(1984)
Dir - Alex Cox
Overall: GOOD
A highly inventive and hilarious debut from writer/director Alex Cox, Repo Man is a unique, LA set satire of conspiracy theories, Reaganomics, punk rock rebellion, and machismo except all with an unseen, glowing alien in a trunk of a Chevy Malibu. Stylistically, it is a work where every character is both easily agitated and nonchalant at the same time; loud profanity and violence accompany moments where such loud profanity, (as well as murder), are just as easily shrugged off. It all creates a wonderfully askew, laugh-out-loud tone. Cox' script weaves every single component together rather ingeniously, with a non-stop barrage of call-backs and pay-offs down to a little old lady who gets her trash knocked over to Emilo Estevez' nerdy friend that denies singing at work. Estevez is his typically angst-ridden self while Harry Dean Stanton in a rare, top-billed role is delightful as a repo man adhering to a strict ethical code that is exclusive to his profession. Lastly, the soundtrack is fantastic, with The Plugz' particular brand of Latino Western punk suiting the film to a tee.
(1986)
Dir - Michael Mann
Overall: GOOD
Michael Mann's adaptation of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon is a seminal serial killer movie, highly influencing police procedural dramas which heavily emphasize the psychological strain on FBI profilers. The title was changed by producers to Manhunter as not to confuse it with anything in the kung fu genre, (an official The Silence of the Lambs prequel with the book's title would be released in 2002), and Mann's screenplay was heavily researched as was the preparation done by William Petersen in the lead who was hot off of the success of To Live and Die in L.A.. The director's use of color schemes, shot structure, and music, (particularly that from the band The Reds and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vidda" which was inspired by real life killer Dennis Wayne Wallace's fascination with the song), has been rightfully appreciated by cinephiles. Brian Cox' performance as Hannibal Lecktor may of course be overshadowed by Anthony Hopkins much more famous one, yet is is still efficiently chilling as is Tom Noonan as the emotionally turmoiled murderer Francis Dollarhyde.
(1988)
Dir - David DeCoteau
Overall: MEH
Filmed within four days on the back-end of Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Nightmare Sisters, (Sorority Succubus Sisters), is an exceptionally stupid bit of goofy, Z-grade sleaze from David DeCoteau, sleaze that is in keeping with his usual brand of juvenile schlock. Reuniting scream queens Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, and Michelle Bauer, the movie was done on leftover sets from Slimeball and looks like what it was; something cobbled together for about seventy-five cents. The beloved genre babes appear as both doofy nerds and oiled-up nymphos who share an elongated bubble bath scene while smooshed together in a normal sized tub, making the most out of the horndog parody material. DeCoteau's skills as a director are about as awful as Kenneth J. Hall's as a screenwriter since the movie plays out in completely boring mid-shots with dialog made up almost entirely of embarrassing innuendos and cliches. Expecting anything more or less would be utterly foolish, yet the film is mildly enjoyable due to its craptacular cheapness, awful music by Dukey Flyswatter's band Haunted Garage, (plus a topless performance of "Santa Monica Blvd. Boys" from Quigley herself), and of course, boobs.
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