Identity (2003) - Mangold succeeds with crafty thriller

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Mortal danger, mystery and scares are teased on this deft poster for James Mangold's Identity

Ten strangers meet at a small hotel on a very rainy night, facing someone unknown that starts eliminating them one by one.

 

Identity is written by Michael Cooney (Murder in Mind (1997)) and co-produced and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker James Mangold (Heavy (1995)), whose 5th feature it is.

The semi-psychological, somewhat baloney-ish plot is a bit hole-ridden but fair, with Se7en (1995) inspiration dripping off it. But the pay-off is considerable, and Identity is staged highly professionally. 

Amanda Peet (Gulliver's Travels (2010)) is lovely here, and the editing is tight. And God, how it rains in this modern high-concept thriller.

 

Related posts:

James Mangold:  The day after the day after ... the 2018 Oscars

Oscars 2018: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites

The Greatest Showman (2017) - Brace for an infectious musical show (executive producer/director (reshoots))

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

The Wolverine (2013) - Many good elements in Mangold's Japan-set superhero adventure actioner 
Knight and Day (2010) - Diaz and Cruise invigorate Mangold's action romance

1999 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Girl, Interrupted (1999) - Girls with mental problems explored in compassionate, strong film 

Top 10: Best cop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Cop Land (1997) - Stallone faces corruption and turns in some good acting in fine crime drama 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 28 mil. $

Box office: 90.2 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.22 times its cost)

[Identity premiere 23 April (Los Angeles) and urns 90 minutes. Shooting took place in California, including in Los Angeles. Angelo Badalamenti made a score for the film, but it was replaced with one by Alan Silvestri. The film opened #1 to a 16.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 2 more weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 52.1 mil. $ (57.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 5.2 mil. $ (5.8 %) and Germany with 4.7 mil. $ (5.2 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Mangold returned with Walk the Line (2005). John Cusack (Reclaim (2014)) returned in Runaway Jury (2003); Peet in Something's Gotta Give (2003). Identity is fresh at 63 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Identity?

Indestructible Man (1956) or, The Nearly Indestructible Man!

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Scantily dressed young women screaming with fright competes with firetruck red, a fearfully intense star Lon Chaney Jr. and terrific title art on this tremendous poster for Jack Pollexfen's Indestructible Man

A wrongfully condemned man returns after his electrical execution with super powers with one mission in mind: Revenge!

 

Indestructible Man is written by Sue Dwiggins and Vy Russell (Monstrosity (1963), both) and produced and directed by Jack Pollexfen (Dragon's Gold (1954)).

The homicide case that opens the narrative is handled in the best Raymond Chandler style. Lon Chaney Jr. (Buckskin (1968)) is 'Butcher', the (nearly) indestructible man! Not even the police's bazooka or flamethrower can stop him!

The weak dialog (almost none given to Chaney) is weighed up with several other qualities: Car-driving scenes shot from a car driving in front of the action are cool (cinematography by John L. Russell (Billie (1965)); Chaney's "eye effect", illustrating the electrical intensity, is fantastic; the grandiose ending at a Los Angeles power station is great; the score (by Albert Glasser (Tormented (1960))) is wonderful, and there's a romantic end scene that is extremely corny. Indestructible Man is an enormously rad picture for fans of low-budget strange fare of this period.

Related post:

Jack Pollexfen: Monstrosity/The Atomic Brain (1963) - Crazed doctor schlock

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown

= Uncertain

[Indestructible Man was released 25 March (USA) and runs 72 minutes. Shooting took place around November 1954 in California, including in Los Angeles. The film was shown on a double bill in North America with World Without End (1956) and in other areas with Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). It was also released in at least 6 other markets, but details of its budget and box office results are regrettably not readily available. The film has fallen into public domain and is available for free and legal download and streaming right here. Pollexfen returned with Monstrosity (1963). Chaney Jr. returned in Telephone Time (1956, TV-series) and theatrically in The Black Sleep (1956). 3.2k+ IMDb users have given Indestructible Man a 4.4/10 average rating.]

 

What do you think of Indestructible Man?

The Italian Job (2003) - Gray impresses with slick heist remake

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Sexy stars aligned on this neat poster for F. Gary Gray's The Italian Job

After a violent betrayal in Italy, professional fixer Charlie Crockett gathers a team of experts to carry out an elaborate revenge in Los Angeles with a prize of gold bullion at its end.

 

The Italian Job is written by Donna and Wayne Powers (Deep Blue Sea (1999)) and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker F. Gary Gray (Friday (1995)), loosely remaking the same-titled 1969 British film by Peter Collinson.

Attractive and entertaining, this heist picture benefits from intelligent heists, a rapid pace and handsome cinematography (by Wally Pfister (The Prestige (2006))) to go with the handsome cast: Edward Norton's (Fight Club (1999)) villain and Charlize Theron (Æon Flux (2005)) are especially commendable, along with the Mini Coopers, which are dope. The soundtrack cements the cool vibe of The Italian Job (excellent use of To Get Down by Timo Maas), and Gray's music video background is seen and felt clearly here. This may also be the film's minor weakness: It is an exciting case of fast in - fast out; cool and easily forgotten afterwards.

 

Related posts:

F. Gary Gray: Straight Outta Compton (2015) - Gray's N.W.A. biopic is excellent 

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Law Abiding Citizen (2009) - Gray and stars are in trouble with this jumbled revenge thriller

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 60 mil. $

Box office: 176 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.93 times its cost)

[The Italian Job was released 30 May (North America) and runs 111 minutes. Norton was paid 1 mil. $ for his performance in the film; Jason Statham (The Transporter (2002)) got 450k $. Shooting took place around September 2002 in Italy, Manitoba, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release Finding Nemo and holdover hit Bruce Almighty, to a 19.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#4-X-#5), grossing 106.1 mil. $ (60.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 12.8 mil. $ (7.3 %) and Australia with 6.9 mil. $ (3.9 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Plans for a sequel never came to fruition. Gray returned with 4 music videos prior to his theatrical return with Be Cool (2005). Mark Wahlberg (All the Money in the World (2017)) returned in I Heart Huckabees (2004); Theron in Monster (2003); and Norton in After the Sunset (2004). The Italian Job is fresh at 72 % with a 6.4/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Italian Job? 

Inside Man (2006) - Lee's delicious heist thriller

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Text and small, slim stills at slanted angles upon a white background makes up this poster for Spike Lee's Inside Man

An elaborate bank heist takes place in New York by a mysterious team of robbers, who take the staff hostage, while a police negotiator tries to get the criminals out without any bloodshed, and the bank's founder hires a fixer to make sure his vault's secrets are not stolen.

Inside Man is written by Russell Gewirtz (Blind Justice (2005)) and directed by Georgian master filmmaker Spike Lee (Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983)), whose 20th feature it is.

It it an intelligent and very well carried out thriller and an unusual Lee 'joint': He has not participated in its writing, as he is wont to do, and it is a more 'straight' genre picture than most of his films. But Inside Man still has the Lee touch: It is rife with buddy mood, and Denzel Washington (The Hurricane (1999)) is terrific as the 'small-time New-Yorker' who saves the day. 

The story is captivating, and the performances are way above the standard in most thrillers, most prominently Washington, but Jodie Foster (The Brave One (2007)) is also good as the frightening fixer, and so is Christopher Plummer (Starcrash (1978)) as the conscience-plagued bank founder. There's a keen double-meaning to the movie's title.

 

Related posts:
 
Spike Lee: The day after the day after ... the 2019 Oscars

She Hate Me (2004) or, Champion of the Lesbians 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Top 10: Best crime movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
25th Hour (2002) or, Taking a Second Chance 

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

He Got Game (1998) - Lee's basketball classic 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 45 mil. $
Box office: 186 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.13 times its cost)

[Inside Man was released 16 March (Netherlands) and runs 129 minutes. Shooting took place from June - August 2005 in New York. The film opened #1 to a 28.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#4), grossing 88.5 mil. $ (47.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 14.4 mil. $ (7.7 %) and France with 9.3 mil. $ (5 %). The film won an AFI award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. The film additionally made an estimated 38.6 mil. $ on home video sales in North America alone. Lee returned with 4 TV and short projects prior to his theatrical return Miracle at St. Anna (2008). Washington returned in Deja Vu (2006); Clive Owen (Killer in Red (2017, short)) in Children of Men (2006); and Foster in The Brave One (2007). Inside Man is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Inside Man?

Insomnia (2002) - Nolan hones skills with solid thriller

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A gloomy darkness and a feeling of dread hangs over this poster for Christopher Nolan's Insomnia

Two LAPD homicide detectives are sent to a remote part of Alaska to investigate the murder of a teenage girl, but things go haywire in the almost ceaseless daylight of the extreme North.

 

Insomnia is written by Hillary Seitz (Early Bird Special (2001)) and directed by English master filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Following (1998)), whose 3rd feature it is. It is a remake of Erik Skjoldbjærg's same-titled 1997 Norwegian film.

An excellent 'little' thriller with a masterful Al Pacino (The Irishman (2019)) and Robin Williams (Jumanji (1995)) good in an unusual villainous part as a bestial murderer with inferiority complexes. The film also distinguishes itself with its insomnia theme, which is illustrated cinematically in Dormer's (Pacino) increasing confusion along with the entire plot, which is generally credible. Perhaps except for the spectacular Hollywood-type ending. (Although this is not to say that the film would be better off without said ending.)

 

Related posts:

Christopher Nolan: 2023 in films - according to Film Excess 

Oppenheimer (2023) - Nolan treats aficionados of history, politics, science - and cinema 

2020 in films - according to Film Excess

Tenet (2020) - Nolan blows smoke up your ass 

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2017 in films - according to Film Excess 
Dunkirk (2017) - Nolan champions cinema with masterful war movie  

Top 10: Best future-set movies
Interstellar (2014) - Nolan heads to space in opulent, exciting epic
2014 in films - according to Film Excess
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) or, Batman and the Storm, Darkness, Anarchy, Evil, Depression
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
Inception (2010) - Nolan's best is a grand piece of action sci-fi, perfectly awesome nonsense 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
The Dark Knight (2008) - Nolan's best Batman 

The Prestige (2006) - Nolan's overrated magician picture 
Batman Begins (2005) or, Modern, Dark, Smooth Batman 
Memento (2000) - Nolan's overrated amnesia mindfuck   
Following (1998) - Nolan's ineffectual debut

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 46 mil. $

Box office: 113.7 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.47 times its cost)

[Insomnia premiered 3 May (Tribeca Film Festival, New York) and runs 118 minutes. Pacino was paid 11 mil. $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took place from April - June 2001 in Alaska and British Columbia. The film opened #3, behind holdover hits Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Spider-Man, to a 20.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it fell out of the top 5 in its 2nd weekend, grossing 67.3 mil. $ (59.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 7.8 mil. $ (6.9 %) and Japan with 7 mil. $ (6.2 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Nolan returned with Batman Begins (2005). Pacino returned in S1m0ne (2002); Williams in The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2003, TV movie) and Freedom: A History of US (2003, TV-series) prior to his theatrical return in The Final Cut (2004); and Hilary Swank (The Hunt (2020)) in The Space Between (2002, short) and theatrically in The Core (2003). Insomnia is certified fresh at 92 % with a 7.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Insomnia?

Invisible Ghost (1941) - Lugosi returns for more Monogram sinisterness

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A menacing painted rendition of star Bela Lugosi strangling a young woman makes up this poster for Joseph H. Lewis' Invisible Ghost

House-owner Charles Kessler at night becomes hypnotized by his estranged, brain-damaged wife's 'ghost', causing him to murder at random, using his coat (!).

 

Invisible Ghost is written by Al Martin (Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)) and Helen Martin (The Lady Confesses (1945)) and directed by Joseph H. Lewis (Navy Spy (1937)).

It is a strange, quite short 'ghost' story with a ghost who is not invisible, and who is actually also not a ghost but merely brain-damaged, (you try to explain the title, I can't.) There is a legal twist to the story, and Bela Lugosi (Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)) and Clarence Muse (Buck and the Preacher (1972)) as the black butler are especially good here in what is really an odd curiosity.  

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown
Box office: Unknown

= Uncertain

[Invisible Ghost was released 25 April (USA) and runs 64 minutes. It was the first of 9 films Lugosi made under his new contract to producer Sam Katzman and Monogram Pictures. Shooting took place from March 1941 - ?, incredibly close to the film's release. Details of its release results are regrettably lost. The film is also noteworthy for having black actor Muse's name prominently on the poster as one of the film's just 3 credited co-stars. It has since fallen into public domain and is available free and legally to stream and/or download right here. Lewis returned with Criminals Within (1941). Lugosi returned in The Black Cat (1941). 2.6k+ IMDb users have given Invisible Ghost a 5.2/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Invisible Ghost?

Halloween Ends (2022) or, Halloween Snores

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The central two characters of the decades-long franchise stand back-to-back in a fiery darkness on this poster for David Gordon Green's Halloween Ends

Michael Myers and Laurie Strode' decades-long bloody battle in Haddonfield, Illinois finally reaches its conclusion.

 

Halloween Ends is written by Chris Bernier (The House: A Hulu Halloween Anthology (2017, miniseries)), Paul Brad Logan (Manglehorn (2014)), Danny McBride (Your Highness (2011)) and Arkansan master filmmaker, co-writer/director David Gordon Green (George Washington (2000)), whose 15th feature it is. It is the 3rd and last in Green's Halloween trilogy (2018; 2021) and the 13th in the Halloween franchise overall.

The film opens strongly with a pre-title sequence about a young engineer student, who accidentally kills the boy that he is babysitting. The title animation, credits and accompanying, exploding jack-o-lanterns are rad. But the film that follows is an immovable, deeply uninteresting turkey:

It turns out that the guy from the pre-title sequence is to be followed throughout Halloween Ends, despite his being extremely uninteresting. No other characters spark interest or tension, and that leaves one mentally snoring all the way to the picture's overly brutal ending. SPOILER Who wants to see an aging woman get beaten up and then stabbing the perp, her also senior citizen-aged brother, again and again?

 

Related posts:

 

Halloween franchise: Halloween (2018) - Great-looking mayhem

Halloween (2007) - Zombie's remake is a bloody stinker  

Halloween: Resurrection (2002) - Myers returns to turkeyville 

Halloween H20/Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) - Myers spreads fresh terror in Miner's fine sequel 

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) - Precious few cuts from rock bottom 

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) - Myers returns for dull slasher 

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - Evil masks ravage in Wallace's under-appreciated horror 

Halloween (1978) - Carpenter's haunting slasher classic

David Gordon Green: Halloween (2018) - Great-looking mayhem 

2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess

The Sitter (2011) - Green and Hill's inappropriate babysitter movie is a crude hoot 

Your Highness (2011) - Green's dismissed, golden stoner/raunch adventure comedy

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

Pineapple Express (2008) - Funny people incite laughs in ludicrous stoner comedy

George Washington (2000) - Green's evocative North Carolina youth debut masterpiece 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 33 mil. $

Box office: 104.3 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.16 times its cost)

[Halloween Ends premiered 6 October (Sitges Film Festival, Spain) and runs 111 minutes. Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween (1978)) was paid 3.5 mil. $ for her performance in the film. Shooting took place from January - June 2022 in Georgia and Utah. The film opened #1 to a 40 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 2 more weekends in the top 5 (#4-#5), grossing 64 mil. $ (61.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 5.4 mil. $ (5.2 %) and Mexico with 5.3 mil. $ (5.1 %). Green returned with The Righteous Gemstones (2019-22) and theatrically with The Exorcist: Believer (2023). Curtis returned in The Bear (2023, TV-series) and theatrically in Haunted Mansion (2023). Halloween Ends is rotten at 40 % with a 5.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Halloween Ends?