Nothing like the gialli of Sergio Martino, "The Suspicious Death Of A Minor" is really a poliziotteschi with giallo elements. There are some giallo-esque murders and the rest is a mystery involving prostitution. The main character does a fine job and the supporting cast is fine as well. The music is groovy prog-rock except for the chase scenes, which sound like the music from "Watch Out, Were Mad." The main character's car is like the car from "Deep Red," where you have to climb in through the roof. All-around fine film with a "Dirty Harry" type cop facing off with an evil banker and a hitman with sunglasses.
Reviews
48 Reviews
Audition
(1999)
Boring setup, but big payoff
21 August 2022
For the first hour of the film, it's basically a romantic drama. The last half hour is the reason for the "R" rating: "violence/torture." I watched "Ichi The Killer" before this, so while almost unbearable, the torture scenes seemed tame by comparison, but there's a scene that's pretty disturbing before the fun starts and that really took me by surprise. The characters are OK and the plot is so-so. The audition scenes were kind of interesting. The reason anyone would watch this is for the climax and with that being said, this film pays off.
John Wick vs. a strong independent woman.
21 August 2022
Another really good John Wick movie. The characters and cool cinematography is just enough to hold together a film that is all about the glorification of violence. Using books, his belt and his hands, John Wick butalizes his many foes. The colors in the John Wick films are like the colors in some of Argento's films and there's even a reference to the Matrix, which is cool since Fishburne is in it too. The lady with the tattoos on her neck and the shaved head is kind of unconvincing as a knight of the high table, but John defeats her anyhow. Just like it's predecessors.
The Specialists
(1969)
Not Corbucci's finest, but a perfectly fine Corbucci
20 August 2022
Great cinematography with fantastic scenery, really cool music and original characters make a good spaghetti western. A guy with a chain mail vest is looking for the money his brother stole before he was lynched by the townspeople. The guy with one arm looks like he's folding his arm inside of his sleeve, but that's the worst part of the film. The rest of it is a-ok. There are pretty girls, wild west shootouts, evil Mexican bandits... Nothing more could you want, I'm not sure why nobody has heard of this.
John Wick: Chapter 2
(2017)
A slaughterhouse
20 August 2022
This movie is basically identical to the first one: John Wick slaughters hundreds of people with his guns, karate-chops their necks and breaks their arms. I like the assassins network with the hotels (Franco Nero, my favorite actor, being one of the managers). The "John Wick" series is not very original, but the constant fight scenes are so cool that the movies are worth watching. You can tell Keanu Reeves practiced his fight moves hardcore. Keanu Reeves is an ok pick for John Wick, since he's usually the quiet type and that fits John Wick's persona: A gentle loving guy who happens to be the worlds greatest assassin. I'm going to watch the next one now.
Die Hard 2
(1990)
Just a hair worse than the first one.
19 August 2022
"How can the same s*** happen to the same guy twice??" That's what Bruce Willis says in the film and that should be the movies tagline, since it's basically the same plot: a one man army vs. A bunch of terrorists. Lots of intense violent shootouts and stunts like dueling with machine guns on snowmobiles and fighting on the wing of a plane make this action film awesome. And I liked seeing Franco Nero since he's my favorite actor.
The Fog
(1980)
Better than "Halloween."
19 August 2022
Once you've seen any Italian giallo of the 70s, "Halloween" seems a shallow rip off by comparison. This is why "The Fog" is superior: it's original. Except for the first few minutes, which rip off "Close Encounters," the story line about a leper colony who was betrayed and shipwrecked so they come back to seek vengence 100 years later? Totally original. As with most American horror movies, "The Fog" is a tad light on plot and character development, but the stylishness and originality make up for that. It's a really low budget film, but it certainly doesn't look like it. Terrifying.
Sherlock Holmes
(2009)
Very entertaining mystery-action flick.
19 August 2022
Robert Downey Jr. And Jude Law vs. An evil black magician. The sets, while partly CGI, we're very good. You really believed in the old-timey vibe. The fight scenes were awesome and very much what you'd expect from Guy Ritchie. The black magic plot was interesting and the cult was based off the Masons or the Golden Dawn, so it was pretty realistic feeling. I was wondering if the magic was real until the end, where I found out for sure. All-around very entertaining.
Tess
(1979)
Decent and sad period piece drama
18 August 2022
Tess has two options: live in poverty or marry a brute who raped her. The man she loves wont have her because of her past. Her father got sick and there's nobody to take care of her family. This is a very sad movie and it doesn't get any happier as it goes on. That being said, "Tess" is pretty good. The main girl does a fine job and Angel can convey many emotions with simple changes in his expression. I really liked the music and I think this is a good movie to have been dedicated to the memory of Sharon Tate (it says at the beginning "to Sharon.") It was almost 3 hours but the situations were so interesting the time blew by. Recommended.
Raising Arizona
(1987)
One of the best Coen Bros films.
18 August 2022
This is a hilarious and original story with great characters, an early Coen Bros and Nick Cage movie that shows great talent and promise for their futures. John Goodman is a great supporting actor. Sort of reminiscent of "Bringing Up Baby," and similar films. "Raising Arizona" is a great addition to any home movie collection, as you'll want to watch it again and again.
The Dirty Dozen
(1967)
Sure makes The Dozen seem especially dirty.
17 August 2022
Twelve convicted murderers and death row felons are tasked with blowing up a bunch of German officers and their women. This film has an ensamble cast and everyone has a decent part to play. Charles Bronson getting beat up, Donald Sutherland pretending to be a general, Telly Savalas as a deranged zealot... A lot of interesting roles by competent actors. I Iiked seeing Ernest Borgnine and George Kennedy as well, they really rounded out the film, but you can't forget the star of the show Lee Marvin, who did great. The fight scenes were realistic and the deaths were cool. Good movie.
Inland Empire
(2006)
Compelling, if mildly boring
17 August 2022
I've seen this movie twice, and I'm sure there's no deep meaning or purpose to the collection of nightmarish scenes that compromise David Lynch's last film. A surreal adventure through the mind of someone who's totally lost it, "Inland Empire" is a film you wont soon forget. It could be a little quicker paced, or at least more things could happen. Laura Dern does a great job: the film is all about her. Jeremy Irons is good too. Worth watching, but maybe it could have been cut down to less than 3 hours? This is Lynch's longest and most difficult film in my opinion.
Little Shop of Horrors
(1986)
Dark comedy musical
17 August 2022
I have two musicals in my collection. "Little Shop Of Horrors," and "Sweeney Todd," and they're very much alike... They both revolve around killing and eating people. The songs in this movie are really cool and unique. Steve Martin, John Candy and Bill Murray have great roles in this film, small but funny. A murderous musical? Frank Oz? A giant puppet plant? Sign me up. Great film.
Magnum Force
(1973)
Helluva better sequel than "Lethal Weapon 2."
16 August 2022
Dirty Harry vs. A right-wing death squad: contradictory, considering some consider Dirty Harry to be a fascist, but he's the lesser of two evils in this flick. When someone starts executing criminals, it's up to Inspector Callahan to figure out who. I can't say what I find wrong about this film without giving away spoilers, so I'll say what's right. The violence is oh so delicious and Clint Eastwood is The Man With No Name in The Big City. As good as "Dirty Harry?" No. Better than most other films? Yes. I could have done without the plane hijacking scene, but they had to top the suicide jumper in the first film, right?
Hang 'Em High
(1968)
Soulless
16 August 2022
It's a shame Clint Eastwood turned down "Once Upon A Time In The West" to make this. This film is a wannabe spaghetti western, but lacks the originality and style of said westerns. Dennis Hopper's appearance is the best part of the film, everything else is so-so. The camera work looks like a made for TV movie, and the script, while being written by people who would make it big in the future, is a tad lame. Nowhere near as good as Leone's westerns, or Corbucci's, Fulci's, or Sollima's... but it tries to be.
First Love
(2019)
Just average
15 August 2022
I expected a lot from the guy who made "Ichi The Killer," but I didn't get what I had expected. The beheading at the beginning gave me high hopes, but the rest of the film just didn't deliver. This feels like something that Bruce Willis has been pumping out as of late or a Jason Statham film (it does seem a tad influenced by Guy Ritchie). Drug deals gone bad, shootouts, and underdeveloped story and characters make, while not bad, but just sub-par filmmaking.
13 Assassins
(2010)
Been done.
15 August 2022
If you've seen "300" or "Lord Of The Rings," you don't need to watch "13 Assassins." Lack of characterization except for the villain, bad CGI cows, fake explosions, and tired over-done fight scenes make this film just another action movie, nothing to write home about.
Ju-on: The Grudge
(2002)
Very fine horror tale
15 August 2022
It's hard for me to actually be frightened by movies. They have to be realistic in a way that I could believe it would happen to me, and this film "Ju-On: The Grudge" is one realistic movie. This is a haunted house tale with a twist, nothing like "The Changeling," "The Innocents," or films of that caliber, this movie is haunting on a higher level. Everyone who comes in contact with the house gets attacked by the blue ghost of a boy who's mother was murdered. The ghosts in this movie are very realistic and very scary. Definitely recommended.
Lady Snowblood
(1973)
Stylish and bloody
15 August 2022
Some might say that "Lady Snowblood" is just a basic revenge flick, but considering the year it was made, it is one of the first revenge flicks. Coming after the western revenge movies like "Death Rides A Horse, and gangster revenge movies like "Point Blank," this movie puts a samurai twist on a classic tale. Your family was murdered? Murder the murderers! Great cinematography and death scenes. There is lots of blood that sprays out like a fire hydrant when someone is sliced, which some might find over-the-top, but I think it is pretty cool. It's easy to see how "Kill Bill" is basically an updated version of this movie. This is a fantastic movie, stylish and well made.
A fantastic Japanese epic
14 August 2022
This film had great costumes and sets, with great war scenes (although the actual battles are offscreen, which is weird, but good). The main character did a great job of being a stoic lord and also a frightened double once the lord died. The supporting cast was fine (although I cannot remember anyone's names). The dream sequence was really cool and I liked the scene with the rainbow. Altogether this was a fantastic film and the conversations and actions of the characters made me care about what was happening. Although the film is long it didn't seem like the director was wasting time. The writer of the film deserves props for the dialogue, even though I watched the subbed version, it was impactful. I haven't seen any other Kurosawa films so I can't compare, but "Kagemusha" makes me want more.
Ringu
(1998)
Frolic in brine, goblins be thine
13 August 2022
The death in this movie is made so that we consider death on a human level. It's not like a bullet hole in the forehead or a car exploding, there's a death, everyone talks about it, and there's a funeral, which makes the death seem very real. That was the best part of the film in my opinion, the way death is looked at in a realistic way. That being said, "Ring" is a very good supernatural thriller, with much suspense. It's about a girl with magic powers who died a gruesome death and takes revenge on the living until her story is told.
High Crime
(1973)
Nero vs. the drug traffickers
13 August 2022
This is a great Franco Nero flick that is almost as good as my favorite Nero and Castellari combo "Street Law." The plot consists of Nero chasing the mob and being caught in-between a mob war as competing factions struggle for power. There are cool scenes like a motorcycle attack, people getting smacked and run over by cars, and gunfights with Peckinpah-esque squib action and slow motion bodies falling. A tad confusing with all the players and Italian names, but all the while very exciting. Nero is great as a steaming angry cop and so is Rey as a sick and possibly dying mob boss. Good characters, intriguing plot, and lots of action make a great film.
Shane
(1953)
Slow moving but powerful western.
12 August 2022
Shane is about big time land owners vs small time homesteaders... With Shane, a gunfighter who wants to quit the life, in between. I normally loathe child actors, but the one in this film was alright. The rest of the cast was very convincing. The scenery was beautiful and the cinematography was great. I watched this movie because Bill Hicks mentioned it in a bit and I'm glad I did. Not many cowboy shootouts, only two people got killed, which is why I would say this was a slower movie, but the conversations were so entertaining it doesn't matter that there wasn't much action.
Black Rain
(1989)
When Ridley Scott was good.
12 August 2022
"Black Rain" is a Yakuza thriller with Michael Douglas. This is the first movie in which Michael Douglas plays a hard boiled detective named Nick. The second is "Basic Instinct." This film is Michael Douglas hunting for a Japanese mobster he let get away. He does a fine job as his role, even if it's one dimensional. The supporting cast is fine as well. The film is straightforward with not many twists, but it is exciting and well paced, mostly. If you liked "Basic Instinct," you'll probably like this, but not if you watched "Basic Instinct" for the sex, because in this movie there is none.
Danger: Diabolik
(1968)
Unusual choice for Bava, but brilliant film nonetheless.
11 August 2022
This film has a 60's vibe like nothing else, from the music, to the costumes of Diabolik's girl... It bleeds 1960's. The music was the first thing to get my attention. It's really cool, and by the great Morricone. After seeing "Black Sunday," and "The Whip And The Body,' I was really surprised to see this. "Danger: Diabolik" is basically a James Bond movie, with no James Bond and all about the villain. Cheesy action, big explosions, fancy cars, pretty girls... And it's great in every way. Diabolik pulls off hiests and the cops and mob are after him, but he keeps getting away. If you like 60's Bond, you'll like Diabolik. Very stylish and cool movie with a larger than life villain.
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