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

Sunday, January 8, 2023

AUBREY PLAZA HITS ONE RIGHT OUT OF THE PARK WITH A THRILLING PERFORMANCE IN JOHN PATTON FORD's ENGAGING "EMILY THE CRIMINAL" (2022)

 

Aubrey Plaza absolutely kills it in this story about a student saddled with debt and unable to find work who starts working for some credit card scammers. Acting as a dummy shopper she purchases increasingly risky goods and gets in deeper and deeper with the thugs until she decides to just run her own operation. But even though she's great at what she does, that doesn't mean she's without her internal struggles and Plaza's brilliant performance brings this all out in perfection. 

It's also nice when a first-time director succeeds so admirably and you can bet we'll be keeping an eye on what John Patton Ford will be creating in the future. As an old fart I must say I am really starting to dig a lot of the new generation of filmmakers. The Safdie Brothers, Sean Bakers and Edgar Wright's of this world make me still believe in the future of cinema among all the Marvel super hero bullshit. 

Emily The Criminal is currently streaming on Netflix, all VOD outlets and is also on sale for only five dollars on Vudu this weekend only. Trust me, you'll want to watch it a second, third and who knows how many times. Makes a great double feature with David Mackensie's Hell Or High Water.  3.75 stars/5

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