(1981)
Dir - Brian De Palma
Overall: GOOD
Another in a stream of similar, top-notch thrillers, Brian De Palma's Blow Out adheres to his usual cinephile aesthetics with elaborate, single-take tracking shots, split-screens, and a story that makes the very unity of sound and image a primary focus. An unofficial reworking of Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup and the second time that John Travolta and Nancy Allen worked together in a De Palma film, it is as Hitchcockian as any of the director's other efforts, still with some extravagant quasi-giallo flourishes as well. This time though there is a conspiracy angle front and center which ups the stakes and allows for De Palma to essentially concoct his version of All the President's Men. The script is particularly strong and builds to an excellent, elongated climax where John Lithgow, (who was lurking in the background for the bulk of the film), gets to finally unleash his finely-crafted sinister side. In the leads, both Travolta and Allen are excellent as two flawed yet highly likable characters with humble motives that their circumstances often will not allow for.
(1986)
Dir - John McNaughton
Overall: GOOD
One of the most unglamorized depictions of serial murder in feature-length form, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer remains a disturbing hallmark all these years later. Shot in Chicago on merely a $110,000 budget and given an X-rating by the MPAA, it lingered in borderline obscurity for awhile, gradually garnishing a respectable reputation amongst those who recognized it as something far removed from mere exploitative sleaze. Partially based on both the alleged and actual exploits of convicted murders Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole, filmmaker John McNaughton takes a cold, nearly unbiased view of the material. Most of the title character's killings happen off screen, with shots of the bodies afterwards accompanied by the sounds of the murders providing a deeply chilling alternative to grandiose, slasher movie spectacle. When the camera does give us a glimpse, it is presented matter of factly and is purposely uncomfortable for the viewer to endure. Michael Rooker's debut in the lead is perfectly detached and the actor supposedly stayed in character during the month long shoot to achieve his largely unemotional, frightening demeanor.
(1987)
Dir - Charlie Loventhal
Overall: MEH
The thoroughly oddball, PG-13 sex comedy My Demon Lover is one that goes for consistent laughs while delivering maybe two of them within ninety minutes. More dumb than funny, (make that a lot more dumb than funny), it is the first and only theatrical writing credit from Leslie Ray who exclusively had a career penning sitcom episodes afterwards. Director Charlie Loventhal likewise mostly worked in the romantic comedy field so needless to say, the resulting movie here hardly conjures up any convincingly spooky atmosphere. It does adhere to a completely unnatural cartoon logic though where every character exhibits buffoonish behavior and all of the plot points as well as every line of dialog are embarassingly groan-worthy. For a movie whose premise is a homeless weirdo that turns into a demon when he gets horny and then meets an adorable ditzy woman who "aww shucks" her way through abusive relationships, it certainly does not sound like something family friendly. This makes the half juvenile and half cutesy presentation that much more jarring and the film misses pretty much any potential audience in the process. The monster make-up effects are decent at least.
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