CAUGHT STEALING, Darren Aronofsky, director/Sony
The films of Darren Aronofsky always possess a peculiar and quirky character which is very much the director’s own, even when the putative shape of the film is that of a relatively conventional thriller. That’s the case with this kinetic effort, starring a charismatic Austin Butler as a luckless individual caught up in a maelstrom of a plot (and endless threats to his life) with more than a hint of the criminal chaos of the late crime novelist Elmore Leonard. Apart from Butler, the film boasts another striking and seductive turn from Zoe Kravitz (the current Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman).
WICKED GAMES, Robert Hussein, director/Radiance
Radiance continues its excavation of some truly impressive (and currently under-regarded) films including this collection of one of French cinema’s most versatile talents, Robert Hussein. Three of Hussein’s films are collected here: the hostage drama The Wicked Go to Hell (1955), the noirish crime outing Nude in a White Car (1959) and The Taste of Violence (1961), a multinational Western in which Hussein plays a revolutionary leader who kidnaps the daughter of a dictator. All three are made with considerable panache, and Hossein’s presence is always a plus.
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, Norman Jewison, director, Indicator
It’s particularly refreshing to watch this much acclaimed Al Pacino/Norman Jewison outing in the 21st century and note that it remains as impressive as it ever did, with rigorous direction from Jewison and a strong supporting cast along with Pacino. It should also be noted that the intelligence and ambition of the screenplay were crucial to the film’s success, and remained impressive
HITCH HIKE, Pasquale Festa Campanile, director/Indicator
The Italian film industry may have underrated its hyper-t actually have hyper-tough crime outings, but they demand to be watched – and it’s fascinating to see how the American blueprint of such films as Last House on the Left have been channelled (even to the extent of borrowing that film’s psychopathic heavy, David Hess, who made a speciality of doing a variety of iterations of this violent character). Corrine Cléry and Franco Nero are the hapless couple caught up in the Hess character’s assaults, and the film – apart from anything else – is of a kind unlikely to be made in today’s more chaste cinema – not least given Corrine Cléry’s frequent nudity here.
LEGEND 4K, Brian Helgeland, director/Studiocanal
With stars Christopher Ecclestone and Emily Browning in the cast along with Tom Hardy, Legend already begins with a considerable plus factor, and this anniversary edition of Brian Helgeland’s celebrated crime film in which Tom Hardy plays both of the notorious Kray twins who ruled Britain’s gangland remains as unnerving as ever but with a carefully wrought psychological dimension that makes it much more than a straightforward crime drama.
THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE, Cavalcanti, director/88 Films
Full disclosure: this is a film for which I’ve made a contribution to the extras. But it was a particular pleasure to do so as this is one of the defining British crime films, with a top-form Trevor Howard in the lead role. An air of disillusionment was to replace the pulse-racing qualities of the more straightforward entertainments in Alberto Cavalcanti’s 1947’s They Made Me a Fugitive. Cavalcanti was (in his day) one of the unsung glories of the British cinema, producing quite the most chilling episode (that involving Michael Redgrave and a malevolent ventriloquist’s dummy) in the Ealing classic Dead of Night, but burnishing his impressive filmic credentials with such strong pieces as They Made Me a Fugitive, a crime film sporting a gritty verisimilitude that instantly sets it apart from most synthetic-seeming product of the day. The cinematography perfectly captures the dark chiaroscuro of the director’s unforgiving vision and presents a cold-eyed picture of British society in which non-achievers (or failures) are summarily dealt with. Perhaps the picture of Britain which informs Cavalcanti’s film is a consequence of the director’s outsider status, but a consideration of his entire career demonstrates that the film’s truthfulness and rigour is no fluke.
JACOB’S LADDER, Adrian Lyne, director/StudioCanal
The disturbing Adrian Lyne thriller Jacob’s Ladder stars Tim Robbins, Danny Aiello, Ving Rhames and Elizabeth Peña, and appears here in a welcome new 4K restoration, courtesy of StudioCanal. Writer Bruce Joel Rubin scored a success with the screenplay for Ghost, and provides an ambitious scenario here in which Robbins plays a Vietnam vet living in New York who is plagued by hallucinations. The nightmarish visions are well handled by Lyne and Robbins, the latter providing a rich and interesting character study. Another plus for the film is an uncharacteristic score from Maurice Jarre, darker and more threatening than his usual fare.
THE AMBULANCE, Larry Cohen, director/Eureka
Responsible for such unusual movies as The Private Files of J Edgar Hoover, Larry Cohen is the very epitome of the single-minded, highly creative cult director, and in the lively The Ambulance he is joined by an actor who matches him for a singularly unorthodox approach to his material, Eric Roberts (brother of Julia). Characterisation and kinetic energy are the hallmarks of this film which has had to wait to be appreciated. Roberts is a comic book artist (comics legend Stan Lee plays himself in the film – and rather well at that) who pursues a missing woman, Cheryl, who has come into his life and is picked up by an ambulance before disappearing. Roberts’ character takes it upon himself to track down this mysterious vehicle. It’s a film unlike any you may have seen, and unless you are immune to Roberts’ mannered performance, a good time is guaranteed
TIME WITHOUT PITY, Joseph Losey, director/88 Films
Joseph Losey’s Time Without Pity is a reminder how the McCarthyite HUAC witch-hunts in America sent some very impressive talents to work in this country – not least Losey, one of the great directors in 20th century cinema. This 1957 drama is a strong adaptation of Emlyn Williams’ stage play, with a father attempting to save his son from the gallows. The anti-capital punishment message of the film is presented in upfront fashion, but Losey is concerned with the impact of the drama, and the central performance by Michael Redgrave is as striking as anything else in the actor’s distinguish filmography.
DEATH CARRIES A CANE, Maurizio Pradeaux, director/Indicator & PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK, Francesco Barilli, director/Indicator
Once a despised genre (principally because of the crass dubbing they were invariably subjected to), Italian crime thrillers (or gialli) have undergone a major critical re-assessment, with their visual stylishness and imaginative plotting now celebrated. This is partly due to the availability of prints in the original Italian, and the effect is much more interesting – as this duo of gialli proves. Both may be shy of the final ounce of plotting logic, but their visual stylishness exerts a considerable grip. The contributions of actors Robert Hossein (in Death Carries a Cane) and Mimsy Farmer (in Perfume of the Lady in Black) shouldn’t be underestimated, as their performances are absolutely on the nail. Both directors, Maurizio Pradeaux and Francesco Barilli, have the full measure of their convoluted material.
ENEMY TERRITORY, Peter Manoogian, director/Arrow
The kinetic level of excitement in Enemy Territory (appearing on Limited Edition Blu-ray) is maintained throughout in the capable hands of director Peter Manoogian – and it’s good to welcome this neglected action thriller back in a high definition new restoration. Adroit direction by Manoogian apart, there is some striking cinematography by Ernest Dickerson (who shot Do the Right Thing) and a good cast including Gary Frank, Ray Parker Jr., Jan-Michael Vincent, and an early appearance from the star of Candyman, Tony Todd. Enemy Territory is a lively item, finessed with a new restoration, and extras include a new audio commentary by director Manoogian, along with an illustrated collector’s booklet. Exploitation films need to be dispatched with considerable gusto, and Manoogian demonstrates no shortage of that quality in this lively piece. The ragged edges are cleverly concealed by dynamic framing and choreography.
CITY ON FIRE (Limited Edition 4K UHD):, Ringo Lam, director/Arrow
There is a dedicated following for what cinéastes now recognise as the ‘heroic bloodshed’ genre of 1980s Hong Kong cinema; the progenitors of this field were John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow and Ringo Lam’s City on File. The latter has all the accoutrements of the genre: aggressive, in-your-face cutting, attractive and charismatic leads though not as much use as one would expect of the use of firearms which rarely seem to need fresh ammunition (the average side-arm in heroic bloodshed possesses the bountiful ammunition capacity of a machine-gun). The effect of Ringo Lam’s energetic film remains as powerful as ever, with Chow Yun Fat as charismatic as ever. As always with Arrow, the 4K transfer is impeccable.
FORTHCOMING FROM POWERHOUSE INDICATOR
THE MAN INSIDE, John Gilling, director
A tempting new disc for which I provided a commentary, featuring the unusual casting of Jack Palance, Anita Ekberg and Nigel Patrick
FORTHCOMING FROM 88 FILMS
CRASH & BURN (1990) THE HYENA (1997) CRAZE (1974) OVER YOUR DEAD BODY (2014) DON’T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS (1984) SAGA OF THE PHOENIX (1990)
