Category: Crime

Blacklight (2022)

Director: Mark Williams

Screenplay: Nick May, Mark Williams from a story by Nick May, Brandon Reavis

Stars: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn

Tagline: They’re gonna need more men

The Plot…

Travis Block (Neeson) is a government agent who has done a lot of shady things in his past.  Now, he wants to retire to spend time with his granddaughter.  When Travis finds out that his boss is authorizing hits on citizens, Travis finds himself in the fight of his life.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I can usually make it through a Liam Neeson action film.  I tapped out of Blacklight after 44 minutes.  I’m not alone.  Blacklight currently has a 4.8 rating on IMDb.  On Rotten Tomatoes Blacklight has an 11% favorable rating.  Your mileage may vary.

Mulholland Falls (1996)

Director: Lee Tamahori

Screenplay: Pete Dexter from a story by Pete Dexter, Floyd Mutrux

Stars: Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Treat Williams, Daniel Baldwin, Andrew McCarthy, John Malkovich, Kyle Chandler  and Ed Lauter.

Tagline:  This isn’t America, this is Los Angeles

The Plot…

A special four-man team of LA Detectives consisting of Lieutenant Maxwell Hoover (Nolte), Ellery Coolidge (Palminteri), Eddie Hall (Madsen), and Arthur Relyea (Penn) have been granted authorization to take aggressive actions when dealing with criminals.  Gangsters have taken to calling them The Hat Squad.

When a prostitute named Allison Pond (Connelly) is found dead in the desert with every bone in her body broken, the case is assigned to The Hat Squad.  A piece of radioactive glass is found embedded in Pond’s foot.  Soon the detectives receive a film of Pond having sex with various men… including Detective Hoover and  retired General Thomas Timms (Malkovich).  Following leads puts the team at odds with each other and the US Military.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Hat Squad was based on a team of detectives that was truly empowered to take more drastic measures to fight crime.

Mulholland Falls features an amazing cast.  Standouts include Nolte, Palminteri, Malkovich and Williams.

I liked the reveal and subsequent action scene after the murderer is known.  Also the final scene between Nolte and Griffith is handled in a non-Hollywood way.

Mulholland Falls (1996) rates 3 of 5 stars.

The Locksmith (2023)

Director: Nicolas Harvard

Screenplay: John Glosser, Joe Russo, Chris LaMont

Stars: Kate Bosworth, Ryan Phillippe, Ving Rhames and Noel Gugliemi.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Miller Graham (Phillippe) was just released from prison.  Graham is determined to go straight and get back with his wife, Beth (Bosworth) and daughter.  The crooked cops who set Graham up have other ideas and when a friend needs help, Graham finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I hoped The Locksmith would be better.  I like Bosworth, Phillippe and Rhames.  Unfortunately, the decisions that Phillippe’s character makes are so stupid that I couldn’t muster much sympathy for him.  Just a few of his bad decisions: He agrees to rob a mansion that has armed security. He never cases the joint or makes a plan.  He parks his truck right outside the fence of the property.

The best character in the movie is played by Ving Rhames.  He doesn’t get much to do except tell Phillippe to get his act together, play with Phillipppe’s daughter and then be murdered.  Don’t worry though, there’ s a little scene to wrap up the film to show he’s gone but not forgotten.  (Unlike the movie which will soon be.)

The Locksmith (2023) rates 2 of 5 stars.

Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2019)

Director: Brett Harvey

Writers:  Scott Dodds, Brett Harvey

Stars: Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Michelle Rodriguez and Robert Rodriguez.

Tagline: I owe a debt. A debt to society

The Plot…

The life and times of Danny Trejo.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Danny Trejo is one of the most easily recognized stars in Hollywood.  Trejo has over 445 acting credits on his resume.  With that said, it was an amazing journey to get to his current status since Trejo spent much of his childhood addicted to drugs and in juvenile detention.  As a young adult Danny Trejo served time at San Quentin for drug and robbery convictions.

Yet despite all that, Danny Trejo turned his life around.  Now when he’s not on location filming for his latest project, Danny Trejo spends his time speaking at prisons, youth centers and giving back to the community that used to fear him.

Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2019) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Cold Pursuit (2019)

Director: Hans Petter Moland

Screenplay:  Frank Baldwin based on In Order of Disappearance by Kim Fupz Aakeson

Stars: Liam Neeson, Laura Dern, Micheál Neeson, Tom Bateman, Domenick Lombardozzi, Jim Shield, Aleks Paunovic, Glenn Ennis  and Emmy Rossum.

Tagline: Revenge is best served cold.

The Plot…

Citizen of the Year, Nels Coxman (Neeson), is a mild-mannered Colorado snowplow driver.  When Coxman learns that his son was murdered by members of a drug cartel, he decides to take out as many members of the cartel as he can.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Cold Pursuit is one of those movies that gets better as it goes along.  That’s because it doesn’t take itself too seriously, provides interesting characters and more plot twists that expected in a “revenge flick”.

Liam Neeson is always good.  Standouts in the supporting cast include…

• Tom Bateman as Trevor “Viking” Calcote, the unhinged drug lord
• Emmy Rossum as Kim Dash, a young, eager police officer
• Domenick Lombardozzi as Mustang, one of Calcote’s enforcers
• William Forsythe as Brock “Wingman” Coxman, a retired hitman

Stick around for the end credits — there’s not another scene but the credit design adds to the fun.

Cold Pursuit (2019) rates 4 of 5 stars.