Categorie archief: Films

This Thing of Ours (2002)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘21st Century Criminals, 21st Century Payoff…’

Directed by:
Danny Provenzano

Written by:
Ted A. Bohus
Danny Provenzano

Cast:
Frank Vincent (Danny Santini), Vincent Pastore (Skippy), Danny Provenzano (Nicholas Santini), Edward Lynch (Johnny Irish), Louis Vanaria (Austin Palermo), Christian Maelen (Robert Biaggio), Chuck Zito (Chuck), Michael DelGaizo (Patsy deGrazio), Pat Cooper (John Bruno), James Caan (Jimmy ‘the Con’)

During the height of the phenomenon that was The Sopranos, this low budget independent mob movie was released starring many familiar mob actors, some of whom that were featured in the show, like Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy Ponpensiero), but also Frank Vincent – who would be introduced in The Sopranos two years later, and also James Caan (!), although he is just in one scene, yet featured on the cover in a clever marketing move.

But the film’s most intriguing element isn’t on-screen, it’s the backstory. Writer, director, and star Danny Provenzano was reportedly connected. His script was obviously strong enough to attract these mob-film veterans, yet he barely got to enjoy the release. Weeks before its nationwide theatrical debut, Provenzano pleaded guilty to racketeering and began serving a 10-year prison sentence.

Can wiseguys thrive in the 21st century? That’s the central question of the movie. Provenzano plays Nicky, a mobster with an ambitious plan: using a special microchip to transfer over a billion dollars to a secret Cuban bank account. His uncle Danny (Frank Vincent) must approve and finance the scheme. Success would bring not just massive profits but also a rise through the rigid ranks of their crime family. The problem is that both the FBI and rivals within their own family are making plans as well, leaving the multi-million-dollar heist balanced on a knife’s edge.

The concept is solid, but the execution stumbles. Only one scene truly delivers on the promise of 21st-century mobsters. This happens when Nicky and his crew pitch their digital heist to their greasy old bosses. The rest of the film offers the usual wiseguy dialogue and violence, none of it fresh. It adds nothing new to the overexploited genre, and Provenzano’s intended statement about the Cosa Nostra – whether they can adapt or if the life itself is a curse – never comes into focus.

Rating:

Quote:
ROBERT BIAGGIO: “It’s about time we brought that thing of ours into the 21st century, huh?”

Trivia:
Apart from mob veterans Frank Vincent, James Caan and Vincent Pastore, it also stars other mob regulars Joseph Rigano (Casino, Analyze This), Vinny Vella (Casino, The Sopranos), and Daniel P. Conte (GoodFellas, The Sopranos).

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


SUPERWOMEN! Belted, buckled and BOOTED!

Director: Russ Meyer
Written by: Russ Meyer, Jack Moran
Cast: Tura Satana, Haji, Lori Williams, Sue Bernard

Year / Country: 1965, USA
Running Time: 83 mins.

Three thrill-seeking superwomen, working as dancers in a go-go bar, set out on a violent odyssey through the desert, killing men along their way. They have a car each that they use to race against – or drive over their victims.

The women drug and kidnap a young girl after they have wasted her boyfriend. After that, they hatch the plan to rob a crippled father and his sons. These patronizing men deserve a lesson, but it soon becomes clear that this is a journey from which there is no return. Varla, the leader, deliberately goes down the path of her own self-destruction, dragging her two buxotic cohorts along with her.

In a time when men were still considered superior, these three women level the score. It is therefore a feminist film, despite the fact that these women are portrayed as sex objects. This female empowerment is typical for its director, Russ Meyer, the undisputed master of large breasted women, campy humour and sly satire.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! stands as Meyer’s masterpiece, a cult movie pur sang. Funny, sexy, exploitative and provocative: a FilmDungeon favourite! They don’t make them like this anymore. Well Tarantino surely tries. But the originality and cult appeal of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is rarely matched and never bettered. Watch these pussycats roar and love it!

Rating:

Biography: Russ Meyer (1922, California – 2004, California) is known primarily for making a large number of sexploitation flicks, such as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Vixen! He did almost everything – directing, writing, editing – himself. He even did the distribution of his own movies. In the cult / exploitation circuit his films did very well and made him more than enough money to continue his film career. In the late seventies, Meyer retired as a wealthy man. Many of his films are nowadays considered as cult classics.

Filmography: The French Peep Show (1950, short doc), The Immortal Mr. Teas (1959), The Naked Cinema (1961, short), Eve and the Handyman (1961), Erotica (1961), Wild Gals of the Naked West (1962), Skyscrapers and Brassieres (1963, short), Europe in the Raw (1963, doc), Heavenly Bodies (1963), Lorna (1964), Fanny Hill (1964), Mudhoney (1965), Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), Motor Psycho (1965), Mondo Topless (1966), Common Law Cabin (1967), Good Morning… and Goodbye! (1967), Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! (1968), Vixen! (1968), Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1970), Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), The Seven Minutes (1971), Black Snake (1973), Supervixens (1975), Up! (1976), Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979), Pandora Peaks (2001, short)

Planet Terror

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Written by: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton

Year / Country: 2007, USA
Running Time: 105 mins.

After an experimental bio-weapon is released, thousands of civilians are turned into zombie-like creatures. It is up to a small group of survivors to stop the infected and those behind its release. The group of survivors includes go-go dancer Cherry Darling and her ex-boyfriend, the mysterious El Wray. Cherry is searching for ways to put her ‘useless talents’ to good use. The zombie threat might give her a great opportunity for this.

Planet Terror is Rodriguez’ contribution to the double-bill Grindhouse. It is also a tribute to the zombie genre. Opinions differ on whether Planet Terror or Tarantino’s Death Proof is the best part of Grindhouse. I personally prefer Tarantino’s production. Since the idea behind Grindhouse was to replicate the experience of viewing exploitation films in a ‘grindhouse’ theatre, it is probably not the best idea to make a high budget too apparent. With Death Proof this is the case. Planet Terror on the other hand has so many explosions and spectacular action scenes a la Desperado that it is obviously a movie shot on a major budget. The casting of Hollywood icon Bruce Willis also doesn’t contribute to the exploitation feel. It is however successful in delivering entertainment without any pretensions. There is no film that has a cooler way of showing zombies getting blown to bits.

Some casting choices have also turned out well. Rose McGowan proves to be, especially in the go-go dance-opening scene, to be one of the sexiest actresses around. She gets good support from Rodriguez (no relation), who positions himself well as an action star. As a proper zombie tribute requires, Tom Savini is present for a bit part. Many of the other cast members have worked with Rodriguez before. All in all, Planet Terror is not exactly a masterpiece, not in general nor in its kind. But…there are definitely fun bits. Some extremely gory hospital scenes come to mind.

Rating:

Biography: Robert Rodriguez (1988, Texas) saw John Carpenter’s Escape From New York in 1981 and proclaimed “I am going to make movies”. Ten years later, Rodriguez made his feature debut with El Mariachi, an almost single handedly made action film that cost him only 7.000 dollars. It made Rodriguez a legend of independent, ultra-low budget filmmaking. His further career is a sign for young filmmakers that even the wildest dreams may come true if you are brave enough to follow your own path. He has directed many movies since, often collaborating with Quentin Tarantino. Besides directing, he frequently acts as cinematographer like he did on El Mariachi.

Filmography (a selection): Bedhead (1991, short), El Mariachi (1992), Roadracers (1994, TV), Desperado (1995), Four Rooms (1996, segment ‘The Misbehavors’), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), The Faculty (1998), Spy Kids (2001), Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002), Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Sin City (2005), The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005), Grindhouse (2007, segment ‘Planet Terror’), Machete (2010), Machete Kills (2013), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), Alita: Battle Angel (2019), The Mandalorian (2020, TV episode)

Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power (2005)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Directed by:
Michael Bregman

Written by:
Michael Bregman (screenplay)
Edwin Torres (novel)

Cast:
Jay Hernandez (Carlito Brigante), Mario Van Peebles (Earl), Luis Guzmán (Nacho Reyes), Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs (Hollywood Nicky), Michael Kelly (Rocco), Giancarlo Esposito (Little Jeff), Jaclyn DeSantis (Leticia), Burt Young (Artie Bottolota Sr.), Mtume Gant (Reggie), Domenick Lombardozzi (Artie Bottolota, Jr.)

For some unexplained reason, Michael Bregman – the producer behind Carlito’s Way (1993) – thought it somehow necessary to bring a prequel to this great gangster film to television. Then again, maybe it’s not so strange: I haven’t read Edwin Torres’ novels, but I can imagine the source material is compelling.

The movie draws from Torres’ book series on the criminal life of Carlito Brigante, specifically the first book, also titled ‘Carlito’s Way’. Brian De Palma’s 1993 film took that title because, at the time, they chose not to use the second book’s title, ‘After Hours’, to avoid confusion with Martin Scorsese’s 1985 movie of the same name.

The story revolves around a young Puerto Rican, Carlito Brigante, who starts a heroin-dealing ring with his Black partner Earl and Italian partner Rocco. In this sense, the title Rise to Power isn’t really suitable – they’re already fairly established from the start.

True, they’re small compared to New York’s real power players: the Bottolota family also known as the the Pleasant Avenue Gang, and Hollywood Nicky, who run the city’s drug trade. Still, the trio is accepted, albeit under certain conditions.

Things go well at first, but then Earl’s brother shows up and he’s a loose cannon. The peace the boys have built isn’t going to last.

Jay Hernandez, who also appeared in Hostel around this time, doesn’t have the charisma or acting chops to come anywhere close to portraying a young Al Pacino. This is distracting. Add to that a terrible love plot, and the beginning is pretty bad. The second half is more engaging, as the problems that erupt are entertaining, but then it ends in a way that almost completely undoes the ending of the original.

In the end, this is only worth a look for gangster film completists like me. Otherwise, there’s little to enjoy here.

Rating:

Quote:
CARLITO BRIGANTE: “Buy the ticket. Catch that plane, and never come back. Otherwise your parents gonna be using that money for your funeral.”

Trivia:
Luis Guzmán played a big part in Carlito’s Way. He also appears in this movie, but in a different role.