• Review Index
  • About Me
  • Suggestions

vinnieh

~ Movie reviews and anything else that comes to mind

vinnieh

Tag Archives: Dennis Franz

Dressed to Kill

18 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 34 Comments

Tags

1980's, Angie Dickinson, Brian De Palma, Dennis Franz, Dressed to Kill, Keith Gordon, Michael Caine, Mystery, Nancy Allen, Thriller

Film Title

Dressed to Kill

Director

Brian De Palma

Starring

  • Angie Dickinson as Kate Miller
  • Michael Caine as Dr. Robert Elliott
  • Nancy Allen as Liz Blake
  • Keith Gordon as Peter Miller
  • Dennis Franz as Detective Marino

A mystery thriller with a lacing of dark humour, Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill is a relentless excursion into sinister mood and sleight of hand tricks that are for the most part strikingly done. The plot gets a bit overwrought, but the various surprises and mood is what this movie is all about.

Kate Miller is a dissatisfied and sexually starved housewife in New York, who can’t escape her feeling of loneliness. Although she has her young and bright son Peter, her marriage is largely devoid of much passion or excitement. She attends therapy with a psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Robert Elliott, where she unloads her problems to him. Although she flirts with him, he rebuffs her because of professional ethics and wanting to keep a distance. Later, the bored Kate visits a museum, where she is pursued and herself pursues a mysterious man, culminating in a sexual encounter. After this, Kate plans to leave but shockingly discovers that her conquest appears to have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. Reeling, she runs out of his apartment and heads for the elevator, contemplating what to do. Kate’s troubles get a lot more deadly as she is slashed to death in an elevator by a mysterious blonde woman, whose appearance is obscured by dark glasses. Just after the horrific murder, streetwise hooker Liz stumbles upon Kate and briefly catches a glimpse of the killer. Liz is then suspected of the killing, the main detective on the case not believing that there was someone else in the elevator. Desperate to prove her innocence and scared for her safety, Liz teams up with Kate’s smart son Peter(who is already investigating by himself through his collection of devices he has made) to uncover the identity of the killer, before Liz ends up the next victim of her slaying. Meanwhile Dr Elliott keeps getting threatening phone messages from a patient of his, who may very well be the killer and someone who enjoys taunting him. Things turn out pretty unexpected for everyone involved.

It’s an overblown film to be sure, but that is why it attracts in the ways that De Palma uses that melodrama. To be honest, I don’t think he is going for a really subtle approach. And given his signature style, he’s not just going to tone it down, he’s going to go to places that shock and surprise with his liberal use of theatricality along the way. What we are left with is a film that is more concerned with mood and atmosphere than plot, that still bears that feeling of tension, mixed with archness that De Palma does so well. The perverse yet riveting atmosphere is apparent in the dreamy, surreal soft focus of two pivotal scenes pulls you in, while obviously paying a debt to Hitchcock’s iconic Psycho. But the most sterling example of craftsmanship is the museum scene. In it Kate catches the eye of a stranger and the two engage in a stalking game that plays out spectacularly and seductively. The roles of cat and mouse switch between the lonely Kate and the stranger, ultimately making us part of the voyeuristic tapestry at work . Without barely a line of dialogue, De Palma pulls out every trick in the book; finding an array of expressive angles and movements to put us in the moment and tell a story simply through visual impact. It’s a scene where everything comes together as an example of pure cinema that should be celebrated. I think to appreciate Dressed to Kill it is best to watch it a few times to take in how well crafted it all is. You genuinely notice little bits that seemed trivial at first, yet have a massive bearing on the creeping proceedings, something which Brian De Palma chooses to have fun with. So for all the head-scratching moments that don’t make sense, the hints and symbolism of Dressed to Kill gleefully toy with our ideas of what we think we know. This frequently is the case of us being devilishly lead astray and made to believe one thing( when in fact it’s something quite different) and that’s where quite a lot of the watchability of Dressed to Kill lies. The macabre humour seeping through Dressed to Kill also adds to this; finding irony in pretty dark and perilous situations before turning up the chills for effect. Granted, some instances feel a bit much, the level of dark comedy is a welcome and quite unexpected quality put into often sardonic effect here. Dressed to Kill is a little bit over praised at least in my book, but that shouldn’t detract from the fact that it’s still a pretty nifty and swift thriller of panache that still made an impact on me. A gloriously grand and frequently alluring score plays into the dark and sexually prominent tones of the film right off the bat.

Angie Dickinson is very effective( especially given the fact that most of her performance has no dialogue). Through the little nuances of her face, we witness her boredom and sadness with her marriage, as well as how she craves sexual excitement. A beautiful woman with an aura of class and sexiness, Angie Dickinson plays the ill-fated woman exceptionally. Michael Caine is rightfully detached and urbane as the psychiatrist who seems relatively calm, but who may in fact be something else. With sublime subtlety, Caine brings a level of class and maybe a touch of enigma, without going overboard which is a credit to his abilities as an actor. Nancy Allen is pretty good as the quick talking Liz, who is sucked into the most twisted case and must prove her own innocence. The part is pretty much a standard hooker with a heart of gold trope, but Allen plays it well and makes her a likable girl sticking to her wits. The unlikely hero role of Kate’s investigating son Peter is filled out splendidly by Keith Gordon, whose gawky appearance and unwavering collection of detective moves make him a relatable down-to-Earth teenager looking for answers in his mother’s death. In a flashy supporting role, Dennis Franz provides a lot of the sardonic humour as a tough-talking and hard-boiled detective, with a seasoned attitude to match. He’s not in the movie a lot, but when he is, Franz is a delight as the salty and uncouth man investigating the baffling murder.

Silly as parts of it get, Dressed to Kill stands out for its visual impact and De Palma verve on display. Logic is not exactly present, but the fun of Dressed to Kill lies in its often shocking and macabre content that ratchets up suspense and sprinkles it with a knowing, ironic wink. At tad overrated in my book, but still a highly effective and surprising thriller displaying the skill of Brian De Palma.

Blow Out

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 47 Comments

Tags

1980's, Blow Out, Brian De Palma, Dennis Franz, John Lithgow, John Travolta, Nancy Allen, Thriller

Film Title

Blow Out

Director

Brian De Palma

Starring

  • John Travolta as Jack Terry
  • Nancy Allen as Sally
  • John Lithgow as Burke
  • Dennis Franz as Manny Karp

A well crafted thriller that focuses on someone discovering something they weren’t supposed to and how important sound is in the big scheme of things, Blow Out invites you into a suspenseful and intricate web of conspiracy and one man fighting the system. All of this is under the eagle eye vision of Brian De Palma, whose serious approach adds another layer of emotion to a potent and enigmatic cocktail.

Jack Terry is a sound man who while good at his job, has largely spent most of his time working on sleazy horror movies. He has something haunting him from his past, but passes everything off with something of a cynical shrug and smile. blow-out-posterWorking on yet another low-budget movie, he is struggling to find the perfect scream for the main murder scene. Late one night, he is out recording nature sounds near a bridge. Nothing much is happening until a car veers off the road and into the lake, following a strange sound. Jack jumps in and rescues a young woman by the name of Sally from the car, though he is unable to save the other man who dies. Once at the hospital, Jack swears he heard a gun shot that preceded the blow out and has the sound that could back this up. He grows even more curious when he learns that the man in the car was a presidential candidate who was launching his campaign, but those closest to the man and others tell him to forget what he heard and keep his mouth shut. Getting to know Sally, who is a ditzy and skittish girl who remains coy about what she was doing in the car, Jack attempts to piece together what he heard and just how big the cover up that is forming is willing to go to hide the true events of the ‘accident’. Long story short, it gets very complex. Meanwhile, a mysterious and sinister man known simply as Burke( who has something to do with the tangled events) begins murdering young women in the area, with his plan being to eliminate Sally in the end by making it look like another serial killer crime. Pictures are published of some of the incident by a sleazy blackmailing man Manny Karp, which helps Jack splice a film with his sound that helps suggest that it was murder. Due to the fact that the images aren’t crystal clear poses another stumbling block, yet he also gets to understand the naive Sally a bit better, as she clearly has some involvement albeit as a pawn. Even with proof, no one seems to believe Jack and tell him to let it be. But Jack is not going to remain quiet and soon sets about desperately trying to prove what’s going on. With nearly everyone either turning Jack away or wanting the conspiracy to remain silent, Jack must fight and hopefully uncover the full extent of this cover up before it is erased for good, along with himself and Sally.

Although De Palma has been criticized for overusing visuals to tell a story by some quarters( I personally don’t agree, but that’s a matter of opinion), no one can deny the grim and serious centre of Blow Out, that enables an emotional undercurrent pertaining to Jack and Sally to effectively slot in among the conspiracy. With this neat homage to the equally compelling Blow-Up, De Palma fashions a compelling mystery about political agendas and consequences found when all the stones have been upturned. Paranoia is at its apex here, with the unfurling mystery and various vignettes of what Jack discovers and we as the audience see. john-travolta-blow-outDe Palma is on deep and sober form with this film, which is reflected in the intricacy of how big the political events and schemes that Jack stumbles on are told, leaving some room for us to fill in with deliberate hints that are never quite as simple as they appear. That isn’t to say that De Palma abandons his trademark style though, as his many brush strokes and composition are well placed and compliment the overall impact of Blow Out. From a riveting scene in which Jack listens to the tape back and it cuts back and forth in time with the sounds it has picked up, the obsessively detailed sequence of Jack  to a swirling camera used when Jack finds that someone has erased his tapes, it’s both a stylish film and one that has a startling downbeat tone that slowly feeds into it. Plus, the cinematography of largely red, white and blue bathes Blow Out in a strangely surreal shade that also references the political aspects found in the thriller. Voyeurism plays heavily into Blow Out, with the focus being on ears and all things pertaining to them instead of eyes. And worthy of note is the refusal to adhere to a bravery and heroic ending. Without spoiling it, I’ll say that Blow Out features a gut punch of an end that you won’t see coming and brings with it a haunting tone that colours everything. De Palma’s film is not without the irony that a lot of his work as ( check the opening scene that satirizes cheap horror movies) but the pervading feeling of darkness and tension is what truly makes the film. Sound is frequently manipulated, distorted or raised throughout Blow Out, stressing the importance of what we hear and perhaps the things we aren’t meant to in the first place. As a film that largely concentrates on the impact and overall usage of sound, Blow Out provides a fascinating insight into the mechanics behind it all. Sure some of the technology is different today from what’s depicted here, but the perspective it takes on how crucial it is to cinema allows for compelling nuggets of information. And the score of Blow Out beautifully layers on the mystery and menace in stunning strokes that often match the action perfectly, along with a sorrowful element that comes into fruition later on.

John Travolta is excellently cast as the slowly more determined Jack, who before was slightly cynical about his lack of prospects that his skill as a sound man were wasted on. The crash and what he hears spark him into life, as he discovers a real purpose( in both the mystery and Sally) and Travolta brings an effective amount of idealism and decency that benefits the role. He has that worn, every man quality going on as he unearths just how big the situation is that he has come across and with haunted eyes, you feel for the man as he tries to do the right thing in a climate of danger. nancy-allen-blow-outNancy Allen is just as successful, portraying a girl whose niceness and green nature are repeatedly taken advantage of. Kudos to Allen for not playing Sally as a complete bimbo and turning her into someone sympathetic and in over her head. The immense John Lithgow, armed with hardly any dialogue and a stare that could melt ice caps, is the terrifying adversary, whose skills in killing are brutal, efficient and cold-blooded. Seriously, Lithgow is deeply chilling here you feel like you’re in the Arctic whenever he appears. Dennis Franz rocks it as the greasy and oily blackmailer, who would do just about anything for a buck and does so on many occasions.

A grim, tense and even emotional in parts thriller burning with paranoia and unexpected shock, Blow Out showcases Brian De Palma with maturity on the mind and armed with a dark story that flows well with his customary visual style.

And I must thank Pete and Paul for suggesting this movie to watch.

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012

Categories

  • 007 thoughts and reviews
  • Adventures of Satrap
  • Announcements
  • Awards and Achievements
  • Birthdays and Tributes
  • Blogging Community
  • Blogging Questions
  • Creepy
  • Gif Posts
  • Humour
  • Movie and Television Trivia
  • Movie opinions and thoughts
  • Movie Reviews
  • Music reviews and opinions
  • Photography Discussion
  • Rest In Peace
  • Sport
  • Television Opinions
  • Television Reviews
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
March 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Feb    

Tags

007 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's 2010's Action Adventure Announcement Based on a true story Bernard Lee Bette Davis Birthday Blogs You Should Follow Carry On Movies Cate Blanchett Comedy Crime Desmond Llewelyn Drama Fantasy Foreign Language Film Gillian Anderson Happy Birthday Horror James Bond Judi Dench Julianne Moore Julia Roberts Liebster Award Lois Maxwell Madonna Maggie Smith Matthew Fox Meryl Streep Michelle Pfeiffer Music Musical Mystery Natalie Portman Neve Campbell Period Drama Psychological Horror Psychological Thriller Rest In Peace Romance Romantic Comedy Science Fiction Spy Supernatural Horror Thriller

Top Posts & Pages

50 First Dates
The Call
The Kingdom
Lyric Analysis - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Kylie Minogue: Where the Wild Roses Grow
Desperate Housewives Season 4
Which Actors and Actresses Seem to Get Naked A lot on Film?
Alias Season 3
Beyoncé's Sexiest Videos
What Makes a Good Bum?
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Follow vinnieh on WordPress.com

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy