as Steve Burns as an undercover cop who takes his first undercover assignment as he struggles with his new surroundings as he tries to find the killer while dealing with the homophobia that surrounds the police department as it’s one of Pacino’s more underrated performances.

Cruising is a stellar yet flawed film from William Friedkin that features an excellent performance from Al Pacino. While it’s a film that is very controversial in the way it explores a part of a gay subculture that was taboo at its time. It is still interesting as it navigates into a dark world where gays are the victims where a man tries to find their killer. In the end, Cruising is a very good film from William Friedkin.

William Friedkin Films: (Good Times) - (The Birthday Party) - (The Night They Raided Minsky’s) - (The Boys in the Band) - The French Connection - The Exorcist- Sorcerer - (Brink’s Job) - ((Deal of the Century) - To Live and Die in L.A. - (Rampage (1987 film)) - (The Guardian (1990 film)) - (Blue Chips) - (Jailbreakers) - (Jade) - (12 Angry Men (1997 TV film)) - (Rules of Engagement) - (The Hunted (2003 film)) - Bug - Killer Joe

© thevoid99 2014

The Black Dahlia

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/17/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on James Ellroy's novel that is based on the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, The Black Dahlia is the story of two detectives who investigate the murder of an aspiring actress as it would take a mental and emotional toll on the two men as well as their relationship for a young woman as a doppelganger seduces one of them. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by Josh Friedman, the film is an exploration into a mysterious murder that occurred in the late 1940s as two men become lost in the mystery of who kill this woman. Starring Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Mia Kirshner, Mike Starr, Patrick Fischler, John Kavanagh, Jemima Rooper, Fiona Shaw, Rachel Miner, Rose McGowan, and Hilary Swank. The Black Dahlia is a stylish but very underwhelming film from Brian de Palma.

After a charity fight to raise the salary of L.A. policeman, local street cop Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) become opponents for the fight publicized by Ellis Loew (Patrick Fischler) as the two later become partners in the Warrants division as Bleichert also befriends Blanchard's girlfriend Kay Lake (Scarlett Johansson). The two become successful in their work while Bleichart and Lake realize they're attracted to each other but keep their feelings intact out of respect for Blanchard. During a case to catch a child rapist where they encounter a shootout, the two find the body of a dead woman cut in half as she's revealed to be Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner). With news of the release of a criminal in Bobby DeWitt (Richard Brake) and the graphic nature of Short's death, Blanchard starts to unravel who wants to go after DeWitt but has to work on the Short case with Bleichert who learns a lot about Short and her aspirations to be an actress.

Bleichert's investigation leads him to clues that includes a journey into the underground lesbian bars where he meets a Short doppelganger in socialist Madeline Linscott (Hilary Swank) who later invites him to to a family dinner. Bleichert and Linscott would have an affair as he later retrieves a stag film that featured short and her friend Lorna Mertz (Jemima Rooper) which makes Blanchard more uneasy as he is later taken out of the case while an earlier case to lead to a falling out between him and Bleichert. Kay later reveals some information about Blanchard's state of mind and why he's become uneasy as things eventually get worse where Bleichert learns a deeper connection between Short and the Linscott family as he gets closer to close the case.

While the film has all of the elements of a stylish, 1940s film-noir and crime stories, it also has the style that Brian de Palma is known for when it comes to suspense considering his often ode to Alfred Hitchcock. Unfortunately, despite all of de Palma's efforts to create a fascinating, intriguing mystery. It loses its sense of direction right into the third act. While screenwriter Josh Friedman does create a faithful adaptation the Ellroy novel. What is lost is many of the psychological and character study aspect of Ellroy. Instead, the script loses some insight into the characters, the murder, and most of all, Bleichert's obsession with Short.

The changes from the book to script are unfortunate since it loses some of its suspense and the style of Ellroy's writing which weaves and entrances its audience. While the first two acts are faithful with some stuff along with major subplots and characters not making it into the film adaptation. The third act is crucial yet misses a lot on the psychological aspect of Ellroy's work where a lot of things is lost and the suspense in the book gets crammed up in too many moments. Notably the confrontation between the Linscott and Bleichert where too much goes on where in the book, Bleichert confronts the Sprague family on a series of suspenseful sequences.

The fault is really to Friedman and de Palma for wrapping things up a bit too fast while having some bizarre sequences, notably the DeWitt confrontation which in the book, is set in Tijuana, Mexico but in the film, it's in Los Angeles where it doesn't entirely work. It ends up overwhelming itself where a lot of the drama and action is forced and de Palma seems to have rushed things a bit too quickly. Still, de Palma does create some fascinating work that is reminiscent to his past films like a boxing fight scene between Bleichert and Blanchard. Some scenes are definitely borrowed from 1940s films with soft lenses on some scenes that adds style to the film. The only real falter in de Palma's directing is the ending. It feels totally false and not true to the character of Bleichert where his character in the end is forced to grow up and confront some inner demons. In the film, it wraps up to quickly with no resolve and comes out very lame. Overall, despite some strong moments in the film, de Palma loses sight of everything by the third and final act.

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does some wonderful work in the photography whether its some lovely, soft touches in some emotional sequences between Bleichert and Kay to some of the shading of windows that is true to the noir-style. Zsigmond's work also shines in many of the film's exterior's shot in Los Angeles while the interiors are very intimate with some great long shots from de Palma's directing as the veteran cinematographer does some fascinating work. Production designer Dante Ferretti and art directors Pier-Luigi Basile and Christopher Tandon adds a lot of flair and style to their extravagant presentation of 1940s Los Angeles including the worldly Linscott home and the lesbian bar scenes that all of the interiors were shot in Bulgaria. Costume designer Jenny Beaven also does some great work in the 1940s costume work from the suits and Fedoras that the men wear to the black clothing Kirshner and Swank wear along with the more loose, silvery, grey clothes of Johansson.

Editor Bill Pankow does some nice cutting into the film while adding some great, curtain-like cuts that owes to the old, 1940s film editing style that adds flair to the film while doing great work in not cutting on some great long shots de Palma did. Sound designer Paula Fairfield also does some great work in the sound including an earthquake scene that does add atmosphere along with the sounds of gunshots and things that adds an intensity to the film. Score composer Mark Isham plays to the world of 1940s style of jazz while the orchestral score works in conveying the emotions and intensity of the suspense. The soundtrack also includes an old Cole Porter jazz number performed by k.d. lang in a cameo appearance that is fun in one of the film's lesbian bar scenes.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled that includes some small appearances from Rose McGowan, Kevin Dunn, Richard Brake, Troy Evans, Ian McNiece as the coroner, William Finley as the Linscott patriarch George Tilden, James Otis as Bucky's demented German father, and Scarface actor Pepe Serna in a cameo as Tomas dos Santos. Rachel Miner is good in the role of Martha Linscott but her character is underwritten since the book has more information on her. Miner isn't the only actress to suffer from the underwritten script as Jemima Rooper's Lorna Mertz is also underwritten since her character has more to hide despite a good performance from Rooper. Patrick Fischler is indeed, Ellis Loew as the publicity-driven D.A. who controls the investigation while trying to make a public thing for himself though the book had more of his plans. John Kavanagh is really good as the slimy, charming Emmett Linscott while noted character actor Mike Starr does some great work as the veteran good cop Russ Millard who unfortunately, is underused since Millard is a great character though Starr doe some great work.

In a performance that can be described as over-the-top, British actress Fiona Shaw gives a performance that goes way overboard as Ramona Linscott as she just goes all out to the point that it becomes unintentionally hilarious. Mia Kirshner delivers one of her best performances in the film's title role as she brings an innocence and sadness to Elizabeth Short as well as a troubling sexiness that is entrancing to watch. Hilary Swank continues to play interesting characters as she brings a lot of vamp in her role as the femme fatale Madeline Linscott. While the book portrayed Madeline as a more psychotic, seductive character, Swank does excellent work in playing sexy with a strange, Irish accent and a presence that is troubling. Though the performance is a bit over-the-top, it's nonetheless entertaining despite the fact it's underwritten. While Scarlett Johansson can transform herself into a true, 1940s starlet with her undeniable beauty. Her character however, suffers the most from the script since it's very underwritten in her connection with DeWitt as well as in her relationship with Bucky. Johansson still manages to be very good as the more guarded, traditional woman who loves the company of two men while often smoking a cigarette and being worrisome to everything around her.

Aaron Eckhart is really the film's best performance as the troubled Lee Blanchard. Eckhart has all of the sensitive tough guy qualities that Kay adores while his character ends up being more troubled with great reasons and a darker past beneath it. Eckhart is Lee Blanchard like the book though the script puts him in strange situations that isn't true to the character though Eckhart manages to do some fine work. Josh Hartnett isn't a great actor and never will be but he does manage to do some of his best work as Bucky Bleichert. While his narration and some of his performances, notably his scenes with the main actors are good. It's inconsistent since he often looks a bit wooden and sometimes, a bit smug including a confrontational scene between him and Johansson. It's not his best work, that goes to The Virgin Suicides, but Hartnett ends up being decent though the script fails to make his character into being far more complex and interesting.

While it has some moments that keeps it from being a disaster, The Black Dahlia is an over-stylized yet un-engaging film from Brian de Palma. While it has a good cast, great settings, look, and style, fans of the book will indeed be disappointed in what got cut and its psychological aspects of it. Fans of noir films will probably lean to the more successful and brilliant L.A. Confidential by Curtis Hanson that is also a novel by James Ellroy. In the end, while the film is entertaining and has style but lacks a lot of substance. In the end, The Black Dahlia is a very disappointing film-noir suspense film from Brian de Palma.

Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) - (Greetings) - (The Wedding Party) - (Dionysus in ‘69) - (Hi, Mom!) - (Get to Know Your Rabbit) - Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise - Obsession - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) - Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito’s Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale - (Redacted) - Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2013

Summer of Sam

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/3/07.

The summer of 1977 in New York City was definitely the hottest and chaotic summers the city has known for. It was a year the New York Yankees were being led by Reggie Jackson. The year were a black-out ensued leading to riots in the poorer parts of the city. Meanwhile further downtown in Manhattan, two clubs were re-defining pop culture. There was the chic, glamorous world of Studio 54 with its disco music, anything goes behavior, and debauchery that was exclusive to those who wanted to be part of the in-crowd. The other club was down in the Bowery at CBGB's were it was the epic-center of the punk rock movement where it was the antithesis of everything Studio 54 stood for. That summer was also known for something far darker as many people were scared to go outside because of a serial killer named the Son of Sam who shoot people at night and sometimes, in their car. Fortunately, the Son of Sam whose real identity was David Berkowitz was captured. In 1999, Spike Lee directed a film chronicling that troubling summer for his film Summer of Sam.

Written by Spike Lee with Victor Colicchio, and The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli, Summer of Sam tells the story of an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx in danger of the killer known as the Son of Sam. Revolving around a womanizing hairdresser and his punk-rock loving friend, everyone in the neighborhood tries to find out who the killer is while dealing with the hot summer, blackouts, and the Yankees trying to win another season. Starring John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino, Jennifer Esposito, Michael Rispoli, Brian Tarantina, Ben Gazzara, Arthur J. Nascarella, Anthony LaPaglia, Roger Guenveur Smith, Patti Lupone, Mike Starr, Bebe Neuwirth, Jimmy Breslin, with Michael Badalucco, and the voice of Lee regular John Turturro. Summer of Sam is an excellent, stylish portrait of the dark summer of 1977.

It's 1977 in the Bronx at a disco where Vinny (John Leguizamo) and his wife Dionna (Mira Sorvino) are hanging out a disco with their friends including bartender Joey T. (Michael Rispoli). When Dionna's Italian cousin Chiara (Lucia Grillo) wants to go home, Vinny was asked to take her home. Vinny and Chiara have sex in a car where another car was behind them. Returning to the disco, Vinny thinks nothing is going wrong until on his way home, he sees the same car he saw earlier where a couple was dead with gunshot wounds. Vinny realized that the Son of Sam might've seen him. Filled with guilt and paranoia, Vinny turns to Joey T. and the rest of their Italian buddies Brian (Ken Garito) and Anthony (Al Palagonia) are hanging out in their spot. Arriving onto their spot with a new look is Vinny's old childhood friend Richie (Adrien Brody) sporting a punk-rock look that's freaked out the rest of the gang. Brian's half-sister Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) notices Richie's new look which brings her some new excitement.

It's been a year that the Son of Sam has been killing people as Detective Lou Petrocelli (Anthony LaPaglia) and his partner Curt Atwater (Roger Guenveur Smith) turn to local mob organizer Luigi (Ben Gazzara) for help into catching the killer. Luigi, at first, doesn't but because of the letter Lou found, he decides to help out. Vinny meanwhile, wants to do right by not having affairs though he still has a fling with salon boss Gloria (Bebe Neuwirth). After getting kicked out in his mother's home and forced to live in the garage, Richie gets some surprising support from Ruby, who wants to ditch her disco look for the new punk look. Especially since she knows the Son of Sam is going after women with brunette hair. Dionna begins to wonder on how to satisfy Vinny sexually thinking he's cheating on her. Vinny professes his love to her while becoming paranoid over the Son of Sam. With Ruby's help, Richie gets a job dancing in gay clubs run by Midnite (Michael Imperioli) and doing porno films as the two hope to start a punk band.

Things only get worse as a heat wave arrives on New York City causing blackouts as a riot ensued in Harlem where John Jeffries (Spike Lee) is reporting on the riots while Luigi believes that the Son of Sam is trying to attack on that night during the blackout. Fortunately, he didn't while Joey T. with Brian, Anthony, and Woodstock (Saverio Guerra) make a list of suspects where Woodstock claims the killer is Reggie Jackson. During a night out in which, Dionna wears a blond wig, she and Vinny stop to see the club CBGB's at the Bowery which disgusts both of them because Ruby and Richie are there. Instead, they go to Studio 54 hoping to get in where they meet a photographer named Simon (John Savage) where they take part in an orgy that causes some repercussions.

Richie's appearance in the neighborhood including diners have made the locals uncomfortable. Though Ruby, his mother (Patti Lupone), and stepfather (Mike Starr) disagree, the neighborhood thinks Richie is a suspect where Joey T. thinks he's the Son of Sam. Especially after receiving a tip from their gay, transvestite friend Bobby (Brian Tarantina) who saw him at the gay club. With Vinny's life falling apart, he turns to drugs where he begins to think that his best friend could be the Son of Sam when really, a mailman named David Berkowitz (Michael Badalucco) is revealed to be the killer with .44 caliber pistol.

Spike Lee, like another New York director Martin Scorsese, knows full well of what it was like being in New York City in all of its different cultures and locations. Since he’s going back in time to 1977, Lee chooses to explore a different world than his typical world of African-American life in previous films. While there’s a few admitted stereotypes in the Italian-American characters that are known to be idiotic at times and maybe carried away. Lee and his writers do present some positive aspects of the characters since it's all about community and how they badly react to outsiders. More importantly, Lee and his writers do excellent work in creating the atmosphere of what it was like back in the summer of 1977 with brief insight into his own Bedford-Stuy neighborhood where a murder from the Son of Sam occurred.

While Lee's direction is filled with some great moments including the close-ups and moving platform shots that's a trademark of Lee. There's even some great scenery with a few music sequences as it plays well to the time. One sequence that is notable in all of its grittiness is the stuff involving David Berkowitz who claims he was ordered by a dog named Harvey (voiced by John Turturro). The film adds a bit of horror and black-humor while the scenes of murder are horrifying to watch, particularly a sequence with the voice of Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto doing play-by-play as Berkowitz hits his target. The only thing that Lee and his writers don't get right is the punk rock scene and references. While the Who are considered to be one of the influences of punk, especially through the mind of Richie. In 1977, the Who were regarded as dinosaurs in the punk community. Plus, those in the punk rock scene didn't wear nose rings or had spiky hair at that time. That's the film's only real flaw was its inaccurate depiction to the punk rock movement since it's a place that not many people, including those in that scene, want to exploit.

Helping Lee in his visual presentation is cinematographer Ellen Kuras whose stylish, colorful camera work adds an arty feel to the film. Where most of the film's exterior, Bronx scenes are wonderfully colored; the sequences with Berkowitz, including a disco orgy scene, are shot with grainy camera work to play to the film's emotions and intensity. Kuras' lighting on some of the interior scenes and sequences are superb as she is truly one of the best cinematographers out there. Production designer Therese DePrez and art director Nicholas Lundy do great work in capturing the look of the disco scenes and clubs as well as the authentic look of Italian Bronx 1977. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter also does great work with the film's 70s clothing while the punk look was outrageous despite its inaccuracies. Editor Barry Alexander Brown does excellent work with the film's editing giving the film a sense of rhythm with its jump-cuts and perspective cuts where it adds to the style that Lee wants. Sound editor Ken Lee also does great work in bringing the tense atmosphere of the times with the layers of gunshots to create suspense.

Longtime Lee collaborator Terence Blanchard brings a wonderfully symphonic film score to play to the film's drama and the suspense towards the times. The film's soundtrack is filled with a large array of disco classics from ABBA, Thelma Houston, Marvin Gaye, the Emotions, Barry White, Chic and MFSB. Also included are cuts from the Who, Elvin Bishop, Elton John, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, and a very appropriate cut from the Talking Heads.

The cast is wonderfully assembled with memorable small performances from Brian Tarantina, Ken Garito, Saverio Guerra, Al Palagonia, and Lucia Grillo despite the stereotypes they play. Other small roles from Mike Starr, Michael Imperioli John Savage, Patti Lupone, Bebe Neuwirth, and Arthur J. Nascarella as Dionna's father Luigi are better with Anthony LaPaglia and Roger Guenveur Smith as the cops bringing excellent support. Ben Gazzara is excellent and subdued as the wise mob boss Mario while the film also features some notable cameos from Spike Lee as a reporter, his sister Joie as a resident of Bedford-Stuy, Evander Holyfield as a person in the riots, John Turturro as the voice of a dog, and Jimmy Breslin who opens and closes the film with some narration on that dreadful summer. Michael Rispoli is excellent as the tough but cautious Joey T. despite the fact that he's an idiot at times while he's just wanting to do what's right though his intentions are wrong.

Though he's only in the film briefly and playing the role of the Son of Sam/David Berkowitz, Michael Badalucco does great work in bringing the insanity of Berkowitz while trying to hide his face and identity throughout the film. Jennifer Esposito is excellent as the lush, vibrant Ruby whose newfound sense of individuality brings energy to the film as she is one of the female character who try something new while having some great chemistry with Adrien Brody. Mira Sorvino is in excellent form as the scorned wife who wonders what she wants from her husband only to develop into a woman who realizes that she had done nothing wrong at all. Sorvino, who hasn't done a lot of great work since winning the Oscar for Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite, remains to be an underrated actress.

John Leguizamo is also in excellent form as the cheating, pill-popping, paranoid Vinny whose sense of morality is question as he becomes the most easily manipulated character in the film through his friends (except Richie) and his own penis. Finally, there's Adrien Brody in a fantastic role as Richie. The misunderstood punk kid who is trying to do his own thing despite what people think he is. Though his affiliation with punk is a bit mis-guided, Brody owns the role with his wit and charm while doing some cool dances at the gay club sequences.

Though Summer of Sam isn't a perfect film, it is still an excellent chronicle of that infamous summer by the always-brilliant Spike Lee. With an excellent cast led by Adrien Brody, John Leguizamo, Mira Sorvino, and Jennifer Esposito, it's a film that is part nostalgia, part suspense. While it's not one of Spike Lee's classic films, it's still notable for the fact that it's a change of pace from his study of African-American life as he reveals to be a humanist director despite some of his cynical views. In the end, Summer of Sam is an excellent portrait of the infamous summer of '77 from one of NYC's finest, Spike Lee.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - Crooklyn - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get on the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Freak - (The Original Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi Raq) - Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlacKkKlansman - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2011