LUCKY LUCIANO, Francesco Rosi, director/INDICATOR
I wrote in Italian Cinema: ‘Lucky Luciano (1973), directed by Francesco Rosi, is another one of Rosi’s unemphatic studies of major criminals, shot in typically judicious fashion and rigorously avoiding melodrama. Luciano (Gian Maria Volonté on rare form) plays a major Mafia capo, elbow-deep in bloodshed and betrayal. The notion that power corrupts has rarely been given such a thorough workout.’ Given that the practitioners of Italian cinema are customarily adroit in many genres, Lucky Luciano is a reminder that the crime film was always high on the agenda and though this has a deliberately documentary style, it is still highly accomplished. Adding lustre to the enterprise is the obligatory inclusion of American guest stars, significant character players such as Rod Steiger and Edmond O’Brien.
THE LAST BOY SCOUT, Tony Scott, director/ARROW
Some films, coolly received on their first appearance, grow in stature with the years. A classic example of this syndrome? The Last Boy Scout, featuring the star of the massively successful Die Hard, the director of Top Gun, the screenwriter of Lethal Weapon and the producer of 48 Hrs.
With such a well-regarded team, expectations were high, and even though the film perhaps failed to match them, it was still a solid piece of entertainment – and that initial disappointment has morphed into enjoyment and admiration among many. Joe Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis) is a washed-up private eye, while. Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans) is a similarly past-his-best quarterback, thrown out of the game on gambling charges. The murder of Jimmy’s seductive girlfriend, Cory (Halle Berry, early in her career), leads both men into a dangerous scenario. This disc sports a restoration from the original 35mm camera and several newly filmed extras.
YOU’RE KILLING ME, SERIES ONE, various directors/ACORN MEDIA INTERNATIONAL
An intriguing combination of a small-town murder mystery with Brooke Shields as a celebrated mystery writer utilising the medium of a television series. The plotting is fun, but it’s the lively performances that do the trick.
