Thursday Movie Picks: Crimes Gone Wrong
1) Reservoir Dogs
What didn't go wrong in this movie? Botched robbery, botched shooting, botched secrets. But that ear, though....that came off with precision.
2) Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Two brothers that also botch a robbery of their parent's own jewelry store. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is so good in this.
3) No Country for Old Men
The makings of my favorite Coen Brothers movie - The drug deal goes wrong, the man stealing the money from said drug deal doesn't make the wisest decision, and way too many people get shot.
Reservoir Dogs and No Country for Old Men are such great picks! Love them both, especially the ear scene and Bardem's sick performance. I haven't seen Before the Devil Knows You're Dead but I've been meaning to watch it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one, Philip Seymour Hoffman never failed. I miss him.
DeleteBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead is such a great movie! I know everyone loves No Country but I never clicked with this film. The first time I watched it I was baffled and kept expecting to see why people love it so much but that moment never came
ReplyDeleteI feel like I don't love the Coen Brothers as much as everyone else, and that one is my favorite because it's the least Coensy. lol
DeleteHaha. Knew Reservoir Dogs would be picked this week, watch it quite recently for the first time in a while. Cracking film.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Before the Devils Knows your dead, but will do soon. Can't say no Philip Seymour Hoffman.
I waited far too long to finally watch that film of his, it's worth the wait.
DeleteInteresting choices. I finally caught up with Reservoir Dogs within the last year and thought it was a very good film, a little overly violent for me but solid.
ReplyDeleteBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead was well acted but I thought it was too relentlessly grim for me to fully embrace it.
I liked No Country for Old Men's trusting the audience enough to have major events happen off screen and allowing us to imagine what happened rather than having to sit through needless bloodshed. It's not my favorite Coen Bros. film, that's Fargo but a good one.
As with last week this is a genre that I'm a big fan of so choosing three was easy.
One False Move (1992)-After a series of drug deals go bad and result in several murders a trio of gangsters take it on the lam ending up in the small Arkansas town of Star City. On their trail are two LAPD detectives who team with the small town sheriff (Bill Paxton) to capture the three. Bracing, violent thriller excellently directed by Carl Franklin. Co-written by Billy Bob Thornton who plays one of the criminals.
He Ran All the Way (1951)-Petty thief Nick Robey (John Garfield) teams up with his buddy Al to pull what they plan to be their big score, a payroll robbery. But they are foiled by a cop who shoots Al, panicked Nick shoots the cop. On the run he ducks into a public pool house and strikes up a conversation with a young girl named Peggy (Shelley Winters). Smitten Peggy walks home with him and he takes her family hostage until the tense finale. Low budget, taut noir was the blacklisted Garfield’s last film before his too early death at 39.
Criss Cross (1949)-Armored car driver Steve Thompson (Burt Lancaster) is still carrying a torch for his ex-wife Anna (Yvonne de Carlo) who is now married to a L. A. gangster, Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea). Anna impulsive and restless is drawn to him as well and when Slim catches them together he forces Steve to participate in a robbery on the cars he drives. It does not go well and a series of double crosses lead to tragedy for all. If you only know Yvonne de Carlo from The Munsters this is the best place to see she was not only an incredibly beautiful woman but an excellent actress as well.
I like grim and gorey movies, so that's probably why they worked for me. I haven't seen any of your picks (go figure lol)
DeleteLoved Reservoir Dogs and No Country, I definitely feel like I have to see Before The Devil because Hoffman is just too great.
ReplyDeleteYou should!
DeleteI still have to see Reservoir Dogs and need to see it soon. I have not heard of the 2nd film but Hoffman is such a stellar actor that this is now on my list. I really liked No Country for Old men...Bardem is just so creepy and evil.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you haven't seen it, Birgit! I literally didn't know it was possible. ;)
DeleteGreat list, Miss B.
Thank you! And yes, Birgit, you've got to see Reservoir Dogs!
DeleteI have been time travelling so forgive me..that is my excuse
DeleteWow. I love all three of these movies. All of them are flat out amazing. Great work!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteCool picks. I could really only watch Reservoir Dogs once, but it was totally awesome. Javier's performance in No Country for Old Men is pretty much legendary.
ReplyDeleteIt is, and he had to suffer through that poor hair cut.
DeleteReservoir Dogs remains my favorite QT film while I also love No Country for Old Men. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is something I need to re-watch.
ReplyDeleteRD is towards the top of my QT films too.
DeleteGreat minds think alike! I actually almost picked Reservoir Dogs too and yes what didn't go right but hey at least Mr Pink kinda got out. Ah with the Coens, most of their films are about crimes going wrong, just love them.
ReplyDeleteThe Coens definitely gave us a lot to choose from for this theme!
DeleteGreat picks! Great!! If I hadn't gone full Coen, I would've easily chosen either one of your other picks. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is fucking devastating.
ReplyDelete