Larry Fessenden – People Talking

Classic Treble – ‘Shakedown’ 🚓 ‘Bringing Out the Dead’ 🚑 ‘Trespass’ 🚒 – DON’T Call 911

Full disclosure: I have not seen these three movies in theaters recently, but, per my own review principles, I have seen them theatrically at some point in the past few years (and all on 35mm film to boot). Anyway, since I’m basically still in corona-lockdown and theatrical viewings are at a premium, and since I’m back writing again, I thought it would be fun to do a “seafood stew” and put together a sort of First Responder triple pack (with more than a little wink as I say that). Enjoy.

Written and Directed by James Glickenhaus
Cast: Peter Weller, Sam Elliott, Patricia Charbonneau, Jude Ciccolella, Blanche Baker, Antonio Fargas, Richard Brooks, John C. McGinley, Henry Judd Baker, Larry Joshua, Vondie Curtis-Hall, William Prince, Anthony Crivello, Thomas G. Waites, Paul Bartel, Holt McCallany, Walter Flanagan
Soundtrack: Jonathan Elias

Of the numerous films I’ve been introduced to at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers over the years (I pray it re-opens at some point, any point), Shakedown by far left me with the biggest smile on my face.

Now, I know movies involving police are a tough sell right now, but hear me out, because this one actually cares about true justice.

I suppose Shakedown would qualify as a buddy cop film, it’s a somewhat debatable point, but it’s not one with two cops together (e.g. Lethal Weapon, Running Scared, etc.); it’s one of those with an odder pairing (e.g. 48 Hrs., Die Hard with a Vengeance, etc.). In fact, the protagonist of this story is actually a legal aid attorney, which bears out my notion that the heart of the movie is real justice. Sure, there’s some reel justice, too, as expected, but that’s a parallel strength of the movie (I’ll just say: Coney Island, whoa).

The only genuine weaknesses I’d say the movie has are, for one, a slight failing of budget at the very end, and there’s one scene in particular that just seems out of step with the rest of the film (it might’ve been okay as a dream sequence or something like that), but make no mistake, this is James Glickenhaus’s magnum opus. Earlier works like The Exterminator and The Soldier certainly have their entertainment value, but as far as I know nothing else he’s made is as tightly written as Shakedown, and the more times I watch it the more the quality becomes evident.

Anyway, I don’t know if Shakedown is the very last action film to shut down 42nd Street for major stunt sequences, but if it is, what a way to go out. Even more than “The Deuce” though, the movie is a treasure trove of a time capsule for pre-Giuliani New York, including the condemned West Side Elevated Highway (before it was finally torn down, obviously). Certainly a far cry from the Disneyfied city we see today.

Of course, what is a buddy cop movie without its buddies, and boy are these two a pair. Sam Elliot is just as you’d expect him, in the best way possible, but it’s still Peter Weller’s universe. In fact, I’ll go as far to say that Shakedown is PEAK Peter Weller; beyond RoboCop, and even beyond, dare I say, Buckaroo Banzai (much as I do love both those films). However, it would be unfair to not mention Patricia Charbonneau, as she turns in a strong supporting performance.

In the end though, what makes me love Shakedown is that it’s not just another buddy cop film, because it makes you think a little bit in addition to the thrills and chills. It may not be the best but it’s got a ton of personality and unique quirks, and with a budget somewhere under $10 million it punches far above its weight class. It’s under-seen and underrated and it deserves much more notoriety, especially compared to some other 80s “classics”.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Paul Schrader, based on the novel by Joe Connelly
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore, Marc Anthony, Mary Beth Hurt, Cliff Curtis, Nestor Serrano, Aida Turturro, Sonja Sohn, Afemo Omilami, Judy Reyes, Cullen O. Johnson, Arthur J. Nascarella, Larry Fessenden, Michael Kenneth Williams, Queen Latifah
Soundtrack: Elmer Bernstein

Now, I know what you’re thinking.

“A New York City film written by Paul Schrader, directed by Martin Scorsese, and it’s not Taxi Driver?”

Correct.

Unfortunately for poor Marty, Bringing Out the Dead was a box office bomb, which is probably why it’s never gotten a proper, loving home format release, even though it’s a film begging for a 4K Blu-ray restoration (though apparently this and Sleepy Hollow were the last films released on LaserDisc, so, that’s interesting). Frankly, it’s a shame that this movie is relegated to “hidden gem” status, because I think it’s among Scorsese’s better films; certainly better than most things he’s directed since (yeah, I’m looking at you, The Irishman).

The plot, is, well… I’d describe the whole movie as something of a fever dream. Nic Cage plays a paramedic who’s in a bad way. He’s insomnious to the point of hallucination, he’s on a cold streak of saving people, and it’s a bit of a Russian Roulette situation with who he’s paired up with on a given night. In the midst of this seemingly comes a ray of hope, when he appears to have saved a man’s life, and maybe strikes up a bit of a thing with his daughter, played by Patricia Arquette.

Though the movie was made in the late Nineties, it’s set in the drug-addled days of pre-Giuliani NYC, and the film is not afraid to comment on a number of serious issues.

What really makes it for me though is the cast and the music. Though it’s heavy at times, just about everybody seems to be reveling in their performances, and that comes through the screen; and the soundtrack (both the wonderful Elmer Bernstein score and the licensed songs) just amplifies it all.

Off the beaten path, but well worth it.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Original Release Date: December 25, 1992

Directed by Walter Hill
Written by Bob Gale & Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Bill Paxton, Ice-T, William Sadler, Ice Cube, Art Evans, De’voreaux White, Bruce A. Young, Glenn Plummer, Stoney Jackson, T.E. Russell, Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, John Toles-Bey, Byron Minns, Tico Wells, Hal Landon Jr., James Pickens Jr., L. Warren Young
Soundtrack: Ry Cooder

Oh, you thought were we done with the heavy hitters?

Think again.

That’s right, from the creators of Back to the Future and the director of 48 Hrs. comes a tale of treasure sought, and all the pitfalls that come with it.

Now, admittedly, Trespass is the most tenuously connected film in my First Responder trilogy here, as our nominal protagonists are indeed fire fighters, but outside of one introductory scene there’s no real firefighting to be found; but, hey, this is my seafood stew.

Trespass is one of those movies that’s limited in scope, scale, and cast, but manages to be just as captivating as many a bigger film.

While fighting a fire in Fort Smith, Arkansas, our two nominal protagonists (played by Paxton and Sadler) are gifted a map to treasure in a now abandoned factory in East Saint Louis, Illinois. Unfortunately for them, the day they go to investigate happens to be the same day that a local gang (led by Ice-T and Ice Cube) happens to be executing someone on the same grounds.

You can imagine where it goes from there. Lots of tension, intrigue, criss-crosses; in fact, now that I think about it, it kind of reminds me of Green Room, except Trespass takes place in the daylight, which makes it feel more hopeless at times, though I wouldn’t say Trespass borders on horror territory like Green Room does.

In the end, it’s a nice, tight, entertaining little thriller. Not the best, but unique and different.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

Movie Review – ‘The Transfiguration’ – Something Wicked This Way Mumbles

Written and Directed by Michael O’Shea
Cast: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine, Aaron Moten, Carter Redwood, Danny Flaherty, JaQwan J. Kelly, James Lorinz, Larry Fessenden (cameo), Lloyd Kaufman (cameo)
Soundtrack: Margaret Chardiet

I hate being negative. I hate being harsh. But I cannot tell a lie.

This movie is poor, and I would not recommend it to anyone.

It’s a fine horror concept in theory: a boy obsessed with vampires acts out his violent fantasies. Is he really turning into a creature of the night, or is it just his imagination?

Except, the question never is asked, because there’s no need to ask it. In spite of the metaphysical title of The Transfiguration, the movie never plants any doubt in your mind as to whether Milo is actually becoming a vampire or not (he never even so much as puts on a pair of sunglasses). The entire time he’s just a troubled young man who is committing atrocities on people because of his own fixations (something something metaphor for loss?).

Somebody at the Q&A for this mentioned that they liked how there are no fantasy elements because then nothing requires suspension of disbelief, but that’s not exactly true because there’s a point where Sophie (the also-broken love interest) should be creeped-out enough to never come back, but she does, for some reason. So there’s that.

Again, the elevator pitch of this movie is fine, but the execution is just wrong.

It’s mumblecore in the worst way, It’s boring. It’s stagnant. There’s a significant lack of chemistry between the actors. One of the characters appears to be too young for the role. There’s very little in the way of tension. And it doesn’t feel like there are any arcs, which would be fine if there was some sort of emotional depth, but that’s missing as well.

One positive thing I will say is that the makeup effects are well done and appear to be 100% practical, but that’s hardly enough to be a saving grace.

I understand that this is writer/director Michael O’Shea’s feature debut, and it’s clear he had major budgetary constraints (I can’t think of another movie that has such a high percentage of obviously stolen shots), but, quite frankly, The Transfiguration is a caricature of independent film in the new millennium (and, as such, the attempted social commentary about violence in the inner city gets flushed down the toilet along with everything else).

Perhaps the best way I can sum everything up is that The Transfiguration made me appreciate Carnage Park, and I don’t even like that movie.

Rating: ★½ (out of five)

Movie Review – ‘Carnage Park’ – “Over the line!”

Written and Directed by Mickey Keating
Cast: Ashley Bell, Pat Healy, James Landry Hébert, Michael Villar, Alan Ruck, Larry Fessenden
Soundtrack: Giona Ostinelli

There is perhaps no finer divide in the world of creative arts than the line between paying homage and ripping off.

I’m not a horror expert, so I don’t know every source Mickey Keating pulled from, but I know “You’re gonna be okay!” from ‘Reservoir Dogs’ when I see it.

All that aside, and as topical as the issue of plagiarism is at the moment, my issues with ‘Carnage Park’ are much more fundamental. This movie managed to annoy me, win me over, then put me off again in the span of less than ninety minutes.

What turned me off initially is the fact that there’s one of those title cards in the introduction that says, “This is a true story; the names have been changed to protect the innocent,” or something to that effect, but you know it’s total crap (and they didn’t even use any such “inspired by true events” in the marketing, so why bother?). Then, the very first scene of the movie gives away the identity of the killer, so there’s no tension in that aspect. And, finally, we get to the Tarantino non-linear rip-off section. Not a promising start.

But, as I said, the movie won me over somewhat in the middle. For one thing, it didn’t play out exactly like I thought it would, so I give it credit for being at least a little bit unpredictable, and there is a good bit of tension in Vivian (Ashley Bell) trying to escape from this terrible situation she’s in. I actually think she gives an intense and believable performance as a victim of horrific circumstance, and I also like Pat Healy as a simultaneously off-beat and straight-laced villain. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention James Landry Hébert as “Scorpion Joe”; he adds a good bit of flair in a movie that could use more of it.

What turns me off in the end is that the movie is really well photographed until it isn’t. For the vast majority of the runtime, we’re treated to nice wide shots of the California landscape, but the end of the film takes us into the dark underground, which is superfluous because we know how things are going to end at that point anyway and we don’t need to be here, and, frankly, it’s just annoying to look at, like shaky-cam in the dark; I was more than ready to leave at that point.

So, look, generally speaking, I can’t recommend ‘Carnage Park’. If you’re a big time horror fan, you might get something out of it, but, don’t have high expectations. I certainly was expecting better.

Rating: ★★½