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obert Altman’s drama is, at face
value, a 1930s crime flick about
the kidnapping of a politician’s wife
(Miranda Richardson) by a woman
(Jennifer Jason Leigh) looking to trade
for her captive husband. But the
sprawling plot is mainly an excuse
to explore the city of Altman’s youth.
It’s a love letter to the music, costumes
and decor of the era, as well as an ironic
study of American class, crime and
corruption. It’s not Nashville-level
Altman but it’s still distinctive,
especially in its joyous, extended jazz
workouts. Simon KinnearSYNCOPATION U
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kipping from Africa to New Orleans
to Chicago across the first half of
the 20th Century, this William Dieterle
(Hunchback Of Notre Dame) movie tracks
the emergence of jazz in America,
though a love story between pianist
Kit (Bonita Granville) and trumpeter
Johnny (Jackie Cooper) proves far from
improvisatory (read: bland and white).
Modern viewers might see a hint of
La La Land, and a splash of Footloose –
a court lambasts this devil’s din
(expertly played by top musos of
the time) for its “savage dancing...
brazen vulgarity.” Jamie GrahamBEAT THE DEVIL PG
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bonkers pseudo-spoof from the team behind The
Maltese Falcon, this John Huston adventure comedy sees
Humphrey Bogart’s hard-done-by American collaborating
in Italy with cons trying to get their hands on valuable
African soil. While it contains even more trade talk than
The Phantom Menace, its loose-cannon energy (Truman
Capote wrote the script during shooting) ensures it rattles
along entertainingly to its equally ridiculous and hilarious
climax, with Jennifer Jones top value as a superstitious
blonde with her eye on Bogie. Josh WinningBOYZ N THE HOOD 15
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here are projects that go far beyond the time that they
spend in the theatre or on DVD,” says actress Nia Long
of the late John Singleton’s Oscar-nominated coming-of-age
story about three friends growing up in the South Central
neighbourhood in Los Angeles. Indeed, almost three decades
on from its release, the film remains as powerful (and sadly
relevant) as ever – and looks even better thanks to a
stunning 4K presentation that delivers a significant visual
upgrade on previous discs. Extras range from 1991 press
conference to Singleton tribute piece. Anton van BeekVILLAIN 18
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ichard Burton growls and prowls
his way through this Brit crime
caper, playing gay East End gangster
Vic Dakin (loosely based on the Kray
twins), who’s struggling to uphold his
criminal empire. Given a re-release
polish, Michael Tuchner’s short,
sharp and somewhat superficial film
beautifully captures ’70s London, while
the violent eruptions still shock and
Burton is magnetic as Dakin. “You
remind me of Liz [Taylor],” he once
told on-screen lover Ian McShane, who
provides a warm 15-minute chat on the
otherwise sparse disc. Josh WinningRUNAWAY 12
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his oft-overlooked entry in
Michael Crichton’s filmography
stars Tom Selleck as a cop who
specialises in dealing with
malfunctioning robots. Things get
a lot more dangerous, however, when
a psycho scientist (Kiss bassist Gene
Simmons) starts turning docile
domestic droids into literal killing
machines. Released the same year as
The Terminator, Crichton’s fun but
flawed sci-fi thriller failed to connect
with audiences in the same way – but
today has gained added frisson through
its predictions of drones and tablet
computers. Anton van BeekGAMESRADARCOM/TOTALFILM APRIL 2020 | TOTAL FILMBLU
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