Melissa Prophet – Cut To The Chase

Directed By: Michael Elliot

Written By: Michael Elliott, Rafael Bunuel, and Chris Mankiewicz

Cinematography: Alfred Taylor

Editor: Jonathan Braun

Cast: Sally Kirkland, Lynn Banashek, Sean Masterson, Michael O’Leary, Teal Roberts, Marcelyn Ann Williams, Melissa Prophet, Angela Bennett, Nicholas Love, Lauretta Murphy

A mad javelin thrower kills teenagers in the school. All promising athletes are executed most brutally. Especially naked girls in dressing rooms or saunas.

This movie is very ridiculous with a killer who only uses one weapon and it’s a javelin, which I guess goes with the theme as all of the victims want to be Olympic college athletes. It stays on theme throughout.

There is actually a scene where they all are in favor of doping up all of the athletes with steroids and they’re being no Controversy

The film now has controversy when it comes to the third act as it shows a kind of outdated attitude that might insult some groups. Especially when it seems a bit borrowed from another classic horror film. So that The killer might be easy to guess the motive won’t be

This film suffers from the usual problem with some horror films, where you don’t really get to know the characters enough to really care so realistically, they’re just like cows to the slaughter, though with this one you never grow close to any particular character, so they are beyond disposable because you truly don’t know who is going to be next and who is ultimately going to be or even amongst the survivors. Which usually leads to the film having creative kills to entertain the audience or what the audience demands. Here not so creative when the murder weapon is the same and goes about using it mostly in the same manner.

Watching this film it made me wonder now that there are a lot of older horror movies that are considered classics for various reasons and have been called Classics by different critics as they help to serve up the eventual formula or cliché of the genre or certain genres like slasher no, I wonder as I watch some of these and at least for me, they come across as Bad films. When can we admit that maybe some of these so-called sacred or hidden jam movies that some people like to even talk about or actually if you really look at them for all their words or just acting some might say that’s part of its charm, but is it really I mean I guess it feels a need of entertainment and gives the audience the requirements but what if it’s not in the best fashion or even like creative as always it’s really up to the audience member, and what they thinking or how they interpreted and then once we finally get to the end, the film just literally ends and you know no follow-through.

Even the soundtrack and theme music are more hilarious than I believe that it was trying to go with now. The film is definitely exploited as there is plenty of nudity and a little sex and what I mean is that there is a whole scene of a couple, taking a shower together, and literally only having a conversation no sexual overtures, or anything like that, and obviously the female is meant to be more the Candy, but it’s a conversation they could’ve also easily had closed or semi doing some more constructive

There is another scene where a character literally runs through the hallways, naked scary movie spoof this with Anna Farris only Ana in that movie, but the same ridiculous run, wailing, screaming, arms, waving, calling more attention to herself understandable to maybe get the attention of how but all it really does is the killer track her down a lot easier

Some might like it for its ending that they don’t see coming in for willing to as they might say go there. Also, the sole black cast member doesn’t die first but comes a close second.

It’s a film you might find yourself laughing at actually having a fear or really any care for what you’re watching. The film at times tries to be humorous. Unfortunately, it is not campy though may feel that way unintentionally.

This might be one of those films that Some will think it so bad that it’s good, or at least entertaining, as there seems to be an attempt to make a genuine, horror film.

Grace: D

Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written By: Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese
Based on the Book “Casino” By: Nicholas Pileggi
Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker

Cast: Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, James Woods, Frank Vincent, Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, Pasquale Cajano, Richard Riehle, L.Q. Jones, John Bloom, Dick Smothers, Vinny Vella, Melissa Prophet, Bill Allison, Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, Frankie Avalon, Jerry Vale,

A tale of greed, deception, money, power, and murder occur between two best friends: a mafia enforcer and a casino executive compete against each other over a gambling empire, and over a fast-living and fast-loving socialite.

This movie is a grand opera. Though its stage seems grand, you can tell at heart it has a central story that is a drama. That concerns a core small group but their actions affect way too many for it to barely be noticed. It charts everyone’s downfall. As really the film is a tragedy.

It feels like it might pack too much into the story and take as it tries to be partially a history lesson. As well as tell a story to these particular characters and how their Affairs and behavior brought down or exposed the mafia in Las Vegas.

Now while this film is epic and told In Quite the same way what makes it so strong and magical is how much in the small details everything feels right and paid close attention to. It might not be as satisfying a gangster film as his previous film GOODFELLAS, but this is more a tale of greed and corruption that happens to have gangsters in it.

Everything presented here is over the top, even the cast. Which is peppered with Las Vegas entertainers in various roles. As well as big names sprinkled throughout.

The film stays true to the true story being told but also has many subplots that might seem like distractions at first but eventually come together to show that these minute seeming trivialities are what makes everything come together to a clash eventually.

Sharon Stone has never been better than Playing ginger. The hustler wife to Robert DeNiro’s casino runner. At first idealistic beauty and then is slowly addicted to alcohol and drugs who proves to be a bad bet for him. Who has always been a winner and picked them and as soon as he gets involved with her. Slowly things begin to crumble due to excess and ego.

It has been a little too familiar for Joe Pesci playing a likable killer sociopath again who is as funny as he is scary. Even though a different temperament and Robert DeNiro is quieter and less violent a character but more know it. Whose ego is his worst problem.

While this film Shows how Las Vegas and the mob rules Las Vegas with an iron fist. So that the house always won. It also shows how things have changed over time and how drugs and morals began to affect everything. Went so far as to include an ending where at the time they show how my body Vegas has changed and that the time they ruled was the end of an era. Even if corrupt how much fun it was or could be.

This film is certainly a grand vision painted with a paintbrush of all colors. As cinematographer Robert Richardson seems to go all out with lenses, filters, scopes to emphasize how crazy and exact things were at the time. At that point usually worked for director Oliver Stone. This was his first collaboration with Martin Scorsese and it seems a match made it. Heaven especially with this tale.

Though for as big as the film is it couldn’t be told any other way. Even when it tries to stay on certain stories and characters it can’t help but give the audience the whole picture so that they can understand exactly what all went into actions and decisions. Even throughout the film the narration changes to certain characters, even minor ones to help explain situations.

The soundtrack almost runs over each other in the changing scenes, moods, and tones. Though always seem to be playing the right song and cue

While not exactly a masterpiece this is a big picture. That is hard to describe but it has all the elements that are needed for a soap opera only here treated more seriously. Filled with flawed and shady characters where the only close to innocent ones are just less shady than others.

The film tries to show that not all that glitters is gold and even if you try and gold plate it the tarnish is never quite fixed.

GRADE: B

Tag: Melissa Prophet

FATAL GAMES (1984)

CASINO (1995)