TRIPLE 9: POLICE HEIST

Australian director John Hillcoat made one of the most depressing movies I’ve ever witnessed, THE ROAD. While it was well made and took a serious look at what it would be like to survive the end of the world as we know it, it was indeed a movie not to allow anyone on a death watch view. Then he made LAWLESS which was quite different, the true story of a family who made their money via moonshine in the depression era Virginia. So when I heard he had a new movie coming out I was interested to see what it would be like.

TRIPLE 9 tells the story of bad cops gone worse. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Mike, the leader of a crew of thieves, among which are two police detectives, Marcus (Anthony Mackie) and Franco (Clifton Collins Jr.). Mike owes the Russian mob another score and the job they have him scheduled for is a seemingly impossible task. As the gang plots out a method to accomplish their goal the only thing they can come up with is to create a situation that calls for a “triple 9” distress call, officer down. The call will result in all officers in the area being required to lend assistance thereby leaving their intended target unguarded for a short period.

But to do this there is one hitch. They must actually kill a fellow officer. While Marcus wrestles with this issue Franco is all about taking it on. The difference in characters makes for some interesting interaction between the pair. The decision is made and now they need to focus on just who they plan to set up.

Around this same time Marcus has been assigned a new partner, Chris Allen (Casey Affleck). Chris has been on the force for a while and is the nephew of Jeffrey Allen (Woody Harrelson) a name to be reckoned with on the force. While Casey knows his way around police work he doesn’t know the streets he’s been assigned to like Marcus does. While partners they don’t see eye to eye on how to handle things. When the crew decides to choose Chris as their target it’s less difficult for Marcus due to the nature of their partnership.

Problems come not from Marcus but from fellow crew member Gabe (Aaron Paul), an addicted criminal who thinks this is going too far. As the film progresses Gabe tries to be the voice of reason and get them to refuse the job. What he isn’t aware of is that Mike has no option but to follow through. Failure to do so will result in not only retribution from the Russians but the loss of his son as well.

The movie works on some levels and not on others. As a well-conceived story you can tell that a lot of thought went into this one. Like an onion layers are peeled away getting to what is really going on and it’s never quite what it seems. That being said there is also not enough solid clues for viewers to pick up on the end result.

The acting here is some of the best you’ll find on screen, from the more well-known stars to those that are familiar faces yet not quite so familiar names. Collins is superbly slimy here as a cop who doesn’t care who he kills and has no morals whatsoever. Mackie does a great job showing that he can do more than don wings for superhero movies. Affleck proves that he has no reason to hide in his brother’s shadow. And Harrelson displays an ability that many would not have seen coming back when he played Woody on TV’s CHEERS.

The end result is a movie that’s not bad but not necessarily good either. At just under 2 hours there are moments that shine while others simply feel like the pace plods along. Had those scenes been trimmed down, left out or just written differently that might not have been the case but as is they offer moments where I found myself yawning and dozing occasionally. Do the good sequences make up for the bad? I would say yes they do but know going in that the movie will not be a slam bang shoot ‘em up that the trailer might have you believe. Realize that not everyone is going to walk away in the end and that the true story of what is going on here is deeper than you realize. If you do so you just might enjoy this one.





Click here to order.

SORCERESS: SKINIMAX ON BLU

Before the days when internet porn took over the business anyone looking to get a glimpse of female flesh was regulated to late nights on Cinemax. Their evening fare was such that over time the channel became known as “Skinimax” to viewers who craved an influx of topless women with overinflated chests. Plotlines meant nothing and to this day the channel still caters to this select audience. The soft core porn films that offer simulated sex without the details and extreme measures found in actual porn remain.

This is not a judgement call on the channel or on those types of films. There have always been titillating films made that offered glimpses of the female form in various stages of undress. Depending on how you view these films will determine if you find them worth your while watching or if you consider them a gateway drug to the world of sex addiction. For most of us we see it as somewhere in between and consider the individual to either have or not have the problem. With that out of the way let’s talk about SORCERESSS.

You know immediately when you put this disc into your blu-ray player what to expect. The title screen pops up with actress Julie Strain nude except for a sheer black robe draped over her shoulders rubbing oils all over her body. Nothing subtle about the movie here. Your options are limited though with choices of “Setup”, “Chapters” or “Play”. My guess is there wasn’t much behind the scenes footage to be used on this film let alone interviews with cast and crew. It would have been nice to see some current interviews here. But on with the movie.

The story gets a bit confusing at times but begins with that opening shot of Erica (Strain) as she puts a curse on Howard Reynolds (Edward Albert) as he’s driving home while talking to his wife Amelia (Linda Blair). Amelia senses something is wrong and tells him to pull over but before he can do so the car heads over an embankment as he throws himself from it. He’s saved but injured. Walking in on Erica her friend Maria tells her she won’t let her use her power like this and then leaves.

In walks Erica’s husband Larry (Larry Poindexter). The two quarrel with Larry pondering why he ever decided to marry her in the first place. Most of us have already figured out he was bewitched. As their argument escalates it moves to the balcony where Erica falls over the edge and dies on the ground below. As Larry takes her in his arms after rushing to her she tells him he will never be free of her.

A short time later Howard decides not to take the partnership offered him at his law firm while he recuperates and Larry is tagged for the position instead. While Maria has warned him of dark days ahead things seem better than that. Not only does he move up in the law firm but fellow attorney and ex-lover Carol come back into his life. While all of this is going on Amelia is seen working her own bit of black magic involving Larry’s life, all of which is explained in the final 10-15 minutes of the film.

So there you have the plot of the movie in three paragraphs. The rest of the movie is filled with various pairings of the actors and actresses in bed with one another. Larry, Erica and Maria. Erica and Maria joined by Carol. Larry and Carol. Of the main actors involved only Blair and Albert never quite disrobe. And all of the actresses on display here have the main quality to be found in a B-movie sexploitation film: well-endowed and implanted breasts.

So the question comes up is this a good or a bad movie? Well that again depends on what you expect out of it when you buy/rent/watch it. If what you’re looking for is the type of movie that Cinemax (and yes other pay cable stations did it too) shows late night weekends then you’ll love this movie. If you hate those films you’ll hate this one. But the odds are pretty good then that you’re not the one it’s being marketed to.

What is nice is that a piece of movie history, judged neither good nor bad, has made its way onto blu-ray again. I always find that a good thing to have happen. Films have fans of all sorts, those that love everything from Disney flicks to movies that ruled 42^nd Street when it wasn’t the family playground it is today. Those fans deserve to have the option of having access to their favorite films in the best format possible. Synapse has done that here with a clean print of the film that fans will love having on hand.

Having once owned a video store I can tell you that there was a market for these films and it made well paid stars out of names like Strain, Shannon Tweed and Shannon Whirry. These movies filled out the shelves of stores offering something other than the latest blockbuster out there. Some are still being made today but nowhere near what they were when VHS ruled. Instead there are pale imitations to be had these days.

Myself I was never a big fan. The mixture of Satanic images (pentagrams and the like) was something I considered unnecessary in movies like this. Perhaps they’re a plot element others like to use but it became far too often seen for me. Director Jim Wynorski shows that he does indeed have talent and the ability to create a good looking film no matter what the subject matter. He’s drifted back and forth between regular exploitation movies (CHOPPING MALL) and soft core flicks (BUSTY COPS) and it would be interesting to see what he could do with a major Hollywood film. For now fans will be content with adding this one to their collection. Chances are if successful more will be on the way.

Click here to order.

INSERTS: BRING ALONG A BAR OF SOAP

INSERTS is one of those movies that while watching you find yourself thinking you’ll need a shower after watching it. No, it’s not that the images are the most pornographic ever filmed but the story, the situations and the entire feeling of the film evokes that feeling from scene to scene. That it features name actors, was released by a major studio and was even made is mind boggling.

The story of INSERTS revolves around Boy Wonder (Richard Dreyfuss), a once hotshot director during the silent era who has fallen on hard times due to both his difficulty in transitioning from silent to sound films as well as his rampant alcoholism. He now spends his days reclusively living in his once glorious home and shooting silent porno shorts. In walks Harlene (Veronica Cartwright), a flapper with a squeaky voice ala Betty Boop and a positive attitude. Having been in movies she still longs to be the star and dreams of getting there. Aside from her voice her love of heroin also makes this less than realistic.

The conversation between these two characters revolves around what they once were, what she dreams of being, using drugs and her willingness to do whatever it takes to be on film. They also bring up the topic of Boy Wonder’s erectile dysfunction issue which becomes recurring one throughout the film. When Rex the Wonder Dog (Stephen Davies) shows, and no he isn’t really a dog, the filming begins. This is not porn as many know it. This is rough and violent action taking place between these two, egged on by Dreyfuss which only increases what he is filming.

The movie alters a bit here with the arrival of Big Mac (Bob Hoskins), the financier of these films being made and a mobster if ever there was one. On his arm is Cathy Cake (Jessica Harper), a lovely young thing Mac has his eye on with the intent of marrying. But Cathy is as much a user as every character in this film, hoping that her ties with Mac will lead to a part in a feature film. Mac is also the source of heroin used by Harlene and he gives her what she needs, sending her off to take her dose. What happens then leads the film down a dark path. I would describe it but it would become a major spoiler that I would rather not reveal for the less timid who choose to watch this one.

Yes, the acting is good, yes the dialogue between characters rings true and yes it is shot well. And yet the movie draws you in by discussing the fallen dreams of people. It is a hopeless world where the worst you can expect of anyone is always the first thing they deliver. There are no characters here to root for, no one you can relate to (I hope!) and the situations they are involved in rank among the most despicable you can imagine.

When released the movie was given an NC-17 rating and it is well deserved, not so much because of the full frontal nudity (which is here) but because of the thematic elements here. It’s a movie that some will want to watch to say they have done so, some will want to watch because of its notoriety and others will watch because they want to see everything done by a particular actor/actress. My guess is that for most one viewing will be more than enough. Twilight Time has done their usual spectacular job in the presentation of the movie with as clean a print as you can have on blu-ray. In the end it is up to the viewer to determine if this is their sort of movie or not.

Click here to order.