Mr. Majestyk (1974)

I re-read the Elmore Leonard novel Mr. Majestyk (1974) for the umpteenth time recently – classic crime pot-boiler with trademark Leonard characters and dialogue. I knew there was a Charles Bronson movie of it, but hadn’t realised that Leonard had written it as a screenplay first then adapted it as a novel. Bronson is the […]

Payday (1972)

When Rip Torn passed away, several film critics and publications would talk about his performance in the forgotten film, Payday (1972). Once you see it (and so far, the full thing is available to watch on YouTube), you won’t forget Torn’s performance as country singer Maury Dann, an unrelenting prick. Opening with him and his […]

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

A post-Exorcist vehicle for star Ellen Burstyn, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) was the first Hollywood studio production Martin Scorsese directed who was hand-picked by Burstyn after seeing Mean Streets (on Francis Ford Coppola’s suggestion). Burstyn plays Alice, a housewife with dreams of becoming a singer who hits the road with her young son, […]

Cries And Whispers (1972)

Ingmar Bergman is a director whose filmography I’ve always chided myself for not knowing more about. For the longest time, I hadn’t seen any of Bergman’s films until I finally watched The Seventh Seal a few years ago, and I was surprised at how funny it was even with its iconic existential imagery (playing chess […]

Convoy (1978)

Convoy (1978) is based on the country western novelty song by C.W. McCall which also soundtracks the movie itself, stretching out and teasing the audience with sections of the tune and only letting rip with its anthemic chorus near the climax. Big rig trucker “Rubber Duck” (Kris Kristofferson) runs afoul of corrupt, racist Sheriff “Dirty […]