ninfilms Reviews

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)

Underestimated film.

[10/10 · 30 March 2006]

I don't know what people got a problem with this film. In my opinion this is an underestimated film of 2004.

I found the film to be a very intelligent film. What the film is dealing with is what on how Will Graham is going to get his revenge.

The characters in the film don't know what to make of Graham, whether he is a threat of not. You got Graham's friends who think that Graham hasn't got the bottle to kill again. You got Ken Stott character who feel threaten by Graham and jumps into the wrong conclusions. It turns out in the end all Graham want is to get his revenge and have a peaceful life. He doesn't want to go back to the life of violence.

I.S.W.I.D. remind me of Hodges' Get Carter but Hodges turn it around and also had a touch of his unknown films like The Terminal Man and A Prayer For The Dying where the central characters is also trying to avoid the violent surrounds, but it still keeps coming back to them.

I know many critics didn't like the film, reckon it didn't have anything to say. They must of watched at the wrong movie, I thought it had a lot to say.

Most of Hodges best films have got a lot to say: Get Carter, Black Rainbow, The Terminal Man (even Flash Gordon). OK, the the majority of his films are slow moving, the good thing about Hodges he brings tension and originally in his films. Also you can watch them again and see something new in them, which you don't get in many films.

Pulp (1972)

Brilliant Film

[10/10 · 31 December 2005]

After making the greatest gangster film Get Carter, it was probably was going to be hard for Mike Hodges and the team behind Get Carter, to accomplished a film better than Get Carter.

Wisely Hodges decided to make a film that wasn't gangster flick. Pulp is a quirky eccentric film. Caine is great as the pulp writer, along with Mickey Rooney as an ex actor. One things I like to mention is the music by George Martin, producer of all the brilliant Beatles songs, creates a memorable soundtrack.

Pulp remained me of Hodges later film Croupier which deals with a struggling writer, I would recommend Pulp to anyone whose a Mike Hodges fan.

The Terminal Man (1974)

Another under estimated film by Mike Hodges

[10/10 · 12 April 2005]

I been a fan of Mike Hodges film right from the first time I watched Get Carter. I have watched most of his films: some brilliant Pulp, Black Rainbow, Croupier, some misunderstood, Flash Gordon, some could of been better, Morons From Outer space, A Prayer For The Dying and some underestimated I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and The Terminal Man.

The Terminal Man is one of coldest brilliant movies of 70's which I can understand why many people would not like this film. OK its not a chick flick or A Vin Diesel material, but hey wasn't going to be.

It is well directed by Hodges and acted by George Segal and I would to see this classic getting a DVD released

A Prayer for the Dying (1987)

A Flawed film, with ambition.

[7/10 · 12 July 2004]

A Prayer For The Dying is one of those films which had the ambitions to be well made film like many classic, but it falls on it face.

It read stories that the film was re-edited behind the directors back and both Mike Hodges and Mickey Rourke have disowned the theatrical release. This is problem with the film, producers don't make good editors. There are some scenes which doesn't gel, and also the Bill Conti music is too melodramatic. Originally Mike Hodges hired John Scott too compose the soundtrack, then Samuel Goldwyn Jr didn't like it and got in Conti.

I read that Mickey Rourke's Irish accent was badly criticized by critics. I actuality thought that Rourke accent was convincing enough and also he is an Irish-American. Rourke is one most under estimated actors around.

Alan Bates is good as the Meehan, Bob Hoskins is reasonable as Costa even though at times he looks like he going to explode as a cockney gangster.

According to Mike Hodges there is his cut of the film and that MGM own the rights and that there were going to release film on DVD in its correct form.

I would like to see that happen as I said earlier it's an ambitious film along with Get Carter, but whereas Get Carter is a classic, A.P.F.D. falls on it face, because of people who meddled with the film not knowing what they are doing.

Black Rainbow (1989)

Very intelligent film, made by Mike Hodges

[10/10 · 7 July 2004]

Black Rainbow is like most of Mike Hodges films: Get Carter, Croupier and Terminal Man, very intelligent. It is great performance by

Rosanna Arquette best ever. Also Jason Robards and Tom Hulce are also good.

I doesn't rely on special effects to tell a story. It is more or less dealing with whether or not (Martha Travis) Rosanna Arquette is telling the truth. What I found interesting is how Hodges creates a psychological atmosphere on what would happen if someone with that psychic power tells you somebody close to you is dead. That is more disturbing than any special effect.

It is a shame Black Rainbow didn't get a proper cinema release. According to Mike Hodges on the DVD commentary of Black Rainbow, both the distributors Palace Pictures (UK) & Miramax (USA) were both suffering financially. Palace Pictures only released the in minimum cinemas, because they were on the verge of getting bankrupt. Miramax decided to release it straight to television.

My opinion is this is great film and should get a chance, any interested in this film, its out on DVD on Anchor Bay on Region 2