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The next 23 actors and 13 actresses on which I'll obsess and watch all their movies
Reviews
Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
Not exactly subtle but still a clever satire
I heard for years about BUFFALO SOLDIERS. After all, it has a star studded cast yet in Italy is now forgotten and coincidentally I saw it 21 days after I saw Joaquin Phoenix in NAPOLEON in theater. When I finally saw it this, I wasn't bowled over but still appreciated it for what it is, a satire on war.
The story is set in West Germany in 1989, some days before the fall of the Berlin wall. Specialist Ray Elwood (Phoenix) is just one of the enlisted men in the Theodore Roosevelt base in Stuttgart that are involved in trafficking and cooking heroin. Elwood is also close friends with Colonel Berman (Ed Harris) while also sleeping with his wife unbenkownst to him. However, when Sergeant Robert Lee (Scott Glenn) joins the unit, Lee might look determined to make Elwood and the others go straight. After an accident caused by servicemen under the influence of heroin where two other are killed, Lee revokes Elwood's privileges and makes another soldier stay in his bunk. In retaliation Elwood sleeps with Lee's daughter Robyn (Anna Paquin) and Lee makes a closet for heroin explode and killing one of Elwood's buds.
The night the Berlin Wall falls down, Elwood sneaks to Robyn's mansion and discovers that her dad is none other than an officer in the Criminal Investigation Division. When Elwood and Lee find themselves face to face something happens: the building explodes thanks to escaping butane mixing with smokes from industrial solvent, making Elwood and Lee falling from the top floor and Elwood ends up falling on top of Lee killing him. The movie ends with Elwood decorated and transferred to Hawaii with Robyn and submits a order for more supplies.
While the movie isn't exactly clever it's good in what it tries to be (what could happen if the Army would end up if under the substance of heroin) and the director made all the touches on purpose. The star studded cast (Phoenix, Harris, Glenn, Paquin, Michael Pena, Dean Stockwell and Idris Elba briefly before he became a star) seemed to have a lot of fun and the ending was certainly unexpected.
One of those forgotten movies that has to be seen not just for the cast but also for the humour tho I might assume it's not for everyone, just like the characters (especially Phoenix's) that are very strange and unusual.
Training Day (2001)
Deserving of its reputation tho tough to watch
I have heard about TRAINING DAY for years. After all, it's one of those movies that is aired on TV at least once a year, it had a TV show as remake tho with different actors in the leads and Denzel Washington won his second Academy Award, this time for Best Actor. When I saw it last December I could agree with all these that were reasons enough to watch it.
Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) is a young cop that is assigned to work with Alonzo Harris (Washington) of the Narcotics section for a day the day (no joke) before his eventual promotion. When Hoyt and Harris meet it's not easy at first as Hoyt is more by the book while Harris is more street-wise, knows the real codes for dealing with street gangs and in some istances looks like he's going to break the law. In fact there will be lots of investigations involving disabled Blue (Snoop Dogg), Harris' old friend Roger (Scott Glenn) who was also Harris' dealer because a Narcotics cop must have drugs in his bloodstream and Smiley (Cliff Curtis) who doesn't kill Jake for a second after, hear this, Jake's wallet with the photo of Smiley's cousin falls from his pants. In the end, the street gangs leave Alonzo to his fate (killed by Russian gangsters after he's exposed for the sort of guy he's really) and leave Jake go with the money.
I agree with some other reviewers that this isn't certainly a movie easy to watch because most of the villains are scum and most of the scenes involving killings aren't for the squeamish. But it's still worth watching because of Washington's performance (no surprise he won his second Academy Award, who knows if he'll win a third time for GLADIATOR II that will be released in a matter of weeks) and most of the other cast members' performances (they are too many and mentioned a few before). After all, Antoine Fuqua directs nicely long before the EQUALIZER trilogy again starring Washington and the first OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN.
One of those must-see movies tho not for everyone, not that there is anything wrong with it. Just be fore-warned before watching.
The Last Marshal (1999)
One of those many actioners better than its score and reviews
I love Scott Glenn's acting, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I dared watching THE LAST MARSHAL despite its score of 5,0 and mostly negative reviews with the highest rating a 7 just like me. But I found it better than most of the naysayers would have said to deter me.
Cole McLeary (Glenn) is a tough Texas Marshall great in fighting, drinking and swearing that as you might expect isn't well seen by his superiors and colleagues tho Cole manages always to get results before them. Trouble isn't that far because as the movie begins there is a shootout in the church caused by Torres (Vincent Castellanos) and T-Boy (Raymond Cruz) and when they escape to Miami, Cole follows them. Once in Miami it wouldn't be easy for Cole as it ended up in a multi-racial environment and various upbeat guys, and as partner he's assigned Jamie, a young and hip guy that Cole doesn't exactly estimate.
After some investigations (not without some brawls, swearing, shootings and some reprimands by the superiors that came there without letting the viewer know but ok) Cole will find out that the mastermind behind the murders, drug traffic, kidnappings and many other things is DeClerc (William Forsythe), and Cole sets himself for take down the empire his own way (succedding) while also winning the affection of Rosa, so at least he has a soft spot in his heart after all.
Yes, I admit it that most of the characters are scum and most of the time you have to suspend disbelief (the reason why I don't rate it higher than 7) but Glenn was great in playing an irritable no-nonsense guy that hates everyone in equal measure and it's also the last of a breed as the title suggests. At times it was also fun, sort of like a cross between an episode of RENEGADE and one of WALKER TEXAS RANGER. And the ending when Cole manages to stop DeClerc's criminal empire after lots of mayhem it's certainly reason enough to watch it.
Overall, one of those thrillers that is best to be seen when you are tired and don't want to think too much, and also without reading the reviews first. Lot of fun and with a great performance by the lead.
Naked City: A Killer Christmas (1998)
Not exactly a Christmas movie but still lots of fun
Before going into reviewing this sequel I already explained in the review for the predecessor why I saw this one first, but it wasn't a problem since I nearly loved this and it didn't hurt that much having seen the sequel before the predecessor (and I also have never seen the 1948 NAKED CITY either).
Sergeant Daniel Muldoon (Scott Glenn) and Officer James Halloran (Courtney Vance) as usual patrol New York streets, this time during the days before Christmas. This time they have to investigate on a serial killer that dresses up as Santa Claus and as they come to the point of finding the killer and his reasons they'll deal also with their personal lives, chaos in the office as they all are soon to go on restive days and very much behave like in a typical Christmas movie.
As I said in the summary this wasn't intended to be a Christmas movie but it happened to be because it was scheduled for a first airing on December 14 in 1998. Not that it hampers the plot that much but still it was great having lots of light-hearted moments (like when Muldoon hangs out with a colleague and start chanting while going in another office) while also dealing with a murderer disguising himself as Santa Claus.
Not to be missed even if you didn't saw the predecessor first like me, it's much better (perhaps it's just me but still, they are both very underrated).
Naked City: Justice with a Bullet (1998)
Ok TV movie tho inferior to the sequel
Before going into reviewing this I have to warn you readers that I saw it five months after the sequel. Why, you might ask? Well, back on December I still hadn't found a way for having access on YouTube for movies not for the squeamish and the sequel hadn't restrictions so I watched that first but on May I finally got the way for seeing on YouTube. But at least is not that bad as some of the few that reviewed it say,
Sergeant Daniel Muldoon (Scott Glenn) and Officer James Halloran (Courtney Vance) are two police officers that work driving with a taxi across the streets of New York and without some humour they resolve the most disparate crimes. This time they have to protect Sarah Tubbs and Merri Coffman (the latter played by Robin Tunney), two young girls that had their luggage and money stolen and have to be protected by a dangerous circle led by Chaz Villanueva (Giancarlo Esposito, and believe it or not the following day I saw him in theater in ABIGAIL) involving adult movies and drugs under a shadow of saintness. After a run-in with two hitmen sent by Chaz and a meeting with kingpin Deluca (Eli Wallach) for agreement, Muldoon and Halloran will manage to save the girls.
As I was watching I assumed that having seen the sequel first, this is by force inferior even if I would have seen this first. While the sequel was edgy and with some funny moments, this was more slow-paced and with more sleazy characters. But despite these deficencies, the twist at the end was shocking and unexpected where Chaz was found out to be the responsible of the stolen luggage and money.
Overall, if you can manage to watch them in order unlike me, I wonder if you'll find yourselves in my same position that I prefer the sequel. But this, while inferior, it hasn't its moments.
Firestorm (1998)
Pretty good actually considering its budget
FIRESTORM is a movie that might deter most users as it has a score of 4,7 and mostly negative reviews of folks that find it a bit too similar to CLIFFHANGER. However, last December I finally saw it and to my surprise I ended up liking it very much. Now that I took that off my chest, let me explain.
When the story begins Jesse Graves and his mentor Wynt Perkins (Scott Glenn) are rescuing civilians after a woman called when her cabin in the woods was burning, but Wynt ends up injured meaning that he should retire but Wynt won't because of the scarse pension he'll have. In the meanwhile a group of convicts is planning to cause a fire in the woods so that they might have a chance of helping the firemen and escape from custody. Randall Alexander Shaye (William Forsythe), who is in custody because he stole more than 300 dollars and hid them in the woods, kills the interrogator, takes his identity and along with his fellow inmates they disguise themselves as firefighters taking a bird watcher hostage unknown of the fact that a forest fire already started thanks to a lightning strike.
Shaye then ends up killing all his fellow inmates so that he won't have to share the money with anyone, only to find out later that the money was burned by fire, and in a rampage kills Air Force pilot Loomis throwing him off a cliff and Packer (Barry Pepper) making him end caught in a trap that was actually intended for Shaye. Time is running out because the forest fire might cross paths and if they do, they'll engulf all the oxigen!
Wynt, who has miracolously recovered from the injuries sustained in the beginning, returns to action and saves a truckload of firefigthers and prisoners saved from Shaye's rampage, and Jesse finds out that Wynt knew about the fire since very long, but as it happens in these sort of movies, nobody wanted to hear him, and, big shocking twist, Wynt started the fire for helping a land developer in having a training school for firefigthers not knowing that the prisoners were planning an evasion. Jesse promises to keep Wynt's secret.
And here we come to the big showdown, where Wynt reveals Shaye that his lawyers made him take the fall, and Wynt ends up shot in the leg. Shaye survives an injury caused by an axe and just as he tries to kill Jesse and Jennifer, Jesse puts his head in the hole in the boat and Shaye ends up burned alive. As Jesse and Jennifer are saved, we find out that the eggs Jennifer had hidden in her coat have finally hatched despite all the fires.
So, after all I said about this, is it better than its reputation and pathetic IMDB score? Yes indeed. There were lots of tense moments that made me feel on the edge of the seat and couldn't wait to see what was coming next, and the ending was great beyond measure for its budget. The acting was great by all (many no names except Glenn, Forsythe and Pepper) and Forsythe especially, he was scary as a crazed arsonist that not only made most of his inmates escape but finishes them all after the money was gone. The stunts and fires were certainly impressive, and the ending was certainly a relief; after all those who died in the movie, two bird eggs hatch meaning that new life comes from the ashes.
Overall, one of those movies maligned only because it looks like the bad copy of a movie from some years prior with an A-lister when it's actually good on the same level. Not to be missed if you are a fan of the three known names or of thrillers that air often on TV.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Dead End (1995)
Good continuation on the previous episode
When the previous episode ended we left Bolander, Felton and Russert near death thanks to the gunman that opened fire, and when this one begins we see them in the operating room where they are under the knife for removing the bullets. But what happens otherwise? After the opening we see...
Pembleton and Lewis decide to collaborate with the Quick Response Team and it helps them getting close to pedophile and suspected sniper Glen Holton, only that he denies to having touched kids (just like with the one of the Adena case). Captain George Barnfather and Colonel Bert Granger go to Giardello investigating on the fact if he was negligent in ordering the investigation that nearly costed three detectives' lives. And, the unexpected confession of a apprehended suspect gives a needed hand on the catching of the responsible of the shooting. Who's the responsible? We'll see in the next episode, we'll see.
It was some relief seeing Bolander, Felton and Russert still alive despite the injures substained and I kinda expected that Giardello was suspected of negligence after three of his detectives nearly lost their lives in the shooting. At this point, we can't wait to see who's the responsible of the shooting.
Homicide: Life on the Street: The City That Bleeds (1995)
The first of a three-part cycle
Throughout the running of HOMICIDE there were some interwining stories that had to be split in more than one episode (in season 6 even one in three episodes). While it might not seem the case with the title of this and the next two following episodes, this was a three episode cycle. Is it good? Let's see
When the story begins Munch, Bolander, Felton and Russert go to serve a routine warrant only to being ambushed by a gunman that opened fire after hearing noise, seriously injuring all except Munch. With Bolander, Felton and Russert in hospital hanging in the balance between life and death Pembleton is partnered with detective Theresa Walker for the investigation on a pedophile, that is specialized in psychology and tries to make a drawing of the suspect's mind. As for the investigation where only Munch remained uninjured, Bolander's former partner Mitch Drummond accepts to join the case and the resolution will be seen in the following episodes.
Despite it was sad seeing our beloved Felton and Bolander near death and taken to hospital, it was still a good episode that makes you waiting anxiously for the continuation.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Partners (1995)
A better resolution for the previous episode's second story
In the previous episode Pembleton refused to cover up the wrong investigation made by a commissioner, only that a reporter exposed the cover up on TV and Pembleton had some guilt complexes. Well, despite this isn't a part 2 (like it would happen often in the show from this season onwards), here we have a resolution on that case.
When the episode begins detective Douglas Jones joins the Homicide unit from Narcotics, and soon after Jones' wife is admitted to the hospital with serious bruises with Russert suspecting of spousal abuse only to have Jones denying to having even touched his wife. Soon Pembleton prepares to testify against the commissioner, as the trust from his partners (all present here except for Felton) and future in the unit hang in the balance, and Pembleton finally succedds in clearing his name. In the end Munch and Bolander finally manage to open The Waterfront Bar.
It was a relief seeing Pembleton freeing himself from the accusations and the other stories were good, especially the one when Munch and Bolander manage to open the bar with which they had lots of issues in opening and restructuration. Among the many great episodes so far.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Cradle to Grave (1995)
Great episode not just for bikers
When the episode begins Munch and Lewis investigate on the death of biker gang leader Andrew Whetherly, the leader of the Deacons Motorcycle Club that was killed by Preacher because Andrew had some feelings for Preacher's daughter. The case is complicated when Lewis is approached by a FBI agent that is also investigating on the Deacons. In the meanwhile commissioner James Harris enlists Pembleton to help for covering up another commissioner that falsely reported a crime but Pembleton is thrown in the den of lions after refusing to being involved and a reporter finds out about the cover-up. In the end Preacher is put in cell after he confesses of having killed Whetherly.
The bikers' part was great also for this reference: when Lewis notices that a crowd of bikers is outside the police station, Munch says 'Only Lorenzo Lamas and Chuck Norris are missing at this reunion'. This is a reference to TV shows RENEGADE and WALKER TEXAS RANGER (in 1995 they were both between the third and fourth season) where in the first Lamas travelled mostly with his Harley Davidson across the US (as a TV commercial announcer put it, crossing the streets of America like John Wayne) and in the second Norris when there wasn't much time used a motorcycle for jumping from it and kicking the snot of the villains, and that in Italy are aired both an episode at a day on channel 22 both from 7 to 9 AM and from 7 to 9 PM. That is some clever reference, since there are some that still watch those shows in Italy (including a friend of mine's mom).
Homicide: Life on the Street: Every Mother's Son (1995)
Fine episode about dealing with common ground
When the episode begins Pembleton and Bayliss are called for investigating of the death of 13 year old Darryl Nawls found shot in a bowling alley, probably the same where Munch and Fidel went to play before finding out that Fidel's real father is still alive. They find after few minutes the culprit that confesses to having committed the murder and this thing happens; once at the police station, the mother of the shooter casually meets the mother of the victim and at first as you might expect they bicker but some time later (we are not said how much but I assume between January 4 and 5 when the episode was shot) they find out to have a lot in common and, the brother of the victim becomes temporary friend of the shooter's brother and, big surprise, the shooter confesses to have shot Nawls by mistake. In the meanwhile Munch and Bolander have lots of issues in reconstructing the bar and opening it, in particular Bolander doesn't want that a toilet room gets modified because George Washington used it two centuries earlier.
Aside from the consistent first story this is a typical episode where nearly everything is good and I would end up saying the same things over and over. Needless to say, just another one in a long line of winners.
Homicide: Life on the Street: All Through the House (1994)
Not the usual Christmas episode but still among the best so far
As with all TV shows made since the 1950s, when we arrive at the end of the year there is always a Christmas-themed episode so, despite HOMICIDE is very serious in tone, they had to do one. And it's among the best so far that's for sure.
On Christmas Eve the squad is on duty, so that they can be home for Christmas, and it might seem like the usual routine. Munch and Bolander investigate on the murder of a man dressed as Santa Claus found on a sidewalk and when they find his address and go at his home for investigating they find his 10 year old son Fidel waiting for his dad coming home. As Bolander goes to child Welfare, Munch has to stay with Fidel; you might think it would end up like HOME ALONE but no, Munch and Fidel first talk while the kid is watching a gangster movie from the 1950s, then go to the bowling alley having fun and beating Munch in bowling and buy dinner, and surprise! Bolander returns with Fidel's real father, meaning that the victim was one who stole his Santa dress.
In the meanwhile Lewis and Russert spend the night searching for a woman's killer that killed her last victim setting her on fire and burning her, curiously enough, after they announce the victim's mother that they found the killer she notices too many red decorations in one place and throws one to the ground. Once Munch and Bolander return at Homicide, Bayliss decides to get the office in the Christmas spirit getting everyone to play cards tho some are reticent especially that pretends to have never heard of this game and then the episode ends.
As usual with Christmas episodes even in serious shows, there is a right dose of warmth but still this is a twisted one as there are a woman burned to death and a dead Santa Claus which isn't the man Munch and Bolander thought he would be. But still, worth mentioning among the best episodes of the show for the bowling alley sequence alone.
Homicide: Life on the Street: The Last of the Watermen (1994)
An episode with an unexpected team-up
When the episode begins we see Al Giardello and John Munch in a public laundry service waiting for their clothes to be clean and discuss about why they have to go there than doing it in their own houses, and then the credits start. Beau Felton and Kay Howard are called to investigate on the murder of Audrey Reznick but since the crime scene it's too disgusting (Reznick's tongue has been cut out, and I saw a similar thing in the recent theater movie SPEAK NO EVIL tho the child was alive in that) Howard snaps and needs some time off Homicide, a chance for returning home for a while. Once at Cheasepeake Bay (near where Crosetti was found dead in the harbor wouldn't you know it) and investigates the murder of a local conservationist, suspecting that a local oysterman might be involved since the conservationist claimed that the oysters were going extinct so it was against the law fishing them and the oysterman finished him off. As Howard arrests the fisherman her brother (a friend of the oysterman) gets angry despite the evidence of the murder.
Since Felton is now alone Giardello assigns Pembleton as his new partner, and remember when in the pilot they were teamed up and didn't work out well? Well, this time they get along just fine (except when they join the basketball game and then they start to bicker making all the boys leave the park) for solving a murder involving a old woman that was killed by her nephew cutting her tongue because she allegedly talked too much.
As I said in previous reviews for other episodes of the show, nice acting and clever script are what makes this show work so far. My minor complaints would be the parts where Howard became angry towards her brother and when Pembleton and Felton bicker after joining the neighborhood kids in the basketball game. But for the rest, another good entry for the show.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Crosetti (1994)
A good way for closing the circle on one of the characters
Remember detective Steve Crosetti (Jon Polito) who was on the HOMICIDE team up until the end of season 2 but you didn't saw him in the first episodes of season 3? Well, here we finally know where he ended up.
Up until the beginning the squad thaught that Crosetti was on vacation but suddenly they hear the news on TV that he was found dead on Chesapeake Bay. Bolander quickly assumes that it's suicide but Lewis asks more investigations for avoiding to put suicide as Crosetti's cause of death. Only after a while there would be the autopsy that in Crosetti's blood there were lots of substances and Bolander would end up conforting Lewis with a hug. Despite Pembleton refuses to go to the funeral mass since he refuses to step in a church after the discussion with Annabelle Wilgis in episode 3, he'll stand dressed in high uniform in front of the police station during the funeral procession, along with the fact that they refused to do a funeral with full honors to Crosetti since he killed himself.
While it was certainly a shock hearing that Crosetti killed himself it's still a good episode thanks as usual to the performances by all and the writing. Usual for the standards of the show, and great in dealing with issues about loyalty and friendship without being too preachy.
Carla's Song (1996)
Typical love at distance story tho the ending made it fall flat
Despite Ken Loach is considered a great director by most movie critics and older people I hadn't seen a movie directed by him up until last December. So you can imagine my expectations when I had to watch this and I found it well directed and made, so I guess that Loach deserves to be praised.
The story begins in 1987 in Glasgow. Carla, a refugee from Nicaragua escaped from the civil war, strives for living with the passerbys' money from her sidewalk shows. One day she boards a bus but since she's without ticket is scolded by the ticket controller only to be saved by bus driver George Lennox (Robert Carlyle) tho this will cost in him being suspended for a while for his unprofessional behaviour. After a while George ends up leaving the woman he was about to marry because he fell in love with Carla. After a while tho, while they spent an afternoon at the lake George notices the bruises on Carla's back and starts to uncover her dark past when she was in love with a man named Antonio to which he wrote romantic love letters.
George decides to follow Carla as she returns to Nicaragua for seeing how the war unfolded and if Antonio is still alive. Once there George witnesses a country ravaged by hunger, violence and death which is the opposite of the ideals of the inhabitants, and Carla discovers that now Antonio is a political prisoner. After some days George meets Bradley (Scott Glenn), a former CIA Agent that decided to help the rebels. Also thanks to Bradley, George discovers the truth about Carla that she had a kid from Antonio and the latter has the face disfigured. Despite Carla decides to stay in Nicaragua, she'll never forget George and they'll keep each other in their hearts.
The many pluses of the movie are: the direction. As I've never seen another Loach movie, I am naive but still bowled over by his direction style different than the most English directors. The acting was good by all; Carlyle, Oyanka Cabezas (who never became a star despite this being her only movie), Gary Lewis and Glenn (which makes me wonder how he got here since he's American and this is a British production shot for the most part in Nicaragua) looked like they knew they were in the hands of a great director and acted of consequence. And the shootings in Nicaragua looked both great and realistic since like in documentaries, the ravages of war had to be shown somehow.
Then with all the praise to the qualities why I didn't gave it a 9? Well, some of the scenes of Antonio being tortured were too much even for me that I am a guy that likes the SAWs and FRIDAY THE 13TH and I also hated the ending. I mean, if George loved Carla so much couldn't he have forced her to leave war-torn Nicaragua and move with him in England since at the beginning they shared the same home for some time? It would have been a better ending for me but apparently the writer decided to make it implied that Carla used George as an excuse to get back to Antonio. I don't know for a fact but this is my guess.
Overall a good movie by a director acclaimed by many tho you should forgive the ending for loving it. Not that it's a bad thing.
Night of the Running Man (1995)
One of those thrillers in the vein of RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION, and good as most of them
NIGHT OF THE RUNNING MAN is a movie I would have avoided had I only looked at the overall score of 5,7 and the mostly negative reviews. But since last December I finally decided to watch all the movies I still hadn't seen with Scott Glenn I bit the bullet and I am glad I did because it made me feel on the edge of my seat. And my summary refers to the fact that this was released by Miramax, the same studio of those two other classics.
When the story begins cab driver Jerry Logan gives a ride to a nervous passenger that gives Logan 100$ for arriving at the airport ASAP, and unknown to Logan the man has stolen one million dollars from casino manager Al Chambers, who also skimmed it from mob boss Augusto Gurino. Knowing that Gurino would kill him if he finds out about the missing money, Chambers sends hitmen for recover the money. The thief is killed but Logan (who hid in a closet, something usual in this sort of movies) escapes with the money. Chambers then hires irritable hitman David Eckhart (Glenn) who has to track down Logan after he escaped his house; in fact when Logan takes a train a waitress is killed by Eckhart since she refused to reveal where Logan is. After a kidnapping in Los Angeles where Eckhart boils Logan's feet in hot water tho Logan overpowers Eckhart's co-hort Mills and flees with the money. Logan is then treated in an hospital where nurse Christine Altman hides him after Eckhart comes looking for him, and they flee to a nearby hotel only to end in Logan's house and after a steamy night, wouldn't you know it, Eckhart was waiting for him in the kitchen. Then they make a deal that if Logan can manage to split the money, Eckhart should let him and Christine live.
Soon Logan gets tired of this and after a failed ambush to Eckhart he reveals that he hid the money in the basement. Once there Logan and Eckhart start fighting and taunting each other in the dark. Despite it seems that Logan has the easy hand, Eckhart overpowers him but just as he's about to kill Logan, the latter hits Eckhart with a wooden plank that unknown to them has a nail, impaling Eckhart and finishing him. Sometime later Logan and Christine go in another under assumed names.
To not compare this movie to the aforementioned movies in the summary would be a mistake, because this is one of those movies for which you must have high tolerance for violence as there are very intense scenes of killings or injuring people, and here Glenn plays one of the scariest characters he ever played as I didn't even recalled to have see him so nasty and aggressive and it was certainly a plus for the movie. Overall, if you are in love with the 1990s' movies or thrillers that verge on the violent, it's worth a viewing.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Happy to Be Here (1994)
Bizarre and thought-provoking at the same time
When the episode begins Bayliss and Emma Zoole wake up in the coffin she uses as a bed and he has some pain because he isn't used to sleep in it, only that later Zoole abruptly ends the affair because she becomes turned on after her boyfriend h**s her and Bayliss refuses to h** her (I assume you probably got it but IMDB wouldn't allow me to use the full words). After the title we cut to Sam Thorne, the anti-guns activist we saw in the previous episode, at a restaurant and after a few minutes is shot by a teen on behalf of a cartel so that they can give him the money for buying a new bike.
Pembleton and Bayliss, the dynamic duo of the show and if you arrived at this point you'll know what I mean, are supposed to investigate about a man that didn't reported the death of his wife and kept her in the house thinking she's alive tho she is starting the process of decay but it all goes awry after Bayliss snaps since he's still grieving for the end of his relationship: some time later Bayliss goes to a convenience store and after the cashier tells him that money isn't enough for what he had to buy (a six-pack and cookies) Bayliss helds the cashier at gunpoint only to have Pembleton arrive and stop Bayliss going further just like at the beginning with Zoole's boyfriend.
What I liked about this episode were the performances and most of the situations especially the one in the convenience store. But what prevented me to give a 9 was the story of the man that kept his dead wife in the chair and didn't even realized she was dead until Pembleton and Bayliss went to investigate, that was a bit gross even for the show's standards. However, the good outweights the bad here.
Homicide: Life on the Street: A Model Citizen (1994)
The episode dealing with a love triangle
When the episode begins John Munch and Kay Howard investigate on the accidental shooting of an Afro-American teen by his teenage brother which might seem like the last of Munch's problems at the moment as he also has to take a class (only to be kicked out for his finding hypocritical that bartenders should stop people from getting drunk) for having a liquor's license for the bar, and has some pressure by activist Sam Thorne (Joe Morton) for getting guns off the streets. In the meanwhile a feud started between Lewis and Bayliss because they fell in love for Emma Zoole, a designer that is good in designing crime scene models for the attorney's office and has the weird kink of sleeping in a coffin instead of a normal bed, and Bayliss gets turned on by it.
Pembleton is sued by Annabella Wilgis for how he interrogated her in the previous episode and Felton returns home only to find that his former wife disappeared and took the kids with her (something we didn't hoped for in the first place), and has some comfort after discussing about it with Giardello.
One of the usual good episodes in the series thanks to the witty writing, performances by all, hilarious situations with Munch that can't even attend a class and some heart-warming moments towards the end with Felton and Giardello.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Extreme Unction (1994)
The first good episode of the third season
As far as season 3 went, the first was a bit of a letdown thanks to Felton's former wife and the second, while a bit better, wasn't that great overall thanks to again Felton's former wife and Munch and Bolander's issues with the bar. But this, now this was good.
As Pembleton continues investigations about the white gloves killer a witness of the second victim's murder, Pamela Wilgis, emerges. Pembleton interrogates her and in the meanwhile Bolander investigates in her apartment uncovering some clues that could be connected to the murders. Pembleton this time goes calm and Wilgis' confession ends with a discussion about faith. Soon Wilgis is interviewed on the news and her new statement undermines Pembleton's faith in the system, in himself and in God until the next day has a discussion with Sister Magdalena that makes him connect the dots before the episode ends.
What I liked about this one is that they finally found some link to the white gloves murders and also the conversation between Sister Magdalena and Pembleton that makes you reflect about faith and God without being too preachy just like the one given by Paul Winfield in his episode of RENEGADE.
Not to be missed but if you arrived at this episode it might seem that you grew to like the show.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Fits Like a Glove (1994)
A bit of an improvement on the previous one
The season opener was some sort of a letdown thanks to Beau Felton's former wife's nasty behaviour but for the rest it was ok. Now this is a bit better tho I couldn't give a higher score than 7 and I later explain why.
When the episode begins another dead woman with white gloves is found behind the church just like Katherine Goodrich. Russert assigns Pembleton to the case tho he hasn't success. Later Frederik Fuchs, a serial murder groupie, arrives to the station and gives the unit some hints for their investigations. In the meanwhile Felton returns to his wife only to still have issues in returning to her (and that's one of the strikes against the episode) and an indiscretion of Bayliss' past stops Munch and Bolander on their tracks in the plans of buying a bar.
Apart from Felton's side story I also disliked the problems Munch and Bolander had that couldn't buy the bar tho this time Tony Todd's character's attitude was better than in the previous one. As it is, a typical episode of the show but nothing more.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Nearer My God to Thee (1994)
A weak season opener thanks to an unpleasant moment
After nearly loving the first two seasons of HOMICIDE I ended up wanting to see more and I started the third season as well. However as it progressed I found this one of the weakest episodes so far.
When the episode begins Katherine Goodrich, who opened a shelter for homeless women, is found dead in a dumpster near a Catholic church naked expect for the gloves. Megan Russert, a new detective in the homicide unit, is assigned to the case but hasn't that much help by the other detectives only because she is a woman, and doesn't even get along with Kay Howard. Pembleton and Bayliss question sister Magdalena that worked with Goodrich for the construction of the shelter and Magdalena confesses that the aggressive boyfriend of a woman of the shelter had Katherine in his sights who also never wore gloves when she was alive. Some time later Russert has more pressure when aggressive reporter Matt Rhodes (Tony Todd) reveals he knows about the murder and the gloves, and Russert convinces Rhodes to wait little for the exclusive story.
In the meanwhile Beau Felton has his life turned upside down because his wife wants to separate and won't let him see his kids; some minutes later Felton confesses to Kay Howard that he has had an affair with another woman in the past. Lewis and Munch want to buy a bar without success and can't manage to convince Bolander in doing so only to have Bayliss convince later in doing so. Before the end credits start we see Felton going to Russert and kissing her so that's the affair he was having.
What I hated about the episode is that I hated Felton's former wife trash treated him without having proof of the affair and menacing him of not seeing his children anymore and this is already a huge turn-off. The rest was ok, nothing exceptional and would continue in the next episode.
Homicide: Life on the Street: A Many Splendored Thing (1994)
Decent end for the shortest season
While the first season of HOMICIDE lasted only 9 episodes the second one only lasted 4 episodes. Despite it's very good I assume that the network didn't believed in it that much and thought that a second season should have been of so few episodes for seeing if public longed for the next seasons. And it did, since from the third season onwards it lasted 20 episodes and the following 22. This was a decent one for wrapping up the shortest season.
When the episode begins Pembleton and Bayliss investigate on the murder of a woman found tied to her bed and they soon find out that she had various strange boyfriends.and she worked for both a fashion store for adults only and an adult phone line (I would say the explicit terms but IMDB wouldn't allow it). Bayliss is disgusted but Pembleton recommends him that if he doesn't know better his inner man he can't operate on these cases. Soon Pembleton and Bayliss interrogate Angela's neighbour Jeremy that under interrogation confesses of having choked Angela and accidentally kill her during intercourse. Again in the office Tanya gives Bayliss a leather jacket for making the man inside him come out; later Bayliss goes in the red light district and entices a street walker, so he passed the test.
Munch is near depressed for the breakup of the previous episode but Bolander is cheerful because is dating a 26 year old waitress (while Ned Beatty was 56 year old at the time of filming this). Bolander asks Kay Howard to organize a double date bringing her boyfriend Ed Danvers (Zeljko Ivanek, a recurring cast member throughout the entire show). The double date goes fine until a depressed Munch arrives and crashes the party complaining about his problems with women. They leave and Howard tries to encourage Munch. After Munch leaves, Bolander and Linda witness a fireworks show before the end credits start.
I liked the first story for the fact that Pembleton tried to make Bayliss be more manly and go out of his shell for investigate on the choked woman case, and the second story for the chaos that Munch made at the dinner. But I also thought that the story of the pen was a bit unnecessary and if it wasn't for that I would have given a 9. As it is it's still a good conclusion of season making the viewer curious to see more.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Black and Blue (1994)
Great episode dealing with police brutality, and another that ends on a funny note
Pembleton continues investigating the murder of Charles Courtland Cox that was probably killed during a botched house raid. TV becomes to pressurize the police force and so Pembleton starts asking lots of officers only to be reprimanded by Giardello because the focus must be on civilians. Kay Howard and Bayliss investigate the neighborhood and a woman tells her grandson Lane Staley (Isaiah Washington) witnessed the shooting and Gee demands Pembleton to treat him like a suspect. Pembleton starts the questioning calm but then becomes angry towards Lane, only to have Staley confess that Cox was shot in the back by lieutenant Jimmy Tyron while he was running for safety.
In the meanwhile John Munch declares loudly his love for his girlfriend Felicia only to irritate Bolander. Soon they confiscate a tropical fish still alive from the home of a dead drug dealer, Munch then gives it to Felicia since she loves fish, tho it results in leaving Munch left by Felicia because the fish, a Jack Irish, ate all her other fish. Now the tables are turned because Munch is alone and Bolander just started a relationship with a waitress that invites him to the bar for play music.
The first story was very good with one great performance by Washington as a witness that manages to keep calm despite Pembleton's pressure, and the second story was great for the fish subplot and the one where Munch remains alone and Bolander finds a date. Another one in a string of great episodes.
Homicide: Life on the Street: See No Evil (1994)
One of those episodes dealing with actual issues
When the episode begins Beau Felton goes to visit Chuckie Prentice that has his father Harry (Wilford Brimley) bed-ridden, doesn't want to live anymore and has hired a suicide doctor, in fact when Harry overhears Felton saying Chuckie to stop this nonsense becomes cranky. However some days Chuckie manages to shoot his dad with a gun that was in the room. When Lewis and Crosetti go investigate, Chuckie claims that Harry shot himself but the two don't believe it. Eventually Felton would end up helping Chuckie getting away with murder.
Pembleton and Bayliss are called to investigate the shooting of Charles Courtland Cox, a drug dealer found shot in the back after a visit by the police in his house. After a discussion with Giardello, Pembleton manages to make the firearms of all the officers in the unit tested for finally finding out the real shooter of Cox, and is found just before the end credits roll.
The main reason why I gave a high score is because in the first story they were dealing with assisted suicide which is an issue that afflicts people to this day (30 years later actually as I am writing this) and I liked that Felton helped his friend getting away with it so easily. As for the rest, among the best episodes of the show so far, and that might be a compliment.
Homicide: Life on the Street: Bop Gun (1994)
Good beginning of a new season with two unexpected guest stars...
After nearly loving most of season 1 of HOMICIDE it made me want to continue for seeing if the quality remained. And to my luck the second season began on a good note.
When the episode begins Robert Ellison (Robin Williams) is walking with his wife and kids near a gang of basketball playing teens when his wife is accidentally shot to death during a robbery. Bailyss wants to interview the children but Robert prevents him from doing it since their mother's death has been hard on them. After asking informations the police arrests Marvin, a thug that has bullets of the same caliber of the ones that killed Robert's wife. Marvin soon confesses to be the shooter only because was involved in the shootout. After overhearing a joke by Felton that he'll have an extra payment for his case, Ellison wants Felton off his case but Giardello remembers him that police has to be detached from victims since there are so many; once in their hotel room Ellison's daughter Abby is in denial about the death of her mother while Matt (Jake Gyllenhall) refuses to talk with dad. One day Vaughn Perkins is identified as the shooter and he reveals to having been the shooter because he was doing the fall guy for two of his friends and having a gun in his hand could have controlled the situation avoiding that his friends would have ended up hurt. While Vaughn is identified as the shooter, his friends end in jail.
This episode is good mostly for the guest stars' acting: Robin Williams (of which Crosetti even does an impression) gives one of his more restrained performances since he has a reputation of going over the top and a still unknown Jake Gyllenhall is equally convincing as a kid that refuses to talk with his dad because of the death of the mother. The only reason why I don't give it a 9 it's because I kinda disliked that the shooter didn't ended in jail but his friends did. Overall, a good beginning of second season.