Tagarchief: FilmDungeon

Dungeon Classics #6: Escape from L.A.

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Escape from L.A. (1996, USA)

Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach
Running Time: 101 mins.

In 2013, an earthquake has separated a ruined L.A. from the rest of the United States. This is now the place where the government – which is run by a religious nutcase – sends their outcasts and prisoners. When the daughter of the president is kidnapped by a Che Guevara-like revolutionary, the eye-patch wearing Snake Plissken is send to retrieve her from Los Angeles. Turns out, the daughter stole a secret weapon – the Doomsday Device – that America can use to destroy its enemies, or vice versa. As soon as our cynical hero, played by the terrific Kurt Russell, arrives in L.A. it is non stop action delivered with a big smile. Carpenter and his team obviously had fun coming up the inventive set pieces, like the Hollywood sign on fire. The colorful cast of supporting characters Snake meets on his journey, includes some of the finest cult actors and actresses: Peter Fonda, Valeria Golino, Bruce Campbell, Steve Buscemi and Pam Grier. A bleak vision on the future of America that is over-the-top, but – amazingly – still rings true in a sense.

TV Dungeon: Spaced

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

(1999 – 2001, UK)

Writers: Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson
Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Jessica Stevenson, Simon Pegg, Julia Deakin, Nick Frost, Mark Heap, Katy Carmichael, Aida the Dog

2 Seasons (14 Episodes)

Before they conquered the world with Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, Jessica Stevenson and Nick Frost made the small, low budget sitcom Spaced, which is loved in cult circles and became known to a wider audience after the creators’ international breakthrough.

It revolves around two twenty-something flatmates – immature skateboarding wannabe comic artist Tim Bisley (Pegg) and moody, responsibility-shy writer Daisy Steiner (Stevenson) who navigate through various weird adventures along with their assortment of strange friends and neighbors.

Spaced is not an ordinary sitcom with canned laughter and static camerawork. It is a true original. What is especially lovely about it is the recognizable situation. It really reminds of the student days of drinking, smoking weed, playing videogames and watching movies. Life can be that simple when you don’t have a (real) job or own family yet. Flatmates are the closest thing to a family in these days and the joystick is your other best friend.

Edgar Wright directs the ultra low-budget concept like it is a movie – full of innovative camera and editing tricks – and the writers throw in more movie references than any sane person can take notice off. Most importantly,  Spaced is genuinely funny. Every episode features at least a dozen good jokes.

If you like dry British humour, loads of pop culture references and a flashback to the good old days, then Spaced is definitely your fix.

Dungeon Classics #5: Escape from Absolom

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Escape from Absolom (1994, USA)

Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Ray Liotta, Lance Henriksen, Stuart Wilson
Running Time: 114 mins.

Actually, this movie – also known as No Escape – is not that good. But it’s childhood nostalgia and has a few things going for it. Ray Liotta is a great actor for starters. And the costumes, that remind of Mad Max, are awesome. In the year 2022 (close now) all US prisons are run by private enterprises (sounds realistic enough). Liotta’s character is a marine who has shot and killed his commanding officer. He is shipped off to a desolated island where there are no guards and no walls; convicts run the show. There are two camps: the barbaric outsiders and the more civilized insiders. Liotta joins the later. He has escape on the brain constantly… but first, there is some fighting that needs to be done. From the producers of Aliens and The Terminator, the tagline promises. No, it’s not that good, but like I said: sweet memories.

Dungeon Classics #4: The Quick and the Dead

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

The Quick and the Dead (1995, USA / Japan)

Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio
Running Time: 107 mins.

One of the my favorite movies! It’s just so damn entertaining. The story is about a sexy, female gunslinger (Sharon Stone) riding into the town of redemption to take revenge on local boss Herod (Gene Hackman). To do this, she has to enter a fast-draw contest in which the odds of surviving are about 3,2 percent. Five reasons I LOVE this movie:
1. The direction by Sam Raimi is top of the line. Never did he deliver more style and razzle-dazzle.
2. The camerawork. Every shot and angle is a little masterpiece. The gunfights are all shot in incredibly inventive ways.
3. The main cast and supporting cast are terrific. The chemistry and tension between Stone, Hackman, Crowe and DiCaprio is magnetic. And the supporting actors, gunfighters mostly, are hard, no impossible to forget.
4. The beautiful score by Alan Silvestri.
5. Some of the duels are the greatest scenes I’ve ever seen. This movie is scandalously underrated.