DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE

(May 1995, U.S.)

The release of DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE was interestingly timed. At that time, for the better part of 1994, there had been a small and successful release of action films that focussed on mad bombers and demolitions experts. Those films included SPEED, BLOWN AWAY and THE SPECIALIST. And so, THIS TIME (there are those words again!), our hero John McClane is pitted against mad terrorist Simon (played by the great Jeremy Irons) who's planting destructive explosive devices all over Manhattan. THIS TIME, McClane's back in his hometown of New York City, and THIS TIME he's joined by an unwitting partner by the name of Zeus (played by Samuel L. Jackson). Oh yeah, and THIS TIME, original DIE HARD director John McTierman is back at the helm.

So with this story, McClane not only has to stop the bad guys but he also has to play Simon's little mind-fuck games that will have him and Zeus hopping around from one part of the city to another in order to stop the bombs from exploding; one of them planted inside an elementary school in Harlem. But just like the previous two films, our hero's actions are not always successful. One exploding bomb manages to derail a subway train and inflict heavy damage in the downton Wall Street area. While playing Simon's game, McClane realizes that something's wrong and returns to Wall Street while Zeus continues to follow Simon's instructions. McClane finds Simon's men have raided the Federal Reserve Bank through the ruined subway system, making off with $140 billion in gold bullion from the vault, hauling it away in dump trucks (not a bad heist, I must say!). The action continues on a huge tanker and climaxes across the Canadian border where McClane will once again kill the bad guys and will once again say, "Yippie-kai-yay motherfucker!" at just about the time he's doing so. What else would movie audiences expect, right?

DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE takes on a new and interesting perspective when viewing it in a post 9/11 world. The explosion in the Wall Street vicinity feels different to watch in a world where global terrorism is on the minds of many Americans. Would Hollywood have filmed such an event in the streets of New York City after September 11th? Of course they would! Hollywood is filled with insensitive pimps and whores who don't give a fuck about anything execept their weekend grosses!

Well, my friends, I have to say that after three DIE HARD films in just a few days, I am completely "John McClane'd" out! So don't expect a post for LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD. I hated it!

Favorite line or dialogue:

John McClane: "I'll tell you what your problem is, you don't like me 'cause you're a racist!"
Zeus Carver: "What?"
John: "You're a racist! You don't like me 'cause I'm white!"
Zeus: "I don't like you because you're gonna get me KILLED!"

DIE HARD 2

(July 1990, U.S.)

The Summer of 1990 was one of the most depressing summers I've ever had to endure. To begin with, I couldn't find a summer job and the one I did finally find was horrible. The car I was driving was a certifiable piece of shit. And, oh yeah, I was experiencing the horrible agony of being in love with the wrong girl. At the movies, crap like DICK TRACY, TOTAL RECALL and ROBOBCOP 2 weren't exactly doing much to lift my spirits. In fact, during that entire summer there were only two films that managed to put a big smile on my face and help me to forget my troubles for a while. The first was David Lynch's WILD AT HEART. The second was...you guessed it...DIE HARD 2! This sequel, in my opinion, actually surpasses the original in story and excitement. It's also probably the only good film director Renny Harlin has and ever will likely make in his entire career.

One of the interesting points about discussing almost any sequel is that it gives you the opportunity to frequently use the words, "this time". So, THIS TIME our great hero John McClane finds himself unwittingly involved in a terrorist plot at Washington Dulles International Airport while awaiting the arrival of his wife's plane. Oh, and of course, this is all happening on Christmas Eve again (perhaps McClane should try celebrating Hanukkah instead!). THIS TIME the terrorists have taken over air traffic control systems from a nearby church, cutting off communication to all the in-bound planes, and have seized control of the entire airport. Their goal is to rescue Ramon Esperanza (played by Franco Nero), a powerful drug lord and dictator of Val Verde, who is flying into the United States to stand trial. At one point, during a rather horrifying sequence, the terrorist leader Col. Stuart (played by William Sadler) uses an instrument landing system to deliberately crash a plane, killing everyone on board. You may find this hard to believe, but 21 years ago when I saw this in the theater, everyone in the audience actually cheered with excitement when the plane exploded. Since 9/11, nobody in their decent right mind would ever do that now (I hope). Guns blaze galore, shit explodes and it's an undenyable huge thrill from beginning to end. As you'd expect, McClane defeats the bad guys, saves the innocent and is reunited with his wife Holly. I have to say, though, the idea of Los Angeles reporter Richard Thornburg (played by William Atherton) who just HAPPENS to be on the same flight as Holly is too far-fetched for even my tastes to accept. It's necessary, I suppose, so he can once again open his big mouth to expose the horrible news for his own professional gains. Still...THE SAME FLIGHT???

Favorite line or dialogue:

John McClane (just before destroying the bad guy's plane): "Yippie-kai-yay, motherfucker!"

DIE HARD

(July 1988, U.S.)

I was 21 years-old when DIE HARD first came out, but somehow it feels as if the entire franchise has been a part of my life and our pop culture much longer than that. I can still remember the first time I saw the advance teaser movie poster for the film and thinking how miscast Bruce Willis seemed in the role of the action hero. Remember at that time, Willis' was still a virtual unknown whose only claim-to-fame had been the ABC-TV series MOONLIGHTING and a couple of silly screen comedies. So the idea of his playing a New York City bad-ass cop made about as much sense to me as comedian Michael Keaton playing Batman would make a year later. Who knew, right?

So, for the kind benefit of those who having been living under a rock since 1988, Bruce Willis' John McClane is a righteous and dangerous cop who has a very bad habit of being the wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time. For this film, he's found himself in Los Angeles as a guest at the Nakatomi Plaza building where his estranged wife Holly (played by Bonnie Bedelia) works during a big company Christmas party. The party is so rudely disrupted by the arrival of twelve armed German terrorist led by Hans Gruber (played by Alan Rickman). Hans and his group secure the party goers as hostages, but McClane manages to slip away into a nearby stairwell. What follows for much of the film is McClane moving through the building, elevator shafts and duct shafs while hiding from or shooting each terrorist he comes into contact with. Along the way, there are spectacular shoot-outs and explosions-galore! In the end, as you'd guess or as you've seen, the bad guys die, the hero wins, he gets his woman back and everybody lives happily ever after. Perfect Christmas story!

Looking back at the original DIE HARD now, the film may seem somewhat outdated, or at the very least, at the proper level of conformity with anything and everything else that's ever been part of the action film genre. But you need to appreciate that back in the 1980s, before Bruce Willis was to really jumstart his career, the action hero of the big screen had been mostly occupied by a bunch of mindless, petuitary cases that came in the form of Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. These men could kick bloody ass, but emotional acting was not exactly their strongest asset. Now here comes John McClane...he's strong and asskicking, yes, but he hurts very badly, too. He's alone, very tired and has no desire to be a hero or to be in the violent situation he's in. He's been thrown into it and realizes he has a job to do or else people will die. He won't, however, enjoy any of it. I should also point out that I've always been very touched by the friendship and support that is developed over the cb radio between McClane and the L.A. cop outside on the street, Sgt. Al Powell (played by Reginal VelJohnson). One look at their long embrace and laughter at the end of the film and you know these two guys will be friends forever. Awww!

Favorite line or dialogue:

Police Supervisor: "Attention, whoever you are, this channel is reserved for emergency calls only."
John McClane: "No fucking shit, lady! Does it sound like I'm ordering a pizza!!?"

DIAL M FOR MURDER

(May 1954, U.S.)

So, it seems that we move from the previously-posted Hitchcock-STYLE film to an actual Hitchcock film. Nice!

One of the first things I should tell you is that I'm not going to bother discussing the whole 3-D aspect of this release. I consider it practically irrelevant to the film itself and Hitchcock's film making style. I am also of the opinion that 3-D is one of the stupidest movie gimmick ever created, whether it was in the 1950s, the 1980s or the digital technology that plagues movie theaters today. Poor Hitchcock was practically forced to make this film in 3-D because that's what the times demanded back then. Sorry, Alfred.

DIAL M FOR MURDER was a very successful stage play before it was adapted to the screen. Like some of Hitchcock's other work (i.e., ROPE and REAR WINDOW), the setting is mostly confined to a single room. This has a knack of cleverly bringing the viewer inside to follow the action and dialogue between characters on a much closer level. The key word here is confinement, and sometimes when you're confined to a space you're forced to pay closer attention to your surroundings. As the film begins it's interesting to note that within just the first two minutes of the story we learn that Margot Wendice (played by screen legend and popular Hitchcock blonde Grace Kelly) has a nice marriage to her husband, retired tennis star Tony Wendice (played by Ray Milland) and an even nicer love affair with Mark Halliday (played by Robert Cummings). Take careful note in Hitchcock's use of color in that Margot is wearing an innocent white dress when she's with her husband and a sinful red dress when she's with her lover (shows you where HER head and body are at!). Within a short time of that, we learn that Tony not only knows of her infidelities but is also plotting her murder. Actually, let me correct that...he meets with petty criminal C.A. Swann (played by Anthony Dawson), an old acquaintance from Cambridge University whom Tony has been following in order to blackmail him into committing the murder of his wife. Swann reluctantly agrees, but as you would naturally expect, things go horrible wrong and Swann is killed by Margot with a pair of scissors in self-defense. Things go wrong even further when Margot is ultimately accused of, tried and sentenced for the murder of Swann, which suits Tony just fine as he can ultimately get rid of her, one way or another. But it's thanks to Chief Inspector Hubbard (played by John Williams) and some very clever deductions regarding house keys that will finally free the good guy (girl) and bring the bad guy (Tony) to justice. And just like an Agatha Christie resolution, you'll need to pay close and careful attention to the end and how the entire business with the latch keys ultimately solves the entire puzzle. Oh, but what a fun puzzle the whole thing is - Hitchcock style!

Favorite line or dialogue:

Inspector Hubbard: "Well, Mr. Halliday, have you got it?"
Mark Halliday: "I don't think so. Where's Mrs. Wendice's key?"
(Hubbard reveals the key from under the stair carpet)
Hubbard: "It took me just half an hour to find it."
Mark: "But if it was there, why didn't Wendice use it just now?"
Hubbard: "Well, he didn't use it because he doesn't realize it's there. He still thinks it's in his wife's handbag. You see, you were very nearly right. He told Swann that he would leave your latch key under the stair carpet, Mrs. Wendice, and told him to return it to the same place when he left. But as Swann was killed, we naturally assumed that your key would still be in one of Swann's pockets. That was his little mistake. Swann had done exactly as you suggested, Mr. Halliday. He unlocked the door and returned the key BEFORE he came in."
Mark: "And it's been out there ever since. And the key Wendice took out of Swann's pocket and returned to her handbag was..."
Hubbard: "Swann's OWN latch key."

DIABOLIQUE (1955)

(November 1955, U.S.)

Director Alfred Hitchcock was without question one of the most influential film makers in the history of cinema; internationally as well as here in the United States. So when you watch Henri-Georges Clouzot's DIABOLIQUE, your first thought might very well be, "Hey, this French guy was clearly influenced by Hitchcock's PSYCHO!". That's a tempting thought, but the film was first released as LES DIABOLIQUES in France in January 1955, FIVE whole years before PSYCHO ever graced the screen. In fact, Clouzot actually snatched the screenplay rights from Hitchcock and his (Clouzot's) film helped inspire PSYCHO. Robert Bloch himself, the author of the original novel PSYCHO, once stated in an interview that his all-time favorite horror film is DIABOLIQUE. Horror? I'm not so sure myself. Suspenseful...definitely!

This French masterpiece takes place in a second-rate boarding school run by the mean and tyrannical Michel Delassalle (played by Paul Meurisse). The school, however, is owned by Delassalle's teacher-wife, the frail, weak-hearted Christina (played by Vera Clouzot). Delassalle has no reservations about flaunting his relationship with Nicole Horner (played by Simone Signoret), another teacher at the school. Rather than the expected antagonism between wife and mistress, the two women actually share a somewhat close relationship, primarily based on their apparent mutual hatred of Michel, who is physically and emotionally abusive to both. The two of them even go so far as to plan his murder together (how's THAT for tollerance and teamwork!). Through deception and sedation, the two women drown Michel in a bathtub and dump his body in the school's dirty, neglected swimming pool. When his corpse floats to the surface, they think it will appear to have been an accident. Almost everything goes according to their plans until the body fails to surface, and Michel's corpse is nowhere to be found when the pool is drained. In a late night sequence that is particularly creepy (even without the use of suspenseful music), Christina is haunted by strange noises at the school and wanders around to investigate. Back in her room, she finds Michel's corpse in the bathtub and...

What happens next is particularly scary and eventually concludes in one of those classic surprise endings. I'll be kind and not give it away to you now. Hell, even the original film contained an "anti-spoiler message" at the end credits for those in the audience. But by all means, rent DIABOLIQUE so you can experience what I'm talking about. And I do mean rent the ORIGINAL French black and white film, not that bullshit 1996 Sharon Stone remake!

Favorite line or dialogue:

M. Drain: "I may be reactionary, but this is absolutely astounding - the legal wife consoling the mistress! No, no, and no!"

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, THE

(October 1997, U.S.)

You've heard me say it before and I'll say it again now - Al Pacino is my favorite actor of all time and nothing puts a big smile on my face or gets my blood pumping more than when he starts to yell on screen. While I still maintain that AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (1979) is my favorite Pacino film, it's a film like THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE that really sets his twisted style in motion. Back in 1987, when I saw Jack Nicholson play the Devil in THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, I was convinced he had nailed the idea of the character down cold and hard. Not that I'm saying Pacino has done it better, but at the very least on an equal level with his own famous persona to give the Devil a side that's a whole lot of fun to experience.

So, we have the great Al Pacino playing the Devil named John Milton (a tribute to Milton who wrote "Paradise Lost"). And in this film, the Devil is none other than...(drum roll)...A LAWYER! Now I'm sure we've all heard enough tastleless lawyer jokes in our time, but to insinuate that lawyers and the law they practice is Satan's own will...well, shit, that's just fucking brilliant in my opinion! The Devil equals lawyers...I mean why not! And with any story about the Devil, it's only cliche that we also have the story of a (seemingly) innocent soul whom He'll seduce and corrupt. That soul is Kevin Lomax (played by Keanu Reeves), a trial lawyer who makes his living by getting the guilty off the hook and somehow seems to be able to live with himself. But right now he's just a small time guy in Gainsville, Florida. Deep in the bowels of New York City is the great big law firm Milton, Chadwick & Waters that promises the seduction of money, recognition, respect, trial acquittals and even the hottest women. It's all there for the taking if you freely surrender to it and are willing to give up not only your soul, but the woman you love, too. Kevin's wife Mary Ann (played by Charlize Theron) is beautiful and energetic, but she's clearly not part of the overall plan that Milton has in mind. So very slowly, she's driven mad to the point of her own suicide to make way for Kevin ultimate merger with his own half-sister (a woman he's desired from their first meeting) so Milton can have the satanic family he's always wanted. Oh, and I might add that poor Kevin suffers from what I like to refer to as the "Darth Vader syndrome" in that the worst guy possible turns out to be his father. You figure it out.

So what's the clear message in this film? Lawyers are the Devil? Granted. Lawyers should stop getting the scum of the Earth acquitted so they're not roaming the streets again? Granted even more. Love and honor your wife and don't become obssessed by your career? That's up to you. The message in the film may be obvious, but I highly doubt it'll ever be respected or adhered to. Lawyers are who they are, love them or hate them. But the prospect of the law and satanism in the hands of Al Pacino are just too damn delicious to ignore. The fun is there on the screen, so enjoy it to the fullest, my friends!

Favorite line or dialogue:

John Milton: "Let me give you a little inside information about God. God likes to watch. He's a prankster. Think about it. He gives man instincts. He gives you this extraordinary gift, and then what does He do, I swear for His own amusement, his own private, cosmic gag reel, He sets the rules in opposition. It's the goof of all time. Look but don't touch. Touch, but don't taste. Taste, don't swallow. Ahaha. And while you're jumpin' from one foot to the next, what is he doing? He's laughin' His sick, fuckin' ass off! He's a tight-ass! He's a SADIST! He's an absentee landlord! Worship that? NEVER!"
Kevin Lomax: "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven", is that it?"
John: "Why not? I'm here on the ground with my nose in it since the whole thing began. I've nurtured every sensation man's been inspired to have. I cared about what he wanted and I never judged him. Why? Because I never rejected him. In spite of all his imperfections, I'm a fan of man! I'm a humanist. Maybe the last humanist. Who, in their right mind Kevin, could possibly deny the twentieth century was entirely mine? All of it, Kevin! All of it! Mine! I'm peakin', Kevin. It's my time now. It's our time."

DEPARTED, THE

(September 2006, U.S.)

THE DEPARTED is a great fucking movie and I'm really glad that director Martin Scorsese finally got his just dues when it won the Oscar for best picture of 2006. But in a very small way, it's infuriating, because when compared to some of his earlier (and better) films that probably should have won that same award back in the day, like TAXI DRIVER (1976), RAGING BULL (1980) and GOODFELLAS (1990), you just can't believe it took this damn long for a crime thriller that's actually a remake of a 2002 Chinese film called INFERNAL AFFAIRS. I actually didn't know that at the time I saw Scorsese's film.

So where can I begin? You know that when you're about to watch a film that'll combine the talents of Scorsese and Jack Nicholson, you're in for a real cinematic treat. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg don't exactly hurt the film, either. At a young age, Colin Sullivan (played by Damon) is introduced to organized crime through Irish mobster Frank Costello (played by Nicholson) in the Irish neighborhood of South Boston. Costello trains him to become his mole inside the Massachusetts State Police and succeeds beautifully. But at the same time, the same thing is happening on the opposite side of the coin when Billy Costigan (played by DiCaprio) is asked by Captain Oliver Queenan (played by Martin Sheen) and Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam (played by Wahlberg) to become an Undercover Agent, as his childhood and family ties to organized crime make him a perfect infiltrator. He drops out of the Academy and does time in prison on a fake assault charge to increase his credibility (following all of this so far?). Deep infiltration is taking place at both ends as both moles struggle to not only maintain their position and credibility, but their sanity, as well. As you watch and follow along step-by-step, you can't help but wonder who's going to fall first. I say "fall" because even in the smallest victories on either side, you can't help but feel that they're both going to come crashing down in the end. You're not wrong. You've heard the silly expression, "They all die at the end." Well, you figure it out.

Any character of a gangster played by Jack Nicholson is, well...he's Jack "fucking" Nicholson, for Christ sakes! In this role, he's giving us his most menacing (and most fun) performance since The Joker in Tim Burton's BATMAN (1989). Over the years, Leo seems to have become Scorsese's new "DeNiro" and he doesn't fail to disappoint as a man on the verge of madness all in the name of law and justice. Two things about the film did not sit quite right with me, though. They're very small, but I'll mention them nonetheless. The first is the silly element of symobolism when a rat runs across the balcony railing at the end. Yes, we know the whole premise of the film has been about rats in the organization, but no need to get silly about it. The second is that if you're going to use a song by Pink Floyd (my favorite rock band in the whole world!), please don't, don't, don't use somebody else's cover version! Bad idea. Very bad.

THE DEPARTED won the Oscar for best picture of 2006.

Favorite line or dialogue:

Frank Costello: "When you decide to be something, you can be it. That's what they don't tell you in the church. When I was your age they would say we can become cops, or criminals. Today, what I'm saying to you is this: when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?"