The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) aka La Sindrome di Stendhal

3.5 / 5 Jun '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Dario Argento
Written by: Graziella Magherini, Dario Argento
Actors include: Asia Argento, Thomas Kretschmann, Marco Leonardi
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Giallo
Length: 120 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I'm not sure why this has such a terrible reputation, I mean it's certainly not one of Dario Argento's best but it's not his worst either. I suppose some may be disappointed because it is unusual for a horror flick and the story is a bit strange plus it is a bit too long. The story is about a Detective called Anna (Dario's daughter Asia Argento) who we meet in a museum where she loses herself and passes out looking at a painting. This is apparently what Stendhal Syndrome is (yes a real problem that affects quite a few I guess), getting lost in art and getting confused. Anyhow Anna has temporary amnesia making her job extra difficult since she's trying to track a serial rapist/killer. From there it's a strange journey of hallucinations, rape, obssession and blood...even a blond wig! According to some, this is the first Italian film to utilize CGI which generally I hate but it was small doses and it did work here. It certainly does feel like a giallo and one of the best late entries I've come across so far. Sure it's not something that you'll need to rush out and see but I think fans of the genre and of Argento should give this a try.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

4.5 / 5
Tagline: Seven Total Strangers Team Up For The Perfect Crime. They Don't Know Each Other's Name. But They've Got Each Other's Color
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino, Robert Avary
Actors include: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 99 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
After an organized armed robbery takes plays at a diamond warehouse. Six fellows who didn't know each other previously were assembled by the mysterious Joe Cabot and they all go by code names (Mr. Pink, Mr. Orange...etc, borrowed from the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three). Something is obviously wrong when nearly immediately the Police show up and start shooting...there must be a rat among them but who? When they reassemble they try to sniff out the responsible party things start to get messier. It's very stylish, the dialog is definitely clever typical Tarrantino, some of his finest work really. The story is also rather intelligent and intriguing and let's not forget the memorable violence in this...it's a definite charmer. The characters created here are top notch and even the music is perfect, definitely see this if you haven't already, I doubt you'll regret it!

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Fargo (1996)

4.5 / 5
Tagline: A homespun murder story.
Directed by: Joel Coen
Written by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Actors include: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Black Comedy, Thriller, Crime
Length: 98 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
My first Cohen brothers picture, but definitely not my last. I remember being rather surprised at the strange style here...definitely appealing but unusual. The plot is about a fellow named Jerry (William H. Macy) who is pretty desperate for money, so he hatches a wacky scheme to have his wife kidnapped for ransom (she has a wealthy father). Things of course go terribly wrong when the kidnapping isn't done properly and all it turns into a bloody mess. Then Police Chief Marge (Frances McDormand) is on the trail (and pregnant) and things seem to get even worse for Jerry what with the angry kidnappers and everything. It's one of those everything that can go wrong basically does things plus it's gross enough and yet it still has a sense of humor...it's very balanced. It's no wonder so many went crazy for this film, I thought it was pretty darned impressive and extremely memorable, definitely one that you simply must see.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Speed (1994)

4 / 5
Tagline: Get ready for rush hour.
Directed by: Jan de Bont
Written by: Graham Yost
Actors include: Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper
Genre: Action, Thriller
Length: 116 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
The bus that could not go under 50...it's beyond duh duh but that's probably what makes it so easy to watch. A mad bomber is ticked off and decides to wire a bus so that it will explode if anyone tries to get off or if they drop the speed. After something goes wrong with the bus driver passenger Sandra Bullock (who had her license revoked for speeding I believe) has to take the reigns. Bomb specialist Jack (Keanu Reeves) boards the bus to try and devise a solution but of course things are getting desperate. See they end up on a stretch of unfinished road, a passenger jumps even though they aren't allowed and several other exciting action sequences occur. This should be pretty much exactly what one would expect and not a penny more. Fun to watch, not exactly groundbreaking but worth a view for those who are bored, I still can't believe this has a sequel though...

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

True Crime (1999)

4 / 5
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: Andrew Klavan, Larry Gross
Actors include: Clint Eastwood, Isaiah Washington, James Woods
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Length: 127 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Journalist Steve Everett (Clint Eastwood who also directed this) has personal demons, he loves women and booze but his problems increase when his co-worker Michelle dies in a car accident. When he is given a human interest story about a Man set to be executed for murdering a pregnant woman for $96 he owes her he starts to learn things aren't as clear as they once seemed. See he figures out that one of the witnesses lied about what they saw so he believes this man is innocent. From there he has about 12 hours to try to prove the prisoner's innocence in a race against time that is actually rather exciting. The thing is, because of his past issues people aren't exactly jumping to help him or believe him so it's a rather tricky path to the truth. One of the better little crime thrillers that is rarely mentioned, I remember when I rented this I watched it twice in the same day I liked it so much...but I haven't seen it in years!

Availability:  On DVD

The Sixth Sense (1999)

3.5 / 5
Tagline: "I see dead people"
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
Actors include: Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis, Toni Collette
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 107 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Even though I didn't guess what was taking place when I watched this, I still didn't find it amazing. I mean I know that's a big reason why everyone thought this was so cool but I didn't really find it very shocking. That being said this is by far the best M. Night Shyamalan film but I usually hate his work so by that standard this is a vast improvement. The story is about a boy who sees dead people (and yes once in a while the dead people surprise you) but they don't seem to think they are dead so he resorts to talking to a Child Psychologist who tries to help him through his problem. As far as ghost stories go it's not even one of my favorites but I suppose it's effective none the less.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

The Game (1997)

4 / 5
Tagline: Players Wanted.
Directed by: David Fincher
Written by: John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris,
Actors include: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Debra Kara Unger
Genre: Thriller, Action, Adventure
Length: 128 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
For Nicholas' (Michael Douglas) 40th birthday his weirdo brother gives him a ticket for a game called CSR (see Nicholas is a bit of a recluse and his brother wanted to engage him in something). He goes to the company and soon after life becomes pretty ridiculously awful. See it's sorta like a conspiracy or some sort of nightmare that Nicholas can't wake up from. It's very much a psychological thriller, we really aren't handed the answers but we must piece this together as things get more and more twisted. It's actually rather fun to watch and to try to guess what's happening, it's not quite as tricky as some but it's rather well written and interestingly assembled. I guess my only advice is to watch it, but don't give up on it because of confusion...holding on will pay off big time so long as you are patient!

Availability:  On DVD

The Net (1995)

3.5 / 5

Tagline: Her driver's license. Her credit cards. Her bank accounts. Her identity. DELETED.
Directed by: Irwin Winkler
Written by: John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris
Actors include: Jeremy Northam, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Miller
Genre: Thriller, Action, Crime
Length: 114 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
A software engineer Angela Bennett (Sandra Bullock) who does everything on the computer so she doesn't have to leave the house winds up in a predicament after being sent a virus from a friend. Her friend was supposed to fly out and visit her but he died in a crash on the way. She decides to go on vacation to the beach but it's then her life turns into a nightmare when she meets a charming young suitor. Suddenly she's in a very dangerous situation and she learns her identity has been stolen...but who can vouch for her? Barely anyone knows her or has seen her...how can she get out of this one? It's a decent enough little no brainer thriller, it's maybe a little less effective in this day and age because computers have advanced a fair bit but identity theft is still something folks can relate to. Not great but still decent enough as far as time passers go.

Availability:  On DVD

Total Recall (1990)

4 / 5 Mar '10

Tagline: They Stole His Mind, Now He Wants It Back!
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Written by: Philip K. Dick, Ronald Shusett
Actors include: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone
Genre: Thriller, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Length: 113 minutes
Banned: Nope
Country: USA

Review:
This is one relatively exciting action packed futuristic tale that doesn't seem all that far off from actually happening. Okay well maybe that's an exaggeration, I can't picture some of these violent sequences actually happening but conceptually...we aren't far off. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Douglas Quaid, a fellow who really wants to go to Mars but his wife Lori (Sharon Stone) isn't interested. Instead Douglas hears of a company called Recall which implants memories of trips to nearly anywhere and they let you be any sort of person you'd like for the experience. Douglas decides to give it a try and he selects secret agent with aliens and brunette lady friend (and I can't imagine why anyone would select Rachel Ticotin over Stone) and receives a vacation implant to Mars. We hear that something has gone wrong and that Douglas' memory has accidentally erased, we sort of meet with him and we aren't quite sure which state he's at and he's more confused than we are. All of the sudden people with guns are shooting at him and life is a giant adventure all to do with something that happened on Mars that he can't remember. It's pretty fun watching everything come together especially since it's a rather violent ride filled with adventure. Really I guess this should be recommended to most, the concept is interesting the effects are good and it's very easy to enjoy.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Apt Pupil (1998)

3.5 / 5 Apr '10
Tagline: If you don't believe in the existence of evil, you've got a lot to learn.
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Written by: Stephen King, Brandon Boyce
Actors include: Brad Renfro, Ian McKellan, Joshua Jackson
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Length: 112 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Decent enough though admittedly I've never read the book and from what I understand the two are quite different. I like the concept, an evil Nazi in hiding (well acted by Ian McKellen) who seems to be trying to forget his past is blackmailed into giving details about his involvement in the war. Brad Renfro plays youngster Todd Bowden who discovers the Nazi on the bus and seems to enjoy the gory details of the death camps and such. It's a relatively horrific idea, but it seems it was afraid to cross certain lines, most everything that is disturbing is described or hinted at rather than shown. It's sort of a tale about being a sadist, mind games and how far is each willing to go sort of thing to control the other. It's an odd dynamic that all starts to come crashing down when the Nazi's health starts to fail. Pretty interesting character study really though it seems like it didn't need to be as long as it was. Still decent enough for me anyhow but who knows how I would feel if I had read the book.

Availability:  On DVD

Fear (1990)

3 / 5 Apr '10
Tagline: Your First Impulse Your Last Sensation
Directed by: Rockne S. O'Bannon
Written by: Rockne S. O'Bannon
Actors include: Ally Sheedy, Lauren Hutton, Michael O'Keefe
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well it's worth noting that this is one of the first of '90s thrillers involving a serial killer and psychic powers. Actually the plot although silly in a way is probably one of the best parts of this one. I was surprised at how poor the acting was in this, I expected more from Ally Sheedy! She plays Cayce a psychic who helps solve murder cases which has treated her quite well, only her new case is a challenge. See the killer she's trying to help nab just happens to also have psychic abilities (see what I mean by silly) and is trying to out do her by going after people in her life and controlling her. He uses his psychic abilities to find out what scares the person the most and tries to incorporate that into his means of attack which is kind of cool. Although it had the potential to be frightening, thrilling or even intense it never really went there. It was more Cayce freaking out in various settings while her visions took over. It's not really horrific enough to be considered a horror film, nor is it bloody nor do we see a heck of a lot really. Still some good ideas were here and I easily made it to the end of the film, it just wasn't as exciting as it should have been.

Availability:  On DVD as part of 2fer with Parents

Dolores Claiborne (1995)

4 / 5 May '10
Tagline: Sometimes, an accident can be an unhappy woman's best friend
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
Written by: Stephen King, Tony Gilroy
Actors include: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Length: 132 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well finally, another successful King adaptation, so few pay off but I think this one was quite effective. I think I read the book many years ago but my memory is quite hazy, the story is quite wonderful. Kathy Bates is brilliant as Dolores Claiborne, a Woman who is accused of murdering Vera the elderly Woman she has spent years caring for. The thing is when Dolores' husband Joe was found dead under mysterious circumstances years before. Some folks thought she was guilty including the Detective in charge of the Vera case and even her own daughter Selena blamed her. Selena returns home to aid her Mother during this time after not seeing her for 15 years I think it was, so their relationship is rather strained. Of course as the story unfolds we learn more and more that things aren't quite what they think they are. It really does teach that one shouldn't make assumptions and so forth. Although it's a very long movie the story is gripping enough that it should keep anyone's attention. The continual flipping between the past and reality was a bit much at times but I still thought it was easy to follow. Recommended for those who enjoy a good story and a good King adaptation.

Availability:  On DVD

Raising Cain (1991)

3.5 / 5 May '10

Tagline: De Mented, De Ranged, De Ceptive, De Palma
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Written by: Brian De Palma
Actors include: John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, Steven Bauer
Genre: Thriller, Crime, Horror, Drama
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
It's not bad, though it's definitely not one of Brian De Palma's best. It features John Lithgow as Carter...and Cain and a few others. His Wife is concerned with the amount of time and attention he's giving to their daughter plus he's constantly monitoring him. When the wife meets up with an old boyfriend and sparks start flying things get rather dangerous. Especially when people warn her that her husband may be into recreating the experiments that his evil Father worked on. Lithgow is very over the top here yet he does a good job and really without him the movie would have very little. This does involve a few killings though we aren't exactly going to see much, it's more about the idea. It's also rather confusing in places as we see his hallucinations and various other things that we think are happening but later find out they aren't so. This leaves a slightly unsatisfying taste in the mouth yet at the same time...it's DePalma seemingly trying to borrow from Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch so of course it's weird. Oh well it could have been worse and at the end it made sense for the most part.

Availability:  On DVD

In The Line Of Fire (1993)

4 / 5 Jun '10
Tagline: An assassin on the loose. A president in danger. Only one man stands between them...
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
Written by: Jeff MacGuire
Actors include: Clint Eastwood, Rene Russo, John Malkovich
Genre: Thriller, Action, Drama
Length: 128 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Although this does offer a ton of action packed excitement and some violence, it's not as awesome as it could have been. See it really didn't need to go over 2 hours in length and the romance thrown in seemed just that. Clint Eastwood plays secret service agent Frank Horrington who lives with regret because he didn't jump in front of the bullet that killed JFK but he could have. Now he's much older of course and despite everyone telling him to retire he's determined to help catch a killer who taunts him. The killer (John Malkovich) is rather cunning, a great shot and also is completely insane. The killer and Frank play cat and mouse for most of the movie until of course an exciting showdown involving rooftop jumping occurs. Frank of course has to battle the force and deal with hunches and adversity blah blah blah. It's honestly pretty fun and quite high budget, but trying to make it so "Hollywood" and throwing in that romantic junk with fellow agent Rene Russo was irritating. Definitely still worth watching, the good parts are high octane, and Eastwood is still really fun to watch, it just could have been so much more.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Body Puzzle (1992)

2.5 / 5 Jun '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Lamberto Bava
Written by: Lamberto Bava
Actors include: Joanna Pacula, Tomas Arana, François Montagut
Genre: Horror, Giallo, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 95 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well, I am typically a fan of Lamberto Bava but this wasn't nearly as good as I'd have expected. It did manage to have some nice scenes of gore and dismembered body parts if that be your thing. The story is rather dull (even though it's going to sound exciting). It's about a serial killer who removes parts from his victims (who is known to us right off the bat) sends them to a Woman. The Police scramble to solve the mystery, although it's no mystery to us making it feel pretty boring. It's very dry and wooden feeling, nothing special whatsoever. Although perhaps this would qualify as a giallo it probably wouldn't satisfy genre fans. I've definitely seen worse and cheaper, but I actually saw this when it first came out but totally forgot I ever watched it. That's not a good sign, and odds are within a year I'll forget again. Oh well, Lamberto's weakest still has a few decent qualities I guess.

Availability:  On DVD

The River Wild (1994)

3.5 / 5 July '10
Tagline: The vacation is over
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
Written by: Denis O'Neill
Actors include: Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly
Genre: Thriller, Action
Length: 145 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
A rather fun little action thriller with a few silly elements and oddly Meryl Streep being a silly river rafter with an uninterested husband and kids. She decides to take the boy and husband rafting on a nice vacation in the wild. Things are great until they come across a group of other rafters that are clearly up to no good. They've robbed a location and are now on the getaway with a bag of money and a gun. Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly head up the bad guys who are trying to be nice but they need the river guide for escape. It's got a few moments of excitement, particularly when it comes to especially dangerous rapids that they are being forced to endure. It's predictable and a bit hammy but the scenery is nice, the acting is fine and if you want an adventure movie with a bit of danger this should satisfy.

Availability:  On DVD

Primal Fear (1996)

4 / 5 July '10
Tagline: Sooner or later a man who wears two faces forgets which one is real.
Directed by: Gregory Hoblit
Written by: William Diehl, Steve Shagan
Actors include: Richard Gere, John Mahoney, Laura Linney
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Length: 129 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is a neat little legal thriller that has a few more twists and turns than the average offering. Richard Gere plays a cynical lawyer who usually doesn't care much for his clients, but rather is in it for exposure for himself. When he hears about an altar boy named Aaron who was found covered in the blood of a viciously murdered Priest he can't help but volunteer to defend the Aaron. For once he finds himself in an odd predicament, despite the overwhelming evidence that Aaron was involved Gere actually feels his client is innocent. Heck Aaron is an extremely boyish and likeable fellow who stammers and cowers, could he really do anything so horrible? The film is about the case playing out and all of the intriguing evidence and people who surface along the way. It maybe goes on a little long but it's so fascinating it's hard to look away from.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

L.A. Confidential (1997)

5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush...
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
Written by: James Ellroy, Brian Helgeland
Actors include: Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Russell Crowe
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Noir
Length: 138 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This had just about everything going for it, excellent plot, loads of violence, impressive actors and never a dull moment. It's a period piece set in L.A. in the '50s where we follow a trio of completely different Police Officers. Corruption runs rampant and it's a buddy system, Bud White (Russell Crowe) is a tough guy who is used primarily for muscle and he doesn't mind playing "the game". Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) is extremely by the book, doesn't care what the other officers think of him and is willing to be a rat. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) seems to be more financially and self-driven character. He is also a part of running a successful tv show called "Badge Of Honor" that he seems to really love. When a violent crime with multiple murders takes place at a coffee shop the different detectives all have to try to figure out what really happened...but what will happen when they find out? It's really gripping and exciting, plus it has a thrown in plot element of gorgeous women who look like movie stars (which is where Kim Basinger comes into it...she's the Veronica Lake look-alike). It's got something for everyone which is why I suspect it's got such a mighty reputation but his one deserves it, it's fabulous!

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Wild At Heart (1990)

3.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: David Lynch
Written by: Barry Gifford, David Lynch
Actors Include: Laura Dern, Nicolas Cage, Willem Dafoe
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller, Crime
Length:  124 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Hmm well this had some extreme bads and some extreme goods but it was the extreme violence that pleased me the most. I guess I'll start with my complaints which include: horrible metal interludes (what were they thinking?), it's trying too hard to be weird to the point of being obnoxious at times (like the chipmunk voiced people), too much sex (the movie was too long, they screw like bunnies, I get it, I don't need to see them screwing over and over again) and it some aspects don't make much sense. On the pro side, again the violence is cool, some of the characters although bizarre are quite entertaining and although the movie sometimes annoyed me, it was compelling in a way. The story is about Sailor (Nicolas Cage) and Lula (Laura Dern) a young crazy couple who are wildly in love but often on the wrong side of the law. Lula's Mother hates Sailor so much she hires a hit out on him, but instead of killing him Sailor manages to kill the hitman landing him in jail. A little while later when he gets out the movie continues with a strange road trip with Lula where they screw and screw and try to live the good life. Of course not everything is wonderful and well things kinda get messed up along the way. Still it was somewhat satisfying and I liked most of it, not the best Lynch movie by far but a reasonable one at least.

Availability:  On DVD

Goodfellas (1990)

5 / 5
Tagline:  Three Decades of Life in the Mafia.
Directed by:  Martin Scorsese
Written by:  Nicholas Pileggi
Actors include:  Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci
Genre:  Crime, Drama, Thriller
Length:  146 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review:

I never did get around to seeing this until just recently and I'm so glad I did for I completely get why it's regarded as one of the best films of all time.  Why?  Because I think you'd have to be pretty hateful to not enjoy it as it has something for anyone!  It's based upon the true story of Henry Hill, a gangster who starts out young and ends up extremely thick in the Mob.  It's really easy to follow, the characters are unforgettable, the violence is supreme the relationships between the characters are gripping as is the story.  The ruthlessly needless violent character of Tommy (Joe Pesci) is difficult to watch and he just brings the whole element of doom to the film.  Watching Henry rise from a young lad who runs errands to working his way up to the big time is fascinating and it even answers questions that I've had about how the Mob runs and everything else (not that I'm thinking of joining).  For those who don't like mobsters and stuff there is even the romantic element as part of this takes place through Henry's wife and her reactions to things.  I can't say enough good things about but I can say if you haven't seen it, don't be a fool go and watch it now!

Availability:  On Blu-Ray & DVD