EMILIO ESTEVEZ AND FRIENDS ARE OUT FOR THE NIGHT WHEN THEY WITNESS A MURDER AND ARE CHASED BY DRUG DEALERS IN "JUDGMENT NIGHT" (1993)

 

One review I read describes Judgment Night as basically an excellently directed and produced film but at the same time wholly preposterous in its plot and storyline. I start my post with this as I believe it's about as spot-on a description as you can get. Judgment Night is basically one long chase film through South Philly with our four protagonists (which includes a young Cuba Gooding Jr) and a drug dealer thug (Denis Leary) and his gang. The chase leads them through quite a few different situations such as over roofs, through train yards and even the sewer as they try and evade the bad guys.

1993 was a really great year for action movies and I would add this to the list. It's a fun little action flick and in the first part features one of the coolest party trailers you'll ever see, at least for 1993, I only wish it had been used more. Thumbs way up on this one and good news, it's currently streaming on Tubi, Plex, Amazon Prime, Sling and Freevee.  3.25 stars/5

COCAINE BEAR (2023) - NOW THAT WE GOT THAT OUT OF OUR SYSTEM, WE CAN FILE IT AWAY WITH Y2K, THE MANNEQUIN CHALLENGE AND OTHER PASSING FADS

 

This is an interesting, somewhat true story that could have been great and ultimately cult classic in the hands of someone like Alex Cox, for example. Instead we get a partially entertaining comedy-thriller-horror sort of hybrid that besides needing directorial style also comes across as disjointed and unsure of what it wants to be. 

Isiah Whitlock, Jr is one of the film's few saving graces (the other being cinematography) but he has little to work with. His scenes with a little dog that he hates but has been stuck with aren't even that funny and it's a downright shame he doesn't get to say his famous line, "sheeeet." It would have been one of the best scenes. 

The film ends with "in loving memory of Ray Liotta" which of course is nice. His scenes here are too short though and his star power stands out like a sore thumb, he was much better than this stuff. If you want to see what all the fuss is about then check it out, otherwise skip.  1.5 stars/5

TILDA SWINTON IS "JULIA" (2008) - AN OUT OF CONTROL ALCOHOLIC WHO KIDNAPS A LITTLE BOY FOR RANSOM

 

Tilda Swinton absolutely kills it in the titular role of "Julia." A co-production between France, United States, Mexico and Belgium, it debuted at the Berlin Film Festival and did well with European critics. It's an unbashful and in-your-face film wonderfully directed by French filmmaker Erick Zonka, more known for his award-winning The Dreamlife Of Angels. 

An astounding performance here by the great Tilda Swinton, a film that's not for the weak of heart. For visitors of this blog, an absolute must-see. Currently on Amazon Prime or VOD.  4.0 stars/5

CRASH (TV 1978) & CYCLONE (1978) - AT THE HEIGHT OF THE WHOLE '70's AIRLINE DISASTER GENRE, ALONG CAME THESE TWO DUDS

 

To try and illustrate just how unexciting and off-base this TV flick is, it features Adrienne Barbeau's character in a raincoat. Who the hell wants to see Adrienne Barbeau in a raincoat?! 

The movie attempts to faithfully recreate the events surrounding a jetliner that went down in 1972 and somehow 73 people still survived. There are a few good parts but overall it's melodrama city. 1.0 stars/2.75

I've always thought of Rene Cardona, Jr as a sort of Mexican version of Ted V. Mikels. While Cardona's films are a bit more broader in scope and lavish in production, the two B-movie legends share a strong similarity for terrible acting and equally bad production values. Yet, somehow running under the current is a unique style of their own. 

Part airline disaster film, part natural disaster and part shark movie all in one, Cyclone is really not that bad a flick. And the mix of genres doesn't come across as overbearing. It's just that about halfway through the film turns very nasty and dark as the survivors from the plane crash try to eat each other and whatnot. It's a palatable tone that just seems to change the film from there on out. 

Nonetheless I would classify this as a must-watch for B-movie enthusiasts. Streams on Tubi, Plex and Amazon Prime. 1.5 stars/2.75