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Die Hard WAV is my favourite film in the series, I must admit. I understand that some people are slightly disappointed with the story of the film, but it's got many fantastic moments and delicious performances from Jackson, Irons, Willis and more.
Wow, first time to watch this classic!!
Superb thriller, Poitier and Steiger are fantastic leads. Dripping with atmosphere and dread, really well crafted movie! Great theme song too!
My abiding memory of seeing this in the cinema, was a very packed and kid noisy afternoon showing! An irate Father let out an unmerciful shout "SHUT UP!" which they did, for several seconds!! Needless to say, he and his family left! The crowd did quieten down when the lights went down. As for the film, which I have just watched on bluray, it was a fantasy epic from 'the Muppet Show' Crew, Jim Henson and Frank Oz helming, the old story of good triumphing over evil. You can't fault the production, impressive sets and the puppets are beautifully designed, the evil Skegsis ( who look like relatives of Gonzo the great) are quite scary for young children ( of the time!!) As are their enforcers , giant beetle like creatures , who made a memorable appearance on a Russell Harty show Special, bursting through a set and scaring the living bejesus out of some front row kids in the audience! The problem with the film is that it's a little boring, nothing of huge interest keeps your attention, save for the visuals! Their next foray into fantasy movies was 'Labyrinth' which improved on this by having real people in it too, namely the lovely Jennifer Connelly, and David Bowie playing a Goblin King!!
Ah, the joys of a packed Saturday afternoon cinema! I remember watching Star Trek The Motion Picture (Not a good film for those with no attention span) I remember a group of kids playing tag up and down the aisles..! :))
I too saw The Dark Crystal at thankfully a quiet weekday showing. It looked great, but boy was it boring! I think the film was limited as to what it could do with puppets. I seem to remember they cheated a couple of times with the boy and girl Elf characters by using actual actors. Haven't seen it since then.
Yes, you're right there mate! Quite obvious human doubles doing stuff it was impossible to do with the puppets!
Have to say when Bond ruled the Summer months , I always went on a Sunday afternoon!, When Brossas and Craig movies came in Winter months, I started going in Evenings!! No idea why!
All right, it isn't The Winter Soldier, but it was an entertaining movie, even if it relies too much on continuity (two characters we haven't seen for seventeen years make an appearance, including the main bad guy). But there were things I liked, and one thing that bugged me a little (nothing from the main plot, mind, just something related to my country). But all of that should be better discussed on the appropriate thread, I think).
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (Bond, of course) – since Dalton had received a fair amount of social media love during a recent TCM broadcast of THE LION IN WINTER, I decided to start things off with a film that always manages to be in the lower portion of my top ten – but never rises further. Subjectively, its impact is diluted by having twin (“so-so”) villains rather than a single super bad-guy IMO. But, as always, with each viewing, I’m reminded of just how much of a breath of fresh air Dalton was back in the summer of 1987. If (or when) Bond #7 is cast, EON could certainly do worse than hire someone with the same earnest attributes that Dalton brought to the role. And of course there is Kara …
:x
Film Noir: John Huston’s THE ASPHALT JUNGLE is perhaps the granddaddy of all heist movies. And while all of the performances are top-notch (Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen, Louis Calhern, two-time 007 hood Marc Lawerence and in a small but critical role, Marilyn Monroe, for me Sam Jeffe’s “Doc” is the show stopper. His quote that “One way or another, we all work for our vice” pretty much sums of the movie’s perspective. A classic, that I really need to do a proper write-up on for the Film Noir thread, I just post this scene that always leaves me in stiches …
The Beatles (yep) – given our recent postings about YELLOW SUBMARINE, I decided to go with that one. This is an absolute favorite of mind and has been since I first saw it back in the early 1970s. The animation style by Heinz Edelmann is superb, but note – unlike many modern films - he changes it up on occasion to keeps things fresh. For example, the “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” segment doesn’t look like anything else in the film but it is one that I can watch over and over again.
Godzilla (a must) – originally, I was going to pop 2001’s Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (GMK) into the old blu-ray player, but at the last minute I went with the much lighter tone of 1967’s KING KONG ESCAPES – which, while certainly not a “G” film was also Toho production. A totally bonkers plot – which was typical of everyone’s monster flicks by this time – it is still a ton of fun and we do get to see “Kissy” (Mie Hama) all dressed up to the nines as the villainess “Madame Piranha.” Apparently, she is supposed to be the representative of some foreign country (unnamed) that is financing Dr. Who’s plan to extract the deadly element “X” at the North Pole. And when a robot version of Kong fails to dig up the substance, he decides to kidnap the real thing! Note, although I only have the dubbed version, I have seen the sub-titled version – and it makes for a better but still comical experience.
I should do this again soon as the real world is so depressing at the moment.
"I'm Tony Montana,...from Cooba!"
Brian De Palmas bloody remake of the notorious gangster, here a crazed drug smuggler, brought down by becoming addicted to his own product! I never caught this in cinema, but remember an enthused co worker ( young chap!) raving about it, particularly the infamous chainsaw sequence! Scripted by Oliver Stone ( who De Palma had to get removed from set, as he was trying to influence the actors!) and with a strong cast, Pacino gobbling up the scenery with a frenzied performance, Steven Bauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Loggia and Paul Shenar giving solid support! De Palma reels in his rather flashy camera set pieces for pretty much straightforward storytelling! He saves it all for the ludicrous, if exciting, bloody finale ("Say hello to my leetle friend!") , which his old mate Steven Spielberg gave a dig out with! To be honest, I prefer the other team up of Pacino and Director, 'Carlitos Way', more enjoyable for me, but even that hasn't got a scene of Al sitting in front of a mountain of cocaine ( actually baby laxative!!) with a huge blob of it on the end of his nose!!
Excellent film, though I notice some wannabe tough guys read it the wrong way and see Montana as some sort of role model :))
Much like Stone's Wall Street, where there are people who consider Gordon Gekko as some sort of hero... a shame.
In any case, concerning Scarface I'd like to mention Giorgio Moroder's score, which I love.
This one's in my top 5 De Palma's, it may crack the top 3 at some point, though top 2 will be difficult...
Yes, Moroders score is a highlight! There is a question I have you may be able to answer @GoldenGun . In the opening scene when Montana is being grilled by the police, the main guys voice is dubbed by the very distinguishable voice of Charles Durning! Any idea why?
I honestly don't know, but I did a Google search on it and came across this:
Which makes me guess that something may have gone wrong with the original audio perhaps...
Ah, thanks for that! It is a bit disconcerting, as Durning has such a distinct voice, bit off putting!
I tried to watch it once, and gave up on it! Director Michael Mann went on to greater things!
Yeah - when I watched his debut, Thief (1981), it instantly became one of my all-time favorite movies. The only other one I’ve seen besides that and The Keep was The Last of the Mohicans; I’m marathoning his filmography now and will report back eventually with a ranking + details probably.
The ultimate 80's excess movie! This was my first ever 18cert movie. As i was only 17 and looked about 12, i snuck in with my Dad!
Needless to say i absolutely loved it! Now i look at it and it's pretty silly. But still hugely entertaining all the same.
Oooh i look forward to reading your opinions!
You have some great films to enjoy! Manhunter, Heat, The Insider, Collateral and Miami Vice to name a few..!
I wish I were in @FoxRox 's shoes right now. To rediscover Mann's work... a dream.
God yes! Quite envious really! He's in for a cinematic cloud 9...
Have to admit, I haven't seen 'The Insider'
Absolutely love 'Manhunter' ( and I prefer it to 'Silence of the Lambs'!) and 'Heat' and 'Collateral' are superb thrillers! Not crazy about 'Miami Vice' and 'The Last of the Mohicans' hasn't aged well, but is still watchable!
You and me both mate! @Mathis1
Count me in too. One of my very favourite films, top 50 easily.
I'm also a huge Miami Vice fan, I mean the tv series, I'd even claim it's a bit underrated. Those first three seasons are phenomenal, and quite revolutionary for their time.
It's also, much like Manhunter, so deliciously 80's. And I love that.
Its-okay,film2-prolly-my-favorite,so-far
1. Thief (1981)
Having watched everything, Mann's debut film Thief remains my absolute favorite work that he did, for a whole lot of reasons. James Caan, playing the lead character Frank, gives undoubtedly one of the best performances of his career; Frank is a complicated protagonist, unequipped with social skills and rough around the edges to say the least, but incredible at what he does and still very human under the surface. Despite his serious flaws, I really felt for him towards the end when certain things go down, and that is the way a well-done movie is supposed to be. All the other characters are colorful and interesting as well, though I would like to single out Robert Prosky as Leo, who felt like a realistic, truly terrifying Chicago crime boss. On top of a constantly engaging story and great acting, the movie delivers one of the greatest soundtracks I have ever heard - perhaps Tangerine Dream's film score masterpiece, and they did many great ones - and first-rate atmosphere with the city, particularly when it is neon-lit at night. For me, Thief is just complete movie heaven all around, boasting a gripping narrative, fascinating characters, gorgeous visuals, outstanding audio, and directorial genius that feels like it is from a veteran, master filmmaker rather than a first-timer. Easily one of my all-time favorite movies!
2. Heat (1995)
Heat is widely and understandably considered to be Michael Mann's magnum opus, and if not for how much I love Thief, it would have captured the #1 spot on my list as well. I mean, what can I really say about this one that has not been said already? Absolutely stacked cast spearheaded by Al Pacino and Robert de Niro, a sensational script that provides both an amazing story and terrific dialogue, a solid soundtrack from Elliot Goldenthal, and impeccable usage of the Los Angeles setting. The film has so much going on, but it somehow manages to perfectly balance everything, giving the audience all the intense action we crave (the post-bank robbery shootout is absolutely insane), but also going deep into the personal lives of the main characters so that we really become invested in them throughout the journey. The length of the movie is nearly three hours, but it all flies by so fast and never once loses my interest. Heat is simply a fantastic film from top to bottom - an artistic achievement of the highest caliber, and definitely worthy of being called one of the greatest crime classics ever made.
3. Manhunter (1986)
I would consider Manhunter to be yet another 10/10 masterpiece like the last two films I discussed. It features a distinctly 1980s feeling thanks to the aesthetics and music, both of which give it plenty of flavor to go with its other strengths. The story and progression are brilliant, and I love how much focus went into William Petersen's main character, Will Graham, having to think like the villains to get the job done. There is a lot of dark psychology involved in addition to some awfully disturbing violence as well. I found the whole affair to be super suspenseful and intense, and at the center of it all is a spectacular, unsettling performance from Tom Noonan as the movie's main threat, Francis Dollarhyde. Getting to see some of his personal life along with his abhorrent crimes really made things extra compelling. I could not recommend it to the faint of heart, but Manhunter is a first-rate thriller with strong elements in every department that make it exceptional and memorable among other movies like it (I do still prefer The Silence of the Lambs slightly, to address a common comparison, but both are splendid!).
4. Collateral (2004)
For me, Collateral is the last "truly great" film that Mann directed, and it stands out in a really big, positive way among the rest of his output in the 21st century. The story of this movie is really cool in both concept and execution, having the right directing, acting, and writing to do it all justice. Jamie Foxx's protagonist Max Durocher is likable, sympathetic, but flawed - a fully 3D character that is worthy of an audience's attention and investment. Tom Cruise has rarely been better than he is here as Vincent - scary, philosophical, enigmatic, and very physical. Other actors like Jada Pinkett Smith and Mark Ruffalo are great here as well, but it is Foxx and Cruise and their electric chemistry that make this movie what it is. Collateral is action-packed, twisty, and witty, and definitely one of the most purely fun and entertaining movies that Michael Mann made.
5. The Insider (1999)
The Insider might not have as much action as the average Mann movie, but it has a plenty riveting story and characters to grab your attention! Al Pacino was reliably great as journalist Lowell Bergman, though it is Russell Crowe as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand that was the most impressive in the movie to me; you really feel for the guy and all the horrible stuff he had to go through. The message of the film is sadly eternally relevant, and I am very glad it was told because I had no idea about any of it before I saw it. It is not the most stylish or flashy movie of Mann's career, but The Insider proved he could do solid work beyond action-y films, and it definitely earned my respect and intrigue as I watched it.
6. The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
The Last of the Mohicans is definitely a unique entry in Mann's filmography. For one thing, it is his only film to be set before the 20th century, and for another, it feels more straightforward in its narrative and presentation than most of his other work. I really love the period piece aspects here like the costumes, setting, and history stuff, and Daniel Day-Lewis is always a joy to watch. Watching this movie again after a long time, though, I have to admit that few elements stood out as truly "extraordinary," even though it is still a very good, consistent experience that I mostly enjoyed. Still, the action and drama are plentiful, and the music was definitely noteworthy. I like The Last of the Mohicans a fair amount overall, though I think it falls just a little short of Mann's elite tier of movies.
7. Public Enemies (2009)
It should have been a slam-dunk, but Public Enemies ended up being merely "good" instead of "great." It is one of the last decent films that Johnny Depp starred in (he does a pretty solid job in this movie), though, and I am a sucker for Prohibition-era gangster films, so the aesthetics and vibes associated with that went a long way for me in enjoying this one. Though I think they are normally good actors, I had mixed feelings about the performances of Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard; neither are outright bad here or anything, but they were both pretty "meh" I thought, which can at least partly be attributed to the directing and writing of their characters. The story is pretty engaging most of the way, still, though it is stronger when it focused on the "bad guys" than the "good guys." On that note, one of my favorite things this film did was show how nasty the "good guys" could be; moral ambiguity is always a fun element for me. The overall film is admittedly a little underwhelming, but Public Enemies still delivers in a lot of the most important areas, namely intense violence, an interesting plot, and a stylish presentation.
8. The Keep (1983)
Given its massive lack of coherence and obvious state of being unfinished, The Keep might objectively be the worst film of Michael Mann's career, and yet I am still placing it above a few of his other movies based on my own personal interest level. Beyond the basics, trying to understand the story here is a lost cause, but we as an audience are still granted several other aspects to enjoy: a superb Tangerine Dream score, dark and creepy aesthetics and vibes, and some interesting characters, particularly the nightmarishly designed Molasar. It can also rightfully take its place as a "Nazi carnage classic" alongside movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Inglourious Basterds, and Sisu. The Keep may be a mess, to say the least, but it is an entertaining, fascinating mess with redeemable qualities, though it does sadly stand as as the biggest wasted potential of Mann's career.
9. Ferrari (2023)
Ferrari is a mostly decent biopic, but I think it lacked exceptionally great qualities beyond a superb performance from Penélope Cruz. The directing is fine, the writing is fine, the acting is fine, but, for me, that was kind of just it: it is just "fine" as a whole. If I had more interest in cars and the people involved in the story to begin with, I might have gotten into it more, but as is, it felt like a serviceable but detached experience for me watching this movie. I do not really have much else to say about Michael Mann's most recent film. I think Ferrari was competently made and did at least manage to hold my interest most of the way, but I am in no rush to see it again, and it did little to set itself apart in a great way among other biopics I have seen.
10. Ali (2001)
Speaking of biopics, I found Ali to be a similar experience: competently made, but nothing too special. Though I recognize his greatness and accomplishments, I have never personally been a huge fan of Muhammad Ali, or boxing in general for that matter, so I am not exactly the target audience for this movie. I think the acting was pretty good, and there are not too many severe flaws to be found, per say, but I found the overall experience to be quite repetitive and overlong. I did not gain much from watching the movie, honestly, even though I would not call it "bad." Ali will likely appeal more to people who are invested in the subject material to begin with, but for me, it was one of Mann's least entertaining films.
11. Miami Vice (2006)
A lot of people probably will not like me putting Miami Vice so low on this list, but if I am being fully honest, I just did not care much for this movie. I have never seen the original TV show, so again, I might not have the best opinion here, but this film did not do much for me. Other than good and plentiful action, I was kind of bored with it; the characters were far less interesting than the usual from a Mann film, and I felt like there should have been a lot better chemistry and comradery between Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell's leading characters. The romance subplots were also "meh" at best. I feel like the film could have really benefitted from some humor and wittiness, but most of it was a bleak, heavy experience that, at least to me, lacked the fun and joy of most of Mann's other action-y work. Miami Vice definitely seems to have its fans, but I did not end up as one of them, I am afraid - at least for this movie.
12. Blackhat (2015)
Blackhat was a pretty easy choice as my least favorite Michael Mann movie. Everyone else has already said it, but Chris Hemsworth's casting is really off here, and I cannot say many other actors or characters particularly impressed me either. The story was confusing and unsatisfying to me, and the CGI moments, though brief, were totally unnecessary and off-putting. Like Miami Vice, I think this movie would have been better off being less dour, too. I would never have guessed that Mann made this, as it feels like a generic, mediocre action/thriller film that could have come from anyone. All things considered, though, Blackhat being the low point out of twelve movies is not bad!
And there it is, another film director in the books! For me, when Michael Mann was "on" - particularly #1-4 - he is as entertaining, fun, and rewatchable as any filmmaker ever, and when he is "off" - particularly #9-12 - he is usually not outright "bad," but can become a bit dull and forgettable. His career has been very impressive overall, though, and I am very glad I checked out his movies, especially since a handful ended up becoming truly huge favorites!