Forgotten Film Friday (on a Sunday): The Public Eye

A retrospective by Brooks Rich

Joe Pesci is Leon "Bernzy" Bernstein, a freelance photographer in 1940s New York. He is known for out scooping the competition and always finding the perfect shot, especially murder scenes. Night club owner Kay (Barbara Hershey) asks him to look into a man who has been hustling her for money. Bernzy is soon involved in a murder plot with ties to the mob and gas prices.

This was Pesci's first leading role since winning the Academy Award for playing Tommy in Goodfellas. It was an attempt to captizilaie on his fame from Goodfellas. Sadly for Pesci and writer/director Howard Franklin the film was a commercial bomb. It only returned about three million of it's fifteen million dollar budget. This is truly a forgotten film as honestly I only saw it for the first time recently.

Sometimes I will watch an obscure movie to see if it is worth covering as a forgotten film. I have seen plenty of unknown films I didn't think were worth being feature. The Public Eye is not one of them. I really think this is a lost gem. It's no undiscovered masterpiece but I think it's worth a watch. There's a lot working for it, not the least of it being the story. It's a good solid noir like story. Maybe a little formulaic but it works.

Pesci is the main reason to see this movie. He really is one of our best actors. Pesci in Scorsese films is one thing. Tommy in Goodfellas and Nicky in Casino are larger than life psychopaths. They highlight how aggressive Pesci could be on film. But this film showcases the more reserved Pesci. This movie would not work at all without him. He knows exactly how to play this guy. Besides Pesci the other reason to see this movie is Howard Franklin. He wrote a solid script, loosely based off real life photographer Arthur "Weegee" Felig. Like Bernzy the guy had a knack for getting the right photo at the right time.

Again this is not some long lost classic. Casablanca it is not. But it is a solid film and comes in at a brisk hour and thirty-nine minutes. Give it a watch.

Comments

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

A retrospective by Brooks Rich Let's kick off the spooky season with a bona fide classic. I love the horror genre, but not much really scares or creeps me out. Most horror films I just watch and enjoy. However, 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' is one of those that really gets under my skin, and not just because the Sawyer family are eating people. The way Tobe Hooper shoots the film gives it an almost documentary feel. If you have never seen 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre,' you should probably fix that immediately. Do I need to explain what it's about? A group of '70s kids is driving across Texas in a van and runs afoul of the Sawyer family, including the man himself, Leatherface. It's a classic of the horror genre and one of the pioneers of the '70s and '80s horror boom. The film has a reputation for being sickeningly bloody and violent, but that is not true. It's essentially a bloodless film, which makes it even more horrifying. Most of the violence...

Forgotten Film Friday: Absolute Power

Clint Eastwood stars as Luther Whitney, a jewel thief who works in the Washington DC area. One night while he is stealing from a mansion he is forced to hide in a secret compartment with a two way mirror. From there he observes a sexual rezendevous with the wife of a powerful man and the President of the United States Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman) Suddenly the president gets aggressive and while defending herself the woman is shot to death by two Secret Service agents. Luther manages to get away with a letter opener the woman stabbed the president with. At first Luther plans to flee the country. But when he is disgusted by a statement the president makes, Luther decides to expose the crime. I miss these kind of films. The nineties was a great time for thrillers exactly like this. They are not the flashiest films but they are also not obsessed with big action scenes. It's all plot and character with them. Sure this plot might be a little out there but Eastwood makes it work. He's...

John Candy month: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

A retrospective by Brooks Rich I decided to extend John Candy month for a bit as I had some personal issues come up. So just wrapping up some film I wanted to cover. Works for me. Just an excuse to keep talking about a master like Candy. Steve Martin is Neil Page, a marketing executive who is flying from New York to Chicago for Thanksgiving. While trying to hail a cab he trips over a large trunk and has his taxi stolen by Del Griffith, the immortal John Candy, who ends up being one of Neil's seat mates on the plane. Bad weather in Chicago strands them in Wichita. Determined to make up for ruining Neil's travel plans, Del swears to get Neil home to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving. Hilarity ensues. I mean come on. Who doesn't love Planes, Trains, and Automobiles? This is Candy's best film and I don't think that's a hot take. Sure some people might vote for Uncle Buck but not me. My vote is for this masterpiece of '80s comedy. It is also John Hughes best fi...

Cinema Basement

Search This Blog