Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 17, 1993 TAG: 9304170031
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
BUDGET THRILLERS SOMETIMES HOLD A SURPRISE
Modestly budgeted thrillers are the bread and butter of home video.Compared to other genres - historical drama, s-f, Western - they're relatively inexpensive to make, and the audience demand shows no signs of diminishing. That's because the form still contains some real surprises. Surprises like "One False Move."
This sleeper had a limited theatrical release last year, and then slipped into video stores a few weeks ago without much fanfare. It's already shown up on pay-cable TV, too. In synopsis, the plot sounds like a dozen other variations on a familiar formula, but that's not the case.
In Los Angeles, Pluto (Michael Beach), Ray (Billy Bob Thornton, who co-wrote the script) and Fantasia (Cynda Williams) pull off an audacious and bloody stick-up. They rob a drug dealer, stealing a huge stash of cocaine and cash. They leave behind several bodies and an odd clue on a camcorder that suggests they may be heading for Star City, Ark.
That leads the California cops to contact police Chief Dixon (Bill Paxton) in the little town. Flattered that "the big boys" would ask for his help, he agrees to do everything he can when they arrive. The rest of the film follows two plot lines.
In one, Pluto's "gang" makes its way east. They are an unstable, unpredictable trio prone to violence and extreme stupidity, depending on the situation. In the second, the city cops learn how things are done in a small town; how people there can know so much about each other and still keep secrets. The two halves of the story meet in a fine Hitchcockian conclusion.
The cops-n-robbers element is only one side of the film. The other conflicts are much more interesting; urban vs. rural, innocence vs. sophistication, realists vs. dreamers. The script by Thornton and Tom Epperson is filled with fully developed characters. There's not a stereotype or cliche in the bunch, and the cast seems comfortable and natural throughout.
Director Carl Franklin, a veteran of several forgettable B movies, lets the story unfold at a deliberate, suspenseful pace. The violence isn't nearly as graphic as it has been in some recent crime movies, but it's still effective and frightening. And some mention should be made of the strong, understated blues score by Peter Haycock and Derek Holt. It sets just the right tone.
For comparative purposes, think of an updated "Sugarland Express" with a harder edge. But don't take that too far. "One False Move" is an original. You may have to do a little extra looking to find it at your favorite video store, but it's worth the effort.
Two other new video thrillers aren't quite as successful.
\ "Intent to Kill," due on store shelves on April 28, can claim the dubious distinction of being the first film rated NC-17 for violence, not sex. At heart, it's an off-the-shelf cop picture with a high body count, broad ethnic stereotypes, dozens of on-screen shootings and well-staged action sequences.
Traci Lords stars as police detective Vickie Steward, a virtual "Dirty Harriet" who takes no guff from any guy; not her live-in boyfriend, not South American drug gangsters, not date-rapists, not sexual harassers. Before the end of the movie, all of those and several more get their comeuppance from her.
Director Charles Kanganis got a spirited performance from his star. She's able to make her aggressive, in-your-face feminism believable. Despite an overreliance on cliches, this one's fast and violent enough to satisfy fans of the genre.
\ "Wild Cactus" is one spicy little number, though it contains an edge of sexual violence against women that some viewers will find troubling. The story begins as a standard convict vs. wimpy husband formula. The bad guy (creepily played by Gary Hudson) enjoys hurting women. He's been locked up for abusing his girlfriend (Kathy Shower) and goes looking for her when he's released. On the way, he picks up a kinky hitchhiker (Michelle Moffett) who's about as twisted as he is.
Out in the desert, they run across a college professor (David Naughton) and his wife (India Allen). That's when it all turns into a low-budget "Straw Dogs." Of course, there are plenty of coincidences, and at key moments the characters do incredibly stupid things to keep the plot going. That said, director Jag Mundhra moves the action along quickly, and maintains a fair amount of guilty pleasure tension.
Viewers who aren't turned off by the violence will not be bored.
\ New releases
Night and the City:*** Stars Robert DeNiro, Jessica Lange, Alan King, Jack Warden. Directed by Irwin Winkler. Written by Richard Price. FoxVideo. 100 min. Rated R for strong language, violence, sexual content.
Though it's a remake of Jules Dassin's 1950 film about a small-time hustler, this archetypal New York movie really owes more to Martin Scorsese. Director Winkler has been strongly influenced by Scorsese's visual style (and camera work). Robert DeNiro's strong performance echoes his work with Scorsese, from "Mean Streets" to "Goodfellas." Recommended.
\ Pet Sematary Two: Stars Anthony Edwards, Edward Furlong. Directed by Mary Lambert. Paramount. 100 min. Rated R for bloody violence, strong language, brief nudity.
This nasty little piece of work is notable only for the sadistic quality of its graphic violence. It's one thing for a mainstream film to depict children and animals in dangerous, life-threatening situations. It's quite another to show the perpetrators of the violence taking such glee in it. A new low for a major studio release.
\ Aspen Extreme:* Stars Paul Gross, Peter Berg, Finola Hughes, Teri Polo. Directed by Patrick Hasburgh. Buena Vista. 115 min. Rated PG-13 for brief nudity, some rough language.
This remarkably bad, sloppy little movie made the transition from big screen to small in record time. It begins as a generic little ski picture, but then falls apart completely toward the middle. Doesn't measure up to minimum standards of quality, particularly for a Disney release.