FORMAT: DVD
Sigh. Big City Blues is one of those Tarantino knockoffs that were so prevalent in the late ‘90s. As such, it features vignettes of interconnected criminal characters. There are scenes of hitmen talking about movies and making long speeches (one is about “celestial roulette”) before they kill their target, people scoring drugs, and hookers that yammer on and on.
It's sad that Burt Reynolds never got to be in a Tarantino movie. (He was supposed to be in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but passed away before filming began.) I guess crap like this is probably the closest we’ll get, but it’s kind of depressing to see him in a Sam’s Choice/Great Value/Dr. Perky version of Pulp Fiction. His bored, grumpy hitman character talks about Clint Eastwood and gives long monologues, but the scripting is amateurish, and the direction is borderline pathetic. William Forsythe (who was also in the much better Strike Force with Burt) plays his partner in crime, and even he looks tired and ashamed. Arye Gross and Giancarlo Esposito are on hand as a pair of trans individuals who want to get money for a sex reassignment surgery. Don’t think this is a win for inclusion as their characters are one-note and feel like they were only there to cash in on To Wong Foo. And don’t even get me started on the dumb comedy bits (like a hooker jerking off a client who gets off from singing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”) and the lame fantasy scenes (like a party where everyone dresses up in frog costumes).
The script rips off Pulp Fiction right down to the scene where characters are kidnapped by creepy, perverted, would-be rapists. This time, instead of rednecks, it’s kinky Satanists. I’ve lived a long time and I’ve seen a lot of things, but I didn’t need to see Burt Reynolds strapped to a torture rack and wearing a studded S & M leather thong.
When the characters finally come together, it’s anticlimactic and not nearly worth all the trouble. Plus, to add insult to injury, Burt gets one of the worst death scenes on record. If it wasn’t for Georgina Cates’ lengthy third act nude scene, it would’ve been totally worthless.
The worst thing about it is the awful cinematography. Many scenes are dimly lit to the point that it’s hard to see much of anything. Others are awash in a dark blue hue. I know the movie is called Big City Blues. but they could’ve picked a lighter shade. It might’ve at least been easier to see.
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