With the end of the year soon approaching and the holiday season fully upon us, I'm actually a little surprised at how many movies I've been watching. I've been getting out to the theater more often as well - in no small part because the onslaught of blockbusters seems to have slowed and the festival/prestige films are giving me a little more incentive to get out there. I'm not a big Thanksgiving movie person (though I did revisit the excellent House of Yes this year on the day) so I put together a list of my favorite Hangout Heists as a post meal suggestion for engaging genre films that have a laid back, character driven nature to them. Had I not talked about it there, Breaking In would have certainly made my list this month. I think Kino Lorber is having a sale right now so you should probably snag a copy. I should mention that after doing an October horror movie challenge, I don't intentionally attempt Noirvember even though I like the idea behind it. However, I naturally watch a ton of hardboiled, neo-noir, crime, and even some classic noir as a matter of habit so there will be some possible picks for those of you looking to put together a list for next year.
Gloria (1980) - John Cassavetes' pulp thriller featuring a fabulous Gena Rowlands. Rowlands as the titular Gloria takes guardianship of her neighbor's kid after the rest of his family is wiped out by mobsters. She spends the duration of the film either in hiding, on the run, or confronting mafia goons. Definitely a must see for Rowlands fans and for those of us who can't get enough of "fun city" era NYC. What surprised me most was the sheer body count of Gloria, Rowlands kills the ever-loving shit out of so many mobsters in this!
They All Laughed (1981) - I've been wanting to catch this Bogdanovich screwball for ages but it hasn't been particularly accessible. They All Laughed is probably more famous (or notorious) now for being Dorothy Stratten's final film appearance before her murder and how Bogdanovich put himself into dire financial straits when he determined to distribute it himself. I found it incredibly charming - it's genuinely funny, the cast is outstanding, and it's crammed with gorgeous NYC photography courtesy of Robby Müller. It's also necessarily bittersweet - the way it mirrors Stratten's tragic biography, the loss of so many of its principals too young, and the loss of urban vibrancy all over the US. Bogdanovich's inclusion of Sinatra music makes sense and is probably expected (Sinatra famously offered the use of his music at no cost following Stratten's death) but in a move both strange and inspired - much of the film is centered around Colleen Camp as a country musician. I think she's terrific and apparently there was a brief period of time where country was on the ascent in Manhattan. I actually stumbled across an NYT article chronicling the rise of country music venues in the early 80s.
French Connection II (1975) - I think it's my adoration for the preceding film that has kept me away form the Frankenheimer helmed sequel for so long. It's a shame because it's a terrific international crime thriller that could largely be its own entity were it not for Hackman's magnetism as Popeye Doyle. The action set pieces are immaculate and Marseilles comes alive as a setting in a different but equally compelling way as NYC in the first film. Bernard Fresson is terrific and demonstrates his ability to hold his own with Hackman just as he has with Bronson, Delon, Montand, etc. The first FC was one of the films that helped usher in a tidal wave of antihero cop movies (which I also enjoy) but I appreciate both Friedkin's and Frankenheimer's refusal to lionize Doyle as the guy willing to bend the rules for justice. The system is corrupt, money talks in the highest chambers of power, but even an "honest" cop is still thrashing around in the dark with mixed results.
Pretty Baby (1978) - Another film perhaps more notorious than famous and certainly one that's divisive in its reviews. There's no easy way to discuss a film that deals so frankly with sex work involving children and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure that making a definitive statement on the subject was what Polly Platt and Louis Malle were looking to do here. I think they do deliver a complex portrait of a real time and place in American history that includes both the harsh realities and the hopeful moments people depend on for survival even in dark circumstances. Nobody gets off the hook but it's not a screed, either. The production design (no doubt influenced by Platt) is exquisite and the photography is immaculate. All of the performances are good to excellent but Brooke Shields is really quite amazing. She's both written and spoken a lot about the film and that commentary is worth seeking out for additional context regarding a challenging piece of art.
The Inquisitor (1981) - Taught, pressure-cooker, cat and mouse interrogation film that I assumed was based on a play due to it's nearly single room setting. Turns out it's based on a novel by the prolific crime writer, John Wainwright. Inquisitor manages to be surprisingly cinematic despite it's verbal focus and features both an excellent performance from the patron saint of this blog, Lino Ventura, as well as Michel Serrault. Interestingly (to me anyway), this came out the same year as Possession and both films were shot by Bruno Nuytten who seems to have a certain facility for capturing dialogue heavy sequences in interesting ways. I definitely need to catch more Claude Miller movies and probably hunt down some John Wainwright books as well.
Fear Over the City (1975) - Another longtime watchlist denizen for me, so I was thrilled to finally track down a copy. Totally gonzo action thriller from Henri Verneuil whose usual visual coolness gets the hell out of the way of full throttle Belmondo ferocity. An early car chase could be right out of peak poliziotteschi territory and Belmondo's stunts and antics only build from there. While he doesn't possess the grace or gravity defying nature of someone like Jackie Chan, there's an enjoyable grittiness to Belmondo's work here. Rooftop scrambles, subway car surfing, and helicopter rappelling all against a propulsive story of a crazed killer who delights in messing with the cops. This absolutely needs a physical media release ASAP.
The Burglars (1971) - Another Verneuil/Belmondo collaboration (also scored by Morricone for that matter), this is the kind of charming, international thriller I associate with Verneuil's strengths as a director. There's a tremendous heist scene that helps put the story in motion but the majority of the film is dedicated to either chase sequences or verbal jousting between Belmondo's rakish rogue and Omar Sharif's corrupt inspector. Belmondo is definitely flexing leading man charisma and also has a series of fantastic stunt sequences. Sharif is compelling in his own right though he does give his character a real sadistic edge. The plot runs out of steam in the final act and Nicole Calfan is fairly lackluster here (particularly compared to Dyan Cannon as a street smart pinup model) even though I admire her other work. The shruggable finale keeps La Casse/The Burglars from reaching that top tier of jet-setting caper films but the gorgeous photography (Claude Renoir shooting largely on location in Athens), killer action, and swinging style is more than enough for me to enjoy.
The Death of Richie (1977) - I picked up Fun City Editions' second volume of made-for-television films, Primetime Panic 2, and watched them all mostly over my Thanksgiving holiday. From what I can tell, the Valerie Bertinelli gambling picture - The Seduction of Gina - is the favorite in the set among people I follow on social media. I totally get that, but I have to say I was more won over by Paul Wendkos' tale of adolescent drug use and crumbling family dynamics. A big part of that is the cast: Ben Gazzara, Eileen Brennan, and Robby Benson in the title role are all so incredibly watchable. Even as the messaging gets somewhat muddled, I was totally engaged with these characters and invested in their story. The transfer from original 16mm elements is a little rough around the edges but that almost adds to the charm and it's a visually interesting film as well (at least partially thanks to Willard and Night Strangler cinematographer Roger B. Hauser) You'd think the title is a total spoiler but I honestly picked my jaw up off the floor in the finale. I've really come around on classic made-for-tv movies this year and Richie is certainly a favorite.
He Died with His Eyes Open (1985) - A later Jacques Deray crime thriller based on the first of a genuinely weird sounding series of novels by Derek Raymond (occasionally credited as the father of British noir). Eyes Open is not Deray's best film and it sometimes feels like a particularly well made Masterpiece Theater or BBC feature that would find its way to public television in the US. It does go considerably darker and the exquisite Rampling bares far more than any PBS fare might offer. One thing that Deray does so well and continues to do so here is allow the mystery to unfold more through the motivations of the characters than simply understanding the details of a murder. This features another good Michel Serrault performance and both he and Rampling are interesting and enigmatic and offer up enough personal intrigue to keep the viewer hooked. I feel like I'm definitely going to want to look into Raymond's novels further and coincidentally Andrew Nette recently wrote about the murky origins of British noir over on his substack.
Narc (2002) - I've given a lot of thought to comfort movies over the last year. What do you reach for when you're tired, emotionally drained, and just don't want to put in too much effort? For me, it's often 21st Century crime thrillers - particularly if they are modestly budgeted and referred to repeatedly as "gritty." Joe Carnahan's Narc is just such a film and was the perfect antidote after a long day at work. What was so particularly rewarding is that it's one of the best Ray Liotta performances I've ever seen and it was something he was clearly passionate about doing. It reminds me in some ways of Nick Nolte's revelatory turn in Q&A but Liotta retains a sensitivity that comes rather naturally to him. The opening sequence of Narc is absolutely savage and sets the stage for a genuinely mean, grimy cop story that does manage to salvage a shred of humanity towards the end.
The Butcher/Le Boucher (1970) - For one of Chabrol's more popular films, you'd think Le Boucher would be easier to come by. It's not streaming anywhere and I believe it has only had a dvd release in the US. It's a shame as it's an extremely taught, surprising thriller that subverts a lot of the familiar tropes in a classically Chabrol-ian way. It's centered around a burgeoning relationship between Stephane Audran as young schoolmaster who's heart was broken years ago and Jean Yanne as the town butcher and a veteran who was forever affected by the things he saw in wartime. A series of brutal murders begin occurring in the town and the mystery around the unfolds as the two characters get to know each other more intimately. Equally an exploration of PTSD as a murder mystery and while the basic plot beats seem rather obvious, there's a surprising degree of emotional complexity and motivation. This is an absolute must-see for Audran fans.
Dog Day (1984) - Tonally bizarre neo-noir that I've been side stepping due to its mixed reviews. I found myself totally on board with this absolutely gonzo, nihilistic tale of a armored car job gone sideways. Lee Marvin is a professional thief, bank robber, and killer who finds refuge at a French farm while fleeing the authorities. Marvin's character would turn out to be significantly less cruel, amoral, and exploitative than the deranged residents he encounters on the farm. This garners multiple comparisons to Prime Cut which I can understand from its rural setting and that movie is possessed of some genuine strangeness, but Dog Day leans even further into the wild hicksploitation energy in ways that nearly remind me of Sonny Boy even if this isn't quite as bonkers. It's definitely weird, definitely mean, and I think it might have some of the best final lines in cinema history. Lee Marvin was never afraid to take chances!
East End Hustle (1976) - Newly released on a gorgeous 4k disc by Canadian International Pictures, Hustle is reflective of the same Montreal art scene as The Rubber Gun (writer/director/actor Allan Moyle co-wrote and also acts in Hustle). While both films provide a similarly strong sense of place, Hustle is an earnest effort to produce a pulpy exploitation film. The story of a former prostitute now working to liberate her fellow sex workers from an abusive pimp offers a sufficiently gritty context and there's adequate sex and violence for a thrill seeking audience. However, in the actual presentation Hustle avoids many of the more obvious genre conventions and certainly has something to say regarding female empowerment, collaboration, and sexual power dynamics. This could have easily been a film where all the men are horrible and all the women are wounded but instead there are more interesting gradations involved - the protagonists have fulfilling relationships and while sexual violence is part of the story, the mutually satisfying expression of sex is portrayed as well. I am an absolute mark for this kind of gritty, regional filmmaking and I was totally taken with this (much as I was with CIP Gina). The disc looks amazing and I'm looking forward to digging deeper into the special features.
Theatrical Screenings!
Hi, Mom! (1970) - Screened by local heroes, The Cult Film Collective, on 35mm at the venerable Trylon Cinema. Hilarious, harrowing, chaotic, confounding, and definitely angry. De Palma threw everything he could as far as film formats, camera techniques, performance styles, and narrative structure into this one and it's an absolute riot of a picture. I can't stress how important it was for me to see this with an audience. The funny moments were huge but when things started to become uncomfortable, that feeling of anxiety flooded the entire theater. As this film is totally obsessed with film formats, it seems only appropriate to see it in 35mm as well.
Blood and Black Lace (1964) - I have a rule about going to Bava in the theater whenever it is reasonable to do so. Screened at the Emagine Willow Creek as part of the Cinema of the Macabre series, I don't know what else there is to say about Bava's proto-giallo masterpiece. It's iconic, it's influential, and the new restoration looks incredible.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) - I know this was a long movie but I didn't feel that length for a second. Part of that was the incredibly comfortable accommodations at the Edina Theater but I was wholly engrossed for the duration. I still find it kind of incredible that this was the first film Scorsese and Jack Fisk have collaborated on - what a wonderful synthesis of vision that is. Two veteran filmmakers who have dedicated so much of their careers to faithfully recreating periods of (largely) American history. I'm so glad it finally happened.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023) - I honestly didn't know that much about Anatomy other than it won some accolades in the earlier festival season and that Sandra Hüller was supposed to be quite good in it. It is worthy of those accolades and Sandra is excellent. Largely a courtroom drama but one that occurs entirely in France so the procedural aspects are perhaps fresher to me. There's much to examine here on the nature of truth and the slow erosion of trust, but mostly I was just in the grip of the narrative. Technically really impressive with how the camera uses both documentary style set ups and these roving tracking shots.
May December (2023) - Todd Haynes latest domestic melodrama with a hint of crime is another one I tried to approach without much previous knowledge. It's much funnier than I anticipated but that doesn't keep it from being totally disturbing - that might even make it more so. There's an arch-ness to it, the performances are mostly big and the repeated Michel Legrande musical stabs definitely lend a touch of drama, but it's handled with a seriousness that balances everything remarkably. If you're looking for dark, prestige entertainment for adults with something on its mind, this will give you plenty to chew on. It almost makes me wish I subscribed to Netflix so I could watch it again easily.
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