Today’s song of the day comes from John Huston’s directorial debut, 1941’s The Maltese Falcon.
Category Archives: Film
4 Shots From 4 Films: Special John Huston Edition
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
119 years ago today, the writer/director/actor John Huston was born in Nevada, Missouri. Today, we honor his life and films with….
4 Shots from 4 John Huston Films
The Maltese Falcon (1941, dir by John Huston, DP: Arthur Edeson)
The Misfits (1961, dir by John Huston, DP: Russell Metty)
The Night of the Iguana (1964, dir by John Huston, DP: Gabriel Figueroa)
Under the Volcano (1984, dir by John Huston, DP: Gabriel Figueroa)
Scenes I Love: The Opening of Guardians of the Galaxy
Today, the Shattered Lens wises director James Gunn a happy 59th birthday!
My favorite James Gunn film remains 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Not coincidentally, that’s also my favorite comic book film. A good deal of that love has to do with the film’s absolutely brilliant introduction of Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord. In the scene below, both the film and Gunn announce that this is a comic book movie that actually has a sense of humor. Let the other franchises specialize in depressed heroes and grim themes. The Guardians of the Galaxy are all about dancing.
Here’s a scene that I love, directed by James Gunn:
L.A. Crackdown (1987, directed by Joseph Mehri)
Karen (Pamela Dixon) is a tough L.A. cop who is sick of seeing runaways disappear into the system. Fionna (Kit Harrison) and Angie (Tricia Parks) are two delinquents who have been used and abused on the streets. They’ve worked as prostitutes and been forced to appear in films with titles like Cockadile Dundee. (L.A. Crackdown actually opens with the filming of Cockadile Dundee.) Karen tries to rescue them from the streets by springing them from jail and taking them home with her. At first, her husband (Jeffrey Olsen) is not amused but Karen is determined to do the right thing. After several long stretches of nothing happening and two montages of the women bonding, things go downhill, Karen loses everything, and she decides to get justice by killing a bunch of drug dealers.
I knew what I was getting myself into when I saw the Troma logo at the start of this movie. I respect Troma’s willingness to distribute anything that they can get for cheap but that doesn’t make it any easier to sit through their movies. L.A. Crackdown is slowly paced, badly acted, and looks like it was lit by a flashlight with a dying battery. There are two action scenes, one at the beginning and one towards the end, that manage to be presentable but the rest of the film is full of the long, dull stretches that Troma is known for. Karen seeking revenge on the drug dealers should be the whole point of the movie but it takes forever to reach that point. The revenge isn’t bad but you’ll probably fall asleep before you get there.
L.A. Crackdown is on Tubi. If you’re like me, you might make the mistake of watching it because you’ve gotten it mixed up with a Michael Mann film called L.A. Takedown. Take my word for it. Michael Mann has nothing to do with L.A. Crackdown.
Brad’s “Scene of the Day” – Billy Bob Thornton is saved in THE APOSTLE (1997)
Happy 70th birthday to the incredible “hillbilly Olivier,” also known as Billy Bob Thornton. I’ve always been partial to this incredible scene where Thornton and Robert Duvall create a truly powerful moment in Duvall’s film, THE APOSTLE. Enjoy two great actors doing what they do the best!
Monday Live Tweet Alert: Join Us for Freejack!
As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in hosting a few weekly live tweets on twitter and occasion ally Mastodon. I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of Mastodon’s #MondayActionMovie! Every week, we get together. We watch a movie. We snark our way through it.
Tonight, for #MondayActionMovie, the film will be 1992’s Freejack!
It should make for a night of fun viewing and I invite all of you to join in. If you want to join the live tweets, just hop onto Mastodon, pull up Freejack on YouTube, start the movie at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag!
Enjoy!
4 Shots From 4 Films: Special 1987 Edition
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Today, we pay tribute to the year 1987! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 1987 Films
Full Metal Jacket (1987, dir by Stanley Kubrick, DP: Douglas Milsome)
Stage Fright (1987, dir by Michele Soavi, DP: Renato Tafuri)
Wings of Desire (1987, dir by Wim Wenders, DP: Robby Muller)
Near Dark (1987, dir by Kathryn Bigelow, DP: Adam Greenberg)
Scene That I Love: Dancing the Sambola from Damsels in Distress
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to Greta Gerwig! Let’s do the sambola!
Both the scene and the dance are from 2011’s Damsels in Distress.
Brad reviews AMERICAN OUTLAWS (2023)!
AMERICAN OUTLAWS is a 2023 crime drama inspired by the true story of the Dougherty siblings, Dylan (Emory Cohen), Lee-Grace (India Eisley), and Ryan (Sam Strike). Starting in Florida, the film follows the three siblings, who, facing potential prison time, embark on a desperate cross-country crime spree in 2011. Dylan, the older brother, leads the trio, with Lee-Grace, a former stripper battling drug addiction, and Ryan, a soon-to-be father at risk of returning to prison for a parole violation. Their plan is to flee to Costa Rica for a fresh start, but their journey spirals into chaos after Dylan escalates a routine traffic stop by shooting at police, leading to a series of bank robberies and an eight-day manhunt. The film explores their loyalty and reckless pursuit of freedom, set against a backdrop of poverty, ultimately culminating with their capture, and collective jail sentences of 179 years in prison.
AMERICAN OUTLAWS, written and directed by Sean McEwen, is a mixed bag, but I definitely enjoyed watching it. It’s a low-budget, ambitious B-movie, but it’s also somewhat a victim of its budget. On the positive side, McEwen creates a gritty feel, particularly during the car chases, shootouts and various criminal acts. He also incorporates real news footage that adds authenticity and grounds the story in a specific date and time. The cast, led by India Eisley’s uninhibited portrayal of Lee-Grace, delivers committed performances, with Emory Cohen and Sam Strike capturing the siblings’ desperate bond. On the negative side, the low budget is also quite evident at times. You can’t help but wonder what McEwen could have done with more money to throw at the production. He’s clearly a talented filmmaker, and I’m looking forward to watching his future projects.
I did want to note that AMERICAN OUTLAWS is the final role of actor Treat Williams, who would pass away in a tragic accident on June 12th, 2023. The actor, who would have roles in classic films like Sidney Lumet’s PRINCE OF THE CITY (1981) and Sergio Leone’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (1984), adds gravitas as Agent Jameison R. Donovan, though his screen time is limited. His five decade career doesn’t end on an extremely high note, but it’s still a joy to see him in a solid, authoritative role.
Ultimately, AMERICAN OUTLAWS is a solid thriller that gets by on a committed cast and a true-crime story, but it isn’t able to fully capitalize on its premise due to budget limitations. It’s worth a watch for fans of gritty crime dramas. Just be sure to keep your expectations in check.
Fire Alarm (1932, directed by Karl Brown)
When their cat climbs to the top of a power pole, Pat (Noel Francis) and Gertie (Marjorie Beebe) call the entire fire department to come help them bring the kitty down. The fire chief isn’t amused but two firemen, Charlie (Johnny Mack Brown) and Fishey (George Cooper), both catch the eye of Pat and Gertie. Soon, Charlie is dating Pat and Fishey dating Gertie. While Fishey and Gertie provide the comic relief, Charlie and Pat provide the drama. Charlie thinks that Pat’s boss (Richard Tucker) is putting the moves on her and he responds by punching him. Charlie and Pat break up but a fire that breaks out next door to Pat’s building brings them back together.
There’s not much to this programmer but it’s a chance to see western star Johnny Mack Brown in a “modern” role. He’s convincingly tough as the headstrong Charlie while veteran actor George Cooper (who usually went uncredited in the 220 films that he appeared in) provides able support as his eccentric best friend. Noel Francis and Marjorie Beebe are both likable as the two secretaries who end up with firefighter boyfriends and it’s had not to regret that neither had a bigger career in Hollywood. As for the fire scenes, they are actually pretty effective for a 1930s film. There are a few shaky shots but I imagine they were still good enough to thrill afternoon matinee audiences in 1932.
This film is often known as Flames, which provides a double meaning. The characters fight flames while being flames themselves. Personally, I think Fire Alarm is better.
Through the Shattered Lens