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

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

JERED LETO IS HITCHING A CROSS-COUNTRY RIDE WITH DANNY GLOVER AND DENNIS QUAID IS TRACKING A SERIAL KILLER IN "SWITCHBACK" (1997)

 

About ten years or a little less after his masterful script for the original Die Hard movie, Jeb Stuart got his first outing as writer and director with this often-slimed action thriller. I say often slimed because not many a good review has been garnered through the years and many potshots, tomatoes and slime has been slung it's way. Sure, it's not an instant classic leaving a lot to be desired with pacing, a bit of a mixed-up plot and oh god, Dennis Quaid but I'm here to tell ya this is a more than adequate thriller with a lot of pluses like photography and one great, actually one of my favorite Danny Glover performances. In a roundabout way the film is part crime thriller, part road trip, part murder mystery and part train movie. 

Jered Leto and Glover work great together and the pair really are the film's protagonists. R Lee Ermey really proved he could act in this after his drill sargeant natural in Full Metal Jacket. The always enjoyable William Fitchner rounds out a great cast which includes Ted Levine and Leo Burmester. 

Give this one a shot if you haven't seen it before, currently streams on Starz, Direct TV and all VOD outlets.  3.0 stars/5

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