Roy scheider as a hard nosed detective, along with Richard Lynch AND Joe Spinell? A gritty as fuck 1970’s NYC? An all-timer great car chase? Yeah, this is my shit right here.
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Flesh and Bone 1993
After listening to Elric Kane talk about Flesh and Bone on the most recent Pure Cinema Podcast episode, I rush to check it out and it did not disappoint. Pretty languidly paced ("evil is patient" indeed), but Flesh and Bone is another great addition to the pantheon of Texas barbecue flavored neo-noirs. When 75% of your movie takes place in seedy country road motel rooms involving James Caan being downright sinister, I'm all in. Great atmosphere, beautifully shot, snappy dialog, and even Gwyneth Paltrow is good in it. Thanks for another great discovery, Mr. Kane!
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The New Barbarians 1983
If this movie’s anything to go on, after the apocalypse, the world as we know it will have ended but codpiece production will be at an all time high.
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Bog 1979
Hey, I am not one to be too good for no-budget regional monster movie slop. In fact I love that shit, but Bog was just bottom of the scummy barrel, boredom inducing dreck that couldn't pierce through my covid induced brain fog. Everytime a character talked about having "muskie madness" I just wished I was watching Blood Hook, the far superior Wisconsin-based z-grade horror joint.
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Cure 1997
I have seen Cure three times this year and I can’t stop thinking about it! Whenever I watch a thriller, I think about how it’s not as good as Cure. When I watch another Kurosawa film, I think about how it’s not Cure. When I see Koji Yakusho, I think about how fucking good he is in Cure. It’s got me hypnotized and it’s quickly becoming a real all-timer for me. A damn near perfect film.
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Retribution 2006
Even if it hits a few too many beats from Cure, it's still Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Koji Yakusho, so of course I thought it was fire.
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Stanley 1972
Snake Willard seeks revenge against Moe Greene for murdering Stanley’s wife and children. Stanley’s also a rattlesnake. If that sounds fuckin’ wacky, well that’s because it is. At one point the main character lectures Stanley about how he should be a vegetarian while Stanley chokes down a live mouse. Oh yeah, there’s way too much actual animal killing in here too so keep that in mind before you press play. Shit, there’s a whole subplot about the town’s hottest new act at the local strip club: a snake geek. What the fuck…
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The Guardian 1990
RIP to one of the best to ever do it. Friedkin was one of the greatest, craziest, and at times most reckless, directors of all time, and to honor his passing, I wanted to watch one of his movies that I've never seen. Don't know why I chose The Guardian over Cruising, but oh well.
Less "Friedkin's big return to horror" and more "Friedkin kind of slumming it", but It's got some good stuff in there. There's lots of Evil…
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Charisma 1999
Perfectly bridges the gap between Cure and Pulse. Off-kilter, abstract and full of apocalyptic vibes in that patented Kurosawa style. You asked me what Kurosawa was trying to say with Charisma I would have no clue how to answer. All I know is I'm going to be thinking about Charisma for a while, and sometimes that's all you can ask of a movie.
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The Ninth Configuration 1980
I couldn’t wrap my head around anything that was going on, thanks to a stomach bug and a massive headache, but The Ninth Configuration did give me my new favorite thing: Robert Loggia in a space suit.
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Twin Peaks 1989
Through the darkness of future past,
The magician longs to see.
One chants out between two worlds
"Fire walk with me."