Tagarchief: Michael Madsen

Cult Radar: Part 7

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon is glad to explore the video trenches to find that oddball treasure between the piles of crap out there. Of Course, a treasure in this context can also be a film that’s so shockingly bad it’s worth a look, or something so bizarre that cult fans just have to see it. Join us on our quest and learn what we learn. Hopefully we’ll uncover some well-hidden cult gems.

Researched by: Jeppe Kleijngeld

Hell Ride (USA, 2008)

Directed by: Larry Bishop
Written by: Larry Bishop
Cast: Larry Bishop, Michael Madsen, Eric Balfour

Larry Bishop, who played in trashy biker films in the sixties and seventies such as The Savage Seven, Angel Unchained and Chrome and Hot Leather writes, directs and stars in a Tarantinoesque homage to the biker film. In it, a decade long battle between two biker gangs takes place; the Victors, lead by Pistolero (Bishop) Vs. the 666ers, lead by Billy Wings (Vinnie Jones). The concept and promising cast (Michael Madsen, Dennis Hopper, David Carradine) raises expectations, but the execution is far below par. Tarantino should have rewritten the script apart from producing. The dialogues appear to have been written by a 14 year old. There is some humor to be found, but it can hardly make up for the terrible script. Also Bishop is unfit to play the lead role. Interesting trivia: Madsen and Bishop share a scene in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004). Madsen plays Budd and Bishop plays his boss in the strip club scene.

The Host (South Korea, 2006)
OT: Gwoemul

Directed by: Bong Joon-ho
Written by: Baek Chul-hyun, Bong Joon-ho, Ha Jun-won
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Byeon Hie-bong, Ko Ah-sung

On orders of a US doctor, a toxic substance is dumped in the Han River. Four years later in Seoul, ordinary Korean folk are enjoying a leisurely day along the river when the final result reveals itself. In 2006, this entertaining monster movie made a successful journey along the important international film festivals and the tentacles of the host soon attained a large cult following. The Host effectively balances between comedy and campy horror. Only with nearly two hours running time and a main character who screams too much the fun is somewhat lessened. Also a monster that looks like sewer calamari can be hardly called scary. Still, a couple of really good jokes and scenes and its undeniable cult appeal make The Host a worthy contender for the Mega Monster Mash.

Bronson (UK, 2008)

Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Written by: Brock Norman Brock, Nicolas Winding Refn
Cast: Tom Hardy, James Lance, Matt King, Amanda Burton

The wacky British indie flick Bronson gives you the life story of Charles Bronson. No not the movie star YOU CUNT! We’re talking about Britain’s most violent prisoner. Since it is directed by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn from the violent and brilliant Pusher trilogy, I was kind of expecting a gut-wrenching gorefest. It is not that bad, in fact this is more like a comedy. Crucial to the film is the central character who wants to become famous. He can’t sing and he can’t fucking act. So what does he do? This original idea is brought to the screen with Winding Refn’s usual sense of style. Tom Hardy delivers a knock-out performance as the protagonist. Don’t expect a cliché prison drama and you might find a place in your heart for Bronson. Special mention goes to the soundtrack which includes gems such as ‘It’s a sin’ by Pet Shop Boys.

Zombie Self-Defense Force (Japan, 2006)

Directed by: Naoyuki Tomomatsu
Written by: Chisato Oogawara, Naoyuki Tomomatsu
Cast: Kenji Arai, Norman England, Masayuki Hase, Yû Machimura

On the cover of Zombie Self-Defense Force, this movie is compared to Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste. Although the extreme gore is sometimes similar – though far less creative – this is nothing like Jackson’s first movie. It totally misses a master’s touch – this is amateur night and they know it. Poor acting, horrible no budget FX and very little to enjoy overall. During the first half hour, a few nice character touches promise some cult delight, but as soon as a zombie baby appears (a homage to another Jackson classic), things start to look really bad. Pretty much a disgrace anyway you look at it.

Black Devil Doll (USA, 2007)

Directed by: Jonathan Lewis
Written by: Shawn Lewis, Mitch Mayes
Cast: Heather Murphy, Natasha Talonz, Christine Svendsen

He’s a lover! He’s a killer! He’s a muthafu**in’ puppet! ‘A Lewis Brothers fiasco’, credits state after Mubia, a member of the black power movement, is executed. His last words: ‘I like to eat white butt’. We’re up for something special that is for sure. Mubia is brought back to life by big boob teenager Heather while she is messing around with a Ouija Board. Guess what? The dangerous rapist and murderer returns in puppet form! So, the sexploitation version of Child’s Play begins. Not subtle, but sleazy, nasty and offensive. Black Devil Doll does exactly what it promises to do on the cover. At times it is too dirty, but quite often it is pretty hilarious.


Tom Hardy as Charles Bronson in Bronson

Donnie Brasco (1997)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘In 1978, the US government waged a war against organized crime. One man was left behind the lines.’

Directed by:
Mike Newell

Written by:
Joseph D. Pistone (book ‘Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia’)
Richard Woodley (book ‘Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia’)
Paul Attanasio (screenplay)

Cast:
Johnny Depp (Donnie Brasco / Joseph D. Pistone), Al Pacino (Benjamin ‘Lefty Two-guns’ Ruggiero), Michael Madsen (Sonny Black), Bruno Kirby (Nicky), Anne Heche (Maggie Pistone), James Russo (Paulie), Zeljko Ivanek (Tim Curley), Gerry Becker (Dean Blandford), Robert Miano (Sonny Red), Brian Tarantina (Bruno)

The imposing but low-ranking mobster Lefty (Pacino) meets Don the Jeweller (Depp). Donnie’s connections check out, so Lefty takes him in as a friend and associate. It turns out to be a mistake of historical proportions. Donnie is really an undercover FBI-agent named Joe Pistone, whose mission is to infiltrate the Mafia.

This movie is based on a true story. Joe Pistone managed to infiltrate a fraction of the New York Bonanno family in the late seventies and wrote a book about his experiences. The happenings in the book have been somewhat altered to create a more tense mob thriller. A choice that has turned out well. There are certainly moments of great tension, such as the scene where Donnie has to take his boots off in a Japanese restaurant in which he has hidden a microphone. Or the jail scene in which Donnie’s pals are discussing the way ‘the rat’ should be murdered when discovered.

The acting in this film is especially well performed. It is truly amazing how much sympathy Pacino arouses as the hapless mobster Lefty. We know he’s a cold-blooded killer (26 hits under his belt), but we almost cry for him when we see his desperate schemes tragically fail. Depp certainly holds his ground as Pacino’s partner in crime. It’s intriguing to see how he becomes more and more like a wiseguy, which is especially apparent when he acts alpha male around his wife and threatens a fellow undercover agent.

The film moves with great speed. In reality it took Donnie years to come close to the crew of Sonny Black (Madsen), but in the film this is done within two scenes. Some things have been dramatised such as Donnie’s relation with his wife Maggie (Heche), who understandably can’t deal with her husband’s absence. Also the ending in which Lefty is sent for (to get whacked), is done to dramatise the movie. In reality it was Sonny Black who got killed when Donnie’s identity was discovered. Mind you, these are only observations. All film making choices are well justified and every scene altered from reality gets the impact that it is aiming for.

The art-direction is another achievement that deserves mention. The New York scenery looks great, as well as all the terrible outfits that the wiseguys dress in. Altogether, Donnie Brasco is a remarkable movie that lost none of its impact over the years. It’s certainly not easy to just fuhgetaboutit.

Rating:

Quote:
LEFTY: “Sit down there. You were gonna walk out on me? You don’t walk out on me. I walk out on you.”

Trivia:
The newspaper picture of the murdered boss is the famous picture of murdered mob boss Carmine Galente, who was killed in a Brooklyn restaurant in 1979.