William Friedkin:"To Live and Die in L.A." (1985)

William Friedkin's crime thriller, based on a book by U.S. Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich, concerns an arrogant Secret Service official who wants to get his man at any price. Willem Dafoe plays Eric Masters, an ultra-smooth counterfeiter who has managed to sidestep the police for years. He is so up-front about his dealings, in fact, that when some undercover agents try to make a deal with him at his health club, Eric tells them, "I've been coming to this gym three times a week for five years. I'm an easy guy to find. People know they can trust me." But when young and eager Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) finds out that his partner has been cold-bloodedly murdered by Eric, he trains his relentlessness upon capturing Eric -- whether it means robbery, murder, or exploiting his friends and associates. As Chance erases the dividing line between good and evil, he drags his new partner John Vukovich (John Pankow) and Ruth Lanier (Darlanne Fluegel), an ex-con, down into the maelstrom with him.

Directed by: William Friedkin Starring:  William Petersen,Willem Dafoe, John Pankow

Read More

CULT MOVIE: HARD BOILED(1992)

American producers certainly made the action film into the monster that it is today, but in the 1990s Hong Kong enjoyed its own cinematic resurgence with directors, led by John Woo (see also Johnny To and Yonfan), adding a harder edge to the action. Although Woo claims violence makes him sick ("I get pretty upset. And I'd bring that to screen. Let's beat him harder, let's hit him with more bullets"), you wouldn't guess it from looking at his movies. The Hard Boiled plot is standard action fare, very similar to Beverly Hills Cop; dedicated cop (Yun-Fat) seeks out the killers of his partner with the aid of an undercover agent. The action, however, is slick and choreographed, featuring what have become Woo trademarks (the Mexican stand-off between adversaries, two-handed gun action, slow motion and freeze-frame shots) and the comedy is blacker than the usual wisecracks. One of the best action films of the '90s, but stick to the original Cantonese version.
Director: John Woo Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Philip Chan, Teresa Mo

Read More

CULT MOVIE OF THE DAY(24-12-2009).VANISHING POINT(1971)

Cross en ex-cop with en ex-race car driver and you get a man who,when put behind the wheel of a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T,just has to drive as fast as he can,ingnoring a growing fleet of cops on his tail.Obviously we eventually discover the deep and meaningful reasons behind the recless behaviour of our driver Kowalski(Newman),but Vanishing Point-complete with the mysterious guiding light of blind DJ Super Soul(Little)-is a surreal interpretation of the ultimate car chase.The chases,as exciting as any in more recent action films,are interspersed with esoteric scenes of gay hitchhikers and naked motorcyclists.Charlotte Rampling originally appeared as one of those whom Kowalski met along the way but her scenes were cut.Avoid the 1997 remake with Jason Priestly in the DJ role.

Director:Richard Sarafian Cast:Barry Newman,Cleavon Little

Read More