The Last Of Sheila (1973)

When Rian Johnson was doing the press rounds for Knives Out and discussing “Whodunnit” influences, one title he would offer, which I’d never even heard of before, was The Last Of Sheila (1973). It has the distinction of being written by actor Anthony Perkins and musical composer Stephen Sondheim, and apparently based on Sondheim’s love […]

Nowhere To Run (1993)

I always thought Nowhere To Run (1993) was later in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s career but it was inbetween Universal Soldier and Hard Target (maybe my favourite all time JCVD film). I can imagine Van Damme saying about Nowhere To Run at the time: “This is a real movie with a human story with emotions”. As […]

Thunderbolt And Lightfoot (1974)

I remember turning on the TV and seeing the ending of Thunderbolt And Lightfoot (1974) when I was young. I’d already accidentally spoiled it for myself but thought it was about time to get a sense of the whole thing. Clint Eastwood gave Michael Cimino a shot at directing his first film after having written […]

The Driver (1978)

The first time I watched Walter Hill’s The Driver (1978), I couldn’t get into Ryan O’Neal’s performance as the lead. I felt he was too milquetoast or lightweight to play the mysterious professional wheelman, available for hire to crews for heists and robberies. I kept thinking about Hill’s first choice, Steve McQueen, and how much […]

92 In The Shade (1975)

92 In The Shade (1975) was stranger than I expected. Who knew that being a fishing guide in Florida was such a contentious, dangerous business? Peter Fonda plays a tanned, laidback dude who decides to get in the game of being a “guide”, much to the annoyance of established pros like Warren Oates and Harry […]