Movie Review: King of New York (1990)

DIRECTOR: Abel Ferrara. CAST: Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Victor Argo, Janet Julian, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Paul Calderon, Giancarlo Esposito, Theresa Randle, Frank Adonis, Harold Perrineau.
King of New York is certainly one of the most stylish gangster films out there; it is one of the few capturing the film noir look in the modern era. Christopher Walken stars as the recently paroled gangster looking to reclaim his throne as New York’s drug kingpin. Although he is able to cut through his enemies, his further success is marred by a group of rogue cops willing to go outside the law to take him down. Traditional “good guys” and “bad guys” do not exist in this New York. Walken is his usual fantastic self, but Laurence Fishburne deserves special mention for his pre-stardom role as the volatile mob henchman who cackles maniacally after seeing a cop die in grisly fashion. Victor Argo, David Caruso, and Wesley Snipes are also very good as the police officers who take their war against the drug gang personally. Their performances and Abel Ferrara’s direction elevate what is often an incoherent story. I feel that there has to be an eventual director’s cut edition that replaces aspects of the plot left on the cutting room floor.

Movie Review: Red Heat (1988)

DIRECTOR: Walter Hill. CAST: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O’Ross, Larry Fishburne, Gina Gershon, Richard Bright, Michael Hagerty, Oleg Vidov, Savely Kramarov, Gabor Koncz, Sven-Ole Thorsen.

Underrated Arnold fare; I wish people gave Red Heat more props when remembering Schwarzenegger’s ‘80s action output. I suppose the mismatched cop story had become a cliché by 1988, but it still works in director Walter Hill’s hands. Arnie is the Russian cop sent to the US to extradite a drug dealer on the lam from killing his partner. James Belushi is the smartass Chicago cop assigned to drive him around, but gets involved when the drug dealer kills his partner too. They tear through the streets of Chicago, comparing proper policing methods and getting in trouble with their superiors before concluding by playing a game of “chicken” with two Greyhound buses. Schwarzenegger & Belushi end the Cold War when they develop a mutual respect and realize that they can work together despite their cultural differences. Although it is not as over the top action-packed as one might want it to be, Hill’s direction keeps Red Heat at a fast ‘n’ fun pace much like his earlier 48 HRS.