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

Blue Velvet (1986)

4.5 / 5 Jun '10

Tagline: The Most Talked About Film of the Decade
Directed by: David Lynch
Written by: David Lynch
Actors include: Kyle MacLaughlan, Laura Dern, Dennis Hopper
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Length: 120 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well fortunately this isn't too weird, in fact it's actually rather easy to follow for a David Lynch film. We follow nosy mystery lovin' Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) who stumbles upon a severed ear in a field. He brings it to the local Police Man who's daughter Sandy (Laura Dern) assists Jeffrey with details about the case. Jeffrey becomes so obsessed he actually breaks into the house of a singer named Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) who is suspected to be involved with the ear somehow. He of course starts to piece things together and ends up in a strange relationship with Dorothy and several frightening underworld figures. Dennis Hopper plays an absolute psycho called Frank Booth who is one of the big bad guys of course, but it's a performance I doubt anyone will forget. It's one heck of a strange and bizarre mystery to be wound up in and it's an entertaining film as it all unfolds. You aren't going to get the answers to everything...it's not that kind of film. You will get a film that is extremely stylish, often darkly funny and tense and strange. Recommended even to those afraid of Lynch, heck I really hated Lost Highway but this I like!

Availability:  On DVD

Der Amerikanische Freund (1977) aka The American Friend

3.5 / 5  Apr '11
Tagline:  N/A
Directed by:  Wim Wenders
Written by:  Patricia Highsmith, Wim Wenders
Actors include:  Bruno Ganz, Dennis Hopper, Lisa Kreuzer
Genre:  Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Length:  125 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review: 
The cinematography is simply gorgeous and the music within perfectly suited.  Heck I like the cast too and the basic concept, I just felt like something very big was missing from this.  It's definitely more of a character study (which is fine) except a little more "why" info might have helped out significantly.  We meet Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper) who is an art forger that is offered an opportunity to become a hit man.  Instead of agreeing to the task he suggests his friend who is a picture framer for the job.  See the picture framer has a deadly disease and a family to support (very Breaking Bad no?) so why wouldn't he jump at the extra chance for income?  Although this is interesting it's too stretched out and some more clarity would have been appreciated.  Still a very interesting '70s German thriller that should at least appeal to most though it wasn't my absolute favorite or anything.

Availabilty:  On DVD