Directed by W.D. Richter Written by Earl Mac Rauch Cast: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, William Traylor, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Mariclare Costello, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy Vera, Laura Harrington, Jonathan Banks, John Ashton, Yakov Smirnoff Soundtrack: Michael Boddicker
Speaking of not getting things, I’m not convinced there’s anyone, alive or dead, including its creators, who truly “gets” Buckaroo Banzai.
Does it matter? Hardly. I love it all the same.
Now, I have to be careful here, because this is one of those cult classics, meaning there’s been a small but loyal fanbase for a long time, and I have to admit that I’m not one of them. No, I came to this movie the way I’m sure many have in recent years: the fact that it was Spine #1 for Shout Factory’s “Shout Select” line (which also includes Shakedown and Trespass, by the way).
What can I say? They sold me on it, and I bought it (it also doesn’t hurt that it’s largely “set” in New Jersey).
But, yeah, this movie’s wild, and it throws a lot at you (I might give it a higher rating if it wasn’t so much), but thankfully it has a great ensemble cast to pull it off. This is is one of those films that if it was made a year later, there’s no way you’re getting the same caliber of cast together (e.g. Under Siege). And the quality is not just in the major players like Peter Weller and John Lithgow (though they are great in this movie), but all the way down the line to people you may not know at all, like Lewis Smith as Perfect Tommy, and people you might know now, like Jonathan Banks as the Hospital Guard.
And thanks to the cast selling the often insane-sounding dialogue, Buckaroo Banzai is the second-most quotable movie of 1984. I mean, I’m very tempted to just start quoting lines right here, right now, but I’ll refrain; just take my word for it.
Really though, what makes Buckaroo Banzai so special is that it feels so wholly original. It has its influences, to be sure, but I personally have a hard time making straight line connections where I can say, “This thing comes from that thing.” The sad part is that there was some really petty interference from the executive producer that ended up holding the movie back just enough, perhaps none greater than firing the original cinematographer, Jordan Cronenweth (he shot a little movie you may have heard of called BLADE RUNNER).
Still, for me, Buckaroo Banzai is one of those movies that’s a great litmus test for people. As I said, nobody “gets” it, but if somebody else really likes it, there’s a pretty good chance we’re going to get along. It’s fun, it’s bonkers, it’s just a touch romantic, there’s some really unique sci-fi elements, and it’s only 103 minutes.
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.
Original Release Date: May 6, 1988
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: ★★★★☆
Original Release Date: October 22, 1999
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.
