Pearce’s Film Reviews

239 Films have been rated or reviewed by Pearce.

Raising Cain (1992): I always liked this but the recent–ish director's cut, which rearranges the structure, turns this from minor to major De Palma. Frances Sternhagen's big speech is both an acting and camera tour de force with a fantastic punchline.
Untouchables, The (1987): Overrated gangster movie with a bland lead, disappointing villain performance from De Niro, a too–80s style for a period piece and an unusually lacklustre Morricone score. I usually love De Palma but not this time. Mamet's script sucks.
Wise Guys (1986): Oh dear. Bravura visual style doesn't help much when you make a comedy that just isn't funny.
Body Double (1984): Ignore the star rating because if you hate this movie, we can't be friends.
Scarface (1983): Incredible style (the chainsaw scene is justly famous) but as with Peter Jackson's King Kong, this is a fairly close remake that's unnecessarily twice as long as the original.
Dressed to Kill (1980): The movie Dario Argento wishes he was good enough to direct.
Fury, The (1978): A great series of set–pieces in search of a movie. I bet John Cassavetes and Brian De Palma hated each other.
Carrie (1976): Four stars just because nobody else has managed the "look like you're using psychic powers" facial expression even one tenth as effectively as Sissy Spacek.
Mars Attacks! (1996): Broad comedy and many homages to '50s sci fi classics make this a huge winner for me, though it's a bit too obvious that they used the soundtrack from The Day the Earth Stood Still as a temp track.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Starship Troopers (1997): Casting perennial villain actors Michael Ironside and Clancy Brown as the inspiring father figure characters while putting Doogie Howser MD in a Gestapo uniform helps explain why this movie failed in the USA and succeeded in Europe.

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Pearce’s Film Reviews