NIGHT SWIM (2024) - DEMON IN THE POOL, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! SOMETHING IN THE WATER DOES NOT COMPUTE

 

So, we'll call this one a review in progress as I might come back and add some things. 

I must say that after about ten minutes of watching, I was ready to call this like a lot of reviews I've read - rubbish. But once the first incident or two happened in the pool, it started to grab me. The family characters are for the most part not very special or rememberable, but the dad (Wyatt Russell) is alright. It's his baseball injury that is of course tied into what's happening in the pool. 

Or is it the water? I leave that anti-spoiler with you for now, I enjoyed this flick for the most part. Not essential really, which is unfortunately where we wind up. Not anywhere near as good as Megan, sorry. 

For what it's worth, I found the dialog a little hard to understand, it was a much more enjoyable view with captions.

If anything else I find on subsequent viewings sticks out, I will add to this. For now, simply put - an adequate entry in the supernatural horror genre. But certainly in need of some missing ingredient and I have no idea what that is. Thumbs up on the cinematography though.   2.75 stars/5

Night Swim just went on sale for first time. The rental price is still top tier, 5.99. But you can purchase it on Amazon only for 7.99. Same thing with Five Nights At Freddy's, a much better film. 

"ALL THAT JAZZ" TURNS 45 - THE GENIUS THAT WAS BOB FOSSE WILL NEVER GROW OLD WITH THIS MASTERPIECE

 

It's showtime, folks and don't forget the Dexedrine. Here's another one I saw in the theaters when it came out, I was 17 and in a boarding school in Arizona and they took us into town on a Saturday night to see this. I was probably one of the only kids that really dug it and was reeling about it afterwards. The more profound lessons of death the film runs it's battery on I would learn later on with subsequent viewings. 

Threw it on last night (it's a good Sunday night movie, death of the week) and I have quite a few versions but this I found in a thrift store long time back called the "music:edition," which has some real sweet special features, the best of the lot being a huge collection of behind-the-scenes still photos, if I remember correctly from Roy Scheider's collection. 

Speaking of Roy, this is his film. He owns it on the same grand level as Liza Minelli did in Fosse's Oscar-winning Cabaret. Not only did he never do something again as good as this performance, he didn't even come close! Some of the stuff he did in the last eighties and later on in his career was downright embarrassing. I actually think 52 Pick-Up of all films is probably his closest best performance to this. 

There are more than a few scenes in the movie that by themselves, yes by themselves, warrant a 5-star rating, for example, the incredible "Air-Otica" music piece. The "Everything old is new again" scene with Ann Reinking and the girl actually made me cry last night, it's that beautiful, Reinking was the greatest dancer probably that ever existed and her work in this scene still blows my mind. 

And then there's Ben Vereen in the closing number. In just seven minutes he steals what's left of the picture and creates a forever iconic piece of art with his body. His moves would literally make Mick Jagger jealous. 

Pretty much everyone above the line is long gone, so at age 45, we raise our glasses to All That Jazz and the cornucopia of star talent inherent within - your mark in cinema is indelible.  5 stars/5

"ALL THAT JAZZ" is free right now on Tubi and only for the rest of July. 

"REPO MAN" (1984) TURNS 40 AND IS STILL THE PENULTIMATE LATE NIGHT SCIENCE FICTION COMEDY, IT CANNOT BE TOPPED

 

1. One of the best Harry Dean Stanton performances ever! (of many.) 2.Micheal Nesmith, yes, Michael Nesmith, the Monkee, secured the financing - the movie wouldn't have existed without him  3. Alex Cox in his directorial debut created an instant masterpiece of sci-fi blended with black comedy and all the music/fashions of the then-current punk scene. 4. Legendary punk band the Circle Jerks in a scene masquerading as a lounge act, need I say more? 5. Olivia Barash, one of the hottest babes to ever grace '80's cinema. 6. Tracey Walter in probably his most iconic role, a real plus for the film. 7. "Friday night TV...Dallas!....The Jeffersons!" 

If you've never seen, then don't pass go and don't collect $200 but do make sure you watch it late at night. And for those 420 enjoyers out there, omg, a must.  VOD only. 4.0 stars/5

HARVEY KEITEL SETS UP A JEWELRY ROBBERY ONLY TO BE BACK-STABBED BY HIS GETAWAY DRIVER STEPHEN DORFF IN "CITY OF INDUSTRY" (1987)

 

Good ole Harvey Keitel, always good at playing the heavy.  

Here's one from a year that was very kind to cinema, 1987. A steady and effective neo-noir thriller or heist thriller. I have no idea why it's called City Of Industry when most of the movie takes place in Palm Springs and LA. Nonetheless, a standard plot - jewelry heist planned by four guys (including Timothy Hutton) goes awry when the getaway driver (Stephen Dorff) backstabs the whole group by taking off with the loot. The rest of the movie is basically devoted to Keitel tracking down the driver so he can get revenge. 

It may be a standard plot but the more-than-worthy cast take it to the moon. I also like that there's no unnecessary subplots that distract from the action, it moves along at a nice brisk pace. Several great actresses here, of particular note is the always welcome but not seen enough, Dana Barron (National Lampoon's European Vacation,) who has a small but very sexy role here. 

City Of Industry currently streams on Tubi or VOD.  3.0 stars/5