Films That Matter
A Deadly Good Time
A slightly more obscure giallo released during the heyday of the craze, co-writer/director Silvio Amadio’s Smile Before Death (1972) is a psychological mystery thriller that certainly pushes the boundaries of the already boundary-pushing Italian genre. Amadio starts with a wild opener, as wealthy Dorothy Emerson (Zora Gheorgieva) is found brutally murdered by an unknown assailant... with it promptly being classified as a suicide by the incompetent police, this then turns into a slow burner of sorts.
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Vigilante Justice USA/UK Style
Dirty HarryGet CarterMay 6, 2016Dirty Harry, starring the legendary Clint Eastwood, has to be one of the most iconic characters in film history. Eastwood truly brings the essence of Harry Callahan to life, delivering a gritty performance that captures the hero’s gruff, no nonsense ways and vigilante-style justice. In 1971, the same year Eastwood starred in Dirty Harry, Michael Caine was cast as the lead in a British motion picture called Get Carter, which carries many of the same themes.
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Snatch and Grab
Snatch.April 3, 2016The first thing that came to mind after watching Guy Ritchie’s 2001 crime film Snatch was that it must have been a bugger to write. Ritchie, who both scribed and directed the movie, concocts a motion picture that feels like an amalgam of film noir, a British crime caper, a boxing flick as well as a comedy – all thrown onto the screen by some sort of high powered rocket launcher.
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You’ll Fall for Niagara
NiagaraMarch 4, 2016It is rather unusual to see a film-noir made in glorious Technicolor – though this is exactly what the 1953 crime thriller Niagara is. Director Henry Hathaway swaps the moody shades of black and white for strikingly vivid colours as we watch two couples cross paths in stunning 1950's Niagara Falls, Ontario (the film was almost completely shot on location).
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Movie Sequel is Equal to Original Saga
The Godfather: Part IIJanuary 27, 2016Abe Vigoda passed away today at the age of 94. Vigoda enjoyed a long career in the film and television world, with standout roles in The Godfather Part 1 and Part 2 as well as in the comedy series Barney Miller. Though, perhaps more recently he is best remembered for his short but vital part in the hilarious Superbowl Snickers commercial featuring Betty White. In honor of Vigoda, The Godfather Part II will be reviewed here today.
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Star Pick with Ron Perlman
Worth a RepeatThe GodfatherJanuary 19, 2016I spoke to character actor Ron Perlman recently about his favourite films. The veteran performer, who has been in motion pictures and television for more than thirty-five years, shot to fame in the late eighties with the show Beauty and the Beast. He has not stopped since, taking on numerous memorable roles in series such as Sons of Anarchy and Hand of God as well as in films like Hellboy, Drive and Pacific Rim, to name but a few. He has worked with horror maestro Guillermo del Toro an impressive six times – calling the director an absolute genius.
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Star Pick with Tony D
A Movie You Couldn’t RefuseThe GodfatherJanuary 18, 2016It is not hard to argue that the classic 1972 crime film The Godfather is the biggest movie to come out of that decade and transcend the generations (that is, if we do not count its 1974 sequel – which is of equal popularity and importance).
