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rlipsett
Reviews
Red Rock West (1993)
Great black comedy
What an unexpected surprise. I found this movie surfing through Bravo or A&E, and it was riveting. The plot has been well-covered in other comments; suffice it to say that I thought this movie was basically a comedy, not a thriller. I don't generally like Nicholas Cage, but he was much more honest and straightforward in this movie than he has been in his more commercial successes; the other major players (especially Dennis Hopper as Lyle) were perfectly cast.
My two favorite scenes in the movie: the initial meeting between Michael (Cage) and Wayne (JT Walsh) in Walsh's bar in Red Rock, and watching Cage conk Hopper on the head and escape from the house.
Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976)
Great period piece
I stumbled on this film on USA last night, about 15 minutes in. It was alternately comedic and touching, with Lenny Baker playing a 20-something (Larry Lapinsky) in Greenwich Village in the '50s. Shelley Winter played his mother, who had a knack for showing up at the most inopportune moments and embarrassing her son. Both of them, along with Mike Kellin as Mr. Lapinsky, give excellent nuanced performances.
The central action of the movie is around Larry's attempts to become an actor, and around his friends in the village. The dialog is generally snappy and both dialog and visuals can be out-loud funny at times. 7/10.