RETRO REVIEW: “The Stone Killer” (1973)

October 12, 2023 by Keith Garlington

With any discussion on the best movies of Charles Bronson’s career it’s likely that many of the same titles will pop up: “Once Upon a Time in the West”, “The Magnificent Seven”, “The Great Escape”, “The Dirty Dozen”, “Death Wish”. I’m doubting that “The Stone Killer” gets mentioned much in those conversations. But what can I say, after 50 years it remains one of my favorites out of Bronson’s many crime genre forays.

“The Stone Killer” was one of six Bronson collaborations with director Michael Winner. It fell in between 1972’s “The Mechanic” and 1974’s “Death Wish”. Written for the screen by Gerald Wilson, the film is a loose adaptation of John Gardner’s 1969 novel “A Complete State of Death”. It’s one of several notably violent cop movies that came in the wake of the successful “Dirty Harry”. But this isn’t just another clone of that popular Clint Eastwood vehicle. If anything, it more closely resembles the poliziotteschi subgenre of crime movies that were popular in Italy at the time.

In Spanish Harlem, an 18-year-old is wanted for shooting and wounding a police officer during a liquor store robbery. He runs into an old apartment building as police officers gather outside. Detective Lou Torrey (Bronson) arrives and immediately goes in after him, chasing the suspect upstairs and out on a fire escape. The young man pulls a gun and Torrey shoots him dead. We’re quickly told that it’s the third teenager shot and killed by the New York Police Department in four weeks. This latest death leads to the Mayor receiving a flood of new complaints from angry citizens.

Quickly branded a “gun-happy cop” by the local media, Lou is forced to turn in his gun and badge. Frustrated with it all, he leaves New York and heads to Los Angeles where he takes an LAPD detective position offered by his old friend and new captain Les Daniels (Norman Fell). Paired with a racist partner named Mathews (Ralph Waite), Lou nabs a drug peddler named Armitage (Eddie Firestone) who’s wanted on a murder charge in New York. Lou is tasked with escorting Armitage back to New York to stand trial. But after arriving, Armitage is gunned down in the airport parking lot by a drive-by shooter.

As Lou starts investigating Armitage’s murder he finds clues pointing to it being a mob hit. Meanwhile, a New York mafia boss named Al Vescari (Martin Balsam) begins planning an ambitious serious of assassinations. His targets are fellow dons across the nation. It’s his long-awaited revenge for “The Night of Sicilian Vespers” – a mythologized mass killing of mob bosses orchestrated by Charles “Lucky” Luciano in 1931. Needless to say Don Vescari holds a grudge.

Don Vescari’s grand plan involves hiring Vietnam vets to carry out the killings rather than the using mob guys (hence the movie’s title). Lou begins connecting dots leading to a combustible third act where the mystery and police procedural elements give way to more action. Winner let’s loose with a couple of well executed set pieces that fit right in Bronson’s wheelhouse. It all leads to a fitting payoff that’s more than your predictable run-of-the-mill finish.

There are several great faces scattered throughout the movie and you can’t help but make some fun connections. Among the best is seeing John Ritter in an early role. He and Norman Fell were only a few years away from starring together in the extremely popular sitcom “Three’s Company”. And it’s a hoot seeing Ralph Waite, the righteous patriarch in the wholesome family series “The Waltons” play such a despicable louse.

But Bronson is the clear star of the show. While “The Stone Killer” doesn’t get much attention when it comes to his movies, he delivers a strong and well-rounded performance. Both Winner’s direction and Wilson’s script gives the tough-as-leather Bronson material that feeds his strengths. He doesn’t have a ton of dialogue, but he doesn’t need it either. Bronson has always been an actor who can carry a movie with his formidable presence. That’s certainly the case here.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

First Glance: “The Iron Claw”

October 11, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Take my word for it – you don’t need to be a professional wrestling fan to be drawn to the devastating true story of the Von Erich family. A24’s new film “The Iron Claw” seeks to tell the story of Kevin, Kerry, David, and Mike Von Erich, four brothers whose famed wrestling careers were eventually overshadowed by lives of trouble and tragedy. The sobering first trailer dropped today and it gives us a good taste of the meteoric highs and disastrous lows that this complicated family faced.

The film is directed by Sean Durkin (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”, “The Nest”) and stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons as the Von Erich brothers. It also stars Holt McCallany as their father and wrestling promoter Fritz Von Erich. This first look shows Durkin giving equal time to both the professional and personal side of their lives. I can’t imagine it will be an easy watch, but it looks to be a thoroughly compelling one.

“The Iron Claw” opens in theaters on December 22nd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Ghosts of the Void” (2023)

October 11, 2023 by Keith Garlington

One of earliest treats from Filmland 2023 was “Ghosts of the Void”, a slow-burning indie thriller written and directed by Jason Miller. This (mostly) two-hander is built around a rather simple premise, yet one that’s rich with a slew of themes that make it a little more than a straight genre movie. It’s smart, surprisingly crafty, and thoroughly enthralling entertainment that’s as frightening as it is thought-provoking.

Miller opens his film with a revealing George Carlin quote — “The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it.” From there we meet Jen (Tedra Millan) and Tyler (Michael Reagan), a young married couple who have been crushed in their pursuit of that very dream. She’s an aspiring photographer; he’s a struggling writer. Neither have found the success they had hoped for. Even worse, mounting debt has led to them being evicted from their home.

Their scenario is dire from the outset. But as we can easily surmise, things are going to get worse. On a cold November night, with nothing but their old car, a few personal belongings, and forty bucks in their pockets, the couple drive through a residential area and park at a small playground at the end of a street. There they hope get a night’s sleep before coming up with a game plan in the morning. It’s easier said than done.

Miller’s story uncoils over that dark, cold evening as Jen’s anxiety and Tyler’s frustration slowly reveals the cracks in their fragile relationship. Through their intensifying interactions and some well implemented flashbacks, we learn a lot about both characters as the pieces of their backstory begin to click into place. Miller takes his time revealing his entire hand and he does a good job keeping us locked in and eager to see their situation play out.

But there’s another element to the film that slowly begins to rear its sinister head. “Ghosts of the Void” embraces the horror genre, playing like (as Miller himself succinctly put it) a home invasion movie but minus the home. Thoughts of 2008’s “The Strangers” immediately come to mind once three figures, all wearing hideously unsettling masks, begin terrorizing the young couple. Who they are and what they want plays a big part in the film’s final third.

Things really get fun once Miller starts playing around with our genre expectations. He leans into several common horror tropes, utilizing them in some effective ways. Keen camera choices along with some strategic uses of music and sound help ratchet up the tension. It all works towards an ending that takes a really big swing – one that I’m not sure fully works but that I appreciated. But the trick is in how Miller always leaves things up for interpretation.

While Miller’s direction is key, “Ghosts of the Void” would sink without Millan and Reagan. Their revealing and layered performances bring an organic quality to the film’s fundamental central relationship. Both fit well within the movie’s seemingly cynical worldview and are essential in bringing the story’s message to light. As for that message, occasionally it’s too overt; other times its slyly subtle. Either way it’s effective. Toss in some genre seasoning and you have a flavorful horror thriller that routinely impresses.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Nowhere” (2023)

October 10, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Director Albert Pintó takes a minimalist concept and stretches it to its limits in “Nowhere”, a new Spanish-language survival thriller that’s now streaming on Netflix. Written by the five-person team of Ernest Riera, Miguel Ruz, Indiana Lista, Seanne Winslow, and Teresa Rosendoy and anchored by a gutsy lead performance from Anna Castillo, “Nowhere” takes its audience on a journey that can be as inspiring as it is ridiculous.

“Nowhere” is set in a dystopian society where shortages of food, water, and everyday resources has plunged the world into chaos. This has given rise to a vaguely sketched tyrannical regime who are savagely carrying out their new world order. It includes rationing goods and rounding up pregnant women and children as part of something resembling population control.

In Spain, Nico (Tamar Novas) and his very pregnant wife Anna (Castillo) are attempting to flee the country for Ireland where there is still a semblance of freedom and resistance. The couple pay all the have to some unsavory human smugglers. But through a rather harrowing and down-right brutal series of events, Nico and Mia are separated and she finds herself all alone in a shipping container aboard a huge cargo ship.

While out at sea, a violent storm sends her shipping container plunging into the turbulent waters. From there this mostly single-setting survival story plays out as a pregnant Mia attempts to stay alive inside the floating container with only a small bag of supplies and four to five crates of who-knows-what. She faces numerous hurdles including water seeping inside, a lack of food, and of course her pregnancy which offers its own set of unique challenges.

Castillo puts the movie on her back and gives an intensely committed performance. Mia shows incredible determination and fortitude as her situation grows more dire by the second. Sometimes watching her navigate the dangers she faces adds real tension to the movie. But things can come off as a little too convenient and even borderline absurd on occasions. But Castillo holds our attention and gives us a sympathetic protagonist who’s easy to root for.

Pintó’s direction is solid and he knows he has a good thing in Castillo. The movie lags a bit in the middle and would have been more effective if it were trimmed down a bit. As for the story, it doesn’t offer much depth to its world although what’s teased is interesting. And while “Nowhere” very much tells a survival story, it also has some interesting things to say about guilt, grief, and motherhood. All said, it’s a nice get for Netflix. And it surprisingly does a lot with a pretty simple idea. “Nowhere” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

REVIEW: “Flora and Son” (2023)

October 9, 2023 by Keith Garlington

The pointedly titled “Flora and Son” couldn’t be more straightforward. This confounding musical dramedy is every bit about a single mother named Flora and her rebellious 14-year-old son Max. Or is it? Set and filmed in Dublin, the story follows the pair’s strained relationship and shows how music unexpectedly ends up being the balm that heals their deep emotional wounds. It sounds sweet. But there are moments when the movie is anything but.

“Flora and Son” is the latest from writer-director John Carney. It’s his long awaited follow-up to the terrific “Sing Street”. The film builds itself around a heartfelt premise and it’s driven by a brilliant performance from Eve Hewson. It’s a movie that certainly has its funny exchanges and touching moments. But no matter how hard Carney tries, his latest effort is never as emotionally satisfying or infectiously charming as his 2016 gem.

Interestingly, it’s almost like “Flora and Son” is ashamed of what it actually is. You can see it working hard to not be viewed as a feel-good crowdpleaser by tossing in loads of salty language and by creating characters who teeter between sympathetic and insufferable. On the surface that might sound like a petty gripe. But it’s a problem that goes beyond mere movie optics. It impacts how we respond to the story and even the characters themselves.

Take Flora, played by an effortlessly great Hewson. It’s clear she’s intended to be a sympathetic and funny character. But too often Carney goes for cheap laughs by writing her as needlessly crude as possible. And while her son Max (played by a somewhat monotone Orén Kinlan) is ungrateful and disrespectful, Flora is routinely hateful and verbally abusive. Although I’m not sure that’s how the movie wants us to see her – it’s hard to tell.

As for the story, it’s about music mending the toxic relationship between a mother and son. After Max has yet another run-in with the law, the police encourage Flora to find her son a hobby – something to keep him from blowing his last chance to stay out of juvie. While walking home Flora finds an old beat-up acoustic guitar which she gives to Max. But after he shows no interest, she picks it up. And with the help of online guitar sessions from a washed-up musician from Los Angeles named Jeff (a terrific Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Flora finds unexpected joy in making music with her hunky new teacher.

Flora’s newfound interest in music opens her eyes to Max’s desire to be a rapper and DJ. The inevitable come-together moment that follows is a little too tidy and Carney passes on some emotional complexities that would have given him the chance to explore some interesting ground. Still Hewson earns our investment, especially in her scenes with Gordon-Levitt. I just wish the rest of the movie worked as well as their scenes do.

Perhaps it’s unfair to keep bringing up “Sing Street”, but one of its biggest strengths was the original music from Carney and Gary Clark. The two collaborate again although none of these original songs leave much of an impression. Hewson and Gordon-Levitt have a good musical moment together yet it’s nothing as catchy as some of the tunes Carney and Clark have created in the past.

Perhaps most frustrating is how the mother-son relationship (which should be the heart of the movie) often gets back-burnered for Flora’s cutesy online coquetry with Jeff. They end up feeling like two competing storylines rather than combining into something more organic and cohesive. That’s a shame. Overall, “Flora and Son” left me longing for the movie it almost was. “Flora and Son” is streaming now on Apple TV+.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Lionsgate Releases Trailer and Poster for “Silent Night”

October 6, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Lionsgate has dropped a killer new trailer and poster for “Silent Night”, a violent revenge thriller from legendary action director John Woo. This holiday themed shoot’em up doesn’t look to be holding back on the blood or bullets which should leave action fans salivating. The cool new trailer and poster gives us a good taste of what Woo has in store for us on December 1. Check them both out below….

From the Studio:

From legendary director John Woo and the producer of John Wick comes this gritty revenge tale of a tormented father (Joel Kinnaman) who witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang’s crossfire on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he makes vengeance his life’s mission and embarks on a punishing training regimen in order to avenge his son’s death. Full of Woo’s signature style, Silent Night redefines the action genre with visceral, thrill-a-minute storytelling.