MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED (1976)

 While this is ostensibly a comedy, since it was made back in the 70s, it features things like rape, people getting blown away with shotguns and other dramatic elements that you don't see in very many comedies of any other era. As a fan of movies that blend genres together this appeals to me greatly. Of course we have to put aside our modern-day perceptions of sexual harassment(Raquel Welch's nickname is Jugs after all) and especially of Bill Cosby as a rapey individual behind the scenes for maximum enjoyment of what I consider his greatest(and his most sleazy (especially the massage parlor scene)) role as a constantly drinking-while-driving, nun-molesting, goofball. Other folks in the all-star cast include Harvey Keitel, Larry Hagman, former football player Dick Butkus and a bunch more. 

                                        Played on an exciting double-feature bill in the U.K.!:

BAD LIEUTENANT (1992)

 This is probably one of the best American movies made in the 1990's. This is primarily because it feels a lot more like a 70s or 80s flick than something from the most dreaded of decades. Harvey Keitel must get most of the credit here with his amazing performance of a pretty horrible human-bieng that we(or at least me myself) care about as he goes on a completely self-annihilating downward journey. There is a strong Christian/Catholic bent to thing especially towards the back half where Jesus gets cursed out and then gets his tootsies kissed. Director Abel Ferrara also must get much props here for his stylistic vision. The way it's shot brings a real TAXI-DRIVER/MEAN STREETS-vibe to everything and I could see this story easily existing in the same world as those two films.
 So to sum it up gratuitous public masturbation, Harvey Keitel's cock on full display, tits, junkies, cocaine abuse on school grounds, old grimey New York and a very naughty detective doing bad things that ends in blaze of glory. What else do you want from your cinema?
 There was a mostly shitty remake of this made in 2009 which I wrote about here right after viewing it.




  

MEAN STREETS (1973)

 I guess you could call this Martin Scorcese's dry run for GOODFELLAS. They both deal with gangsters but this one feels like a much more personal film dealing with religion, morality and the code of the streets. Also the gangsters here seem pretty amateurish compared to the big-time grand-theft criminals in his later films. This movie also is less violent and really works mainly due to two things; an amazing soundtrack and great dialogue. Seeing this recently in a theater from an actual film print the soundtrack was the major highlight. I also couldn't help but be reminded of Abel Ferrara's BAD LIEUTENANT which also stars Harvey Keitel, borrows at least one song and has a similar ending to this. Both films work equally well though and this one has to get extra credit for creating the modern-day mobster film.