Probably Stallone's most under valued work, this film reminds the viewer just what talent he had behind the camera (see also Rocky II to IV). The story follows the three Carboni brothers in 1940s New York, as they each try to make their way through life in the slums of Hells Kitchen. Cosmo (Stallone) plans to turn his tough but dim brother Victor into a champion wrestler, and with the help of their third brother (Assante) they set about making their fortune. There are echoes of Rocky throughout the film, (small time nobody becomes admired champion), but what sets it apart is the humour. There are great lines throughout the film delivered with dead pan perfection from the mostly excellent cast, which also includes Stallone regular Joe Spinell. If you can make it through the hilariously bad opening number (sung by Stallone himself), there's plenty here to appreciate. This film is long overdue a release on DVD... come on Universal, how about it?
Reviews
3 Reviews
Freddy vs. Jason
(2003)
Satisfying slashery.
19 August 2003
Eight years after the last Elm Street venture and hot on the heels of Jason X comes 'Freddy Vs. Jason'... the long delayed, eagerly awaited pairing of two of modern horror's most popular creations. Was it worth the wait? For the most part... yes.
Ignoring the post-modern twist given to the Elm street series in 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare', here we find Freddy trapped in limbo, long forgotten by the kids of Springwood. All is not lost as our old pal Freddy has come across the soul of Jason, who he soon brings back to life in order to terrorize the kids of Springwood once more, thus giving Freddy the strength to find his way back into their dreams by taking the credit for the ensuing massacres! However, once set loose on an unsuspecting world, Jason soon gets a reputation for himself... much to Krueger's dismay. What follows is the inevitable blood-soaked showdown.
It's an intriguing premise, but there's so much going on here that the first half hour feels like a bit of a mess. There's no time to feel anything for the innocent (and not so innocent) teens, so most of the time their characters fall flat. Once the truth about Freddy and Jason is revealed, there's no disbelief from anyone here... they all seem to accept what's going on instantly without a second's thought. However, about forty minutes in things kick into over drive with a rave turned splatter-fest, in which Jason hacks his way through countless partying teens! From here it's not too long before the two finally meet in Krueger's world, and then the fun really starts.
The film could have benefited from being a few minutes longer. There seems to be a few vital scenes missing, particularly after the rave massacre when they just seem to know that one of their friends is dead, even though they left without seeing her die or finding her body. On the plus side, there's probably more gore on show here than any slasher movie in the past fifteen years, which should please hard-core horror fans everywhere. It's not going to win either franchise any new fans, but with a $37 million opening weekend, I could be wrong!
It's definitely up there with the best of the Elm Street/Jason sequels. **** out of *****
Ignoring the post-modern twist given to the Elm street series in 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare', here we find Freddy trapped in limbo, long forgotten by the kids of Springwood. All is not lost as our old pal Freddy has come across the soul of Jason, who he soon brings back to life in order to terrorize the kids of Springwood once more, thus giving Freddy the strength to find his way back into their dreams by taking the credit for the ensuing massacres! However, once set loose on an unsuspecting world, Jason soon gets a reputation for himself... much to Krueger's dismay. What follows is the inevitable blood-soaked showdown.
It's an intriguing premise, but there's so much going on here that the first half hour feels like a bit of a mess. There's no time to feel anything for the innocent (and not so innocent) teens, so most of the time their characters fall flat. Once the truth about Freddy and Jason is revealed, there's no disbelief from anyone here... they all seem to accept what's going on instantly without a second's thought. However, about forty minutes in things kick into over drive with a rave turned splatter-fest, in which Jason hacks his way through countless partying teens! From here it's not too long before the two finally meet in Krueger's world, and then the fun really starts.
The film could have benefited from being a few minutes longer. There seems to be a few vital scenes missing, particularly after the rave massacre when they just seem to know that one of their friends is dead, even though they left without seeing her die or finding her body. On the plus side, there's probably more gore on show here than any slasher movie in the past fifteen years, which should please hard-core horror fans everywhere. It's not going to win either franchise any new fans, but with a $37 million opening weekend, I could be wrong!
It's definitely up there with the best of the Elm Street/Jason sequels. **** out of *****
Savage Streets
(1984)
Classic 80's sleeze-fest!
19 August 2003
Definitely the highlight of Linda Blair's post-Exorcist career, this sleezy tale of high school revenge is a must for bad film fans everywhere.
This touching tale tells the story of Brenda (Blair), a tough high school gal who spends her nights drinking peach brandy on the streets of LA with her equally tough friends. One night, they make the mistake of messing with a gang called the Scars ("careful Brenda, these dudes look dangerous"), and before you know it, the Scars have raped and beaten Brenda's deaf, mute sister. Once Brenda learns the truth of what happened, she vows revenge on those responsible.
Directed by Daniel Steinman (Friday the 13th Pt 5), this film has some of the best (and worst) dialogue ever to grace the screen. Blair is fantastic, a hilarious mix of flared nostrils and foul language. Even better is John Vernon,as the principal, in his second film with Blair (Chained Heat is another must see). Vernon steals every scene he's in, whether he's telling Brenda she has "a great body" (!) or telling the Scars to "go f**k an iceberg"!
This is the ultimate 80s high school movie - terrible music, awful acting, questionable violence and gratuitous nudity. Seek it out if you haven't seen it. It's best seen in it's uncut form, as here in the UK twelve minutes were censored!
This touching tale tells the story of Brenda (Blair), a tough high school gal who spends her nights drinking peach brandy on the streets of LA with her equally tough friends. One night, they make the mistake of messing with a gang called the Scars ("careful Brenda, these dudes look dangerous"), and before you know it, the Scars have raped and beaten Brenda's deaf, mute sister. Once Brenda learns the truth of what happened, she vows revenge on those responsible.
Directed by Daniel Steinman (Friday the 13th Pt 5), this film has some of the best (and worst) dialogue ever to grace the screen. Blair is fantastic, a hilarious mix of flared nostrils and foul language. Even better is John Vernon,as the principal, in his second film with Blair (Chained Heat is another must see). Vernon steals every scene he's in, whether he's telling Brenda she has "a great body" (!) or telling the Scars to "go f**k an iceberg"!
This is the ultimate 80s high school movie - terrible music, awful acting, questionable violence and gratuitous nudity. Seek it out if you haven't seen it. It's best seen in it's uncut form, as here in the UK twelve minutes were censored!
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