The French Connection (1971)

5 / 5 Jan '10
Tagline: The time is just right for an out and out thriller like this.
Directed by: William Friedkin
Written by: Ernest Tidyman, Robin Moore
Actors include: Gene Hackman, Fernando Ray, Roy Scheider
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Length: 104 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I was surprised just how much I really liked this film even though it's a classic. At first it's a bit confusing but once I figured that I wasn't going to get any sort of detailed explanations or background information and just went with it I thought it was amazing. First of all the beautiful cinematography deserves a mention, from the glorious views in France to the brilliant lights of New York city it's all stunning to look at. The acting is some of the best, Gene Hackman is superb as unrelenting Officer Popeye Doyle. He goes on hunches and doesn't seem to want to follow the rules, and be darned if I've ever seen another Officer go as far as Doyle will, it's absolutely riveting to watch. Doyle gets a bad vibe from a couple of fellows at a bar, so he starts following them around with his partner Buddy Russo. Soon it becomes apparent that a huge heroin shipment is about to take place so it's pretty much excitement city! This does have the best chase scene I've ever seen in a movie, it's extremely thrilling! This is quite a masterpiece in every way, highly recommended to just about anyone, just remember go with the flow and you should love it!

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

To Live And Die In L.A. (1985)

3.5 / 5 May '10
Tagline: The director of "The French Connection" is on the streets again!
Directed by: William Friedkin
Written by: William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich
Actors include: William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Length: 116 minutes
Banned: Norway

Review:
I was not as enamored with this as I'd thought I might be. I adored The French Connection, and this has a rather similar nature, it's just not as effective and it has a few problems with it. First of all the plot is kinda silly, it's all about counterfeit money...seriously. An idiotically obsessed Cop (William Petersen) gets a boner for revenge against a counterfeitter when his Partner is killed two days before retirement (seriously...cliche city!). His new partner wants to play by the rules but he's a frickin' moron who is determined to commission counterfeit money from Willem Dafoe. The music is horrendous, it's all done by Wang Chung who spent most of the movie pretending they were Tangerine Dream, distractingly bad. The first half of the film also doesn't have a heck of a lot going on, a few fine moments jumbled in with a lot of mediocre stuff. The last half is exciting, particularly the ending which definitely made up for many shortcomings it has. The film is quite violent which I appreciate, and there is a pretty awesome chase scene here too but I've seen better. It's worth a watch, but hang in there and don't expect to be as impressed by this as some of the other similar thrillers out there.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Cruising (1980)

4 / 5 July '10
Tagline: Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer.
Directed by: William Friedkin
Written by: William Friedkin, Gerald Walker
Actors include: Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen
Genre: Thriller
Length: 102 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
Wow what a gritty sleazy thriller and I'm a little shocked at how far this one goes, but I like it. Al Pacino is really wonderful as undercover detective Steve Burns who has a rather difficult task ahead of him. He is on assignment to find a serial killer who brutally stabs men to death after picking them up from gay s&m clubs. Steve must blend in with the people and of course ends up in some difficult situations, especially considering he has a girlfriend at home who he has to keep in the dark. It's quite exciting, and flashy and it even has one heck of a dancing sequence with Pacino. It's brutal and violent and well it's probably a bit too much for some. Really my only complaint was the ending, I had something else in mind but I suppose it all made sense and all of that. It's not Friedkin's best, but I think it's an interesting movie so long as the subject matter doesn't put you off.

Availability:  On DVD

Sorcerer (1977)

4.5 / 5 Mar '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: William Friedkin
Written by: Walon Green, Georges Arnaud
Actors include: Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal
Genre: Thriller, Action, Adventure
Length: 121 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Wow, though it starts out in a violent and confusing journey around the world nearly with different characters around every corner it morphs into one of the most exciting action/thrillers I've ever seen. Yes, it's a remake of Le salaire de la peur [The Wages of Fear] and although I haven't seen the original I can say this is one heck of a wild ride. A group of Men from around the world who basically have gone into hiding in a dangerous area of South America. They all really need money, so when jobs come up to rickety drive trucks into some scary jungle terrain they all take on the task. The thing is, their cargo is deadly explosives that can go off at any time! I'm sure just by hearing that you can see why this is such an edge-of-the-seat thriller. The cast is wicked, and the situation couldn't seem more perilous if it tried, even the Tangerine Dream seemed fitting. I really recommend this and thought it was great, I only wish the beginning was a little clearer or less scattered seeming.

Availability:  On DVD