Harry Dean Stanton, probably best known for his work in “Twin Peaks” and the films Alien and Paris, Texas; died on Friday, September 15th in Los Angeles. His agent says his death was due to natural causes. Stanton was 91. … Read more
In June of 1972 pornographic movies in the United States changed forever. The 61 minute long Deep Throat, starring Linda Lovelace and Harry Reems became an instant hit. It would run in some theaters for many years afterward. Lovelace is a bio-pic about the star of Deep Throat and her relationship with the man who took her from innocent girl to become the Queen of Porno.
Read more‘Lovelace’ is a look deep into the life of its title character
[rating=2]Starring: Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, Tom Berenger, Martin Landau
Director(s): Phillip Noyce
Writer(s): Screenplay by Joe Eszterhas; based upon the novel by Ira Levin
I suppose it’s related to the impending release of Sharon Stone’s return to the character that made her famous, Basic Instinct 2, that prompted the release of this DVD, but I can say right now they should have just left well enough alone. Watching Sliver was a reminder of the excess that Hollywood had gone to with its brief fascination with erotic thrillers — a fascination led largely by screenwriter Joe Eszterhas.
Although I’d only seen bits and pieces of Sliver in the past, I was curious enough to take a look at this unrated version of the film. The rise and fall of Eszterhas is a classic true Hollywood story, so I figured I’d sacrifice an hour and a half of my life to see one of his films. It’s not considered his best, but how exactly do you top such works of art like Basic Instinct and Showgirls?
Read more‘Sliver’ may be sexier in unrated version, but isn’t much better
[rating=3]Starring: Robert DeNiro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollack, James Woods
Director(s): Martin Scorsese
Writer(s): Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese; Based upon the novel by Nicholas Pileggi
Let me start off the bat by saying that I’m not a fan of gangster movies. They can be entertaining, but I don’t particularly care for them. I can appreciate the beauty of The Godfather, but the story itself isn’t particularly appealing.
Goodfellas is a little different, in my mind, because it is a far more interesting film and is a grittier, more realistic view of the mafia. Where The Godfatheridolizes, Goodfellas demoralizes. Martin Scorsese created a style and tone that has been ripped off and copied time and time again since then. Part of this is why I think he made Casino, the film which I’m here to discuss.
Read more‘Casino’ is a gritty, if overly long, look at the mafia and Las Vegas