Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2023 Edition

That's the lengths to which Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) will go to grab his man. To Live and Die in L.A. follows his attempts to arrest criminal Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), a skilled but ruthless counterfeiter that is responsible for murdering Chance's partner. To do this, he has to reluctantly work with newly assigned partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow), a more straight-laced agent.

Released in 1985, this is as 80s as you can get. From its traditional plot of a cop set on revenge, paired with an opposite partner, to its gritty, Miami Vice-like ambience and overall feel. There is also a certain "sleaze" to its vibe, along with huge doses of ultra-violence that just makes it feel of a certain time.

Friedkin keeps the pace a bit on the restless side, so there isn't much of a chance to let your guard down. Maybe because of this, some cuts feel a bit abrupt, while also some subplots and storylines feel either underserved or end up falling by the side. One notable example is the subplot of Chance's informant/lover Ruth Lanier (Darlanne Fluegel).

My main issues, however, is with the character of Vukovich. I think Pankow was a bit miscast, but beyond that, I don't think the script gives him the depth and space that he needs; especially considering how important he becomes as the film progresses. It was halfway through the film that I kinda realized, "Oh, this is like an important guy. I thought he would be a 'red-shirt' nobody". Maybe that has to do with my expectations, or maybe with the way he was introduced and presented at first.

Chance, on the other hand, is cold and brooding. Petersen does a solid job with the character, and you believe that this guy doesn't really give a shit how he does things. Finally, Dafoe gives one of his committed performances, although I wouldn't have mind a bit more "crazy" from him. Finally, John Turturro gives a great supporting performance as one of Masters' men.

Despite some of the issues stated above, I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed the dark and gritty approach to things, and Friedkin did a solid job directing. It's worth mentioning that there's a particularly intense car chase that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The script has some issues, but a lot of the dialogue is sharp and cool, and there is a twist towards the end that's bound to make you go "what?!" Apparently, MGM executives weren't happy with it, but I guess Friedkin said "I'm gonna do it, and I don't give a shit how I do it."

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That's how filmmaker Tim Egan describes the setting of his eerie short film, Curve. Released in 2016, it follows a young woman (Laura Jane Turner) that wakes up on a ledge in a mysterious place. Injured, alone, and at the risk of falling to an abyss, the woman tries to desperately cling to life.

This is a short film I had seen a couple of years ago, and it certainly left a mark. I love the way it creates this creepy atmosphere through its minimalist visuals and the awesome sound design. Like Egan himself said, it all works to give this setting an almost antagonistic persona that is determined to make this woman give up and fall.

I had the fortune to talk with Egan for an upcoming episode of my podcast, and it was great to pick his brain about all the little details that he puts on this, and all his thought process while crafting such a cool short film. Curve is the very definition of "less is more".

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In case anybody wants to check it out, it's definitely worth it.

The Follow is one of several short films commissioned by BMW to serve as "glorified car ads" at the turn of the century. They follow a nameless driver (Clive Owen) hired to perform different tasks. What's notable is that they manage to nab big names and stars like Tony Scott, Guy Ritchie, Ang Lee, Gary Oldman, Don Cheadle, and in this case, Forest Whitaker, Mickey Rourke, and Wong Kar-wai.

In this one, the driver is hired to follow the wife of a paranoid, and probably abusive actor (Rourke). As he follows her Z3 aboard his BMW 328i *wink, wink* he narrates the intricacies of his job and the proper techniques to follow. But his musings, like the above quote, may also be about his personal life, his past or his current feelings. Some would say that a publicity tool like this doesn't have any business being as "deep" and "introspective" as this, but there it is.

The only other short I've seen from the series, Beat the Devil, was directed by Tony Scott, and it was 100% him; from the adrenaline and the sheer kinetic energy of it. I'm not an expert on Wong, but one can feel this is purely his flavor. As interesting as it is to watch, it is remarkable the way in which the business/marketing aspect of the short meets the artistic angle of the crew involved, and I'm all for it.

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Again, for those interested...

Curve is one of the more memorable short films I've seen in the past few years. Pretty sure you were the one that brought it to my attention the first time. I'm a sucker for that sort of simple one-location set up.
Looking forward to the interview.

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Captain's Log
My Collection

I also watched Curve after Thief mentioned it a few years ago. I concur that it's very good.

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IMDb
Letterboxd

Zoos are magical places, with the ability to unite people, mend differences, and heal families... or at least that's what Matt Damon taught us. Which is why Harold (Doug Herbert) wants to buy a zoo in this silly, funny short film from my good friend, Todd Sullivan.

The film follows his enthusiastic presentation to his family, and their subsequent reaction. It is a very simple short, but for the most part, successful in what it wants to do. The comedic timing from Herbert is solid, and the rest of the cast does a good work, especially Kelsey Bell as the daughter.

There is a bit of "fancy" camera movement in the opening that looks great, but might feel a bit "too much" for how simple the short is. But considering that the bulk of it is just two static shots (Dad vs. the family), I think it gives some balance. But the highlight is in the script and the performances. Nothing groundbreaking, but effective.

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For anyone interested...

Glad you both liked it! I'm currently editing the interview and will hopefully have it out before February ends.

That is precisely what this short film offers. A Killer App was made by actor/singer and friend Keram Malicki-Sanchez as a college project more than a decade ago. He shared it with me when I told him I was doing an episode on short films, and although it has some of the warts and wrinkles of a student project, it is still pretty funny in its silliness.

Like the above quote clearly says, the film follows Greg (Sean Ridgway), a computer "nerd" who ends up killing his nagging girlfriend (Aimee-Lynn Chadwick) in a moment of rage. After hooking her up with some electronics, he codes an app to control her from his cell phone. But things don't go as planned when their neighbor (Jon Sharkey) finds out about it.

The direction feels a bit frenetic at times, but there are some good moments of blocking and framing. Also, Ridgway is pretty good as the lead with some pretty effective deadpan delivery. A Killer App might have been just "a college project"... but it works.

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For anyone interested...



Also, check out some of Keram's music and videos. He directs all his videos and the music is really good.

Pee Soup is yet another short film from my friend Todd Sullivan. It follows a diner (Carlo Sia) and a unique waiter (Matthew Che'z) in a... unique sidewalk cafe. Todd shared this with me a couple of weeks ago as well, and I've been laughing at it since. Maybe I'm an easy target, but I find pretty much everything in it perfect. The delivery and timing from both actors is on point, the music is perfect, and the way it subverts our expectations had me rolling. What can I say? It's a short film titled "pee soup", and that is *exactly* what it brings

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Enjoy...

Finishing this batch of short films with two more from Todd Sullivan, both featuring an unlikely... companion.

That is how physicist Thomas Nesbitt (Paul Christian) sums up another scientist skeptical reaction to the alleged appearance of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, a prehistoric dinosaur awakened by a nuclear bomb test. The film follows Nesbitt's attempts to alert everybody after his first encounter with the beast in the Arctic. An encounter that everybody dismisses as a moment of delirium.

And there is a good deal of that skepticism, as Nesbitt goes around from his military friends to fellow scientists. He is eventually joined by Dr. Thurgood Elson (Cecil Kellaway) and his young assistant Lee (Paula Raymond), but the film takes almost an hour to finally confirm the existence of the beast to the higher uppers, when it is already too late.

But regardless of the scientific push-and-pull from the story, this is a film about a giant lizard wreaking havoc, and in that aspect, the film delivers. The special effects and stop-motion animation of the beast are quite impressive and wonderful to look at. One notable example is the moment when the beast destroys a lighthouse, which results in a very visually striking moment (hence my inclusion of it here), but the scenes in the city halfway through, or the closing ones in Coney Island are just as good.

The toxic blood in the last act was a nice twist, but I don't think the way it was executed and eventually solved was that effective. Still, at 80 minutes, the film doesn't overstay its welcome and offers enough destruction and solid special effects for any fans of the genre.

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The Deadly Mantis follows a team of scientists and military personnel as they try to find and stop the titular creature as it starts attacking several military bases in the North Pole. The military team is led by Col. Joe Parkman (Craig Stevens) and General Mark Ford (Donald Randolph), but they are joined by paleontologist Ned Jackson (William Hopper) and journalist Marge Blaine (Alix Talton).

I read an article on praying mantises that opened with the following sentence: "From extreme camouflage to sexual cannibalism". Obviously, this unique insect has fascinated people since forever, not only because of their appearance, but also for their behavior or skills, as mentioned on this quote. Unfortunately, this creature feature resorts to a more traditional portrayal of it as a big "anything", instead of capitalizing on its uniqueness.

The Deadly Mantis follows a template, and it does so fairly well. However, its pace is a bit more clunky than, say, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. At times, it feels like it kinda sputters often, before actually getting things going. In addition, none of the main characters are that memorable. There's also the frequent objectification of Marge, which we are meant to take in stride because she does so as well, all while dozens of soldiers ogle and leer at her.

The special effects are not as great as other similar films, but they are effective. Director Nathan Juren tries to make the most out of his limitations, while still giving us decent amounts of destruction and chaos. It's not enough to put this in the same category as other similar films, but well... it's doing the best that it can.

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Forgot to put this here yesterday, since it was "meant" to come out on the "short month", but this is the latest episode of the podcast, Episode 79: The Short Loot, where I talk with filmmaker Tim Egan. Known for directing the amazing short film, Curve, we talked about his career, his short film, and short films in general. We close sharing our favorite short films, and there is a notable presence of short films that came up during the Short Film HoF we did a while ago, so check it out!

The Movie Loot 79: The Short Loot (with Tim Egan)

You can check it out on the above link, or on any of these podcasting platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other. Thanks for the support!

I just released Special Episode 16 of The Movie Loot, where I talk about what is probably my favorite scene from The Godfather, and my second favorite from the franchise; the attempt against Vito Corleone at the hospital:

The Movie Loot - Special Episode XVI (The Godfather)

Remember you can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and most podcast platforms.

Today is #GrammarDay, so I had the opportunity to chat with podcaster and NY Times best-selling author Mignon Fogarty, also known as Grammar Girl on a bonus episode of The Movie Loot. We talked about grammar, podcasts, podcasts about grammar, and a little bit about films. Check it out!

Bonus Loot #3: The Grammar Loot (with Mignon Fogarty, a.k.a. Grammar Girl)

Remember you can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and most podcast platforms.