THE LOST MAN is a 1969 Sidney Poitier heist movie, a pretty obscure one, never released on DVD. Maybe if it was better known then Tony Scott and Denzel would do a juiced up remake. But actually it’s already sort of a remake, based on a novel that was made as ODD MAN OUT in ‘47, but that version had James Mason as an IRA type, this has Poitier as a Black Panther type. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Paul Winfield’
The Lost Man
Thursday, September 16th, 2010
Tyson (1995 HBO movie)
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
From Uli Edel, the visionary director of BODY OF EVIDENCE and THE LITTLE VAMPIRE, comes the 1995 made-for-cable biopic of Mike Tyson. HBO had made alot of money off the Mike Tyson fights, but then he lost the title and went to prison. I guess they made this movie to keep him in their library and maybe spark new interest for his comeback.
The most notable part of the movie is that Michael Jai White plays Tyson, in the role that brought him to somewhat-prominence. Before that he had a small part in TOXIC AVENGER 2-3 and was in a couple low-rent martial arts movies that I ought to track down one of these days, but this is what got him the bigger roles like, uh, Spawn.
You know, in the first UNDISPUTED the Ving Rhames character was clearly inspired by Mike Tyson. I think he was the current-champ, not the former-champ, but he was in prison on a rape charge that he denied. I’m not sure if I thought about it before that when Michael Jai White took over the character for part II it was the same guy who played Mike Tyson! This movie ends with him about to go to prison, so for a real weird experience I challenge somebody to watch TYSON, then UNDISPUTED, then UNDISPUTED II all in a row. (more…)
White Dog
Saturday, January 1st, 2005WHITE DOG is the story of a racist German sheperd. Fuckin Germans. (Just kidding.) The story here is about Julie (Kristy McNicol) a small time actress who runs over a white German sheperd in the Hollywood Hills one night. She brings the dog (who never gets a name, so we’ll call him White Dog) to the vet and pays for his treatment, then takes him in while she tries to find the owner.
Before long, some Ernest Borgnine looking rapist breaks in and attacks her. White Dog not only takes care of the fucker, he does it in style. He even manages to jump right through a closed window to catch him. Everybody’s making a big deal about the guy in ONG BAK being the next big action hero, well what about White Dog. This dog jumps and climbs over all kinds of crap. This is a great dog.
Okay so now Julie’s real attached to White Dog. You could say well she saved his life and he saved her, now they’re even. But remember, she’s the one ran over him, that means she’s still in debt to White Dog. So that explains why she doesn’t turn on him when she finds out that he is an attack dog. The way this comes out, he viciously attacks one of her co-stars for no apparent reason while they’re filming a bit part for a movie. An uncomfortable day on the set to say the least.
So she takes White Dog to a Hollywood animal trainer (Burl Ives) who has a personal vendetta against R2-D2 (long story). She wants Burl Ives to undo the dog’s attack dog training, which he says is impossible. And then she finds out that it’s worse. He’s not just an attack dog, but a “white dog” – a dog trained by sicko bigots to attack and kill black people. That’s where Paul Winfield comes in. In one of his most badass roles, he plays a trainer driven by obsession to try to cure white dogs. He doesn’t even know if it’s possible but, “If I don’t break him, I’ll shoot him.” (more…)
