BURT REYNOLDS STARS/DIRECTS THE NEO NOIR 'SHARKY'S MACHINE'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlc58prpFJfj1m4HHqFvC25yNzqmXicU58scAaXWvcKg_mJY3MQtDHuefuDGxQBxgLjwFgBieOo2GbhxfTKZ4CvQNeWsObyc1SWLsvHCnl3cO8HZxIGGtHkGZnBEzMxeMyCIUbP1trrxHl5k6dKYMl64QwXWiaLUthfoZFU04OS8JJcRFeyyPS07CfNWhf/s1976/Screen%20Shot%202024-09-14%20at%202.25.54%20AM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1976" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlc58prpFJfj1m4HHqFvC25yNzqmXicU58scAaXWvcKg_mJY3MQtDHuefuDGxQBxgLjwFgBieOo2GbhxfTKZ4CvQNeWsObyc1SWLsvHCnl3cO8HZxIGGtHkGZnBEzMxeMyCIUbP1trrxHl5k6dKYMl64QwXWiaLUthfoZFU04OS8JJcRFeyyPS07CfNWhf/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-09-14%20at%202.25.54%20AM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: SHARKY'S MACHINE Year: 1981 Rating: ****</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Although Burt Reynolds' box office rival Clint Eastwood deemed SHARKY'S MACHINE "Dirty Harry in Georgia," it's actually a spiritual remake of the film noir LAURA where a cop falls for a mysterious woman who was supposedly murdered by a killer using a shotgun at her apartment door — but turns out being another dame entirely...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And before all that, Reynolds goes from a risky narc officer... whose opening drug deal turns into a solid city shootout... to one of several vice squad members in the shabby and neglected police headquarters-basement; and their first gig busting whores at a political rally with the two coolest characters, not including Burt, also the director... and with a skin-diver's cut instead of his usual distracting toupee, he hasn't been this legit since DELIVERANCE... <br></p><p><span></span></p>

action, bernie casey, brian keith, burt reynolds, charles durning, cop, earl holliman, eighties, henry silva, jazz-score, neo noir, rachel ward, vice, vittorio gassman

BURT REYNOLDS STARS/DIRECTS THE NEO NOIR 'SHARKY'S MACHINE'

Title: SHARKY'S MACHINE Year: 1981 Rating: **** Although Burt Reynolds' box office rival Clint Eastwood deemed SHARKY'S MACHINE ...

ROBERT BLAKE AND ELLIOTT GOULD 'BUSTING' CORNELIA SHARPE

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQD5ACmox62F6PitaAl_LCpZxdARpOx5MQEBX_p4aDXZI5estulv1LxaoCguX5CiM0ZFCIo_yEpTx9OLIUicKVwsEBlzrzWTxxI0wI9nSGAba5I7hxj7V97IG1Xc3KhjxjfQYjS4UCUPFXxD-i9E40DUx6clpDEcIb0c5q6iDYEQ-sfp8f_PlzBNW9g/s1714/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-12%20at%205.55.37%20AM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1329" data-original-width="1714" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQD5ACmox62F6PitaAl_LCpZxdARpOx5MQEBX_p4aDXZI5estulv1LxaoCguX5CiM0ZFCIo_yEpTx9OLIUicKVwsEBlzrzWTxxI0wI9nSGAba5I7hxj7V97IG1Xc3KhjxjfQYjS4UCUPFXxD-i9E40DUx6clpDEcIb0c5q6iDYEQ-sfp8f_PlzBNW9g/w400-h310/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-12%20at%205.55.37%20AM.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Cornelia Sharpe in BUSTING Year: 1974 Rating: ****</u></td></tr></tbody></table>Starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake as determined vice cops BUSTING hookers, making a scene in a sex shop and, as the curtain opens, dogging a high price call girl: Enter the insanely gorgeous Cornelia Sharpe, who the year before played cop Al Pacino's girlfriend in SERPICO...<br> <br> Liken to a mazy Film Noir, the proverbial shoes stick on her, and eventually stumble upon a monopolizing, untouchable mega-pimp played by underrated Allen Garfield backed by henchman Sid Haig who, it turns out, doesn't have much to do since his boss owns the courts <i>and</i> the cops (Sid stated in our podcast interview that the script was being rewritten the entire time, but on the Blu Ray commentary, a much too soft-spoken Peter Hymans seemed to feel all went pretty smoothly and, other than a lot of deliberate improvising by Gould and especially Blake, production flowed according to his own script: the only trouble he had was with the Gay Community after the release).<br> <br> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihX-a78uqHlL11FgbnseZkNHpDV_Tgf2V3wzlfXF0G8R0fYfb3PoW0fTbx9kHVx6SQD_jsD8fotEuFM3OE5GhGnE2799JQtnGrHlaL7BZBWacvsb81VwlHtr3VCPA1y2gJYSeyJlWxw6vj/s400/31117910_466090103820171_2491936864043270144_n.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="400" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihX-a78uqHlL11FgbnseZkNHpDV_Tgf2V3wzlfXF0G8R0fYfb3PoW0fTbx9kHVx6SQD_jsD8fotEuFM3OE5GhGnE2799JQtnGrHlaL7BZBWacvsb81VwlHtr3VCPA1y2gJYSeyJlWxw6vj/w400-h333/31117910_466090103820171_2491936864043270144_n.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Blake, Gould, Slattery in BUSTING Score: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table>To keep it from being as jumpy, there should/could have been more off-course scenes establishing our dusty heroes against lesser villains in the dark city. Instead, the second act rushes a rogue-cop sub-genre (times two) as Gould and Blake go on their own to nab Garfield, which is highlighted by an adventurous climb to the top by hanging around (after being punished) at the bottom...<br> <br> Meanwhile, their immense hatred for Garfield's Rizzo is more than the audience can feel or relate with given the little time to establish his power and villainy... We have to take their word, which is far too much dialogue about a guy who seems pretty-run of-the-mill in the heavy department... But it's entertaining as they wait, and wait for a lead: like by waiting inside a filthy public restroom to nab random perverts: showing the kind of torturous meantime (vice) cops go through that most movies leave out, or edit down to a springboard for an upcoming action sequence... <br> <br> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnydT9BtiUOl3gSBtiBln1XZLp5oRNETxCzTDIxXnZd2Tqnd8aNCFq1GxtnpdL_xRuEUcK7bMyH8S4_CSOX3Q2nRSATsrgxN413LdcwME_ahBn-uy5P_xEvOaD5I4kfcuFKedWgMfKSoNj/s1600/81103530_871461359949708_1306860047392833536_n.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnydT9BtiUOl3gSBtiBln1XZLp5oRNETxCzTDIxXnZd2Tqnd8aNCFq1GxtnpdL_xRuEUcK7bMyH8S4_CSOX3Q2nRSATsrgxN413LdcwME_ahBn-uy5P_xEvOaD5I4kfcuFKedWgMfKSoNj/s400/81103530_871461359949708_1306860047392833536_n.jpeg" width="208"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Cornelia Sharpe in Busting</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> But casual viewers, don't despair — there's more than a touch of mainstream thrown in as a long FRENCH CONNECTION-style chase (here on foot) takes place in-and-out of a large outdoor bazaar, which helps make future CAPRICORN ONE director Peter Hyams' grungy exploitation an addictive pleasure, but not a guilty one — while far from sublime, like, say, BULLITT, or even MAGNUM FORCE, it's still a decent entry...<br> <br> <div style="text-align: right;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu0Qg2GK32pxV2VxXb7Y4gFKCAKwRhsQdk1jzKws-peVh-co_RhiVInxs9aQzJt0adRHfqlebvKE_ujYc-LuhpuDwGNeAyQ-M8N2zNQ9ZuU85rzEq8VSsISWq6BILUhRYKYU6b6_d3RGe/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-10-24+at+5.30.19+AM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="444" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu0Qg2GK32pxV2VxXb7Y4gFKCAKwRhsQdk1jzKws-peVh-co_RhiVInxs9aQzJt0adRHfqlebvKE_ujYc-LuhpuDwGNeAyQ-M8N2zNQ9ZuU85rzEq8VSsISWq6BILUhRYKYU6b6_d3RGe/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-10-24+at+5.30.19+AM.png" width="196"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>The lovely Cornelia Sharpe</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Robert Blake, amazing in IN COLD BLOOD, plays the epitome of a second-banana... sans the usual sidekick comic relief since he and Gould share similarly caustic, world-weary attitudes, with just-enough chemistry to seem more than two actors thrown together...<br> <br> And, for a device/activity, Blake dangles an omnipresent unlit cigarette in his mouth — warming up for an upcoming cop TV-series featuring a cockatoo? Only it's Gould who (at one point) dons the schlocky costume/fake accent gag. Overall, his performance is natural and easy with some fifth gear intensity when needed...<br> <br> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrq-UJ6NDmnerxoJDWvDCbD7ZHLTgERxlU-qNBCMtEcaNE9xD9J9-Gio-7j0lVjVW4sDoFbgxszsm2oOWrZsKt8YRf7xYTYTY5poanmFlCJJ21f-FK8-mb3s-ikl949OG9IGdE5dz-bBmo/s1600/51ZX4KRV3TL._SY445_.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrq-UJ6NDmnerxoJDWvDCbD7ZHLTgERxlU-qNBCMtEcaNE9xD9J9-Gio-7j0lVjVW4sDoFbgxszsm2oOWrZsKt8YRf7xYTYTY5poanmFlCJJ21f-FK8-mb3s-ikl949OG9IGdE5dz-bBmo/s1600/51ZX4KRV3TL._SY445_.jpg"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Fans watched this for years before any disc </u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> And, as usual, maybe wanting to appeal to younger (stoned) audiences who weren't big law enforcement buffs, Gould harbors (beyond "hip threads" and a bushy mustache for undercover purposes) some residual 1960's-era hippie spite, at one point actually referring to two uniformed cops as "Pigs!" And of course the partners work for an irritable, lecturing police chief, and a baffled desk sergeant (Richard X. Slattery)...<br> <br> Also, for fans of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, Peter Hyams would direct the cold-war-leaning sequel, 2010: THE YEAR WE MAKE CONTACT, and there's a rare glimpse at the original's cerebral centerpiece, Dr. Heywood Floyd ala character-actor William Sylvester (played by Roy Scheider in the sequel) as a defense lawyer in a grungy courtroom displaying all of that decade's cinematic street trash: from junkies to whores to pimps to trannies and, in the previous scene, a hopped-up, sexually-charged homosexual in a gay bar, seeming intentionally overplayed by Antonio Fargas, making a lusty, physical pass at Blake as if political-correctness would never take over Hollywood (Hyams basically apologizes in the commentary) — and such "blatant stereotyping" would not be allowed. Who knows, maybe that kinda thing kept this buried treasure buried for so long.<br> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsJQC5uKNYJR3AFNGhjAacVZPcJigGdKozpqnrUrjeLHejzqXwfI9JSoWTRvwf7pyPptz4x7dVEzUzxwUxQjTsr7X7burrsFkr9ObSV4f68j29CslLeExxPD7kWAa8V7KCHgIAAk0wG75/s1600/44.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsJQC5uKNYJR3AFNGhjAacVZPcJigGdKozpqnrUrjeLHejzqXwfI9JSoWTRvwf7pyPptz4x7dVEzUzxwUxQjTsr7X7burrsFkr9ObSV4f68j29CslLeExxPD7kWAa8V7KCHgIAAk0wG75/s1600/44.jpg"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Busting William Sylvester who played Floyd on 2001: A Space Odyssey, here he's a lawyer for Cornelia Sharpe</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSDY-JCbnLWAvNjXAILC_4W-mgde9MJEbImVeAIUSL1bj5LpRQinFOZpTs1zwkyREKnLV6UHJf21OEUgMfqlgsmhCe2IVt-JY30oqXAc1gZ_VftTNVXqKSPi0cfQZYIXt7WFX8yIAk6FX/s1600/44679965_590785788017268_7273780578976006144_n.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="865" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSDY-JCbnLWAvNjXAILC_4W-mgde9MJEbImVeAIUSL1bj5LpRQinFOZpTs1zwkyREKnLV6UHJf21OEUgMfqlgsmhCe2IVt-JY30oqXAc1gZ_VftTNVXqKSPi0cfQZYIXt7WFX8yIAk6FX/s1600/44679965_590785788017268_7273780578976006144_n.jpeg"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Elliott Gould and Robert Blake in BUSTING </u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>

action, allen garfield, antonio fargas, buddy, cop, cornelia sharpe, crime, elliott gould, exploitation, michael lerner, peter hyams, richard x. slattery, robert blake, seventies, sid haig, vice, william sylvester

ROBERT BLAKE AND ELLIOTT GOULD 'BUSTING' CORNELIA SHARPE

Cornelia Sharpe in BUSTING Year: 1974 Rating: **** Starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake as determined vice cops BUSTING hookers, makin...

OPAQUE GLIMPSE OF THE 'LAURA' NOIR OF 'SHARKY'S MACHINE'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRCb6d7p5W9flhe_snbGzMDILC8oafwZ85yR9II7KXgtUuak0D4rfFUL5KW741deYBFFFxiiC5zqIZrurJalYEz4kIZNTI5DqLmDcxafbll5NwlwCBjQRRfNXKrcN0889vFIKivtFDntK/s1600/70099_front.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1487" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRCb6d7p5W9flhe_snbGzMDILC8oafwZ85yR9II7KXgtUuak0D4rfFUL5KW741deYBFFFxiiC5zqIZrurJalYEz4kIZNTI5DqLmDcxafbll5NwlwCBjQRRfNXKrcN0889vFIKivtFDntK/s320/70099_front.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Blu Ray for SHARKY'S MACHINE Year: 1981</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Burt Reynold's later CITY HEAT co-star and then-current action flick competitor didn't go nuts for SHARKY'S MACHINE...<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAjn3piti0QXRSz9q9AuAqlkwb5Vi6-8BIhMFCm8xK6uWm8kylEJsYJqXFhHszW6JReXDIFegABYgR6kBAzUDWfaJrIKWkg9qqw2ZnfWBelvqxkwCss6SduvUqfdBVovcbBCllPLLJNXo/s1600/17098155_279482575814259_8978835975765532059_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAjn3piti0QXRSz9q9AuAqlkwb5Vi6-8BIhMFCm8xK6uWm8kylEJsYJqXFhHszW6JReXDIFegABYgR6kBAzUDWfaJrIKWkg9qqw2ZnfWBelvqxkwCss6SduvUqfdBVovcbBCllPLLJNXo/s400/17098155_279482575814259_8978835975765532059_n.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Source Novel turned Novelization Style</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> In tough guy competitor Clint Eastwood's view it was "DIRTY HARRY in Georgia" when, in a technical sense, the story of a resilient yet vulnerable cop, falling for a gorgeous dame who, with several men after her, winds up being mistaken for another tall beauty that gets shot and, well... the MACHINE source novel author William Diehl must have been heavily influenced by Vera Caspary's LAURA directed by Otto Preminger and starring two of our favorites, Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney.<br /> <br /> And this movie's ingenue, Rachel Ward, would be, in the decade to come, no stranger to Neo Noir, later replacing Jane Greer in a steamier OUT OF THE PAST remake titled AGAINST ALL ODDS, and in the Steve Martin archive footage Noir fest, DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID. Meanwhile, Reynolds played in several Neo's including SHAMUS, HUSTLE, FUZZ and as director, this MACHINE was his chance to go underneath the character — starting out where Quentin Tarantino's JACKIE BROWN would almost-finish-up: a bearded undercover Reynolds as Sharky determinedly strolls to Randy Crawford's funky soul track titled <i>Street Life</i>, followed by an bloody violent shoot-em-up that's part Western and does in fact resemble Eastwood's HARRY more than any other scene. But Sharky has much less control than Eastwood's icon, quickly being demoted down to Vice inside a grungy basement quarters, where the real story begin (and least not forget, Clint had his own SMOKY AND THE BANDIT with the ANY WHICH WAY films)...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTiISS8df3mFjCQDvcbAZQxfvMqOsIdoi58Q_BkoF76Fyf2bau78QLU4b4S0L8vepQP44fbo-ZfjSO1cjQxA5JOt4dcAzxnUFnl9uAtnypU6KraMqrHdt5uyttEbFJVWnfIgI0svMPdJU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-03+at+11.44.48+PM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTiISS8df3mFjCQDvcbAZQxfvMqOsIdoi58Q_BkoF76Fyf2bau78QLU4b4S0L8vepQP44fbo-ZfjSO1cjQxA5JOt4dcAzxnUFnl9uAtnypU6KraMqrHdt5uyttEbFJVWnfIgI0svMPdJU/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-03-03+at+11.44.48+PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Neat Neon Noir Poster</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> From terrific arial copter shots of a glass skyscraper with a see-through elevator to a lonely montage of Sharky staking out Ward's Domino from an empty building across her million dollar suite, Burt does as fine a job directing this murky tale, full of urban daylight contrasting with neon darkness, shadows, alleyways, a lake in the middle of nowhere, and side-characters including crooked politician Earl Holliman (who semi-recently signed the LP below), an even more crooked cop and Kung Fu assassins with nunchucks...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSk70hM1R2yKGtqrpyI8rZrKvErp7aAc2k7S5dQ3QdcQuEtnIDVcjpgeZP6kS378NIq5fOrTGHoaaPDC7jJHYmBoK2zPSddpapZbXJxcPy8JR1Wc_mFdnqCzF5CHEfeUcWDG8746SS-RE/s1600/17342584_285999318495918_7727592696766594446_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSk70hM1R2yKGtqrpyI8rZrKvErp7aAc2k7S5dQ3QdcQuEtnIDVcjpgeZP6kS378NIq5fOrTGHoaaPDC7jJHYmBoK2zPSddpapZbXJxcPy8JR1Wc_mFdnqCzF5CHEfeUcWDG8746SS-RE/s320/17342584_285999318495918_7727592696766594446_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Original LP Signed by Earl Holliman</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> The cool and gritty aesthetic matches his on-screen persona here, better than he'd been in years, since his pre-fame days, and not to be trivial, but his hair — a sort of skin diver's cut that seems like it's just-about to recede — makes his presence more credible than the SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT flicks where he'd often wear a hairpiece hybrid of Liberace and Harpo Marx...<br /> <br /> For fans of his better Hal Needham action flicks like HOOPER and even the first CANNONBALL RUN, there's good news and bad, and for those weary of Burt's acting troupe behaving like they're involved in an end credit blooper reel or a improvisational workshop, it's mostly good since, when it counts, the performances are right to the point, sparse like the dialogue and old fashion tough. That's if you don't count miscast motormouth wire man Richard Libertini and grouchy lecturing Vice boss Charles Durning — the latter who's usually always overboard yet good but he goes so horribly over the top, the other actors have to wait until his frantic monologues end: and often seem in a different movie altogether... <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWuqL0JDZtgvGzKhCiaD9WpTASLMQR1WlcbjjqAKHqeHbkOPumE6fYECzZ3ObSMHaP9YpsdHjckMHZEWkJj5PN5Rraf99yKrMhAo0VCAPqxHPApL6l6b76mliwzWicDrtbIqc80JsxtVp/s1600/scan0071_150.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWuqL0JDZtgvGzKhCiaD9WpTASLMQR1WlcbjjqAKHqeHbkOPumE6fYECzZ3ObSMHaP9YpsdHjckMHZEWkJj5PN5Rraf99yKrMhAo0VCAPqxHPApL6l6b76mliwzWicDrtbIqc80JsxtVp/s400/scan0071_150.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Burt, Richard, Bernie and Brian SHARKYScore: ****</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> What brings some of the obvious improv down is scene-stealer Bernie Casey as one of Sharky's two partners, Arch, who has a penchant for Eastern philosophy and contrasts wonderfully with veteran actor Brian Keith, who, on his own, brings Durning down a few notches just by being older, cooler, calm, quiet and weathered in the same motion picture (not unlike PULP FICTION fans realizing Sam Jackson could kick boss Ving Rhames's fat ass)...<br /> <br /> An underrated, forgotten gem, lost within a myriad of Burt Reynolds flicks during his popular peak, and, with only sporadic action sequences, relies mostly on grisly murders... a few bordering on an exploitation body-count horror flick mostly from the hand of Henry Silva, the gloriously insane, drugged-up, wide-eyed hit man brother of lead heavy Vittorio Gassman (a deathly charming gentleman liken to a powerfully rich Bond villain), who's put in his place too quickly for Sharky to fight for his life once the second half shifts from a cop melodrama into high octane bedlam where Burt Reynolds, in front of the screen and behind the camera, sure ain't fooling around this time.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r_c8512KqVPqw4jUe_l1rM6dkvs1QRdZlEpYuBnY320BhkRldfcxhLv2N1uhp-WZEBk0kx11yQRJRwpBCw7Se2jQFD66ZtvswBCTowTVPic0ScHsQa8x0bXBgScDZveZIcVUtgfxJ6X8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-09-08+at+7.46.51+AM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r_c8512KqVPqw4jUe_l1rM6dkvs1QRdZlEpYuBnY320BhkRldfcxhLv2N1uhp-WZEBk0kx11yQRJRwpBCw7Se2jQFD66ZtvswBCTowTVPic0ScHsQa8x0bXBgScDZveZIcVUtgfxJ6X8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-09-08+at+7.46.51+AM.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Henry Silva is Clifton Webb's wild side; Vittorio Gassman the classy side: LAURA and SHARKY'S MACHINE</u></td></tr> </tbody></table>

action, bernie casey, brian keith, burt reynolds, cop, crime, eighties, henry silva, jazz score, neo noir, rachel ward, vice

OPAQUE GLIMPSE OF THE 'LAURA' NOIR OF 'SHARKY'S MACHINE'

Blu Ray for SHARKY'S MACHINE Year: 1981 Burt Reynold's later CITY HEAT co-star and then-current action flick competitor didn...

WINGS HAUSER & SEASON HUBLEY IN VICE SQUAD

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6zb_3_y-cbpyDZjOLMf46hPUzIAqrE7jIdI7_dEByRH4tFkqXqXeo_dpn4wcrHREUYXJhwN64NaM-Dyq_xNF5Mg8ZmITpvbTbJszDUo-BMJqpRX2UsnC-UhEQQgdJnbhB1pUgKgt6bs/s1600/rr1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6zb_3_y-cbpyDZjOLMf46hPUzIAqrE7jIdI7_dEByRH4tFkqXqXeo_dpn4wcrHREUYXJhwN64NaM-Dyq_xNF5Mg8ZmITpvbTbJszDUo-BMJqpRX2UsnC-UhEQQgdJnbhB1pUgKgt6bs/s1600/rr1.jpg"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>"You can run behind their truck, but you never, ever, ever run behind mine, you got that, Stubbs?"</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> You've heard it before. "That person really made the movie." Or "really steals it." Well in the case of VICE SQUAD, Wings Hauser as a nightmarish, unbreakable, unstoppable, ultra-violent pimp with a raised truck and whose name, RAMROD, could have been an excellent alternative title as the desperate, edgy lunatic who truly owns the movie, outright, including the fact he sings the opening credit song, NEON SLIME, which could be yet another potentially awesome alternative...<br>

cop, crime, eighties, exploitation, fred berry, gary swanson, season hubley, vice, wings hauser

WINGS HAUSER & SEASON HUBLEY IN VICE SQUAD

"You can run behind their truck, but you never, ever, ever run behind mine, you got that, Stubbs?" You've heard it before....

THE NEW CENTURIONS

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96740kyWEwx5n7JvnCuLLpeRkBGO_nYUScemooYhuWW2IR-wz72PEDnSGOxamQ5Vf7uqgLTU-aDEnPKT9TrXqvvh4KnG63ef9FI6FyQNV-Fou4oMruLh5gydYVzhFFU6tllsvspEannaE0h9eZTgITvpLVPMbMZMart2sYrftE7mzrPQoDfwYh3DuNZC2/s840/nc7_zpsaad0b7b6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96740kyWEwx5n7JvnCuLLpeRkBGO_nYUScemooYhuWW2IR-wz72PEDnSGOxamQ5Vf7uqgLTU-aDEnPKT9TrXqvvh4KnG63ef9FI6FyQNV-Fou4oMruLh5gydYVzhFFU6tllsvspEannaE0h9eZTgITvpLVPMbMZMart2sYrftE7mzrPQoDfwYh3DuNZC2/s16000/nc7_zpsaad0b7b6.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1972 cast: Stacy Keach, George C. Scott, Erik Estrada, Scott Wilson, Clifton James rating: ***1/2</td></tr></tbody></table> Whether it’s an exploitive early 70’s crime flick with an underlying mainstream influence, or a mainstream cop movie that sporadically delves into a gritty no-nonsense peripheral, THE NEW CENTURIONS is an entertaining piece of cinema…<br /> <br /> After an opening credit montage of rookies – including Stacy Keach’s Roy Fehler, Scott Wilson’s Gus and Erik Estrada’s Sergio – training at the police academy, we skip right to the chase… almost. Your typical gruff sergeant (Dolph Sweet) is barking orders to a group of world-weary police officers… And with a fresh rookie partner in tow, they enter into the dark Noiry streets of downtown Los Angeles.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8aWf0Nb4fGZNBGTE-sa2hnoSLC3qNQMWFwyEMfe-LcqX1zmf6c0xY0ACDSQqbOHWyugQ4eHqk8-t4XwNUHYW4SqjIeCceUUv2KBlShXzW7_6Z4H5qLEFdSEl3noQDl78jxvz7LRmiCBh/s1600/nc1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8aWf0Nb4fGZNBGTE-sa2hnoSLC3qNQMWFwyEMfe-LcqX1zmf6c0xY0ACDSQqbOHWyugQ4eHqk8-t4XwNUHYW4SqjIeCceUUv2KBlShXzW7_6Z4H5qLEFdSEl3noQDl78jxvz7LRmiCBh/s1600/nc1.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George C. Scott as Kilvinski in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> At first, the centerpiece is George C. Scott’s veteran cop Kilvinski, who, with his own implied “laws” aka philosophies of life, provides Keach's clean slate Roy exposition through random busts including bickering prostitutes and, cutting back and forth from Clifton James’s Whitey paired with Scott Wilson's Gus, and Ed Lauter with former gang member Sergio (Estrada), domestic dispute calls that wind up humorously reminiscent of a television cop show.<br /> <br /> But there’s a point where CENTURIONS, compared by Kilvinski as a new brand of Roman guard (equally hated and needed by that society like our own) kicks into second gear. Standout scenes include Wilson’s Gus gunning down an innocent man… The IN COLD BLOOD actor’s shocked expression, as well as Estrada’s Sergio explaining his backstory as a gang member reluctantly brought back to his hellish home town, make this more character-driven than action-packed.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRURMytb90qJD3TpOrfta9NMauv__DfSOc2eJ2YozgG0t_Uy9U7MvKbQksr1l_H1Ao0unBnYEQIrJGdb66zqzleew8JVpSwrFzXeiyPZHhdAd-0IxLpcZQkxMKBnEz4RLQBkzrIrD428dY/s1600/nc9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRURMytb90qJD3TpOrfta9NMauv__DfSOc2eJ2YozgG0t_Uy9U7MvKbQksr1l_H1Ao0unBnYEQIrJGdb66zqzleew8JVpSwrFzXeiyPZHhdAd-0IxLpcZQkxMKBnEz4RLQBkzrIrD428dY/s1600/nc9.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacy Keach as Roy in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> Although noted as a vehicle for the PATTON Oscar-winning Scott, remaining the wise mentor till a gloomy retirement, the story truly belongs to Stacy Keach, whose character-arc from an idealistic rookie to a seasoned cop to a reluctant vice squad officer to a hopeless drunk is underlined by the dwindling relationship with his wife and child: the domestic scenes border on melodrama but never take away from the gritty base: We always promptly return to the streets. <br /> <br /> Based on a novel by former lawman Joseph Wambaugh, insightful glimpses outshine the sporadic cinematic clichés, and a few scenes would be considered politically-incorrect to modern audiences. But underrated director Richard Fleischer… whose eclectic hit & miss career labeled him more of a talented hired hand than creative auteur… using grainy film stock makes even the lighter moments look and feel completely intense and (despite a tacked-on conclusion) jarringly unpredictable.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_BH9G1B4qjPsVrUwJAWP6tdacp5-m4l_RKWUQSt5i-REpMifq3OjK5RtrNGCvdVeOoq9D3nRtQbtKdMIM15hhqEN5fo9xZyCJu1K0r7xt_ftWB4yCq7TNpEn4TcQtCTXdmjTELKn0YfX/s1600/nc2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_BH9G1B4qjPsVrUwJAWP6tdacp5-m4l_RKWUQSt5i-REpMifq3OjK5RtrNGCvdVeOoq9D3nRtQbtKdMIM15hhqEN5fo9xZyCJu1K0r7xt_ftWB4yCq7TNpEn4TcQtCTXdmjTELKn0YfX/s1600/nc2.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott Wilson as Gus in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkIp03WdDCBN5oxErE5DGscensR8skCzTOQo7dc9pPU0IVsqQPTaZ48ktVs29l4ZEdqZj6nIOQM6BHjNrq_PcDyJNZmwXYJT05CrIDM7Dj5Z18iWio5Qk2PB-AD3kM9CuctIik9Y23T13/s1600/nc3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkIp03WdDCBN5oxErE5DGscensR8skCzTOQo7dc9pPU0IVsqQPTaZ48ktVs29l4ZEdqZj6nIOQM6BHjNrq_PcDyJNZmwXYJT05CrIDM7Dj5Z18iWio5Qk2PB-AD3kM9CuctIik9Y23T13/s1600/nc3.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roger E. Mosley being hassled in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lLetI1WemUu8BoAgzGW38NYU-kcSbbC1-AwUsBJF2X0UIVaDbfTA9U-fl7OrGNZrmubwUPfkqtEaKea3kJFWtWUlDHyOZVBsd5sR4rgBuimMcKh6HPb6yEEbCWc7hCKqSn9p1wxLJltk/s1600/nc4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lLetI1WemUu8BoAgzGW38NYU-kcSbbC1-AwUsBJF2X0UIVaDbfTA9U-fl7OrGNZrmubwUPfkqtEaKea3kJFWtWUlDHyOZVBsd5sR4rgBuimMcKh6HPb6yEEbCWc7hCKqSn9p1wxLJltk/s1600/nc4.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pepe Serna getting some help in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtJilCS9BKOdZJH2PBq1BK76Wr3r1qjpNeLzhNt0xI9oQ6j8LZ8NyZKUdYaTfqrWj_CnvNeLZLVMCVLyhHd2tGBigBZELJSCVAHr9LpmuurB-IUQw9i-__1A1p4ssxTVlehjuveUNKhtT/s1600/nc8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtJilCS9BKOdZJH2PBq1BK76Wr3r1qjpNeLzhNt0xI9oQ6j8LZ8NyZKUdYaTfqrWj_CnvNeLZLVMCVLyhHd2tGBigBZELJSCVAHr9LpmuurB-IUQw9i-__1A1p4ssxTVlehjuveUNKhtT/s1600/nc8.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed Lauter listens to Erik Estrada in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiAtNZsBXi7kPO3XRRvjP-CtjMyQ-FCDLAWupmB6qG2DeWl8r_golJ5JU8SBf4fJmmT3nw8N40s_xrQBVSOp4qQhGOcVllmNHNASBgFSHSvnyDaMymK8Y1ZZwxYLd0dGeUV4Z-x6Q1gaC/s1600/nc6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiAtNZsBXi7kPO3XRRvjP-CtjMyQ-FCDLAWupmB6qG2DeWl8r_golJ5JU8SBf4fJmmT3nw8N40s_xrQBVSOp4qQhGOcVllmNHNASBgFSHSvnyDaMymK8Y1ZZwxYLd0dGeUV4Z-x6Q1gaC/s1600/nc6.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George C. Scott in THE NEW CENTURIONS</td></tr> </tbody></table>

action, clifton james, cop, crime, erik estrada, george c. scott, richard fleischer, scott wilson, seventies, stacy keach, vice

THE NEW CENTURIONS

year: 1972 cast: Stacy Keach, George C. Scott, Erik Estrada, Scott Wilson, Clifton James rating: ***1/2 Whether it’s an exploitive early 70...