‘Beverly Hills Cop’
Maybe I’m a crazy person, but, much like ‘They Live‘ and ‘Point Break‘, I think this movie’s reputation is bigger than it deserves.
I get that Eddie Murphy is funny, and there are some brilliant moments of his improvisational spirit in ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, but the problem with the movie is that it’s too much of a straight procedural and not enough of a comedy. As a regular police movie, it’s not that impressive when compared to others in the genre, and, as a comedy, it’s not exactly a laugh riot, especially when compared to ‘Trading Places’ or ‘Coming to America’.
That said, I’m not trying to say ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ is terrible. I’d call it more than adequately entertaining. Murphy is his usual self, the criminally underutilized Lisa Eilbacher is perfectly lovely, and Judge Reinhold and John Ashton are a wonderful pair of Keystone Kops.
It’s a fine film, just not an all-timer in my book.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
‘Blue Velvet’
My only previous experiences with David Lynch prior to seeing ‘Blue Velvet’ were ‘Lost Highway’ and ‘Mulholland Drive’, which are two films that work out mental muscles you never knew you had, like waking up the next morning after shoveling sixteen inches of snow. To put it succinctly, this movie was much more straightforward than I was expecting, which is totally fine.
At the time of its release, Gene Siskel compared ‘Blue Velvet’ to Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho‘, and I’m inclined to agree; not in the sense that it’s a beat-for-beat rehash (like Brian De Palma’s ‘Dressed to Kill‘), but more in the sense of digging beneath the surface of everyday life and discovering some rather shocking evil at work.
There’s also a fairly strong coming-of-age dynamic as we follow young Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) on his journey, as not only is he trying to solve a mystery (at great risk to life and limb), but he’s trying to properly manage his relationship with Sally (Laura Dern) along the way.
It might not be a perfect film, you might be weirded out by some of the typical David Lynch oddball elements (and uncomfortable Isabella Rossellini nudity), but ‘Blue Velvet’ is a strong enough effort in spite of all that for me to give it an enthusiastic recommendation. It’s one of the best classic thrillers I’ve seen in a while.
Rating: ★★★★☆
‘Nighthawks’ (1981)
I’m not sure how or why “A.T.A.C.” became the fictional acronym du jour (I’m pretty sure they even use it in ‘Under Siege 2’), but I do find it funny that two films released in the same year used it for very different things. In ‘For Your Eyes Only‘ it’s the MacGuffin that James Bond spends the entire movie chasing after, and in ‘Nighthawks’ it’s the Anti-Terrorist Action Command, a special unit that our heroes get recruited into in order to chase the bad guy.
Anyway, I feel like a say this a lot, but ‘Nighthawks’ is another one of those New York movies that’s perhaps more interesting as a time capsule than as an actual film, although it is notable for many reasons beyond that. For one thing, it introduced American audiences to Rutger Hauer (which is a big plus); it was Sylvester Stallone’s first A-level action movie; and, it’s only feature film Billy Dee Williams did between ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’. It’s also the first major motion picture to show off the Roosevelt Island Tramway in its full glory, and, it features a rare score from the late, great Keith Emerson.
All that aside, the movie’s a pretty typical cat and mouse affair. There isn’t too much here to truly blow your socks off, but it’s worth seeing once.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ (1978)
Best remake ever?
My money’s still on John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’, but 1978’s ‘Body Snatchers’ certainly belongs in the conversation.
Whereas the original film was steeped in the Red Scare of the 1950s (whether the filmmakers intended an allegory or not), Philip Kaufman’s version is undoubtedly a product of post-Watergate America, richly soaked in conspiratorial and governmental fears.
More importantly, however, is the question all remakes must answer, which is, “What can you do bigger/better than the original?” In that regard, the ’78 version answers with aplomb. Color over black and white? Check. Big city over small town? Check. Great cameos from both the original lead actor and director? Check. State of the art special effects (and sound effects from the one and only Ben Burtt)? Double check.
Perhaps an even bigger question is how this movie snagged a PG rating, what with Brooke Adams running around without much cover, not to mention some rather grisly violence at times (albeit momentarily). I guess the MPAA was just feeling generous that day.
Regardless of its roots, the movie is pretty great on its own terms, and belongs in the pantheon of ‘The Thing‘ and ‘Alien‘ among the best sci-fi/horror motion pictures. Donald Sutherland is on top of his game, as is a young Jeff Goldblum, and Brooke Adams, Veronica Cartwright, and Leonard Nimoy round out a first rate cast.
Whether you’ve seen the original or not, I highly recommend 1978’s ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ (although it might be a while before you eat edamame again).
Rating: ★★★★☆
P.S.
So, we’ve got space aliens, Leonard Nimoy, and “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes, but this isn’t ‘Wrath of Khan‘? Fascinating.
