Crime

[2] Herschell Gordon Lewis earned the title ‘godfather of gore’ because of this film, the first widely distributed movie to feature excessive blood and bodily mutilation. Its novelty with young drive-in audiences was so strong, that it allowed Lewis to write and direct dozens more of such movies for the next ten years. In this first bloodbath, Mal Arnold plays a peculiar grocery store owner …

[7] Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas play rival assassins stealing each others’ contracts. When Stallone discovers the mysterious contractor has hired Banderas to take him out, he teams with a hacker and would-be target (Julianne Moore) to gain the upper hand. This cat-and-mouse thriller is surprisingly more subdued and character-oriented than you might expect from a mid-90s action movie. Stallone gives one of his best …

[6] Barbara Stanwyck stars in this intimate thriller from director John Sturges (The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven) about a woman who is kidnapped by an escaped convict (Ralph Meeker) while trying to find help for her husband. While the husband (Barry Sullivan) is trapped under debris on a beach with rising tide, Stanwyck comes to realize her only means of saving him might be …

[1] A patient escapes a mental institution and starts killing people on a nearby campus in this ultra-low-budget, supremely bad movie that has nothing to do with ‘Son of Sam’. The film is so poorly made that you’ll likely be shaking your head in confusion over the scripting, staging, and editing. The first few deaths in the movie happen when the killer puts his hand …

[4] Cary Grant stars as a gambling boss who leaves New York after getting acquitted by a jury. He intends to turn over a new leaf, especially when he falls in love with a charming woman (Benita Hume) on a cross-country train ride to California. But once they arrive at their mutual destination, Grant gets roped back into dirty business. Matters get even more complicated …

[5] Sigourney Weaver plays an agoraphobic expert on serial killers summoned to help a San Francisco detective played by Holly Hunter when a murderer starts imitating serial killers of the past. The two phenomenal stars of Copycat are its greatest attributes. Weaver’s part is a terrified paranoid — a little one-note, but certainly within her wheelhouse. Hunter gives the more remarkable performance, giving nuance and …

[4] Martin Sheen (Badlands) stars in this dark thriller about a black magic cult practicing child sacrifices in New York City. Sheen’s a single father and police therapist who gets drawn into the case when a police officer (Jimmy Smits) become the prime suspect. The truth turns out to be more disturbing, especially when the cult targets Sheen’s own son (Harley Cross). To be fair, …

[5] Edward Norton (Fight Club) plays a reformed neo-nazi trying to stop his younger brother (Terminator 2‘s Edward Furlong) from following in his ugly footsteps in American History X. But breaking free from the skinheads who idolize him turns out to be a bigger challenge than expected. Norton shows commitment and range in a flashy role that earned him an Oscar nomination, but I can’t …

[7] A group of teenaged computer ‘hackers’ are blamed for unleashing a virus that will capsize oil tankers. Before they’re all captured by police, they band together and seek the aid of hackers worldwide to help unmask the real bad guys — a pair of corporate embezzlers working from inside the company. The premise of Hackers requires a hefty suspension of disbelief regarding what teenagers …

[4] Bruce Willis stars as a private eye trying to protect a stripper who thinks she’s in danger. When she ends up killed, her boyfriend, a disgraced football player (Damon Wayans), ingratiates himself to Willis to help discover who’s responsible for her murder. The story ends up involving corruption at the highest levels of government and professional football. The Last Boy Scout is a cookie-cutter …

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