Killer B's: The 237 Best Movies on Video You've (Probably) Never Seen

By D. Scott Apel

The iTunes Movie Guru (Emeritus) shares his selection of the best unknown movies available for home viewing. We live in an age of unprecedented access to movies. Too bad most of them suck. Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Hulu Plus... Thousands and thousands of movies are available at your fingertips. But with so many titles, the big question remains How do you find a good movie? The answer: Killer B’s: The 237 Best Movies on Video You’ve (Probably) Never Seen. Killer B’s makes full use of the on-demand advantage: easy access to lesser-known films. It’s just as easy to find a hidden gem as a recent blockbuster...if you know what you’re looking for. Killer B’s lets you know what to look for. Whatever you call them -- buried treasures, sleepers, word of mouth movies, or "killer" B movies -- these are great little films that never got the publicity, distribution or attention they needed to allow their audience to find them. Killer B’s are terrific but little-known films, designed with a general audience in mind -- no "cult classics," no "forgotten favorites," no "so bad they're good" flicks, just the delight of discovery. Life’s too short to watch bad films. Don’t be stung by bad movies—put Killer B’s to work for you, and find a few good movies you’ve (possibly) never heard of and (probably) never seen!

• Language: English
• Publisher: D. Scott Apel
• Release date: Sep 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781886404083

Book preview

Introduction

to the 2015 Edition

We live in an age of unprecedented access to movies. Too bad most of them suck.

Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Hulu Plus... Thousands and thousands of movies are available at your fingertips, with nearly as many delivery systems (DVDs and Blu-rays; streaming and downloading; cable and satellite channels; pay-per-view and on demand) to get them onto your screen of choice (TV, computer, tablet, phone, whatever). The technology of obtaining movies continues to advance. But one key non-technical problem has yet to be solved: With so many titles available, how do you find a good movie?

We know the methods that don’t work. Scanning through title lists for something good to watch, for instance, is a little like being blindfolded at a buffet: If we choose something at random, are we going to get paté or the dog’s brunch? Social media recommendations are clearly useless; every movie, no matter how gawdawful, has its champion, even if that champion is one lone nutwad with a website, blog, vlog, podcast, YouTube channel, Facebook wall and Twitter account (and, apparently, way too much free time). User reviews are at best iffy, and at worst the opposite of helpful. How many times have you read an illegible, illiterate review like THE BEST MOVIE IVE EVER SCENE!!!!!!!! for some steaming heap of cinematic trash like Twilight or Funny Games? (My question to these posters is, "Just how many movies have you seen? More than one?")

So how then do you find a good movie? The answer: Killer B’s: The 237 Best Movies on Video You’ve (Probably) Never Seen.

Why is Killer B’s the solution? Glad I pretended you asked. Killer B’s makes full use of the on demand advantage: easy access to lesser-known films. It’s just as easy to find a hidden gem as a recent blockbuster...if you know what you’re looking for. Killer B’s tells you what to look for.

Killer B’s isn’t just another movie guide. It is, in fact, the direct opposite of most movie guides, in print or online. To use those guides, you first find a film that looks promising, then you look it up to find out its rating. Killer B’s works in reverse: It’s my intention to suggest titles with the goal of inspiring you to seek them out.

Did you ever stumble across a great unknown little film and feel like you’d discovered it? Did you ever watch an obscure movie on the recommendation of a friend only to have it become one of your favorite films? If so, maybe we’re on the same wavelength: the delight of discovery.

Killer B’s puts an end to the guesswork about whether an unknown film is worth watching, because every film in this book is recommended—I’ve separated the wheat from the chaff for you. Of course, not every film in Killer B’s is suitable for every viewer. But I’ve attempted to include descriptions detailed enough to allow you to decide for yourself whether or not you’re likely to like a particular picture. If you find a film in this book that sounds appealing, it’s a pretty good bet that you’ll enjoy it. And if the review indicates that this particular flick is not your cup of tea, then consider the time and money you’ve saved by not renting it! (No need to thank me—just doing my job.)

Speaking of jobs... My six-year tenure as the iTunes Movie Guru convinced me that most movie viewers want one thing: the latest, greatest blockbuster. Their interest in film ends with what’s hip, what’s hot, what’s new, what’s now. This book is not for them (even though they desperately need it). But if you share my unquenchable thirst for exceptional cinema, regardless of its pedigree, I hope you’ll take advantage of—and benefit from—my relentless quest for quality and for emotionally engaging entertainment. (And alliteration.)

Life’s too short to watch bad films. Don’t be stung by bad movies—put Killer B’s to work for you, and find a few good movies you’ve (possibly) never heard of and (probably) never seen!

Killer B’s:

A Detailed Definition

(or, "Why is that in this book?")

Just what is a Killer B?

It’s a minor (B) movie that is excellent, outstanding, and awesome (i.e., killer). It’s a relatively unknown film that’s every bit as first-rate as most first-run features. It’s a bit of undiscovered cinema exceptional enough to excite even jaded movie viewers.

Killer B’s are terrific but little-known films that never got the publicity, distribution or attention they needed to allow their audience to find them. They are commendable movies that were lost in the shuffle of hundreds of new releases every year. They are movies that Entertainment Weekly calls criminally underrated. They are the sort of movie you feel impelled to tell friends about, as Shiela Benson put it in her 1985 Los Angeles Times review of The Hit (a film you’ll find in this volume under Mystery, Suspense & Thriller).

Some of these films moved through theaters so fast that if you were sick that day, you missed them. Some played only at small art houses in large cities. Others skipped the theatrical circuit altogether, and went straight to video. And all were swept away into obscurity by the tsunami of weekly releases.

Killer B’s are very similar to movies that have long been referred to as buried treasures or sleepers. What is it, then, that differentiates a Killer B from these other types of undiscovered little films?

My selection criteria were, for the most part, arbitrary but logical (as far as I know. I am neither Sherlock nor Spock, however.)

First, I eliminated titles that are too well known. Most movies that were popular enough to make any theatrical or video rental top ten list, for example, were rejected. Second, I used a start date of 1980, to limit the list and to keep the films contemporary. Third, I tried to chart an MOR (middle of the road) course to ensure that the majority of these titles are suitable for general audiences; I therefore rejected as candidates most sub-sub-genres (kaiju, kung fu, exploitation, splatter/slasher, etc.) and cult films (which deserve their own book, but most of which aren’t for general audiences, or they wouldn’t be cult flicks, duh). You also won’t find any grade Z, so bad they’re good trash flicks here. Killer B’s are good movies. (Details on the selection process can be found in the Front Matter section, now relocated to the back of this ebook edition. No, it’s not logical, but see my previous parenthetical remarks on Sherlock and Spock.)

Finally, there’s The Unwritten Rule—one additional, important criterion: I had to like it. If I didn’t like a film, it’s not in here. Not all blind dates inspire a spark—but some create real chemistry.

So what did I look for in a great overlooked or minor film? Primarily, excellence in one or more aspects: exceptional performances, a smart script, lush photography, appropriate pace, masterful direction. I looked for originality, intelligence, uniqueness, sincerity. I looked for overall engaging entertainment and for lasting impressions.

Above of all, however, I looked for genuinely affecting emotion. Whether the film was intended to inspire laughter, tears, awe or chills, I looked for an experience—for films that touched and affected me, with the hope that they will affect you similarly.

You’re holding 237 perfect examples of Killer B’s. Enjoy them...and get ready to find a few new films to love!

What’s New in the 2015 Edition?

This 2015 ebook edition reproduces the original 1997 print volume in terms of titles and content; however, several upgrades have been incorporated, including:

• Some of the Synopsis and Discussion sections have been expanded, taking advantage of the ebook luxury of infinite page space—in other words, the advantage that text does not have to be edited or massaged to fit on a single printed page.

• Some misinformation has been corrected. Some has not. Differentiating between the two is left as an exercise for the reader.

• All typograpical erors have been corected.

• In deference to ebook readers who download a sample of the book, most of what was originally Front Matter has been relegated to the end of the book. This moves more of the core material (movie reviews) to the front, so the sampling reader can make an informed decision about how enormously the book will enhance their life if they purchase it and read it in its entirety. The 1997 Introduction is retained in its original form, for, you know, nostalgia’s sake, but the remainder of the Front Matter material has been updated to reflect the seismic shift from videotape rentals—the original focus of Killer B’s—to an emphasis on the state of the art of movies on demand. Those interested only in finding a good unknown film now have this material up front; those interested in the details of selection and methodology can find this information following the main body of the book.

• Critical Credentials and Dissenting Opinion quotes have been retained from the original video guide book sources, but have been supplemented with more current quotes from numerous additional sources, including, occasionally, aggregate critical scores from the Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes websites when they are sufficiently extreme (high or low). Detailed information on the books and websites quoted in these sections can be found in the Front Matter.

Information you will not find in the 2015 edition:

• Video distributor (the label under which a film was released on videotape). This information has been eliminated since it is obsolete. Studio information has also been eliminated becase, really, who cares? Never once in the history of watching films at home has anyone ever said, Hey, you know what I’d really like to see tonight? One of those great Columbia TriStar classics!

• Availability information—that is, which on demand movie services carry which titles—is not included, since this is a moving target. Movies are added to and rotated out of all online services on a daily basis. If you want to find out where you can rent or purchase a title, Rotten Tomatoes provides this information online.

• Rating information by the various on demand movie services (and IMDb) is not included, since it is dynamic. A snapshot of a movie’s rating taken in September, 2014, might be totally irrelevant in 2024...or even in 2015.

And one last thing...

A final note to the 2015 edition: Many of the filmmakers whose freshman effort appeared in Killer B’s in 1997 have gone on to enormous fame—so much so in some cases that these titles might be too well known to qualify as unknown films in 2015. Specific examples include the Coen brothers (Blood Simple), Kevin Smith (Clerks), Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures), Michael Moore (Roger & Me) and Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom). I have retained these titles to keep the original content of Killer B’s intact, and because they are still worth watching. They were worth watching when they were unknown, and the fact that they have become better known over the past couple decades only verifies that they remain worth watching today. Hey, can I help it if I have an eye for talent?

The Killer B Challenge

The astute, extremely observant (or incredibly anal-retentive) reader might notice that there are actually 238 titles in this book. This is not a mistake; it’s a challenge. One of these Killer B’s is not a movie at all, but is in fact a fake.

Your mission (should you decide to accept it) is to spot the ringer. Can you determine which is the faux film? (Here’s a hint: Concentrate on the casting. If it were indeed a real movie, it would contain the archetypal Killer B cast: the actors most frequently represented in the other 237 titles in this book.)

This is not a contest—just a challenge. There are no prizes to be won, other than the personal satisfaction of knowing that you really know your Killer B’s.

Good luck—and happy hunting.

The Skeleton Key

Each review is formatted in the following manner:

1. Title

2. (Subgenre, where applicable)

3. (Miscellaneous information, where applicable)

4. (Year of theatrical release; 5. MPAA rating; 6. Running time)

HEADING INFORMATION

7. Cast (Starring/Featuring)

8. Writer (and source material, where applicable)

8A. Music (where appropriate)

9. Director

BODY INFORMATION

10. Synopsis

11. Discussion

12. Rent this one for

13. You’ll (probably) like this if you liked

14. Critical Credentials/Dissenting Opinion

15. Vidbits

A more detailed key, including definitions and an explanation of the methodology used in each section, can be found in the Front Matter section, which has been relocated to the end of this ebook edition.

Quick Key to Film and Video Guides Quoted in Killer B’s

Roger Ebert: Roger Ebert’s Video Companion (unless otherwise noted)

EW: The Entertainment Weekly Guide to the Greatest Movies Ever Made (and various issues of the magazine)

GMR: VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever

HFG: Halliwell’s Film Guide

MMG: Leonard Maltin’s Movie and Video Guide

PEF: The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film

SMV: Movies on TV and Videocassette

VMG: Video Movie Guide

PMG: People Magazine’s Guide to Movies on Video

Rotten Tomatoes: Rotten Tomatoes website (rottentomatoes.com)

Metacritic: Metacritic website (metacritic.com)

Other books, magazines and websites quoted for the Dissenting Opinion and Critical Credentials sections are spelled out in full following the quote.

A more detailed key, including the edition of each guidebook quoted, can be found in the Front Matter section, which has been relocated to the end of this ebook edition.

Caveat Videor

(Let the watcher beware)

Taste.

It’s probably the most loosely defined word in the English language.

But just so there’s no mistake, let me reiterate a key point made in the Introduction, and state definitively, once again, for the record:

Not every movie in this book

is suitable for all tastes.

Just as Killer B’s offers sleepers from a wide variety of sources—including major studios, independent productions, cable, made-for-video, unreleased and direct-to-video features—so does it cover a wide range of tastes.

Take the Comedy section. (Please.) Within its entries you’ll find gentle romances and cynical black comedies, sophisticated satires and sophomoric silliness, deep themes handled brilliantly and scatological, no-brainer romps. Which categories you find funny is totally subjective.

Hence the numerous methods of presenting each movie: by plot, by highlights, by discussion of its merits—even by inclusion of reasons why other reviewers didn’t like a given film. The only rule in this book is that if, after reading the description, a title sounds appealing to you, you’ll probably like it, and it will probably prove worth your while to seek it out. (Death, taxes, and politicians lying aside, nothing is absolutely guaranteed.) But if a review in Killer B’s doesn’t sound interesting, you probably won’t like the movie—so don’t waste your time hunting it down.

All this sounds obvious. It is obvious. And yet I’ll still hear from angry readers upset that they just hated some film I’ve chosen. (I will politely refer them to this page. The assholes.)

The bottom line is that if you find just two films that you like and wouldn’t have ordinarily taken a chance on renting—then you’ve paid yourself back for the purchase price of this book. To put it another way, if these reviews warn you away from two films you’ve thought of renting but decide you wouldn’t like, then you’ve earned back the cost of the book just by avoiding rotten rentals.

Two out of 237 is less than one percent of the entries in Killer B’s. Pretty good odds, I’d say.

Anyway, you’ve been warned, so just...watch it.

ACTION/ADVENTURE

ACTION/ADVENTURE

In the DNA of film, the A stands for Action.

Some situations absolutely require action over discussion. These situations are tailor-made for movies. (They don’t call them stillies, now do they?) As Tuco the bandit in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly put it, When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.

You'll find it all here: Minimal dialog, maximum movement. Dangerous escapes and giddy exploits. Pulse-pounding excitement and life-threatening hazards. Adrenaline rushes and death brushes. Blazing guns and men on the run. High stakes and no brakes. Constant motion and continuous commotion. Car-crashing, gun-blasting, fist-smashing action.

So grab yourself a piece of the action—or, in movie terms: Lights! Camera! (You know the rest...)

Big Trouble in Little China

(comedy)

(1986; PG-13; 1:39)

Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, James Hong

Featuring: Dennis Dun, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, Suzee Pai

Written by: Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein, W.D. Richter

Music by: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth

Directed by: John Carpenter

Synopsis: That’s how it always begins, says Egg Shen (Wong). Very small. Like witnessing the kidnapping of Wang’s (Dun) Chinese fiancée. Or a trip into the back alleys of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Or a stolen 16-wheeler semi that belongs to macho man Jack Burton (Russell). Or a Chinese funeral that turns into a Tong war and ends in black magic. You know—small stuff.

Wang wants his girl rescued from the clutches of 2,000-year-old black magician David Lo Pan (Hong). Jack just wants his truck back. They break into Lo Pan’s warehouse; they’re captured; they escape. But now Jack, Wang and Egg have to go back in with reinforcements to rescue two women and put an end to the threat of Lo Pan, the Bodhisattva of the Underworld—if they can. It’ll take plenty of magic, lots of guns—and all the luck they can muster.

Discussion: Dismissed on release as a Raiders of the Lost Ark wannabe, today it couldn’t look more different. Once Jack drives into that alley, we enter another world: a disorienting labyrinth of inscrutable Oriental mystery. What we’ve got here is a grand-scale comic book adventure about Eastern magic butting heads with Western concretism. And you know how much it hurts to butt your head against concrete... No wonder Russell mimics The Duke throughout the flick—although the movie has more in common with John Woo than John Wayne.

Jack’s a complex guy for a comic book hero: far braver than he realizes, but nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is. Half the fun lies in watching this concrete-minded cement-head trying to grasp the idea that most of the action he’s involved in takes place not in reality, but on a mystical plane. When one character informs Jack that China is here, his response is to growl, in a deadpan rush ‘China is here’? What does that mean, ‘China is here,’ I don’t even know what the hell that means. Wonderful, energetic performances, numerous quotable lines, superb effects and cartoonish martial arts all add up to a delightfully over-the-top action comedy.

Rent this one for: its wild, tongue-in-cheek, comic book fun.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, The Golden Child, Escape From New York

Critical Credentials:

• It took 15 years for Entertainment Weekly to catch on, but in their May 25, 2001 edition, they listed this as a DVD Guilty Pleasure of the Week, with a solid B+ grade. (There are two kinds of people: the ones who have seen—and love—this [movie], and those poor saps who aren’t burdened with having to try to describe it to the uninitiated.)

• Tomatometer: 83%

Dissenting Opinion:

• ...vacuous characters, limping fantasy... —Sight and Sound

• ...tiresome... —HFG

• ...heavy tongue-in-cheek attitude, but everything else about it is heavy, too.—MMG (1/2 star)

• ...[a] sorry mess...—People Magazine’s Guide to Movies on Video

Black Moon Rising

(1986; R; 1:40)

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton

Featuring: Richard Jaeckel, Robert Vaughn, Keenan Wynn

Written by: John Carpenter, Desmond Nakano, William Gray

Directed by: Harley Cokliss

Synopsis: Quint (Jones) is a hi-tech thief, freelancing for the Attorney General to steal a tape cassette containing the Lucky Dollar Corporation’s crooked accounting records. With the Corp’s goons hot on his tail, he hides the tape inside Black Moon, an experimental supercar, at a truck stop, then follows the car to L.A. Before he can retrieve the tape, however, the car is stolen by Nina (Hamilton) and her ring of carjackers. He chases her until she disappears into the underground parking garage of a twin-tower high rise office complex owned by the sinister Ryland (Vaughn), then teams up with Black Moon’s inventors to recapture the car.

They’ve only got three days before the car’s potential investors pull out—and before Quint’s government agents take him out for good. Can Quint get to Nina and turn her against mastermind Ryland? Can he get to the car and reclaim his tape before being caught by the Corp, the cops or the Feds? And can any of them escape Ryland’s sinister surveillance and security forces?

Discussion: Is it Mission Impossible meets It Takes A Thief, or Bullit meets Die Hard? It’s got elements of all of them, with a plot that doesn’t lag and action that doesn’t disappoint. We’re definitely in Carpenter territory here: hi-tech toys, fast-paced action, a minimum of verbiage and enough humor to keep it from taking itself too seriously.

The driving action includes some nicely choreographed car chases through the streets of L.A., and a final aerodynamic stunt that’s still impressive. Even today, the flick still looks hi-tech (except for the bulky cell phones) which is no small achievement.

Rent this one for: the car chases, the stunts and the action.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: The Road Warrior

Critical Credentials: ...close to the quintessential Grade-B movie. —PMG

Dissenting Opinion:

• ...absurd, almost impenetrable... —HFG

• ...thoroughly lead-footed, low-tech affair... totally bald on thrills... —PVG

• ...deserves to get a Big Moon Rising. —MMG (BOMB)

• Tomatometer: 33%

Vidbits:

• Cokliss’ (aka Harley Cokeliss) prior directing experience included second unit direction on Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.

• Don Opper (Android) appears as Frenchie.

• Jaeckel plays a character named Earl Windom—any relation to Twin Peaks’ villain Windom Earle, you suppose?

Blind Fury

(martial arts/comedy)

(1990; R; 1:28)

Starring: Rutger Hauer, Terry O’Quinn, Brandon Call

Featuring: Noble Willingham, Randall Tex Cobb, Meg Foster

Written by: Charles Robert Carner

Directed by: Phillip Noyce

Synopsis: Blinded in Vietnam, Nick Parker (Hauer) is adopted by a village and taught to use his ears—and a sword. Twenty years later, he arrives in Miami to look up his old Army buddy Frank Deveraux (O’Quinn). He finds that Frank has left his wife and son Billy (Call) and gone to Reno—where he’s run up a huge gambling debt with casino owner and drug dealer MacCready (Willingham).

Minutes later, MacCready’s goons hit the house, attempting to kidnap the boy as insurance that chemist Frank will continue to manufacture designer drugs for the boss. Nick makes short work of the thugs and determines to take Billy under his wing and save him and his dad from the evil MacCready. They embark on a bus trip, slowly growing to know one another while regularly fending off attacks by MacCready’s men. Can blind swordsman Nick rescue both father and son? We’ll see...

Discussion: While a blind swordsman might seem as unworkable a concept as a Jamaican bobsled team, if handled with humor, both could make interesting films. Cool Runnings succeeded, and so does Blind Fury. It’s an action flick with a sense of humor—the blind man driving scene is particularly funny (and pre-dates a similar scene in Scent of a Woman by two years)—and it’s nice to see the usually sullen Hauer laugh and smile. Of course the goons are evil idiots who deserve to die, which makes it all the more fun to watch Nick effortlessly outwit them. Eyes ain’t brains!

The script provides several clever methods of staging fights in an atmosphere conducive to Nick’s strange talents (a darkened room is merely the most obvious, but...a corn field?). The action is nicely choreographed and directed, and the film is filled with fast and furious sword-flashing action—including a pair of final surprises that put Nick’s odd abilities to the ultimate life-or-death test, and lead to some nicely satisfying violence and retribution. And it all works simply because, like Nick, the film refuses to take itself too seriously.

Rent this one for: its unusual premise; its laugh-laced action.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: Scent of a Woman; the blind swordsman Zatoichi series.

Dissenting Opinion:

• ...brash, lively (but failed) attempt... doesn’t altogether work. —MMG (2.5 stars)

• Hauer works well...but...the movie doesn’t. —GMR (2.5 bones)

• ...a numbskull, cornball action comedy...a slovenly bash-a-thon. —Los Angeles Times

Vidbits: Produced by the team of actor Tim Matheson and Dan Grodnick, who at that time owned and operated the National Lampoon company.

Blue Thunder

(thriller)

(1983; R; 1:50)

Starring: Roy Scheider, Daniel Stern, Malcolm McDowell

Featuring: Warren Oates, Candy Clark, Joe Santos

Written by: Dan O’Bannon, Don Jakoby

Directed by: John Badham

Synopsis: Sometimes doing helicopter duty for the L.A.P.D. is a tough gig. It’s tougher still when you keep having Vietnam flashbacks, like chopper pilot Frank Murphy (Scheider), and doubly tough when you’re given a green partner like Lymongood (Stern). Frank is volunteered for special duty, test flying Blue Thunder, an armed, armored, turbocharged superchopper developed by the military for counterterrorism. Something suspicious is going on, however: Murphy’s old ‘Nam nemesis Col. Cochrane (McDowell), now in charge of Thunder, sabotages the trial run. And when Frank has his computer whiz partner use the copter’s sophisticated surveillance equipment to eavesdrop on a secret meeting between Cochrane and his cronies, they uncover an incredible conspiracy involving the true intended use of Thunder—knowledge that puts their own lives in mortal danger. Can Frank accomplish the impossible and turn the conspirator’s own technology against them?

Discussion: Tired of the same old car chases? Try a chopper chase instead. Tired of the same old car crashes? Try a couple of copter crashes (which have become almost a cliché in action movies since Blue Thunder. I recall seeing a gag pie chart entitled What Helicopters Do In Movies, for example, in which the entire pie is colored blue, and the Key reveals that blue equals crash.)

Badham knows how to direct action (once he finally cuts to the chase), and here we get plenty: Copters vs. copters; copters vs. cars; F-16’s with heat-seeking missiles vs. Blue Thunder (and Frank’s wits); and—just in case you aren’t tired of car chases—a doozy of a chase that begins in a drive-in. There are in fact a lot of chases and a lot of destruction (but very little blood); some macho fun; adventure, suspense and wowing aerial action; and another wonderful performance from Scheider. All this, and you’ll find out what JAFO means! What more could a guy ask?

Rent this one for: the incredible aerial dogfight sequences.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: The Rookie, Firefox

Critical Credentials: Tomatometer: 84%

Dissenting Opinion:

• ...slick but hollow... —HFG

• ...gets stupider (and crueler) as film goes on. —MMG (2 stars)

Vidbits:

• Oates’ last film; the movie carries this Dedication: For Warren Oates, with love for all the joy you gave us.

• The Blue Thunder helicopter is adapted from the French Aerospatiale Gazelle copter.

• Isn’t that Dan Hedaya as the chopper tech? He’s not listed in the credits. And who’s the nude yoga lady, who is also uncredited?

El Mariachi

(Spanish with English subtitles or dubbed)

(1992; R; 1:21)

Starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez

Written and directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Synopsis: Young El Mariachi (Gallardo) aspires to be the fourth generation of mariachis in his family, so he roams from town to town, playing and gaining experience. Unfortunately, he wanders into a sleepy little Mexican town where the criminal Azul, toting his automatic weapons in a guitar case, has begun a vendetta against his ex-partner Moco. Word gets around to beware of a dangerous hitman, all dressed in black and carrying a guitar case—a good description of El Mariachi.

Moco’s men mistake him for Azul and chase him through town, killing one another in the process. Beautiful bartender Domino (Gomez) agrees to hide him in her room above the bar. Too bad Moco gave her the place so she’d give herself to him. The sticky situation grows even more complicated when the guitar cases are accidentally switched. Can a simple singer of romantic ballads clear up the confusion and save his skin—and Domino’s?

Discussion: So it’s in Spanish. So what! With action like this, who needs dialog? El Mariachi is not your basic guns and guitars saga. It’s a wild ride, full of exciting stunts and furiously paced chase scenes. The direction is flamboyantly assured, and the flick has a healthy helping of self-effacing humor as well (particularly in the bath scene).

My one complaint is with the dead-serious ending, which rather undercuts the film’s earlier, picaresque sense of humor. But this ending might also be the single element that reminds us we’re watching an original: an independent film, rather than a Hollywood cookie-cutter with a guaranteed happy ending. And that in itself is refreshing enough to overlook a small personal complaint.

Rent this one for: its excellent action sequences.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: Desperado (sequel), Red Rock West, A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More

Critical Credentials:

• 1994 Independent Spirit Award: Best First Feature

• Tomatometer: 93%

Vidbits:

• Rodriguez also acted as cinematographer, editor and co-producer (with Gallardo).

• Shot in two weeks for $7,000— although rumor has it that considerable money was invested by Columbia to clean up the 16mm print for theatrical release.

• Rodriguez earned about $3K of production money as a human guinea pig in lab tests of a cholesterol-reducing drug.

• Rodriguez also wrote a book about making the film, Rebel Without A Crew (1995; Plume)

2015 Addendum: Since El Mariachi, his first film, writer/director Robert Rodriguez has built an enviable career as an indie filmmaker, through such high-profile flicks as From Dusk Till Dawn, the Spy Kids series, two Sin City films, the Machete films, and has even launched his own cable channel, El Ray.

The Emerald Forest

(drama)

(1985; R; 1:53)

Starring: Powers Boothe, Charley Boorman, Meg Foster

Written by: Rospo Pallenberg

Directed by: John Boorman

Synopsis: Bill Markham (Boothe) is an engineer overseeing the construction of a dam in the heart of the Amazon jungle. One day his young son Tommy wanders into the jungle and is spirited away by natives. Ten years later, the dam is nearly completed; meanwhile, Tommé (Boorman) has grown up among the Indians, and has become fully acculturated and integrated into the tribe. His father, who has never given up his search for his missing son, is attacked by warriors but rescued by Tommé, who was told in a vision to travel to this spot.

Tommé believes Bill is a spirit from his dreams become flesh, but he will not return with Bill: The tribe is his home now. The natives escort Bill to the edge of the world, where deforestation begins, but make a distressing discovery when they return to their village—a discovery which will require Tommé to infiltrate the civilized city and search for Bill and the assistance only Bill’s knowledge can provide. The fate and future of Tommé’s tribe depends on their cross-cultural cooperation.

Discussion: When I was a boy, the edge of the world was far, the old Indian chief says, spying on the bulldozers; but it comes closer every year. Boorman’s paean to the disappearing rainforest and its people reveals a filmmaker’s eye for the majesty of the jungle, an anthropologist’s mind for indigenous culture and rituals, and a dramatist’s heart, instilling the story with an emotional intensity.

All of Brazil’s problems are visible here, expressed from the native’s point of view: The death of the rainforest; culture clashes between modern technology and scared ancient ways; natural balance versus progress. Tommé stands as a bridge between worlds; a character from whom we could all learn a lesson in respect for the native ways that emphasize a balance between man and nature.

The ending is dramatically satisfying magical realism, but, unfortunately, not a realistic solution to real problems. Still, The Emerald Forest is a beautiful, intelligent, dramatic and anthropologically accurate action film with a message even more vital now than it was a generation ago.

Rent this one for: The breathtaking cinematography.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: The Searchers, At Play in the Fields of the Lord; Dances With Wolves (native culture)

Critical Credentials: Tomatometer: 87%

Dissenting Opinion:

• ...lack of emotional empathy...and contrived storyline weaken overall impact... —MMG

• EW: D

Vidbits:

• Charley Boorman, who plays adult Tommé, is director Boorman’s son.

• A title card reads: Based on real events and actual characters.

Escape From New York

(science fiction)

(1981; R; 1:39; Director’s Special Edition: 1:46 )

Starring: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine

Featuring: Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Season Hubley

Written by: John Carpenter and Nick Castle

Directed by (and music by): John Carpenter

Synopsis: The year is 1997 (and for a movie released in 1981, that was The Future). Following a nearly apocalyptic war, Manhattan has become virtually uninhabitable. The entire island has been walled off and turned into a maximum-security prison. There are no guards and no rules—and once you’re in, you’re in for life, which usually isn’t very long. So when Air Force One crashes inside the walls, and the President of the United States (Donald Pleasance) is taken hostage by the feral felons, the authorities decide their best bet for a rescue is to send in war hero and anti-social anti-hero Snake Pliskin (Russell), a walking attitude problem. And to ensure he figures a way to spring POTUS from this living hell, they inject him with an explosive device on a timer. If he doesn’t get out in time for the authorities to deactivate the device, he dies too.

Discussion: Was it eerily prescient to posit an attack on Manhattan 20 years before 9/11? Or is it just a weird coincidence? Either way, if you can just suspend your disbelief long enough to swallow the impossible premise, it’s easy to enjoy this high camp parody of post-apocalypse action flicks like The Road Warrior and Blade Runner —a parody produced even as these films were just becoming popular.

While the action is off-beat, intriguing and beautifully directed, the real reason this movie stands out is its dark humor—and most of that revolves around its ensemble of bizarre characters: The pants-wetting President; enthusiastic cab driver Borgnine (Wait’ll I tell the fellas who I had in my cab!); Hayes as the self-styled Duke of New York (I’m A-Number One!); and Stanton, sullenly wonderful as the brains behind the ruling regime on this modern Devil’s Island. Even Russell goons it up, playing his snarling anarchist Pliskin as an imitation Clint Eastwood—much as he played his character in Carpenter’s action comedy Big Trouble In Little China as a parody of John Wayne.

Rent this one for: its comic-book-style, over-the-top action; for its black humor; for its rabidly anti-authoritarian attitude.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: Big Trouble In Little China, Mad Max, The Road Warrior

Critical Credentials:

• Tomatometer: Certified Fresh: 83%

• ...[a] junk classic... —Entertainment Weekly (January 24, 1997). Grade: B

Dissenting Opinion: For a ‘fun’ film this is pretty bleak. —MMG (2 stars)

Flashback!

The Great Train Robbery

(AKA The First Great Train Robbery)

(comedy)

(1979; PG; 1:41)

Starring: Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland, Leslie-Anne Down

Music by: Jerry Goldsmith

Written and directed by: Michael Crichton (based on his novel)

Synopsis: To pay soldiers during England’s war in the Crimea in 1855, £25,000 in gold was transferred monthly from London by train. It’s a powerful lure for elegant outlaw Edward Pearce (Connery). But in 1855, no one had ever robbed a moving train. With the aid of his mistress (Down) and an eccentric safecracker (Sutherland), Pearce embarks on a quest for the four keys to the safe, then boards the train to heist the gold. But the rules of this game are in continual flux. Will their criminal wits prove quick enough to improvise Midas-like solutions?

Discussion: This exhilarating (and extravagantly costumed) period caper comedy is, first, a masterwork of structure. Freeing the keys takes three distinct chapters, with the final pull in the station a sequence of breath-holding suspense. The highlight of the film, of course, is the actual robbery, and Crichton wisely lavishes the time necessary to present it in all its glory—and hackle-raising complications.

The fabulous photography of the archaic train (provided by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland) steaming through the lush Irish countryside, though, is just background for the daredevil stunt work—much performed by Connery himself. Smoke, speed and the threat of decapitating bridges compose his dangerous terrain—and everything from soot to soiled suit coats threatens to ruin the robbery.

The music adds immeasurably to the fun, with its blend of exuberance, suspense and railroad rhythms. Connery is as insouciant as ever: dashing and debonair; a droll rogue full of devilishly clever double entendres. Down proves a saucy seductress with a flair for mannered comedy. And Sutherland provides wonderfully goofy comic counterpoint.

Finally, we get more than we have any right to expect in the cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth (who died in post-production, and to whom the film is dedicated), with his Monet-like composition and coloring in several scenes. A timeless film—and pure gold.

Rent this one for: its rousing, exuberant adventure.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: The Sting

Vidbits:

• Based on an actual incident.

• Read Crichton’s 1975 novel of the same title for a detailed background on the criminal culture of the time, and his Travels for an essay about the making of the film.

High Risk

(comedy)

(1981; R; 1:34)

Starring: James Brolin, Anthony Quinn, Lindsay Wagner

Featuring: James Coburn, Bruce Davison, Cleavon Little, Chick Vennera, Ernest Borgnine

Written and directed by: Stewart Raffill

Synopsis: Four unemployed buds (Brolin, Davison, Little and Vennera), pessimistic about the economy and their future in it, sneak into Colombia to rob the safe of rich drug lord Serrano (Coburn). Their best-laid plans begin to go awry the moment they reach the safe; even so, they score $5 million in cash and escape into the jungle, chased all the way. Two are captured by soldiers on the take, and they escape from prison with trippy hippie chick Oli (Wagner). The others are captured by a tribe of banditos (headed by Quinn) and promptly robbed. Eventually they all make their way back to the rendezvous point, their swag intact, only to be pinned down between the money-hungry bandits and Serrano’s highly-armed guards, while they await a rescue that might never arrive...

Discussion: Non-stop action, breathtaking scenery, giddy excitement, hair-raising stunts, plot twists every few minutes, and even