tbyrne4
I'm not a fan of Adam Rifkin's lighter, more commercial stuff ("The Chase", "Detroit Rock City") but I was blown away by "The Dark Backward", which is one of the darkest, most transgressive contemporary films I've seen and that made me seek out "Night at the Golden Eagle", which I also really liked. Golden Eagle has the same obsession with darker than dark, hell-on-earth textures as Dark Backward. I'm not sure how Rifkin does it, but I've seen few other filmmakers who really capture that sense that you are truly looking into the bowels of hell. Even David Lynch doesn't quite go this far down.Basic plot involves two old-time cons, one having just been released from prison. The other has been living a straight life at the titular fleabag motel, home to prostitutes, geriatric Hollywood hoofers, and other assorted weirdos and drug addicts. The two old cons have a plan to head to Vegas in the morning and start fresh lives as blackjack dealers, but when a hooker ends up dead in their room, things get complicated. There's also a subplot involving a very young prostitute being shown the tricks of the trade by a motherly older prostitute (played by Ann Magnuson).The film is actually a pretty big downer. Some definite shades of Bukowski and Hubert Selby Jr. Comic relief comes in the form of a b.s.-spouting, television obsessional (played wonderfully by old-time soul great Sam Moore) and a much put-upon desk clerk ("EVERYONE needs something! I'm out of milk, fer Christ's sake!").More than anything this makes me wish Rifkin would stick to the darker, textural stuff he has such an undeniable gift for creating.
HyperPup
That is how I felt after watching this spectacle of humanity. Completely down. Like I was damaged and left for refuse on the side of the curb. Rifkin did a wonderful job of giving us a side of humanity that we usually see but not at its gritty and gnarly best. This film is right up there with Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream" only it feels slightly more polished. The locale for one lent a perfectly hopeless air to the mise en scene. Rifkin played with the color saturation in such a way that it also added an extra layer of desperation to the visuals. Perfection, and this movie is right up there with other modern despair epics like Atlantic City and Requiem for a Dream.
daddyrifle
Another movie that starts out with potential but delivers a weak ending. Firstly why is James Caan credited on this movie on the DVD box package? He was in it for all of a few minutes. Cheater! The movie is just average, though Vinnie is above average. Needed a spark on the hour mark. OK to rent.
antimax
Director Adam Rifkin captures the dark "sweaty" world of Downtown L.A. in this remarkable effort. With a miniscule budget and limited resources, he manages to pull off a film that reminds me of the stuff that made movies like Midnight Cowboy great. As a professional in the film industry, I totally appreciate the way he develops and breathes life into the slowly dying characters and the dispassionate surroundings. This is a movie that couild have only been done WITHOUT the help of the damn studios and their team of girls and girly-boys who wouldn't know character development or good dialogue from a rats ass -- this is due to the fact that they live and breathe the idiot box and watch crap like Friends and Ally MacSqueal and Sex in the City. Attention studio executives and underpaid development folk! Watch this film and understand there is a need for movies with REAL characters.PS Vinny Argiro and Donny Shacks are ass-kicking!!!! A performance that will knock you on your azzz.ANTIMAX (CJG)
AD
