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Old 02-11-2024, 11:39 AM   #15404
Ol Dirty Dastard
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A rare good movie weekend for me.

Unstoppable (2010):

I'm intrigued by Tony Scott. I don't envision myself ever watching Top Gun because while I'll watch the odd Tom Cruise movie, something about that whole setup rubs me the wrong way.

BUT Tony Scott directed True Romance, and that's one of my all-time faves. Plus, it never dawned on me until recently that he was Ridley's brother (I'm not a film buff, so sue me).

Anyways, Unstoppable is an easy 8/10. Scott doesn't try to win any Oscars. Still, he somehow adds a lot of subtext and buy-in to an absolutely preposterous premise (a runaway train with toxic/nuclear/biohazardous material threatening to destroy a whole town).

It's all about how Scott frames the movie. You have separate subplots relating to the train, with each player dedicated in their own way and their own motivations to stop the train. Each character possesses enough beats and nuances that you're invested in each story.

A straightforward, taut thriller made by a guy who knew what he was doing. Denzel and Chris Pine also have tremendous chemistry, and Rosario Dawson shines.

Crimson Tide (1995):

Also a Tony Scott joint. 8.5/10. Exceptional. Denzel again. Crimson Tide is far more the Denzel show than Unstoppable, though. And he's going head-to-head with Gene Hackman.

It's a similar formula to Unstoppable but with the wrinkle of nuclear war with Russia, and they're all on a submarine with a muddled message to fire a nuclear missile (or maybe NOT fire that missile), leading to the primary tension with Hackman and Denzel.

There's a collection of awesome character actors (a young Viggo Mortensen, too, who honestly kicks ass) and pre-Sopranos Gandolfini. And similar to Unstoppable, it's almost a sports movie because you have all these different characters with unique wrinkles who are stuck in the shit, and their emotions go up and down with the ebbs and flows of the movie.

The dialogue is also wicked. They punched up this script like a motherfucker with a band of writers, including Tarantino.

An absolute genre masterclass from Scott. The man was really good at what he did.

Escape From New York (1981):

Another 8/10. Really cool, atmospheric movie. Kurt Russel is the man. I love the character work put forth by Harry Dean Stanton. The premise of "New York is a giant prison" is absolutely awesome. Post apocalyptic schlock with lots of subtext and hidden depth. The ending slaps like a motherfucker, too, with Snake getting the better of everyone. Shout out to Lee Van Clief as well. He steals most of his scenes and is a total asshole.

Also, the detail of everyone in New York knowing Snake and thinking he's dead with no outright explanation is a beautiful touch. Adds to the mystique splendidly.
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