Noirvember: Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead (1995)

Director Gary Fleder has a strange, but not uninteresting, filmography. He's done a lot of TV work in recent years, and started his directorial career with a TV movie (which also paired him up for the first time with writer Scott Rosenberg), but he's also delivered a few real gems throughout the last few decades. Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead is one of them, and maybe that's as much to do with the fact that it was Fleder's first theatrical release as it is to do with the script and execution of the material. Or maybe he just does well with star-studded ensemble casts (considering that Runaway Jury is also up there with his best work).

Andy Garcia plays Jimmy "The Saint" here, and he's a man who ends up between a rock and a hard place when a big boss (The Man With The Plan, played by Christopher Walken) tells him to put a team together in order to give some young guy a fright. Jimmy ends up working with Pieces (Christopher Lloyd), Franchise (William Forsythe), Easy Wind (Bill Nunn), and Critical Bill (Treat Williams). If all goes well then the team will end up in the good graces of a very powerful individual, but the title may have already clued you in on the fact that all doesn't necessarily go well.

Read through that list of names again, but let me add to it by mentioning Gabrielle Anwar, Fairuza Balk, Steve Buscemi, Jack Warden, Bill Cobbs, Marshall Bell, Don Stark, Jenny McCarthy, Don Cheadle, Tiny Lister Jr., and Josh Charles. You may not recognise all of those names, but anyone who appreciates '90s cinema will recognise their faces as soon as they appear onscreen. Not only is that a truly stacked cast, everyone feels perfect in the role given to them. Garcia stays cool and calm for most of the runtime, Walken enjoys getting to wax lyrical in a couple of scenes, and Williams almost steals the entire film with his portrayal of someone who seems to be a real liability. While both Anwar and Balk are slightly sidelined, both get to do a bit more than may be expected, and their inclusion certainly lifts the film above the complete sausage-fest it otherwise would have been.

Fleder may not indulge himself too much, this is a straightforward tale told in a straightforward manner, he knows how to make the best of Rosenberg's screenplay, which could easily have been ruined and made more forgettable by an attempt to match the many other Tarantino-esque crime thrillers (of which this is certainly one) from this time. The dialogue feels natural to the characters, as opposed to trying too hard to be super-cool in every exchange, and the cast are allowed to give enough substance to their performances to make them feel like more than just stereotypes/archetypes.

It's easy to see why some who didn't see this back when it was first released would continue to ignore it. It's a specific type of film from a specific time that makes it a risky proposition. I would say that it exceeds any expectations, however, and the traditional approach to the material, including the score from Michael Convertino, as well as every other element, allows it to feel more timeless and enduring than many other titles that just had the idea of putting criminals at the heart of the plot and trying to give them all memorable soundbites.

9/10

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Netflix And Chill: Cold Pursuit (2019)

It's no surprise to see a film in which Liam Neeson plays someone carving a path of vengeance through the criminal underworld, which is an easy way to summarise the plot of Cold Pursuit, but it's a bit more surprising to see the whole thing played out as a very dark comedy, with Neeson not an unflappable hero looking to showcase a particular set of skills. Remaking his own film, In Order Of Disappearance (written by Kim Fupz Aakeson), director Hans Petter Moland makes good use of his leading man, and seems to enjoy working with a cast of familiar faces who are all ready to be killed off and moved offscreen at any moment.

Neeson plays Nels Coxman, a dependable and quiet family man who has served his local community well for many years in his role as a snowplough driver. His life is upended, however, when his son is found dead, and the cause of death is marked as a heroin overdose. Nels knows that his son was no drug addict, but he doesn't know exactly what circumstances led to his death. Contemplating his own death, things change for Nels when he receives a vital piece of information that leads him from one criminal figure to another, creating a chain of connections that may take him all the way to a confrontation with Trevor 'Viking' Calcote (Tom Bateman).

Although this is another film that comes in at just under two hours (the days of a brisk 90-minute runtime for action movies and/or thrillers seem to be far behind us), Cold Pursuit does a good job of plotting things in a way that remains just about believable, up until the very end, and with time and space to give every character just enough flesh on their bones to make them more than just one of many disposable henchmen, which they could easily have been. Writer Frank Baldwin seems to do a decent job of transposing the action from snowy Norway to a snowy area of Colorado (although I should note that I haven't seen the original movie, which stars Stellan Skarsgård in the main role), and there are plenty of little moments that highlight the vein of comedy running throughout the violence and darkness.

Neeson is very good in the lead role, effectively reworking his typical performance with a hint of uncertainty and a need for good luck being on his side, and he embodies an unstoppable force, even if he's a blundering one, on the way to an unmovable object. Bateman is a lot of fun as the big baddie, ultimately undone by his inability to control the situation without escalating things, which puts his young son (Ryan, played by Nicholas Holmes) in danger, leads to a good number of "staff reductions", and puts him in an unnecessary war with a gang of Native American criminals headed up by White Bull (Tom Jackson, also very good, but much more subdued than everyone around him). Domenick Lombardozzi, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Gus Halper, David O'Hara, and a number of others have fun portraying dangerous men with a variety of amusing nicknames, and there's also room for welcome supporting turns from Laura Dern (Grace Coxman, a woman who ends up grieving without her husband to help her through the process), Julia Jones, William Forsythe, Emmy Rossum, and a few other familiar faces.

I had heard bad things about this when it was first released, which may have been a majority opinion from people already familiar with the original film (and it doesn't feel like a film that NEEDED a remake, other than to cater to the "I don't read movies" crowd), but I had a good time with it. The humour worked, the cast were all generally great (Bateman feels slightly miscast, but his character is so much fun that he still works well enough), and things knit together in a way that feels both satisfying and slightly messy.

7/10

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The Rock (1996)

Despite being directed by Michael Bay, The Rock comes oh so close to being a perfect modern action movie. SO close. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that it's only a horribly-edited car chase sequence that drags it down. Everything else, from the predictable moments of cheese to the interplay between the leads, is absolutely spot on.

A group of soldiers, led by General Francis Hummel (Ed Harris), steal some very nasty chemical weapons and take over Alcatraz. They have a number of citizens held hostage and are threatening to send some guided missiles to give many of the people of San Francisco an instant death sentence. The people in charge need to send in some Navy SEALS, led by Commander Anderson (Michael Biehn), but that team needs to be accompanied by a chemical weapons expert, Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage), and John Mason (Sean Connery). Mason is the only person to have ever escaped from Alcatraz. In fact, he is pretty good at escape, which is why the main government representative is wary of getting him to help out. Mason was alleged to have stolen a microfilm just chock full of many dark and dirty secrets decades ago, and he's been held without trial ever since. Maybe revisiting Alcatraz will help him to become a free man once more.

You may not have thought so from the first sentence, but I tend to enjoy the movies of Michael Bay. They're absolutely fine when you're in the mood for some slick, bombastic, action. But they are rarely truly great. The Rock is truly great, and that is often despite the usual style of Bay being stamped all over it. It’s great because of the characters scattered throughout the groups of heroes and villains, and great because of a script, by David Weisner, Douglas Cook, and Mark Rosner, that makes things more morally shaded and complex than most of these action blockbusters. Ed Harris gets to play arguably the most interesting and ambiguous “villain” of the nineties, and he is just one essential part of the puzzle.

Cage is fun in his role, playing someone who steps up to do what needs done, despite being way out of his depth. Connery is perfect, an old survivor who has retained skills that make him a great ally or dangerous enemy. And Harris holds your attention completely every time he’s onscreen. The supporting cast also includes fantastic performances from John Spencer, William Forsythe, Michael Biehn, Tony Todd, David Morse, and many other familiar faces, all making the most of their screentime. Vanessa Marcil isn’t given much to do, she is “the girlfriend” who helps Cage to explain his personal investment in stopping those rockets being launched.

There’s a superb score, mainly from Hans Zimmer, some great fights that mix fun choreography and moments of brutality, and every interaction between Cage and Connery is gold. You cannot do much better than this if you want a fun action movie to fill a couple of hours during a Saturday evening. Almost an outright modern classic.

9/10

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Stone Cold (1991)

People who have met bikers in real life will be able to tell you that, for the most part, they're often a lovely bunch of people. Their image is enough to scare some folk, and they may not always want everyone knowing how nice they are, but I've yet to meet a biker with a bad attitude. In the movies, however, it's a whole different story.

Stone Cold is another movie that features a dangerous gang of bikers (who seem to be accompanied by an invisible lead guitarist wherever they ride). Led by Lance Henriksen (playing a character named Chains Cooper), this bunch are never happier than when they're making money from drug deals, shooting guns and just being as rowdy and violent as possible. Of course, with William Forsythe in the gang, trouble was almost guaranteed. Enter Brian Bosworth, an undercover cop who is tasked with getting enough on the gang to lock 'em up for a long time.

Never mind the cliche-ridden script by Walter Doniger, nor the dodgy fashion choices of Bosworth in the lead role, Stone Cold is all about macho men all squabbling with one another. There's one main female character, played by Arabella Holzbog, who manages to make a decent minor impact despite being cloaked in the fug of testosterone, but, from the opening sequence to the grand finale, this is all about alpha males, and all about showing Bosworth as the most alpha of them all.

Craig R. Baxley directs competently enough, compensating for the ridiculous aspects of the script by moving things along at a decent pace, and also revelling in some of the silliness. The first half of the movie, in particular, shows Bosworth puffing out his chest and beating his way into the biker gang in a way that delivers some decent action moments, while also providing no small amount of amusement.

But it's the cast making this truly memorable. Well, three of the main stars, at any rate. Bosworth may not be a great actor, but he has muscles, the ability to ride a motorbike, doesn't mind wearing some jewellery, and has a fine mane. Which makes him perfect in his role. Henriksen is a strong leader who often relies on his actions to speak louder than words, and Forsythe is at his barmy best, never warming to The Boz and always looking for an excuse to start trouble with him. Holzbog, as already mentioned, does well enough in her role, and Sam McMurray is entertaining as the agent helping to run the operation (a character who grows stronger as things move towards the finale).

If you're after a quality piece of cinema to echo through eternity then this probably won't be your first choice. But if you're after a fun action thriller with lots of bikers, a hero who owns a large pet lizard, and over the top moments in almost every main scene . . . . . . . . . well, this is exactly what you need to be watching.

7/10

http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Cold-Brian-Bosworth/dp/B000OPOAR0/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1400558003&sr=1-3&keywords=stone+cold

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Extreme Prejudice (1987)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Walter Hill makes movies so manly that if you were to melt them all down and form a shield then you would then have the one viable protection against any attack from Chuck Norris. The man knows how to put a bunch of great actors together and then heap on the violence with the eye of a world-famous dance choreographer. Just watch any one of his movies and try to deny it. Well, okay, most of his movies can be put into that category. Maybe not every single one.

Extreme Prejudice can certainly fall into that category. Crackerjack cast? Check. Great characters and a selection of great lines scattered throughout the script? Check. Violent set-pieces mixing some major bloodletting with moments of beautiful camerawork? Check.

The film, in the first act, feels like two completely different storylines. Nick Nolte plays Sheriff Jack Benteen, a man trying to keep drugs and drug-runners out of his local area. Unfortunately, the main drug baron is Cash Bailey (Powers Boothe), a man who used to be his best friend. Elsewhere, Mighty Michael Ironside leads a team of soldiers in a plan to rob a bank that stores most of Bailey's drug money. These two storylines soon intertwine, with the soldiers affording Benteen an opportunity to hit back, and hit back hard, at Bailey's operation.

As well as Nolte, Boothe and Ironside, Extreme Prejudice has room for Rip Torn, William Forsythe, Clancy Brown and Maria Conchita Alonso in its cast. While their names may not be as recognisable, the likes of Larry B. Scott and Dan Tullis Jr. also do a very good job, easily holding their own alongside some of the heavyweights onscreen.

The script by Harry Kleiner and Deric Washburn is based on a story from John Milius and Fred Rexer, which helps to further solidify those tough credentials, if anyone still had any doubt at this point.

Hill draws great performances from everyone here, with Nolte and Boothe in especially good form, and once again mixes the visceral and strikingly cinematic amongst a varied cast of characters who don't just feel as if they've been shoved into the movie to be shot at.

Fans of the director will have seen this one already, no doubt, but if you've somehow missed it until now (as I had) then do make it a priority. And anyone new to Hill's filmography, all I can say is that you have so many treats ahead of you. Extreme Prejudice is one of them, and as good a place to start as any.

9/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Extreme-Prejudice-DVD-Nick-Nolte/dp/B002TS15K0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391202128&sr=8-1&keywords=extreme+prejudice

Out For Justice (1991)

Steven Seagal stretches himself yet again as a tough, New York cop out to kick ass to avenge the death of his colleague in this bloody, brutal action thriller that benefits immensely from a smattering of familiar faces in the supporting cast and pacing that never lets things slow down for too long.

Seagal plays Gino Felino (no, that really is the name that they’ve given him), a man who gets very, very upset when his partner is gunned down in the street in broad daylight by drug-addled and power-hungry maniac Richie Madano. Gino will do whatever it takes to get to Richie, even if it means upsetting the gangsters that he’s always maintained cordial relations with, arresting Richie’s family members and generally busting up shady areas that he knows Richie has been known to frequent. As Gino gets closer to Richie, the risks get higher and higher.

Director John Flynn has produced a few decent movies during his career and this is one of them, as long as you’re a fan of Seagal’s fighting style. David Lee Henry’s script isn’t bad either, managing to balance a little mystery and a little soul-searching for our leading man in between the nose-breaking and ass-kicking.

Seagal is, as ever, as appealing or unappealing as you’ve already decided to find him. He knows his target audience and delivers accordingly. Thankfully, he’s surrounded by some great acting this time from the likes of Jerry Orbach, Dominic Chianese (probably best known nowadays to people as “Junior” from The Sopranos) and a magnificent William Forsythe being . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . magnificent in the role of Richie Madano. The ladies onscreen include Gina Gershon, Julianne Margulies and Shannon Whirry in a small role. 

 

The action scenes are enjoyable, a mix of style and harsh straightforward moves that are Seagal’s trademark. Out For Justice would, arguably, be the last Seagal film to really have that slight edge, that coating of old-school revenge thriller over the martial arts polish, and it’s all the better for it, boasting a finale as satisfying as it is bone-crunchingly painful. 
 

7/10.  

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