Scarface (1983)

5 / 5  May '11
Tagline:  The world is yours...
Directed by:  Brian De Palma
Written by:  Oliver Stone
Actors include:  Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer
Genre:  Crime, Drama, Thriller
Length:  170 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review:
I've maybe only seen a handful of gangster films, but this one definitely takes the cake.  It's one of the rare occasions that a remake eclipses the original but it most definitely does.  I'm a big fan of [Artist435211]'s work but I'd have to agree that this is his masterpiece.  It's so insanely brutal and violent and it's got such a striking message to go with it.  Scarface ([Artist161806] in the role of his life) is a Cuban immigrant in Miami who gets involved in organized crime.  Before you know it, he's eyeing up the Bosses old lady ([Artist230874]), making deals on his own and getting into loads of trouble.  It really takes you through the rise and eventual domination of Scarface showing us all the gory details and betrayals.  It's brilliantly made, it's absolutely riveting and the details and characters are unforgettable.  Definitely one of the best movies I've ever seen, I'm really kicking myself for not seeing this earlier.

Availability:  On DVD

The Fourth Man (1983) aka De Vierde Man aka The 4th Man

4.5 / 5 Mar '10
Tagline: Christine is young, beautiful and rich. Her three husbands all died tragically. It's time for Christine to find her fourth man.
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Written by: Gerard Reve, Gerard Soeteman
Actors include: Jeroen Krabbé, Renée Soutendijk, Thom Hoffman
Genre: Thriller
Length: 102 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is one unusual film and a completely unexpected surprise especially when you compare to Paul Verhoeven's later works (which is all I've really seen until now). It's sort of in the spirit of Brian De Palma yet it's far from being a copycat of sorts. The story is about a jerkish gay Catholic writer who suffers from hallucinations (likely Catholic guilt about his homosexuality). During a press conference he is fascinated with a Woman named Christine (Renée Soutendijk who is videotaping him, and the two wind up in some sort of affair. He's especially pleased that Christine looks rather masculine, only he learns she has a serious lover that he offers to help her with. She brings the lover back to the house (and see our writer is obsessed with the male lover which was his motivation for wanting to help). When the writer uncovers that Christine is actually looking for her fourth husband and that unfortunate accidents have happened to the first few he can't stop seeking facts even past the point of danger. It's one heck of an enthralling tale, really absurd and somewhat morbidly humorous even oh and I should warn you that there will be a lot of penis in this film. It's one heck of a strange perverse artistic thriller that although at first it somewhat confusing rest assured it will all be explained. This is the sort of film that I can't imagine forgetting, it really makes me wonder what else Verhoeven has created, I wonder if all of his Dutch language films are as intriguing as this one?

Availability:  On DVD

10 To Midnight (1983)

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Back in town... with a vengeance!
Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
Written by: J. Lee Thompson, William Roberts
Actors include: Charles Bronson, Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror, Crime
Length: 101 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This was cheese supreme, and although I thought the idea of combining a Charles Bronson flick with a serial killer concept was a good one. Everyone seems like they were phoning it in, even Bronson didn't seem like he could care less that he was in the movie. The serial killer at large is kind of amusing because he's a nudie, and watching him run around and kill people who are making out while naked is unusual. Bronson is the cop that is determined to catch the guy, even if it means toying with evidence that could get him deeper into trouble. It's just not exciting and although the killing part is okay the rest of the Police procedural stuff was pretty dull, and there wasn't enough violence to make this a good slasher either. The element of Bronson having a daughter was a bit interesting as of course the killer will want to target her etc. At least the last little bit is somewhat exciting but it definitely needed more punch.

Availability:  On DVD

American Nightmare (1983)

3 / 5 Sept '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Don McBrearty
Written by: Steven Blake
Actors include: Lawrence Day, Laura Staley, Neil Dainard
Genre: Horror, Giallo, Thriller
Length: 88 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
So oddly this is a Canadian giallo (though why they called it American Nightmare is beyond me) that has a low budget and some lame acting but it's still very watchable. The plot concerns a maniac who is going around slashing strippers with a razor, one of which is from a prominent family. Her brother comes looking for her and poking around the seedy underbelly of Toronto questioning girls who worked and lived with her. There is even a love story thrown in when the brother falls for one of the stripping roommates...seriously. It does have a fair amount of blood in it, and the mystery comes to an amusing resolution (it's a bit more sordid than one might think). It's just very dry and talky in places, and there are way too many strippers doing way too many dances for my liking, now if you are into that sort of thing you might consider it to be a bonus! As far as this style of film goes, it's definitely not one of the greats but it is worth a viewing for fans I'd say.

Availability:  Not on DVD