Revisiting THE NICE GUYS in 4K

THE NICE GUYS (4K UHD)

2016 / 116 min

From Warner Bros

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Looking back at Shane Black’s directorial efforts is sort of a study in contrasts. The big budget, high-concept films have mostly been pretty middling, which is ironic considering his screenwriting career was built on them. Conversely, two of the best (and smartest) action comedies of the 21st Century, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, received comparatively little attention when first released (though both have since become highly revered).

These films share many of the same elements and narrative structure, to the point that The Nice Guys could even be seen as sort of a spiritual sequel (or prequel, since it’s set in 1977). Both are great examples of neo-noir that blend violent action and sharp comedy in equal measures. Both feature a pair of cynical protagonists who reluctantly team up to solve a case (and one is generally smarter than the other). Both star actors not typically associated with comedy at the time. Both feature intricate plots that, while interesting, you’re likely to forget in any real detail until you watch them again…which isn’t really a liability because both are endlessly rewatchable.

The secret to good detective work is to look cool smoking.

If forced to choose between them, I would probably pick The Nice Guys as the (slightly) better of the two (though I reserve the right to change my mind when I revisit Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang again). This one features Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as Jackson Healy and Holland March, a couple of hard-boiled LA detectives who end up on the same case…the search for a young woman who participated in an adult film. It turns out others who worked on the movie are being murdered, which leads Healy and March to some discoveries (often accidentally) about who’s behind it all, and why.

But as well conceived as it is, the plot is secondary to the characters, performances and dialogue. Healy and March are wonderfully written. Neither are what one would mistake for morally upstanding, but they’re engagingly likable and their quasi-antagonistic relationship provides most of the move’s funniest moments. It’s two stars look like they’re having a great time playing against type, working with another clever, playful (and sometimes raunchy) Shane Black screenplay. 

This 4K release doesn’t offer any additional bonus material that hasn’t included on older formats. However, it does boast a noticeable visual upgrade from the previous Blu-ray edition, nicely preserving the film's vivid '70s aesthetic. The audio track sounds great, too, but I didn’t notice any discernible difference between either version. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Always Bet on Black focuses on the director; Worst. Detectives. Ever. is your basic promotional making-of featurette.

A SIMPLE PLAN and the Damn Shame

A SIMPLE PLAN (Blu-ray)

1998 / 121 min

FROM ARROW VIDEO

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Sam Raimi never really had much of a chance to demonstrate his diversity as a director. For a brief time, he did branch out into genres other than horror or fantasy, but with the exception of some critics, no one seemed to care.

Which is too bad, because 1998’s A Simple Plan is an excellent neo-noir crime thriller and his best overall film. With an aesthetic similar to Fargo and tone non-unlike No Country for Old Men, it sometimes feels like Raimi is channeling his good buddies, the Coen Brothers, while incorporating 

his own familiar flourishes…albeit with more subtlety than he’s generally known for.

Based on a novel Scott B. Smith (who also wrote the screenplay), A Simple Plan tells a familiar tale that, when done right, never gets old. In this case, brothers Hank and Jacob Mitchell (Bill Paxton & Billy Bob Thornton), along with the latter’s brash buddy, Lou Chambers (Brent Briscoe), find $4.5 million in a crashed, snowcovered plane. Hank initially wants to turn it in, but the other two convince him otherwise. Still, Hanks insists on hanging onto the money until spring, when they’ll know for sure whether or not it’s unreported drug money.

In classic fashion, the prospect of instant wealth changes these men, each making foolish, sometimes terrible spur-of-the-moment decisions that threaten their plans. Hank warns the other two to tell no one about the money, but he’s the first to spill the beans to his wife, Sarah (Bridget Fonda), who has some (questionable) ideas of her own to assure the plan is successful. Though he’s the sole voice of reason at first, Hank undergoes the biggest transition for the worst, such as an attempt to blackmail Lou (who keeps demanding his share), as well as a couple of situations that escalate to murder. Despite cover stories to explain things to the local sheriff, the plan begins to spin out of control.

"Olive Garden here we come!"

While elaborating further would ruin some of the film’s surprises, it’s a compelling, clever story, beginning to build tension the minute the plan goes into motion, much like classic film noir where the main characters are their own worst enemy (Lee J. Cobb in The Man Who Cheated Himself comes immediately to mind). The characters in this one are just as compelling, and in the case of Hank and Jacob, even likable, despite committing some horrific acts.

Sure-handed direction keeps things briskly paced and there's great use of snowy and sparse Minnesota locations. But it’s the performances that make it truly memorable, especially Paxton and Thornton, who are excellent in their roles. It’s just too bad A Simple Plan didn’t get much attention from anyone but critics at the time, because Sam Raimi returned to his comfort zone soon afterwards and never looked back. Not to disparage his later work, but this is the closest he ever came to a masterpiece.

In addition to a great 4K remaster, Arrow Video has included a smattering of entertaining bonus features, most of them brand new.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

NEW INTERVIEWS - Of Ice and Men features cinematographer Alar Kivilo; Dead of Winter features Chelcie Ross (Sheriff Jenkins); Standing Her Ground features Becky Ann Baker (Nancy Chambers).

ON-SET INTERVIEWS - Individual archival interview with Bill Paxton, Sam Raimi, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda and producer James J. Jacks.

BEHIND THE SCENES FEATURETTE

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme; 2) By Patrizia von Brandenstein and Justin Beahm.

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THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY is Stylishly Familiar

THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY (Blu-ray)

2023 / 91 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Bank Robber😺

We’ve seen this scenario before…a old diner in the middle of nowhere, an eclectic batch of patrons who are stranded, and of course, a couple of vicious criminals who are a threat to them all. Everyone has converged at the diner because they need gas, but the station next door is empty, so they have no choice but to wait for the overdue gas truck. This includes Travis (Nicholas Logan) & Beau (Richard Brake), who’ve just robbed a bank.

Since the robbery is all over the news, a timid knife salesman (Jim Cummings) recognizes their getaway car and urges waitress Charlotte (Jocelin Donahue) to call the police. However, Beau stops her and cuts the phone line, then threatens to kill them both if they don’t do exactly as he says, which is basically act as though nothing’s wrong while others begin to enter the diner, also low on gas.

"Where the hell is my omelet??"

Again, it’s a familiar premise. But it’s what writer-director Francis Galluppi does with it that makes The Last Stop in Yuma County interesting. Considering it’s essentially a one-setting film, he’s juggling a sizable cast of uniquely different characters, almost none of whom follow a predictable arc. Galluppi also wears his influences proudly. Stylishly shot, with noir touches and plenty of black humor, the film sometimes plays like Tarantino filtered through the Coen Brothers. At the same time, it never feels like a rip-off and the final act is filled with surprises.

Set in the ‘70s, there’s good attention to period detail, especially the use of vehicles that no longer exist (when was the last time you saw a Ford Pinto?) and incorporating of a few classic pop songs at opportune moments. Elsewhere, the performances range from coolly menacing (Brake) to distractingly oafish (Deputy Gavin, played by Connor Paolo). Well made on a fairly low budget, The Last Stop in Yuma County may be the sum of its influences, but Francis Galluppi has enough narrative tricks up his sleeve to make it worth checking out.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE - Fairly short, by pretty amusing.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer-director Francis Galluppi, cinematographer Mac Fisken, exec. producer James Claeys, actors Jim Cummings & Jocelin Donahue.

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