#76 - Running Scared - 2006

The 6th movie I decided to watch this week was the 2006 sleeper Running Scared. At first I had no idea why this film wasn't a major motion picture to hit theaters but after seeing it I figured out why. Two things. Incredibly brutal and violent and cursing that is rarely seen in non Eddie Murphy Beverly Hills Cop movies. haha. If you want an exact cuss count on one word alone check this out, the word fuck is said 328 times in the film. Yeah that's a lot. I guess when the tagline for this film states "makes Kill Bill look like Sesame Street" you have to figure its going to be pretty intense. With all that being said below is my detailed review.

I originally saw this one with my wife back in 2006 when I saw it for rent at our local video store. We were both pleasantly surprised but equally shocked at the brutality of and violent nature of this film. Like I said before that is probably what led it down the road to a straight to DVD rental instead of a big screen motion picture. This film had a good cast made up mostly of character actors but was led by Paul Walker who played Joey Gazelle. Other notable actors in this film were Cameron Bright (Oleg), Chazz Palminteri (Detective Rydell), Vera Farmiga (Teresa Gazelle), Johnny Messner (Tommy Perello), Elizabeth Mitchell (Edele), Bruce Altman (Dez), and Michael Cudlitz (Sal Franzone - but think Cop on Southland). Walker was easily the best actor in this film but Johnny Messner was also good in his small role.


This movie was action packed from start to finish and had all kinds of different storylines. I loved how the end of the film was really the beginning and then we see inside a hotel room for the first scene and flashed in front of our eyes was "18 hours earlier". That was cool. After watching the movie that was one hell of an 18 hour time span that's for sure. What struck me about this movie was the brutal nature of it and I guess the directors were surprised that it even got an R rating as opposed to an NC17. From what I read it looks as though they had to tweak one scene to make that happen but still it was a very rough edged R rated movie.


There was a lot of brutality in this film but none more so that the initial first scene. Now I know what your thinking, they wasted all the good stuff on the first scene but that wasn't the case at all. I saw it as more of an in your face this is what type of movie this is going to be scene than anything else. That first scene and the shootout was awesome and rarely do you see a film open with such a bang, both literally and figuratively. For me it really set the scene for the type of film this was going to be but I still did not expect as much action and suspense to follow.

Paul Walker's character Joey Gazelle was single handily probably responsible for about 275 of those "fuck's" said in this film but that went along with his character and fit so incredibly well in this film. His furious, erratic, and anxious behavior along with a fervent goal to find the gun in this film and anyone who obtained it was mesmerizing to watch. Seeing him go absolutely nuts after bullets flew by him at dinner and then watching him burst into a house where a bunch of guys are playing cards and going berserk on them was pretty damn cool to see! He was ever so convincing in this role and I forgot he was simply acting at several times during this film. I cant imagine this film with any other actor playing this role, it just wouldn't have worked this well.


You couldn't help but hate a couple of characters in this film. First the Russian next door neighbor Anzor who beat relentlessly on his girlfriend and verbally attacked her son. I don't think many people were too upset after realizing the son, Oleg, shot this basted. Then you have the pimp Lester, classless in every sense of the word and not just because of his occupation. This guy enjoyed slapping around women and being the big shot he felt he was. Watching him get whacked at the end was enjoyable as well. Oh his poor white suit!! Obviously the Russian's at the end of the film at the Ice Hockey Rink deserved what they got coming too but to me they weren't quite as back at Anzor and Lester the Pimp. Don't get me wrong though there were plenty of bad guys to go around in this film.


One thing I thoroughly enjoyed throughout this film was the angle shots of certain scenes and unique perspective it gave the audience. There were several of these on display in the opening shootout scene however it was much more evident and cool on the sequence where the bullets flew into Joey's house and at one point right through his piece of bread. The entire sequence that followed when he went next door and we saw a glimpse of what took place was really awesome. I love when films throw different aspects towards us and not everything is just shot as is. It makes it more interesting. Walker again was brilliant and the writing was right on target in the scene where Joey picks up the bullet on his shoe with a piece of gum. Brilliant idea on how to get that bullet out of the house!


I know up above I said you couldn't help but hate a couple of characters in this film but there needs to be a whole new paragraph written for the characters Dez and Edele who were child molesters and killers. It just so happened to be that Oleg got into the back of this couple's van when trying to escape Anzor and that was one of the worst mistakes of his life. Dez and Edele were a young to middle aged couple who kidnapped, molested, and eventually or I should say presumably killed young children. We don't see any of this take place but the DVD copies with children's names tagged indicate this is so. Although at first this sequence does not fit anywhere into this movie it is quite evident the despicable nature of what these two evil monsters do fits right on into this film. There creepy plain condo has no pictures of children around but there is a play room where they play dress up and videotape there despicable unforgiving acts of violence. After Oleg calls his friends mom, Teresa she comes to the condo with the gun loaded and cocked and bursts in and eventually finds Oleg with a plastic bag tied around his head in a closet and she quickly realizes how fucked up this couple really is. She does what I would think anyone would want to do but only a select few would actually be able to. She shoots and kills them both point blank and this is easily the most satisfying scene of the film for me and it is fitting since it comes after the most heinous and dark scene in the film.


The film culminates with a bloody scene on an ice hockey rink, a car ride home, and a fake death but ends with Joey Gazelle alive and well and with a new addition to his family, his son's friend Oleg. Oleg's mother had actually committed suicide earlier in the movie by blowing up the meth lab in the back of her house and after what took place throughout the film and with nobody to take care of him Oleg became a part of the Gazelle family. All in all this was a great film and well worth watching but not a lets get the entire family together type one. If your in the mood for an action suspense flick that is heavy on the brutality then see this film. Usually films that run more than 2 hours can have a lot of dead space throughout and at least a scene or two that lags but this film didn't have a single one. From start to finish it was an adrenaline rush and that is rare but very gladly welcomed. I would easily give this film a firm A!

#75 - Shoot to Kill - 1988

The 5th movie that I chose to watch this week was an older one that I have always enjoyed. It was the 1988 thriller Shoot to Kill. I remember first seeing this film when I was in jr high school with my Dad because it was one he really liked as well. I felt this was a perfect film for this week because it is a very suspenseful film but also has action and even a little humor in it.

This film had a good cast which was led by Sidney Poitier as FBI agent Warren Stantin and Tom Berenger as Jonathan Knox. Jonathan's girlfriend Sarah Renell is played by Kirstie Alley and Steve (the killer) is played by Clancy Brown. I know I have seen this guy before but cannot remember off hand. This film also included the dad from Disney's Mr. Boogedy and an actor who played a serial killer on the TV show Hunter. I always recognize both these actors since Mr. Boogedy was a favorite of mine growing up and that serial killer from the Hunter TV show was incredibly scary.


I really enjoyed the plot of this film and felt it was well written. This movie follows FBI Agent Warren Stantin on his hunt for a dangerous killer known as Steve and he enlists the help of mountain man Jonathan Cox after finding out that Steve is most likely in the hiking group that Jonathan's girlfriend Sarah (Alley) has taken on a week long trip in the mountains. Jonathan wants to go at it alone but Warren does not let him and what follows is an action packed, suspense filled chase through the treacherous mountain terrain!

What I liked most about this film was its action scenes and sequences however it did mix in comedy and the backdrop and setting for this film was extremely gorgeous. I don't know the mountainess range they were supposed to be hiking in but it was very scenic and pretty and provided a perfect atmosphere for this film and its storyline. I love films that have a great atmosphere because that element adds so much to the story and when out in the wilderness there is the vulnerability that you are all alone without help of others and away from civilization and help so it makes it more dangerous and suspenseful.


There were a lot of great scenes in this film. Some shocking, some intense, and some quite humorous. Lets start with the more intense. This film started out right from the beginning with the action and intensity. Only 7 or 8 minutes into the film we see the killer who is holding the wife of a jewelry store owner hostage shoot and kill in cold blood the maid right on the front lawn of their house right in front of FBI agents. With this single shot he was expressing to the FBI agents that he was not to be messed with and this immediately showed them what type of individual and cold blooded killer they were dealing with. This only became more evident when after an exchange of diamonds the killer gruesomely shot in the eye and killed the jewelry store owner's wife at a boat dock and escaped.


I loved how this film took chase in the mountains and Tom Berenger's character Jonathan Knox was a perfect casting choice for this role. His tough rugged exterior and Poitier's character Warren's eloquent soft spoken manner were a mix made in heaven for this film. From their confrontational introduction to their final friendship and in between these two were perfect as partners in crime for this film. On several occasions they helped each other out like the zip line scene where Warren helped pull up Jonathan to safety after his almost deadly fall and the blizzard scene where Jonathan comforted Warren by digging a snow cave to get them out of the cold and in turn save their life. They had all kinds of adventures during their chase including an absolutely hilarious bear encounter where Warren literally screamed and yelled his way to victory over a grizzly. Easily one of the funnier scenes of the film and again an instance where Warren helped save not only his life but that of Jonathan's as well.


When looking back Poitier's character Warren was involved in most of the humorous scenes in the film like when he first attempted to get on his horse and also when he opened the front door to the cabin one morning and was face to face with a Moose. That was funny to me. Back to the more intense and action packed scenes. One of the more notable ones would have been when Steve threw his fellow hikers off a cliff to their death. This was the first time that the killer was exposed in the group. That scene in particular was not graphic in nature but disturbing when thought of in reality. What a terrible way to die. One thing I really thought the producers did well was hide the identity of the killer up until that scene. Adding a couple of actors who sometimes play a bad guy helped with that plus there were some scenes where they tried to fool you into thinking one guy was the killer when in face he wasn't. It kept for a nice guessing game throughout the first part of the film.


The films final 20 minutes really picked up the pace. After a funny and quite sly scene where Warren and Jonathan plot a fake robbery to get information out of a wealthy thief they go to rescue back Sarah. Their chase leads them all the way onto a ferry where the final battle ensues. After threatening to kill Sarah, the killer Steve lets his guard down for just a brief moment and Warren fires at him ripping off half his ear as clean cut as a Mike Tyson bite. After escaping though Steve gets the better of Warren shooting him multiple times and they end up both going overboard and underwater. As they battle each other on their way down to the ocean floor Warren shoots Steve twice in the stomach before putting the gun in his eye and pulling the trigger. We then see Jonathan jump in to save Warren and pull him to safety and all ends well in this well put together and very intense and action packed thriller. This is one that is definitely worth seeing! I give it a firm A!

#74 - When a Stranger Calls - 1979

The 4th film I decided to watch this week was the 1979 suspense thriller When a Stranger Calls. Not to be confused by the recent remake this was the original babysitter's nightmare film that scared the living crap out of babysitter's and parents alike all over the nation. I was only 3 years old when this film came out but I read about how this affected so many teenagers back in the early 80's and after seeing it I don't doubt why.

This was my third time seeing this film. The cast was made up mostly of three main characters. Jill, the babysitter at the beginning of the film was played by Carol Cane. The detective John Clifford was played by Charles Durning and the killer Curt Duncan was played by an actor named Tony Beckley. All of the actors were good in this film however this film unlike Cape Fear which I recently saw was not heavily driven by character portrayals. Still they were all good.


I remembered this movie being more enjoyable the first time I saw it and thinking it had a little bit more action but this time around it lagged to much in the middle of the film. For a movie with a run time of 97 minutes the middle portion of the film, probably around 55 minutes or so was pretty dull, boring, and uneventful. Thankfully there was the first 20 minutes and last 20 minutes which literally carried this film.


Let me just say this. Had I been a babysitter in the early 1980's there is a great chance I might never have babysat again after this film, seriously. Now considering most babysitter's are female and I was only 3 years old when this film came out I don't have to worry about that. I just said that because to me as simply a viewer of this film it scared the living daylights out of me what took place in the first 20 minutes of the film. Not like fake Hollywood theatrics but real scary stuff here. Like I mentioned before, real like stuff that seems like it "could" happen. Let me divulge further.

Jill (Cane) babysits for a couple and starts receiving crank calls which are sometimes hang ups but sometimes the caller, a male, in a soft creepy tone states "have you checked on the children". Ok right there, that is damn scary! Add the fact that there is a 2nd story to this house it makes it even more scary. These calls go on for a short time before she calls the police and they do a trace. In the last call she received that was actually traced the killer (Curt Duncan) answers Jill's question of "what do you want from me" with an answer of "your blood all over me". Creepy!! A few seconds later another call comes in and Jill screams thinking its the guy again but its the cops and they say the most chilling and spine tingling thing, that the call is coming from inside the house. At this moment I was dumbfounded and just thought to myself how scary that would be. All we see if her going to the front door and opening it and then there is a long steady frozen shot of Detective John Clifford. That opening scene of the film was easily one of the most terrifying one's in the entire movie. Truly scary!!


Curt Duncan eventually escapes 7 years later from a mental institution and the father of the two children murdered 7 years prior asks for John's help in finding the killer. He sets out on a search for Curt Duncan. In one weird scene there is a clip of Curt Duncan is watching a female leave a bar and the music that is played is so strikingly familiar to the music played for Digital Surround Sound before a dvd. Its just weird. During John's search for Curt we see Curt at one point reminisce in a bathroom while standing naked in front of the mirror. This scene was a little disturbing since there were short quick clips of this killer in the childrens bedroom standing over there bed covered in blood. Very creepy and surreal. After narrowly escaping John after a brief chase Curt Duncan goes after Jill who now has a family of her own with 2 young children and in fact she is heading out to dinner with her husband and leaving her children at home with a babysitter.


The final sequence of the film picks back up as Jill gets a call at the restaurant and the voice on the phone says "have you checked the children" and Jill screams out and falls to the floor in agony. This scene and the entire conversation her husband and herself have with the babysitting is so incredible unsettling and nerve racking that it was crazy. hey eventually raced home with police escort and found their children and the babysitter safely at home. That same evening Jill notices her son has a treat in his hand in his bed and Jill wonders how he got it. After laying back down in bed the killer Curt Duncan revels himself next to her and tries to kill her but after a short struggle Curt is shot and killed by John Clifford and all ended well for this film.


Overall I would say this was a great film for the suspense/thriller week however I had hoped it was better throughout the film and not only at the very beginning and end scenes. With that being said those 2 scenes were so good and so scary that it would still be enough for me to qualify this one as a really good film. Very scary, original, and terrifying if you ask me. I would easily give this film a B-!

#73 - Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead - 2008

The 3rd movie I decided to watch this week was the straight to dvd sequel Joy Ride, Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead. This was the first time I saw this movie and I was a little suspect after seeing the straight to dvd sequel of Cabin Fever and if you saw my blog on that one then you know how much I enjoyed it (obvious attempt at sarcasm). haha. Gotta be honest this wasn't that bad but its wasn't good at all. Below is my detailed review.

Ok so as sad as it may be there again is really no point in even discussing the actors and actresses in this film because it wasn't worth discussing. Sorry but that's the truth. There wasn't one memorable acting performance in this film not that I was really looking for one but there just wasn't anything worth discussing. I guess the only thing I can say is that the voice of Rusty Nail was not the original Rusty Nail who in turn was Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs and this new version of Rusty Nail was not half as good, not even a quarter.


Now I didn't expect them to get the original Rusty Nail for this straight to DVD movie but they really should have thought about that before they even decided to go fourth with this movie at all. His character and the "voice" of his character alone is such major role in these films my thinking is they shouldn't have tried to low budget it and go with someone else when that part of a particular role was so important to the story and essence of the film. It just wasn't the same at all and on top of that the story was pretty weak as well.

The original movie was exceptional. Not just because of the voice of Rusty Nail and not because of the cast (Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, etc.) but because it was extremely well written and the story was truly terrifying and scary. It was one of those type of movies like Breakdown and Vacancy where in my mind this could really happen and if so it would be down right horrifying. This second film, the sequel, started out ok but quickly got bad and the acting was terrible and it just steamrolled downhill from there.


The actor who played Nik was absolutely awful and so unconvincing in both his tough guy rocker persona and his weak crying fake tattoo guy persona. Just overall he was terrible and since he was such an integral part of the film it made it extremely difficult to watch. The best actor of the bunch was Bobby, the handsome boyfriend of notably the main character in the film, Melissa. Bobby was limited on his screen time due to the fact that he was the first one kidnapped and its a shame because he would have had the most promise of anything that resembled a decent acting performance but it just wasn't meant to be. Instead we only got glimpse's of him throughout until the end of the film.

With most horror flicks there is a decent amount of blood and gore and this was no different. I believe that they tried to compensate in this category for a bad storyline so they did have some scenes that were decent in that category but as usual with most horror films they were quite unrealistic. I mean I can believe a finger can get cut off with a pipe cutter and a girls head can be chopped off when hanging out of a big rid and running into another one but the jaw scene with the owner of the bar/diner was a little unrealistic. I mean one swoop of a big metal string type object and were supposed to believe it cut the guys bottom half of his face off? I'm not thinking so. I also don't think one man, unless his name is Michael Myers has the power to put a rod iron piece of metal through someone's skull with just one fluid motion, sorry not buying it. I applaud the effort to attempt to add in some good blood and gore but at some point it needs to be a little realistic, right?


Overall this film had very few moments that were decent and none that were really good. When you have a movie that is longer than 90 minutes and there aren't really any good parts or sequences that is a problem. I wanted to like this film, I wanted to get into it more but I just couldn't and I tried. The constant stereotypes that are typical in most movies were in full effect but one thing that was difficult and could have been a big deterrent for me was that the "good" guys in this film weren't really characters you root for you overcome, they were stale and boring and maybe that is why it was boring for me. I had no interested in whether or not they made it out alive or not. Sorry but I have to give this one a D!

#72 - Cape Fear - 1991

The 2nd movie I decided to watch this week was the 1991 thriller Cape Fear. Easily one of the most terrifying and suspenseful ones on this weeks list I was looking forward to seeing this again since it had been a long time since I have seen it. I actually saw this film on its opening weekend in the theater while in SD at a baseball tournament back in November of 1991 and to this day I remember how scary and frightening this movie was, especially on the big screen. Below is my detailed review.

This is actually a remake of original which was done back in 1962 and I'd be really interested to see how that film compared to this one. The two main actors in that film were actually cast in small parts in this one too which was kind of funny. They were Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. The cast for this film was excellent. Robert DeNiro stars as Max Cady, Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden whose wife Leigh is played by Jessica Lange and daughter Danielle is played by Juliette Lewis. Fred Thompson also had a role as Tom Boradbent and Jon Don Baker played Claude Kersek. The cast for this film was so important because this film was character driven in my mind. The performances by the actors for this film were phenomenal and we were treated to one of the best performances by a villain in a movie ever in the history of cinema in my mind.


Let me talk briefly about what could have been for a second. The director, Martin Scorsese had originally wanted Harrison Ford to play Sam Bowden and it was even rumored that he went as far to have DeNiro call Ford to try and convince him to take the role. Ford didn't and Nolte was offered the role. A whole slew of actresses were either offered, auditioned, or considered for the role of Danielle which Juliette Lewis ended up getting and some of them were Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, Jodie Foster, Nicole Eggert, Christina Applegate, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore, Jennifer Connely, Winona Ryder, Alyssa Milano, Meg Ryan, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Tiffani Amber Thiessen. I personally loved all the actors in this film however I would have loved to see how a Cape Fear with Harrison Ford as Sam Bowden and Alyssa Milano as Danielle Bowden would have worked out. I think that would have been great!


Speaking of characters and phenomenal performances I have to take a paragraph to speak about Robert DeNiro's performance as Max Caddy in this film. In one word it was Brilliant! I cannot see any other character in this role pulling off such a spectacular performance like DeNiro did. The southern drawl, the attitude, the viciousness, and the pure mindset of this monster of a character that DeNiro embraced so incredibly was absolutely amazing. He literally stole every single scene he was in and was a pleasure to watch in this film. He was so good at being so bad at one point in the film I had to stop myself and think for a second, this is Mr. Focker right? Just brilliant in every way, shape, and form and like I said before easily one of the greatest performances of a villain in cinematic history. It was that good!!


This film had some very intense scenes throughout and very memorable ones and below is a list of some of the ones that were my favorite. The scene where the Bowden's are trying to enjoy a movie but Max continually laughs aloud while puffing smoke in the air was very important to the film because it first introduced us to the type of obnoxious character Max Cady was going to be. Before that we only saw his built and buff tattooed physique while at prison before he was released but we had no idea what he was even in for. A short time later we Max and Sam meet for the first time in the film and it is quite evident that they knew each other in the past and that there was history between them. This first conversation where Max ends up saying "your going to learn my loss" really paints the picture for this film and indicates right from the beginning that this man might just be dangerous.


A scene that was quite vital to the film in showing us the viciousness of Max Caddy was when he met Lori, Sam's co-worker and brutally raped and assaulted her. This really showed the type of guy Cady was and how dangerous he really could be. Not a "favorite" scene of mine per say but an important one to the film. Another scene that was quite creepy and uneasy to watch was the one where Max poses as Danielle's drama teacher and meets her at the school auditorium. Very creepy and weird. In what was the scariest jump out of your seat moment of the film for me, at least when I saw it in the theater was when after Max killed the maid and Kersek comes into the kitchen at the Bowden's to get a drink we see Max standing behind him dressed up as the maid in a wig and all and brutally kills Kersek with a piano wire. This whole scene and the sequence that follows with Sam and his family coming down to see the crime scene and Sam himself slipping and falling in Kersek's blood is just crazy good.


After that takes place the film heads towards its final scenes which is out at Cape Fear and takes place on the Bowden's houseboat. One last battle ensues on the houseboat before Sam and his family finally escape Cady who ends up dying at the end of the film by drowning after Sam handcuffed him to a bar that was on the houseboat which eventually shred to pieces during the fight onboard. From the special effect burns to the dying singing mumbling Max Caddy the final sequence of this film was very dramatic, very theatrical, and very intense. It really brought the story to a conclusion and showed one families struggle to escape an evil that was out to get them and would not stop at anything before doing so.


As important as the characters were in this film the settings and backgrounds for this film were important as well. The city of New Essex, the home of the Bowden's with their extra large backyard with lush green weeping willow trees all around, and Cape Fear itself were all important to the film's flow. The final sequence of the film which takes place at Cape Fear makes for a perfect atmosphere for the climax of this film. It forces the family out onto the water secluded from everyone else and basically trapped. There is a creepy sense of danger once they get out onto the water and it is predictable to a point as to what will happen next but still this film ended pretty good.


I loved several scenes where the camera close-ups basically presented a visual that the actors was walking right through the screen. I saw this on several occasions throughout the film and that it was pretty cool. Not sure if this is a director trademark but I loved it. There are also a couple of quotes I thought were pretty cool as well. The one where Lt. Elgart (Mitchum) is looking at Max undressing in a police chamber and he sees all his tattoo's and says, "I don't know whether to look at him or read him". I also thought Max's line "come out come out wherever you are" after getting beaten up was pretty notable for this movie as well. These are always two lines from this film I always remember and enjoy. All in all Id have to say this is one of the better suspense thriller's I've ever seen and one I really really like. I am really glad I got to see this one on the big screen when it first came out too because there is just something much more scary about a film inside a packed dark theater. I would give this one a firm A!

#71 - Breakdown - 1997

It is now my 11th week of my Big Fat Summer Movie Marathon and I've got just 3 weeks and 2 days left. Damn I've seen a lot of movies! This week's theme is Suspense/Thriller and this first one I chose is a doozy. I made Breakdown my 1st choice this week and it is a small little treasure I have also enjoyed. I don't recall this film being a blockbuster by any means in theater's when it came out but I really liked this movie and thought it had a lot to offer. Below is my detailed review.

This film wasn't big on blockbuster actors but had a good cast. The lead for this film was Kurt Russell as Jeffrey Taylor and his wife Amy was played by Kathleen Quinlan. Other notable actors in this film were the late JT Walsh as a murderous truck driver Warren "Red" Barr and a couple of his partners in crime were Earl (M.C. Gainy - think Justified, Happy Town, and Con Air), and Billy (Jack Noseworthy). The town sheriff, Sheriff Boyd was played by CSI: Miami's own Rex Linn. Jack McGee who played the bartender at Belle's diner was also the individual who played the drunk Santa Clause in the Miracle on 34th Street remake. Crazy how I always recognize people from Christmas movies huh?


I thought this story was a good one and well written to be honest with you. It's basically a story of a couple who gets stranded in the middle of the desert and when the wife goes with a helpful trucker she ends up getting kidnapped and her husband must find a way to rescue her if its not too late. I am always intrigued by stories or films that are based on something that in my mind could really happen in real life and this was one of them. There are movies like Spiderman and Transformers which are pure Hollywood entertainment and then there are others like this movie and a Time to Kill or Vacancy that are films that are very powerful and dramatic and could really take place so they seem that much scarier to me. I kind of put myself in there place and think, "what would I do"? Granted not everyone thinks like I do and a lot of people might think these things could never take place but I beg to differ, I think they could and possibly even have over time just maybe not to the full extent that we see on a Hollywood movie.

This film mainly takes place in the desolate desert of New Mexico and to me that makes it even more scary for the victims. Driving across the desert at anytime can be scary especially when you think of possibly breaking down and not having anyone to help. Back in 1997 cell phones were not very popular but Jeffrey did have one of the old big bulky ones however there was no service (shocker) for him to use it. This to me would be a nightmare. I already have a preconceived notion about the desert and being stuck out there would only add fear for me if I were in his place. One thing I would not have done was let me wife get in someone's car without me, never but hey this was a movie and that had to happen in order for the movie to progress with its story.


One thing I loved about this film was Russell's incredibly convincing and mesmerizing performance of a husband determined to find his wife and save her life. His dedication throughout this film and obstacles he had to face were monumental and the pain, agony, and stress that was visible on his character throughout the movie was amazing. His acting skills were top notch in this movie and I don't recall another movie that he was this convincing in, this one really stood out to me. The anger he had the defeat in his face when he saw his wife in a bag and thought she was dead was just incredible acting and I thought he was just great in this movie. When he did finally have control for a brief minute at Warren's house in his kitchen I have to admit I would never have been able to not shoot them right there on the spot. Everyone there except the mother and kid of course.

There were some very intense scenes in this film which culminated to a dramatic ending of the film. The first car chase scene where Earl tries to gun down Jeffrey immediately showed us the extent of trouble that his wife was in and what kind of people he was dealing with. Jeffrey felt a plunge into a fast moving river was necessary and eventually got away but just for a brief time. You could tell right then and there that he was in some serious trouble. Another scene which was quite intense but completely unrealistic was when Jeffrey got underneath Warren's big rig and hid and eventually crawled on the side of it and into the back compartment right behind the driver. There is no way anyone can tell me that it would have been possible to do what Jeffrey did in this scene in real life but still it made for good entertainment and suspense.


As Warren arrived home with his young son greeting him in the early morning Jeffrey still hid and eventually got off the truck and went into the barn where Warren was meeting Billy and Al and this is where Jeffrey first saw his wife since she disappeared. This is the scene where Russell's emotions and incredible acting skills were in full effect more than any other scene in the film. The fear mixed with anger in his eyes as they swole up after thinking his wife had died was something you would totally expect from someone in real life had they been in that situation. The entire film from here on out was a complete adrenaline rush and as suspenseful as a movie gets. Seeing the underground basement in the barn and hearing the three red neck hicks talk of other murders so casually was terrifying. The moment they left the barn to go have breakfast inside Jeffrey took action and tried to free his wife but he was unsuccessful in opening the hatch therefore he had to go inside the house.

Armed with a gun he found in one of the cars in the barn Jeffrey entered the house and after a brief struggle with Warren's younger son he forced most of them into the barn to open the underground basement and he got his wife out and forced them all in. I especially loved it when he kicked Warren in the face before latching them inside. One problem existed though, Billy got free during the struggle in the house and he came back to help free Warren and his buddy and his wife and then the chase was on, literally. After driving through the middle of a mobile home trying to kill Jeffrey and Amy in his big rig Warren and his crew are on the hunt.


The final sequence of this film shows Jeffrey and Amy trying to escape in a truck they got at Warren's house but they were quickly being shot at and enclosed in on the small two lane highway by Warren, Billy, and Al. Trapped they were able to break free for a short time and Billy eventually crashed and blew up and Al later came to the same fate so it was Warren and his big rig chasing Jeffrey and Amy onto the bridge. After trying to force Jeffrey and Amy over the bridge in the truck we are treated to a final intense battle where Warren's big rig goes off the ledge and is hanging by a wheel and a fight ensues between Warren and Jeffrey. After literally hanging on for his life Jeffrey grabbed a hold of the big metal chain Warren was hitting him with and pulled Warren over the edge where he fell to his eventual death. In what I thought was a corny way to end it the producers did not have Warren die immediately but only led on to that but he dies only after Amy releases the brake on the truck forcing that and the big rig down the cliff which crashed down on top of Warren therefore officially killing him. I think anyone is smart enough to know Warren would have been long gone from just the fall on top of the rock alone but still even with this scene the way it was all ended well for the good guys and not so well for the bad guys, the way a movie should be. Take away the semi-corny ending and focus on the sheer suspense of this film I would easily give it a B+!

BASEBALL CARD MEMORIES

The other day when I was at Target I looked over and saw the section where they sell sports cards. There are so many different types now and days everything from movies and TV to politics and star trek and the sports card industry is just so different now than it was back when I was younger. I remember trading cards with my brother back when we were kids. It was simple back then, there was Topps, Fleer, Donruss, and then in 1988 Score. There was not 8 versions of Fleer or 19 versions of Topps but just the one and then every now and then there would be an extended set or rookie set. It is absolutely ridiculous how many cards there are now and what used to be valuable now is no longer so. Oh how times have changed.

To the right are some baseball cards that remind me of when I was a kid. I either obtained these myself (via my Dad buying them for me) or traded with my brother or friends but I owned most of the cards below at one time or another when I was a kid. Below is a little blur or blotter about each card. Ill start from the top left and go left to right and down or you can simply just follow by name as to which card

1. Rickey Henderson Rookie Card - Rickey Henderson was one of my favorite baseball players of all time. I remember trading to get this card from one of my Dad's friend when we were traveling one summer and at a lake somewhere. I was so excited to get this card and even though it was in terrible shape I loved this card and thought it was so cool to have especially after he broke the all time steals record.

2. Darryl Strawberry Rookie Card - Another favorite of mine as I rooted for the NY Mets against Boston in the 1986 World Series. I got this card at a sports card show on Beach Blvd in Westminster, CA in an extended 1983 Fleet Set. This card was in pristine mint condition and I actually kept it that one. One of my more pricey cards at that time since Straw was supposed to be one of the best around.

3. Eric Davis Rookie Card - Yet another favorite player of mine and the best friend of Strawberry this is a card I owned about 7 or 8 of at all times. I don't know how this happened but I had a ton of these cards and I remember when he started doing good I used my duplicates for trade bait. haha.

4. Michael Jordan Upper Deck Card - Upper Deck Baseball incorporated a special edition Michael Jordan "baseball" card in their 1990 set of MJ hitting at batting practice with the Chicago White Sox. This was a very popular card and I only owned 1 copy of it but it was very cool since it was the 1st ever Michael Jordan "baseball" card.

5. Kirby Puckett Rookie Card - This came from a set that both my brother and I owned so we both had a lot of these Topps 1985 cards floating around. There were so many great cards from this set and this Kirby Puckett one was no exception. One of the most humble and kind hearted guys in the league at the time Kirby was a fan favorite everywhere he went, except maybe in Atlanta. haha.

6. Tony Gwynn Rookie Card - I remember loving the 1983 Fleer set because the borders of the cards were brown. That was different and unique. I especially loved this one because Gwynn one of the purest hitters the game has ever seen is shown in the Padres crazy looking Yellow and Brown jersey and the card just synched up so well together with his attire. A great card and a great player!

7. Mark McGwire USA Baseball Rookie Card - Another one that was part of the 1985 Topps set neither my brother or I really paid much attention to this card at the time because it was part of the USA Baseball Team and we really didn't know any of them. Come 1998 I was sure looking through my old cards trying to locate any of these after Big Mac broke the single season HR record. Not sure of its worth today but this one was like a hidden treasure back then since so little people knew how big this card would be.

8. Cal Ripken Jr. Rookie Card - Not one of my more favorite designs of a baseball card but still pretty decent, I mean its Cal Ripken Jr. for pete's sake. One thing I liked about this card was that it listed him as a "third baseman" which we all know he is know for playing shortstop. He did however come into the league playing 3B so that wasn't a goof or anything just weird to see.

9. Julio Franco 1985 Topps Card - One of the few on this list that is not a "rookie" card or RC as known by Beckett but this is one that was always just funny to me. The curly gelled hair and overexcited smile were just too much. I must have had 5 or 6 copies of this one and every time I saw it I thought "this guy looks pretty happy and oh my gosh that hair"! haha

10. Wade Boggs Rookie Card - Tony Gwynn's American League nemesis and easily the greatest hitter in AL at that time the 1983 Donruss rookie card was decent but not like the fleer and topps of that year. I thought the glove and bat was a nice touch but it didn't compare to the brown border on the fleer card or the circle picture face on the topps card of that same year. Still a nice card but one of the few on this list that I never actually owned.

11. Gary Pettis 1985 Topps - Pettis was my favorite baseball player of all but this is not Gary Pettis on this card. I don't know who it was but it sure wasn't Pettis. A major mishap on this one and what was even more noticeable than that was the corny hand under chin high school yearbook type pose by whomever it was on this card. Easily one of the funniest baseball pose's around.

12. Roger Clemens Rookie Card - Another one that both my brother and I had multiple copies of and was not really known as a popular and valuable card at the time but later become both more popular and valuable. Just your typical rookie baseball card showing the "possible" Future Hall of Famer sporting a gold necklace visible outside his jersey. He's so joe-cool.

13. Don Mattingly Rookie Card - I remember always wanting to own this card and my brother was the one who had several copies. I eventually traded to get this one and I always loved the 84 fleer set. In this card Mattingly is obviously playing in a practice game or something because that is not your typical Yankee game uniform attire. One of the best first basemen of his time this was a cool rookie card to own.

14. Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card - I never owned this card but man the hype regarding this card was huge. I remember after returning home from the Pony World Series a bunch of my teammates were so excited because they pulled this card out of a pack and you would have thought they won the lottery. Griffey Jr. (the kid) was the biggest thing since sliced break back then but I never really got on the bandwagon I guess and never really tried to even get this card or trade for it.

15. Jose Canseco Rated Rookie Card - This was a gold mine of all gold mines back in the day. Both my brother and I owned this card and it was easily one of the most popular and valuable cards cards at that time. Everyone wanted this card and I had so many ridiculous trade requests for it it wasn't even funny. I did however accept one trade for it. That was when I traded it for my Rickey Henderson RC card at the lake. That's how I obtained that card. Over time this card diminished in value pretty quickly but at one point this was probably the hottest baseball card on the market.