Showing posts with label Ving Rhames. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ving Rhames. Show all posts

Thursday, April 8, 2021

KISS OF DEATH (1995)

 

  



Directed By: Barbet Schroeder  Written By: Richard Price  Based on the Original Screenplay “KISS OF DEATH” By: Ben Hecht & Charles Lederer Based on a story By Eleazar Lipsky  Cinematography: Luciano Tovolli  Editor: Lee Percy 

Cast: David Caruso, Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, Ving Rhames, Stanley Tucci, Helen Hunt, Michael Rapaport, Kathryn Erbe, Jay O. Sanders, Hope Davis, Anthony Heald, Philip Baker Hall, Paul Calderon, Anne Meara, John Costelloe 

A reformed convict goes undercover with the help of an angry detective to ensnare a psychotic mobster.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

HOMICIDE (1991)



Written & Directed By: David Mamet 
Cinematography By: Roger Deakins 
Editor: Barbara Tulliver 

Cast: Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy, J.J. Johnston, Rebecca Pidgeon, Vincent Gustaferro, Ron Butler, Erica Gimpel, Ving Rhames, Jonathan Katz, Ricky Jay 


Policeman Bob Gold has to capture a murderer that not even the FBI has been able to find. But before he can even start he is re-assigned to the murder of an old Jewish lady in a black area. The evidence points at a Jewish hate group and he discovers connections between them and his previous case.

Friday, July 27, 2018

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY (2007)



Directed By: Dennis Dugan 
Written By: Barry Fanaro, Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor 
Based on a screen Traatment By: Lew Gallo 
Cinematography By: Dean Semler 
Editor: Jeff Gourson 


Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Nicholas Turturro, Ving Rhames, Rob Schneider, Allen Covert Dan Aykroyd, Richard Chamberlin, Steve Buscemi, Blake Clark, Rachel Dratch, Nick Swardson, Mary Pat Gleason, Jamie Chung, Rob Coddry, Robert Smeigel, Richard Kline, Gary Valentine, Dave Matthews, Lance Bass, David Spade, Peter Dante, Jonathna Loughran 


Two straight, single Brooklyn firefighters pretend to be a gay couple in order to receive domestic partner benefits.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

CASUALTIES OF WAR (1989)



Directed By: Brian DePalma 
Written By: David Rabe 
Based On The Book By: Daniel Lang 
Cinematography By: Stephen H. Burhum 
Editor: Bill Pankow 
Music By: Ennio Morricone 


Cast: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, John C. Reilly, John Leguizamo, Don Harvey, Ving Rhames, Dale Dye, Thuy Thu Le, Wendell Pierce, Sam Robards, Darren E. Burrows, John Marshal Jones, Holt McCallany 


During the Vietnam war, a girl is taken from her village by five American soldiers. Four of the soldiers rape her, but the fifth refuses. The young girl is killed. The fifth soldier is determined that justice will be done. The film is more about the realities of war, rather than this single event.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES & UNFINISHED BUSINESS : HALL OF FAME: FILE #0041: THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS (1991)




Written & Directed By: Wes Craven 
Cinematography By: Sandi Sissel 
Editor: James Coblentz 
Music By: Don Peake 


Cast: Brandon Adams, A.J. Langer, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, Ving Rhmes, Kelly Jo Minter, Sean Whalen, Bill Cobbs, Jeremy Roberts

Saturday, March 8, 2014

OPERATION: ENDGAME (2010)



Directed By: Fouad Mikati 
Written By: Sam Levinson & Brian Wantanbe 
Cinematography By: Arnaud Stefani 
Editor: Joshua Ferrazzano 

Cast: Joe Anderson, Rob Corddry, Odette Annable , Maggie Q, Ving Rhames, Ellen Barkin, Bob Odenkirk, Brandon T. Jackson, Adam Scott, Emilie De Ravin, , Zach Galifianakis, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Hitchcock, Beth Grant

Friday, April 19, 2013

KISS OF DEATH (1995)



Directed By: Barbet Schroeder
Written By: Richard Price
Story By: Eleazer Lipsky
Based on the Original Screenplay by: Ben Hecht & Charles Lederer
Cinematography By: Luciano Tovoli
Editor: Lee Percy

Cast: David Caruso, Nicholas Cage, Helen Hunt, Samuel L. Jackson, Ving Rhames, Stanley Tucci, Michael Rapaport, Kathryn Erbe, Paul Caledron, Philip Baker Hall, Anthony Heald, Kevin Corrigan, Hope Davis,

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

PIRANHA 3DD (2012)

Directed By: John Gulager Written By: Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan & Joel Soisson Based On Original Characters Created By: Peter Goldfinger & Josh Stolberg Cinematography By: Alexandre Lehmann Editor: Kirk Morris, Martin Bernfield & Devin C. Lussier Cast: Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush, Katrina Bowden, David Koechner, Chris Zylka, David Hasselhoff, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer, Gary Busey, Ving Rhames, Clu Gulager

Thursday, February 23, 2012

THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS (1991)


Written & Directed By: Wes Craven
Cinematography By: Sandi Sissell
Editor: James Coblentz

CAST: Brandon Adams, Wendy Robie, A.J. Langer, Everett McGill, Sean Whalen, Kelly Jo Minter, Ving Rhames, Bill Cobbs, Jeremy Roberts

Thursday, March 24, 2011

GIVE 'EM HELL MALONE (2009)


Directed By: Russell Mulcahy
Written By: Mark Hosack
Cinematography By: Jonathan Hall
Editor: Robert A Ferretti

Cast: Thomas Jane, Ving Rhames, Elsa Pataky, French Stewart, Leland Orser, Doug Hutchinson, Gregory Harrison.


THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HARD (2009)


Directed By: Neil Brennan
Written By: Andy Stock & Rick Stempson
Cinematography By: Daryn Okada
Editor: Michael Jablow & Kevin Jent

Cast: Jeremy Piven, James Brolin, Ed Helms, Ving Rhmaes, Craig Robinson, David Koechner, Kathryn Hahn, Jordana Spiro, Tony Hale, Matt Walsh, T.J. Miller, Wendie Malick, Noureen Dewulf, Charles Napier, Ken Jeong, Rob Riggle, Alan Thicke, Joey Kern, Jonathan Sadowski


Saturday, December 18, 2010

ENTRAPMENT (1999)



Directed By: Jon Amiel
Written By: Ron Bass & William Broyles Jr.
Based On a Story By: Ron Bass & Michael Hertzberg
Cinematography By: Phil Meheux
Editor: Terry Rawlings

Cast: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sean Connery, Ving Rhames, Will Patton, Maury Chaykin

Monday, August 24, 2009

KISS OF DEATH (REMAKE) (1995)

Directed By: Barbet Schroeder
Written By: Richard Price
Story By: Eleazer Lipsky
Based On The Original Film Written By: Ben Hecht & Charles Lederer
Cinematography By: Luciano Tovoli
Editor: Lee Percy

CAST: Samuel L. Jackson, David Caruso, Helen Hunt, Kathryn Erbe, Michael Rapaport, Nicholas Cage, Stanley Tucci, Ving Rhames, Paul Caledron, Jay O. Sanders, Philip Baker Hall, Anthony Heald, Kevin Corrigan, Anne Meara, Hope Davis


The film is about a ex-con who ends up going to jail for a crime he tried to help his cousin with. while in prison his wife is killed and he decides to help the feds by going undercover to catch the boss who he did the job for but as usual complications rise and a lot of dirty dealing and double crosses.

This was one of the most exciting trailers I had seen at the time. So I anxiously wanted to see this film though it didn’t live up to the trailer I enjoyed it none the less.

Coming on the heels of PULP FICTION at the time it came out it borrows heavily from that film. The quirks and at least three cast members that make it feel like a sort of Pulp fiction redux at times. Which beat many of the imposters that started to be made for years afterward.

None of the characters feel realistic in this film. They feel like movie characters, Normally this would be ok but when you are trying to look gritty and truthful it doesn’t at all it looks like a polished production. I would go as so far as to say it feels like a LAW & ORDER episode come to life the locations and the plot are reminiscent only this time it focuses more on the criminal side of the equation.

The cast is great with the characters and there quirks. Nicholas Cage gives one of his best performances as kind of a comic book villain sequel gangster in a realistic world with all his bulked up muscle. It shows a certain dedication to the role. David Caruso is a consummately good actor whose personal life and attitude may have cost him film roles before he got NYPD BLUE he was a dependable character actor then after he decided to leave the show at it’s height of popularity to be a movie theater. It was a bad decision that he seemed to keep getting punished for and hurt his career until he got another hit TV series. Before he would pop up here and there in various films this was one of his first starring roles that was a hit that made him decide to leave the show. But here he proves he has what it takes to play a lead.

This was the first Stanley Tucci Performance I remember vividly. It made me really notice and pay attention to him as an actor.

This film feels like a graphic novel version of a gritty pulp thriller. It’s too colorful and gloss to be a true down and dirty tale. Though it surprisingly funny in a lot of scenes intentionally. It has scenes of Nicholas cage bench pressing strippers and Samuel l. Jackson as a FBI agent with a constantly tearing eye. But it is a fun film that is never boring. Though he does get over his dead wife rather quick.

A Satisfying Rental

GRADE: C+

Sunday, July 5, 2009

DAY OF THE DEAD (2008) Remake

Directed By: Steve Miner
Written By: Jeffrey Reddick;
Based On The Original Script “Day Of The Dead” By: George Romero
Cinematography By: Patrick Cady
Editor: Nathan Easterling

CAST: Mena Suvari, Ving Rhames, Nick Cannon, Annalynne McCord, Pat Kilbane, Ian McNiece


The film is so bad that after awhile I don’t even think the director could take it too seriously as the film gets more ridiculous and seems to make up the rules of zombieism as it goes along until soon it almost resembles a Sci-Fi channel original movie or a really bad comic book. Especially the scene where the group of survivors hear a zombie in the air duct and all the characters who have a gun shoot up in the air at it like it is a reflex they don’t even look when they shoot. Plus when did it become acceptable for zombies to all of a sudden have super human powers. I’m not talking about the strength, I’m talking defying the logics of gravity all of a sudden they can scale walls like Spiderman and leap in the air 50 feet.

Ving Rhames is in this movie more as a extended cameo. Though he is top billed it actually is more of a Nick Cannon and Mena Suvari movie. So that should alert you to the quality of the material. The only reason I can think that Mr. Rhames appears in this movie is either a big paycheck or he felt a loyalty to the series after starring in The DAWN OF THE DEAD Remake.

Nick Cannon seems only to be here to crack racial jokes about why do white people do this. Then he becomes selfless all of a sudden even though throughout the film he’s been pretty much only the strong survive street type.

Mena Suvari who I am glad to see working apparently a lot maybe she is hoping to find that role that immortalizes her again or at least resurrects her career but this and the films she has taken recently are not it. My advice fire your agent you deserve better then this you do have talent and beauty.

I can see why this movie never made it to theaters. Not only because of the low budget but it feels cheap. The effects are horrible. The script idiotic it just feels like a product that was rushed and made t make a quick buck not paying any attention to quality

What did they spend on this movie whatever it was wasn’t enough a true director can overcome difficulties to make something somewhat decent even if the script sucks, which it does. Or the actors are not great, Most are not to bad.

Even though the film is a brisk 87 minutes it felt longer like it was a actor oriented play since the cast seemed so small. To add to the problems of the movie the try to be shocking ending makes no sense.

There is a noticeable difference between this and the DAWN OF THE DEAD Remake other then talent in front of and behind the Camera. The Dawn remake was handled by a talented artist who was visionary and had original ideas for pacing and camera angles. It also has a true director Zach Snyder. Steve Miner is a good television director making a speedy schedule making film he can make the ordinary look extraordinary on a certain budget but when it comes to movies he’s a bit of a hack. He has had his triumphs but he has a somewhat limited talent with film. Which was perfectly fine for Friday the 13th Part 2 and 3 and lake placid but the first two were in the 80’s. for those films you didn’t have to necessarily be good or have style or flair, but since then Halloween: H20 he hasn’t been too visionary actually not too good maybe he’s comfortable and stands by his reputation and resume. Bringing films on budget and on time and they make enough money to be considered successful.

In the end watching this I feel cheated.

GRADE: F