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

Saturday, June 1, 2024

COLLATERAL (2004) TURNS 20 AND IS STILL ONE HELL OF A CAB RIDE THROUGH NIGHTTIME LOS ANGELES

One time a musician friend of mine who's a bit of a cinephile like me said "so let me ask you something, do you think Tom Cruise can really act?" I replied, "are you kidding," and cited Born on The Fourth Of July, A Few Good Men and Collateral. Of course, the retort I got was "Collateral?!"

Yes, Collateral! Cruise is great in this as a hired assassin who snags the meek but philosophical Max, the cab driver (Jamie Foxx) to drive him around all night while he knocks seven different people off. Foxx got all the accolades and nominations but Cruise was only honored by Saturn Awards. I'm not saying he was better than Foxx but they were both incredible together as a team and this is an underrated Cruise performance. He's perfect as the calm but unhinged assassin and he looks great. 

The lengendary Micheel Mann (Heat, Miami Vice) is responsible for this thrilling odessey through LA at night and he set the bar with this film using the Viper Filmstream, a forerunner to what we now call FHD, it's one of the only films ever to use it as a primary camera. The only thing shot in 35 were portions of the Viper niteclub scene. 

I still marvel at the pacing of this film, it's really a work of art as it speeds up and slows down. Just when we're rolling along at 3 in the morning, Mann decides to have a coyote stop the cab in it's tracks. As both Cruise and Foxx stare baffled at the creature, Vangelis' "Moxica & The Horse" starts to play with it's powerful lead vocal. It's the only time in the film a whole song (or most of it) is used. 

The scene where they visit Max's mom in the hospital is mellow on the surface but full of underlying meanings and clues about the character of Max. One of my very favorite thrillers, check it out in the event you haven't seen it or revisit it, streaming right now for free on Pluto. The channel, not the planet.  4.0 stars/5 

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