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Kill Me Again

Kill Me Again

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring neo-noir thriller.
Review: "Kill Me Again" has nothing new to offer the experienced viewer of this genre of film. It has the male/female duo of criminals on the run. It has the so-called "good guy" who falls for the femme fatale. It has its share of uncomfortable violence. And of course, let us not forget the twist, twist, double twist ending.

There used to be a time when a movie watcher could actually be surprised by one of those kinds of endings. In fact, if the ending is original enough, they still work in some situations. Alas...this movie does not contain one of those inspiredly creative conclusions.

Michael Madsen and Joanne Whalley are the criminals Vince and Fay. Val Kilmer is the down on his luck private investigator who crosses paths with Fay. She has double crossed Vince and she wants the private investigator to fake her death. The reason? So that Vince will think she is dead and stop looking for her. If only it were that easy.

Fay does something so stupid that I am still shaking my head over it. She decides that it would be a good idea to shaft the private eye and skip town before he got paid in full. I know this next part is gonna be a real shocker. Yeah...right. The private eye tracks Fay down and wants the rest of his money. Who would've figured that a private investigator would be good at finding someone?

Anyway, the movie tries to impress the viewer by making you guess who is backstabbing who. Sadly, the three main characters are such jerks that you don't even care who ends up getting killed and who gets away. I would recommend watching "The Last Seduction" if you are interested in watching a John Dahl flick. This one is really weak.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring neo-noir thriller.
Review: "Kill Me Again" has nothing new to offer the experienced viewer of this genre of film. It has the male/female duo of criminals on the run. It has the so-called "good guy" who falls for the femme fatale. It has its share of uncomfortable violence. And of course, let us not forget the twist, twist, double twist ending.

There used to be a time when a movie watcher could actually be surprised by one of those kinds of endings. In fact, if the ending is original enough, they still work in some situations. Alas...this movie does not contain one of those inspiredly creative conclusions.

Michael Madsen and Joanne Whalley are the criminals Vince and Fay. Val Kilmer is the down on his luck private investigator who crosses paths with Fay. She has double crossed Vince and she wants the private investigator to fake her death. The reason? So that Vince will think she is dead and stop looking for her. If only it were that easy.

Fay does something so stupid that I am still shaking my head over it. She decides that it would be a good idea to shaft the private eye and skip town before he got paid in full. I know this next part is gonna be a real shocker. Yeah...right. The private eye tracks Fay down and wants the rest of his money. Who would've figured that a private investigator would be good at finding someone?

Anyway, the movie tries to impress the viewer by making you guess who is backstabbing who. Sadly, the three main characters are such jerks that you don't even care who ends up getting killed and who gets away. I would recommend watching "The Last Seduction" if you are interested in watching a John Dahl flick. This one is really weak.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sunlit Noir
Review: 40's style noir played against Nevada desert and gambling dens. Val Kilmer is too boyish to bring off the classic role of private eye, but at least he doesn't try to act tough while being slapped around or thrown like a rag doll over a series of chairs and tables. In fact his Jack Andrews gets pushed around by almost everyone in what amounts to one of the most feckless of all movie private eyes. His every move seems to either flop or backfire. He's seldom in charge of any encounter, and in that important regard, the movie stands as a genuine oddity to the genre. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, looking like a trampy Natalie Wood, is reasonably convincing as the femme fatale, squealing delightedly whenever she's roughed up, while villainous Michael Madsen, looking like Elvis's spooky older brother, steals the show with a series of scary outbursts that are totally convincing. Despite the negative review, there're enough twists and turns to keep viewers guessing. And while Kill Me Again is no classic of noir filmmaking, it does stand as a reasonably successful low-budget entry.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sunlit Noir
Review: 40's style noir played against sunny Nevada desert and vicious gambling dens. Val Kilmer is too boyish to bring off the classic role of private eye, but at least he doesn't try to act tough while being slapped around or thrown like a rag doll over a series of chairs and tables. In fact his Jack Andrews gets pushed around by almost everyone in what amounts to one of the most feckless of all movie private eyes. His every move seems to either flop or backfire. He's seldom in charge of any encounter, and in that important regard, the movie stands as a genuine oddity to the genre. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, looking like a trampy Natalie Wood, is reasonably convincing as the femme fatale, squealing delightedly whenever she's roughed up; while villainous Michael Madsen, looking like Elvis's spooky older brother, steals the show with a series of scary outbursts that are totally convincing. Despite the negative review, there're enough twists and turns to keep viewers guessing. And while Kill Me Again is no classic of noir filmmaking, it does stand as a reasonably successful low-budget entry.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Guess we won't be going to Maine after all"
Review: Brett Johnson's review of this movie is about right. I rate it much higher though. Even though this show follows many other formulas, for the type of show it is I think it's at about the top of its class. At least it's a movie I want to keep and watch from time to time. I can't say that about alot of the shows I've bought. The ending isn't that good but most movies don't come up with good endings. Michael Madsen is his usual cruel self (as in "Reservoir Dogs") and is even raunchier. Val Kilmer plays many different parts well. Maybe he isn't so believable as a private "I" but still, for the kind of show it is I give it a thumbs up.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Guess we won't be going to Maine after all"
Review: Brett Johnson's review of this movie is about right. I rate it much higher though. Even though this show follows many other formulas, for the type of show it is I think it's at about the top of its class. At least it's a movie I want to keep and watch from time to time. I can't say that about alot of the shows I've bought. The ending isn't that good but most movies don't come up with good endings. Michael Madsen is his usual cruel self (as in "Reservoir Dogs") and is even raunchier. Val Kilmer plays many different parts well. Maybe he isn't so believable as a private "I" but still, for the kind of show it is I give it a thumbs up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Doesn't matter, I'm gonna kill you anyway
Review: Considered from the "outer" point of view, this is a pretty good movie. Well-developed, uniquely-identified, memorable characters; excellent acting by all; crisp, often amusing, dialogue; well-plotted and paced with surprising twists and turns, and a surprising climax. The haunting background music (William Olvis) alone is worth the seeing the movie for.

But it is on the "inner" level that this movie really struck at me. It is set in Nevada (Winnemucca, Reno, Vegas, Overton - "Where's that?" "It's up by Lake Mead") where I lived for many years. [For those of you who have read much spiritual/metaphysical literature, it is no coincidence that the national mecca of "vice" is a "desert experience". This remark is NOT a put-down of Nevada - amidst such sharp natural beauty, our dilemma is sharply drawn there - and that's a plus.]

Somehow the dark, horrifically-empty aspect of modern American life - which is itself especially starkly on view in NV - is precisely nailed by this film. The film might aptly be subtitled - "The Illusion of Love in a Dead Culture like ours". Yes, outwardly, it's about the astonishing betrayals and cruelty everybody - good or bad - will go through to get their hands on the attache case with the mob's money. But inwardly it's about the search for a love that has sunk irretrievably below the surface of one of Nevada's beautiful lakes. If you think this fanciful, tell me this: why, as the winner finally leaves Nevada with the money, was "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" - so movingly sung, torch-style - selected for the final credits? It was, rather, tears that were getting in mine!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a sleeper
Review: I am no movie buff, but I know a good one when I see it. This movie is akin to 'Red Rock West' with Nick Cage, or 'The eye of God', and 'Clay Pigeons' with Vince Vaughn. I even added it to my scrappy (less than 20) video collction, and that's saying a lot! The only thing missing is a score from Chris Isaac.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spectcular twisty turny edge of your seat suspense
Review: I loved it and have watched it again and aagain
each time i enjoy it more
excellent from start to finish

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spectcular twisty turny edge of your seat suspense
Review: I loved it and have watched it again and aagain
each time i enjoy it more
excellent from start to finish


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