Tag Archives: Kurt Russell

Brad reviews BREAKDOWN (1997), starring Kurt Russell!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Kurt Russell is one of those actors that I always remember liking. When I was coming into my own as a lover of movies in the mid-80s, it seemed that he was everywhere in my life. Fox 16 out of Little Rock played THE MEAN SEASON constantly, my brother and I loved to rent BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, and my mom’s favorite movie was OVERBOARD. In some ways, he was like an extended member of the family! Even though he’s now 75 years old, if Russell is in a film or TV show, there’s a good chance I’m watching it. Well back in 1997, I went to see his BREAKDOWN in the theater, and I still find myself watching it just about every year to this day. I just enjoy it no matter how many times I watch it. Most people call it a suspense thriller, but this story is a genuine horror show for me.

Russell plays Jeff Taylor, a man traveling cross-country with his wife, Amy (Kathleen Quinlan). When their vehicle breaks down in the middle of the desert, it seems that they’re almost forced to take the help of a passing truck driver. Amy agrees to go with him to get assistance while Jeff stays behind with their vehicle. It’s the kind of situation any couple could find themselves in. The problem here is that when Jeff is able to get his vehicle running again and makes his way to the roadside diner where Amy’s supposed to be, she’s nowhere to be found. Even worse, everyone acts like they’ve never heard of her or seen her before. From that point on, the movie focuses on Jeff’s desperate search for his wife, and the more he learns about the people who took her, the more dangerous things become.

Here’s the thing about BREAKDOWN that has always made it work so well for me. The idea of a wife being taken from her husband, out in the middle of nowhere, with no explanation and no clear way to get her back, is terrifying. When I think of some of the long, lonesome stretches of interstate my wife and I have driven through in rural Wyoming, I’m not exactly sure what I’d do if our vehicle just stopped working. And one thing about Kurt Russell’s character here, he’s not some tough guy like Snake Plissken or Jack Burton. This character is named Jeff, and he’s preppy looking in his sunglasses, khakis and polo shirt. He kind of reminds me of myself at first, which means I know he’s in trouble! The brilliance of the film’s setup is that it takes an ordinary situation involving ordinary people and then turns it into the sort of nightmare that I wouldn’t wish on anybody.

Russell excels as the normal husband completely driven by the desperation to find his wife. He makes us feel what Jeff is going through, and that’s a huge part of why the movie works as well as it does. When he gets angry, we understand why. When he takes risks, we understand what’s driving him. I find myself completely invested in his predicament and want him to find Amy just as badly as he does. And then there’s J.T. Walsh, who’s particularly chilling as the truck driver, Red Barr. He seems like such a nice guy when he offers help but then seems like a despicable guy when he tells the police later that he’s never met Jeff or Amy before. The thing is, he’s basically playing the character the same in both scenes, which makes the whole thing quite unsettling. It’s an incredible performance and serves as a reminder of what a shame it was that J.T. Walsh would pass away the next year at just 54 years of age.

Another thing that works well is Kathleen Quinlan’s performance as Amy. She doesn’t get a lot of screen time, as we hang out with her and Jeff on the road for a little while before she gets kidnapped, but she gives off such an appealing vibe that helps establish a solid, likable relationship with her husband. To me that short time is vital as it helped me stay invested in Jeff’s search. I mean, who wouldn’t want her back?! Finally, I also want to give a shout-out to M.C. Gainey and Jack Noseworthy, who play a couple of really bad guys helping Red. This movie has some damn good villains.

Watching BREAKDOWN yet again, I still think it’s a near perfect thriller. Kurt Russell is terrific, the suspense holds up, and the story still resonates with me, maybe now more than ever. After all these years, I still find myself getting caught up in Jeff’s desperate search for Amy, and thinking about what I’d do if something like this ever happened to my lovely wife, Sierra. That thought remains every bit as scary as it did the first time I saw the film. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Famous Actors Throughout the Decades: Charles Bronson – 1960’s!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Last year around this time, I was sitting poolside at a resort in Maui when I wrote about Charles Bronson’s career in the 1950’s. A year later, I’m sitting on the beach in Perdido Key, FL, and it seems like the perfect time to write about Bronson in the 1960’s! Holy hell… a guy just caught a shark!!

Random Beach Guy with Shark – He released the Shark back into the ocean right after I took this pic!

Back to Bronson, the 1960’s were a pivotal decade in Charles Bronson’s personal life and career. As the decade started, he was headlining his own TV series, MAN WITH A CAMERA, although that show’s run would end in 1960. He would also have a memorable supporting role in the classic western, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960). His portrayal of Bernardo O’Reilly would be one of the most heroic of the film. This type of supporting performance would come to be a staple for Bronson throughout the 1960’s. 

Charles Bronson and Yul Brynner in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960)

For the most part, it seems that Charles Bronson’s career would settle into a series of important co-starring roles in both television and in major motion pictures. The most important of these movies were his excellent performances in classics like THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) and THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967). He also had important supporting roles in popular films like KID GALAHAD (1962) with Elvis Presley, THE SANDPIPER (1965) with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and THIS PROPERTY IS CONDEMNED (1966) with Natalie Wood and Robert Redford.

Charles Bronson and Natalie Wood in THIS PROPERTY IS CONDEMNED (1966)

On TV, he was performing in prominent “guest star” roles in classic TV series like ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, BONANZA, GUNSMOKE, RAWHIDE, and THE F.B.I. He also had turned into an actor who would join a TV series already in progress to help class it up some. He would provide that service to EMPIRE (1962-1963), starring Richard Egan and Ryan O’Neal, as well as THE TRAVELS OF JAIMIE MCPHEETERS (1963-1964) starring a young Kurt Russell. While he seemed to be everywhere, and there were some exceptions, it seemed he was always the guest star and never the star. This was very frustrating for an actor who had already spent over a decade providing strong support to bigger stars, while his contemporaries like Steve McQueen and James Coburn were headlining their own films. But things were about to change in a big way for Bronson, in both his personal life and professional life. 

Kurt Russell and Charles Bronson in THE TRAVELS OF JAIMIE MCPHEETERS Television series

First, his personal life… Charles Bronson had been married to Harriet Tendler Bronson from 1949 to 1965. He met Jill Ireland on the set of THE GREAT ESCAPE in 1962 when she was there with her then-husband David McCallum, who was also starring in the film. Legend has it that Bronson told McCallum that he was going to “marry his wife,” but who really knows what’s fact and what’s fiction when it comes to Hollywood. Regardless, Bronson and Ireland would both get divorced in the sixties and marry each other on October 5th, 1968. They were a true Hollywood love story and would be inseparable until her death from breast cancer in 1990. 

Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland

Jill Ireland turned out to be crucial in the success of Charles Bronson’s career. She was able to convince him to accept some of the offers that he had been receiving to go to Europe where he could finally be the “star” of his movies. The first of these films was FAREWELL, FRIEND (1968), where he would co-star with international superstar Alain Delon. Delon had specifically requested Bronson based on his strong performance a decade earlier in Roger Corman’s MACHINE GUN KELLY. Bronson would steal the film from Delon and it would be a huge box office hit across Europe. Suddenly, Bronson found himself to be a sex symbol across the continent. When I was a kid in the 80’s, this movie was only available on terrible VHS tapes under the title HONOR AMONG THIEVES. I didn’t fully appreciate how important it was to Bronson’s career until decades later.

Charles Bronson and Alain Delon in FAREWELL, FRIEND (1968)

Bronson’s next film would turn him into a true international stud when he would play Harmonica in Sergio Leone’s ultimate masterpiece ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968). His incredible screen presence would dominate a film that featured excellent performances from Henry Fonda, Jason Robards and possibly the most beautiful woman on earth, Claudia Cardinale. Leone had wanted to work with Bronson for years, including all three films in the “Dollars” trilogy, but it had never worked out. While their film was butchered for its American release, it was a monster hit all across Europe and Bronson would be one of the biggest stars on the planet for the next decade.

Charles Bronson in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)

The 1960’s turned out to be a great decade for Charles Bronson. He married the love of his life and became one of the biggest movie stars in the world, even if he wasn’t fully appreciated in his home country yet. But we’ll get to that next when we discuss the 1970’s, his most successful decade of all!

Scenes That I Love: Gerrit Graham Battles Inflation in Robert Zemeckis’s Used Cars

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to director Robert Zemeckis!

Today’s scene that I love comes from Zemeckis’s 1980 comedy, Used Cars!  In this scene, used car salesman Gerrit Graham interrupts a televised presidential address so that he can demonstrate the best way to deal with inflation.

(Of course, he does the demonstration at a rival used car lot.)

Jack Warden watches as his cars blow up while Graham’s boss (Kurt Russell) tries to keep his business partner (Deborah Harmon) from noticing what is happening on the television.

“That price is too high!”

HARD TIMES ON FILM presents “Soldier,” starring Kurt Russell!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

In honor of Kurt Russell’s birthday, I thought I would share one of my favorite podcasts with you. Most of the time Nick and Ray talk about Charles Bronson, but every so often they go outside of Bronson. Their episode on the Kurt Russell film SOLDIER is excellent. It’s a great way to celebrate one of the most popular actors of my lifetime.

Happy Birthday, Kurt, and enjoy my friends!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hard-times-on-film-the-films-of-charles-bronson-and-beyond/id1593402485?i=1000670947806

Scenes I Love: The Ending of The Thing

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

From 1982’s The Thing, here is one of the greatest endings in the history of horror.  Kurt Russell and Keith David play two characters who might be the final survivors of the The Thing’s rampage or who might just be one human talking to one alien.  With nothing to do but wait for the inevitable, the two of them share a drink and prepare to freeze.

The scene features great acting from Russell and David and great direction from John Carpenter.  It’s one of those endings that you will never forget.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Kurt Russell Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 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 wish a happy birthday to the great Kurt Russell!  Last year, we pretty much reviewed every Kurt Russell films that we could find.  It was a great day.  This year, we cannot let the day pass without offering up….

4 Shots From 4 Kurt Russell Films

Used Cars (1980, dir by Robert Zemeckis, DP: Donald M. Morgan)

Escape From New York (1981, dir by John Carpenter, DP: Dean Cundey)

The Thing (1982, dir by John Carpenter, DP: Dean Cundey)

Tombstone (1993, dir by George Pan Cosmatos (and Kurt Russell), DP: William Fraker)

 

6 Actors Who I Hope Will Win An Oscar In The Next Ten Years

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Ethan Hawke

I should begin by saying that there’s a good chance that Ethan Hawke will win an Oscar later tonight.  He’s been nominated for Blue Moon.  When this Oscar season began, he was definitely the front runner.  As of late, the momentum seems to have shifted toward Michael B. Jordan or perhaps Timothee Chalamet but still, one should not totally discount Hawke’s chances.  If Hawke does lose tonight, I have no doubt that he will be nominated in the future and eventually, he will win.  It’ll be long overdue.  As you can probably guess by the picture at the start of this post, I’m one of those people who thinks that he definitely should have won for Boyhood.

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell finally received his first Oscar nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin but he lost the award to Brendan Fraser.  Farrell is not an actor who has always gotten the respect that he deserves.  Especially early in his career, he was often miscast.  Much like Matthew McConaughey, he was often dismissed as just being a pretty boy until he met a director — in this case, Martin McDonagh — who truly understood how to best utilize Farrell’s screen presence.  As In Bruges, Banshees and The Penguin showed, Farrell is essentially a character actor in a leading man’s body.  My hope is that Farrell will win his first Oscar between now and 2036 and that he’ll give a memorable acceptance speech.

Brendan Gleeson

Speaking of The Banshees of Inisherin, how does Brandan Gleeson only have one Oscar nomination to his name?  Now, to be clear, I don’t begrudge the fact that Gleeson lost to Ke Huy Quan.  Quan had a wonderful personal story, gave the best performance in the overrated mess that was Everything Everywhere All At Once, and his acceptance speech was truly touching.  That said, my sincere hope is that the Academy understands that Gleeson is long overdue an Oscar.  Hopefully, that will be corrected soon.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell is one of those actors who I just can’t believe has never been nominated.  In a few days, Kurt Russell will be turning 75.  He’s been a popular actor for most of his life but he’s not getting any younger.  So, get with it, Academy!  I don’t care what his next film is.  I don’t care how big the role is.  Give Kurt Russell his Oscar!

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has had an interesting career.  He went from being a teen idol to a character actor to a somewhat disreputable celebrity to finally reemerging with the Mission Impossible films as one of our last true movie stars.  One need only watch Top Gun: Maverick to see the type of charisma that we’re going to miss once it’s gone.  Later this year, Cruise will be starring in Digger.

Sylvester Stallone

Seriously, how many times does this man have to play Rocky and Rambo before the Academy finally gives him the award that everyone secretly wants him to win?  Give Stallone his Oscar!

Did you know that Snake Plissken was almost played by….. CHARLES BRONSON?

Posted on by Bradley Crain

If you’re following the page today, you know that The Shattered Lens is celebrating the 78th birthday of legendary Director John Carpenter. Did you know that there was a time when the studio “suits” wanted Charles Bronson to play the role of Snake Plissken in Carpenter’s classic, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK? A big star when the original idea of the film began kicking around, studio executives felt that an experienced, gritty actor like Bronson might be perfect for the role, especially since he was already a solid box office champ.

Carpenter, however, wanted a younger guy to play Plissken and may have even been a little intimidated to work with the veteran action star…

“Charles Bronson had expressed interest in playing Snake, but I was afraid of working with him. He was a big star, and I was this little-shit nobody.”

It all worked out well in the long run as Carpenter was eventually able to cast his first choice for the role, Kurt Russell, who was at an important stage in his own career as he was still in the process of reinventing his on-screen image from his days as a former child star and Disney star. John Carpenter had worked with Russell a couple of years earlier in the TV movie, ELVIS (1979), so he had confidence in the young actor. Russell turned out to be an incredible choice for the film and key to making it the classic it is today.

Still, for a Bronson fan like me, it’s quite interesting to know that there’s a multiverse out there that could have seen Bronson in the iconic role!

Lisa Marie’s Take On Escape From New York (dir by John Carpenter)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I was a bit shocked to realize that I hadn’t reviewed Escape from New York for this site.  Leonard’s reviewed it.  Jeff’s reviewed it.  I’ve reviewed quite a few Italian films that were inspired by Escape from New York.  Last year, I devoted an entire day to how much I love Kurt Russell.  I’ve shared John Carpenter’s theme music, more than once.  I’ve reacted to Mamdani’s election by telling my friends that it’s time to escape from New York.  I’ve lost track of the number of times that I’ve told Leonard that it is “Time to leave the Bronx,” even though he doesn’t live in the Bronx.  (What do I know?  I live in Texas.)  But I’ve never actually reviewed Escape From New York.

I love Escape from New York but I have to say that the film itself can’t live up the brilliant poster art.  The first time I watched Escape from New York, I was really disappointed that the Statue of Liberty’s head never appeared in the middle of a street in Manhattan.  If the film were made today, one imagines that the filmmakers would be able to do all sorts of things with the Statue of Liberty.  But Escape from New York was made in 1981, in the days before rampant CGI.  Escape from New York was made at a time when directors had to be somewhat clever and that definitely works to the film’s advantage.  The lack of big time special effects meant that Carpenter had to emphasize character and atmosphere.  Escape From New York might not feature the Statue of Liberty’s head but it does feature an amazing cast and a host of unforgettable characters.  When you manage to get Kurt Russell, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Lee Van Cleef, and Isaac Hayes all in the same film, there’s no way it isn’t going to be memorable.

We all know the plot.  Kurt Russell plays career criminal Snake Plissken.  (Everyone thought Snake was dead.)  When the President (Donald Pleasence) finds himself trapped on the prison island of Manhattan, Snake is the man who is sent to rescue him.  The fate of the world depends on rescuing the President.  If the President isn’t rescued, it could lead to nuclear war.  Snake doesn’t really care about the fate of the world.  He does care about the fate of himself, however.  He’s been injected with a poison that will kill him unless he receives the antidote in 24 hours.

(The doctor who gives Snake the poison is named Dr. Cronenberg.  Meanwhile, Frank Doubleday appears as a thug named Romero.  Lee Van Cleef’s police commissioner is named Hauk, as in Howard Hawks.  Tom Atkins plays Captain Rehme, as in producer Bob Rehme.  The film may be about the collapse and possible end of the world but John Carpenter’s having fun.  And, of course, so are we.)

The President has been captured by the Duke of New York (Isaac Hayes).  It doesn’t take Snake long to track down the Duke.  But rescuing the President and making it back to safety turns out to be far more difficult and violent than anyone was anticipating.  Snake gets some help, from characters like Cabbie (Ernest Borgnine), Brain (Harry Dean Stanton), and Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau).  Of course, that help is largely due to everyone’s self-interest.  The recurring theme is that no one really cares that much about whether or not the President or even Snake lives or dies.  Maggie loves Brain but, otherwise, there’s not much individual loyalty to be found in this film.  Instead, everyone just cares about getting the Hell out of New York.  In the end, even the President turns out to be a bit of a jerk.

(I do have to say that I absolutely love Donald Pleasence’s performance in Escape from New York.  The “You’re the Duke!  You’re the Duke!  A Number One!” scene?  That was Pleasence at his most brilliant.)

It’s a wonderfully acted and directed film, one that is often darkly humorous.  (While Kurt Russell delivers his lines with a endearing self-awareness, Carpenter has a lot of fun imagining the type of criminal society that would emerge on an isolated Manhattan.)  It’s also a film that understands the power of New York City.  Depending on who you ask, New York either represents the worst or the best of America.  That’s true today and, watching Escape from New York, it’s easy to guess that was probably true in 1981 as well.  There’s a power to the “New York” name and it’s why this film wouldn’t have worked if it had been called Escape From Houston or Escape From Spokane.  (One reason why Escape From LA failed was because the cartoonishness of Los Angeles couldn’t compete with the grit of New York.)  We all know the saying — “New York, New York: If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”  This film reminds us that it’s also true that if you can escape from there, you can escape from anywhere.  Escape from New York brilliantly captures the way that most of the rest of country view New York but, by limiting the action to Manhattan, it also presents a story that can be enjoyed by people in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.  I imagine the film is especially popular on Staten Island.

Escape From New York is a brilliant work of the pulp imagination.  It’s a film that will probably outlive the city.

Brad reviews OVERBOARD (1987), starring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Spoiled heiress Joanna Stayton (Goldie Hawn) hires carpenter Dean Proffitt (Kurt Russell) to remodel a closet on her yacht. Unsatisfied with his work and completely unreasonable about everything, she refuses to pay him and when he presses her for the $600, she pushes him and all of his tools overboard. Needless to say, the lady’s a “bitch” (Dean’s word) and nobody can stand her, including her husband, Grant Stayton III (Edward Herrman), and their butler Andrew (Roddy McDowell). And then something interesting happens a few days later… Joanna accidentally falls off her yacht, and when she’s fished out of the ocean, she’s still difficult to deal with, but she doesn’t have a clue who she is. Unable to identity her, the hospital puts the “amnesia lady” on the news hoping someone will recognize her. Sensing a chance to get rid of the anchor around his neck, Grant Stayton III pretends he doesn’t know her and heads out of town. This is where Dean hatches up his own plot to get revenge. He heads to the hospital and through a series of happenstances and coincidences, he’s able to convince everyone, including Joanna, now dubbed as “Annie,” that she’s his wife. He takes her home with him and makes her take care of his four wild boys, cook their food, and clean his house. Dean figures she owes it to him. But wouldn’t you know it, even though “Annie” hates it at first, over time she begins to soften towards her new life, bonds with the boys, and some sparks of love start flying between her and Dean. When she unexpectedly gets her memory back, she has to decide whether to return to her life as a spoiled heiress or stay with the man and boys she’s grown to love.

I have a soft spot in my heart for OVERBOARD, because this is a movie that my mom and I both loved, and we watched it together many times in the late 80’s and early 90’s. My mom and I didn’t often have the same taste in movies, so this was kind of “our movie.” There are a couple of other notable favorites for both me and mom, and those movies are RUTHLESS PEOPLE (1986) and LETHAL WEAPON (1987). I guarantee if I called my mom right now, interrupted her Hallmark Christmas movies, and told her I was coming over with OVERBOARD, she’d say “Come on! I’ll get something together for you to eat!” That actually sounds like a pretty good idea!

Another reason I love OVERBOARD is the fact that it stars Kurt Russell. I became a big fan of Kurt Russell during my teenage years, as I was 14 when this movie came out. A couple of years earlier, Russell starred in the films THE BEST OF TIMES (1986) and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986), and a couple of years later he would make movies like TEQUILA SUNRISE (1988), TANGO & CASH (1989), and BACKDRAFT (1991). I wanted to watch every movie that Russell was in, and all of these films are staples of my VHS years and nostalgic favorites. In OVERBOARD, Russell starts off as a gruff, grudge-holder, but as he begins to fall for “Annie,” his natural charm and likability emerge, but so does a newfound guilt for lying to her and possibly even kidnapping her. One question for the lawyers out there, is it kidnapping when her husband had a chance to claim her and chose to abandon her instead? I’m not sure if it’s a felony or not, but I’m guessing there has to be something on the law books that doesn’t jive with what happens here. Anyway, I’ll just say that it’s best not to think of these types of pesky realities when judging this fairy tale and just go along for the ride.

Along with the Russell’s fun performance, Goldie Hawn is so perfect as the horrifically spoiled snob of an heiress who transforms into a caring substitute mother and the woman of Dean’s dreams. I know she’s great in the movie, because I can’t stand her at the beginning, but I find myself falling for her too as the movie progresses. I would not really call myself a fan of Goldie Hawn, because I haven’t spent much of my life revisiting her films, but I love her here. A couple in real life, the natural chemistry between Russell and Hawn sparkles as they fall in love on screen and only the most cold-hearted cynic isn’t pulling for them to live happily ever after as the movie closes in on its ending. As far as the supporting cast, Edward Herrmann, Katherine Helmond, Mike Hagerty, and Roddy McDowall all have good moments sprinkled throughout the film.

I do have one complaint about OVERBOARD, and that’s the “Wonders of the World Miniature Golf Course,” which is the dream business of Dean and his best friend Bad Billy Pratt (Mike Hagerty). As someone who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s playing miniature golf on the courses in Branson, MO, I would never want to play their course. Its design appears over-the-top and cheesy to me, the type of course where the scores on the holes would be determined as much by luck as by skill, which is something I find offensive. However, just like the potential kidnapping storyline, I’ve had to let my disdain for the quality of the course design go as well so I could enjoy that section of the film. I will admit this one is harder for me personally, and I still struggle with it.

Overall, OVERBOARD is not high art, and its premise is about as silly as it gets, but through a magical combination of personal 1980’s nostalgia, an appreciation for the chemistry of its stars, and a complete willingness to suspend my disbelief as we head towards an irresistibly happy ending, I still love this film. I watch it just about every year, especially if I need a pick me up as I hammer away at tax returns!