COLD STEEL
Lisa's Review:
One of my favorite late 80's B Action flicks primarily for the great cast. It's a sleazy low budget crime in LA film with one of the best casts ever assembled for such a trashy diversion. Jonathan Banks (well known for his role in the TV series WISEGUY as the character Frank McPike) plays the drug addicted baddy who threatens people with a knife and speaks through a vocoder through the hole in his throat! Banks' henchman is played by new wave/punk singing sensation Adam Ant! The damsel in distress is played with usual divaesque flair by a pre-Basic Instinct Sharon Stone! And our beloved Brad Davis is the hero. Brad plays a cop whose father was murdered by Banks' character and the movie is about their showdown and Brad's involvement with Sharon Stone (who's hired by Banks to set up Brad). It's all very LA, very 80's and very entertaining. Of course, it's not Oscar material either but I really enjoy Brad's performance in this one - especially the scene in the bar when he meets Stone, he's drunk and she's sassy and they just have great chemistry together.
THE PLOT TO KILL HITLER
Lisa's Review:
As someone fascinated by the history of Nazi Germany I collect films based on the era and this TV movie is one of the better films I've seen documenting the time. The story is about the aristocrat Von Stauffenberg and his plot to kill Hiter in July of 1944. The cast is superb, Ian Richardson plays an ailing general who aids Stauffenberg in his schemes. Helmut Griem plays Rommel very effectively and the gorgeous Madolyn Smith plays Stauffenberg's wife. I think this is my favorite of Brad's performances. He plays the doomed Stauffenberg with a dignified desperation. Davis also deftly handles the movements and pain of the injured Stauffenberg - who is blinded in one eye and missing an arm after a wartime injury. Brad beautifully plays some scenes with his children who don't understand why their father is physically unable to cut his own food at the dinner table or play with them the way he used to. I really became involved in the story of this film and find the tragic ending perfectly played. It's a heroic but sad and true story. I also think that at this time in our beloved Brad's life with his own health problems he was bringing a tragic self-awareness to the part of Stauffenberg.
SYBIL
Lisa's Review:
This is a a made for TV movie starring sally field as a young woman suffering from a multiple personality disorder due to the horrific abuse she suffered as a child. a very moving story with an outstanding performance by sally field. brad plays a young man who comes into her life only who has to deal with her unstable condition. brad is excellent in this film and plays off of sally field very well - he's up to her level in every scene they have together. he looks so young and healthy and this character is such a sweetheart that you'll fall in love with him. definitely see this one!
QUERELLE
Lisa's Review:
This is entertainment for the insane. fassbinder is a very unique german director with a very dark view of the world (he committed suicide). i have seen only three of his films - Germany in Autumn, Despair and what I could get through of Querelle. Despair was a brilliant film starring Dirk Bogarde but it's so depressing I doubt that I could sit through the entire thing again. Germany in Autumn is a look at politics in Germany during the 1970's and is worth viewing. Querelle on the other hand I couldn't get through nearly half an hour of it without feeling that I was going crazy. The sound and acting in this film is like a dream (or nightmare) and it doesn't feel like a movie but a walk through Fassbinder's cracking mind. I'm sure there are fans of this film out there and maybe you'd like to write a review as to why this film is your favorite but I did not find the appeal of this movie. It's dark, strange and arty. I love bizarre films too so that's why I was really suprised to find Querelle so unappealing, I expected it to be just my sort of film but I just couldn't enjoy it! I need to rewatch and reassess this film.
