hacker-9 Reviews

The Deep (1977)

Never mind the T shirt- treasure Shaw the master !!

[3 December 2000]

"The Deep" presents as a veritable Smorgasbord of delightful scenery, strong casting and underwater excitement; in reality the feast is not quite as satisfying as it should be, probably due to the seriously silly plot development.. The leads are fine, though; a youthful, pre-jaded looking Nick Nolte combining happily with Miss Bisset and THAT T shirt- who can blame him?! Watch out for baddie Lou Gossett in good form, but especially marvel at the sheer charisma, in a fairly unflattering role, of the late great Robert Shaw, surely one of Britain's most gifted screen performers.

Doing Time (1979)

Priceless keep-sake of unforgettable TV series

[21 May 2000]

"Porridge" the movie was made some time after the last episode had been completed-some time, in fact, after the sequel "Going Straight" had been shown. This does not deter at all from the fun, and as TV spin-offs go, this rates as one of the best; due almost entirely to the quality of the original characters from the timeless BBC comedy series. Ronnie Barker was never better than when he assumed the mantle of our anti-hero Norman Stanley Fletcher; aided in no small way by outstanding character support- the wonderful Fulton Mackay as his strutting nemesis Prison Officer Mackay, coupled with the genial Barroclough (Brian Wilde) and a menacing Peter Vaughan as Grouty. Add to this the poignancy of seeing Richard Beckinsale in his last film appearance before his tragically early death at 31 a few weeks after the film's completion and it becomes clear that the film, although no masterpiece in itself, should be treasured keenly by all who value British comedy at its best.

The Squeeze (1977)

Hard-boiled crime thriller in best British tradition

[19 April 2000]

Gritty, fast-paced British crime thriller typical of the genre-eg "Get Carter"; "The Long Good Friday", and although falls somewhat short of these classics, nevertheless delivers the requisite punch. Interestingly cast, with Stacy Keach on good form as the alcoholic ex-cop investigating the kidnap of his daughter; David Hemmings in smooth bad-guy mode, Edward Fox as the wealthy step-father,and Stephen Boyd, in his final film role delivering a menacing portrayal as master-villain Vic Smith. Shot in and around London, many of the scenes and settings will be familiar to British viewers of the 1970's TV hit "The Sweeney" with similar allusions to a less-than-perfect central character struggling with the violent London underworld. Massively under-rated at time of release; certainly a must for all fans of this peculiarly British genre.