He knows, judging from “the size of those hematomas” on one victim’s neck. He’s right: It is the work of a cop … a “Maniac Cop.” Astounding coincidence: That’s the title of a 1988 cult gem from director William Lustig (“Relentless”) and writer Larry Cohen (“Cellular”) that plays like exploitation gangbusters with each viewing, and […]
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Posted inArts & Culture
Maniac Cop
He knows, judging from “the size of those hematomas” on one victim’s neck. He’s right: It is the work of a cop … a “Maniac Cop.” Astounding coincidence: That’s the title of a 1988 cult gem from director William Lustig (“Relentless”) and writer Larry Cohen (“Cellular”) that plays like exploitation gangbusters with each viewing, and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Stool Pigeon
In other words, whether you’re into HK cinema or not, temper your expectations. The storyline bears all the roots of a great Michael Mann script, rife with ethically compromised cops and their questionable informants, and the danger that awaits both sides of these shaky pig-and-snitch relationships as they go undercover. Here, director Dante Lam (“Vampire […]
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The Cannonball Run
Now, decades later, the huge, huge box-office hit has hit Blu-ray — Blu-ray! — and although I hadn’t seen the action-comedy since junior high, it’s remarkable how much I remembered about it:• every line and note of Ray Stevens’ cornball theme song;• Burt Reynolds’ mugging at the fourth wall;• DeLuise’s Captain Chaos superhero garb; • […]
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Fringe: The Complete Third Season / Supernatural: The Complete Sixth Season / Nikita: The Complete First Season
And neither “Fringe,” “Supernatural” nor “Nikita” are household hits, despite being enjoyable TV. Perhaps Blu-ray and DVD releases of their last seasons will boost viewership in the new seasons. In the case of “Fringe,” being allowed to operate under-the-radar, as it were, has been to its creative benefit, altering and manipulating its own DNA, experimenting […]
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A Little Help
She plays Laura, a dental hygienist who all but ignores her only child, Dennis (Daniel Yelsky, “Meet Monica Velour“), with her overworked hubby (Chris O’Donnell, TV’s “NCIS: Los Angeles”), with whom she argues who checked out of their marriage first. Doesn’t matter, because he dies of a heart attack while on the receiving end of […]
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Mr. Nice
Here, the switch from mere Oxford student to corrupt bad boy is flipped with one look at the stunner Elsa Pataky (“Fast Five“) and a taste of cannabis. From there, the path of Marks (Rhys Ifans, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”) is marked with marriage, divorce, the IRA, MI-6, LSD, hashish, arrests, […]
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The Last Circus
Having seen his P.O.W. father murdered during an escape attempt decades before, Javier (Carlos Areces, who looks like ’70s TV staple Ray Buktineca with oversized glasses) joins a circus in 1973 Madrid to follow his family destiny as a clown. Because he was denied a proper childhood, Javier follows his dad’s wishes and becomes a […]
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Page One: Inside The New York Times
No such problem exists with the Times’ own Michael Kinsley, who panned it as “a mess,” but don’t listen to him — I’m guessing most Oklahomans pay no mind to NYT, anyway — because it’s an enormously entertaining work. As the title suggests, this is a fly-on-the-wall look at the inner workings of what is […]
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The Hour
1. It’s about journalism, my chosen profession.2. It’s also an espionage thriller, a favorite genre.3. It’s set in the 1960s, visually the best decade in history.4. Perhaps most of all, it’s an hour-long, limited series on the BBC, who’ve rocked my world in the past year with “Sherlock,” “Luther” and “Zen,” all of which blew […]