by Liam McMillen
Tom Hardy delights in the film Locke, out now on DVD and Blu Ray. Telling the tale of a man caught in a web of lies, deceits and phone calls as he drives home, the claustrophobia and tension amount as he is confined to the four doors of his car . Setting the film in the same place, Locke amounts the thrills in this unnerving movie. However, what other films have succeeded at placing the drama in one place? Let's have a look ;
Tom Hardy delights in the film Locke, out now on DVD and Blu Ray. Telling the tale of a man caught in a web of lies, deceits and phone calls as he drives home, the claustrophobia and tension amount as he is confined to the four doors of his car . Setting the film in the same place, Locke amounts the thrills in this unnerving movie. However, what other films have succeeded at placing the drama in one place? Let's have a look ;
Phone Booth
When Joel Schumacher isn't spending millions of dollars to destroy Batman's legacy, he's making really smart, low budget films. The hook is killer in more ways than one: if Colin Farrell's sleazy city boy hangs up on Kiefer Sutherland's demented caller, he'll be shot. If he leaves the booth, he'll be shot. If he calls the police... you guessed it. Bang. Larry Cohen's script second-guesses every question you have, keeping you as rooted to your seat as Farrell is to his receiver. It's just as well people only use phone booths as toilets nowadays.
When Joel Schumacher isn't spending millions of dollars to destroy Batman's legacy, he's making really smart, low budget films. The hook is killer in more ways than one: if Colin Farrell's sleazy city boy hangs up on Kiefer Sutherland's demented caller, he'll be shot. If he leaves the booth, he'll be shot. If he calls the police... you guessed it. Bang. Larry Cohen's script second-guesses every question you have, keeping you as rooted to your seat as Farrell is to his receiver. It's just as well people only use phone booths as toilets nowadays.
Rear Window
Alfred Hitchcock was quite well known for his thrillers, wasn't he? Rear Window is probably his best film and the greatest thriller ever made; not only is Rear Window a stone-cold cinematic masterpiece (there's a reason it's taught in every film class), but it's testament to Alfred Hitchcock's absolute mastery of storytelling. As James Stewart's shut-in invalid spies on a neighbour he suspects of murder from his bedroom window, it's telling that, at first, you almost don't even notice that 99% of the movie is shot from the single point-of-view, purely because the set-up is so interesting.
Alfred Hitchcock was quite well known for his thrillers, wasn't he? Rear Window is probably his best film and the greatest thriller ever made; not only is Rear Window a stone-cold cinematic masterpiece (there's a reason it's taught in every film class), but it's testament to Alfred Hitchcock's absolute mastery of storytelling. As James Stewart's shut-in invalid spies on a neighbour he suspects of murder from his bedroom window, it's telling that, at first, you almost don't even notice that 99% of the movie is shot from the single point-of-view, purely because the set-up is so interesting.
Clerks
He wasn't even supposed to be there that day, but he stayed there nonetheless. Clerks seems to stand in everyone’s minds as one of the best comedies of the 90's. A début for not only Kevin Smith as director, but also his View Askewniverse. Clerks is what got everything started for Smith and in my opinion remains his best work of comedy to date. It’s so fresh and new, even now, and ultimately, downright hilarious.
He wasn't even supposed to be there that day, but he stayed there nonetheless. Clerks seems to stand in everyone’s minds as one of the best comedies of the 90's. A début for not only Kevin Smith as director, but also his View Askewniverse. Clerks is what got everything started for Smith and in my opinion remains his best work of comedy to date. It’s so fresh and new, even now, and ultimately, downright hilarious.
12 Angry Men
Relying on powerful performances and thick swathes of heavy dialogue, a movie as verbose as 12 Angry Men would never be made today (unless the defendant was a giant angry robot created by Michael Bay). Set solely in the jury room of a courtroom, with 12 jurors tasked with reaching a verdict on a murder case, there are no frills or distractions from the matter at hand – and nowhere for poor writing to hide. As Henry Fonda and his fellow jurors engage in an utterly beguiling dissection of the case, the screenplay takes you up, down and ties you in knots without ever leaving the same four walls – because really, why would you want to be anywhere else?
Relying on powerful performances and thick swathes of heavy dialogue, a movie as verbose as 12 Angry Men would never be made today (unless the defendant was a giant angry robot created by Michael Bay). Set solely in the jury room of a courtroom, with 12 jurors tasked with reaching a verdict on a murder case, there are no frills or distractions from the matter at hand – and nowhere for poor writing to hide. As Henry Fonda and his fellow jurors engage in an utterly beguiling dissection of the case, the screenplay takes you up, down and ties you in knots without ever leaving the same four walls – because really, why would you want to be anywhere else?
The Breakfast Club
A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal in detention. That's it. Simple, eh? Yet the film went on to birth The Brat Pack and became a teen classic, influencing every almost high school movie made since. John Hughes has created a near-perfect screenplay that never gets dull, and created five real characters that everyone wants to meet. If only real detention was this fun.
A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal in detention. That's it. Simple, eh? Yet the film went on to birth The Brat Pack and became a teen classic, influencing every almost high school movie made since. John Hughes has created a near-perfect screenplay that never gets dull, and created five real characters that everyone wants to meet. If only real detention was this fun.
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is among the most violent films ever made, and some scenes are really painful to watch, but the way that reality is captured is something that justifies the violent excesses in this film. The violence is never glorified, nor is the criminal lifestyle. When films are overly violent, they usually get branded as such, but despite the extreme violence, Reservoir Dogs manages to merge interesting (and sadistic) characters with Tarantino's now-famous dialogue. It's refreshing to watch.
Reservoir Dogs is among the most violent films ever made, and some scenes are really painful to watch, but the way that reality is captured is something that justifies the violent excesses in this film. The violence is never glorified, nor is the criminal lifestyle. When films are overly violent, they usually get branded as such, but despite the extreme violence, Reservoir Dogs manages to merge interesting (and sadistic) characters with Tarantino's now-famous dialogue. It's refreshing to watch.
RSS Feed
