Title: The Informer

Director: Andrea Di Stefano

Released: August 30, 2019 (United Kingdom)

Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes

Available to stream on: Kanopy and Netflix

Peter Koslow (Joel Kinnaman) has cut himself a deal with the FBI’s New York City field office to work as an informant in order to get released early from prison. Since working as an informant, Koslow has worked his way up the ladder of the Polish mafia and is now their go-to drug runner.

His handler, Agent Wilcox (Rosamund Pike), has equipped him with a wire for his latest run. Koslow is set to smuggle six kilos of fentanyl through the Polish consulate and into the hands of his boss, The General (Eugene Lipinski). This will finally provide Wilcox with enough evidence to bring down The General. If all goes according to plan, Koslow’s duties as an informant will be considered fulfilled.

But of course, the plan goes sideways as soon as Koslow is in the car with the product. One of his associates believes he’s found a buyer for the fentanyl. This throws off the entire plan. How can Koslow push back on a potential sale without revealing himself? Simple, he can’t. He plays along but in talking to the potential buyer, Koslow can tell the buyer is an undercover NYPD officer.

To the surprise of no one, things go south rather quickly. Officer Gomez (Arturo Castro) draws his weapon on Koslow and identifies himself as NYPD. Meanwhile, Stazek (Mateusz Kosciukiewicz), the same associate who set up this buy, shoots and kills Officer Gomez from behind, saving Koslow’s life in the process. Because of this, The General informs Koslow that to repay the debt, he must go back into prison to control the flow of drugs from the inside. After five years, his debt will be considered forgiven.

His handler, having abandoned him when the shooting went down, calls to meet and discuss the next steps. But this time, it isn’t just Agent Wilcox there to meet Koslow, Wilcox’s superior, Agent Montgomery (Clive Owen) is there as well. They inform him that the old deal is no longer valid, he does this and then he goes free. Because Koslow cares so deeply for his wife and daughter, he reluctantly agrees.

Meanwhile, the NYPD is looking for who killed one of their own. Detective Grens (Common) in doing some solid policework, has discovered that Koslow isn’t what he appears. After collecting his own evidence, Grens is convinced that Koslow is working with the feds. He approaches Wilcox and Montgomery, but both vehemently deny any involvement. This doesn’t stop Grens though as he now has eyes on Koslow back in prison.

Montgomery tells Wilcox to burn Koslow. With the NYPD sniffing around, burning Koslow is the only way the FBI avoids any blowback.

Who can Koslow trust while in prison?

Does he have anyone left to trust on the outside?

Every moment on the inside could be his last.

Ever since seeing him in The Killing, I’ve enjoyed just about every role I’ve seen Joel Kinnaman in. That trend continues here with his portrayal of Peter Koslow. However, for as much as I enjoyed him, along with Rosamund, Clive, and Common, The Informer (2019) is definitely a tale of two halves.

The first half of this movie had me in the palm of its hand. We get sprinkles of backstory to get us up to speed while we’re being drawn into the action unfolding in front of us. I like Koslow working as an informant, especially for Wilcox who we can tell has a bit of a soft side from the jump.

When Common comes onto the scene, I am fully onboard. Him playing a cop who refuses to back down, going up against the entire FBI? Yes, please. In fact, I think we could have actually had more Detective Grens in this story.

Everything is going great…and then Koslow goes back into prison. From this point on, it became a sprint to the finish. Nothing had a chance to breathe. That’s not to say that the second half wasn’t enjoyable. There were a few scenes in particular that I quite enjoyed. However, the two halves didn’t come together to form a complete picture.

If you happen to be a fan of Common, Clive Owen, Rosamund Pike, and/or Joel Kinnaman, The Informer (2019) is worth a watch. The same can be said if you find yourself aimlessly scrolling and looking for something to settle on.

If you’ve seen The Informer (2019), tell me what you thought of it in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

See what else I’ve been watching over on my Letterboxd account.

Stay tuned across Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads this Wednesday to see what’s in store next Sunday!

The post The Informer (2019) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: Black Rain

Director: Ridley Scott

Released: September 22, 1989

Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes

Available to stream on: MGM+ and Paramount+

Nick Conklin (Michael Douglas) is an NYPD detective who is having a rough go of things. He’s behind on his alimony payments and is under the microscope of Internal Affairs. IA believes that Conklin and his former partner had sticky fingers during a drug bust where all of the money wasn’t accounted for.

Nick is out for a bite to eat with his new partner, Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia), when they witness a Yakuza by the name of Koji Sato (Yûsaku Matsuda) walk in. After a few words with the Japanese men at a table, Sato kills them, takes a package, and takes off into the streets of New York.

Nick and Charlie are in hot pursuit and eventually apprehend Sato. While they’d both like to see Sato convicted and serve time in a United States prison before going back to Japan, unfortunately, that’s not what they get. Instead, they are to escort Sato back to Osaka, Japan by order of the Japanese Embassy.

Once they arrive in Japan, they are met by the local authorities who have Nick sign some paperwork before they take Sato into custody. Moments later, more local authorities come onboard the plane looking to take Sato into custody. Turns out that the first group weren’t police at all, they were Yakuza. That paperwork that Nick signed to turn over Sato, yeah that was nothing more than a bogus insurance policy.

Determined to bring Sato to justice, Nick and Charlie are paired with local Inspector Masahiro Matsumoto (Ken Takakura) and given strict instruction that they are there to observe, nothing more. Charlie seems to understand that while in Japan, he has to play by their rules. Nick, on the other hand, isn’t so quick to agree. Matsumoto does his best to try and get Nick to understand that his vigilante ways won’t get him far while he’s here. If he wants to see Sato brought to justice, Nick will have to play by the rules.

Can Charlie keep Nick out of too much trouble?

Will Nick fall in-line in order to bring down Sato?

Regardless, just be sure you watch your tail, cowboy.

Prior to this viewing, I had seen the title card for Black Rain (1989) when browsing but didn’t know anything about it. Honestly, I didn’t even know it was a Ridley Scott film. So, I was excited to be able to correct a Ridley Scott blind spot.

Yes, the argument could be made that Black Rain (1989) is just another ’80s buddy cop movie. I, for one, found it to be more enjoyable than most of the buddy cop offerings of the ’80s.

A big part of my enjoyment stemmed from the way that Director of Photography Jan de Bont shot this. It is vibrant in parts, uses darkness and shadows to its advantage in others, and has a gritty almost neo-noir feel to it throughout.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t buying Michael Douglas as Nick Conklin. It felt as though he was trying too hard to be the “plays by his own rules” NYPD cop. There wasn’t a natural feel to the way Conklin was portrayed and I don’t think that Douglas was the right person for that role.

Meanwhile, Andy Garcia stole the show for me. I found his portrayal as the lighthearted Charlie Vincent highly enjoyable. He provides the right amount of comic relief all while trying to get Nick and Masahiro to see eye-to-eye.

The action sequences, while nothing to write home about, serve their purpose and are still fun. We get a Hans Zimmer score that doesn’t heavily rely on percussion. And overall, Black Rain (1989) is a fun gem of an ’80s action flick that I don’t hear discussed enough.

By no means am I saying that you need to drop what you’re doing to run and go watch it. But the next time you aren’t sure what to watch, fire up Black Rain (1989).

Sometimes, you just got to go for it.

Well, those are my thoughts on Black Rain (1989), but what are yours? Let me hear what you thought of it in the comments below or on social media!

You can stay up to date on what else I’m watching by following my Letterboxd.

Next week we’ll have the letter “T”. Keep an eye on Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram this Wednesday to see who the crew member is and what movie of theirs we’ll be reviewing.

The post Black Rain (1989) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: A Writer’s Odyssey

Directors: Yang Lu and Zhuang Jie Qiong

Released: February 21, 2021

Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes

Available to stream on: Tubi

Guan Ning (Jiayin Lei) has spent the last six years looking for his daughter after she was abducted by child traffickers. Unfortunately, because of his devotion to finding his daughter, Guan’s life has crumbled around him and left him a shell of his former self. When he sleeps, he can hear his daughter shouting out to him. After six long years, Guan believes he has tracked down the traffickers.

A misunderstanding lands Guan in police custody where he is saved by Tu (Mi Yang). Tu mysteriously knows everything about Guan and offers him the opportunity to reunite with his daughter. But of course, there is a catch. He must help the CEO of the company she works for. How difficult of a task could it possibly be?

Well, turns out that it’s not as straight forward as it sounds. Those dreams that have been haunting Guan…they aren’t exactly dreams. No, those dreams are actually a fantasy novel that is being live streamed as it is being written by the author Kongwen (Zijian Dong). The mysterious CEO is having visions of the novel as well and feels a connection to the antagonist evil overlord Redmane (Yi Yang).

Guan must navigate reality and the dream/fantasy novel world to assassinate Kongwen before Kongwen kills Redmane. If successful, Guan and his daughter will be reunited. But if he is unsuccessful…

Directors Yang Lu and Zhuang Jie Qiong, along with Director of Photography Qiming Han, gave us a feast for the eyes. A Writer’s Odyssey (2021) is big, bold, and colorful. A trio that is essential to any fun and engaging fantasy movie. In some scenes the CGI might not be as impactful as it could have been, but that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

There were a lot of subplots and not all of them were wrapped up in a tidy manner nor did they all come together completely. Although my biggest issue wasn’t even the fault of the filmmakers. The version that is streaming on Tubi is an English dub and the dubbing is atrocious. It took me out of the moment numerous times throughout the film.

However, A Writer’s Odyssey (2021) still manages to be a captivating fantasy adventure. If you haven’t seen it yet and you enjoy the fantasy genre, I highly recommend seeking this out. Just do yourself a favor and try to find a version with original audio and subtitles.

If you’ve seen A Writer’s Odyssey (2021), let me hear your thoughts on it in the comments below or on social media!

Keep an eye on Threads, Instagram, and Bluesky this Wednesday for a preview of what’s coming next week for the letter “R”. And as always, see what else I’m currently watching on Letterboxd.

The post A Writer’s Odyssey (2021) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: Polite Society

Director: Nida Manzoor

Released: April 28, 2023

Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes

Available to stream on: Peacock

Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) wants to be just like her idol, movie stuntwoman, Eunice Huthart. Ria has even gone so far as to email Eunice, on many occasions, about a possible mentorship. She practices martial arts and even creates short films showcasing her martial arts training under her alter-ego “The Fury” with help from her sister, Lena (Ritu Arya). Lena has recently dropped out of art school, feeling she isn’t good enough, and moved back in with her parents.

At school, Ria’s teacher pushes for her to pursue a more practical career. Making matters worse, Ria’s parents, being very traditional, also believe that she needs to stop with the stuntwoman dream and focus on a serious career, accusing Ria of having an overactive imagination. And all of her emails to Eunice, they’ve gone unanswered.

Ria, Lena, and their mother, Fatima (Shobu Kapoor), are invited to a gathering at the home of Raheela (Nimra Bucha), the leader of Fatima’s social circle. Well, Ria is no fool and it doesn’t take long for her to realize that this whole thing was set up to find a match for Raheela’s son, Salim (Akshay Khanna).

Unfortunately for Ria, her suspicion was spot-on. After just a few weeks of seeing each other, Salim and Lena not only agree to marry each other, but to move to Singapore afterwards as well. Ria is furious at Lena’s decision to abandon her art career to go play housewife for Salim. This disagreement causes a divide in their relationship.

Ria is convinced that there has to be something more at play here. Why would Lena agree to uproot her entire life and move to Singapore with someone she barely knows? If she’s going to get to the bottom of things, she’s going to need some help. Her friends, Alba (Ella Bruccoleri) and Clara (Seraphina Beh) are down for the adventure and agree to help Ria.

Will Ria be able to stop the marriage?

Is Lena in danger with Salim?

Or is it all just Ria’s overactive imagination getting the best of her?

Well, that was all kinds of fun!

Nida Manzoor, who both wrote and directed, came out swinging in her feature debut. She gives us a smartly written script that has heart, comedy, and action all blended together perfectly.

We are shown early on just how close of a relationship that Ria and Lena have with each other. You feel invested in their relationship, watching Lena push Ria to continue pursuing her stuntwoman career and Ria pushing Lena to not give up her dream of being an artist. Meanwhile, Clara and Alba are both great as sidekicks who are quick to provide some comedic relief with their banter.

With the relationship battles, the fight to stop the wedding, and everything else going on, I found myself invested in Ria and her pursuit of becoming a stuntwoman more than anything. Her determination to not give up on her dream, to push on in the face of adversity, and to do it all in the name of saving her sister from Salim and his mother Raheela.

But we were told early on that Ria has an overactive imagination. So, was everything that we saw real? Was it all a result of her imagination? Or did reality and imagination blend together? That’s part of what makes Polite Society (2023) so much fun.

One thing is for sure, imagination or not, Ria is a warrior…and she is “The Fury”.

Well, those are my thoughts, but what are yours?

If you’ve seen Polite Society (2023), tell me what you thought of it in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

To keep tabs on what else I’ve been watching or to follow my 2023 “100 Days Of Horror” journey, follow me on Letterboxd.

Want to get a sneak peek at what we’ll be reviewing next Sunday? This Wednesday, keep an eye out on Threads and Instagram for the reveal of who the crew member for the letter “L” will be and which movie they worked on that we’ll be looking at.

The post Polite Society (2023) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

Director: Billy Wilder

Released: October 29, 1970

Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes

Available to stream on: Pluto, Prime Video, and Tubi

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Stephens) finds himself in a bit of a rut. No case that comes his way manages to excite him anymore. Little does he know; excitement is just around the corner.

Sherlock and Dr. Watson (Colin Blakely) attend a performance of Swan Lake and afterwards Sherlock has the pleasure of meeting the star of the show, Madame Petrova (Tamara Toumanova). After some small talk between the two, well three if you count who was interpreting, Sherlock realizes that this isn’t about to be just another case. Madame Petrova is retiring and wants to become a mother. Well, Sherlock is able to connect the dots and sees that he’s there for the sole purpose of becoming her baby daddy. He manages to weasel out of the situation by proclaiming that he and Dr. Watson are in a committed relationship together.

Meanwhile, Watson is living it up and dancing all around with the other ballerinas. Word spreads amongst the ballerinas that Watson and Sherlock are a thing, and they slowly distance themselves from him. Watson eventually has it explained to him why the female ballerinas have all drifted away and he is furious. He storms home and he and Sherlock have a spat.

But it seemed like Madame Petrova was persistent. I bet you’re wondering how long until she resurfaces.

Well, too bad. That’s the last we see or hear from Madame Petrova or that storyline.

Okay, now that we’re half an hour into the movie, time to get to the actual story.

Late one evening there’s a knock at the door and a cabbie is there dropping off a woman. When asked why he brought her here, the cabbie explains that he found her in the Thames River with Sherlock’s address in her hand. The woman can’t seem to speak other than the phrases, “I don’t know” and “I can’t remember”.

Sherlock, being the great detective that he is, is able to determine that she is from Belgium. Her name is Gabrielle and her husband’s name is Emile. However, despite this breakthrough, Gabrielle (Geneviève Page) still can’t recall how or when she arrived in London. She mistakes Holmes for her husband Emile, and he plays along with it in order to further his investigation.

He manages to recover her luggage and from there her memory slowly starts to come back to her. Emile worked in a copper mine and was hired by Jonah Limited. They would write each other letters constantly, until one day the letters from Emile just stopped. Gabrielle had taken it upon herself to go to the address listed on the letters from him, 32 Ashdown Street. As it turns out, 32 Ashdown Street is an empty building. Better yet, Jonah Limited doesn’t even exist. When Gabrielle reported her story to the Belgian Embassy, they suggested she contact Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock suggests she write one more letter to Emile at the Ashdown address. Gabrielle does, leaving it as a blank letter. Why blank? Well, Sherlock believes that 32 Ashdown is a letter drop and if they sit on this blank letter, they’ll see who retrieves it.

The plan sounds great in theory, except when the mail is delivered to 32 Ashdown Street, the letter that is delivered isn’t the blank one that they wrote. No, it’s addressed to Sherlock from his brother, Mycroft (Christopher Lee). Mycroft has demanded a meeting with Sherlock and Watson at the Diogenes Club.

Mycroft demands that Sherlock and Watson immediately cease all efforts into locating Emile. But why? The reasoning given is that it’s a matter of national security. Sherlock tries pushing Mycroft, particularly on Jonah Limited. But Mycroft holds firm, reiterates that they drop it immediately, and wishes them well.

If you know anything about Sherlock Holmes, it’s that he is not about to just walk away from an intriguing case. Especially after he’s been bored by everything that’s come his way recently.

But why would Mycroft be so adamant in having Sherlock drop a case?

Does he know anything about “Jonah Limited”?

Will locating Emile help explain just how Gabrielle wound up in the Thames and who put her there?

Truth be told, prior to this week, I had zero knowledge of this movie even existing. I hadn’t heard of it, seen it mentioned anywhere online, or had it recommended by anyone. But as a child of the ’80s who loved (and still loves) The Great Mouse Detective, how could I pass up a Sherlock Holmes movie I hadn’t ever heard of?

I was a little hesitant at first as it took a bit for me to buy-in and be down for the ride. For whatever reason, I wasn’t feeling Robert Stephens as Sherlock from the start. It wasn’t until he got out of becoming the baby daddy to Madame Petrova that things changed for me, and he wound up being incredibly enjoyable as Sherlock. Colin Blakely’s Watson was just fun all throughout, super animated whether the feeling was cheer, anger, or pain.

What was really enjoyable for me is the way that everything is told. Yes, the story is from Watson’s perspective but it’s all very fresh and new. It’s not the retelling of a previous story, it’s not even a copy/paste of a previous story but with a different title. We get a more complex creature in this version of Sherlock Holmes, well at least to an extent. I wouldn’t expect a Sherlock Holmes film in 1970 to hint at Sherlock’s sexuality or that Watson would be so taken aback by the thought of it given that he spends almost every waking moment with him.

Yes, I know why the Madame Petrova scenes were there. But we could have found a different way to get there without spending the first quarter of the movie on it. The writing at times I feel could have made the twists and turns a little more complex as well. There were times where you almost feel bad for Watson. We, the viewer, has already long since figured out what Sherlock is just now realizing. Meanwhile, Watson is as clueless as he is cheerful.

That being said, once Gabrielle is brought to Baker Street, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) becomes a fun mystery with some clever humor sprinkled in and plenty of turns along the way.

Well, those are my thoughts, but what are yours? Tell me what you thought of The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

Next week we’ll have the letter “J”. Keep an eye on Threads and Instagram on Wednesday for the reveal of who it’ll be and what movie of theirs we’ll be reviewing.

The post The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Whoa, hang on a second. What the heck is a Picture Car Coordinator?

Any car that shows up on-screen in a movie is the responsibility of the Picture Car Coordinator. But responsible how? Well, in our case, Gilles Camy made sure that the vehicle(s) got to set, that they were customized as needed for the scene, and that they were all in good running order. So, now that we have a better understanding of what Gilles Camy does, let’s get to Athena (2022).

Title: Athena

Director: Romain Gavras

Released: September 2, 2022, at the Venice Film Festival and September 23, 2022, on Netflix

Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes

Available to stream on: Netflix

Abdel (Dali Benssalah), an Algerian-French soldier, announces at a press conference outside of a police station, that his brother, Idir, has passed away. The reason for the press conference? Idir, who was only thirteen years old, is believed to have died at the hands of policemen who beat him and left him for dead.

Observing quietly from the back of the crowd is Abdel’s other brother, Karim (Sami Slimane) along with a group who look to Karim as a leader. Abdel is urging everyone to remain calm and protest in a peaceful manner, however, Karim has other ideas.

He, and the youth that comprise his group, are tired of the unchecked police brutality that keeps occurring against them. Peaceful protests have not produced any results. Once he sees his opening, Karim launches a Molotov cocktail. As one would expect, chaos ensues. Karim and his group storm the station, stealing guns and a police van. Now armed with guns, the youth flee back to their suburb of Athena and prepare for battle.

Karim has an entire community that stands behind him and is ready to fight alongside him. He believes that the only way justice can be served is if the officers responsible for his brother’s death are publicly identified. If getting those answers requires violence and unrest along the way, so be it.

However, Abdel is not convinced that violence is necessarily the right answer. He believes that cooler heads will ultimately prevail. He’s also hesitant because he’s herd that the police have reason to believe a far-right group is behind the murder of Idir, not the police themselves. The extremist group carried out the vicious attack as a war to incite racial unrest.

But this isn’t the first time the community has had issues with the police. Trust is everything. And the trust between the police and the residents of Athena was broken a long time ago.

So, how can the residents of Athena be expected to believe anything that the police tell them?

How much blood will have to spill for peace to prevail?

Go.

Watch.

This.

Movie.

Even if nothing in the brief and simplified synopsis sounded interesting to you, you need to watch Athena (2022) for the camera work and editing alone.

The way that Matias Boucard shot, and Benjamin Weill edited this is nothing short of jaw dropping. You feel like you are right there in the middle of the action from the first frame all the way through the end credits. However, it’s not done in a herky-jerky way where you find yourself feeling nauseous. Instead, you feel as if you’re standing side-by-side with whoever is the focal point of the scene.

What’s better than a film that’s shot incredibly well? One that is also brilliantly edited. So many of the scenes, like the beginning where Karim launches the Molotov cocktail, are designed to look like one-shots. Well, spoiler alert, they aren’t. Everything is masterfully edited together to make it look as seamless as possible.

You could have only given me the cinematography and editing, and I would have had fun watching Athena (2022). But, Romain Gavras, Elias Belkeddar, and Ladj Ly made sure we also were given a story that would keep us captivated. Despite being swept up in the chaos unfolding, we also find ourselves having varying degrees of emotional investment in each main character.

Please, if you have not seen Athena (2022), fix that as soon as possible.

So, that’s what I think, but what about you? What are your thoughts on Athena (2022)?

Let me know in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

By now, you know what’s next. Keep an eye out on Threads and Instagram on Wednesday. That is when next week’s crew member for the letter “H” will be revealed along with the movie they worked on that we’ll be covering.

The post Athena (2022) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: The Quick and the Dead

Director: Sam Raimi

Released: February 10, 1995

Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

Available to stream on: Netflix

IMDb synopsis: A female gunfighter returns to a frontier town where a dueling tournament is being held, which she enters in an effort to avenge her father’s death.

Herod (Gene Hackman) is the man who “runs things” in town from his house at the end of Main Street. He collects a fifty percent tax on all businesses, has his henchmen eliminate anyone who steps out of line, and he also enjoys a friendly competition. What is his competition of choice, you ask? Quick draw competition. Anyone can enter, the last man standing wins the cash prize.

Surprisingly, there’s no shortage of entrants eager to get their hands on the cash prize, knowing they almost face a certain death, including the likes of Ace Hanlon (Lance Henriksen), Scars (Mark Boone Junior), and Sergeant Clay Cantrell (Keith David). We also have Kid, (Leonardo DiCaprio), a quick-talking cocky individual who enters into the competition confident that he’ll be taking home the cash prize of $123,000.

But what’s a competition without a few surprises? There’s Herod entering the competition himself, Ellen (Sharon Stone) surprising and humoring everyone in the saloon by announcing that she’s in, and then we have the priest, Cort (Russell Crowe), who is forced into the competition by Herod.

As the competition gets under way and begins to progress, motives become clear. Yes, everyone wants the cash prize, but some people want more. For instance, we learn that Kid is the son of Herod and determined to prove his worth to him. Then there’s Cort, he used to run with Herod before turning to a life of nonviolence. And then there’s Ellen. We know she’s here to get revenge on Herod for killing her father, Marshall (Gary Sinise). But as the flashbacks have shown us, we don’t know yet exactly how that situation unfolded. We’re teased with a little bit more each time she progresses in the competition.

To the surprise of no-one, the final four competitors wind up being Cort, Kid, Ellen, and Herod. Who takes home the cash prize? More importantly, who gets to settle their score? Well, you know I won’t be the one to spoil it for you.

Honestly, going into a western with Sharon Stone as the lead, I was admittedly skeptical. But when looking at the rest of the cast, it becomes easy to want to watch it just to see how everyone fits into their respective roles. It’s insane to see the who’s who of names that are here. Let’s look at where this was in the timeline of everyone’s career.

Sharon Stone – This was released in February and in November of the same year she’d have Casino release.

Gene Hackman – This was released between Wyatt Earp and Crimson Tide.

Russell Crowe – Up to this point he hadn’t been in much outside of Romper Stomper. Later this same year he had Virtuosity release and was still two years out from L.A. Confidential releasing.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Basketball Diaries had just been released.

Yes, Sharon Stone had Basic Instinct prior to this, but Gene Hackman was really the only “established” star of the top-billed when this was released. And Hackman had the ability to just be great in everything. Doesn’t matter what the role was or what the scene called for, he had a knack to always be able to deliver and make it believable. Overall, the weakest of the group was probably Stone. Not for the performance itself but more so how she went about the performance. Ellen is here because she’s a bad ass who is hellbent on revenge. However, Stone gives this breathy soft-spoken delivery of each line of dialogue that seems out of place for the character.

Sam Raimi and cinematographer Dante Spinotti give us a stylistically visual treat. From the camera work focusing on sunlight shining through a hole, whether it be in the brim of a hat or the body of a human, to the way the shots are framed to give this town a bleak and depressed feel. Not to mention there are two of the coolest looking character deaths that I think I’ve seen in a western.

Yes, the plot here is paper thin. But when you have this cast and Sam Raimi at the helm, you don’t need an overly intricate plot. It is well paced and keeps you engaged throughout. And you know what, sometimes that’s all you need. The Quick and the Dead (1995) is a unique twist on the standard western and one worth watching.

So, what say you? What are your thoughts on The Quick and the Dead (1995)? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Tell me all about it in the comments below or by reaching out across all of my social media!

Next up on our journey is the letter “R”. Do you have any suggestions for what the movie should be? You know the drill, get those suggestions in by Wednesday morning! Wednesday evening I’ll reveal the movie on my Twitter and Instagram.

The post The Quick and the Dead (1995) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: Mr. Nice Guy

Director: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung

Released: January 31, 1997 (Hong Kong)

Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes

Available to stream on: Kanopy

IMDb synopsis: A Chinese chef accidentally gets involved with a news reporter who filmed a drug bust that went awry and is now being chased by gangs who are trying to get the video tape.

Honestly, there isn’t much of a synopsis or overview to give with Mr. Nice Guy (1997). Chef Jackie (Jackie Chan) has a successful cooking show on Australian television. One day after filming he bumps into an investigative journalist named Diana (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick) who is fleeing from local gangsters. As it turns out, Diana witnessed the local gang, The Demons, make a deal with drug lord Giancarlo (Richard Norton). During the deal things go sideways and Diana attempts to escape while managing to hang onto the videotape where she captured the deal.

So, when Jackie and Diana bump into each other and Diana tells him why she’s running, Jackie decides to help her escape. He fights off the gangsters and as they’re driving away, Diana’s videotape gets mixed up in a box of videotapes Jackie has in his car. That’s it, that’s about all the substance there is here. From here on out, everything becomes one giant action scene after another with gangsters trying to get their hands on the videotape now in Jackie’s possession.

There are multiple versions of Mr. Nice Guy out there. Two main ones being the original Hong Kong version and the edited down New Line Cinema version that was distributed in the United States. What I watched on Kanopy was the New Line Cinema version which apparently edited out 13 minutes, includes a partial dub, a new score, and also some rearranged scenes. I have not seen the Hong Kong version but would be curious to watch it to compare notes, not that I would expect a vastly different film though.

The script exists just to connect action scenes. The plot begins and ends with “bad guys chase and fight Jackie Chan”. The lack of a plot sure helps explain the acting we got. Our villains are all laughably awful. It’s like they took the most generic idea of what a cartoon villain would be and just ran with it, attempts at silly humor and all. One that comes to mind is Giancarlo telling his goons to take a woman to the “guest house”. Well, turns out the “guest house” is a giant gravel pit where Giancarlo buries bodies. Talk about not making your guests feel welcomed.

But let’s be real, nobody is tuning into a Jackie Chan movie for the plot. You settle in for a Jackie Chan movie to see bonkers action and fight scenes and Mr. Nice Guy (1997) delivers. There are scenes chock-full of action such as the construction site and the runaway horse carriage. But the best is saved for last as that’s when we get the giant earth mover. Take a monster truck, double it in size and probably triple it in weight, then let Jackie Chan solve all his problems with it.

While I’d rather rewatch Rumble in the Bronx, Project A, etc., before rewatching Mr. Nice Guy, that’s not to say that Mr. Nice Guy (1997) is a bad movie. Instead, it is the perfect big dumb action movie and I mean that in the nicest way. Giant action sequences? Check. Crazy stunts? Check. What more can you ask for from a Jackie Chan action movie?

Buckle up and leave your brain at the door to get the most out of Mr. Nice Guy (1997).

So, what say you? Have you seen Mr. Nice Guy (1997)? If so, let me hear your thoughts on it! Drop a comment below or reach out to me on social media!

Next up will be the letter “N”. Do you have an idea for what the movie should be? You know the drill; you have until Wednesday morning to get those suggestions in.

The post Mr. Nice Guy (1997) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: F/X

Director: Robert Mandel

Released: February 7, 1986

Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes

Available to stream on: Prime Video

IMDb synopsis: A movie special effects man is hired to fake a real-life mob killing for a witness protection plan but finds his own life in danger.

Roland (Rollie) Tyler has built a name for himself as a top special effect man. While on the set of his latest movie, Roland is visited by a man who says he’s a producer and has a job for him. Agreeing to meet the next day, Roland is quick to realize that this man is not a producer. In fact, he’s Agent Lipton of the Department of Justice.

Lipton explains to Roland that he was selected because he’s the best at his craft. The Department of Justice would like Roland to assist in faking the public murder of mob boss Nick DeFranco. It just so happens that DeFranco has agreed to testify, and the DOJ wants DeFranco to be believed dead until he’s set to appear in court.

Roland agrees to meet with Lipton’s boss, Mason, and it’s Mason who gets Roland to agree to the assignment. Roland was walking out the door after declining to participate when Mason said they’ll just get Roland’s biggest rival to do it instead. Unable to put his ego aside, Roland is on board and the plan is set in motion.

DeFranco meets with Rollie so that Rollie can obtain the molds necessary to pull off this illusion. In the process of obtaining the facial mold, Rollie catches Lipton messing with the gun to be used in the “murder” and snaps at him to put it down. When it comes time to test the trigger box for the squibs in the van, DeFranco becomes hesitant due to his pacemaker. Rollie shows him that there will be no harm to his pacemaker and with that DeFranco is off to the restaurant.

While still inside the van, Rollie applies a Tom Selleck style mustache as part of his disguise. When he’s all set, Rollie enters the restaurant and carries out the plan. He approaches DeFranco at his table and shoots him five times in the chest and once in the head before turning and fleeing the restaurant.

As he’s picked up by Lipton and they drive off, Rollie informs him that it went off just like they planned it. It’s at this moment he realizes something is off. He notices plastic on the back seat and asks Lipton why it’s there. Lipton turns and pulls a gun on Rollie informing him there can be no loose ends. Rollie fights off Lipton as they inadvertently shoot the driver in the process. After the vehicle crashes Rollie gets himself out of the vehicle and runs off into the night.

Armed with only his special effects expertise, Roland Tyler must now survive a cat and mouse game against the Department of Justice to prove his innocence.

I was excited to watch this after reading the synopsis. Special effects guru helps fake the murder of a mob boss? Sounds like a perfect recipe for an action flick, right? Well, kind of.

If I am being completely honest, about fifteen minutes into this there was a brief moment where I considered finding a different movie. However, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Once I start a movie, I’m going to finish it no matter how good or bad it is.

Now what’s weird is that between minutes 15 and 30, so much happens that you almost forget that you considered bailing on it. By no means am I saying this becomes a masterpiece, simply that you can wind up having fun with it.

While the dialogue is laughably bad throughout, once things pick up, you’re willing to look past it. The cat and mouse aspect is cleverly written and ultimately what keeps you engaged for the remainder of the film. As the title implies, the special effects here are also impressive.

If I were to try and suggest when and/or how to watch F/X, I’d start by saying it’s definitely a weekend watch. Make it a Friday or Saturday night, order a pizza or some Chinese or whatever your movie comfort food is, and turn off your brain. No, it’s not going to catapult into any “Best of” lists. But it winds up being fun for what it is. If you have the ability to stream it for free, I’d say it’s worth watching at least once.

So, what say you? Have you seen F/X? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Leave a comment and let me know or reach out to me on social media!

You know what to do next. If you have a suggestion for what the letter “G” movie should be, get it in by Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening the movie will be announced on social media.

The post F/X (1986) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: Drive

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Released: September 16, 2011

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Available to stream on: Tubi

IMDb synopsis: A mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor’s husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.

Driver (Ryan Gosling) is an action film stuntman and garage mechanic by day and a wheelman by night. When he’s your wheelman, the rules are simple. He doesn’t help plan it, he doesn’t carry a gun, all he does is drive. Oh, and you’ve got exactly five minutes. As long as you are back in the car within five minutes, he guarantees you a safe getaway.

During the day, as a mechanic, Driver works for his mentor, Shannon (Bryan Cranston), who also helps to provide Driver with the cars he uses as a wheelman. Shannon is trying to secure an investment into a race car that he wants Driver to drive. He finds an investor in former movie producer/gangster Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) to the tune of $300,000. Unbeknownst to him, Driver is now in business with both Bernie Rose and Bernie’s “business” partner Nino (Ron Perlman).

As you would imagine, Driver needs to live a life that avoids drawing attention to himself. He accomplishes this by living in an average apartment complex down the hall from Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio. After helping her out in a grocery store parking lot when her car breaks down, Irene invites him in for a glass of water. While in her apartment, Driver learns that Irene’s husband (and father to Benicio) is in prison and she’s raising Benicio as a single mother.

Over time Driver develops a bond with Benicio and falls for Irene. But wouldn’t you know it, just as things seem to be going well Irene gets a call informing her that her husband will be released from prison in a week. When he is released, Standard (Oscar Isaac) comes home and seems to be a changed man. However, one day Driver finds Standard beaten to a pulp in the garage of the apartment complex and Benicio hiding behind a column.

Driver gets Standard to admit to what really was behind the attack. The crew that Standard used to run with provided him with protection on the inside. Now the time for payback has come and that payback is a daytime robbery of a pawn shop where the payday is $40,000. The beat down he received was a result of him refusing to participate. In addition to the beat down, Irene and Benicio’s safety was also called into question if Standard still refused to do the heist.

Driver, not wanting to see anything happen to Irene or Benicio, agrees to be the wheelman for the heist. Cook, Standard’s former boss, also insists that Blanche (Christina Hendricks) go along as part of the team. On the day of the heist, everything seems to be going as planned. Standard and Blanche enter the pawn shop and after a few minutes Blanche exits and returns to the car. But then, as Standard exits and puts away his gun the shop owner comes out and start firing his own gun, killing Standard.

Driver, doing what he does best, gets himself and Blanche to safety in a hotel. While here, he realizes that they don’t have $40,000 in their possession, they have $1,000,000. After a physical altercation, Blanche admits that the pawn shop was a set-up, and she was in on it with Cook. While she is in the bathroom, Blanche’s phone, still on the bed, begins to vibrate. Driver realizes the location has been made but before he can act, a hitman fires into the bathroom completely erasing Blanche’s face. Driver manages to kill both hitmen and escape. From this point on, he doesn’t care about the money. Driver’s sole purpose is to take out who set him up while guaranteeing the safety of Irene and Benicio. While Driver doesn’t use a gun, he never said he wasn’t violent…

With a cast that contains the likes of Gosling, Mulligan, Cranston, Perlman, Brooks, Isaac, and Hendricks I was not expecting to be so underwhelmed. Nobody turns in a poor performance, by any means at all. Unfortunately, we’re given surface level introductions to each character, and it never goes further than that. We, as the audience, aren’t given enough to ever feel invested in anyone’s outcome.

The music used is definitely unique. At first it seems out of place, and there are times where it’s distracting and takes you out of the scene. But by the time the end credits roll, the electro/retro music is just quirky enough to somehow work.

If there is one thing that Drive (2011) gets right, it’s the cinematography courtesy of Newton Thomas Sigel. Yes, there are some scenes where it’s obvious someone is a fan of Thief, and they are beautiful. We are also treated to a few great tracking shots. But it’s the use of light, dark, and shadows that help to elevate Drive. Driver’s happiest moments with Irene and Benicio are brightly lit in the California sun. We see Bernie’s scenes get progressively darker as the film unfolds. Somewhere in the middle is Driver, living in the shadows and straddling both light and dark.

For only being an hour and forty minutes, Drive (2011) feels much longer. The first hour feels like they were short on story, so they came up with a bunch of fluff to pad the runtime. However, the final forty minutes really pick up the pace, specifically when Blanche meets her demise. No, it doesn’t come close to the final act of Commando, but the violence is gratuitous enough to help get the audience to stick around for the sprint to the finish line.

Overall, I came away slightly disappointed. Normally I’m not one to advocate for a movie being longer, but in this case using time to further develop characters would have worked to Drive‘s benefit. It’s not one that I’ll go out of my way to watch again, but it’s definitely worth checking out when you can stream it.

So, what do you think? What are your thoughts on Drive (2011)? Let me know in the comments below or by following me across social media.

By now, you know the drill. Next up is the letter “E”, so if you have any suggestions, get them in by Tuesday evening. Wednesday evening the movie for “E” will be announced along with where you can stream it.

Until then, if you’re debating on watching a movie or show, just remember…Everything deserves at least one viewing.

The post Drive (2011) appeared first on I've Scene That!.