Short Attention Span Review: Silverado (1985)

 For my money, it's hard to beat a great western, and Silverado is one of the best westerns that you're apt to see.  Everything about this one is grand, to include the magnificent cast, the epic locations, the fabulous script, and the stellar direction.  A big picture that deftly intertwines several gripping stories on the road to a corrupt town where all these stories come to a rousing conclusion, Silverado is a love letter to all the wonderful westerns that came before it.  It's also a reminder that genres may rise and fall, but so long as a top-notch script and the right talent join forces, no genre is ever truly forgotten.  The western may never be as important to the film industry as it once was, but it will always present the right people with an opportunity to tell a powerful story.  That's precisely what director Lawrence Kasdan did with this vibrant gem that he penned alongside his brother, Mark.  A good western can make adults feel all warm and fuzzy inside while encouraging their children to run around pretending that they're cowboys making a stand for all that is right.  Silverado is precisely that kind of film, and as such it is just as adept at presenting us with sound characters facing difficult decisions as it is at offering up thrilling shootouts.  There's also a lot of warmth and humor riding shotgun with the heroic antics that are the backbone of the western genre.  Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, and Danny Glover shine as the heroes, while Brian Dennehy makes for an excellent villain.  Linda Hunt, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum, and John Cleese are among the supporting cast, and Jeff Fahey makes an impression as a grimy henchman in one of his earliest roles.  The movie is certainly not lacking for star power, but then I don't see where Silverado is lacking anything.  A stunning example of what could be my favorite genre of film, this is a fantastic movie that I would heartily recommend to anyone.

Final Grade: A+ 

There are numerous established stars playing robust parts in Silverado, and then
there's my man Jeff Fahey hitting the scene and striking a chord as a sleazy deputy.

Short Attention Span Review: Machete (2010)

I know, I know, I'm doing this backward.  Yesterday I reviewed Machete Kills and today I'm reviewing the first Machete.  I'm a writer, so funny things happen in my brain.  Forgive me.  Anyway, while the sequel brought some seriously silly sci-fi antics into play, Machete is an ode to those hardcore action movies of the 70s and 80s that made guys like Charlie Bronson and Sylvester Stallone superstars.  While it takes the notion of a parody to such bizarre heights that it borders on being too ridiculous to engage the audience, it ultimately succeeds in providing viewers with a cheeky and exciting experience that is equal parts bonkers and badass.  If you're looking for a genuine action film, look elsewhere--satire is as important to Machete as gratuitous violence and outrageous amounts of gore.  Robert Rodriguez pushes the envelope at every turn, and he gets quality performances from everyone involved.  Robert DeNiro appears to be having the time of his life, Don Johnson is great, and Jeff Fahey is fucking phenomenal.  Michelle Rodriguez rocks, Lindsay Lohan is actually tolerable, and perhaps only Jessica Alba seems a bit out of place, though she is smoking hot and it's not like she's terrible or anything.  Steven Segal is hilarious as the villain, giving us perhaps the funniest death scene of all time, and it truly feels like everyone in the cast had fun making this blood-soaked romp.  The score is on point, the effects are appropriately cheesy, the gore is obnoxious, and Machete scores a direct hit for fans of this sort of material.

Final Grade: B

Danny Trejo is at his badass best in Machete.

Short Attention Span Review: White Hunter, Black Heart (1990)

When people talk about Clint Eastwood's astounding filmography, one title that is often overlooked is a project that was very near and dear to him, White Hunter, Black Heart.  This unique effort is a thinly veiled take on legendary director John Huston and the making of The African Queen.  Eastwood plays John Wilson, a maverick filmmaker and a larger-than-life figure who plays by his own rules.  The fact that he does so in a profession that requires a considerable amount of teamwork presents numerous clashes and complications, and things only grow more difficult when this cranky director becomes obsessed with killing an elephant while on location in Africa.  The early stages of White Hunter, Black Heart make it clear that the picture Wilson is set to direct is critical to his financial well-being, yet this stubborn and thoroughly entertaining rebel never prioritizes it over anything else that catches his fancy, to include women, fisticuffs, incessant verbal sparring with his producer, and hunting.  It's the hunting that presents the most problems for the making of the movie within the movie, as Wilson's obsession is maddening to even those who understand him the most.  In one of the film's most revealing moments, it becomes clear that Wilson himself is a bit disturbed and confused by his intense desire to kill an elephant.  While Eastwood is front and center throughout, looking and sounding completely different than we've come to expect, Jeff Fahey is also on hand to balance things out as the only person involved in the production who seems to genuinely like or understand the crazed director.  Yet even he is pushed to the brink as Wilson becomes more and more desperate to bag his trophy and the production of the film becomes more and more volatile as a result.  Fahey's character, Pete Verrill, is based on Peter Viertel, who wrote the first-hand account of the making of The African Queen that this picture is based on.  An able performer who I'm exceptionally fond of, Fahey's performance here will surely lead audiences to wonder why he was seldom offered roles of this stature in major studio efforts.  In the end, this unruly and quixotic movie belongs to Eastwood, who also served as director, and I think it stands as one of his most engaging and challenging offerings.  It is a meditation on passion, madness, individuality, and filmmaking, and it raises many potent questions on its way to a fascinating conclusion.

Final Grade: B+

Clint Eastwood is a man obsessed in White Hunter, Black Heart.

Short Attention Span Review: Psycho III (1986)

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Alfred Hitchock's Psycho is a masterpiece.  As is the case with many classics, it spawned sequels, most of which were relatively tame.  However, the third picture in the series, directed by star Anthony Perkins, is a worthy follow-up.  Now, it's nowhere near as good as the original, but that should come as no surprise.  Still, it's an intriguing opportunity to revisit one of the horror genre's most iconic figures and the plot provides us with a few twists and turns during our third stay at the Bates Motel.  Perkins had the art of playing Norman Bates down to a science and he also showed himself to be a fine director with this tense and disturbing thriller.  Diana Scarwid is also impressive as a conflicted nun on the run who flees the convent and takes refuge at the Bates Motel.  Bad call, right?  Most importantly, Jeff Fahey is on hand as Duane, a seedy drifter who takes a job at the motel and proves to be almost as kooky and dangerous as Norman.  Those who know me well know that I'm a big fan of Fahey and this performance is one of the reasons why.  He adds so much to the movie and his character is a tremendous foil for Perkins.  Their volatile relationship generates a wealth of tension in the third act of the picture.  There are a few scenes in the mix that would have made Hitchcock proud, to include a choice bit where the sheriff casually scoops cubes out of an ice machine where a corpse is stashed while Norman watches, sweating bullets.  There are a handful of gruesome demises and a lot suspense, but this isn't the type of picture that depends on cheap scares or gore.  It's quirky but serious, twisted but deliberate, and it showcases a unique talent in a part he was born to play.  Perkins also shows that he could direct everyone's favorite momma's boy as well and his Psycho III is a strange little thriller that delivers the goods.

Final Grade: B-

Jeff Fahey damn near steals the show as Duane, the master of lamp foreplay.