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, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to Tom Hanks! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Tom Hanks Films
Big (1988, dir by Tom Hanks, DP: Barry Sonnenfeld)
Apollo 13 (1995, dir by Ron Howard, DP: Dean Cundey)
Cast Away (2000, dir by Robert Zemeckis, DP: Don Burgess)
Captain Phillips (2013, dir by Paul Greengrass, DP: Barry Ackroyd)
I must admit that I’m not always the most patient guy in the world, and that extends to my driving. I get so frustrated when someone pulls slowly out right in front of me, or when another person camps out in the left lane of the interstate. Most of the time, these are just quick little moments that I quickly move on from, but what might happen if one day I decided to honk my horn and the person in the other car is a crazy psycho? UNHINGED takes that scary thought to the ultimate extreme.
The premise of the movie is about as simple as it gets. Rachel’s (Caren Pistorius) having a rough morning, and she’s running late while taking her son to school. When the truck in front of her doesn’t move at the green light, she decides to lay on her horn. The driver (Russell Crowe) pulls up beside her at the next light and requests an apology. When she refuses, he decides he’s going to teach her what a bad day really is.
UNHINGED works because it’s a mean little thriller that exploits a fear that we can actually imagine. Most of us have a story that involves some level of road rage, and director Derrick Borte’s movie doesn’t waste a second once it gets going. It’s one of those movies where everything keeps getting worse for the terrorized Rachel while the tension continually ratchets up from the beginning to end. The violence is sudden and brutal so you never quite know what’s going to happen next, which definitely works in the film’s favor.
And then there’s the incredible Russell Crowe. Probably heavier than he’s ever been on screen, his psychopathic road rager is truly terrifying. Having witnessed his sick mental state early in the film, we know he’s capable of committing the most heinous acts imaginable. Crowe commits himself completely to this character, erasing any thoughts we have of his noble performances in movies like GLADIATOR or CINDERELLA MAN. Caren Pistorius is also effective as the woman who’s in for the fight of her life. I think she looks a lot like actress Shailene Woodley.
UNHINGED isn’t a perfect film, as it does ask its audience to suspend quite a bit of disbelief. But with that said, it does offer 90 minutes of suspense anchored by Crowe’s incredibly intimidating performance. In my opinion, it’s a very effective film… and I doubt I honk at anybody on my way to work tomorrow morning!
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 is the birthday of everyone’s favorite, hard-working character actor, Kevin Bacon! And that means that it’s time for….
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 the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to director Robert Eggers! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Robert Eggers Films
The Witch (2015, dir by Robert Eggers, DP: Jarin Blaschke)
The Lighthouse (2019, dir by Robert Eggers, DP: Jarin Blaschke)
The Northman (2022, dir by Robert Eggers, DP: Jarin Blaschke)
Nosferatu (2024, dir by Robert Eggers, DP: Jarin Blaschke)
According to the good people at Checkiday, the proper way to celebrate National Bikini Day is to put on a bikini and head to the beach! Unfortunately, I don’t live anywhere near the beach but I can still wear a bikini.
As we often do here at the Shattered Lens, we’re going to recognize both this holiday and four of our favorite movies! Here, in honor of National Bikini Day, are….
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, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy 69th birthday to one of our favorite directors, Michele Soavi! In other words, it’s time for….
4 Shots from 4 Michele Soavi Films
Stage Fright (1987, dir by Michele Soavi, DP: Renato Tafuri)
The Church (1989, dir by Michele Soavi, DP: Renato Tafuri)
The Sect (1991, dir by Michele Soavi, DP: Raffaele Mertes)
Dellamorte Dellamore (1994, dir by Michele Soavi, DP: Mauro Marchetti)
“You think I am brave because I carry a gun? Well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility… This is bravery.”
Bernardo O’Reilly, played by Charles Bronson in the classic 1960 western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, is not a character that I often hear discussed among the great western heroes. In a film that featured so many movie stars portraying so many memorable characters, O’Reilly may be somewhat overlooked in the annals of film history. But the truth is, the man is a true hero who just doesn’t happen to fit the traditional mold. He’s not the fastest gun, the most charismatic, or the natural leader… rather, his heroism comes from a place of incredible character.
Consider these heroic traits:
Bernardo is motivated more by compassion and camaraderie than money. Bernardo agrees to join the seven because he wants to help the Mexican villagers and ride with men he respects. He’s not chasing money or glory because we find out how much more he’s made in some of his earlier jobs. He knows the reward is small and the opposition is large, but he goes anyway.
He becomes the voice of truth that the village boys need to hear. My favorite storyline in the film concerns Bernardo’s relationship with a few of the boys in the village. These boys idolize the gunfighters and are embarrassed by their own fathers, who they see as cowards. Bernardo not-so-gently teaches them, and by that I mean he takes one of the boys over his knee and spanks his butt, that their fathers possess a courage he could never have, and that is the courage of responsibility. His speech about the true bravery of their fathers is one of the best character moments in the film.
He combines toughness with kindness. Like many of the characters played by Charles Bronson, Bernardo is a physically intimidating man of few words, yet he’s also gentle under that surface. At the very beginning, we see him make the wooden whistle that he then offers to the young village girl with that wonderful Bronson smile. This love for children is most certainly an element of Bronson’s own personal character that shows up in Bernardo O’Reilly. His understated performance lets you see that he’s so much more than just a hardened gunman.
He leaves the greatest legacy. Bernardo doesn’t just preach selflessness. During the final battle, he risks his own life without hesitation to protect the village boys and pays the ultimate sacrifice. While the surviving gunfighters get to ride away, Bernardo has taught the boys the ultimate lesson. He changes how they see their fathers and what it really means to be a man. His acts of heroism outlive him.
For me, Bernardo O’Reilly redefines what it means to be a western hero. He proves that courage isn’t ultimately measured by how many men you kill, but by whether you’re willing to put someone else’s life ahead of your own. Even in a film filled with iconic characters like Chris (Yul Brynner), Vin (Steven McQueen), and Britt (James Coburn), Bernardo is the character that stands out the most. In his words and his final sacrifice, he’s transformed from a hired gun into a genuine hero.
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, the Shattered Lens pays tribute to director Phil Karlson, who was one of those great directors who never quite got the credit he deserved when he was alive but whose work continues to be rediscovered. Phil Karlson was born 118 years ago today so it’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Phil Karlson Films
The Phenix City Story (dir by Phil Karlson, DP: Harry Neumann)
Kid Galahad (1962, dir by Phil Karlson, DP: Burnett Guffey)
The Wrecking Crew (1968, dir by Phil Karlson, DP: Sam Leavitt)
Walking Tall (1973, dir by Phil Karlson, DP: Jack A. Marta)
There was a time in the ’80s and ’90s when seeing either Michael J. Fox or James Woods on the cover of a VHS box at my local video store would guarantee a rental from me. Fox had been my favorite television star throughout the ’80s thanks to his performance as Alex P. Keaton on “Family Ties,” and I loved him in TEEN WOLF and the BACK TO THE FUTURE films. James Woods had become one of my favorite actors beginning in the latter half of the ‘80’s after I discovered his run of intense performances in films like COP, BEST SELLER, and TRUE BELIEVER. So, when THE HARD WAY paired these two favorites together in a “buddy-cop” film, it felt like a movie that had been made specifically for me. I recently upgraded my old DVD by purchasing the Kino Lorber blu-ray, so it was the perfect time for a revisit.
THE HARD WAY follows Nick Lang (Fox), a pampered Hollywood movie star who wants to prepare for a gritty new cop role by shadowing a real detective in New York City. Much to the frustration of badass Supercop John Moss (Woods), he’s forced by his starstruck Captain (Delroy Lindo) to show Lang around town and keep him out of any trouble. Even though he’s supposed to be protecting the megastar, Moss is also tracking a psychopathic killer known as “The Party Crasher” (Stephen Lang), and soon Nick Lang ends up smack dab in the middle of real danger.
By 1991, the buddy-cop formula had been going strong for a while, but director John Badham found a clever angle by pairing Michael J. Fox’s fantasyland “action star” with James Woods’ tough, no-nonsense New York detective. It sounds like a gimmick, and it is, but both the action and comedic elements somehow work.
The performance of James Woods keeps the movie moving forward from start to finish. His John Moss is perpetually angry, sarcastic to a fault, and always seems one minute away from completely losing it. He’s also exceedingly tough when he has to be. Woods plays the character with so much energy that it’s impossible to look away, and nobody gets on his nerves like the Hollywood golden boy. Michael J. Fox is perfect as the shallow movie star, because he could be completely insufferable, but he ultimately brings enough charm and self-awareness to the role to make the character likable. There’s a particularly funny, running joke where different people keep telling his “undercover” character that he looks kinda like Nick Lang… only shorter, or in one case, whiter. At the end of the day, it’s the chemistry between Woods and Fox that makes THE HARD WAY such an enjoyable action comedy!
I did want to shoutout Stephen Lang as well. His “Party Crasher” is a memorable and crazy villain. For a film that leans heavily into the comedy, Lang’s unhinged performance actually feels dangerous, giving the movie some grit and edge when he’s on the screen. I love watching movies from this time period to see the parade of recognizable actors that always seem to show up. This one doesn’t disappoint as Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzman, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Christina Ricci, and even Penny Marshall appear, to name a few.
One of the best things about THE HARD WAY is that it never sits still for long, which does keep you from focusing too much on a couple of glaring plot holes. The filmmakers smartly keep things moving back and forth between the jokes and the big action scenes, and most of the time it all works. It doesn’t reinvent the buddy-cop film, and it’s not necessarily the first movie you think of in the genre, but I consider it an underrated gem, and I feel like it may have fallen through the cracks over the years. If you’re a fan of peak James Woods, or if you fondly remember just what a big deal Michael J. Fox was in the 80’s, this one is a must watch.
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!
Tomorrow would have been Sydney Pollack’s 91st birthday.
Sydney Pollack was born in Indiana. Though Pollack got his start as an actor, he soon moved into directing and was one of the key television directors of the 1960s. He eventually branched out into film, making a name for himself as a director of intelligent and sensitive comedies and dramas. Though he only directed 21 films over the course of his career, his films received a total of 48 Oscar nominations and 11 wins. 1982’s Tootsie and 1985’s Out of Africa were both nominated for Best Picture. Out of Africa won. Pollack also returned to acting in the 90s, making a name for himself as a skilled character actor. I’ll always remember him from Eyes Wide Shut, intimidating Tom Cruise while playing pool.
In memory of Sydney Pollack, here are….
4 Shots From 4 Sydney Pollack Films
Jeremiah Johnson (1972, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: Duke Callaghan)
The Yakuza (1974, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: Duke Callaghan and Kozo Okazaki)
Three Days of Condor (1975, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: Owen Roizman)
Out of Africa (1985, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: David Watkins)
Through the Shattered Lens 