Yours truly isn't a man of many traditions, but the few I have I try to keep intact fanatically. See at least one Christmas-themed horror movie during the holiday season, for instance, or never watch a horror movie remake before the original. Another tradition is to pay my final respect to great directors and actors/actresses by watching one of their films within a week of their passing. This brought me to "Bone", since the great and somehow always underrated Yaphet Kotto passed away on March 14th, 2021. Rest in peace, Mr. Kotto.
Actually, I'm glad I still hadn't seen my copy of "Bone", even though I own the DVD for at least 12-15 years already. In all the obvious classics Yaphet Kotto starred in throughout his career ("Alien", "Brubraker", "Live and Let Die" ...), he was a respectable supportive character, whereas "Bone" is one of his sole leading/title roles. Regardless of its quality and status, I'm somehow convinced that it always remained a very special and important milestone film in both the careers of Kotto, and of the genius writer/director Larry Cohen (who also passed away not that long ago, in March 2019).
Now, I certainly wouldn't go as far to refer to "Bone" as a brilliant classic that is mandatory viewing for all cult-loving audiences, but it's undeniably a strange and irresistibly absorbing mix between psychological thriller and absurd black comedy. Impossible combination, I hear you say? I would agree, but Larry Cohen nevertheless pulled it off and allegedly found his inspiration in the oeuvre of the controversial writer Joe Orton. Several parts are overlong, far too talkative and dreadfully uninteresting, for sure, like the sequences at the bar or at the supermarket. Other parts are downright fantastic and easily rank among the most hilarious scenes I have ever seen. Examples of these are the promo-video interludes of car salesman Bill, the attempt to call anonymously to the police from a phone booth, or even some of the lines spoken by Kotto ("Well, I was planning to rape you, but it seems like the two of you have enough problems already")
Yaphet Kotto is terrific as the reluctant rapist who invades the home of the seemingly happy & rich couple Bill and Bernadette in Beverly Hills. It's starts with Bone menacing the posh couple with a dead rat he just pulled out of their pool filter, but he accidentally exposes a bottomless pit of marital lies, forgery, treason and unhappiness. Andrew Duggan, Joyce Van Patten and Jeannie Berlin are really good as well, especially since they're depicting such unusual characters.
Actually, I'm glad I still hadn't seen my copy of "Bone", even though I own the DVD for at least 12-15 years already. In all the obvious classics Yaphet Kotto starred in throughout his career ("Alien", "Brubraker", "Live and Let Die" ...), he was a respectable supportive character, whereas "Bone" is one of his sole leading/title roles. Regardless of its quality and status, I'm somehow convinced that it always remained a very special and important milestone film in both the careers of Kotto, and of the genius writer/director Larry Cohen (who also passed away not that long ago, in March 2019).
Now, I certainly wouldn't go as far to refer to "Bone" as a brilliant classic that is mandatory viewing for all cult-loving audiences, but it's undeniably a strange and irresistibly absorbing mix between psychological thriller and absurd black comedy. Impossible combination, I hear you say? I would agree, but Larry Cohen nevertheless pulled it off and allegedly found his inspiration in the oeuvre of the controversial writer Joe Orton. Several parts are overlong, far too talkative and dreadfully uninteresting, for sure, like the sequences at the bar or at the supermarket. Other parts are downright fantastic and easily rank among the most hilarious scenes I have ever seen. Examples of these are the promo-video interludes of car salesman Bill, the attempt to call anonymously to the police from a phone booth, or even some of the lines spoken by Kotto ("Well, I was planning to rape you, but it seems like the two of you have enough problems already")
Yaphet Kotto is terrific as the reluctant rapist who invades the home of the seemingly happy & rich couple Bill and Bernadette in Beverly Hills. It's starts with Bone menacing the posh couple with a dead rat he just pulled out of their pool filter, but he accidentally exposes a bottomless pit of marital lies, forgery, treason and unhappiness. Andrew Duggan, Joyce Van Patten and Jeannie Berlin are really good as well, especially since they're depicting such unusual characters.