No Halloween suggestions here but my viewing has been rather eclectic lately so here are some recommendations to watch or re-watch:
"Dressed to Kill." Brian De Palma at arguably his most Hitchcockian. If you like De Palma's highly stylized, melodramatic approach, then this is for you. It's a tense and involving story about a how a murder brings an unlikely group of people (a high school whiz kid, a psychiatrist, and a high-priced hooker). Even though you may see the twist coming a mile off, it's still a good watch. Also, Dennis Franz's film debut as a caustic, hard-on New York detective. It's like watching his audition reel for "NYPD Blue."
"Bullets Over Broadway." I think it's one of Woody Allen's best and a big reason is that Allen isn't in it so the movie doesn't revolve around his ultra-neurotic personality. It's sharply written ensemble about a pretentious, uncompromising play write who takes money from a mob boss to put on a Broadway show in the late 1920s. It has a great cast with three of them being nominated for Oscars, and Dianne Weist winning for her portrayal of the bombastically egotistical stage legend Helen Sinclair. My favorite is Chazz Palmintieri (RIP) as Cheech, the mob hit man who works as a ghostwriter on the movie's play and has some of the best lines.
"Point Break." What else can you say about this one? A beautifully shot action classic with endlessly quotable lines. Say it with me: "I AM AN FBI AGENT!" "One hundred percent pure adrenaline!" Plus, it has arguably the best foot chase scene ever.
