The Strangest Vengeance Ever Planned!

Starring: Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff, Marlene Dietrich, Joanna Moore, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver, Valentin de Vargas, Mort Mills, Victor Millan, Lalo Rios, Harry Shannon

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"An old lady on Main Street last night picked up a shoe. The shoe had a foot in it. We're gonna make you pay for that mess." – Police Capt. Hank Quinlan

Why watch this? This film noir masterpiece was Orson Welles' last, great cinematic effort.

Plot Summary: This dark tale of grimy greed and corruption takes place on the American-Mexican border. The two main characters are Mike Vargas, a Mexican drug enforcement official (and his stunning American wife, Susan); and rotund Police Sgt. Hank Quinlan. When an American business owner's car is blown up, an investigation begins. Quinlan, a monstrous, grotesque beast of a man (portrayed by Welles himself), seems immediately content to jail a Mexican young man. Mr. Vargas discovers that the boy is being framed by Quinlan. This starts an internal war between the two men and it's going to get ugly.

Albert Zugsmith; Universal-International

48 Hrs. (1982), Director: Walter Hill, rated R for violence, harsh, racial language

The boys are back in town.

Starring: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O'Toole, James Remar, Sonny Landham, David Patrick Kelly, Brion James, James Keane

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I'm gonna tell you something about this man! He's got more brains than you'll ever know! He's got more guts than any partner I ever had." - Jack Cates

Why watch this? It's a pleasure watching the two lead actors slug it out.

Plot Summary: A tough San Francisco detective hunts a dangerous escaped criminal responsible for killing his fellow officers. To find him, the detective enlists the reluctant help of the criminal's former associate, a charismatic convict, who is granted a temporary 48-hour release from prison. Now, this unlikely pair must work together against the clock to track down the killer before their time runs out.

Lawrence Gordon Pics; Paramount Pictures

100% Pure Adrenaline.

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty, John C. McGinley, James Le Gros, Anthony Kiedis, Chris Pedersen

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I know Johnny. I know you want me so bad it's like acid in your mouth. But, not this time." - Bodhi

Why watch this? ... non-stop action with criminal surfers. Awesome, dude!

Plot Summary: FBI agent Johnny Utah goes undercover to investigate a string of bank robberies committed by a gang known as the "Ex-Presidents". Utah suspects the robbers are surfers and infiltrates the surfing community, immersing himself in their adrenaline-fueled lifestyle. He forms a complicated relationship with Bodhi, the enigmatic leader of a group of surfers he believes are responsible for the robberies.

Johnny Utah Prod., Largo Ent.;
20th Century Fox

Lies. Betrayal. Sacrifice. How far will you take it?

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Corrigan, James Badge Dale

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You sit there with a mass murderer. A mass murderer. Your heart rate is jacked, and your hand... steady. That's one thing I figured out about myself in prison. My hand does not shake... ever." - Billy Costigan

Why watch this? Four reasons: Scorsese, DiCaprio, Damon and Nicholson.

Plot Summary: In Boston, an undercover police officer infiltrates a ruthless Irish mob crew, while simultaneously, a mole planted by that same mob boss infiltrates the Massachusetts State Police department. Both men rise within their respective organizations, living under immense pressure as they work to identify the "rat" in their midst without having their own cover blown. The tension escalates into a dangerous game of cat and mouse where each must outmaneuver the other to survive in a world filled with corruption and betrayal.
 

Dad's Preview: What a dream match-up: The director, Martin Scorsese, who made mob movies a household name, and the best upcoming Hollywood talent in decades. This film is a mixture of vintage gangster plot lines, sexy young talent, and Jack F'ing Nicholson, who deliciously portrays a Boston crime lord, based on actual mob boss Whitey Bolger. This film wonderfully delivers - it checks all the boxes: Complicated, conflicted characters - check. Awkward love triangle - check. Bloody shootouts - check. It's hard to find anything not to like. It took home four Oscars including Best Picture and Director. We will glance back to this one and say, "Why didn't this amazing cast and crew make more films like this?"

Plan B Ent., Initial Ent. Group, Vertigo Ent.,
Media Asia Films; Warner Bros. Pictures

A murdered wife. A one-armed man. An obsessed detective. The chase begins.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Joe Pantoliano, Andreas Katsulas, Jeroen Krabbé, Daniel Roebuck, Tom Wood

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." - Dep. Marshall Sam Gerard

Why watch this? This is a well-done action thriller. Jones and Ford are excellent!

Plot Summary: Dr. Richard Kimble is a respected surgeon who finds his wife murdered in their home and claims the killer was a one-armed man. Despite his protests, he is convicted of the murder, but escapes from custody after a bus crash. As U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard leads a relentless manhunt, Kimble endeavors to prove his innocence by tracking down the true killer.

Kopelson Entertainment; Warner Bros.

Everyone Wants The Truth... Until They Find It.

Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"He lied to me. I can't think of one reason big enough for him to lie that's small enough not to matter.”– Patrick Kenzie

Why watch this? A tense story about a missing girl, her screwed-up mother and those who cover things up.

Plot Summary: Two private investigators, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, are hired by a distraught aunt to find her missing four-year-old niece in a tough Boston neighborhood. As they delve into the case, they uncover a dark underworld of drug dealers, criminals, and deception surrounding the girl's neglectful mother.
 

Dad's Preview: Ben Affleck's directorial debut is a tight, tough South Boston drama about a child's kidnapping. There are some really strong performances from the entire cast. I will single out Casey Affleck, who shows he can carry a film by himself. Then there's Amy Ryan - she's incredible as the worthless, druggy mother who really doesn't deserve the child she's responsible for. Ed Harris, as usual, gives his role the power and ambiguity that makes him intensely interesting.

The Ladd Company; Miramax

Everything is suspect... everyone is for sale... and nothing is what it seems.

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"If we're going to figure this out, we need to work together." - Ed Exley

Why watch this? This neo-noir crime film is as gritty as sandpaper.

Plot Summary: In 1950s Los Angeles, three LAPD detectives, each with their own contrasting methods and motivations, find their paths intertwined while investigating a brutal mass murder at an all-night coffee shop. As they delve deeper into the seemingly open-and-shut case, they uncover a shadowy world of police corruption, Hollywood glamour, and organized crime. Ultimately, the officers are forced to confront their own moral compasses and navigate the labyrinthine underbelly of the city to uncover the truth.

Regency Ent., The Wolper Org.;
Warner Bros.

No One Gets Away Clean

Starring: Don Cheadle, Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Erika Chistensen, Jacob Vargas, Miguel Ferrer, Tomas Milian, Amy Irving, Topher Grace, Albert Finney, James Brolin, Benjamin Bratt

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"If there is a war on drugs, then many of our family members are the enemy. And I don't know how you wage war on your own family." – Robert Wakefield, U.S. Drug Tsar

Why watch this? It drives home that drugs are here, and the war is in our homes.

Plot Summary: This is a multi-narrative exploration of the illegal drug trade, from various perspectives including law enforcement, politicians, traffickers, and users. One storyline follows a judge appointed as the US drug czar, grappling with his new role while discovering his daughter's drug addiction. A second thread focuses on two DEA agents tracking drug distribution across the US-Mexico border, leading to the arrest of a major trafficker. The third narrative delves into the complex world of a jailed drug lord's wife who tries to navigate and maintain the family business.

Bedford Falls Prod., Laura Bickford Prod.,
Initial Ent. Group; USA Films

Get Ready For Rush Hour.

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels, Joe Morton, Alan Ruck, Glenn Plummer, Richard Lineback, Beth Grant

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"A bomb is made to explode. That's its meaning. Its purpose. Your life is empty because you spend it trying to stop the bomb from becoming. And for who? For what? You know what a bomb is, Jack, that doesn't explode? It's a cheap gold watch, buddy." – Howard Payne

Why watch this? ... it's the high-speed action film to beat all others... and without CGI.

Plot Summary: Speed features LAPD SWAT officer Jack Traven who finds himself in a deadly game with a vengeful bomber named Howard Payne. Payne rigs a city bus with an explosive device that will detonate if its speed drops below 50 miles per hour. Traven boards the speeding bus to try and disarm the bomb and save the passengers, with a passenger named Annie Porter forced to take the wheel after the driver is injured.

Mark Gordon Company; 20th Century Fox

The border is just another line to cross.

Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, Jon Bernthal, Maximiliano Hernández, Victor Garber, Daniel Kaluuya, Julio Cesar Cedillo

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You should move to a small town, somewhere the rule of law still exists. You will not survive here. You are not a wolf, and this is a land of wolves now." - Alejandro

Why watch this? It will help you understand the brutal drug war border states faces every day.

Plot Summary: This intense film follows a female DEA officer who wants to make a difference. She is assigned to an experienced team working on a big drug bust. She quickly learns that things work very differently than the black and white world she's used to. She's also in way over her head.

Black Label Media, Thunder Road; Lionsgate

A tough bounty hunter. A sensitive criminal.

Starring: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Well if you don't shut up, pretty soon you're gonna suffer from fistaphobia." – Jack Walsh to "The Duke"

Why watch this? The exchanges between Grodin and De Niro are priceless.

Plot Summary: Gruff bounty hunter, Jack Walsh, agrees to a seemingly easy job: retrieve a mob accountant from New York and bring him back to Los Angeles. However, the accountant, Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas, turns out to be a demanding and eccentric individual with a fear of flying, forcing the two men on an arduous cross-country journey by various modes of transportation. As they travel, they are pursued relentlessly by the FBI, who want The Duke to testify against his former boss, and by the mob, who want to silence him permanently, all while facing off against a rival bounty hunter.

City Lights Films; Universal Pictures

John Sayles invites you to return to the scene of the crime.

Starring: Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Ron Canada, Elizabeth Peña, Joe Morton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I remember Charlie Wade came to my father's hardware store once... The man winked at me. I peed my pants." – Ben Wetzel

Why watch this? This Texas mystery centers on a cold-case murder and secret relationships.

Plot Summary: Sheriff Sam Deeds is notified to investigate the discovery of skeletal remains in a Texas border town. The bones belong to a notoriously corrupt sheriff who mysteriously disappeared decades earlier. As Sam delves into the past, he uncovers long-buried secrets involving his own legendary father, the town's former sheriff, Buddy Deeds.

Castle Rock Ent., Columbia Pics, Rio Dulce;
Sony Pictures Classics

Never stop fighting till the fight is done

Starring: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro, Richard Bradford, Jack Kehoe, Billy Drago, Patricia Clarkson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way!" – Jim Malone

Why watch this? A great, if romanticized, account of the Elliott Ness story.

Plot Summary: Federal Agent Eliot Ness arrives in Prohibition-era Chicago, determined to bring down the notoriously powerful and corrupt gangster Al Capone. Facing widespread corruption within the city's police force, Ness realizes that traditional methods are insufficient to tackle Capone's illegal empire. He assembles a small team of trustworthy lawmen who are unburdened by fear or bribes to confront the ruthless crime boss and his network of organized crime.

Art Linson; Paramount Pictures

Detective Harry Callahan. He doesn't break murder cases. He smashes them.

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Andy Robinson, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, John Vernon, John Larch, Woodrow Parfrey

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya... punk?" – Harry Callahan

Why watch this? ... for Eastwood's performance - a stoic man-of-action with an engaging charisma.

Plot Summary: Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan is a no-nonsense San Francisco cop with unorthodox methods. He's assigned to track down a deranged serial killer nicknamed "Scorpio" who is holding the city ransom with a series of murders. Callahan must navigate bureaucratic obstacles and legal limitations to bring the psychopathic killer to justice, even if it means bending the rules.

The Malpaso Company; Warner Bros.

If these two can learn to stand each other... the bad guys don't stand a chance.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Jackie Swanson, Lycia Naff

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You make it through tomorrow without killing anybody, especially me, or yourself, then I'll start trusting you." - Roger Murtaugh

Why watch this? ... it's Mel Gibson when he was People Magazine's Sexiest Man of the Year.

Plot Summary: Roger Murtaugh is a seasoned LAPD detective celebrating his 50th birthday. He's partnered with Martin Riggs, a younger, emotionally unstable detective with a death wish following his wife's recent passing. Their initial investigation into an apparent suicide leads them down a path of drug trafficking and former Special Forces mercenaries.

Silver Pictures; Warner Bros.

There Are No Clean Getaways

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Barry Corbin, Beth Grant

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #16 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of No Country For Old Men

"If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?" - Anton Chigurh

Why watch this? This tour de force examines the dangers surrounding the Mexican drug world.

Plot Summary: While hunting in the West Texas desert, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and finds a briefcase containing millions of dollars, which he takes. His decision sets in motion a violent chase with a ruthless and enigmatic killer, Anton Chigurh, pursuing Moss and the money across the landscape. Meanwhile, a jaded, tired Sheriff Ed Tom Bell investigates the mounting casualties, grappling with the escalating violence and the unsettling nature of the criminals involved.

Paramount Vantage, Scott Rudin Prod.,
Mike Zoss Prod.; Miramax Films
 

Genres Action-Crime, Action-Thriller, Crime-Cops, Crime-Crooks, Crime-Drama, Crime-Thriller, Crime-Thriller-NeoNoir, Mystery-Thriller; Neo-Western, Western-Drama

A big city cop. A small country boy. They have nothing in common ...but a murder.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas, Jan Rubeš, Danny Glover, Josef Sommer, Alexander Godunov, Brent Jennings, Patti LuPone

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"No, no hospital... gunshot wound, they have to file a report. And if they file a report, they find me. And if they find me, they find the boy." – John Book

Why watch this? It is a brilliant film juxtaposing the peaceful Amish culture against urban violence.

Plot Summary: When a young Amish boy witnesses a murder in Philadelphia, a detective goes undercover in the boy's rural Amish community to protect him from the killers. The detective must navigate the unfamiliar world of the Amish while trying to identify and avoid the dangerous individuals responsible for the crime. The film explores the stark contrast between the detective's violent world and the peaceful, traditional Amish lifestyle.

Edward S. Feldman Prod.; Paramount Pics

a homespun murder story

Starring: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #12 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Fargo

"Sir, you have no call to get snippy with me. I'm just doing my job here." - Marge Gunderson

Why watch this? Brutal violence. Quirky characters. As only the Coen brothers can.

Plot Summary: Desperate for money, a Minnesota car salesman hires two men to kidnap his wife, intending to extort a ransom from her wealthy father. The seemingly foolproof scheme quickly unravels as events take a violent turn, leading to multiple deaths. A pregnant police chief in Brainerd, Minnesota, launches a tenacious investigation to uncover the truth behind the escalating crimes.

Working Title Films; Gramercy Pictures

40 Stories Of Sheer Adventure!

Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Gudunov, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, De'voreaux White, Paul Gleason, William Atherton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #47 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Die Hard

"Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mister Cowboy?" - Hans Gruber

Why watch this? It's the action film by which all action films are compared.

Plot Summary: This crime story centers on New York City cop John McClane, who travels to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his estranged wife and their children. While attending his wife's company Christmas party at the Nakatomi high-rise, criminals take over the building and hold everyone hostage, except for McClane who escapes detection. He then must single-handedly fight the criminals to save the hostages, including his wife.

Gordon Company, Silver Pictures;
20th Century Fox

Why So Serious?

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #20 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Dark Knight

"Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." – Alfred

Why watch this? This Nolan effort set a new, grittier standard for comic book films.

Plot Summary: Following the events of Batman Begins (2005), the emergence of a criminal mastermind known as the Joker throws Gotham City into a state of chaos and anarchy. Batman, along with Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, try to combat the escalating threat, but the Joker's unpredictable nature challenges their methods and forces Batman to confront his own beliefs. The film explores the fine line between hero and vigilante as Batman faces his most personal and challenging struggle yet.

Legendary Pictures, Syncopy;
Warner Bros. Pictures