Columnists
Entries from June 2019
BY TODD GARBARINI
Charlie
Smith (Jack Nicholson) is a bored man. Bored with his position as an immigration
enforcement officer in Los Angeles and bored with his eleven-year marriage to
Marcy (Valerie Perrine) in a Sunland, CA trailer park. When Marcy boasts of a
better life in a shared duplex with chum Savannah (Shannon Wilcox) and her border
patrol husband Cat (Harvey Keitel) in El Paso, TX, Charlie doesn’t exactly
protest the change in geography or transfer in job title. With all their
possessions strapped to the roof of their car, they are welcomed with open arms.
It isn’t long, however, before Charlie realizes not only the danger and utter
futility of attempting to stop the migrants from making a run for los Estados
Unidos regardless of the presence of the tortilla fences topped with barbed
wire. But some of his peers and superiors, particularly his boss Red (Warren
Oats), all have their own methods of dishing out “justice†for wayward
immigrants who don’t cooperate following sweeps.
The
Border is a lesser-known
outing by Jack Nicholson and penned by Deric Washburn of The Deer Hunter
(1978) fame. Mr. Nicholson made the film prior to and following the actors’
strike in the summer of 1980. Following his directing and acting duties in Goin’
South (1978), his yearlong shooting schedule on Stanley Kubrick’s The
Shining (1980), and his turn as Eugene O’Neill in Warren Beatty’s Reds (1981)
for which he won an Oscar nomination, Mr. Nicholson was tired and looking for a
break. This need for relaxation seems to have influenced his performance here
as Charlie, a man who always appears to be on the outside looking in and never
connected to the action at hand. Marcy comes off as an obsequious shrill who
strives constantly to make her husband happy but is clueless to his
protestations even after she spends money like water (pun intended) that they
don’t have on things that they don’t need, such as a $1600 waterbed and a small
pool in their new backyard. Her notion of love is adolescent: a bizarre,
picture-perfect domesticity that simply doesn’t exist. Ms. Perrine portrays
Marcy with enthusiasm, and one cannot help but think of Karen Black’s Rayette
Dispesto in Bob Rafelson’s Five Easy Pieces (1970) and her fractured
relationship with Bobby Dupea (Jack Nicholson). Charlie is genuinely contrite
after he slaps her for her well-intentioned but misguided consumerism, but he realizes
that his position in upward mobility is almost non-existent. It’s this very
circumstance that propels him to go out of his way to aid a young Spanish woman
named Maria (Elpidia Carrillo) who has made it over the border following the
death of her family at the hands of a massive earthquake. Maria knows heartache
and strife firsthand and wants a better life for her newborn baby and her
teenage brother Juan (Manuel Viescas), the latter of whom is killed following a
drug raid by border patrols who work thankless jobs for piss poor pay and who supplement
their income by being on the take. Cat will later defend his position to
Charlie by referring tacitly to these murders as their need to “take care of
businessâ€, a mantra echoed in cinema following the revelation of the Corleone
Family’s business model in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972)
and its sequels. During the argument scenes between Charlie and Cat, Cat holds
his own and there were times I expected him to fly off the handle like Ben
(Harvey Keitel) does with Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn) in Martin Scorsese’s Alice
Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974). Suffice it to say, Cat eventually gets
what’s coming to him.
Elpidia
Carrillo is wonderful as Maria, giving a humanity to just about the only Hispanic
person in the film who isn’t depicted as a criminal, a drug smuggler, a human
trafficker, or even a baby kidnapper who turns out to a be a woman! She offers
to pay back Charlie with her body after he gives her money and is genuinely
confused when he declines. The theme of the commoditization of humans is ever-present.
The film’s ending falls flat, obviously the result of a test-screening
audience’s desire for a happy one, however it’s so “ABC Afterschool
Specialâ€-ish with very little emotional impact in a scene that truly should rouse
the audience to its feet, that it negates all that preceded it.
Continue reading "REVIEW: "THE BORDER" (1982) STARRING JACK NICHOLSON; KINO LORBER BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION"
“A
MESMERIZING BATTLE OF WILLSâ€
By
Raymond Benson
Some
say the year 1939 was the “greatest year of cinema,†and, sure, there were many
memorable titles released then that remain classics today. I argue, though,
that 1962 was even better. Lawrence of Arabia. To Kill a Mockingbird.
Dr. No. The Longest Day. The Manchurian Candidate. The
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The Music Man. Jules and Jim. And
there was also Arthur Penn’s The Miracle Worker.
Based
on the stage play by William Gibson (who also wrote the Oscar-nominated
screenplay), The Miracle Worker contains two of the most astonishing
performances ever put on celluloid. Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke both deservedly
won Oscars for their roles, respectively, as the teacher Annie Sullivan and the
remarkable Helen Keller as a young girl. The pair light up the screen in
intimate, physically-demanding scenes that become a mesmerizing battle of
wills—which is what it took for Sullivan to teach Keller the fundamentals of
communication.
The
play was based on Keller’s own autobiography; as far as we know, the play and
film are accurate depictions of what really happened. For those who are
unaware, Helen Keller was born in the late 1800s and contracted scarlet fever,
rendering her deaf and blind. When she was seven years old, a tutor for such
afflicted children, Annie Sullivan (who was also partially blind), was hired by
the family to perform what certainly became a miracle.
The
process was long and grueling. Most of the story is made up of literal fights
between the two, as the stubborn Keller rebels and the equally tenacious
Sullivan brawls back. In one celebrated scene around a dining table, the set is
completely wrecked—but as Sullivan tells the Kellers afterwards—“her napkin is
folded.†The scene took five days to film.
One
reason that the actors are so good in the picture is that they had just
completed a two-year run of the play on Broadway. They thoroughly knew the
script and each other. The studio, at first, wanted to recast the role of
Sullivan with a “bigger star†because Bancroft wasn’t one. They even offered a larger
budget to Penn if he would cast Elizabeth Taylor. Even Duke’s participation was
in question because by the time the film was made, she was sixteen. Penn, who
was nominated for a Directing Oscar, kept to his guns and insisted that the
Broadway cast be in the film or he wouldn’t do it. He got his way and history
was made. Sure, one can quibble that Patty Duke was too old for the part, but
in the end, who cares. She’s magnificent.
Olive
Films has presented a new restored Blu-ray in a no-frills package that includes
no supplements—just the film and a subtitle option. But seriously, it’s all you
need.
Although
it’s been remade twice as television movies (one with Duke playing Sullivan),
the original Miracle Worker is a monumental achievement of writing,
directing, and especially acting. It’s a must-see, must-have, must-relish
motion picture.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON
BY TODD GARBARINI
Film
producer, director, and sometime actor Ewing Miles Brown, who was known affectionately to legions of performers and
crew members in the industry as “Lucky†Brown, passed away from respiratory
failure on Monday, May 27, 2019 at the age of 97 according to his personal
friend of forty years, actor and film historian Douglas
Dunning.
After
making his acting debut in bit parts in the Our Gang shorts
(which were later titled The Little Rascals for syndication),
Mr. Brown followed up with a stint as the head editor at Emperor Films and was
personally recruited by film producer and movie theater owner Robert L. Lippert
to head up production. Dissatisfied with working for others, Lucky branched out
on his own in the late 1950’s and started his own motion picture film company
called Movie Tech Studios which he built from the ground up. It
was one of the oldest independent movie studios in the United States which
ceased operations last year just prior to his 97th birthday.
Lucky’s father, in fact, was the eponymous Dr. Brown, who was a personal doctor
to the stars in the 1920’s through the 1940’s. He delivered Howard Hughes!
As
an actor, Lucky’s career was extremely varied and far more extensive than the
truncated list than the Internet Movie Database will lead one to believe. In
1976 he produced and directed A Whale of a Tale, the only
family-oriented film that William Shatner made in his career. The film also
starred Marty Allen and Andy Devine.
Lucky’s
last film credit is in the unfinished production of Terror of the
Gorgon which he directed as well as appears in. Mr. Dunning has stated
that he will finish the film as a tribute to Lucky.
Lucky
was also the last surviving cast member of George Stevens’s Shane (1953). He was a
saddle buddy to Alan Ladd in the cattle drive sequence which ran an hour in
length but was cut shortly after the film was previewed in 1953, reducing the
film’s original three-hour running time to 118 minutes.
Lucky,
a true Hollywood legend, will be sorely missed by those who knew him.
By Todd Garbarini
Cinemaretro.com
has received the following press release regarding the exhibition of the new
film Rush: Cinema Strangiato 2019, which will be shown in select
theaters on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.
Rush
(pun intended!) to get your tickets now as they are selling out very quickly
(let’s hope that additional dates are added!):
TRAFALGAR RELEASING AND ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT BRING
‘RUSH: CINEMA STRANGIATO 2019’
TO MOVIE THEATERS WORLDWIDE ON AUGUST 21
THIS FIRST EVER “ANNUAL EXERCISE IN FAN INDULGENCE†FOR RUSH FANS
WILL FEATURE A SPECIAL LOOK INTO R40 LIVE, FEATURING NEW BACKSTAGE FOOTAGE,
SPECIAL GUESTS, AND HIT SONGS “CLOSER TO THE HEART,†“SUBDIVISIONS†AND MORE
TICKETS ON
SALE FROM JUNE 20 AT WWW.CINEMASTRANGIATO.COM
Denver, CO – June 11, 2019: Global
event distributor Trafalgar Releasing today announced RUSH: Cinema Strangiato 2019, coming to select cinemas across the
globe, for a special, limited theatrical engagement on Wednesday, August 21.
Hailed as the first "Annual Exercise in Fan Indulgence" Cinema Strangiato is set to see the Holy Trinity of
Rock return to the big screen bringing RUSH fans together in movie theatres
worldwide.
In partnership with Concord Music
Group and Anthem Entertainment, RUSH: Cinema Strangiato 2019 will feature a special look inside some of the most powerful performances from R40 LIVE,
the band’s 2015 tour and album of the same name.
The theatrical film experience is
set to include top RUSH songs, such as “Closer to the Heart",
"Subdivisions", "Tom Sawyer" and more, as well as
unreleased backstage moments and candid footage previously left on the cutting
room floor. The release also includes
unseen soundcheck performances of the fan-favorite "Jacob's Ladder,†and
exclusive new interviews with Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, Taylor Hawkins,
producer Nick Raskulinecz, violinist Jonathan Dinklage and more.
As a special bonus, fans will get a glimpse into the
madness and passion that went into the making of Geddy Lee's new book, Geddy
Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass - featuring a brand-new interview from the
RUSH frontman himself.
“I’m
excited for fans to see some new clips from our R40 tour but also a peek
behind the scenes of making the Big Beautiful Book of Bass,â€
said Geddy Lee.
The news of RUSH: Cinema Strangiato 2019 follows
other recently announced upcoming music releases from Trafalgar Releasing including The Cure: Anniversary 1978-2018 Live
in Hyde Park London directed by longtime collaborator Tim Pope, the first
worldwide outing for the ninth Grateful Dead Annual Meet-up at the Movies,
hit Tribeca Film Festival music documentary Between Me and My Mind
featuring Phish frontman Trey Anastasio, and the latest film from Roger Waters
based on the US + THEM World Tour. Other recent music releases from Trafalgar
Releasing have included The Music Center presents Joni 75: A Birthday
Celebration,
Coldplay:
A Head Full of Dreams, Burn the Stage: the Movie, Muse Drones World Tour and Distant
Sky: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Live in Copenhagen.
Kymberli Frueh,
SVP for Acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing added: "Trafalgar Releasing is
thrilled to bring Rush: Cinema Strangiato 2019 to theaters around the
globe for the first of what we’re hoping will become an annual event, bringing
fans together to experience a celebration of one of the world's most popular
rock bands."
The event will be screened in theaters around the
world on Wednesday, August 21. Fans can visit CinemaStrangiato.com to sign up
for news and ticketing updates.
“SIM
SIM SALA BIM!â€
By
Raymond Benson
If
you were a young boy in America in 1964, you were probably glued to the
television set on Friday evenings to watch the groundbreaking, imaginative, and
superbly entertaining action-adventure science fiction animated prime time series,
Jonny Quest. Okay, I’m sure some girls liked the show, too (my next-door
neighbors did). Given the shortage of female characters on the show, though, Jonny
Quest was a program that I would bet appealed mostly to boys.
Jonny
Quest is an 11-year-old all-American boy who has an awesome life. He is the son
of Dr. Benton Quest, a brilliant scientist who works for the U.S. government
and has a laboratory, home, and compound on an island off the coast of Florida.
Their bodyguard is “Race†Bannon, an American equivalent of James Bond, sort
of, although he also acts as Jonny’s tutor. Hadji, an Indian boy the same age
as Jonny, has been adopted into the Quest family. He is adept at exotic magic
tricks and illusions (one of his frequent incantations is “Sim Sim Sala Bim!â€).
Rounding out the team is the pet bulldog, Bandit, who is more energetic than
any bulldog I’ve ever seen. Whatever happened to Jonny’s mother is never
explained. The only female characters are in minor roles (flight attendants and
such) except for Jade, an exotic Asian spy who was apparently Race’s girlfriend
at one time. She appears in only two episodes, though.
Launched
by the team of Hanna-Barbera as their fourth prime time show (their first was The
Flintstones), Quest broke all the norms of cartoons by presenting stories
set in the real world with realistic human characters, gee-whiz technology, and
pulp adventure tales. The series blended various genres—science fiction,
horror, and mystery—as it followed the Quest family around the globe on
exciting, government-sanctioned missions that brought them in contact with
monsters, robots, villainous organizations, pirates, cannibals, and spies.
While
Hanna and Barbera are credited as producer-directors and creators of the show,
it was really comics artist Doug Wildey who came up with the concept and
overall look of the series. His vision was inspired by the likes of Terry and
the Pirates, Tom Swift, and even the first James Bond film, Dr. No. It
was also firmly based in 1960s Cold War sensibility, and often the villains in
the series reflected this attitude.
The
gadgets, vehicles, and weaponry rivaled anything one might see in a Bond film
at the time. Wildey apparently used popular science magazines from which to
cull ideas for settings and props. The locales included faraway but real places
that taught youngsters about Thailand, China, Egypt, or the Arctic. The writing
was top-notch; the scripts were lessons in how to write a half-hour adventure
story with a classic three act structure. The music by Hoyt Curtain was especially
remarkable. For the first time, a kids animated show employed dynamic
orchestral jazz with electric guitars and sassy brass—very much akin,
again, to the Bond sound.
Although
Jonny Quest was critically acclaimed and received good ratings, the show
lasted only one season on ABC and was cancelled after 26 dynamic, beautifully
rendered episodes. The series subsequently found new life in syndication on
other networks, and later spawned spin-offs and sequels. But the original
1964-1965 edition will always remain the best and most innovative version.
When
Warner Home Video released the series on DVD in 2004, there were some problems.
For one, some episodes were censored by deleting dialogue that might today be
deemed “politically incorrect.†Granted, when Tarzan-style Amazonian natives
are about to eat Dr. Quest and a friend for dinner, and Race Bannon calls them “savagesâ€
and “monkeys,†that’s considered a bit racist.
Warner
Archive now presents us with a high definition remastered and restored Blu-ray
set that is the show as originally aired. In fact, a disclaimer on the back of
the jewel case says that the series is “intended for the Adult Collector and
May Not Be Suitable for Children.†Really? Even though 99% of its audience in
1964 were children? The show is 55 years old. Sensibilities were different
then. One must place a classic program, be it a television series or a motion
picture, within the context of when it was first seen. Aside for the 2 or 3
instances of “politically incorrect†dialogue, the 26 episodes of Jonny
Quest is entirely suitable for kids.
The
1080p picture quality is outstanding. Colors are bold and beautiful, and the DTS-HD
Master Audio sounds great in English 2.0 Mono. There are optional English
subtitles.
The
supplements are ported over from the earlier DVD set—featurettes on the making
of the series and all the elements that made it a hit, and a pop-up trivia version
of the episode “Double Danger.†There is also the rare vintage “PF Flyer
Sneaker†Commercial that tied-in to the show. These are not in high definition.
My
only nitpick with the new set is that there is no insert. The package could
have used a booklet or one-pager listing all the episodes or other information.
All you get are three disks and the jewel box.
That
said, this is a marvelous set—for the, ahem, Adult Collector—that is a definite
improvement over the DVD release. Jonny Quest will bring back fond
memories for the Baby Boomer in all of us.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM THE CINEMA RETRO MOVIE STORE
Cinema Retro has received the following press announcement:
Laemmle’s
Royal Theatre in Los Angeles will be presenting the 45th anniversary
screening of Roman Polanski’s 1974 film Chinatown which itself takes place in the City of Angels. The film
will be screened on Thursday, June 27th, 2019 at 7:00 pm. Starring
Jack Nicholson in one of the many classics that he made during that phenomenal
decade, the film co-stars Faye Dunaway, John Houston, John Hillerman, Diane
Ladd, and Bruce Glover. The film runs 131 minutes.
PLEASE NOTE:
The following
cast/crew member(s) are scheduled at press time to appear in person, with the potential
for more to be added to the list, so please check the Royal website link at the
bottom for updates as the screening day draws closer:
Actor
Bruce Glover (Hard Times, Walking Tall, Diamonds Are
Forever, Ghost World)
Assistant
director Hawk Koch
Author
Sam Wasson
From the press
release:
CHINATOWN
Part of our Anniversary Classics series. For details, visit: laemmle.com/ac.
CHINATOWN (1974)
45th Anniversary Screening
Cast and Crew Q&A
Thursday, June 27 at 7 PM
Royal Theatre
Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present a screening of one
of the most memorable films of the 70s, the neo-noir mystery thriller, Chinatown.
Nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1974 (including Best Picture, Best Director,
Best Actor Jack Nicholson and Best Actress Faye Dunaway), the film won the
Oscar for the original screenplay by Robert Towne. Although it was set in a
beautifully recreated 1930s universe, the film reflected the bitter cynicism
and disillusionment of the Vietnam and Watergate era.
Towne was a Los Angeles native, and he had long been fascinated by the history
of the city, where the sun-dappled beauty belied the underlying greed and
corruption. The inspiration for the story were the water wars that had shaped
the modern life of the place. These struggles over the city’s natural resources
had taken place in the first decade of the 20th century; Towne moved the
setting up to the 1930s, partly in order to combine this scorching social
commentary with the spirit of classic detective novels penned by authors like
Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.
Nicholson plays J.J. Gittes, a private eye who specializes in sordid cases of
marital infidelity. But he gets himself into deeper territory when an
investigation into a civic leader’s extramarital affair leads to the discovery
of a massive conspiracy by big business interests to seize control of the
city’s oveted water supply. Gittes’s sleuthing also leads him to uncover
shocking cases of sexual abuse among the city’s elite. Dunaway plays a
variation on the classic femme fatale of noir cinema, a beautiful heiress who
is commanding on the surface but is secretly and tragically damaged by events
in her past. John Huston plays her corrupt father, and the supporting cast
includes John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Diane Ladd, Burt Young, Bruce Glover, and
James Hong.
Robert Evans, the successful head of Paramount Studios at the time, backed
Towne’s screenplay and decided to make the film his first venture as a
producer. When Evans took over as head of the studio in the 60s, one of his
early successes was an adaptation of Ira Levin’s best-selling novel, Rosemary’s
Baby, which became the first American movie of European director Roman
Polanski. That film was a smash hit, and Evans hired Polanski again to
direct Chinatown. Polanski had been reluctant to work in Hollywood
since the murder of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, by the infamous Manson
family in 1969. But Evans persisted and Polanski brought his knowledge of the
underside of Hollywood to his depiction of the city’s past, even changing the
ending of Towne’s screenplay to reflect his own deep pessimism.
The film’s technical team—including cinematographer John Alonzo, production
designer Richard Sylbert, and costume designer Anthea Sylbert—helped to realize
the writer and director’s vision of decay beneath the elegant surfaces of
Southern California. Jerry Goldsmith’s sultry score, highlighted by a
melancholy trumpet solo, clinched the mournful mood. Variety praised the achievement: “Roman Polanski’s American-made
film, his first since Rosemary’s Baby, shows him again in total
command of talent and physical filmmaking elements.†Derek Malcolm of the London
Evening Standard wrote, “Polanski’s telling of his tale of corruption
in L.A. is masterly—thrilling, humorous and disturbing at the same time—and
brilliantly played by John Huston and Faye Dunaway as well as Nicholson.†The
film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in
1991.
Our panel to discuss the film will include actor Bruce Glover (Hard Times, Walking
Tall, Diamonds Are Forever); assistant director Hawk Koch (who
went on to produce such films as Heaven Can Wait, The
Idolmaker, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Wayne’s World,
and Primal Fear and later served as president of the Motion
Picture Academy); and author Sam Wasson (who wrote the biography of Bob Fosse
that served as the basis of the highly acclaimed miniseries, Fosse/Verdon,
and is writing a new book on the seminal films of the 70s).
Director: Roman Polanski
Writer: Robert Towne
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez,
Burt Young, Bruce Glover, James Hong, Diane Ladd
The 45th anniversary screening of Chinatown will take
place at the Royal Theatre, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., Los
Angeles, CA 90025 on Thursday,
June 27th, 2019 at 7:00 pm.
Click
here
for tickets.
BY TODD GARBARINI
I love Asian cinema. During the 1990’s
I discovered a whole other cinematic world in the form of Hong Kong action
films at some great Chinatown movie theaters in lower Manhattan, such as the
long-gone Rosemary Theater on Canal Street which is now a Buddhist Temple. Even
the Film Forum, with its gloriously narrow and Quasimodo posture-inducing seats,
also sported its fair share of Hong Kong festivals with screenings of Siu-Tung
Ching’s beloved A Chinese Ghost Story
trilogy, the Swordsman trilogy, and
the follow-up to Jonnie To’s Heroic Trio
from 1993. Independent video stores situated in Asian and Indian neighborhoods
also offered up these amazing Eastern adventures on VHS and the low picture
quality and poorly displayed white subtitles mattered little to those of us
enthralled by the action onscreen. I was lucky enough to locate a store that
rented imported laserdiscs with letterboxed versions of these amazing films. No
one, however, can have a serious discussion about this genre without including
the inimitable Jackie Chan, a powerhouse of a stuntman who also acts in and
even directs much of his own work.
Jackie Chan is known in the United
States through only a handful of films, the first being Hal Needham’s 1981
comedy The Cannonball Run and its
1984 follow-up Cannonball Run II. He
garnered greater exposure in 1995 with Rumble
in the Bronx and his comedic team-up with Chris Tucker in the three Rush Hour films that he appeared in between
1998 and 2007, and a fourth is now rumored to be in the works. His Hong
Kong-based work, though highly prolific, is much less available here and this
is a great shame as these films are wildly entertaining and even flat out
hilarious, easily lending themselves to repeat viewing. Getting his start in
the Hong Kong film business following the void left by the untimely death of
the late martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Mr. Chan worked his way through many
roles and its his turn as a police inspector in 1985’s Police Story wherein his stunt work really shines.
Mr. Chan portrays an undercover police
officer, Chan Ka-Kui, working for the Royal
Hong Kong Police Force attempting to arrest crime lord Chu Tao (Chor Yuen).
Naturally the deal goes sour and his cover is blown, and this results in some
truly amazing stunts involving cars, a huge shanty town, and a double-decker
bus (we learn later on that these dangerous stunts weren’t stunts at all, but
rather mis-timed mistakes that were left in the film!). Later his bosses,
Superintendent Li (Kwok-Hung Lam) and Inspector Bill Wong (Bill Tung), give him
a tongue-lashing for the destruction caused by the investigation and so he’s
placed on another assignment: to protect Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin), Chu Tao’s
secretary. Her demeanor is blasé at best and after she shrugs off an offer of
police protection, Ka-Kui convinces a subordinate to pretend to be a killer,
sneaking into Selina’s apartment with the attempt “to kill her†in a very
humorous sequence that illuminates Mr. Chan’s comedic talents when he “comes to
the rescueâ€. Selina changes her mind, agreeing to testify against her boss in
open court. Ka-Kui’s girlfriend May (the wonderful Maggie Cheung) comes into
the picture when she surprises Ka-Kui at his apartment for his birthday and
notices Selina who is afraid to remain at her own apartment following the attack.
A series of miscommunications and misadventures ensues to give way to some
truly spectacular set pieces. Selina inevitably discovers that her apartment
“attack†was choreographed and embarrasses Ka-Kui in court the following day in
a very amusing sequence.
Crime lord Chu Tao is released on bail
and threatens to kill Selina, though a double-cross by a dirty Police Inspector
who intends to frame Ka-Kui for murder leads Ka-Kui to take Superintendent Li
hostage, but he is eventually freed. In one of the cinema’s first instances of
blackmail via computer files that I can recall, Selina decides to breach her
former boss’s computer system by downloading incriminating files. As a front,
his office is in a shopping mall, and one of the craziest sequences of shopping
mall carnage following John Landis’s The
Blues Brothers (1980) ensues involving some top-notch stunt work. The
film’s ending is abrupt and gives way to the sequel, Police Story 2 (1988).
Continue reading "REVIEW: "POLICE STORY" (1985) AND "POLICE STORY 2" (1988) STARRING JACKIE CHAN; CRITERION BLU-RAY DOUBLE FEATURE"
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