B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - THE DEATH OF RITCHIE (TV 1977)

Looks like a lot of fun to me, I don't know. Seriously and for those that don't know, The Death Of Ritchie is one of the most iconic TV movies of the entire '70's decade. I was roughly 15 when it aired and i can tell you that both Robby Benson and teens taking drugs were very hot topics at the time. The film is based on a true story where a father who couldn't control his teen's behavior from drug abuse was forced to take the law into his own hands. The father here is good ole Ben Gazzara and he is at his Gazzara best with a ferocious intensity, his scenes with Benson as father and son a perfect chemistry. At the time more emphasis was on Benson as a model but his performance here is really amazing. Streams free on Tubi, Freevee, Roku and Plex, if this was being rated on the standard scale I would give it five stars, 'nuff said. 2.75 stars/2.75

Friday, July 15, 2022

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE (2018) - CAPTIVATING NEO-NOIR MYSTERY THRILLER IN SERIOUS NEED OF A HAIRCUT

 

We love movies that wholly create their own world and this neo-noir gem does just that including an entire hotel created from scratch. One side resides on the California side and the other Nevada and the hotel comes complete with a secret chamber to spy on rooms. Coffee is one cent more a cup on the California side but you can't gamble there. 

Enter five characters that are all checking in - a singer, salesman, hippy girl (not the nice kind,) priest and bank robber. They all share deep dark secrets that will intersect on a certain night at the hotel. 

Pretty cool stuff but the movie does have a serious pacing problem and is way overlong at 2:22 which somehow I get the feeling with a movie like this is intentional. The cast is awesome although I feel Jeff Bridges as the priest is a bit of a miscast. The third act and ending is also a problem as it fails to deliver the ending it was building towards. The performances and awesome production design is what carries the film to a mostly satisfactory experience. Which would be nicer cut to about an hour and 45 minutes.  3.0 stars/5

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