There’s a particular kind of cinematic relic from the early ’80s that smells like hot asphalt, cigarette butts, and revenge. Vigilante (1982) is one of those. Directed by William Lustig — the same grease-stained genius behind Maniac — it’s a blue-collar revenge fantasy soaked in rage, sweat, and the kind of acting you’d expect from … Read More “Vigilante (1982): When Justice Takes a Coffee Break, Robert Forster Brings the Pain” »
Directed by William LustigStarring Joe Spinell, Caroline MunroWritten by Joe Spinell If Taxi Driver and a bottle of cheap gin had a baby in a New York alleyway, it would probably look like Maniac — a filthy, sleazy, blood-soaked grindhouse flick held together by duct tape, sweat, and Joe Spinell’s maniacal breathing. Released in 1980 … Read More “Maniac (1980): A Love Letter to the Unhinged, Sweaty, and Unapologetically Deranged” »
Directed by Herbert RossStarring John Cusack, James Spader, Imogen Stubbs If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you took The Firm, removed all the suspense, neutered the drama, and replaced the thriller with a yawn-inducing tale of political betrayal between frat bros, congratulations — you’ve just conjured True Colors. It’s the cinematic equivalent of … Read More “True Colors (1991): When Ambition Met Boredom and They Both Died Inside” »
Directed by Peter Yates. Starring Cher, Dennis Quaid, and Liam Neeson. If you’ve ever sat through jury duty and thought, This could make a great movie, congratulations — you’ve just pitched Suspect, the 1987 legal thriller that turns a slow, gray Monday in municipal court into 121 minutes of cinematic tedium. This isn’t a thriller. … Read More “Suspect (1987): Courtroom Dreck in a Trench Coat” »
Directed by Richard Marquand. Starring Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges. In the grand tradition of mid-’80s courtroom thrillers that think a typewriter and some gavel banging are all you need to pass for suspense, Jagged Edge stumbles into the room like a hungover law student faking confidence in a bar exam. On the surface, it’s … Read More “Jagged Edge (1985): A Dull Blade That Never Cuts Deep” »
Black Widow wants to be a slick cat-and-mouse thriller — a slow-burn battle of wits between a career FBI agent and a cunning murderess. What it ends up being is a movie that feels like someone tried to stretch a Dateline episode into two hours while smoking clove cigarettes and pretending it’s art. Debra Winger … Read More “Black Widow (1987): Femme Fatale Fatigue with a Side of Government Boredom” »
The Bedroom Window tries very hard to be a stylish, suspenseful Hitchcockian thriller. What it ends up being is a 103-minute test of your ability to suspend disbelief — not about the plot, but about Steve Guttenberg landing Elizabeth McGovern. Let’s be real: Guttenberg, the affable everyman of the Police Academy universe, is suddenly recast … Read More “The Bedroom Window (1987): A Thriller Where the Only Mystery Is How Steve Guttenberg Got Cast” »
Ah, Bad Influence. That early ’90s cautionary tale where corporate yuppiedom gets corrupted by slick hair, mirrored sunglasses, and a boatload of Rob Lowe sleaze. Directed by Curtis Hanson — who would later go on to make actual good movies — this film feels like one long, cologne-drenched commercial for moral decay. Except instead of … Read More “Bad Influence (1990) – Rob Lowe Slimes the Screen, and James Spader Just Lets Him” »
“White Palace” wants you to believe it’s a daring May-December love story. What it really is, though, is the cinematic equivalent of finding a cigarette butt floating in your glass of merlot. It tries to be sexy, soulful, and socially edgy, but ends up being a midlife crisis wrapped in cigarette smoke and mashed potatoes. … Read More “White Palace (1990) – A Cougar Romance Drenched in Cheap Wine and Sadness” »
Sometimes you fall in love. Sometimes you fall into a trap. And sometimes you fall into Mädchen Amick’s eyes and forget your own name while she’s sharpening the knives behind your back. That’s Dream Lover — a slick, shadowy, underappreciated erotic thriller that poses as a romance, saunters into domestic bliss, and then kicks you … Read More “Dream Lover (1994) – When Love Wears Lipstick and Carries a Scalpel” »
