“Hit Man.” / “The Bikeriders.”

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“Hit Man” (2023, Netflix) romantic comedy crime film directed by Richard Linklater, follows an undercover New Orleans police contractor who poses as a reliable hitman as he tries to save a woman in need. 



       The basic premise was based on the true story of a college professor who worked for the Houston police in the late 1980s and 1990s as a fake hitman, as described in a 2001 magazine article by Skip Hollandsworth.

       Hard to lose with Mr Linklater as director. Plus Glen Powell as the central character Gary is fun to watch. He won a Golden Globe nomination, Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.

       The otherwise predictable plot is comically interesting mainly due to how Glen handled and carried it all the way. Nice recommended date movie. 🎥💻📽




“The Bikeriders” (2023, Amazon Prime) crime drama written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Inspired by the photo book of the same title by Danny Lyon, the movie depicts the lives of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, a fictional version of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.

       Backing up Jodie Comer is a load of macho: Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Toby Wallace, Happy Anderson, Paul Sparks, Norman Reedus. So we got lotsa bikes, unshowered brawn, nasty language, bars and beers, but surprisingly no boobs and sex.

       Not so dramatic and exciting, especially if you've already seen a gazillion bike movies and series from “Easy Rider” to “Sons of Anarchy.” Also, the dark lighting (again!) made storytelling difficult to follow. Anyhow, the narration mostly centered on perennially trouble-magnet Benny (Mr Butler), Vandals boss Johnny, and the only lady in the cast Kathy (Ms Comer). 🎥💻📽

REWATCH Mode: “King of New York” (1990, Tubi) neo-noir crime film, directed by Abel Ferrara. Christopher Walken portrays Frank White, a New York City drug kingpin rebuilding his criminal empire after his release from prison, while also attempting to go legitimate. Nice to watch Mr Walken again in his younger years.

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