Shameless Self Expression

Bullied teen Arnie (Keith Gordon) and his one friend Dennis (John Stockwell) spot a junky ’58 Plymouth Fury. Arnie, feeling drawn to the car buys it from a similarly weathered old man (Roberts Blossom). Restoring it to its former glory, Arnie starts to become obsessed with the car, named Christine though his social confidence seems to sky rocket and pretty soon he’s taking out Leigh (Alexandra Paul), a pretty girl Dennis happened to be sweet on. Christine doesn’t seem to approve of Leigh however. Oh yes, Christine is alive and very, very possessive of her owner. Kelly Preston plays the hot chick at school, Robert Prosky plays the cranky, uncouth owner of a repair shop whose space Arnie uses to repair his ride. Harry Dean Stanton plays a detective, whilst William Ostrander plays the chief bully at school.   You’ve likely heard insanity defined as doing something more than once expecting a different result. Well, it’s likely for the same reason that I keep watching this 1983 meet...

Set in a corporate-run dystopian future, James Caan is the aging top star player of the title roller-sport. When asked by the corporate heads (particularly John Houseman) to retire from the violent sport, Caan starts to question things. And in this tightly-controlled future, asking questions is a dangerous thing. There’s no place for individualism in a team sport after all. John Beck plays fellow player Moonpie, Moses Gunn is a former coach turned executive, Maud Adams is Caan’s estranged ex-wife, Barbara Trentham and Pamela Hensley play Caan’s lovers, and Sir Ralph Richardson pops up as a futuristic librarian.   One of the rare occasions where I saw the remake before the original, I actually think this 1976 futuristic sports movie from director Norman Jewison ( “The Cincinnati Kid” , “In the Heat of the Night” , “…And Justice for All” , “The Hurricane” ) and screenwriter William Harrison ( “Mountains of the Moon” ) is little better than the deathly dull 2002 flop remake. The s...

In the ‘future’ of 1988, America is at war with both China and the Soviet Union. New York City has become consumed with crime, and gets walled in. It becomes a gigantic prison, with the inmates prevented from escaping by armed guards, and everyone given life sentences. Those confined within the city create their own form of government, and do their best to survive their hellish existence. In 1997, Terrorists hijack Air Force One and take The President (Donald Pleasence) hostage but crash on Manhattan Island. Police commissioner Bob Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) takes action and brings in former war hero and convicted criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), who is awaiting deportation to Manhattan Island. Plissken is armed and given a hang-glider to fly in and rescue The President who has been captured and being held prisoner by crime boss The Duke (Isaac Hayes). If he succeeds within 24 hours, Plissken gets a presidential pardon. If not, the explosive device implanted in his neck will go off. ...

Susan (Shelley Hack) thinks she has married the perfect man in realtor Jerry Blake (Terry O’Quinn). Her troublesome teen daughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen) however, is convinced that Jerry is a creep. In fact, she comes to suspect that Jerry may be a serial killer who tries to create the ‘perfect family’ and kills when met with any kind of deviation from that apple pie image. Blu Mankuma turns up briefly as a detective, Stephen Shellen is a young man from Jerry’s past, and Charles Lanyer is Stephanie’s well-meaning therapist.   One of two terrific domestic threat horror-thrillers from director Joseph Ruben (the other being the underrated “Sleeping With the Enemy” ), this 1987 film is one of the best B-movies of the 1980s. Scripted by author Donald E. Westlake (who also wrote the script for “The Grifters” ), it also boasts one of the genuinely unsung great villain performances by Terry O’Quinn. He’s brilliant – Sly, creepy, batshit crazy, and overall far more 3D than most villai...