Review: RUMBLE FISH (1983): Coppola's Dark Masterpiece About Growing Up in A Violent World

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Another of Francis Ford Coppola’s 80’s masterpieces, Rumble Fish (1983) is a film for film lovers. With its dazzling black and white cinematography (courtesy of Stephen H. Burum), powerful sound design, and brilliant music score, this is a fantastic piece of expressionist cinema for modern audiences.

Adapted by Coppola and S.E Hinton from her novel of the same name, the story centers on Rusty James, a teenager from a broken home who idolizes his older brother, The Motorcycle Boy, a revered gang leader and all-around bad boy. As the film progresses, we follow James as he is drawn deeper and deeper into a self-destructive cycle of violence, as he tries more and more to emulate his older brother’s life.

Rumble Fish is not for everyone, as this is Coppola at his most free and experimental (yes, even more so than Apocalypse Now (1979), as he utilizes every aspect of filmmaking (sound, visuals, blocking, effects) to create a mythic, black and white world, haunted by shadows and violence. Collaborating with Stephen H. Burum for the second time - after The Outsiders (1983) - , Coppola creates a chiaroscuro world where fantasy and reality meet, and past and present co-exist side by side. This is Coppola’s love letter to expressionist cinema and the film-noirs of the 40’s, and if you love those genres, you’ll adore Rumble Fish.

Performances are excellent across the board, with Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke especially shining as the two brothers.

It is understandable that the film was a commercial disaster when it came out in 1983, as this is not a film for the masses, not a film designed to thoughtlessly entertain; this is a piece of avant-garde cinema made to be experienced with an open heart and where every frame is to be savored.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2014 - 2016.

This article originally appeared on Bitlanders.

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Book Review: THE FILMS OF JOHN CARPENTER. By John Kenneth Muir.

Compelling, carefully researched, and clearly written guide to the films and career of John Carpenter. Covering everything from the films, to the screenplays, to the TV projects, this is essential reading and a treasure trove for fans of Carpenter and the horror/Sci-Fi genre.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Quick Review: OCTOBER By Al Sarrantonio

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A compelling and ambitious horror novel, with finely-drawn characters and a surprisingly humane bent to the writing. It is marred only by an episodic, slightly disjointed feel, and a subdued if somewhat touching ending. As is typical of most of author Al Sarrantonio’s work, the novel is drenched in Halloween atmospherics.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Book Review: CHICAGHOSTS#1: GONE GORILLA By Robert W. Walker

Let me get this out of the way first: I am a huge Robert W. Walker fan. Ever since I stumbled upon a paperback copy of the superbly entertaining thriller Cutting Edge (the first in the Edge series featuring the incomparable detective Lucas Stonecoat), I've read every Robert W. Walker book I could find. I am somewhat in awe of Walker - who has written a countless number of novels, novellas, and short story collections - mainly because of his seemingly tireless ability to produce book after book of quality genre fiction (thrillers, horror, mysteries, historical fiction...), some of which, in my humble opinion, are landmarks of the mid-list market, like the superb and superbly entertaining Vampire Dreams (a.k.a Curse of The Vampire), one of the best horror-action novels ever written, and the aforementioned Cutting Edge.

When you buy a Robert W. Walker book you know what you are getting: smooth prose, tight plots, memorable characters, and oodles of entertainment.

And that brings me to Walker's latest, a short novel called Chicaghosts#1: Gone Gorilla (available to buy as an e-book on June 21, 2016), a fun, funny, light thriller, that's highly readable and, well, oodles of fun! It revolves around a stolen stuffed gorilla, a musty museum full of secrets, a spellcaster out for revenge, and the team of retired detectives, who call themselves "The Old Farts Squad", that takes on the case. It's a super-breezy read, with Walker obviously having a whale of a time. The story isn't that original, but what makes it fresh is Walker's emphasis on comedy, with the snappy dialogue containing some real zingers. Add to that prose so smooth it practically reads itself, and a surprising and welcome appearance by vampire-hunter/archaeologist Abraham Stroud (the protagonist of Walker's fantastic series Bloodscreams), and you got one helluva of an enjoyable read.

A must for fans of Preston and Child's Relic, Golden Age pulp fiction, and anyone looking for a short, fun read.

Can't wait for the sequel, tentatively titled Chicaghosts#2: The Monster Pit!

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Quick Review: GHOST STORY (1981)

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A dreary adaptation of Peter Straub's Ghost Story, one of the most popular and critically-praised horror novels of the past 50 years. The film benefits from having a cast of old pros, led by a charming Fred Astaire, but suffers greatly from an incoherent script, a deathly slow pace, a miscast Alice Krige, and uneven direction. Despite the film's faults, though, the film's ending improves upon the novel's.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Review: KINDERGARTEN COP 2 (2016)

First things first: I am a huge Dolph Lundgren fan. Ever since he made a big splash in Rocky IV (1985) as the evil Russkie who kills Apollo Creed, I've watched almost every film the guy has been in (even the dreadful Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and a couple of straight to video disasters that are best forgotten forever). What I like most about Lundgren is his ability to take any project, however lame the script is, and turn it into a watchable, occasionally terrifically entertaining, movie. His breezy charm, his mastery of martial arts, and his tongue-in-cheek approach, make him one of the most reliable action starts of the past 30 years.

And that brings me to Kindergarten Cop 2 (2016), the official sequel to the 1990 Universal/Ivan Reitman hit starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yes, this is a low-budget, direct-to-video movie. Yes, some of the comedy feels canned and too marketing department-vetted for my taste. But damn if this movie doesn't have charm! Thanks to Lundgren, a game supporting cast, and a terrific pace, this is one entertaining action-comedy. The first 15 minutes or so are surprisingly bland, with a ludicrous action sequence taking place in cheap, darkened sets. But once Lundgren starts interacting with the children, everything clicks into place, making Kindergarten Cop 2 one of the better big studio comedy sequels I've seen in a while. Dare I even say that Kindergarten Cop 2 is better than the original? Well, yes!

The original had Schwarzenegger, director Ivan Reitman, and a big budget, but, for some reason, something about it always felt a bit off to me. Kindergarten Cop 2, although a much more modest effort, is faster, more effective, and, yes, funnier. A must see for fans of the original, 80's action-comedies, and the Dolph.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Music Review: PRINCE: Hit N Run: Phase Two (2015)

As a loyal Prince fan for almost twenty years, and as someone who was devastated at the news of his death, I am reluctant to admit that the bulk of Prince's output in the past ten years or so hasn't really moved me that much. In my opinion, the last good Prince album was 2007's Planet Earth.

Strangely enough, a couple of months prior to Prince's passing, and for the first time in years, I got into a Prince groove and started listening to his albums in chronological order. I also managed to grab a copy of Ronin Ro's biography of him, titled Prince: Inside the Music and The Masks, which proved to be a fascinating read. By the time he died, I had reached 1996's Emancipation, and by then, I had remembered how awesome an artist Prince really was. My obsession with his music wasn't a nostalgia-addled trip down memory lane after all. Even older and wiser I still think Prince is a genius and a singular artist who was truly one of the greatest musical integrationists who ever lived.

Which leads me to Hit N Run: Phase Two (2015), Prince's last released album prior to his death. From the stunning and moving opener "Baltimore" about the 2015 Baltimore/Freddie Gray riots, to the original and joyful "Big City", these 12 tracks are some of Prince's funkiest, liveliest, most heartfelt tracks in almost a decade. There's great guitar playing, impressive songwriting, and some of the best horn arrangements you're likely to hear in a long while. This is Prince at his best, at his most mature. This is Prince ebullient. And with songs including riffs from "Take me With U" and "Kiss", this is Prince coming full circle.

I still believe that Prince's best work was in the 80's and 90's, but Hit N Run: Phase Two proves that even in death, Prince went out on top, with an album that truly honors his legacy.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.