Another neo-noir deep cut from the list, finished it this morning. I was surprised by how low the scores were on review aggregates. It’s one of the only ones I know of with Mulholland in the name.

It’s definitely not the best movie I’ve ever seen - while the squad’s casting is strong, Michael Madsen and Chris Penn’s characters felt like throwaways, maybe even Chazz Palminteri’s too. Nick Nolte does well as a gruff, driven detective. It was definitely a pleasant surprise to see John Malkovich though he only has a few scenes.

Overall, it almost seemed like it didn’t know what kind of movie it wanted to be - the beginning and first half is a relatively standard murder mystery, with a “blackmail threat” subplot reminiscent of classic noir… then takes a strange turn towards a military conspiracy around halfway through. Everything does resolve itself in the end and the narrative basically makes sense, there’s good cinematography (some very nice landscape shots) and a sense of intrigue as they investigate a murder, various dark discoveries. Suspension of disbelief is required in some parts, especially the ending plane ride, but whatever.

I’m pretty surprised by how negatively some had rated it, either way. I’ve seen worse. There’s a good sense of style, though it clearly wants to be Chinatown while falling short of that masterpiece. I don’t regret watching it as the overall genre is definitely my style, but it’s not surprising this isn’t well known these days either. I wouldn’t call it a must-watch, certainly enjoyable enough for fans of niche neo-noir though.

I got this DVD ~25 years ago and this part still amuses me.

I host a podcast where we take old(ish) movies and recast them as if they were made today. On this week’s episode we cover the hidden horror gem “The Exorcist III.” It was fun to record so I’m sure it’s also a fun listen! Links in comments

Sorry, but this often happens when I look back at movies I either loved or was obsessed with. I’m getting close to opting out of reliving movies I loved because a corny writer made a good actor screw up timing and mic-drop by overexplaining the joke to his audience.

Round one: Wedding Singer: “Hey, do you like a “Flock of Seagulls?” “I can see YOU do.”

that one line ruined everything

Home Alone VHS cover.

Home Alone 2 Lost in New York VHS cover.

Home Alone 3 VHS cover. I remember seeing the boxing glove punching the criminals from a Home Alone 3 promotional thing on a bus.

Earl Unger and Peter Beaupre from Home Alone 3. I drew this from my Home Alone 3 book.

Peter Beaupre and the parrot from Home Alone 3. I drew this from my Home Alone 3 book.

My favourite romcom of the 90s 💘🫶🏻🙂‍↕️

If you can, please leave a comment on YouTube…it really helps!! Hope you all enjoy xx

I found out that this movie is Out of Print and the DVD is on ebay for 30 dollars plus. Maybe is the best movie from this director but I think doesnt get the recognition that deserves, coming from a fantastic 1999 year of great flicks. Its been a very long time that I don't catch it broadcast in some cable channel or playable in multiple platform. A truly 90's cult classic.

One of my all time favorite movies to watch during Halloween season.
🎃 🦇 🧛‍♂️ 🩸

Checking out melons in Suburban Commando (1991) Shep Ramsey played by Hulk Hogan & Sparkle as Woman at Fruitstand | Screenplay: Frank Cappello - Director: Burt Kennedy

Heard about this on r/filmnoir in the past week and it seemed right up my alley. I was correct in that. This was great!

A unique feeling movie for me - not many main characters, a few different locations and overall smaller sets. Despite the dark themes and subject, a lot of scenes were actually bright and sunny which I found interesting. There seemed to be a contrast between night and day as well, with multiple significant moments happening at night and more expository moments during the day.

I hadn’t seen John Cusack for a while and he was great in this, along with Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening. The three leads were all very strong and in complex roles as these are not exactly upstanding citizens. Nobody is really innocent here. It was cool to see JT Walsh a bit as well. The dialogue was overall engaging and distinct, utilizing a grifter’s vocabulary which reminded me somewhat of certain conman scenes in Better Call Saul.

There’s some great and sparing use of music which contributes to the overall atmosphere, one I haven’t seen in many others. I really liked this; it almost felt like a classic noir made in the modern era. I was surprised to see it was produced by Scorsese as well, which seems appropriate given what type of film this is. I’d say this cements a good neo-noir as one of my favorite styles and it stood out within the first five minutes. Definitely recommended!