Desperate Hours

The title is a bit of a misnomer as the film doesn't make it to two hours, but it still fits because it feels at least two hours long. David Morse with some solid advice for knocking out Tyson in Punch-Out!! is a big reason to see this. Or Kelly Lynch's boobs. Whichever is more your thing.

Cimino claims the studio ruined this pointless remake in post. It's atrociously edited at times, no doubt about it, to the point that many scenes end abruptly in comical cutaways. However, studio inteference doesn't explain the mediocre to poor performances (Crouse is especially bad), or the complete lack of suspense, which is hindered to a large degree by inexplicable musical cues. Cimino manages to achieve a remarkable sense of space in a restricted setting, but it's all for naught.

I'm tempted to say "it's not a terrible film", but it really sort of is. A promising thriller with a talented cast that devolves into nonsense and histrionics is a pretty terrible waste.

Michael Cimino #1

A weird discordant melodrama with certain redeeming production values, mostly in the realm of visuals.

I don't understand why people hate that movie so much.

Well, Elias Koteas and Shawnee Smith are in it, that's gotta be worth something. Outside of that, it's run of the mill.

see Funny Games

Passes the time.

48.500

A Cape Fear-like narrative with a good cast and Cimino style directing (big). The story itself is uneven, with various bits not fleshed out. As per typical Cimino, there were apparently a bunch of cuts made without his consent, but it still lacks a totally coherent plot.