Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)

4.5 / 5 Jan '10
Tagline: L.A.'s deadliest street gang just declared war on the cops.
Directed by: John Carpenter
Written by: John Carpenter
Actors include: Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer
Genre: Thriller, Crime
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Now this is one heck of an action packed and bullet filled thriller. It's hard to believe that this was only John Carpenter's second major film yet he made a perfect soundtrack and an exciting movie to boot. We meet up with an older man and his daughter Kathy (who played Inga in Little House on the Prairie) as they are out and about. When Kathy goes to get ice cream she is brutally gunned down along with the ice cream man by a rough gang (tough area). The older man goes out and chases down the thug's car and takes out one of them. This seems to provide the ammunition for a huge gang retaliation on a closed down Police station precinct 13. There are still a few roaming about but they are in no state to prepare for a multi-gang violent attack (super violent). The remaining Officers and staff are forced to work together with death row inmates on their way to a transfer to try to survive against the gangs. It's exciting, bloody as heck and super gripping, it really has something for everyone (providing that everyone likes violence) and I'd definitely recommend it. This was remade in 2005 with bigger name actors but I haven't been moved to watch it, why would I when this was so awesome?
 
Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Taxi Driver (1976)

4.5 / 5
Tagline:  On every street in every city, there's a nobody who dreams of being a somebody.
Directed by:  Martin Scorsese
Written by:  Paul Schrader
Actors include:  Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Peter Boyle
Genre:  Crime, Drama, Thriller
Length:  113 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review:

A most powerful film about being fed up with society.  Robert De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a 'Nam vet who suffers from insomnia so he takes on a night shift working as a cab driver in New York.  The more he sees, the more he hates as he watches degenerates and low-lifes everywhere.  Along the way he meets the very young Jodie Foster who is working as a call girl.  He tries to convince her to leave the life and go back to her family, only of course it doesn't seem to work.  The more frustration he feels he begins to snap and buys a bunch of guns and sets out to try to fix things in his own way.  The thing is, can't we all relate to what he's feeling, I mean sure most of us don't do anything about it but it really seems to hit home which is why I think it's so loved.  It will or should make an impression anyhow, and I really do recommend this for most, a classic that is really effective and yet easy to understand.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

...E Tanta Paura (1976) aka Plot Of Fear

3.5 / 5 Nov '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Paolo Cavara
Written by: Paolo Cavara, Enrico Oldoini
Actors include: Corinne Clery, Michele Placido, Quinto Parmeggiani
Genre: Giallo, Horror, Thriller
Length: 98 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Although not one of the classic giallo films, this still has some memorable moments and is a reasonably entertaining entry although it's seldom mentioned. It's relatively well filmed and it appears to have a budget and is rather well made. The story involves a murderer who is leaving illustrations from a child's book with the victims. We also follow around the detectives who are trying to solve the crime of course. The story involves sex, weird parties, violence, mystery and even some gore...it has all the successful trappings of the genre. It even for some reason has appearances by Tom Skerritt and Eli Wallach in this film. It's easy enough to watch and it comes together nicely enough in the end. Definitely one for Ital sleaze fans to check out, but beware! There is an edited version floating around with far less murder footage in it.

Availability:  non USA DVD only