'Sunshine Hotel' (2001) – Michael Dominic.

A beautifully made, bracingly candid, heartbreakingly warts and all overview of the infamous 'Sunshine Hotel', at the time of its making, one of the very few remaining SROs (flop houses) on New York City's storied Bowery. An intimate, humane, shocking, occasionally blackly funny examination of a melancholic, palpably fractured substratum of society, happily, all too few have any personal experience of. A commendable work of lucid non-fiction filmmaking, Michael Dominic's exemplary, undeniably moving study of these broken men is, as one can imagine, sure to make an impact on any who have the good sense to watch it. While bluntly exposing distressing events, many of the outspoken men maintain their charismatic personas. Hotel 'Runner' Bruce Davis is sprightly, quixotic, consistently intriguing fantasist, and charming, gravel voiced, ex-lounge organist Nathan Smith, makes for a compelling narrator, offering profound insight into his own fascinating personal history, and shedding light upon the claustrophobic, isolating, stiflingly blackened last resort domain of Sunshine Hotel.

 “What you have one day, you don't have the next, what are you gonna do?”

 

 'The Bronx War' (1989) – Joseph B. Vasquez.

An ambitious, street tough Puerto Rican Bar owner, and drug dealer Tito Sunshine (Joseph B. Vasquez)is fatefully drawn into an escalating conflict with vicious gangster Caesar (Andrew brown) for harbouring his girlfriend's sketchy sister Rachel (Charmaine Cruz). Multitalented writer/filmmaker/actor Joseph B. Vasquez's appreciably gritty, down-and-dirty slice of 80s ghetto menace is well worth a watch/rewatch. The lively performances, downbeat energy, shocking violence, electric atmosphere of impending doom, and blazing climax is excitingly orchestrated by Vasquez. A commendable work of low budget urban angst, The Bronx War explodes in a bloody squall of memorably meanspirited set-pieces.  A volatile, credibly stark tale of brutal retribution on the mean streets of the Bronx, Joseph B. Vasquez's intense Hispanic gangster shoot 'em up evokes a dark, grainy King of New York milieu.

“It's a laxative, man!!?? It'll relax her!!!!!!”

 

 

 

Grand Theft Auto (1977). - Ron Howard.

The best film Troma never made! The precociously gifted young filmmaker's petrol-headed iteration of Romeo and Juliet is a gas, and, happily, the director rarely takes his foot off the accelerator! Leo Rossi proves eerily convincing as a member of The Ant Hill Mob, unlike Cannonball Run, which features nary one cannonball, GTA revels in prodigious amounts of vehicular theft!

 'Murder Rock : Dancing Death'. (1984) – Lucio Fulci.

Lucio Fulci's agile, twinkle toed Giallo finds the beautiful, increasingly desperate dance school owner Candice (Olga Karlatos) at the centre of a bizarre murder mystery, with suspicion falling on her handsome, yet somewhat shady, out-of-work beau George (Ray Lovelock). Just what motivates this sinisterly chloroforming creep, whose perverse predilection for pinpointing perky dancers is drenching this particular chorus line in a grisly shade of crimson? Murder maestro Lucio Fulci's compelling Murder Rock has an ear worming theme, a dazzling Euro-cult cast, some especially hot hoofers, and Kieth Emerson's driving score energizes the black-gloved gorings of the film's pinprickingly perverse perpetrator. I dig Fulci's Murder Rock, this stylishly salacious admixture of Fame and Aerobicide remains one sure-footed murder mystery! Arguably not one for gorehounds, since Murder Rock pointedly lacks the histrionic gore of 'New York Ripper', yet Fulci's more sedate slasher works splendidly as a gripping, well acted, stylishly shot psycho thriller. 

“No, he's not a psycho, he's an asshole!” 

 

 

 Bombing L.A. (1989) – Gary Glaser.

A lively, provocative look at the cop-baiting, spray can Cézanne's of L.A.s seemingly endless suburban sprawl! This engaging, enjoyably roughshod S.O.V documentary highlights the diverse graffiti art, and outlaw creative philosophies of these multifarious, artistically inclined rogues. Maverick Urban artists or thrill-seeking vandals? their illegal pastime is to covertly spray their art/tags upon city/privately owned properties, frequently provoking an angered public who are not altogether sympathetic to their nocturnal antisocial aerosol antics! Many of the more colourful, imaginative pieces are quite stunning, but much of it seems to be the crude, arbitrary, unsophisticated scrawls of self-absorbed simpletons.

“I can see how it looks bad, but it's fun to write your name on things!” 

 

 

'Reefer Madness' Graffiti Documentary (2007) – Fatso.

A truly engrossing overview of those inspired renegade artists that put their colourful pieces on the side of refrigerated freight trains. fatso is to be congratulated as his compelling documentary is pretty dope!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 'Phoenix' (1998) – Danny Cannon.

A close-knit group of wayward, Teflon tough Phoenix cops find their somewhat fragile loyalties greatly tested by a dramatic escalation of increasingly stressful events. Marital infidelities, larceny, and a gruesomely bungled heist fatefully pushes them to breaking point! Screenwriter Eddie Richey's snappy, Noirish text is brought to vividly cinematic life by director Cannon and an exceptional cast of gifted actors. As this tense, downward spiralling crime thriller reaches its explosive conclusion, it is Ray Liotta's electric performance as charismatic Detective Harry Collins that dominates. Harry's laudable qualities as a maverick, yet frequently humane, lawman are undone by the poor choices borne of his skyrocketing gambling addiction. Well-made, with exemplary performances, this is one slumbering Phoenix that is long overdue a rise from the undeserved ashes of budget DVD obscurity! In closing, while Liotta is quite brilliant, Tom Noonan, Anthony Lapaglia and Angelica Huston are equally resplendent.