B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - DEAD END (2003)

Made for less than a million dollars, the slightly obscure Dead End is a chilling little indie you don't want to miss. It might just be the best Christmas horror movie no one ever heard of and every dollar is up there on the screen. It's quirky, weird, funny, bizarre, and scary all at once. Black comedy for sure but much more, this would make a nice double feature with The Perfect Host, another movie we're big on around here. So, grab some eggnog and a snack or two and check out the inimitable Ray Wise with legendary Lin Shaye as they take their family down a wrong turn, what's up with this road? Why doesn't it end? After all, they're just trying to make it to Christmas Eve dessert at Frank's mother's house. Tubi, Plex, Freevee, enjoy! 2.75 stars/2.75

Monday, March 28, 2022

PETER FALK, ALLEN GARFIELD, WARREN OATES, PAUL SORVINO PULL OFF THE HEIST OF A LIFETIME IN "THE BRINKS JOB" (1978)

 

With the assortment of well-known names both in front of and behind the camera then this one must have something going for it, right? Well, mostly. The Brink's Job's biggest problem is it doesn't know if it wants to be a comedy or a drama...or both. When it tries to be funny we're not warmed up or ready for it and during long dramatic stretches it can feel dry and unexciting. Nonetheless, outstanding production design of the era and the always intriguing storyline of a big heist combined with the names and pedigree still make for an entertaining hour and forty-five minutes. Peter Falk really makes the film rise above a certain level and reminds us why he was one of the greatest. 

Up until 2011 the title was only available on VHS and hard to find. In 2011 it finally got a DVD distribution and eventually Blu-ray but still is not available in the streaming world. However, Universal has put a official up of it (embedded below) on YT for an undeterminable time period, mediocre quality, looks like a 480 up.  3.0 stars/5










No comments:

Post a Comment