***Official 1st Annual HTF January Winter Crime Challenge*** (1 Viewer)

[PatW]

The Roaring Twenties (1939) :star: :star: :star: :star:

Apparently James Cagney was getting tired of being typecasted for mostly gangster rolls and this was the last picture of that type for ten years until he did White Heat in '49 according to Robert Osborne.

Three buddies get out of the service after WW1 and one becomes a lawyer while the other two become bootleggers. This movie mostly takes place in the '20's where prohibition was in full-force.

This is quite an involving little movie with a great story. James Cagney who plays Eddie Bartlett is of course perfect for the role. No-one can play this type of role like Cagney can. In this movie though, he has a heart as indicated by his intercession on behalf of his lawyer friend. There are two ladies in Eddie's life, Jean Sherman who is played by Priscilla Lane. Eddie is devastated when she choses someone else. The other is Gladys George who plays Panama the owner of a speakeasy who gets Eddie started as a bootlegger. Both these actress were great in their respective parts.
Humphrey Bogart as one of the buddies was adequate in his role but nowhere near a great as Cagney who owned this movie. This was a good movie and a worthwhile watch.

 

[SteveGon]

Superfly (1972)

Viewed 1/5/2008 (first viewing)

Blaxploitation classic has a drug dealer named Priest desperately trying to get out of the buisness. But a hesitant partner and dirty cops stand in his way! Great score by Curtis Mayfield.

:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


Wiseguys Vs. Zombies (2003)

Viewed 1/5/2008 (first viewing)

Cheapo indie production has two hitmen transporting a cargo of illicit drugs and bodies from New York to Miami. After being stranded in a redneck South Carolina town they discover that the drugs have turned their victims into flesh-hungry and damn near unstoppable zombies! More entertaining than it ought to be, thanks to good chemistry between the leads.

:star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[TravisR]

I gotta get into the game here. I just need to finish watching some other random DVDs that I got for Christmas first.

 

[Mario Gauci]

As I said in another thread, I won't be taking part in this Crime Challenge because of various reasons (mostly family) - even though noir is one of my favorite genres and I still have a boatload of unwatched DVDs of that variety in my collection!

 

[PatW]

History of Violence (2005) :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

This movie explores the philosophical question, can an cold-blooded killer change and turn himself into someone he wasn't born to be. David Cronenberg has directed a taut, extremely violent but thoughtful movie.
After watching the excellent Eastern Promises, I decided to revisit this movie again.

Tom Stall is a gentle family man, the owner of a small diner in a small Mid-western town in Indiana. He's a loving husband and father of two children, a teenage son and a young daughter. He's an upstanding citizen, a church going man who is well regarded by the community. One night two gangsters enter his place of business and threaten his customers and employees. Tom takes matters into his own hands and kills these men thus becoming the town hero with his picture all over the news. Philly gangster
Carl Fogarty comes to the diner and calls Tom by another name, Joey Cusack. Tom denies it but when Fogarty threatens his son events escalate.

David Cronenberg has a reputation of making very violent and somewhat bizarre movies. This movie plus Eastern Promises are probably more mainstream but still extremely violent. Alot of people dislike David Cronenberg but I'm a great admirer of his especially after I saw this movie. Plus he's a fellow Canadian.
I don't know what prompted Cronenberg to choose Viggo Mortensen for the lead role. Whether he saw something special in him from Hidalgo or The Lord of the Rings movies, I don't know. Before LOTR, if someone had mentioned him to me I wouldn't have known who he was. I would have though, reconized his face in some of his past works. LOTR changed all that. Even though I liked his character Aragorn in the LOTR's movies, I didn't realize how good of an actor he was till I saw History of Violence. What a superb acting job. He was completely believable as both the mild-mannered family man and as the ruthless killer that he once was. The scene that cemented his abilities for me was when his son shoots Fogarty and Tom aka Joey graps the rifle from his son, the look of sheer hatred and evil that came over his face and then changed to the old Tom that we knew was chilling and remarkable acting. The supporting cast was uniformly excellent. Maria Bello as Tom wife was excellent. She was able to convey to the audience, the mixed feelings that she had regarding her husband. The violent scene on the stairs conveyed that. The rest of the supporting cast was also excellent which included Ed Harris, William Hurt in almost a cameo-like role and especially Ashton Holmes who played Tom's son.

I can't begin to explain how much I love this movie. It's more than just a violent thriller. My husband can watch extreme horror films, yet thought this one was excessively violent. Go figure! Can a cold-blooded killer change? I believe this movie answered that question.

 

[Greg Layton]

The Thin Man (1934) :star::star::star:

Smart and funny who-dun-it with memorable characters, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Asta, the cowardly canine comic relief, almost accomplished the task of overshadowing the story itself. We enjoyed it enough to catch the rest of the movies in the future.

As a side note... the names Nick and Nora were a revelation to my wife; on our honeymoon, the fancy restaurant on our cruise ship (the Carnival Miracle) is named after the duo.

 

[PatW]

City For Conquest (1940) :star: :star: :star: :star: 1/2

Thanks to Tim Tucker for the list of Cagney and film noir movies. I probably would never have watched this gem of a movie if it wasn't for this challenge.

Danny Kenny played by Cagney is a truck driver who turns into a prize fighter in order to pay his little brother's tuition at a music school. Ann Sheridan is Peg, Danny's childhood girlfriend who has career ideas of her own. Along the way, Danny loses his eyesight due to a blinding powder that was placed on his opponent's gloves. He remains undaunted by his misforture and continues to encourage his brother to fulfill his dream.

This is a very sentimental movie and I couldn't help but shed lots of tears but that's okay. The sentimentality didn't bother me in the least. Here James Cagney shows a softer, gentle side to his character. He is excellent as Danny the truck driver turned boxer with a heart of gold. Ann Sheridan also was outstanding as the girlfriend. Danny stood by her and loved her despite having his heart broken a few times. Arthur Kennedy was also outstanding as the younger brother.

This is a great tear-jerker if you're in the mood and I certainly was.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Time to get started:

* 1. The House on 92nd Street (1945) This is one of the film's from Fox's Noir line that has been sitting on my shelf for far too long. The plot revolves around the FBIs search for Nazi infiltrators in America during WWII. Most of the mandatory elements of a good noir are present except for the sex aspect. While there are several good looking women, sex is never used to gain anything. This was one of the first films to use extensive location shooting in New York, along with "The Lost Weekend" & "The Naked City", which both used the scenery to better effect. Although, I enjoyed the film, and was never bored, but in the end I found it slightly disappointing.

* 2. Harper (1966) Another film that has been rotting on my shelf since I acquired the Paul Newman boxset from WB. I wanted to enjoy this film a lot more than I did, but for some reason it just did not work for me. Newman was not bad in the role as private dick Harper, but the whole film seemed like a rehash of "The Big Sleep" only set in the 60s and in color. In fact, there are countless similarities between the two films including the kidnapping plot, a PI who has little interest in sex, the PIs customer who is in a wheel chair, & Lauren Bacall amongst many others. There were several humous moments including Strother Martin as the leader of a sun cult, but overall I found the film to be uneven and something that I doubt I will ever re-watch. There is a sequel in the boxset called "The Drowning Pool". I suppose that I should watch that one soon and see if it's any better.

 

[Ruz-El]

Finally got watching some stuff this weekend. No way I'm going to hit my "Scary Movie Challenge" numbers. First timers are in police blue... I know, not the same thing as chilling blood red, but what can I do?

01 - 01/05 - CRUISING 4/5
Incredibly sleazy, but damn fine cop drama about an undercover cop in the hard leather gay community in New York. Disturbing and gripping, it was well worth the wait to watch. Pacino did a great job, and Paul Sorvino steals the show with his portrayal of the police Captain.

02 - 01/05 - THE LODGER 3.5/5
This is the 1940's one from the "Fox Horror Colelction". I remember during the scary movie challenge and when it was announced that both it and Hanover Square" were better suited in the Noir line so I'm counting them. This one was a darn good suspense thriller about a lodger potentially being Jack The Ripper. Not to spoil it, I would of preferred it to be a bit more ambiguous. Still good though with lots of atmosphere.

03 - 01/06 - HANGOVER SQUARE 3.5/5
Another great thriller. Tons of atmosphere and down right disturbing in ways. Craiger was fantastic.

04 - 01/06 - ROAD TO PERDITION 3/5
Decent enough crime drama. Hanks does all right playing against type, my main issue is the over all style of the film drew me out of it. Paul Newman is the shit though.

My running tally:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/3296151-post11.html

 

[Michael Elliott]

04. Whistler, The (1944) :star::star:1/2

First film in Columbia's series has Richard Dix playing a man wanting to commit suicide due to the death of his wife but he doesn't have the courage to do so. Wanting to die, Dix hires a killer (J. Carrol Naish) to do the job but then he learns that his wife is still alive so he too must try and stay alive. Based on a radio show, this first film is actually pretty entertaining due to some nice direction by Castle and the two leads turning in fine performances. The story itself is pretty interesting and the B-budget gets all out of it that it can. Dix makes for a very good leading man and his performance is very good especially during his depression scenes. Naish is a great character actor and makes for a very good killer. Gloria Stuart plays Dix secretary and does nice work, although she has the weakest character.

05. Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971) :star::star:1/2

Final film in Argento's animal trilogy has a musician (Michael Brandon) accidentally killing a stalker but then the real trouble starts when another stalker shows up trying to kill him. I guess since this isn't on DVD certain fans talk it up as if it's a lost masterpiece but it really isn't. That's not to say this isn't a decent little film but it's certainly no way near the director's best. Argento brings his usual nice style to the film and has some great murder sequences, which are full of suspense. The murder on the stairs is certainly one of the film's highlights. The director also manages to get some good performances from the cast with Brandon making a good leading man. Mimsy Farmer is good as the wife but it's Jean-Pierre Marielle who steals the show as a gay detective. I think the film's biggest problem is the story, which isn't that special. The idea of a guilty man being stalked is an interesting one but Argento does very little with it and I picked up on who the killer was very early in the film. Ennio Morricone's score also adds a lot of tension to the film and fits the movie nicely.

06. Power of the Whistler, The (1945) :star::star:

Third film in the series has Richard Dix being hit by a car and losing his memory. A card reader (Janis Carter) befriends the man as the two search for his real identity but who he turns out to be is the real shock. Based on a radio show episode, this film manages to be somewhat entertaining, although it seems long even at just 66-minutes. It takes a while for the story to get going but the twist in the man's identity comes out of no where and is handled very well. This is when the film really picks up and leads to a very good final act. Dix is very good in his role and Carter comes off good as well. Landers steps in to direct this one after William Castle handled the first two. I was a little letdown that he didn't keep the action moving better because he usually handles these B films a lot better. There's some nice humor scattered throughout and also a rather mean spirited side, which includes killing of a lot of animals.

07. Skidoo (1968) :star::star:

Extremely bizarre comedy has gangster battling hippies in the lovin' 60's. A retired gangster (Jackie Gleason) is asked by the top gangster, God (Groucho Marx) to break into prison and kill a rat (Mickey Rooney). On the outside Gleason's daughter has started dating a hippie and its up to them to try and save her dad. This was a notorious flop when originally released but it has gained a cult following over the years and in the end the film really isn't all that bad. I think the biggest problem is that Preminger simply wasn't the right guy to direct the material. He's got some great comic actors yet he gets very little from them. Most of the comedy comes from politically incorrect stuff or things that weren't meant to be funny but they come off that way. The highlight of the film is when Gleason is in prison and accidentally takes some LSD and has a wild trip afterwards. Marx also smokes some pot, which is somewhat funny but Rooney comes off rather lame. The supporting cast includes Carol Channing, Frankie Avalon, Peter Lawford, Burgess Meredith, George Raft and Cesar Romero. The film eventually runs out of steam in the final act, which again deals with an LSD trip but the jokes plays itself out way before the end.

08.Larceny, Inc. (1942) :star::star::star:

Three convicts (Edward G. Robinson, Broderick Crawford, Edward Brophy) plan to rob a bank by buying the luggage store next door and digging through the wall. Everything is going as planned until the store becomes a huge hit and the men decide to go straight but another con (Anthony Quinn) shows up and wants the bank robbed. This is a pretty pleasant little comedy that has plenty of funny moments but also a lot of heart. Robinson is perfect in his role and brings a real cuteness to the film. Perhaps it's seeing this tough guy trying to wrap up some luggage but he comes off like a teddy bear and makes for a very loveable character. Crawford and Brophy add terrific support and their coming timing adds a great many laughs. The supporting cast is just as great with Jane Wyman, Jack Carson and Quinn doing nice work. I almost didn't recognize him but Jackie Gleason has a couple great scenes as a soda clerk. Highlights include a great scene where Crawford walks out in front of a car to get some money and a prison baseball game early in the film. Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks borrows very heavily from this film that there's really no question that Allen's film is a remake.

 

[SteveGon]

The Thin Man (1934)

Viewed 1/7/2008

Revisited this classic mystery/comedy.

:star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


Out of the Past (1947)

Viewed 1/7/2008

Revisited this classic noir. Gets better every time I see it.

:star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


The Marquise of O (1976)

Viewed 1/7/2008 (first viewing)

Eric Rohmer's period drama set during the Franco-Prussian war. The film chronicles the plight of an Italian noblewoman who is saved from a gang of rapists by a Russian Count. Months later she finds herself inexplicably pregnant and is disowned by her family. But what does the Count know of her condition and why does he insist on marrying her? This may seem like an odd choice for inclusion, and perhaps I am shoehorning it in, but I don't think so. At the heart of the story is a vile crime and stemming from that, a mystery. But more importantly we get to observe how a certain class mindset reacts when a certain type of crime is perpetrated upon it. An interesting film.

:star: :star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[John Bryant]

Would you guys say Shooter and/or Timecop would qualify for this, or no?

 

[Ruz-El]

I don't know Shooter, but TIME COP would qualify as "Future Crime", unless it's too much of an action film.

I was thinking of watching "hard Boiled" and "Face Off".

I am watching the BAsil Rathbone "Sherlock Holmes" series. They fit as detective stories right?

 

[PatW]

G-Men (1935) :star: :star: :star: :star:

Entertaining gangster movie with James Cagney on the right side of the law this time.

Brick Davis (Cagney) has recently opened up a law practice which is unsuccessful. A college buddy of his, tries to recuit him for the FBI.
When his buddy is murdered by local gangster Danny Leggett, Davis decides to join the bureau. A this time there were alot of restrictions including not being able to carry firearms, but an increase in crime prompts the legislation to pass new laws that will make them better able to carry out their job of ridding the states of crime.

Well-done movie with an excellent performance from Cagney. Having never been exposed to much Cagney film material until recently, he is fast becoming one of my favourites. Granted I've seen very few movies so far of his, but I can say that I haven't seen a bad performance yet. Margaret Lindsay was also great as his boss's sister, Kay McCord. She did quite well with the small amount of screen time. The only thing I thought was tacky was the introduction at the beginning of the movie. It looked like they were showing this film to a class of FBI students. Pretty lame.
I enjoyed this movie a great deal.

 

[SteveGon]

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Viewed 1/10/2008 (first viewing)

The real crime here is that they paid someone to write that shit ending.

:star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


Thief (1981)

Viewed 1/10/2008 (first viewing)

Solid crime drama from Michael Mann has professional thief James Caan trying to survive opportunistic crime bosses and dirty cops, all of whom want a piece of his action.

:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[TravisR]

I'm finally getting started.

01/08/08

I watched the director's cut of Zodiac for the first time. For my money, it's the best movie of 2007 and the five minutes added into the director's cut actually enhances the movie (I especially love the music and news montage playing against the black screen to show time passsing) rather than making the movie drag. There's excellent special features and commentaries.

My list
(new titles in bold)

01. Zodiac (Director's Cut)

 

[Ruz-El]

Got a couple more in last night. I'm watching the Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films.

05 - 01/10 - THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES 4/5
The first of the Basil Rathbone Holmes films, and boy oh boy, was it a good one. Basil was born to play this part, and Nigel Bruce is just as good as the naive as the bumbling Watson. The rest of the cast is rounded with ace character actors. I have never read the Sherlock Holmes books, so the story was new to me. Damn fine mystery shot with plenty of atmosphere. Can't wait to watch some more.

06 - 1/10 - THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES 3.5/5
Another great entry in the series. Moriarty makes an appearance, the style and atmosphere are still there... great stuff.

Tally here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/3296151-post11.html

 

[Tim Tucker]

Glad to see the participation in this challenge so far.

And now, finally, my first two reviews. First viewing in red.

1. The Violent Years (1956) (MST3K version). Yes, this is the infamous Ed Wood scripted (but William Morgan directed) juvenile delinquency film. Former Playboy Playmate Jean Moorhead stars as Paula Parkins, the neglected daughter of a newspaper publisher and a socialite. She becomes the leader of a tight-sweatered girl gang that has committed a series of stick-up jobs. The most notorious moment comes early in the film, when the girls comes across a couple making out. After robbing the couple, the gang ties up the girl, and take the guy out into the woods and gang rapes him, which must be a first in film history. (You have to love the MST3K response to this scene – “Dr. Forrester has sent us a truly great movie!”) The gang’s downfall begins when their fence hires them to vandalize the local high school (for some implied Communist agents), leading to a high school shootout and an auto accident. Paula, the sole survivor (and now pregnant), is captured, given a life sentence and dies in childbirth (her cynical last words: “So what?”). The movie ends with a long winded judge giving a couple of moralistic lectures advocating religion and “the old-fashioned woodshed” as the cures for juvenile delinquency. The film is competently but indifferently directed and the acting crosses the line between hard-boiled and wooden. As you can see that it’s perfect ’Bot fodder, and it’s one of my all time favorite MST3K episodes. Its release on DVD can’t happen soon enough.


2. Behind That Curtain (1929). When is a Charlie Chan film not a Charlie Chan film? When the script writer inverts the story, turning it from a murder mystery into a romantic melodrama, and relegates Charlie Chan to a cameo role in his own story. (In fact, Chan appears in one scene 75 minutes into a 90 minute film.) That’s not to say that this is a bad film. Once you realize what it is, and make allowances for the movie being from the “dawn of sound,” it is still enjoyable, if slow and talky.

The story deals with the murder of extortioner Hilary Galt, which is filmed very atmospherically. The film then focuses on the love triangle among Eve Mannering, her ne’er-do-well husband Eric Durand, and her true love, the explorer Col. John Beetham, with the investigation by Sir Frederick Bruce taking a backseat. The story spans the globe, moving from London to India, then Persia and finally ending in San Francisco. The most effective scene in the film occurs while in India, when Eve Durand returned to her bedroom from the post office to discover evidence that her husband, Eric, is sleeping with their maid, Nuna, and then opens a letter and learns that Eric is being blackmailed because of the murder. What makes it effective is its ingenious use of sound. It is played wordlessly, but accompanied by the sinuous, repetitive singing of Nuna, who is in the next room fanning Eric.

As a mystery, Behind That Curtain is not that mysterious; it is obvious from the beginning who the murderer is. However if you have a taste for exotic romance in the vein of The Garden of Allah, you will find this worthwhile viewing. 20th Century Fox should be lauded for releasing such an obscurity.

Also, keep an eye out for Boris Karloff in a minor role as Beetham’s Indian servant.

My tally.

 

[SteveGon]

Mario's Story (2006)

Viewed 1/11/2008 (first viewing)

Compelling documentary on Mario Rocha, a young Latino who was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he more than likely had nothing to do with. Mario's family and lawyers struggle year after year to convince the courts that his case was mishandled and that his conviction should be overturned. A sobering study of "the system," judicial egos and hope against all odds.

:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


Cause for Alarm (1951)

Viewed 1/11/2008 (first viewing)

Okay thriller stars Loretta Young as a housewife whose husband has turned paranoid and delusional during a debilitating illness. She finds herself in a jam when he dies after having sent a letter to the D.A. stating that she's trying to kill him!

:star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


Sonatine (1993)

Viewed 1/11/2008

Revisited Takeshi Kitano's minimalist yakuza film. Kitano himself stars as a weary crime boss assigned to negotiate a treaty between rival Okinawa gangs. Unfortunately he finds himself under attack and must go into hiding. Can he find out who is behind the attacks before he and his men are decimated?

:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm kind of late getting started, but managed to fit in my first two films over the past couple days (first-time viewings in bold).

HEIST
Grade: B

Written and directed by David Mamet, Gene Hackman leads a team of smooth criminals who pull jobs for Danny DeVito. The crosses and double-crosses pile up as Joe (Hackman) wants to retire but is convinced to pull one last job, the "Swiss" thing set up by DeVito, as his swan song.

Mamet's script is kind of uneven and he uses some of the same techniques of repetitious dialogue and endless slang that annoys me in Aaron Sorkin's work. But overall it's an enjoyable flick despite a rather generic performance by Hackman and those playing his "team".

BULLETS OR BALLOTS
Grade: B+

The New York crime syndicate is under attack with the promotion of Dan MacLaren (Joe King) to police commissioner. As he routs the corrupt cops from the force, one casualty is Detective Johnny Blake (Edward G. Robinson), MacLaren's long-time friend and former colleague. Kicked to the curb despite his former success against the racketeers, Blake decides to take a position with the city's crime "boss", Al Kruger (Barton MacLane), much to the chagrin of his hot-headed, right-hand man, Nick Fenner (Humphrey Bogart). As MacLaren begins a major crackdown on Kruger's rackets, the tension between Kruger and Fenner over Blake reaches a boiling point. Kruger feels Blake is completely trustworthy while Fenner suspects he's really a mole for the police commissioner.

Enjoyable classic crime drama from 1936 with great performance from Robinson (and a rather wooden one from Bogart). Though given the tension between Kruger and Fenner, I found it rather unbelievable that Kruger would have kept him around, let alone in a second-in-command capacity.