Slow builds to a couple of big, fun action sequences. And the character work is enough to make the journey as entertaining as the destination. Probably the biggest assets this movie has going for it are Bill Paxton overacting in one of his most obnoxious roles ever, Lance Henriksen being creepy and having a huge rat tail, and the awesomely 80s sound track. But having Kathryn Bigelow in charge doesn’t hurt things either. The performances are good, and the photography is always gorgeous. This doesn’t quite reach the sublime levels of Point Break, but it proves to me that Bigelow is an awesome director who needs to work more often. I’ll go ahead and forget about Strange Days.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Short Round: Near Dark (1987) ****/*****
Slow builds to a couple of big, fun action sequences. And the character work is enough to make the journey as entertaining as the destination. Probably the biggest assets this movie has going for it are Bill Paxton overacting in one of his most obnoxious roles ever, Lance Henriksen being creepy and having a huge rat tail, and the awesomely 80s sound track. But having Kathryn Bigelow in charge doesn’t hurt things either. The performances are good, and the photography is always gorgeous. This doesn’t quite reach the sublime levels of Point Break, but it proves to me that Bigelow is an awesome director who needs to work more often. I’ll go ahead and forget about Strange Days.
