Crimes That Pay
Crimes That Pay
By Cesare A.X. Syjuco [Video Troll]
Published in: The Manila Times, September 21, 1987
IN THE local world of popular video, crime definitely pays! The delicate matter of pirated tapes notwithstanding, crime as a thematic genre in films surpasses all else in popularity — from the classic whodunnit, to mobster films and undercover police stories. At least part of the reason for that success is the undeniable appeal of suspense, action, and mystery — the essential ingredients that go into truly great crime movies. Here are some recent titles of our neighborhood video shelf.
Manhunter — A mass-murderer on the rampage has the local police and the FBI hopelessly perplexed. Dubbed “The Toothfairy” by members of the press, he strikes only during the full moon, mutilating entire families before blasting them out of their socks with a pump-action shotgun. Possibly the only one who can stop him is a retired federal agent named Will Graham, a young specialist in psychopathic killers whose unorthodox methods include driving himself crazy in order to simulate the thought-processes of his prey. This Dino de Laurentiis production of a Michael Mann film is undoubtedly among the very best crime stories I have seen in recent memory, blessed with an outstanding plot, superb cinematography, a compelling musical score, and flawless characterization. It stars William Petersen as Will Graham, and Tom Noonan as The Toothfairy.
Tough Guys — Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas play a pair of recently-rehabilitated senior citizens unable to make a go of it in the real world after 30 years in prison. Lancaster can’t get any sex or red meat at his nursing home, and Douglas goes berserk while waiting on tables. A last stab at glory has them hijacking the legendary “Gold Coast Flyer” — the very train they tried to rob 30 years before — and whether or not they actually succeed is anyone’s guess. Part-macho-film and part-comedy, the viewing is a total waste of time either way. The 72-year-old Lancaster is pathetic in his action scenes even while Douglas tries to make us laugh by dropping his trousers and baring his buttocks in broad daylight. But the real crime here apparently, is that the movie was ever made at all.
In Self-Defense — A 1987 TV feature starring Linda Purl, Billy Drago and Yaphet Kotto, the fanfare accompanying this tape describes it as “a suspenseful movie that examines the issue of handguns for personal protection.” If so, there’s no mistaking where its producers stand on that matter. Purl is a nondescript teacher of handicapped children who unwittingly becomes a key witness for the prosecution in the trial of a deranged killer. To defend herself, she purchases a .32-calibre semi-automatic pistol from a local gun store, and eventually winds up peppering her boyfriend with bullets when he drops by unannounced. It’s difficult to like anything this inane and self-righteous, especially at a point in time when defensive behavior is the order of the day. And at any rate, Drago is so convincing in the role of a spaced-out, leather-jacketed blaster, that the sale of personal armaments is very likely to soar as a result of this flick — peppered boyfriend or not!
The Name of the Rose — Not all of the best crime films are confined to the daring exploits of that proverbial flatfoot from Precinct X. This cinematic adaptation of Umberto Uco’s all-time bestseller of the same title stars an infinitely sexy Sean Connery as Brother William of Baskerville, a maverick 15th Century Franciscan monk caught in a ridiculous web of murder and intrigue that descends like a black cloud over a remote Benedictine abbey in pre-Renaissance Italy. Someone or something is murdering the friars one at a time in the most ghastly ways, and Brother William — ancestor to The Great Mouse Detective — finds himself in hot pursuit of the mystery’s solution. The one overtly passionate scene, involving William’s young apprentice and a sultry peasant lass, should singe the hairs on your back, but otherwise, the film is PG and highly recommended.
Scene of the Crime — The English like to color their murders with humor and nonchalance. The French prefer to color theirs with existentialism and obsession. Catherine Deneuve plays an estranged wife and mother around whom all of the principal characters revolve like a malevolent spoke. Deneuve’s adolescent son, Tomas, is growing up badly while flirting dangerously with psychosis. Her husband threatens to take the boy away from her as a bargaining chip in his persistent efforts to entice her back into his arms. Her mother prays fervently for such a reunion. Her father shuts her off in disgust like a hearing aid. And to make matters worse, she becomes strangely drawn to an escaped killer on the run. Murder breeds murder. The wheel spins. The film goes on for an eternity at a snail-like pace, in the end, not even the luscious Deneuve could pull this one from out of the pit.
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Cesare A.X. Syjuco, “Crimes That Pay” (page 1 of 1), The Manila Times, September 21, 1987
