Not a good look to go against the point of what I'm tryna say.
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In 1954, legendary filmmaker Samuel Fuller (PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET, SHOCK CORRIDOR) was sent by 20th Century Fox to the most remote regions of the Amazon to scout locations for his upcoming film TIGRERO!, a rousing adventure tale that was to star John Wayne, Ava Gardner and Tyrone Power. Fuller brought with him 75 cigars, two cases of whiskey, a gun, and a 16mm camera. There Fuller befriended the Karaja Indians, lived with them, and photographed their ceremonies and way of life. Reluctantly, Fuller returned to Hollywood but the film was never made. Forty years later, Sam Fuller returns to the Brazilian jungle, bringing with him his friend and fellow filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (DEAD MAN, DOWN BY LAW), a camera crew and the footage he'd shot those many years earlier. The ultimate storyteller, Sam tells Jim about his time with the Karaja, his career in Hollywood and his unique philosophy of life. They show the Karaja the footage Sam shot, conjuring up their friends and loved ones, some who's faces they haven't seen for decades. TIGRERO: A FILM THAT WAS NEVER MADE is priceless travelogue, a meditation on the power of film and the magic of memory, and a loving portrait of a gentle and spiritual culture.
This vastly underrated Arthur Penn film from the mid-1970s ranks as one of the era's nastiest and most fascinating pieces of business, a detective story that shuttles back and forth between Hollywood and the Florida Keys, with a plot nearly as complex as Chinatown. Gene Hackman stars as a tired, aging private eye who, as a favor to a friend, agrees to track down a runaway teen. But the case turns out to be something much larger: a smuggling ring of Mayan antiquities. The human impulses get darker and darker and Hackman's character gets pulled in deeper and deeper, even as his own life is falling apart. Ultimately, in one of his best and most unsung performances, Hackman winds up hurting the people he is trying to help. A great cast includes Susan Clark, Jennifer Warren, a young James Woods, and a very young Melanie Griffith. --Marshall Fine
The Seven-Ups of the title are a hot-dogging special unit of the New York Police Department led by street smart Roy Scheider, who applies unconventional techniques to crack tough cases and nab untouchable criminals. When a pair of police impersonators pulls a series of mob kidnappings, the local hoods get very nervous and Scheider's boys investigate, leading to a squad member's death that turns the case personal. Director Philip D'Antoni previously produced Bullitt and The French Connection and learned the importance of a good car chase: with craftsmanlike efficiency he delivers a textbook example of the inner-city chase, lacking style but chock full of squealing tires, careening cars, fleeing pedestrians, and dynamite crackups. The New York City street shooting and the ever-present street sounds give the film a solid sense of place, and Scheider applies his usual thoughtful intensity as the vengeful cop, but the rest of the cops are woefully undeveloped. Only Tony LoBianco, as Scheider's childhood buddy turned hustler and street snitch, has any real presence next to Scheider. In the pantheon of '70s cop thrillers, The Seven-Ups ranks below the more vigorous and ambiguous classics like Serpico and The French Connection, but excellent stunt work and gritty action raises it above the pack. --Sean Axmaker
A San Francisco detective and his new partner search for the man responsible for slaughtering the passengers on a city bus.
Straight Time is notable for one of Dustin Hoffman's best--and least-seen--performances, as a lifelong criminal who, as a parolee, struggles to go straight. But it's a losing battle right from the jump. In less than a week, he's had a scuffle with his parole officer (M. Emmet Walsh) and is on the dodge, looking for a score. But you know that this guy has only two directions he can go in life--and that's either back to prison or into an early grave. A startling depiction of a surprisingly likable sociopath, this Ulu Grosbard film is a dark meditation on one man's firm--if skewed--values and features Hoffman in a relentless, wiry portrayal. The rest of the cast is equally strong, including the always-reliable Harry Dean Stanton, then-newcomer Gary Busey, and an unknown Kathy Bates. --Marshall Fine
Charley Varrick is a small-time crook who outfoxes the Mob in this fast-paced offbeat thriller directed by Don Siegel. Academy Award winner Walter Matthau stars in a rare dramatic role, along with the powerful Joe Don Baker, as a tough Mafia hitman.Charley robs small banks with small payrolls. That keeps him out of trouble until he stumbles onto the Mob's secret stash. The chase is on as the Big Boys go after the "Last of the Independents." It's a heart-pounding ride that builds to a fiery airborne climax as Charley makes his last desperate run for the Mexican border and safety.
