Tag: Richard Bradford

HAMMETT (1982)

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Directed By: Wim Wenders

Written By: Ross Thomas, Dennis O’Flaherty and Thomas Pope 

Cinematography: Joseph Biroc

Editor: Janice Hampton, Marc Laub, Robert Q. Lovett and Randy Roberts 

Cast: Frederic Forrest, Peter Boyle, Marilu Henner,  Richard Bradford, Roy Kinnear, Elisha Cook, Lydia Lei, Michael Chow, R.G. Armstrong, Sylvia Sidney, Jack Nance, Samuel Fuller, David Patrick Kelly 

Fictional account of real-life mystery writer Dashiell Hammett, and his involvement in the investigation of a beautiful Chinese cabaret actress’ mysterious disappearance in San Francisco.

This is a strange film that unfortunately commit the worst crime of all it feels a bit bland and basic by the end 

It feels like the film is trying for a recreation as it takes place on sites that you can tell are sets.  which only adds to the artificiality of it all, which is deliberate but also as we are being placed in a story, and the main character is a writer of such stories living them out we can never quite tell what is true and what is being made up. A world of stylization and an homage to studio bound detective thrillers. As well as being in a world of imagination. 

This is a production that could’ve been filled with more imagination and inspiration as it just seems to go along. Another touch might have been if it had been filmed in black and white to make it feel more of the period that it takes place in and timeless.

Though Wenders is listed as the official director of the film, the film doesn’t seem to fit his style as his films are filmed the more creatively the film is rumored to have been shot by Francis Ford Coppola who produced the film under his American zoetrope studio afterward to be more conventional. 

So that the behind the scene story itself or rumors about this film are more fascinating than the final project unfortunately

The film isn’t a biopic of famed writer, Dash Hammett but the story of a writer caught up in one of his own detective story plots as he works as a private eye on the side and seems to get inspiration from his cases.

The film is enjoyable, offering Frederick Forest, the rare leading role and he does well with it as well as Marilu Henner as his name she should’ve gotten more films as she had the looks in the talent to go further in her career as she is one of the other bright spots in this well-stocked movie 

The film ultimately is a success as long as you’re not looking for more than your typical detective starring murder mystery that stays more small scale but includes all the cliché so much so that it just feels like a typical 1940s detective story only made in the early 80s, supporting cast so many classic All-Star character actors

Grade: C 

THE MEAN SEASON (1985)

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Directed By: Philip Boros

Written By: Leon Piedmont 

Cinematography: Frank Tidy 

Editor: Duwayne Dunham

Cast: Kurt Russell, Mariel Hemingway, Joe Pantoliano, Andy Garcia, Richard Masur, Richard Jordan, Richard Bradford, William Smith 

When a teenager is shot at the beach, a journalist from The Miami Journal is sent to cover the story. He’s called by the murderer and told there’ll be four more.

This movie took me by surprise mainly because it was a Kurt Russell-starring thriller made in the 1980s that I had never heard of before. So it was fascinating to watch.

For its time this film seems to pass the mister and it’s not bad, but it doesn’t feel like anything that special either. Especially watching it in modern times. We have seen many movies and even television episodes of shows that tackle the same subject matter of journalistic ethics.

The film is filled with character actors some early in their careers others late. So it keeps it exciting watching them at work.

The film offers a few red herrings before generally just giving us the identity of the serial killer in the third act.

Whereas it becomes a cat-and-mouse game after the killer kidnaps the reporter’s girlfriend after he feels betrayed by the reporter.

The film chooses to examine the serial killer and his killings over the morality of what the reporter is doing and more becoming part of the story than reporting on it. Which would have been a stronger film. Exploring the newspaper industry and its culture at the time. 

The film even includes the old cinematic trick of having the newspaper swirl and spin before revealing the headline superimposed over characters. It also has the going to retire after one last job cliche. 

Screenwriter Christopher Crowe sued an alias for his credit on this film. Where you wonder if it’s because it differed from his original screenplay or was more of a side project job he did and didn’t want this to injure his career. 

I wish I could say this was one tries to make a dent in the weekly box office and was soon forgotten. if this film was made quickly and shoddily. There was real care and work put in throughout. 

The film is a good potboiler and time waster but never quite strong enough to be that memorable. Never quite making its mark. Despite its cast. 

Grade: C+