The Unsung heroes of Cinema and TV. Part 19. Linda Hunt

Linda Hunt

A miniature powerhouse of an actor with a very unique career. She was the first person to win a best acting Oscar for playing a member of the opposite sex. So as an Oscar winner I'm stretching the boundaries of what unsung means but anyway.... You'd recognise her and her voice from a mile away. The roles she takes on are in direct opposition to her stature as well, she's always someone in charge. Be it teacher, captain or plain ol Mother Of All Life.

She's intimidated Arnold Schwarzenegger. Played a nasty nun in a ghost story. Been a voice in one of HBO's most missed shows. She rivals Morgan Freeman for the amount of voice over work she does. Taken on giant amazonian chimeras. Been the nana in Disney blockbusters. Been LL Cool J's boss in over 192 hours of televison. Been an alien in a David Lynch space opera. Westerns, thrillers, comedies, war films, horrors, Linda does them all. Been acting for 41 years and still going strong. Check out her career here.

Greatest hits

Popeye. Her first film and a joke casting but its a great joke. Mother of Oxblood, a man 4 times her size. This is a bonkers film actually, well worth tracking down.

The Year Of Living Dangerously. The role that made her. She plays Billy Kwan. An Asian bloke. And deservedly won an oscar for it. The make up used to make her look asian would have caused twitter to erupt into flames had it been around back then.

Silverado. Stella, the straight talking saloon owner who ain't afraid of no one. A great character in a film full of them.

Kindergarten Cop. Miss Ingrid. The school principal. In a film full of frighteningly inquisitive children and dodgy folk with guns, she's the only one Arnie is wary of.

God Of War. Gamer's will recognise her voice from the GOW series of games. She plays Gaia, the earth mother and narrator of the game and adds a touch of subtlety and class amongst the disembowellings and eye gougings.

Previous parts

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18

11 films worth watching on TV this week

The Missing   Sat   29/7   RTE1 @ 23.35

A woman living on the 19th century New Mexico frontier and her estranged father go on the hunt when her daughter is kidnapped by rogue Apaches. Cate Blanchett is brilliant in the lead role, hardy as hell and well able to hold her own against the hardships of frontier life. Tommy Lee Jones as her Da is great as always. The film gives an authentic insight into Native American culture too & is a rare modern western where they aren't saints.

As Above, So Below   Sun   30/7   Film4 @ 00.40

A group of explorers venture into the maze-like catacombs below Paris and they find strange unexpected things in the darkness. This is one full blooded horror film right here, claustrophobic, intense, jumpy & nerve shredding. If you are afraid of small spaces don't even bother with this. If you aren't then you'll enjoy it. Well no, enjoy is the wrong word but you'll be glad you watched. Perdita Weeks in the lead role is excellent.  

Pride   Sun   30/7   BBC2 @ 22.00

Gay activists & striking coal miners become unlikely partners in 1980's England when both find themselves suffering under the yoke of Margaret Thatcher. An excellent drama that's both upsetting and inspiring and is a cracking little history lesson to boot. Joseph Gilgun and Imelda Stauton amongst others are excellent but Bill Nighy is just superb in a true story that you'll be absolutely glued to.

Night Of The Hunter   Mon   31/7   TCM @ 15.00

Southern gothic par excellence as two young children go on the run after their mother's murder with an evil preacher on their trail. Robert Mitchum is just excellent in this. Id go so far to say as it's a career best performance. He's an utterly terrifying and malevolent presence. I hesitate to call this a horror film but it's definitely a dark and scary fairytale. A glorious looking one too. This is a film that will stick with you.

Harry Brown   Mon   31/7   ITV4 @ 22.05

An elderly widowed man lives a miserable existence on a drug addled London housing estate. The death of a close friend is the final straw for him. Michael Caine brings immense gravitas to this grimy and nasty but very gripping modern day morality tale. Liam Cunningham and Emily Mortimer are very solid in support. This is tough stuff and will be too much for some people so be warned.

Excalibur   Mon   31/1   RTE1 @ 22.35

A stylish, bloody and sexually charged retelling of the story of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Definitely the best cinematic version of the famous tale so far. This one has an absolutely cracking cast of British & Irish actors led by Nigel Terry and Helen Mirren on top form. Keep an eye out for a very young Liam Neeson in one of his first roles too. A very entertaining film. Plus parts of this were filmed in Wicklow and Tipperary.

NB - There's a documentary about the making of this on RTE before it at 21.30. Many thanks to @JTMoomin for telling me about this.

Force Majeure   Tues   1/8   Film4 @ 23.10

A Swedish family in the Alps find themselves in a very confusing situation after an unexpected reaction during an avalanche. A wry, biting look at masculinity and what can go wrong with it. Cringy, darkly hilarious, upsetting and mortifying at times, its hard to watch but you won't be able to look away. Top notch acting too with 2 superb performances from Johannes Kuhnke & Lisa Loven Kongsli. Great, original stuff.

Man Up   Wed   2/8   BBC2 @ 21.00

A woman, sick & exhausted finds herself mistaken for a blind dateand decides to just go along with it to see what happens. A romcom but one that is likeable and not sickly, one about people you will actually care about and not want to see go up in flames. This is all down to the lovely Lake Bell and the hilarious Simon Pegg. Throw in a few big laughs and a few scenes you'll watch through your fingers and its a grand way to spend 90 mins.

Veronica Guerin   Wed   2/8   RTE1 @ 21.35

A fearless journalist investigating the upper echelons of Dublin drug dealing finds herself & her family threatened when she gets too good at her job. Joel Schumacher's biopic is cracking stuff, gritty, frightening and superbly acted. Cate Blanchett in the lead role does a mighty job, showing both Veronica's strong and scared sides, plus her Irish accent is a good one. Gerald McSorley as John Gilligan is excellent too as evil personified.

Cliffhanger   Thur   3/8   ITV4 @ 23.45

A mountain climber haunted by a tragic accident is jolted into action when he finds himself being hunted by criminals in the Rocky Mountains. One of my favourite action films of the 90's. Highly entertaining stuff, thrilling, vicious and packed with beautiful scenery and villains you want to see die screaming. Sly Stallone in the lead is solid but John Lithgow steals the film with a ridiculously hammy performance. Great fun.

South Park : Bigger, Longer & Uncut  Fri   4/8   Dave @ 21.00

A small Colorado town's extreme overreaction to a cartoon leads to full scale war between North American and Canada. The feature version of the long running cartoon is brilliant fun. Full of profane poetry & big belly laughs while also being an intelligent and pointed attack on some of America's more confusing moral stances. All this and it manages to be a fantastic little musical at the same time.

The 12A certificate. A mild rant.

*Grumpy gowl mode on*

I was at War For The Planet Of The Apes recently and I really enjoyed it. What I didn't enjoy was the 3 year old child in front of me bawling crying during it. The film was loud enough that the noise didn't bother me but I could still see this baba was clearly distressed by what was going on. The film definitely wasn't suitable for her.

And that's a big problem with the 12A certificate.

The Irish Film Classification Office rejigged itself in the early years of this century and one big change they made was creating the 12A certificate. The A stands for advisory meaning children under the age of 12 can see the film if they are accompanied by an adult.

Anyone see something wrong there?

Films are rated 12 for a reason. To us grown ups they might seem tame as hell but to young kids they can seem terrifying. Apes for example was brutally violent in places. Kids don't need to see crucifixions and executions and horrible death. Having a certificate that allows them to see stuff unsuitable for them is silly. It traumatises them and wrecks the other heads in the audience who have their viewing ruined by sobbing and screaming. 

Because adults are allowed bring kids along these films make more money. And because they make more money studios and cinemas love them and make and want more of them. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm part of the problem too, I enjoy a 12 cert superhero film as much as anyone but films that would have once been aimed at an adult audience are now rejigged to make them more family friendly meaning we have to put up with watered down versions and sit there wondering what could have been.

It's all contributing to the infantilisation of cinema and it's a pain. And it's not going to change anytime soon.

Yes, I know I sound like a whinging bastard and it's a seriously first world problem but fuck it, the cinema is my happy place and I'll cry if I want to.

Boooo. Hiss.

Don't get me fuckin started on the 15A cert.

The Beguiled. It's a good one.

The American Civil war is raging. The women of a small boarding school in the wilds of Virginia try their best to carry on with life until one day the war lands on their doorstep in the shape of a badly wounded Yankee soldier by the name of John McBurnley. John is taken in by the women and tended to but his presence stirs up both repressed feelings and new found desires.

I liked this a lot. When I left the cinema the other day I wasn't sure but it's been in my head since and won't feck off. Always a good sign.

It has that dreamlike quality and languid pace that made Sofia Coppola's debut 'The Virgin Suicides' so memorable. She's a fantastic director and has a great visual style. It's atmospheric as hell. The southern setting drips with menace and sexual tension. The way the film is framed in the rarely used 1.66 : 1 ratio gives a story a penned in, claustrophobic feel, mirroring how the characters feel trapped by their circumstances. It's a resolutely old fashioned film too. Aside from a gory image and a brief sex scene it has a timeless feel, like it could have been made at any time in the last 70 years. Last but not least the acting. Wow. Not a weak link, even amongst the younger cast members. 

Colin Farrell hasn't been this good in a long time. He gets to play the part with his own accent and gives a far less forced and far more natural performance than he does when he has to use an American accent. You'll like him and you'll hate him in this. But no matter what he's doing you won't be able to take your eyes off him.

Kirsten Dunst as Edwina is amazing. The teacher trying to be straight laced and to stay true to the social mores of the time and but busting at the seams with need and want. She gives one of the best quiet tamped down performances I've seen in a long time. I fully expect to see her get numerous supporting actress nominations next year.

Nicole Kidman as Miss Martha the headmistress and Elle Fanning as student Alicia are great too. Each affected differently by the newcomer, one turning her needs inwards and turning them into strengths and the other ready and willing to cave in to her carnal desires. All done mostly through gestures and glances. Strong women all though.


Sofia Coppola's film is a new take on the 1966 novel by Thomas Cullinan. In 1971 a version was made by Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood. It's a film very much of its time. This newer version sticks to a very similar story but has some subtle and important changes that make the film fresher and more palatable for today's audiences. For one the point of view of the film is changed from the man's to the women's. The male gaze of the earlier film is removed. The only bare flesh the camera lingers on belongs to a man. It smooths off some of the iffier edges of the earlier film. A woman who was a slave in the book and earlier film is also removed which I think was a mistake. It does help make the women of the film more likeable and relatable but removes some of the shades of grey that made the 71 version a curio. History happened and shouldn't be whitewashed. It should never be condoned but ignoring it doesn't help matters either.

All in all it's a very good film. Fantastically acted and made and changed enough to make it stand apart from the earlier version. It's well worth your time. Go quick though. It won't be in the cinema for much longer.

.  

The unsung heroes of film and TV part 18. Keith David

Keith David

If you've ever watched a film you'll recognise this chap. He turns up in everything. EVERYTHING. And he's always brilliant. Be it comedy, westerns, drama, horror, war or action he always delivers. And that's why they keep hiring him. 

He's the man who came up with the phrase "Franks and beans." He survived Vietnam by just being sound. He's coerced heroin addicts into taking part in depraved sex shows. He's got the head beaten off him because he wouldn't put on sunglasses. He's been Seagal's best buddy. He's betrayed Chuck Norris. Voiced Greek gods. He's beaten up people with his fake leg. He's taken on Young Indiana Jones. He was in Road House for about 6 seconds. He survived an encounter with an Antarctic based shape shifting alien ( I think ). Been Tiger Wood's Da. Played a cartoon POTUS. His career is nothing if not varied. Check it out here.

Greatest Hits

The Thing. Childs. The only man in the film as hardy as Kurt Russell. Or is he?? Takes part in the one of the great all time ambiguous film endings.

Platoon. King. Soundest man in Vietnam. Can't spell at all. Likes his weed. Him surviving the film makes all the grimness worth while.

They Live. Frank. Buddy of Nada. Skeptical bloke. Takes part in the best fight scene  to ever grace a movie, all over a pair of magic sunglasses. Brilliance.

There's Something About Mary. Mary's father who loves to fuck with Ted. Gets the funniest line in the entire film.

Requiem For A Dream. Big Tim. Sleaze personified. Supplier of heroin and procurer of desperate women for sex shows. A prick.

Previous parts

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17

10 films worth watching on TV this week

The Rover   Sat   22/7   TG4 @ 21.40

A man hunts down the men who wronged him in a post apocalyptic Australia. Sounds fierce familiar doesn't it? The Mad Max influence in this film is a bit more than blindingly obvious but its a much different film and one well worth a watch. The bleached out cinematography and the location makes it a lovely looking film and Guy Pearce as the lead is always excellent. It's pretty gritty though, not for everyone.

Cosmopolis   Sat   22/7   BBC2 @ 23.45

A young rich man tries to make his way across Manhattan in his limo and finds himself waylaid by numerous people and events during the course of his day. David Cronenberg's film is an unusual tale, even for him, but it's still highly watchable stuff. Odd, depressing in places, funny in others and very very talky. Robert Pattison is surprisingly excellent in the lead role with good support from Juliette Binoche and Paul Giamatti.

The Skin I Live In  Sun   22/7   BBC2 @ 23.45

A widowed doctor, obsessed with his work, develops and experiments on his new creation with the help of an unwilling subject. Pedro Almodóvar's unique take on horror is a stunner of a film, very dark, creepy and gripping. Antonio Banderas and Elena Anayas give career best performances too. It's a graphic movie and not for the faint of heart and will offend some people though. Be warned.

Went The Day Well?   Mon   23/7   TCM @ 15.00

A small English town is infiltrated by undercover German soldiers during World War 2. The villagers are having none of it though. Like a cross between Emmerdale and Where Eagles Dare, this is one very unique little war film. Made in 1942 and quite brutal for it's time, this is a cracking thriller, genuinely surprising in places and well acted by Leslie Fields in particular. Really worth watching, a very effective curio even if it is basically propaganda.

Side Effects   Mon   23/7   TG4 @ 21.30

 An anti depressive drug taken by a young woman has unexpected and far reaching side effects. To say any more would spoil the twists and turns of this cracking little thriller from Steven Soderbergh. There's more than a slight whiff of Hitchcock from the story but that is not a bad thing at all. Rooney Mara & Catherine Zeta Jones are great in this. Intriguing, twisty turny stuff that goes in directions you won't expect at all.

The Wicker Man   Wed   25/7   The Horror Channel @ 22.55

A police detective sent to a remote Scottish Island in search of a young missing girl finds himself very out of his depth. A true classic of a horror film. Not scary as such but deeply unsettling and extremely atmospheric. Edward Woodward puts in a career best performance as a man very pure of soul. Christopher Lee as always is brilliant as the local Lord. A film you genuinely won't ever forget.

Chinatown   Thurs   26/7   Film4 @ 00.55

A private detective hired to investigate an affair finds himself caught up in a web of water, corruption and disturbing family revelations. A beautifully acted and beautiful looking film and one that is deeply layered and labyrinthine. A classic that lives up to the hype. Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway are amazing. Director Roman Polanski is problematic but his work here is second to none. 

Demolition Man   Fri   27/7   Dave @ 21.00

In San Angeles 2032 a good guy out of time is brought into action to deal with a bad guy out of time. A brilliantly entertainingly action comedy. One of the best of the 90s. Sylvester Stallone is on great form as the hero, Sandra Bullock sparkles in a very early role and Wesley Snipes has an absolute whale of a time as a very bad man. A superb vision of the future too, a bright, clean, friendly nightmare of a future.

Invitation To A Gunfighter   Fri   27/7   TG4 @ 21.30

An American Civil War veteran returns home to find his life has been turned upside down and a man has been hired to kill him. But things don't go as expected. A baby faced George Segal plays the war vet but Yul Brynner steals the film from under him as a hired gun who does his own thing.  A very entertaining western but a thoughtful one too. Starts off slow but stick with it and see it build to a cracking finish,

Dredd   Fri   27/7   Film4 @ 22.50


A brilliant & bloody adaption of the cult British comic strip and one that's a million miles from the family fun of the recent Marvel comic book films. Judge Dredd and his new rookie have to take down a gang who have taken over a huge block of flats. Chaos ensues. Karl Urban plays Dredd in a perfectly grumpy & deadpan fashion & Lena Headey is good fun as his nemesis. Great gory fun. Don't watch if you are any way wimpy.

Dunkirk. A phenomenal tribute to human resilience.

The best war films are the ones that show it as a living hell. A terrifying, screeching, claustrophobic hell. Dunkirk does just that and and will enter the pantheon of war films as one of the best. It's superb.

In the early summer of 1940, English, French and Canadian troops found themselves seriously outnumbered and surrounded by German troops in the north of France. 400,000 soldiers were ordered to Dunkirk to be evacuated back to England to protect the country from invasion. Because of the speed with which it had to be done and the sheer logistics involved there just wasn't enough ships in the naval fleet and civilian vessels had to be commandeered to help with the rescue. During all this they had to deal with German fighter planes and bombers picking them off from the skies. What followed made history.

The story is split into 3 sections, the soldiers trying to get home, the RAF pilots over head and the civilians coming to the rescue. The 3 are staggered chronologically and all come together towards the end of the film. It's initially a little confusing but becomes clear soon enough.

It's an amazing film. One with a huge sweep but one that never loses sight of the men at the heart of the tale. It's both intimate and epic. It shows war as it should be shown. It's utterly terrifying in places, horrifically tense in others and desperately upsetting. It's never easy seeing young men die needlessly. It has an old fashioned feel to it too. Probably due to the lack of blood and guts. It's quite a refreshing approach tbh. Too much gore takes away from the spectacle. It's not a tame film though, not at all. The intensity is almost unbearable at times and some people won't be able for it. Some lovely moments of humanity shine through thankfully. A smile and a wave, slices of toast and jam, touching a face, a nod between father and son. Moments badly needed.

It's superbly crafted stuff too. It looks fantastic and deserves to be seen on a huge cinema screen if at all possible. No visible CGI, loads of practical effects, huge crowds of actual and not computerised extras, filmmaking on a scale we haven't seen this century. The aerial dogfights are sublime also, done with real planes and looking like it too. The cutting between the 3 stories is really well done as well, never confusing and done in such a way as to wring maximum tension out of the tale but without turning it into melodrama. 

The cast is cracking, the 3 sections lead by Fionn Whitehead as a soldier trying his hardest to get home, Mark Rylance as a man using his own boat to go to Dunkirk and Tom Hardy as an RAF pilot protecting them all from above. Ireland's Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan appear too along with One Direction singer Harry Styles. Everyone is on top form, there isn't one weak link. Styles in his first film does himself proud and gets to do a lot more than expected but the best performance is from Mark Rylance. The man is just superb. He's always so reliable and relatable. In the last few years we've seen stellar acting from him in Bridge Of Spies and Wolf Hall and I hope we see him around for a long long time. It's a true ensemble film though and everyone gets their time in the sun.

Christopher Nolan has hit the nail on the head perfectly once again and this definitely washes away the taste of his last film, the awful (imo) Interstellar. He has made a masterpiece. One that delivers both spectacle and heart. 2017 is a great year for superb blockbusters.

It's a war film but it's not about a battle, it's about a rescue. For all its horror and fear it radiates a kind of positivity. What people are truly capable of. How resilient they really are. How good they can be. And it does all this without glorifying anything. It's hard to describe. You have to see it. 

War For The Planet Of The Apes

The third film in a trilogy is rarely the best. There's some precedent though. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly for example. Or Toy Story 3. Or Three Colours : White (imo). Now there's another example. This. A brilliant, bleak, brutal film. Misleading title though.

Years after a virus has decimated the human population of earth, apes are the dominant species. Intelligent apes. As intelligent as man. Maybe more so. The remainder of the US army is out to decimate them. The apes are led by Caesar and the humans are led by The Colonel. A skirmish between ape and man leads to tragedy and Caesar sets out get his revenge. 

This was just great. Easily the blockbuster of the year so far and a solid contender for any year end top ten list. A grim, hellish vision of what war leads to. Brutally violent in places ( it's a 12 cert film but it's really not for kids), bleak all over, beautiful looking and totally engaging. The title makes the film sound like an all out war film but it isn't at all. Most of the action is kept for the beginning and the end of the film with the middle devoted to the journey. And the film is the better for it. We get a deeper insight into the characters, how they interact, what makes them tick and see the brutality and empathy they are all capable of. Brief pockets of humour and kindness give us some much needed relief too. Without them the film would be too unrelenting. A flower placed behind an ear, a funny little hat and jacket, a hug, a mishap with binoculars, all lovely little welcome moments. 

Andy Serkis, hidden behind the face of Caesar owns the film. He pushes the limit of what a CGI character can be once again. Amazing acting, in both words and gestures and just the look in his eyes. His rage pulsates off the screen as he battles to stop his hate overtaking him. If he doesn't get nominated for a clutch off awards next year it will be a joke. Woody Harrelson is top notch as The Colonel (we never hear his name) too. An utter bastard but not a one note pantomime villain, as we find out later in the film. I love Harrelson as a baddie. He always brings an air of unpredictability and danger to his roles and has it here in spades. Karin Konoval as Maurice is excellent too. A mostly silent performance but still the loveable, kind, beating heart of the film. The hilarious Steve Zahn plays the newcomer, Bad Ape and adds a lovely touch of lightness to proceedings too.

The special effects are amazing. Caesar and the rest of the chimps have lost that artificial sheen they had in the earlier films and look photo realistic but the best effects are still the Gorillas and especially Maurice the Orangutan. It's hard to believe he's made up of pixels and isn't a living animal presence. 

It's a tribute to the effects by Weta Digital and the motion capture performances of the actors that we empathise so much with CGI characters. That we want to see them succeed over humans. It's amazing just how real and substantial they feel. You'll forget you are looking at a special effect about 3 minutes into the film.

Beautiful looking film too. Director Matt Reeves is back for his second Apes film and he has a great eye for location and making the most of those locations. The earlier parts of the film are set in the lovely Californian forests of the other 2 films and the second half of the film moves into the snowy Sierra Nevada and the scenery is just glorious. It all invokes a western feel too, scene of horses riding through snow and mountains reminded me of both The Searchers and The Revenant.

One downside. There's always a downside. It's too long. The middle section could lose 5-10 minutes easily and it would tighten up the flow of the film. 

As much as I've enjoyed these films I hope this is the last one. It's a pretty perfect ending and any more would just feel forced.

A powerful summer blockbuster that packs a serious punch but one with a brain and a heart too and one that will probably make ya cry as well. A lovely rarity. 

Hard Target. So much fun.

Because I'm worth it

The mullet haircut is a much maligned one. It is ridiculous looking in fairness. But John Woo makes it look beautiful swishing around in slow motio........haha nah, i'm joking. It's the only bad thing about this film.

Hard Target is a slice of 90's action nirvana & John Woo's first American film.

Set in New Orleans. Someone is hunting homeless men for sport. Natasha Binder comes to town looking for her father who has disappeared. She has a lucky encounter with a man named Chance Boudreaux when he saves her from being robbed and assaulted. Chance is an out of work merchant seaman so she hires him in her search. They soon find themselves entangled in the darker side of The Big Easy and have to fight for their lives.

A brilliantly entertaining movie and one that cannot be taken seriously at all. It's more or less nonstop. Action scenes are John Woo's USP and the ones here are great. Clearly shot, easy to make out, no horrible shakey cam. Great characters too especially the baddies. You can't beat a real boo hiss baddy and the ones in this wouldn't be out of place in a pantomime. It's 90's through and through though. The clothes, the hair, the music, the 2 handed gunplay. It has dated but that doesn't stop it being fun. 

Nearly every actor chews the scenery like their lives depend on it. Jean Claude Van Damme as Chance is hilarious intentionally or not, His hair deserves it's own film. He appears through clouds of smoke and flocks of pigeons, moving in slow motion and as always kicking ass with serious conviction. Acting was never his strong point but who gives a shit when you can look believable diving through the air with a gun in each hand blasting baddies. Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo are the baddies and they are brilliantly over the top. Henriksen is malice and hate personified and Vosloo as his South African henchman is awesome. The two drip with danger and make a pair of convincing foils for JCVD. You can't beat a South African baddie. You just love to hate them and you get a licence to kill them off horribly. Yancy Butler plays Natasha as the straight man but you actually do give a fig about her because hers is a family tale, she just wants her Da back. 

Don't ask

It certainly makes the most of it's New Orleans setting so much so that the city is like a main character in the film. Shootouts taking place on Bourbon street, chase scene in the city's famous cemeteries and the climax takes place in a storage unit in the swamps where Mardi Gras floats are kept. It gives the whole thing a superb atmosphere.

The climax of the film is immense. Pyrotechnics and bullets filling the screen. The mother of all shootouts. People getting shot 67 times and then kicked in the jaw for good measure. This guy bites the dust in amazing fashion. Grenades and arrows all over the shop. Breathless stuff that will make you laugh as much as drop your jaw.

It's a short film, under 100 minutes and I love short films but there's a 128 minute out there waiting to be released someday. And I'd love to see it. The original version was just too violent and had too much going on for American audiences of the day and had to be cut down. Someday. Fingers crossed

Don't insult the double denim

One of the things I love about these 90's action films is that when you watch them you are transported back to the time and the age you were when you first saw it. I saw this with Michael, Willem and David around 94 or so. The perfect age to enjoy this film. We loved it. The action, the one liners, the accents, I swear we spent the summer misquoting this film in awful Belgian and South African accents.Even now 23 years later if we bump into each other it's not long before someone mentions it "Why did your momma name you Chance?, Because she took one", "I'm gonna carve me a steak", "HEY PIGEON!", "Sorry about the shirt!" etc etc.

And the other reason this film holds a special place in my heart is because it introduced us to the wonders of John Woo. The Killer, Hard Boiled, Bullet In The Head, A Better Tomorrow etc and these paved the way for a love of Asian cinema that continues to this day. These films are still great now but imagine just how much they blew us away in the early 90's.

I love it. I never get bored of it. It's hilarious. A perfect beer and takeaway film. A film has to be doing something right if people still talk about it 2 decades later.

Crazy Horse. An epic story that deserves an epic film.

How many western films have been made? Thousands.

How many western films have native Americans appeared in? Thousands.

How many western films have been made from their point of view? Dozens. 

Dozens compared to thousands. It's not on is it. Their experience was an integral part of the West and they've been whitewashed out of cinematic history. And films made from their POV invariably starred white actors darkened up, like Charles Bronson and Burt Lancaster for example. Even up to the 90's it was happening. Johnny Depp in The Brave for example. Sorry, I've forgotten another Depp one, he played Tonto in the recent version of the Lone Ranger. FFS. 

Arguably one of the most famous Native Americans was Crazy Horse. His life story is the stuff legends are made of and yet only 2 movies have been made about him. One in the 50's and one in the 90's. And of course the one in the 50's was with a white actor - Victor Mature. It's time for another. 

Crazy Horse was born into the Lakota Sioux in 1842. His birth name was Cha-O-Ha. His light skin-tone made many in the tribe believe his father was white and this lead to his mother killing herself out of shame. He began to have visions as a young man after witnessing a battle and these helped him build his confidence, his self belief and his skill on the battlefield as he grew. His reputation grew too as many believed he was invincible. Eventually he became a leader and led his compatriots against the U.S. army during the land grabs in the 1860's to 1880's. He eventually found himself in battle against the forces of President Ulysses S. Grant who were led by the infamous Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. They won the battle but sadly Crazy Horse was dead less than 18 months later.

His story is the stuff of cinema. His tragic early life. His vision quests. His shy personality. His first kill. His skill at battle. His relationship with the great Sitting Bull. His participation in the Sioux uprising and the Indian Wars. Ensuring tribes that were once enemies combined to fight the common enemy. His marriage to Black Shawl Woman and the birth of daughter They Are Afraid Of Her. His leading of a war party at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and Custer's Last Stand (and the horrific consequences of that battle for the Sioux )and his very very questionable death at the hands of the Federal army.

This is a film that would need the epic sweep of films like Cimarron, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee and Dances With Wolves combined with the post modern revisionism of things like Unforgiven and Deadwood. Looking back at the events without the glory and patriotism of earlier portrayals. Showing how good life pre war was and just how bad things got post war.

As for who could play him, it would have to be an Native American actor. Anything else would be an insult. Rudy Youngblood who was so great as the lead in Apocalypto would be a great choice. Or maybe Zahn McClarnon who was brilliant as Hanzee in Season 2 of Fargo. And Gil Bermingham who was great fun as Jeff Bridges' partner in Hell Or High Water could make a cracking Sitting Bull. 

It's not a film that will get made during Trump's reign. White America does not come out of the story looking good. The native Americans were just fighting what they saw as invaders, fighting to protect what was theirs. 

I'd love to see this. A real American story. A fitting postscript would be seeing the Crazy Horse monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Even bigger than the faces at Mount Rushmore. A big monument for a giant of a man.

The Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota

Films I'd love to see get made. King Suckerman.

Remember Neon magazine? A excellent movie mag that was around in the late 90's. A nice mix of the best parts of Empire and Sight & Sound. I loved it. And even though it's gone years I still love it because it introduced me to the books of George Pelecanos.

The article was about a book of his called King Suckerman and that Puff Daddy or whatever he was called then had just bought the rights to it. The description of the book caught my eye and the next time I was in Eason's I picked up a copy of it.

And I fell in love.

Dimitri Karras is a young Greco-American man floating through life making money as a low level pot dealer. His best friend is Marcus Clay, an African American Vietnam veteran who has just opened a record store in Washington DC. Dimitri is carefree and careless. Marcus has had his fill of trouble during the war and just wants to enjoy the quiet life with his wife and new born son. A business deal goes wrong for them and invites a whole lot of trouble and bloodshed onto their doorstep with everything coming to a head during the United States Bicentennial celebrations on the 4th of July, 1976.

A nice simple story and one that would make for a great film. It's fast. It's funny in places. People, places and actions feel real and unforced. The characters have depth and shades of gray and are well drawn, you care deeply about the good guys and despise the bad guys. 70's music and fashion is always fun to hear and see. The title is taken from a (fake) blaxploitation film that gets mentioned a lot in the film and the characters are films fans too. Loads of film references in there too. Vanishing Point, The Mack, Black Caesar and Two Lane Black Top all get name checked. It's not an action heavy book but it builds to a blazing and bloody climax under a firework filled sky.

The story may be simple but the writing isn't. Themes of race, nationalism, the treatment of black people in America are all touched upon. The causes and effects of violence. The effects of abuse, incarceration and war on the male psyche. How drug use, no matter how tame, has far reaching consequences.

Pelecanos is of Greek descent as well so the book gives us a nice insight into a little bit of Greek culture, food and traditions and their way of thinking, as well as throwing a little bit of the language our way. 

Of course this isn't the only Pelecanos book thought would be good on the big screen. And there's plenty of stuff to work with. See below.

I may be a fan of his

The Sweet Forever is the follow up to King Suckerman and this time Marcus is the leading man and it's another masterpiece. And it's story is one that's still frighteningly topical these days. The decimation of the inner city by drugs.

Right As Rain could be another cracker too and yet another topical one as one of it's main storylines is about the killing of black men by police.

A few years ago there was talk of Shoedog and Right As Rain getting their own films but nothing ever came of it. And i'm surprised because George has become a well known TV writer mainly for his work with David Simon and Ed Burns on such superb shows as The Wire (he wrote the episode where Wallace is killed, the bastard) and Treme. Other shows he wrote for were The Pacific and most recently Bosch and an upcoming 3rd collaboration with David Simon, The Deuce.

Who could play Dimitri and Marcus?

I've my eye on Gbenga Akinnagbe for Marcus. A cracking actor, so good as Chris Partlow in The Wire, brooding and quiet but capable of explosions of extreme anger. But with a calm sound side shown in stuff like Nurse Jackie and The Good Wife. Plus he's worked with Pelecanos twice on his shows too. The Wire and the upcoming The Deuce.


For Dimitri? I haven't a clue TBH. Any suggestions?

C'mon Hollywood, get ye finger out and start taking notice of this chap's back catalogue. 

There's gold in them thar hills.

11 Films worth watching on TV this week and one to avoid like the plague.

Election   Sat   15/7   W @ 21.00

A rivalry develops between an unhappy high school teacher and an extremely overachieving student during the run up to school president elections. Alexander Payne's movie is a hilarious, dark and nicely off kilter look at high school life and one that's anchored by 2 cracking performances from Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick. It's a sly satire of American politics too and very welcome these days.

Haywire   Sat   15/7   TV3 @ 22.30

A black ops spy is sent on a mission to Dublin and quickly realises she's been double crossed. All her skills and cunning come into play as she looks for revenge. Gina Carano mightn't be the best actress but her physical presence is immense in this very entertaining action thriller. Cracking cast in this including Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum and Ewan McGregor. Plus seeing Dublin in an action film is just deadly, a real novelty.

The Squid And The Whale   Sat   15/7   RTE1 @ Midnight

Two boys in 1980's Brooklyn are affected by their parent's messy divorce and find themselves beginning to act out in strange ways. A cutting, cynical but poignant film thats in places very funny and full of amazing acting from a great cast. The always superb Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels bring great weight to proceedings and Jesse Eisenberg in an early role is superb. A raging performance from William Baldwin is a nice surprise too.

The Duke Of Burgundy   Sun   16/7   Film4 @ 01.30

Evelyn, a student studying butterflies and her lecturer/employer Cynthia begin seeing each other and soon find themselves pushing the boundaries of their relationship to some very intense places. A dark, erotic and beautiful looking film and one that whilst very light on plot will keep you watching to the end. Funny in places, sad in others and always well acted by Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D'Anna. 

Goodfellas   Sun   16/7   TCM @ 21.00

My favourite film of all time. Well one of them. A masterpiece. A story of a man in the mafia over 25 years. Martin Scorsese's film is pure electricity captured on celluloid. Hilarious, terrifying, exhilarating and utterly compelling. The acting is second to none too, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Lorraine Bracco are all at their best but the film is owned by Joe Pesci. He's amazing, as scary as any cinematic monster. 

The Drop   Mon   17/7   Film4 @ 21.00

A quiet bartender in a mob run bar in Brooklyn finds his life getting very complicated when the place is robbed & when he becomes involved his neighbour. A cracking little low key thriller that's smart, funny, exciting and full of great characters. Tom Hardy is good as his usual guff self and gets fine support from Noomi Rapace and the late and much missed James Gandolfini. Quite different to your usual mob film & one that i recommend highly .

The November Man   Wed   19/7   RTE1 @ 21.35

A retired CIA agent living a quiet life in Switzerland is brought back into the fold to extract a woman who has knowledge of Russian war crimes. Things do not go to plan. Pierce Brosnan is great in the lead role of this fast moving and compelling action thriller. It's a film that feels like a grown up Bond movie but one that is quite violent and nasty in places so be warned. Good support from Olga Kurylenko and the ubiquitous Will Patton.

Wake Wood   Wed   19/7   The Horror Channel @ 22.45

A small family living in rural Northern Ireland find themselves delving into the supernatural when tragedy strikes their quiet little life. A modern folk horror film that is genuinely scary and unnerving. Shades of Stephen King and Hammer horror abound. Well written, well made and well acted by Eva Birthistle, Timothy Spall and a clutch of Irish actors including Aiden Gillen, Ruth McCabe and Brian Gleeson.

High Noon   Thurs   20/7   TCM @ 15.00

A quiet western town finds itself cowering in terror when a feared gang makes a reappearance. Only one man is brave enough to stand up to them and on his wedding day too. One of the quintessential films of the western genre & a very early example of revisionism. Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly lead the film as the newly married couple and are both superb. Gripping and exciting stuff. And all done in 85 minutes. Perfect.

Salt   Fri   21/7   E4 @ 21.00


A CIA agent finds herself on the run and under suspicion of treason after a prisoner accuses her on being a Russian spy. Angelina Jolie is in great form in the lead role and is a very believable action hero. Pure popcorn entertainment but very well done. Complex and action packed and well acted by a super cast. Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Corey Stoll give Jolie solid support.

Breakfast On Pluto   RTE1 @ 23.35

A young transgender woman called Kitten leaves her small Northern Ireland town and moves to London to find both her mother and herself. Neil Jordan's comedy drama is an absolute cracker. Funny one minute and absolutely heartbreaking the next and a film that just flies by way too quickly. Cillian Murphy is superb as Kitten and the cast is a veritable who's who of Irish talent. Way too many to name.

One to avoid

Dumb And Dumber To   RTE2   Thurs @ 21.00

Execrable muck and a disastrously bad shambles of a sequel to a much loved 90's comedy. Trust me on this. Do not watch it. You'll only want to punch yourself in the face afterwards. Don't do it. I feel its my civic duty to warn ye. Oh BTW, the title isn't a typo and it's probably and sadly the funniest joke in the film. Oh I hate it.