There aren’t many films in the ilk as Ernest Hemingway’s “The Killers.” Though I’ve yet to see the Burt Lancaster original from 1946, “The Killers” is never without its assortment of merits and high points. You want cool? You turn to Clu Galagher. You want power, you turn to Lee Marvin, and lo and behold, “The Killers” teams both actors together to form a B grade thriller that’s stylish and entertaining. The duo Siegel’s film centers on are a searing team of hit men. Clu Galagher is bad ass, and Lee Marvin is just great. I can see why Quentin Tarantino would be inspired by this for his own characters Vinnie Vega and Jules Winfield.
Jack Sholder’s 1982 horror film “Alone in the Dark” suffers from undeserved obscurity; it’s a morbid and utterly mind bending little thriller that taps popular films, but still ends up a truly great little horror flick when all is said and done. “Alone in the Dark” is its own breed of the revenge film mixed with a Monster in the House film, ending with a mish mash of genre tropes audiences will appreciate when the dust has settled. Jack Sholder’s horror film has a surefire unique style of its own with some scenes that are just outright surreal.
Director John Singleton’s “Shaft” is something of a remake, but also a reboot for modern audiences. Fans of the seventies crime thriller with Richard Roundtree will recognize the name of Shaft, while modern audiences can enjoy the pure machismo of Samuel L. Jackson in an iconic role. Why it never became a full fledged movie series is not at all surprising. “Shaft” takes on all the beats of the action genre, with a lovable hero, brutal villains, interesting sidekicks, and enough action to satisfy easily bored audiences. The problem is, once “Shaft” is done, there simply is nowhere left to go with this character.